The Gift that Keeps on Living

It's been two weeks since I made my first Terrarium and as of today I've made four - so be warned that these tiny household ecosystems are beautiful, inviting and addictive! Although I'd like to keep all four to myself, I'll be giving these wonderful gardens away as Christmas gifts to some close friends. They're fun, cheap and simple to make and would be a great educational activity to do with kids as well - I hope you all enjoy and happy growing!

- Karima

Here are the materials that you'll need:

1. Jar - I purchased this Apothecary Jar at Michael's craft store using a coupon, but I think you can find them on Amazon.com for reasonable prices as well.
2. Potting Soil - You probably have this lying around but if not you can purchase some at any garden/house supplies store.
3. Stones - If you purchase your rocks at a pet store (look in the fish-tank supplies section) it's usually much cheaper than buying them from a craft store. Garden centers carry stones as well, but I'm unsure of their cost.
4a/b. Moss - I got this moss (in two different colors) from Michael's craft store but you can also find moss at your local garden center as well.
5. Horticultural Charcoal - You can find this at any garden center.

Instructions:

1. Pour your charcoal into your jar. You should only need about 1/2" worth.

2. Add your rocks to the top of your charcoal. About 1/2"-3/4" should do just fine.

3. Add enough soil to cover the root-base of your plants.

4. Using a spoon, dig a hole large enough for your plants.

5. Transplant your plant into it's new home. Be sure to loosen the root ball and tap off any excess soil.

6. Decorate! I arranged my terrariums by sprinkling some of my pebbles and moss across the top of the soil.

7. Water your plants. Depending on what plants/size container you have this amount will vary, but be sure not to overwater your terrarium!

8. Place the lid on your jar and...

VOILA! You've created your own little world.

For all thing terrarium, visit some of these helpful links:

Plants Suitable for Terrariums

Terrarium Basics

How to Make a Terrarium Video

Enjoy :-)

If Hearts Could Smile

Vincent Moon (the man, the myth, the legend) has done it yet again - made my heart smile, that is. This three-part series with the French band Phoenix is a must-see for anyone who loves a handheld camera and an impromptu musical extravaganza.

And I'm pretty sure that's everyone in the world...

Enjoy folks.

Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Oh do take care my love...

I'll be the first to admit it - I love period films. The sight of Keira Knightley, the merest mention of Jane Austen, a two-second shot of a sprawling English garden...

I'm hooked.

I wish I had an explanation for my awkward fascination, but to be perfectly honest I'm stumped. It seems like every time someone refers to the era the words "a simpler time" fall out of their mouth.

But I don't think that things were any easier back then.

In fact, I think quite the opposite is true. Times were harsh, people were harsh and things have definitely changed for the better (plumbing, racial equality, and women's rights to name a few).

But somewhere along the way I feel like we left something behind. The art of chivalry, graciousness and elegance seem to be lost. It's always a pleasant surprise to find a glimpse of these attributes in someone, and I'm sure that many of you feel the same.

So if you're yearning to return to a "not so simple time," then I highly recommend you check out this BBC Drama The Way We Live Now - if you have Netflix, you can stream the episodes for free.

Also, I found this lovely blog that lists just about every period film you could possibly imagine, along with story, cast and various other details.

A Labor of Love

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My Labor Day Weekend

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all had a lovely, sun-soaked, three-day weekend.

I managed to do some much needed weeding amongst my little family of plants and brush up on my knitting - which, in my book = one heck of a good weekend.

Not too long ago, my sister and I both learned how to knit from this DVD by Nici McNally. It's an awesome tool for any beginning knitter to have and it's also a great way for experienced knitters to refresh and fine-tune their knitting skills.

I recently finished my first sweater and have knit a handful of other not-so-perfect beanies, scarves and one sad looking dinosaur. Needless to say, I've been in desperate need of a brush-up on my knitting knowledge.

So, in true Labor Day style, we lit up the BBQ, grilled up a storm and had a very knitty (I don't think that's a word, but I'm rebellious like that) Labor Day weekend.

If you can't afford the DVD, there are plenty of resources to turn to online. To name a few:

www.knittinghelp.com

www.youtube.com/user/stitchdiva

www.learntoknit.lionbrand.com/

Ok - now go get knotty! I'm sorry, that joke was bad.

A Very Blue Day

Today I am blue... but in a good way of course!

I found this scrumptious recipe and couldn't help but give it a whirl. These little blueberry bars are, if I may say so myself, absolutely heavenly! I halved the recipe (silly me) and by this morning my brother, sister and I had devoured the entire dish.

I know, I know...

So, of course, I made a new batch today. I'm taking them to a party tonight, so I thought I'd give them an extra little something by adding small blue ribbons.

This time around I was low on blueberries, so I added some fresh-picked strawberries from my backyard and I cooked them in a spring form pan to make the removal process easier.

So, if you're feeling blue, I highly recommend you give these petit treats a try.

The Fruits of My Labor

It's been 5-months now since I returned to my home in lovely Southern California.

After a brief 6-month stint in frigid (in more ways than one) Washington D.C., I made up my mind: I would never live anywhere that required clothes-toed shoes more than 2-months out of the year. So I packed my pale, Vitamin-D deficient self back into my car, buckled up for safety, and never looked back.

And here I am now.

After promising myself that I would never take advantage of our ability to garden year-round here in California, I began work on my tiny (and I mean tiny) patch of land. 7 strawberries, 14 green-beans, 3 figs, 1 eggplant, 12 chili peppers, 2 sprigs of parsley, 4 chives, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 squash and 1 small (but valuable) garden later - I am truly and finally home.