Love Lego?

Lego Kitchen Scales

If your children are anything like mine, they absolutely love Lego. My two boys are obsessed with it and there isn't a day that goes by that they don't create something. Despite the fact that I do get annoyed by finding Lego all over the house and sucking it up the vacuum cleaner, it is the one toy which I encourage them to play with. It is stimulating and helps them with creativity.

Being a creative type, I love to see them designing and making buildings. Perhaps I'm hoping they'll become architects and build their loving mother a mansion one day. I can dream! In the meantime, they might get inspired to use these Lego Kitchen items. Maybe breakfast in bed on Mothers Day (which is coming up) might be the best way to go for now. It would be funny to eat toast or pancakes shaped like little lego men.

All are available from "Lego.com"

Lego Cookie Cutters Lego Ice Cube Trays

Lego Salt and Pepper Shakers

Egg and Toast Soldiers - My Childhood Favourite

How gorgeous is this set!!

Japanese designer Takae Mizutani has just brought me back to my childhood with this cute set. No longer do toast soldiers need to be neglected. Rather than leave the toast lying on a plate, she designed her own whimsical Egg and Soldier set.

Made in Cornwall, England from an earthenware clay, the Egg and Soldier Set adds an engaging charm to this classic breakfast dish. The two piece set holds your egg securely behind the turrets of a small castle, while the toast soldiers valiantly stand upon their royal stead.

Inspired by childhood stories and imaginative dreams this will be a certified hit with children and adults who like to regress back to childhood (I'm off to buy one!!)

Cost 25 Pounds from Red Direct (UK)

Easter Traditions And Egg Rolling

Easter has nearly arrived and the holidays are about to start. My children are very excited as they have two weeks off school and they are about to receive their weight in chocolate. Well it feels that way once all the relatives and friends have exchanged their gifts. They love waking up on Easter Sunday to see what the Easter Bunny has left them. Our Easter Bunny has a taste for Lindt!

Over the next few days parents across Australia and elsewhere will be buying up the remaining chocolate eggs, dying boiled eggs, making easter treats and going to Easter Parades. Or if they're in Sydney, some will make the trip to the annual "Royal Easter Show". I call them the "Brave" people. Brave enough to endure the crowds and queues for rides.

I do love watching the animals and the parades. The judging is interesting and it really is the country coming to the city. When we were little we loved going into the sheds and getting up close to the farm animals. The owners were always friendly and ready to talk to the children. We'd also gawp at the food exhibitions and the various regions displaying their produce in a theme. If you were lucky they'd also hand out pieces of fruit from their region and talk to you about it. I was absolutely awestruck but the displays and how they came to life. Even still this is a huge hit with everyone who visits. My parents were happy we kids finally worked out where all our produce came from. Growing up in the city sheltered us quite a bit.

When we were little we'd go away camping at Easter with half a dozen families or more. The Blue Mountains National Park was always popular. We'd camp near the "Three Sisters" at Katoomba. We'd have an absolute ball and on Easter Sunday all the children would wake up and receive their chocolate eggs.

The the "Egg Rolling" would begin. My parents are from Scotland and many of the other families we went away with were from Scotland, England and Wales. In Scotland the tradition is to make hard boiled eggs and then let everyone decorate them. We'd use coloured texta's or food colourings. We would spend hours getting them ready.

At Katoomba there was one spot near the camping ground that had a steep hill so we'd take our eggs there and wait for the signal to start. The aim was to roll your egg down the hill and hope that your egg would be the last one unbroken. Half the time the adults would break theirs so they could eat them. It was always a huge laugh and everyone had a great time.

They believe this tradition started in Scotland and was to symbolise the stone being rolled away from the tomb at Easter. Many other countries have similar traditions with eggs as well.

I believe the Easter Egg Roll has even been adopted by the US White House every year. I had no idea that the American's followed the Easter Egg Rolling tradition too. They use a spoon though but essentially that is the only difference. For our family you always had to find a steep hill so the eggs would roll down themselves with only a little bit of effort. The only issue is that if some of the parents had enjoyed a "wee whisky" they might roll down the hill after it!

Dream Beds For Children.

It seems that bedroom designers have taken children's bedrooms and beds to a whole new level. Forget the regular beds that most of us are accustomed to, some children now have beds that are straight out of a fairytale.

Of course these amazing beds come at a price. Most are a minimum $14,000 US Dollars and that is for a base model.

The "Fantasy Coach" (right) is $47,000 USD.

This fanciful coach bed is the most extraordinary children's bed we've ever seen. Handcrafted in England of wood and fiberglass, the oval shaped interior measures just over 6 ft. in diameter. Construction and delivery time on this piece is over 6 months. The bar is set with this magnificent piece; it simply has no equal outside of fairy tales. Linens and interior options priced upon request

The Victorian Loft Bed and layhouse (left) starts at $14, 450 USD. For an additional charge an artist can work with the existing bedroom colours and co-ordinate the Bed to match.

The English Tudor Cottage Bed features genuine cherrywood trim an cute little flower boxes. A real dutch door and a slide on the side, it can also be colour co-ordinated to the bedroom colours.
Price - $14,450 USD

The Princess Palace Bed features custom hand turned spindles, custom fiberglass fabricated curved slide, custom made spiral staircase, and so much more. The grand spiral staircase leads to a balcony complete with pink turrets - all these details make this an over the top princess bed! The artist can customize the cottage's colors to work with your existing room décor.

Price $47,000 USD


This tropical tree house theme bunk bed features real bamboo, thatching, and palm tree inspired leaves to create the ultimate island experience.

$15,810 UDS

And don't forget about the babies and toddlers! They can also have dream beds.

The carriage crib is constructed with a solid cedar frame and birch details. Features a front faux leather seat (not for sitting-max weight of front seat is 25 lbs), rear box designed as a changing table with an overall look of a luggage rack on the carriage. Round mattress included.

$19,995 USD

This canvas covered wagon is not only a toddler size bed but it also features a changing station area with storage. The changing station area has a place for a changing pad (changing pad not included) and also features a large changing table drawer complete with western style pewter metal knobs (star, horseshoe, cattle head, rope). There is also a small box (approx. 9.5"W x 8.5"H x 7.5"D) on the side of the changing station area convenient for storing diapers and wipes which also has a horseshoe knob. Decorative milk jug and rope are also included. Handcrafted by talented artists and made from birch, cedar, and select hardwoods. Bed features a tan finish accented with a dark brown dry brushing technique in some areas. Bed holds a standard size crib mattress, mattress not included. $14, 918 USD

All I can say is "WOW" to some of these beds! If you want to have a look at more of these amazing beds, go to poshtots.com

Matyoshka (Russian Nesting) Dolls

Another of my new art works is the Russian Doll and I thought I would also detail their history.

Matryoshka dolls are a time-honoured Russian tradition. The first nesting dolls were made in early 1890, inspired by souvenir dolls from Japan. Some books state that a Russian Monk brought back a Japanese doll from Japan and this inspired the Russians to make their own.

A set of matryoshka dolls consists of a wooden figure which can be pulled apart to reveal another figurine of the same sort inside. It, in turn, contains another one inside, and so on. The number of nested figures can be as few as three or as many as twenty.

The dolls are typically made of linden tree (basswood), dried for at least 2 years to ensure their stability. The artistry is in the painting of each doll, which can be extremely elaborate.

There are several towns in Russia with a long lasting tradition of crafting nesting dolls with notable matryoshka styles. Sergiyev Posad in the Moscow region has a particularly distinguished history in these artistic endeavours.

Technically, the correct Russian name for the dolls is Matryoshka. Inaccurate terminologies such as babushka dolls seem to have slowly seeped into the foreign vocabularies, unbeknownst to the Russian creators.

Interestingly, babushka is the Russian word for "grandmother" and has little to do with matryoshkas. A possible connection, perhaps, rests on the generous nature of Russian babushkas, spoiling their grandchildren with toys and, more likely than not, matryoshkas.

Where Do Kokeshi Dolls Originate?

Since I am selling Kokeshi Doll prints, I thought I would delve into the history of Kokeshi.

While not the kind of dolls that little girls usually play with, kokeshi dolls are instantly recognizable as Japanese. Beautifully painted with traditional Japanese motifs or simply varnished these wooden dolls originated in the Tohoku Region of Northern Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868).

It is believed that these dolls were originally created by woodwork artisans known as kijiya who made them to sell to the tourists who flocked to the onsen (hot springs) in the area each winter. Now they can be found throughout Japan and, today, kokeshi dolls are considered to be one of the traditional folk arts of Japan.

These whimsical wooden dolls with sweet hand-painted expressions will capture your heart. Traditional kokeshi dolls have no arms or legs and in their simplest from they consist of a long cylindrical body upon which rests a round head. Both the body and the head are hand painted with the body often painted in bright floral patters or with traditional scenic images of Japan and the face consisting of a few that lines somehow give each doll its own character. Some are solemn and others playful and joyous in appearance.

Since World Ward II the look of the kokeshi doll has been expanded to include rotund kokeshi and more elaborate versions of the dolls appear to be dressed in a kimono or other traditional attire and have hair in wooden relief. The shape, size and motifs that adorn modern kokeshi dolls are only limited by the creativity of the maker. All are beautiful in their own way.

Eloise and The Plaza Hotel. She's back!

The Plaza Hotel, New York City

On December 1st 2009, Eloise "officially" returned to her old haunt in NY - The Plaza Hotel. Who can forget Eloise, who moved into the Plaza in 1955 with her pet pug Weenie, turtle skipperdee and her nanny.

The "Eloise Shop" opened on the hotel's concourse level to much fanfare. The shop is 2,100 square feet in size and has it's own concierge that the young and fashionable can access as Eloise did.

Eloise's Lounge

There is a Fashion Room where guests can dress up in costumes and pretend they are the fashionable Eloise. There is even a podium they can "model" from. In the Library Room, the young guests can enjoy "park views" and watch their favorite Eloise movie clips, play on the computer stations or enjoy story time with their mostly companion.

And the favourite? It would have to be the Tea Room where family and friends can come together for tea and birthday parties and other celebrations.

The Tea Room

A visit to the Beauty Salon rounds out a day of living like Eloise. In Spring 2010, tea and birthday parties, beauty salon service and etiquette classes will be available too.

And of course there is shopping. The store offers a wide variety of Madame Alexander dolls, Eloise books, Eloise-inspired bathrobes ($95 US) and bath towels, and exclusive product lines including the Eloise in Paris doll. Eloise signature bed linen is $200 US, a charm bracelet is $85 and a do not disturb sign is $5.

The shop includes a mailbox where little ones can drop letters for The Plaza mascot. They'll get back notes signed "Eloise" — on pink stationery, of course.

The Plaza has also started an Eloise fan club and has overnight hotel packages called "'Live Like Eloise" and "Live Like Eloise Slumber Party". Best of all? Well if money is no option your little one can stay in the new Betsey Johnson Eloise themed suite! Ooh La La!

Want your kids to eat vegies. Scare them!

Finds of the day... Sushi

Sushi Crochet

http://www.etsy.com/shop/skymagenta

(Amazing, that is all I can say about this sushi!)

Sushi Prawn Ring

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleAngelsJewelry

Felt Sushi

http://www.etsy.com/shop/chirchi965

Sushi Candles

http://www.etsy.com/shop/doublebrush

Octopus Sushi Hair Pin

From Etsy Description:

"are u hungry..on a diet, something to tempt your boy toy or girlfriend...maybe the one with eating issues, keep them occupied with longing"

http://www.etsy.com/shop/adelehartlep

(Feel pekish? Not sure why it is "cheap and dirty")

Handmade Sushi Soap!

My find for today...

Barbie went from being a shopaholic to a cat burgler!

That's right, Barbie is feeling the global credit crunch and has now resorted to stealing her Louboutin's. I sort of feel for her as for many of us that is the only way we'll get a pair of them!

Tea Parties and the rise of "Creative Party Food"

Thanks to the renewed interest in Alice In Wonderland, tea parties have become fashionable again for children. "High Tea" and cupcake parties are all the rage with the fashionable set.

If not a tea party then there is still an expectation that the food will be creative and something that Martha Stewart dreamed up. I see parents I know stressing over cookbooks and recipes for finger food that the children will be impressed by. What ever happened to simple party food?! And do the children even notice?

No longer is a party about heating up frozen pies in the oven. "That was so 90's!" (According to another mother I know). I didn't realise that children really took so much notice of the food quite frankly. Perhaps it is more for the parents of those children.

"Please don't eat me!"

In the effort to "outdo" each other, parties are now so elaborate that you almost need your own party planner. Apparently the egg and spoon race just doesn't cut it any more! I don't remember getting the memo. Ditto "pass the parcel". These days to be absolutely PC, every child must get the exact same gift and no-one must miss out. Therefore the gift bags are now as elaborate as Melbourne Fashion Week goodie bags. Without all the kicking and scratching to secure one!

Children are now wanting cucumber sandwiches and canapes over sausage rolls and mini pizza's. Gourmet finger food and sweet treats presented on fine china are the new trend. However not any old china, it has to be pretty, pastel or both. (See my entry a couple of days ago for a picture of a tea party - Pottery Barn Style). And don't even forget about the floral arrangements. Though I must say I love the current trend for pretty bunting (fabric flag banners) that can be hung above the parties. I even sell them in my store and they are a huge hit.

Remember the craze over the home made novelty cakes? (previous post). It seems if you don't make it yourself then you have failed. Which is ridiculous.

I would love to try to make my own, but I am single handedly trying to keep my local bakery in business (wink). I buy so much from them they should have their own frequent flyers points. And in any case, why be inside making the cake and food when you can be outside with the ladies sharing a glass of wine! Priorities people!

I am so busy that I know every gourmet food outlet and cake shop within a 50km radius. I will admit my tables and decorations are well thought out. (I am an artist after all!) I love creating a theme and for me it doesn't take much effort despite how it may look. I tend to think outside the square and my boys love it. However I am not Nigella Lawson and I'd rather buy mini cakes and "distress" them with a cooking implement to make them look home made then actually make them myself.

That's the secret...distress the cakes and not yourself. Easy!

Where do brilliant idea's come from?

Since I was young I've been constantly asked "How did you come up with that idea?" by my friends or family. At times I've struggled to answer them for I really don't know. My mind is sometimes a mystery even to myself!

Ideas just come to me which can be fantastic but also a curse. At times my mind is so active and full of ideas that I don't know what to do with them all. I'm constantly inspired and find new ways of looking at things, at the world and at designs.

As a child I was very creative and always making things, drawing towns, designing houses and worlds where anything was possible. My sisters would constantly ask "But what made you think of that?". "Where did you get the idea from?". And lastly "But why don't I think of things like that?" I simply couldn't answer and I think for many creative people that is just the way it is.

There are people in the world who are mathematical and can picture equations and formula's in their head. That is foreign to me and I can't comprehend how they do it. And I'm sure they view me the way I do them.

Today I came across a site on Etsy that blew me away and I was amazed that someone had come up with these ideas. So simple yet amazing.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/neskita

From their store website:

"This is your place to buy high-quality printables for yourself, your children and your home. All items in this shop are PDFs that will be sent to you by e-mail. All you have to do is print and assemble"

How amazing are these! I wonder if the creator was trying to find an activity for her children to do on a rainy day. That is how many ideas are formed - from necessity. Much the way I started my art business.

I love the way these also promote pretend play. As you can see from my previous entries, I am a huge believer in children engaging in pretend play. We need to nurture and encourage it and I am thrilled their are other artists out there who obviously feel the same way.

Pretend Play And My Dream Kitchen.

Continuing my blog in a similar nostalgic theme, I can't help finding inspiration from my own childhood. Whether it be the novelty cakes we ate, to the tent cubby houses that we hid in with all the stuffed animals or the pretend shopping and tea parties. Pretending to be a grown-up was a popular past-time.

There was always tea to be poured, dollies to be bathed or given haircuts (or massacred as mine all were!), to making mud cakes and eating pretend plastic food. Pretend play is part of childhood. For a child such as myself with a vivid imagination, my parents encouraged it and helped us build elaborate cubby houses.

I've tried to create similar play spaces in my house for the children. Our boys were running between each other's rooms so much that we decided to cut a hole/secret door in the wall and gyprock it up to make it into a secret passage way. This has been a huge hit with our boys and other children who visit.

Some parents who have visited are shocked we made the opening in the wall, but also pleasantly surprised at how such a simple idea created such a fun play space. And in any case, it can be simply gyprocked up and painted back over once they are older (and sick of each other!), others none the wiser.

Therefore what about a porthole in a sailors mock bedroom. Or a little raised platform/stage for a budding little thespian to hold a show. A bedroom or playroom can be as simple or elaborate as your imagination takes you.

One of the things most parents lament is the lack of pretend play in children today. They would rather play playstation or Wii to pretending to have a tea party. Or watch TV rather than planning a trip to the moon in their rocketship.

A teacher once told me that they are now having to teach pretend play!

It is wonderful to see designers incorporating pretend play into their furniture and decor. Even garden landscapers are now creating "garden rooms" for children to play and explore. It may be more sophisticated now but it is still heartening to see.

Which brings me to my dream kitchen. This would have been my perfect play room. For someone who loves her kitchen and also running a store, I can imagine myself playing as a child in this kitchen. To be honest, I would love this mini-version for myself even now! I don't know quite what I'd do with it but it is so adorable.

Pictures from Pottery Barn US

I hope you've gained some inspiration from this blog. Think back to when you were a child and the ideas will flow!