Much to my mother and grandmother's dismay, I did not inherent either of their green thumbs. I cannot look at a flower and say what it is, or if someone asks me what my favorite is, my mind goes blank. However, if any of you out there are like me, there is still hope! Welcome to the world of indoor plants, where the maintenance is low, and the benefits are high! When I look for inspiration for home decor or residential design, almost everyone that I see incorporates the use of indoor plants. Not only are they colorful, or a way to add fun accessories to a space, but they can do a great deal to help improve air quality. It you sit and think about it, the way plants were designed is truly amazing. You have all the humans, taking over the earth, blowing out all our hot air, releasing carbon dioxide. Then you have plants, that require carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis... a perfect relationship. Shout out to the ultimate creator for knowing what He was doing. Seriously. He had so much to think about during the creation period!!

So our little green friends not only provide more oxygen, but houseplants help remove air pollutant and dust that get trapped indoors, making our air even cleaner to breathe! These physical benefits should inspire you enough to go get a houseplant, or two, or twelve, right now! Still need a little convincing? Just take a look at how cute they can be used to decorate your house, or add some character with a variety of plants and vases. I am a sucker for the world traveler look, and there is something about plants that just screams that "wanderlust, one with nature" vibe that I love channeling.



Succulents and air plants are a great way to introduce yourself to the indoor plant scene. They are small and do not require much maintenance at all. Once you become comfortable with those, try a larger potted plant such as a fern, snake plant, or a palm. Check out this blog post, which showcases different indoor plant types that are trending in 2016.

*All images taken from Pinterest

Whether you are a seasoned green thumb, or afraid of taking care of anything that has a chance of dying, everyone should try to incorporate plants into their lives at least once. If none of your seven succulents you plant make it, then maybe the world of greenery is not for you, but I think more times than not you will find success with plants that are right for you.
Bring some of nature's beauty indoors, and happy planting!!

Much Love,
Tracy

So I LOVEEEE to travel, and unfortunately it is something that I don't get to do as much as I would like. The fact that I currently live in Indiana only makes the travel urge grow stronger. In between dreaming and planning my next trips, I like to live vicariously through some amazing Instagram accounts that remind me how beautiful the world is, how amazing our ultimate creator is, and how much of the world I still want to explore. Here are some of my top photographers, explorers, and nomads (in no particular order) that highlight the incredible earth we are a part of.

// Dirk Dallas // - Creator of "From Where I Drone" - @fromwhereidrone


// Michael Matti // - fellow IWU alum, amazing photographer- @michaelmatti

// Chris Burkard // - "Have Camera, Will Travel" - @chrisburkard


// Jimmy Chin // - National Geographic photographer-  @jimmy_chin
// Fantastic Earth // - Pics from all over the world! - @fantastic_earth

// Kyle Kuiper // - Calvin alum, Dutchie, makin' it big - @kdkuiper

I was perusing through an old edition of Contract Magazine (May 2015), and came across a profile it did on the new floor design of Uber Technologies in San Fransisco. The up-and-coming company had an existing headquarters in a building on the 4th floor, but due to its popularity and growth, Uber expanded, leasing the 11th floor in the same building. This floor was to have a variety of great spaces for collaboration, with a refined definition of the scrappy vibe that comes with start up cultures. As said by the principal at Studio O+A (designer of the project), is was a "more rebellious cousin of the Uber headquarters (4th floor). We wanted this to feel like a start up but in an elevated and refined way."