Giveaway at My Girl Thursday

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to inform you all that there is a giveaway going on until tomorrow evening over at the My Girl Thursday Blog. If you want the chance to win two necklaces by Woodii, check it out!! Entering is super easy!

Antiqued Terrarium Necklace and Aquamarine Stone Necklace

Build Your Own Terrarium

Today I wanted to share a simple and fun project! For the terrarium I'm going to make today,  I've chosen to use succulents. Succulent terrariums are actually more like glorified planters since they aren't enclosed, but nonetheless, they are still fun to make! If you choose to enclose yours, make sure you pick plants that will thrive in a wet and humid environment such as Fittonias, Ferns, Peperomia, Aroids, Earth Stars, or English Ivy.

The supplies you will need include:
-soil or sand
-activated charcoal (you can find this at a plant shop or even a pet shop--it's the same as the kind used in aquariums)
-pebbles
-plants
-decorative items such as moss, rocks, or shells.

When selecting your plants, make sure to gather species that will thrive in similar conditions since they will all be in the same container. The two plants I selected are crassula rupestris ssp. mamieriana and ceropegia woodii. They are both succulents so they prefer dry environments.

Step 1: Add a layer of pebbles or coarse sand to the bottom of your terrarium to allow for drainage. Then, add a handful of charcoal on top to provide filtration of chemicals in the air and water as well as overall circulation. If you are making a closed terrarium, the charcoal is especially important. Choose soil that is appropriate for the types of plants you use. I am using cactus and succulent potting mix, but you can also use sand for desert terrariums.

Step 2: Gently pat down the soil as you add it to avoid pockets of air. Make a small hole in the soil wherever you want your first plant to be. Remove the plants from their pots.

Step 3: After taking the plant out of its pot, very gently loosen the roots if they are tightly compacted. In my case, the roots were so compacted that I had to make a small slice down the middle and carefully pull the roots out from the center. This also allows for you to place the plant in a more shallow dish like the one I'm using.

Step 4: Continue making holes in the soil and placing the plants inside the terrarium. When arranging your plants, make sure to leave some extra growth space around each one. Lightly press the soil around the plants and roots; add more soil if necessary. Make sure that the base of the plant isn't buried.

Step 5: Decorate! I've chosen to use pieces of crystal and pyrite, a shell, and some moss.

Yay, the finished terrarium! Here is a little bit of information on caring for your terrarium. If you have used succulents or made a desert terrarium, make sure it stays relatively dry. Only water with approximately 1/4 cup (varies depending on the size of your terrarium) once every couple of weeks (this also varies) and make sure the soil dries out in between each watering. Remember to water sparingly since the container does not have drainage holes; once you add water, it cannot be taken out. Place your terrarium in a well lit area, but avoid harsh or direct sunlight. If you have made a closed terrarium with moisture loving plants, mist the plants whenever the soil begins to dry out or when there are no signs of water droplets on the glass. 

Be sure and research your individual plants to find out how much light and watering will work best. Also, remember to consider the size and shape of your container. 

Resources. If you decide to pursue terrarium making and would like additional information, here are some of the sources I recommend. Much of the information I've provided today comes from these books. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World by Fred Dortort

The New Terrarium by Tovah Martin

Terrarium Craft by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant

The Complete Book of Terrarium Gardening by Jack Kramer

New Terrarium Necklaces!

Today I added some new terrarium necklaces to the shop and I'm very excited to share my latest creations! I'm also hoping to do a DIY terrarium post in the next with or so with some helpful tips for those who are new or experienced with terrarium building.

Micro Miniature Terrarium Necklace 

Miniature Terrarium Necklace 

Miniature Terrarium Necklace with Midnight Moss 

Micro Miniature Terrarium Necklace

Cairo

The sun was out and it warmed up Seattle a bit today so I decided to walk around my neighborhood and take some pictures. I headed to a local vintage shop where some of my necklaces are sold called Cairo and brought in some new stuff. I also decided to take some pictures since the little shop is so lovely! They just added lots of stones and crystals so now the space looks even cooler!

I love all the display setups and how several of the items have a natural feel. There's tons of beautiful jewelry, clothing, and shoes. If I could, I would definitely fill up a couple shopping bags here. Three lonely terrarium necklaces left, but soon there will be more! If you haven't been to Cairo and live here in Seattle or are planning on visiting you should definitely check it out. 

Portland Part II and A Terrarium!

While in Oregon, we also visited the International Rose Test Garden! It was so beautiful! There are endless amounts of roses in every color and variety imaginable. Of course, I took millions of pictures, but here are a few of my favorites. 

We also had to stop by the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. It wasn't a very busy day so we got to see lots of animals up close. The starfish were definitely my favorite part. I even got to touch them! Yes, I love petting animals!

I even had time to construct a cute little terrarium! I collected some supplies form around town and had a great time exploring the local plant shops. I visited Artemisia, whose owner, Amy Bryant Aiello, wrote Terrarium Craft, one of the books I have. The shop had tons and tons of awesome natural decor for terrariums as well as plants and containers. I also grabbed some pebbles and plants form Pistils Nursery. Pistils was extra exciting because there were chickens running around in the back yard. So cute! Another shop I recommend checking out is Paxton Gate. It's a science nature shop with everything from air plants and venus fly traps to taxidermy animals. They have tons of beautiful butterfly display cases as well as glass eyes.

Trip To Oregon

Today I would like to share some photographs from my trip to Oregon! After some excellent food and drinks in Portland, we headed to the Multnomah Falls to check out, well uh, the waterfalls. It was so amazing! I could feel the mist form the falls while walking across the little bridge. There's a huge rock at the bottom that fell from the top on Labor Day of 1995. It's about the size of a bus! The craziest thing though, is the fact that a wedding was going on at that very moment! Luckily no one was seriously injured. That would sure make an interesting wedding story.

We also drove out to Cape Kiwanda (where a scene from The Goonies was filmed). While driving around, we came across this little campground with wild bunnies! YES, wild bunnies. Best day of my life! To make it even better, I got to pet one of them!!! 

As we were driving away we saw a little huddle of babies cuddling in the rain. When I got out of the car to try and catch them all and take them with me, they scattered like cockaroaches. This was the only brave one. 

In other news...lately I've been feeling super busy....like I have no time for anything! In addition, my feet have been killing me every day as a result of standing all day in heels on a wood floor at work. So, I thought I would set a few goals for myself that I haven't have time for/forgotten about.

♥  Learn to Knit and Crochet - I tried learning a month or so ago and just got really frustrated. I want to force myself to sit down and practice more often. 

♥ Make Some Cute Books for the Etsy Shop - I have to gather supplies and refresh my memory on some things. I have some really good ideas for color palettes and patterns I want on the covers.

♥ Finish my Space at the Fremont Vintage Mall- My spot is basically a little shadow box built into the wall. Right now it doesn't look so hot and I need it to be AWESOME so people will want to look at it. I need to go back and add patterned contact paper to the white walls and add some more props...I was thinking of also hanging some little curtains on the sides.

♥ Find Cute and Really Comfortable Heels - I've been looking for some short black heels so I could match them with basically anything. Does anyone have any suggestions?

♥ Organize My House - Ever since moving I haven't really been able to get all of my things in order. I need some shelves, a dresser, a kitchen table and/or work table, and a new bed.

Guess I better get to work!

Shop Update: Sea Shore

I've been thinking about visits to the beach and decided to make a few pieces representing items one might find at the ocean. Some of my favorite things are starfish, pearls, and light blue and green color palettes so I decided to incorporate them all into a charm necklace and bracelet. These two pieces of jewelry remind me of a little collection one might gather on the shore while on a trip to the beach. I'm also going to be creating some animal themed jewelry in the future similar to the wolf necklace pictured below. 

Sea Shore Collection Necklace

Sea Shore Collection Bracelet 

 Sea Shore Collection Bracelet

 Wolf and Mountain Necklace

 Wolf and Mountain Necklace

Week recap and Valentine's!

It's been a busy, yet fun filled week! On my day off this week I meet up with Jess from Bells, Bowls, & Bobbins. After she won the giveaway, we realized that we both live in Seattle so we decided to have some cupcakes and coffee and then do some vintage and boutique shopping. We had a really fun time and also managed to grab some yummy squash soup while we were out. 

Yesterday, while walking home from work, I found some great little shops on Pine street. One of my favorites was Cake Spy. They have tons of local and handmade goodies. I grabbed a fox print by Ryan Berkley and a little bear Valentine's Day card from Egg Press. I'm hoping to consign some of my terrarium necklaces there soon. While walking around, I also found some really nice oxfords at a shoe shop nearby but unfortunately they were out of my budget. I'll have to check back and hope that they go on sale!

Print by Ryan Berkley

Card from Egg Press

Speaking of Valentine's, I though I'd also share are some of my favorite Valentine's Day finds!

Tandem bike and hearts card by Lark Press

Awesome heart terrarium

Dainty little heart ring

Dahlia heart print dress

Cute vintage Valentine cards

A New Addition

The newest addition to the collection of stone and pastel necklace I've been featuring in my shop lately is The Rock Charm Necklace. I will be posting a similar bracelet soon as well as some other exciting new items!

The winner is...

And now for the winner of last week's giveaway.... congratulations Jess of Bells, Bowls, & Bobbins!

Thank you so much to everyone that entered! There will be many more giveaways to come so keep a lookout.