Been There, Done That

Thank you Martha!  This month the magazine contained two projects that I had already done enabling me to write without any additional work.  Woo, hoo! 

Plant Dividing, p.22

Anyone know what this guy is?

The big aloe

I used to divide plants all the time.  I actually collected and divided so many plants that when we moved one year during a brutally cold winter, I had to rent a U-haul so I could move all the plants and not risk the movers letting them freeze.  I think that craziness was the beginning of the end for me with indoor plants.  They became more trouble and less attractive and when we moved a few years later to a house without much direct sunlight and a radiator in front of almost every window, I decided it was time for the plants to go.  I kept just two, a small spiky plant (I have no idea what it is) and an aloe plant Ali gave me when she moved away temporarily years ago.  Both met my limited criteria, easy to care for and able to grow on a radiator—the only place they would get light.  The aloe needs periodic replanting, but I’ll be honest, it’s not because it’s outgrowing its planter, it’s because I neglect it so completely that it needs a good refreshing every so often.  I pull off all the dead stuff and repot the little aloe babies in new pots.  I may have to give these away though so I don’t end up with another van full of plants in a few years.  

Aloe babies

Accent Paint, p. 52 

One of Martha’s “good things” this month is accent painting—painting the back of a medicine cabinet, inside of a desk drawer, or edge of shelves with a complementary color.  I did this years ago when we converted our attic into a master suite.  I used leftover paint from our kitchen, a pretty bluish green, to paint the back of our open shelves.  It makes a big impact with little effort.  

I love it. 

I’m not crazy about Martha’s ideas for the edge of open shelves or the curtain rod and painting the inside of a drawer seems like a lot of work for little enjoyment.  I don’t know about Martha’s drawers, but mine are so full you wouldn’t really see the paint anyway.  I do like the idea of painting the inside of a medicine cabinet.  Seems like a little pop of color in the morning might make the day start easier.  Might have to try that one of these days.
Jacqui  

A: I'd like a baby aloe plant, please.  And B: I admit your shelves look super cute, but the inside of a medicine cabinet?  You're a nut-job! :D
Ali