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Succulents Galore!

Last year, I shared my love of terrariums and made 4 tropical terrariums that thrive in enclosed containers with high humidity (check out Terrariums Galore! for all the details).  My heart really belongs to the Succulent variety, so I have made 4 more open-container terrariums and have literally filled every corner of my house.

Succulents Galore!

Succulents Galore!

Succulent Terrarium

Succulents thrive in dry conditions and need an open container, whereas tropical plants do better in high humidity and are best suited for a terrarium with a lid.  Select your container and plant varieties accordingly.  To create more eye-catching levels and dimension in your arrangement, choose succulents in a variety of sizes, colors and shapes.

Supplies:Succulents Galore

  • glass or solid container without a lid
  • washed gravel
  • cactus potting soil
  • sand and/or decorative rocks
  • succulents

Assembly:

Layer the washed gravel at the base of the container.  Next, fill in with cactus soil, leaving room for the succulents.  Plant each one carefully, making sure there is plenty of soil between the roots and gravel layer.  Arrange sand or place a few decorative rocks around the plants for a finishing touch.

Succulents Galore   Succulents Galore   Succulents Galore   Succulents Galore

Care:

Place the terrarium in a spot with plenty of indirect sunlight and water lightly about every other week, or as needed.  Over-watering can cause the plants to rot, but this desert variety does need water to survive.  The gravel will help with drainage, but avoid having a large amount of water sitting in the gravel layer which could cause too much humidity to build up in the container.

Succulents with White Sand

Succulents with White Sand

My new succulent terrariums are happily grouped together, and soaking in plenty of light from the adjacent dining room window.

These are a great alternative to fresh-cut flowers, which are pricey and die far too quickly.  I had all of the glass containers on hand, and spent about $50 in total for the plants, gravel, sand and soil to make 4 terrariums.

I love having living arrangements to add color and life to my home with very little maintenance   My husband was happy to hear that these terrariums would be replacing the need for fresh-cut flowers and for the cost of 2 bouquets, we could have 4 terrariums to last all year (and hopefully longer if I keep up my green thumb).  Of course, he referred to my idea of saving money by spending money as ‘women logic’, but that’s beside to point…

New Terrarium with the Old

New Terrarium with the Old

My very first terrarium, which I made over 2 years ago is still alive (after quite a few scares due to repeated over-watering and sometimes under-watering).  I grouped it with a tall cylinder vase with a succulent variety that will continue to grow up and out the top.  I can’t wait to see how my new plants will grow!

I’m obsessed!

Thankful Tree

I am truly thankful for my wonderful family, who filled my house with love and laughter this Thanksgiving.   Have you thought about what you’re thankful for this year?  It’s never too late to give thanks. . .

Over the years, I have seen many variations of ‘wishing trees’ and ‘thankful trees’ and thought it was time to create one of my own.  This was such a simple way to decorate for Thanksgiving.  It also served a very meaningful purpose to allow the family to share what they were thankful this year.

Thankful Tree

Supplies:

  • Large Twigs- I got mine for less than $7.00 in the floral department at the Market, or you can cut from a tree in your yard
  • Decorative Paper cut into leaf shapes- I made a template to get a uniform shape and used three different papers in the same color scheme
  • Thread or String to attach the leaves- I used thread and created a hole in the top of each leaf with a needle for a more discreet look
  • Vase & Decorative Rocks- Make sure to weigh down your vase with decorative rocks if your twigs are top-heavy 

Give Thanks. . .

My favorite thankful quote was from my Mom.  She wrote: “I am thankful for the family Thanksgiving traditions that my Mother and Mother-In-Law ingrained in us”.

Over the years, we have held onto many family traditions, and as our family has grown and extended, we have taken on new ones as well.  We are all creatures of habit, and the traditions that have been handed down can extend the legacy of those that started them and are no longer here to share in the joy they bring.

Monochromatic: White

I love all things monochromatic, and recently was inspired to create an all white grouping for an empty corner in my bathroom.  In order to pull this grouping together, I had to get a little creative with spray paint.

All White Grouping

If you’re thinking about spray painting dark-colored items white,  I would highly recommend limbering up before-hand.  My right arm and wrist have never felt so sore, and I definitely strained a muscle in my back while painting.  Be prepared to put in some elbow grease!

Before

I recently saw some white-painted twigs in the floral department of the ‘fancy’ grocery store near my house and thought I could probably make them for less.  I found decorative twigs for $5.00 at Marshall’s which I thought would be perfect to transform for this grouping.  I also purchased the little owl and the apothecary container at Michael’s craft store during one of their 30% off sales.  I filled the glass container with a few left-over decorative balls I had from a previous project.

The white picture frame and white coral came straight from my parents storage basement.  I figured they might as well be stored somewhere they can be appreciated and get some visual attention.

The candlesticks I’ve had for several years.  They were very dark and somewhat gothic looking before.  They were almost on their way to the Goodwill pile in my garage, when I swooped in and rescued them for a white-wash revival.

For better results with spray painting, I recommend using a primer first.  If you’re painting twigs, the primer will keep them from absorbing too much paint, so you’ll need less coats, and your arm won’t get as sore as mine!  I ended up doing 2 coats on my twigs with regular white  spray paint, and once I noticed the paint was soaking in too easily I went and got a can of primer which did the trick.  After using the primer, I did another 2 coats of white spray paint, and it covered easily.

After

I placed this grouping next to the tub in my master bathroom.  Nothing makes me happier than taking an evening bath next to this simple grouping of white.  Call me boring, but this soft white look is easy on the eyes.

White Bathroom Grouping

Robot Bedroom!

Since my son LOVES robots (see Robots & Aliens Birthday! for proof, and coming soon – Robot Halloween Costume), I decided to make his bedroom into a robot theme. This is a work in progress, so for now I will share what I’ve completed in the room and a few of my plans for more finishing touches.

Above are my son’s little friends. He named them ‘Monster’ and ‘Robot’; how creative. In his defense, he’s only two and at his age it might be a stretch for him to come up with more elaborate names for his stuffed animals. Whenever he picks up ‘Robot’, he yells “Beep, Beep, Robot!” in his best robotic voice. It’s one of the many adorable things he does. Ok, enough sappy mommy stuff and on to the robot decor…

First, the bedding:

Robot Bedding

These adorable Robot Sheets were purchased at The Land of Nod, along with the Robot Throw Pillow. The gray Tile Stitch Quilt and shams are from Target. I love that they are reversible (light & dark grey) so you can change it up if you want, or just add some interest when you fold down the top.

The Ugly Doll (AKA: ‘Monster’) isn’t a robot, but he just seemed to fit. ‘Robot’ was purchased at a little shop on a business trip in Portland, OR, which I don’t recall the name of. If I figure that out, I will link back to it. Isn’t he cute!? I had to do a little surgery on him though; he had huge pom-pom ears that I knew were probably not safe for toddlers. They were glued on, whereas the one on top is very securely sewed in.

Bedtime Stories in Robot Jammies

Some may be curious why my two year old is sleeping in this giant bed. There are a few reasons: 1- The bed is one of those 3-in-1 convertible crib, toddler bed, and full-size bed frame types and there just weren’t any robot sheets for a crib/toddler mattress (Go ahead, look. You won’t find anything worth buying). 2- My hubby and I were getting really tired of trying to rock him to sleep and then delicately transferring him into his toddler bed. Or worse; lying on the floor next to his bed until he falls asleep because our bodies are too big to lay in the toddler bed. Reading stories in bed next to him seemed like a much less complicated bedtime ritual, plus he’s really tall so he could easily get on/off his new bed at 22 months. 3- Did I mention I really wanted a robot themed room and there were no sheets for a crib/toddler sized mattress? Is forcing a milestone onto my child for decorative reasons really that bad? Probably.

Accents:

Orange Table Lamp

The colors in the bedding are teal, grey and orange, so I’m working within that range for all the ‘extras’. I couldn’t resist these table lamps, also found at The Land of Nod (I could spend hours there!). The graphite base and orange shade tied in perfectly with the bedding. I was afraid that he would try to play with these in the middle of the night, but it’s been about 6 months and he hasn’t touched them once. Phew!

It wouldn’t be a proper little boys room without his name pasted up on the wall (as if we’d forget who’s room it is). So, I dug up several black frames I had lying around, and painted them with Martha Stewart Metallic Paint in Thundercloud. This paint was awesome; I’ll definitely be looking for another project to use it with soon. It dried quickly and made a faux-aluminium finish with just a couple of coats using even, directional, brush strokes.

Metallic Frames

I cut out the letters of his name in metallic grey and orange paper using a Cricut Expression at my local scrapbook shop. If you are into scrap-booking, or crafting, this modern die cutting machine is amazing! There are tons of fonts to choose from and different shadow options. They also have shapes and all sorts of other fun things. Many scrap-book stores (like the one I go to) will offer a monthly membership that includes the use of their die-cutter, or Cricut.

I mounted the letters on cute robot paper that was leftover from his Robots & Aliens Birthday. Conveniently, the paper contained teal, grey and orange, so it tied right in with the color sceme. Many nights he points to each letter and spells out his name, so I guess they had an educational purpose after all.

Robot Name

Accent Wish-List:

As I mentioned before, this is a room-in-progress and there are still many things on my to-do list.

Benjamin Moore Paint -

First, the walls need a new color. The current shade is a golden-beige which is a bit too warm for all of the grey accents in the room. I am really into this Benjamin Moore color – ‘Cosmopolitan’. It’s the perfect beigy-grey and will make a great backdrop for all those robots! Now, I just need to convince hubby to spend a weekend painting with me (his least favorite project).

Another thing on the list is to make a large magnet board to hang on the wall adjacent to my sons bed. I got a cute set of robot magnets, which was the inspiration for the magnet board.

Large Wood Framed Corkboard

I’ve seen Large Wood-Framed Corkboards from Pottery Barn that are just about the same size and concept, only I will be making mine from scratch and the backdrop will be metal instead of cork. I plan to paint the frame in orange to stick with the color scheme. I imagine magnetic letters and shapes will provide hours of entertainment for my son, and it can double as a bulletin board for his artwork.

The bedside tables I currently have in the room are on temporary loan from our guest room, and I have been looking for new ones so I can get that room back in order.

Vintage Steel Shoe Locker End Table

I would love to go all out with the robot theme on these industrial looking Vintage Steel Shoe Locker End Tables.  They’re a little out of my price range, so stay tuned and I may come up with a DIY project to get the same affect for less.

The last thing on the to-do list are curtains.  This is one thing I have debated on for fear of over-decorating the room (after all, my son is only 2 years old).  But what the hell, if I’m working this hard to tie the room together, I might as well just go all the way…

Grey Canvas Curtain Panel

Once again, I found inspiration at The Land of Nod, and I think these Grey Canvas Curtain Panels will be the perfect finishing touch.  I love the detail of the horizontal line of stitching across the top of each panel.  It adds a more casual feel, which is perfect for a kids room, and could easily transition into a teen bedroom down the road.

When these ideas and inspirations come to life and the room is complete, I will update with more pictures.  We’ll see how close I get to my intended plan.  Wish me luck!

Terrariums Galore!

Terrariums Galore!

I have been struggling with a serious terrarium-making obsession.

My first urge to make a terrarium came last year, after reading an article in Real Simple magazine which had a couple of terrariums featured.  I am notorious for my black thumb, especially when it comes to indoor plants, so I was a little nervous to make one for fear that I would inevitably kill it.  I may be one of the few people to actually kill a bamboo plant, and my large indoor plants and trees have also been known to shrivel.  I obviously haven’t mastered the technique of regular watering, which is all the more reason terrariums are right for me.

Last year, I set aside my fears and made my first terrarium, and it’s shockingly still alive!  I’ve taken that as a sign to make more, and have documented my recent terrarium-making frenzy below.

My First Terrarium – Still Alive!

When I sought out to make my first terrarium last year, I went to Emery’s Garden (my favorite local nursery) for help with supplies and instructions on the best way to assemble it.  Sadly, Emery’s Garden shut down this past fall, otherwise I’d link to their site.  They were super helpful and gave me tips on putting it together and helped me choose the right plants.  I put one succulent in my first terrarium (against the advice of the nursery employee) and somehow it’s not dead, despite being in the wrong type of soil and getting way more water than it needs.  It might look a little wonky because I accidentally lopped off a couple of its limbs while planting it.  He has character…

Wee Little One

I was hoping to make an all-succulent terrarium this time, as succulents are another obsession of mine, but that will have to wait until the next round (click here for Succulents Galore!).  Enclosed containers are not ideal for succulents since they prefer less water and humidity, and 2 of the containers I had were enclosed.  For this project, I chose plants that thrive in high humidity.

Supplies: 

  • glass container
  • horticultural charcoal
  • washed gravel (optional)
  • decorative rocks (optional)
  • potting mix
  • assorted indoor plants
     

*For succulents or cacti, use cactus mix instead of potting mix and an open container.  Make sure that plants in one container share the same water, light, and soil preferences.

Assembly:
Step One – Select a glass container.  As I mentioned before, if you are using an enclosed container your plant selection will be limited to those that prefer high humidity.

Select a Glass Container

Step Two – Layer the bottom of your container with horticultural charcoal.  This is an important step as it will provide drainage for your terrarium.

Layer Charcoal on the Bottom

Step Three – Layer washed gravel over the charcoal.  This is an optional step as the charcoal itself can provide drainage, but the look of the contrasting layers is one of my favorite aspects of terrariums.  For me, it’s a must!

Layer Washed Gravel

Step Four – Arrange your plants.  If your container is deep enough, you may want to add a layer of soil before placing them.  This one was a tight squeeze, so I made sure my plants had a decent chunk of soil attached to their roots and then placed them in.  If the opening to your container is small, you can use long tweezers or even chopsticks to put them in their place.

Arrange Plants

Step Five – Add potting mix, additional decorative rocks, and water the soil just until moistened.  Again, my container was pretty small, so I barely needed any soil to fill in the gaps between plants.  I had a few larger rocks that I placed around the back for a little more height and interest.

Add Potting Mix

Step Six – Close it up and place in bright, indirect sunlight.  If you have a lid for your container, your terrarium will not need as much watering due to condensation.  The glass may get a little foggy on a hot summer day so you might want to remove the lid on those occasions to let excessive condensation clear.  Open containers will need more frequent watering.

Close it Up!

I assembled these on an evening visit to my parents house for dinner.  Why make a mess in my own house if I don’t have to!?  If you subtract the time spent chasing after my toddler and nephew, the three terrariums would have probably taken about 20 minutes to assemble altogether.

Their New Home

I have a curved staircase, which I love, but along the staircase wall are several large awkwardly shaped built-in shelves.  These have been a pain to decorate, but I finally have the perfect little grouping of terrariums to fill one of the spaces (the others are a work in progress).  There are windows surrounding the area, so they will get plenty of indirect sunlight.  I’m thinking this grouping needs a small sunburst mirror behind it to finish it off.  One thing at a time…

Magnetic Menu Board

I came across this super-cute idea on a blog link through Pinterest, and I couldn’t resist making one for myself!  I used a smaller frame and attached magnets to the back so it can stay on the side of my refrigerator with a magnetic dry/erase marker next to it.  The hubby and I have been focused on eating out less and sticking to our weekly meal-plans, and this is a great visual reminder to keep us on track.  I can’t tell you how many times I have left a perfectly good cut of meat in the refrigerator a couple days too long, and then into the garbage due to not sticking with the plan.

Magnetic Menu Board

This was so easy to do, I feel like I should make one for all my friends.  I made a “Menu” board for myself and a “To Do…” list for my Mother-in-Law.  (Click here for the blog I found it on)

Menu or To Do. . .

All you need is a picture frame, a sheet of scrapbook paper, letter stickers and/or ”thickers” or wooden letters, and a dry/erase marker.  Add magnetic strips if it’s going onto the fridge like mine.

The directions are simple:  Cut out the paper to fit inside the frame and arrange your header out of large stickers/thickers/wooden letters.

Paper & Frame

Add stickers for the days of the week.  I did only the first letter of the day since my boards are smaller, but if you are making a large board, spelling it out looks great too.   Seal up the frame and attach sticky magnet strips to the back (found at your local craft store).  The glass works just like a dry erase board, so every week you can update your menu or to do’s.

The side of my frige was plastered with Christmas cards, and this was the perfect excuse to make a new ‘clutter-free’ rule.  Nothing on the fridge except for the menu board from now on.  It’s cute and it serves a purpose in the kitchen.  Next year, the Christmas cards will have to find a new home.  Maybe that will be my next DIY craft project…

On the Fridge - In Action

Time to Get Organized!

Before: My Dirty Secret

Cleaning out last years filing cabinet and starting fresh for the new year usually means doing an annual office overhaul in our house.  We have the best of intentions to keep it neat and tidy, and most people who have been in my office would probably think it is neat and tidy.  Those people have obviously never opened the closet to reveal the overflowing amounts of stuff that we have shoved in there to keep the appearance that we are ‘clean’ people.  I’m sure most people have a similar space in their house. Maybe it’s a junk drawer in the kitchen, or under the sink in the bathroom (we unfortunately have multiple ‘junk’ spaces in our house and those places are also in need of an overhaul).  We all need somewhere to throw that thing that we haven’t yet created a space for, especially when friends or family are making a spontaneous visit and they are just 3 blocks away (please tell me I’m not the only one who does this).

Before: Up Close & Personal

Do note that I had all of those pretty green boxes perfectly organized at one time, but real life took a toll and eventually the labels stopped matching what was inside the boxes, and they became too full to add new items.  Once you disregard the organizational system, all hell pretty much breaks loose.  As you can see in the before photos, random bags filled with stuff weaseled their way into the closet and then kept inviting their friends.  For months, I’ve been relieved to get the closet doors closed, but what kind of life is that?  The thought of someone opening the doors to find a piece of paper, to then be trampled by clutter like a cliche scene in a movie, has been an actual fear of mine.

It took a good chunk of 2 days to do this project (keep in mind I have a 2 year old which makes any project multiply in time

After

and difficulty).  What you don’t see in the pictures is that I actually had to take EVERYTHING out of each box and then put it all back together.  We had about 4 full bags of recycling and another 3 bags of trash.  I was pretty impressed with how much trash I actually fit in there!  The toughest part of an organizational project like this is sitting in the middle of the room with junk piled all around you and not knowing where to begin.  The second toughest part is getting down to the last few piles of stuff and feeling like you could not possibly create a space for one more thing and maybe you should just throw it all in that ‘other junk space’ for now.  Luckily, I resisted that urge and those items either went in the garbage, got sorted into existing boxes, or went into the Craigslist pile.

After

I was even able to add all of our wrapping supplies into this closet, which were previously out in the garage in one of those tall wrapping bins.  The issue with that is all of the tissue paper, gift bags, and rolls of paper were squished into one box and I couldn’t ever find what I needed.  I recently saw the idea of stringing a wire a few inches from the wall in a closet to store wrapping paper rolls, and thought I’d give it a try.  I really like the idea, but I’m not completely convinced that this will be the final solution for that.  However, the rest of the wrapping supplies I organized into one of the large boxes on the floor and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.  Inside the box, I separated tissue paper, gift bags, ribbon, tags, crinkle fill, and even gift boxes.  I used smaller boxes and shallow bags to keep everything in place.  Now I just need to find a use for the old Rubbermaid wrapping bin.

Holiday Home

Christmas Tree!!

Every year, we seem to get into more elaborate Holiday decorations.  Last year it was a 13 foot Christmas tree, and this year we went for a whopping 15 feet of Christmas cheer!  We made the treck out to a ‘U-Cut’ tree farm up north and scoured the open fields for the perfect tree.  Getting a tree this large in the house is complicated, but completely worth it!

Holiday Mantel

Other than the larger-than-life tree, some of my favorite holiday decorations are also items I might just keep around passed the holidays.  Mercury glass candle holders are just so sparkly, you can’t help but notice them.  They’re pretty on their own, and even prettier with a lit candle inside.  To add a little height and visual interest to my grouping, I added a focal point piece inspired by an afternoon peruse through Pottery Barn.  They were selling some overpriced balls and sparkly pinecones to fill a similar glass canister (which all together would have been over $60 to purchase).  I found this one for $9.99 at Marshalls (discount store), and the balls were cheep ones I already had.  Add a layer of fake snow, which cost me less than $2.00 at the craft store, and viola! A perfect focal point for my holiday mantel.

Snuggly Stockings

Another holiday favorite are these extra snuggly cable-knit stockings.  We took advantage of the monogramming feature, but instead of our initials we opted to put “Mom” and “Dad” and our sons first initial on his.  I added a soft green ribbon to make them a bit more festive.  What I love most about these is how big they are; you can fit a ton of stuff in them, and they are nicely lined to avoid stretching out.  I got these last year from LandsEnd.com and I’m sure we will use them for many years to come!