How is it already almost Easter!?
If you’re looking for some fun Easter activities (for all ages!!) then you’ve come to the right place!
Click below to download 5 free sample pages from my Easter 2021 Coloring Book PDF, currently available for sale on Etsy including 20 pages total in an easy to download printable file.
[convertkit form=2108672]
You can access the full 20-page coloring book PDF in my Etsy shop!
[convertkit form=2108672]
[convertkit form=2145399]
Y’all… can someone please tell me why I spent two hours redecorating my iPhone’s home screen? All of these iOS 14 *aEsThetiC* home screens have been all over social media lately and I admit, I got roped into the hype. But… I’m so glad that I did!! I took this opportunity to do a HUGE declutter and organization of my iPhone, which means ultimately I’ll spend less time searching for apps and productivity tools on my phone, and more time focusing on other way more important tasks (like hanging out with my baby girl Zoe!).
In today’s video I’m going to be showing you how I quickly and efficiently decluttered and organized the apps on my phone, as well as how to setup custom photos for your app icons on your home screen.
Check out the video on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPiOeT7cm-ZApM5lRX1iD3w
There are already *SO* many videos showing how to use the “widgetsmith” app so I didn’t go into details on that, but just in case you need some tips for that, you can check out this video: https://youtu.be/izvcjaLl6BE
The app icon technique I used was inspired by this video by a YouTuber called Bo0M H4CKZ V2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v5QsFNGhmU
[convertkit form=1778400]
Surely I’m not alone when I say that I love (love…) scouring the internet for *the* perfect font for some project that I’m working on. Right…?
For all of you font nerds out there, this post is for you! While I 100% believe in supporting creative designers and I often purchase fonts, I definitely appreciate a gorgeous and free font too.
Here is a round-up of some of my favorite fonts at the moment. I’ve included links to all of them and the best thing is that they are all 100% free and can be downloaded using the links below, and without needing to sign up to newsletters, give away your email address to mailing lists, or go to some dodgy site.
Enjoy!
Check out the video on my YouTube channel here.
League gothic // Selima // Atmosphere // Shutterstone // Broadcast Matter // Chasing Embers // Sweet Pea // Epic Awesomeness
The past few months have been a mixed bag of some good, and some less good things, but now I’m back and ready to get back to the swing of things here at Seefoodplay. Life threw a few things at me, some planned, some unplanned, and I’ve definitely taken this blogging break to re-focus on what’s really important, and in doing that I realized that it all comes down to one thing: balance. I’ve been missing it. A lot. That’s ok, though, and sometimes we need to slow down to realize what’s really important. Don’t worry though, it’s not been all bad (or even mainly bad) and I’ve got lots of super fun travel posts and some delicious recipes to share over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
So I’m all about starting fresh these days, and what better way than with a homemade lemony body scrub! If you’re reading this from Europe, then you could probably use a bit of sunshine in your life right about now, and this stuff smells like summer in a jar ☀️ – give a try!
This body scrub is super easy and doesn’t require lots of ingredients, so it’s a perfect DIY project if you want an all-natural beauty product for the cost of a few lemons and a cup of sugar. For extra smooth legs, this scrub works wonders! I would not use this as a face scrub, however, as the sugar might irritate the skin, which might lead to breakouts. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
Ingredients & supplies:
Combine everything in a container with a lid, and enjoy! I store mine in the fridge, just make sure you label the jar if you do the same.
The DIY project that I’ve chosen for today’s post is one of my absolute faves – upcycled wine bottle candle holders & vases. I’m not sure what that says about my drinking habits… But if you’re anything like me, then you probably have ahem…at least a few wine bottles sitting in your recycle bin anyway. This project is a great way to turn them into little golden accent pieces that can be re-used around the house in lots of different ways.
I made these for my wedding and used them as our table centerpieces, and to create a beautiful glow in the fireplace — they were big hits. These are great if you need a quick way to dress up your dinner table, and can be done in just a few minutes.
This craft is so easy and only costs a few bucks, but the end-result is pretty impressive. You could put flowers or candles in them, or a mix of both – like I did! You could also do about 5 or 6 of them, and make a beautiful candle fireplace arrangement. The possibilities are endless, so go finish up that bottle of wine (everyone has a Monday Merlot, or something along those lines, right…?) and get started on this easy-peasy gold spray painted wine bottle DIY!
Materials:
Here are a few photos of the finished product (courtesy of: Annie Gozard photography)
Instructions:
I don’t know about you guys, but I have a bad habit of under-estimating tasks that I take on. Organizing my wedding was one big fat example of that…times 100! For some reason, I got it in my head that I wanted to DIY everything that I could because I wanted things to be unique. The only way to make sure no one else was going to have the exact same decorations, or invitations…? To make them myself, of course! So, I made a big to-do list and got to work. We had 130 guests (of those, nearly 30 kids!) so just imagine the number of invitations, thank you cards, center pieces, and wedding favors we needed. All DIY’ed, of course.
The wedding guest gifts were one of the most challenging things to choose, because I wanted something personalized but that wouldn’t break the bank. There’s some cool stuff out there, but if you have more than 100 guests like us, it can get quite pricey. I looked into ordering monogrammed favors online, but everything we found that was actually in our budget looked pretty cheap. Then, I ran across a tutorial on Pinterest for homemade candles and I had my Eureka! moment. Miniature DIY candles it would be, personalized with special labels and ribbons and stickers and stamps and scents… you get the idea. My 10-year old self was revived, and I pretty much immediately raced to the craft store to get my supplies. I set aside a Saturday afternoon to knock out the “candle project” and planned to tick this off my list just as quickly as the idea came to me.
Reality soon set in, though, and this one was definitely a much bigger project than I anticipated. Partly, just because making 100 candles takes some time time if you’ve never actually made candles before, but also because I didn’t properly estimate supply quantities, and I had a mishap which caused me to junk a whole batch of about 30 candles. I’ll explain what went wrong, and hopefully how to help you avoid making my mistakes! I really enjoyed DIY’ing so much of our wedding and writing this tutorial brought back all those pre-wedding feelings ❤️. If you decide to take on a project like this one, I’d love to see photos! Did you DIY any of your wedding favors? I would love to see photos of those, too!
If you’re making one candle, then this tutorial will be an absolute breeze and will take you around 15 minutes all together (plus drying time). Candle making is super fun, and how cool is it to give them out as little gifts, or to have your very own homemade candles around your house!?
Let’s get started! (Please read through all of the notes at the bottom for helpful tips)
Materials:
Instructions:
To decorate these candles, I used:
Notes:
I ordered the wax to make my candles online. I got lucky with the first batch because it was a beautiful creamy off-white/ivory color. Because I didn’t order enough of the stuff the first time around, I had to buy more: it looked the same (same stuff, different brand) but oh was it different! Instead of that beautiful creamy white, it was a cheap-looking semi-transparent horribly-textured version of the good stuff that I ordered the first time. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize the difference right away because the wax takes on a different color when it’s melted vs solid. Oh the regrets…!
Tip: Quantity – If you’re making a lot of candles, buy a small sample if possible and make sure that the color matches what you’re after. Then, make sure there’s enough stock of that brand to get you through your entire project. If you’re making colored candles, then this might not be an issue for you.
I needed 8 x 1kg bags of wax to make around 115 candles. Yes, 8 kilos of candle wax. My original order was for 3 kilos and even then I thought I had over ordered! I would suggest trying an online calculator to determine how much wax you’ll need for your project.
Tip: Candle wicks – there are a few different options for candle wicks, and I’m glad I got it right the first time around in that I chose pre-waxed with sustainers (ie, the little metal base that holds the wick in place). Some wicks aren’t pre-waxed and don’t come with a base… don’t even think about using those for this project unless you like hours of frustration trying to get them to do what you want.
Tip: Time savers – Making a lot of these? I worked in batches of about 20 because I had so many candles to make, so use your judgement if you need to do the same. This gave me enough time to properly adjust each candle wick, to correct any wax issues, and to set aside to dry. For around 115 candles, we spent about 4-5 evenings making them (going at a leisurely pace).
Spring has been peeking its elusive little head out these past few days, and seeing actual real-life sunshine makes me want to get crafty and host little parties. And what is having a little get-together without also sorting out a few homemade decorations? Just kidding, I never really have time to decorate like I want to when I have guests over because really…we just go straight to the good stuff: the food and drinks. So this craft is perfect for people like me: good intentions when it comes to party decorations, but time-consuming projects never seem to make the cut.
A cute DIY tissue paper garland adds a little touch of “I put effort into welcoming you into my home for this gathering” while at the same time, doesn’t seem like you spent all of your free evenings preparing for it. Because you spent more time making the food and drink for The perfect apéro: cocktail hour for example.
This garland comes together in under an hour (probably faster if you’re not sipping red wine and watching The Good Wife at the same time), and is DIY-able for even the most anti-DIYers out there.
It’s super versatile and keeps for a long time, so this garland can be used and re-used as you want. I’ve got mine hanging above my desk, for a little bit of color, but the possibilities are endless! You could even do little mini-garlands to decorate your desk/cubicle at your office, or use them in a kid’s room.
If you end up trying this, I’d love to see photos of your results!
Instructions:
Notes: most of the tutorials I found when I was researching this DIY suggest to use scissors to make the cuts. I have professional-grade scissors and I found that they just didn’t work very well. The paper cutter, however, gave me perfectly lined-up cuts, with no damage to the tissue paper. If you don’t have a paper cutter, then scissors will do but go slowly when making the cuts otherwise you’ll end up with raggedy garland. And that’s not a good thing.
For a fuller, sturdier result, try using crepe paper instead of tissue paper. I’ve been using this more and more, and the results are fabulous.
If you do want to use tissue paper, then you’ll need to use several sheets of tissue paper. Otherwise, your tassel will be limp and well… sad. Play around with it until you get it how you want it!
I’m big into online shopping, so got most of my tissue paper from Amazon. You can get lots of colors and sizes, and the price is almost always a little bit cheaper than the big craft store chains.
When I moved out of my tiny 30m2 Parisian flat to move into my then-boyfriend’s (now-Husband’s) 110m2 suburban mansion (anything over 40m2 is a mansion by Parisian standards), I was thrilled with all the space… and get this: there was a balcony!! Any Big City dweller can appreciate the rarity of such a thing, so that was just icing on the cake! After almost 10 years and 5 different apartments in Paris, I never even came close to having an outdoor space, let alone a balcony that you could actually go out on…for fresh air…!
Now that Spring is right around the corner, this is the perfect time to share the details of our balcony makeover that we did last year. So, read on to hear how we turned our drab balcony to a cozy little summer hang-out spot!
As in any new relationship, moving in together is a pretty big step. Since I was moving into his flat, it took me a while to feel at home. Translation: it took me a few weeks before I was comfortable enough to start changing things around once I got over the initial shyness.
One of the first projects was to re-do the balcony, since it was fairly uninviting and therefore not used very often. Can you imagine, a gigantic (again, everything is relative) balcony overlooking a bunch of greenery? That’s prime outdoor real estate in my book! As soon as I got a glimpse of it, though, I understood why people rarely ventured out there: ugly cement floor, unattractive beige walls, a worn down privacy screen, no seating, no plants, and a bunch of random stuff stored on it that accumulated over the years. Anyone that knows me knows that I love a good project, and this was perfect! Also, anyone that knows me that most of my projects start off the same way: a visit to the Ikea website to get ideas. Yes, my name is Veronica and I am addicted to Ikea. But who wouldn’t be?! All home improvement projects can benefit from at least one or two elements from Ikea. They have great products that are budget-friendly and easy enough to adapt to your needs.
Once I got an idea of what Ikea had to offer by way of outdoor furniture, I quickly made my way over to my next addiction: Pinterest. This is a must in my book, as it’s really inspiring to see what others have created in their homes. I almost always look to Pinterest for ideas on how to improve “small spaces” and the ideas on there are fantastic. So, a few hours later (okay, a good several weeks of pinning and Ikea searching and more pinning), I had a plan! Whenever starting a home improvement, room makeover, or DIY project, I like to define a clear objective. For the balcony makeover, it was very clear to me from the beginning: I wanted to created a warm and inviting space that we would be able to actually spend time on, after work and on weekends, enjoying the summer sun. And most importantly: I wanted somewhere we could BBQ! When I lived in Michigan, I pretty much lived off of grilled food in the summer, so needless to say the possibility of a BBQ grill got me even more excited about this project.
With my Ikea shopping list saved and my balcony “vision” defined, we set out to make the following purchases:
Total cost: around 350 euros
Putting down the synthetic grass was what I was most worried about, but it ended up being beyond easy to install: simply write down the dimensions of your balcony before heading to the store, to make sure you get enough of the stuff. Next, roll it out, cut it down to size, smooth down the edges. Easy peasy. Same with the privacy fence, measure the length of your balcony that you want to cover, and head over to the hardware store. There were lots of different options (in lots of different price ranges), so this could easily cost you way more that we invested, depending on the materials you choose.
So, the total cost for this project was pretty reasonable considering the difference it made, and we only spent one afternoon of putting the grass down, and arranging all the new furniture. Needless to say, it was totally worth it. If you’re hesitating to take on a similar project, then hopefully this post will motivate you to just go ahead and try it!
Interested in a balcony makeover of your own? Check out the Pinterest board I created to help with design brainstorming ideas.
Did you undertake any big home improvement projects after moving in with your significant other? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section!
I have been wanting to create my very own bar cart DIY project for months, so I’m very excited to reveal our version of the Ikea Bygel makeover!
If Hubby weren’t around to stop me, I probably would have spray painted everything in our house gold. Seriously, I’m obsessed with it! It all started when I was looking into theme ideas for our wedding last summer, and I fell in love with everything gold. It’s so easy to just spray on a coat or two of gold spray paint and turn everyday basic objects into pretty impressive DIY projects, and here’s one of my favorites that I’ve done so far. And don’t worry, there’ll be lots more gold-themed projects to come in the next few months!
Finding the right tone of gold can be a challenge and there are a lot out there. I got lucky in that the first one I picked up was exactly the color I was after: a soft gold, not too shiny but not quite matte finish either.
All you need to recreate this are a few things:
Assemble the cart, per the instructions except for the wheels and the shelves. Take your project outdoors to avoid fumes and spray on a coat or two of your favorite gold spray paint. Give it a good 24 hours at least to dry, otherwise you might scratch the metal when you’re installing the shelves.
This one is as simple as it gets, and all you really need to do is grab the Ikea Bygel cart and choose some paint and get started! This one is super easy, and you have no excuse to leave your Bygel in the standard issue grey metal it comes in. This would look great in a brass or copper tone, or even something a bit more flashy like a bright pink – the possibilities are endless!
Updated February 2019
Click here to skip to the tutorial
If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know that I relocated from Paris to London for work.
When I decided to move to London, I gave away or sold most of my furniture, and only brought a few things, almost all from Ikea.
Apartment hunting in London was significantly easier than in Paris: I ended up choosing the first flat I visited! I only visited a few others to confirm my choice, but I knew right away that the first flat was the one. It came unfurnished with the exception of two beds and kitchen appliances, so I pretty much had to buy everything new, which is both exciting and terrifying. I’m always keen for a good ole room makeover, but furnishing and decorating an entire flat? So, I set aside a budget and I got on Pinterest months before the actual move-in date to start brainstorming. The flat isn’t big, but it’s got some interesting features. It’s around 65m2, two bedrooms, and an open kitchen leading onto the living area. All that is pretty standard, but wait for it… both the bedroom and living room lead out to a huge (everything is relative…) terrace! I’ve never had this much outdoor space (other than when I was a kid) so needless to say I was very excited about working on the terrace make-over! But for now, the priority was on working on the inside.
Of course I would have loved to get everything from cute little shops and high-end stores, but I had a whole apartment to furnish quickly and budget was limited. So, off to Ikea I went! About 6 trips later, I finally had most of the major things that I needed, and I could finally focus on the fun stuff: decorations and customizations. Since so many things came from Ikea, like the Ikea Bekvam Stool, I really want to try to customize as many things as possible to make the flat look a little bit less like I just chose it right out of the Ikea catalog!
That’s what’s so great about Ikea though – many of their products are easily DIY-able, so you can turn an inexpensive element into a unique piece of furniture using an easy Ikea hack! That way, no one will look at it and go “I have the exact same one!” when they come over 🙂
One of my very first Ikea DIY’s was to improve the Ikea Bekvam stool. It’s a great little sturdy stool, and I use it as a side table and bookshelf. I’m pretty obsessed with them, so don’t be surprised if I add another tutorial soon! It took all of my willpower to not paint it gold as I’m obssessed with gold spray paint these days! I settled on a more reasonable wood varnish (maybe add white-dipped legs in a few weeks? I know dipped furniture is very trendy right now but it’s trendy because it looks goooood!)
Instructions:
Note: I had already put this stool together when I got the bright idea to re-do it, so I just painted it without taking it apart. If I were to be using spray paint for the whole thing, then I would have definitely disassembled!
More Ikea hacks customizations will follow, so keep an eye on that! Have you re-done the Ikea Bekvam stool too? If so, I’d love to see photos & descriptions in the comments section!
