With the Summer holidays coming up and all the traveling many of us have planned, I wanted to share these fabulous portable travel board games with you. Apart from being beautiful to look at, the best part of these games is that the board is made of fabric and doubles up as the bag to store all the wooden counters. What a clever and practical idea especially for taking on long road trips or even plane and train journeys. A French creation, these games include checkers, chess and tic tac toe. Recently, they have also introduced some colourful card games that are just as easy to take on your travels. Anything that makes long journeys easier has to be a good thing! These board games are available in many countries and you can see all the stockists here.
Entries Tagged as 'French design'
Games on the go!
July 15, 2014
A beautiful Summer by Louise Misha
February 24, 2014
Summer 2014 by Louise Misha is beautiful. Just look at the fresh colours, flirty styles and girly details. It’s making me dream of a Summer full of fresh fruit, homemade lemonade, cotton candy and long sunny days spent outdoors. I love the whole collection and I know Anya will more than approve… which little girl wouldn’t? This collection isn’t available yet but it’s coming soon.
A {head-turning} nursery collection…
July 9, 2013
Some years ago while holidaying in Marrakesh, I went to a fun restaurant for dinner with my husband. I don’t remember too much about the food or decor as it wasn’t that memorable but I will never forget that woman who walked in. Tall, lean and statuesque with chocolate coloured skin, wearing a very large brimmed hat and a dramatic outfit. There was a moment of silence as all heads turned to look at her. She wasn’t the most beautiful woman I’ve seen, nor the prettiest but she was definitely unique and the entire package from head to toe was jaw droppingly striking so you couldn’t help but stare (think Grace Jones). And that is how I felt when I first saw this new collection of nursery bedding by Anatology on Peggy’s inspiring blog. Bold, graphic and head turning-ly striking, there’s no holding back here and that’s why this collection really stands out like that statuesque stunner!
Anatology is the creation of Delphine Miquel, a French mama and designer who has obviously got a unique aesthetic sense. All her creations are made in France from soft, natural materials that are perfect for a baby’s skin. Of course this collection has bags of style, of course it has loads of visual appeal but what I love most is that there are no half measures here. This collection was designed to make heads turn and it does without apology. This is Delphine’s first collection called ‘Graphic Jungle’ and and I just can’t wait to see what comes next. If this is the benchmark for all her collections then all I can say is wow!
Little decorations for little people…
June 24, 2013
Les Pommettes du Chat (Cheekbones of the cat) is a lovely French boutique that makes the sweetest little decorations for babies and kids. They have adorable things like those soft mini triangle rattles and tiny little clouds for hanging on the wall. They also make some very pretty bed linen and other textiles like bibs, pouches and paper garlands. The fabrics are all so pretty and delicate and the creations feel like they’ve been made with lots of love and a touch of poetry. I love boutiques like Les Pommettes du Chat because their offerings are so unusual and it almost feels like the products have been created especially for you.
Fashion advice from a cat?!
June 11, 2013
Mixing prints and patterns is bang on trend at the moment. Polka dots with stripes, bold florals with graphic patterns and clashing colours can all work so well together in an outfit. Maybe the theory of ‘opposites attract’ is true after all. Being more of a minimalist, this is one trend I haven’t fully got the hang of but I’m trying. I’ve been looking for inspiration and guess where I found it? You guessed it… in these cats! Taking fashion advice from a cat seems more than a bit crazy but these cats really know how to mix patterns and make them work, don’t you think? I just love each and every combination on offer. 
This new cat shop is called You Little and all the soft toy cats are handmade by a French mama. The cat is called Kim but she takes on many exciting looks from colourful vintage florals to pastel polka dots. Apart from their chic fashion sense, there is so much more to love about these cats even for non-cat lovers like me. The oversized bow-ties, their sleepy expressions and not to mention their cuteness levels. Oh, and I’m sure the kids will love these soft toys too! You’ll find these lovely soft toys at Youttle where you can even have your child’s name embroidered on or you can also find a selection at the stylish Little You boutique. And next time you see me wearing bold patterns and prints, you’ll know where I got my inspiration!
Florals, solids & stripes…
May 28, 2013
Liberty prints are so pretty and I love them even more when they’re paired with solid and stripes. So when I saw this collection of kids bed linen and accessories I was excited to share them with you. From France, Lab. makes lots or pretty things for babies and kids which include duvet sets, sleeping bags, cushions and more. There are plenty of liberty prints on offer and then there are the solid and stripes which complement them perfectly. I’m especially loving those sweet teddy bear pillows and these single striped linen quilts.
Lab. don’t just make things for kids; they’ve got a lovely adult size collection too. Most of their designs are suitable for any age so you’ve got gorgeous cushions, duvets and quilts in similar prints and colours for grown-ups as well. My favourite liberty print is the pastel one pictured at the top… so delicate and so pretty for any little baby. And I love the turquoise and brown combination for any age.
*via the style files
Jewellery for girly girls…
May 15, 2013
Yesterday I was feeling the love for these neon sandals and today I’m continuing with the neon obsession but this time for these pretty bracelets and necklaces for girls. Delicate, bright and unashamedly girly these jewels are by the French Louise Misha. I love the striking colours, the sweet tassels and even the cute little cloth bags they come in. Louise Misha is the creation of 2 friends who started their own line after being inspired by a trip to India. I completely get this since India is a place full of colour, inspiration and beautiful things (OK maybe I’m biased but its still true :)). Apart from girls jewellery, Louise Misha also make other accessories, some clothes and I’ve just spotted some pretty little bikini’s too. My sponsors French Blossom have a range of their goodies so if you have a girly girl (like me) then this is one brand not to miss!
Emile et Ida…
March 5, 2013
One of my favourite things to do at this time of year is to discover and drool over all the new Spring/Summer collections that start trickling in to the shops. Not only are they a joy to look at but it also helps me believe that Summer can’t be that far away. Some of the coolest and prettiest lines I discover each year come from France. So I went to have a look at what new stuff my sponsors French Blossom have as they hand pick collections from some of the best French designers. One of the first new collections I found and completely fell for was Emile et Ida.
This new Spring Summer 2013 collection is one that you can’t help but fall in love with. When I first found out about Emile et Ida I assumed their brand name came from their children’s names as with so many kids brands these days. But not in this case… instead, it is the first names of the creator’s parents. This sentiment of loving the past and what it represents is reflected throughout their designs. The girls clothes are inspired by a love of all things vintage while the boys collections are influenced by the spirit of rock n’ roll of days gone by. For the girls you’ll find pretty skirts and tops in rich colours complimented with dusty shades and often dotted with flecks of gold. For the boys there are graphic tees and bright jeans on offer which are all very cool but that mustache tee has got to be my favourite. The appeal of Emile et Ida lies in it’s effortless, wearable designs that are so chic. Visit French Blossom to see more of the collection and I know they’re getting a few more pieces this week.
Photo’s courtesy of Emile et Ida.
2012 Christmas gift guide: Sponsor selection
December 12, 2012
Today’s Christmas gift guide is a selection by French Blossom, my sponsors. French Blossom is a kids store started by husband and wife team Nicholas and Meriem. Even though they don’t have kids (yet), having met and lived in Paris for many years, Nicholas and Meriem were ‘inspired by the exquisite elegance and style devoted to children’s clothing, toys and decoration in France’. As Nicholas explains, ‘the idea behind French Blossom is to – ‘Celebrate French Fashion for Children,’ and to exclusively showcase chic and stylish independent French children’s designers’. So I thought this Christmas, it would be fun to ask them to choose their favourite gift ideas from their store and I also wanted to find out a bit more about how they spend their Christmas. Here’s what they said:
Let’s talk Christmas! What do you love most about it?
Family time! Its great to all gather together, have fun and relax.
What’s a typical Christmas day for you?
We wake up and see if Father Christmas has been kind to us 🙂 ! We all then sit in the living room in front of the fire and Christmas tree, opening the presents as the lovely smells of the Christmas dinner wafts in from the kitchen. After lunch we wrap up nice and warm and go for a walk to watch the annual swim in the sea. There are hundreds of brave people, many dressed up in fancy dress costumes who swim in the freezing water. Then there is a nice warm drink for everyone. We haven’t done this swim yet but maybe this year!
Is your Christmas more French or more English?
Our Christmas is British; Meriem and I always go back to the UK for Christmas. The only thing French is the wine on the table.
Anything you dislike about Christmas?
I don’t like when I have finished opening the last present, finished the wonderful turkey dinner or saying goodbye to relatives who have come over for the day
Lastly, your top 10 Christmas gifts for kids this year?
1. Circus themed baby dinner set by Mimi’Lou
2. Soft toy characters by My name is simone
3. Vintage 3D story box by Tiphaine Mangan
4. Little duck on wheels by Trousselier
5. Dreamy kids mouse mobile by Rose Miniscule
6. Pirate and treasure puzzle by Janod
7. Colourful decorative ball lights by La case de cousin paul
8. Children’s accordean by Vilac
9. Retro classic blue pedal car by Baghera
10. Story express circus by Janod
Thank you Nicholas and Meriem for sharing your Christmas traditions and gift ideas with us and I’m really curious to find out if Nicholas will do that swim this year! You’ll find all these toys and more over at French Blossom and don’t forget, my readers can still get 10% off anything that’s not on offer by using the codes EBABEES.
Pops of colour…
October 2, 2012
On Sunday we were out having lunch when I heard a man say ‘wow, look at those purple shoes… what a cool baby!”. It took me a moment to realise he was talking about my baby wearing her deep pinky-purple Ben Simons. It was such a delightful moment as out of the blue, a fully grown man was so visibly excited about a little pair of purple shoes. My daughter was wearing the bright shoes with muted fall coloured clothes so the shoes really stood out.
I love the effect of combining lots of soft neutral tones with unexpected pops of bright colour. And that’s why I love the wonderfully French and super chic boutique that is Bonton. They have a real knack of putting together fabulous looks for both boys and girls; looks where they use lots of sandy beiges, soft greys and chocolate browns and then they throw in that solid block of colour which takes an outfit from nice to super stand-out nice.
Most of their kids clothes come in a huge range of colours so you can mix and match and choose which part of the outfit you want make bold. It could be as simple as a bright yellow scarf thrown over a pale brown dress or you could go for bright red trousers with a soft grey shirt. The choice is yours. I’m currently lusting over those hot pink shoes… how great are they? I’ve also spotted the perfect little skirt to go with. Visit Bonton to see their entire collection and don’t miss their lovely decor stuff much of which has a delightful little vintage twist.
