Green Thumb

Tweet

I don't have a green thumb.  It's more like a root rot, wilting thumb.  However, my love for fresh basil and cilantro has kept me motivated to continue growing.  Last week I was hunting for modern pots, and decided to look online to see if there were any fun potting ideas....that's when I stumbled across this beaut:

 A book planter (Courtesy of Curbly.com)

First thought: YES PLEASE.
I must preface the "how to" by saying  I vowed to myself I wouldn't pick up a single piece of literature over my two week summer break (trashy magazines exempt).  BUT since I was going to destroy a book, the project got the green light.

My mom has a love affair with estate sales (I'm just starting to become a fan myself).  A few months ago she got me the American Medical Association's "Family Medical Guide".  It would have been a great study supplement...if it weren't from 1982. Turns out, hardcovers from 1982 make excellent plant pots.

I'm not fortunate enough to have a gigantor hole saw (like that seen in the link).  Instead I decided to hand cut a hole into the book.  Page. By. Page.  So, it was just me, Ben Affleck, and an exacto knife for 2 hours.  Waste of time?  Not a bit.  My only regret is watching Ben Affleck for two hours.

So, for $3.99 ($1 exacto knife, $2.99 succulent) I have a new piece of shelf candy:

Concrete Inspiration

Tweet

Let's get this straight:  I've never blogged before.  Being that I just moved into a new apartment in the city, and I just finished my first year of grad school, I thought:  Welp, there is no better time than now!

This leads me to my first dilemma- I'm a broke grad student in a new apartment. There isn't much I can afford on a Ramen noodles budget, so I've resorted to hammers, nails, and trial and error.

My first official project:  coat hooks.  The hallway looked so lonely and bare, and needed a pick me up.  I scoured stores up and down State street looking for modern industrial coat hooks on the cheap.  None were to be had.  They ranged from plain jane to ornate (none of which I could afford!)  So, what's a girl to do?  Scour the internet for inspiration, that's what.

 I came across Whamodyne's instructions for concrete lightbulb hooks.  I had an "ah ha" moment-  The ceilings are concrete, these will match perfectly.  2 Red line stops and a brisk walk later, I had a package of $1.99 lightbulbs and a bag of instant concrete- $3.99.  I ended up only using half the bag of concrete, so more fun projects to come later.

 Project #1, in the bag.