While surfing on the weekend, I discovered a little gem of a shop. A beautiful little site packed with the most beautiful little things for the home and garden (I’m talking serious pulse racing kind’a beauty here). On offer are lots of lovelies including the most wonderful wooden toys that take me back in time. Simple and stylish, they’re all made of natural wood that hasn’t been painted or coloured in anyway. There’s a range of animals including elephants, caterpillars, mice and more. Some are push alongs, some are not but all are oh so pure and innocent looking. Then there’s some deliciously simple stuff for the home including storage ideas, cookware and so much more. But I’ll leave you mama’s to discover these bits.
The store I speak of is Baileys Home and Garden and their philosophy is to rescue and recycle unloved stuff by giving it a new use but always with good design in mind. And lordy, do they do this oh so well! The wooden animals cost from £3.50 and you’ll have to phone or email to place your order. Baileys Home and Garden is seriously hot, so go have a look.
P.S. If you’re in or around the Ross-on-Wye area, lucky you! Check out their tin Tabernacle Tearoom… doesn’t it make you want to visit now?
If you’re thinking nursery accent colours, think turquoise blue. Bright, fresh and cool, it works stunningly well with other vibrant shades like fuchsia, sunshine yellow and vivid greens. Just look at the picture above*. I’m loving the apple green with lots of bold and bright turquoise blue accessories and furniture. For boy or girl, nursery or toddler room, turquoise is hot! And I’ve got 7 uber cool decor and furniture ideas for you to look at and start getting inspired.
*Picture from ohdeedoh
1. Oval bookshelves by Sebra
I’m loving these versatile shelves in the most delicious shades of turquoise. Use them for books, DVD’s, small toys and more. They can even be placed on the floor for easy reach by little arms. They come as a set of 4 in various sizes and cost £120 with free delivery from Kidsen.
2. Felt wall flowers to hang
Oooh… these flowers have got me wanting! Handmade in glorious turquoise with just a dash of gold felt, these flowers are super stunning. They come as a set of 3 measuring 8 inches, 11 inches and 14 inches and are ready to hang. Place them over a cot or junior bed and prepare to be wowed! They cost $90 plus $12 for shipping from Lilac Saloons shop on Etsy.
3. Elephant fleece blanket
Elephants are a favourite ’round here. They just work so well on kiddy stuff. And this blanket is no exception. It’s bright, it’s sweet and can also be used as a throw to embellish your turquoise theme. The elephant fleece blanket measures 70x90cms and costs £18 plus £5.50 delivery from Scandiliving.
4. Toy storage bucket
These tubs are normally used for gardening and DIY but I love them as toy storage buckets. They come in various sizes so you can get one of each. And these storage buckets definitely won’t break the bank. Cool style that doesn’t cost the earth definitely has my vote. You can get these in loads of DIY stores but I found them at Millbry Hill and they cost from £3.99 – £6.75, depending on size and delivery’s from £2.50.
5. Crochet pouffe / stool
Crochet excites me every time. I love anything crocheted. And this stool’s right up there with the crochet greats! It’s simple, it’s stylish and would look fabulouso in a kiddy’s room. The best bit: the cover’s removable and machine washable so it’s practical too. It’s 35cms wide x 25cms high, costs $53 plus $20 shipping and you can get it from La Casa De Coto on Etsy.
6. Marimekko fabric wall art
I’m a huge fan of the Finnish Marimekko. They make the most delicious things for the home and kids. Amongst their lovelies is this large fabric wall hanging. The pale turquoise against the red and yellow just gives it the wow factor. And of course the 3 animals graphics are fab too. This Marimekko nursery wall hanging measures 120 x 120cms, costs £109.50 plus delivery from Wall Arts UK.
7. Eames inspired rocking chair
Inspired by the oh so famous Eames RAR rocking chair, this chair is pretty darn cool. It’s a no fuss rocking chair with bags of style and would make a fabby piece for a nursery or a play space. You can get this chair for £69.99 with free delivery from the Chair Outlet. Not a bad price too!
There you have it. My top 7 turquoise blue picks to adorn your kiddy space with. Fancy a yellow nursery instead? Then have a look at our yellow nursery ideas.
I’ve had my eye on this scooter by Svan of Sweden for a while. I’m loving the quirky shape with the smooth curves and the super sleek birch wood. Called a scooter, I would describe it more as a ride-on toy. But a fabby ride on toy with unusual looks and rubber wheels so your wooden floors will stay scratch-free. The Svan wooden ride-on is suitable from 18 months to 36 months but is definitely a keeper for the 2nd, 3rd (even 4th) child, if you have them! It costs £69 plus £9.90 delivery from Funktionalley.
I’m loving what I see. A bold and bright rug in the shape of a tree, to add a splash of colour to a nursery or a play space. Called the Pond Street Kids Rug by Designers Guild, it’s got a fab retro feel to it. The lively shades of green are perfectly complemented with a dash of rusty-orange. Lay it on a wooden floor and watch the space come to life in style! The Pond Street Kids Rug costs £195 with delivery at £9.95 and measures 150 x 180 cms. With it’s large size, it’ll make a fab and colourful alternative to carpet.
We love a bit of quirky style ’round here and that’s exactly what these rabbit ears toy storage boxes are. They’re very simple in white but given a dash of whimsy with the long leather ears, which is what’s getting me super excited. Made by a Swedish design duo called Lindbom & Lindstrom, they’ve managed to add just the right amount of fun to these boxes making them so funky. The rabbit toy storage boxes come in 3 sizes and cost from £85 at Kidsen with free delivery. But hurry as they only have a few pieces left. The larger 2 boxes can also double up as kiddy seats and the long rabbit ears double up as handles.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2011: This product is sadly no longer available 🙁
Many moons ago while highchair hunting, I came across the Alfons highchair by Sirch. It was love at first sight. Today I came across it again and the love just swept over me like a giant wave. With it’s super minimal looks, sleek lines and understated design, Alfons is a style-crazy mama’s dream. And so naturally our blog wouldn’t be complete without a feature on this hottie! It’s suitable from 6 months to 3 years as it adapts to the child as they grow and I love that it doesn’t have a tray which means your bambino can join you at the table. The Alfons Highchair by Sirch costs £200 (it’s on sale reduced from £300… hooray!) with free delivery and comes in white only. With it’s uber-stylishness, it’s definitely one to leave on display to the envy of all mama’s who visit.
I am feeling buckets of love and lust for this sheep bedding. How simple but how stunning! If you’re getting to know me, you’ll know that minimalism is my thing. And this sheep bed set just does it for me, big time! It’s not fussy, it’s not frilly, it’s just uber stylish but still has bags of childish sweetness. The sheep bedding comes from Les Petites Emplettes who it seems have a penchant for sheep. And why not when their sheep designs are so yummy! The sheep bedding set includes a 30 x 20cm pillowcase and a 60 x 60cm duvet cover and costs €110 from Smallable.You can also buy at Les Petites Emplettes where there’s a bit of a sale going on but you’ll have to decipher the French to buy from them. They’ve even got some matching cushions too, which score equally high in the want stakes.
I never knew storage could get me this excited. But ‘jump up and down’ excited I am. These felt storage baskets are just so pretty! I’m calling them storage baskets but they’re really they’re storage nests made of felt. I’m loving the soft but striking colours on offer and then there’s the little bird detail… oh so pretty! The hanging nest would make a fabby addition to a nursery and a cool place to store the kidlets night clothes or anything else you fancy. Storage that doesn’t look like storage has definitely got my vote. Made by the French company called Muskhane, the hanging storage nest costs €39 from ilodeco but delivery’s rather steep at €16.50. You could also try Bobokids in London who have a selection. Bobokids aren’t online yet but there’s always the good ol’ telephone!
Don’t forget to checkout ebabee, our little baby auction site.
I haven’t written about any delicious finds for mama’s for ages. Shame on me! Today I’m righting my wrong by bringing you these oh so gorgeous shoes. I’m not a trainers kind’a gal so when I was pregnant and even after I wanted needed flat, comfy shoes that still had lashings of style and would be suitable for work and play. Also in the later months of pregnancy, bending’s near impossible so shoes need to be super easy to slip on and off. That’s when I discovered these little gems called French Soles. They make super stylish and comfy ballet pumps in every colour and design you can think of. When I dropped by the store, my eye’s were treated to a feast of deliciousness… from stunning nudes to shiny metallic’s to vibrant solid colours, they’ve got’em all. Be warned, choosing just one pair is hard, very, very hard. French Sole ballet pumps are available from their central London stores but also online and cost from £55 a pair plus delivery.
Spring is in the air. Ok, maybe I exaggerate but it should be here soon if the weather gods have been listening to my (desperate) prayers. With spring in mind, I’ve checked out Zara Kids latest collection. And wow, am I in love. Already a humongous Zara fan for everyday fashion, this latest collection is hot, hot, hot. All of it is but today I’m lusting after the dresses for 3 year olds and under. On offer are floral dresses with lace trims complete with matching pants, solid coloured dresses embellished with crochet and simple, no fuss dresses that are oh so trendy. The colours include vibrant aquamarines, rusty reds and ‘always in style’ neutrals like sand, ivory and pale grey. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that Zara is now online, so you can lie back and sofa shop-away. The Zara Baby spring collection dresses cost from £12.99 to £19.99 and delivery’s £3.95.
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
