premature post: the fountain revisited

So.. I centered the fountain under the window, rearranged the plants and added the bench to define the 'indoor jungle'.  Now the fountain is visible to the rest of the living room.


Here are some photos:

I like this photograph because of the juxtaposition of the lush greens with the snowy ground outside.

Enjoy and let me know if you have any ideas for improvement... :) 

Cheers

Welcome to the Jungle

My ordered fountain was a bust. It ended up being about 1/2 the size that I had envisioned and the video that I had watched to evaluate the sound was deceptively loud. The water flow sounded like a dripping sink rather than a soothing tinkle. Ugh.

So back to the drawing board.  In an amazing stroke of luck, I found an indoor/outdoor fountain on craigslist for $35. It's definitely more money than I had anticipated spending but it has a wonderful roar. Since I've plugged it in, I haven't been disturbed by my neighbors and it drowns out the sound of traffic. I also found out that the fountain retails for $200+ and so I've rationalized my splurge beautifully.

There was a small crack in the middle bowl that a bit of sealant fixed perfectly.

I did have to lay down a splash guard because the fountain creates a trace mist. I covered the plastic with a couple of natural rock mosaic tiles. A dozen succulents finish the tropical oasis.

And a short video that somewhat captures the sound: 

All in all, I'm very pleased with how the oasis turned out. 
Let me know what you think :)

Cheers.

Crystal Migration

I painted the the fireplace alcove tonight. There were a bunch of spackle patches that needed to be covered. I moved everything off the mantel and put it on my coffee table while I worked. When I stepped back to look at the progress, I realized that I liked my crystal collection better in its temporary home! And so it stays.....

 

I should receive my new fountain (this one: fountain) on Thursday.  Squeee!

Cheers

Bookcase Drapery

Here's a project I did months ago but haven't yet posted. For several years, I'd fantasized about this inspiration photo :

And when I found these drapes at Ikea (mariam green $20), I was thrilled.  Though the ceilings aren't nearly so high and my book collection isn't as extensive, I think that my little room captures the spirit of my inspiration pretty well.

Here is a gratuitous photo of Toulouse guarding Carybdis.

And my new arrangement of greenery/mirror. (I redistributed the white mirror collage around the apartment and hung matching green drapes on the opposite wall but that's a post for the future.)
I'm awaiting a little fountain that I'll snuggle into the plants in this corner; it'll make a pretty place for my meditation and yoga.  Ignore the power strip under the window. It leads to the stringed lights and I haven't yet attached it to the bottom of the little table. When I post photos of my fountain oasis, it will be fixed.

Cheers!  Leave me a comment if you like it! 

Framing the Kitchen

Some main room rearrangements left me with 3 unused thrift shop frames.  For months, I tripped over them when I went into my closet. Eventually, I decided to re-donate them and so leaned them against the wall near my kitchen door. I then tripped over them for 3 weeks while procrastinating on dropping them off.  Finally, as I was gathering them up to haul to the car, I looked up at the (not really) blank wall of my kitchen. Hummmmm. 

Here's the result: my effort to make common, oft used things (like keys, broom, dustpan) easily grabbable and yet deliberate.

Let me know if you think it works or if it's just cluttery.


Cheers

New Glass and New Fish

Over the last few months, my flat has undergone many manifestations. I glanced at old posts yesterday and realized the photos are don't represent the current arrangement at. all.

I need to have an update post.  Maybe tomorrow?

In the meantime, here is the new witches' ball that my aunt gave me for Christmas.  Isn't it lovely?

Oh, I also, in a moment of mad impulsivity, bought a betta while picking up cat food at the local pet shop.  I quickly realized 3 things:

1. The little one gallon bowl wasn't nearly large enough for the poor thing.
2.  It was a chore to clean/change the water several times a week. And it was traumatic for Charybdis (the fish). (Yes, I know that Charybdis was a female sea monster and my betta is male. I think the Greeks had it wrong though-  a mouth that consumes everything is definitely a male trait.  Ironically, my Charybdis doesn't eat much at all.)
3. Toulouse (my cat) LOVED the open top.

This $5 thrift shop find, a 3 gallon drink dispenser solved everything!  I can let the water out through the spout and add fresh on top with minimal disturbance to the fish and mess for me to clean up. And the top prevents middle-of-the-night fishing excursions.