We ordered a new bed for the dog the other day. She was overjoyed and I swear its arrival has caused her to have very slightly smug look. She is enjoying a spot of rather chic dog luxury.
The bed came in a cardboard box – not an especially large one but you can see what happened. Eldest made it into a (bijou) playhouse. She even asked me to cut a window in it for her. She spent a very happy couple of hours lining it with soft furnishings, performing a kind of body origami in order to get into it and then reading her Rainbow magic books in her cardboard living room with her legs hanging out. What is it about packaging that fascinates children so much?
On the subject of post there’s a free shipping coupon code in my etsy shop just now – BEACHCOMB1. I send my jewellery by special delivery/International signed for which are the only (affordable) services providing insurance for jewellery shipping and cost at least £6. The coupon may be used on any design, not just the beachcomber collection and also extends to any commission requests that I might receive over the next three days. I’ll be closing my shop on Monday in order to work on new *whispers* Autumnal designs.
Both dog and daughter happy then – result! Children have always enjoyed the packaging as much as the contents perhaps because it allows them to use their imaginations and can be whatever they want it to be.
The box is always the best part! My kids would always turn a box large enough into a play house, airplane, boat, you name it! One box that a large arm chair came in lasted about 6 months as it lived in our family room for the entire winter as a fort/castle. It was not until Spring when they adventured to take it outdoors that it saw its demise! Many happy times were had with that box! 🙂
I just love this about children!
Who can resist a cardboard box? 🙂 In my house it's the cats that claim a box first though, and the kids have to fight them for it. I was just thinking of you as I was looking through the Making Winter and Splash of Colour stuff on my own blog – do you have any plans for this winter? Or is it too early? 🙂 It's dreich here so it's on my mind!
What a cute picture — looks like a happy summer is in progress over there!
They don't seem to grow out of it. When my son's new drumkit was delivered in June my 13 year old daughter sat in the box for hours texting her firends.
Hi Emma,
Isn't it amazing what you can do with a box :-)! My daughters used it as a boat or a space ship 🙂
Happy weekend!
Madelief x
If I had a box I could fit in I would probably do the same (should I be admitting this?). It's the charm of the unusual – and there's something rather comforting about being squeezed into a place that's only just big enough to hold you. And a box is something you can really do as you please with (unlike "real" furniture which is hedged about with restrictions). It's completely customisable and full of potential. 🙂
Your dog looks very comfortable too. What a pretty coat – is she a lurcher?
I bet she kept her house nice and tidy. 😉
My faith in human nature is restored when I hear that children still love a huge packing crate and have the imagination to transform it into a cosy reading room. Dog and child both look blissfully happy! : )x
Good to know cardboard boxes still exercise the fascination they used to!
I think imaginative children still prefer the work of their imaginations to whatever real life can provide.
That reminds me of my daughter and her love of a large box that she used to sit in to watch Knightrider – it was her version of the car…
She looks very happy in there!
Here the dogs would have claimed the box as well as the bed/s. And then performed passable imitations of Simon's cat.
http://www.simonscat.com/Films/The-Box/