Stairway to ...

So way back, when we purchased our home the top staircase was completely covered in blue shag carpeting. Super soft underfoot but it look like something for a man cave slash seventies love pad. After stripping and painting, we were super pleased with the look. However to prevent slips and trips we then applied an anti-slip coat. This was so eggy in color, I stripped that back as well and just left the painted surface.

After the umpteenth fall down the stairs, we decided to go for the fastest fix; anti-slip tape from Ikea. Several weeks later and still going strong. As a slight reminder of it's slippery past and I have the bruised butt bones to prove it, a couple of stickers from the survival kit sticker set from HU2 (now they have a sale, go figure) add a bit of fun.

Coconut crazy

I live in the Netherlands but grew up on a Caribbean island, so stereotypically I love coconut. It is something I adore savory but even more so in sweet. I remember my dad making little tarts with sweetened coconut filling when I was little. Queue the ahh's. So how could I resist a recipe for coconut swirl bread?

Deep breaths..

Cupcakes, Cupcakes, cupcakes

If there is one thing I bake often, it's cupcakes. Zoe Isobel adores them and they are one of the few baked goods Daan likes as well. The pair of them share the little lashings of dough left in the mixing bowl. Triple bonus is that they're super easy to make. So in tribute; an ode to the humble cupcake.

 

 

1. Apple with brown sugar streusel. 2. Chocolate cherry. 3.House favorite; vanilla.

Mantra

Inspirational toddler bed

Even before Zoe Isobel's turned toddler and to be honest even before she was born, I have been considering what type of (toddler) bed she will have. I have been undecided between the Crisis bed from Piet Hein Eek, the Finne bed from Warber and more recently the R toddler bed from Rafa Kids.

However when I saw this amazing open playhouse bed from French design studio BonneSoeur(s) I went bananas. For now not a critical-point decision, as we have a while yet to go before she is too big for her baby bed. But I am definitely determined to have the carpenter who made both kid's storage units make a single sized kid's bed like this one. What's more fun than going from your downstairs tented playhouse to this wooden one for sleeping?

Dark side of the moon..via Fab

I have long been addicted to Fab for scooping out the new and cute. So when I was tipped a couple of months back to the EU site where I could actually make purchases, I immediately did so. I eagerly await the new sales each morning at 11 (now via an app so as never to miss out) and check on those to come in the evenings.

There I saw the Spacebot & Spacewalker lamps from Belgium brand Dark. They make me smile, laugh and then smile some more. I totally see the robot sitting in Mika's room next to the reading nook. The astronaut would look great hanging upside down in the dark (ahem, get it) corner of the living room.

The sales continues for another 4 and a half days, so we have to wait and see if my resolve holds to purchase less or at least only that which I truly love.