creative jewish mom

Houseplants 101: Pilea Chinese Money Plant

Isn't this Pilea plant just the sweetest? I'll admit at first I thought it was peperomia, as it is similar, but no my friends, this is Pilea, also known as the Chines money plant, as the leaves look like coins, and the plant originate in China! Truth be told, the botanical name is Pilea Peperomioides so it is related to the peperomia, cousins or something!

I love learning about the origins of all my houseplants, and since the overwhelming majority come from the rain forrest, it is refreshing to find one that does not. This sweet window sill garden in terra cotta planters looks amazing in an all white minimal interior, and while terra cotta planters don't really work in my house they look amazing all of a sudden, rustic and clean and well, the color.....perfect with golds and pinks! These little Pilea plants were quite forgiving of not being watered and with dried out soil when I arrived at our vacation rental in SF, so i'd highly recommend giving this species a try! Not to mention that propogation is via, "pups" so you can share with friends! Not to worry, no animals involved. Now, wondering if I can find some myself. Okay lets learn how to take care of this plant, shall we?

Sketchbook Drawings From Colored Pencils After The Trip!

While I did take this sketchbook with me my on our recent trip to the USA, I was right in thinking that I would not likely get much sketching or painting done! In fact I ran down to the beach on the last day just to do one quick watercolor so that carrying the sketchbook around would not have been pointless! If you want to include creativity beyond photography on any trip it does mean having that time to yourself, being very quick with that sketching and making it a priority, which may or may not be important to you, depending on your everyday practice? Not to worry, there is a time for everything, so when I started to go through all the photos I'd taken I decided to do some quick sketches of some of the San Francisco landmarks using a palette of blue colored pencils. Something not at all par for the course, but I enjoyed this little exercise, and now at least I've filled two spreads which relate to our trip. Hmmm, now I think I need to sketch some Victorian houses, or maybe even do some house collages? Ah yes, but the newly purchases paint is calling, so the creative adventure continues!

San Francisco's Wealth Of Architectural Detail

If you happen to be an architecture buff or just love architectural history, then San Francisco is certainly a must visit kind of place. I'll admit I lived in San Francisco for a few years, but never quite realized the richness of design and detail seen with so many of the historic buildings. It also may be that Market street, the home to many historic buildings was either to seedy to venture on, or too crowded to allow pausing to take a look. On our visit the downtown looked like a Sunday (empty) on a weekday due to the Pandemic, and that may have allowed me to take that closer look that didn't previously happen? I was always a big fan of the many Victorian houses, having grown up with some across the Bay, but I think since then so many more have been restored and make such a grander statement than they once did. Maybe it took riding atop a hop-on hop-off bus and seeing things at a higher level, though more likely my love for architecture blossomed after I left San Francisco? So friends, I could not resist capturing some the details I saw, to share with you, and while the photo above is a Victorian style facade, that era will be shared in a different post, for now we're looking at buildings mostly built around 1920-1920, enjoy!

A Golden Gate Bridge Adventure Atop The Hop On Hop Off Bus

I've shared with you many of the iconic San Francisco landmarks that we enjoyed from the double decker hop-on hop-off bus, but now drum roll, for the most memorable part! Who knew that a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge atop the double decker hop-on hop-off bus would also be a thriller? And if you have teens who prefer those kinds of things, well, it is a win win! Of course if you don't like to suffer, you can certainly descend into the bus and let the rest of the group scream as they freeze to death, but what fun would that be? Come prepared with a hood/hat and ample sweatershirt/jacket and if you need them, you have them!  As you well know, San Franscisco can be foggy and cold in the summer, so if you are not prepared do grab a sweatshirt sold in numerous shops for tourists who didn't realize that summer in SF can be well, cold! I did come prepared but my teen sons somehow packed themselves and did not, such is life. Keep on reading for an in depth account of that ride across the Golden Gate Bridge that one of my sons said was his favorite part of our week in San Fransisco!

Iconic San Franciso Landmarks To Enjoy From The Hop-On Hop-Off Bus!

I am back from a two week vacation/family get together in Northern California, which we were lucky enough to squeeze in before the unfortunate latest Corona restrictions, sigh. And yes, that means lots and lots of travel photos to share with you! So lets get started! What does one do when you plane arrives at 6 am but your airbnb check in isn't until 3 pm, and you are of course exhausted from the 15 hour nonstop redeye?

1. First of all, you find a place to store your bags, via one of the many online suitcase storage apps now available. Our location was a little sketchy, a liquor store on Market street, but it was the closest to our rental, so I took a chance. Make sure to take photos of all bags that you store anywhere!
2. Get something to eat: we opted for the wonderful kosher bakery/restaurant called Frena, not terribly far from the location of our bag check. Totally recommend the place, but the neighborhood on 5th Street between Market and Minna is best avoided when walking, if possible. Some very sad things going on there. Looking for something like Falafel or Shawarma, Israeli style? You are in luck, there is a new kosher meat restaurant called Limmonana, just down the street, also on 6th.
3. Ah, okay, fed, but tired, so now what? Get on the hop-on hop-off bus, and just keep riding it until time for check in! Our airbnb was close to one of the bus stops, so yippee! i later took an Uber to get the bags, and the driver didn't have change for cash, so gave me the round trip fare on the house. Nice start to our vacation!

I'll admit, I used to think that the hop-on hop-off buses were for silly tourists, but I have since come to realize that they are actually a great way to get to know a city when you arrive. The one in Montreal is overpriced and not worth it, but the one in Barcelona, wow! Okay, lets take a look at some of the iconic artchitecture in San Francisco as view from the top deck of the bus!

6 Items You Should ALWAYS Buy If You Spot Them At the Thrift Store

For DIY enthusiasts as well as anyone who loves to decorate, upcycle or craft, the thrift store, the flea market, and the garage sale, for starters, are literal treasure troves of unique finds and pieces that you literally can’t get anywhere else. Instead of buying brand new things, you can save a ton of money and fill your home with pieces that have character, or pieces that can be the basis for some awesome DIYs. 

The only problem with the thrift store or flea market is that it can be overwhelming figuring out what to buy and knowing what’s really unique. There are likely to be many items that aren’t all that special, and then there are the special, once-in-a-lifetime, prized items that seasoned decorators and thrifters would love to get their hands on. How do you know if you’ve stumbled upon one of these prized items? 

Let me help you! Here are some items to lookout for when you visit the thrift shop, the flea market, or even the basement or attic (or barn?) of a family member or friend, you never know!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! I am back from a mini family reunion in the USA, which we sadly squeezed in just in time before what appears to be strict travel restrictions once again, sigh. I did manage to stock up on some art supplies not available in Israel and crucial to my progress in making art, so now no excuses, gotta buckle down and make a ton of art, the only way to be an artist! That said I could not resist bringing home some drift wood from the beach in Northern California, so at the least as minimal Boho wall hanging of sorts awaits, and as far as the small pieces of drift wood, I'm writing the place where they were found on the piece and adding them to my growing collection, which will also hopefully become a wall hanging at some point, after all that is why I bought that Dremel drill years ago! Of course I'd love to fit in a bit of crocheting too, after all summer is for crocheting, then again, hmmm, maybe watercolor sketching? So many creative adventures await, and just not enough time! The main thing is to spend more time making than looking at what others have made, so lets just take a quick look at the features from last week's party and then get to it!

Designing a Child-Friendly Den

The popularity of ‘dens’ (also called entertainment or family rooms) can be traced back to the 1970s but as reported by Paintzen, they are enjoying a new surge in popularity, with recent world events leading many families to prioritize the entertainment value of their own homes. If you have little kids, a den is a fantastic place for them to spend time since it should ideally contain books, music, crafts supplies, and other items that can entertain kids for hours. If your little ones are old enough to join in, let their ideas count and take advantage of your den designing adventure to teach them vital skills like recycling and upcycling. If you are looking for design and decor ideas to make a special den for your family, keep on reading!