Meet The Blogger Stockholm

If you could peer through your screen right now, you'd probably laugh out loud. I've been giddy all day at the thought of returning to Stockholm tomorrow. You know how much I love it there, I think.

  

If you remember, last time I went to this beautiful city it was to meet this Fine Lady. She was staying in the Blogger's Suite at The Scandic Grand Central Hotel.

 

Four months later, I'm going back for Meet The Blogger, and this time I'm delighted to be staying in the Blogger's Suite myself. I cannot tell you how excited I am tonight! The organisers of Meet The Blogger have put together a wonderful line-up of speakers for what promises to be an action-packed few days in Sweden. Of course, I'm dying to meet some of my online friends and perhaps some of my old Swedish friends too.

See you all tomorrow, when I've arrived!

Swooning Over Serendipity

 

  

 

I do,

I swear,

I swoon.

Serendipity in Paris has long been one of my favourite kids' shops. 

I just know I'll discover something unusual there, something I won't find anywhere else. 

It's my dream bricks-and-mortar space and their online shop is always full of surprises.

And now they're on pinterest, so I can swoon over there too.

Quick, 

Catch me, 

I'm falling.

all images: ©Serendipity

Réponds Correctement!

 It's been a while since I posted any nice books, so today I thought I'd share a few scans from the latest addition to Miles' bookcase, Réponds Correctement!, written by Hungarian author and poet Eva Janikovszky and illustrated by László Réber (first published in 1968).  We love all love Réber's colourful, cartoon-like illustrations and Joelle Dufeuilly's translation is perfectly modern, funny and thought-provoking (for 6 years and upwards). 

 This book is part of a series of four, recently re-edited in French by the excellent Swiss publishing house La Joie de Lire. The other titles are Incroyable Mais Vrai, Moi Si J'Etais Grand and La Chance Que J'ai. We will be collecting them all for sure.

PS: I picked up a copy of this beautiful book by the same publishing house in Nîmes the other day and I'm sure it would appeal to many of you, especially if you enjoyed this and this, two other favourite reads at home.

Oh Olive!

I'm busy, stressed and full of cold.

Can I crawl back to bed now please?

My Image of The Day

*

 

The Missing Link

 

 

Where is the thread

that binds these for thee?

Bears, Bowls and Blackbird?

Does it really have to be

B?

Beauty,

So subjective.

Yes,

 Quite simply,

I'd like them for me.

It's Playtime!

  

Temporal Space - installation by Karine & Thomas Maincent

 Sitting Balloons - Florence Jaffrain

BottleRobots - Antoine Geoffrion

(You may remember his work from here - one of Miles' all-time faves!)

  

Chispum Wall Stickers (watch out for their new tattoos!)

 

Karine & Thomas Maincent

 Garbo & Friends

 Les Gambettes

  

La Sardine

(These DIY doll kits are such fun if you don't know them)

Florence Jaffrain

  

No. 74

Karine & Thomas Maincent

No. 74

Karine & Thomas Maincent

Well, if you follow me on twitter or facebook, you'll know that I nipped up to Paris yesterday. It was very much a flying visit, but the perfect excuse for mixing business with pleasure.

In addition to catching a glimpse of the major AW13 trends in the children's industry at Playtime Paris, I finally got to meet some of my favourite online friends. 

Karine, Michelle, Linda, Molly, Florence, Yanina, Julia, Alexandra, Nicole, Santa, Sophie... it was great to see you (again)! 'Tis a wonderful thing the internet, I am very grateful for all the changes it has made to my life.

à suivre...

Etsy Find: Gula Toys

 

I love all the curves in Israeli designer Gad Agmon's wooden toys.

Handmade from oak and mahogany, they are simple, natural and sustainable.

Cartoonesque almost? The tractor's my favourite.

Classic but modern,

For play and display, 

 A beautiful etsy find.

 

High Five #62

Michel Svane Knap's PineStack toy is everything I love. Created for his Master's project at Kolding School of Design Denmark, this modern interpretation of the traditional stacking tree is beautiful, educational and fun.

Aimed at toddlers (18 - 36 months), PineStack can be stacked in different ways and is decorated with a pine needle/branch/cone design in shades of yellow and green, thus mimicking the tree's changing appearance throughout the seasons. The tree trunk base doubles up neatly as a lid, making the toy easy to store and carry around. Four little familiar animals that live in or near pine trees are included, and can either be played with separately or placed on the tree (they all have magnets attached which either attract or repel). I can imagine lots of stories and pretend play happening here!

I have no idea if this toy design ever went into production, or if Michel Svane Knap has further plans for it. Check out his industrial design portfolio on Behance, where I discovered PineStack, his space-saving rocking horse and corian lighthouses are equally original. One to watch out for, me thinks!

Inspiration: Malatesta

I pinned an image this morning that got me thinking about my marriage. Twenty-two years this March. I have to admit, it's ages since Dom and I went away for a romantic weekend together. Just the two of us, remember?  You know how it is, moving house, working, working on and renovating the aforementioned house, and of course, putting our three kids at the centre of everything. La vie quoi...

 

 I'm not complaining though. I am incredibly lucky to be living here in the South of France, and we're really trying to make our new abode feel like a summer holiday home - fairly minimal, basic and almost "makeshift" in a brocante-fleamarket-y way.

 

Were we to find the time (and money) for a romantic break away, I'd be more than happy to escape to Italy to experience a couple of days at Malatesta, a beautiful 15th Century boutique hotel lovingly run by my blogging/pinning friend Claudia. 

 

 

I've never been to Pergola, but knowing Claudia's excellent taste and passion for interior design, architecture and cooking, I am sure that a couple of nights at Malatesta would do us both the world of good. Ah, oui ! - that would be grand!

Maybe I'll get lucky? Claudia is hosting a wonderful giveaway on her blog, offering the winner two nights for two people at Malatesta Maison (today is the last day so don't hang around!!!). Why not throw your name in the hat too, it never hurts to dream!

Bonne chance !