Living La Vida Holoka


How to Grow a Black Flower Garden

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Bring a little drama to the outdoors this summer with a unique and magical looking black flower garden! Get started with these gardening tips and flowers!


A few years ago, I visited a small, local greenhouse looking for some spring flowers to plant in pots in our yard.  I had to do a double-take when I passed by a table of velvety black petunias.  They were gorgeous and I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Black flowers!  They were completely unique and I knew I had to have them in my garden.  Year after year, I can’t wait to go back to that greenhouse and buy a pack or two of Black Cat Petunias.  They’re quite a conversation starter! 

That same greenhouse introduced me to another dark plant called the “Velvet Elvis.”  The leaves are a rich, dark green and purple blossoms bloom on dark stems.  Underneath, the leaves are a dark, velvety purple – akin to those retro velvet paintings of Elvis.  Our plant, aptly named “Elvis,” is a happy addition to our summer garden.

But all of this black garden magic went into full throttle the minute I saw pictures of Kat Von D’s all black flower garden.  For a couple years I’ve been saying I would devote one summer to an all black flower garden and, well, this seems to be the year it’s finally going to happen!

How to Grow a Black Flower Garden

 
Before you start buying up a whole bunch of seeds, it’s a good idea to look into your zone (search your location + “zone” to find out).  That way you’ll know when to start planting or when to at least start your seeds before transferring them into pots or the ground. 

Also, make note of how each flower grows.  Some might be bushy and others will grow tall.  Plan your planting spaces accordingly and you’ll end up with a super unique, pretty badass, rock’n’roll style flower garden!

Check out some of the seeds I purchased from Amazon below.  All of the flowers are black or very nearly black.  Plus, I even found black succulents to add to our garden!  I also included some of the flowers Kat Von D has in her all black flower garden.  Happy planting!

  1. Black Button Cornflowers
  2. Black Pansies
  3. Ornamental Black Succulents
  4. Scabiosa Black Knight
  5. Queen of Night Tulips
  6. Black Cat Petunias
  7. Bearded Dutch Iris
  8. Black Geraniums
  9. Moulin Rouge Sunflowers
  10. Black Beauty Gladiolus
  11. Black Charm Lilies
  12. Pennie Black Flowers
  13. Black with Red Dahlia
  14. Black Bat Flower
  15. Midnight Poppies

If you plant your own black flower garden this year, I’d love to see it!  Make sure to tag me @lavidaholoka and share with the hashtags #livinglavidaholoka or #livinglavidadiy!

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Would you plant a black flower garden?

Pottery Barn Inspired Easter Decor

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Get the timeless look of Pottery Barn for less with these budget-friendly Pottery Barn inspired Easter decor items for almost every room of your home!


When my husband and I moved in together, I knew that I wanted a lot of our decor to look like it came straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog.  I love Pottery Barn, but I don’t always love the price tags attached to a lot of their items.  Thankfully, I was able to find Pottery Barn inspired decor to work into our home without the Pottery Barn prices!

The same goes with holiday decorations.  I take a lot of inspiration from the Pottery Barn website and try to find ways to get the same look for less.  With Easter on its way, I wanted a natural, semi-vintage inspired, Pottery Barn-esque look.  I was able to achieve that look with inexpensive finds from unlikely places like craft stores and Amazon!

We have a pretty bunny print tablecloth on our dining room table and a cute bunny bowl that sits in the center of it.  I’ve filled our hutch with a vintage floral platter (a great Etsy find), moss rabbits, and spring florals.  On the front of the hutch, I have a grapevine wreath with speckled eggs and feathers hung.  There’s a bunny shaped wreath on our front door to welcome spring and the Easter season. 

It’s simple, but classic Easter and springtime decor with a definite Pottery Barn feel – just like many of these items that I found on Amazon!

Get the Pottery Barn Look For Less with These Easter Decor Items

  1. Bunny Serving Bowl
  2. Bunny Cake Stand
  3. Lighted Twig Easter Bunny Silhouette Hanging Wreath
  4. Botanical Fresh 100% Cotton Tablecloth
  5. Ceramic Rabbit with Distressed Cream Finish
  6. Bunny Terrarium Kit
  7. Moss Easter Bunny
  8. Floral Easter Garland
  9. Easter Throw Pillow Covers
  10. Egg Shaped Tealight Candle Holder
  11. Easter Bunny Melamine Salad Plates
  12. Galvanized Metal Oval Basket Set

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Get Cozy with Boho Inspired Decor for Valentine’s Day

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Feel the love with boho inspired decor for Valentine’s Day!  Make your house warm and cozy with candles, blankets, lighting, and more!


Snuggle up, buttercups, because it’s the season of love!  And if one thing’s for sure, it’s that I love changing up our decor as the seasons change.  With Valentine’s Day coming up, you’re sure to find hints of pink, purple, and red throughout our house.  Actually, I’ve kind of made purple a permanent decor staple in our living room.  But for Valentine’s Day, it totally works! 

When it comes to home decor trends, these days it seems like people are on one of two sides – farmhouse or boho chic.  I used to think our house could rock the farmhouse look, but let’s be real – we’re from New Jersey.  Sure, it’s the Garden State, but we live in city setting.  It doesn’t really work for us.  Our home doesn’t really have a theme, but there’s a definite boho vibe all throughout it (hello, crystals, plants everywhere, and natural textures and materials).


 
I love creating a cozy ambiance with candles and having warm throw blankets over all the couches for snuggling. You can add some major boho vibes to your home this Valentine’s Day with these items from Amazon!  In fact, most of them could probably stay out beyond the holiday!

Get Cozy with Boho Inspired Decor for Valentine’s Day
  1. Let’s Get Cozy Candle
  2. Blooming Flower Wreath
  3. Love You Llots Llama Throw Pillow
  4. Love Her But Leave Her Wild Art Print
  5. Deer Flannel Fleece Luxury Blanket
  6. Valentines Felt Ball Garland
  7. Heart Shaped Cement Planter
  8. Set of 5 Succulents
  9. Boho Tassel Dream Catcher
  10. Rose Gold Geometric String Lights
  11. Boho Macrame Heart Wall Hanging 

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Which one of these Valentine’s Day decor items is your favorite?

The Best Cricut Tools & Accessories for Beginners

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Tackle your very first Cricut project with the help of these Cricut tools and accessories for beginners! These staple items will help you craft your first vinyl cutting project!


I had a Cricut machine on my crafting wishlist for a couple years.  So I finally took the plunge this year after seeing a blogger friend’s Instagram story.  She was roaming the aisles of the craft store, showing off all of the great tools, vinyl sheets, and accessories you could get for your Cricut.  It was also a great time to purchase a machine.  They were under $200 at the time (the Cricut Explore Air 2 is still under $200 on Amazon!).  That afternoon, I headed to the craft store and bought myself a brand new Periwinkle Cricut Explore Air 2 and a roll of black vinyl.

As a beginner Cricut user, I was honestly intimidated to start my journey into vinyl cutting and crafting.  My Cricut was set up, but it took me days to finally try to use it.  Turns out, I had nothing to worry about.  It’s so easy to use!  Since my purchase, I’ve made so much!  I got my Cricut before Christmas, so I ended up making some homemade ornaments as gifts.  As the New Year approached, I began making labels for storage.  If I could put a label on it, I’ve probably done it! 


 
You’ll want to use your new Cricut machine everything!  I haven’t made anything too fancy yet, but I’m constantly on my design app (you can download it while you’re setting up your new Cricut) looking for inspiration for my next project.  You can also work off of your computer, but I love how handy the app is!

If you got a new Cricut machine for Christmas or have one on your crafting wishlist, I’m sharing some of the Cricut tools and accessories I immediately bought off of Amazon.  The Cricut Explore Air 2 comes with a premium blade, pen and cardstock sample, cutting mat, and more to get you started.  But I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some vinyl and accessories!

The Best Cricut Tools & Accessories for Beginners

 
Cricut Explore Air 2

The first thing you obviously need is a Cricut machine.  There are a few different models available, but – to be perfectly honest – I got the Cricut Explore Air 2 because it was on sale and available in many pretty colors.  I didn’t know a thing about this or any other Cricut machine!  It’s still a learning process for me, but I’ve got the basics down. 

Power on the machine, then head to your Cricut Design Space app or program.  From there, you can scroll through hundreds of free images or pay a small price for other images (check out Pinterest, too).  Then, you can resize the image for your project, cut the vinyl to size on your mat, load your mat, and let the cutting begin!

Black adhesive & iron-on vinyl

I totally recommend grabbing a roll of black vinyl.  I have it in adhesive vinyl and iron-on vinyl.  It’s great for labeling jars and storage containers.  Before Christmas, I used it to make an adorable llama face ornament!  I haven’t used the iron-on vinyl yet, but I can’t wait to design my first shirt!  

White vinyl

Just like black vinyl, white vinyl is great to have on hand.  It stands out a little more than black vinyl on certain surfaces and will be used for so many projects!

Glitter vinyl

Because I was making ornaments, I loaded up on glitter vinyl.  First of all, they’re just so gorgeous!  Who doesn’t love a little sparkle?  Plus, it makes an ordinary project a little “extra.”

Vinyl Sampler Pack

If you’re looking to play around with some color right off the bat, I totally suggest grabbing a vinyl sampler pack.  I grabbed the “brights” pack and love the colors that came with it!  It comes with sunshine, lime, Caribbean, flamingo, azure, and grape colors.  They would be beautiful for summer projects (always thinking ahead!) or just to brighten up a surface! 

Weeding tool set

It was recommended that I get a weeding tool set.  It’s definitely something every Cricut user should have.  It makes removing vinyl images and lettering that much easier!  The tools are sharp and there’s a variety to use with different projects.  The set also comes with a nice pouch to keep everything stored safely. 

Transfer tape

Transfer tape is going to make applying your vinyl cutouts so much easier!  Cut the tape to the size of your cutout and use the scraper from the tool set to apply pressure to the image.  Then, easily apply your vinyl cutout to a surface.  Smooth it out and carefully lift the transfer tape off of it.  The transfer tape has grid lines on it so your cutout will be evenly aligned during application.

Extra mats

It’s also recommended to get extra mats.  The mats are available with different grips on them, but the Standard Grip can be used with a variety of different materials.  Having multiple mats allows you to work quickly between projects.  It’s also wise to rotate your mats so they stay sticky.

Tip: if you need to clean your mats, rinse them with warm water and a little soap.  Let them air dry and they’ll be good as new! 


 
I’ve been having so much fun with my new Cricut! There are so many other vinyl products and Cricut accessories available, but these are great items to start you on your vinyl crafting! 

Once I get more comfortable designing projects, I hope to share some of them here on the blog.  But for now, it’s been a lot of fun creating projects for our home! 

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What Cricut tool or accessory would you recommend for beginners?



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