fireplace fantasy land

It's time to clear out the half burned candles from the fireplace and create a play space. September's Cookie magazine suggests a conversion to an animal theater, robot planet or a fairy land. I love this idea.

a little privacy

Everyone likes a little privacy. Two simple curtains get the job done, plus offer a little shade from morning (or summer night) light streaming in the window.

From Domino magazine online.

PB storage cubes

I am a sucker for storage cubes you can sit on. These are the latest offering from Pottery Barn ($45).

From Coastal Living magazine this children's bunk room is in a vacation house. It's a great idea to steal if you have a finished attic (or maybe now you will finish it) or a bedroom with sloped walls. I like the moulding and dividers used to give each child it's own nook. What a great idea for transforming what is usually useless space.

we have a kitchen!

It magically appeared yesterday morning on our steps with the sun! Our daughter loves it. It's the first toy she's ever played with for hours. We love it too. It's nice looking and just the right size. The slice able bread and carrot, fried egg, cheese, mushrooms and pizza are a great start to the pantry. We ordered a few extra veggies from Haba and a bag of pasta. I was thinking it would a fun thing for her to stir the pasta in a pot. But it turns out they're more of a choking hazard. I've put them away for now. The green pepper is my personal favorite.

P'kolino Kick

The P'kolino Kick ($199) is a great space saving desk for kids ages 3-7.

villa sibi

No this is not an architects model, it's a dollhouse. It looks like something you're not suppose to touch. For $640 (or $900 if you don't shop around) it would be a "don't touch" in our house. Those poor dolls, sleeping on hardwood beds. I can see how this toy would appeal to grown ups. It's beautiful. But as a toy to stimulate your child's imagination, please don't.

island changing table

This idea comes from Better Homes and Gardens. It's a kitchen island on casters. This is great idea because it has ample storage underneath for supplies and you can move it to make way for playtime, or perhaps gliding it out of site when company arrives.
I can't help but comment. This setup looks so modern with the Max push car and max lorette trailer ($450 smackers) nonchalantly parked in front of it.

faux headboard

More inspiration from my Domino magazine file circa March 2006. The two-tone green paints in latex pearl Benjamin Moore Pear Green and the lighter Lettuce Leaf make a charming, inexpensive, space saving headboard. Domino used a stencil from The Stencil Library. I think this is a charming idea for a little girl's bed.

oh kitchen, where art thou?

After three cancellations trying to order the kid kraft retro blue kitchen I got over it and ordered the my french kitchen from Moolka. It comes with everything pictured. They shipped it right away and... it was supposedly left on my stoop. Of course it wasn't. I've waited three days for the Fed Ex driver to come by to jog his memory on where he put it. He must have left it on the wrong street. Today they tell me that they were never told to call me. Are they kidding? Someone is probably enjoying my play kitchen, two potatoes, tomato and bag of wooden pasta. I just want my girl to fry up some fake eggs. Is that too much to ask?

crooked house

Our friends have this crooked playhouse in their backyard (in a cool bright green). I just love it. Though it leaves me with some serious backyard envy.