31 Signs Spring is On its Way

For this post I’m working with 31bits, a socially conscious jewelry company that gives displaced women in Northern Uganda an opportunity to combat poverty through fashion. All of their pieces are handmade using “bits” of paper, and the ladies who make them are part of a 5-year program that teaches the skills they need to begin their own businesses. I absolutely love this company, both for their look and mission, and I hope you check them out!

This is the time of year when I get extra anxious about the arrival of spring. Anybody else? I’m eagerly monitoring every sign of birds chirping, blossoms blooming, and things growing. The good news is my favorite season isn't too far off! Here are a few signs spring is on the way:

1. The groundhog said it was going to be on time this year (finally!)

2. You’re painting your fingernails every bright color you can get ahold of

3. ...and you finally remembered to paint your toenails

4. People care about college basketball for one month, and one month only

5. You’re trying to memorize choral music for a Good Friday service (just me?)

6. You just looked up a recipe for detox water (#beachbody)

7. And Peeps are finally on sale

8. ...but you can’t eat them because they’re not part of your Lent diet
9. This week’s forecast shows rain 6/7 days

10. You just got a great deal on snow boots, and you can’t decide if you hope it snows so you get to wear them, or if you’d rather it never. snow. ever. again.

11. Sunrise is at 6:33 a.m.

12. ...but you can’t decide if you’re happier the sun is out or if you resent it waking you up before your alarm

13. You shaved your legs for the first time in 4 months

14. You make an excuse to go to the greenhouse every weekend just to soak in the vitamin D

15. Your boyfriend thought it would be a good idea to try out Whole30

16. ...and you’re ecstatic that you can still eat deviled eggs for Easter

17. You can’t decide if you’d rather spend your hard-earned cash on new clothes for cold weather or new clothes for warm weather

18. If you live in the Midwest, you know tornado season is on its way

19. It’s about to be prime petting zoo season (BABY ANIMALS, PEOPLE)

20. Pastel season is officially upon us — although that’s all year this year

21. You’re sick of wearing all the sweaters in your closet

22. ...but most days, you still need a sweater

23. So you google “transitional weather outfit ideas,” and buy jewelry instead.

24. You might be taking a spring break trip

25. ...or you might be watching Snapchats of your college-aged friends taking spring break trips and sighing to yourself as you slave your days away inside working a 9-to-5 job

26. You reminisce on every vacation you’ve ever had and begin to plan your next

27. You can finally cancel that gym membership you never used and go for outdoor bike rides

28. You have an unexplainable craving for Skittles (again, just me?)

29. You’re feeling inexplicably happier and a little less SAD

30. Your playlist instantly switches from Bon Iver to Spice Girls, or something equally embarrassing

31. Daylight Savings Time is less than a week away — YOU CAN MAKE IT!

Let me know what you’re doing to celebrate the beginning of spring! The official start is only 11 days away, yesssss.

Photos by Austin Elliott of Locke + Stache Media.

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She Plants Things: Fall Flowers 101

Bring out the felt hats 'cause it's fall, folks! A new study just released says the trendiest place to wear a felt hat is at a local greenhouse — it has a 64 percent success rate of obtaining compliments from other plant-enthusiasts. (OK so that might not be true, but it probably is.) So, of course I had to throw on the floppy hat and take a trip to buy some new plants.

For some reason, I never cared about plants in college. Maybe they weren't allowed among the candles-on-candlewarmers that nested our cement-walled rooms. Or maybe my school's clocktower was so great that it consumed any extra space in my mind that could have been filled with flowers. Currently, I find them to be a pleasant addition to my living space. Anyway, who even knows what they like in college? I'm a grown-up now, and grown-ups like plants. (Right, mom?)

Over the course of the time I've lived in an apartment, I've had my fair share of succulents (see proof here, here, and head over to my Instagram to see my favorite birthday present from my sweet roomie). Succulents are great because they're pretty low-maintenance, and basically, once you figure out how to take care of one, you can apply the same method to a billion other types of succulents. Since fall is here (#PSL), I wanted to expand my knowledge to some other types of seasonal plants, so let the learning begin.

In my mind, if any one flower defines early-fall, it's a giant pot of mums. Interestingly enough, I learned from The Old Farmer's Almanac that you're actually supposed to plant them in the spring. Who knew?? For me, that's no big deal because I don't have a yard, so these babies aren't going to be planted anyway. For a small investment, though, they'll make my porch an even more enjoyable location for eating fancy cheeses and watching sunsets.

Other fun facts about mums: I haven't bought a pot for this one yet. Any ideas? I'm veering away from the standard terra-cotta for this one because I'd rather see the orange flowers "pop" more on a contrasting color.

Actual fun facts about mums:
- The correct term for these flowers is "Chrysanthemum," which is a 7th grade spelling word.
- They are originally found in Asia and northeastern Europe
- The first mums in America date back to 1884.

I also bought some kale, mostly because I thought it was pretty and wondered if you can eat it. (Honesty hour.) (It's the purpley-cabbage-looking one if you didn't know.)

So to answer the question I just Googled, ("can you eat ornamental kale"), I present the answer from gardening.about.com: "Ornamental cabbage and kale are in the same species, Brassica oleracea, as edible cabbages and kale. They are the result of hybridizing and, although they are still edible, they aren’t as tasty and tender as their cousins."

So, someone who writes for About.com thinks kale tastes good. Huh.

For the mums and kale both, I'll water them when the top 1 inch of soil starts to dry, unless I forget and accidentally kill them.

Let me know if you bought fall plants, have kept them alive, didn't buy fall plants because you think they're dumb and/or like eating kale! I'm going to go eat some pizza!

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She Plants Things: A Cacti Garden

So, if you read my post on succulents, you'll know at this point that a cactus is a type of succulent. Basically what that means is you don't have to water it very often *insert cheering noises here* ! Planting cacti is pretty simple, so if you're a novice gardener like myself--this post is for you. 

The most important thing when choosing a planter for your baby cactus is to remember that it's not healthy for cacti to be over-watered. You won't want your cactus to sit in water, otherwise it might drown! So, the best option is to pick a planter with drainage holes. If you run into a problem (like I did) where you looooooove a certain planter without drainage holes, you can add a layer of larger rocks to the bottom for some DIY drainage. That way, the cactus won't be chilling in the deep-end every time you water it.

Take your plant out of its temporary-living home, and it's ready to move into its forever home. (Or at least where it'll stay for about a year until you find a cuter container for it and decide to re-plant it.) Gently brush away the excess dirt that won't fit into your planter, but be careful that you don't damage the root system. Plants have feelings, too.

Pro-tip when planting a cactus: Be careful. Cactus needles aren't the softest things around. Once you've planted each of your prickly guys, you'll then fill in the empty spaces with soil. On top of the soil, you can add a thin layer of pebbles. This isn't necessary for the plants to grow, but it looks cute, so you should probably do it.

If you want to get really fancy, you can research the type of cactus you bought and look up specific care instructions for it. Cacti are like babies; every one is different, and some tend to be more needy than others. As a general rule, though, baby cacti require less attention than actual babies. 

And there ya have it! Cacti are cool… Well, even though they're technically plants for hot weather, but you get the point. 

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She Plants Things: Succulents 101

Let's talk about plants.

I like the thought of having some plant life in a home. Obviously, my preferred blooms are florals because duh flowers are pretty, but when my favorite bouquets wilt away, the kitchen counter could still use some garden love. Enter indoor plants. My lovely roommate Merry and I decided to check out the greens we could use in our space and learn a little bit about the best plants for our lifestyle. 

So, when looking for a plant, we wanted a low-maintenance option that would live a long time. There are so many options for adding a little indoor garden to your living space, but we wanted to make sure we didn't get a plant that we'd have to water 2-3 times a day, turn at a 23-degree-axis-rotation to face the sun every hour on the hour, take outdoors if the temperature is above 76 or below 73… You get the idea. We want a plant we're not going to have to worry about killing. So, we decided succulents were the way to go. Succulents are great houseplants because you only have to water them about once a week in the spring and summer, and much less in the winter. I like the idea of a plant that doesn't require a babysitter if I'm going out of town. It's a plant, after all, not a cat.

If you've care about houseplants at all, or if you've ever tried to learn about succulents and/or cacti, you've probably heard the phrase "All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti." Basically, a cactus is a type of succulent. Succulent is a really broad definition for a plant. The word "succulent" means "juicy," which refers to plants that store water in their leaves. Thus, they are (dare I say it?) moist. The reason they are so low-maintenance and great houseplants is because they are pretty self-sufficient with their water resources. They live and grow year-round, but they really flourish in the spring and summer.

When bringing a succulent or cactus home, make sure you don't immediately put it in direct sunlight. Oddly enough, the plants can get sunburned. So, unless you plan on buying some aloe, too, you'll want to phase your new friend into the right environment. (Aloe, haha.) After that, it should be smooth sailing!

Check in later this week for the succulents we picked and how to plant them! 

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