Since moving into the cabin, I've befriended Greg Adams, a rustic furniture artist who works out of his shop in Lapel, Indiana.  Once I visited his shop, I was hooked...and you can see lots of his work on our porches and inside the cabin....tables, chairs, porch swing, picture frame, wreaths.  Yep...I've dropped a few dollars his way.  Greg always tells me when I visit his shop (and never leave empty-handed), I am welcome in his shop ANY TIME! 

So when I convinced Kim that this arbor would be the PERFECT present for my upcoming birthday (which totally gets him off the shopping hook!), I stopped by Greg's shop and placed my order.

He wanted a picture or drawing of what I wanted, so after cruising the internet and looking at oodles of twig arbors, I came up with this sketch (I am obviously NOT an artist, but he got the vision...) and sent it to him a few weeks ago.

Greg brought my arbor this week and assembled it on site.  He had the basic frame put together, and then his wood artistry took over.

The arbor is made from corkscrew willow, a wonderful wood with lots of curly character.

He told me to pull up a chair and watch, which is just what I did.  With camera in hand, of course!

I did have to tell him a couple of times that I did not want him cutting off his hand and bleeding all over my arbor...

After the frame was solid and erected, Greg began adding the rest of the willow branches, positioning them carefully with his artistic eye and then screwing each piece solidly into the frame.

He truly is a master at his craft!

It was just so much fun watching it come together branch by curly branch...

Greg added the finishing touches, the little twig fence on each side, then secured everything into the ground with the hopes that it will withstand our west winds out here on the Indiana prairie.

I couldn't be more tickled over the final masterpiece!

And it is perfectly lined up with my kitchen window, so I enjoy this view from inside as well.  Minus Greg, of course.

Thanks SO MUCH, Greg, for making...

...my arbor dream come true!