Easter activities

When all the plans are made and you are done grocery shopping, what is there to do next during the holidays?
Here some fun, last minute, activities to do during your spare hours of easter.
Decorating eggs does not have to be a childish easter activity. For instance, make these easy confetti eggs, silk dye eggs, gold and pink dip dye eggs or get a black marker and give each egg a different mustache. Fun to do and fun on the table!

Another thing fun and convenient is baking. Add all your ingredients to your existing easter shopping list and you are ready to go at any time you like. Bunny buns, carrot cake, easter cookies or cupcakes. By adding an easter related shape or decoration to a standard recipe, your baking is instantely easter proof!
For example, place marzipan carrots on top of your carrot cake, decorate your cupcakes with sprinkle or chocolate eggs and use cookie cutters for chick, bunny and egg shapes.

Do you have way to much food already? Then you can never go wrong with decorations.
Use porcelain paint to transform your boring white plates, spray paint plastic animals and add small hooks for place cards or use scrap paper to make a easter garland.

None of these easter projects are too difficult or time consuming and can be done last minute.
No idea how to get started? Use pinterest or google to find their tutorial and you are done in no time.

Happy easter!

Love,
Noes

Color me pretty

You don't necessarily need heavy colored walls and patterned wallpaper to add color to your interior. Bright white, Scandinavian style, rooms have as much potential and are adjusted to any feeling without any fuss.
Use any of these great looking accessories, they will do the trick!

A splash of neonOn a chair, small vases or a bookshelf. With just a flash of neon, you interior is already drastically changed.

      

Copper, gold and silver
Spray paint some planters or buy this beautifull lamp. My favorite, copper, has a warm color, which adds a lot to a light interior.

Patterns
Kelim, Aztec, flowers.. It doesn't matter which pattern is your to taste. Any rug, pillow or tile with a pattern is able to transform a white cold room into a white, stylish and warm atmosphere.
These few are great examples for what a pattern can do for your interior, as well is the one with the copper lamp above this piece.
And did you notice how great the two things are combined?

Even though many of these trends are mentioned in interior magazines with high priced examples, it doesn't have to be expensive. Once trends come out, stores gradually develop their own collection of the trend and that will be in your benefit.  Be sure to also check out stores like Ikea, Hema, Xenos and such when you are interested in items like these. That way you will not only invest in great accessories, it will also be budget friendly!

Have fun shopping!

Love,
Noes

Do nut worry

Last week I discovered something genius: a donut baking pan. I've been doing research about making donuts for a while now, because my friend Ryan loves them, but I wanted that perfect round shape. I just couldn't figure out how do that, until now.
I ordered a mini donut baking pan right away and since it already had a recipe included, I got straight to work.

The recipe exists out of simple ingredients and isn't complicated, add some time and patience and you have a cake stand full of cute mini donuts.
I must say 48 mini donuts, not 24 as the recipe indicated. But hey, the more the merrier!

Love,
Noes

Cupcake styling

Baking in general is a totally different story than baking for someone in particular. Yestherday my cousin Eefke and her husband Hugo had their birthday celebration going on and as you know, there is no party without cupcakes!
Since they are a truly stylish couple, the cupcakes had to be a perfect match.

When you find yourself in this situation but you're are in doubt, choose one source of inspiration and work from there.

As you can see, they were happy with the result and the party was a blast so... mission accomplished! On to the next fun challange.

Love,
Noes

Collector's item

The perfect way to fill those vacant places in your interior and create ambiance are collections. It could be anything, as long as you like it.

Just because I am a big fan, here are some great examples.

The small lantern houses are my absolute favorite and despite the lack of space, I already started building my collection. As was often said during my studies: the sky is the limit. So let's get started!

Love,
Noes

Happy 1st Birthday!

Today is little Julia's first birthday!
Because she is a big fan of Bumba the clown, these are her birthday cakes!
And yes, two cakes. One for the friends and family and a small one for Julia herself.

The biggest cake was decorated with of course, Bumba, balloons and a guirlande.

The small cake was decorated as a drum, perfect for those little hands, with again Bumba on top.

Happy Birthday Julia! I hope your day is super fun.

Love,
Noes

Jewels on display

I've been busy on the DIY's lately and after making the jewellery branch, as seen here, I've been thinking of more ways to properly show off your pretty things.
One solution may be a jewellery dish. I saw an example on Pinterest and it inspired me to not only use my porcelain paint for actual porcelain dining pieces, but also for vanity.

This oval, gold rimmed dish was topped off with a gold confetti pattern. Ideal for putting your jewellery or pretty perfume bottles at display.Not in the mood for porcelain painting?
You can also make an entire new dish but the use of clay.

Role our the clay and create this lovely pattern by the use of chrochet. Simply place it upon your clay and role over it with the rolling pin.
When you are satisfied, cut it into the right size and leave it to dry in a bowl or on a tray, this will take a couple of days.If you would like to use it, for instance, in the bathroom make sure you apply a varnish to it once it is dry. Clay will soften again when it's in contact with water.

Love,
Noes

You stylish animal

Spotted: stylish, faux leather animals. They might even be art. Meet Züny.

Their slogan: "Make your life funny and easy" actually says it all. They want to distract you from annoyance, work pressure and frustration by making creative, fun leather home accessories.
Because they want the emphasis to be on unique ideas, each Züny is hand-made and high quality.

Not only can you choose your animal, you can also choose it's purpose. Is it a bookend, a doorstop, a keyring or a paperweight?
Choose whichever you want because they are all amazing. But you must admit... that lion is awesome!

Visit Bijenkorf Utrecht (book department) where I spotted them or visit the Züny website. You should at least take a look because there are 3 collections and many, many more animals.

Let them bring fun to your life!

Love,
Noes

Composed porcelain

When you can't buy it, you make it!
Lately, I've been busy with DIY's that are as easy as they are fun.
Today: composing several porcelain or glass elements into one piece.

These two are composed cake stands. Find a plate or dish to your taste and combine it with a small vase or a candlestick.
Make sure the top and bottom are straight so the stand will be steady and decide which side will be the bottom.
Use clear silicone glue, the kind you would use for the bathroom, to attach the pieces and leave it to dry for at least a night.

Of course there are many other options besides making cake stands. For instance this jewellery/ring holder.

I found both items in a second hand shop, the duck was probably disposed because it's beak and eyes were worn off. Luckily I had bought porcelain paint so I restored it easily to it's former glory.
Using the same silicone glue, I attached the little ducky to it's new pond.

Apart from the time the glue needs to dry, it's a quick DIY project with infinite options. Make sure you remeber this whenever you can't find what you are looking for at the store.

Love,
Noes

Jewellery branch

Pinterest is my ultimate source for inspiration. Sometimes you find great products which you can just buy but more often you have to put some effort into it.
A while ago I found this lovely idea of using a tree branch as a jewellery display, I couldn't find them in stores so that meant yet another DIY.

The original branch from Pinterest

The According To Noes version

Most important for this DIY is the following: give it some serious thought what kind of wood you use. You could of course trim your own tree and use a branch but that would mean there might still be some insects in it and the wood will not be completely dry. If you want to, leave it to dry out for a few weeks and then use it.
A great alternative is decorative wood people use for flower arrangements, this wood is already prepared for further use and you can buy it at any garden center.

When you have your branch, make measurements on the wood and mark then with a pencil. At those exact points you are going to attach small hooks. Finally, drill small holes at both ends of the branch and screw it right into the wall or knot a string to the ends to hang your branch on the wall with a single nail.
Give your prettiest things a place and you are done.

You can make it as big or as small als you like and you're done before you know it.
Have fun!

Love,
Noes

City seeing: Utrecht

Spending time at the very center of our country: Utrecht, a little bit of everything.
There are many options to fill your time with when you visit Utrecht, in between those you should definitely pay a visit to Daen's.

Just as Utrecht itself has a lot of diversity, so has Daen's. Fashion, coffee, wine, food, hotel that is how they summarize themselves.
Last weekend I explored the coffee and food aspect. And while you are there anyway you can't help but to look around and notice the influence of fashion even within the cafe.

Washi taped pictures on the wall, it's all the rage. We know that from personal experience.

Wise words.

Clipboard menu. Very stylish and very delicious content.

Freshly baked carrot cake. It was either this one or key lime pie, decisions decisions.

Apart from this delicious cake you can also enjoy a nice lunch or some appetizers with a glass of wine. After a moment for yourself you continue next door for Daen's fashion.
Be sure to pay them a visit when you are in town.

Daen's
Korte minrebroederstraat 13-17
3512 gg Utrecht

Love,
Noes