In The Mood For Muku

 

 

  

Grey skies, grey days, grey, grey with a hint of blue.

I'm in the mood for big woolly jumpers, baggy trousers and loose linen garments to go for long walks in the French countryside. Then I'll light a fire and lounge about at home. Yes, that's what I'm going to do this weekend!

 MUKU's FW 14/15 will be perfect!

Collage:

(from top left to bottom right)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 /

Plumes & Feathers

Hey Mickey!

I've gotta admit that I'm not a huge fan of anything related to cartoons.

Sure I watched all the classics and read my comics when I was younger but I doubt I'll ever set foot in Disney Land ... 

That said, I am sure that this adorable Miss Mouse dress and matching shoes will be a big hit with little girls and their mums (those shoes come in adult sizes too!) the world over. Yep, Efvva's done it again!  Check out their brand new Let's Pop collection online, while I go off and dance to this golden oldie...

Enjoy!

Model: Paula, photographed by Pink Wings Studio.

High Five #88

Hi there!

It's a while since I've wanted to give a big High Five to someone on Kickcan & Conkers.

Yesterday I stumbled on the work of Czech furniture / toy maker Libor Motycka, and I fell in love with his simple, two-toned wooden vehicles. I can see these appealing to kids and their parents, as they're definitely good-looking enough for play & display.

Nuxo Studio - a name to remember, me thinks...

Toy Crush: Structure

Bonjour !

Less is more,

Yes, I know,

You've heard it all before

But...

Debesy has invented a new soft toy, a minimal design object, inspired by slow life in the Baltics, and I love it!

Structure is deliberately minimal, deliberately simple; it's a building block, an invitation to play, to construct, to make, to dream, to explore, to be anything you wish... of course, the only other thing you need is the magic of a child's imagination.

As you know, I've long been a fan of Debesy's work, and I can't wait for this new toy to appear in her etsy store (2-3 weeks' time, I think).

Such a beautiful, thoughtful gift for a toddler - J'adore !
 

Photographs: Raimonda Vyšnia

Inspiration: Following A Pattern

 

Bonjour !

My eyes have been drawn to  colours, patterns and textures this week.

There are so many beautiful new products and designs about right now.

Forever inspired by nature, by simplicity and minimalism, here are just a few of my favourites:

From top to bottom:

Wood and Wool Collaboration with a Knitting by Aurélie Richard

Claire Wellesley-Smith's Work for the Pick & Mix Exhibition in Bradford, West Yorkshire

 Lucky Clover Cup & Saucer from House of Rym

Home Ground by Claire Wellesley-Smith

Fern Plywood Placemats by Taftyliraw

Bon Dimanche !

Mercredi Moodboard: I'm Waiting

I'm waiting,

waiting patiently 

in the blue zone.

Oh baby, it's cold outside.

When will those clouds disappear?

Bonjour !

Some blue-but-cosy inspiration from my tumblr

Plumes and Feathers.

Are you following me there yet?

Go on, treat yourself to 5 mins browsing

visual poetry

I hope!

Image sources:

(from top left to bottom right)

1 / 2 / 3 

 4/

5 / 6

  

Home Sweet Home

 

  Bonjour !

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. We pottered a bit, went to the local market in Sommières and spent the better part of Sunday afternoon at our favourite beach, L'Espiguette. There's nothing like a going for a run on wet sand with the wind blowing in your face and waves crashing in the distance - I do love a bit of dramatic scenery!

Poor Miles has been ill though, so he's snuggled up in blankets on the sofa at home. It's rained all day here and the skies are grey and miserable. Blue Monday indeed! There's no place like home when you're feeling under the weather and need a cuddle from mum!

With this in mind, here's a small selection of tiny houses for tiny folk. Enjoy!

Thanks for the inspiration:

1) - Trigonos Tents and Toys

2) El Hada De Papel's Mobile House Boxes - Love!

3) Roof Accessories for El Hada De Papel's Mobile Houses (they're great!)

4) - Dollhouse Kit by This is Karton

5) - Bo Bookcase / Dollshouse by Jonas Lyndby Jensen

You'll Find Me In The Forest

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonjour et Bon Week-End!

I can't believe how quickly this week went. I am trying to spend more time with my children this year, as my almost 19-year old has virtually left the nest. It's a strange feeling when they learn to fly...  Although my youngest son is not quite 10, Savannah will be 13 this year, and is already acting like a teen. I am determined to make the most of our years at home together, hence the "slow" blogging. It's quality not quantity, right?

I write elsewhere, if you remember, and I was delighted to be able to share two inspiring addresses this week over at Handmade Charlotte. I love Inbal Carmi's children's costumes and "L'Illustre Boutique" is definitely a must-see shop in Paris.

If it's ever quiet on my blog it usually means that I'm busy in my shop, or pinning new finds on pinterest or etsy. I have spotted some really lovely wooden playthings and decorative items this week, so you will be hearing more about those soon. In the meantime, here's a small selection of favourites from around the web. I hope you'll see something to inspire you too!

Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks for the inspiration:

1) - Forest Poster by Lisanne van de Klift

2) - Mikkel Stool by Iselin Lindmark

3) - Super Fun Kids' Clothes by Kanelikauppa

4) - Garden Toy by Agne Vysniau Skaite & Emilija Rimkute

5) - Wooden Horse Mobile by Luluandira

6)- Small Etching by Claudine Metrick

7) - Mikkel Stool by Iselin Lindmark

8) - Shelter From The Rain by TetsuhiroWakabayashi

 

Turning Over A New Leaf

We've decided we have to read more at home this year. We all love books but after a long day at school followed by a substantial amount of homework in Savannah's case, it's often so easy to succumb to the TV, tablet, phone, etc, especially in Winter. I hate that. I'm quite old-fashioned sometimes. I always had my head in a book when I was younger, before I came online even, before blogging, tumbling, pinning...

So, today's Wednesday and my two youngest finish school at 12. We have a couple of new books to enjoy  and we will be spending a good part of the afternoon on the balcony ( in the sun !) reading. Then it'll be time for dance class.

What are you or your kids reading right now? I'd love to know.

Images: Nieves 9-Piece Wooden Puzzle. Silkscreened Birch - limited-edition of 100

Simply Projekt-I

 

 

 I have very simple tastes,

no fuss, no frills, no excess.

As the years go by, I'm happy to live with less,

It's liberating, 

free space, 

a free mind.

ahh - peace at last!

I love living with a minimal palette of whites, greys, blacks and wood - lots of it, and the older and more distressed the better.

 

  

Textiles are important for me too.

Nothing beats a vintage French linen sheet thrown over a sofa, apart from a hand-made, hand-dyed, hand-plaited bedhead perhaps?

I'm pretty certain that I would feel at home in this amazing space renovated by the talented Polish design team over at Projekt-I. I'm convinced we'd get on well, full stop, in fact. Do you remember my first  post on Taftyli a couple of years ago? I fell in love with the original textile creations of these two sisters when they were just setting up their etsy business. I adore their sense of colour and experiments with texture.

There's SO much more to Sylwia and Dorota though! I'd love to be able to share pictures of all their interior design projects but, hopefully after seeing these few images from a recent renovation you'll go off and explore their projekt-i blog or Facebook page on your own. The two Polish sisters run projekt-i with Sywia's husband Andrzej. They have a Polish shop called FreeDOM, as well as making and selling their fabulous wares on etsy.

What did I say back in 2013, one to watch? Make that three...