For The Love of Food

Besides being the third President of the United States and a snazzy dresser (love that coat!) Thomas Jefferson may have been one of the first 'foodies' to sit in the White House. I'm not a fan of the term, but what better way to describe a President who kept a concrete lined pond for fresh eels, and "supervised the growing of 170 varieties of fruit and 330 of vegetables, planting 27 varieties of kidney bean alone." Check out who else made the list of America's 5 Greatest Foodie Presidents in this week's Village Voice.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

1. Dos Gardenias Shorts, $40; modcloth.com, 2. Floral 1460 by Dr. Martens, $128; zappos.com, 3. Gloria's Garden Rug, $348-498; anthropologie.com, 4. William Morris Daisy Print Garden Tools, $32; takashimaya-ny.com.

Until my senior year of college, I was anything but girly. Yes, I had discovered that I could indeed be sexy, but I hadn't explored the power of my femininity. I didn't feel comfortable in pink, ruffles, or heels, and my color of choice was black. I was never a Goth, although often accused of being one, but rather a Punk Rocker with a heart of gold. When I look back on it now, I realize that although I still love the music, the fashion was more of a protective shield than anything else. Yes, I had fun pretending I was Kathleen Hanna, but eventually I shed that rough exterior in favor of more delicate ensembles. Queue my summer obsession with floral prints in every form - I just can't get enough. Add some color to an otherwise bland room with Gloria's Garden Rug, or garden with colorful accessories to brighten your mood. When it comes to the clothing, I feel like I just discovered Angela Chase all over again. I just can't help but love her, and her crazy 90s Grunge style. After all, wasn't Grunge just Punk Rock's depressed, younger cousin?

Little Wonder

I've loved terrariums since I was a child, and decided to put one together when my succulents were massacred by Mr. Littlejeans. Terrariums are easy to take care of, protected from my felines, and most importantly add a much needed pop of color and life to my apartment. Bringing the outside in is natural to us now, with indoor plants and fresh cut flowers populating the corners of our small living spaces, but when did this practice begin?

The history of terrariums goes back to the early 1800s. Discovered by accident in 1827, by London physician Dr. Nathaniel Ward, they have remained a popular option for urban dwellers. While experimenting with cocoons in covered jars, Dr. Ward also discovered tiny plants growing in the soil. Unlike many plants in his backyard that died from the polluted London air, these covered plants actually thrived. Dr.Ward then began experimenting successfully with enclosed containers for ferns, and as their popularity grew they were dubbed Wardian cases, the first terrariums.

Putting together one of these little wonders is really easy: all you need is a solid container, multiple layers of soil and drainage stones, and some flora. I found everything I needed, including various species of moss and ferns, through the fantastic DIY website Etsy. This is a great project that doesn't require much work, and doesn't break the bank - all you need is a dash of landscaping creativity to set the scene.

Hand crafted ceramic terrarium accessories (pictured above, ceramic mushroom and flowers) and vintage glass mushroom from Michael McDowell. Moss kits available from Teresa's Etsy shop.

Pressed For Success

This summer I've somehow found myself consistently surrounded by flowers. Whether I'm roaming the streets in a floral print dress, ruminating about my fire escape garden (more on that later), or buying a bouquet at the corner deli - I just can't escape them! And I'm not complaining. For the past few years, my mother has told me that I should always have a bouquet of fresh flowers in my apartment, but it's just so sad when they shrivel up and wilt. I admit, there's nothing like fresh flowers to brighten up a space, and any woman who says she doesn't like getting flowers is lying. So what better way to keep 'em fresh than to seal them in CalGel on your very own nails? That's right, those are real dried flowers you see above courtesy of Mika at Valley... now if only I could figure out how to get those darn squirrels out of my flower box.

Nail photograph by Christophe Tedjasukmana.