Let There Be Light

Sorry, I got distracted from the task at hand to tell you all about my Switzerland trip. I have spent a lot of time since I've been home cleaning and purging my house. Summer vacation is usually when I do this, but having been inspired by how clean and clutter free Switzerland living is I needed a change. I reread the Apartment Therapy book by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan "The Eight-Step Home Cure". Max made a great point when he stated "we are into hypernesting and that instead of asking ourselves what would really make our home work better, we usually jump to the conclusion that there must be something to buy to solve our home's challenges (flatter tv, closet storage unit, etc.)" The issue then is we continue to take more into our houses, but rarely does anything leave. I am a single person in a small condo. There is no reason it should be bursting at the seams with the amount of "stuff" I have. So I have been figuring out what I truly need and not hanging onto the things I "might" need.

Most of the house didn't take very long. The beast that I left for last was of course my studio. My friends mother passed away about a year ago and I recently adopted a ton of her art supplies. Fantastic, right?! Except for the fact that I was trying to down size. I would say it has taken approximately a week, many different renditions, and a lot of break throughs to get to this point.

The biggest break through I had this weekend was finally letting the light in. After all the years I have lived in my house, I have had box valances over the windows in my studio. They came with the condo when I bought it. I simply reupholstered them with new updated fabric and that was that. I kept them up as well as put up blackout drapes in an effort to keep the room cool. My studio bakes all day and is at least 5 degrees hotter than the rest of my place. This isn't pleasant to work in when I set the house at 82 degrees to save on AC over the summer. So there I am sweating in my cave of a studio. Yuck! No more I tell you! I decided to take the boxes down and what a difference it makes. The room glows! What about the heat? To regulate the temperature I have a fan in the doorway blowing cool air into the room and all is well.

With all this new found light pouring in it looks like a brand new studio! Where there is light, there is life! I immediately ran to the hardware store for shelves to cover with plants. I have been going through withdrawals from the greenery and vegetation I grew up with. Life can seem so desolate in this desert landscape I am trapped in. Breathing new life into my house and my studio has been so rejuvenating! It is the studio I have always wanted and been craving! So, without further ado, here is the new and improved studio!









I haven't taken down the L-brackets from the valances, because I was trying to figure out if I could use them to install hanging plants. I finally figured out what I want to redo the floor of my condo with. I have struggled to make up my mind until now. I just need to save up the money to do so. Aye, there's the rub!

Succulents in Bloom

Pure happiness to me the joy of watching my plants grow more beautiful everyday!

As promised, here are pictures of my succulents now that they have started blooming! I am excited to say I have more on the way.  I have two planters calling me to plant more beauty in them. Lowes, here I come! Although I have only been sharing little snap shots, all this planting is part of a bigger picture and project. I am redoing my patio and hoping to create a little oasis in the desert I live in. I am not a big fan of cactus, but I sure love the hidden treasures that succulents have to offer. I'll see if I can post photos of the finished patio once it is complete. Thanks for your support!

Sunrise Succulent (Anacampseros telephiastrum variegata)

Rock Purslane

Purple Baby Toes

No Treasury Today, Succulent News Instead

I am trying my hand at a succulent garden again. Hopefully I will have more success. In the corner are Blue Chalk Sticks and Sunrise Succulent, followed by assorted Echeveria. I was also delighted to find a flowering Purple Baby toe. When the blossoms open up, I will definitely be sharing more photos!

Baby toes

Growing Success

(I spy with my little eye baby tomatoes)

I raided the $1 bins at Target in March and have been diligently tending to my eclectic mix of baby seedlings. I am proud to say that my mini tomato plants have baby buds on them! The plants themselves are about the size of my hand. To be honest, I wasn't expecting buds till they got a lot bigger.

My zinnias have reached 20 in. tall and are starting to flower as well! Only 1 out of 3 have opened enough to see the color they have been secretly hiding away. When I first started my tumblr account, I was documenting the seed growth, but decided it was silly to post all the time. I have bragging rights now so here they are.






























(Both photos were taken with instagram.)

I Got Baby Toes!!!

Tired of me talking about succulents yet?! Well I have achieved my goal of obtaining baby toes! The white pot in the corner of the picture is what I am building my succulent garden in. I was just so excited about finally finding my treasure I wanted to share. They feel like baby's toes too! Like the window tips of my haworthia, baby toes also have translucent tips.

The white plant in front looks like it has been wrapped in cotton candy, it's called a cocoon plant (go figure). Then of course there is the echeveria mazarine. I'm going to get some lavender tinted plants to add to the variety of my growing garden. So excited!

I'd love to hear about any new additions to your house! There is nothing like the accomplishment of growing plants and their beauty to add to your life.

Sweet Succulent Success!

I found my first "must have" succulent this morning at Trader Joe's! I had to do some research when I got home to identify this lovely creature. It is a haworthia cuspidata and the cutest ever! I also love the cute pot they came in. I have a big pot I am saving for a collection of succulents. I have a growing list that I would like to put together in an arrangement for my balcony. Please click on the photos for a close up, they are really stunning. I love the transparent vein like design on the tips of each leaf. They are called star window plants for this reason.

Not sure why both cats had to check out the plant at the exact moment I decided to take a picture, but it works.

ps. This in no way has stopped my search for the infamous "baby toes". 

Sweet Succulent Balls!

I am still on a hunt for the mysterious Baby Toes that my friend has, but all I am finding are E.T. fingers. They are just not the same. My next try will be at the local nursery since Lowe's and Home Depot don't have them. The hanging orbs (succulent balls) are from a company based out of Santa Cruz called DIG, which stands for Design Interior Garden. I love how they have combined inventive and modern ways of integrating design and gardening.

Terrariums

I really want one of these, but fear that living in the desert of Nevada will only kill it. In addition, I'm not sure where I'd put it. *whimper*


http://www.etsy.com/shop/seaandasters?section_id=7576662