An ''Egg''stra Special Fortune.

Have I mentioned my new found love for Pinterest? I can't remember . If I haven't .. consider that an official statement. Because , Oh Baby! It was love at first click.
I was surfing through the ''Do It Yourself'' section to find inspiration, as I do on a day to day basis. When I came across this beauty! . An egg fortune ''cookie''.

I decided that this would be a perfect craft to master for Valentine's Day. ( I know , I know .. it took me a while to post this entry ).So I set out to make one for the 5 most important people in my life.

Step 1 : Wash your eggs. Obviously the first step is to wash the eggs. Considering you'll need to use your mouth in Step 3.

Step 2 : Using a sharp object tap a hole in the top and bottom of the egg. I used a standard nail. Anything small and sharp will do. If you use a small object and want a bigger hole , you can easily move the object around gently to widen the hole. Be careful ! The egg shell is extremely fragile. It would also be wise to have a few spare shells on hand. Trust me you might need a few before you get it down pat.

Step 3:  Hold your egg over a bowl and blow air into the egg through the hole of your choice. You will empty the egg into the bowl. Run your egg under water , while making sure water cleans out the inside via the holes you just made.  Otherwise your egg will begin to smell funky after a few hours.

Now that the technical stuff is over , it's time for the fun stuff!

Step 4: Paint & Personalise.
I decided to go with the '' Sweet & Simple ''  idea this time.. after all it was the first attempt and I wasn't sure how well it would all turn out.  I ended up needing almost three coats of base colour (blue) to cover the egg properly. That might be because my paint wasn't the best quality available.. who knows!

I monogrammed the eggs with the first letters of their name. To make it seem more personal to them, but also to help me. I was using different messages for each person and didn't want them to get mixed up. A few polka dots here and there was just to add some colour and spunk. 

Step 5: Let it dry. This is the hardest part. With the 3 bases coats and

decoration layers - it took overnight to dry completely.
  

Step 6: Time for the message.  Obviously you can write anything you want on a piece of paper. Once you think up your cute and loving message simply roll it up and slip it into the previously made holes.

Six easy steps  that anyone can do.  Before you know it you'll have an amazing, personalised gift for your loved ones for hardly any money. What more could you ask for?

The best part of giving this gift is that the person you give this to , gets to crack the egg open to get their message. It's almost like an adult version of a Kinder Surprise. The only thing that could make it better is if we could somehow get chocolate into the egg like they do. :)

It was a big hit at my house!
Until next time , Stay Crafty!

'' Krafty Kool Kitchen''

                              

This blog is going to be a little different , I am going to dedicate this blog to all the wittle bitty toddlers of the world. Here's to hoping that your mommas or pappas find inspiration here.
The other reason behind this blog is because these seem to be everywhere I go lately.

I don't know about you , but growing up I used to love playing pretend kitchen with my twin sister and younger brother.  Then again who doesn't ?  It seems that no matter what age or gender the child is - they will be naturally drawn to this , one way or another.

Growing up , I wasn't lucky enough to have one of these in my playroom. Instead my mother let my siblings and I play with her Tupperware , utensils and anything
else we could get our little paws on in our actual kitchen. Now looking back , was that the best idea .. probably not. Sure that was the moment where I fell in love with cooking and baking - which is great.
It was also the same moment where we almost burned our house down.
Turns out little hands hiding little Tupperware jars in a big oven is bad news.
( please note that no children or pets were hurt during this time)

Finding a pretend kitchen these days , is an easy task. Everyone ... and I mean everyone is selling them.

Playschool was one of the first to start this trend , and shortly there after places such as Toys R us, Walmart, Target and even IKEA joined in on this sensation that has been brewing over many generations.

The real problem with this is that , although they are easy to find , and come in a large variety of shapes, sizes, colours and patterns .. they unfortunately also come with a very steep price tag.

Which is a shame really. More children would be able to ignite their love and passion for cooking  if this amazing product had a reasonable price tag attached to it.  Not to mention all the developmental benefits this toy has on a toddler.

Problem solved ! It seems that parents around the world have taken matters into their own hands and have started to create their own play kitchens !
How awesome is that?

That's right every single picture on this post , was hand made!
All you need is an old shelving unit and a little imagination!

Now there is nothing that I love more than a project that literally anyone can do.  No matter what budget you are working with - you can make this happen.

Now that I think about it , I have seen so many old entertainment units, desks, end tables, coffee tables and shelving units that would be perfect for this!
You can walk into any thrift store or second hand store and grab yourself one for under 25.00$
In fact if you really want to get crafty , I am willing to bet that you could find amazing deals at any and every garage sale.We're talking - amazing gift or project for pennies.

Now I know you're thinking.. Common! There is more involved in this project than the frame. Your right... lucky for you - I've thought of that!

As for any paint you want to use. Guys! Please before you walk into any store to buy anything . Please , go through the stuff you have stored away in your basement or spare room. Half the time , we forget about what we actually have right under our nose!

So now you need to go to the store, don't panic!
A lot of hardware stores have half pints of paint that other customers  have returned that they sell with an 80% price reduction. Great News! Same thing can be said for any material or wall paper - if you look around , you can find samples or amazing prices. After all you won't be needing very much.

Last but not least , the trinkets. If you have access to second hand hardware stores - that would be the place to go!. Right of the top of my head , I am thinking of the Habitat for Humanity chain of second hand renovation stores. You get your items for a low price , and all the proceeds go to a great cause. Win-win situation.  If not. That's ok as well! A little bit of digging and you can find great prices. Make sure to look through the weekly phamplets that the store has. That's where you'll find coupons or great deals.

I am just waiting for the day I have children now. You can be sure I will be whipping up one of these myself. Infact as soon as the itty bitty babies that are in my life ( mostly cousins and my friends babies... because lets all face it - everyone is pregnant these days) get a little bit older I will be putting my crafty skills to the test.

Now if you want to attack this project head on , right now. I have found an amazing couple that blog about their all their decorating adventures. Lucky for us , they have tackled this ...and achieved it with such amazing success. Infact the second picture on this post is from their blog!

I've attached a link to their blog where they walk you through it step by step . So that you can  do it!

That's right little children of the world! This is all for you!
All you crafty parents out there , to you I say - Get Crafty !!
Happy painting & Good Luck!

http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/01/claras-christmas-kitchen/

Stop The Presses !

I recently posted a blog about my undying love for candles.
In which I mentioned that I had several Moroccan Lanterns - That I love dearly.

Within the last few days , I was looking around on Pinterest. ( Which by the way is my new addiction. A website devoted to picture,crafts,recipe, and idea trading. What's not to love right?)

Under the '' Do It Yourself Crafts'' section I found this gem.
To be honest , I was blown away. How is it possible that I have never thought of this?

That's right , they had the steps necessary to make your own home made lantern!!
Amazing right??

I found the website where the picture originally came from , and read the step-by-step guide to see if this craft project is as easy as it really seems. By God it really is!
There are only two steps involved in this process.

Step 1: Once you have picked out the perfect  jar and cleaned it properly , you apply a layer ( or more all depending on what your taste is) of paint on the inside of the jar. You can use bright bold colours such as fuchsia, yellow , orange or aqua. After all the colours you choose will be the colours reflected on your wall , so pick something bright and funky!

Step 2: Once the inside layer has dried , it's time to move on and put all our attention on the outside of the jar.  Using a sparkly gold or black paint , you must paint the pattern you want to have on the outside. On the website where I found the step-by-step guide , they mentioned using lace material to achieve the lovely pattern that is often found in lace. Which makes sense!
Remember now is the perfect time to use dots, swirls and other intricate designs.

Then all that's missing is a simple tea light candle and Va-Va-Va-Voom! .
You've got yourself a Moroccan Lantern for pennies.

If that isn't decorating on a dime... I don't know what is!

I'm going to get the supplies needed , and try this one on the weekend!
I'll let everyone know how it goes. In the mean time, here is some borrowed inspiration!

Candles.Candles.Everywhere!

Am I the only one who could fill every free inch of space in the house with candles?
Yeah. I didn't think so.
I don't know if it is the calming feeling that comes from the flickering light - or just the fact that they make any space smell so delish that appeals to me .. but my oh my.

More specifically my new found love of candles comes in many different forms.
I of course love the basic candles that smell just as pretty as they look. However I have now discovered that I might just love the candle holder as much as the candle.

For example. Wooden candle holders.  They are amazing! I mean who wouldn't love these?
I have been looking for some for quite some time. I was keeping
my eyes open for any shapes or sizes- pretty much anywhere I went. Garage sales , Antique shops, Thift stores.. you name it.
Nothing to be found.
As soon as I saw how hard it would be to find myself a set of these, I knew that the option of being picky with what I found was instantly  thrown out of the window. I was okay with that.
Now now , no need to panic. After all remember that a little sanding and a couple strokes of a paint brush and Voila!. They can fit any room and any decor you want! .
Easy as pie pie!!.

I was so excited when I found some at a local antique store - that joy was instantly crushed when I saw there was a 75.00$ price tag attached to one of them. Let's be fair and say that I wanted to buy at least 4. My math is bad , but it's good enough to know that that is way more than I was planning on spending.

Some how the stars aligned themselves tonight and I was able to find some at a local store that was having a major blow out sale for the low price of 4.25$ each! Talk about a total score!
They need some love , and paint .. but that won't be an issue. At all.
Now because I know that not everyone lives in Sherbrooke , Québec - and that some of you might want to acquire your own set , I decided to do some more digging.

I found an amazing website a few months ago with the lowest prices I had seen so far. They have different sizes and models available with affordable prices to go with it . How perfect right?
If you make your way to http://www.williams-sonoma.com you can purchase them , the tab will ring you up anywhere between 24.00$ - 44.00$.

That being said , the second ( and equally important ) way that I have recently discovered to accessorise with candles would be Moroccan Lanterns. 

I received my first lantern a couple years ago as a Christmas gift and actually kept it in the back of my closet. It wasn't until I moved into my new place that I really decided to use it. To be honest I had kind of forgotten about it.
Wow! Am I ever glad I decided to dig it out of the deep dark closet of lost treasures. I've been here since April of 2011 and I have since added three more to the collection.

I don't think there is anything negative for me to say about these lanterns. They come in different sizes and colours. Meaning it is perfect for anyone. Mostly because are  so flexible. Suddenly it doesn't matter if your walls are brown or yellow or if your house is big or small- you will find one that fits your taste and space perfectly.

They generally come in two subsections - funky and reserved.

As seen in the picture above you can find different sized lanterns with a variety of gems and stained glass to add a spunk of colour to any room. If you are going for a more reserved approach that's okay as well. We all love a beige toned room.
As pictured below you can find different lanterns that are plain and have softer colours like white and grey. In that case , instead of having colours reflect on your walls - you will see the shadows and patterns as they reflect on your wall. Which is equally beautiful.

Even better than that, I have yet to find any lantern that was over 20.00$ . Which is amazing! A great accent piece that fits the tightest budget . And as you've seen from my previous posts there is nothing that this blogger loves more than decorating on a budget. The largest selection I have found thus far was at Home Sense.

So not only are these pretty to look at on a book shelve , or hanging from your wall. Once you add a candle to the mix - the stained glass panels instantly brings life and colour to the surrounding walls.
It is impossible not to find happiness , as you watch the colours  and patterns flicker with the flames inside.

So these are my finds for this week , I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Until next week - happy decorating!

For The Love Of Typography

I found this today , and quite honestly have fallen in love with it. It's borderline my new obsession.
The best part is , that this is made of paper. Of all the material out there.. PAPER!
I have spent the day trying to find a way to get myself one.


How amazing is this!

The genius behind this can be found here : http://www.behance.net/sabeenu

A Little ''Je Ne Sais Quoi''

Now , we are starting off on a great foot.
I can't express how much I love these '' Wall Written Statements''. I am not sure where they came from , but this new sensation is just booming out of control.
Within the past few years there has been a shift in the distribution. What was once only available in high end boutiques is now within arms reach - to anyone , with any kind of budget. It's wonderful!

Meaning not only are these easy to apply stickers cheap and available at a drop of a hat ... they are also just what you need to add a special and extremely modern touch to any room of your house.

A couple of months ago , I came across this wonderful website ( see below for link). This God sent website allows anyone who knows how to shop online the possibility of acquiring these wonderful stickers without even leaving the comfort of their home! What could be better right?  Well get a load of this,there is more good news!!

So not only can you shop and decorate your entire house in your sweat pants with a mug of hot chocolate , you can also create your own , or customise the statements you find. Perfect right?

To begin with you have two standard options . Written statements , or non-written statements.

Before you know it you will find the perfect option  for any room in your house.
Trust me when I say that  within a few minutes on the website you'll see that I mean , ANY room will do.

Don't be surprised if you have the urge to redecorate every room in your house.
Bedroom, nursery,laundry room , rec room, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Once you find it , you can customise it to make sure it will be a perfect match. Colour , text format ...the whole production! 

So you didn't find one that you liked among the hundreds if not thousands of different options out there - No Problem!

You can personalise one with the colours , size and sayings of your choice.

You can use monograms , shapes , trees , a favourite quote, swirls ... anything really.

Let your imagination run wild !

Get ready for it , I'm not done yet!
All this can be yours for anywhere from $50.00-$150.00 all depending on the size you choose.  That's right.. a new look for a bargain of a price! Just the way I like it!
Orders over $50.00 get free shipping to Canada and the United States.

Could it get any better than that?
I really don't think so .
Check it out. Use it . Love it .

http://www.wallwritten.com/index.php

Here Goes Nothing.

            After almost a year of writing , I have discovered that I greatly enjoy it. In fact I believe I may have a new a new found passion on my hands.

            Furthermore , I have noticed that I have a wide ray of topics that I love talking about.
I decided I would start this new blog in the hopes of keeping a specific theme with the entries that I post here. As oppose to the '' anything goes'' theme I currently have with my other blog.

           That being said -this blog will be dedicated to all the things I love. Art , fashion , drama, interior design, and pretty much anything that has to do with cooking and baking  are some of the topics you can expect to see on a regular basis.
Long story short when I find great deals , or something unique that I absolutely have to share with someone .. this is where I will do it.

So raise a toast to a new beginning , may you enjoy it as much as I do.

-Tanya.