Friday, July 30, 2010

DIY: terrarium

This weekend will be very busy for me-frantically putting together a dining room table and bookshelves for guests for a housewarming party-so I will blog like crazy and give you a fun project to do this weekend!
(I know its not really fashion related, but since I've moved I want to do all these things to make my nest amazing!)
Does anyone know what a terrarium is?

"A terrarium is a container which is designed to hold small plants and
animals in controlled conditions.The defining feature of a terrarium is that it is an enclosed replica of a natural environment which is in contact with the earth, so some sort of soil, sand, or rock must be present in a terrarium." -http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-terrarium.htm

A terrarium can have animals-lizards or bugs or what have you, but its not necessary.
I remember a while back, I saw some neat terrariums in that visually awesome film called Penelope (Haven't seen it? Have netflix? Its on instant watch and you should see it!).

You can see them on the right, how neat, yeah??
Anyway, so you are going to need:

-glass container (it will need a lid or you can use a pretty china plate or something)
-rocks or stones or gravel for drainage
-activated charcoal (found at petstores-this is to make sure your terrarium doesn't become smelly)
-potting soil (there is even such a thing called terrarium mix)
-small plants or moss (moss is a good thing to start with)
-little knick knacks for interest-shells, stones, a lego man, whatevers

1. You've got your container and a nice space to work with it on.
2. Hello charcoal! You're going to be in my terrarium!
3. Yo stones.
4. Moss babies! You can buy these online...I actually found mine in the cracks of sidewalks, gasping their last in this NYC heat. I stuck them in a ziplock bag with a soaking wet paper towel to keep them hydrated.
5. Potting soil. I intend to make this my new hobby, judging by this huge bag.
6. I want a moo cow in my terrarium!
7. lay down your gravel evenly.
8. put in your activated charcoal in a nice layer.
9. Throw some dirt on that bad boy, a nice thick layer, especially if you're including plants that will have some roots-moss doesn't need that much really.

Look at the pretty layers!
10. A jar with even layers looks a little boring. I decided to stick some stones halfway into the dirt to make hills and such. But its totally up to you!
11. If you are using moss, take a look at it and try to gently break up any huge pieces of clay that might be stuck to its roots. Thick of it as massaging its roots. You want it to be able to grab onto the soil/rocks of your terrarium. Then you will press those babies down into the soil so its tiny root legs can grow in easily.
12. The best thing about terrariums is that they are their own eco-system and you won't need to water them everyday. But you should get a nice spray bottle and spray it every few weeks. And once you are finished making your terrarium, give it a good spray before you put the lid on to start the process!
My moo cow is so happy in his new home! He is quite mesmerized by that large stone sticking up out of the moss.Enjoy! Don't forget to take care of it! Thanks so much for showing me how, websites!
Visit them if you want to learn more!

Shakespeare in the Park

So tonite my sweetie and I are going to see A Winter's Tale for Shakespeare in the Park!
For anyone not from NYC-every summer the Public Theater in Manhattan puts on plays in this amphitheater in Central Park. And rising up behind the outdoor stage is this beautiful castle like place-its a magical experience to sit outside on a balmy summer night and watch a good show.
The last show I saw there was Hair-which was so much fun and popular that they've put it on Broadway.



You'll notice all these boxes, since we're still setting up our new apartment. I tried to take this opportunity to pretend it was a challenge from America's Next Top Model and pose with the boxes...cuz I'm a dork.
And you will notice that none of these pictures are cropped or photoshopped or are even straight-i can't find a piece of my tripod and we don't have wifi yet, so I'm stuck with my sweety's computer, which has no photoshop!
If I wanted my pictures to look pretty I would have to do this whole process where I take pictures somehow, put the camera card in my laptop, photoshop it, put those pictures on a thumb drive and upload it onto my sweety's compy....not a horrible process. But I'm way too lazy.


I love these two prints together...I just worry that they're too matchy-matchy in color.


I got this top on super clearance from Target for like 4 bucks...its so light and see through. I love how when light goes through it looks like stained glass...


I spent this morning (after my sweety went to work) trying to put away all my shoes from the move.
It was so funny...before the move he was perplexed and asked, 'why don't you just get rid of all the shoes you don't wear?'
I didn't have the heart to tell him all my shoes were going with us through this move.
Maybe if I had a little more notice, I could've spent more time trying to give them away or sell them...but the move was just too sudden, my heart couldn't take the strain of being separated from them so suddenly.

top: target
skirt: f21
shoes: thrifted
necklaces: dark one-gift, light one-bead store in nyc

Independence Day

So its nearly the end of July and I finally got to see some of the pictures from the Fourth of July!
I know its overdue, but they're so awesome that its worth the wait!
I wish my camera were this great....


Thats my friend and new neighbor Patricia on the left, who always looks AMAZING



That's me and my sweetie


(I decided to wear red white and blue)



It was such a good party! I am usually the one always taking the pictures, but I just wanted to chill out on the roof in Brooklyn, where the temperature was perfect all day and night.
We ate pasta salads, deviled eggs, a trifle, chips and dip, beer...we even played a game.
Which was appropriately called, 'the Game'. Kindof like charades. In the first round, you try to get your team to guess a phrase or something by saying three words. In the next round, you can only give hints using two words and so on til you can use no words, and must act it out.

The next day, we went to Jones Beach!
I would like to see the pictures for that as well...

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Cool Days Here at Last?

Over the weekend my Sweety and I went to the Ikea store in Brooklyn!
I had never been, and we rented a van and devoted our whole day to it!
We spent hours sitting on every couch, debating over every table...
I felt bad for him, because I am so visual and therefore was very distracted the whole time. He would be talking or measuring something, I would suddenly dart of to go to look at something or touch something every five seconds-but he was very patient with me.


We took a break midday to eat in their restaurant/cafe thing, and nibbled on swedish meatballs and drink from elderflower juice boxes (i giggled, "I am a fairy in a magical Furniture Land who drinks a flower drink!").
We sat near the window, where we could see the Statue of Liberty.
I regret not taking my camera, because there were soooo many photo ops!! But it was more important to spend time together, deciding how we wanted to furnish our nest.
Though I have been calling it the Fort.


I actually really enjoyed the layout of Ikea-where they have their one of their couches displayed and in the end you just write down what you want, and go to the warehouse part of the store and pick it up yourself in a box. It looks so much cleaner when its done that way. Most stores, all the merchandise is laid out and I bet stores lose a lot of money when much of it gets broken by people dropping stuff or something. What if clothing stores where designed like that?
I just blew my own mind with that idea.


Sorry about my sweaty non make-uped faaaaaaaace!
Its too hot to wear much of anything, especially on the sweatiest part of me. But I just love the little frilly necklace reined in by the stripes of this vest.



So...I know the whole belt over your sweater or vest! thing is overdone and everyone has done it...but I have always been like....I have hips, I can't WEAR that.
But when it comes to this uber frilly dress (I feel like it can't be worn alone) its a bit out of my comfort zone and I needed to do something to make it feel wearable with little to no layering in t his horrific heat.
Plus...me and my new print kick...stripes AND crazy florals! Why not?
...and doesn't this H&M dress remind you of an Alexander McQueen print?

dress: H&M
vest: bananarepublic
shoes: thrifted
belt: anthropologie

Friday, July 23, 2010

"Tu deviens responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as apprivoisé."

Has anyone ever read Le Petit Prince? No? Its my favorite book. Its in french, but I am sure that there are english translations. I even own the 70s film with Gene Wilder and the songs. Umm I am not being random but when I saw this top on ModCloth, I had to get it. This was actually my first purchase on Modcloth, though I stalk the site religiously. I should do a review or something soon, I think. So if you're on the fence about buying clothing from the internets, you will know what to expect from this company.


Again with the mixed prints! I'm on fire with inspiration and creativity! Brown herringbone shorts and a graphic black and white top-YES


My best friend Patricia (and new neighbor) got me these earrings for my birthday-don't they ROCK?
Patricia, I wish YOU would have a fashion blog! She inspires me everyday.

Tu deviens responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as apprivoisé.

The fox from Le Petit Prince is my favorite character. I really identify with him. This quote translates to, roughly (my french is deteriorated badly at this point): You are responsible for what you tame, always.
I always thought that meant literally but also in the way of love. When you meet someone, you change them, and if you leave them, they are broken and you are responsible, you have done that. If you are going to leave or hurt someone...if you must, do it in a way that leaves them self-sufficient. Do it in a way that makes them stronger and better off for having met you.
Thats what I think.
That last image is an illustration from the book. Such a neat style! If you haven't read the book, I encourage you to! Its one of those books that kids love but adults can get a greater meaning from...

Outfit deets:
top: modcloth
shorts: daffy's
earrings: gift
shoes: thrifted

You're Going to be Fine, Babydoll

Wow, I can't believe I have been away this long...Really?
Really, me? I guess I blog in my head, and I do it daily.
Hopefully they are working on the technology where you can do that, and upload it to blogger.
Anyway! It has been hot as hades here in NYC, and over a couple of whirlwind weeks, we are moved in (technically we moved in about two days) to our new apartment!
But between work, my side work, and getting ready for school in the fall I have had about zero time for the things I love best to do-even got behind in following my favorite blogs-madness!

Its so hot in nyc that one doesn't even care how one looks! Its just like, 'how about no clothes? And how bout I eat four freezepops for breakfast and how about I don't move until it gets cooler?'

I looooove to mix prints but it has been hard-up until this summer I really shied away from any kind of print except stripes. And those aren't really a print, right?
My favorite layouts in fashion magazines are the ones with titles like "How to Maximize Your Sass-O-Meter with Mixed Prints!" and they find the most gorgeous prints and throw it all on models and it looks great-even though being five feet, I would look like an idiot if I tried that.

But the main thing to take away from the idea of mixing together florals and paisleys and plaids is that if the colors share some hue between them, it could work.
They don't have to be matchy matchy, like the red polka dots match with the red rose print , but what they say is, if its in the same color family, its ok to mix it.
And what they mean by color family is a bunch of colors that looks well together and don't clash.

But I would also venture that you could wear some kind of print that has colors that are all neutrals...blacks and browns and navy...and if you wore a neon bright print top with it, it sort of negates the fact that both items are prints. It would be the same as wearing a neutral bottom with a bright top; always looks good.


But then again, the great point debate about fashion is: wear what looks good, or wear what you love?
If you love crazy prints that look awful but you love it...who cares, right?

Oh man, if you ever wonder why in movies chicks from Manhattan have ten million pairs of shoes, its because living here, the sidewalks eat your heels.
These used to be my favorite pair but look at the heel! I want to learn how to fix that...I plan on devoting a blog post to DIY how to fix your shoes when this happens.
P.S. A nerdy post script...I have had these bermuda shorts thingies for forever and JUST NOW noticed that the belt loops are unique...you can wear the belt at three different levels on your waist, because its basically three belt loops....so crazy! squeee!! Thats why I love clothes...

top: thrifted
shoes: Steve Madden (15 bucks!)
shorts: target
necklace: banana republic (20 bucks whoo)