sunday grace

if there is one question we should be asking on a daily basis, of ourselves and others, it is this.

so...?

{amazing light and color captured at garrison, new york, autumn 2013.}

tiny beautiful worlds

i don't know if it is because spring is right around the corner (although it's snowing again today) or because of the full moon or what, but i am in serious full-on creating mode around here.  painting, photography, image transfers, yoga, sketchbooking, you name it, i think i probably did it this weekend.

a need for a unique hostess gift for an upcoming dinner party (because really, she doesn't need eight bottles of wine) prompted me to pull out my inspiration files (i.e. pinterest) and get my terrarium mojo on.  inspired by the amazing work of this company, i set about to create a few tiny beautiful worlds.

i picked up a few succulents for this project, although i think i will use air plants in future worlds.

i used jars i had around the house.  you guys, we are swimming in jars because i refuse to throw them away (just like my grandma dee) and this was the perfect opportunity to give a few renewed purpose.

(please tell me you hoard jars too.)

i wanted to create the lovely layers like the inspiration.  the bottom layer is a little over one inch of white sand.  on top of that, a layer of this amazing recycled glass "gravel".

then a layer of purple aquarium gravel topped off with a few small black pebbles to weigh it all down.

then the plants in a layer of organic potting soil.

i wanted to include some fun and colorful ephemera to the landscape, like some rocks i painted (the images are decoupaged) and a quartz crystal.  i softened it up with some chartreuse moss.

the buddha tiny world is for the dinner party hostess, who happens to be a yoga teacher.

can a project be fun and zen at the same time?  because this was.  i can't wait to make more.

hello march

march, i love that (just like october and of course january) you feel like beginning to me.

march, i love that ideas and plans and dreams simmer with electric energy just beneath my surface.  just like the fruits of the plum tree are growing and expanding but not yet visible as either bud or bloom.

march, i love you.  let's do this.