stellacake

i knew there was a reason we don't normally go.

2011-11-22T15:59:00.001+11:00

We waited. And waited. And waited. In the heat, in the crowds. And then when the Christmas Pageant finally came past, we waited some more. Luckily I got a photo of the back of Stella's head as she paraded by with her school group, so at least the whole morning wasn't completely wasted. Bah, humbug.

ollie is 5

2011-11-18T17:43:00.001+11:00

How did five years go so fast?

wish list

2011-11-01T10:57:00.002+11:00

Hop, Skip, Jump by Fiona Dalton.

The fox. Oh, the fox.

source: hop, skip, jump

camp

2011-10-22T09:15:00.001+11:00

Tom is off to camp this week. Who knew camping supplies could be fun? Here are my favourite buys of the day. That Department of Defence notebook with tear off pages and carbon paper - I'm keeping that.

sailing school

2011-10-15T10:17:00.001+11:00

Sailing school, September 2011. Just down the road from our house, a fun and useful (and convenient) past-time for them to have.

Even in a world of orange and yellow, Stella still prefers pink.

click on

2011-10-14T11:46:00.000+11:00

source: in the click by click on furniture

I've shopped there before (boy, did we shop), I've window shopped their website before, but I didn't know before today that they blogged too.

doing

2011-10-13T15:57:00.000+11:00

Reading.

Read in about 36 hours. And it only took that long because I slept. Best book I've read in a long time.

Making.

Finally blew the dust of the sewing machine.

Riding.

You heard me. Riding. A bike. Who knew I still knew how?

taschen's the fairy tales of the brothers grimm

2011-08-23T12:52:00.002+10:00

Taschen

Have you seen this? A cloth bound, beautifully illustrated book of The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm about to be released by Taschen. Don't they always produce beautiful books?

Inside there are twenty-seven stories (including Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, all of which are favourites in our house), each illustrated with vintage illustrations. That's enough to seal the deal for me - I've pre-ordered my copy from here (where it's currently 25% off, and with free shipping).

rainbow jelly fail

2011-07-30T15:56:00.001+10:00

Luckily we had a backup plan. Also, it still tasted good.

kids room art

2011-07-11T10:36:00.002+10:00

I like this artwork in Susanna Salk's Room for Children. It looks just like Ollie.

happy third birthday charlie

2011-07-08T10:32:00.001+10:00

things to do in paris with kids: the metro

2011-06-27T11:36:00.005+10:00

Easy to follow and convenient to our apartment, the Metro worked better for us than buses and taxis. Also, it was a bt of a novelty, since we don't have train travel (or a decent public transport system for that matter) at home.

billets = tickets

carnet = a set of 10 tickets

sortie = exit

- Once you get the hang of it, it's very simple to navigate. All sixteen or so lines are marked with a unique colour and number, and the direction of travel will be shown listing the name of the very last station of the line in either direction. Check which destination you are heading towards, and you'll go to the right platform.

- On the map, a white dot indicates that you can change lines at this station.

- As well as the Metro, you can use some RER lines (commuter rail, which travels out of the city) and some tram lines.

- If you buy a standard ticket (a 't+'), you can travel as much as you like, with unlimited transfers, within one and a half hours, and cost 1.70 Euro. You can also buys these t+'s in lots of ten, a carnet, which works out a little more economical at 12.00 Euro - and also may be easier than buying individual tickets each trip. t+ tickets are cheaper for children, aged 4 to 11, and are also available in a carnet. Under 4's are free to ride with an adult (obviously).

- Other tickets are a little hard to understand. There are automatic machines to refill Navigo passes (smart cards) and buy tickets in each station, and there is also a ticket office, where a lovely Frenchman will sit and perhaps pretend to not understand you at all. You may be lucky, and a non-French local may pass by and help you buy your Navigo Découverte pass from the ticket office (5.00 Euro each, consisting of the plastic holder, the smart card itself, and a personal travel card) from the ticket office man, and explain that you will also need to then credit your Navigo Découverte for daily, weekly or monthly use at the automatic machine. He may then go on to explain that you need to buy a carnet of tickets for the children (aged 4 to 11), as there are no childrens passes. Interestingly, what he may not mention is that the weekly Navigo starts on Monday, and will reset on the following Monday regardless of when you bought it, so depending on what day of the week you arrive, it may not be economical for you to use a Navigo pass. Funnily enough, we arrived on a Monday. We also left on a Monday, but had some of the children's tickets left. Ahem.

- If you buy the Navigo Découverte, you are supposed to add your name and photo to the personal travel card, and photobooths are in most stations. They are also valid for ten years, so you can take it back next time and refill it, rather than buying another one.

- There used to be such a thing as an Orange Card, Carte Orange, which people may advise you to buy. It doesn't exist anymore (since replaced by the Navigo), but there are still references to it everywhere which adds to the confusion.

- Next time, I'd probably buy this one before we left home. The Paris Visite card is valid for the number of days you purchase it for, regardless of the day of the week. It is available in different zones, and I think we would buy the Zones 1-3 card, and simply buy a single trip if we wanted to go further.

-There are stairs everywhere. Occasionally you might find a station with an escalator, or elevator, but mostly there are stairs. Not handy for most prams or strollers, but if you can't carry both child and stroller, or don't want to take them out of the pram, there are usually helpful people who offer you a hand. Most stations also have disabled access doors, which allow you to push your pram through, because you will not fit it through the turnstiles. But go prepared to fold and carry.

- If you miss your train, don't panic, as all lines are fairly regular and within minutes of each other throughout the day. Sit back, relax. You're in Paris, after all.

- Very important - on your first Metro ride, don't wait for the doors to open by themselves, because they won't. They do, however, close by themselves, and you may get left behind with four children, one in a stroller. And two suitcases. And a three backpacks. And you'll be able to watch your husband stand helplessly on the platform while your train whizzes off down the tunnel. (It will all work out okay though - through a series of hand gestures and some telepathy, your husband will wait at ground level for you while you go to the next stop, drag everyone/thing off, take them all to the toilet, as you are pretty much fresh off the plane, plead with the ticket office man to let you back through as you have not yet sussed out the ticket system, drag them back on and return to your originally intended station). Use the handle, people.

- Each station platform will have different colour seats. To distract the kids, we all took turns guessing what colour chairs the next station would have. Some stations around the city are also beautifully decorated, and full of distraction possibility - perhaps make sure to travel through these stations to simply enjoy them. See a list here.

- Some interesting people hang out on the Metro, so don't be surprised if you find yourself being serenaded or read poetry to, or maybe even asked for money. Keep your bags and kids close, is what I'm saying.

Got another tip for Parisian public transport?

rainbow jelly

2011-06-01T12:21:00.000+10:00

(Recipe from here)

A time consuming exercise in patience, but oh my, isn't it pretty?

If I were to make it again (and there have been a lot of requests for birthday versions), I would:

- try less a little less gelatine in the mixes as it seemed to mask the taste;

- be more patient between pouring layers (see the white cloud on top?);

- try and make the layers a bit more even.

paint

2011-03-25T09:56:00.001+11:00

I've also been splashing paint on things lately. I used leftover paints to transform a ho-hum bookcase in the little boy's room into something a bit more exciting, and brightened up some oak off-cuts Ingela P Arrhenius style! They are certainly more sturdy and better looking than the felt pen-on-toilet-paper-rolls we usually go for in this house. I truly admire all Ingela's work - if illustration interests you, you simply must check out her website.

(By the way - you can click here to see what the bookcase used to look like, and how much smaller Charlie was almost a year ago!)

teepee

2011-03-23T13:01:00.008+11:00

I made this teepee for Ollie and Charlie for Christmas - after deciding this was the perfect gift for the boys, I found that while the only pattern I had, from Crafting A Meaningful Home, was wonderful, it was also incredibly complicated. So, I made up my own pattern, and am pretty happy with how it turned out.

I managed to get all the horizontal lines to match (hooray!), the poles are hidden in pockets to the inside, the fabric is woven, so is the same inside as out, but it is also heavy, so the sides tend to sag down the poles after a few hours, and it kind of needs two sets of hands to put it together. I'm guessing I need to think of a way to attach the fabric to the poles, which would make setup easier. Anyway, it gets lots of use. So far it's been a bedroom, a shop, a meeting place, a picnic spot and a nook for quiet reading. The big kids love it too.

happy birthday, me

2011-02-27T00:07:00.000+11:00

Happy Birthday Me - are you really 35 now? Where did that go?

(wonderful idea and flawless instructions to make your own at i am baker. honestly though? at first i was a little disappointed with the heart shape - why didn't i make the top more pointy and, well, heart shaped? but i gave myself a break. especially on my 35th birthday).

from tumblr this week

2011-01-27T21:07:00.005+11:00

Dining. These options are all very different, but each one has a little (or a lot, as the case may be) something mid-century modern about it, and I can't decide which I like best.

1 via sweethomestyle 2 via sfgirlbybay 3 varenna brochure, poliform 4 homes and gardens magazine, june 2008 5 desiretoinspire

christmas: stella

2011-01-25T13:48:00.001+11:00

Santa Claus must be a fan of Babyology's Christmas Gift Guide, as he dropped of a very special chrysalis kit from Butterfly Adventures for Stella.

This wonderful kit created much excitement in this house, with everyone watching and waiting patiently for the two monarch butterflies to emerge from their emerald green, gold spotted chrysalis. After two days, we saw them hatch and unfurl their wings (the whole process took no time at all), then we released them in our front yard, sending them off with many good wishes and many goodbyes. Hopefully we will see them or their offspring in our neighbourhood again one day - they are always welcome.

things to do in paris with kids: jardin des tuileries

2011-01-24T10:02:00.001+11:00

We got off the Metro, took a wrong turn and ended up on the other side of Place de la Concorde, right near the US Embassy, which was lucky really, as I was certain I was being shadowed by a bag snatcher all the way down the Rue de Rivoli, who instantly evaporated into thin air as we crossed the road into an area swarming with heavily armed gendarmerie.

So we crossed back over, and entered the Jardin des Tuileries - named for the 15th century clay quarry it used to be, which was used to make roof tiles, or tuiles. Elegant and perfectly manicured ("pelouse interdite" - keep off the grass), sitting in the Tuileries was the perfect way to soak up some Parisian late summer sunshine. Sitting around the pond, the kids pulled out their sketchbooks and went to work immortalizing the statues, fountains and people surrounding us. At one point we were approached by beggar girls wanting money, but we found that if we were rude to them immediately and waved them away with a stern eye and a sharp "Non", no-one else bothered us.

We also found beautiful gelato, glace, featuring the lemon so lemony that it made our lips pucker (the best kind!) as well as Tom's favourite, mango, and strawberry for Stella (because it's pink). It was not inexpensive, but on a day where the sun was shining, the water in the fountain rippling, and we were so pleased to be in Paris, we did it anyway.

We didn't see the sailboats the Wednesday we were there (but apparently you can rent a sailboat and a long pole on Wednesdays, weekends and school holidays right next to the pond), but we did find the playground which was an awesome construction of slides, bridges and climbing frame, and packed with children who politely wait in line for their turn.

Walking to the opposite end of the park, past blooming flower beds and Greek statuary to the Arc du Carousel and it's glittering horse drawn chariot on top, Tom was beckoned over by the string sellers. The guy was holding out his wrist indicating that Tom should do the same, until I realised what was going on and shouted at him rather unpolitely in the only way I knew in French "Non, non, non". It was then that we saw these string sellers all over the pathway leading to the Louvre, and indeed all over the forecourt. Luckily they all must have heard about the crazy shouty foreign lady, and left us alone from then on.

The Jardin des Tuileries was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours, and indeed we could have stayed longer and seen more, but there's always next time.

Things for next time at Jardin des Tuileries:

- sailboats on the pond

- a ride on the carousel

- a bounce at the trampoline park

- the funfair on the upper terrace during July and August

- the potager with it's real vegetables, sculpted mushrooms and kid's gardening courses

- a pony ride on a sleepy pony

- lunch at a cafe tucked in amongst the trees

- the Musee de l'Orangerie and it's Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Renoir and Cezanne.

peanut butter cookies (the best ever)

2011-01-21T13:20:00.000+11:00

Delicious, easy to make, gooey peanut butter cookies - this recipe is the best ever. No, really. (And a great thing about it? Only two of the four children like peanut butter - we don't have to share).

And in more good news - that black form-ply wall which has been around longer then the blonde boy sitting in front of it is G-O-N-E! Finally covered in cedar panelling! Hooray! I'll show you later. Go now and make some of these cookies.

watching: the take

2011-01-19T13:44:00.000+11:00

London's underworld in the 1980s? Awesome story and gripping characters but, oh my goodness, you might want to watch peeking out from behind your hands during most of it.

things to do in paris with kids: stay in an apartment

2011-01-17T14:38:00.001+11:00

Being a family of six, stylish hotel rooms are pretty much ruled out on family holidays, unless we creatively book and not disclose the total number of children. Which we have done a few times. Okay, on more than a handful of occassions in order to stay in hip hotels. But a hotel room for six in Paris? Wasn't going to happen - not only did we not want to pay a fortune for six people to sleep in a stylish and comfortable hotel, we did not want to sacrifice style and comfort to stay in the hotels that we could afford. Turns out Paris is a city that caters wonderfully for short term holiday makers, even families of six, with a legion of apartment rentals for every family size and budget - I guess that's one of the reasons why France is finding itself to be the number one holiday destination in the world.

We made the absolute best decision with our accomodation. We left it a little late to book, so we were limited with what was actually available, but luckily for us, I found this. We initially were worried that we weren't in the heart of Paris, this apartment being in the 15th, but when we arrived we were literally 50 metres from the Commerce metro station, which just so happened to be a on a fantastic line - anywhere we wanted to go, it was no more than one or two Metro changes away. And speaking of the Metro, it was quite simple to navigate and a straightforward way to travel - but that's another story all of it's own, to be told later.

Right next to the Metro stop was the local playground, with a cafe next door. On a quiet street, our apartment was two doors up from a petit supermarche, next door to a small restaurant; with an antiques store along the way to the pharmacie, boulangerie, boucherie and ATM. You get it right? A convenient and quiet location with lots of local amenities.

Not just excellent in it's location, the apartment owner, Ghizlane, was easy to deal with, and was happy to meet us at the apartment the morning we flew into Paris. I had heard stories of unwary travellers paying for the accommodation and turning up fresh off the plane to addresses that don't actually exist, or apartments which were the opposite of what they signed up for. Nightmare - who wants to arrive in Paris with four tired, grumpy kids and not only not have a place to stay, but lost 700 Euros into the bargain? Not me. Upon request, Ghizlane was more than happy for me to simply transfer the rent to her via Paypal after we had met her and settled in. No messy foreign cheques or bank deposits. She also offered us the choice of doing the cleaning of the apartment ourselves at the end of our stay, saving us 120 Euros. Ghizlane was so wonderfully obliging and easy to deal with, and the apartment so convenient and well appointed that I would not hesitate recommending the apartment to everyone. And it was beautiful as well - more photos here.

from tumblr this week

2011-01-17T10:24:00.000+11:00

Here are some of the images that caught my eye this week - it seems to be all about bedrooms.

1 emmas designblogg via things.i.heart 2 the style files 3 sweet home style via things.i.heart 4, 5 hashai 6 hashai

superheroes

2011-01-07T14:16:00.000+11:00

We had a great time becoming superheroes a few weeks ago. Want to join us? Print out our free mask template here (you can also find a link for the superhero mask in the right hand column under 'Make Your Own') - ours were either painted, glittered or coloured in with pencils, but the possibilities are endless. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

more matte stephens

2010-12-19T23:07:00.001+11:00

I covet this. A lot. Buy a print here, see more awesomeness here.

card making

2010-12-14T14:57:00.002+11:00

Swapping Christmas cards in Prep is a big deal. Apparently. As such, we needed a quick and easy way to tackle making 40 cards for both classes (because Stella didn't want anyone to feel left out!). Here's how we did it:

1. Printed a short message onto cardstock, using Word, the tab key and a pretty French script font - 'happy holidays, with love from'...
2. Using a paper cutter to ensure straight lines, cut out each card (we had 9 to an A4 page) and folded.
3. Stella neatly wrote each girl's name, and then her own.
4. (And here's the time saving bit...) Remembering a trick from Creature Comforts, we decided on a simple silhouette of a dove, and drew it on an eraser. (Yes, an eraser!). Using lino-cut carving tools leftover from my high school art classes, we carefully carved out the shape, leaving some interesting texture to the carved sections. This whole process seriously took about five minutes. If that.
5. Used an inkpad to apply our 'stamp' to the front of the cards.

6. Sat back and admired our brilliance while the ink dried.
7. As a special treat, we used a hole punch and threaded a ribbon and a love-heart lollipop, a pack of 40 conveniently picked up at our local dollar-store, onto each card. Done.

As well as feeling proud of ourselves (our handmade Christmas is off to a great start!), we actually had so much fun making our stamp, both Stella and Tom are determined to make more over the summer holidays which, gulp, start tomorrow!

back when: ollie was 2

2010-12-01T13:43:00.000+11:00

It certainly doesn't seem that long ago that Ollie turned two. An ardent fan of all things Curious George, we limited the theme to the invitation and the cake, but also gave him a copy of this movie for his special day.

dragon

2010-11-23T13:50:00.002+11:00

Ollie wanted his very own dragon for his 4th birthday. Wish granted.
(super easy pattern from here)

crafting a meaningful home

2010-11-23T13:38:00.001+11:00

With thanks to STC Craft and Melanie Falick Books, a copy of Crafting A Meaningful Home, the new book from Meg Mateo Ilasco, arrived on my doorstep. Let me tell you, thumbing through the pages is a visual delight (okay, that may be the initial reason I requested this particular book), but whilst I originally thought a few of the projects might have interested me, turns out that once I read the story behind each project, every one of them seems achieveable, and probably more importantly actually meaningful, just as advertised.

ollie turns 4

2010-11-19T11:30:00.001+11:00

Happy Birthday Ollie!

I had this going around in my head while Humpty was being made - it's what my crazy kids sing...

"Humpty Dumpty sat in the chair,
while the barber was cutting his hair,
he cut it long, he cut it short,
he cut it with a knife and fork".

tumblr

2010-11-10T15:06:00.001+11:00

Go see - just over there, to the right. Click for a link, and see what I have found. Do you have a tumblr?

things to do in paris with kids: tour eiffel

2010-10-22T12:14:00.002+11:00

lose yourself

2010-10-14T16:09:00.004+11:00

I saw this ad again recently, and was reminded how very much I like it (and oh, the dress!).

bebeonline - skip hop zoo pack

2010-10-12T14:37:00.000+11:00

Ever wondered what the cutest backpack looks like? Thanks to bebe, you can check out my review of the Skip Hop Zoo Pack here!

(Ours is also now well travelled! Here are our two monkeys in the Jardin des Tuilleries in Paris).

stellacake

things to do in paris with kids: flea markets

2010-10-09T13:52:00.002+11:00

With over a thousand years of history it's no wonder that the flea markets of Paris are full of trinkets and treasures. We chose to stroll the Marche aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves in the 14th arrondissement one Sunday morning.

Amongst the jumble of stallholders and their wares, we found some Parisian treasures which we just had to have. Each of the three big kids got a vintage hat of their choice, and lucky Stella also came away with some tap dancing shoes (no, she doesn't, but she had previously been asking to learn). Charlie had to have one of the toy soldiers with his horse, which was a perfect pick, and exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to find; Aaron's choice was a Tintin book, in French of course. True to form, I'm now regretting that I didn't buy at least one of the rubber stamps, or polar bears (there were loads of these throughout the market - I wonder where they all came from?), or some of art that I took photos of.

Heaps of fun, and thoroughly recommended, the market at Vanves is a good, manageable size and not too crowded. An easy walk from the Porte de Vanves Metro or tram stops, lines 13 and T3, the market is held every Saturday and Sunday from 7:30am until 1:00pm.

See more of my photos here.

stellacake

return

2010-10-08T19:10:00.002+11:00

And so, after 5 weeks, we return. And now I want to go straight back. Stay tuned for some of our excellent adventures.

stellacake

reading - tv in the news

2010-08-16T10:05:00.000+10:00

elle decor

New York Social Diary - Sixx Design (via Procrastination Mama)
LA Times - Christina Hendricks (via @designsponge)
Elle Decor - Shopping Tips from Man Shops Globe
Elle Decor - Inspiration from the Emmys: Grey Gardens

little brown pen

2010-08-05T16:39:00.005+10:00

little brown pen

One of our favorite things to do is to take the kids to the Hotel de Ville Carousel. We ride a few rides, then eat a crepe from the cart. From there, we walk over the bridge to Cite, and hang out in the Park behind Notre Dame. The kids love it! Often we'll double up on the sugar and head over to the Isle St. Louis for some ice cream at Berthillion (a short, five-minute walk from Notre Dame).

Another thing we love to do is to take the 1 (metro, yellow line) to the very end (Chateau de Vincennes stop). Vincennes is a gorgeous castle, and because it's just the structure (nothing really inside), the kids love to climb the steps, peer inside coves, walk around the grounds. We've been there at least five times!

Also, visit the children's museum. It's fantastic! It's called Cite or something like that (I would have to google it). It's really hands on and a fun time.

-Nichole Robertson, little brown pen

stella is 6

2010-08-03T13:58:00.000+10:00

Happy bird-day Stella! (By the way, Stella's holding her hands over Charlie's mouth to stop him blowing out her candles. He did it twice!).

dave keune

2010-07-30T11:53:00.001+10:00

I just saw this cute 'baby house' on little.lovely.

dave keune

sixx design. yes, more.

2010-07-28T21:08:00.001+10:00

I'm sorry. I seem to have a crush on Sixx Design.

sixx design

mila's daydreams

2010-07-28T13:26:00.002+10:00

mila's daydreams via design mom

sixx design

2010-07-23T12:49:00.000+10:00

We don't really watch 'reality TV', but late last night we watched the first two episodes of 9 by Design. Oh my.

sixx design

kiki and coco

2010-07-21T12:55:00.001+10:00

Have you seen this yet? So cute, and so timely - we are off on a Parisian adventure very shortly - hooray! I hope I can get such great shots of our four on their holiday! (Thanks for sharing the link Design Mom).

our house (in the middle of our street)

2010-07-17T14:30:00.002+10:00

One of the fantastic things about buying our house from my Grandmother's estate is that we have a record of what the house has looked like over the last 50 or so years.

And then we bought it in 2004, and six years later, it looks like this...

Luckily for us, most of the original features were still there and had just been covered up. It's been a long time in the making, but we're getting there.

worldwide fred

2010-07-15T12:49:00.001+10:00

Dear Worldwide Fred,

I am lucky. For the most part my kids eat anything put in front of them, so I don't need to resort to fun to make them eat. But I did anyway. And it was. Fun, that is.

Best wishes,
Kim.

PS - Tuned Up and Bonehead? Brilliant. On my wishlist.

charlie's gruffalo picnic

2010-07-13T16:54:00.003+10:00

Don't you know? There's no such thing as a Gruffalo.

But one did actually appear for Charlie's party the other day. We snacked on roasted fox sugar cookies, owl ice cream served on chocolate chip cookies, and sandwiches with scrambled snake (which tasted very similar to curried egg) and mouse-between-two slices-of-bread (no mouse, just ham). Luckily for me, the official Gruffalo website had the perfect illustration I could use for the invitation (they also have lots of other fantastic Gruffalo stuff so be sure to check it out).

charlie 2.0

2010-07-08T10:31:00.000+10:00

wonderful neutrals

2010-07-06T14:54:00.001+10:00

Light Locations via Today I Love

Agent Bauer via Today I Love

say YES! to hoboken

on hand modern

from the library - capturing space, marta serrats

2010-07-01T13:53:00.001+10:00

Calm relaxing bedroom? Tick. Cool extension? Tick. Wavy shaped house? Tick. Pool over the kitchen? Tick. This book has it all.

nice blog - sara's party perfect

2010-06-29T14:05:00.002+10:00

I am on the lookout for great party ideas. Here's a few from Sara's Party Perfect...

By the way, she just happens to have figured out the perfect 'Drunken Arnold Palmer'. No, I hadn't heard of it either, but vodka, lemonade and mint? Sounds delicious!

sara's party perfect

yesterday was his birthday

2010-06-22T13:29:00.003+10:00

And so begins the Birthday Season. Aaron, Charlie and Stella all have birthdays within the next month and a bit - we kicked it off last night with a little champagne cocktail (some had apple juice) and cake!

A birthday seemed the perfect opportunity to make one of these (thanks to oh happy day for the inspiration!). Pushed for time, this cake was put together in about two hours including cooking time (thanks to a container or two of Betty Crocker's Vanilla Frosting. Not having to make icing shaved at least half an hour off the whole thing). Made with a very basic recipe for a 'Three Minute Sponge', turns out the cake is actually one of the best sponge cakes ever, and although the recipe doesn't make a huge lot, it is just enough for two layers of cake. To make the layer cake, I whipped some cream with some icing sugar and used this to sandwich the trimmed layers together. It wasn't a perfect process, but covered up with Betty's frosting it certainly looked the business!

Three Minute Sponge

2 eggs

3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup self raising flour

3 tablespoons milk

pinch of salt

a few drops of vanilla

1. Very simple. Combine everything in the order above, mixing in between additions. Mix for about 2 minutes. Done.

2. If you want a rainbow cake, split mixture in to two batches, colour with food dye (I had heard that gels and powders were best for colouring cake mix, but I used basic liquid food colouring from the supermarket, and the colours couldn't have been brighter or more intense).

3. Pour into a greased and lined cake tin and cook in 180degreesC for about 15 minutes.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

bed head

2010-06-04T09:04:00.004+10:00

Here's something (apart from virus life-cycles and company taxes) that was completed last week - a bed head for Ollie's Design Mom bed (you know, the one from here and here!) - created to cover an unfortunately placed powerpoint. A little distance between Ollie's head and 240V can't hurt.

Simple construction, just a rectangle of plywood covered in batting and then covered with fabric. I opted not to join it to the bed, but have it wedged down between the bed and the wall.

On a related note, Charlie has discovered that he can climb out of his cot now whenever he likes. Perhaps his very own toddler bed isn't too far away. Sigh.

stellacake

goodbye autumn. nice to see you again.

2010-06-04T05:40:00.002+10:00

The best part about being ill is having some downtime. We took the kids for a lazy Sunday afternoon walk to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Three hours later, we all felt a little better.

*Here they are, getting their groove on. I think Stella's channelling Mick Jagger, although she was trying to dance like Mr Bean!

*'Flowers' made from poking leaves on sticks. I must admit, they looked pretty good!

stellacake

collection - perfume

2010-06-04T05:10:00.002+10:00

stellacake

Clearly inspired by A Collection A Day, here is one of my (accidental) collections. How can one person have so many perfumes on the go? Easy. I love them all. I must admit, however, that after finding my first favourite perfume (Eau d' Eden), it felt a bit disloyal to wear any others, because I am strange like that. As you can see, I got over it.

As well as the particular fragrance, I will happily admit that some purchases were influenced by packaging, advertising (I saw the print ad for Notorious in a copy of American Vogue, whilst sipping coffee in a cafe on my birthday), or just the name (it's Stella, for goodness sake!). My latest favourite is Lancome Hypnose Senses, which reminds me of a trip to Melbourne last year. Funny how smells can instantly remind you of something. What's your all time favourite?

germs

2010-05-26T14:00:00.003+10:00

Currently we are hosting a number of these guys. And it's the first week of three week school holidays. Blurgh.

(It's amazing what you can find on Flickr. I'm sure our germs aren't quite as cute though).

Germ Wallpaper, originally uploaded by Germ...

juime

2010-05-21T16:46:00.003+10:00

This first picture just cracks me up. Buy an original here.

(via Bloesem Kids)

juime

nice blog - lifeflix

2010-05-18T10:54:00.003+10:00

Oh my, how fantastic is this? I'm off to Lifeflix to see some of her other great ideas.

(via Creature Comforts)

DIY faux sheepskin rug, originally uploaded by Lifeflix.

nice blog - remodelista

2010-05-18T10:09:00.003+10:00

Ever visited remodelista? Here's a look at some features from the last few months. (Those tiles in the kitchen!).

remodelista

bebeonline - dwellstudio owl

2010-05-18T10:01:00.000+10:00

Look 'hoo' came to visit.

pineapple upside down cake

2010-05-17T12:14:00.000+10:00

stellacake

Recipe from here.

Takes a little while to make, but gone in a matter of minutes. (Lesson learned - it should have been obvious, but I won't make this cake in a springform tin again. Caramel burning on the bottom of the oven doesn't smell great).

this week

2010-05-14T11:30:00.000+10:00

stellacake

- will probably make this Chocolate Ripple Cake again (yum, yum - think tiramisu, only easier and chocolatey), and possibly will brush my biscuits with liqueur or coffee first, thanks for the suggestion Mr Arnott's.

- liking this great kids library on Table Tonic.

- thinking that this great idea from Applehead might stop my bookmark being pulled out quite so easily.

- pretty paper flowers as seen on Black*Eiffel? Yes, please.

- some great decorations made by Jordan Ferney.

- how to have a Mickey Mouse party without Disney overload by Shay Bocks.

home - ollie and charlie's room

2010-05-13T17:01:00.000+10:00

room for children

2010-05-08T10:11:00.003+10:00

Wondering what to get me for a gift? Just don't have enough inspiration in your life? Go to DwellStudio and enter the giveaway for this spectacular book by Susanna Salk.

DwellStudio

nice blog - mmmcrafts

2010-05-07T21:25:00.004+10:00

Check out the rest!

mmmcrafts

bebeonline - road test

2010-05-06T10:46:00.001+10:00

What's in this parcel? Here's a clue, or you can check it out here.

nice blog - prudent baby

2010-05-05T14:47:00.003+10:00

Jaime at Prudent Baby read my mind - I do need some tips on making doona (duvet) covers, as I have one of my favourites that I want to turn into two toddler size covers. (And what absolutely beautiful photos!).

prudent baby

(via ohdeedoh)

home - stella's room

2010-05-04T18:17:00.003+10:00

It took a few hours (I'm not even kidding) to put everything back in its place this morning, so I thought it worthwhile to have evidence that Stella's room can indeed look tidy (plus, the low winter sun shines on the dark pink wall and bathes the room in pink, but I don't think you can see that here).

stellacake

nice blog - ingela p arrhenius

2010-05-04T14:26:00.003+10:00

Wow. I'm sure Ingela's blog is full of fantastic stuff, but I'm sorry, I can't get past these painted wood figures. The kids and I had been drawing with pencil on empty toilet rolls, but these make me want to step things up a notch. Go. Go and have a look. Now.

(via How About Orange)

Ingela P Arrhenius

reading

2010-05-02T14:10:00.001+10:00

from the library - kids rooms, margaret sabo wills

2010-04-26T11:39:00.000+10:00

More compact kids bunks here - these ones look great with their four different colours (I also really like the little niches in the walls for books and kid stuff) - a little pastel for my taste, but undeniably great design. Hanging a clothes rail with ribbon the ceiling? Looks fantastic, and I wish I was game enough but I'm sure my kids would swing from it like a trapeze (I am consoling myself that these people are normal like the rest of us by imagining that the wardrobe is cluttered). And those mirrors? Pretty, pretty, pretty.

war and biscuits

2010-04-25T14:40:00.001+10:00

Thank goodness for the ANZACs.

stellacake

there was an old woman who lived in a shoe

2010-04-21T11:10:00.003+10:00

biggirlssweets

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.

She had so many children, she didn't know what to do;

She gave them some broth without any bread;

Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

Today I know a little of where that old woman was coming from. At least I don't live in a shoe though.

bebeonline

2010-04-20T13:28:00.005+10:00

Hey! My first post just went up for bebeonline! A gorgeous shop in South Yarra, bebe is one of the leading contemporary baby stores in the country, stocking well loved brands like Cocoon Couture, DwellStudio, Plan Toys, Boon and Herman Miller. Luckily for those of us not in Melbourne we can shop for all these wonderful brands, and many more, to our hearts content on their website, bebeonline.

Carey at bebe has brought together a group of twelve mums, like myself, from around the country to add to the bebeonline blog on a monthly basis. Check out my first product review here (my entry to become a product reviewer/guest blogger), and my first post here!

bebe

stellacake

reading - the gruffalo

2010-04-19T14:21:00.005+10:00

(image: Amazon.com)

Have you read The Gruffalo? It has quickly become the favourite book in our house this last week. Then by chance, I happened upon the BBC production of The Gruffalo on ABC's iView on Friday night (sadly, the link has now expired). So, so good. Haven't seen it? I thoroughly recommend that you do. Oh, and your kids will love it too!

PS - I love that I've found out how to take screen grabs!

design inc. nursery

2010-04-16T22:11:00.002+10:00

I like Sarah Richardson. I like design inc. I like Sarah's House/House 2/Cottage. I don't like everything they do, but when I saw this episode in 2008, I was pregnant with Charlie, and I really liked this nursery. I straight away turned into a Google-frenzied-search-maniac and just had to know where she got those wonderful fabrics. And then I found them here at Designer Fabrics Online (a pot of gold). But the one I really liked (the floral on the armchair) was out of stock. I don't know what I would have done were it in stock, but surely the US$27.99 per yard, the low Australian dollar and the shipping costs might have halted me anyway. And now it (Panama Bari Sintra in Colour 11) is missing altogether. But at least I can still look at these wonderful pictures of a gorgeous room. And yes, that is a Jonathon Adler lamp. Loads more lovely pictures here.

(Oh, and on a side note, at the end of the episode after the baby, Robin, is born, Sarah's husband presents her with a diamond ring he had made especially for her from his grandmothers diamonds (or something). Shhesh. Even though we sat and watched it together, my husband didn't get the hint!).

(images: design inc.)

hanne larsen's apartment

2010-04-13T09:54:00.001+10:00

I don't know Hanne Larsen, but thanks to Real Living November 2009, I know her apartment. And I really like it. The magazine article doesn't actually say where she lives, but a Google search points in the direction of lmnop, and an article on Hanne and her family 'Raising Kids in the Big Apple'. So I'm guessing New York!

Check out those bunk beds! What a great place for kids to live.

make your own

2010-04-08T08:56:00.007+10:00

Playdough

2 cups plain flour (sifted)
1 cup of salt
4 tbs cream of tartar
2 cups water
2 tbs vegetable oil

1. mix the dry ingredients in a saucepan, then add in the liquids;
2. stir continuously over a medium heat (it will be obvious when it's ready!)
3. add colour if you like (it's prettier that way), maybe also try mixing in some flavourings (green playdough with peppermint for example) as long as that doesn't make it too tempting to pop in the mouth of your littlest player;

4. simply store in an airtight container and it will last a few months!

We might also try:
- homemade body lotion on design*sponge
- how to make your own deodorant on How About Orange (I kid you not)
- the prettiest printable Valentines cards from A Field Journal - these would also make cute birthday cards too, don't you think?
- a growth chart from Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made

inside out 10th anniversary art auction

2010-04-07T13:05:00.003+10:00

The new Inside Out came out today, beautifully paired with a Rob Ryan printed tea-towel (as if mine will ever see a wet dish!). Thanks Inside Out, and Happy Birthday! This issue is their 10th Anniversary which means, amongst other things, that I have at least 85 copies of their magazine stored throughout my home. It also means that the wonderful team have assembled lots of the talented people they have featured over the last 10 years and asked that they produce an art work that represents Heart and Home to them. And the results are amazing. For your chance to own one/two/all of these, you can peruse the selection and bid here.

I like Tamara Maynes' cross-stitch - "take it from dorothy, there's no place like home", Rob Ryan's paper cut (oh, to have the patience that this man must have!), the David Bromley painting (beacuse it is a David Bromley painting), and Beci Orpin's collage. There are many, many more - be sure to check them out, and of course all proceeds are going to the HeartKids charity.

harry potter

2010-04-01T17:19:00.000+11:00

So a friend of Tom's turned 7, and is a big Harry Potter fan - after a brief discussion, we decided Felix would like his very own Harry Potter doll. We adapted the Black Apple doll pattern, and turned her into Harry by making a few small changes like rounding off the corners of the body shape in order to lose the dress look, adding some sleeves (a rectangle with one hem made into a cylinder and attached to the body with the arm) and, of course, adding a scar on his forehead and a pair of glasses. Easy!

We made a little cape with the Gryffindor colours of scarlet and gold, and cast on for a tiny scarf in the same colours. A toothpick and a bit of cotton wool for a wand, and ta-da, Harry was ready to magic into his little (Amy Butler pattern) drawstring bag, emblazoned with a big 'F' for Felix.

ice-cream sandwiches from twig & thistle

2010-03-30T11:02:00.002+11:00

Yes please, thanks Twig & Thistle! Go here for the full details.

(image: Twig & Thistle)

margaret bourke-white

2010-03-26T18:18:00.010+11:00

(image: 1930s - DC4 Flying over Midtown Manhattan (Margaret Bourke-White), originally uploaded by straatis on flickr)

(image: PDN Photo of the Day)

want to be a superhero?

2010-03-24T11:03:00.006+11:00

(image: Superhero wall, originally uploaded by marymactavish on Flickr)

(image: small magazine, summer 09, issue 11)

This is great street art, but this is spectacular photography. I wonder if I could adapt this idea for my four little superheros? What a great family portrait this could make. (click on the picture to take you to more awesomeness at small magazine)

front - swedish design

2010-03-23T18:43:00.003+11:00

*Gasp* - more Front eye-candy here. (found via oh joy)

studio nommo

2010-03-21T11:08:00.000+11:00

Wallpaper from Turkey. (found via mirrormirror)

(images: studio nommo - neverending street, chacha, solar system)

lillipops designs

2010-03-19T13:19:00.002+11:00

This is my favourite dress from Lillipops Designs. Why don't you pick a favourite and enter the competition to win one on Bloesem Kids?

(image: Lillipops Designs)

cococake - whale

2010-03-18T15:14:00.003+11:00

See the blog post here - cococake does it again, another gorgeous one.

(image: cuteeee!, originally uploaded by *coco cake cupcakes* -- vancouver, bc)

herzensart

2010-03-18T12:35:00.003+11:00

The cutest little men from Herzensart. Loads and loads of beautiful things in her shop here and in her blog here.

(images: herzensart)

mia jacket

2010-03-09T21:54:00.000+11:00

I did, at last, finish sewing up the Mia jacket. Debbie Bliss has such lovely patterns, and luckily my library seems to have most of her books! This one is worked on circular needles, which was very odd at first, and is also worked in one piece. It seems I have the ribbing a little tight, but that doesn't really matter, because SHE DOESN'T LIKE IT! She let me take the photos, then asked if she could take it off. It's not a pretty colour, apparently. Humph.

the brand quiz

2010-03-06T18:24:00.005+11:00

Do you feel like completing a frustrating, can't figure out one answer, will bug you for hours quiz? The go here to The Brand Quiz, produced by Vyre (a London based company who "look after brands", who incidentally it seems, are most of the brands featured in the quiz, hint, hint).

Two colours, one visual clue and one cryptic clue to guess some of the worlds leading brands, this is a test to see how strongly you associate colour and imagery with branding. I bet you can guess the one above!

It doesn't tell you the answers, but you can start over the quiz as many times as you like. I did. A lot. Until I got 20 out of 21. But then I have been trying to guess the remaining one all day, only to give in and Google the quiz to find someone's answers. We don't actually have that brand here in Australia. So now I know. And I can stop thinking about it. (Great fun, though!).

Found via How About Orange.

Edited: BTW - If it's got the better of you, and you just want answers, damnit, I will share! Just leave your question in a comment...

[art] slim aarons

2010-03-06T15:13:00.004+11:00

So I was looking through Secrets of Domestic Bliss, as advised by Table Tonic, when I came across this. This is a design by San Francisco based Palmer Wiess Interior Design. The picture on the wall is by Slim Aarons who took to photographing the jet-set and the beautiful after going through WWII as a combat photographer. And that house in the photo just happens to unmistakeably be the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. And then a Flickr search for Slim Aarons produced more wonderous mid-century images. That was the long way to tell you "wow, look at this, and this, and these". (Oh, and by coincidence, I was passing a bookshop today and saw a book with the sea drive photo on the cover!).

(image: Palmer Weiss Interior Design, via Secrets of Domestic Bliss)

(image: 1. Melina Mercouri, 2. surfing brothers, 3. Slim Aarons Kaufmann House, 4. sea_drive, 5. dive, 6. Truman Capote)

today i am...

2010-03-02T12:39:00.006+11:00

- making - a Mia jacket from Debbie Bliss' Junior Knits. Truth be told, it has been finished for about 5 months, but I have to sew the last two seams. Does anybody else not like joining seams?

- eating - Martha Stewart's Lemon Icebox Cookies. I originally made a batch on Sunday night to last the scramble to fill lunch boxes this week, but I had to make another batch last night. Seems they are popular in our house.

- listening - Vampire Weekend, Cousins. Check it out.

- reading - The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver. Starting slow, but I read before bed and fall asleep every time. I've also just discovered How About Orange - ever just keep clicking 'older posts' and keep reading?

(Image Source: Debbie Bliss, Junior Knits)

(Image Source: marthastewart.com)

today is my birthday

2010-02-22T14:42:00.006+11:00

ice cream layer cake

1. Using one type of softened, not melted, icecream, mix it until smooth and pour and flatten in a cake tin (I use a springform tin, with the base lined with plastic wrap). Freeze.

2. After about half an hour, prepare your next layer of icecream (here I used vanilla, strawberry, and a berry sorbet), and smooth on top of your first layer.

3. Repeat as desired.

4. Freeze the whole thing for at least three hours. When ready to serve, run a flat knife around the tin, remove tin outer and invert.

5. Enjoy!

*For extra yum, you can crush your favourite chocolate bar or use small pieces of fruit and mix into one of the layers of ice cream.

things the internet has taught me

2010-02-22T13:34:00.007+11:00

5. The first two weeks in January were spent sewing curtains - curtains for upstairs in our bedroom and for Charlie and Ollie's room.

Never having sewn anything as big as curtains before, I turned to my old friend, the internet, and found quite comprehensive instructions here. Amongst a 3 year old and a 1 year old who thought that the pinned, laid out fabric on the floor made for a great playing surface, the 5 year old who kept borrowing my fabric marker and pins, and an 8 year olds birthday and party, it didn't actually take as long as I had expected. Especially after months of putting it off.

from the library - home, anita kaushal

2010-02-15T13:22:00.006+11:00

Some of my favorite pages from the book 'Home' by Anita Kaushal. How great is the light box height chart, and the map wallpaper (I think this is a must for Ollie and Charlie's room). And couldn't you just see yourself with a cup of tea sitting on that lounge...

(see her online shop happiness itself, and her blog here, chock full of more great images)

12 months of charlie

2010-02-12T09:41:00.003+11:00

things the internet has taught me

2010-02-10T21:46:00.011+11:00

4. Free Printables!

- wrapping paper from Kellie Medivitz (via c reature comforts) - so, so pretty. Print off as much as you want for any reason you can think of. I printed on A3 and used it to cover Stella's school books!

- beautiful paper dolls from Hillary Lang at wee wonderfuls (via on-hand modern) - hours of fun...

- cutest bookplates from sweet jessie - yet to use these, but a set of these would be a great gift wrapped with a special book for a little one.

- apple note flats by Ez at c reature comforts - lovely little gift cards, we used these on teacher's gifts at the end of last year. Actually, c reature comforts is a great place to find lots of great printables and projects.

What printables have you discovered?

[design] jonathan adler

2010-02-09T12:41:00.022+11:00

Very much liking Jonathan Adler's house (Inside Out January-February 2010) - the architecture of that building, that divider screen in the dining room - oh! And then there is the house he designed for Barbie. And then there are his ceramics. And that his business promotes Matte Stephens. And this Lollipop rug would look great in Tom's room. And that he has just released 'Jonathan Adler Junior' - what perfectly adorable graphics and colours! What's not to like about the guy?

(Image Source: stellacake)

(Image Source: Apartment Therapy)

nice package - method

2010-02-09T11:55:00.011+11:00

A dreary supermarket shop was saved by these two lovely bottles. Not only is the packaging pretty great, the products themselves are nasty-chemical-free and smell great. Oh, and they work well too.

ikea shopping

2010-02-03T09:44:00.008+11:00

So we went to Ikea (ahem) three times in September/October. I fell in love with this kitchen display, and just as I start to think about moving in to the store... but wait, what's that over there, lit up all green?

(apologies for the shaky camerawork)

A self styled Ikea hack! Ikea Richmond has hacked themselves! And a nice job of it, too.

And then, around in the kids section, was the elusive Duktig play kitchen. Wow - Ollie had a great time here, and the thought to purchase crossed my mind, even though we already have a play kitchen, but then I saw the price. Unfortunately the top and the bottom unit come separately, and at $80 + $169 = $249 it was a little bit too expensive. But how cool is it?