How To: A #1 Teacher Wreath

A couple of posts ago I shared with you the desktop floral pens that we made during teacher appreciation week.  I'm finally back today with the wreath that I mentioned in that post, read on to see how easy it was to put together!

(You can click here to read about the pens)

(The photos in this post were enhanced using Photoshop's Spring filter and white Vignette  border)

(This post is for you, Ms. Campbell, thanks for being the BEST 1st Grade teacher EVER!!!)

Ok now, on with the wreath......

Materials

For this wreath I used a straw base, bright red fabric tulips and a #1 Teacher chalkboard pick.

Baby Girl found the chalkboard pick back in September and had to have it for this year's appreciation gift.  I said ok and then (eventually) chose the tulips because they were spring flowers whose color matched the red apple on the pick perfectly.  Sometimes you start planning months in advance...ok, ok, if you are me you do that all the time :D

Step 1

After gluing one of the green leaves in place, I began layering the tulips on top.

Step 2

Keep layering!  I chose to create an asymmetrical wreath where only some of the wreath base was covered by flowers.  You could cover the entire wreath form if you wanted, or come up with another design entirely.

Step 3

After the flowers were in place I softened the look by layering in a few more greens.

Step 4

After using a pair of wire cutters to remove the chalkboard sign from it's stick, I glued it in place at the center of the tulips.  And that was it, all done!

I thought the wreath looked ok at this angle but then I hung it up for a photo and.....

.....realized that it looked much better hanging at a slight angle.

That happens sometimes in design.  Sometimes you change things up a bit along the way, sometimes you adjust the finished product or sometimes you go in a completely different direction altogether.  It's all ok, just enjoy the creative process!

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I hope you enjoyed this how-to post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016

Spring 'Gardening' :D

Remember those Photos From the Workroom I posted recently?
Today I am sharing is a little bit of what I was up to......

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Ok so here's the thing; I like flowers (obviously).  They are fun to work with, fun to decorate with and fun to grow...well sometimes they are fun to grow  :D

I like having flowers and plants outside, but I really don't always like maintaining them.  I think it's because of my current life stage with little people to take care of.  It's best to water early morning or evening in order to avoid the heat of the day, but those are the times of day where I'm the busiest.

Let's face it, there is no way I'm getting up any earlier than I absolutely have to, and evening time is quite busy for me.  I'm already feeding kids, cleaning up, bathing kids, cleaning up, etc, etc, etc.  And heading out to water has seemed like just another chore.  Of course Husby helps with anything and everything, but for him the growing season = the hot time of year at work also.  When he gets home he is worn out and I like him to rest ;)

So what to do?  I had all of these empty pots sitting on the porch and absolutely no desire to plant a thing.  I thought to myself, "Too bad I can't just stuff those pots with faux flowers and call it a day.......Heyyyyyyy, maybe I can......"  :D :D :D

And so my newest (and possibly craziest) idea was born.  For about $10 I purchased and 'planted' a whole bunch of flowers.  I also raided a few supply bins looking for greens and any leftover stems.

Guess what?  I'm actually liking how it turned out.  Every single day my flowers are in bloom, and I haven't had to water a single time.  Kids pick the pretties?  No big deal, stick them back in.  Temp gets a little low overnight in early spring?  Who cares!

I think I could really get into this in the future.  This time I just sorta grabbed anything that was bright and pretty, but with a little planning I could really make up a nice patio!

Check out these photos and decide for yourself:

(Photos enhanced with the Vivid filter available in PhotoShop)

Iris & Daffodils

Hydrangea & Roses

Asters & Sunflowers

Pink Asters

Red Asters & Crocus

Crocus

Blue & White Pansies

Pansies


This was a really easy project to accomplish.  I simply left in place the old dirt, decorative stones and marbles from last year and used wire cutters to trim my floral stems to the desired length.  Once cut I stuck them into the soil and called it a day.

*Husby may or may not have been chuckling the entire time :D :D :D

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I hope you enjoyed my latest craziness, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016

Photos From the Workroom

Are you ready for spring?
I've been having all kinds of fun with some new spring flowers!  Check out these photos from the workroom:

(Photos enhanced using the Vivid filter in PhotoShop)

Iris

Pink Aster

Red Aster

Pansies

Hydrangea

Crocus


I hope you enjoyed these lovely photos, more spring fun will be coming soon!
Thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016

Weekly Cleaning

Good design starts with the basics, and what's more basic than a clean house?

I am one of those people who enjoys cleaning the house.  I set aside an entire day each week just to clean, it's like my meditation.  I enjoy the way the cleaning products smell as I'm using them and I looooove my house when everything is all done!  

Insider Secret:  Sometimes I hum the music from Cinderella while I scrub away :D :D :D  And my absolute favorite cleaning days are the spring/ fall days when the weather is nice.  I open every single window in the house and get to it!

Given my penchant for cleaning, and the fact that it's now spring, I thought I might share my spring cleaning chore list (.....which I actually already completed in January, because I just can't wait to get started, but that's another story.....)

Anyhow, I was sitting here typing away about my yearly cleaning when I realized a whole lot of things are missing from the list.  Not because I don't do them, but because they are already part of my weekly cleaning. 

 When I start spring (.....ahem, I mean New Year's cleaning.....)  I tackle one room each day and combine my weekly and yearly chores.  That way the weekly cleaning and the extra stuff all gets done at once.

Ok, ok and here is another secret: Just because I call it 'yearly' cleaning doesn't mean I wait and do it once a year.  If for example I think the pillows or rugs need cleaning then I wash them as needed.  Basically, spring/ new year cleaning to me is my chance to clean absolutely everything in the entire house all at once.  Cause, you know,  that kind of thing appeals to me :D :D :D

So without further delay, here is my weekly cleaning list (in the order I follow):

KITCHEN

Wipe down and clean out fridge

Wipe down appliances, clean out microwave and stove top. (I do this after every meal too, but hey.....)

Wipe down counters and kitchen table (and chairs cause you know, kids)

Empty/ load dishwasher, clean and sanitize sink (ok, yeah this is daily too)

MASTER BEDROOM

Change sheets and mattress pad.  I like to Febreeze everything cause it's so, so fresh ;)
I also start the laundry at this point, and keep it going throughout the day.

LIVING ROOM

Change the sheet on the couch, Febreeze the couch and pillows.  There's a sheet on the couch?  Yeah, kids, remember?  :D

KIDS BEDS

Change sheets and Febreeze

Ok, so I know that eventually I have to turn some of these weekly jobs over to them (you know, that whole teaching responsibility thing), but for now I change the sheets.  Baby Girl does make her own bed and they both pick up their toys/ laundry, clean up their dishes, etc :)

SWIFFER DUSTER

Dust the entire house and don't forget the ceiling fans.

I like Swiffer dusters the best because the hold the dust and I can throw it out.  This is awesome for my allergies!

WINDEX

I start in the kitchen with the sliding glass door and work my way through the house cleaning mirrors, table tops and anything finger-printy.  Don't forget the mirrors and counters in the bathrooms!

BATHROOMS

Scrub tubs, sinks and inside of toilets

(Put the Comet up high because the Little Man likes to help!)

LYSOL WIPE

I start at one end of the house and wipe down doorknobs, light switches, remotes, faucets, soap dispensers, keyboards and the outsides/ seats of the toilets.

VACUUM

Vacuum carpeting in entire house, clean and rinse filter/ container afterwards.

SWEEP & MOP

Sweep the non-carpeted floors, then mop

LAST LITTLE BITS

Empty all of the trash cans, put the rugs back when floors are dry, enjoy!


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Note of Interest:  I don't typically use PhotoShop on this blog, as I often post photos of items to be sold.  In those instances I always use raw images for item accuracy.  However since today's post is a fun and informative one, I thought why not?!  In case you are interested, these photos were edited using the dream filter and vignette border in white.

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Yearly list of cleaning chores will be coming soon, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016