Monochrome Gift Wrapping

Natural herbs have become my best friends! You can see how I've played with their delicate hues and intricate designs here and here. Now I thought of celebrating their beauty by incorporating them into a subtle gift wrapping in the same color. Here they are: monochrome gifts!

There are several ways you can apply the dried herbs while keeping a minimalist appearance of the gift wrap, as you can see in the photos below:

Just wrap the gift box in soft lavender and put the twig on top. Secure the gift with a single line of wool.

For the black gift wrapping I used a little bit of black washi tape to keep the berries on top of the box.

Or you can tie together two twigs with thread, then add a drop of glue onto the craft paper gift wrapping!

The monochrome gift wrapping is super-easy to make if you stick to these simple rules:

1. Choose your natural twigs and berries first, then find color-coordinated paper in similar shades.

2. Use little or no yarn at all (same goes for ribbon, tags or other embellishments).

3. Less is more - don't overcrowd the gifts. But you can be as creative as you can :) Enjoy!

Linking up to these lovely parties.

And some of them require a backlink in the actual post, so here they are:

http://adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.ro/   http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/   http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.ro/   http://www.cedarhill-ranch.com/   http://diycraftyprojects.com

http://www.sew-much-ado.com/   http://www.elizabethandco.blogspot.ro/   http://thelifeofjenniferdawn.blogspot.ro/

http://www.houseofhepworths.com/  http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com   http://www.the36thavenue.com/

http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/  http://www.theartsygirlconnection.com/   http://www.somewhatsimple.com   http://www.commonground-do.com/   http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.ro/   http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/

http://www.redouxinteriors.com  http://www.myrepurposedlife.com/  http://www.alittleknickknack.com

http://itsahodgepodgelife.blogspot.ro/   http://www.504main.com/   http://www.atthepicketfence.com

http://www.shabbynest.blogspot.ro/   http://romantichome.blogspot.ro/   http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.ro    http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.ro/  http://thefrugalgirls.com/ http://www.remodelaholic.com    http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.ro  http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com  http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/  http://www.bystephanielynn.com/   http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/   http://makingtheworldcuter.com/  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/  http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com

A Little Celebration

Dear friends, today we're celebrating 200 followers on Facebook! It may seem like a microscopic community to you, but for me it's a big deal :) A third of them are in fact personal friends of mine, whose walls I invade on a daily basis and who support my interior design rambling like heroes. But the other followers are dear blogging friends and random people which I know nothing about. They come from all the corners of the world, from Alaska to Indonesia. Thank you all for giving me the courage to put my photos out there!

More good news: lovely Angela from Number Fifty-Three is publishing my guest post on How to decorate with a single gourd - 3 ways! So pop over there to see my little tips for a stylish fall-to-winter decor!

The Last Petunias & Pansies On The Small Balcony

Good bye, hot summer days! Good bye, summer blooms! Little pansies, you are the last ones standing (in the pot), more fragile than Chinese paper rolls. Thank you for being my friends throughout the endless summer days. Thank you for not giving up on me, every time I was gone and there was just not enough moisture in the air. Thank you for showing me your soft velvet colors and for keeping me great company.

And farewell to you, too, sweet and sensual petunias. You've given me the splendor of your bursting blooms - dozens of them, springing out of the pot like a magic fountain of purple delight! Thank you for teaching me optimism, positive thinking and stamina! I'll always cherish you, especially in the darkness of the dreaded winter season. I love you, silent pets, quiet friends of ephemera life.

Yellow & Purple Tulips

Dear ladies, a small gift from me to all of you, because many of you will be on spring break! Please take in your hearts this bouquet: from my kitchen counter to wherever you are. Yellow and purple tulips accompanied by white freesias in a sea of fresh green - enjoy the beauty of free time and the warmth of family moments :)

Space Saving Tip: Double Duty Laptop Table

Good Monday, everybody! Today I wanna share a little tip for those of you who live in a small space, just like me. Use a simple laptop table as a coffee table, a side table or even a night stand, if it suits you. A small living area doesn't have to be ugly and it doesn't have to be cramped. That's why we need to edit a lot and to keep visible stuff to a minimum. Out with a zillion knick-knacks, in with a small display on a tray, a cabinet or a side table.

I guess you are all familiar with the Ikea laptop table. It comes in many colors (mine is black, but you can have it on red, white or blue) and it's very handy whether you surf the net from your couch or directly from your bed. I really like it, but every now and then, for a week or two, I don't use it that much. That means that the laptop table occupies some space in my little apartment without serving a purpose. So I just use it as a minimalist side table.

When you live in a small home, every square foot matters. Think outside the box and don't hesitate to assign new functions to your pieces of furniture. This item, for example, can serve as a laptop table in the weekend and as a side table during the week, if you just need a place to display pretty flowers for as long as they last. Which reminds me to add another pic of the pink azalea :)

Update: I want to send a big Thanks! to Abbie from Five Days, 5 Ways, to Lauren from If It's Not Baroque and to Sarah from Sarah Dawn Designs for featuring this post :)

I Saw Them First!

I am stalking my own plants and flowers. I love them, I call them "my green babies". For me, they are silent pets: lovable, quiet, understanding, full of life, moody, different in preferences and personality.

Each time one of my silent pets is about to bloom, I'm stalking it day and night. I can go check up on it every 10 minutes (maybe something has already changed!). When I see the first bud, it's a national holiday in my home. And when the first flower opens to the world, I give a baby shower :))))

Actually, I was the first to see my orchids bloom again, for the fifth year in a row. Not bad for these beauties who tend to "sneeze" if they catch a hint of a draft, a ray of light a little too hot or if they miss their misty shower for more than a week! Just as I was doing the happy dance in the bedroom where the orchids were, I had the most terrible accident. With all the excitement about the new flowers and the preparations for this mini photo shoot, I broke one of the strains:(((((((((

But, after a little sobbing, pulling my hair out and screaming at my boyfriend, I remembered a little tip from a florist friend of mine. So I chose a really pretty blue vase, poured in some water and a little bit of orchid fertilizer  Problem solved! Orchids are in fact parasite plants and they are able to adapt to all sorts of conditions, so they will last a long time even in the vase. Click here to see some more "I saw it first" posts!

Iris On My Nightstand

The first purple iris flowers are sitting pretty in a deep cobalt blue bowl next to my bed. I don't wanna miss seeing them in the morning, that's why I put them on the pink nightstand. Purple, pink and orange - do you think that Spring is finally gonna come? A big hug to my friends in Italy (ciao Anna, Laura, Serena and Eva!) who are confronted with unusually cold weather and snow. And a humble thank you to all my other friends, who still visited even though I haven't had the time to get up to date with all that's happening in blogoland! 

I Saw It First!

I am stalking my own plants and flowers. I love them, I call them "my green babies". For me, they are silent pets: lovable, quiet, understanding, full of life, moody, different in preferences and personality.

Each time one of my silent pets is about to bloom, I'm stalking it day and night. I can go check up on it every 10 minutes (maybe something has already changed!). When I see the first bud, it's a national holiday in my home. And when the first flower opens to the world, I give a baby shower :))))

I don't even know this flower's name, but she greets us mortals with the prettiest purple bloom, mysterious like an orchid and gentle as a bluebell. Click here  to see some more "I saw it first" posts!

Crepe Paper Bunting

Welcome, pretty spring colors! In honor of the first sunshine days of 2013 (I know, it's been a gloomy year so far!) let's celebrate with a happy crepe paper bunting. The event takes place at my space - in fact the party has already started in my bedroom. The painted dark purple wall (painted by yours truly!) is the perfect backdrop for all the yellows, greens, turquoise and indigo flashes of my crepe paper bunting.

Crepe paper has been my favorite DIY media ever since... oh well, kindergarten! It comes in all colors and it's affordable for anyone. Speaking of its low cost, you can use crepe paper for projects that require LOTS of material, without having to break the bank. Also, you can get creative and try lots of new stuff, because if you mess up with something, there's always plenty more crepe paper rolls and you can start all over again.

The key to display a happy bunting is to gather around some items that you love and are dear to your heart. This way, the impact on your brain doubles, triples, gets ten times bigger and you just have to smile every time you go pass the little "spring shrine". For example, my white princess lamp makes the perfect accent on the purple wall. I also love the contrast between its romantic shape and the mundane texture of the colored crepe paper triangles.

But my display doesn't feel quite right with just ONE lamp. So I also added the green apple floor lamp. An apple a day keeps the doctor away :) Also two lamps in one spot make the perfect backdrop :) And the evergreen "Two lamps are better than one" :)) Seriously now, I think this is definitely my styling signature, because in many of my home corners I've used two lamps together. And I loved it every time.

I've made the crepe paper bunting last spring, so it's not big news on my blog. Still, for those of you who need a little guidance in putting together a banner of your own, here is a small tutorial and the steps to follow:

1. Choose your colors. The variety of crepe paper colors can be overwhelming, so I suggest to play with the rolls until the color combo looks right. The safest way is to go with 3 main colors and then you can as many nuances as you want. 

2. Cut the crepe paper into triangles. The triangles mustn't be even on all sides: leave one side bigger, because that's where you'll be attaching the bunting triangles to the yarn.

3. Apply glue onto the thick side of the triangles, choose a happy colored yarn and start putting everything together. Enjoy!

 A big, big Thanks! to Abbie for featuring the crepe paper banner on Five Days... Five Ways, this is awesome!
 

Quick DIY: Romantic Vase (and Washi Tape)

This little DIY project literally takes 2 minutes to make! Naturally, simple things are my favorite, but in view of the upcoming Valentine's Day, I found myself longing for some soft colors. Ultra-feminine decor is not my usual cup of tea, but these days I was in the mood for upgrading a simple Ikea vase. I like its curvy shapes and its perfect proportions, and now I added some casual color.

As painting the little vase was not an option (I'd really like to have my simple glass vase back, thank you very much!), I reached into my DIY supply for some light purple washi tape. You just gotta looove washi tape - it sticks in seconds and you can wash the romantic vase without damaging your new piece of art. This won't leave any marks, either, once I try to remove it.

The romantic vase goes best with... well, roses. You may say anything you want, I guess that nothing beats roses when it comes to soft, feminine, glamorous vignettes. Against all odds, I decided to shoot the vase in contre-jour, just as it was in my living room corner, next to a pink pitcher full of milk. The way the light travels through the transparent light, disperses in the water and eludes the washi tape lines is lovely to look at.

Bedroom Light

"Here comes the sun, little darling... Here comes the sun... It's alright (Tananananana...)" is the first thing that comes to my mind. A song to celebrate the sun. After 4 weeks of really dark skies, after yesterday's snow, came a little sunshine to brighten up my day. And my mood (now that I have the fever, I might use the cold remedy tea sooner than I expected). I had no time to prepare anything with a Christmas touch, as I was already running late for work, so I just snapped some pics with the light slipping on the bed cover and onto the wall.

On my nightstand (a re-purposed, moved around the house powder blue Ikea Lack coffee table) there is all the goodness in the world. The stuff that dreams are made of: a children's book with wonderful illustrations by a Romanian artist (entitled "The Day That Mr. Sleep Ran Away") - check!, a pocket-size handmade journal with red polka-dot fabric and coptic bound in turquoise wax thread (from the days when my friend Ana and me were only fantasizing about opening our Etsy shop) - check!, tap dancing metal plates - check! and an old handmade bookmark - check!

Just looking at these pics makes me smile - who knows when are we going to enjoy another sunshine day like this? The weather prognosis is dreadful, so all I've got left is the pattern the light makes when it comes crawling onto the crochet pillow and the orange bed sheet. Note to self: need to change them soon and figure something else for the upcoming Christmas celebration...

Opposite the bed is that one DIY project that never bores or disappoints me - my beloved purple plum accent wall and the vintage cabinet I inherited from my grandfather. I've got my childhood turntable and my favorite vinyls in there, plus a plethora of matryoskas and other ethnic dolls collected over time. Far in the back, the Burberry style cardboard boxes. I already grew tired of that look, so I need to paint them soon!