celebrations Archives - Improvised Life

Sister Corita Kent Greeting Cards for Holidays and All Year

Looking back at our post about the prints legendary artist Sister Corita Kent made around the theme of “the moment” in 1977, we thought “What wonderful greeting cards they would make”, now and all year.

The Lights: A Father and Son’s Luminous Monument to Creative Obsession

Every December in a village in northern Argentina, Jorge Gervasi and his son transform their modest family home into an elaborate display of blinking lights. This sweet, slightly Fellini-esque short film captures the hard work, missteps and dreams that go into it their remarkable Christmas monument.

Copy This: Pamela Hovland’s Holiday Wreath

Spotted on the instagram of designer Pamela Hovland, who masterminded Improvised Life’s first iteration ten years ago: her holiday wreath in an imaginative, uniquely festive application…

Wines to Drink with Junk Food from Chitos to Pork Rinds (Anthony Giglio)

Wine writer Anthony Giglio was the first to really consider what wines to drink with the junk food so many secretly love. So we compiled a list of “the best of” his solid pairings, and the illuminating thinking behind them.

A Fireworks Display from J.R.R. Tolkien

Thinking about the Fourth of July, we came across this magical description of fireworks from The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien…

How to Read a Heart (Anne Herbert)

We’d never thought what a Valentine heart could mean beyond a general feeling and expression of romantic love until we read these words by the great Anne Herbert…

Ecumenical Money Valentine to Give to Lovers AND Friends

We’re thinking a dandy little heart made of folded money would make a nice valentine for just about anyone…more inclusive than the usual romantic stuff like flowers and chocolate…

Favorite Gifts I Love To Give

Late with my holiday preparations, I’m just wrapping my head around making food gifts as well as the few gifts I buy. Here’s are favorites that you still have time to order.

Experience Heightened Well-Being via the Primal Scent of Christmas Trees

Biologist David George Haskell’s explanation of what the primal scent from Christmas trees actually does to us will amplify your experience of this lovely free gift of the holidays.

Cool, Graphical Masking Tape Decorations for Walls, Cards, Wrapping

“I haven’t done a thing to get ready for the holidays” is an echo I’ve heared from many people I know. No matter. There’s always ways to festive things up at the last minute, with whatever is on hand.

Breathe In Blessings (Anne Herbert)

Floating in the internet on an ancient, dormant site called yowow, we found the perfect Thanksgiving blessing by the late Anne Herbert…

Thanksgiving Resources for Table and Heart

Over the years, we’ve published a trove of useful info for navigating Thanksgiving, from recipes and tabletop to less tangible concerns. Here’s how to access it.

yayoi kusama does halloween: ‘the spirit of the pumpkins descend into the heavens’

For Halloween, we’re loving pumpkins transformed by Yayoi Kusama’s unique vision. She made them wondrous in ways no one had ever imagined and changed the way we see them forever.

Holiday Decorations for Lazy People

Being short on time and living space, I’ve honed my holiday decorations to be spare but potent, using tried-and-true materials — some found — in different ways each year.

Write Guest’s Names On Their Glasses (And Save Your Sanity)

One of the simplest, hottest tips for holiday entertaining can be done with what you’ve got on hand and will cut down on busy work and stress.

Classic Chicken Liver Pate + An Artfully Lightened Version after Michel Guerard

My Classic Liver Pate, deeply enriched with butter, cream and cognac, makes a divine and satisfying appetizer or hors d’oeuvre. For those that don’t want such richness, I came up with a lightened version achieve with the same luxurious effect.

Bob Dylan’s Blessing

Bob Dylan’s 1970’s classic, Forever Young, is in essence a blessing, perfect words for clinking glasses in a toast this Thanksgiving Day and for celebrating a 100th birthday.

pioneer woman with wild turkey, helvetia West Virginia

Improvised Life’s Thanksgiving Toolkit

If you’re still wrapping your head around pulling Thanksgiving dinner together, here is our toolkit of Improvised Life’s best ideas from Thanksgivings past.

Halloween: Inspiration, Scary Stuff, Song

Suddenly, it is Halloween, one of the strangest and most magic days of the year. If it snuck up on you, here is just the thing:

As Life Gets Longer It Gets Shorter. Celebrate!

Every person who ever lived feels Time. These days, the general rule when turning a big number birthday is to freak out. But there are other routes to take…

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