'' 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!