DIY: patterned flower pots

23 March 2016


Like everyone else I've fallen for the succulent trend. They're majorly cute, easy to take care of and for me it's also a bit of a nostalgic thing because I remember we used to keep some in our old apartment when I was a kid. Since I've been collecting these little plants, I haven't been able to find many flower pots for them that I like. So I got myself some plain white ones and made a small DIY project out of them! After all spring is the season to refresh your interior and add new elements to it, right?   

Here's what I used:

 

3 simple steps:

1. First think of a pattern to use - for inspiration you can always look up "patterns" in Google or Pinterest. My personal favorite and the easiest one to do by hand is a dotty pattern.
2. Next, draw your chosen design on a flower pot in pencil to avoid mistakes.
3. Finish your pattern with a permanent marker and let dry for a while.

Tip: If you should make a mistake, you may try erasing the permanent marker with nail polish remover. The pots I used are made out of bamboo but I think this trick should work on any type of varnished pots.


I know this is basically the easiest DIY ever but it's a great way to recycle old flower pots or add a personal touch to new ones. I got mine at a Dutch shop called Hema, but you can find similar ones (and succulents/cacti too) at Ikea. To keep it minimal, I used a black marker but you can of course use any color you like - silver or golden patterns could also be nice. That's the fun part, you can go any direction you choose with this. Let your creativity run wild! 

Happy DIY-ing & happy Spring to you all!

Polka dots + denim skirt

16 March 2016

 
 
 
 
 
 

This weekend was so lovely, it feels like spring has officially arrived. Though it was still a bit chilly to go out without a coat, I was really excited to finally shoot a new outfit post. We took these photos with the new 50mm lens I got for my birthday and I'm quite happy with how they turned out. The quality seems better I think?

Now for my outfit, I went for a pretty classic look. I love the versatility of an A-line denim skirt, you can wear it with almost anything! This time I combined it with a polka dot blouse and mint accents. I'm so done with winter-y colors, bring on the pastels!

Are you in a spring mood yet?
Have a lovely week!


Blouse: H&M - Skirt: UO - Handbag: Mint & Berry via Zalando

Easter sugar cookies

11 March 2016


I've really been into baking lately and with Easter coming up I thought it'd be fun to make some themed sugar cookies. They make a cute addition to your Easter brunch table or can serve as a personal gift to family or friends. The recipe is easy but the cookie dough does need at least 1 hour in the fridge, so be sure you have some time to spare before getting started (or you can also prepare the dough the night before). Here we go!

 


Preparing the dough:

1. Make sure the egg & butter are at room temperature. 
2. You’ll need two medium bowls. In the first one, beat the butter with a handheld or stand mixer until smooth. 
3. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for about 3 minutes. 
4. Add the egg and beat until fully combined. 
5. In the second bowl, whisk the flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder and salt together. 
6. Slowly add the flour mixture to the first bowl and continue mixing until combined. 
7. Time to use your hands! Scrape the dough together and shape it into a nice ball. 
8. Cover the dough with some plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the butter to cool down. 

 

Making the cookies: 

9. Once chilled, roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 5mm thickness.
10. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
11. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
12. Re-roll the remaining dough using flour as needed and continue cutting until there’s no dough left.

Note: The amount of cookies you’ll get depends on the size of the cookie cutters. Most of the time I get around 14 to 15 cookies from this recipe. 


Baking & decorating:

13. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes.
14. Once baked, place the cookies on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
15. Decorate the cookies however you like using icing and sugar sprinkles.


The decorating part is probably my favorite because you can really be creative with it. For these Easter themed cookies I used white icing and added a tiny bit of yellow color to half of it to get a nice pastel yellow. You can also just skip the icing and eat them plain. Personally I prefer them right out of the oven with a glass of warm milk.

Let me know how they work out for you!
Enjoy the weekend!