Lonci, ne i poklopci - Pots of gold

Prošli tjedan sam vam obećala jedan DIY projekt vezan uz kaktuse i sukulente, a imam ih čak dva! Danas prva verzija, sljedeći tjedan druga. Obzirom da sam veliki fan reciklaže i ne volim bacati stvari (sakupljač u nastajanju, neki bi rekli - pod tim „neki“ mislim na muža), ovaj današnji post se pokazao kao prava reciklažna poslastica. Iskoristila sam prastare, probušene lonce koje sam pokupila od mame (dugogodišnji deklarirani sakupljač) i bez po muke ih pretvorila u divne posude za cvijeće, kaktuse, što god. Al stvarno, ne mogu ih se nagledati!

Što će vam trebati:

• -         zdjela/e
• -         duct tape (ukoliko želite prekriti rupe)
• -         primer
• -         boja (ja sam koristila akrilnu)

Obzirom da sam ja svoje zdjele namijenila za kaktuse i sukulente koji ne trebaju previše vode, rupe sam prekrila duct tape-om da ne bi zemlja slučajno curila van i tako mi zaprljala podlogu na kojoj će zdjele biti, no vi slobodno ostavite rupe otvorenima, to je vama na volju. Lonci moraju biti čisti i suhi, a kao prvi korak savjetujem nanijeti primer. Moji lonci će biti većinu godine vani i želim što dugotrajniju boju, tako da sam stavila primer prije same boje, baš zbog dugotrajnosti. Inače nije obavezan. Također, ukoliko ste u mogućnosti, koristite boju u spreju. Primjena je znatno jednostavnija i omogućava vam uredniji završni proizvod. A ukoliko uložite u primer i boju u spreju, sigurna sam da ćete ubrzo (možda čak već sljedeći tjedan ;) naći novu primjenu za njih, tako da će vam se ulog definitivno isplatiti. Pritom moram naglasiti, rukavice su vam najbolji prijatelj! Nanesite koliko god želite slojeva boje, no pričekajte kojih pola sata ili čak i manje između slojeva dok se to sve ne osuši i na kraju posadite biljke po izboru. Jedino što vam preostaje je staviti svoje nove lonce, bez poklopaca, na neko vidljivo mjesto i uživati u njima. Do sljedećeg tjedna i drugog dijela ovog DIY projekta… Uživajte! :)

Last week I promised you a DIY project concerning cacti and succulents, and I came up with two! I'm giving you the first version today, and the second one is coming in next week's post. Being a great fan of recycling that I am, I just hate throwing things away (a hoarder in the making, some would say – by this “some” I mean my husband), so today’s post is a real recycling treat. I used some old, worn-out pots with holes in them that my mum gave me (a long-time certified hoarder) and in no time turned them into beautiful eye-catching flower pots. But really, I just can’t stop looking at them!

You'll need:

• -         some pots
• -         duct tape (if you wish to cover the holes)
• -         primer
• -         paint (I used acrylic)

Since I knew I’d plant succulents into these babies and they don’t need too much water, I decided to cover the holes using duct tape so that soil wouldn't leak through them and possibly stain the surface beneath the pots, but you can leave them be, it’s up to you. The pots have to be clean and dry and as the first step I recommend using a primer. My pots are going to stay out in the open for most of the year and I want the paint to last as long as possible, so I've used a primer before putting on the paint to make it more long-lasting. But it isn't necessary. Also, if you can, use spray paint. It’s much easier to use and it enables you to have a neater and cleaner finished product. What is more, if you do invest in the primer and spray paint, I’m sure you’ll find some other ways to use it (maybe even next week ;), so it won’t go to waste. And I can’t stress this enough, gloves are your best friends! Apply as many layers of paint as you wish, just wait for twenty or so minutes between layers so that paint dries thoroughly and in the end plant the flowers or other plants of choice. The only thing that’s left to do is to place your pots of gold in a visible spot and enjoy them. Until next week and the second part of succo DIY... enjoy! :)

Slatko, slatko riječno blago - Sweet, sweet river riches

Početak kolovoza je i to znači samo jedno – Ribarske večeri u Davoru! Tko nije bio, definitivno mora otići. Kolovoz je meni zapravo znakovit po više stvari. Najviše po povratku u školske klupe koji vreba iza ugla (brrr), no s tom strašnom spoznajom borim se dobrom papicom kojom kolovoz obiluje. Dakle, ekipu u auto i pravac Davor! Zašto, pitate? Zato što u tom selu na obali Save možete kušati neke od divotica koje nam rijeke naše Slavonije pružaju – fiš, pohanog soma ili šarana, no meni najdraži je šaran na rašljama. Slatki, slatki šaran koji dolaskom na stol učini da i najživahnija priča zamre, barem na tih desetak minuta dok jedino što od šarana ne ostane su glava, peraje i kosti. No, nisu Ribarske večeri u Davoru samo dobra papica i vino. Tu se mogu naći i proizvodi lokalnih OPG-ova i hobista, od kaktusa i lavande do raznog nakita ili drvenih rezbarija. Ja obično obiđem štand sa lavandom i obnovim zalihe hidrolata, a ove godine sam planirala nabaviti i nešto kaktusića i sukulenata jer imam jedan DIY u planu po pitanju toga, no u subotu, kada sam ja išla, tete sa kaktusima nije bilo. Šmrc. Sva sreća pa sam dan nakon puta u Davor, u jednom od naših poznatih trgovačkih lanaca, naišla na dobro sniženje tako da DIY još uvijek stoji na planu. Do tada, pogledajte slike iz Davora. :)

It’s the beginning of August and it means only one thing – Davor Fishermen’s Nights. If you haven’t been there yet, you must definitely go. When I think of August, I think of many things, especially the fast-approaching start of the new school year, but I choose to fight that horrific notion with delicious food August is packed with. So, get your friends or family and head out for Davor! Why, you ask?  Because it’s the place where you can taste some of the divine goodies the rivers of our beautiful Slavonia have to offer such as fish stew, fried catfish or carp, but my favourite is grilled carp. It’s cooked in a special way where a fish is cut and made into two halves, seasoned and placed on a fork-like construction made of tree branches, put over fire and slowly grilled. That sweet, sweet fish has the power to silence even the chattiest of us, at least for those ten minutes until there’s nothing else left of that fish but the head, fins and bones. But, Davor Fishermen’s Nights are more than just great food and wine. You can find all sorts of homemade items and products such as succulents, lavender products, jewellery, or wooden trinkets. I usually go over to lavender stall and stock up with lavender hydrosol and this year I was also planning on visiting the lady with cacti and succulents because I had a DIY in mind, but the lady wasn't there on that particular night. Bummer! Luckily, the next day, while I was doing my weekly shopping, I found a great discount on those babies in a supermarket nearby, so the DIY is still on. Until then, take a look at the photos I took in Davor. See ya! :)