Four Faves

-Buddha Bowls:  These happy bowls full of hearty grains, protein, and veggies are insanely good for you and taste amazing.  I like to make mine with quinoa, lentils, roasted vegetables, and crunchy chickpeas, but they can really be made with anything you have in your fridge.  Recipe to come!

-DIY Reading Lists:  I am a shameless fan of chick lit.  I mean, who doesn’t love Bridget Jones’s Diary?  But this year, I decided to step up my reading game and create my own reading list.  You can obviously pick any books you like or check out guides like this or this to help you get started with creating a well rounded list.  I’m 3 books in and loving it.

 

-Siggi’s Yogurt:  Yummm this yogurt is seriously delicious!  Just a few things about it:  high protein, low sugar, real fruit and sweeteners, and milk that’s only from grass-fed cows.  But most importantly it tastes awesome!

-Flowering Branches:  Spring is only 10 days away, and I can’t wait!  So to get in the mood a little early, we’re starting to decorate with beautiful flowering branches.  You get big impact from just a few branches, and they give a little twist to a normal bouquet.  Check out forsythia, quince, almond, and cherry blossoms.  Find them at florists, Trader Joe’s, and your neighbors’s yards  😉

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Atlanta Botanical Gardens

If you have ever considered going to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens now is the time to do it! 

Everything seems to be in bloom and its just gorgeous. More tulips, daffodils and hyacinth than you can ever imagine not to mention the fabulous orhid exhibit, Orchid Daze: Pop in the Fuqua Conservatory. 

The Orchid Daze exhibit features an abundance of many varieties of exquisite orchids and pop art inspired by Andy Warhol, Lichtenstein and Haring and it’s very last day is next Sunday, April 12th so hurry to see it while you can!

   

         

On the way to the conservatory to see this orchid exhibit be sure to stop by and take note of the incredible Dale Chihuly fountain and small glance of the Atlanta skyline in the distance.. Not to mention the incredible tulips and jonquils all around. 

  

        

Easy Orchid Centerpiece

I adore orchids. I feel like one single orchid makes your room feel instantly put together… or really just a little more grown up. Keeping them alive is another story. I am essentially an orchid killer, but I have decided for $12-20 if I can keep them alive for 6 weeks or so then it’s worth it.

I have always loved orchids planted in bowls and feel like it takes the already chic orchid to an entire new level. I set out to make my very own centerpiece. 

Using a McCarty Pasta Bowl that I have always had and loved, I went and purchased three orchids from Trader Joe’s. The only important (and probably obvious thing here) is to buy three of the same type so that look like they are meant to be together. Also cost is important since you’re buying three, which is why I went to Trader Joe’s–theirs are $12.99 each.

Next I went to our local flower shop and purchased moss. It comes in a little $5 roll. I left with two rolls of the moss, but one was more than enough. There are several different types, and I bought the least expensive one.

Last I went to Home Depot with the rest of Tennessee on Saturday morning and purchased Potting Mix specifically for orchids. It was made by Miracle Gro and costs all of $4. When reading about repotting orchids this part seemed important as it helps keep the moisture levels right, etc.

Be sure you do this outside because it makes a bit of a mess between the potting mix and the moss, but it is very easy and took all of 5 minutes to assemble.

First add a couple of inches of the potting mix to the bottom of your bowl. Then add in your orchids (once you take them out of their original containers be sure to loosen up the roots a bit). You will have to play with how you want them to be arranged, but this is easy. Then just fill in the potting mix so that they stay put. Last unroll your moss and add a little bit of water to it.  Once barely damp pull, the moss into pieces so you can place it around the base of your orchids. 

  

   

 

The very helpful man at the Flower Mart told me for their orchids they water each plant 1-1 1/2 cups a month. As we know watering or lack there of is what regularly kills orchids, but he told me to add about 4 cups of water a month to my centerpiece. He also suggested moving the moss a bit when adding this so the water gets to the bottom of the root and is not soaked up by the moss. My bowl does not have a center hole, so I will probably water less than this at first and see how it works. 

 This centerpiece costs less than $50 and should last for several months. Let’s say it last for 4-6 months and then it’s essentially $10 a month, which is a steal for a centerpiece that packs a punch. Also usually I hate a tall centerpiece but since this is not dense I do not foresee any problems as far as visiting with guests across the table. 

   

 

 Please let us know what you think! 

We would love to hear if you have ANY tips for keeping your orchids alive!