Wood-land Terrariums DIY

I have a confession to make, I am a murderer...of plants! I was in need of a low maintenance plant that would not die if I forgot to water it for a week err... a month or two. 

In Honolulu there is this adorable succulent DIY store called Paiko and it has become my new favorite place. They source local beautiful plants and pots and also offer coffee through the Brue bar. Everything about this place makes my heart happy. On Thursday evening the hubs and I took the Woodland Terrarium Class. It was so easy, I couldn't believe it. Our instructor went over layer by layer what our little self containing ecosystems would need to survive forever (literally). 

STEP 1: 

Get a glass container with an air-tight lid 

STEP 2: 

Put about an inch of clean gravel 

STEP 3: 

Place wet sphagnum moss over the gravel

Sphagnum moss can be purchased at most pet stores or even on amazon

It is super dry so just place it in a bowl of water 

for awhile until damp 

STEP 4: 

Next, place activated charcoal on top

STEP 5: 

Potting soil is next. Place a good 1 to 2 inches of an 

organic potting soil on top of the charcoal

STEP 6: 

The fun part! Putting in your plants. This is called a 

rabbit fern, because it has those furry "legs" that grow

off the side (sort of looks like a spider to me). 

Dig a small hole down to the moss and place your fern inside.

Make sure to really break up the roots of the fern before you place 

it in the dirt 

STEP 7: 

This is where you can get creative! Paiko had rocks, stones

moss, little twigs, and even little creatures and people we could add

We went with the hula and ukulele player because this is Hawaii, 

we also added moss, twigs and bark to give it texture 

Overhead view 

The last step, not pictured. With a spray bottle, you must spray 

your terrarium down A LOT. Make sure the soil is really wet 

and all the fern leaves are soaked. Place your lid on your terrarium 

and leave it in a dark room for 6 weeks. We were told that they do really 

well without a lot of sun light. So after 6 weeks it can be placed in a room 

with little sunlight. Apparently sunlight will be your main killer of your 

terrarium, so keep it in the dark. Other than that, you pretty much can't kill 

it, which is awesome for a plant murderer like me! 

It's ready to go home! Thanks Paiko for a wonderful class! 

Story-time baby shower

Back in december I had the wonderful privilege of co-hosting one of my oldest and dearest friends baby shower. Danielle and I have known each other since middle school, graduated high school together, were each others maids of honor, and have made so many great memories over the past 12+ years of friendship. 

Me, Danielle and Gigi 

Co-hosting a shower can be challenge, especially when you live thousands of miles from each other + 6 hour time change. But Mrs. Aguirre (Danielle's mom) and I emailed back and forth, shard Pinterest boards, and called & texted till we had a solid plan! Yah for team work! 

 

Love letters and swag on a fireplace mantel

I really love a theme, but I feel that theme's should enhance an event not take over it. Use a theme to guide colors, ideas and decor. When deciding on a theme for Danielle's shower I went to the source...Pinterest! How did we ever live without Pinterest? For a little boy's baby shower, I loved the idea of the story-time shower. 

Peter Rabbits garden of veggies 

yummy brunch food 

We correlated classic children's book with brunch time treats. Not every food had a book (enhance not take over, remember), but it was just enough that guests enjoyed the ideas and reminisced about there favorite childhood stories. One of my favorites pairings was "Charlotte's Web" with Ina Garten's bacon recipe. 

(thanks Jen for making the delicious bacon) 

I am personally believer that fresh florals make every event look top-notch. Plus most flowers are not super expensive and can be added to any fun container you have laying around the house. 

Love the combination of whites and greens together!

"If you give a dog a donut" 

(Now I want a donut)

For party favors I went with one of my favorite Pinterest ideas! Guests left with a beautiful bag of chocolate chip cookies and signed the guest book, "If you give a mouse a cookie!" The gift tags were purchased from etsy here and the perfect sized mini paper bags here. 

Since it was a brunch shower we offered coffee, tea and of course my favorite mimosas! Just because the mom-to-be can't drink doesn't mean the guests should have to suffer ;) 

We added more books and flowers to tie in the food table decor!

AND that my friends is how you throw a lovely story-time shower on an every-day budget!

Cannot WAIT to meet baby Noah!! 

**Special thanks to Kelsey for the photos and thank you Jen, Jenna and Rebecca for helping a ton the day of, could not have finished all the details without ya'lls help!**

Katelynn's home feature: Part II

Part Deux 

Q: Being a college student how do you think other college students living at home, on there own or in dorms can incorporate there style in small places?

A: Decorating a small place is certainly a challenge; one that most college students and graduates face for several years! My favorite way to incorporate big style into a small space is through a gallery wall. A gallery wall can combine sentiment and decor; and can breathe so much life into a place. I had no clue what to do with my dining room for quite a long time, and having the gallery wall has been the perfect solution! I also think that having small accents can make a huge difference. 

Candles have been one of my favorite accent solutions since they are cheap and functional, but come in the prettiest holders. Plus, once the wax is melted down, you have a brand new vase for flowers, or pencil holder for your desk. Try and color coordinate your decorations as well; color makes for the best theme and can pull a room together in an instant!

Q: Any tips for people to decorate there home on a budget? 

A: My entire place was decorated on a budget, and thankfully none of my pieces have even come close to breaking the bank. I have been able to get everything from friends and family or thrift stores! If you are trying to decorate an entire home on a budget I would suggest asking friends if they have any furniture that they don't want. I've found that people have things they don't want anymore but don't want to give them away for no reason. If they can give their furniture to you then they are getting rid of what they don't want and giving you something you do want...a win win for everyone! I would also suggest getting creative with your solutions.

For example, in my kitchen I knew I wanted to do wall paper, but knew I couldn't afford it and it would be too much of a task since the place was only a rental. I found a great contact paper from the dollar store, and had a brand new kitchen for only 5 dollars! Scour your local craigslist listings and antique stores; and imagine how something would look with a fresh coat of paint or a little bit of love. I would also advise someone decorating on a budget to be patient with the process and collect things over a period of time; it makes it easier on the budget and gives you more time to think through what you really want.

Thanks Katelynn for showing off your beautiful apartment! 

If you know someone who has a beautiful home or have a beautiful space contact me at lefriend211@gmail.com to be featured

Katelynn's Home Feat-ure: Part I

Meet my friend Katelynn

                                    You know that moment when you meet someone for the 

                                          first time and you know you'll be friends for forever? 

                    That's how I felt about Katelynn. Katelynn and I met working together at J.Crew. 

                         We immediately bonded over our love of fashion, decorating, and God. 

                           When Katelynn posted a couple of photos of her apartment, I just knew 

                         that I needed to feature her on the blog. Katelynn's apartment is the perfect

                            example of how to create a beautiful and welcoming home on a budget. 

Q: Where is your favorite place to find interesting and fun decor? 

A: My favorite place to find decor is far and away Home Goods! I feel like it is the little black dress of decor...everyone should have something from Home Goods! The best part of Home Goods is that they are always changing their stock, but they always have classic pieces for great prices. 

My favorite local place in Jacksonville is Sugar Bear Antiques, they have the greatest collection of genuine antiques and a fabulous array of vendors!

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your home ideas? 

A: I find inspiration for my home from Home Decor Store Catalogues, Pinterest and recently Instagram! 

I love getting Ballard Designs and Pottery Barn's catalogues every month because they furnish rooms with standard pieces that nearly everyone has or can find, and then mix and match depending on the mood of the room. 

Pinterest is the source of all that is good in the interior design world; and I am never on pinterest for longer than two minutes without finding some sort of inspiration for my home. The neat thing about Pinterest too, is that even if you can't achieve the exact look of a home; the overall aesthetic is always achievable. 

Instagram has been a surprising source of inspiration, but following friends with similar tastes and some of my favorite bloggers has helped spark some fun ideas for my place!

Q: What has been your most favorite antique or home decor find? 

A: The bench and mirror in my entry way both came from Sugar Bear Antiques, and are two of my favorite finds. I think the high-low combination of the nice mirror and the old bench add such a depth to what could have been a bland piece of hallway. 

Stay tuned for part II tomorrow! 

Home Feature: Katelynn

After a year of neglect my blog is back! 

I am very excited to feature my beautiful and talented friend Katelynn on the blog this week. 

Stay tuned for more! 

xoxo 

Ev-ery-day life

The other day our stuff arrived in Hawaii. I was beyond thrilled when my husband told me nothing was broken (at least the kitchen items), the fear I had that all my beautiful Anthro dishes would be broken upon arrival on the island was stressful.

My husband sent me this picture as the movers were unloading the huge wooden crates that left Jacksonville Florida at the end of March and arrived in Oahu the beginning of May.

The view from our living room

I am so excited to start decorating our hawaiian home. I have been finding lots of inspiration on websites and Pinterest the past month. Our house has the white wooden paneling and white rafting like many homes in beachy cottage towns, so I have decided to go for a beach, cape cod, with pops of bright color to represent the Hawaiian islands. The house has A LOT of windows because it is located in what is called the windward side of the island, that gets a great breeze a majority of the day, thus many houses (including ours) do not have AC units. I have been shopping around for curtains and snagged great deals at the restoration hardware outlet.

Here are some of the ideas I have in mind:

I am currently obsessed with this chair from Pier One Imports:

Can't wait to finally get to Hawaii and start decorating our house!

A brun-ch favorite: Pop-over Casserole

As the weekend quickly approaches the ev-ery-day home prepares for yummy Saturday morning family breakfasts or Sunday scrumptious brunches. Pairs well with a garden salad and mimosas: Enjoy!

Potato and Sausage Breakfast Popover Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 2large eggs
• 1cup whole milk
•  Salt
• 1cup all-purpose flour
• 1tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 2scallions, chopped
• 3/4pound Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1(12-ounce) package bulk sausage meat
• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare 9-inch springform pan as shown in photos, and set aside on rimmed baking sheet.
• 2. Whisk eggs, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bowl until well combined. Stir in flour until just incorporated--the mixture will still be a bit lumpy. Whisk in butter until batter is smooth. Stir in scallions and set batter aside while preparing filling.
• 3. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon water in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, cut vent holes in plastic, and microwave on high power until potatoes just begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up clumps, until meat has lost most of its pink color, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, spread sausage evenly over bottom of prepared springform pan.
• 4. Heat oil in skillet with sausage fat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add potatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until potatoes are golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes on paper towels.
• 5. While potatoes are cooking, place springform pan with sausage in oven for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and, working quickly, sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over sausage and pour batter evenly over filling. Scatter potatoes on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven, run knife around edges of pan, and let cool 5 minutes. Release outer ring and, using spatula, transfer casserole to serving plate. Serve.

Photo and Recipe courtesy of Cooks Country