I'm a country mouse trapped in the city. That's how I described myself during the 15 years I spent living in Chicago. While the diversity, people and amazing food and culture were a great part of living in the windy city, it was never my cup of tea. On brief visits to Wisconsin to see family or go camping, I could feel my muscles un-tense, my heart beat slow down and my mood lift as more green forest came into view.
The Chicago long winters were the hardest. Snow in the city isn't fun, it's just dirty. For months on end, the sky was gray and no green existed on the trees outside our apartment. That's when I discovered terrariums. No garden, and no sign of life outside, no problem; I'd make a miniature world of green inside my home. And as I did it, I felt a sense of artistic expression and wonder that I hadn't felt in a long while. This is how terrarium making started for me. Combining the creation of terrariums with community made it even more fun! I began creating "mamas' craft nights" and local terrarium workshops in my dining room and discovered that other people loved it too. And, as a bonus, it allowed me to use my teaching skills while I created something beautiful. Two and half years later and 2000 miles away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I'm still doing it and loving it!
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ErikaEducator, traveler, coffee-addicted, environmentalist and dedicated mother of a 4 year old. I'm a New Mexico transplant from Chicago, IL. My passions are reading, writing, hiking, art, traveling, creating community, gardening and designing terrariums. ArchivesCategories |