flowers: week 5

So, good news and bad news this week.
I'll start with the bad.
We lost another sprout.
Now for the good news.
The remaining 4 plants seem to be doing much better after I moved them to the porch. The bug spots seem to be healing, and they look greener/stronger.
AND, we may have the first bud! Exciting stuff!

Day: 35

Plants: 4

Buds: 1

Flowers: 0

On an unrelated note, my photography website is starting to come together!

flowers: week 4

First off, sorry for the delay in posting and the lower quality photos this week. It's been fairly busy. I got a new job and between that and my summer class, life's been pretty busy during the week. I finally found some time this morning to snap a quick photo or two and post an update before I'm off on other weekend adventures :)

Things don't look too good for the little plants. There are now only 5 left, and one looks like it's on the way out with another being eaten by bugs. I did some research on the flower packet I had, and apparently, you're supposed to plant them late spring. I guess this summer is just too hot for them to really thrive. Lesson learned I suppose. I moved them from the back yard where they were getting the full heat of the afternoon sun to the front porch where they get more of the cooler morning sun. We'll see if that helps with the heat problem at all.  I'm hoping the larger ones will at least have a flower or two (assuming they last that long, and aren't consumed by bugs).

Day 28:

Plants: 5 

Buds: 0

Flowers: 0

pinterest. the land of a million good ideas

 Oh Pinterest. The best one stop shop for most anything. Food, crafts, quick fixes, life hacks, wedding planning. It's all there. Heck,I have my entire wedding planned thanks to Pinterest (and I'm not even dating anyone).  But I digress. This post isn't about my non-existent wedding. It's about these SUPER cute DIY polaroid coasters. And, they're super easy to make!

Here's the details:

Supplies needed:

4x4 white ceramic tiles ($0.79 at Lowe's)
3.5 x 5 photos
Mod Podge (glossy or matte... or the one made for paper if you want archival)
Sponge brush (for mod podge)
Clear acrylic spray
Small felt circles (like the ones that go under furniture legs)

Here's the link to the blog I found it on: 

http://www.darkroomanddearly.com/blog/rkroomanddearly.com/2012/04/diy-homemade-polaroid-coasters.html

I followed her directions but made a few tweaks. 
I didn't use white tiles, but that's only because I already had some off-white/tan ones. Instead, after I glued on the photo and sprayed the first layer of enamel, I taped off the photo and painted the border with white acrylic paint and sprayed another layer of enamel.
(I'm definitely getting white tiles next time. So much easier!)
Instead of buying 3.5x5 photos, I used 4x6 ones and cut them to the right size. (If you take a standard post-it note and overlap another one over it, it's the perfect size. Just stick it on the tile and decide what size you want the photo).
I didn't have acrylic spray so I used some clear enamel I found in the garage. Worked great :)
You don't have to use actual photos if you don't want to. Photos printed on regular printer paper work too, but be careful as the photos start to smear when applying Mod Podge. 
I recommend using an actual paper cutter to trim the photos instead of scissors, got to make sure the edges are straight. 

before the white paint

before the white paint 

after the white paint

Now go out there and have fun! The possibilities with these are endless!

it's a nice day for a white wedding

Ah, summer. Wedding season is in full bloom. Before you start asking who the lucky guy is, or when the big day will be, this is not about MY wedding.
I got asked to be the wedding photographer for my Uncle Nate and his new wife Amy yesterday. First wedding I've ever shot. There's a LOT of pressure for a wedding photographer. These photos have to be ABSOLUTELY perfect. To all you professional wedding photographers out there: kudos to you!
Anywhoo, here's a little sneak peek. Enjoy!

flowers: week 3

Seems like these little flowers are just having a tough time. Lost another one this week, BUT spotted an itsy bitsy new one starting to grow. So far, I can deferenciate 2 or 3 different plants.
I really think it's just too hot for these little guys, but they need full sun. Gotta keep them watered! 

Day: 21

Sprouts: 10

Buds: 0

Flowers: 0

brand new little sprout!

flowers: week 2

This week was apparently a rough one for the little flowers. Sadly, 5 of the sprouts didn't make it past week 1. The 10 that remain seem to be doing quite well. We will see if anymore start to pop up :)

Day: 14

Sprouts: 10

Buds: 0

Flowers: 0