A Sunday morning Minnie Mouse inspired breakfast

Winter is approaching, school is back in full swing and I thought we needed a bit of cheering up this morning, so I made these for breakfast......

.....I know they aren't stylist perfect, they are a real breakfast and were served hot! 

I made a batch of crepes then used my Mickey cutter (which started life as an egg ring but used for a variety of other things as seen here) to cut out the main mouse shapes - I got 2 per crepe and using the scraps, i cut out the bow shapes which I turned over to show the different colour.

The nose and eyes are sultanas and a raisin, and shortly after I took this photo, Minnie was swimming in Maple syrup.  Yum!!

My crepe recipe: (well not mine, but I don't know where it came from and I use it all the time)

3 eggs, 115g plain flour, 250ml skimmed milk - an electric whisk - my experience is that a regular whisk doesn't get the same results.

It's really simple: Beat the eggs, once they are all bubbly and fluffy looking, add the flour quite slowly to create something affectionately known as 'flubber' (it's about right when it tries climbing up the whisk - you will know what I mean when it happens!) then add the milk, I add a little first and use the whisk (turned off) to gently start stirring it in to save it splashing everywhere before adding and whisking the rest.  And as quickly as that, its done - less hassle than a ready made packet!!

Real Home Interior Design - Theming 'Disney Style'

So you've probably have guessed by now, I love a theme, but I'm also boringly practical.  

I adore Disney, and I am really inspired by the theming in Disney hotels, but even I couldn't live with that much theming full time.  So I'm going to look at ways to bring that theming to real life.

In this post, I will focus on a few Walt Disney World hotels for different reasons....Animal Kingdom, Art of Animation and Saratoga Springs.  Animal Kingdom for full on but still quite grown up theming, Art of Animation - Little Mermaid Rooms for 'drop you straight into the film' theming and Saratoga Springs as an example of just a few hints of a theme.

So firstly, Animal Kingdom Lodge, where you are transported to the the African Savannah, complete with Animals outside the window.  Since I can't help you get a giraffe into your garden, I'm going to concentrate on the interiors.

The first thing to mention in the lounge area of the room is the dark furniture, which is balanced by light walls and carpet.  I love the bench by the wall and a small, slightly simplified version would be a great eating area at home.  The plates on the wall above the bench are a really simple way of bringing the theme together too and definitely could be used in a real room at home.

The TV cabinet is great and really adds to the theme although I know I don't have the woodwork skills to create it, maybe some of the tribal style designs could be painted onto some existing furniture if you wanted to create this look. I'd probably decorate a wardrobe in this way rather than a TV cabinet.

Another really fun way to add to this African Savannah theme is to add frames and art or maybe help your child to create their own African style art?










This carving in the headboard is super cute and could be recreated in paint at home for a Lion King theme.

Next to the Art of Animation - Little Mermaid Rooms, these are pretty extreme theming, it would be an amazing child's bedroom, and if money was no object, I'd recreate something similar for a child who loves Ariel.
However, reality kicks in and I'm not really sure that any child would want this for a number of years, so I'm going to pick out some simple elements that will translate to a real home.

The beds are amazing, and the headboard is definitely something that could be bought or made reasonably inexpensively.  Create the headboard easily by buying a shell shaped headboard,  trimming with pearl effect trim or if you are feeling more artistic, paint a wooden one.  Bedding is another item which obviously can be changed easily to keep with a theme.
While I'm not usually a fan of painting, some wall decals could look fab on a pale blue wall.  For more effort and more expense, a full wall mural would be amazing.




Another brilliant feature in the Little Mermaid Rooms at the Art of Animation is the hanging space, I would translate this to a real room by painting the inside of a wardrobe.  Obviously the outside of the wardrobe could be painted but I think in reality the inside would be just as fun for the child and they would not get bored of it so quickly.  I'd also get a light fitting like this for inside the wardrobe to really show off the design. To make it a bit more fun, I'd use the inside of the doors to make a scene complete with attached painted boxed which would be used to store all the little mermaid toys.

The Little Mermaid bathroom is an excellent example of quite an ordinary room being made extraordinary with some very simple theming.  The mirror is a simple and non-permanent item to change for a themed frame and the shower curtain is also really inexpensive and easy.  

And finally, Saratoga Springs, which to be honest isn't my style at all.  What I can appreciate, and the reason I chose this resort as an example is the theming.  The themes here are Victorian and Equestrian but neither are over the top.

I want to focus on the equestrian theme, at a first glance at the Studio room, there isn't a theme screaming out to me.   The first hint at a theme are the pictures on the wall, equestrian themed prints, nothing too eye-catching but a nice detail.  

The next themed item i noticed were the cushions - a much more obvious theme here, but on a smaller item like a cushion, you can be a bit more bold with a theme.  

This is definitely something that would translate easily into a "real" home.  I think it would be a good idea if the reverse of the cushion was plain so you can flip them over if you fancy a change or if, like me, you have visitors that just don't appreciate Disney or your particular theme.

The next detail is probably my favourite from the whole room, it is the bedside lamp bases.  Again, much more obvious theming but still quite small in the room so it would work in real life. There are similar equestrian themed lamp bases available, or many other animals if you have a different favourite you want to include!

So I hope those 3 examples have given you some ideas, I think I'm going to go and make a little mermaid headboard! 

A princess bedroom

My little girl has just turned 3 and for her birthday asked for a pink princess bedroom. 

Now call me mean, but the last thing I want to do is paint a whole room pink for her to go off pink in a year or two and want something entirely different.  It isn't finished yet (waiting to find the right furniture solutions) but here are some of the features.

As a baby, the themes in her nursery were hot air balloons and tatty teddy.  

The curtains are called Flying High by Prestigious Textiles.  These were custom made with blackout linings and I'm not going to get rid of them after only 3 years so they had to be incorporated into the new scheme.

So working with the colours on this fabric I went in search of wallpaper and found a fab stripe wallpaper by Harlequin called rush that came in almost exactly the same colours.  

As the stripes are really bold, and working with the curtain pattern, I put them on one wall behind the bed and left the other walls magnolia (not ideal - although one of the colours in the wall paper is magnolia so it works for now - plus I am still waiting for the plaster to finish moving and cracking before I do any serious painting)

The bedding is the lilac from the wallpaper, but if i ever find the right pink i'll switch that and I had a throw made for the bed in the same pattern as the curtains.

So far, a bit pink, not "Princessy" (the key word in the brief) at all, so using the frames I bought from Ikea ages ago, I switched the pictures for Princess art. The first is a poster, the second a painting by my daddy (his very talented interpretation of a disney castle) and the third is a disney princess poster from etsy.

          

 


Inspired by Elsa's bedroom door in Frozen, used paint in the wallpaper colours to paint a pattern on the back (the side that only we see) of the door.

                

I didn't want to copy the design directly, so this is just an interpretation but it got the "princess" seal of approval so it can't be too bad - but more importantly, can be sanded back and glossed over when necessary.  I would have preferred to use stickers but just couldn't find any.

Disney's Frozen inspired home decor

I've watched Frozen more times than I should admit in the last few weeks, and it has inspired me to put together a home decor scheme for a living room with a Frozen theme.

Frozen Living Room

The pictures in the back (aside from the one of Elsa) are all from Design Seeds which I love, I picked out these wintery themed ones as the kind of schemes for Frozen.  As this scheme involves lots of white, blue and silver it could really easily feel cold (kinda the idea but not great for day to day life). So to warm it up, I've added the dark blues and texture, lots of texture. 

I love the texture of the rug even though it is such a cold colour.  I'd also add a white chunky knit throw or cushions to the sofa but I haven't found any I like yet - job for grandma's knitting talents!!

The candles will also help to warm up the cold theme.  An open fire would be even better but not always possible.  

This scheme could easily translate to the bedroom with white bedding and a blue throw, lots of mirrors and silver lamps would be fab.  

Frozen Child's Bedroom

I've also put together this scheme for a child's bedroom.  I know there are some out there that are 100% Disney Frozen products, with wall murals and bedding and they are amazing.  But I'm a bit too practical-minded to go the whole way, it may be Frozen mania this week, but it could easily be Planes or Princesses next.  I prefer to keep a child's room with neutral walls and use some key accessories to add a theme when desired. (I sound like such a boring Mum!) On the mood board, the furniture is white, that doesn't mean I'd buy new furniture unless the furniture needed replacing anyway.  Maybe a darker wood could create more of a 'log cabin' Frozen theme?

Obviously, the age of the child will make a big difference to the scheme, I designed this for a 7 year old girl.  I've included similar "icy" colours with white, silver and blue.  

I am a big fan of wall decals as they really hall bring a theme to a room but peel off easily afterwards when you want a change.  I also have plain white picture frames (mine were from Ikea - click here for a link) and I change the picture with the theme of the room.  It's such a cheap way to change the look of a room.  Sometimes I use posters in the frames, sometimes wrapping paper, sometimes our own artwork, just whatever I fancy at the time.  For a Frozen theme, how about pictures of Anna, Else and Olaf? 

The lights are Christmas lights really but the snowflakes really work for this scheme, maybe draped around a desk or the window.  Any type of fairy lights would work and there are lots of Christmas snowflake garlands which could be used like bunting.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other Frozen decor ideas.

Disney in the Kitchen

Disney in the Kitchen 

I don’t have a favourite disney snack or meal to make, but we do have a few little touches of Disney in the kitchen.  The disney parks sell a fab range of items for the kitchen, I would love to have most of it.  I love these plates, the simple black and white design wouldn't look out of place at any occasion.

DIY idea

If you long for Disney themed plates, an idea would be to buy some cheap plain plates (white might be best) and using a Sharpie, draw on your favourite Disney character.  Or if drawing isn’t your thing, you could write the names of your favourite characters, favourite memories or use a stencil.  Bake the plate in the oven at 180 for 30 minutes (put plate in before you turn the oven on so it heats gradually otherwise it may crack).  

This DIY project isn’t suitable for your everyday plates as the designs can fade and wash off in the dishwasher, but for a party or special occasion would be wonderful.  What about telling your children about a trip to disney on a plate covered with food that they find once they have finished the meal? 

I have Mickey and Minnie glass tumblers and champagne glasses (only for special occasions as they were quite expensive) and a Mickey and Minnie ice cube tray which make all of our guests smile, not just the children!  I really like the Disney Parks glassware by Arribas Brothers, although there are plenty of similar cheaper glasses available, I think the quality of the glass and the fact they are etched rather than a stick on detail makes them really special and last longer.

Food with a Disney twist

Although I don’t eat egg, I have a Mickey shaped egg ring I use for all sorts of things, from shaping bread rolls, shaping home-made burgers to cookies and ice cream (not all at the same time).  It’s amazing how a fussy eater will eat something Mickey shaped!!

       

Bringing some disney decor to your home

Disney at Home

Love Disney? Been to the parks and now you want to bring some of the magic home? Me too….

Here I’ll share with you a whole range of ideas to add some of that Disney magic to your home, i’ll try to include everything from great Disney items you can buy, Disney DIY projects and how pick and choose elements from Disney to incorporate into your home.

I think there can be a really fine balance between incorporating some memories or favourite items and turning your home into a Disney museum.  Obviously the balance will be different for everyone, for me, I want a family home with a few touches of Disney Magic, a few "hidden Mickeys" if you will.  

Let me start by sharing some of my favourite items from around my home.

DIsney art 

This is extra special to me as it has a bit of a story attached.  

On a recent trip to Disneyland Paris I ended up in the Art of Disney Animation drawing class alone, yes, just me and the artist.  Our subject was Mickey Mouse and at the end of the class I’m afraid my Mickey wasn’t looking great.  I’m not sure if it was pity or just because I was the only person in the class but afterwards I was given the artists drawing.  I just love the original pencil lines and its really big (around 1m wide)!  Getting it home un-crumpled was an almost impossible task but we managed it and took it straight to be framed.

I love some of the artwork sold by Disney but I'm afraid the price tags don't fit with my budget, if I wasn't lucky enough to get this picture I might have considered framing a disney poster (or 3), which are relatively cheap and widely available.

A DIY project for the family 

A really simple project I shared with my daughter last week was to make these Mickey soaps, I purchased the mould from Disneyland Paris although I think they are quite widely available and probably meant for cooking.  I bought some plain soap and melted it over boiling water, added some colouring and scent and made these.  

I’ve made them in all different scents and colours (I got mine from Hobbycraft but I'm sure others are available) for friends recently and they just seem to bring a bit of a Disney smile.  

I am no soap making expert - this is not a soap recipe, this is just ‘melt and pour’ but its quick and easy.  My extra tip if you are thinking of making these is that you can end up with a bubbly bottom(!) but I found that if you leave them for to cool for just a minute or so, they form a thin skin on the top which can be carefully removed - use a cocktail stick or something as the soap underneath with still be very hot and it leaves a lovely smooth surface when its all set.

I don’t want to state the obvious, but this process does involve boiling water and very hot molten soap so be very careful.

Also in our disney themed bathroom we have a Mickey soap dispenser and Mickey hand towels and of course our Mickey Soaps are used in here too.

I hope you have enjoyed these few items, Ill be back next week with some more Disney ideas for your kitchen.

Home Staging - a few pointers

I'm always searching for my next project and just this morning I saw a few photos of properties, I'll explain as I go along, but firstly will say that I don't own any of these photos, they are all images on the internet*.   

Firstly, if you have a bedroom which is a little small, an oversized teddy bear does not help.  I'm not in any way advocating misleading buyers about the room size, but a small teddy would help to add scale to the room.

At first glance, there is nothing really wrong with this picture, my problem is that it is listed as a dining room.  I'm sorry, but if it's got a front door and the stairs, and other rooms off it, it's a hall (unless it's a traditional style terrace where the front door opens straight onto the front room).  

Also, a table pushed up against a wall just screams about a lack of space, I would suggest buying or borrowing a smaller table or removing the table and replacing with a large rug for a really welcoming large hall.

I'm not saying don't put up Christmas decorations if your house is on the market, but it's February and really your agent should have been back to take new non-Christmassy pictures.  Same goes for snow.  I saw a picture on rightmove last August that had snow, it just didn't give the right impression.  Of course there are now websites which anyone can look at to see how long a house has been on the market (or most agents will tell you) but it certainly doesn't make me think, "Wow, I need to go and see this property today before anyone else snaps it up!"

Remember that you are paying your agent a lot of money and coming out a couple of times to take new photos is minimal work for them.  If your property is on the market for more than 6 months, I would strongly suggest a new set of images anyway, maybe following some rearranging or decorating, and taken from some new or different angles.  If a buyer has been looking for a long time, maybe a fresh look would make them interested.

*If one of the pictures is your house and you would like me to remove it, please get in touch and I will immediately.  I will also offer you a free consultation to see if I can assist you in styling your home to its full potential.