a friday link list on a Saturday

so I posted last weeks link list on a Monday, this weeks on Saturday... jeez I don't know what's happening to all my good blogger habits. Actually, I do, a mixture of all of us being hit with nasty colds and putting in extra hours at work has meant my weekends spent scheduling that weeks posts have not been happening. But I promise next week back to normal (ish). Anyway, while we're still on a loving the boy vibe, here are some boy-friendly links for the rest of your weekends viewing pleasure:

Pretty in Pink Onesie

vintage popart superhero party - quite possibly my four favourite words

dino pants (!) - spotted on bloesem kids

if you liked my homemade toxic slime check back on Monday for a girly version (cheating, I know)

seriously the cutest name announcement video on Dear Baby - little mister gets a name

what are little boys made of cupcakes

Here's to Blue Skies & Baby Boys!

Charlotte xo

what are little boys made of?

slugs & snails...

and puppy dog tails...

that's what little boys are made of!

a cupcake for a boy

so with all the boy-themed stuff going on round here, I decided it was time for some boy-baking... not literally, please understand... but with the masses of pink sparkles, pastel sprinkles and sugar sweet flavours, a boy themed cupcake is easier said than done

I decided a boy cake doesn't need perfect frosting and piped swirls, so I just sort of dumped the icing on some chocolate muffins and rouched it up a bit. Then I stood staring and squinting at it a while trying to get a vision of what it could become. And I spied these army men I got from the flea market that I have planned for a project later in the week. And this little guys just said 'excuse my violent undertones, gender specificness and the gun that is proportionately as large as my body and let me sit atop something sweet and joyful

Then he went all Dirty Harry on me... so I ate it

a friday link list on a monday

So... Friday's link list somehow ended up being Monday's list, I'm not sure how that happened, the weeks are running away from me.

Since we are joining in with '30 Days of BOY' hosted by Dana Made It and Made by Rae, I thought I'd do a little boy round up this week:

Wish I had a birthday coming up so I could throw an awesome Dinosaur Party with this great party plan from One Charming Party - p.s. sign up to their newsletter to get half off party plans!

Didja like my Wrap-it like Cowboys & Indians post? Check back next week for a cops and robbers wrap-it

Yes, I love it, but with all the ruffles, sparkles and other pretty things, I have to say Etsy is a little girl-centric. Which is why Etsy for Baby Boys is such a brilliant site - like a personal shopper for handmade boy stuff!

I touched upon my gender neutral toy preferences when I posted these felt car mats, I don't know why I never thought about a boy-doll before!

Happy Monday Folks!

 

felt car mats

At some point around Christmas I looked over my boy's gender-neutral toys and wondered if now was the time for something a little more boy-ish. But what to do what to buy for little boys that doesn't include flesh ripping dinosaurs, homicidal aliens, war hero army men or monster trucks?

I found some Micro Machines cars in the flea market in CP and just watching his little face as he pushed them along the floor (and over his head) I knew I couldn't hold my facist toy preferences over him forever (and anyway, his dad bought him the flesh hungry dinosaur, complete with flashing lights and roaring sound effects).

I was inspired to the point of plagiarism by these felt car mats from Serving Pink Lemonade. Of course, those ones are neatly stitched and pressed, mine were stuck down with fabric glue. Oh and I later noticed they have printable stencils which would have saved me a lot of cursing as I tried to cut my shapes freehand.

Of course, living in South London, I couldn't make a little village without an urban fox roaming. Now I just need to find an Eiffel Tower ornament I can pretend is the

Crystal Palace Transmitter and we're good to go!

homemade toxic slime

Of course it's not toxic* and it's not particularly slimey, but I find anything a bit nasty, creepy or dangerous is entirely appealing to little boys.

I've had homemade playdough on my to-do list for a while now, and this weekend we had the perfect rainy day to whip some up. I love anything I can make in a matter of minutes (i.e. my only window of opportunity, Vin's naptime) and from kitchen ingredients too!

Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tbsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup water with food colouring added

and because I am probably a little weird, I added some peppermint flavouring to make my dough smell nice, though you could use vanilla extract or almond essence

Directions:

* mix all the ingredients in a large pan - stir over a medium heat for a couple of minutes - the mixture will turn lumpy first, like chocolate when it seizes, keep stirring and within a couple of seconds you will have a lovely gooey dough
* knead for a couple of minutes until soft and stretchy (I can't tell you how weirdly pleasurable this bit was)
* store in an airtight container or ziploc bag

You could make up little pots and team with a set of palstic cookie cutters as a little treat - I see toddler party favours in the near future

This makes a lot of dough, so I would suggest splitting it into a couple of pans and making a couple of different colours. If you're not into the green and slimey, maybe pink colouring with a drop of rose water (I think I would have to chuck in some lustre dust or glitter too!)

Blue Skies,

Charlotte xo

* p.s. this mixture is non-toxic, but it tastes very salty

p.p.s. so far the green colouring hasn't stained our white tabletop, clothes or hands

wrap it like cowboys & indians

Since I am joining in with '30 Days of BOY' hosted by Dana Made It and Made by Rae I figured this week's wrap-it should be boy-centric. I brainstormed some ideas, anyone fancy a slugs & snails themed wrap it? Non? Instead I picked some classic games I imagine little boys play (before Halo Wars and Pokemon that is). So I bring you, Cowboys & Indians:

I dressed up my brown paper cowboy package with a lassoo (aka length of curtain braiding), sheriff's badge and strip of check vellum that I think looks like a cowboy's shirt non?

I'm not sure it's entirely pc to call it 'cowboys & indians' anymore, so this is the Native American inspired package complete with tissue paper fringe, feathers and a leather thong with some handpainted coloured beads.

And check back later in the week for a 'cops & robbers' wrap-it and maybe something Lego inspired too!

Blue Skies,
Charlotte xo

from the giftlist - celebrate the boy

With all the lovey doviness that has been going on in blogland on this here space I feel the boys have been shoved somewhat to the sidelines. Which is why I jumped for joy when I saw '30 Days of BOY' hosted by Dana Made It and Made by Rae. Starting February 15th that means 30 days of crafting, tutorials and projects celebrating all that is good about little boys. Being the only girl in an otherwise boy household I knew I had to get in on the action, so I thought I'd post a couple of my favourite boy friendly projects of my own.

So I shall kick off my celebration of the boy with a gift guide for the little man in your life:

felt car wall decals | construction set | animal shape lorry

Lego Duplo zoo

Batboy cape | wooden carpenter set | 'Keep Calm...' print 

pop back tomorrow lovelies, for a boy themed wrap it and check out Dana and Rae's blogs to find out what 30 days of BOY is all about.

Blue Skies,
Charlotte xo