My oliday Home

November 2011
J
OURNAL
W E D N E S D A Y
REVIEW
F O R E S T P A R K
Dressing recipe with a sweet surprise FRANK CHLUMSKY, PAGE B10
Deck the halls
with lotus pods
A HANDMADE HOLIDAY, PAGE B4
Gift ideas for your host PAGE B6
B2 November 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK
My oliday Home
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WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK November 16, 2011 B3
Sta
Editor Brad Spencer
Shopping Sarah Corbin
Editorial Design Manager Rebecca Lomax
Editorial Designers Alaina Buzas, Mark Tatara
Manager of Internet andTechnology Graham Johnston
Online Editor Sandi Pedersen
Sta Photographer J. Geil
Advertising Production Manager Philip Soell
Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead
Advertising Designers Elisha-Rio Apilado, Debbie
Becker, Evan OBrien
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Display Advertising Sales Dawn Ferencak,
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Distribution Coordinator Alan Majeski
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Publisher Dan Haley
VP/Director of Operations Andrew Johnston
Published by Wednesday Journal, Inc.,
141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-8300 | OakPark.com
My oliday Home
B4
A handmade
holiday
B6
Creating
a holiday
ambiance
B10
Stu ng
with a sweet
surprise
B12
How
to host
B14
Setting
your table
B15
Festive
holiday
planters
B6
Dont forget
a gift for
the host!
INside
J. GEIL/Photo Editor | Buy this picture at WednesdayJournalOnline.MyCapture.com
ON THE COVER: Karen Gubitzs home is decorated with her own creations.
121 N. Marion St.
Oak Park, IL 60301
708-848-4572
OakPark.Tenthousandvillages.com
7434511
7617 W Lake, River Forest 708-209-1323 tulipiaoraldesign.com
Let us help set your table for Thanksgiving this year.
Call today for your Thanksgiving oral arrangements.
Local or cross country delivery
B4 November 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK
My oliday Home
K
aren Gubitz and her husband Nick Si-
nadinos have a history together that
is full of Oak Park landmarks. The
two met at Philanders, married at
the 19th Century Womens Club and
are the owners of an E.E. Roberts home in
the Ridgeland Historical District. While
Oak Park traditions are hallmarks of their
lives together, their holiday decorating is
anything but traditional, due in large part
to Karens calling as an artist.
About 20 years ago, Karens sister gave
her a gift of a weekend long basket-making
course.
I realized that weekend that I had found
my passion for creating art in a three-
dimensional way, and I spent many years
learning more about the craft, she says. I
also found that I wanted to share that pas-
sion with other women, which I am able to
do on weekend retreats at our home, Har-
vest Hill Prairie, in the country.
Karen is a member of the National
Basketry Organization and studied at the
School of the Art Institute in Chicago. As a
fiber artist, she utilizes techniques such as
knitting, crocheting and knotting to create
sculpture and other multi-dimensioned art
using natural materials, many of which
she hand gathers herself.
As national arts and crafts shows and
local galleries are recognizing her work,
Karen and her husband have been steadily
rehabbing an old farm about 100 miles
west of Chicago. There, they have a large
barn that serves as Karens studio. Theyve
spent years restoring the native prairie
and planting trees. Next up, the couple
plans to create a natural dye garden as well
as a willow patch to provide more supplies
for Karens work.
Karen recently retired from her job as a
paralegal to focus fulltime on her art. The
timing coincides nicely with the upcoming
holiday season, and shes already steeped
in the creative process with multiple
works to decorate her home in grand style.
A friend asked her to consider opening
her home to the Childrens Clinic Holi-
day Housewalk, and Karen was happy to
oblige.
Doing the housewalk is about sharing
what I do with people. I love to share the
things you can make with these materials,
and if I can do that to benefit this great
organization, it makes me happy.
The couples home is strewn with materi-
als designated for specific holiday projects.
In her living room, Karen will have three
In the mood
for a
handmade
holiday?
Local artist decks the halls
with lotus pods and philodendron
By LACEY SIKORA
J. GEIL/Photo Editor | Buy this picture at WednesdayJournalOnline.MyCapture.com
NATURAL ART: Karen Gubitz decorates for
the holidays with her own designs, made
of natural materials. Her home will be
featured on the Childrens Clinic Holiday
Housewalk.
WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK November 16, 2011 B5
My oliday Home
Christmas trees, each its own form of
sculpture. One tree will be decorated
with gourds cut and dyed to resemble
trumpet flowers. Another tree will be
ornamented with lotus pods, beaded
and decorated with hawthorns from
hawthorn trees. The third tree will be
decorated with philodendron that are
dyed a rusty gold to look like flowers.
The trees will stand at different
heights, some of them on tree stumps
in order to give the room a woodland
feel. Right outside the living room,
visible through the windows, will be
three outdoor sculptures, also elevated
on tree stumps and lit to make them an
attraction from both the street and the
home.
The dining room, with its traditional
beamed ceiling, will have a green
theme, and Karen is making holiday
decorations in the colors of apple and
moss. The ceiling will light up with an
amazing woven sculpture hanging over
the table woven through with holiday
lights. The kitchen will have a cookie
theme, based on her familys tradition
of making cookies during the holidays.
The windows will be decorated with
wreaths made of dough.
On the stairwell, a grouping of holi-
day houses invites careful inspection.
About the size of typical gingerbread
houses, Karen and her family created
these houses from all natural materi-
als. Cinnamon dough forms the bases,
and architectural details were created
from bark, pods, moss and seeds.
The outdoors will not be overlooked.
Well light the front porch with
Japanese lanterns, she says. Our
front yard will be filled with different
sizes of grapevine balls, all lighted up.
The large conifer outside the dining
room window will be filled with sculp-
tures that look like ball ornaments on a
Christmas tree.
For years, Karens holiday traditions
have involved working with natural
materials.
Ive always designed my Christmas
trees with a different theme every year.
I use morning glory vines to create
smaller trees that I place throughout
the house. I love working on the cin-
namon houses. These things are my
traditions.
Karen admits that the prospect of
the housewalk has kicked her holiday
decorating into high gear this year.
Im doing the same things I usu-
ally do, but more so this year because
I want to help the Childrens Clinic. I
want to give people a great experience
and help them see things in a way that
theyve never seen them before.
Im also having fun. Having just re-
tired from my paralegal job, it is a joy
to do this fulltime. Days fly by, and its
such an exciting life.
Doing the housewalk
is about sharing what I do
with people. I love to share
the things you can make
with these materials, and
if I can do that to benet
this great organization,
it makes me happy.
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My oliday Home
B6 November 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK
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By SARAH CORBI N
WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK November 16, 2011 B7
My oliday Home
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WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK November 16, 2011 B9 B8 November 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK
My oliday Home My oliday Home
T
he holidays are
about gatherings,
whether its
spontaneous drop-
ins by friends for a
glass of wine or a formal
sit down dinner. Help
your home exude warmth
and a touch of magic this
holiday season by using
a few of these decorating
tips:
1
Bring in colors
that reflect the
season: winterberry red,
deep gold, yummy plum,
warmcream, lively
persimmon and moss green.
Include metallics
gold and silver
for festive
sparkle.
2
Bring in
layering
pieces for warmth
and interest. Fold
cashmere or faux fur
throws over the arms
of sofas and chairs so
they are at the ready
to curl up in.
3
Layer beds
with blankets
on top of duvets in
cashmere and wool.
Update pillow shams
with ones made fromquilted
cotton, faux fur, velvet, or
wool. Use flannel sheets for
added warmth and coziness.
Use decorative pillows
covered in burlap and
wrapped with a wide velvet
bow like the ones fromD.
Stevens at Bramble.
4
Display bowls of scented
bar soaps and hand
towels in rich golds and greens
in guest bathrooms.
5
Replace window sheers
with lined velvet drapes
to block drafts and provide
luxurious texture.
6
Place scented candles in
holiday scents like
cinnamon and fig along a
mantle and use a mirror behind
themso that the flames reflect
in the glass. Arrange votives or
pillars in varying sizes on a
silver tray on a table. Light
thembefore guests arrive for
holiday ambiance. Make
sure that your scented
candles dont compete with
the aromas frombaking or
cooking though!
7
If you dont care for
scented candles, try
beeswax candles wrapped
in birch. Arrange them
like a mini forest on a
table. If youre concerned
about flames,
use flameless
candles that are
battery
operated. As
with any candle:
never leave them
unattended.
8
Wrap
string
light on bendable
wire around
plants, banisters,
wreaths or
garlands. Drape
the garlands frommantles or bookcases
or wrap themaround banisters and
pillars. Spread collections of whimsical
or vintage holiday figures throughout
the garland on a mantle.
LEXI
NIELSON
OakPark.com
interior design blogger
20 tips for creating a holiday
ambiance in your home
9
Make your own holiday garland
using photos and holiday cards
by hole-punching the card and then
stringing it with twine. Swag the
garland across windows, doorframes or
a mantle.
10
Fill large bowls with ornaments
like the buskins fromVirtu or
pine cones and place themon a console
table.
11
Fill clear glass hurricanes
halfway with peppermint
candies or
dreidels. Use
sprigs of fir
or cinnamon
sticks in
slender vases.
Arrange floor
vases with
some
branches,
golden ginko
or plummaple
leaves, and
winterberries.
12
Set up
toy train
sets or other
mechanical toys
or display
vintage childrens
holiday books like
Dylan Thomass A Childs Christmas in
Wales for little guests (and big ones too).
13
Pick up small holiday
accessories like the twin silver-
painted lamps fromDivine Consign in
Oak Park as a nice reflective backdrop
to candlelight.
14
Follow Karen Morovas advice
fromCareful Peach (also in Oak
Park) for homemade napkin rings: use
simple twine or string to tie around a
rolled napkin.
15
Attach snowflake
ornaments with twine
froma chandelier over a dining
roomtable.
16
Display little dishes of
homemade fudge or
peppermint candies: their sights and
smells will make anyone feel welcome.
17
Hang wreaths with twine or silk
ribbons in the center of windows
like these felt wreaths fromlocal
artisian Amy Struckmyer.
18
Hang sleigh bells on front door
handles.
19
If youre lucky enough to have a
fireplace, have a fire roaring
before guests arrive. If its nonworking,
fill it with holly branches and
winterberries or a basket of ornaments.
20
Have fun decorating and happy
holidays!
Lexi Nielson is a professional interior
designer who lives in Oak Park. Her
projects range fromsimple color
consultations to gut rehabs.
d
r
s
s green.
r
s
o
s
them
hol
sur
can
the
co co
b
i
l
t
n
ys
Above, a felt wreath by Amy
Struckmeyer. Le, silver-painted
lamps fromDivine Consign.
table. If y
a
b
o
w
n
u
li lii
t
Top, D. Stevens pillow
fromBramble. Below,
buskins fromVirtu
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B10 November 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK
My oliday Home
I
have to admit to a somewhat nagging feeling
that is upon me this year as I contemplate the
upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Do I stay
with 100 percent tradition or opt instead for
a wee bit of innovation?
Recurrent readers of this column know full
well that when it comes to any holiday, I am a
staunch, unabashed traditionalist.
Much like the proverbial, always-welcome,
regular who dines at his/her favorite
restaurant and always orders the same thing,
I could not even consider having anything
other than roast turkey, complete with all the
trimmings, on Thanksgiving.
But this year I am chewing over the notion
of one small change to the menu that may or
may not cause a riot within my own group of
family regulars. Dare I change the dressing?
As anyone who has purchased a box of Stove
Top stuffing knows, bread dressing can be an
enjoyable side dish that goes just as well with
other entrees, such as roast chicken or stuffed
pork chops.
And although I tend to eschew the conve-
nience that Kraft General Foods provides with
their above named product, this from scratch
recipe is one that I have been toying with for
the past couple of months with
pleasing results.
The bread crumbs called for
in the recipe are made from
day old Challah, a brioche
style yeast bread with
the addition of eggs that
you should be able to f ind
at most bake shops. Any
other type of brioche can
be used.
For me, the most
intriguing component
of this recipe is the
addition of apple pie
filling, which lends an underlying,
clean touch of sweetness
that is most pleasing to
the palette.
And about that
nagging feeling? Im
still chewing. Have a
Happy Thanksgiving.
Frank Chlumsky,
former executive
chef of Philanders
restaurant in Oak
Park, teaches in Chicago at Kendall Colleges
School of Culinary Arts. In his 37-year career,
Frank has owned restaurants in Michigan City,
Ind., and in Lake Geneva, Wis. He has also been
executive chef at the Saddle & Cycle Club in
Chicago. Frank lives in Forest Park, where he
cooks for pleasure.
Dressing with a clean touch of sweetness
FRANK
CHLUMSKY
asing results.
The bread crumbs called for
n the recipe are made from
day old Challah, a brioche
style yeast bread with
the addition of eggs that
you should be able to f ind
at most bake shops. Any
other type of brioche can
be used.
For me, the most
ntriguing component
this recipe is the
addition of apple pie
g, which lends an underlying,
n touch of sweetness
s most pleasing to
alette.
d about that
ng feeling? Im
hewing. Have a
y Thanksgiving.
ank Chlumsky,
er executive
of Philanders
urant in Oak
School of Culinary Arts. In his 37-year career,
Frank has owned restaurants in Michigan City,
Ind., and in Lake Geneva, Wis. He has also been
executive chef at the Saddle & Cycle Club in
Chicago. Frank lives in Forest Park, where he
cooks for pleasure.
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WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK November 16, 2011 B11
My oliday Home
cup onion, chopped ne
cup celery, chopped ne
cup carrot, chopped ne
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound loaf stale (one day old)
Challah or other type of brioche
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup turkey or chicken stock
(or more as needed)
1-20 ounce can apple pie
lling such as Comstock or
Musselmans
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, melted
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried leaf sage
1 teaspoon salt
teaspoon black pepper
teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar (optional,
depending on sweetness of the
pie lling)
Preheat oven to 350
degrees.
Heat the vegetable
oil in a medium size
skillet. Add the onions,
celery, and carrot and
sweat until soft and
translucent. Allow to
cool slightly.
Meanwhile, process
Challah in a food proces-
sor or blender to make
the bread crumbs. Place
the bread crumbs in a
large mixing bowl. Add
the onion, celery and
carrot mixture. Add the
apple pie filling, melted
butter, garlic, sage, black
pepper, poultry sea-
soning and sugar.
Add the beaten
eggs. Add
stock as
needed
and
mix
gently to combine all the
ingredients The dressing
should be moist nei-
ther too dry nor too wet.
Loosely pack the
dressing in a greased
9x 13 standard sheet
pan. Cover with alumi-
num foil and bake at 350
degrees for 45 minutes to
1 hour until a toothpick
comes out clean when
inserted in the dressing.
Note: Bake the
dressing uncovered if
you want the top to be
crispy.
Challah Bread Dressing
ge
r
soning
nal,
s of the
apple pie filling, melted
butter, garlic, sage, black
pepper, poultry sea-
soning and sugar.
Add the beaten
eggs. Add
stock as
needed
and
mix
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B12 November 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK
How to host
Thanksgiving
T
hanksgiving is our big dinner party
of the year. Hosting between 25-30
people poses logistics challenges
that, over the years, weve figured
out how to handle.
Invitations
Thanksgiving requires coordination
among multiple families, and email is an
excellent way to send out announcements
and follow up. We prefer not to use web-
based invitation/
social planning
tools like E-vite
because they feel
a little imperson-
al, and email has
the advantage of
connecting mul-
tiple families with
one blast.
Tradition-
ally, every family
brings something
to the feast, so us-
ing reply all to
the initial email
invitation lets
everyone know
what everyone
else is contributing.
Because email can be archived, every-
one can always check back to confirm
times and other party information.
Pre-party preparations
Preparation minimizes party day
chaos. Though we dont hire servers, I
understand why this practice is trend-
ing. Its hard to enjoy friends and family
when youre making and serving food
and drinks so let someone else do it.
We save on servers by spending upfront
time preparing as much as possible, and
that preparation is important because
guests feel more welcome when youre not
huffing and puffing while they just stand
around.
Of course, before guests arrive, we
clean up (it seems impolite to subject
friends to a messy home). We rearrange
our regular living space so furniture
doesnt get in our way. We move some
furniture to the basement to maximize
usable space and make the space more
welcoming.
Party day
We always get up early on game day
to make sure everything is ready to run
smoothly by party time.
Antipasto, a tray of olives and other
appetizers, is a fine Italian tradition that
pacifies appetites before the main event.
This platter of nibbles is also a subtle
way to honor the Italian explorer who ac-
cidentally discovered America. Thanks-
giving is meat-centric, so we go heavy on
veggie appetizers.
During the event, I definitely dont want
to run around filling wine glasses, so I
make sure guests know where to fetch
their drinks. I put beer and wine outside,
letting Mother Nature be my cooler. Close
to the beverages we position a bottle open-
er on a string tied to a brick, so the opener
is always going to be where its needed.
Norman Rockwells image of everyone
gathered around the table as the turkey is
carved may be symbolically significant,
but its operationally challenging. When
people sit down, theyre ready to eat and
probably dont want to sit patiently and
drool discreetly for 10-15 minutes of carv-
ing.
We finish cooking the turkey as most
guests are arriving. The bird is set out for
display, and I deputize a guest to start cut-
ting it up 10 minutes or so before dinner.
We always use an electric knife because
it helps slice thinner, more eater-friendly
pieces.
Were not tyrants about passing food in
only one agreed-upon direction, though
clockwise is traditional; we pretty much
let everyone pass food any way they want.
This laissez-faire approach can be cha-
otic, and I sometimes dont get to taste
everything, but this loose system just
seems easier and more hospitable.
Entertainment
After everyone has eaten, we go to the
living room and the musically inclined
entertain us. We have guitars, tambou-
rines and other instruments, so anyone
can play along. Everyone is invited to
perform. However if, like me, youve prov-
en you have no musical talent, theres
always room for another enthusiastic
audience member.
This homemade
talent show
has proven
a beauti-
ful way
to bring
everyone
together
one more
time be-
fore we
close the
evening.
DAVID
HAMMOND
OakPark.com
food blogger
My oliday Home
Courtesy DAVID HAMMOND
Its okay to be cozy at the table. Phil ompson, recruited to cut the turkey.
nce member.
s homemade
show
roven
uti-
ay
ng
one
her
more
be-
we
the
ng.
9150 Broadway BrooKfield, ill. 60513
(708) 485-1515
GIFTS
GLASS
GARDEN SUPPLIES
PAINTS
HARDWARE
TOOLS
BrooKfield Hardware
30 E. Burlington Downtown Riverside
(.7 Mi. East of Brookfield Zoo So. Gate) Ample parking East of Bldg.
708-442-4387
Fabulous Purses Winter Sc arves Jewelry
Soaps & Lotions Fragrant Candles Art Glass
Wedding Bands Irish Handlooms Belleek Crystal
Polish Pottery Jerpoint Glass Cards & Frames
Hours: Sun. 12-3pm; Mon.-Fri. 12-6pm; Saturday 10-4pm
We Book Tours to Ireland & England *Chamber Member
Margo Coveny Rodriguez
D
G
-5
4
9
2
0
4
Coveny Lane
WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK November 16, 2011 B13
My oliday Home
Casa de Puros 7410 Madison St. Forest Park, IL 60130
708.725.7180 www.casadepuroscigars.com
Room Rental Package
3 hour room rental includes space for up to 20 people,
1 box of Ashton Cigars, 1 bottle of Scotch, and 1 tray of treats from
Marion Street Cheese Market
Details and pricing at 708.725.7180
or casadepuroscigars.com
Sunday - Tursday 10am - 10pm
Friday & Saturday 10am - 11pm
Buy 7 Cigars & Get 3 Cigars Free
World-Class Cigar Lounge
for Members & Guests Alike

Casa de Puros 7410 Madison St. Forest Park, IL 60130
708.725.7180 www.casadepuroscigars.com
B14 November 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK
My oliday Home
table
FOR
YOUR
By SARAH CORBI N
Warm your
home with
photos of family
and friends. Use
this gorgeous
two-sided frame
as a centerpiece
for your holiday
feast. Sizing
and prices vary.
La Grande Decor,
Brookeld
Albanos Deli
10712 31st St.
Westchester
(708) 562-0262
albanosdeli.com
Aliottos
1118 Chicago Ave.
Oak Park
(708) 763-0808
Bramble
115 N. Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park
(708) 386-6800
www.bramble.biz
Brown Cow
Ice Cream
7347 Madison St.
Forest Park
(708) 366-7970
browncowicecream.
com
Careful Peach
1024 North Blvd.
Oak Park
(708) 383-3066
carefulpeach.com
Flavour Cooking
School
7401 Madison St.
Forest Park
(708) 488-0808
avourcooking
school.com
Flybird
719 Lake St.
Oak Park
(708) 383-3330
y-bird.net
Garland Flowers
137 S. Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park
(708) 848-2777
garlandowers.net
Green Home
Eperts
823 S. Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park
(708) 660-1443
ghexperts.com
Oak Park Vintage
Market
1117 Chicago Ave.
Oak Park
(708) 434-5493
oakpark
vintagemarket.com
Olive and Well
133 N. Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park
(708) 848-4230
oliveandwell.com
La Grande Decor
3748 Grand Blvd.
Brookeld
(708) 485-2204
lagrandedecor.com
Todd and Holland
7311 Madison St.
Forest Park
(708) 488-1136
Where to shop
Set an eclectic table and
satisfy your linen addiction.
Bramble, Oak Park
Keep your table bright and
colorful, use renew-
able resources,
and really
go green.
Green Home
Experts,
Oak Park
Display your cheese plate with a
splash of fantastic color, served with
a splash of something else perhaps...
Flybird, Oak Park
Choose these careful critters for your
holiday theme. Your guest will go nuts
over it. Careful Peach, Oak Park
Fig salt and
pepper shakers
add a distinc-
tive look to your
holiday table.
Aliottos, Oak Park
WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK November 16, 2011 B15
Highlight the
holidays with a
festive planter
By LACEY SIKORA
Y
vonne Steele has always loved gardening.
When the economy began to sputter a few
years ago, the Oak Park mom finally de-
cided that it was time to get her hands dirty
on behalf of someone other than her fam-
ily. She founded Smoke Tree Gardens to provide
garden, landscaping and planter services.
While the holidays may bring an end to the out-
door entertaining season, things are just getting
started inside peoples homes. Steele helps clients de-
fine their entryways with holiday planters, appropri-
ate for indoor and outdoor use, and she often carries
over the design into interior holiday help as well.
Steele emphasizes that, in some ways, decorat-
ing for the holidays is no different than decorat-
ing any other time of the year.
For me, one thing always stays the same when
Im working with clients. From beginning to end,
its all specific to that client and her interests and
vision. I make sure my interior holiday decorat-
ing and planter designs follow the clients taste.
Steele creates planters for single-family homeown-
ers, apartments and condo buildings, as well as busi-
nesses. During the holiday season, she likes to use
seasonally appropriate materials such as fir trees,
juniper berries, holly, branches and pine cones.
I use typical evergreens in an atypical way,
she explains. Its great to get inspiration from
the things that are thriving at this time of year. I
try to configure the wintertime natural materials
into designs that are both classic and modern.
Steele frequently uses other materials to high-
light what is natural in her arrangements. Glit-
ter, white paint and flocking are often her tools of
the trade. She has come to find that a lot of clients
are interested in using moss in indoor and out-
door arrangements.
It brightens things up and gives a little natural
punch to the design.
Many clients call on Steele throughout the year
to create planter designs for the front of their
homes that they change seasonally. She works
with clients own containers or can provide con-
tainers to suit a home or building. Circumstances
often dictate the scope of the project.
Some people may be selling their homes in the
winter and want me to provide a little something
extra on the front porch, she says. Others will
have me do the holiday decorations for their
whole house. It can be a busy time of year. Some
people dont have the time to do this themselves
or arent sure how to create a certain look, so I
can help out with that.
My oliday Home
For more
information
Yvonne Steele of
Smoke Tree Gardens
www.smoketree
gardens.com
info@smoketree
gardens.com
708-833-1022
8641 W. Ogden Ave
Lyons, IL
708-447-2111
Public Welcome
Stay
and
high and dry
this Winter with help
from your
and boiler heat experts!
B16 November 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY JOURNAL | FOREST PARK REVIEW | LANDMARK
My oliday Home
Your Community. Your Web site.
Your Holiday Shopping,
,
,
Faith Celebrating,
Home Prepping,
Peace Offering,
Spiritually Re-Charging,
Community Connecting
Resource.