Red and Green: Japanese Maple and Millinery!

Japanese Maples are so wonderful!

For such small trees they put on such spectacular colors in autumn, and then after they lose their leaves, they still manage to look fabulous wearing only their bared red branches.

When we lived in San Jose, California there was an article about a man who owned several hundred varieties of Japanese Maples.

He had his maples in huge pots on wheels, so he could move them around according to their sunlight needs.

When it got too hot, he would move them all into shade. Talk about dedication! Since Japanese Maples can be worth a lot (some varieties are in the thousands for a sapling) he wanted to be able to take his maples with him whenever he had to move.

I can almost understand that; after training and shaping a maple for a few years it would be hard to leave it behind.

My assistant Joan has been corking off while I wrote...it is time to get her back on the job.

I'll be posting not only red and green in nature the next few weeks leading to Christmas, but I will also be posting Christmas inspired millinery as well!

Just my way of saying thank you to my millinery friends for bearing with me during my NaNo writing month.

Here a Christmas "Jill"

I beaded the tree tops on the front of the hat. It is the Glengarry Scottish style hat that my millinery guru Kate
designed at my request. The pattern is available now at the link "Jill" above.

I made the long scarf to match, and wear the scarf as alternately a belt or a scarf. Black pants, sweater, bowed wrapped belt and hat...ready to go to a festive event!

Last Sunday I wore just the hat with a matching red sweater and a black suede skirt. As the lady in the heavily embellished Christmas sweater sitting next to me said; "That is so unusual, what a great Christmas idea!"

It certainly is.

Bring it on, ladies! Wear a festive holiday hat this season!

And please, I don't mean just wearing a red and white Santa hat or reindeer antlers either! Those are fun...let's go for unique!

Bonus item: If you haven't yet tried C. F. Burger Creamery Colonial Style Custard Nod, you should do so, and soon.

It is like egg nog, but without the nutmeg and distinctive flavor. More like egg custard. According to the carton, it's made from a colonial American recipe that was common in the 1700's.

At 180 calories for a 1/2 cup, it is a "splurge", but well worth it! I've been adding a dollop on my morning oatmeal, and it is perfect on a wintry morn.

I got mine at either Kroger or HEB.
C. F Burger's website is under construction, so I can't suggest where you might find it in your area.
I also looked for custard nog recipes; no luck, all I can find is the usual egg nog.

I'm going to try to get back into the habit of morning posting.
No promises though.