from tacky to trendy

I love plants. I love flower gardens, vegetable gardens, potted plants, etc. But it's been tough to keep them alive and healthy. It's not that I lack a green thumb, it's just that I'm not home enough to really take care of them. I've been going out of town a lot recently, and with Bob out of town so frequently as well, it's been impossible to keep any plants healthy. Take this, for example:

My kitchen window flower pot. 

It used to have two flowers in it. 

One died.

The other one is on its way, if you'll notice the poor leaves and shriveled up flowers on it. And especially with me going out of town for 10 days in a couple of weeks, I doubt it'll last. Bob won't be home either, so how am I supposed to keep these poor things alive?

I'm hoping I found a solution. I've seen these little "zen garden" style dishes with cute little succulents growing in them. They're hardier and don't need to be watered so often, so I'm hoping when I go out of town they'll last until I can make it back. I've wanted to get one of these for a while, but I haven't been able to afford one.

Then I just decided to make my own. I practically make everything else, so why not? 

After getting my paycheck and depositing it on Friday, I went to Lowes. I found all of the little tiny plants I was looking for, costing $2-3 each. I almost got a cactus, because they had these pretty flowers on the tops of them. Then I looked closer, and realized that the flowers were fake and just glued on. Total let-down! I ended up getting an aloe vera plant, something nicknamed "baby toes," and three others. 

The chic little bowls and dishes that usually hold these plants are ridiculously expensive. Well, the ones there were, anyway. So I went to the DI. I love going there, but the problem is I always end up getting more than I intend to get, so I don't go very often. I walked back to my favorite aisle--the one with all the glass jars and vases. See, I collect really unique flower pots and glass jars and containers of all sorts. It took all of my self control not to snatch up 5 or so really cool glass jars right at first. I had to keep telling myself, "It'll just be more to pack later when we eventually move..." 

I settled on this horrible shiny brass-colored tin container that had these old, faded, dirty fake flowers in it. (Unfortunately, I forgot to take a full-on before picture. I was just so excited to see the finished product that it slipped my mind.) I ran to one last store and bought a can of spray paint, then headed home.

Here are those nasty fake flowers.

I'm sure they were pretty at some point. 

Maybe.

I spray painted the container a nice metallic/hammered metal brown color. There was also some really dried out Spanish moss covering the floral foam the flowers were stuck in, so I used it to cover the soil, then covered that with some little stones I still have from our wedding reception a year and a half ago. 

I love how it turned out!