Even though little looks the same this year, not every tradition needs to go be the wayside. This year I was so, so happy to find an opportunity to hand-build my own holiday wreath again, having had such a fun time doing so last December.

Not only was this year’s wreath workshop as good as last year’s, in many ways it was even better:

• Last year I attended my wreath workshop with Linda — this year, we added Tony and Dan. (And Max, my soul-puppy!)

• This year’s workshop benefited the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, a crucial non-profit following a year of devastating wildfires. (Last year’s workshop benefited FoCo Cafe, another fantastic organization.)

• In 2019, I’m pretty sure that Linda and I worked on our wreaths for over three hours. Somehow, under instruction from Lace and Lilies, we finished in only one hour…

• …and ended up with wreaths we liked even more! This was in large part thanks to mixed greenery bunches and special flair such as dried fruit, thistle, eucalyptus, and more.

• We were able to attend this workshop at home. This point is a mixed blessing because I, like most people, enjoy visiting breweries and restaurants and shops… but it was also very fun to spread out across Linda and Tony’s deck and enjoy the beautiful December weather.

^^This is not my best photo of my handsome husband, but it’s the only one I took. In this shot I am holding the wreath frame while he adds the branch bundles with wire.

I love how it turned out!

Above: 2020. Below: 2019.

What a year between these two wreaths… thank goodness for friends who will weather the madness with you!