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California Road Trip Images (Part 2, Flowers)
As promised, here are a few images from our recent California Tree Tour family road trip. There was so much to see and do. From mountains to valleys to forests and deserts. I posted some landscape images in my first blog post. Here are some of the botanical images I took. The beauty of California can be seen through so many different lenses. I hope this round-up gives you a more detailed view of the golden state.
California Orange Groves
Snow Plant | Sequoia State Park
Fern Detail | Redwood State Park
Yellow Poppies | Norther Coast of California
Morning Glory | Big Sir
San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
Beavertail Cactus | Joshua Tree National Park
Mojave Mound Cactus
I will continue to look back at these images and remind myself of the unique beauty that is hidden in the simplest places. You can check out my first image post of our California family road trip here.
California Road Trip Images (part 1)
This trip was one of those, once in a lifetime road trips. The ones that you have been dreaming about for years. For me, I wanted to see the giant Redwood trees, check out the California coast, and finally make it to joshua tree national park since the last time I was in the desert I missed it.
We most definitely made the most of our journey through Cali getting to see many state parks, national landmarks and all types of terrain. I am not sure there are words for how unbelievable this trip was so I think the images will do the trick. I took over 550 photos and it was hard to narrow them down to make this post reasonable so I will try to tell the story in 2 parts. The first is the landscape and check back next week for our California tour told with images of flowers.
California Orange Country
Sierra Nevada high peaks
Pfeiffer Beach
Check out this post with details of our California tree tour and map.
All images taken by Araya Jensen
How to propagate your succulents
Succulents are adorable. I don’t know what it is about them, but I soon as I see them, I just get happy inside. I swear they’re smiling at all times. But succulents can also be expensive, which makes me just a little less happy, especially when all I want is to buy about a zillion and cover my windowsills in them. Just when I gave up my dream of having a succulent-rich home, though, I found out about a little trick called propagation. Basically, this means that you double, triple, quadruple – you get the picture! – your succulent collection by just following these easy steps:
- Get a leaf or a cutting: Maybe you’ve been eyeing your friend’s gorgeous succulent plant, and maybe, just maybe, she decides that she’s generous enough to share that plant with you. What you want to do is take one leaf or a small section – make sure to get a clean cut, no jagged edges here – from the plant. I recommend using a knife, unless you’re feeling super confident. Make sure to grab or cut from the base of the leaf or section of the plant as close to the stem as possible (without actually damaging the stem). Once you’ve got your leaf or cutting, get a little greedy and ask your friend for just a few more. Sadly, it’s not always guaranteed that all of your leaves or cuttings make it to full plants, so it’s good to avoid heartbreak by grabbing a few extra. Your friend will understand – that’s why you love her.
- Wait!: You can’t plant your leaves or cuttings right away. Let them dry out for 1-3 days. Basically, you want to see the base of the leaf or stem of the cutting become hard and tough. (Some have described this as the “scabbing” process.)
- To soil: Once your leaves and cuttings have toughened up, you want to get them to some soil. The next step depends on whether you have a leaf or a full cutting, though:
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- If you’re propagating leaves, rest them on top of some soil in the pot that you want it to grow in. Don’t actually plant the leaves! Be sure to be diligent about watering your leaves at this point. You don’t want to soak them, but give them a good spritz with a spray bottle. Also make sure to keep them in a well-lit area. You should see the roots start to show and work down into the ground within a few weeks or months and start to grow your new plant!
- If you’re propagating from cuttings, you’ll actually need to plant your little guys. Place them in a pot of well-drained soil as you would any other succulent. As with your leaves, you’ll want to make sure to water your plant diligently and give it plenty of sunlight.
That’s it! Now all you have to do is sit back and reap the benefits of having baby succulents growing (which is even more adorable than your standard succulent!). And maybe pass the favor on when your plants are ready to donate some leaves or cuttings of their own and make someone just as happy as your friend made you.
A recap of our Minneapolis block printing workshop, these girls are good!
Guys, these months are flying by! It seems like just yesterday that we hosted our first workshops, and here we are, finished with our second round! Just where has the time gone?!
With hosting our second iteration of selling online 101, I could not have been more excited than to meet all of you future entrepreneurs, learn more about your business plans, and offer any and all advice that I’ve collected over the past few years. We all have something we can teach each other, and the collaboration that I witnessed in the room was truly special. I’m super jazzed to dig deeper into specifics of creative entrepreneurship in upcoming sessions, so make sure to get in touch (hello at windandwillowhome dot com) if there’s a topic or area that you want to learn about!
We also had a great group gathered for the block printing workshops. Despite dangerous weapons (carving those blocks with knives is no easy task!), we all walked away unscathed (for the most part, phew!) and with the best of spoils: our own modern patterns transferred to a beautiful natural linen textile. We also got to explore bock printing on paper, and each made our own cards. I’m trying to describe how AMAZING these creations were, but I think photos are the only way to really do justice to the incredible work:
As before, I want to extend the biggest (truly, the biggest) “thank you!” to all of you who joined us. And stay tuned because we’ve got an especially pretty one in store for May! (If you want to be one of the first ones in the know, sign up for our newsletter here.)
Hittin' the Road | California Tree Tour
We are hittin' the road this week! My family and I are hopping a flight to Las Vegas, renting a car and taking an almost 3000 mile road trip all around California. It's my first trip to the golden state and we are taking full advantage (see our itinerary below)
In preparation for hours in the car we are fully prepared with kids activities (age 4 1/2 and 7) and fun travel games. I wanted to make something special and personalized for the kids and this is what I came up with.
Personalized dry erase DIY:
1. Take a photo of your kiddos (print or have printed).
2. Cut out image as close to edge as possible
3. Draw a background scene (the simpler the better for the littles to use their imaginations)
4. Lay image cutout on top of background scene
5. Bring to your local office store and have laminated
6. Ta da! Your kiddos have their very own, personalized dry erase travel pages.
Wish us luck! Stay tuned for images and highlights from our trip along the way. You can get some real time pics. if you follow @windwillowhome on Instagram.
Succulent Art, Ikea Hack
This isn’t a secret, but I just love, love, love Ikea. With one so close to the Twin Cities, it’s beyond easy to scoot on over there whenever I’m looking to do some updates. But maybe my favorite thing about Ikea is that you can start with something good, and then turn it into something amazing, something just for you. So when we were looking to change our store window, I knew Ikea would be the perfect place to get some inspiration – and, oh my gosh, did I find it! What started as just a simple white table top turned into so much more...living art.
Materials:
3. Cut out the cardboard "comb" portion (who knew this is what was inside!). I was able to use my fingers to pull it out.
4. Line hollowed out area with plastic
5. Fill with soil then pack moss on top densely
6. Water lightly (so everything sticks together)
7. Add succulents and secure stems with hairpins. We poked the pins into the side cardboard which also held the plastic in place.
8. Lay flat and let the roots take hold for 2-4 weeks.
9. Now you should be able to tip vertically with minimal fall out. Adjust succulents if needed.
10. Be sure to water (spritz) lightly about every week to keep these babies green and growing.
Hooray, Living Art!
This is such a fun project. I used this for my Spring front window display but the possibilities are endless. I could imagine this as artwork over a sofa, in a well lit bedroom, office...anywhere you need a bit of living artwork.
Things are Growing {in the front window}
The big news going on around here (besides our newly released tote bags and spring colors, along with our upcoming workshops – we’re staying busy!), is that we have a brand new window installation! While it saddened me just a little bit to take down the previous one (our inaugural Wind & Willow Home display – I’m feeling nostalgic already!), I’m just so excited about this one. It feels like it carries the very best promise of spring and puts a bounce into my step and a smile on my face whenever I see it. What do you guys think?
(Also, just a small, little hint that we will have all the nitty gritty on how to DIY this in an upcoming post!)
And while we’re at it, we also wanted to share a tour of the studio in spring. With just a few small tweaks and adjustments, it feels like a brand new space. How do you welcome spring into your home?
Local Collaborations: Let's hear it for MN
There are so many reasons why I love living in the Twin Cities (despite our freezing winters), but if I had to pick one, it would be the community. I feel so lucky on a daily basis to collaborate and create with this inspiring network of people, companies, and organizations, so I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of them because they’re doing such incredible work. (And I also just want to gush!)
We recently launched our tote bags and feel so lucky to have collaborated with Leather Works. A family owned company since 1999, they share the same values of quality and craftsmanship that I hold so dear. This is evident in absolutely everything that they create and the tote bags are no exception. (And, come on, how amazing is this slingshot?)
image via Leather Works MN
Another family run company based in St. Paul that I’ve been thrilled to partner with is Beka. I think we’re kindred spirits in that we both work with wood, although in different capacities. Beka captures imaginations with its toys, games, and art supplies for both children and adults. The first time we came together was for a fun project for Wilson & Willy’s – building blocks dipped in fun colors? Yes, please! And then when Wind & Willow Home launched our inaugural weaving workshop, they were the first company we turned to for looms.
Image via Jahna Peloquin via Minnesota Monthly
As a small business owner, I also feel so lucky to be a part of a community that supports its local makers. Forage Modern Workshop is a must-visit in the Twin Cities if you’re looking for something special for your home, not only because their taste is so on point (seriously, I lust over everything when I’m in there), or because they were just featured on the Design Milk blog, but also because they go out of their way to make sure that all the pieces that they offer are made by “real people who do real things.”
Image via Design Milk
And if you’re looking for a little something special for your sister, your BFF, or hey, yourself, get yourself over to Parc Boutique, STAT. Not only has owner Thao Nguyen infused a serious dose of cool to Minneapolis, she’s also a champion for makers everywhere. And if you need yet another reason to admire Thao, check out this profile of her in The EveryGirl. She’s leaning in with the best of them.
Image via Canary Grey via The Every girl
And then there are just those organizations that deserve all the praise in the world for the work they do on behalf of others. The American Refugee Council is one of those. With a mission to “help people survive conflict and crisis and rebuild lives of dignity, health, security and self-sufficiency,” I could not have been more pleased than to contribute to their Maker’s Collection.
Image via American Refugee Committee
Who are you grateful for in your community?
New Product Release: Marbled Totes
All signs point to spring. The sun has been shining, the clocks turned back (even though I’m exhausted and have no idea what time it is, I’ll take it!), the snow is melting, and we officially launched our spring and summer colors. In my mind, spring means it’s time for farmer’ market bounty, lake swims, flowers, and picnics outside. It also means that it’s tote bag season. (How else are you going to get your fresh strawberries home, pack your swim suit and towel, protect your bouquets, and transport your bread and cheese to your cozy picnic blanket?) With all of these important responsibilities in mind, we’re so, so thrilled to offer our very own Wind & Willow Home tote bags this season.
Having worked with wood for so long, it was a little bit of a different process to figure out exactly how I wanted to design these bags. Working with textiles was a whole new world to me, and while I experimented with several different techniques – shibori, screen printing, indigo – as soon as I tried marbling, I just fell in love with its organic, swirly, and endlessly fun movement.
Marbling originated in Japan in the 12th century (you can read up on more of the history and different types of marbling here), but it still feels endlessly modern and fresh. (And did I mention unique? No two pieces will ever be alike.) I hold my breath each time that I dip the fabric just because I’m so excited to see how the colors will meld together and what patterns will emerge. I always think I’ve seen my favorite and then it gets one-upped by the next!
So, here’s to the start of toting season. What will you be carrying in yours?
Shop Tote Bags Here
Introducing Spring | Summer 2015 [Part 2}
I don’t know about you, but I’m still blown away by Jackie, Sarah, and Mary Jo’s goooooorgeous creations (here). Aren’t they just incredible? I could stare at them all day (literally, all day), but we have more colors to introduce, so as promised, let’s add four more colors to the mix! Rounding out the spring and summer line with the help of even more local creatives, let’s welcome Thistle, Nest, Lime, and Wander!
I can't get over how incredibly talented Megan of Mae Mae & Co. is. Her attention to detail in every job she does is simply remarkable. When I asked her to help me out with our multifaceted color Thistle, she not only gave me this wonderful image, she went ahead and created three different inspirational images. "I wanted to create scenes that represented different kinds of tabletop scenes for different makers/doers to represent creative ways to use these little vessels." She most definitely hit the nail on the head as our Thistle reflects purple with a strong sense of blue...bold, yet natural, warm and cool alike. Check out our instagram for a peek at another of Megan's images.
Immediately when I named this warm greyish brown Nest, I thought of Mary Jo's remarkable images of her natural collections on her Still blog. I imagined an abundance of bird homes and feathers but like any good artist, she was able to use her talent and see through the name to these beautiful, naturally rounded pebbles. This perfectly explains our new spring color NEST...warm, rich, a bit modern and a bit soft all as one.
What to you get when you ask a designer/baker and full time mamma to curate a collection of objects inspired by a mouth watering, vibrant fruit? This perfect pattern of all things LIME. Thankfully, Melissa of the ever inspiring The Faux Martha blog obliged my request to help us introduce LIME. Kindred design spirits; her clean, modern pattern spells out all things that are good in the kitchen (including our kiddos).
Our color Wander was inspired by a never ending blue sky and the urge to follow it wherever it may lead. Just like our friends at the beautiful Driftless magazine believe:
Our interests lie in exploring the world around you, cooking with fresh, wholesome ingredients, slowing down to fully take in your surroundings, and spending time with those who mean the most to you. We love trying new things, eating local, sharing the wonders of our own backyards, and keeping family traditions alive in new and interesting ways. We are hardworking, kind, resourceful, and down-to-earth. We’re always in awe of the Great Lakes. We are a cultural crossroads — we are the Midwest."
The huge thank you goes to our wonderful friends who helped us introduce this season’s line! You should already know this by now, but you guys are the best!