many of you know, i’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to house plants. i wouldn’t say it’s a jungle in here, but i love decorating with unusual plants. it brings a sense of the outdoors inside, freshens up the space and gives a good punch of color to the decor. little did i know, the benefits to keeping a few house plants are immense! after doing a little research, here are a few of my favorite benefits.

- plants can help fight colds: indoor plants have been shown to reduce cold-related illnesses by more than 30% (wow!)- mainly due to their effect of increasing humidity levels and decreasing dust (a whole different favorite benefit!).

- plants help to remove airborne contaminants: as we breathe the same air again and again (potentially inhaling harmful substances that are trapped inside), indoor plants help to remove pollutants including, VOCs, formaldehyde and more!

- plants can just flat-out make you happy: keeping plants inside can reduce stress and contribute to a feeling of well-being, making you calmer and more optimistic. studies have even shown that patients who face a garden view in their hospital rooms often recover more quickly than those facing a wall.

- plants can help to decrease your blood pressure: people with plants in their homes have less stress, which directly contributes to a lower blood pressure.

- plants can offer healing treatments: some indoor plants, like aloe, can be applied to skin and offer pain relief.

- plants can prevent allergies: exposing children to plants early in life can help them build a tolerance and immunity to that allergen. it basically works like a custom allergy shot, naturally.

- plants can make your brain work better: potted plants and flowers can improve your idea generation, mood, and more (i recommend having some right next to your creative work space!).

- plants provide clean air: in addition to filtering chemicals, plants also put out clean air, improving the air quality around them, ahhhh.

- plants help to clear congestion: eucalyptus especially can help clear phlegm and congestion from your system (eucalyptus is often found in congestion remedies, as well).

- plants are natural humidifiers: save some money and instead of buying a humidifier machine, just bring in a plant or two!

to see more of my indoor plants, you can read about how i made my diy terrariums, how i like to plot my planters and yes, how i even went a little plant crazy.

for further juicy reads on the benefits of having indoor plants, here are a few nifty articles: health benefits to house plants, eliminate indoor pollutants, benefits to indoor plants, nasa research of plants, green plant benefits and the best plants for improving indoor air quality.

wrap up: {benefits} {flowers} {garden} {greens} {house} {indoor} {plants} {potted} {wintry greens}

{us map}

if you remember the trip we started a few weeks ago, we’re.still.going! 16 states in 3 weeks means that i’m seeing more of the country than i ever have before. i guess you could officially say that we are road warriors! next on the list is sunny california. ahhh. we’re leaving today with our dear friends christy and kirk to go visit the place we’ll all be moving to at the end of the month! we’ll be there for about 5 days and while david and kirk will be working a cycling camp, christy and i have one mission: find a place to live.

so i’ve been in deep thought about what i hope to find. pickings seem to be a wee bit slim for this small town (and our small budget), but i’m having faith that we’ll both find what we’re looking for. at some point during the many hours i’ve been in the car, i jotted down the top ten things i would really love to have in a place. i know i won’t get all of them, (or maybe even half?) but i’m hoping for as many as possible. here’s my new home  wish list:

oh, and i forgot! a little place for a few chickens. :) wish us luck! i’ll try to keep you updated with the options we find on twitter, maybe you can help us make a decision! xox, bonnie

wrap up: {california} {house} {hunting} {map} {new home} {road trip} {wish list}

it all started with

as i snapped some pictures of all the spring growth.

my pink and orange tulips are so vibrant, they cheer up the whole yard!

then comes my favorite part, my wisteria.

isn’t it dreamy?  last year it didn’t bloom hardly any, so i was pleasantly surprised this year!

i’m not even sure what this purple sweetie is, it’s the only one out there though, peeking out from underneath the steps.  she makes me smile.

so here’s where the problem came.  i got all plant happy (and a little bored) and decided to take a trip to lowe’s! (uh oh).

i started with a new tree and some pretty green plants.  boy, do they cheer up this used-to-be drab corner!

then i added some flowers to spruce the place up a bit.

next came some fun plants- one orange, red and yellow..

and the other one, purple!

i quickly moved on to this darling basket, she hangs right over my sewing machine.

then came time for this resilient plant, that dolls up the bathroom sink.

this duo cheers up our windowsill,

and this one makes our bookshelf all the more cozy.

(along with this one).

and while i was at it, i did a little redecorating (see the before here)!

and that’s how i went a little plant crazy.  what did you do this weekend?

wrap up: {cozy} {decorating} {flowers} {gardening} {house} {plants}

have you all been reading young house love?  if you’re looking for design, decor, diy projects and home renovation, this blog is loaded with inspiring projects, useful information and tons of the ‘can-do’ spirit!

pssst! you might want to tune in to ace of base’s ‘the sign‘ to continue with this post!

from gathered inspiration from a recent NYC trip…

the lovely sherry & john whipped these two signs up right on there home computer.  that’s right- and just printed them from their home printer on regular ol’ paper.

after some magic aging techniques and mod podge.. (check this post for step by step instructions).

voila!  two beautiful, chic, diy and totally affordable art pieces!

if you want to check out more of young house love’s delicious diy’s- visit a few of their other homemade art projects: making a magazine monogram, whipping up custom pet art, making free inspiration art, using chalk for freehand wall decor, painting pop art over old art, and creating a bunch of other cheap wall art.

have a lovely weekend!  xoxo, bonnie

wrap up: {art} {craft} {decor} {diy} {handmade} {house} {project} {signs}

with the new house- i’ve been thinking about lighting. a lot.  i think the small things like light fixtures and door knobs are what make a house so unique.  i’ve changed about everyone of them- and though i think everyone’s tired of being my ‘electrician’ – that’s what makes the house uniquely ours!

these are some of the light fixtures i got from ikea- and they are making the house so bright and inviting!  i love the white and all the unique, clean lines they give.  check out their lighting page to see all the endless possibilities!

1 :: white burlap drum shade 2:: vintage minimalist 3 :: wire light pendant chandelier 4 :: lil bloom pendant chandelier 5 :: orono. vintage ball jar pendant 6 :: wire flower shade

i’m also looking for something unique for our screened in porch.  i am *loving the wirey look but just can’t decide! what do you think?

wrap up: {house} {lighting}

since i found my camera- i figured i should give a proper thank you to all of our wonderful friends and family who have been helping us with the house! plus, it will give you a sneak peek of our renovations.  there’s no way we could have done all of this without your help!

this is my dear sis-in-law and her beau robert.  they traveled over 3 hours to come spend the weekend with us and help!  and, did such professional work- hung crown molding like a couple of pros!

lindsay and chad came from over an hour away- and put in such hard work!  they are probably still sore from all the painting they did.  we would still have trim to paint if it weren’t for them.  plus, they kept us laughing the whole time. :)

mom gave us a hand in painting, mopping and decor opinions- thanks for all your help mom!

here’s my good ol’ dad working in the yard- so handy!

sandy is my mom-in-law and she and tom have just about been over helping us every night.  i can’t even tell you all they’ve done!  so fun, so helpful, so sweet, and i’m so thankful!

dad-in-law tom here- who knew he was so handy!  he’s hung shelves, changed out lights, painted, put together new furniture and so much more!  he’s probably going to regret revealing all of his hidden talents- but as long as i p the cookies coming, i think he’ll be happy.

this is my dear sis becky.  always dependable and always willing to help.  plus- she’s an awesome painter!

and chris- her professional electrician boyfriend (score!).

good friends cory and bethany came as well.  they hung shelves and all the cabinets in my new sewing room- (which i can’t wait for you to see!).  cory built his house and bethany works construction for a living- so again we were blessed with the talents of some wonderful people!

finally, here is david and i.  though it was loads of fun giving orders- we tried to put in our fair share of work too!

again, thank you so much to everyone for helping us out.  we are indebted to you! so, don’t forget us the next time you move!  we love you all! xox, bonnie and dave

wrap up: {diy} {house} {renovation} {thank you}

home is where the heart is

hello dear ones!  today i have some exciting- but slightly bitter-sweet news.  remember all the times i’ve shared pictures with you from my grandmother’s house? all of the apples trees, grape vines and beautiful flowers? well the bitter news is that she was so homesick that she decided to sell her house and move back to southern georgia.

moving day

the sweet news?

the happy couple

we bought it!  it’s our first official home and we’re totally excited (okay, david might be a little scared).

sunday morning

this is pretty much what we’ve looked like for the last month (minus the cats and add a golden retriever).  me, looking through design magazines and talking dave’s ear off; david, sweetly fixing breakfast and offering his two cents worth!

though the yards a beautiful…

they need alot of work.  and so does the inside of the house.  so, we’ve called on all our friends to join us for a halloween celebration- extreme home makeover style!  for the next 3 days i’ll be cooking for about 15 of our friends while everyone pitches in to help us out- what are friends for, right?

basically, this is the beginning of a new era (ok, maybe not an era but a theme..).  though i’m super excited about renovation projects and moving into a new home- i’m even more excited to bring them to you.  i’ll be reporting back with before and after pictures, diy projects and home improvement how-to’s.  i would also like to start hearing form you!  i’ll be taking submissions (indefinitely) of before and after pics, diy projects and beautiful homes or creative spaces and bring them to you as often as i can!

what are you doing this weekend? xox, bonnie

wrap up: {diy} {home} {home improvment} {house} {moving}