My Very Own Authentic Bottle Terrarium

I was having a particularly bad day a few weeks ago. I had just purchased my first-ever smartphone (!) from some kid on Kijiji, and when I arrived at his house to pick it up, I found...nothing. The address didn't exist! Now you may be asking, "What kind of person lures unsuspecting would-be first-time phone buyers to an address that doesn't exist?" or you might be asking, "What kind of fool buys a phone off Kijiji?" Either way, you will be happy to know I was not jumped by a gang of street thugs, I just returned to my house and e-mailed the seller and, apparently he was dyslexic, because he had given me the wrong address.

Long story short, I returned to the correct address, noted the welcome mat outside that said, "Go away," and knew right then and there I was probably screwed. I bought the phone anyway, and BIG SURPRISE, it didn't work.

Anyway, I learned my lesson, but you're probably asking, "Where is this crazy bird going with this story?"

The point is when I got home, feeling totally dejected, I had a message in my in-box from a friend that included a photo of a terrarium her dad had made. This woman's uber-cool father used to make these authentic glass bottle terrariums in the 70s and 80s and sell them at craft shows. He stopped when plants inexplicably went out of style, but knowing how much I love plants, my friend wondered if I would like her dad to make me one.

Uh, heck, yeah!

I have made open terrariums before, the kind that are so popular now, inside glass balls and containers with lids where minimal skill is required (see my blog post, "Make Your Own Terrarium" from August 2014). But this is something else. Somehow, my friend's dad  manages to get these fairly large plants inside this teeny tiny bottleneck opening using a coathanger...and magic. I don't fully get it, but I love it. And I am so grateful to Ian Campbell for this gift that made me almost able to forget about my crappy phone situation. My terrarium is beautiful...and in case you are wondering, I did get a phone. From Costco. And it works great.