I have been looking for a maxi dress for Anya for ages. I really wonder why maxi dresses for little girls are so rare. They may not be the most practical for playing in a park or running around but they are great for other occasions like a meal out or even a birthday party. I finally found one last week and I had to snap it up. They look so cool and stylish and Anya loved wearing it and twirling around. In fact it’s been a struggle to get it off her – she even wanted to sleep with it on!
We decided to pair it with orange ankle boots to give the maxi dress a bit more of an edgier look. Sandals would have been the obvious choice but I didn’t want too girly a look. And besides we’re still waiting for proper sandal weather in London – will it ever come? While out in the dress so many people stopped us and asked where the dress was from. We were mostly stopped by mums who also wanted a long dress for their little girls. Have you come across any maxi dresses for little girls? I’d love to hear as I would like to get a couple more for the Summer.
Who doesn’t love a bit of time wasting and surfing the net aimlessly? I know I do! That’s what my Friday finds are all about and I haven’t done one in a while so here’s the latest dose. To start with, here are 15 hilarious things nobody tells you about parenthood.
Fox prints are all the rage and they don’t get cuter than this foxy shirt.
Make these and you’ll probably be the most popular mum ever.
I’m a big fan of playful clothes for kids of any age. Who said rompers should only be for babies? Even though Anya is six, I still want her to have lots of fun clothes in her wardrobe – heck I even want some for myself! So I went looking for fabulously fun clothes and accessories in peach for the coming Summer months and here are my favourites. I cannot resist that Mr Shy romper and those ice-cream knee socks are just too cute too:
I’ve been thinking about doing some interviews for a while. But I didn’t want to just chat about products or brands, I wanted it to be something more than that. I wanted get to know the person behind any venture and to talk to people who were truly inspiring and could teach us all something. Then it came to me – I would interview people who have overcome something to get to where they are. Simple as this may sound – it’s not. Once you read the the interview below you will know what I mean.
If you have ever found yourself wallowing in self pity over the smallest or even big things (I know I do) then this interview will really inspire you. If you find yourself making excuses not to do something because of your circumstances, then just keep reading because anything can be overcome – it’s all about the attitude. It’s about accepting the situation and making the best of it no matter how bad. And in this instance, out of sheer determination despite such a massive struggle, was born a gorgeous baby clothing brand. More about that below.
Meet Allison Tovey who is the founder and designer at Asolon – a beautiful baby clothing and baby gift brand.
Tell us a few words about you? I’m Allison, a one-handed New Zealand designer whose mind never sleeps!
What has been your biggest struggle so far? When I was 25, thinking about quitting my full time job and working full time on my own womenswear brand, I had a major stroke. After surgery and four weeks in a coma I woke up to find my speech missing and my right side paralyzed. I spent another six months in hospital learning to speak, learning to walk and learning to function without the use of my dominant arm. After five years of countless physio, OT and speech sessions and all the rehab tools in the world – I’m back running my own business, doing what I love but in a different way to what I expected six years ago. Now I still walk with a stick, my right arm and hand are not functional but I’m still working on my rehab. I have a quote on my desk to keep me on track – ‘anyone can be cool, but awesome takes practice’.
Where and how did you find the strength and determination to carry on? People ask me this all the time and I have yet to come up with a strong answer! Before my stroke I was a very independent, determined person. Then when I had my stroke and came out of my coma I wanted to know how I could get back to my old self. I couldn’t hold on to the ‘what if’s’ and ‘poor me’ – I just had to get on with life and deal with whatever came my way. I was determined not to let my stroke define me and I just accepted it as part of my journey.
A lot of people in your situation would have given up. Did you ever feel like giving up? And how did you pull yourself out of those dark moments? As most people do, in the beginning I had my pity parties especially when I wasn’t able to do the normal things that other people don’t realise they do all the time (e.g. communicate) – it was a real emotional roller coaster. I would cry with frustration but luckily I had my extremely understanding father and boyfriend (now husband) at my side to bring me back to reality and help guide me back on my path.
Tell us about Asolon, your baby and kids clothing label?
Asolon is a baby clothing and baby gift brand selling mainly baby bodysuits, sleepwear, tops and baby gift sets. I design and create the entire range which is all about classic styling with a strong focus on quality. Every piece is individually hand-crafted using natural fabrics – NZ Merino wool, organic cotton and cotton. Perhaps most importantly, a great deal of love and care has gone in to making my garments so I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.
So many kids clothes designers say their inspiration came from their kids. I know you don’t have any kids (yet) so how come you chose to design a baby and kids clothing range? My stroke affected every part of my physical body but my creative brain was still intact. I’m not good at having nothing to do, so when I finally got home from hospital my dad got me a shiny new Mac with all the design software and I spent all my time learning to draw and design again without using my right arm. This became my rehab tool!
Soon after I was invited to a baby shower. I was still very much a shell of my old self and finding it extremely hard to communicate but I wanted to show my friends that deep down I was still the same creative person I had always been. This led to me creating my first handmade gift set ‘The Hare and The Tortoise’ and with that Asolon was re-born. As my recovery has progressed and my skills have developed my range has expanded more and more in to what you see today.
As creatives we are always looking for new ideas and ways to make them a reality. Tell us us how you look for inspiration and how do you turn that in to a piece of clothing? So many inspirations, but I guess my main inspiration for Asolon is fabric. The feel, handling it, colour and the limitless items these fabric could become! My mum was a seamstress and ever since I can remember we were always found in material shops dreaming of what we could make that weekend. As you have probably guessed now I’m a fabric hoarder! Merino is my favourite fabric to work with – simple and natural but it’s a super fabric. I can’t understand why everybody doesn’t dress their baby in merino!
What’s the best part of running a small business? In my case, the best part of running a small business is that I can have a life of flexibility. My business can fit around my life, especially my rehab.
The world of kids clothing is incredible. There is so much beautiful choice out there for any budget and taste. Apart from your own, who are your favourite kids clothing designers? High-end and high-street? There’s so many great brands that I love – Gray Label, Moi, Mini Rodini, Oeuf… the list goes on!
What’s your best piece of advice to anyone who has suffered a really big setback in life? A cliché I know but ‘your past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited or erased; it can only be accepted’ – you have to move on and make the best of what you have today!
Would you change your past if you could? Normally people would say ‘I would change nothing’ but I would say if I was to go back in time I would STRESS LESS!
What’s next for you – both professionally and personally? All though my recovery I had to learn to do everything in a different way than I had always known so I have started a blog of my creative adventures from a one handed person’s point of view. It’s called one handed crafter. Hopefully I can inspire other young people who may be in the same or similar position and show them that you can have a creative life even if you are one handed (or indeed have any other struggles). And as for Asolon the opportunities are endless, watch this space!
Thank you Allison for sharing your incredible and truly inspiring story with us. It really puts things in perspective, at least for me. They often say ‘where there is a will, there is a way’ and Allison has shown us just how true that is. What I loved most about getting to know Allison was the incredible lack of self pity – there was not a hint of it. As she explains, you have to get that out of the way quickly and look forward to making the most of what you do have. So she has completely accepted her fate and despite her big setbacks has achieved her goals. Do take a look at the gorgeous baby clothes that Allison makes – very classic, very practical and very stylish. There are lots of stripes in the collection but also some brighter pieces that perfectly compliment the stripes. Some of my favourites include the deer print leggings and the orange poppy print ones.
P.S. If you have a story of overcoming a set-back (of any kind) and would like to share it, please get in touch – I’d love to hear from you (only requirements are that you are a parent with or without a business but if not you have a baby/kids related business). You can get in touch privately through the contact page or send me a private facebook message and we can chat more to see if it’s something you would like to share.
*I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s brilliant blog posts.
A quick start to the week today with this beautiful new Spring Summer collection. Possibly one of my favourite UK brands for kids, each and every season their new collections don’t disappoint. Classic, understated looks that are so stunning in their simplicity. The collections for boys and girls are both equally beautiful. With the boys I’m loving the vibrant colours mixed with neutrals and also the range of cool, summery trousers on offer. If I had a boy, I really think Caramel would be high on my list of favourites for him. And for the girls it’s classic cut dresses and some beautiful separates too. Now all we need is Summer to hurry up and arrive!
Ballet classes for little girls seems like a rite of passage in the UK. It’s not a ‘thing’ in India and so being Indian and never having done ballet myself, it never even occurred to me to put Anya in ballet classes until she started asking to join when she was around 3 and a half. I’m glad she did ask though as there is nothing sweeter than watching a bunch of tiny little girls floating around in tutu’s. She’s since given up ballet due to other activities but while she did it, I loved watching her pirouette and twirl and do all those graceful ballet moves. Now I’m wishing she hadn’t stopped especially as I’ve just discovered this new range of gorgeous ballet clothes for little girls .
Girls on Tiptoes is a new line of mostly ballet bodies, leotards and leggings from Poland. This dreamy range of girls dancewear looks so comfy and soft – almost like a second skin. And the photography is so gorgeous too. It’s all so girly and pretty without being fussy. Just looking at the pictures makes me want to get up and start pirouetting! Even though Anya has stopped ballet, I am not sure I will be able to resist a piece – I’ve got my eye on the dotty all in one leotard which can be worn anytime, not just for ballet or dance (at least that’s what I’m telling myself!). But either way, I think Anya or any little girl will delight in having some of these gorgeous clothes in their wardrobe.
Ever since Anya started walking, we’ve had trouble buying shoes. Her feet are very narrow which has meant regular high-street shoes have never worked for her. Instead I have had to seek out European shoes which for some reason are narrower than British shoes (I wonder why). We all know that getting a good fit with shoes is so important especially for growing feet; I’ve even been told that getting well fitted shoes for a child is as important as looking after their teeth. Because of this I never compromised on what I bought her even though it often meant spending more than I wanted to.
Recently I discovered Pisamonas shoes from Spain and I was keen to try them out as they are European shoes that are very affordable too. They generously sent me this cute pair of brogues that I love not only because you can wear them with anything – skirts, jeans, dresses – but also because they fit really well. These shoes come in a range of colours but I really like the neutral tones that can be paired with fun socks like these polka dotted ones. Anya’s also worn these shoes with the brightest pink socks and they look really cool. I’ve been putting off teaching her to tie her laces which I knew I needed to do sooner rather than later so these shoes have come in really hand for that too! She is quite happy to practice away on them.
Pisamonas have a big range of affordable kids shoes in lots of styles and colours for babies, boys and girls and have just recently launched in the UK. As part of their launch, they are offering £10 off your first purchase (of £40 or more) till 28th February 2015 and they ship worldwide. Apart from the brogues that I chose for Anya, I really like the Avarca Menorcan sandals especially in the palest pink. Those are definitely on my wish list for the Summer. You can visit Pisamonas to see more or else check out this cute video which shows a range of their shoes.
P.S. Anya insisted on jumping in a big puddle right before we took photos that is why the tips of her shoes are wet!
Isn’t this just the cutest kids Winter coat that you ever saw? Soft and warm, Anya adores wearing it – which kid wouldn’t? Those stunning long bunny ears are so much fun. This coat is a conversation starter so much so that when I have to get somewhere in a hurry, I can’t let Anya wear it because people stop us in the street, in shops, in restaurants to admire the coat and to find out everything about it. They especially love to feel the ears and I’ve even had adults asking if they can get in their size – which they can!
This beautiful bunny coat is made by Molly, who is a mum that makes a whole range of stunning animal themed coats including a fox, lion and dinosaur coat. When Molly generously offered to send Anya a coat, for me it had to be the bunny one – those ears! I also fell for the soft champagne colour which perfectly compliments the pink cuffs and ears. There is a equally beautiful boy version of this coat where the ears and the cuffs are a pale blue instead of pink. Not only does this coat look so darn cute but it’s very warm so it has been the perfect Winter coat for Anya. But for when it gets warmer, Molly offers a lighter linen version of the same coat. Molly’s shop is called Little Goodall and it’s definitely worth a visit for some serious cuteness!
One of things instilled in me by both my parents was to always dress well. In our home, dressing well was just as important as good manners. By dressing well I don’t mean expensively or in designer gear but smart, clean, ironed clothes that always looked more than presentable. I remember my teenage years when ripped jeans and crumpled clothes were all the rage (or so I thought!) and my father looking appalled that I would be stepping out in such clothes. But he also knew better than to argue with a sulky, temperamental teenager! That phase aside, I couldn’t agree more with my parents and I hope to teach Anya the same. Apart from the importance of looking presentable, I also think a little style in everyday life makes you feel just as good as it makes you look.
I spend time and effort buying clothes for myself but equally do the same for Anya. I like her to look good every time she goes out but at the same time I don’t want to spend crazy amounts on her clothes as kids grow so fast. I’m always looking for cool style at the best prices and so I was happy to discover Tendre Deal where you get chic French fashion for kids and babies at up to 70% off. Tendre deal is a private members site so if you want to be in the know you just have to sign-up for free with your email and you’ll be told about each new sale that comes up. New sales come up pretty often and last for about a week. In the past they have sold well known French brands like Jacadi and Chupeta shoes and also many lesser known French brands all of which still offer lots of style. And occasionally they even have French toys and decor from brands like Janod and Annabel Kern.
With each sale being up to 70% off it’s hard to resist the goodies on offer so I will be keeping an eye on Tendre Deal especially to snap up of some of my favourite French designers as and when they come up. Currently they have the chic Les Petites Choses on sale with some fab bargains for both boys and girls.
{Images shown are representative of the brands and styles on offer in the past, present and future}
This post is brought to you in partnership with Tendre Deal as part of my work with Mothers & Shakers. All content, words and ideas are my own. Thank you for supporting my work with partners that support this blog.
Today it’s all about skirt love. These are a few of my favourite skirts from the ebabee shop. And in even better news, they’re all on sale. All can be worn with boots or ballerina flats, with tights or without. I love mixing and matching patterns, colours and prints and love that all these skirts are versatile enough to do just that with. The feather skirt would look great with a simple striped top, the floral one with a contrasting solid coloured top and the bear one with a polka dot top. I can’t choose a favourite but Anya’s been eyeing the bear skirt and asking for it since Christmas so I know which one she favours. Do you have a favourite?
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...
