Yesterday we made a terrarium for a client, and it was so easy that we wanted to share the how-to with you!  We know you’ve seen terrariums before, but this one’s different, because it’s FAKE!!!!

Don’t judge us just yet.  This is how it went down:  We were shopping at Gethsemane Garden Center for a sweet little fern to live in this cool looking bell jar we found for our client’s bookshelf.  Knowing nothing about plants, we asked a staff member which ones would do well under a completely closed bell.  He said none.  Oops.  Actually he said it would be fine, but you’d have to give it some air occasionally.  While we pondered what to do, we came across these incredibly realistic looking succulents!  We literally could not tell until we turned them over and saw the floral stick coming out of the bottom.  They are amazing!  And it’s the perfect application for a fake plant.  The room is a lovely, but low-lit library, and the plant was going to go on a bookshelf.  The man of the house makes his headquarters in there, and he’s a busy guy, so it wasn’t likely that he would remember to care for the poor little thing.  We needed something green, but sturdy.  We needed beautiful, but unkillable.  And these babies are doing the job!

So here’s the slide show of how to make your absolutely unkillable terrarium!  Click the thumbnails to embiggen.

You could make this in almost anything, a bowl, a tray, even a wall mounted one would be awesome (we’d employ some hot glue to keep them from falling out)!  But we think the glass dome makes it look particularly special.

What do you think?  Would you ever use a fake plant?  Have you ever broken your own decorating rules and been rewarded?

*said in a whisper by Conan O’Brien.

hey friends!

happy new year!  2012 is going to kick 2011′s sorry butt, i can just feel it.  just kidding, 2011 was pretty awesome.  2012 is going to be like 2011 but with a new tattoo.  still the same gal, but just a little bit cooler.

anyway, we’re super excited to introduce you to one of our favorite artists and brand new sponsors, dolan geiman!

here are some things we love about dolan’s work:

1.  hometown boy:

dolan calls his work “contemporary art with a southern accent,” which, being that lauren and i are both from good ol’ virginia, we totally love.  so if you’re looking for a little something for your modern farmhouse aesthetic, dolan’s your dude.

so twangy.  sidebar: lauren and dolan actually attended JMU at the same time, and both ended up in chicago!  it’s a small world, ain’t it?

2.  mad styling skillz:

check out these product shots.  i have more than one of these saved in my inspiration folder for client projects.

won’t dolan’s work look good in your house?  on your awesome charcoal grey wall?  get it here.

just a little country western bar, right in the corner of your living room.  no big deal.  nab the original piece here.

3. affordability.

dolan has a whole bunch of well-priced pieces for sale in his shop, including tons of smaller originals you can totally afford.  so even if you’re low budget, like we are, you can have REAL art.  and that’s awesome.

this is an original screenprint on wood.  so cool.

now, we know people get all weird about sponsors on blogs, and yadda yadda, so we’ll just say this:  we promise to only sponsor stuff we actually like.  stuff we’d put in a moodboard.  stuff we’d buy ourselves (lauren and i both own pieces by dolan).  and stuff we think you’ll actually like.  so there.  okay?  ok.

for more about dolan’s work, head here, or if you just want to shop, head here.

thanks dolan!

interested in sponsoring kelly+olive?  our rates are perfect for small businesses.  email us at hello@kellyandolive.com for more details.

you guys. i just looked at the date. where did december go?!?!? yeesh.

if you’re like me and have no concept of time and are now scrambling to finish holiday shopping, here’s a quick gift idea…a kelly and olive gift card! give the gift of us! know someone who could use some friendly advice? maybe a helping hand styling a wall of shelves or arranging furniture. or have a pal who dreams of a top to bottom plan for their home? we’re your gals!

gift certificates are available in amount you want! from $100 for a 1 hour in home consult, $350 for a virtual moodboard, or any custom package, just email us at hello@kellyandolive.com and we’ll set it up. 

happy holidays internet friends!!

carol had a wide open basement that she wanted to make use of.  we created a warm family friendly space that coordinated with her unique furniture.  check it out:

courtney had such a great townhouse!  she just needed some fun and vibrant furnishings to finish it off.  we couldn’t decide so we sent two options: