Tag Archives: planter

08.20.13

Wedding Week...Something New

Posted by Christina // 28 Replies

We are beyond excited to be kicking off Wedding Week with “Something New” that we DIY’d to make our wedding a little more special and über-sentimental. It is my favorite project we’ve done to date.

One of the only things we know for sure about our wedding is the where. We fell in love with Lost Hill Lake Events, and decided almost immediately that we had to say our vows in the Walnut Grove. It felt special and magical, and just so “us”. Although Sofi Seck’s photo below is amazing, it is even better in person. Swoon. While thinking about our ceremony, we knew we were far from traditional. We both love the concept of a unity candle but I don’t need another candle that I can’t burn and I don’t understand how anyone keeps that unity sand looking pretty. Seriously, do you walk it home?

So Tim and I decided on a unity tree, with soil from both of our childhood homes. Wait, it gets better. The owner of LHLE is unbelievably sweet and almost as sentimental as I am and offered up one of their very own Walnut saplings. A baby tree from our wedding venue, with the soil from our families, to start our new life together…someone get me a tissue with a quickness. 1.2.3

We knew we wanted to include a unity tree, but we also knew we didn’t want just any planter. It had to be special. We had to make it. We looked at lots of inspiration from here and here and finally got to work. We even decided to use some of the wood flooring we yanked out during our bathroom remodel. In 80 years we will look at that planter and reminisce on our first house, and all the fun projects we tackled. I hope. I am so excited to give these jars to our moms, I know they will get a kick out of this quirky tradition. Much more than lighting a candle…and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of my future Mother in Law’s magic soil! Make our Walnut tree grow, grow big and strong, then maybe one day we will have a Walnut grove of our own. For now our pretty planter will sit waiting for new life and new beginnings. Until then, I am having fun imagining what our planter can be used for once our new tree finds a more permanent home. A pretty fern perhaps? Make sure you check back tomorrow for Casey’s Something Old.

Have you ever heard of a unity tree?
Any tips on growing a Walnut tree?
Did you buy the blue special edition tinted Ball jars too?

08.08.13

Rustic DIY Raised Planters

Posted by Christina // 7 Replies

Early this spring Tim and I declared the desire to be more self-sufficient.

One of the ways we decided to “make it happen” was to attempt to build some raised planters over our bomb shelter, just kidding. Wanted to make sure you were still with me. Raised, obviously, so I can avoid worms. Yes, I know how good they are for your garden but I prefer not to be curled up in the fetal position soaked in sweat and tears. In case you don’t know how weird I am, read this.

We weren’t quite sure where to start. I told Tim I would love something that gained character as it aged, something rustic and made of real wood. I wanted our veggies to feel like they were on a real farm. I also didn’t want to bend, and can I get a ledge? That sweet boy just smiled and nodded.

So we wandered the aisles of our favorite blue store and gathered lots of different materials to experiment with. Wood and screws and stain and tin and heavier wood and posts. Then this happened.

Remember way back when, we hinted that we were building something. Now you get the full picture, but don’t let that video fool you….he wasn’t doing it all alone. I helped a lot, we just don’t have a third trigger man to capture those teamwork moments. We are now accepting live in interns that also clean, cook, and sew.

When we call the project a wrap we had a perfectly imperfect rustic garden bed. I love things that I don’t have to worry about keeping in pristine condition, because let’s face it I am not very good at that sort of thing. I think these bad boys are only going to get better with age. See how it’s already weathering, meow. The funny thing is, we had a beautiful garden for about three weeks. Here I will prove it. Don’t those look tasty? Then, this thing called Haven happened. A whirlwind of mass chaos between preparing and attending left our garden, ahem, unattended. Which also means unwatered. And unpruned. Holy tomato growth. It’s basically a jungle on the one side and a barren corn desert on the other. When I came home from Haven, I couldn’t help but laugh at the tomato tree we had. I know more than a few of you all are practically professionals at this, so help a sister out. Do we cut those tomatoes back? Is there any saving that corn? Who wants to send me “watering reminders” every day?

Have you ever built a garden bed?
What do you grow each year?
Wanna come play in the tomato jungle?

05.21.13

DIY pretty polka dot planters...

Posted by Christina // 20 Replies

We have been planting fools lately… Every chance we get we are throwing some plants in the ground. New bushes in the front, herbs and flowers in the back like a landscaping mullet. I am really cautious about flowers in the backyard, because I have this thing with bees. I am not afraid of them or anything, but if there is one within a twenty-foot radius…they feel the need to call my body their stomping grounds. I have avoided planting anything that blooms until this year.

This year I am making a change, but a small one. I am planting blooming flowers in pots, just in case they start calling all of their buzzing buddies. Easily relocated, so they don’t wind up squished under a shovel later.

When I saw my friend Janelle’s cute terracotta planters, I started dreaming of a yard covered in overflowing pots full of sweet blooms. Then I started dreaming of painted pots. Then I bought pots, duh. Painting them was unbelievably fast. The terracotta soaked up that paint quicker than Lindsay checks out of rehab. After just two coats of Pantone’s color of the year, these pots were ready for some spunk. I wanted these pots to be free-spirited since they would be outside getting filthy. In other words, I didn’t want perfect polka dots that I would have to “spruce up” every time they got a little dirty. To get that worn look I used the end of a foam roller. You can find these in the paint section of your hardware stores, they usually say “for doors and cabinets” on them. Soon they will say “for perfectly-imperfect polka dots”.

I let them dry overnight and then had a photo shoot of course. After my exhausting shoot with Giselle and Marissa, I told the pool boy to grab me a lemonade and got to planting. Ahhhh sweet dreams, but I did plant. Thankfully, Tim de-wormed all the plants for me. Kidding, but I didn’t find any so I’ll just tuck that panic attack away for later.

Once I had both plants comfy in their new little home I found a spot far, far away from anywhere I sit. Come at me bees. Just kidding, please stay away…save yourself. Aren’t they just the cutest? I am so happy to be bringing oodles of bright summery color into our backyard.

Speaking of additions to our backyard, we got to dogsit this weekend.
Meet Whiskey. True Story: When my dad “retired” he decided to go back to school, to dog school. He spent a few months living away from home while training dogs to do things like track narcotics and run agility. I’m super proud of him, and even prouder of that pup up there for being the most well-behaved dog in history. I guess that’s what happens when you train a dog for hours upon hours. Tim wants to steal him, and I wouldn’t be mad about it but my dad knows where we live.

Want to know what Whiskey was gawking at…. What a little prissy pants.

Have you been planting lately?
Deathly afraid of worms too?
Want to go to dog school?