This week’s picks for mama & baby… let mama decorate with these candy coloured wooden stools while baby plays with that colour popping wooden toy camera.
mama & baby…
August 9, 2012
Classy, cute & comfortable…
August 8, 2012
If you’re anything like me, dressing your kids in (mini) high style is important but so is comfort. However beautiful a piece of clothing may be, if it’s impractical it just won’t cut it. Clothes that deliver big on both comfort and style always get my vote and Mabo Kids do just that. Designed and made in USA, Mabo is a small clothier whose collections are made in small quantities. Each and every piece is not only gorgeous but infinitely wearable and that’s not something that can be said about too many collections out there.
There’s so much I love about these clothes. All made of cotton or linen, the colours are so elegant and stylish. The linen pieces come in the most gorgeous dusty rose and a slightly faded indigo blue. The petal linen skirt is one of my favourite pieces… it’s so cute and girly with the gentle scalloped edge and subtle tie detail. The simple linen boat neck dress is another winner and can easily be dressed up or down. And then there are the ever so sweet gingham pieces to drool over too. Mabo Kids don’t have a big collection but what they do have is pure class, style and comfort.
Vintage wallpaper love…
August 7, 2012
In 2009 Mette traveled to London and discovered a small dusty Indian hardware store with the most stunning vintage wallpapers. The wallpapers were hidden away in the basement of the store and not a roll had been sold in over 40 years. What an utter waste of such delights, thought Mette. She traveled back to Denmark with around 60 rolls of the stuff but just wasn’t satisfied. She couldn’t stop thinking about the rest of the treasures that were just lying there being wasted. So impulse and passion took over and she hopped on a plane, came back to the hardware store and bought every bit of wallpaper on offer… thousands and thousands of rolls. And that is how the utterly delightful Retro Villa store was born.
Looking at these wallpapers I can completely understand why Mette couldn’t forget about them. They make such an impactful backdrop for any room but I especially like them in a kids room. And the ‘no holds barred’ approach where different colours, prints and patterns are used within one room just add to the wow factor.
You can buy vintage wallpaper by the roll at Retro Villa who have an amazing selection but they also use it to decorate kids vintage furniture just like the cubby hole shelves and chair pictured above which are for sale too. Mette, the owner and founder, is also a stylist and many of these images are her work. There’s a whole load of inspirational pictures on her website so if you’re feeling as inspired as me, you can buy the paper and have a go at sprucing up an old piece or furniture.
Pretty pink things…
August 6, 2012
Pink seems to be the colour of the moment in this house. My daughter is beyond obsessed with the colour and yesterday even asked if she could have ‘pink teeth’! While I’m not a blue for boy/pink for girl type of mama, I have no objection to pink in moderation… just like any other colour. When there are so many wonderful colours to choose from why restrict yourself to just one or two. But since we’re thinking pink these days, I went in search of some pretty pink things and here’s what I found:
1. Love this origami pendant light which comes with a choice of pretty pastel coloured cables so you can mix and match … 2. This is one of the most gorgeous tutu’s I’ve seen in a while… the vibrant, almost neon pink colour is so striking. 3. Just looking at these beautiful pink raspberry cookies makes me want to head to the kitchen and get baking… so delicious! 4. Last is this super cute polka dotted cloud cushion which would make a very sweet cot companion.
mama & baby…
August 2, 2012
This week’s picks for mama & baby… let mama sun herself on this cool pigeon and jelly deckchair while baby plays with that Pablo the pigeon stuffed toy.
Toys to make hospitals a little less scary?
August 1, 2012
Hospitals are a scary place for anybody but especially for kids. So Hiraku Imamura, a Japanese designer decided to create toys that kids can play and interact with before they go in for treatment so they know a little bit more of what to expect. She came up with mini models of hospital machines like CT scanners and x-rays that all work with light and sound and also come with an accompanying picture book. Kids can pretend play doctor-patient while they get a better idea of how these ‘strange’ machines work. There are little buttons to press, monitors that light up and even an ultrasound type probe that kids can try out.
These wooden toys are beautifully designed too using simple shapes and splashes of colour. But that’s no surprise as the Japanese sense of design and aesthetic is second to none. I love that each set comes with a parent bear and a baby bear. The idea of course being to reassure the child that their parents will be with them every step of the way. The fear of the unknown is probably the worst fear so if kids can be treated knowing a bit about the hows and whys of their treatment, this can only help. These toys aren’t yet available but you can read more about them at Hikaru Imamura’s site where she explains her creation.
*Via Core 77
Beautiful crochet…
July 31, 2012
There is something so exquisite and gorgeous about crochet. It’s a skill I’ve always wanted to learn and often dream of crocheting some lovely things… maybe one day. I’ve featured crochet toys and other small crochet pieces but today I wanted to share some wonderful crochet furniture I’ve found:
1. A beautiful crocheted hanging cradle that has been hand braided in Bangladesh. It looks like such a snug sleeping spot and so great for gently rocking a baby to sleep.
2. Very unusual crocheted lights in lovely soft colours . I love the green, grey and yellow shades that project a gentle and subtle light, perfect for a nursery.
3. A restored wooden stool given a new look with a crochet cover. So pretty. There are many seriously attractive stools to choose from in lots of different colours so go have a look at wood & wool stool.
4. No crochet selection could ever be complete without something from Miga de Pan… an Argentinian mama who makes some of the best crochet goodies I have ever seen. These sweet raindrop adorned stools are perfect for any kiddy space.
A shifty eyed bear and his friends…
July 30, 2012
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.
mama & baby…
July 26, 2012
This week’s picks for mama & baby… let mama decorate with these pretty floral stools while baby gets cosy in that starry duvet set.
A London favourite…
July 25, 2012
Olympic fever has hit and the world is watching London. Living here it’s impossible not to get excited about these magnificent games and I can’t wait for them to start. Since its going to be all about London for the next few weeks, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share one of my favourite London based kids clothing brands – Miller London. Born in 2010, Miller is all about everyday luxury for kids. The pieces are very wearable and practical yet super chic. The classic silhouettes are teamed with bold colours and pretty prints to create clothes that are contemporary and stylish. Nearly all the pieces can easily be mixed and matched with anything in your kids wardrobe. Think wardrobe essentials that you can pair with practically anything and your child will end up looking super stylish. I love it!
Visit Miller to see the whole collection but also check out elias & grace who are having a sale on these chic and elegant clothes.
