Hoot Hoot for Owl Decor at SYW

February 1st, 2012

Owls have become a fascinating decor trend over the last year or so, after not seeing any time in the spotlight since the 1970′s. Using owls within your home decorating is a wise choice because it offers both a modern and natural appeal. At Sturbridge Yankee Workshop we have a nice selection of owl themed decoratives, like our Small Owl Figurine, seen here to the left. Petite in size, this owl is perfect to display on a mantle or side table. It has the look of wood that was carefully carved and painted years ago. Its classic good looks make it a collectible that will be treasured today and for years to come.

Owls are nocturnal birds that carry with them a lot of symbolism. In addition to their amazing hunting skills due to their heightened sense of vision and hearing, they also are known to be one of the most intelligent animal species out there. Thus, this is why they have become synonymous with knowledge and wisdom. Their wits are surely proven when analyzing their remarkable ability to adapt to environmental surroundings and seek out prey. Owls have stereoscopic vision meaning they can interpret depth and perceive it even in low light. Drawing inspiration from these gifted birds, you can easily incorporate an owl decorating theme with any of the items featured here at Sturbridge Yankee Workshop.

Owl themed wall decor offers a great place to start and pictured here to the left is our Boreal Owl Print. Displaying a striking Boreal Owl clenching tightly to a branch of green leaves, this print is created by artist and designer Lyndi Lende. Boreal Owls are smaller than many other types of owls and are known for their large heads and “surprised” facial expressions. We can see this owl come to life with the exquisitely painted texture and shading throughout the owl’s feathers. A similar item at SYW made by the same artist, is our Saw Whet Owl Print. Featuring now a Saw Whet Owl, who is known for its repeated “tooting” call that mimics the sound of a saw being sharpened on a whetstone. Both of these owl prints are proudly made in the USA.

As mentioned above the Boreal Owl is typically one of the smallest types of owls, but the very tiniest of owls are the Tamaulipas Pygmy Owls who stand at only 4.5″ tall. In contrast, the largest type of owl is generally understood to be the Eurasian Eagle Owl, measuring up to 28″ tall; and of course its Eagle like wing span adds to its grand presence. Within the order of owls, both small and large owls are classified into two families: Tytonidae (Barn Owls and similar) and Strigidae (typical owls found on every continent besides Antarctica).  At Sturbridge Yankee Workshop, we have our own set of tiny owls to use as decorative accents in your home.

To begin, our Owl Salt & Pepper Set, could make the perfect gift for the right collector. Our ceramic, earthenware Owl Salt & Pepper Shakers are a pair of baby owls that will be delighted to greet you in your country kitchen. These owlets as they are properly named (baby owls), are complete with plastic stoppers on the bottoms to secure the contents of your salt and pepper. Or, consider our Ceramic Owl Finial for the perfect accent on your favorite table or floor lamp. We also have just one more tiny owl accent, our Owl Fan Pull made of brass.

When it comes to slightly softer owls, Sturbridge has you covered in regards to an owl theme within your domestics. An owl’s plumage or the fur/feathers that cover nearly ever inch of its body, helps in their ability to camouflage within their surroundings. For example the Snowy Owls that live in tundra like environments such as Canada, can appear as white as the snow and remain undetected. This characteristic assists them in remaining completely dormant until they are ready to capture their prey. Even further, owls fly completely silent (making no detectable noise) to sneak up on rodents or other small mammals.

Our Owl Wool Pillow seen here to the left, is set against a cream background and features a stern owl perched on a tree. The detail accomplished by the wool hook technique, highlights the shading in his brown feathers and golden eyes. The colors are neutral enough though to coordinate with your existing decor. 100% wool, cream velvet back with zipper. Another option regarding owl themes in your domestics is found in our Owl Jute Rug. Give a hoot with this braided jute rug in shades of tan, rust and orange with an enchanting owl printed on the center. Our Owl Jute Rug is durable and water repellant.

Whether its owl accents in your living room or an owl print in your bedroom, the owl decor theme is here to stay! You may only think of owls during the harvest and Halloween season, as they are often depicted, but they are a beautiful bird to decorate with year round. Despite the many challenges they face during the winter months due to cold weather and  decrease in the abundance of their food sources, it’s actually the peak of their breeding season. This is a great opportunity to incorporate the motif of an owl’s nest in your decor as well; did you know baby owls hatch from their eggs after only a little over a month of incubation?


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Sweet Potatoes in Maple Syrup

January 31st, 2012

Country Recipe BoxIt’s almost February which is Sweet Potato Month. Packed with vitamin A, warm, roasted sweet potatoes are a great treat.

You Will Need:
2 ½ lbs sweet potatoes
1/3 C pure maple syrup
2 Tbs melted butter
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs brown sugar
½ tsp salt
pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel and cut potatoes into 1 to 2 inch chunks.
Put sweet potatoes in a large baking dish.
Combine butter, syrup, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
Pour over potatoes.
Cover and bake 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Haeger Large Rectangular BakerOval Grid Pot Rack

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Heartwood – Architecture for the Birds, now at SYW

January 30th, 2012

Not Your Typical Birdhouse

Heartwood, a company based in Florence, Mississippi is the amazing manufacturer of the beautiful birdhouses offered here at Sturbridge Yankee Workshop. Originating as a small Saturday craft show business in 1992, Lynda and Jerry Glass began making nature inspired products to sell at various “festival days” across the state. After much demand from the community, houses much like the ones pictured below became the only thing they made. With interest from a local merchant and encouragement from friends, Heartwood commenced on a journey to market their products nationally. In 1998, their hard work proved to be a huge success, as orders started filing in from numerous stores and catalogs all over the U.S. for these unique and stylish birdhouses.

For almost 20 years, Heartwood Architecture for the Birds, has been committed to innovation within the nature products industry and providing 100% satisfaction to their customers. At Sturbridge we are proud to carry these gorgeous, made in the USA birdhouses, that could become the favorite new home of birds in your backyards and gardens some day soon.

Colorful Homes

Pictured here to the left is our collection of Bluebird Birdhouses, which offer a simple design for the small bluebirds. Truly American (they range only on the American continent), bluebirds suffered a decline in the last century after the introduction of European starlings and house sparrows; larger competitors that steal bluebird nest holes. Thanks to bluebird trails and other efforts, bluebirds have made a comeback. Our Bluebird Birdhouse features a front sloping shingled roof and a distressed paint application in your choice of a rainbow of colors. **The standard shingled roof created by Heartwood is designed with special machinery that is distinctive from any other worldwide.

A similar design though slightly more petite in style, is found in our collection of Fruit Coops Birdhouses. The sweetest little birds in the world deserve nothing less than the sweetest little houses in the world and we do mean sweet. Our Fruit Coops are an artful gathering of all the best features that attract birds and bird lovers: natural beauty and comfort, in a bountiful harvest of fruit colors. Adorable alone, these little beauties are even better displayed together. So collect them by the bunch and have your yard or garden blooming with color and bursting with song.

Taking credit for the bulk of the designs is none other than Jerry himself. His focus throughout the early stages is to focus on quality and longevity. The majority of Heartwood birdhouses are constructed of heavy, deep swamp cypress wood. They use this type of lumber because it is the most naturally rot-resistant wood growing in America. The entire process of design, cutting, fabrication, painting and finishing is all done in the the Heartwood office and factory in Mississippi.

                                                                             A True Love for Nature

Heartwood prides themselves on their ability to maintain an environmentally friendly facility throughout all of their production. The cypress wood used is also a naturally regenerating wood; when a tree is harvested, the stump automatically regenerates a new sapling. In addition, Heartwood only purchases cypress wood that has been harvested in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council and wood that is within a 2 hour drive away from the factory. Furthermore, Heartwood recognized an opportunity in the furniture manufacturing business. To be of standard perfection, wood used for furniture is typically required to be exactly 16 feet long and any leftover could go to waste. Heartwood uses the excess salvage wood to create their birdhouses; thus not ever cutting a single tree!

Within the Heartwood factories, the cutting and drying process is low carbon. The zinc coated fasteners, brass screws and exterior adhesives have a dual purpose of support and protection from harmful weather elements. All of the paint used to give the houses their beauty is 100% acrylic latex; which is completely non-toxic. Even more impressive is their use of local paint store’s stock of mis-tinted paint to form their own medium gray color; a result that occurs naturally from mixing all colors together. And you guessed it, their shipping is eco-friendly too. The boxes used to ship their product are made from post consumer fiber and inside are packed with clean and recycled unprinted newsprint, salvaged from a local daily newspaper!

Pictured above is perhaps a more traditional style birdhouse, our Cape Cod Birdhouse. Featuring a rich semi-transparent stain, you have a choice of Blue Pickle, Celery, Redwood, Smoke Grey or Whitewashed. The Heartwood experience and commitment is exemplified in all the birdhouses mentioned here, as well as these others listed below. We’re proud to offer this amazing birdhouse architecture exclusively on our website, Sturbridge Yankee Workshop:

Classic Birdhouse

Rock City Birdhouse

Wrental Birdhouse

~Thanks Heartwood, keep up the good work!


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