Well I gave up on my fairy garden, after I found out that moomin mama wouldn't need a ladder for cleaning the second story windows. I'm really amazed at nack you've got for this, Purple. Even if I'm not commenting every time, I really enjoy your pictures. Keep 'em coming! For the bricks, you would have to make sure that you use a VERY thin paint if you go by the "shake'n'bake" method. Otherwise, I fear it would run down at the bottom while drying, in a way that would create a small tip on each brick. spray paint would be possible, as long as you keep a good distance to the bricks. Perhaps you could dry them on one of those plates, that little girls use for making pearl plates? -After they have dried you could "effect" paint them with a thin layer of slightly different colour pigment paint (not acrylics) on the sides that face out: put some thin paint on a flat surface (a lid or something) then dip a piece of sponge in the paint, then dap it on a piece of paper to get the worst excess off, and finally dab it onto the brick. You could also use this technique for the burgers. -For the illusion of searing, it's hard to get a brush that is thin enough... even a no 2 could easily make too fat chunks of paint, but perhaps if you take a string of hair, and strech it out between your fingers then dip it in: a: thin paint, and run it along the direction you want the line (still stretched out), or b: use a thicker paint, and remove some of the excess paint on a piece of paper, and run it along where you want the line on your burger (also with the hair still stretched out). Perhaps it could be done with cheese cutting wire, which is a bit thicker. I have yet to see a no 1 brush in an art supply store, but perhaps they would have it in a hobby supply store (I always wonder how people who paint tin soldiers makes those small dots for eyes). VG

Congrats on your move! Decorating 'from scratch' is lots of fun but can easily get overwhelming :). We moved from a small apartment to a 3 story home few months ago and it's still work in progress.. My big and long living room is slowly being taken over by toys as well.. They seem to multiply faster than rabbits :O. I utilized the bottom 2 shelves of a plain white bookcase (Billy from Ikea), I put two of Target brown fabric bins at the bottom (filled with stuffed animals and lighter plastic 'junk') and a few books and 2 smaller rattan baskets filled with blocks and small dollhouse accessories on the next shelf. The rest of bookcase is my books and picture frames (it's great to hide eg markers and playdough and paint behind the books too ;)). I'm also planning to get a cube storage unit (Expedit from Ikea too), it's deeper than the bookcase and doesn't scream 'kids', I'll put her toys into bins or baskets so they're not out in the open... When she grows, I can always fill it with books, games, knicknacks like frames and vases as well...

I've got the sofa downstairs now. I covered it with what I had on hand - a huge black blanket and a smaller white one. The red thing behind the sofa is a mattress. It's a safe place for the baby to sleep at night (I block the way out). Now I'm wondering if it makes sense to buy a table and a lamp for the armchair. This part of the living room could be the actual 'living' part, while the other side is dedicated to children and their play. How about some kind of a wall art? I'm sorry, and it probably sounds like I don't know what I want, but I would like this room to look more 'finished'. Do I expect too much? Maybe it would be best to wait for four or five more years and then redesign this space? But can I wait that long? I wish this house was arranged and I didn't have to worry about it all anymore! :( We've been living here for three years now and it upsets me that everything looks so awful. We don't even have a hardwood floor upstairs - just go with carpets on concrete floor. We are currently having a bathroom made, but imagine living all that time with temporary solutions :( There are only a few things that we actually bought for the house - the rest are hand me downs - nothing matches, everything old and not to my style. I'd like to turn this house to home at last. Maybe I should go to ikea, look at those timy flats they have there and order everything there is!!! I'm sorry I just needed to vent :(

Found this too lying around. Wondering if it goes, as you can see it’s not gold like the rest of the finishes. If the piece works and not the finish should I spray paint it? I would also like to put some sort of art on the wall behind the toilet as well as a towel rack.