The Modern Monstera

I mean...thank goodness it's Friday, am I right?

Something weird is in the air, so my head felt foggy every day this week. I'm hoping to take it easy this long weekend and get the kids ready for a new school year! I can't believe it's September!

Snapshots of The Modern Monstera household:
1. Finished that I'm probably going to be able to wear soon now that the air is chilly at night.
2. in progress
3. It's dahlia season, enough said?
4. Roses after some rain
5. My harvest basket after my 2 weeks vacation
6. Outdoor dinner with a great view
7. Picking cucamelons that are growing out of control
8/9. My is flowering

Before July slips away...🥺

Can we freeze time but minus the mosquitoes?

1. Koko Loko roses from the garden
2. Seb harvesting cucamelons
3. My lovely hubs napping in a hammock
4. Backyard garden harvest
5. Fishing with the boys
6. that's taking way too long to finish
7. Messy studio but sewing a ton of linen shorts and pants
8. Kayaking in the middle of the lake

Bring it on August!

Summer 2024 lately...

(...and ignoring all the fall decor ads because come on people)

Plants lately...
This side of my house is North facing so the intensity of light at its peak doesn't last very long. This is why adding supplental lighting on my plant shelves is so helpful. At first I installed the lights to support my plants for the winter, and ended up just leaving them there all year round.

This area is where I feel the most peaceful. My plants will always be a staple for me and my home.

I hope you all have that special corner of your house where you can destress and enjoy the moment even for a tiny bit 💚

Should I call this "Instagram vs Reality" or "every plant parent's worst nightmare= motorized Nerf battles"?

Happy Family Day and try not to lose your marbles like I already did!

I take on alot of roles in my life, and today I'm a proud mom to this birthday boy!

My kids absolutely love growing and harvesting food in our garden and scrolling through last summers pictures got me excited all over again. I needed a pick me up after an extremely busy week and wanted to add some color to my grid.

TGIF and looking forward for some downtime this weekend and I hope you do too!

Plants lately in February...

Moved a couple of things around just to make spring feel a little closer.

Enjoy your weekend!

I was interviewed by CBC Life to talk about my business The Modern Monstera and share some of my favorite plants. Super ecstatic to be part of their series "Houseplanted". See below for full tour:

Inside a home that doubles as a houseplant rehab | Houseplanted See plant joy in its truest form in this episode of Houseplanted! Cheryl, the houseplant stylist and rehab expert behind The Modern Monstera, gives us a tour...

https://www.cbc.ca/life/video/houseplanted-cheryl-the-modern-monstera-1.7094401

Inside an Ontario home that doubles as a houseplant rehab | CBC Life Cheryl of The Modern Monstera shows us how to add character to our homes with plants.

Another glow up for this client's FLF!

Right now it's exploding with new growth in the dead middle of winter. How ironic right? I haven't even given it any fertilizer over the winter season, but I might just give it some worm compost to get the momentum going. I didn't chop this one and let it do her thing by giving her plenty of light, consistent watering while letting the soil dry out almost completely.

Last pic is what I received from the client last year!

So much can happen in ONE year.

1- Before the chop
2- Right After the chop
3- 3 months after chop
4- 1 year after chop

Client's Fiddle Leaf Fig rehab progress going excellent and I'm super ecstatic to see the results. She is ready to go back home.

Ask me about my plant rehab/refresh services: www.themodernmonstera.com

I was inspired by and wanted to refurbish this old denim jacket by adding a quilted patch on the back. I love how it turned out!

Some of the fabric I had dyed back in the summer and I was so happy to finally cut into them. Life gets so busy, but it feels good to set aside some time to create and make things.

There will be quite a few things in the making as it's holiday season so tune in for some sneak peaks 😉

Catching up on some home chores today which also includes watering all the plants.

I've had alot of questions about how I water my plants that are really high up on that wall. I don't have an exciting answer for you but it does involve a step stool 😄

Anyway, debating whether I should dig up my Christmas decorations this weekend or wait until 2 weeks before as usual...

Just because you don't have natural sunlight in certain areas doesn't mean they can't be functional. Here's a few ways I have utilized dark corners:

1) Create a hobby nook: I have transformed this one wall into my sewing area. You can add a moody pendant light or a floor lamp to keep it cozy and make you feel inspired.

2) Add a decorative gallery wall and include floral and botanicals to bring in a nature vibe without real plants. A dash of dried florals can also help add warmth to the space.

3) Add an indoor greenhouse or grow lights so that you can yes indeed grow plants even without natural sunlight. I love my Fabrikor because it's a esthetically pleasing but also functional and I can grow plants that I can't normally grow in this corner.

Dark corners have been some of my favorite places to style and design because I've been appreciating the ethereal glow which really awakens my creative juices.

I actually spend most of my time here in my plant and creative studio, and surprise it's actually my basement! 😄

I've been getting alot of questions about our backyard. For those of you who missed the drama from the same time last year, we had major issues with the renovation of our backyard (last two pics are the befores).

Let's just say that I still get triggered by the sound of stone being chiseled. I also still get upset when I see some of the imperfections that can't be fixed.

If you are ever looking to hire contractors, I wrote a post last year about things to watch out for since this is the season when people are usually researching for next spring. I will pin it if you would like to take a read.

All in all, my family and I had a blast this summer customizing this little oasis just for us. Looking forward to next spring already!

Lately I've fallen into a creative rut, so this is when I pick up old unfinished projects, pick through my stash of materials and think about ways to think outside the box. A mind of a creative can be quite stressful actually because it never stops creating even in our sleep. At least it doesn't for me.

So this is me these days, soaking in the good and bad because both are just as important, experiencing status quo vs growth, and keeping an open mind about everything as best as possible.

PS 3 years later and all I need to finish is the border of my son's quilt 😄 it's been a journey but I'm almost there!

Cattle panels are in! It wasn't the easier to squeeze into this smaller space, but growing vertically is a great solution just for that.

Mother nature, can we just skip winter completely and go straight o spring 2024, please and thank you!

(Swipe for before-->)

Well, nothing screams more fall than cozy knitted sweaters don't you think?

I did finally finish the one sleeve of the and noticed 3 stitches that need to be fixed on the shoulder and debating if I should fix it or leave it 😵‍💫. I just can't unsee it and not sure why I didn't see the mistakes until I was finished casting off the cuff. Keep in mind I already frogged this completed sleeve once already.

I'm also considering dyeing this whole sweater with avocado pits and skins or leaving it as is. I will put a poll on my stories today!

Otherwise plant chores and knitting adventure continues...

Felt like adding some pink to my feed. Wish you could smell these roses through your screens.

Happy Friday!

David Austin 'Gentle Hermione'

Felt like I needed to add some pink to my feed. Also, wish you could smell these from your screens.

David Austin 'Gentle Hermione'

Weekend recap: lots of rearranging and repotting new plants, knitting up a new sweater, still harvesting vegetables in the garden, and enjoying the sunset 🌅

I've been meaning to post first thing this morning but all of a sudden it's dinner time 🤔

I've been hunting for the perfect ceramic pot for this caudex-Discordant Elephantipes, which by the way sprouted and grew wild after it fell on the ground after being knocked over by a small human.

I would love any recommendation for the cutest little pot for this little guy!

Knitting season is here, so you will find me under a pile of plants and yarn until the foreseeable future.

Pattern is "Marble Sweater" by

Here is the cutest heart shaped leaf from my Monstera Thai Constellation I had chopped down to soil level over the summer.

There's always something endearing about the first baby leaf. I love mature leaves with amazing fenestrations but I also adore perfect heart shaped leaves as well. Plants can be appreciated at all stages.

Oh and you can already see the emerging 2nd leaf 🥰

Follow along for the growth journey of this special one.

Not complaining about the sun today ☀️

Someone commented why on earth I would grow tropical plants that belong outdoors inside my house (ex: Monstera Deliciosa). How dare I?

I will let the plant lovers respond ⬇️

Thank you August! You were the month of flowers 🌻🌸🌼🌹

Indoors lately...

Moved some plants around, cooked, baked, and browsed through hundreds of knitted sweater patterns (do I need more yarn? 🧐)

Peep the rainbow catcher, it was so sunny yesterday!

A little project that was completed over the weekend was my storage curtain for my potting table. See the before where you can see where I store the trash bin, bottles and bottles of Critter Ritter and too many pots to count 😄

I had to rig this abit but it works and my clutter under my table is no longer an eye sore! These days, it's been about tackling smaller projects and feeling victorious!

In denial that the first frost date is less than 60 days away.
Use code 'MONSTERA10'