I love decorating the playhouse for each Holiday. It brings me joy and my girls just love it. Easter was a little different this year celebrating at home quarantine style. I hope they always remember it as a happy time. This little playhouse is a small part of the happy childhood memories I hope they always have. For a full tutorial on exactly what I did to make this playhouse over go to this post: Cottage Playhouse Makeover
Things you’ll Need
Amazon:
White leotard – Size up on this. You can buy two and layer them putting polyfil in between the leotards to make it cozier and so the feathers don’t stick your child. I didn’t do this because we live in Florida and its 90 degrees.
Pilot Hat – Size down on this.
Yellow Tights – I ordered these but they got lost in transit so I used pink tights she had which was cute too.
Pink Felt – I had some at home but just in case you need it this is a good option.
White Boa’s – I bought three but I think you could get away with two.
Walgreens:
Yellow Rubber Gloves – I had these on hand. If you don’t have these pick up a pair at Walgreens. They do not have the yellow rubber gloves at Target or on Amazon.
From Home:
Old Shoes
Hot Glue Gun
Scissors
You can see videos all of my instructions on how I created Maven’s Chicken Costume on my Instagram Highlights under Halloween.
To make this costume it took about two hours start to finish. I love it so much and think Maven is the cutest little chicken around. For a family costume idea, the adults can dress up as farmers and siblings can be other farm animals too. I hope this helps and as always let me know if you have any questions! Happy Halloween!
This review is sponsored by Raddish but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s no secret that I don’t cook much and definitely need a little help in that department. My kids actually love to cook so when I found Raddish Kids I knew it was a perfect fit for us. Raddish is a cooking club, culinary lesson and mealtime solution that gets delivered to your door monthly. How cool is that? We were all so excited when the box came we tore into it and found the cutest silicone molds to make star and moon pancakes! The girls were jumping up and down! I think they would eat pancakes for breakfast lunch and dinner if I would let them.
Everything is so easy to follow with detailed shopping lists, recipes and lots of fun activity cards. The girls love their aprons and patch they get for completely the recipes! We made galactic pancakes from scratch and the girls gobbled them up. The pancakes were delicious and they were so proud to make them themselves. McKenzie and Maven had so much fun making the star constellations with toothpicks and marshmallows too! An activity that kept them busy for quite a while.
When we sat down at the table we used the table talk cards that you get with the kit. It asked what we would take if we flew to the moon. Such a fun question. McKenzie said her favorite stuffed animal, art supplies and a jumprope. Maven said her pancakes, her blanket and her purse. These are the days that I wish I could bottle them up. The cutest answers. We cant wait to see what next month’s Raddish Kids kit holds!
When the cookies were done we sat down to try out our creations. The girls loved them. With each box you receive 4 table talk cards for conversation starters with your kiddos at the table. I asked them what their favorite kitchen tool was. McKenzie said a whisk and Maven said she was a whisk too. We cracked up. Maybe that would be a good question for next month if you could be a kitchen tool which would you be?!
Do your kids love to cook? Use promo code SHBLOG for $15 off a Raddish 6-month membership! Every month is themed something new, so there are always fun and delicious recipes to try!
When I was little I would color in my room for hours. I loved it. I loved everything about it. I would try to draw. The best I could do were stick figures. In my mind I thought an artist had to be good at drawing. If I couldn’t draw then I wasn’t an artist. I thought that for the longest time. Now I know that being artistic comes in all different shapes and sizes. I am an artist. I’m not a painter or a illustrator. I’m a designer. I love to come up with a concept, pull products and see it come to life all while creating a space that is functional and inviting. I want my daughters to grow up knowing they are artists. Maybe they love to draw, maybe they love to paint or maybe they just love the freedom that comes with art. I’m so happy to give them a happy space for finding their inner artist.
I set out to create a cozy space for them in my office that they could use for their creativity through art. Hoping that while I’m working they can be in my office with me doing their own thing. Wishful thinking probably but let’s give it a shot! I started with the most important thing, the art supplies. I am a huge fan of Ooly art supplies and knew I had to have their incredible line for McKenzie and Maven. They have the greatest products for little kids and big kids. I’m sharing all of the items below for you. Next up was the desk. I didn’t want to break the bank and knew I wanted to keep it simple. IKEA what would I do without you? It’s the perfect size for the space, both girls have a drawer and it’s inexpensive. Boom. Done. The chairs I found at Target online, fuzzy chair cushions are from World Market and that gorgeous rug is from Anthropologie . H
The pegboard and basket accessories are from Joann Fabrics. I was looking at the plastic IKEA pegboard but when I saw this wood one on sale I jumped on it. It was 60% off! The gold trash can and white wire paper holder are both from Home Goods. The lamp shade is an Anthropologie find and the lamp base is from Target. The cute tubs on the shelf are playdough from Ellie and Piper party boutique!
I knew I wanted some sort of storage next to the desk but couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. With lots of Pinterest scrolling I found the Ivar book shelf from IKEA and all of the different hacks on this piece. This was very inexpensive and was the perfect size. To add a little character to it I had my handy hubby put the wood house top on it. It really finishes the piece and makes it a little more unique. Now the fun part to fill it up! The colored collapsible boxes at the top are from Shop Sweet LuLu. They are so good! The glass rope jars are a Hobby Lobby find. Sugarboo is where I scored the cute plant holder I filled with crayons and popsicle sticks. The two baskets at the bottom are from Target. I filled them with coloring books and paint smocks.
The finishing touch that pulls it all together is the amazing Opal Plus Olive sign. I’m in love with everything they make and knew this would be perfect. I’ve linked everything I used in the space and hope this gives you a little inspiration. As always feel free to email me any questions and please tag me on Instagram if you decide to create your own space. @stephaniehannablog I have the videos saved from building the space in my IG highlights under DIY Art Space. Happy Creating!
Pinterest made me do it. I am in love with the new playhouse Rusty and I built for the girls and they are in love with it too. But let me be clear this is not a one day project! It took me several days to finish. I learned some things along the way and want to share them to make it a little easier for you. We bought ours from Costco but I found it online on Ebay too.
Our playhouse is going to be kept outside in our screened in porch. We live in South Florida where it is humid, hot and rains a lot so I made sure to prime and paint the cottage so it will last for years to come. I primed each piece prior to putting it together. I had a few friends tell me to do this and towards the end I could see why! Once it is all built it is hard to paint the interior and get in the cracks. I chose a white exterior latex paint from Home Depot. It did take one coat of primer and two coats of white paint to get it completely white.
If you are needing it to move along a little faster I thought it would be really cute with a white wash. If I had to do it all over again I would white wash it to save time and give it a “vintage” look.
I also chose to spray paint the door handles, mailbox and hinges for the door. Be sure to use a primer and a sealer or the spray paint will wear off over time. I love the Design Master Rose Gold spray paint sold at Michaels. It is by far the best rose gold color I have found. I also spray painted the plastic pieces for the windows. I used the Rustoleum Universal White Satin paint and primer in one.
The pink door is my favorite. I found the perfect blush pink. Behr Paint and Primer in One in the color Pink Quartz at Home Depot.
I didn’t use the sink, stove, phone or flag I wanted to keep it simple and chic. I felt that these just didn’t go with the aesthetic I was trying to pull off!
After I had it all primed, painted and put together it was time for the fun part – decorating!!!! The rainbow welcome sign on the front door is from @knoxandnavy She makes the cutest wood signs and she is the sweetest to work with! The gold basket is from @wearebroots I have several of their baskets and love them! Everything else I styled the front with is from Target, the cactus, home sweet home doormat, pink opalhouse rug and the burlap garland. I plan on styling each side of the house but wanted to get this post up for you since so many of you want to do this for a Christmas gift! Next up is making it Spooky for Halloween! Cant wait to transform it for every holiday!
As always I am here to help if you have any questions send me a direct message on Instagram or an email. I will do my best to get back to you asap! Happy Building!
I’m so excited to share with you our family Halloween costume for 2017! The sun, rain cloud, flower and rainbow.
McKenzie has a vivid imagination. She helped me come up with this fun family costume. I always try to listen to her ideas and then do my twist on her thoughts. She is so happy with the way it all turned out and that couldn’t make me happier.
It did take time and a couple trips to Hobby Lobby but in the end when it all comes together all the work is so worth it.
Rusty’s giant rain cloud hat steals the show. I used a large straw beach comber hat, 1 bag of polyfil and a string on mini led lights (battery operated). For the rain drops I cut out drops out of silver poster-board and strung them on the hat with fishing line. Add some rain boots and you have the perfect rain cloud. He secretly loves it don’t let him fool you.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
Maven has to be the cutest little rainbow I’ve ever seen! I originally saw a cute rainbow on PotteryBarn Kids but it was discontinued so I decided to make one myself. I bought a half yard of each color felt at Hobby Lobby. I started by making a template. I measured 24 inches across on the felt and used a marker to draw the lines for the rainbow. 6 strips in total. Then I used my template to cut out the different color strips. I arrange all of them on another piece of felt and hot glued them down. I did this twice once for the front and once for the back. I cut 3 inch strips of felt for the shoulders and glued them to each rainbow panel so I could slip it over her head. For the clouds I drew a cloud shape and cut out 8 clouds. I stuffed each of the four clouds with a little polyfil to make them poofy and hot glued them on. Have I mentioned that I love hot glue? It was important to me that her costume is comfortable for her. She is still little and I want it to be soft. If she were older I would of put a foam board backing on the rainbow to keep it straight. Finish off your rainbow with rainbow tights and rain boots! She loves it and that makes this mama so happy!
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/
McKenzie is a gorgeous flower. I started with a kelly green dress I bought from Amazon. I cut the bow off the front of the dress. I bought leaves and flowers from Hobby Lobby and glued them on to the dress. I wanted to give the illusion that the flowers were growing up her in an organic pattern. I got lucky to find a beautiful green feathered mask at Hobby Lobby in the party section. I glued leaves and flowers on it to match her dress. I also bought a pair of green tights on Amazon to finish off her stem. This turned out gorgeous and she is over the moon about her costume!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
My sun costume was probably the easiest to execute. I bought a shiny gold leotard from Amazon. When you put this on it kind of feels like you are wrapping yourself in Saran Wrap. Anything for my kids. I bought three different shades of yellow tulle for the skirt and sunburst headband. For the skirt I bought a thick gold strip of elastic for the waist and tied on the tulle alternating the different shades of yellow to give a sunburst effect. I put my crinoline from my wedding dress underneath the tulle to give it a fuller look and to cover me up. For the sunburst headband, I bought a thin metal headband and tied the tulle on alternating the yellows, cut them at an angle for a sun ray effect. Put on some cute gold or yellow oversized sunglasses and you have a cute and easy sun costume!
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/
I hope you enjoyed this! I’m always here to help if you have any questions on how to make this yourself just send me an email!
When McKenzie was 2 she dressed up as Alice in Wonderland for Halloween. I’ve always been such a huge fan of the storybook and I knew she would make the cutest little Alice. I bought the dress from Lover Dover Clothing and it was picture perfect. I knew I had to plan a little photo shoot with her in this cuteness. I hired Daniela with Bella Rosa Photography to capture Kenzie having a tea party in the woods with her “buds.” I love incorporating special things that my child is into at that moment so we can always remember those little things. Her favorite stuffed animal then was Nunu the blue monkey and still is to this day, so he had a special seat at the table. I went early to set up the scene in the woods and Rusty brought McKenzie once everything was set up. I had fun setting the table and seeing her face light up when she saw her own private tea party in the woods! I hope you enjoy the pictures and maybe it inspires you to have your own little tea party in the woods.
IKEA, oh how I love thee. Well maybe it is more like a love/hate relationship. I mean let’s be real it’s an all day affair to go there, find what you want, checkout, get it home and put it together, but in the end it is so worth it.
The Duktig play kitchen is $99 at IKEA. If you are interested in getting one and doing a little makeover you can go to Pinterest and see a ton of different ideas. I am in no means inventing the wheel here but I thought it would be fun to share with you what I decided to do.
Before I had my poor husband put it together, I spray painted all the kitchen pieces white. I bought white satin spray paint at Home Depot that has a primer in it. You need 2 bottles. Then I sprayed all the fixtures with the rose gold spray paint I bought at Joann’s. Here is a link to buy the spray paint I used on Amazon.
I probably should have primed them first but I am impatient and just wanted it done.
The “marble countertop” really makes an impact. I bought Marble contact paper from Amazon.
Make sure you put this on prior to putting the kitchen together. I cut a piece to lie over the counter and then took an exacto knife to cut an X through each opening on the countertop so I could fold it over. This is a little tricky and by far the hardest part but with a little bit of patience you can do it!
For the back splash I bought a piece of tempered hardboard from Home Depot and had them cut it 26 ½ inches wide X 16 inches tall. This gave me a little room for it to overlap so I could nail it on the backside. I bought the backsplash wallpaper from the cutest company, Coloray Wallpaper Shop. They are in Poland, the shipping was quick and they were a pleasure to work with! You can find them on Etsy- StickersColoray or their website. It was already cut to fit the Duktig kitchen so that was a big help! I put the decal on the hardboard and then nailed it in on the backside of the kitchen. We used tiny nails so the wood didn’t split.
Then I bought blush pink flower glass knobs at Anthropologie. They are the perfect girlie touch for the oven/stove. We drilled holes for them and left the washers off so the girls can turn them. Anthro has the cutest home section. I also bought a towel to hang on the kitchen cabinet. It’s a little big so I am going to make it smaller and add a little pom pom fringe.
To complete the space I hung my tassel garland from GenWoo, my new letterboard (which I am so excited about!) and a bunny head from Good ol’ Target!
The girls LOVE the kitchen and I do too. It’s so pretty! If you have any questions please feel free to ask me, I am happy to help. Now I am on the lookout for the perfect kitchen accessories. I found some cute things at Land of Nod but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Happy DIYing!
When a good friend of mine that is a fabulous local photographer in Palm Beach, FL contacted me and asked me to build a flower swing for her Mothers day mini photo sessions, I was 100% in! I love building props and bringing my clients vision to life. The Hallmark Channel has a great tutorial for a circle flower swing. See the instructions HERE.
I made a few changes. I shortened the sides because it was too big. The tutorial called for 36-inch sides and I (or I should say my carpenter aka husband) used 18 inch piping instead. The seat wobbles a bit back and forth, if I were to make it again I would find a way to secure the seat a bit better so it doesn’t shift.
This swing does NOT cost $50 to make like the tutorial says. It costs $250 -$300. The piping and joints we bought from Home Depot for approx. $100. You need a lot of greenery and I mean a lot. Hobby Lobby has the best selection in my opinion. Another suggestion I have is to spray paint the pipe green. It will make it easier to camouflage the piping with the greenery. If you can, I always suggest using fresh flowers, but in this case she needed something she could use over and over again so I used fake flowers. I wrapped the greenery and secured the flowers with zip ties and hot glue. When in doubt use hot glue. For everything. Everyday. I also wrapped the seat with a moss sheet. It finished the swing off and made the seat comfy for the children.
The biggest thing I have learned in my years of building props is that it will probably cost double of what you originally estimate and take three times a long as you think. It’s kind of like building a house. You think how hard can it be? Well, it can be quite the challenge but so worth it in the end.
The swing came out great! My client loved it and booked several extra photo shoots with it. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have if you try building your own!
