Toadstool Village
Today was a happy day in Sugarplum Land: Liliana and I created a little toadstool-themed nook in the corner of our balcony. We've eaten every meal since Springtime out on the balcony and spend a lot of time there since it is the coolest spot in the house thanks to all the breezes, so a play area will hopefully be the perfect addition. We started the play area with a little wooden stand that I had picked up at a garage sale and then stained. Upon that we added the girls' Fairy Lodge, some Holztiger toys, some toadstools painted by Aunt Em, and some toadstool houses that I made using some unfinished bird houses from a hobby store. (I used a steak knife to slice the easily cut wood to change the round bird holes into doorways, then painted the roof of each red with white dots). We then added a toadstool table, toadstool chalkboard, the garden pushcart, a clothesline with hand-painted clothespins (with which I plan to hang up the girls' artwork) and here we are in Toadstool Corner!
Today was a happy day in Sugarplum Land: Liliana and I created a little toadstool-themed nook in the corner of our balcony. We've eaten every meal since Springtime out on the balcony and spend a lot of time there since it is the coolest spot in the house thanks to all the breezes, so a play area will hopefully be the perfect addition. We started the play area with a little wooden stand that I had picked up at a garage sale and then stained. Upon that we added the girls' Fairy Lodge, some Holztiger toys, some toadstools painted by Aunt Em, and some toadstool houses that I made using some unfinished bird houses from a hobby store. (I used a steak knife to slice the easily cut wood to change the round bird holes into doorways, then painted the roof of each red with white dots). We then added a toadstool table, toadstool chalkboard, the garden pushcart, a clothesline with hand-painted clothespins (with which I plan to hang up the girls' artwork) and here we are in Toadstool Corner!
I love it! It looks amazing. I am so excited you have a blog. The houses you made are perfect, and who knew wood can be cut with a steak knife? I have learned so many cool things like that from your family.
ReplyDeleteLove that you like the houses--and I'm sure there would be a more perfect cutting tool than a steak knife but it worked fine since the wood was pretty easy to cut. Glad that you see the make-do process as "cool" instead of something else. And I love having you in the family. Hopefully, Maren can come play with the toadstool houses this week sometime!
DeleteAdorable!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Happy summer, dear friend!
DeleteOh, how fun that you have a blog! The toadstool houses are so cute. I may just have to pick up some bird houses once we are back in the states and give it a try!
ReplyDeleteAnd we can have a fun painting party together and make a whole village! Liliana already made her own additional party while I was setting up this blog: she uncapped the red paint that I had sitting on the kitchen counter (first pushing a stool up to the counter so she could reach it), then sticking the paint brush in the paint and within a minute we had red paint all over her hair, the counter, dishes, my hammer, her dress, her little sister, the kitchen cabinets, and of course her beautiful upholstered chair. Ah, the delights of a two year old striving to be artistic!
DeleteHave you ever seen this blog - http://twigandtoadstool.blogspot.ca/p/summer-crafts.html - check out the toadstool seats. Your post reminded me of these seats, which I want to make at some point :)
ReplyDeleteLove the suggested blog and those toadstool seats are wonderful--I think my garden needs some of those. I love that they are made simply by reusing old wooden bowls! http://twigandtoadstool.blogspot.ca/2010/05/its-gardening-weeklets-make-toadstools.html
DeleteSome comments from Facebook:
ReplyDeleteJoan Anderson: Enjoyed your blog. It is fun and creative. keep it up please love
June 24 at 2:36pm ·
Jody Anderson-Dragon So sweet Laura! You are the best mama!
June 24 at 6:36pm via mobile
Laura Wingard-Plank: Glad you liked it. Jody, you might not have thought I was the best if you knew that while designing the blog page, Liliana went into the kitchen, pushed a stool to the counter, somehow reached the red paint from the toadstool houses, uncapped it (not sure how a 2-year-old figured that out), dipped in a paint brush and in just a minute had bright red paint all over the counter, the floor, the cabinets, her dress, her hair, her sister, and of course her little pink upholstered chair. Interestingly, she didn't spill any of the paint: she purposefully painted it there!