Spring Craft

Dyeing Easter eggs is a fun craft I've enjoyed every year since I was a kid. At 28, why stop now? While perusing various craft blogs and pinterest, I came across Ombre dyed eggs. Ombre is a fancy color-graded (from light to dark) technique that has become very popular. And it turns out to be very easy to do with eggs.

First, prepare your food color egg dye with only 2-4 tablespoons of water (you want the color to be very concentrated to start with). Then carefully place your hard-boiled egg in the color. I used a small spoon to help keep it upright. Let the egg sit for 5 minutes, then pour in a little water to raise the level of liquid no more than 1/2 way up the side of the egg. Wait 2-3 minutes then add another dose of water. Continue until the egg is completely submerged, then take it out of the liquid after no more than a minute.

My next project aims to jazz up a plain planter.

 I found these fantastic plastic planters at Target. I grabbed a whole bunch of various sizes, knowing I could use them for re-potting my cacti and succulents.

I love the modern look of white, but this big pot begged for a little color. With some painter's tape and newspaper, I masked off all but a strip at the top of the pot, which I spray-painted a nice dark orange.

                                                                             Lovely!

To spruce up the front of the house, I fashioned this pretty, colorful and whimsical wreath, all with materials I had around the house.

                                                                       
                                                                      Put a bird on it!

Hip to be Square

There once was a time when I was not a crazed succulent and planter-loving lunatic. But that was before I stumbled upon an article about Molly Quan in ReadyMade magazine. The piece featured her very cool, hip Portland home and revealed her love of cacti and succulents, as well as her shop Life+Limb (now defunct) a source for all things modern home and garden. 

Not long after seeing this article, I visited a local greenhouse and bought my first succulent plant. I was instantly hooked, and simultaneously I was scouring thrift stores for pottery and planters similar to Molly's collection. I particularly was mesmerized by the aqua-glazed and textured pot in the photo above. 

Years later, I still had not come across anything remotely similar to this object despite persistent questing.  Until a couple weeks ago. 

I was casually browsing the shelves of Goodwill, when, there at the very bottom was not one, but TWO pots  remarkably similar to what I have been trying to find all this time. 

For full effect, you know I had to plant a plant in it like the one in the picture. 

So, as if finding two of these beauties wasn't enough, I scored ANOTHER one yesterday for $5 at an antique store. This one is more the color of Molly's but it has a softer more finished texture. Please keep in mind I was not greedily seeking more of what I was already so lucky to have, but the universe kept throwing them at me and I couldn't not do it.... Yeah right, I snatched that pot up like a feral raccoon.