art Archives - Joanna Anastasia

I find that now, at four years old, my daughter is more than ever eager to learn and comprehend. She’s a very creative little creature, full of energy and enthusiasm who claims to know it all too. But obviously she doesn’t. And I’ve been trying to teach her about the months of the year for a while now, with no success. But recently I got an idea that changed it all.

It all started with Tuta&Coco, an online service that transforms children’s drawings and paintings in to beautiful, high-quality art objects. As soon as I found out about them, I knew that I want to finally reuse all of my daughters creations from the past months! Because really, how do you display it all? I have no place left on my fridge!

So I’ve set my heart on a calendar. And that was the best choice I could have possibly made because I managed to get rid of the clutter of old drawings and paintings, and I got a great tool to teach Lili about the months of the year!

First we laid all of the months down. Because Tuta&Coco’s calendars are printed on separate, thick and beautiful paper sheets, kids can manipulate them and change months on their own (talking about a great design!)

I was really surprised to see that she remembered the meaning of each of her painting and drawing, and she even remembered which ones were made by her sister.

So I realized, that its not just a calendar for her: its a collection of memories and stories that she imagined. A collection that helped her finally gasp the notion of time.(Because kids learn best when their emotions and imagination is involved. And this is obviously what happened here.)

I helped her count the months and we separated them it to the seasons of the year. We talked about how seasons change, and how many months are in a season.

Then we where looking for important events, like Christmas and Easter and birthdays. She remembered a couple, and was surprised to see that her drawings where matching with some events, like valentines day or summer visits at the lake.

I really wanted Lili to understand that a calendar is used as a planning tool too, so we took a crayon and started marking days of the week, the play dates, the family visits, the days in her part-time daycare. And just like that she understood what a calendar is all about.

Finally she said that she knows why we need calendars: to know when things are going to happen! And I could tell that she was really proud of herself, naming the months and the seasons!

And I couldn’t be happier knowing that I managed to do two things that I was struggling with at a time: I organised my kids art, and I thought Lili about the months of the year using her own art!

For more ideas for reusing kids art, check Tuta&Coco Instagram account!

Disclosure: I got this product for a review, all opinions remain my own.

I love empty walls, for they are full of future possibilities. Although you won’t find a lot of empty walls in my house. Every spot is pretty much taken. But I do admit that it’s not always easy finding an affordable yet beautiful piece of art. Something that would make your heart stop and your face smile.

Recently I was looking for some original prints for my kitchen and my bedroom. Something bright, modern and delicate. I knew that if I’ll get a print in Ikea, than I’ll see the same one in many of my friends homes. But I didn’t want to worry about framing it. Because it always takes more time then you think it would ( like this print that spent a year in my drawer).

And then I got to know Minted. Now I’m hooked! It was just really difficult choosing among so many beautiful prints. After 3 days of drooling over their website (I’m not exaggerating, you can ask my husband) I finally decided that our lives will never be the same unless we get six new prints.

Here is what I got for my kitchen, it was the first two prints that I noticed, and every time I walk by I smile. ( I really think that art should either make you smile, or think.)

They fit perfectly my kitchen, and now doing the dishes is slightly less detestable (ok, just a tiny bit, because I really hate doing the dishes).

And just look at this frame:

Now choosing art for my bedroom was really difficult. First, my husband wanted to choose with me. Second, my style was already pretty much set ( I call it french country meets happy modern) so it needed to fit. And third, I still wanted something meaningful.

So if you feel like it’s overwhelming, here are my tips for choosing art for your home :

1. Start with a source.
I really suggest Minted, because they have amazing choice of prints, and they take care of framing it as well. And it’s all shipped at your door.

2. Define your style.
Do you like contrast or soft lines? Bold colours or delicate hues? Is your style modern or classic? Or maybe eclectic?

3. Mix and match.
Mix frames and sizes. Think about a colour palette, and find prints that reflect it.

4. Go with your feelings.
If a piece of art makers you feel happy, moved or reminds you of a special moments, then obviously it’s what you have been looking for.

So in my bedroom my colour palette was a lot of blue hues with white. Now if you have a look here, you’ll see that I have a little driftwood hanging above the bed. I made it last year, and it always makes me think about that day by the lake when I was looking for driftwood with my daughter.

So the prints I chose for my bedroom reflect the colour palette, and my hopeless love for the beach life. My husband is actually a huge surf fan, so I got this one especially for him:

I was tempted to keep those hexagons by my bedside. But when you live in a house with little kids, you don’t leave delicate objects below 2 meters high. So I didn’t.

And here is the close up to all four of my new bedroom prints, aren’t they just perfect?

Do you like redecorating your home?
If you do here’s a promo code for 10% off Minted art: LAZYMOMS10. It’s valid 6/11-17, so hurry up!

Disclosure: I received this product free for review. All opinions remain my own.

art

Teaching kids about the months of the year with art

How to choose art for your home