The string of pearls (senecio rowleyanus - 2nd photo) looks too wet in the photo.
Otherwise the 'beads/pearls' look plump to me, which is good. Wherever stems touch the soil, it should root and the rest of 'string' should be hanging over the edge of pot.
Here are few stems I potted separately back in October, and they are still alive and grew about 2inches since (they are not as plump as they should be, so I'll try to give them week dose of fertilizer) :

They look so small compared to the second plant (well, which died anyway). So diluted balanced fertilizer is the key, then? And they're really slow growers? This plant is delifghtful but very frustrating for me.

-Iane

Lane
I don't know if fert is 'the key', I said I am going to water with very weak solution to see if they plump up. But they also need outdoors and sun (still pretty cold around here; we had 0C last night!!!). I don't think they are slow growers, those few 'strings' I showed in previous photo grew more than 2", indoors, in winter since Oct. 2014.
Just don't overwater them.
Rina

Iane, String of Pearls is my bug-a-boo plant, too. I used to pine for it to make an appearance in garden centers (which was rare enough), bring it home with the best of intentions, and have it slowly decline. I tried to follow all the care tips for it and always lost it. I tried not to water it and it fried in the intense Texas heat (even without it being in full sun); I tried watering it and it rotted. It was one of the first plants I moved to gritty mix when I finally converted. I also used a more shallow planter and more appropriately sized, since SoP's roots seem so shallow. I can't tell you the difference it's made. I can water it every day if I want to (haven't had to this year since it's like a rainforest here this spring, raining EVERY day for a month or more!) and it doesn't rot. In fact, it really seems to enjoy being cooled off with a shower. The little roots sink deeply into the grit particles that hold water, the bark and clay chips. I'm so, so happy to see it finally look good! Because it gets (and CAN get) so much water, those leaf orbs are fat and round. I recently purchased a second SoP. As an experiment in becoming a better grower/steward, I left it in its nursery soil. I'm keeping this one inside in a sunny window and seeing if I can keep it looking good, too. So far, so good but if so much as one leaf looks stressed, that one is going in gritty mix, too. Definitely not an easy plant for me. Hope you can find a happy combo of care for your plant.

Rina, it's steaming hot and blindingly sunny (when not raining) here. I guess the crazy weather did the second plant in.

Stonetree, when it does make an appearance in the garden centers here, it's expensive. I guess we have similar weather since it's so hot here. That first plant that survived is in a gritty mix. I did what you did too, left my second plant in its nursery soil. It was fine until the weather turned extreme.

What about my cactus guys? Can that be saved?