Happy Interior Blog: Succulents

Showing posts with label Succulents. Show all posts

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Offer A Plant To A Friend

One of the main ideas of our Urban Jungle Bloggers community is to spread the green love. Admittedly, most of the times we do it digitally by sharing our monthly Urban Jungle Bloggers posts, other plant related posts, green pictures on our Pinterest board and other green news on Facebook and Twitter. But for this month's challenge we thought we'd take it literally and spread the love in real deeds, with real plants: We want to encourage you to offer a plant to a friend!

Very often when we think of a gift for a special occasion we think of the usual, classical choices: a bunch of fresh flowers, a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates. Be it a birthday, a housewarming party, a wedding or a simple dinner invitation. But why not consider plants for your next invitation? Offer a plant to a dear person as a toke of your long lasting friendship. Plus the plant gift will last for a long time - unlike the fresh cut flowers, the wine or the chocolates. It will be a lovely and lasting reminder of a special moment and special person.

When I thought of an idea to offer a plant to a friend, I looked around my apartment and I found two cute house vases that were sitting there without a real function or calling. And that sparked an idea: One of my friends has opened Munich's best ice cream parlor not too long ago and I remembered that one cute table sitting in the shop window all empty. So I thought those two little house vases could easily be turned into little growing roofs with colourful succulents as a sort of belated 'housewarming gift' for my friend's ice cream boutique.

It took me like 10 minutes to create the little green roof vases. I filled them up halfway with pebbles, added some succulent soil and planted a small selection of succulents in various sizes and colours. Next thing I found myself in my friend's ice cream boutique True & 12 (where they prepare daily fresh, organic ice cream by hand) and I offered both little plant houses as a present. Now the succulents are sitting on the little white table in the shop window and watch the world pass by and eat Munich's best ice cream. They must be incredibly happy plants! For this occasion I have teamed up with a dear photographer friend who made those amazingly beautiful pictures - thank you Stefanie!

Oh and listen up! This month is really all about giving: Judith and I will be giving away a secret plant-related gift to two of our readers, so leave a comment below!

Urban Jungle Bloggers is a monthly series initiated by 2 bloggers: Igor (Happy Interior Blog) and Judith (JOELIX.com). Every month we share ideas to create an urban jungle through styling ideas, DIYs and green tips & tricks. You can find additional inspiration on our Urban Jungle Bloggers Pinterest board and keep up-to-date on our website and Facebook page. Want to join? Use #urbanjunglebloggers on Twitter and Instagram. Or let us know and we'll share the badge and upcoming topics with you. Let's bring some green into your homes and blogs!

Photography by Stefanie Szillat, plant styling by Igor Josifovic

Monday, February 9, 2015

Giveaway: Win One Urban Jungles Terrarium

We Urban Jungle Bloggers love plants and planters. We love our plants in pots, in crates, in hanging planters and in terrariums. And when an Urban Jungle Blogger meets a brand named Urban Jungles - it is a match made in plant heaven! And to make this heaven like feeling perfect, I am inviting you all, my dear readers, to rejoice in plant love because you can win one of the Urban Jungles terrariums for your home!

Urban Jungles is a Dutch brand specialized in plant terrariums with a small range of beautiful examples in the typical geometrical design. These little beauties are perfect for any plant lover - they make a cool urban appearance in any corner of your home.

I've filled my terrarium with dry, sandy soil and planted just a few little succulent babies I had in other pots. I added some of my rock crystals for good (plant) energy and left the main space for a lovely Tillandsia better known as airplant.

I experimented with the placement in my tiny home but I realized it makes a great appearance everywhere - on my sideboard in the bedroom where I created a little vignette, on my windowsill accompanied by the other plant siblings, on piles of books in my living room as a little visual highlight.

If you feel like your home is ready to host an Urban Jungles terrarium, here's the easy way to join the giveaway and win one terrarium of your choice. All you have to do is the following:

1. Leave a comment under this blogpost stating which terrarium model you want to win. Choose your favorite model in the webshop of Urban Jungles.

2. You will find my Urban Jungles terrarium on my Instagram account too. Follow me on Instagram and leave a comment under the image to double your chance!

3. Hop over to my friend Judith's blog who is giving away one terrarium too and leave a comment there to triple your chances!

The giveaway is open worldwide and closes on Sunday, February 15th, midnight CET. Good luck!

Photography Igor Josifovic

This blog post and giveaway have been brought to you in collaboration with Urban Jungles

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Plants & Coffee

Hello 2015 and hello Urban Jungle Bloggers community! Here we are with our first Urban Jungle Bloggers post in 2015 - Judith and I have quickly decided upon the topic as we wanted to bring together two aspects we like and conjoin them into a precious moment of joy and pleasure - we invite you to share your moments with your favorite plants and a good cup of coffee or tea.

I truly believe that these little moments are precious and essential for our well-being. We all live in a super fast paced world, we run from one project to another, work, household, kids, partners and work over again. Sometimes it feels like we're losing the ground under our feet. But then we grant ourselves that special moment: We brew some coffee or prepare a pot of tea, we sit down, we unwind. This relaxing and mending power is amplified when plants come into play. The growing and living plant next to you, that invigorating green - it makes such a moment perfect. Moreover, it is proven that plants purify the air we breathe and release fresh oxygen thus helping us to relax and unwind. Win-win situation I'd say!

Like the majority among you, I have a pretty crazy and stressful lifestyle. But I keep my daily ritual of taking my moment of peace after the office - I brew fresh coffee, I sit down, I enjoy my plants and I like to flip through inspiring books. My latest addition is the book 'The Good Life' by artist Jasper Morrison. It is about perceptions of the ordinary and how the ordinary sometimes inspires us most.

For today's Urban Jungle Bloggers post I have also added a new green friend to my home - the succulent named Crassula rupestris also known as Jade Necklace plant. This succulent plant stems from South Africa and has funny looking, fleshy stems. In my pot (usually I hang the plant - see here) it looks like a crazy hairdo and it makes me smile. Can my coffee break be any better? Hardly so! Enjoy your cup and your plants, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Why This Room Caught My Eye

Yes, it's very festive here in Munich. Yes, Christmas is around the corner. Yet the weather is absolutely dreary and gloomy. I've gone in and out of my apartment in weeks without seeing the sun or the slightest bit of blue in the sky. That is the season when I wish I could go into hibernation - at least for an entire weekend. Staying in bed, pulling the duvet above my head, turning to the other side and neglect and deny the weather outside. A nice and comfy bedroom helps to boost this feeling. Like the one shown above.

This bedroom looks like a place where the dreariest of weathers would turn into a happy idle experience as long as you stayed in bed. Why exactly? Well, here we go:

Fun Pennant: The fun pennant above the bed has much more meaning than just a decorative one. It reminds us: It's ok to stay in bed from time to time. It really is ok!
Kilim Cushion: Sweet, playful and perfect to be hugged if nobody else is around. And it is very decorative and pleasant for the eye, this cute kilim cushion.
Potted Succulent: How about accompanying your next breakfast in bed with a cute potted succulent instead of a flower in a vase? I think it's a pretty awesome idea. And yes, it's ok!

Would you hibernate in this bedroom too?

Photography via Wit & Delight

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Cosy & Green Bedroom

November is reaching its end and it has been a real cliché here - lots of grey and foggy days, cold and wet. It's the kind of weather that makes you want to stay in bed all day and just not go out. Probably this was the idea about our November topic for Urban Jungle Bloggers: Creating a cosy bedroom with green plants to make those dull, grey November days bearable seemed like a nice task. For me it was literally a last minute task: I was running from work to grab the last bit of gloomy November daylight to make a super quick styling and shoot the pictures.

I have shared images of my bedroom a few times already and I always have plants there. This time I have shuffled my plants a little bit and changed the selection: I have moved the monstera plant next to the bed, I have added my aloe vera plant, my purple succulent, my white fluffy cactus and my latest addition, an offshoot of a plant called purple heart that I received from my Urban Jungle Bloggers partner in crime, Judith. Additionally I have added a cutting of a succulent on my Kimidori stool (I actually nicked that cutting in a Greek restaurant) and I hung an air plant above my bed.

Colour wise I love mustardy hues this time of the year. I have added a brand new bedspread from Urbanara in a soft and tactile waffle structure, paired it with a few blue cushions - that's it. I matched it with my yellow desk lamp, a mustard hued kitchen towel and I served myself a cup of green tea in my new, handmade Japanese mug also from Urbanara. Add a great new magazine (The Happy Reader) and voilà - after the shooting I jumped into bed and had a good read and finished my tea.

Since we're approaching the festive season I am continuing my Santa mission today too: I have teamed up with Urbanara to offer you the same bedspread in the wonderful mustard colour too. All you have to do to join the giveaway is leave a comment under this blogpost. The giveaway will be open until Sunday, November 30, 2014, midnight CET. It is open to all European readers.

Here's to a calm and happy weekend in our cosy and green bedroom!

Urban Jungle Bloggers is a monthly series initiated by 2 bloggers: Igor (Happy Interior Blog) and Judith (JOELIX.com). Every month we share ideas to create an urban jungle through styling ideas, DIYs and green tips & tricks. You can find additional inspiration on our Urban Jungle Bloggers Pinterest board and keep up-to-date on our website and Facebook page. Want to join? Use #urbanjunglebloggers on Twitter and Instagram. Or let us know and we'll share the badge and upcoming topics with you. Let's bring some green into your homes and blogs!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

This blog post has been brought to you in collaboration with Urbanara

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Urban Jungle Bloggers: My Plant Shelfie

Now how smart am I to suggest the topic 'My Plant Shelfie' for the October edition of Urban Jungle Bloggers without really good shelves at home to style up? Well, let's say it was a kind of challenge! My only bookshelves are tucked in a corner of my living room with a minimum of daylight and the are deep and a bit crooked (but I plan to buy a new bookshelf soon) - perfect for a styling, right? Anyway, at Urban Jungle Bloggers it is all about fun with greens and we do not imply any rules, so let's roll it with my plant shelfie!

Adding a plant or two on a shelf is a good idea, no it's an excellent idea! Whether it's a prickly cactus, fleshy succulents or sculptural hanging plants - play around and see the magic unfold before your eyes. Since my shelf is a bit compact I've decided to dedicate a full shelf only for some decorative items and stuff all books on the other shelf. My current mood is very earthy, balanced, vintage. I chose my paddle plant and a cactus to add the green factor. I paired the plants with some vintage ceramics in earthy tones, a wooden candleholder and a few stones I'd collected during my visit to the volcano Vesuvius in Italy.

The plant pots match the colour scheme too - the cactus is planted in a vintage terracotta pot and the paddle plant in a brass pot for a dash of bling. I feel that the plants perfectly match the vintage and earthy theme and it absolutely resonates with my current mood. In order to put 'my plant shelfie' into a better light, I have placed it on my sideboard too - the light is better and it is easier to take pictures of it - so please excuse my little trick!

But enough with my plant shelfie, now I am off to discover your plant shelfies as this edition is a special one - we will pick five winners with the best 'plant shelfies' and they will receive a little something from us! Join in if you haven't already - you've got almost an entire month to join the fun (until November 15th). We are looking forward to your plant shelfies!