Home Inspiration, bright white + full of light...

I'm of the opinion that white (and nearly white) in the home is hit or miss.  

Depending upon the way it's used, the objects surrounding it, and the way it's lit... white can be austere, harsh, or just plain un-welcoming; however, it can also be clean, simplified, and help put your mind at rest.  When my mind is at rest, I feel more open to epiphanies and much more likely to stumble upon creativity.  But I never consciously realized how cozy white could be until tonight.  While randomly sorting through the "Home Inspiration" folder on my desktop, I couldn't help but notice my own predilection for white in the home.  

I've rounded up just a handful of the images for you here, and found several cohesive elements that help tip these room from severe to serene.  Notably: Furs, plants, soft textiles, whimsy, natural light, woodgrain, and warm neutrals.  You'll find nearly all of those elements in each of the images below.

Fur.  

From a shaggy dog, to a cowhide, wolf pelts, and lots of sheepskins...  cozy, natural elements, such as furs, instantly soften edges and warm the rooms they occupy.  

Ahhh, natural light...  

Nothing beats it.  Nothing else even comes close.   It's that gorgeous diffused glow that seems to illuminate inanimate objects from within.  It flatters, feeds, and helps us function.  Even better?  It's free!

Textiles. 

Look at all the textiles at work above and below... a Kilim rug, embroidered woolen wall tapestry, pelt on the floor, throw blanket on the mid-century chair, and fluffy duvet, act as an invitation to sit down, snuggle up, and ahhhhh... relax.  Note, the whimsical animals in the tapestry.

Woodgrain + Plants.

The natural greens of plants instantly sets a mind at ease.  The warmth of woodgrain and straw help soften the hard lines of this very contemporary room.  Note; the whimsy of the sheepskin pillow.

Whimsy.

I love the unexpected duo of bathroom and bedroom sharing a space.

Warm neutrals: Copper, linen, leather, straw, rust, taupe, and even worn-out ballet slippers are the perfect accompaniment to a shocking true white... creating a comfortable balance and toning down the austerity, without losing the wonderful sense of clarity that white creates.  Can you find the whimsical element in this photo?  It's got ears!

So there you have it...  my white moment.  What's inspiring you right now?  

Tomato Maniac!

Have you guys been to "Tomato Mania" at the Cal Poly Plant Center?

It's exactly what it sounds like.  Hundreds, maybe thousands of tomato plants...  dozens of varieties...  bazillions of tomato-crazed gardeners.  See that guy with the rake up there?  That's the biggest tomato maniac in California.  He's also my dad.  Every year, he and my stepmother drive up from San Diego to buy their tomato plants from Cal Poly during the annual event.  They FILL their car with more tomato plants than anyone would ever need, park it in the shade- hang out with us, and drive home.  I'm serious.  

This year he shocked me by suggesting that they might not make it.

Dad: *flipping through the "Tomato Mania" plant catalog*  

"Yeah, I went a little overboard last year and had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with"

Me: "YOU, overboard???  Nooo..."

Dad: "Well, I planned to give some of them away- but then I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

***At this point, he seemed resigned to skip it.  I was shocked.***

The day before the madness, he called back...

Dad: "Maybe if I limit myself to 5-6 plants..."

Me: "That's a great idea, dad.  But is it really worth driving all that way for tomatoes?  You know, they sell them in San Diego too, right?"

Dad:  "Yeah, it would mean a little over an hour of driving per plant." 

***At this point, I assume he's not coming.  Right?***

Wrong.  Meet the maniacs:

That woman at the top is my stepmother.  Notice the pop-up chair, and the tomato catalog.  They sent this photo at around 7am.  Tomato Mania starts around 10:30.  Needless to say, they were first in line to "beat the crazies".  Umm...  They left San Diego at midnight the night before; is it necessary to point out that they might just be "the crazies"?  

Some of my favorite quotes from the tomato-twosome:

"The strategy is to work as a team, but split up.  One gets the cart, we divide up our picks into two parts, and then we each branch off and get half the list.  We got 12 this year.  Last time we got 16... it might have been 18.  We contained ourselves a little bit this time."

"The second day is for the laggers... the ones who think they don't have to go out of their way for tomatoes."

"Well, we're regulars... so if we didn't show up, they might worry and wonder where we were."

"We go for the camaraderie, being there in the tomato frenzy and the rush at the gate is fun!"

"Top of the line tomatoes!  They do better than other tomatoes at any nursery."

"We share gardening tips, tomato stories... 75% of it is getting there early and chatting with people about which tomatoes do well.  We all have like-interests.  The camaraderie is a huge part of it.  Most of the people are expecting us.  We all show up from different parts of California; there's Bob from Orcutt, the gals from Paso, and Atascadero Phil- he's always there."

"The varieties I'm most excited about this year are: "Anna's Noire", "Kellogg Breakfast", and the "Mexican Midget".

"It's all about something they can't live without."

So did my dad limit himself to "5-6 plants" like he intended?  Of course not!  It wouldn't be tomato mania without a carload!  But that's ok.  Like he said, it's about the camaraderie and the friends they've made.  Tomato mania is so much more than tomatoes.  It's supporting the school, the students, the agricultural department.  It's gardeners and enthusiasts coming together once a year- sharing tomato stories, growing tips and having an opportunity to ketchup.  ;)

d.i.y-not? Terrarium fun!

I love terrariums so much- I think they're beautiful and classic.

And there's something about a happy, thriving, little self-contained world that just makes me feel relaxed.

From Victorian Belljars, to unconventional modern shapes, to mason jars... the possibilities are endless.

And endlessly fun!

I've been so inspired by these guys and this little upstart in the heart of Brooklyn. I love that they're not taking themselves too seriously. They've really elevated the process to a whole new level of living artistic expression.

I mean, look at this:

Amazing.

A few weeks ago, Beverly's had a great sale on large-scale glassware, so I thought... why keep dreaming about my own little terrarium world? It was time to act! Wanna know something about me? I love all things teensy and petite. So anything in the diorama-family is right up my alley. I had so much fun painting tiny people, creating outfits and expressions on them... inventing scenarios, and arranging them.

As you can see, I actually made two terrariums. One enclosed, and one open-topped. I gave one to a friend. In her terrarium-scenario, she and her husband are dressed up for a night on the town- but they end up in a beautiful park instead. He's arranged music, and lights, and a private glittering dance floor just for them, but it's behind her and she hasn't discovered the surprise just yet.

***FYI: My friend keeps hers on her desk at work, and even though

she's usually a plant-killer, her terrarium is thriving and looks gorgeous! YAY!

In my terrarium scene, Jeff and I are holding hands, hiking around the Mountain behind Madonna Inn. The last time we did this in real-life, it kind of turned into a cluster-cuss, so in my perfect mini-world we just hold hands endlessly (superglue, yo) and enjoy the view. We never get tired and my dumb cesarean scar never aches or burns and makes me whine and walk back to the car 5 minutes from the top of the mountain. Ahhh, to be the diorama-me.

This project has made me so happy. You know how watching fish swim can make you feel calm and relaxed? That's what my terrarium does for me. ♥

Ready to make your own? Here's what you'll need:

1. Glass container. Any size and shape works, but make sure you can fit your hand into it for easy workability.

2. Plants. I used Scottish Moss, which is a really basic and common terrarium grass. I also put a little baby cypress in mine- crossing fingers that it will thrive.

3. Rocks. These are your bottom layer. Larger than the charcoal pieces. Decorative. Sand works for succulent variety terrariums.

4. Moss. Some people like to add the moss between layers, and I think that looks great- but I chose to just use it around the top edges of my terrariums.

5. Activated Charcoal. This is so important. It acts as a drainage barrier between the water and the plants, to keep them from molding in the warm, moist air.

6. Soil. Nothing fancy. I just used a potting mix I had leftover from my window boxes.

7. Plants! This website was an excellent resource for determining the best plants for a terrarium and the lighting conditions each plant needs. If you're planning to do a succulent variety terrarium- you'll find a great tutorial here.

8. Diorama! This is the super fun part. I bought the 1.5" men and women mix. They start out completely stark white, but clothed- and from there your imagination can just run wild! I also used a package of very tiny flowers in multiple colors. They were kind of like the icing on my terrarium cake. :)

9. To lid or not to lid... Care is slightly more complicated for the enclosed terrarium, but I really enjoy the look of the lid. More info here.

I hope you have a chance to make one too!  ♥