"Root"imentary My Dear Watson

Black thumbs. Brown thumbs. I've got 'em both. Anything but green. So when I've tried to root a plant from a cutting, in the past, I've been a full on skeptic. In the new house however, I've got this amazing kitchen window that gets full afternoon sun. The cuttings love this light. I mean love it like it's their job. 

In our front yard we have a rosemary bush with these little succulents/cactus things growing at the base. The former owner planter them so I have no idea what they are, but I love them in my tiny 50 cent ceramic cups. And since my Jade just bit the proverbial dust, I'm rooting more cuttings for the it's container. This is addictive.

It works for any plant too. Cr-a-zy! I'm sure you novices out there already know all this, but I am just blown away by it. My Coleus plant recently suffered soccer injury and a few stems broke off. My MIL suggested I root them. I doubted...

Are you kidding me? Roots baby! That's like a whole other plant - from cuttings! Whaaa? Pretty sure this is the only good kind of "root" there is. I'm so stoked. Can you tell?

What color are your thumbs? xo

Beauty from Ashes

Behold, He makes all things new. Happy Easter. xo

image via saipua

Hello Spring.

and just like that the sun kisses our shoulders. the grass tickles our toes. the leaves are green. and color is born again. Hello Spring.

what do you look forward to most with the rolling in of spring? xo

image source

You.

image via SAIPUA

words via pure and noble

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Centerpiece Savings

Perhaps I'm not most like girls, but I don't really like getting flowers. Don't get me wrong, I love being thought of but spending money on something that's going to wither and die in a matter of days seems a bit of a waste. Weird? So I guess it should come as no surprise that when it comes to dinner parties or events, instead of heading to Central Market or the florist, I head outside. Garden scissors in hand, I scour my yard and the block for a pleasing mix of greenery.

You don't have to spend any money to make your dinners and events special. You don't even have to do a centerpiece of flowers! Thinking outside the box for your centerpiece can make your table setting pop and really come to life.

my halloween entry a few years ago using shrubs and pumpkins

centerpiece I did for a dinner party years ago using mint, shrubs and neighbor's flowers

veggies via tumblr

a little bit of everything from apartment therapy

All I'm sayin' is this... it doesn't matter if it came from your garden, your neighbor's garden or your local farmer's market - greenery, flowers, vegetables, herbs - they all go together. How you combine them is what will make your piece unique. And you don't have to spend a lot for it to look amazing!

Do you have fresh flowers or herbs in your home all the time? If so, do you pick them or buy them? xo

Around the House: Magnolia Blossoms

Happy Monday! Last week I plucked a magnolia bud from my neighbor's tree. (Yes, I have scavaging issues.) I just couldn't leave it on the tree knowing that it would blossom at any moment and smell heavenly. I brought the bud inside and sat it in this wonderful budvase my MIL gave me years ago. The very next morning I kept smelling this amazing scent while doing dishes. I looked over at the window sill to find the above blossom. So gorgeous right? I moved it over to my antlers on the coffee table and started shooting. Then I started playing in Light Room. So fun.

I'm pretty sure one of these lovelies will have to adorn my walls very soon. xo

DIY "Flowers"

Billy-buttons are the cutest flowers. Ever heard of them?  I see them in home-decor magazines all the time, but never knew what they were called. When my friend Alli of Hooray posted this little tutorial on billy-button flowers (see image above), I was instantly inspired. We have these seeds that fall from trees here in Dallas that my MIL and I call gumballs. While my youngest little could spend hours throwing them into the street, I could spend hours finding creative ways to use them around the home.

Materials:

gumdrops

skewers

spraypaint

floral tape

add a few paper flags and let your imagination soar

***

I think mine look like dandelions. I was out of yellow spray paint, but I like the end result of the white. I made a couple more flags and put them in plants/herbs as markers. Here's a look at what some other have done with their gumballs and flags.

pompom

winter wreath

name holder

After looking at all these wintery versions... I'm feeling the need to pick up some yellow pink spray paint and make things more Springy! xo

Weeds

Every year my husband spends countless hours pulling weeds from our yard. I think the desired effect is lush green grass. He usually achieves his goal, but here's the irony...I love weeds. Somehow, God takes the most ugly things and turns them into objects of beauty. I think this is true in life as well. My past is full of weeds. Some have been pulled, while others have been redeemed and transformed into beautiful, blossoming flowers for all to see and enjoy.

Have you addressed your garden lately? xo

Around the House: Layers

One of the things I love most about super cold weather is getting to bundle up in layers. This applies not only to clothing but bedding as well. It's one of the few times of year that the hubs puts up with a major dose of girliness.

starting with some thrifted floral sheets

and pillow cases...

my favorite vintage floral sheet (for the moment)

top off with some colorful quilts... (doesn't the yellow look divine with that pink?)

end result - layered goodness that makes me want to snuggle in bed all day!

Does your winter bed get anything special that makes it super cozy for you and super hard to get out of bed, especially on a Monday? xo

Guest Post: Yellow Songbird on Florals in the Home

Do you know Kim of Yellow Songbird? She's the amazing girl on an incredible adventure with her husband who recently had the celebratory giveaway extravaganza! She is a delight to know and an inspiration as well. Today, she has graciously agreed to share her thoughts on  floral prints with Pure and Noble. Enjoy. xo


Well, hello! My name is Kim and I'm the face behind the blog Yellow Songbird & the shop Oh, Sweet Joy.  

I love the inspiration, encouragement & friendships that come from blogging...Brooke is one of those encouragers! We are actually planning a meet up in Dallas when I get back from overseas. Jealous? You can read more about that (the overseas part) and myself riiiiight here. Thanks, Brooke, for letting me take over your space for a day! Let's get to it. 

Let's face it. Floral print in the home can be gaudy & ugly. BUT, floral prints can also be gorgeous. Let's focus on the gorgeous today. :) Here are a few floral accents you can add to your home that are far from gaudy. 

This appliqued throw from Pier 1 would be a simple touch to add some color & fun to a chair or sofa. It's kind of funky, kind of chic & kind of bohemian, all in one. I kind of love it. 

Speaking of sofas & pillows, you can find a lot of tasteful floral pillow covers on Etsy, but I'm sure you knew that! Also, designer fabric makes it easy to bring in gorgeous prints that add accent, but not too much femininity that your hubby hates it. For instance, this Amy Butler throw pillow cover from Mary Litfinn's shop on Etsy is full of color & excitement. 

A simple outline of a flower on a solid pillow also packs a lot of punch as it makes your boring beige sofa pop with color. I need all the help I can get with my beige sofa. Can I get an amen? This lotus outline pillow ((also on etsy)) is pretty lovely, don't ya think? You can find more of this theme in this sweet shop!

Leave it to Anthropologie to perfect the use of floral print. Check out this Laelia quilt & bedding. Gorgeous!

Finally, vintage floral fabric framed in embroidery hoops is such a simple way of adding detail to a plain wall. I'm a fan of these, in particular. They were found in the shop, Whimsie Dots. 

Here is a photo of my embroidery hoop wall,  vintage fabrics mixed with designer fabrics. sigh. I love it. It's such an inexpensive way to display your favorite fabrics. 

That's it, people. :) 

Thanks again to Brooke for letting me share my finds with y'all! 

So tell us, how do you use floral prints in your home?

FFFFFlowers!

deer

Summer is in full effect here in Dallas. It's pretty unbearable and everything that was once blooming and green will soon be varying shades of brown. Thank goodness I have these amazing images of lovely flowers to gaze at indoors! I'm thinking I need to bring some flower prints into my home very soon.

to die for couch (sorry, I had to go big on this one... I'm in lust)

grand entrance

divine sleeping quarters

perfect pillows

{Honestly honey, I'm not trying to bring down the level of masculinity in our home!} It's just that there seems to be something so magical, romantic and calming about floral prints lately.  Is it just me? Please tell me I'm not alone! xo

PS - two of the awesome images above came from one of my followers' blogs. It's amazing. Check it out.