Angela Hamilton
I’ve been scooping up flowers at the farmers market every week so I thought it might be time to start up a floral friday around here. These roses smelled too amazing to pass up. Lately I’ve ended up with too many pretty wine bottles to recycle so I have a few new vases around. These two have the lovelies labels.
(In case you missed my DIY succulent planter.)
What Memorial Day adventures do you have planned?
Hello, hello. Did you catch my post on creativity over on The Blog Market? I may or may not have rambled on. Anyway, I’m currently sitting at a cafe near my apartment because we had a few little ants wander in over the weekend and obvs I freaked out and called to get the place sprayed. Well, they showed up to do the job this morning and I had no idea they were coming then or that the kitties needed to be out. It was majorly stressful and by some miracle I decided to get up early, shower, even DRY my hair, and put on a cute dress. If you work from home you know that this is pretty rare. So it’s a darn good thing I did that because I had to run out in a rush with my laptop in search of internet to continue working. Now that I’ve caught up on all the social media I was late on this morning, I finally have a few minutes to write up this little DIY. Let’s all try and forget that my morning was an absolute mess and learn how to make a little succulent home, please!
Three slabs of hobby board, found at the very back of the hardware store in the miscellaneous section. I went thick for the bottom and cut off each and for the two short sides. Lots of tiny succulents. Paint or stain. Paint brush. Hammer and nails. Saw if not cut to size already.
1. Measure your two short sides. Cut the size that you’ll need for the two blocks at the short ends off of the longer pieces.
2. Nail your two long pieces onto the thicker base and the two short blocks.
3. Sand down any rough pieces.
4. Paint a stain around the outside. I tested out this Martha Stewart wood stain I purchased on clearance ages ago. I didn’t feel it was different enough from the wooden coffee table it will sit on so I decided to paint the top a gray blue as well.
5. Here, you can repot your succulents into the whole length of the box, add them to decorative pots, or be lazy like me, and leave as is. I went into this thinking I’d create potted planter box, but I ran out of soil. If they aren’t thriving in their little pots I’ll switch them over but for now I left as is.
6. Add to your coffee table or window sill, and make sure they get lots of light and love.
A few crystals = optional.
There’s more than three boards in the photos because I planned to do one for my entryway too. We’ll see if I ever get around to that! You can see the rest of my coffee table tour here. Now, off to check on the apartment…
This Big Bear Lake recap comes about fifty days too late, but who’s counting? We spent the night there for my birthday and it was quite the change of scenery from your quintessential SoCal life. At first, I was happy to see trees, then I was disappointed that they did not look like trees look in the Northwest, full and dense enveloped in clouds. Then I was happy to breathe in crisp cool air. Then I was cold. But still, happy. Breathing in unmarred air is the best, guys.
We basically did what you do in Big Bear during the offseason: perused gift shops, hiked in the mountains, explored the lake but didn’t go on or in, saw a little snow but not much, not quite winter, not quite summer: exactly that, spring. Cracked a geode (what, does not everyone do this?), posed with an enormous pinecone and then traveled home with said pinecone in tow.
A sunset dinner by the lake.
First hike of spring.
Awaiting my coffee, eagerly.
Speaking of cabins, I like my new apartment, but (always a but with me, I’m aware), I’m getting a springy case of cabin fever and would love to take off right about now. I’m waiting until the kitties feel comfortable enough (they’re used to the apartment now, but I’d like to be sure), and then I think a night or two away is in order. A perfect thing to dream about on a Monday I think.
Has it been decided yet that the whole chic styled coffee table phenomena originated from bloggers wanting to have as pretty a home as those girls featured on the likes of The Everygirl and Glitter Guide but only have the extra hours to make one surface of their dwelling pretty at a time? I like to think yes. So I dub these photos my coffee table tour. It’s about the only place in my new apartment that’s fully unpacked, though I won’t say it’s at 100% because I haven’t yet found the perfect area rug to go underneath. Now, a brief how to for the perfect coffee table…
First, the essentials. We all know our feet will be propped on it anyway, might as well make a pedicure out of it.
Second, cold brew–always.
A little crystal collection mixed in with found rocks from coastal trips.
Ranunculus, a la Trader Joes, and a succulent arrangement or two.
Add in a DIY element, like my DIY map book covers.
Current reads and a magazine, no need for more than that.
Leave a bit of room for the clutter of coffee mugs and dinner dishes, miscellaneous writing utensils and if possible, more candles and more flowers.
Table: Willow via Etsy | Nail Polish: Scotch Naturals | Candle: Aspen Bay Candles | Notebook: ARMINHO | Tray: Thrifted | Crystals: Boutique in Venice, CA
Stumbled upon this natural beauty brand deco naturals on Instagram yesterday. They’re a conscious luxury beauty company with bath soaks and face masks and a clean minimal product packaging design. Here are a few of their lovely offerings…
blood orange + grapefruit bath soak, $28
Their products are handmade in Michigan using natural (mostly vegan) ingredients and packaged in little glass jars (very cool considering how many eco-beauty brands still use plastic in their packaging). Intrigued by the bath soaks myself! Find them on their website + Instagram.
The other day I was perusing my favorite local bookstore for cute greeting cards when I found these sweet ‘n sassy Daily Dishonesty notebooks from Abram’s Books. In this line, Lauren Hom beautifully designs all the little lies we tell ourselves and puts ’em right where we can’t ignore them.
Clearly I had to get the three pack. I do love my sassy paper products. (Remember the notebook featured in our giveaway on TBM? So fun.) If you haven’t heard of Daily Dishonesty, you’ve probably at least seen the ‘get over it’ notebook floating about. But I reeeeally love these ones. Too good!
