This picture inspired my post this afternoon.  I stumbled into Bloesem kids and found delightful wallpaper on the back of the closet. Usually the very beautiful wallpapers cost loads, so this is a brilliant way to use a little bit and not go bankrupt.  Stores often have left over rolls or off-cuts and sell them cheaply, so it’s worth checking.   The wallpaper on the back of this Ikea shelf is by Boras Tapeter in Sweden, called Linne 3308.  Sim Wallcoverings in Auckland may stock it, or they could order it in for you. Go get your DIY gloves on and get papering – it makes such a difference to a dull area.

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In a few weeks it’s Master neary 6′s birthday and I have been thinking about a rainbow cake.  They look cool, and kids seem to get a kick out of seeing the inside when it comes time to ‘cut the cake’.  These pics I used from Omnomicon because they rule!

TO BEGIN:

Make your own plain cake mixture (not chocolate – or just leave out the cocoa in a choc cake recipe)

Then split up the mixture evenly into cups, for as many colours as you have.  The better and healthier gel colours, get here or here, though a generous amount of food colouring works well too.  (And if you don’t like the food colouring, then this cake’s not for you.)  Mix colour in well.

With your cake tin ready and greased, pour the mixture from one cup straight into the middle on the cake pan (don’t smear it around or flatten it out.

Continue pouring the contents of each cup on top of each colour.

Now bake it – at whatever your cake recipe says to.

Once done, ice how you like, though all over icing works best so the kids don’t know how cool the cake is!

If you prefer cupcakes, do the same into the cup-cake pan.  Otherwise, below are a couple of other places for recipes:

Omnomicon

Tastespotting

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AT posted a while back about designing and printing on different mediums, and it’s not all that expensive. Often I have wanted to take a great image and put in on a plate, or a handtowel, but never got around to investigating further.  Below is a list of places where you can make it happen…..so what are you waiting for!

1. Spoonflower – design your own fabric
2. Teeny Tile – custom print tiles
3. The Wallpaper Maker – print your own designs on wallpaper
4. Ponoko – laser cut materials like felt, plastic and wood
5. Absorbent, Ink – screen printing onto glasses, coasters and handtowels plus more

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If there is something that frustrates me in the morning when I am running out the door, is a flat mobile phone battery. Either I forgot to plug it in, or Miss 9 mths flicked the switch off at the wall.

This solar charger would be perfect and would live in my car or be charging my phone while on the top of the stroller. The P-Flip, by Dexim can be flipped vertically or horizontally for hands-free use and can extend your talk time up to eight hours, 15 hours for video or gaming and 60 hours of music.  The best part is you can buy it very soon and will be priced at about US$80.

[via]

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This stuff rocks!  All those things around the house that need fixing and you can’t find stuff to fix it.  Well, SUGRU is silicone clay that you whip out of the packet, roll it in your hand to soften, mould into or onto what your ‘fixin’, then it starts to cure within 30 minutes, leaving it overnight to fully cure (or about 24hrs).  Click here for their website, to buy and to watch the video.

PS – this stuff is so popular it sold out…you may have to keep checking back for the next shipment.

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‘Chop Stick’ is a clothes hanger designed by Andreas Saxer.  Inspired by the traditional methods of Japanese wood joinery, and of course, chop sticks.  Only four wooden sticks are loosely joined with a sleek aluminum pole and apparently this loose system becomes very stable with heavy clothing.  I like the idea that you can move it around your home, and if you are a flatter, then it’s the easiest thing to move with you.

Can’t seem to find it anywhere to purchase, but if you are handy with a skill-saw and sander, you may like to try your hand at making a set.

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What a great piece of simple furniture.  The Tschutschu designed by Dominik Lutz can perform as a bench, stage or table and the stage walls are painted with chalk paint. The base of the stage floor is painted as a railway system, but the ideas are endless depending on what your child is interested in. Because this is way over in Germany and is NZ$416 without shipping, I had thought it would make a great weekend DIY.   It’s made from Birch Plywood and measures: W 94 cm x D 47 x H 47, seat height 31.5 cm, table height 47 cm, height 20 cm.  Go get your tool belt on boys…or girls.

via [Ohdeedoh]

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While the sewing machine is at my sisters (hers gave up after 20 years!), I’ve decided to give this easy Martha Stewart DIY a go. As yet, all the bits and pieces are in a plastic bag for when I get the chance to try it.  Quite good to throw all the soft toys in, and you can hook the smaller ones on to it when taking it to friends homes.

1. Download and print 2 copies of each template section. (Template A and Template B)

2. Cut out rectangles, and tape together to form template for bag.

3. Lay a piece of Ultrasuede fabric slightly larger than the template on a cutting mat. Attach template to fabric with masking tape. Using a craft knife or a quilting wheel cutter, cut through template and fabric along marked broken lines, working inward; then cut along border to remove excess fabric.

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Now, I myself love my laptop just as it is, but if anyone out there doesn’t, then this site has a great selection of laptop skins that are cool.  Should I ever tire of seeing the lovely apple, my fave is definitely Hokusai (the waves).  Just select if you own a mac or pc, what size or model and they start at only US$19 (NZ$25) and shipping overseas is only NZ$10.  You can also custom design with your own image or they cut and custom fit from the large range available.  If these don’t light up your life, they also do mobile phone skins and wall schtickers.   Go take a quick look at the Schtickers website for some inspiration.

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I didn’t come home till 2am thismorning from the childrens hospital as Miss 5.5mths had an allergic reaction to her first taste of solids!  So I picked these two images to uplift and inspire.  The desk makes me want to DIY and the flowers I would love on my table right now.

via [Desire To Inspire] & [Design Sponge]

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Ok, so once again I have been away from the computer.  Actually it has taken our internet provider two weeks to get our connection up and running so I have had no internet time.  I thought I would go crazy, but actually not having it there to read my RSS feeds, I completed the house move-in in 3 days!  Not too bad considering we have four bedrooms, an office and all the yard gear.  That’s me in the photo with my beautiful helpful niece Brigitte.  Yes, we have moved twice in 6mths and it was harder this time with Miss 4mths old.  Mr Bohaute was overseas in Seattle the week prior to our move, so my parents and I packed up all our gear and shared baby handling duties.

Master 5 has started school which is only 100 metres up the road, and I love walking him there and back each day.  The best part is, we have a bit of a view of the ocean and Rangitoto Island (not as much as the photo though) – aahhhh…oh and my clothes-line faces north – WOOHOO!

Now I just have to fit in the kids, yoga for me, yoga for my clients, my blog again, and being a wife….holy $%^&.

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While trying to get Miss 3mths old to sleep in the stroller, I found this great selection of stationery and more in the bookstore at Sylvia Park Mall.  The Australian Cristina Re range includes DIY, gifts, books and software – over 300 products that sell to over 1000 stores around Australia and New Zealand.  Take a look here at all the goodies available (paper, notepads, invitations, wrapping etc), and to find a stockist, click here.  Yet another writing pad made it home for the grocery list!

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Running, or Balance bikes have become quite popular and I spy them in quite a few parks these days. Master Four and 3/4 is quite disappointed he never got one – as now he’s riding a two-wheeler, it’s not a requirement.  Miss 2mths Old will be getting a Wishbone when it’s her turn though, as they teach kids to balance before the peddles arrive!  I watched a friends child on one and he had never ridden a two wheel bike with peddles….climbed onto Master Fours, and just rode away!

The Wishbone Bike is clever in that the wooden bike starts as a tricycle, converts to a 2-wheel running or balance bike and then the frame is flipped to make a running bike large enough for kids up to about 5 years. So it lasts a good while.  They are NZ made and are available in many countries.  See here for stockists. 

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Here is a great skirt for little girls that I found over at The Long Thread.  It is reversible, and you could make it with different fabric on the inside.  If they spill anything on one side – whip in inside out and voila! – they have a clean skirt for the rest of the day!  You can buy the pattern over at their Etsy store; it downloads as a PDF pattern with all the instructions.  Sizes range from 4 through 6 yrs and it costs only NZ$12.  

Now if only they had a reversible pants pattern for boys, I would sure find them handy for those hot chocolates at the cafe.

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This Penguin Wallpaper from ISAK in the UK is intense and cute and busy all at once, but I love it. Perfect for one wall or inside a closet.  You can buy it here for NZ$77 and they ship internationally.  

via [Decor8]

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Marimekko have come out with some of their most popular prints on wallpaper.  At this stage they have 11 prints for sale but will be adding all 56 patterns.  It you love their designs as much as I do, click here for a look.  They are US$89 a roll (NZ$140) and ship worldwide.  My favourite are the Stilla leaves and Bo Boo kids cars.

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Above is a pic of my nieces 8th birthday party she had last week.  It looked so pretty that I had to share this great DIY from Martha Stewart  Weddings.  

How to Make the Pom-Poms:

You’ll need tissue paper and 24-gauge white cloth-covered floral wire.

Hanging Pom-Poms
1. Stack eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inchwide accordion folds, creasing with each fold.

2. Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded tissue; twist. With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes.

3. Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time.

4. Tie a length of monofilament to floral wire for hanging.

Napkin Rings

With just a few changes, these follow the same steps as the hanging pom-poms.

1. Stack four sheets of tissue. Cut a 10-by-5-inch rectangle, going through all layers. Make 3/8-inch-wide accordion folds.

2. Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, slip over center of tissue, and twist to secure. Trim ends of tissue.

3. Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time.

4. Bend wire into a loop to fit around napkin, and twist end around loop to secure.

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I love alphabet cards, stickers and posters for kids walls…and these are the latest I have discovered. Jenn Ski is a graphic designer who has done a great range called Actopus to Zelephant for K&Company. You can buy her alphabet range in anything from rub on stickers, cards and silhouettes to scrapbooks from Michaels. Take a look here at the collection.  To get the same look as the room above, click here for the tutorial.

via [Ohdeedoh]

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Decals are so popular these days to decorate a kids room, so I went hunting on etsy and found Mae’s store. It has decals full of colour, lines, spots, dots and flowers.  They are quite exey if buying in NZ$, but they ship anywhere in the world.  My fave are the dress up dolls.

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If you are ever in the need for a gift, The Spoon Sisters is a great shopping site.  They ship worldwide and have a vast selection of goodies to sift through.  One of my favourites at present is the Happy Birthday Cake Mould.  Now I know that most folks love chocolate icing on top, and if you do a runny mix and pour it over the cake, then you don’t have to try and smear it in and around the letters, making it so much easier…and tastier.  It’s sells for NZ$55 plus shipping, but think of the amount of birthdays you bake for (especially if you have children) in a lifetime.  Oh, and if they want something fancy then you can decorate the centre of it any way they desire!  

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