Sometimes there are things that land in my inbox that I can’t wait to share.  Tulip + i is just one of those things.  It’s a little Canadian boutique selling baby blankets, bibs, clothes, pillows and more, all made of beautiful washed linen.  The colours are muted with soft greys, purples, pinks and browns complementing each other wonderfully well.  None of the stuff is cutesy in anyway, just simple designs with bags of soft and subtle style.  Many of the cushions have a tiny little animal printed on them in white or yellow, the baby blankets and place mats have some Italian text on them while the bibs have contrasting coloured straps.  It’s these little touches and details that make Tulip + i so special.  Natalie, the mama in question and the designer, definitely has an eye for beauty.  Inspired by life’s little pleasures, her collection evokes a sense of happiness, calm and an overwhelming desire to touch it all!  Head over to Tulip + i to see all the goodies and they’re offering 20% off everything till 19th December 2011. 

I was browsing the lovely store that is Kids Love Design when some elegant furniture in blond wood caught my eye.  I looked more closely and found a beautiful collection of not just large furniture but little things for the home too.  Designed and created by Caroline Gomez of France, each of the natural wood pieces are so simple and so graceful.  There’s even an indoor swing in the collection… which kid (big or small) wouldn’t want a swing at home?  If you’re lucky enough to have the space, then why not.  I also love the tent where you can go pretend camping every night and then there are the lovely mountain shaped platters on which to eat your snacks.  Also on offer are some fabulous 2 legged bedside and console style tables which would work equally well in a kids room or an adults.  I could go on and on about this beautiful collection (which also includes some lovely kids art) but I’ll let you discover the rest at Caroline Gomez’s site where you’ll find her shop too.

Have you entered our fabulous giveaway yet?

I chanced upon my Studio Violet post the other day and I fell in love all over again.  I just love the work that the design duo Elisabeth and Camilla put together.  So creative and so beautiful.  I had a look around to see if they’d done anything new.  I didn’t find anything new but I did find something old.  This circus porcelain set… it was instant love.  Charming vintage looking porcelain plates and cups adorned with the Studio Violet characters joined together in a circus theme.  It’s just delightful.  This set was a special commission so isn’t for sale any more (believe me I did look as I was so tempted) but I wanted to share it as I thought you would love it too.

Studio Violet the shop is no longer open but you can get their wares and other goodies at Fine Little Day (Elisabeth’s shop) or you can have a look at Camilla’s site.

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that bring the most pleasure and delight.  These are 4 little things I found on etsy that made me smile:

1.  Cute little decals for your plates and mugs.  Brighten up any of your kiddos boring white plates or cups with one of these. They’re from an Argentinian shop called Yaelfran on etsy.

2.  I love these little wooden magnets, especially the raindrop ones.  Whether you adorn a nursery wall or your own wall with these, they’ll make you smile whenever you see them.  They’re from a shop called Snug Studio.

3.  A hand made mobile made of mobile homes… a tepee, igloo, adobe, airstream and a yurt.  So simple, so charming.  Head to Jikits etsy store to find it.

4. Last is this adorable little hedgehog soft toy with a bright red nose.  He’s the perfect little companion for a little person in their pram, cot or just to hug.  This cutie hedgehog comes from Saracarr‘s shop. 

Ooh la, la… I’m liking this range of goodies by Range Ton Pyjama.  When I first spotted them I didn’t know what they were but I knew they looked darn cool.  With a little digging and some much needed help from good old google translate, I found out that they’re a range of yummy little French products for the kiddies.  At the top you’ve got table napkins, then a quirky, robot like pyjama case, a soft toy rattle and some little pouches to store whatever you like.  There’s more to the range including a mini hot water bottle (only made of grains, no water required)… so sweet. 

Range Ton Pyjama offer everyday kids stuff but they’ve added bags of funky style.  To get this range, go over to Prairymood, a French store full of yummies.  Sadly, it’s only in French so you’ll need to don your French speaking hat or there’s always google translate.  The range costs from €11 – €34 and shipping is €15.50. 

Baby bibs can often be a bit too cutesy for my liking.  But this elephant bib is super cute without an ounce of cutesy-ness.  Just the way I like it.  The plain colours with a simple, child-like elephant illustration make for a bib that’s sweet and stylish.  Made by Amy from Canada, this bib is from her Etsy shop.  Also for sale are an equally cute polka dot panda one and a cityscape one.  The bibs are organic cotton and cost $19.26 each plus $5.35 shipping to the UK.  While you’re over at Amy’s delectable store, don’t miss her sweet little sandwich pouches.  They’re more than worth a view. 

The sun has got his hat on, hip-hip-hip-hooray… as the song goes.  It’s true, the sun has finally decided to grace our shores.  And that can only mean lots of barbecues, picnics and al-fresco eating galore.  So, I’ve been on the hunt for some melamine plates.  My search ended when I found these Birds of Feather plates.  How wonderful are they?  They’re almost too good to eat from… almost!  The rich colours and the beautiful images inspired by the outdoors combine to create true stunners.  These Birds of Feather melamine plates are by Pocketo and cost $40 for a set of 4 and they offer worldwide shipping.  Pocketo is a hot US based design shop with the philosophy ‘art for your everyday’, and I for one subscribe whole heartedly to this philosophy.

Pocketo first discovered through Covet Garden

Don your sunny’s people, today is a colourful day!  Bolder than bold, brighter than bright shades of fuchsia, aqua, yellow, purple and lime are what’s on offer.  The German Hey-Sign bring us cool housey stuff in modern graphic shapes, all crafted from felt.  On offer are butterfly shaped placemats, fruit shaped coasters, animal shaped rugs like the frog one above, round cushions and lots more.  While the frog shaped rug may be aimed at the kiddies, there really are no hard and fast rules here… everything can and should be enjoyed by big and small peeps alike.  To get these uber modern Hey-Sign objects, head to Ambient Direct.  The frog rugs cost from €259 with shipping at €6.  Oh, don’t miss Hey-Sign’s own site especially if you want a huge happy colour hit!

Ooh… another Scandi designer that’s got me gripped.  This time it’s a lady called Pernille Vea from Denmark and she’s created this ‘Black Contour Kids’ tableware.  So simple yet so stylish!  Who’d think a black line with a small silhouette of a cat, snail and croc could be so impactful?  But it is, big time.  This kids dinner set is modern, it’s playful and it’s pretty cool too.  The set includes a bowl, plate and cup and the plate can also be used as a lid for the bowl.  To get the Black Contour Kids dinner set head to Panik-Design where it costs £25 with shipping at £6.95.  Contemporary kiddy dining doesn’t get much better!

P.S. Have you checked out our little baby auction site?

These paper place mats are just too cute!  I’m loving the round, chubby shapes of the animals and the vibrant colours too.  They’re made by Fifi Mandirac, a Paris based graphic designer who creates some lovely paper goodies.  These super sweet placemats are perfect to take out and about.  Since they’re made of paper your bambino’s can have a good ol’ scribble.  They come as a set of 12 and are currently reduced to just £4 over at Peanut & Pip.  And for any newbies around here, be warned: Peanut & Pip are brimming with uber wantable goodies for the kidlets so enter at your own risk!

P.S. We’re running a giveaway. There’s vouchers to be won. Check out and like our Facebook page for all the details.