Around the House: Plant Vibes

I'm crushing pretty hard on the whole 70's plant vibe that's so trendy right now. So much so, I was inspired to redecorate a bit. I like change...in the home. Home decor, that is. Adding a bit of greenery just seems to make things more cozy and inviting. Now I don't want to turn into a crazy plant lady where you walk into my home and think, "whoa, welcome to the jungle." But a nice mix here and there seems to breathe just the right amount of laid back hippie vibes into our home for the summer.

 via studded rose

 via breanna rose

 via design sponge

via vtwonen

After all, isn't that exactly what summer is supposed to be? Laid back. Welcoming. Inviting. I don't want to feel rushed, anxious or stuffy when I'm at home. It's my sanctuary and I'm there almost all day, everyday. I needed some summer calm in my home decor. xo

top image via local milk

Around the House: It Ain't Easy Being Green

For years I have been a murderer of the plant variety. No matter my best intentions, plants come to my house to die. This Past year has been different. I've heard it said a dozen times that "it's all about the light." For years I scoffed. But now that my home has loads of natural light and an abundance of window, I'm finding that saying to be true. I guess that's kind of what makes it a saying.

my plants' mantra this past year... "I will survive."

the plants in this kinfolk spread via miss moss - i die

fern-a-licious via apartment therapy

Now that our temps are no longer hitting below freezing, I'm looking forward to moving some of my plants back outdoors, buying a few new ones to fill in the blanks and re-potting a few that need bigger homes. I recently read a post about house plants that help the air quality. Pretty and helpful. Love it. xo

PS - Many say that Jade plants are easy to maintain and great for us brown thumbers... I say - don't believe the hype! I've murdered many! RIP

first image via at swim two birds

"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

The Light

The light that soars through our gigantic living room window makes me oh so happy. But only if I don't have to sleep on the couch like I did Sunday night. (We painted our Navy bedroom Gray. More on that later.) My little orchid likes the light too. She is blooming for the third time in a year. How's that for a self-professed brown thumb?

I'm working on getting our little home in order so that I can get the hubs to shoot it and show you everything we've done so far. I'll show you the underbelly of what still needs massive overhaul as well. One. Day. At. A. Time. This is totally a marathon, not a sprint.

How about you? Any housing projects you're working on? xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Leftovers

What do you do when you have one dead fish (RIP Pinkytoe), an endless supply of tiny toys at the bottom of the toy bin, scrap burlap and friends that homeschool?  You have one seriously fun terrarium making party. In the homeschooling world I'm told this also equals Science. Yay!

Yes, I am a firm believer that all crafts must be done with suckers/lollipops! It's crucial to setting the stage for concentration and excitement. After the terrariums were made, we strolled over to my next door neighbors house to look at his garden, pull some weeds and taste some of his herbs - mint, basil and thyme. The boys were so proud of themselves for "eating grass." And we all agree that we prefer our mint with chocolate or in gum. 

I am happy to report that all of our little terrariums are still alive and kickin'. Woot! Woot! xo

Around the House: The Constant Gardener

Gardening is not for the faint of heart. Trust me on this one. You have to be committed, love what you are doing and most important be willing to try and fail (says my neighbor Mr. Ronnie.) I love plants. They bring so much life to a space. But only when they are green. When they're brown, they can really suck the life out of a space. Above is my first little garden trial of basil, rosemary and thyme. (They've lasted all throughout the Texas summer, so I consider that a HUGE success.) I'm quite proud. Here's a look at more of my outdoor plants:

Not bad right? But, you can see the progression from good to not bad to sad per image. It's okay to be honest with me. I'm aware of my brown thumb. Here's the problem... once you enter my house, it gets worse. Much worse! I'll show you, again with a progression.

Pathetic. Just pathetic. Why can't I do this? I try so hard and yet... they die. Now to be fair, I have had some of these plants for 5+ years. But plants don't have a life expectancy - do they? I am bound and determined to have a home filled with greenery. The real stuff that provides oxygen and makes a house homey! Back to Home Depot I go with dead plants in hand, lots of questions and high hopes. Do you have a green or brown thumb? If you have any tips for me, would you mind sharing them? Happy Monday! xo