A Little World

via redoitdesign.wordpress.com

Terrariums have always fascinated me. There is something so magical about them, as if you're looking into a utopian little world inside the glass. You can almost believe each tiny plant is a giant tree providing canopy for the forest floor.

I don't know about you, but I find them so beautiful. I can't wait to create my own! The local Canadian Tire sells 3 sizes of succulents. The smallest one just a few centimeters tall. The dollar store across the street sells glass bowls and vases perfected suited to the task of a terrarium. I hope to get one going soon - this would be a perfect weekend project.

Here are some photos from my inspiration folder. I've been collecting these to get an idea of which plants to gather for mine and how to place them within their glass house.

via www.bornrich.com


via notmomscrafts.blogspot.com


via botanyfactory.com


via homehow.net


via www.spoon-tamago.com


via www.floragrubb.com


via abbeymckennasucculentdesigns.files.wordpress.com

Spring into Summer

Cam and I had a meeting first thing Monday. To celebrate the company's anniversary, they handed out loot bags of candy and giant red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. But the real icing on the cake? They told we can take the rest of the day off!

So we came home and after a few hours of wondering what the heck to do with so much free time on a weekday, we decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood.

Well, we ended up walking 10kms! I did manage to take a few pics when we went through one of the parks, using my CCTV toy lens on the Olympus EP-2.

Going Green

The cold front has been back recently. Although the grass is growing greener, daylight is staying longer, and garden centers around the city are starting to open up, the temperature has not followed suit.

It's deceiving, really. You wake up to sunshine streaming in, thinking "yay, bare legs today!" only to end up in a pair of boring dress pants yet again. But even though it's still winter coat weather, my mind is already churning with ideas for our outdoor space.

Just to recap, this is what the house looks like front and back. Unfortunately I don't have a good photo down the length of the front yard (it's 2 car's length deep) and back yard (it's about 35 feet wide and I'm guessing 30 feet deep).



Our back fence is up but the two side ones are not. We're hoping to have that done next Month. I can't wait because that means we can finally begin "decorating" the backyard. In the front yard, I'm thinking maybe a few small evergreens with shrubs in front of it.

On the porch, I'd like cast iron urns on either side of the door and on the two posts I'd like hanging baskets with some pops of color.

House and Home has some great inspirations and helpful articles on their website right now. This is one publication that does it right. They have resources for properties ranging from vast estate grounds to teeny tiny condo balconies. Just to give you an idea, here are some of my picks from their website:


all images courtesy of houseandhome.com

Grow, Grow, Grow!

I need help with my Orchid! Or rather...my next Orchid. This one was all pretty and Orchid-like but quickly faded into a shriveled dried up mess. I tried watering it weekly and leaving it in a sunny area but not direct sunlight but it still died! Not sure what I did wrong.

Any tips on taking care of these finicky and delicate plants? Better yet, any suggestions on plants that are easy to take care of for a brown thumb like me?