Coordinated Play Kitchen | Die Ugly Toys Die

The summer is coming to a close and so is the Die Ugly Toys guest series.  But this last one is a great for so many reasons.  It's hard not to love a custom play kitchen but Morgan of Pepper Design Blog crafted one that coordinates beautifully with her actual kitchen.  Now her little girl can be just like mom and dad!

She also built this one using various bits and bobs from Ikea so it's truly custom built. Stop by Pepper Design Blog for all the details.  She has even broke down the step by step directions of how you can make your own.

Hope you've enjoyed this guest series as much as I have.  Do you have a DIY toy to share and want to be featured? Drop me a line.


Want more inspiration?  Check out previous weeks #dieuglytoysdie features.

The Lazy Man's Vertical Pallet Garden

Gasp!  I'm in violation of the code.  The code that states that every home blogger must have at least one pallet project in the archive.  Evidently after 8 years, I had to be stopped or suffer the consequences. I argued with the authorities that I really had tried.  [See exhibit A: The Problem with Pallets]  After that experience I learned I don't much like pulling apart pallets (and they don't seem to like it much either).  I argued "free" wood isn't really free if you have to spend the better part of the day and risk life and limb for it.  But alas, they won out and I've been sentenced.



Ok, I'm kidding but it's time I joined the pro-pallet side for just a minute. Why? Because I stumbled upon the fastest, easiest, no tools required way to turn a discarded pallet into a vertical garden.



Seriously, I really don't like working with pallets but when I ran across this curbside a few months back, it called out to me.  My husband dutifully carried it back for me (Isn't he handsome?).  How could I use it without having to wrestle it apart?  Ding ding ding!

I bought these uber cheap hanging pots and hooked them right onto the boards.  No tools.  No mess. No time at all.  And it holds a heck of a lot of plants.  More than I imagined.

The plants will need a little time to fill out and I will eventually paint the wood so it looks like one cohesive piece but I just had to share.  I know I'm going to love having this wall garden in our backyard. So anyone who has an extra pallet laying around or just wants to make the most of their limited outdoor space - this project is for you! 

Simply Pretty Play Table | Die Ugly Toys Die

Sometimes a great project can be super simple as illustrated in this week's Die Ugly Toys, Die!




Gemma of the The Sweetest Digs found an ikea play table for a steal and put just a little bit of paint of paper on it to make it a lovely element of her daughters beautiful nursery.  Sometimes less really is more.  Pop over The Sweetest Digs to read all about it.


Want more inspiration?  Check back every Thursday for a new installment or check out the past weeks' features below.








I have lots of other great #dieuglytoysdie projects to share with you for this summer series - I hope you love them as much as I do.  Want your project to be featured?  Drop me a line.

Jazz Age Lawn Party

Being a jaded New Yorker, I am often guilty of not taking advantage of the city. So when I learned there was a 1920's themed festival on Governors Island, I was there.  Evidently this is the 10th year but only the first time I had heard of it.  I wasn't sure what to expect but had a great time.




I didn't do the best job of photographing the event (you can see better images at Jazz Age Lawn Party) as I was too busy chasing a toddler and enjoying myself.  My jaunty little hat is off to the people who really go all out.  There were wonderful music acts, Charleston lessons, and most importantly great people watching.  I was most impressed with the people who had dragged with them full on gourmet picnics complete with table settings, flowers and decor.  All this on the same public transportation I had barely carried myself over without dying of heat exhaustion. (Did I mention it was hot? It was!)



Naturally, Aggie came with us. While there wasn't specific children's entertainment, it was an outdoor event with lots of music and space to run - so perfect for her. There were plenty of other children there too so we felt right at home.




This is such a fun idea that it makes me want to throw a gatsby party...maybe in another life?  So for the fellow jaded New Yorkers as well as tourists who might be in town for next years festivities, definitely add this to your to-do list.

Cost Plus World Market Opens in NYC!

It was more than a decade ago I first walked into a Cost Plus World Market in San Francisco and fell in love.  Since then, I've been able to shop online and make the occasional trip to their DC and NJ stores but this week NYC gets one of its very own.  This is huge!




For those who aren't familiar, it's a great one stop shop for furniture, decorative items and gifts - a great blend of classic and on trend pieces.  (My dining room chairs and bedroom lamps are both from World Market)




Mark your calendars! The grand opening is this Thursday, August 20 @ 8:00 am at 620 6th Ave. The first 100 customers in the store will get a free tote bag and a few extra lucky customers will find gift cards inside. World Market will also be visiting parks around the city and setting up vignettes for passerbys to photograph and tag with #worldmarketnyc for a chance to win gift cards.  Follow World Market on twitter, instagram and facebook to get hints about where you can find them.

The best part?  Save an extra 20% on your next purchase 8/20 - 8/23.  Valid in the NYC store only. Click here for the coupon.

I'm super excited to be attending a sneak peek of the first NYC outpost this week with a few other lucky bloggers.  I can't wait to get shopping on my home turf!

disclosure: This post was sponsored by World Market but all opinions expressed are my own.

DIY Play Tent Made From Shower Curtains | Die Ugly Toys Die

Time for another Die Ugly Toys, Die feature.  Today's project is a now sew play tent - something every child would love to have and every mother won't need to kill herself to make. Win win! The always impressive Making Lemonade turned a couple of shower curtains and a hoola hoop into this easy to recreate fun zone.



Play tents are huge right now but the nicer ones don't come cheap - this is a great way to get the same look at a fraction of the cost.  Pop over to Making Lemonade for all the details about how to create your own.


Want more inspiration?  Check back every Thursday for a new installment or check out the past weeks' features below.






I have lots of other great #dieuglytoysdie projects to share with you for this summer series - I hope you love them as much as I do.  Want your project to be featured?  Drop me a line.

DIY Doormat ♥

It's pouring out today (and thinking about my fall plans) so what better time to share some DIY doormat love?  I'm still enjoying my DIY wood slice doormat but there are so many great projects out there.

1. he and i gave an old straw doormat gets new modern life
2. a plain rubber mat is whimsically transformed by dutch blog vtwonen
3. another great way to say hello via design sponge
4. a piece of rainbow evokes pattern cement tiles with this pallet creation
5. francois et moi crushed it with this doormat made from rope

Anyone else itching for cool weather, falling leaves and Halloween?

Let's talk Paint + Enter to win $100

Can we talk paint?  As you know I'm one of the contributors for the Glidden blog, My Colortopia.  As a result I've had the opportunity to use a lot of their paint over the years.  I've always had really good experiences with it but when I wanted to paint Aggie's big girl room a stark white with a black ceiling, I wasn't sure how well it would cover.  And even more importantly I wanted a dead matte finish on the ceiling - something that wouldn't reflect every imperfection that us old homeowners know all too well.


I went with my old standby - Glidden's Duo paint + primer in one. Mostly because I'm lazy and I don't like to prime.  Well I bet you can guess by the virtual homage in this post that I absolutely love the colors and the finish.  (You can also guess that I'm still not done in here - I'm working on a mural for the left side of the room that I never seem to get around to finishing which is holding up the works.)  It covered the medium green that was in this room before (formerly our guest room) beautifully and the black is the exact shade I wanted.  So yeah!

The colors I used were Dove White and Deep Onyx, both in the Glidden Duo flat finish.


Want a little help with your next project courtesy of Glidden?  Simply enter below to win $100 gift card to Home Depot! Enter as many times as you like - I'll draw a winner next week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


disclosure: This post was sponsored by Glidden but all opinions expressed are my own.