Packing...

We are counting down the days until we are off on an airplane heading towards Western Australia and some sunshine and sweet waves. This side of Australia has only really teased us so far with summer and we are looking forward to some of that famous western dry heat and perfect beaches. The whole family is getting ready... as you can see. I hope you all will have a really nice Christmas break with your loved ones, and I will be back to my normal blogging self in January again, but until then...

Sneak peek: I Dig Denim A/W 2012

Here is something for the avid denim lover! Check out the sneak peek at next years winter collection from Swedish I Dig Denim. I am seriously loving their eye for detail and a nice surprise is that they are also coming out with some wonderful knitted goods to accompany their seriously cool denims. Their thick knitted Amarillo will be a huge hit I am sure! They are also releasing some long sleeve shirts in a cool grey hue that will look great with any of their denim models. There are a lot of things to look forward to with this brand I am sure. Only problem now is how can we wait for so long before we can purchase any of this ;)

Visit: I Dig Denim

L'Affiche Moderne

Looking for something snazzy on your kids walls? Head on over to L'Affiche Moderne. They have some really nice art that will give some nice splash of colour to any wall. Here are some of my favorites!

L'Affiche Moderne

Happy Friday!

Can't believe it is already Friday today... Seems like the days are flying away in December. So much to get done this weekend. I am as usual late with my Christmas shopping. We have a few things done but still miss to get some essentials. Next week we are flying off for a 2 weeks well deserved holiday in Western Australia. Warm sand, cool water..here we come!! Here is a drawing by Mika, love the colours and the fact that it looks like the flower is looking after her pals the snails. Not sure what happened to the left one... maybe he is napping? ahhh napping... Happy Friday out there!

L'asticot | Brand Watch

Swiss ethical kids label, l'asticot is having a nice sale at the moment. Not too many sizes left but they have one nice collection to choose from. L'asticot project was founded by two friends, united by the desire to provide sustainable, ecological and responsible solutions that met their needs as contemporary young mothers.

Go to sale

Details

Here are some details from our home. The mobile is the easiest way of creating a bit of Christmas feeling in just a few minutes + the kids love that they can help doing it as well. Best thing is that even if it gets torn down (which a lot things are in our home with a 2 year old) and mauled, there are no tears from it.

The postcard art is from Mark Ryden and I can see that our little friendly Totoro bunch needs a good dusting. I like how our pen cup has been pimped with a headband and a feather by Mika.

INSPIRATION | Vesa Sammalisto

There are a lot of alphabet illustrations out there, but neither of them are as cool as these from Finish illustrator/graphic designer Vesa Sammalisto. via varpunen

go to SHOP

Christmas Gift List

Thought I throw together a nice little Christmas list. Now since December means two seasons in my head I did a bit of a mix. A little bit for the colder parts of the world and a few for the warmer parts like Australia. Happy Holidays!!


1. Monster Sweatshirt from BabyLady Inc
2. Grey Wolf from Spirit Hood Kids
3. A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
4. Jefferson Torch red by Native Shoes
5. Rody bouncy horse
6. Wild Things Crown by Oeuf
7. Balance to First bike by HipKids.
8. Lincoln Parkas by Mini Rodini
9. Ugg boots by EMU
10. Yoshitomo Nara Pull along Dog
11. Rocker by Tokyo Kids
12. Body Board kit by Manta

Xmas Sale at Oii

Every year in December Oii is having their annual christmas calendar sale where they throw in a new brand each day. Today it was 30% off Mini Rodini, and since it is one of our family's favorite brands we had to stock up on some wintery goods. Here is what we got.

To follow what is up for sale each day at Oii simply like them on their fb page or visit their website. Happy shopping!

Cookie Cutter

More Etsy love... I have a lovely little purse from Only Midge that I have been so thrilled about, but yesterday I spotted a little hole! Gaah, my trusty little purse is slowly showing sings of my long lived love, and I might have to start considering to look for a new one. Well it takes more than one little hole to replace it, but let's just say I have to start looking out for a new one.

The other day I saw these nice little purses from Cookie Cutter. I think the owl one is so great! You can also find some pretty awesome pillows in the same shop...

Have a look!

Sleep tight

There is something very nice with these pj's from Hatley. They are nice enough to wear during the day and soft enough to slumber the night away in...
29.99$ (US) here.

Native

We got a little something in the mail today from Minibots. Among the nice things we bought were a pair of red Jefferson, Native shoes for M. I have seen them for awhile, but always hesitated because I have a bit of a picky shoe user in my 5 year old. Anything that is big around the ankle or that "wobbles" she simply opts not to wear. I guess that is because this girl is a mover and a shaker. We have serious ants in the pants syndrome here ;). So I was a bit worried that the Natives would end up in the pile of "not working" shoes that simply has been put away to be tried on little brother.

Well as the pictures reveal, the Natives were a BIG HIT. They stuck on the foot and stood the test of motion this afternoon. I do believe we have a new pair of favorites!

INSPIRATION | Cate Parr

UK-born fashion illustrator Cate Parr has a way with water colour that is for sure. Anybody who have tried various art forms know that painting with water colour is perhaps one of the most challenging ones. Cate Parr seem to have mastered that to the teeth. Her beautiful fashion images are full of grace and has a rare sense of ethereal quality. I can really loose myself in these images - it doesn't take long until you start daydreaming while looking for those familiar details of a neck, an eye or the curve of a lip...

visit: cateparr.com

Baby's First Xmas

Little Fashion Gallery has made a pretty wonderful list for a Baby's First Xmas!!
Check it out here...

DIY | Bat Wings

I found this awesome DIY Bat Wings over at My Poppet.

"These bat wings are a fun and really easy to make addition to any dress up box. They only took me around ten minutes to whip up with some black lycra fabric I had laying about in m sewing room. Only one seam is required which you can do by hand if you don't have a sewing machine" - My Poppet.

Check it out.

Keeping up

I did an attempt to follow in my boy's footsteps today and I can tell you it wasn't easy! This little man is on the move! How can so tiny little legs run so fast?? I needed a good size take away coffee to just keep up with him... We checked out ants, flowers, butterflies, rocks, the beach and the playground by the waterfront. We got a good dose of sunshine but it is still windy by the beach walk. Amazing that we have had so many days with just 16c in summer time, slightly strange for this part of the world.

Have a nice weekend out there!

ADA ADA | Brand Watch

I am truly in love with this label. The colour palette is all about understated style - warm greys, cool blues and just the right amount of black in there to create some nice balance. All the fabrics are chosen for their comfort and quality and from what I hear incredible soft to wear.

Ada Ada was created by three very creative sisters, Miriam, Ada and Ayelet Bernstein, who are based in Israel. Miriam studied photography at the Parsons School of Design in New York, and Ada studied textile design and pattern making in Israel. By fusing their talents together they have created a truly unique label that embodies their sophisticated design philosophy - Natural fabrics, classic colour lines and clean designs. They also ensure that the manufacturing process is done under fair trade conditions. I have decided to show you a little bit from both the Summer 11 & and Winter 11 collection since my Australian readers will have summer right now and my European readers will have winter.

The winter collection is inspired by the vast depth of the galaxy and the glimmer of its stars.

Ada Ada can be found worldwide. For a complete stockist list email: info@adaada.net, In Australia you can soon find Ada Ada at Minibots.

Visit: ADA ADA

Sofia Sobeide

More great stuff found on Etsy. How adorable are these crocheted soft toys by Sofia Sobeide. All animals are crocheted in 100% wool, have safety eyes and embroidered mouth and nose. Check out her Etsy page for more cute creatures of joy!
via {Kid} Independent.

Dancing in the rain

The weather Gods have been crazy lately. It is a roller coaster every day. Yesterday it reached a top of 38c and today we have a measly 17c and a lot of rain. I find it completely impossible to keep the kids inside no matter what the weather has to offer, so it didn't take long until Mika ran outside for a quick rain dance. I did my best to follow the fun with a camera. We recently received some nice clothes that we ordered from Nonchalant Mom and Oii, and what better time than this to try them out?? Beanie and leggings from Mini Rodini and Tee from Nico Nico.

INSPIRATION | Qoo Qoo Fashion

There are some downright awesome things on Ebay. These colourful and original pieces comes from Latvia. Graphic designer - Alyona Bauska used her unique graphic style and poured it into fashion and here are the results. I love everything about this collection. I had to share it here because it is quite rare to see such bold colours and prints for us adults, it is usually reserved for the kids. With that said I think if she would ever jump into the children's fashion world I think she would do VERY well there too. Check it out!!

VISIT: QooQoo Fashion

Grab a pen...

It is humid today. 33c and very little wind is what we have to play around with today. What do you do? You face paint of course... it is funny how something so simple and easy can be so much fun. It started with a star and a lightning and went crazy from there...needless to say it ended in the bath :).

Papa Foxtrot

What boy wouldn't like a big ocean liner like this?? Papa Foxtrot makes wooden toys in the finest wood quality. It will cost you a bit, but will be a sure hit with the lads. They come in three versions.

"Created by London-based design studio PostlerFerguson, the wooden cargo ships will be the first of a series of toys to be marketed under the brand Papa Foxtrot. The designers are marrying the traditional aesthetic of wooden toys with the technological marvels of the modern world – expect submarines, satellites, windmills, oil rigs and more from Papa Foxtrot in the future." - Babyology.

visit: Papa Foxtrot

ANIMATION | Octapodi

Loving this Oscar nominated short (2007) about two love struck octopuses...

10 minutes with...

Welcome to another look behind the scenes of another interesting online shop. This time we knock on the door of Australian shop Minibots. Run by mother and father of two, Amber and Chris Hall, Minibots main goal is to source the most unique and interesting brands out there. I had the great opportunity to ask them a few questions and here are their answers...

Can you tell us a little about how Minibots started? What is your inspiration, and how did you come up with the name?

Minibots is an idea come reality, where a world for children's fashion, toys and accessories intertwine to provide you with unique Australian designers through to the very trendy, funky and creative labels from around the globe, for children who aren't afraid to stand out in a crowd.
Our two beautiful children are the inspiration behind this reality and after our first child Sebastian was born our love of fashion naturally turned to the wonderful array of children's fashion and products.

What started out as endless fun searching for these items has now developed into a passion for acquiring all unique kiddy things. Whilst we love the thrill of finding and sourcing these amazing brands, we know how many of you just don't have the time and that's why we're delighted to be able to bring the things we love, our friends love and our Minibots love, to you!

Minibots stemmed from our son Sebastian's love for Vintage Robots, and of course mini referring to children. My Husband Chris created the name as we wanted something unique that stood out and that everyone would remember.

I am thrilled to see so many hard to find European labels in your selection at Minibots. So many Australian shops focus on local brands only, but you seem to have mixed local and expanded your search for unique brands to around the world. Tell me a little about how you go about choosing what should be in the Minibots store.

Our main focus was on setting ourselves apart form other stores by stocking cool and trendy clothing and products. And drawing on our own experience of purchasing for our own children, we chose those labels that were of amazing quality and uniqueness. Being parents ourselves we have tried and tested the labels and products that we stock and most importantly our children love the wearing and playing with our products!!

Christmas is fast approaching...If you could pick two gifts each for a girl, boy and a baby what would you choose from at Minibots?

Girl

• Bang Bang Cph Buzz Dress $85.00
• Spirithoods Kids Snow Leopard $99.00

Boy

• Lucky Boy Sunday Sailor Jack $95.00
• Little Lark Wolf s/s Tee $35.00

Baby

• Piqpoq Plibook Baby Book $35.00
• Little Bonbon Sleep Gown grey/cream $45.00
  

Since you are stocking so many nice European labels (and they are embarking on their winter season now) you must have a fair idea of what you are going to have to offer for the Australian winter 12, any favorite picks or labels you can share?
We are stocking some amazing labels in Winter 12. Here is a little Sneak Peek;
Nelly Stella Emma Blouse and Carol Jumper Dress, Bang Bang Cph Hooded Vest, Soft Gallery Fawn owl Leotard, Bodebo Tutu Bloom Skirt and Leggo Tights.

Minibots will also welcome two new exciting brands for winter 12. Organic Nico Nico and Ada Ada is next on the impressive collection of unique labels, so look out for those very soon!


Here are some of the labels you can find at Minibots: Munster, Mini & Maximus, Native Shoes, Lucky Boy Sunday, New Generals, Spirit Hoods Kids, Missie Munster, Bang Bang Cph, Soft Gallery... to just mention a few.



Huge thanks to owner and founder Amber Hall for the look behind the scenes at Minibots!
Right now there is a Pre Christmas Sale, and you can receive 25% off storewide if you enter code: Babyology 25 (vaild for 2 weeks only.) There is also free shipping on all Australian orders over 150$.
VISIT: MINIBOTS

Zara Kids

Loving the choices for Zara Kids (winter) shoes for girls. They seem to have ticked most boxes, sporty, preppy, boots, etc. Here are a few of my favorites.

You can find them here.