megan shops

stripes and tradition

2010-12-04T08:34:00.000Z

this year, i am starting the christmas tradition of the matching pyjamas on christmas morning. sure, our family will thing i am overly cheesy, sure we will get laughs, sure my children will moan and groan in about 4 years for having to wear them, and hubby...i am sure he'll have his say...but, you know what? i don't mind at all - that's because we start the tradition.
this year's pyjama pick is those by Swedish company, Hanna Anderson. Their green and white and red stripes are their most popular design. The "long johns" are made from 100% organically grown cotton ribbknit. They have sizes for Raina and Rocco and hubby and me!

i am sure we won't look as fab and Swedish, nor do we have a dog or a third child (yet).

say who? Nkuku

2010-12-03T21:46:00.000Z

Nkuku specialise in stylish, eco friendly and fair trade gifts. Handmade from natural materials, Nkuku products combine contemporary design and the traditional skills of artisans throughout India. As well as creating beautiful gifts our aim is to encourage local community initiatives and support and promote fair trade.
after shopping for all of my groceries at whole foods each week, i am met with the gifty type item displays nearest the tills. never fails...i always seem to drop a few things in my trolley from Nkuku. i never realised how much i bought until sitting down and writing this post.
i'll share with you my faves (it also is awesome that i receive a generous employee discount on these items, thanks to hubby).

love, love, love my Savannah Leather Shopper

this was just too unusual to pass up,

the wooden loop is HUGE yet stylish, Chwaka Cotton Bag

a gal can never have enough bangles.

i own both colours of the Preeti & Mohini bangles

and have given them

both as gifts.

giving in to my love of bird design of any kind and the awesome

pop of bright colours, i love these Eva Handpainted Metal Cups

most recently, for our christmas tree, i had to have these lovely

Dew Drop Glass Baubles

and these adorable Eva Handpainted Paper Mache Baubles

signs, signs, everywhere there's signs...

2010-11-26T21:31:00.000Z

in my ongoing effort to spruce up the children's new bright yellow playroom, i came across this lovely shop on etsy - Oh Dier!
they are a couple out of minnesota that make their own recycled wooden signs.
i decided to go with something simple - a hello.
i absolutely love it in their playroom.

here are a few others that i love!

i also love my other entrepreneurial friend, aimee

2010-11-21T07:56:00.001Z

aimee and i went to university together and met in a speech communication course we were taking. we hit it off and enjoyed the class together. as most things in college, people and things come and go, it's the nature of being surrounded by so many new experiences and people. we reconnected on facebook a year or so ago and it's been lovely watching her lovely family grow through FB and her family blog La Familia Luis and also watch her as she turns a pastime hobby into a legitimate business - sewing bespoke clothing, some personalised, all very colourful and made with love. from that, she has created The Sassy Closet.

aimee: best wishes as you continue to raise a loving family and also as follow your passion for sewing. thanks for inspiring me to keep creating the bits and bobs that i do create on my own, miles and miles away from you.

i love my entrepreneurial friend, kathleen

2010-11-20T10:55:00.001Z

my sweet friend, kathleen (we met while she lived in london) lives in hong kong now with her hubby, kyle and her adorable toddler son, hoyer. i have to give her so much credit to live so far away and in a place where english isn't the first language. like most things in her life, she has a positive attitude and loving smile and the creativity and energy to start up her own business. besides working on a new business, she keeps her family and friends updated on their hong kong adventures at their blog, The Benefields and also shares with us her experiences cooking and all things edible on her food blog, Roux in a Wok.
she's recently started a clothing company in hong kong. It is called Pea Pie Children’s Clothes.

the clothes are made in hong kong, but will be sold in the states. the clothing is traditional, up to date and modern for every day play, including hand-smocked items. the sizes range from newborn to five years. they will be heading to alabama, louisiana and mississippi soon with samples and trunk shows. kathleen has started a blog to document her journey on starting the clothing line...

kathleen: best of luck dear friend! i can't wait to see the new line. much love! miss you so much.

advent calendars

2010-11-18T16:34:00.000Z

i've been on the mad search for the perfect advent calendar for our home. i haven't found the one yet, but i love looking and finding all the different ones out there. check these out:

Fortnum & Mason for £95. Behind each numbered door is a Fortnum's treat,

such as sugar mice, chocolate coins, jelly beans, truffles and Fortnum's chocolates.

The White Company's Fabric Advent Calendar for £45.

Countdown the days until Christmas by filling each one of these

pockets with a chocolate decoration, a packet of sweets or a little toy.

Beautiful hand-crafted appliqué detail.

John Lewis' Advent Calendar Tree is for £40. What a colourful display!

And...John Lewis also has another cool House Advent Calendar for £40.

Graham & Green has their own patchwork fabric Advent Calendar for £65.

Harrods sells their namesake Harrods Advent Stocking for £19.95.

finally, i do love the simplicity of this take on an Advent Calendar.

This bucket advent calendar by East of India, available at John Lewis for £25.

I am sure I could make

a cute one myself, but for the price...

it may be worth scooping up now!

Where'd you get your advent calendar?

winter time

2010-10-25T20:44:00.000+01:00

for many years i've had love for kate spade. her winter collection of adorable hats and mittens has me smitten!

i also am in search of a lovely diary to get me through 2011 and i think i found the one i love! how adorable is this spiral 2011 notebook?

and i can't wait to check out her first pop up shop here in london, be sure to check it out, but do so before it goes away in early november.

(lovely) ness

2010-10-25T00:03:00.001+01:00

ever since a recent trip to edinburgh (my first trip ever there)...i can't stop thinking about an adorable shop i stumbled upon, ness. From their website,

Founded in Edinburgh in 1996, Ness takes inspiration from the contemporary feel and flavour of its birthplace while genially thumbing its nose at tradition.

‘Ness is all about bringing tartan and pieces like kilts into the moment and showing they can be edgy, sexy and now.
i couldn't help but pick up these lovely items...
the Katya swing cardi, with it's chunky knit, oversized cable detailing in a soft and warm angora blend wool it's perfect for keeping out the winter chill.

to go over a super cute, soft cotton cropped sleeved, Amelia tee.

i would like these things too...this and this and this...

a fave

2010-10-24T23:51:00.000+01:00

this is a go-to place for children's gifts, a sweet new dress for raina, smart trousers for rocco, or great shoes, or a quick haircut, a lolly, a fun book....all in one stop shop, Trotters.

i love this long sleeved, Mabelle dress. It's fully lined 'funky' 100% cotton Liberty Art Print dress. Yoke collar with back button fastening and beautiful bow detail.

hello, yellow

2010-10-22T09:28:00.001+01:00

the air is getting colder with each passing day, while i am not looking forward to darkness that winter brings to london, i am loving the cheeriness that wearing yellow brings.
here are some fun things i've found to buy:
from london's luxury childrenswear brand Caramel Baby & Child. this chunky knit Venlaw hat is a sure bet. i also love this and this

i picked up this great a-line wool and cotton cardi for raina last week from Petite Bateau.

thinking i may pop back into the store and pick up these lovely 14 wale courdoroy trousers too.

and i even picked up a little some yellow for rocco as well.
subtly stated yellow in this striped jumper from Monsoon.

and of course, a cute little something for myself at anthropologie.

Totsy

2010-10-18T20:54:00.000+01:00

Totsy, it is a shopping site that offers top-brand products for moms & kids (ages 0-7) at up to 70% off retail prices. You'll find whopping deals on clothing, toys, baby gear, baby bedding, and more. Each sale lasts just 48 to 72 hours so you have to act fast. Membership is by invitation only; if you want to join, leave your email address as a comment.

And something else nice (besides saving a lot of money)- with every purchase made through Totsy, they'll plant one tree in your child's name to help reduce effects of deforestation. So you'll be doing some good while you shop.

poppy

2010-10-11T10:45:00.000+01:00

i've fallen in love with these handmade, oversized poppies from EmersonMade. EmersonMade started as a one woman operation in NYC where Emerson would sell her flowers, sometimes right off her lapel to flower girls and fellas on the street and just like that, another flower would go trotting off into the world!

This Poppy is 5", 7", or 9" in diameter. Made from 100% linen and 100% wool felt back, she attaches to your clothing or sash with a brooch back pin. Each Flower is packaged in a beautiful gold jewel box that makes the perfect gift for someone. Or for you! 100% hand-cut-stitched-built by EmersonMade. Check out the details here. Be sure to take a browse through all her offerings. I'd love them all, thanks.

mulberry at target!

2010-10-10T18:03:00.000+01:00

first it was liberty of london creating a line for the american big box shop, target and now...another iconic british brand follows in its footsteps.

as a proud owner of a Mulberry bag, i am not too sure how i feel about a cheaper version being sold in the likes of target.

none the less, do check out the collection here.

hand cut map of london

2010-09-08T09:42:00.000+01:00

i recently placed an order for a map of london. knowing one day we'll be moving back to the states (though i hope it's not for some time to come), i want to start my collection of london/british items to remind us of our life spent and share in london.
i couldn't resist these mat cut maps. they are available in red or grey. i purchased both! it's always good to keep a good present stashed for my next london friend who moves back home.

famille summer belle has loads more intricately designed items available on their website, do have a look!

no buying involved...

2010-08-03T08:37:00.000+01:00

but a super cute blog that i wanted to share with you, Mila's Daydreams.
obviously a creative mum that's on maternity leave and wanted to use her baby as her muse.
i love it!

i want these for myself

2010-08-02T09:34:00.000+01:00

i've been doing some early shopping for Autumn. it's hard to believe that it's right around the corner. what happened to Summer? this year wasn't as fab as last year here in london. we will soak up the sunshine and heat when we go on holiday to turkey in a few weeks.
in the meantime...i found these super cute trousers for raina that i loved. so much, that i want some for myself. who can resist the words: stretch, skinny and velvet all in one description?

The White Company is a great place for soft finds - crisp linens, nightwear, great new baby gifts!
The White Company specialises in supplying a wide range of stylish home accessories and clothing, principally in white.The company that began life as a 12 page mail-order brochure and celebrated its 10th year in 2004.

Not on the High Street

2010-07-31T08:16:00.000+01:00

as you know and i have proclaimed before, i love Etsy. supporting talented artists from around the world. love, love, love!
last year i came upon Not on the High Street. a UK based website. it has a similar feel to Etsy, showcasing tons of handmade unique gifts, fashion, jewellery and home/garden items.

for those american readers who aren't sure what a High Street is or means, take a read here...(i wasn't sure myself when i moved to london.

super fly!

2010-07-30T08:08:00.000+01:00

i just love hearing those success stories of mums starting something small at home for their children and the idea exploding and goes bonkers with success. that'd be a good description of my friend, holly's business, Superfly Kidz
Superfly Kidz was a business born out of necessity. Holly's son wanted a superhero party for his fourth birthday. She couldn't find anything that wasn't themed for a specific well-known superhero. She decided to make capes for all of the kids as favors at the party instead of buying little trinkets and candy that wouldn't last. One of the moms at the party suggested that she should make capes as a side business - as you would know...out of her great success it's no longer just a "side business"!

she was nice enough to ship Raina and Rocco their own shiny capes. Raina loves her and oftentimes would ride her scooter to school wearing the purple cape.

what a great gift for an imaginative child or better yet...a superhero party...and capes as favors- brilliant!

everyone's doing it...see.

silly bandz

2010-07-29T08:04:00.000+01:00

a fad. the "in" thing. remember those as children? the cool thing you just had to have or else you would go down in history as the laughing stock of the school.

a few months ago, the children and i went back to visit our family in the states. i couldn't help but notice that almost every kid i saw were wearing these rubber like bracelets - some had a few, others had them half way up their arms. what exactly were these things? and what's the story behind them?
Silly Bandz: are a brand of silicone rubber bands formed into shapes including animals, objects, and letters. They are normally worn as bracelets.

apparently, many stores sold out of these and they became an even hotter commodity for all the "cool" kids. because you know..."if you really love me mom and day, you will buy me these bracelets!"

best splurge

2010-07-29T00:12:00.000+01:00

if i ever find that i have extra money (ok, ok...i never have "extra" money just laying around), i always choose to spend it on spa treatments or new bed linen.
we still have our US King sized bed here in london...so, i haven't been able to buy new sheets in quite some time (without having them shipped from the states).
i often times find super adorable baby gifts in Cologne & Cotton and last week, i was sucked in all their lovely bed linen. i bought a set for the guest bed in rocco's room and a set for the twin blow-up bed. neither of which i will enjoy personally...so, i am hitting C & C tomorrow to pick up a set for our bed. the francophile sales lady told me that their SuperKing sizing will fit the US King. i can't wait!
now...what to choose?

grey dogtooth

simple and chic, Versailles

they are also having a nice sale in store and online...so, i may get 2 new sheet sets!

alphabeat

2010-07-27T18:32:00.000+01:00

this would make a great new baby gift! rather than clothes or a baby blanket...a true keepsake.
i love personalised gifts!

rather than having the signature "with love" i'd opt for their birthdate! cute!
to order your own personalised alphabet wall art - check it out by Modo Creative - available here!

(sorry my 3 month hiatus, i am back now)

poster

2010-04-05T20:33:00.000+01:00

i've recently redone the entry way hallway photos in our house. it's great having so many lovely photos of the children, but it was too much for my entryway.

i opted to add a brightly coloured poster - La La Love You (featuring a lyric from the Pixies) from the etsy shop Sparkle Power.

during my search of posters, i came across these that i would like to buy soon:

when was the last time you thanked your heart for beating

i love these brilliant posters by Ork.

they have a great selection of fabulous cities (US only).

it's great, i could own so many of these!

would love this in my dining room!

Feed Your Soul is a free art project that was launched in February 2009 by Jen Wallace of Indie Fixx to help art lovers feed their souls with art in these difficult economic times and to help artists promote their work.
Each month artists are invited to participate and to contribute a print which is totally free and available for download. New prints are added on Mondays as they become available.
here are a few available:

liberty for target

2010-02-17T17:19:00.000Z

how awesome is this? 14 march, liberty of london is launching special items for target. how lovely! i may have to send in my mum to pick me up a few things. don't miss out, all my US friends. don't. really. watch the video and get inspired. yeah for bright colours and brilliant patterns.

big cook, little cook

2010-02-06T10:04:00.000Z

welcome to our cafe. (it's the name of a cbeebies kiddie show here in the UK).

raina has become insistent on helping me prepare and cut food for lunch and dinner, or when i make cookies in the kitchen. it's really fun but she can make things seriously messy, including herself.
we recently received a cute apron for raina from korbel and adam..she wasn't happy to pose, as you can tell. i forgot to ask korbel where she purchased the adorable apron. maybe she's reading and can tell us.

i found a super cute apron, personalised when we were visiting italy. i love it and instead of her wearing it, it hangs in her bedrrom window. not too sure the company who made it is online. we found it as we were touring lago maggiore.

i found some more lovely aprons for the little cook in your life.

anthropologie. love that fabulous store. their sewing basket kid's apron is yummy.

the etsy shop, Key 2 Life has such cute handmade selections to choose from like this All About Hearts Pink Apron and Matching Chef's Hat.

she also has apron sets for boys too like this fun dinosaur print.

and over at the colourful Cath Kidston shop, you can find this oil cloth super cool Vintage Cars Apron.

and for safety reasons, i really would like to get kid's step stool for our kitchen. not the prettiest piece of furniture but safe!

and one last recommendation...if you know a family that loves to cook, get them this fantastic book for them. The Silver Spoon for Children: Favourite Italian Recipes.

hungry eyes

2010-01-05T12:46:00.000Z

lunch and dinner time are becoming more and more difficult. trying to keep my two year old's attention away from peppa pig is a difficult one. i decided to order her own personalised placemat, in an effort to make meal time fun. i ordered both kiddos their own placemats. these measure in at 11 x 17 and they offer several different designs. Frecklebox specialises in personalised gifts for kids. here's what i ordered for r + r:

i have to keep in mind these adorable books that are available to order. what kid doesn't love to see their name in writing? and a book, just for them!! love it.

i am also tempted to order these super popular personalised plates from Em Tanner Designs...

they are quite a spend if you have more than one child at $24USD each.

what a hoot!

2010-01-04T14:37:00.000Z

with both of my kiddos, i associate an animal with them and thusly, decorate their rooms and accesorize them with said animals. for raina, i was all about birds...anything birds. i loved birds. for rocco, it's owls. we now love owls. well, i guess an owl is a bird, right? so, it all goes back to winged animals.
for christmas, rocco's auntie chick gifted him this playful, adorable Owl Storage Bin, which can be used as a bin for his toys or his dirty laundry. it's 100% organic (canvas and felt) and collapsible (which made it easy to bring back on the plane from our visit to the states). you can't tell from the photo but the wings are fully attached and flap, making it fun for play!

i checked out the company, 3 Sprouts who created these bins and they have other adorable bins, hooded towels and colourful placemats. what great gifts they'll make!

lovely smocking

2009-12-31T18:25:00.000Z

i am a member of an online group of mums and we share stories, ask questions and many times, i find great new shopping sites from the girls. i would have never found this one, if it hadn't been for mollie.
Remember Nguyen is an online shop that features high quality children's clothing - they specialise in smocked dresses, monogrammed shirts and two piece sets.
They have a great story behind the company - basically, a group of folks in a quaint but poor town in Vietnam were awarded scholarships to learn needle arts. they now design, produce and distribute children's clothing that is adorable! the monies earned are contributed to the individual and to the village.
while i am not a fan of matchy matchy outfits for my children, i can't wait to see them in these lovely smocked Sally and Sam giraffe outfits this summer.

be sure to sign up on their e-mail list. they have great sales!

baptism gifts

2009-12-20T08:44:00.000Z

little rocco was recently baptized into the catholic church. it was a super small ceremony. my mum, hubby, raina and myself, along with the priest were all that were in attendance for rocco's big day.
having had raina a super huge baptism and party afterwards, we opted for a low-key service.
with baptisms come the lovely, thoughtful gifts from friends and family.
here are a few we've received...
for raina, she received this beautiful Elsa Peretti Cross Necklace from Tiffany's, gifted by her Godmother, Kristina. what 8 month old doesn't love receiving that little blue box?!

little rocco's Godmother, Amber gifted him this lovely Nambe Sleeping Moon Photo Frame

such great keepsakes. a few personalized gift ideas that i love and may just have to snatch up myself:

This whimsical baptism keepsake plaque by

an Etsy favorite of mine, Mud Hutt.

Would also work well for remembering a First Communion too.

An adorable Baptism Pearl Bracelet for Girls made by another talented Etsy shop - KVossDesigns.

A heartfelt personalized bible from Baptism and Christening Keepsakes Online

boot, scoot, boogie

2009-12-19T11:40:00.000Z

apologies for the lapse. i've been on hols in the states. enjoying our first trip back since we moved to london in march.

we do love living in london. raina especially loves her Micro Mini Kick Scooter.
i think just about every kid i see in london has one of these mini scooters. even little bitty kiddos are on them (the under 2s must have older siblings they learned from).
for raina's 2nd birthday we gifted her with her own scooter. it has a cool "lean and steer" design and helps her with her balance. note to self: i need to some how brand her name on the scooter so it doesn't get swapped at nursery school or at the park.

oh, and i am still trying to figure out what the rubber bands on the scooters mean here in london. anyone know?
we purchased raina's from John Lewis (they only had pink and blue available) but the link above is to a US website that offers the kick in pink, blue, orange and purple! oh, i'd so love for her to have the purple one.

~and i recently read about another cool item to have after the scooter becomes too small for your kiddo - the Ridgeback Scoot! check it out here.

US to UK and UK to US

2009-11-17T16:38:00.000Z

give me any reason to send real mail, cards, gifts to people and i love to do so. when we moved to london, i didn't want to immediately send out change of address cards because we were in a temporary flat. we moved into our new home a week after rocco was born, so i decided to include an enclosure card in his birth annoucement, telling folks our new address. after looking at numerous websites to have something cute and british printed, i gave up and called my good friend, anna. she's a brilliant artist and designer who i've worked with off and on for over 8 years! she also just welcomed her new son, adam to her family. i told her what i had envisioned and wham bam, she, once again, served it up for me. check out her art and skill at her website here.

putting a spin on the infamous "Underground" sign, signaling a tube/subway in London, she mixed it up with different type to create the header for our information.

here's the final card...

(i put a black background on each of the cards to better display them, neither had a black background in reality)

my fellow ex-pat friend, kathleen and her hubby and adorable son, hoyer just moved back to the states from london and she wanted to hand out a similar address change card, something that incorporated both US and UK elements. she created her own using the website Zazzle. they were small in size, (think long stick of wrigley's chewing gum), double sided and super cute!

front

back

now that you have our mailing info, you can send us your own handwritten notes, charms and love!

dressing gowns

2009-11-16T08:13:00.000Z

one of my favorite things is drying off from a nice, hot shower and slinking into a dressing gown (that's UK speak for a robe). thing is, as i think back, i tend to wear the same dressing gown for many years at a time. i can think back to a red one my friend brad bought me when i went to college, then a nice fluffy purple one that hubby bought me one valentine's day. i retired that one when we moved to london. at one of my favorite store's in london - Cath Kidston, i fell in love with a super sweet, super fluffy one that i had to have. and i'd planned to debut it during my hospital stay when i was there with rocco. (what was i thinking? i was burning up the whole time and never got to wear it).
now, i have turned my comforting love for robes to raina.

she asks for it as she finishes her bath. as i slip her into the comfy robe, something happens. she transforms...she dances and acts prissy. so girly. what is it about this robe?

we gifted the same robe to raina's friend, isabella for her 3rd birthday. apparently, she had the same reaction when she dons the robe. she's adorable and we miss her, her mama, her sister and her dad tons.

sadly, Cath Kidston no longer makes that print in their kid's dressing gowns...but they sure have some other cute ones to give and gift.

no painting needed

2009-11-15T22:48:00.000Z

who doesn't love to update their homes and kids' rooms with each season or in my case, each mood swing? i get easily inspired when looking through all the super cool design blogs and wish i could paint raina's room, pull up the carpet and white wash the wooden floors. since we are letting our house while living in london, these things aren't possible. so, we have to get creative...i decided to try and give raina's new room a design theme/element and i chose the adorable matryoshka dolls. you know, those super cute Russian nesting dolls?

i didn't want to go overboard, so i chose only a few iems with the doll theme. started with these cute plate i found in a shop in chelsea (sorry i can't remember the name of it).

then i found these cute handmade mini-dolls on the etsy shop - Hand Made with Joy.

then i received a call from my friend, kathleen, who was shopping on the high street and let me know that a local store that was going out of business had these adorable adhesive stickers/wall decals. You can find them here

here they are in action in raina's room...(and raina in her big girl panties)

i also found these handmade beauties also on etsy from Love Mae Store, a bit more expensive, but made from fabric and super adorable. it's times finding things like this that i say to myself "i could so easily make that!" alas, i don't have a sewing machine though. i would love these lovely twitter birds.

bla bla kids

2009-10-29T10:55:00.000Z

as i was thinking about the adorable sock monkey of yesteryear, i almost forgot to make mention of another more updated, funky and fresh version of the old sock monkey.
when raina was born we were gifted this little fella...

almost immediately, raina became very attached to this thing. it had to sleep with her and go on the airplane for her many flights in her early little life. we weren't too sure what to call him, so i just called him "bla bla" which i took from the company who makes these adorable creatures - bla bla kids.
they have so many wonderful designs - both for girls and boys! we were gifted a larger one and then had to buy the small one - so we'd have a backup.
here she is with her lovely bla bla in a number of places. she still loves him, though she did offer the smaller one to rocco.

monkey see, monkey do

2009-10-26T15:48:00.000Z

who doesn't love the adorable sock monkey from the 1940s?

our friend, jenn had given raina super cute sock monkey slippers when she was little and i recently happened upon them once again and just had to put them on rocco.

they are adorable and are sure to get smiles! raina wanted to play with them while they caught the eye of rocco...he just stared and stared at his feet.

i am not too certain where jenn found them, but after a quick web search, i found them at Uncommon Goods and it looks like Target has some too and even better...not only for kiddos but in adult sizes! gasp for the cuteness.

we say giraffe, they say girafe

2009-10-21T11:12:00.000+01:00

(there's no difference. my feeble attempt at humour)

okay people, moving right along. this is a MUST HAVE for any teething baby. rocco is 3 months old now and he had to join the group of babies of london that owns and teethes on a Sophie la Girafe. it's cute. raina loves playing with it at the moment.

who is sophie, you ask?

Born in France in 1961, Sophie quickly became a “must have” in baby’s essentials. Designed to stimulate the senses and soothe teething gums, mothers recognise right away the benefits of this little giraffe for their child.

Sophie the Giraffe has been a favourite teething toy in France for more than 40 years. Since her creation in 1961, Sophie the Giraffe has wowed over 20 million babies (and parents!) with her natural beauty and charm. These days in France 9 out of 10 newborn babies are given their own Sophie La Girafe.

Most importantly her flexible, renewable, natural rubber materials and non-toxic paint mean Sophie the Giraffe is a safe and all-natural teething toy for your little one. Parents world-wide trust the joy this classic toy brings to their babies.

and master rocco and his sophie...

perched birds

2009-10-18T16:13:00.000+01:00

i just can't seem to get enough of personalized stationery. tiny*prints not only makes it easy but provides instant gratification, allowing you to personalize a chosen design right online. i've ordered many, many times from them and have always been super giddy about their high quality and speedy service.
when i was decorating for raina's nursery back in nyc, i chose a theme of bright colours and birds. i can't seem to shake the goodness of adorable birds.
with our newest addition of rocco to our flock, i ordered the design - perched birds to serve as thank you cards. they are so adorable!

don't panic, it's organic

2009-10-16T15:50:00.000+01:00

who doesn't love opening cutely packaged items that arrive from the postman? today, we received a package from maryland...our friends in annapolis, the one's who just had twin girls (they also have a 2 year old and 1 year old - bless them) sent rocco this super cute three piece set that includes a cardigan top, leggings and matching hat.

they are made from a company called happygreebee. they clothes are produced with earth-friendly, low impact Swedish dyes on minimally processed organic fibers. super soft and in super silly colors.
can't wait for rocco to wear it when he turns 6 months old!
***sizes run small...rocco just turned 3 months and it fits! see:

do you hear what i hear?

2009-10-12T13:21:00.000+01:00

in anticipation of our first return trip back to the states for the holidays (anticipation = anxious about flying with 2 year old and 4 month old). so, what's a mom to do? give in to allowing her to watch her favorite Peppa Pig episodes on the portable dvd player. in an effort to spare the rest of the cabin from listening to pinks oinking for 8 hours...raina can use headphones,
sure! the airlines offer those tiny earbuds, but those aren't quite that kid friendly nor would they fit her small ears. so...one solution offers another problem, until now!
i happened upon these adorable, full coverage headphones made especially for kids. at a great price, too! ($12.99)

i ordered them online from School Outfitters and shipped them to my friend in the states and she brought them along with her on her recent visit to London.
i've let raina practice wearing them, allowing her to listen to her favorite song on my iPod - Beyonce's "Single Ladies." she loves the cute panda headphones and dances around. now, i am almost ready for our flight in december.

snazzy new blog layout at astheworldturnas...

2009-10-11T04:23:00.000+01:00

i've been meaning to let you all know who helped me with the redesign of my other blog - astheworldturnas. well, it was no other than Megan at Knuckleheaders. she was super easy to work with and was happy to make the edits that i had. thing is, she's so good that she isn't taking on new clients at the current time, but stayed tuned, i am sure she'll be back before too soon!

wooden puzzles

2009-09-28T16:37:00.000+01:00

r + r's grandmother gifted these super cute hand crafted wooden name puzzles to them.
raina loves puzzles and keeps asking me to play with this particular one...is it bad that i refuse to open it from the plastic wrapping, in order to ensure i keep all its pieces in their correct place?
it's a great decor piece for each of their rooms. (click on pics to see them larger)

a close up!

handcrafted by The Toy Tree out of Birch Run, Michigan. thing is...they don't have an online site for ease in ordering. so, if you want your very own, you'll have to ring them up and place your order! their number is: 989.624.6162.

rocco's birth announcement

2009-09-24T10:19:00.000+01:00

i've used tinyprints for a few things now and i must admit, i love them! they make it so easy and have many designs to choose from. i used them for raina's announcement and really searched a lot for a british based company to print rocco's, but i kept coming up empty so i went back to tinyprints.
of course, most of the kudos belong to my friend, julie - who's perfect photo made the announcement adorable. she has her own photo business and you should check out her website and book her if you live in london.

what i also love about tinyprints is that i've never had to pay full price. i do a little online search for "tiny prints promo codes" and can always find a 10% off code or free shipping, etc.
i actually just placed another order for some family stationery. can't wait for it to arrive!

twins-a-wonderful life!

2009-09-18T10:12:00.000+01:00

we have a good friend who is pregnant with twins! they also have a 2 year old son and 1 year old daughter at home too! my oh my - they'll be busy parents.

i've been searching for cute gifts for them and i happened upon these super sweet onesies in the etsy shop - handmadejig. like their first two kids, they didn't find out the sex and aren't for the twins. all they do know is they are identical.

she also has some super cute "My Kinda Town" shirts that i may have to splurge on for my kiddos.

one pink bunny

2009-09-17T02:09:00.000+01:00

now that we have moved into our new home and raina has her own "big girl" bed and room, i've been searching for a nightlight that would also be a fun decoration. i was originally inspired by this super cute nursery...(click on photo for the blog with more pics of this crisp, clean nursery)

how does that photo relate to a pink bunny? well, you see...i fell in LOVE with that yellow wiener dog lamp. after searching high and low, i did find it...only problem was that it was only available in the states, thus had a standard US plug. rather than deal with the dangers of long time adapter usage, i began my search for something similar. here's what i found at the online shop called Little Baby Company...they have so many modern, unique and colourful items.

one pink bunny

personalized stamps

2009-09-15T22:16:00.000+01:00

i really like personalized things and with my kiddos names - Raina and Rocco, they aren't the "traditional" names for mass printings of toys, etc. i wanted to make some quick personalized cards for each of them to use at thank you cards. problem was - i needed them sooner than the 4 week turnaround a printer in the states could get pre-printed ones to me. i happened upon Imprintables - they specialize in party invitations. the perfect party starts with the perfect invitation. Imprintables has a stylish, simple and fun selection of design choices; and best of all your event details will be personalized on the invitation.

here are the ones i had printed:

close up of rocco's stamp

they have 10 super cute designs to choose from - check them out here! they also arrive with your choice of ink.
p.s. they are based in australia, so may take a wee bit longer to reach you.

adorable personalized plant markers

2009-09-14T10:05:00.000+01:00

mothers and mother-in-laws seem to be difficult to shop for. i mean, how much jewelry, perfume or framed photos can you give them? especially those mums that you have blessed them with grandchildren. well...i happened up this etsy seller - Mud Hutt Studio. she specializes in whimsical clay dishes and keepsakes. after taking a look see through all of her fabulous pieces, i happened up a personalized plant marker and the idea popped in my head to have 1 made for each of the grandchildren. we started with 2 markers - Nico and Andrew and in the past few years have added 3 more - Raina, Matthew and Rocco. All you do is provide her with the name and what cute little adornment you'd like on the piece. Voila!

Check her out - Mud Hutt Studio!

alphabet art

2009-09-13T16:10:00.000+01:00

when raina was born, i decorated her nursery with fabric letters (that i bought from anthropologie) that spelled her name. they looked like this, of course spelling RAINA.i wanted to do something similar for rocco's room - but with a little twist. alphabet art seems to be all the rage these days and i was in search of something special. i also realized that i'd have to spell out a word that wasn't rocco's name - since 2 of the letters would be repeated. i happened upon Paul Thurlby's website and WHAM! i knew i had to have some of his alphabet. each one is hand printed and signed. he printed 200 of each letter. i snagged up 3 of the letters. and bonus: he was running a buy 2 get the 3rd for free. how could i resist?