I lichen this a lot

I'm driving to the grocery store when I see it. It is beautiful and I want it. I can't stop thinking of it. I rush my family through the store. We pull over on the way home so I can get a closer look at it. And I  must have it. It was just laying there.

So that's how I found myself dragging a 12 foot tree branch down the main drag. It was MUCH heavier than I had anticipated. I must have looked like a crazy lady, hauling this downed branch, sweating and smiling. By the time I got it back to the truck I was breathless and drenched and very very excited.

And that was the start of my problem. I have a pile of assorted tree branches, rescued from becoming mulch or landfill, taking up an alarming amount of space in my garage. I get texts from people around town telling me their neighbor just had the trees trimmed. Friends in different cities hoard wood for me.

But I find I can't help myself. See, wood is beautiful. The variation in color, the lines that the grain makes, the texture of the bark and the lichen. Oh the lichen. Texas is a humid place, and while that's a pain on the hair, it is a wonderful environment for lichens and moss and air plants. Lacy tendrils of sea foam. Frilly pleats of pale olive. It is everything.

I've been designing vases using these unique and gorgeous finds. I love the way an elegant neck of creamy wood curves up from the natural rough bark. It's nature and it's art all in one piece. It's functional, perfect for dried flowers or single-day blooms. It's a statement for your mantle and table. It's a houseplant. With an occasional mist of water and some indirect light, the moss and lichen will continue living! You can find these vases and other pieces created with this rescued wood in my shop.

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