ebabee likes:October 2011

Entries from October 2011

Meet Scandinavian Minimall + a fabulous giveaway

October 31, 2011

I’m so excited to introduce Scandinavian Minimall as my newest sponsor. And in even more exciting news, Scandinavian Minimall have generously offered an amazing giveaway. And I do mean amazing! Read on for all the details.

THE GIVEAWAY: We’re giving one lucky reader this absolutely gorgeous and super stylish dress by Livly which is pictured above (size: winner can choose size 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 yrs). Livly is a new children’s clothing brand from Sweden which is sold exclusively at Scandinavian Minimall in the UK. Livly clothes are designed with quality in mind, with lots of playful-ness and bags of style too. This is their very first collection and it’s already been featured in Italian Vogue, Swedish mums style mag ‘Mama’ and many more style websites. Any mamas with a penchant for kid’s style, you won’t be able to help but fall in love with Livly. And this is your fantastic chance to win the absolutely stunning Minou dress. {All details of how to enter at the bottom of this post}.

Scandinavian Minimall is a new(ish) kids boutique, still in it’s first year. Started by talented mama Gabrielle Sprang from Sweden who now lives in the UK, Gabrielle was keen to bring cutting edge Scandi kids style to the UK. She has achieved just that by offering brands like Mini Rodini, Norlie, Swedish Hasbeens and Petite by Sophie Schnoor which represent the best of Scandi kids fashion. But Gabrielle doesn’t stop there. She also brings us brands that represent the whole Scandi style ethos even if they’re not from Scandinavia. In short, Scandinavian Minimall is a hot spot for mini fashion. It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Scandi style… they just seem to get it. The result is often effortless style that is simple yet stunning, very much like the dress we’re giving you a chance to win. You can visit Scandinavian Minimall to check out the rest of their beautiful collection.

GIVEAWAY ENTRY DETAILS: For your chance to win the Livly Minou dress worth £63, just leave a comment below. Say hi or whatever you like but keep it nice! One comment per person. Entry is open to all my readers no matter where you live. The competition closes at midnight (UK time) on Sunday November 6th. Any entries after this time will not be counted. The winner will be announced on Tuesday November 8th on our facebook page. Good luck!

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Juliet… congrats Juliet! The winner was picked at random.org. All details of this and all our future giveaways will be on our facebook page. Big thanks to everyone who entered and massive thanks to Scandinavian Minimall.

A beautiful vintage boutique…

October 28, 2011

Ooh la, la… this shop is French and fabulous! Filled with gorgeous vintage finds but also some very carefully chosen new things to compliment the vintage feel of the store. I love the way the offerings are presented and photographed and I love the offerings themselves. It’s a space that is unique and very, very interesting. At Les Petits Bohemes you’ll find one off vintage furniture for kids including chairs and cots and lots of storage furniture. You’ll also find some unusual and cool vintage toys and vintage nursery decor bits. Then there are the new pieces which include clothes and some wonderful soft toys and hand made dolls.

If you’re putting together a vintage nursery or just looking for some vintage inspiration for a kids room, then Les Petits Bohemes is unmissable. They’re based in France as I’m sure you’ve guessed from the name and they ship worldwide.

Colourful fun: Japanese paper balloons

October 27, 2011

Japanese paper balloons seem to be quite the rage. I’ve never written about them before because I’d only come across the animal ones and to be honest they really weren’t for me (except the fish one which is cute). But today I found simple round patterned ones and I loved them. No animal faces, just brightly coloured paper balls, some with prints on them, others just in a single bold colour. These ones would be a wonderful way to add a splash of colour to a toddler room, a play space or a birthday party celebration especially if you hang many together. Being made of paper you can inflate, deflate, re-inflate, deflate again… you get the idea. I found these Japanese paper balloons over at Mimi’s Circus, a lovely store started by 2 mama’s who are also sisters. Today I’ve picked these balloons to bring you from their store but there are lots of other goodies there too.

Colour love: Orange

October 26, 2011

Today I’m feeling the love for orange. Maybe because Halloween is nearly here or maybe because I think it’s a fabulous colour for autumn. I’ve picked out some orange goodies from across the web. Some are to wear, others are to play with and there are also some orange things to decorate a nursery or kids room with.

1. Cool 70’s inspired dungarees for boy or girl by Bobo Choses. {From Custard-Online}

2. An orange and chocolate hand crocheted hat so sweet. {From Vine Street Goods on etsy}

3. An owl cushion in flame orange perfect for little people or large. {From Donna Wilson}

4. A cute hug-able cat with a retro vibe. {From Mia Hansen Design}

5. Dressing up fun with a bold orange lion mask from ZidZid Kids. {From smallable.com

6. A bicycling mama and baby owl print for a splash of orange on your kids walls. {From Orange Optimist}

7. Wonderful vintage tea-cups for pretend tea parties galore. {From Olde Tyme Notions}

8. Gorgeous good luck booties made of felt and embellished with embroidery. {From Coral & Tusk}

Love: Vintage school desks and chairs for kids

October 25, 2011

When I looked at my email the other day I had a message from ‘Happy Industries’. The name caught my attention and I checked it out. I was so excited to discover fabulous vintage furniture for children. They mainly have vintage school desks and vintage kids chairs on offer but there are lots to choose from. I love the idea of mixing in a vintage piece or two with modern furniture and with these you’ll be able to do just that. There are many brightly coloured pieces in yellows and reds but also natural wood ones too. Happy Industries are from the Netherlands and they believe good design isn’t just for adults… I couldn’t agree more. If you’re interested in one of Happy Industries vintage pieces just drop them a line and they’ll be happy to help. The hard part is choosing just one.

Cool and quirky soft toys by Lucky Boy Sunday

October 24, 2011

I love Lucky Boy Sunday. I just realised that I hadn’t featured them on my blog and I couldn’t wait to do it. From Denmark, these soft toys, throw pillows and nursery decor stuff are just delicious. So cool, so quirky and so much fun. I can’t help but smile every time I look at one of their creations. Any of these characters would look so cool just placed nonchalantly in a play space or kids room and they’re immensely hug-able too, especially sad Joe who is pictured at the bottom on the right.

Lucky Boy Sunday offer their classic range but they also have a special holiday collection for Christmas. The little weirdly wonderful snowmen are part of the holiday range. And speaking of Christmas, look out for my fun and stylish Christmas gift list which I shall be bringing you next week. To get these Lucky Boy Sunday characters you can try Little Fashion Gallery who have a wide range on offer or else Sisters Guild also have a slightly different range.

The perfect match: Anthropologie meets Kicokids

October 21, 2011

I am so excited by this latest find. It’s the partnership of 2 seriously amazing American brands… Kicokids and Anthropologie. Kicokids make beautiful, whimsical clothes for children and the eclectic Anthropologie are one of the hottest women’s stores around. When I saw the creations they surpassed my high expectations, it is such a perfect match. The girls clothes combine just the right amount of whimsy and eclecticism resulting in creations that are so exciting. The mostly muted tones of the clothes are given unexpected splashes of bold colour while classic styles are given a unique modern twist. I am seriously in love… there isn’t a single piece in the collection that I wouldn’t want to buy. These delectable clothes are only available through the American Anthropologie site but thankfully they ship internationally.

Quirky find: A hand made bear in a dress!

October 20, 2011

I never liked dolls as a child or as an adult. The barbies and cindy’s of this world just didn’t do it for me. But when I had my own little girl and started writing this blog I discovered a whole new world of hand made dolls that are so beautiful and unusual that I wish I had my childhood again. Since that’s impossible, I shall live vicariously through my daughter and indulge my new found passion. How can I resist when there are gorgeously quirky dolls like these on offer? These bear beauties (and a rabbit) are hand made using linen, cotton and lots of imagination; their clothes so glamorous, they wouldn’t look out of place at a Royal do! I love the whimsical combination of a bear like creature wearing the most feminine and delicate of clothes. One of them even has a thick, bushy tail! The hand made bear dolls are by Lieschen Mueller of Germany and cost €52 with worldwide shipping on offer. And guess what… they’re washable too so messy little hands can play away without a worry.

Style find: Japanese fashion with nordic vibes

October 19, 2011

When I visited Japan a few years ago I was like a kid in a candy store. At every turn I saw unusual fashion, beautiful design, stunning packaging; such a feast for the eyes. Yesterday I came across Cokitica, a Japanese clothing brand for kids and I couldn’t wait to share. It’s up there with the best of what Japan has to offer in the design stakes. Think Nordic influences married with Japanese style, chunky knits with delicate details, and an adventurous spirit brought together to create kiddy clothes so subtly dramatic. My favourite piece is the ‘brave wool’ mantle/poncho pictured above right but I’m also drawn to all their other poncho type tops, maybe because I’m a big fan of kids in ponchos. Cokitica hasn’t yet made it to Europe but fingers crossed it heads westwards soon. In the meantime Rakuten, the International market for Japanese goodies does sell a few of their pieces.

Dressing up fun for Halloween (and any day)

October 18, 2011

Big or small, old or young, dressing up is always bags of fun. And with Halloween around the corner there’s no better time to indulge in some dressing up fun (in my home though, you never need an excuse… dressing up day is everyday). I went on search of some fun masks and dressing up accessories and my search ended with Oeuf NYC. They’re definitely not your typical Halloween costumes but that’s why I love them so. Their offerings include deer and owl masks, the cutest mask and tail sets that come in a range of animal types, a cool crown and those mustaches that I want for myself. All of these dressing up goodies are made of 100% baby alpaca wool so they’re goodies to keep in the dressing up box and use all year round. These dressing up costumes and masks cost from £24 to £38 at Little Fashion Gallery and shipping is worldwide. Of course if you’re in the USA, you can just head to Oeuf NYC.