what have I been up to....

Well to tell you the truth ever sense I got back from Disney I have been at full capacity! I have been painting and fixing my house, playing with my Son, and every other second in between I am sewing. It has been non-stop! I am a bit tired but I plan on riding this energy wave as long as I can. I decide to show some (work in progress) pictures of what has been happening. This is my living room. It was a weird baby poo mustard before, with burgundy molding :(

Now it is a fern green with a mix of dark brown and original wood molding!

This is just one finished corner that I am so proud of! I get an idea in my head and I search for stuff to make the idea come true. I wanted a black bookcase, with deer, a globe, and some of my most cherished books. I think the vision has been achieved! Right at this moment I am in love with this corner. Hopefully I can pull off sprucing up the rest of the house!
Whats on those shelves...
1. Painting by PaintBox
2. Early female womb sculpture from my college years
3. Vintage books (old man in the sea, Poe, and early school books) found over the past 10 years
4. Vintage Brownie camera from my collection
5. Vintage Globe found at an auction
6. Vintage Buck and Doe from an auction
7. Vintage frame holding my Red Cross pin collection
8.Old blood letting kit, Victorian photo album housing my antique photo collection, and an early Dictionary.

Hello! Well I am back and I survived Disney and the heat. Actually I was more afraid of the plane ride then anything else. But now I am over it and can move on with my life (is that enough drama for you). So this week I bring back DIY Tuesday! I decided on a project that is a vintage project, but perfect for the trends of today! With all the faux bois and bark craze what could be a better project than a wood collection!
I always enjoy museum look home decor don't you! So slip on some hiking shoes and head for the trails! Gather up some branches or chunks of wood. I would keep the Branch diameter down to about 2 inches (this way they can fit on a shelf). Keep your branches in a dry place, making sure to get rid of any excess moisture. Cut the bottom and top off branch to make them flat for standing. Now you can saw out a 45 degree angle chunk to reveal the wood grain. You can either leave the wood exposed or cover it with a poly sealant. Each piece of wood (preferably from different trees) you can now label with the specimens name. You can either glue these labels on or pin them. I made some simple labels (below) so feel free to use them or make your own. This project literally needs no artistic or crafty talent. Its simple, fresh, and gosh dare I say educational!
xoxoxoxo

Make your own Terrarium!

A project that has been around forever, but now has taken on new life in the home decor world. I love terrariums! If your lazy you can always head on over to the high-end florist and have one made for you, I personally am to cheap. I am here to show you it can be cheap, fun, and you don't need a green thumb to do it.

Materials: Glass container - I like to search the local thrift stores for weird jars, but you can find some inexpensive jars with lids at Target or any other local department store.

Gravel- you can get gravel at the hardware store or just pull some off your driveway, but remember to wash it before you use it.

Charcoal- You can get this at the grocery store or hardware store.

Sand or Soil- depending on the plant life you choose, you will need sand or soil. Sand for desert plants, and soil for succulents. All can be purchased at home& garden stores.

Plants- pick plants that will work well in this environment (mini cacti, jade plants, ivy, small palms, mini begonia, moss, and ferns)

Optional- rocks or other little statues or Dode-dads.

Step 1) wash glass container you plan to use

Step 2) add one layer of gravel, then a layer of charcoal, now a a-2 inch layer of sand or soil.

Step 3) Now it is time to add your plants. A good tool is a pair of chopsticks to help you poke plants into soil. Remember to use thick rubber or leather gloves for handling cacti.

Step 4) Add any little nik-naks or rocks at this time. I added a cute little plastic deer to live in mine :)

Now your terrarium is finished. Remember to place terrarium in a place that has suitable light for your plants. Also keep in mind some plants do not like terrarium lids (like cacti) .

Watering your terrarium: A good watering once every 2 weeks is enough. Soil should dry out between watering's for dry climate plants. Succulents require the least amount of watering. Usually the lid will keep in moisture making the terrariums a self contained eco-system.

Have fun and happy planting!

Cheers

xoxox