Carving Out New Spaces

As we're all spending more time in our houses and venturing as far out as our property lines reach, we're all looking at our current spaces and trying to figure out ways that we can reconfigure to fit our new needs. I am as well. Transitional spaces and home offices are needed more than ever. This is a great time to reorganize and redesign. The outdoors have become the lifelines of homes. Maybe you never thought yourself as a DIYer but this is moment to see what you're made of!

Last summer, we built the shed so it all didn’t happen overnight but a lot of the planting and cleanup was done this past spring since there’s a lot of at home time now.

It felt like we’d never get there but finally I stepped back and realized that this backyard has turned into an oasis!

3 years ago

The whole yard was taken over by invasive weeds. It took some determination and persistence to beat them back.

You don’t have to rip out everything and start from scratch. Embrace the space you have. I was not a fan of the cinder block stairs and retaining wall at first and it wouldn’t be my choice of material. However, I appreciate the shape the cinder blocks makes in my yard. Under this new landscaped yard is the old one and what would a space be without it’s history!

Tired old wood furniture? Put mayo on it!

If you’re like me and you love the look of wood furniture but its hard because wood has memory. Memory of kids greasy hands, water spills, sun discoloration and overall everyday wear. There’s a couple solutions: sand and re-stain, if it’s not salvageable then you can paint it. I would suggest put mayo on it first and see if it can bring life back into your wood. Check out my tutorial video

Kokedama workshop Jan- Mar 2020

I had gotten so much encouraging feedback at my last Kokedama (Japanese moss ball planters) workshop in November, I decided to offer another workshop - 6 more in fact! I’m teaming up with Quest Church in Ballard in their new series ‘Bearing Witness’ as we get down and dirty with making kokedamas and experiencing how that relates to giving life to our ideas, passions and who we are. The next workshops are Feb 9, Feb 23, Mar 22 and Mar 29 Sunday from 1-2pm at the cafe inside of Quest Church. Material fees are $25. Registration is required - click here

DIY: How to make a macrame hanging planter

I have never been a knitter, weaver or crocheter. The patterning structure was too rigid for me. I don’t want to follow instructions, I have to feel it in the moment! These macrame hanging planters are perfect for types like me! I don’t even know if it can be considered macrame since my method is literally 9 knots and can be done in 15 mins and has 3 materials - The rope, the pot and the plant….that’s it!

I used a few you tube tutorials to adopt a look that I liked but here’s the one that I mainly used as reference.

material list: Rope 3/8” gage (approx. 14 feet), 7” tall ceramic pot and base, plant

Step 1: cut 4 long pieces of rope at 42” long each

Step 2: Find the mid point of the rope (21”) and mark with a pen

Step 3: Intersect the mid points of the 4 pieces of rope (refer back to your marked mid point). And place pot and base in on the interested mid points.

Step 4: Take one rope arm and the adjacent rope arm

Step 5: Tie the rope arms two by two.

Step 6: There should be 4 knots total

Step 7: Repeat steps 4-6 but with the other rope arm

Step 8: Ta-da! And then tie a knot at the very top so you can hang your planter!