Shirley

Play With Your Food

Neptune's delight! Made from filo dough folded origami style, these little boats sail in a sea of chocolate and cream. I can't image anyone not enjoying the chance to play with their food when it is this sweet! For the recipe and more whimsical projects please visit Carnets parisiens.

Magnificent Magnetic Wallpaper

This fabulous wallpaper from Sian Zeng has received quite a bit of attention lately. If you haven't already seen the charming work of this London based designer you are in for a treat! Like something out of Willy Wonka, her line of wallpapers are not only adorable, but they are also magnetic. With playful woodland creature magnets and writable speech bubbles your imagination will run wild. It must be like living in a life size storybook.

Cat's Cradle

Simply Awesome

I really want to meet their parents.

All Around the Globe

A world away from the globe you had in elementary school, artist Wendy Gold has been skillfully altering vintage globes into new works from her studio in the bay area for the last couple years. Any of her pieces would certainly add a dash of wonderment to a child's room. Make sure to swing by her site to see everything from airplane adventures to Where the Wild Things Are on a world wide scale.

Prize Collection

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, always a classic.

Tin Toys

Tin wind-up toys, always a classic.

Just Lovely

I stumbled across the work of Alonzo Felix on Grain Edit yesterday and was immediately struck by this piece. All of his work is truly fabulous. This birth keepsake poster actually made me gasp. Stella is such a lucky girl!

Portrait Of A Child

Have you ever known someone so well, and for so long, that when you look back at their baby pictures you can tell what they were thinking just by the expression on their face? I was looking at my darling Joe's baby pictures the other day and was surprised how many of the expressions he made back then he still makes today. Of coarse there are the obviously happy photos but, I'm talking about the subtle differences you learn when you really know someone. Give it a try, take a look at the baby photos of someone you are really close to. It is fun realizing that, yup, despite growing up, their expressions have not changed.

The Art of Fun

clockwise from the top left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6


There were so many charming album covers created in the 50's and 60's. It seems rather sad that most of them are collecting dust up in the attic or sitting lonely and unloved on a shelf. Even if you are not the record collecting type, why not use a whimsical cover as artwork in a child's room? Albums are surprisingly inexpensive these days, and with so many available there is bound to be one to fit every taste. Ikea even makes some of their Ribba frames to fit vinyl records. Besides, it is never too late to share the greatness that is Huckleberry Hound or Yogi Bear with younger generations.

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Most of the albums shown above are from MediumRare Records and Collectibles. To find out more please click on the links.

Shadows On the Wall

honeylux

Do you remember when you were a kid and it seemed that you could amuse yourself with just about anything? Sure you may have begged your parents for the new, bright and flashy, all-my-friends-have-it toy. You probably still remember that one thing you had to have the most. At the time you were certain you might die without having one of your own... or at least nobody would want to play with you anymore. Without it, you might have end up wandering the outskirts of the playground alone and friendless, forever.

Cue the violin.

For me, one item stands out the most. I must have been five when all of my friends had a Cabbage Patch Kid. I pleaded with my parents for at least one. It's not that I was greedy, it's just that my best friend already owned four. Therefore my parents were surely slacking. In December I put "Cabbage Patch" on the top of my Christmas list. When the 25th came around my Mom handed me a special box from under the tree. I could tell by her smile that it must be my very own Cabbage Patch doll. With glee I ripped off the paper and opened the lid. There laying in the box was indeed a doll but, not a Cabbage Patch doll. Something must have gone terribly wrong in the gift giving department. I looked up at my mother and in a confused voice said, "This isn't a Cabbage Patch doll." She assured me that it was and that this doll was an even better, more expensive version, since it was handmade. I doubt I new the word "swindled" at the time but, I sure thought my mom had been. (It's hard to rationalize the value of handmade to a five year old.)

Granted this doll had the correct number of appendages and facial features. It was about the same size and had yarn hair similar to a Cabbage Patch. However, this doll's skin was made from pasty white flour sack cloth and had embroidered eyes which made it look like voodoo doll. Not to offend my mother for her naivety as to what a Cabbage Patch Kid was I tried my best to explain...

"Real Cabbage Patch Kids are born in a cabbage patch, hence the name. You know they are authentic since they come with a birth certificate and Xavier Roberts signature is on their bum. Oh, and they have a nice smell too."

Needless to say I never got a real Cabbage Patch Kid and now I am so glad I didn't. I learned many lessons from that gift... I soon realized that I will not parish if I don't get exactly what I want. Another lesson learned is that children really don't need special toys to be happy. Since I hid that creepy voodoo doll at first chance, I had hours of fun finding other ways to entertain myself. Making shadow puppets on the wall, building forts in the living room and building my own car out of a skateboard and a cardboard box. Did you know a cardboard box can be anything you want to make it?! *

*Except a real Cabbage Patch Kid. Registered trademark, look for the name Xavier Roberts on the bum.

A lesson In Light and Sound

Wilkintie

Wilkintie is a wonderful project founded by Carly Hargreaves and Niels Oeltjen based in Melbourne, Australia. They produce "letterpress prints for the young and the young at heart." Each whimsical piece is designed by a world famous artist. To see more of their work stop by the Wilkintie website where you can learn more about the artists they work with or take a peek
at their Etsy shop.

Alice in Wonderland

"How Doth the Little Crocodile..." the famous poem from Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Printed in cool blues and greens, this large giclee if available at Farouche.

When life gives you lemons...

Make Homemade Lemonade

-1 cup sugar can be reduced to 3/4 cup
-1 cup water for the simple syrup
-1 cup lemon juice
-3 to 4 cups cold water to dilute the lemonade to your liking

.................

1 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely. Set aside to cool.

2 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice. This is a good time to enlist the help of your children or spouse for elbow grease.

3 Add the juice and simple syrup to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to your desired strength. Refrigerate until chilled. If the lemonade is too sweet for your taste try adding a little more straight lemon juice. When using Meyer lemons you may need to use less simple syrup since Meyers are a rather sweet lemon. Serve with ice and sliced lemons.

Serves 6 average people or 1 sumo wrestler.

Thirsty for more? Then check out Love. Obsess. Inspire. Alexa was sweet enough to post our lemonade download on her beautiful blog too. You should take a peek if you are in need of an extra dose of eye candy.

The Wonderful World of Doctor Dolittle

clockwise starting from the top left: Oh My Cavalier!,
Poor Dog Farm, Letterpress Delicacies, Berkley Illustration

clockwise starting from the top left: Sweetshorn, Berkley Illustration,
Prospero's Bookshelf, A Alicia Accessories


Recently I revisited the 1967 version of Doctor Dolittle. I have not seen it since I was in elementary and was surprised how much I still love it. It is such a classic children's movie. However, this time I did cheat and fast forward through most of the singing.

This movie has everything from a circus to the giant pink sea snail and a traveling island. I could see it being next on Tim Burton's list of classic films to update.

Free Lemonade Goodies- version for all ages

The lemonade goodies are finished and ready for you to download!

There are gift tags, decorative spots and more. I even included some journal spots for you scrapbook artists. If you check out the photos you will see I made some simple cupcake picks with the decorative spots and a toothpick. For more elaborate cupcake picks try backing them with colorful paper and tissue paper. We would love to see what you make from these.

So call your friends and start squeezing some lemons to throw your own summer lemonade party!


click the link below for download:
Free Lemonade Download-kids version


Copyright Farouche 2009. The download is for personal use only, not to be sold.