I took several of the plants out of their small pots and moved them into larger ones. This way they have room to grow and I can move them if they need more sun or less.

Each succulent comes with a label that explains how best to care for that individual plant. This is helpful information as not all succulents need the same amount of sun and water. Plant them in succulent specific dirt (purchasable at Walmart or Home Depot) to get good results.

Some of the succulents I combined in larger pots to make smaller succulent gardens for my home. I love having them in my house it makes everything lighter and more peaceful some how. I guess plants have that effect on me.

I have found so many unique succulents. They are so fantastically beautiful and I am horribly addicted. Here is my favorite of the day.

My other reason for potting all these succulents is I am going to use them in the new location of our coffee shop. I can’t wait to see how they look!

I loved the result so much I decided to share it. I did my first ever DIY on creating a chandelier of mason jars. You can view it HERE.

This light was similarly wired only I left much less space between the bulbs. The wire lengths are 4, 6, and 8 inches connecting the bulbs to the main wire. For a much simpler version you can find a slightly smaller lantern and purchase this single free hanging lighting kit. Simply open the door to the lantern and place the bulb inside. Turn the lantern so the door and cord are no longer showing. I put my lantern up on a book shelf. If your lantern is metal like mine you may need to place something heat resistant under it so the heat from the bulb doesn’t cause the metal to burn the surface it is on.

Here is a picture of it unlit.

and lit…

Along with this DIY I wanted to share a few more images of things from around my house. I have so many books that I popped a few under a cloche and I really like the way they look. I will most likely change them in the next week or two but for now it works great.

I have already shared my weakness for books. Old cloth bound books are so popular for decor right now. One thing that is very hard for me to do though is to buy a book simply because I like the cover. I have to like the content of the book or have a desire to read it. This may be strange as in my hectic life I will most likely never get to read all my lovely old books. I think it is that part of me that still thinks that it isn’t the cover of the book that counts but the content. These are a few I picked up recently. I especially love the Collected Essays by Emerson.

Even though I wouldn’t judge by it…here is the front cover.

If you follow my blog you have probably noticed my love of coffee. Here is a vintage coffee grinder I found for $15 at a tiny antique shop. I absolutely love it!

Here is a picture of some of the latte art I have been pouring. I have been working as a barista at my parents coffee shop Kaffee Meister Coffee Bar and Drive Thru in San Diego, CA. It has been such a fun and rewarding experience so far and I look forward to pouring more fabulous lattes and cappuccinos! If you live in the area come by and say “Hi!”

For my latest pattern (Reversible Smocking Hat), and for many of my Christmas gifts I had to make a pom poms. I actually have not made pom poms enough before to decide on a way to make them. There are several different methods. Here is what I tried first.

https://techknitting.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-make-pom-poms.html

or

https://garnstudio.com/lang/us/video.php?id=95d

This tutorial is great but I don’t prefer this way, mostly because I get bored threading the yarn through the center of the cardboard ring.

You can purchase a pom pom maker like this one sold on amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Clover-Extra-Large-Pom-Maker/dp/B001CE38QQ

Here is how I do it. I prefer making pom poms this way because it requires nothing more than your yarn and a pair of scissors. The work comes mostly in the shaping of the pom pom.

If you like the scissors used in this post you can find out more about them HERE.

You will need 6-12gm or so of yarn depending on how thick and large you want your pom pom to be.

Hold the yarn between your thumb and your hand and wrap the yarn around your fingers. You can change the size of the pom by changing how many fingers you wrap the yarn around.

Wrap the yarn around your hand until it is thick and around the mass you want your pom pom to be. This is trial by error really. I usually try to wrap as much yarn as possible around my hand so that my pom pom is really thick.

Wrap a piece of yarn around the entire bunch of yarn. I usually wrap it twice around to make it extra secure. I usually like to have a tail of 5 inches or so on each side of the knot. I use these two strands to secure the pom to the hat or whatever else I might be embellishing.

Using scissors cut the loops on either side in as close to the center as you can.

Then cut the other side in the same way. Usually after this step my pom pom looks like a porcupine with a bad hair cut.

Using scissors trim the longer pieces of yarn until your pom pom looks even. Shaping the pom pom is an important part of making the pom pom this way.

You can also make smaller pom poms using this method. I made on using only three fingers instead of four so there was an example of the size difference.

Available for purchase in my Etsy Shop and Ravelry Pattern Store.

Supplies:
Glue Gun
8 inches of ribbon (more or less depending on the size of the bow)
2.5 inches of elastic

1. Cut ribbon into one four and a half inch length and one two inch length.

2. Fold the larger length of ribbon over like so. The narrower length can either be folded in half length wise or in thirds.

3. Flip the ribbon over so the folded over portion is in the back. Pinch it in the middle and hold it while you wrap the other piece of ribbon around the center.

4. Once you have wrapped the second piece of ribbon around the center secure it in the back with a bead of hot glue.

5. With another bead of glue attach the elastic loop it around and measure that it fits your finger and then attach the other side.

I used vintage velvet ribbon my grandmother gave me.

The tea cup that is pictured in this post is the dragonflies print from the Russian company Lomonosov. I purchased it HERE…I absolutely love it and the company was amazing to work with.

I think cream in tea is one of the more beautiful mundane things I experience during the day…I can imagine finding pictures in the depth and ripples.

So…here we go. When you buy tulle from the fabric store it will come pre-folded it is 54 inches in width total so folded it will be around 27 inches in length. I purchased 2 yards of each color that I wanted to make a skirt out of.

Lay your tulle flat and keep it folded so that it will be 2 yards long and 27 inches wide.

As you can see my children were standing on my tulle…they like to stand on, well, everything I try to make. Once you have it laying flat fold it length wise. It will now be aproximately 14 inches in width and still 2 yards in length.

After you have folded your tulle, twice over, sew along the folded side about an inch from the edge.

Using a safety pin, I didn’t have one on hand, attach it to a 15-20 length of elastic and thread it through the sewn area.

Once you have threaded the elastic through cross it over itself and double check that it has not twisted.

Sew the elastic together with an overlap.

After sewing the elastic even out the skirt so it is evenly ruffled. The split at the back will be hardly noticeable with four layers of tulle. You can leave it as is or you can follow the next instructions to give one or more layers the knotted look.

First lay your skirt so that a single layer of tulle is on top. and seporate that layer from the rest. Then take scissors and cut at one inch intervals around four inches up.

Continue until you have repeated this process all the way around the skirt.

Starting at one end tie two of the cut pieces together in a knot and then move to the next two and continue this process all the way around the skirt.

Once you finish the skirt will have a little added frill. You can do this on all four layers of the skirt to make it extra frilly for your little girl.

My little lovely layers 3-4 of these skirts at a time. It definitely results in  her having a cupcake look.

The end result is so cute and they are SO inexpensive.

I love twine! Wrapping like this is easy I used old paper from Anthropologie that was used to wrap up some bowls I purchased. Here is a little photo tutorial on how to tie your gifts like this.

Wrap some twine around the front of your gift and then flip it over.

Twist the twine together until it you have around two inches of twisted fiber then split the twine and wrap it back around the front of the gift.

Once your gift is facing forward tie off the twine and tuck in a tag and a little something natural to add to the look. I used a dried leaf that I spray painted. Which I will be posting a tutorial for later in the week.

Materials:

20 inches of three types of lace or ribbon. You may want to double up if one of your strands of lace or ribbon is significantly narrower than the others. As you can see in the picture I used two strands of the narrowest type of ribbon to even out everything.

Scissors

2.5 inches of elastic

Sewing Machine (glue will work also)

EXTRAS:

If you want to make the flower extras you will need. A silk flower, a button, some extra ribbon, a couple of wooden beads, and a crocheted doily. I purchased all my items from JoAnn’s Fabrics.

Ok, Lets get started! Tape your three equal lengths of ribbon and lace to a flat surface.

Braid the lengths and tape them together at the other end. The length of the braid should now be around 18 inches. Pull the taped ends off the table and fold it around the end of the braid so both sides are now taped.

Sew the ends of the braid to either end of the elastic. If you have a sewing machine make sure you do two rows of stitching on each side for the extra reinforcement.

Once you have done this you can add some ribbon around the outside of the place where the braid and the elastic intersect. As shown in this picture.

Now you have a beautiful braided headband. If you want to add the flower so it looks just like the picture here are the instructions for the extras.

Take your silk flower apart. Pull the center from the petals and carefully separate the petals.

Fold up the doily and as you sew the button through the hole in the center of the flower also sew the doily to the back.

Also sew your extra pieces of ribbon to the back. I threaded a few wooden beads onto the ribbon and tied the ends before I attached the ribbon.

Once you have attached the doily and the ribbon to the back of the flower tie all of your extra frill to the braided headband.

Wear and enjoy!

If you purchased feathers for feather extensions and you have some left this is a great project to use them up on. So lets get started!

1. Hot Glue Gun

2. Feathers (You can find the feathers if you search for “Ring Tail Pheasant” and “Saddle Hackle” I like to get them from www.moonlightfeathers.com)

3.Bobby Pin (or Alligator Clip)

4. Scissors

5. 2x2in square of felt

6. Button (pictured is a 1.5inch diameter wood button)

First, holding the button on top of the felt cut the felt to the same size as the button. This will be on the back of your clip.

Once you have cut the felt circle fold it in half and make two small incisions for your bobby pin to attach through.

Once you have the holes cut for the bobby pin thread it through the felt.

Cut your feathers to the appropriate size so they will sit the way you want them to.

Flip your button over hot place a layer of hot glue on the back of the button and begin to lay your feathers. Make sure you keep in mind that you button is face down so you want to place the feathers you want on top first.

Once you have the first layer glue the second layer to the back of the button.

When you finish attaching your feathers glue the felt backing onto the clip.

This is the angle I used for the bobby pin  so that the pin attaches the way I want it. It may differ depending on how you want the clip to lie in your hair.

Flip your clip over and slip it in your hair. These make great gifts because they are so simple and easy and yet they are eye catching.

This clip also easily works as a pin on a shirt to add a little interest to your favorite outfit. Or it can even make a great hat pin. Create and ENJOY!

Materials Needed:

1. Jewelry Pliers

2. Peacock Feathers

3. Earring Hooks

4. Crimp Ends

5. Scissors

You should be able to find all of these supplies at your local bead or craft store. If you can’t I included links above. The peacock feathers come in SO MANY COLORS! Here are some turquoise feathers I just received in the mail.

To start, select two feathers that have the same eye shape and color.

Once you have chosen your feathers strip the feathers until they are the width you want your earrings to be.

Once they look like the above picture trim the stem down to a quarter of an inch long.

Place the feathers face down into the fold over crimp ends so that once you have folded down both sides of the crimp end, the flat side will be in the front.

Carefully with your pliers fold down each side of the crimp end so that it firmly holds the feather. Once you have crimped both feathers in to the crimp ends they should look like this from the back…

…and like this from the top.

Ply the lower hook on the earring hooks open with the pliers so you can slide the ring attached to the feather onto it.

Place the ring on the end of the crimp end onto the hook at the base of the earring wire. Make sure it is on so that the feather will face out when you put them in your ears. Once they are on the correct way squeeze the hook closed with your pliers. Once you have finished your earrings you can always trim the feathers so they are not so long. Trim the first feather and then lay it across the second feather to match the length and curve.

Now try them on and add a little flair to your outfit the next time you go out!

Materials Needed:1. Jewelry Pliars (the kind with the teeth are best because you can use them to take the feather extensions out once you are done with them.)

2. Micro Crimp Bead (the pictured clip has silicone in the center, this helps it hold the feathers better)

3. Piece of fishing line.

4. Feathers! Below are links to a few of my favorite shops to buy feathers from.

Moonlight Feathers – This shop has lots of the bulk feathers that are shorter and come in packs of a few hundred. Also they have the longer extension feathers for a good price. Shipping takes a little while but the product is great. This is also the shop that sells the Peacock Feathers I used in my Peacock Feather Earring Tutorial.

Lamplight Feathers – Great prices, you have to buy a few more but it is worth it if you have friends who also want feather extensions. You can also use extra feathers to make Feather Earrings.

You can find lots of other buying options on Etsy or you can find feathers at your local fishing shop. Many of the feathers used for extensions are the same type used for fly fishing.

First hold the feathers up to the hair to see where you want them to be. I usually place them towards the front and if you are putting extensions in your own hair it is easiest to do it right if they are in the front.

Pull back the top layer of hair depending on the thickness of the hair you will have to pull back more or less. On people with finer hair I have to put the clip lower down so it does not show through. Grab a small section of hair that is all from the same spot on the head. As shown in the picture above.

With your fishing line create a loop around the hair and then thread the two ends through the crimp bead. Once you have it as the picture shows pull on the ends of the fishing line until the hair is pulled through the crimp bead.

Once you have pulled the hair though the crimp bead, gently move the bead to the roots of the hair.

Once you have the bead at the roots of the hair begin feeding the feathers into the clip. Start with the feather you want at the bottom of the group.

Once all the feathers are in you are ready to crimp the micro crimp bead.

While holding the feathers in place with one hand use your other hand to grab the crimp bead with your pliars. Then crimp the bead. It will lay flattest if you make the smashed bead parallel to your head. As shown in the picture below.

Put the rest of the hair back over the clip and see how it looks! It is probably wise to buy a few extra clips so you can change the location of the feathers as desired. Some times they seem like they will look good in one spot and later you will realize they don’t. If you need to remove the feathers simply smash the bead the opposite way it is already smashed with the pliers.

There are lots of great places to put the feathers. The base of the hair line in the back. Or your bangs (see the first picture in this post). You can also place them in the hair right in front of your ears the pieces that fall out when you put your hair up. You will need to be creative in hiding the clip if you put the feathers where you don’t have a lot of hair. Good luck! Send me pics of your successes and fails

1. Swag Chain Lamp Kit 2. Brass Colored Push Through Socket 3. Vintage Mason Jar 4. Tube Bulb (sorry the link is for a lot more bulbs than you will need but you can get a closer look at least) 5. White Spray Paint 6. Regular Canning Jar Lids 7. White Electrical Tape

You will need a drill to cut holes in the lids and metal snips. You will also need splicers for the wiring part of the process.

Directions:

1. Take three push through sockets and tape around the  part that is directly next to the bulb. I taped about an inch from the edge and covered the socket. Spray paint the rest of the push through socket. (I found mine at Home Depot but I couldn’t find the exact model on the site.)

2. Drill or cut holes in the canning jar lids. I cut holes that were a half an inch smaller in diameter and then using metal snips I made small cuts about a quarter of an inch in length all the way around the original cut. Then I pushed the flaps I had made down to allow the socket to push through and to hold the socket in place.

3. Spray paint the three lids. (I found white lids that fit my canning jars. The AMAZING thing about canning jars is they all use the same lids, new or old. However, if you cannot find white lids you can always just spray paint them.)

4. In the “Swag Chain Lamp Kit” you should get 18 feet of white chain and 18 feet of silver wire. Cut the wire lengths for the main length and three smaller lengths for the hanging jars. Thread the wire through the chain and cut the chain to equal lengths. I tiered the lengths that the jars hang from, but you could make them all the same length as well.

5. Wire in the sockets. You may need to get some help with this part if you don’t know what you are doing. Find someone knowledgeable so you aren’t stuck splicing and re-splicing your wires.

6. Attach the chain to the where the wire enters the socket with white electrical tape.

7. Attach all your wires (seriously have someone help you with this it will make it so much faster and less frustrating!) making sure that your chain hangs evenly from each strand and on the main wire. I used the white electrical tape to hide the wiring instead of the plastic caps. It just looked better and lets face it…sometimes looks are IMPORTANT!

8. Insert bulbs and attach canning jars.

9. Plug in your chandelier and see how it looks.

If you don’t like the look of the blue colored jars (or want a bit of variation) you can use any other canning jar that takes the regular lid.

I hope at least one person is able to re-create this project and make it their own. I had so much fun creating my chandelier and I LOVE the end result. It was so liberating to realize how easy it is! ENJOY!