My Maximum Destruction DIY

After seeing the billionth hanging plant holder on an interior design blog, I decided to take a little break from work yesterday to finally make myself one (because it's only been on my 'When I Get Time' to-do list for ages).  And because I had a freshly charged battery, I figured I'd take pictures and share.  You've probably seen one of the dozens of hanging holder DIYs on Pinterest, so obviously this idea isn't new!





1. Decide what you want to put in your hanger, and how big it will be.  It doesn't have to be a plant; it could be a dish to collect keys, mail, soaps in your bathroom, etc.  Then get your supplies together!  You will need: some type of strong string (I used leather because I had a lot on hand), some type of ring (I had this old brass circle brooch, and I cut off the pin back and filed it smooth), scissors, and you can use any decorative beads or tubes if you choose (I was going to then decided to keep it simple).  *If you decide to add beads or tubes, you will need to add those before you add your knots!



2. Cut eight lengths of string, or leather, or whatever you're using.  The length you cut depends on how long you want your hanger to be.  I cut mine about 5 feet long, and my hanger is about 2 feet long when finished.



3. Get all four pieces of your string together, and pull it through your ring so that your ring is in the middle of your strings.  You should now have eight ends hanging below your ring.  Tie a basic knot in your strings below your ring.



4. Decide how far down you want your knots to start, then start knotting!  Just make a simple knot with two of your strings, move on to two more, and continue until you have four knots.

5. Move down and continue knotting your strings.  This time, use one string from a previous knot, and one from another knot. You don't want to tie a knot with same two strings from the knot above.



6. Finish the bottom off by tying a simple knot.  Make sure it's nice and tight so it won't come loose from the weight of your planter!

7. Hang that b*tch up!  I found this hook somewhere among some other things, and I have no idea why I had it, but I set it aside thinking maybe I could use it one day.  And now I have.  Also, it's going to be a little more difficult to get your plant situated in the hanger if you have long vines hanging down.  This part was a little tricky since I was aiming for minimum plant mutilation.



That was the finished project until I had to pull a Danielle, and try to readjust the knot at the bottom without taking the planter out first.  I paid less than a dollar for this vintage planter, so it's not like I'm out a light bill or anything, but I really loved it, so I was pretty pissed with myself.  From DIY success to maximum destruction in no time.

What started out as a free DIY since I had all the supplies at home has turned into one that will cost me a few bucks as I now have to buy another planter (I went through a purge last year and got rid of all my indoor planters thinking I'd never use them again).  Oh well, we live and learn (or in my case, we live and break things and don't learn how not to break, but instead learn that breaking sucks).


So there you have it - you can ruin your DIY just as fast as you can create it.  I really should've seen it coming though, considering I'm kind of known in my house for being the one to accidentally break lots of perfectly good stuff.

I want to be a professional Rosarian.

I love roses.  Like, more than Coca-Cola, more than Parks & Rec, more than getting film developed and not having to forego meals for a week because it was so expensive - I LOVE ROSES.

Chris and I often go to the Old City Cemetery - a historic cemetery in Lynchburg, VA full of beautiful century-or-more-old headstones, antique roses to make you swoon, and birds upon birds upon birds for the avian enthusiast in both of us - to take a peaceful walk and just relax.  In all the years I've been going, I've about died of jealousy over their collection of (quite old) antique roses, but I never knew until last Sunday that they actually sell rooted cuttings of their roses!  I, my friends, am the proud new mother of a Mademoiselle Franziska Krüger - my first antique rose.






Yesterday I just sat on my porch staring at her and gently stroking her leaves.  I'm telling you, I'm nuts about roses.  And I want to be a professional Rosarian.  Now I'm wondering where I can take cuttings of roses here and there for rooting without getting run off...

See it in a room.

I can't remember if I posted about it on my blog or not, but (I have no doubt those who follow me on instagram or facebook got sick of hearing about it) I had an art opening/reception (whichever makes it sound most legit) at my friend's shop back in October; because my paintings would be hanging for the entire month, I had to get in serious painter mode and finish a few more so my wall didn't look so bare.  Here are a few of the newest paintings, in rooms...






All more-photo-worthy-than-my-rooms rooms via Pinterest.  Paintings from the top: Self Portrait // New York // Doris // Goodbye // Golden Years // Red Lion

A Blogging Resolution Giveaway!

Hi, friends!  I've been thinking about my blog a lot lately - how I've neglected it, and how I've kind of missed it - and I've resolved to do better.  So my first attempt at doing such is a giveaway (because I love free shit, and I think you do, too) of one of the most popular items from my shop!  It's a 'BONJOUR Y'ALL' screen printed canvas tote, and you choose the ink color!



So if you're wondering where 'bonjour y'all' came from, it's from my pop.  When I was about 11 and started taking French, he used to greet me with a hearty, and very southern sounding, "BONJOUR Y'ALL!"  He told me that's what they said in the south of France (he also used to tell me he went to school with MacGuyver [when I was really young and was in love with MacGuyver], that we were related to Peter Jennings [because we had the same last name], etc., and for a while I believed everything).  My dad's kind of weird.

Okay, so here's how you enter to win!

Leave me a comment with one awesome resolution, your ink color preference should you win the tote bag (black, metallic gold, neon lime green, neon pink, or neon orange), and an email address so I can contact you to let you know you've won!  This giveaway is open to everyone in every country!

See it in a room.

I always feel like I've been painting a ton of new things, but then when I sit down and look at what I've actually done, it's not quite so much!  I have so many ideas brewing for new paintings, and I know they'll be put on canvas in time.  Actually, they kind of need to be started soon because I'm going to be the featured artist at my friend Jeff's First Friday event (the first Friday of each month he has an art show at his shop), so if you're in the Lynchburg, VA area on October 4th, come visit me!  Until then, here are a few new paintings I've finished...





From the top: All the Cool Kids, Grandpa Cardigan, Das Ist Nicht OK, Unwanted original

Lately I've been feeling like I should probably sell of some originals, but it must be the hoarder in me that reminds myself of how sad I get when I do sell an original; it's kind of like packing your kid up and sending them to live with someone else, knowing you'll never see them again.  Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but it's totally like sending off your favorite pair of shoes that go with EVERYTHING, and knowing you'll ever own a pair like them again.  Anyway, I did list two originals in my shop.  There may be more, and there may not...