Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Holiday shopping: Ornaments

This post was written by Julia Frankenbach, 2013 Project Specialist.


As the days become darker I like to brighten up my house in Lee Vining with the sparkle of the holiday season. One of my favorite ways to bring cheer into the house is with Mono Lake-inspired holiday ornaments! We offer several beautiful ornaments to brighten your home.

Each of our hand-blown glass ornaments has an individual design indicative of the Nepali artist who created it. Ornaments measure 3″ in diameter and come in a sage-green box topped with a silver Mono Lake Committee logo. These ornaments catch the light beautifully  and will bring a festive glow to any kitchen or holiday tree.

We are lucky to offer the detailed aspen leaf ornaments of artist Jean Butterfield. Jean captures the beauty of autumn by electroplating real aspen leaves in 18-karat gold and rhodium silver. As a result, the leaves vary slightly in size, but are approximately 3″ long and are strung with either a silver or burgundy ribbon for hanging. Bring the sparkle of the Eastern Sierra’s quaking aspen trees into your home this holiday season!

Our brine shrimp ornaments by Wild Bryde are a lovely tribute to the Artemia monica of Mono Lake and have proven to be a traditional-yet-unique holiday hit. These ornaments are just over 3″ long and come packaged in a custom blue envelope to make a wonderful holiday gift.

Stop in to the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstoreshop our online fall catalog, or call (760) 647-6595 to order your holiday ornaments. Happy holidays!