Mo and I met when we were 3 years old! Our siblings were in the same kindergarten class, so Melissa and I had our first platydate that fateful year. We grew up together, pretended to be the Olsen twins, wrote fan letters to JTT, spent sunny days at the beach fishing for rock crabs with bacon on strings and going to summer camp together until our mid teens. From 1st grade to 1st boyfriends, getting married and now a BABY on the way; watching our lives unfold over the decades has been a treat Momo. I’m so happy for you and Jason and I can’t wait to meet your little man in just a few short weeks!
Here are some pictures of the baby shower that we (along with her Mama Sharon) threw for Momo in my Mother’s backyard. Sharon wanted to make it airplane themed to go along with Jason’s job. Cute idea Sharon!
The Mama-to-be looking beautiful as ever!
A cute onesie bouquet made by her sister Julie ^^^
“It’s a Boy” chocolates in my Grandfather’s 1950’s suitcase. ^^^
^^^Messages and love letters to baby Wyatt
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I Can’t Kill This One [Fiddle Leaf Fig]
I’ve said it a few times on here…I don’t have a green thumb. As my love for indoor plants grows, I’m only met with the disappointment of a shriveled beauty a few weeks down the road. Money wasted! The lovely people at PermaLeaf® have come to my rescue. They have a huge variety of indoor and outdoor plants that are absolutely stunning. They sent me a beautiful tree to cure my fiddle fig blues. It looks like the real deal and will save me the frustration and expense of continually replacing my real one (seriously I’ve gone through 3 trees) and those fancy plants aren’t cheap!
PermaLeaf® products are made with a “specially formulated weatherable plastic that is designed and engineered to withstand harsh conditions. Whether you expose your artificial trees and plants to UV rays, snow, strong winds, or water they will be fade resistant and will suffer no color loss detectable by sight.”
I’m so happy with this new plant…the leaves have a silky texture and they perfectly depict the color variation in real leaves. Each leaf is connected with a plastic ball n socket joint so you can twist the leaves however looks best. I like to turn mine facing outward in a circular pattern, making the tree look its fullest.
My mother came over for a visit the other day and her eyes went right to the plant…”Where did you get that tree!? It’s beautiful!” Thanks Ma!
No joke, she is considering getting a faux Fiddle fig too now.
Here are a few of my favorite plants that PermaLeaf® offers. They are available for commercial projects and wholesale trade too – landscaping and design. How fantastic is that? Below you can find a few clips from their outstanding portfolio and talented work for clients all over the US.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Inspiration and 15 Pretty Planters
I have a love/hate relationship with these green beauties. I love them and they hate me. I’ve had three plants now and they keep dying, despite my tender loving care – scheduled waterings, a sunny spot next to the window and a gentle leaf polishing with coconut oil. I’ve tried everything. Maybe it’s my house…maybe it’s not enough sun. Who knows?
Here are some fun potting ideas! I stick mine inside a ceramic pot and woven grass basket at home. These cute planters extend beyond the fiddle leaf fig…think snake plant, cacti, rubber trees, palms etc. There are lots of indoor plant options that would look stunning in these pretty planters.
1. palazzo marbleized planter / 2. glisan hanging planter / 3.fiddle leaf fig ceramic planter / 4.cement planter / 5.brass planter / 6.riviera pineapple copper planter / 7.mamba basket / 8.drum white planter/ 9.blue swirl planter / 10.drip pottery / 11.zen white planter / 12.napa round planter / 13.conway basket /14.Joya Basket / 15.danube planter grey marble
DIY Magnolia Wreath
With the holiday season approaching I thought a magnolia wreath would look nice on our front door. It’s has a classic look and you can leave it up year round (maybe spruce it up for Christmas with some pine cones and red ribbon, but that’s about it). I’ve had my eye on a few different styles for years, but I could never find a wreath that was affordable. Most of the wreaths were around $150+! No way José… so I made my own DIY magnolia wreath for a fraction of the price. I found some bendable twig wire at Shinoda’s (decor/design warehouse) along with some faux magnolia leaves. I bet you can find supplies at a Michael’s craft store or Hobby Lobby too – whatever craft stores are in your area.
What you’ll need:
Faux Magnolia Leaves (about 50-60 leaves)
Twig wire (about 30ft)
Bendable thin wire
Directions:
-Unravel twig wire and braid/twist into a hoop shape
-Pull the leaves off the stem and secure them onto the twig hoop with a small piece of wire
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It’s as easy as that!
A bit tedious, but well worth the effort in savings!
Vintage Turkish Rugs ETSY Round-up {Best Deals}
I have been a tad kooky with my search for a kitchen rug lately. I may have spent the last two months scouring the internet for the best rugs/prices…
It all started when I walked into a local shop to check out some Turkish rugs – found some beauties and inquired about their prices. What!? $3,000 for a small runner!? No joke, I found the same one online for $250. That’s when my nightly ETSY searches began…
You guys get to reap the rewards of my late nights! Here is a super awesome list of some fabulous shops with beautiful antique Turkish rugs. They’ll add a bit of character and color to your home.
#1. I’d suggest you start with Salaberna. I bought my rug through them and they have wonderful prices compared to other shops. Mustafa and Fatma are a pleasure to work with, very prompt and reply to emails usually within a few hours (<– super humans that don’t sleep). They shipped my rug all the way from Turkey in 3 days before I even paid them. Very trustworthy. It came neatly packaged in a plastic bundle. The carpet was clean and ready for my home! Mustafa even deducted the cost of my bank transfer fee from the cost of the rug. So nice! Safe and reliable.
#2 I’m drooling over Oldvinshop. Susan is very nice and her selection of vintage rugs is fantastic. I originally bought my first Oushak rug from her (using Paypal), but it ended up getting lost in the mail. She felt so bad – completely refunded me and offered a 30% discount and free shipping for next time. Very nice. I really like her style of rugs…she has the best colors and I can’t wait to give her shop another try. + She has a 5 star review from lots of buyers, which makes me feel a bit more comfortable when buying overseas items.
The above recommendations ^ are shops that I’ve had personal experience with, but here are a list of other promising shops (as pictured). They’ve got lots of gems to be discovered! –>
Salaberna, Oldvinshop, Khalkedonkilims, Importedrugs, Splendidrugs, Cappadociacarpetrug, Oscarbazaar, Dreamhousetaos
DJ from Imortedrugs (one of the US based ETSY shops) is offering 10% off for A Bit of Bees Knees readers! Just enter “TENOFF” when purchasing. Thank you!
Be sure to ask your seller if there are any deals or discounts at the time of purchasing. Every shop I contacted gave me a discount of some kind. It doesn’t hurt to ask, right? Also, look over their payment and shipping policies – find shops that will give you a refund if you don’t like your rug. Look for shops with high ratings and reviews.
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If you want to continue the search on your own, these key words will get you to the right place.
Oushak Rug, Anatolian Rug, Kilim Rug, Turkish Rug, Area Rug, Runner Rug etc.