February 3rd, 2010
I can never look at a Campbell's tomato soup can without thinking of Andy Warhol.
Why not bring a bit of pop art into your home with these simple Warhol inspired ideas? For just $0.88 a can you can grab some style and eat your lunch too!
Wheat grass dropped into Campbell's soup cans look great on a table as a centerpiece for a casual meal - but also could be used as fun and eco-friendly party favors.
To make these, I broke up a container of wheat grass into thirds, put some pea gravel in the bottoms of each can and dropped the grass in.
You can use a pot of wheat grass from the store, as I did – or you could grow the grass from seed right in the can. Place gravel (for drainage) in the bottom of the can, add soil and place seeds on top – lightly cover with soil. Keep moist and in bright light and you will have your own little patch of greenery growing in no time.
I've lined the inside of this can with a natural, unbleached paper towel and used it to hold rosemary bread sticks at a buffet.
Bring a little bit of Andy to your work space -a cheap, yet chic, pencil holder.
My inspiration - Campbell's Soup Can, 1964 Andy Warhol
Steal of a deal! Here is a link to the Campbell’s Soup website where they sell some Warhol posters for $28.00 – not bad!
Posted in Decorating | 1 Comment »
February 3rd, 2010
My older daughter loves to make paper dolls, she makes them by the hundreds. When we have other children over, these paper dolls often come out to play and keep my kids and their friends happy and creatively occupied for quite a bit. At the end of these play dates, friends sometimes ask if they can have one of my daughter’s dolls to take home. So, I thought I would share them on my blog and include printable versions for my readers’ kids. I think the fact that these are drawn by another child, may make them even more intriguing to other kids. So – take a look at the lovely ladies below – and print a few for your own kids to color in and cut out.
Annah - I love the tie-dyed t-shirt and flip flops on this one.
Vivien.
Zoey - obviously a soccer girl.
Posted in Kids | 1 Comment »
January 31st, 2010
These look great hanging out in a window & they are super easy to make!
Pipe cleaners are formed into heart shapes and backed with tissue paper to make these light-catching Valentines.
Shape pipe cleaners into a heart form.
Apply glue to the back.
Place hearts onto tissue paper, let dry and then cut out - following the silhouette of the pipe cleaner heart.
I picked up these striped pipe cleaners at Blick.
Posted in Valentine's Day | 1 Comment »
January 29th, 2010
In our family, we’ve created the tradition of making a poorly bed for someone when they are ill. We make our poorly bed on our couch by bringing down lots of pillows, quilts, blankets and stuffed animals and making a cozy, extra comfortable spot for the patient to recline and recover. I pull up a small table and set up a tray with something pretty to look at, a drink of OJ or tea, a book, pad and pencils – anything that a person could want. The point of this is to make your child comfortable and relaxed. When my kids get sick, they snuggle up in this mountain of softness & comfort to read and watch TV – what could be better?
When feeling sick - this warm and cozy setting makes a child feel special.
Thoughtful treats like Jello and flowers can make even the most unpleasant cold more bearable.
Posted in Kids | 2 Comments »
January 28th, 2010
In my life as a parent, the surprise of the multi-child, impromptu play date has come my way more than once. I keep a few things around the house for such a moment – here are some tricks that may help you keep kids busy and happy in an instant.
A bag of balloons, a box of crayons and a giant ream of white drawing paper have the power to create a stimulating and entertaining environment that is truly transforming.
Roll out large paper on your table or floor and scatter lots of crayons around so everyone can get to work.
I also purchase large reams of paper at Home Depot - it's less expensive than the drawing paper at art stores and still does the trick.
The possibilities are endless when drawing on such a large scale.
Balloons + Music + Kids = FUN. Blow up a bunch of balloons, turn up the music and watch the fun unfold.
Baking a cake with kids can be messy, but I allow it - they love it. I usually have a box of instant cake mix in the house.
Popcorn is always fun. We don't own a microwave, I make it on the stove. Most kids have never seen popcorn made this way before - so this really grabs their attention.
Posted in Kids | 2 Comments »
January 26th, 2010
Sometimes just a few extra touches can make a meal more appealing to a child – creating a visually intriguing plate can make a child think twice about walking away. I like to brand my creations by giving them silly names – my kids enjoy it and I get some fun out coming up with names for my crazy concoctions.
A serving of tomato soup is given a new look that no child can ignore.
Using a 1/2" size round pastry cutter, cut out rounds from a slice of bread and toast on a baking sheet in the oven. Add to soup.
Your child will need some "Holy Cheese Toast!" to go with their "Polka Dot Soup". Place cheese on a slice of bread - put your leftover "holy" slice on top and bake in oven alongside round cut outs. This is also great to serve to your little ones on April Fool's Day!
What child could resist this lunch? It really doesn't take much time at all and the reaction you'll get makes it worth it!
Posted in Food | No Comments »
January 25th, 2010
My daughter’s Girl Scout troop has amazed me with their wonderful creations. I asked them to dig deep into their imaginations and recycling bins and find objects to repurpose, reuse, redesign and rethink. Their natural sense of creativity came out – take a look-
Claire glued decorative paper to an Izze bottle to make a hip vase.
Meghan used cardboard from a cereal box to make these stylish bookmarks.
Yarn and ribbon were woven into the cardboard.
Gabi glued foam shapes to a plastic jar, transforming it into a bright and cheery pencil holder.
Olivia made a mobile collage from old magazine pages and ribbons - beautiful!
Using strips of plastic from a grocery bag, Grace twisted, braided & added all sorts of baubles to make a great necklace.
Thanks to all of the creative young girls of Troop 17 for sharing their wonderful ideas!
Posted in Kids | No Comments »
January 25th, 2010
This idea is great for any occasion when you find yourself in need of some height on your buffet table, but I love the idea of putting this to work at a book club meeting.
For vertical use, I tied together three books to hold a plate on a higher level. For a rectangular plate, I rested books on their side.
Any hardcover books will do - as long as they are of the same height. If you don't like the look of your books - cover them in a festive looking wrapping paper, map, newspaper or even fabric - whatever catches your eye.
Posted in Entertaining | No Comments »
January 24th, 2010
A cardboard toilet paper roll is filled with treats and wrapped with a magazine page to create an eco-friendly party favor.
Place party treats inside of cardboard roll. Put roll on top of a torn out magazine page. I used a large magazine (W). Remember, these are for children so make sure to check content carefully - you don't want inappropriate photos or information on these!
Roll up magazine page around cardboard tube.
Twist ends shut and tie with yarn or ribbon. Trim ends if needed.
Have your child help you make these. An important lesson on the importance of recycling can be taught through this simple craft. In fact, I have worked on recycling crafts with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop and have given them the assignment of creating their own designs from items found in their recycling bins. I will be posting their ideas here soon – so keep an eye out!
Posted in Kids | 1 Comment »
January 21st, 2010
This may not be the healthiest snack you can offer – but it may be the most fun! Get your kids to help – it is an easy project and they will love it.
Powdered doughnut holes are stacked on a skewer and a snowman is born!
Slide three powdered doughnut holes onto the top of a wooden skewer. Using a toothpick, pierce holes into your "snowman" to create the appearance of buttons, eyes, nose and a mouth.
Make a shallow impression and twist the toothpick while it is inserted to create a clean hole.
I slipped a paper doily onto the end of each skewer to add a wintery detail. I also stood the snowmen into a bowl of uncooked white rice to keep them upright when serving them. The kids can grab their snowman on a stick and dig right in.
Insert toothpicks into either side to give your snowman some arms. My 5 year old helped me make these and was thrilled to surprise her big sister with this very special after school treat.
Posted in Food | No Comments »
