Recently I’ve been really keen to take my daughter to the circus.  Last week I discovered the Insect Circus and it sounded like the perfect opportunity.  I was all set to book tickets when illness struck and we ended up going nowhere.  The Insect Circus has since left town so we’ll have to wait till it’s back.  But while I was thinking about going I remembered a lovely collection of circus themed cushions, mugs, posters and trays for kids that I had seen over at Mimi’s Circus shop.  It’s created by Famille Summerbelle, {who’s city cutout maps you may know}, who are an Anglo-French husband and wife team that design a small collection of things for the home.  This ‘Performers’ collection immediately caught my attention because of the bold and bright colours as well as the cool illustrations.  And after all which kid doesn’t like a bit of circus action in their life?  Apart from the kids stuff there are also some colourful and fun tea towels that would brighten any kitchen.  Head over to Famille Summerbelle to see the whole collection and when you’re there, do check out the cutout city maps if you haven’t seen them before.

My country obsession of the moment is Argentina.  I’ve wanted to visit for as long as I can remember and I’m finally going to Buenos Aires in January (yaay!).  To say I’m excited would be a huge understatement.  Of course I’m madly researching places to see, things to do and most importantly where to shop and eat.  It’s through this research I’ve discovered that not only does the food promise to be an absolute treat but the shopping too sounds amazing as there is some fabulous design coming out of Argentina for both big and little people.  One of my favourite Argentinian discoveries for kids has been these adorable crochet toys.  But now I’ve got another favourite… the wonderful Fanny & Alexander.

Fanny & Alexander is born out of the notion of good old fashioned play.  They believe that today there are too many battery operated toys, video games and other toys that don’t encourage the child to think for themselves.  So Fanny & Alexander wanted to go back to basics, to toys that encourage a child to be creative, to imagine, to make things up.  And that’s exactly what they’ve done by creating beautiful wooden toys, cute art and stationery, knitted clothes and leather shoes.  Their design is simple, minimal even but with plenty of warmth and lots of beauty.  They’ve chosen a very simple colour palette of natural wood, rusts and greys which just adds to the aesthetic appeal and the warmth.   Just look at those leather ballet shoes… how gorgeous are they?!  And those Llama’s eating their pyjamas… wonderful!  Luckily, they ship internationally so you don’t have to go to Argentina to get these goodies but since I am going,  I will definitely be knocking on Fanny & Alexander‘s door.

*Via Petit Poulou

Before I started writing this blog I never knew about the wonderful world of kids art.  I knew there was art for kids but I thought it was all about the over-cutesy kind of stuff that I totally shy away from.  When I discovered the range of art on offer I realised how wrong I had been.  I felt like I had stumbled upon a secret world, a world only open to parents in the know.  In this world I found imagination that knew no bounds, illustrations that were a feast for the eyes and magical drawings that were sometimes happy, sometimes poignant and sometimes just plain funny.  Recently I stumbled across Society 6 and found the largest collection of kids art in one place.  I spent ages browsing and found art for every taste and budget.  Society 6 have gathered together a huge range of artists from across the globe that produce work not just for kids but for adults too.  They have so much choice and variety that it’s impossible to choose a favourite.  So, I’ve picked out a few blue-green coloured prints that I was charmed by but there’s a whole load more for you to explore.  I think from now on Society 6 will be my first port of call when I need some art for a child.

My daughter turns 4 in a couple of months and I asked her what kind of party she would like.  Her answer, without a seconds hesitation was ‘I want a pink party’!  So, a pink {and white} party it will be.  I’ve been searching the web for ideas to create a tasteful pink party and I have found many like these cute bunny cookies.  The plan is to have lots of white in there too, to balance out the pink.  I’ve started putting together a pink party inspiration board on pinterest and if you’re on there you’ll know just how fun and perfect pinterest is for something like this.  So that was the inspiration behind today’s post.  I’m seeing pink everywhere and thought I would share a few things I’ve liked in the last few days; some are party related but others are just lovely pink things.   I hope you like them too and have a wonderful weekend wherever you are.

1.  Adorable bunny cookies with fluffy little tails… 2.  A cute owl poster for a kids room… 3.  A cool pink wooden tank toy that even I feel like playing with… 4.  Neon and wood mini elf decorations for Christmas or any party.

I vividly remember the first piece of art that my parents bought for my room.  I was allowed to choose and I picked a colourful painting of a sweet little girl in pigtails.  The painting was very simple even though it had many little details.  The girl was smiling and looked so carefree and happy that I guess I imagined seeing myself in her and that’s what probably attracted me to it.  When I saw this work by Ekaterina Trukhan it reminded me so much of that painting and it took me right back to my childhood filled with happy memories.  I was instantly drawn to her work and really wanted to share it here.

Ekaterina’s drawings are used for children’s books, calendars, parenting magazine articles and more.  I can see the appeal of the illustrations for both adults and kids as there is humour as well as a sense of playfulness to her work.  The illustrations for children remind me of what childhood should always be about… laughing, singing, dancing, playing and just having lots of fun.  Whereas the ones for parents are funny and very telling.  I love the one where the confused child is being pushed into every kind of extra-curricular activity possible; don’t we all know parents like that?!  Originally from Russia, Ekaterina Trukhan is now based in London and you can see her portfolio on her site.  She also has an etsy store where she sells prints, calendars and other sweet little things adorned with her drawings.  {The etsy store is currently closed for holidays but check her blog for the latest news}. 

I have been obsessing over that Indian inspired paisley wallpaper by Mini Moderns, ever since I saw it.  I love the idea of using it in a kids room and wanted to share.  Today is India’s Independence day so it seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Happy birthday to India my homeland and in celebration I’ve picked out a few more Indian inspired pieces that would work well in a nursery or kids room:

1. Stunning paisley crescent wallpaper that comes in 5 gorgeous colours… 2.  Mother of pearl inlay chest of drawers in a pale powder blue so pretty…  3.  Majestic Indian elephant cushions… 4.  Decorated and garlanded  cow and camel prints…  5.  Cute oversized soft toy camels in Indian block-print fabric.

The 2012 games have been magnificent.  The atmosphere in London has been amazing and I know I’m not alone in saying that I’ll really miss the Olympics.  But as we know, all good things must come to an end… for 4 years anyway (roll on Rio!).  I’m really looking forward to the Rio games and I’m expecting lots of partying, lots of colour, lots of celebration delivered in a way only the Brazilians can.

So as a little goodbye to the Olympics and in anticipation of the next one, I wanted to share the works of an Argentinian artist that sums up everything there is to love about the 2 countries involved.  The ‘Love London’ print highlights all of London’s major landmarks in a cute and childlike way.  Perfect for a London themed kids room or for any kid who has a love for London.  Then there is the ‘Brazil’ print so full of colour and vibrancy just as I imagine the place to be. 

I love the way Migy Blanco, the artist, brings the country/city to life through the use of colour and cute little drawings that capture the essence of each place.  There are many more wonderful prints of other countries and cities on offer but for today, it’s about an ode to the games that were and the games that will be.  Goodbye London, hello Rio…

*Via Creative roots

One of the most fun parts of decorating a kids room is choosing something for the walls.  As there is so much wonderful art out there, picking isn’t always easy.  I’m still trying to choose something for my daughters room and I’ve already been looking for a year now!  But my problem isn’t not finding the right prints, it’s finding too many that I love.  And this is my latest discovery… how adorable is that circus elephant?  I’m also drawn to the simple palette of mainly black and white with touches of colour.  Just lovely! 

These kids posters are created by Kerry Layton, an illustrator from North London.  She is a mama of 2 who recently re-discovered her love for drawing which resulted in her setting up a little boutique to sell her prints.  Called Seventy Tree, the shop sells mainly prints and postcards but there are some super cute pocket mirrors too, all adorned with Kerry’s drawings.  My favourite is the elephant but I’m also drawn to the close up of the bear whose shifty eyes are making me wonder what naughtiness has transpired.  Favourites aside, they’re all quite wonderful.

Introducing Corby Tindersticks… a new British brand full of quirkiness.  Corby Tindersticks has been on my radar since they launched a few months ago and I’ve been meaning to share ever since.  They create hand made soft toys, felt posters with embroidery and some tee’s too.  It’s their first collection but it stands out from the crowd with it’s sense of humour and it’s uniqueness.  Each character has a story to tell… the tall one with the long dangly legs is called ‘Pick n Mix’ and he’s renowned for his sweet tooth as well as his rather ungainly legs while the chubby one has eaten far too many nuts and ended up with a small head and a big belly.  This collection draws on the very British sense of humour but has bags of appeal for anyone with a sense of fun.  Corby Tindersticks is quirky, it’s cool and will bring a smile to the faces of kids and adults too.

What a heart-warming collection of prints these are.  There is something so sweet, so warm, so charming about these bear families.   Apart from the emotions that these prints evoke, I love the monochrome treatment and the style of the illustrations too.  This artwork for kids is by a Kiwi mama called Helen Acraman who is currently based in Toronto.   Helen offers a range of wonderful prints and posters in her store but for me it was these bear family ones that really captured my imagination.    These prints, sold at Helen’s store Zukzuk, would add charm to any baby or kids space.