Step by step Tutorials. For home, garden, art, DIY, Craft, Baking, All things Food, Inspiration and more. Created by New Zealand Creative Tracey Lee Spijkerbosch . Circa 2012.
It's been a while since I've created any photographic quotes.
Yuccas.
Love 'em or hate 'em.
Sometimes it is a plain good ole fashion compromise when your other half loves yuccas and you simply don't.
Well, this is my situation with yuccas.
I officially sold 'Mia Bella Gardens and Homestead' to a brand new family...and now I live beside a beautiful lake.
The property here is just as beautiful as my previous home, just more of a blank canvas.
A lot has been done here since my arrival here a year and a half ago.
We have removed enormous old and dangerous trees.
The wood has been milled to be put back into the new house which will be built in the next year.
We have tidied and cleared a lot of clutter as well as created gardens and seating spaces that blend nicely with the existing cobbled courtyard (off our creative and artists workshop), brick garden retaining walls and pizza oven.
The sun during winter is lost by 3pm, and we all gravitate to the 'Top Garden' for the last of the day's sun.
This is why the mini courtyard was put here.
Now back to the yucca situation.
I am not a fan.
I know what they do once they get their roots established if planted in the garden.
They sucker.
They grow enormous.
And eventually takeover!
If you cut them down they regrow!
So this is why the compromise happened
- not to plant them in the garden, but to make a feature of them in pots.
At least in a pot, they can be controlled a little easier.
Not wood but high density resin from recycled material that is also lightweight and UV resistant.
The brand is Northcote Pottery.
We already had a smaller set of these, so got the large size for the Yuccas.
Watered and placed into their new position.
They make such a nice addition to this courtyard.
Before:
The eye is drawn to the beautiful cobble detail (a bit wet from rain).
But then lifts to the bare fence behind the courtyard.
After:
The potted yuccas make quite a statement in their resin replica wine barrel pots.
They now soften the view to the fence.
I think I am 'almost' converted into a yucca fan!
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Other Yucca Facts:
They can be grown as an indoor pot plant.
Native of South Western and Eastern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America.
They can withstand temperatures minus 12 degrees Celcius.
The leaf tips are extremely sharp!
Even when removed from the garden it will regrow from any remaining roots left in the ground.
The flowers are beautifully creamy white and need full sun to bloom in summer.
There are many different types of yucca.
Some varieties - have edible flowers and fruit, and can be used for shampoo, soap making, or as a herbal remedy for arthritis.
It can easily grow from a new spike offcut.
#yucca #plantfacts #pottedplants
A mildly spicy but creamy soup is full of goodness and flavour that the whole family will love.
Precooked rotisserie chicken adds to the flavour, though you can leave it out, add another can of beans and change the cream cheese to a vegetarian variety, and you will have a still delicious soup.
It's a lot of cans of this and that,
but when you haven't a lot of time to whip up a hearty meal,
this easy recipe is a true go-to.
It is ready to eat in just 25 minutes!
Ingredients:
2 x diced red onions
(You can use white onions but the red is much sweeter to taste)
1 x diced red bell pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 x 400g can of chopped organic tomatoes
1 x 400 gram can of salsa beans in a spiced sauce
1 x 300g corn kernels (drained)
2 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of shredded cooked rotisserie chicken
1 teaspoon each of turmeric, smoked paprika and cumin
4 'generous' Tablespoons of Philadelphia cream cheese
Method:
Fry the diced onion in olive oil in a large soup pot.
When it is soft add the diced bell pepper.
Add the canned tomatoes, beans and corn kernels.
Then the chicken stock and spices.
Bring to boil.
Remove from heat and add the Philadelphia cream cheese.
Stir until creamy.
Add the shredded cooked chicken.
Warm through but do not boil.
Plate.
Top with a garnish of parsley and sliced red pepper.
Serves 6.
.jpg "Mexican Soup")
Serve with warm bread rolls or crunchy toasted bread as an accompaniment.
The printable recipe is HERE
You will find a pounds and ounces to grams and oven temperature conversions HERE
Grab a cuppa, and visit
my Fine Art America gift store
:)
Beach vibes, Hamptons, cane and rattan...rooms with seaside elements and colours...
When decorating Coastal style remember it's just like enjoying time at the beach, with nothing being too overwhelming.
Pops of colour on a neutral base embrace open uncluttered spaces with clean lines and natural light.
The goal is to create calmness.
The main colour palette is beige, tan, white and warm whites.
The accent colours in grey, aqua, seafoam, deep-sea blue, seagrass greens, soft beach toned yellows or coral.
Accessories, fixtures and fittings in brass, wood or distressed wood, cane, rattan, glass, mirrors, seashells, driftwood, jute, seagrass, or rope.
Soft pillows in your accent colours.
Billowy white drapes.
Then add beach-inspired photography or art, like the examples shown.
Then you have successfully succeeded in bringing the beach into your home!
There is nothing easier to do than make your own flavoured olive oil!
If you purchase flavoured oil ready-made from the store, it is quite expensive when you work out the ml size to $ value.
And if you are like me and use it all the time the dollars add up!
But make it yourself and save!
Especially if you recycle used glass bottles
and buy the olive oil when it is on super saver specials.
So let's whip up some 'Lemon and Garlic Flavoured Olive Oil'...
and honestly, it takes about 10 minutes to put together.
So here we go...
(Printable recipe HERE).
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For the oil, I used Lupi Brand in a mild flavour.
I have grated the rind off I small lemon.
Then peeled and roughly chopped 4 garlic cloves.
Put the rind and the garlic in a heat sterilised bottle, new or recycled that has a screw cap or cork stopper.
(I have used a recycled tequila bottle because I just LOVE the shape of this bottle and the very groovy glass stopper.)
Next, carefully fill up the bottle with olive oil.
Cork or cap.
.
That is it!
I prettied up my bottle with a flax weave and string collar.
If you gift it, add a wee name tag of the flavour of the oil.
And instructions to leave for three weeks, but turn the bottle upside down every week, before using.
Store out of direct sunlight.
This gives the lemon and garlic time to infuse their delicious flavours into the oil.
Give it, or keep it for your own kitchen pantry,
this flavoured oil is delicious on green salads, to cook fish, prawns or shellfish in,
(or drizzle a little over your cooked seafood)
Grab a cuppa, and visit
my Fine Art America gift store
:)
#Flavouredoil #homemade #diygifts
Pot plant mania sure has struck many homes around the world.
Obsession with collecting different varieties of plants is the main thought on many minds.
It is so reminiscent of when I was a child.
When I grew up I remember relishing the 'chore' given to me of polishing the leaves of the monsteria deliciousa and the rubber plant in the foyer of our home.
I remember pretending the Queen was coming to visit and I just had to have those leaves so shiny for the occasion!
My mother often grew things from cuttings.
As did my father.
And then as a young homemaker, I collected pot plant and garden plant cuttings and roots from friends neighbours and family.
And developed my own collections and garden displays.
Then that fad, phase or era ended.
Trends changed, home decor changed.
So now some 30 years later I am filled with joy that plant mania is back.
The healing nurturing power of those botanical beings is a force in this trying world we are currently living in.
And as we are having a chat about plants, I wanted to share this little beauty.
'Chain Of Hearts' or as it's sometimes known 'String Of Hearts'.
This beautiful little plant has a lovely variegated heart-shaped leaf, that has a chain or string-like structure.
The lengths of these chains or strings can reach up to 4 metres long.
It is an easy-care plant that loves good drainage and bright indirect light.
Let the soil dry out between watering.
Fertilise with a general-purpose fertiliser once a month during the growing season.
It is best displayed in a hanging pot or on a high shelf.
And for the animal parents, it is good to know it is pet-friendly non-toxic!
The most common problem with Chain of Hearts is overwatering which causes the plant to rot.
I love this little plant, and it will gift you tiny tube-like white flowers with black edging to say thank you for letting me live in your home.
#potplants #houseplants
Here is a very easy beach-inspired air plant holder,
using found beach items.
A piece of driftwood.
And a large shell.
Now, this shell already had a drainage hole in the base created by nature.
But if your shell has no hole in it, use an electric drill with a small fine bit or a thin sharp nail and a hammer to create a drainage hole.
Because you are dealing with odd shapes it's best to decide how you will hang the driftwood.
Attach a wire loop hanger to the back using a small staple nail.
Use hot-glue to attach the shell to the driftwood.
Push a piece of air plant into the shell.
Hang in a desirable position.
If inside you can remove the air plant from the shell and water.
If outside and drip damage is not an issue, you can spray water directly on to it.
I put mine inside on the wall of our office room.
My partner and I both paint seascapes,
and camp by the sea often in the New Zealand summer,
so it's a lovely memory inspired wall hanging.
If you are a beach lover I'm sure this easy-care planter will tempt you too.
Note:
If you cannot source an air plant, you could alternately use a small-leaved hanging succulent or a plant not requiring a lot of watering.
Put stones over drainage hole and plant in potting mix.
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#diyplanter #airplants #driftwood #shellplanter
The new year is well and truly here.
I've spent quite a bit of time enjoying the beach in New Zealand's summer.
I find the inspiration for photography, painting, sculpture and crafts is endless here.
This print is a manipulated combination of photography and my ocean oil painting.
It's new to my Saatchi Art shop,
Flax Sails.
Available as a print in various sizes on fine art paper, canvas, or photographic paper.
You'll find it here -
#prints #onlineprints #beach #beachprints
Christmas is coming!
And the most searched posts this week on 'Mia Bella Passions' confirm this!!
Because there is a wonderful Christmas feel to what people are looking at.
NO1: The Tim Tam Christmas Wreath for the decadence of chocolate.
NO2: Peachy Chocolate Balls for a slightly healthier Christmas treat.
NO3: A DIY Fringed Throw to gift.
NO4: Beach Lovers Terrarium (another great gift idea)
NO5: Sweet Christmas Cookie to share with family on Christmas Eve.
NO6: And of course our CUTEST Do it yourself Reindeer Decorations.
#christmascraft #christmasbaking
#Christmasdecoratingideas
Way back in 2016, I shared on Mia Bella Passions, a tutorial on how to create these cute little reindeer.
Over the years I have made them in various colourways made from felt.
Originally handstitched, but in this version they are created using a sewing machine.
The deer have been enjoyed by all on my trees at Christmas for years,
so I thought I would share the link to the original tutorial with pattern and step by step instructions again.
https://miabellapassion.blogspot.com/2016/12/felt-reindeer-christmas-decorations.html
#handmade #christmas #christmascraft #felt
