The Paper Playhouse: Art Projects for Kids & Giveaway

 Having two young girls that love to craft and create, I always find it a bit of a challenge finding art projects for them that are easy enough that they can work independently a little, projects that use materials we have on hand without having to run to the store, and turn out cute enough for them to proudly display and use.  In fact, I subscribed for a long time to a craft box that came monthly just because I became frustrated in trying to come up with projects, materials, etc. myself.  

So when I read that my friend, Katrina, had written a book that was all about awesome art projects for kids, I was so excited.  Not only because I was so happy for her, but I knew the book would be amazing and might just fulfill my criteria for art projects with my girls.  

I first met Katrina in New York City.  She was a fellow winner of the Country Living Magazine Blue Ribbon Blogger Award (in the crafting category) and in the little time I spent with her, I came to know her as very kind, very genuine and very creative.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to visit and spend a little time with her, and since then, I've faithfully followed her beautiful blog and feel like I know her even better now. 

 What I didn't expect to happen when I received the book is that I would become so inspired.  I knew it would be beautiful and I knew after reading her blog for so long that her projects would be fun and sweet.  But I became so inspired to create with my girls, inspired to use materials we have laying around (like cardboard boxes and junk mail), and inspired to make art accessible to my girls.  So much so that I cancelled my craft box subscription, and fully intend to carve out a special "creative space" for my girls as soon as our upstairs/bathroom renovation is complete so that they can create whenever they like.  I've started saving little things, like certain cardboard boxes and paper scraps.  What I love about this book is that so many of the projects rely on recycled or up-cycled materials.  It makes crafting and art so accessible and enjoyable.

In the introduction, Katrina wrote a paragraph that I wanted to share because I feel like it epitomizes what I want art with my girls to be:

"In creating this book I have three goals in mind: to foster inspiration, to make art accessible, and to encourage adults and children to see the creative potential in castoff materials. I want you to feel as if you have permission. I want you to feel as if you have full access. And I want you to feel inspired! These projects are not meant to be created perfectly without a wrinkle, dent, or other “imperfection.” They are not meant to be replicated exactly or with great precision. Instead, they are meant to be used as a starting point. As an entryway into making art projects using paper, boxes, and books. They are meant to be enjoyed by children and adults alike."

 The book is filled with projects, many using materials that you would likely already have on hand.  For each project there are gorgeous photos, including step-by-step photos (a must for me) and a photo of materials. 

 Along with step-by-step photos, there are also step-by-step instructions.  I love that this gave us the confidence to follow along at first and then branch out a little on our own as inspiration struck. 

Photo Credit: The Paper Playhouse

 There are so many unique projects, including an Airstream trailer, a dollhouse, handmade books, mobiles, masks, and even a classic lemonade stand. 

I honestly feel like the projects in this book are meant for all ages.  There are some projects that worked great for my younger girls.  Even Rosetta, who is just 3 1/2, was able to participate hands-on, like making this paper crown.  She felt like she made it entirely by herself.  There are also some projects that require a little more assistance from an adult, depending on the age of your child, like the VW  bus pictured below.  Some of the projects are so cute I would make them myself to display, such as paper garlands. 

 This VW bus was a project that Jillian wanted to do so badly.  Justus actually did this project with her (so sweet) and I love how it turned out.

She added a few of her own little touches and has it on display in her bedroom.  Who knew that a milk box and duct tape could look so cute! 

Another fun project was making these crowns and wands.  This is a great example of using the template and step-by-step instructions in the book to make the project, but then letting your children use their imagination and creativity to decorate as they like.  I can even envision making these at a birthday party! 

 The truth is, I feel like I owe Katrina so many thanks for giving me the confidence I needed to foster an environment where my children and I can create together and enjoy doing so.  I think this book is special and unique and so very inspiring. I think you will love it as much as I do.  (You can also read more about her book here on her blog.)

Also, Katrina is kindly giving away a copy of her book to one Keeping It Cozy reader!  I'm so excited!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is now closed.  The randomly selected winner was Debby!   

All you need to do is leave a comment in this post and I will choose a winner one week from today, next Wednesday, March 4, 2015.  You do not need to have a blog to enter, just be sure to leave your email address so I have a way of contacting you should you win! 

*For shipping purposes, the winner must provide an address in the US, Canada, or the UK.*

You can find The Paper Playhouse on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or Quarry's book shop.

Painted Kitchen Cupboard

 One of my very favorite purchases, this large old cupboard that we use for a pantry likely received a quick coat of white paint before being put for sale and I had never done a thing to change it since I brought it home several years ago.  A couple years ago I had given the interior door a little makeover (here) with Annie Sloan Paris Grey chalk paint, and loved it so much I decided to try painting the entire cupboard the same color. 

 I opted to use the chalk paint versus latex paint because I wanted to preserve the original character of this cupboard, imperfections and all.  After I painted the cupboard, I distressed it a little and then used clear wax. 

 The cupboard painted white worked really well with our kitchen, but I suppose I felt like a little change.  Truthfully, I'm not yet sure how I feel about the new color!  I suppose I'll keep it like this for now and see if I get used to it... :-)

I should mention here that this project was on my to-do list, but not my husband's.  ;-)  I knew he wouldn't mind me painting it, but my list of painting projects is endless, and this cupboard definitely was not on it.  But my mom had asked to have our girls for the evening, and it was SO much fun doing a quick little project!  I'll get back to my real to-do list this weekend.  ;-)

 I also had fun rearranging the shelves on our wood cabinet.  For a while now I've had more practical things stored here, but I was ready to get my shelves pretty again with some of my favorite white dishes. 

 I suppose with Valentine's Day approaching, it would be fun to have a heart garland hung here in the kitchen, but I haven't been able to take down our little mitten garland we made around Christmas time. 

 My mom put together this project for all of us one evening and we had a great time.  Both my girls and I worked on making the mittens, even Rosetta did a little stitching! 

Jillian (who turns 7 in April) is getting quite good at embroidery!

 In other house news, the (very thick) beadboard walls and ceiling are up in the bathroom and now I'll be busy painting the room!  We also have a new front door sitting in our living room to be installed this weekend (and painted) - more on that soon!

Hope you have a great week and a happy Valentine's Day!  

Happy Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving is almost here... one of my favorite holidays.  Our Thanksgiving holidays are spent each year with my in-laws, out at the family "farm" in Alabama.  It's a large southern gathering where the family all contributes towards the meal and there's a lot of hugs, laughter, and everything that comes with family spending time together. 

This year I'm making cranberry sauce (this recipe is my favorite), sweet potato casserole and maybe a chocolate pie.  Since my family moved here, they also spend Thanksgiving holiday with us and my in-laws and this year our special friends we have visiting will be joining us all too.  I'm so thankful we can all be together on such a special day. 

Anyway, obviously I won't be setting a Thanksgiving table this year, but I think that if I was, it might look something like this (smile).  This fall I've loved all these neutral tones and warm textures.

 I dug out my craft box to stamp a simple tag to hang on a pinecone (spray painted lightly with gold glitter).  It's been a while since I've done a simple little craft and it was fun, even if it did take less than five minutes.  The girls had even more fun making their own "name tags" too! 

 (This is my little craft caddy that I keep tucked away in a cabinet... Justus has been known to use the bakers twine as string for outdoor projects!) 

This week we've been reading every Thanksgiving book we have... anticipating the upcoming holiday and the new memories made. 

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  What are your plans for the holiday? 

Summer Birthday

 Last week our Rosetta turned two years old, so we had a little birthday party for her yesterday evening. I thought I'd share some of the pictures! 

 How two years has flown by already, I'm not sure.  Our sweet little girl is growing up!

Rosetta's birthday has been a lot of fun the past two years... since it's the middle of summer, it feels more like a big family picnic! 

I set up in the side yard where it's shady... despite a few rain showers during the day, the weather was just perfect in the late afternoon.   I very quickly painted a few little signs last week with some weathered pine planks I found behind our shed... Justus placed them casually around our huge shade tree, which I thought was fun. 

 My favorite part were the mason jars we used as drinking glasses.  My mom drilled holes through the lids and I bought some fun striped straws (here).  We used half-pint jars for the little ones (smile). 

 I had these gingham cloth napkins from several years ago that I thought would be perfect for our "country" theme.  Jillian and I dressed them up a little one evening by making little pockets for the silverware and tying them with jute twine. 

 I went with summery salads and BBQ chicken... most of it I was able to make beforehand and my mom and mother-in-law thoughtfully chipped in with a few dishes.  I love to cook for large gatherings, but I do try to select dishes that can be made ahead of time and keep the party as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.  

I made potato salad (recipe here) and coleslaw early in the morning... I love that they are two dishes that taste even better after they've sat for awhile.  And I used this great recipe by Pamela Salzman for the BBQ pulled chicken, which goes in the crock-pot hours before.  It was delicious.  (I did leave a lot of the sauce off at the end and omitted the cayenne pepper because I was afraid it would be a little spicy for the kids... instead I placed additional sauce on the side for everyone to add.)

 This is my cute mom... I loved this picture and asked for her permission to include it (smile). 

 For dessert I made hand pies again.  I love this recipe from Country Living and it's just perfect for summertime when cake feels a little too heavy.  I bought some fresh blackberries at the farmer's market for the filling and they were so good.  I did bake these a couple hours before the party so they were nice and fresh. 

My mom made the darling matching skirts (yes, I even wore one!)... they were so fun.  

It was such a nice summer evening.

I hope you had a great weekend too!

Spring Fun

 Happy Spring!

We began our first day of spring by dyeing some Easter eggs.  I've always wondered about using natural dyes... this year I decided to give it a try, but I didn't buy anything special. I just told myself we would use whatever we already had. 

 It kind of felt like a science experiment... some of it worked (frozen blueberries and tea bags), some of it (red wine vinegar and lettuce) not as much.  But I will say this... it was fun.  Next year I think I'll try it again, but maybe then I'll actually follow some recipes (smile).  

(Here is the tutorial I kind of followed.) 

  After I set up a little work station and put all the dyes in jars, Jillian did everything else on her own.  I sat in the background distracting Rosetta with blueberries and wondering how it was possible I had a little girl old enough to dye Easter eggs without any help.  

 Once we finished, we couldn't help but put all the eggs in a basket to admire, particularly the egg with the smiley face that Jillian drew with a crayon.

 The adorable grain sack bunny garland hanging on the window was a surprise for my girls from Ann of On Sutton Place when she sent my last grain sack pillow.  She suggested hanging it in the playroom, but it was way too cute to hide away. 

Sometimes I think about hanging a curtain here, but then I always reconsider.  Somehow being able to look out the window with an unobstructed view of our yard and being able to watch the sunset in the evening always makes washing dishes more enjoyable.

I hope beautiful, sunny spring days are in your forecast!

  

Homemade Granola

 Yesterday evening I was craving a sweet snack, so I made a quick batch of granola.  With the cool weather here (not to mention an awful flu bug), we've been cooped up inside... which means I do quite a bit of baking as time in the kitchen is always a welcome way to pass the time while dreaming of warm summer days.

 I found a really wonderful recipe for granola that uses natural sweeteners.  I've been trying to cut down on the use of refined sugars in our diet (although by no means have I been completely successful).  This recipe uses pure maple syrup and honey to sweeten and tastes so delicious you won't even notice the difference. 

 You can find the recipe here.  I followed her instructions as written, but did eliminate the seeds (simply because I didn't have the majority of them in my pantry) and used an equal amount of melted unsalted butter instead of the coconut oil (again, because that is what I had). 

 The end result is crunchy, flavorful and practically guilt free.  (Not to mention cheaper.) 

 I love eating granola with milk, yogurt or even grabbing a handful plain to snack on.

Growing up, my mom frequently had a container of fresh homemade granola.  When I make it, it brings back memories of the smell of oats baking in the kitchen.  Do scents in the kitchen ever bring back memories for you?

Our breakfast this morning (smile). 

On the recipe site, it suggests using the granola as a hostess gift.  What a perfect idea!  That prompted me to think of cute (yet easy) packaging.  I love these round kraft paper labels that Avery makes.  You can even design your label online... they have all kinds of templates, or you can create something yourself, like I did here.  (I've used them for tags too in the past.) 

The labels fit perfectly on a mason jar lid.  Fill your jar with granola, tie a piece of twine around it, and you're done!

 The labels also work on the jars of your pantry goods, which is ultimately where my label ended up.  

I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I have!

P.S.  As usual, I had an assistant at my "photo shoot"...(smile)

Sources:

Bowl is from the Mikasa Antique White collection

Cloth napkin and milk pitcher are from Anthropologie (a few years ago)

Glass canister, mason jar, labels and jute twine all purchased from Wal-Mart
Red baker's twine ordered from Amazon