High Five: Owl Song Vintage

 

Bonjour !

It's raining cats and dogs outside, l'horreur ! ...

After a weekend pottering at home, making plans for our new bathroom,  I am in the mood for some serious sorting out and re-arranging (that includes my laptop and facebook "friends"). I guess it's something to do with the lousy weather and the need to create a cosy nest for the coming autumn and winter months.

Although we have boxes of French flea market treasures in our garage waiting for the "right place" in our interior, I can never resist looking for more. 

 

 

I came across an interesting etsy store this morning selling exactly the kind of vintage finds that I love:

Owl Song Vintage

has sourced an unusual selection of antique toys, Midcentury design, folk art, industrial objects and homeware. I would love to be able to afford the French laboratory set dated 1868 and complete with apothecary bottles or the antique drafting table for my eldest's room...

 

Oh, la, là, I'm dreaming again...

I

Inspiration: Play Is Work

Kaija Vogel takes playing very seriously. 

And kids and parents the world over will be thankful for that I'm sure.

Growing up in Finland in the 1970's, Kaija was given the freedom to explore the outside world through play. Her mother made her a pair of leather overalls that she wore for years whilst enjoying and discovering nature and learning how to ride a bike, run and climb, carefree. Naturally, when Kaija's daughter was born, her mother made a new pair of overalls in the softest leather, and in turn, these were handed down to her son.

 Play is Work is a new brand offering simple, functional and hard-wearing clothing for young children, inspired, amongst other things, by tradesman's work wear and folk garments.

 

 Kaija Vogel and her team have re-engineered the original playsuit, sourcing the softest, most hard-wearing leather from farms practicing repectful animal husbandry as well as treating the hide in the most environmentally-friendly way possible. The playsuits are modern yet timeless, sporting a signature Swiss zip, and have also given birth to tops and bottoms, all available in the brand new online shop.

 And that's not all. While Kaija clearly believes in and loves leather, she has been working on a range of brightly coloured linen, wool and denim clothing, so do keep your eyes peeled for that!

I love this brand, and wish Kaija and her team every success in their new venture.

I can't wait to see what they have up their sleeve next!

Thanks for the reminder Smudgetikka!

Inspiration: My Muse Comes and Goes

I spend a lot of time on etsy now, and love checking my feed every morning.

You know I'm a fan of vintage things, for little and big ones alike, so more than anything, I enjoy a good rummage on this huge digital marketplace. I always seem to find something original or interesting, and yesterday I came across a very sweet French shop called

My Muse Comes and Goes

Desi creates and sells a wonderful selection of prints, gift tags, postcards,  totes and even downloadable wrapping paper, all perfect for decorating a nursery or child's room.

I am smitten with her paper doll garlands in particular, and am delighted to have discovered her delicate, whimsical world of children's illustration.

 Desi is active on facebook, and has a lovely website.

Happy Browsing Mes Amis !

Mercredi Moodboard - Just Something About The Light

ça y'est - I'm wearing a long baggy jumper and skinny jeans today.

It's raining, softly, again.

Wet leaves underfoot, the smell of soaked soil and a carpet of pine needles outside.

Time for bonfires soon.

And have you noticed?

There's just something about the light...

all images taken from my tumblr

Plumes & Feathers

 (top left to bottom right)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 

Happy Wednesday!

What's New?

 

Hey, I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

It's been quiet around here again, don't you think? 

Well, I'm busy, busy, busy, I promise!

I know some of you will already know if you follow me on facebook and pinterest, but for those that don't, I am delighted to announce that I will be guest blogging on the newly founded international kids' design blog Petit & Small from time to time. 

You can catch my first post about wirework for children here.

Petit & Small and I have also created a new joint pinterest board focusing on teenagers. As a mum of an eighteen year old and a pre-teen, I'm always looking for interesting décor tips to inspire me at home, and I thought it would be a good idea to share some online. 

I do hope you'll follow us!

Elsewhere, I've been guest blogging over at Decopeques and of course, contributing bi-weekily to Handmade Charlotte.

Oh, and I just hit 145,000 followers on pinterest - thank you!

Busy as a bee, that's me!

Shop Watch: Désuet

Delightfully distressed and bien sûr, the styling is divine.

Eh Oui ... French newcomer Désuet opened its doors this week, and as you can see, promises to offer a very special selection of poetical, time-worn treasures for you and your family.

If you're looking for original vintage objects, furniture and one-off handmade items to decorate your interior (those of you in the know will recognise Désaccord's designs), this brand new online shop is definitely one to watch.
Old-fashioned finds for a creative, contemporary home, that's exactly the kind of style I love.

Bonne chance à toute l'équipe !

Mercredi Moodboard - Feels Like Fall

 

Suddenly,

 It's raining outside, the skies are dark and a storm is a-brewing.

It feels like fall

déjà ...

All images taken from my Tumblr -

Plumes & Feathers

(from top left to bottom right)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Enjoy!

 

Inspiration: State of Space

State of Space

The stuff my dreams are made of...

The kind of things I scour our local flea markets for almost every weekend.

The distressed, time-worn, utilitarian finds I love to fill our home with.

Visual poetry

Forget the price tags and enjoy!

Bon week end !

Shop Watch: Wooden Story

x

Wooden toys are timeless. They're natural, soft to touch and smell so good.
Mmm, that smell... my father was a carpenter. I love the smell of wood, the sound of a plane, the sight of fresh shavings falling to the floor.

Polish brand Wooden Story have been working with my favourite material for three generations in the beautiful Beskidy Mountains. They believe in the power of natural play and the importance of freedom to create.

Browse their online shop and you will discover an inspiring collection of building blocks, stacking games, teethers, prams, cars and crates for toy storage, all made from carefully-selected FSC-certified wood from their forests. Eco-friendly, completely free from harmful paints or varnishes, and polished with beeswax and botanical oils, these are the kind of toys I believe our children should be playing with, for years and years to come.

I think they deserve some attention, don't you?

Etsy Crush: KukloFerma

I have discovered some truly amazing soft toys and dolls over the past five years of blogging, and every time I come across a new maker I am always amazed by their ability to create something different with so much personality.

Ukranian etsy seller Oksana Shpilka has a beautiful little shop full of delicate and strangely endearing handmade soft toy designs, all styled so sweetly with great attention to detail.

 KukloFerma is a shop to bookmark, or pin, if you love ooak toys for play or display.

I think I would be tempted to frame some of those mini dolls if they were mine!

Inspiration: Colour For Kids

 Time for Five Faves, don't you think?

I'm feeling inspired by so much colour in the kids' design world right now, in total contrast to my personal taste for minimal, neutral home interiors.

A bit of brightness makes a refreshing change, and is hopefully still in keeping with my Kickcan & Conkers blog. I've been thinking a lot about my presence on the web lately, wondering whether I should create a new site for all my home/art/fashion/art finds and keep this one solely for kid-centric stuff.

What do you think? All suggestions welcome!

Thanks for the inspiration:

Love this pretty handmade headdress by Moi Mili - ShowRoom Kids is a nice address!

DIY Ombre Jenga -  this jumped off the screen and I just had  to share!

CozyKidz new soft dolls are colourful and cute - ahhh!

I do wish FLER was easier to buy from - Papik's wooden toys are still a fave

I bet kids would have fun playing with Fedor Toy's new Pillow Hill design!