On the weekend while browsing Buy Modern Baby, I came across Kate Durkin and I couldn’t wait to share her goodies with you. Kate makes the loveliest nursery art and some adorable throw pillows in animal shapes. The pillows are also perfect as hug-able soft toys for babies and young kids. Her style is clean and simple which gives her goodies their huge appeal. I love all the artwork… there’s a certain softness of style and a sophistication which makes them appealing for kids and adults too. The pillows too would look equally at home on a living room sofa or in a kiddy space. I’m extremely partial to style that has no age boundaries and that’s what Kate manages to do so well. The soft toys cost from $28 and the prints from $18. Kate Durkin is based in New York but she ships worldwide from her Etsy store.
I was window shopping at Sweet William when I spotted some mushrooms. I’m not talking chestnut, shitake or enoki even but mushrooms of a kind I had never laid eyes on… these gorgeously quirky mushroom plush toys! They’re cool, quirky, whimsical and ever so unique. I decided to dig a little further and found out that these soft toys are designed and hand made in California by H-Luv. Heidi Iverson is the talent behind H-Luv and she uses materials with minimal environmental impact to create her unique wares. Also by H-Luv are other plush toys including handmade owls, russian dolls, cats and more. New York based Sweet William sell these mushrooms which cost from $42 plus $14 for International shipping.
I love polka dots. It’s such a simple design that works so well on many things, especially things for kids. I’ve picked out some polka dotted lovelies for you and your bambinos:
1. These polka dot ballet shoes were the inspiration behind this post. When I saw them, it was instant lust. How adorable are they?! I love the red and white with the black trim and bow. So stunning. They’re made by Sayang Design, a Japanese store with the most delicious shoes for kids.*
2. This bambi-esque tee is made special with the addition of the navy blue polka dots. So sweet. This too is from a Japanese store and this store is called Enjoy 2u 2u 4u.*
3. A baby shower invite with chicks and polka dots. I’m liking the blue-brown colour combo and the simple design. Love the little chicks too. This polka dots baby shower invite comes from an Etsy store called Paper by Jill M.
4. A little mustard coloured polka dot pencil case by Lale, one of my favourite French brands. Lale also make very chic retro inspired suitcases for kids and mama’s and lovely girly hair clips too. This polka dots pencil case is from smallable.com where you’ll find lots of Lale’s other goodies too.
5. More gorgeous shoes by Sayang Design. These ones are perfect for boy or girl, don’t you think?
6. Vintage inspired cushions by a cool French store called Les Choses Bizarres. The store name means ‘weird things’ but the goodies on offer are definitely more wonderful then weird! Visit Les Choses Bizarres where you’ll find these polka dot cushions for kids as well as some vintage looking bibs, pencil cases and more.
7. A navy and white polka dot cardigan for the girlies. I love the hint of red thrown in. This is yet another Japanese find made by Cri de Joie and comes from a store called Esserini.*
8. I couldn’t resist this polka dot felt garland. The vibrant colours and the simple circle shapes are just so attractive. I found this over on a blog called Living with Punks where there’s a tutorial so you can make your own.
9. Wow! Loving this navy polka dots satchel so much. So chic, so stylish. It could be used as a school bag but this one’s really for all you mama’s. Made by Zatchels you can get it at Liberty’s or try Zatchels own site where they have many colours on offer including a bold and beautiful red one. Seriously tempting!
10. A very quirky and cool cloth doll wearing a bright orange polka dot dress. This doll is hand made in Israel and comes from Timor’s etsy store. All her cloth dolls are handmade and are one of a kind so once they’re gone, they’re gone!
11. Last is another pair of shoes from Sayang Design for the boys. Love the teal colour. I think you’ve probably guessed by now that I’m crazy about Sayang Design’s shoes for the bambinos!
How absolutely adorable are these elephant dolls? When I spotted them on Knuffels a la Cartes blog I knew I had to share. They instantly made me smile and I fell in love. It’s the happy expressions, the gorgeous clothes and accessories and the giant eyes that got me hooked. Love, love, love them! These charming elephant plush toys are made by the Australian Jenni Harley who also makes other lovely hand made soft toys. All her toys wear the most amazing clothes which just adds to their charm. Jenni has an Etsy shop where you can buy these cuties. The shop is closed at the moment but fingers (and toes!) crossed it will open soon.
I recently discovered Scalae who make a small collection of decorations and accessories for the kiddies. Little dolls, small objects, little decorative branches and hanging houses are amongst their goodies. Of all the pretty little things on offer I have my heart set on the hand made dolls. They’re been created using beautiful fabrics in bold and bright colours like fuchsia and turquoise. I’m loving these decorations to add a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ to a nursery space. Place them on a shelf or dangle above your baby’s cot or hang them from a door handle. The dolls come as a set of 3 in their own little bag and cost €24 from Cosy Kid Home. You might need a little help from google translate unless of course you are fluent in French.
If you like this, have a look at these charming baby nursery garlands made of clouds, moons and stars.
Today’s find is one that has my heart fluttering like a butterfly. Yet again it’s French but French design seems to have that effect on me. Pigmee is what I am seriously in love with. They create these soft toys which are neither an animal nor a character; they are whatever your child wants them to be. They also make the most beautiful white cotton garlands and stunning light pendants wrapped in lace. Their offerings are so poetic, so beautiful, so magical. Imagine a room with the lace adorned pendant, I can just picture the soft light dancing around the walls. Pigmee’s creations aren’t just for kids, they’re designed with a sensibility that appeals to all. My favourite kind of creations.
Pigmee’s soft toys, garlands and pendants are all handmade. Simplicity combined with the most stunning aesthetics are at the heart of their creations. The soft toys come in white but also in beautiful limited edition prints. To indulge in more pictures and to read about what inspires Pigmee, have a look at their site. They’ve also got a list of retailers in Europe and beyond should you be unable to resist this (un-resistable) temptation.
These are the super colourful and quirky creations by Teenytini. Started by designer JK Lange, all the pieces are handmade with love, as she explains. On offer are crochet and knitted clothes, soft toys and rugs. Each piece is truly unique and very funky. I’m especially loving the pinafore dress and the sunny yellow crochets shorts with polka dots. How cute are the shorts? The soft toys and dolls on offer are very unusual too and you can even buy mini handmade clothes for them. Teenytini is fun, it’s stylish and definitely has the stand out from the crowd factor. With the autumn chill in the air, I’m lusting after one of those multi-coloured cardi’s for myself.
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.
I never used to be a fan of dolls. That is until I started writing this blog and discovered some of the most beautiful and unusual handmade fabric dolls and soft toys. Not only am I a big fan now but I often get tempted to start my very own collection. Not ebabee no.1’s, mine. Maybe one day… but until then I’ll continue to admire and share with you my finds. And today I bring you hand made dolls by one of my favourite Spanish stores: Haciendo el Indio. Created by Cristina Serrano, her style is so poetic and magical and that’s what you get from her dolls.
Cristina offers a range of dolls including a guardian, a chick, a fox and more. Each one is hand made and infused with Cristina’s unique style. The only problem I can think of is how do you choose just one! To check out these adorable dolls head to Haciendo el Indio. The dolls cost €29 each and shipping is worldwide. UK shipping is €8. While you’re there, have a look at Cristina’s other goodies too.
I don’t know what it is but my radar seems to be focused on detecting the coolest soft toys around. Just last week I brought you the amazingly funky Knuffels a la Carte who have the whackiest collection of soft toys. And today I have found another fabby soft toy destination. Started by a mama, she began by making toys for her daughter. Her daughter loved them so she (thankfully) thought why not let others enjoy the toys too. And Kalimba was born. All the toys are handmade and hand sewn making them even more special.
While many of Kalimba’s goodies are yummy, it’s the handmade soft toys that are the yummiest. Quirky, funky, fun looking characters and animals are what you can expect. My favourite has got the be the hilarious acrobat chap with his stripy leg warmers! But the chubby soft toy pigs with their skinny legs are also very high up on the want list. How cute are they? All the soft toys are quite large making them perfect for hugging too. And the best news of all is that prices range from around €5 to €20. International shipping is offered too. When you check out Kalimba don’t miss the happy couple – Mr Fat and Mr Thin!
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...
