Foil Mixed Media Collage

This project was a definite winner with the 3 year old! 

I drew some inspiration from Piikea Street's Modern Tin Art that I found on Pinterest. 

I started by cutting out a piece of cardboard (think cereal box) and had Ethan cut slits around the edges (boy loves to use scissors). We then randomly strung yarn through some of the slits. After, we covered it with foil.

I gave Ethan paint and some glitter glue which he spread around with a paint brush. He then asked to add stickers, so away he went.

He is crazy proud of these pieces. I can see why. They are quite different, and of course, shiny and sparkly! I love mixed media pieces because they are really good for supporting creativity. Win.

DIY LP Record Box

I have a small stack of LP records at home, but I've never had a good way to store them. My best solution has been putting them inside a milk crate...which really isn't a solution at all. In fact, it's a really bad, eye-sore of a solution. 

In an effort to do some clean-up, I went online and searched for a storage solution. Granted, I didn't want to spend a lot of money, but so many of the reviews for such things came back saying that the product didn't live up to the user's expectations. They were flimsy...hard to assemble... Sigh. On reviewer said the purchase was in essence spending $15 on a cardboard box. 

So, I went back to the drawing board. Did I have a cardboard box? I discovered that a simple diaper box was exactly the right size. Hallelujah!

I taped the flaps up tall with packing tape, and covered the box with contact paper. Contact paper can be a tricky thing. If you look at the back of my box, there are quite a few bubbles. I really just focused on keeping the front side especially clean.

If I were to do it again, I'd use a darker colored Contact paper. The white shows through the box design a bit. But, it's what I had on hand. 

For me, the box worked out perfect. I really just slide it in and out from under the turn table's table. ;) I will admit that if you would prefer a lid, or you will be moving the box around quite a bit, this may not be the solution for you.

It's wonderful to see my records looking so cozy!

Oliver's Tree by Kit Chase

I'm not one to pre-order items, but when I saw Kit Chase had this lovely book coming out, I clicked the buy button without a second thought. It arrived yesterday, and is just wonderful!

I'm a big fan of Kit Chase's work. You can see more of it in her etsy shop, Trafalgar's Square. We have a number of her whimsical illustrations in our playroom, and I just adore them. (Or follow Kit on Twitter @KitChase).

Oliver's Tree did not disappoint. The illustrations are fantastic, and the story is a beautiful tale of friendship. Also, the dust jacket and pages are so sleek and high quality (the book is also available on the Kindle, but I can't help but feel like this is book that you must have in print). This book is truly a wonderful addition to your collection, especially if you're a sucker for illustration.

I can't wait to show my son that the friends on the pages of the book are the same animals in the prints on the playroom wall. But we'll have to wait until Easter for his three year old opinion.

You can buy Oliver's tree on Amazon. Do it. :)