DIY TOILET TUBE OWLS

I don't know about you but I like collecting toilet paper tubes because I know there must be something we can create with them, instead of just throwing them away. And one day on Pinterest, lo and behold, I found a cute image of owls made from toilet paper tube! So I tried them out with Amal and his cousins and they were a big hit:

I don't think any explanation is necessary except to first paint the tube in one color, then fold the top center part of the tube and use a marker to make the faces, feathers and other fun drawings. Here's the website if you want to see the original idea :)

MAKING A KALEIDOSCOPE

This was a simple but fantastic gift from our trip to the Art Garden exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum: a do-it-yourself kaleidoscope! I didn't think making a kaleidoscope would be this easy, but it is, and it got me thinking of making them with the kids from Desa YUM Cipanas; that would be so much fun! I just have to figure out where to find those mirrors :)

Step 1: color in the drawings

Step 2: double tape the mirrors

Step 3: fold the kaleidoscope

Step 4: et voila!

EVERYTHING RAINBOW

Browsing through my Pinterest, I realized I had a few pics of various items with the rainbow theme so I thought I'd share with you:

This is a DIY of a simple white side table transformed by coloured japanese washi masking tape into a colourful one, made by Lady Croissant.

These kitchen utensils were given a new life by using different colours of non-toxic craft paint, made by Little Bit Funky.

I so want to sleep in these sheets (via The Company Store)

This is actually something I've always wanted to do in my own house, but it'll have to wait. When I browsed the blog of the one who posted this, I found it really cute and fun... check it out!

And of course.... the ultimate rainbow cake... though I've never actually tasted one that I really like (I did hear though that Convivium makes an awesome one!), this pic is mouth-watering!

GIFT WRAPPING IDEAS

Ok, today I wanna share with you a really nice idea I had for gift wrapping presents. Last month when my aunt and uncle came for Christmas, I wanted for them to bring back some gifts for my cousins in France. However, I thought if I gift wrapped them with paper, it would be completely destroyed in their suitcase. So I remembered seeing at the MUJI store some cheap small-size tote bags. They only cost around Rp. 10,000 to 13,000 so honestly, I think you can't get cheaper than that for a small bag :)

Now, since it was really bland, I thought why not ask Amal to draw something on it and he decided on monsters (of course!). What's really funny is that, not only did he name all the monsters, but he gave a label to the bag! So he decided his trademark label would be ALMBLA. Go figure what that means but this little kid actually has entrepreneurial skills....hahahha...

So, all you need are the bags from MUJI (which you can find in Plaza Indonesia and Pondok Indah Mall I) and a marker special for clothing (which you can buy at Gramedia or other stationery stores). Et voila!

DIY COCKTAIL UMBRELLA LANTERN

Yes, it's the weekend and I finally have one of those days when I can just chillax, have lunch with my family, do some grocery shopping and come home, watch cartoons with Amal and browse freely...

The video below is one of my favorite DIYs from the Etsy podcast that I subscribe to (via iTunes). They also have an Etsy blog and Etsy YouTube page. For those of you who aren't familiar with Etsy, it's an online marketplace for all things handmade....very very cool! 

HALLOWEEN INSPIRATIONS

Halloween is coming up and The Cooking Playdate girls & I are planning to have a Halloween-themed gathering very soon. So of course, with a bit of time on my plate, I went through my fave site pinterest and found a couple of amazing halloween inspired decorations & ideas for a party. Have a look and you might be inspired to make a party too!

I also found 2 sites with great halloween costume ideas: go here and here if you're curious :)

Liz from Say Yes to Hoboken shared a great idea to decorate your pumpkin and also some free Halloween printables

SINGAPORE: THE BETTER TOY STORE

Amal and I are in love with a toy store in Singapore called "The Better Toy Store". They have toys that you wouldn't normally find in other toy stores, because (in their words):

"We believe a child exposed to Beauty will in turn appreciate and respond to all things beautiful. Learning to appreciate Beauty (and not just in toys) is fundamental to a gentler, nobler and kinder existence. Our toys must thus not only be educational and well-made but also beautiful." (The Better Toy Store)

Amal usually buys animal toys to play with like a manta ray and a shark. This time he bought animal pirates :) The toys are very cool indeed and even I get tempted to buy things from there each time I go...

PANTONE COLORS

Hello! Amal and I are off to Singapore for the weekend... We're going to see the broadway show of "Lion King" which I've always wanted to see and I think Amal will get a kick out of it :)

Though I didn't plan this trip to be just the two of us (I thought eventually family or friends would join), we are finally going to be just the two of us!! Which is really exciting because even though we've been on trips together, we've always had people around. I can't wait to roam the city with Amal, eat nice food, see museums and parks and of course, do a little shopping!

Before I go, I just saw this new Spring 2011 Palette from Pantone (above) and I think they're fabulous. They're exactly the tone of colors I love. I remember reading that the "Honeysuckle" color has been picked best color of this year.

[picture seen on Stephmodo]

YUM TOTE BAGS #2

Welcoming 2 new tote bags made by the students of YUM's Vocational Training Center in Cipanas, West Java!

As I might have already explained previously, Desa YUM Cipanas offers sewing classes to young people in the area for free so that they can acquire skills to later on find jobs. Unemployment in the Cipanas area is quiet high. By buying these bags, you will be helping to sustain the YUM project and give hope to the students that what they are doing is actually worthwhile :)

Once again, YUM has teamed up with Alexia Cahyaningtyas from Komik Watatita who has designed the wayang inspired pictures.

Each bag sells for Rp. 60,000

and as usual, all profits go back to the students + YUM's projects.

Email: vanessa@yumindonesia.org

WALL OF LIFE

I'm one to think that life passes by so fast that it's a pity not to take memories along the way which means photos for me. You don't realize how much your child has grown if you don't look back at his old photos, or how your style has changed or just the fun times you've had and feel grateful for all that. Anyway, here's a nice way to keep memories in the form of photos:

[unfortunately I forgot where I found this pic...please help if you know]

NAME IT!

It's the beginning of a new school year and something that each school recommends is to: label your kids belongings! Because, of course, during the course of the school year, your child will definitely lose her school uniform, socks, carry-file and maybe even his/her shoes or bag!

So I found this great post on the Family Fun website and I've made this for my son's belongings. Actually, he easily made this by himself, all I needed to do was to provide the material. Photo No. 2 is the finished result :)

Go here is you want to make this tag.