So I decided to post this here, just to show that I still use the website, and still sift through our old random posts from time to time.

So one thing you may not know about me is that I love the Ghibli aesthetic. I love Japanese forests and the countryside and the atmosphere that it creates. I love the innocence and simplicity that they represent and the absolute gorgeousness of nature. I really like the idea that, like most things in Japanese culture, the beauty in a object comes in its own simplicity. I think となりのトトロ (My Neighbor Totoro) is the quintessential visual representation of this aesthetic.

So like most ideas, this shit came to me from thin air. As I was looking at my “Totoro Station” on my bookshelf, I thought that I needed to level up. I wanted more. Right then and there I said to myself. “I’m going to make myself a mini forest”.

So I bought each of the things on different days from different places and just waited until I had everything to assemble it.

1) Elevated Wooden Stand:     $30     Cost Plus

2) Glass Bell Jar:                       $12     TJ Maxx

3) Mixed Moss                           $8       Michaels

4) Mini Trees                              $3       China (Ebay)

5) Mini Fence                             $5       Etsy

I had the styrofoam,Totoro figure, mini flowers, mini bottles,and glue gun already at home. I glued layers of different sizes of styrofoam together to create a multilevel-ed landscape. Then I carved it to fit inside my glass cloche and started to glue the moss and other parts to it. It probably took around 2ish hours to make. Greg also said he bought me some miniature mushrooms to add to it, so it’s like 99% done.

Here is the final product. I’m pretty happy with it.