Antique Gold and Forest

Sun through pines

Updated December 2022.

Originally published December 2017.


Since my recent autumn and indigo color palette article received such a great response, I thought I’d keep up the color-themed posts with a more wintery entry this time.

Sunlight through pines at a campground in northern Arizona.

Currently on my mind is the combination of vibrant greens (from kelly to forest) paired with softer golds – think mercury glass, champagne, heirloom jewelry, candlelight.

Small table with cakes that look like birchwood.
Cake table via Elizabeth Anne Designs (photo: Jacque Lynn Photo)

While this combination could go modern, I particularly love it as a complement to rustic decor. It looks fabulous with natural materials like birch bark, adding just enough sheen to make it all feel chic and festive.

pine cones covered in gold leaf

For a woodsy vibe, you can bring in the classic evergreen boughs and pinecones or whatever’s growing outside your door. Twigs, olive branches, rosemary sprigs, eucalyptus leaves, berries, potted cacti, or mossy driftwood could all work well.

elegant rustic tables cape with greens and candles

1. Campground in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona. 2. Woodland cakes with sled. 3. DIY gold pinecone garland. 4. Rustic elegant table. (H/T Apartment Therapy)


Here are more ideas for places to visit, projects, products, and recipes in this palette.

Mercury glass ornaments

Gingerbread terrariums

Pinecone garland

Grönkålsallad with kale, oranges, and chèvre via My Lovely Things (photo: Jonas Lundberg).

5. Mercury glass ornaments. (Shop similar ones.) 6. Gingerbread terrariums 7. DIY gold leaf pinecone garland. 8. Grönkålsallad (cached) – kale, orange, and chèvre salad.

Christmas cookies via Fork and Flower

wine glass with the word cheers written on it

sequined table runner

wreath with Indian cowbells hanging in the middle

9. Recipes for Christmas cookies topped with sprinkles. 10. Decorated wine glasses (+ other New Year’s Eve crafts.) 11. Sequin table runner. (Shop) 12. Homemade olive branch wreath with bells.

Woodsy tablescape

Rainy window

Hanukkah gelt

Luminarias at Tucson Botanical Garden.

13. Woodland tablescape with wood slice chargers + place card holders. 14. Rain drops on the window. 15. DIY Hanukkah Gelt (chocolate coins). 16. Luminarias at Tucson Botanical Garden. (If you’re in Phoenix, you can see Luminarias at DBG.)

DIY Branch Menorah

Simple ring wreath by Paper and Stitch

Gold circle garland by robayre

17. DIY Natural Branch Menorah. 18. How to make asymmetrical wreaths. 19. Gold circle garland. (Tutorial)

Spinach mushroom polenta.

Festive bar set up

Holiday decorated cactus

20. Spinach mushroom polenta. 21. Holiday bar set-up (similar: glasses, sugar stirrers, fillable ornaments.) 22. Decorated cactus.

I hope you enjoyed this taste of the holidays!

cat chewing on string lights


Each photo links to its source, except for 1. + 14., which were taken by me.

This post contains Etsy affiliate links, like this one: favorite Christmas ornaments and decorations

Tohono Chul

Tohono Chul Patio

Crested saguaro at Tohono Chul

Tohono Chul is a nature preserve just north of Tucson. On its 49 acres, you can find art, shops, gardens, a bistro, and lots of paths winding through the desert.

Tohono Chul paths

A Desert Corner

The name comes from the words for “desert corner” in the language of the Tohono O’odham (“desert people”), who were the ancestral inhabitants of this region.

Bee habitat

I’d heard about this beautiful place from my Master Gardener uncle long before we moved to Tucson. For awhile I thought it was called “Tohono Jewel.” It is a gem of a place, so that fits too.

Phillip and I finally made it in there when my parents and their friends who were visiting from the Midwest decided to spend a day in Tucson.

Tree with Lucy’s Warbler Nestbox.
Tree with Lucy’s Warbler Nestbox.

They drove down from Phoenix and met us at the entrance on a sunny morning in February 2020 – when we were all blissfully unaware what the next 12 months would bring.

 



I-10 freeway signs

Routes to Drive from Phoenix to Tucson

Tohono Chul is actually in a pretty convenient location for people making the trip south from Phoenix.

There are two main ways to get from the Phoenix area to Tucson:

1. I-10 Freeway (“the 10”)

  • 1.5-hour approximate drive time.
  • Quickest, most direct route.
  • Tohono Chul is about 15 minutes east of the 10 (exit at Ina Rd.)

2. Highways / Scenic Route (“the back way”)

  • 2.5-hour approximate drive time.
  • Slower, more interesting route through Florence to State Route 79 then to Copper Corridor Scenic Road (SR 77).
  • Tohono Chul is just west of SR 77, so this route practically drops you at its front door.


Large sculpture of a horned lizard.
“Regal Horned Lizard” by Dave Stone.

Art in Nature

Even though the sun was out, it was pleasantly chilly when we arrived. Many of the less cold-tolerant plants in the gardens were covered up because of a freeze warning, draped in sheets like furniture in an unused room of a Victorian mansion.

Cactus wren sculpture
Part of “Two Cactus Wrens” sculpture by Mark Rossi.

Of course, plenty of the cactus varieties there are unfazed by frost. For example, no one needs to cover 30-foot-tall saguaros. Which is good. They take care of themselves and tend to outlive us humans.

Friendly Crested saguaro

Which brings me to my favorite plant we saw that day: a friendly-looking crested saguaro! Crested saguaros have a rare mutation that causes them to fan out at top.

vulture sculpture by Kioko Mwitiki
“Standing Life-size Vulture” sculpture by Kioko Mwitiki.

While we didn’t go into any of the galleries, we did see several outdoor animal sculptures woven throughout the gardens, like a life-sized rusted metal vulture (by Kioko Mwitiki) and a much-larger-than-life horned lizard (by Dave Stone).

During the summer, it would be great to spend the morning exploring outdoor trails and then retreat into the galleries during the heat of the day.

Rock layers

There’s an outdoor geology wall that uses rocks from the nearby Santa Catalinas to illustrate the layers of stone under the mountains.

Moorish garden

The Desert Living Courtyard showcases several types of gardens you could DIY with plants that grow well here, including a moorish garden and a “barrio garden” that replicates a backyard garden space with art from upcycled materials. For each garden vignette, there’s a list of plants and materials you could use to recreate it.

El Charro

More Tucson Gems

After Tohono Chul, we ate lunch at the nearly 100-year-old restaurant El Charro. While there is a much closer location in Oro Valley, we opted to go to the original old building in Downtown.

It was the time of year where the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® happens at the Tucson Convention Center. If you don’t have time for the massive, main show, you can get kind of a sampling at dozens of smaller gem shows that spring up around it.

Hub ice cream parlor

I knew that we’d be in walking distance of Hotel Tucson City Center, which had its own free, open-to-the public show with 300 vendors selling minerals and fossils on their property.

Before our guests returned to Phoenix, we took a drive around Downtown, stopping for ice cream at HUB.

 

Butterfly

Everything Changes

I’m extra grateful we happened to go on that day a year ago, just before a certain coronavirus would shut everything down, when 2020’s dumpster fire was only a spark.

After being closed for months, Tohono Chul has reopened 7 days a week with pandemic precautions in place (details below).

Many Downtown Tucson restaurants are open for takeout. El Charro is celebrating its 99th anniversary with a special menu. HUB Ice Cream Parlor has remodeled and now has a walk-up window.

While the main Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® has been canceled for 2021, Hotel Tucson is hosting their own gem show, currently scheduled for April 8-25.

Hotel Tucson
Hotel Tucson City Center.

On a more personal note, my parents’ Midwestern friends were getting ready to launch their annual winter visit, when my dad received a cancer diagnosis and found out he would need major surgery right away.

It has all given him – and us – a new perspective.

After coming through his surgery successfully, he made himself a rule to focus on the moment we have now. It’s a good thing to practice.

Treasure your corner of the desert.

Desert plants at Tohono Chul

– More Tohono Chul info –

 

Tohono Chul

Re-opening protocols (as of February 2021):

  • Instead of buying admission tickets at the Park, you purchase tickets for a specific time online in advance.
  • Shops and Garden Bistro have reopened with limited capacity.
  • Masks are required. If you forget yours, you can call from the parking lot and they’ll bring one out to your car.
  • B.Y.O.B.: bring your own (water) bottle! Drinking fountains are currently off-limits, but there are hands-free water bottle refill stations available.

If you’re not ready to go in person, there are lots of videos and resources to enjoy Tohono Chul @ Home.

 

Tohono Chul

Winter Celebrations of Light

Sunset

When the nights get longer, so many traditions celebrate light.

Elements like candles, lanterns, and bonfires – as well as the sun, moon, or stars – often play an important part in autumn/winter holidays. Think of Christmas (and Advent), Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Lucia, Moon Festival, and Yule.

In the Southern Hemisphere, this season happens around their winter solstice in June with traditions like the Andean Inti Raymi (“Sun Celebration”) and the Maōri New Year, Matariki (“Pleiades constellation”).

Whatever your source, may you find the light and warmth in your life to guide you through every season of darkness.


Microblog Mondays: Write in your own space

Citrus Season in the Southwest

Citrus at tucson market

It’s citrus season here in Phoenix! Farmers’ markets and roadside stands are overflowing with oranges, grapefruit, and lemons (so is my Instagram feed).

When we were in Tucson just before Christmas, there were baskets of beautifully bright oranges, tangerines, and kumquats at the Thursday Farmers’ Market at Mercado San Agustin.

Citrus park in Riverside, CA

California Citrus Historic State Park in Riverside, which we’ve enjoyed visiting when we’re in Southern California, currently has extended hours for the season and special events like a harvest tasting on February 26.

The Pasadena Farmers’ Market lists lemons, navel oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos as being in season right now. (When I was there this summer, it was piles of peaches and pecks of peppers.)

Pasadena farmers market

On the theme of citrus…

What’s in season where you are?




Microblog Mondays: Write in your own space

NYE DIY: Make Your New Year’s Party Sparkle!

Here are some simple ways to add a little sparkle to your New Year’s Eve celebration. I’ve included shortcuts, in case the holidays have left you too short on time to take the total DIY route.

New Years eve party DIYs - Sparkle stirrers

1. Tinsel Stirrers – A festive touch for cocktails or cupcake toppers.

Shortcut: Order a set from Etsy. There are options available from several different sellers for as low as under $1 apiece.

New Years eve party DIYs - glitter ice cubes

2. Glitter Ice Cubes – Add edible glitter to regular ice cubes. These would be fun in the punch bowl too!

New Years eve party DIYs - Champagne cake pops

3. Pink Champagne Cake Pops – Sparkly pops with pink champagne centers!

Shortcut: If you use your favorite cake mix instead of making one from scratch, I won’t tell.

New Years eve party DIYs - glasses

4. DIY Wine Glasses Using Sharpies! – Use metallic sharpies to make a permanent mark. For a more temporary design, opt for erasable markers, like the Chalkola ones I reviewed.

Shortcut: Let guests decorate their own glasses during the party and take them home. (Party favor + less dishes for you = win win!)

New Years eve party DIYs - Glitter balloons

5. Glitter Balloons – A balloon pump and glitter can help you transform clear balloons into shimmering ones. I love the bubbly arrangement of large and small balloons on the wall in the photo.

Shortcut: Arrange gold or silver balloons on the wall and skip the glitter step.

New Years eve party DIYs - glitter ice cubes

Here’s to the New Year!

– More New Year’s Eve party tips –




Photos via their respective sites.