All For The Small

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

#18 Dreaming with Pretty Dreamer

I'm having such a day of super finds today!

My wish list is getting completely out of control.

Lottery anyone?

Thankfully, Pretty Dreamer is exceptionally kind to the bank balance as well as being exceptionally easy on the eye!

We should start whispering now so that my credit card doesn't hear me coming...

via pretty dreamer

Sweet little unsuspecting toaster you are mine!

And the boat & serpent...

And the woodcutters axe...

How clever is that stacker of teething rings? Versatile much.

And the birds are teethers too but it's no stretch of the imagination to see that they would be played with long past babyhood.

Dear Pretty Dreamer, how I love thee!

C x

#17 Apple Accessories

I don't know a child who wouldn't love one of these in their lunch box.

How cute are they?!

I would have loved one. Wait, what do I mean would have? hehe

Perhaps I could get a little cosy for every apple in my fruit bowl? Wouldn't want my mandarins to feel left out though... hehe!

via deuce goods

The 1st & 3rd are my favourites.

That little button crossover detail is just adorable.

What makes these even sweeter? The price is nice!

I'll be getting one for sure. I mean, um, Master C will be...

#16 Cards Cards Cards!

I am a card hoarder.

I have a rather strong dislike for bad/cheesy cards but boy do I love a good'n!

If I see a nice card, even if there is no card-able occasion on the near horizon, I have to get it.

You know, just in case?

Actually this does often lead to me forgetting that I do have, for example, 3 cards already put aside for great aunt Esmeralda's birthday... But can you ever really have too many cards? Nah.

If the situation becomes desperate & you find yourself drowning in beautiful paperworks, well what better excuse to tell someone you love how much they mean to you? For no reason other than that you should do it more often.

By the way, I don't really have a great aunt Esmerelda. Wishing I did?

I'm especially fond of stencil cut cards at the moment.

At the Victoria Markets in Melbourne there is a stand that sells absolutely stunning stencil cut/pop up cards & when we lived there they were a firm favourite of mine.

It can be hard to find a nice card, & most of the time you can count newsagencys out. Although I will concede there can be the odd exception.

I feel it's very important to scope out a reliable beautiful card seller, when we move house I find the local supermarket & my nearest supplier of card loveliness. Can't be getting caught out!

Here's a couple of cute cards that I found on Etsy at Lama Works...

via lama works/etsy

I like the frog the most, because I love frogs!

I thought these 3 would be especially great cards for kids but there are cards of all kinds in the Lama Works shop.

These cards are ridiculously cheap at $2.50(us) & as a percentage of each sale is donated to the American Cancer Society Charity you can feel even better about buying them in bulk to hoard for that special occasion that is undoubtedly just around the corner... right? ;)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

#15 Tealightful Indeed!

Who doesn't love tea parties?

I certainly do.

I love everything about tea parties, what fanciful fun!

via- mad hatter’s tea party by arthur rackham

At the moment I am SUPER excited to be organising not 1, but 2 baby showers! Yahoo!!!

I have no idea what on earth I could have possibly done to deserve such luck?!

I am so ridiculously thankful to have been bestowed the absolute honour of planning these joyful occasions, & I am doing a ridiculous amount of research to find all of the most gorgeous ideas that I possibly can!

In my web travels to find baby shower gold I stumbled across this sensational little gem of a business...

via - tealightful tea parties

Yes that's right, a mobile high tea service that yes, DOES do baby showers!

Genius.

Uh, excuse me for a moment but how cute is that name!

Too cute.

Tealightful is based in Sydney & Kathryn Gulli the owner/creator & is just lovely.

I think in some ways it's probably for the best that I don't live in Sydney, high tea every weekend sounds mighty nice to me...

Saturday, June 26, 2010

#14 Shel Silverstein

'Where the Sidewalk Ends' has always, & will always, be one of my most favourite books in the whole world.

The 2 books that my mother owned ' Where the Sidewalk Ends' & ' Falling Up'

had a photo in the cover of each that I'll admit, I did stare at a lot!

In my infinite less than 10 year old wisdom, I thought he had the loveliest, most kind eyes I had ever seen.

He was also on my 'if you could invite 3 people to dinner who would they be' list.

Unfortunately he passed away in 1999. I was absolutely devastated.

I had no idea how, but I had felt so sure I would meet him one day...

It's quite impossible to choose a favourite of his poems, but if I had to it would probably be this one, which I would LOVE to have on Master C's wall...

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child.

Listen to the don'ts.

Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts.

Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me...

Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

Sunday, June 20, 2010

#13 But Your's Makes Me The Maddest - & That's When I Feel The Gladdest...

This post is especially dedicated, along with a gigantic hug, to the lovely Miss Susan. R who is apparently having an Oscar kind of day...

This Video captures the moment I fell in LOVE.

Now 22 odd years later I still love it (& my James) just as much & it's a firm favourite of Master C's... Gosh my boy has good taste ;)

He likes to play the air guitar... & air piano... & air bass... & air whistle... & air drums... & to DANCE around like a crazy thing.

Lucky I don't have a problem with listening to it on a loop all day!

Did you have a favourite song as a child that you remember?

#12 Natural Beauty

About a year ago I was shopping with a friend of mine who was pregnant & we came across this beautiful monkey rattle. My son had already far outgrown rattles & therefore I admit that I perhaps helped to twist her rubber arm into buying it for her little bundle so that I could live vicariously through her...

Not that it stopped me from wondering whether it would be too weird to buy it just in case... you know, future babies?

The head wobbles from side to side & makes a little click clacking sound - unusual & very sweet.

The raw beauty of it took my breath away. No stain, no paints, no varnishes -the different coloured woods are simply different varieties of trees in their unaltered colours.

Just Pure.Natural.Beauty.

It even smells nice!

But I think my favourite thing of all about this little rattle, is that feel of it.

The smoothness, the 'warmth' of it... Words just can't describe.

Even now when I visit my friend (No I didn't buy myself one in the end... um, sad face?) I feel absolutely drawn to it. I turn it over and over in my hands & now & then, I give it a little shake...

I think this is one rattle you could never get too old for?!

Fast forward to a couple of months ago & in a local toy store I come across these little people...

The same natural beauty & blissfully, the same heavenly feel...

Quick find the packaging! Find a name! Who is creating these exquisitely sensory toy experiences???

The answer : SOOPSORI.

My new love.

How adorable are these little guys?

Unlike the usual 'cutting cake' this little treat uses not velcro but cleverly concealed magnets. Nifty.

I want to hear this music in my house, don't you?

LOVING this little Dr's set! And since my Master C is apparently a Chef in the making...

This little Robot has elastic cords in his limbs allowing him to be positioned in many ways, & this ridiculously cute fishing set has a winding action reel as well as again having the concealed magnets.

I want them all...

These toys, in my humble opinion, are genuine family heirlooms in the making.

Sublime.

As if the deal needed any more sweetening, they are made from combinations of 20 different timbers, handcrafted at the last stage to take away any sharp edges & given a finishing touch of flaxseed oil. Nothing more.

Both the packaging - & in fact the toys themselves - are 100% recyclable.

AND a percentage of profit goes toward planting trees in third world countries.

What's not to love really?

Friday, June 18, 2010

#11 The Red Tree

I love picture books. I mean LOVE.

I was collecting my favourites long before Master C came along!

The Red Tree - Written & Illustrated by Shaun Tan, is in short, breathtaking.

A little dark, but I believe that can certainly be a very good thing for children to be allowed to access - most particularly with a resolution such as this...

Available online via Borders.

I highly recommend you read this, even if it's just to yourself.

Admittedly, my copy is up high where Master C can't reach it.

Only because I don't want to share...

What a selfish Mumma I am!

I haven't read all of Shaun Tan's books yet but have thoroughly enjoyed those that I have.

All have had the added bonus of being stunningly illustrated as well as thought provoking...

Do you/Did you have a favorite picture book?

#10 Who's for Sushi?

Master C's new bath toys - A school of brightly coloured fish. Quite the hit!

For those who don't recognize these little fellas...

One of Master C's most favourite foods is Sushi, which is usually sold accompanied by little fish shaped containers full of soy sauce...

It was mighty hard work, but here's what we did :

Step 1: Enjoyed our delicious Sushi :)

Step 2: Washed the remaining soy sauce out.

Step 3: Filled them with diluted food colouring.

Hey presto all done!

I recommend diluting the food dye so that if little ones do manage to get the lids off, it won't stain their skin or the tub.

At the rate Master C goes through Sushi though, very soon there may not be any room left for him in the bath...

Sunday, April 25, 2010

# 9 Lovely Lounging

I'm a pretty big fan of relaxing. I mean, I'm a pretty big fan of bean bags ;)

I remember when I was smaller, sitting in a giant one that my aunt had, and just feeling completely engulfed and snuggly.

I love these ones from Cocoon Couture.

Master C has one (A monkey) and it would seem he loves it too!

They are made from a sturdy, but still soft 100% cotton cord which is completely machine washable - making them nice and 'child practical' as well as easy on the eye!

They also come in heaps of different design and colour combos so there's one to match any colour scheme and/or personality...

Yup, my boy is a monkey.

Via Cocoon Couture

Cx

Sunday, April 18, 2010

# 8 The Special Ones - Part 1

I think that everyone - at some point or another in their life - has a special one or ones.

A toy that is a childs favourite beyond a fad.

You know, the kind that is asked for every bedtime without fail, that at times must wear nappies or sit at the table and appear to eat all meals, that is the cause of such charades as "Oh dear did he fall over? He's crying? Yes ok I'll bandage his knee and kiss it better" or "He told you he wants to help us washing the dishes? Umm how about he sits over there and watches us instead...?"

You know.

Master C has a few of said specials.

This is number 2, (In order of 'birth' not preference of course!)

Meet Melvin the Monkey.

Somehow he turned out a lot bigger than I set out to make him, and for a good while there was actually bigger than Master C himself, which made it all the more amusing to watch him attempting to carry him around!

I would love if you would share your memories of you or families special one or ones?

Were they or are they ;) a traditional toy/teddy or something more unusual?

Do you still have them???

Thursday, April 8, 2010

# 7 Because....

Master C loves Pandas.

And I think this is a wee bit cute?

Via-Unknown, please let me know if you do?

Hope it tickles you as it did me!

# 6 A Wooden Wonderland

I love wooden toys. I love Etsy. I love gorgeousness.

So I can't believe I didn't come across these sooner!

So cleverly simply beautiful, so lovely for little hands, so cheerfully coloured, so wooden ;)

I have a theory, that beautiful toys make me a much more relaxed and happy mumma.

You see, when my darling Master C has taken every toy out of his toy baskets, & spread them through the house from corner to corner, instead of feeling stressed by the 'mess' , i see all these wonderous treasures & I think to myself "well now, ain't that just a whole lot of lovely?!"

And rather than want to clear some walking space & 'beautify' my house in case the queen or James Taylor drop by...

Well lets be honest shall we?

They are my toys too.