Play area

After much deliberation and toing and froing, I have a better idea of how I would like the play area (indoors) to look. Well at least, which products I would like to furnish the space with. Exactly where everything should go may change a bit, but this is the basic idea.

The chair and pouf featured in earlier posts, as well as the storage box are already part of the space. The miffy lamp, cloud-shaped carpet and deskhouse are not. For the lamp and desk I have found good deals. I am pondering buying a simple (cheap) carpet and cutting a cloud shape in myself. And possibly dyeing it in the washing machine. My only doubt is if it will begin to unravel? Maybe just go for the finished article? But then again, I love a project.

I want to place the desk free-standing, with the carpet close-by but not directly underneath it. One side is dedicated to drawing, hence the coloring pencils in the chimney, with the chair for seating. The other side will have the fav books displayed on the ledge and the pouf for sitting. The storage box I want to extend with a second one along the wall to the right  of the desk, where the little used playpen now stands. The lamp is 80 cm high, so will stand solitaire in the corner or on the edge of one of the storage boxes.



The lego storage boxes will sit on the larger white storage boxes and can be added-on to if we get more lego. I have my eye on some Hello Kitty ones for Zoe Isobel's birthday. The sticker can be adjusted to your own specs, so I think it would look lovely on the broad wall directly behind the desk. It also comes with hooks, so can be used to hang stuff up, maybe some protective crafting aprons?

The drawing board I am a bit hesitant about, but I have a savings coupon for this fun & already well-priced Ikea classic. I was thinking of painting in in fluo pink or yellow for some pop.. of color.

Wedge out

If you know me, you know I love, love, love me some shoes..
If you love shoes, holla!!

After not having bought shoes, in gasp.. a year or more and wearing holes into my favorite ballerina flats, I bought my beloved studded biker boots which featured in a previous post. Soon after that followed a pair of replacement ballerinas (indispensable as cute and comfortable), followed later by two wedges. One open-toe suede pair and the following Ash Uranus fur-lined ones.

As you might have guessed, I have a thing for wedges. I love how they look. Plus they are a bit easier to walk on than thinner heels.

A clear-out was needed to gain some more space. Alas, due to the height of most of my (new) shoes, I still can't get them all into the cupboards. So, this will have to be it for now... But that does not I have to stop looking. In honor here my new two shoe love brands (next to Ash) & their wedges.


Acne, model Hybria

                                                                    Dolce Vita DV8, model Julia

Happy mother's day

My favorite quote, which totally encompasses my feelings about my kids:
 Loved you yesterday, love you still, always have, always will!

A child's drawing for all the moms out there.
Have a great day, for you hold your child's heart and they hold yours.

Bakers world

I love baking. One of the great joys of my kitchen, besides my beloved coffee machine, is the double baking capability. Trust me, my oven sees plenty o' action. As does my kitchen machine, mixing bowl and rolling pin. Basically all the implement needed for baking. Here are the implements I would still like to acquire so I can bake up an even bigger storm.


My dream machine in my fav aubergine color

Silicone rolling pin for non-sticking and tearing of dough, with built-in size indicator

Silicone rolling mat for kneading without tons of extra flour

An essential when blind-baking pie crusts, for keeping them flat and helping heat distribution. No more faffing about with cooking beans for me

A pizza stone to get the crustiness of brick-oven pizza. I max out my oven at 250 + celsius. This would help to keep it steady and draw away any excess moisture.

Double protection

I am a girlie girlie, you could say. With an overwhelming love of skirts, dresses, bags and heels. However, lately I am really into more edgy fashions with a rocker-chic vibe. I am totally digging this Iphone case from the aptly named Knucklecase company. Protects my phone (now with numerous cracks due to my toddler love for Tommy a.k.a. Talking Tom) and can be used to throw down, just in case...

Something to keep in mind if I update this summer to the Iphone 4(S).

Up for a game?

Saw this light and totally fell in love. I fall quickly and deeply. Several times a day it seems. I saw it and immediatly knew it is what I have been looking for to place above the built-in seating in Mika's room.

Alas, the frailness and hefty pricetag have put a damper on my ability to express my love via purchase.

Outside space

There was a brief window of good weather awhile back, followed by sporadic moments of sunny weather , e.g. Queens day. But just the promise of sunshine and balmy breezes, makes me want to update and freshen up the garden. Cast off the slush, mush and moss of winter. So friday's good warmer, non-rainy weather was used during the kids nap time to mown the grass, remove the moss and weeds from the tiles, sweep everything down and edge the buxus bushes with grey gravel.

I would have liked to do more, but did not have all the stuff needed. Still need to scrub down the wooden lawn furniture and add more gravel as it was not enough to surround all the buxus bushes. Perhaps paint the fencing on the right to match the one we did two summers back as the wood has take a beating with the extreme (for Holland) winter's cold.

When the basics are done, then it is time to party. In my case decorating. My one true love (not really, but close enough). By far the most fun for me in the whole project. Here are the items on my inspiration and hopefully shopping list to finish the space off.


Oooms solar birdhouse to sit next to the a bird's palace and above the spot where my agapanthus usually sit

For a bit of color, my old staple the throw cushion will be moving outdoors. This color matches some of the indoor cousins

An oldie but goodie; the puppy, but then in my favorite glossy white. A cool seat for my daughter who will seat on any and everything. Really, buckets, lego, babies, nothing is safe from her behind

 My pet peeve is the horrid array and combination of colors found in kids toys. Basically anything for kids has the color palette of a color-blind man. But the goal is fun, so even I must give in, ... sometimes. Heh, a can of spraypaint can do wonders.

How fun is this slide! You can attach the garden hose for a super slippery ride. Best of all it folds up  quickly and easily for storage, thus saving mom from the design equivalent of garlic to a vampire.

A cute, bright, cuddly (soft ears) rocker with a humdinger of a cute nose. How much is that doggy in the window? Arf Arf. The one with the waggley tail.



Kids & storage

I like things neat, orderly and in a certain way. A particular angle to the cushions on the couch. A specific spot for each book on the 14 or so metres of bookshelves in the living room. Even when loading the cutlery into the dishwasher there is specific spot for knives, forks etc.

Obviously my neurotic tic extends to my kids stuff. A specific section for each type of clothing. A specific spot for each toy. But oh, how the toys quickly accumulate. At the moment the toys in their bedroom are neatly put away. But those in the living room (known as the inner sanctum) were starting to overflow with the Queens day spoils.

To combat this and contain the self-replicating lego, we got these storage containers today!

They are available here in Holland at lots of stores. However not in fuchsia, which I had to have. Long live Amazon (UK).



The next part of the dilemma is how to incorporate all the storage containers (abovementioned plus one pink rubber bucket, one white Ikea Malm storage box and various books, bits and bobs. All part of the overhaul of the kids play area I am (slowly) putting into production. I will put together a kind of mood board in a following post of my plans for this space. However I still need some help deciding on the desk.

Kids desks

When Mika was born, Zoe Isobel received a series of gifts (one left to go) to let her know that she is and will always be special and that becoming a big sister is fun. One of these was her first proper chair. It took me forever to decide which designer would do. In the end I went for the Kartell Lou Lou Ghost from Philippe Starck in glossy white. Mostly because I found a great deal. Heh, finances are important too.

But  now that we have a chair, we need a desk. At the moment she can work on the two side tables with her chair or at the toy storage bench on her Hella Jongerius bovist pouf. But this is not the ideal situation as they are not large enough to hold all the stuff she needs. E.g. coloring pencils keep hitting the ground and snapping their points.

The desk dilemma has been going on longer than the chair. Here are my favorite childrens desks. Let me know which you would go for. But beware, almost all require a savings plan due to the ahem, cough cough inflated price tag. Heh, no one ever said good design was cheap.


Come and draw table

Sirch Afra

Porcupine desk

Insekt desk

Goodproduct Heidi

Growing table

Don't look down!

A loo built over an unused 15-story elevator shaft? With a glass floor? Loving it! However I do feel sorry for those using it for the first time while drunk..