one piece of styilng advice i’ve always remembered was the recommendation i got from a martha stewart whole living photographer (back when that magazine still existed). he said that the best photos involved styling everything perfectly, and then taking one of the arrangements, and giving it a good shake. more often than not, i’ve found that it works. it gives an appealing randomness to arrangements and assemblages that otherwise look just a little bit fussy and overplanned. on the other hand, i am not too proud to declare that it did not work this time. this arrangement, although i love every individual element of it, looks as if a toddler, or perhaps a golden retriever, came upon a perfectly lovely arrangement, and gave it a good shake. unfortunately, that good shake also happened to occur just as the last of my afternoon light disappeared over the western horizon. so, i present to you, a still life, arranged by lassie. enjoy.

bits and pieces currently on my collections table:  flicker feather, red admiral butterfly, dried fern, had stone, wild grape, cattail leaf, found jaw bones, asparagus berries, lake superior beach rock

all from minnesota except the hag stone which was from the mediterranean near sète, france