9.29.2012

Awesome Picks for Kids: Clouds & Raindrops ...Rain, Rain Go Away!!


I had other things to post this weekend, but the weather in New York for the last two days changed my inspiration completely. Yesterday, it rained profusely, the whole day. Today, no rain, but still sooo cloudy and dark. I think the sun went on vacation, to the Caribbean, perhaps.

Gray skies, clouds, raindrops and a thunder here and there, that's all we were left with. But then, I remembered how cute and trendy clouds are these days and decided to go to my Pinterest boards... There, they were!! Clouds and raindrops are the theme of many fall-winter collections for kids this year. Of course, over the reigning color, gray.

I love the incorporation of a touch of pale pink to complete a very delicate palette... Black, white, gray and a touch of light pink... Perfect!!

So, while we wait for sunnier days, I'll leave you with this beautiful selection.
1:: Rainy Day Sweatshirt by Emile et Ida available here .
2:: Rainy Day Mini Blanket by Donna Wilson available here.
3:: Giant Cloud Pillow by Noodoll available here.
4:: Baby Boots T-shirt by Emile et Ida available here.

9.27.2012

Trendy Nursery: Gray and Mustard Yellow for a Modern Baby Room


I've had a crazy fascination with the combination of gray and yellow for months... I like it in clothes, I like it in home accessories, I like it in illustrations, I like it everywhere, but a few weeks ago I landed on Boondie Baby's website and got happily surprised with the modern Mustard Blossom collection of nursery bedding and decor.

Maybe some years back, the idea of a baby nursery in gray and yellow sounded a little dull, but right now it's a trend and therefore, not so difficult to find all the elements you may need to complete the baby's room. Certainly, gray is a perfect neutral color that brings a nice and delicate effect. We have already seen how beautiful nurseries look combining gray with pink or blue, but there is an additional benefit when combining it with yellow- it works well for girls and boys. A great idea for anyone having girl and boy twins.

The Mustard Blossom range by Boondie Baby is all made of 100% cotton and includes bedding, blankets, pillows, and the cute owl on the picture above. Every item is handmade by Boondie Baby's creator, Lauren, a mom and designer living in Melbourne. Even though, Australia is on the other side of the world for a bunch of us, Lauren ships worldwide, and  also takes custom requests. Mix, match and get the room you want!!

Baby Boondie collections available here .

Pssst!!! ...and if you love gray and mustard as much as we do, take a peek at our "Gray and Yellow" board on Pinterest. It's loaded with gorgeous ideas ...Soooo beautiful!!

9.25.2012

Awesome Picks for Kids: Falling for Fall Coats with Little Goodall


Fall is just three days old, but here in New York, we can already tell the new season is coming strong. Mornings are chilly, leaves are falling, pumpkins and squashes are filling up the markets, and everyone is looking for a cozy blanket or throw.

In a few days, the Hudson Valley will start to turn leaves into wonderful colors and we will be able to admire a feast of brown, red, orange and yellow around us. The green foliage will slowly give room to a whole different palette, and everyone will switch outfits from the vibrant colors of summer to the warm tones of fall.

It's time to get new coats for the kiddos and when it comes to that moment, finding something different, creative, and well constructed is kind of difficult. This is why we have fallen in love with this collection of hooded coats in gorgeous autumn hues by Little Goodall. Don't you love the pictures already? Owls, lions, dinosaurs, foxes made into  coats so unique with their friendly animal head hoods, yarn manes, button eyes, and even attachable tails.

Inspired by her young son and the lack of creative clothing for kids, fashion designer Molly Goodall came up with her own line of high quality coats, totally handmade and carefully produced. Little Goodall coats are made of soft wool blend felt and fully lined to make it easy for children to put on and take off.

Little Goodall hooded coats available here. 
Pictures courtesy of Bellini Portraits.

9.24.2012

Wee Gallery: 32 Ways to Dress a Fox or Raise a Fashion Designer


Kids getting loud in a restaurant while waiting for food... Little ones acting up while sitting at the doctor's office... Children throwing toys at each other in the backseat while you are driving from point A to point B, hoping that a disaster doesn't happen... Sure, as a parent, you have been a victim of any of these scenarios, once too many times.

But, soon enough we are forced to learn that the unmistakable trick to combat those outbursts is to provide a source of entertaintment. Ideally, something that challenges their creativity keeping their hands busy for a substantial period of time.

Here is something new that matches to perfection as an antidote for those desperate situations, something to keep handy in your purse at all times. Wee Gallery has come up with these Mini Activity Books featuring three different characters, a piggy, a fox, and a bunny. All three need to be dressed and their outfits are up to your child's imagination. Each book comes with 32 pages and each page presents the main character's head, hands and feet a little different, ready for your emergent fashion designer to dress them up. Use crayons, colored pencils or markers, add googly eyes, glitter, feathers, there is no limit to their fun possibilities, and the price is so reasonable that you might want to get all three of them.

In case you are not familiar with Wee Gallery, it is a husband and wife studio creating beautiful graphics and toys for babies and older kids. Their Art Cards or Flash Cards in black and white are gorgeous, as well as their Rubber Stamp Sets. To make it even better, every single product is ecofriendly, non toxic, printed with soy inks on recycled paper and cardboard.

Wee Gallery available here.  

9.21.2012

Awesome Picks for Girls: Baby CZ Super Chic Fall-Winter Collection


We are big fans of Caroline Zapf's Baby CZ and her line of sophistacated cashmere sweaters and accessories for babies and kids. This year we've fallen head over heels with the new autumn-winter '12 collection for girls... It is such an elegant mix of vintage and modern designs with wool dresses that look like heirloom pieces from the 1920's, and trendy knits perfectly matching the latest in fashionable style... Tres chic!!
Our favorites from Baby CZ's collection? Definitely, the timeless houndstooh dresses and coats for baby and older girls, the cashmere poncho with pom poms, and the ruffle scarves with matching hats to complete the look.
Psst!! ... Good news!! This time moms don't have to wish these clothes could be also made in big sizes because in fact, they are. Baby CZ carries a line of sweaters, cardigans, wraps and accessories for women... yay!!

Baby CZ available here.

9.19.2012

Shusha Toys: Something New To Build with Wooden Blocks


Creativity never stops... That's right!! And while us, parents, have been fascinated with the return of wooden toys and noiseless building blocks, some parents-to-be in a far corner of this world, were taking a step forward and coming up with something new- wooden blocks to build people and face expressions, instead of houses and castles... How fun is that?

Shusha Toys is the brainchild of two young parents with background in graphic design and architecture, who in anticipation to their first child, decided to experiment and make toys that could be not only fun, but also help kids develop creativity, imagination and motor skills. Moustaches, smiles, eyebrows, noses, beards, the combinations with these blocks are endless, and sooo funny.

All Shusha Toys are made in-house in Russia from natural materials, such as wood and non-toxic paints.

Susha Toys available here. More information also on their Facebook page.

9.18.2012

Awesome Picks for Shower Gifts: Cloudy Skies Inspiration


Colors, color, colors!! ... Today, we are inspired by cloudy skies and their  infinite hues... Blues, whites, grays, big fat clouds and skinny swirls, all moving around inviting our imagination to play with them, guess their shape and follow every step of their whimsical dance.

Are we getting too poetic here? Not, really. We are  just loking for new trends, reviewing the fall-winter collections of many designers and thought of "cloudy skies" as a perfect theme for a baby's room.  We are noticing the frequent use of dodger blue, light and dark, combined with slate gray in home decor, baby clothes, accessories and stationary. We are also seeing a lot of clouds and geometric shapes in textiles, pillows, and mobiles for little ones.

Skies and clouds, what a great inspiration for a baby's nursery or a shower party... Don't you agree? Here are seven fabulous picks to get the shower started, a cuddly soft friend, a velvety outfit, a little decor for  baby's room or a cool stationary set for the new mom...  We love them all!!

1:: Stripe Crochet Dog by La De Dah Kids available here.
2:: Cloud and Raindrops Mobile by Claire on Cloud 9 available here.
3:: Velour Baby One Piece by Uniqlo available here.
4:: Triangle Banner Garland by Couture by Ayca available here.
5:: Harvest Single Card Series by Darling Clementine Studio available here.
6:: Rosalie Mouse Rattle by Moulin Roty available here.
7:: Plush Bear Pillow by Gingiber available here.

9.14.2012

Trendy Nursery: Scandinavian Inspiration with Susanna Vento


This week, for some unknown reason, I've stumbled upon so many pictures with the combination of black, white and yellow as a theme that I couldn't ignore it anymore. I've been seeing it in outfits , interior design and even, outdoors... Am I suffering some kind of obsession, is it a new trend? Not so sure, but after doing some research, it seems like the use of the three colors as a theme, is fashionable right now and very much so, in children's room decor. White walls, white furniture and accents in black and yellow... Beautiful!!

Among the crazy amount of pictures that I looked at in my search, this nursery design really impressed me. Isn't it spectacular? Modern, simple, sweet, perfect for a baby's room. It is the creation of Finnish interior designer and stylist Susanna Vento, and even thoough it is not one of her latest creations, I wanted to share it anyway as a source of inspiration for children space.  

Susanna Vento's artistic work is really incredible. I am in awe with her amazing capacity to select colors and shapes, and put them together in such a harmonic way, totally "modern, pure, Scandinavian", as she describes her style.

For pictures of the nursery shown above, click here.
For Susanna Vento's online portfolio, click here.

9.12.2012

Get Inspired: A Sweet, Sweet Fall with Sweet Paul!!


Woow!! Do you need a little push to shake the summer blues off and get into the fall mood? The new issue of Sweet Paul Magazine will take you there in a blink.

My fascination with Sweet Paul was love at first sight. Months ago, one link took me to another, and another, and all of a sudden, I landed on Paul's sweet world. I honestly, spent hours mesmerized with the beauty and good content of his articles, and now that a new issue just came out, it is time to share the goods.

Get cozy and prepare yourself to be inspired by gorgeous photography, great recipes and awesome DIY yourself projects that will keep you busy from now till Thanksgiving. Sweet Paul really did a great job representing the feelings of this season, the chilly outdoors and the colors of fall, the plethora of new flavors in the kitchen during the autumn harvest, and the whimsy of Halloween with DIY masks for the little ones.

What a sweet fall we have ahead, Sweet Paul!!

Sweet Paul Magazine is a quarterly online and printed publication, available here.

9.10.2012

Oeuf Fall-Winter Collection: Fabulous Knits with a Surreal Twist


Kids went back to school this morning and surely the temperature indicated that the warm weather in New York is over. The brisk air, the whiter sunlight and a couple of leaves falling, were enough to make us think of long sleeves, pants and hats for the little ones.
We are fascinated with Oeuf's new fall-winter collection, so much that we even had a hard time narrowing down our picks for this post. We love everything about it and like every single style.
Abundance of goodness!! That's what we are finding in this line with its gorgeous knits, handcrafted by Bolivian artisans using 100% super-soft, hypoallergenic baby alpaca wool. 
Comfy designs, the collection includes many pullovers, tunic dresses, leggings, hoodies and cool accessories in classic neutral colors, perfect to mix and match endlessly.
Saving the best for last, the one thing that really gets us giggly about this collection is the whimsical, mix of funny and spooky theme. "Keep it Surreal" is the name of this line and without a doubt, Oeuf's creators totally  did. Gloves with open eyes, sweaters with glasses and moustaches, hoodies with bunny ears, attachables tails, and a bunch of playful accessories complete a stylish halloween look that no one would mind wearing through the rest of fall and winter... After all, wouldn't you like your little one to have an extra pair of eyes or ears to see youuuuu better, or to hear youuuuu better?? 

Oeuf Fall-Winter Collection available here.  

9.07.2012

Color Recreation: Where Did Our Summer Go?



Eleven weeks ago, summer seemed endless. We packed our minds with so many projects, trips and things to do. My girls felt invencible after finishing school and recharging their batteries for just one day... and so did I. We wouldn't even include the word "resting" in our plans, "exhaustion" or "extreme heat". Nothing would force us to stop and stay indoors. It was summer at last and we had to have fun.

Reality took place and obediently accepted that not because my girls were on vacation, it meant that I was on summer break too or that my husband could just leave work, and take many days off.

Temperatures reached three digits and the outdoors didn't sound so great anymore. Rapidly, the girls switched to the "lazy days of summer" mode. All of a sudden, there was no better plan than laying on the couch, watching a movie, looking at the ceiling, thinking... doing nothing.

We created then, our routine. Somehow, we managed to balance work, vacation and fun at home. Of course, we didn't get to do all of those fantastic projects we had thought of, but we did a lot. Most importantly, we spent time together as a family, in peace, and learned that sometimes "doing nothing" is fine, it's actually good, it's time to bond, to connect, to build that closeness that identifies us as a family.

We're now back from our one-week vacation and as we prepare for the first day of school this coming Monday, we are still indulging with the fresh memories of the final splash, the last sand castle, the unrescued pail, the forgotten ball, the plans left for another summer... But, it's time to pack up and move on... The beach is closed... The school bags need to be filled up.

Where did our summer go??? ...I don't know, but it was truly fun!!
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