Our New Earth
I was recently introduced to Hugh Dinning and his lovely brand Our New Earth through the Australian father-in-law of my friend Elke. It’s funny how we sometimes get to know people on the other side of the world just like that!
Our New Earth is a completely organic line of baby clothes and accessories, and Hugh has passionately told me how he’s constantly striving to find the cleanest and most honestly fabricated materials for his collections. He’s now for instance working with gorgeous 100% organic and natural dyed denims for his upcoming winter collections.
In the meantime I’ve completely fallen in love with the simplicity and timelessness of the Our New Earth designs. It’s all just so adorable! The little sunsuits (see photo of Ava featuring one above), the sweet embroidered and smock dresses, all with the sweetest details, the adorable dress shirts and jackets and pants, the easy bloomers and tank tops…
You can find Our New Earth on our shopping portal here, with a great 15% discount this month — and the prices are already so very, very pleasant!
xxx Esther
Musical Mushrooms from Annabel Kern
I’m a big fan of soft musical toys for babies. I truly believe it’s soothing for them to hear a familiar melody just before they fall asleep, and especially when traveling it can help to make little ones feel relaxed in new surroundings. These musical mushrooms from Annabel Kern are a great choice! Super original, royally sized, a wonderful deco piece in the nursery (and I love ‘Hey Jude’ as a tune). But have a look at the boutique, there are also apple and pear music boxes, adorable pillows, soft ice-cream cones, lovely pillows, and more to discover!
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Personalised charm bracelets from Merci Maman• The delightful Anne Taintor
Poco Nido baby shoes
Sweet! Love these little baby shoes from Poco Nido. Little baby slippers are so handy this time of year (well, any time of year, really) — we don’t want our little ones to be getting cold feet, or slipping all over the place when they just start trotting around! These sweet shoes come in a nicely designed, tube-shaped gift-box, so they are also the perfect present to give to a newborn. (Everything at Poco Nido actually is really well designed — their website is one of the best ones we’ve seen in a while!)
xxx Esther
Soor Ploom Clothier
Don’t these images evoke the wonderful simplicity of summer? The sort of days when all your little one needs to wear is a little floral bloomer, running around barefoot on dry green grass?! Oh I can’t wait! I am absolutely in love with this new clothing brand from NYC — everything is so beautifully simple and understated. Soor Ploom offers a range of clothing for babies and toddlers up to age 3. Find gorgeous tops, tunics, rompers, and bloomers, all available in the most lovely fabrics (fine floral cottons, soft linens, etc.) and the sweetest little flowing shapes. Perfect for simple summer days to come…
x Courtney
Pequeño Tocon — at Orfeo
Swoon… Pascale from Orfeo emailed me about their new Spanish brand Pequeño Tocon. Beautiful, natural colours, soft, delicate fabrics, and little details makes this brand stand out. What a great find, and a perfect addition to the other outstanding selections at Orfeo — we are big fans!
xxx Esther
Sweet butterflies from Dents de Loup!
Another sweet baby find! These beautiful butterflies are completely handmade by Paula from Dents de Loup and luckily enough I was able to catch one here in Amsterdam — it came fluttering by all the way from India! I love the combination of techniques used (knitting, sewing, embroidery), and the unique finished product is ideal for little babies to play with, feel it, chew it… So cute!
xxx Esther
MozartKugel, a wooden musical ball
This stunning Mozartkugel wooden musical ball is made of solid beech wood and plays Mozart melodies whether it’s sitting on a shelf or rolling across the floor. You simply wind the ball, remove the key and let it amuse (or soothe) your baby. Such a unique baby gift I think! (Available from Toyella.)
x Courtney
Teething Toys from NiHaMa
I saw these adorable crochet teething toys on the LMNOP blog the other day, and instantly ordered a few for baby gifts (if you’re a friend of mine and you’ve just had a new baby, please don’t be surprised when one of these arrives on your doorstep!). Aren’t they so sweet? I just love the mix of colours with the natural wood. All handmade and crocheted with organic cotton yarn, so they’re perfectly safe for your baby to nibble on. Available from the NiHaMa Etsy shop.
x Courtney
An easy-to-knit baby hat!
My friend Becky just had her third baby, a little boy named Olly, and I knit him a little baby hat that first of all was extremely easy to knit (perfect for beginners like me!), and second of all looked super duper adorable on. The basics of this hat are simple: just knit or crochet a square, approximately 19 cm (7.5″) in width and 27 cm (10.6″) high. Sew the sides together (wrong side out if applicable), turn around, and presto! You could make little pompons and sew them to the two pointy flaps, or stitch through them as a triangle to make them look more like little ears, but I preferred to keep it simple…
This is what I did exactly for Olly’s hat, using a pure cashmere yarn and 4 mm (UK6, US8) needles: Cast on 40 stitches. Knit 4 rows (alternating knit and pearl), then change yarn colour, knit another 4 rows, etc, until you have knit 8 stripes. Then, knit 8 rows in the first colour (in my case blue), so you’ll end up with one extra wide stripe, and start alternating again, 8 times, finishing with the first colour. Sew sides together (wrong side out), making sure to align the stripes. Turn around, and done!
xxx Esther
PS Thanks to 2-week-old Olly for being my perfect model!
Big Blue Cuddle: shopping for a good cause
Not only does Big Blue Cuddle shop have a nice and affordable collection of colourful clothes, they also donate at least 15% of their profit to one of their charities (you choose which one). It works as follows: Big Blue Cuddle approaches well known, respectable brands and asks them for a trade discount on a selection of their stock. Big Blue Cuddle then sells the product for regular prices, but can give part of their profit directly to a charity! Such a clever and wonderful initiative, and I’m not the only one to think so: many lovely labels, some of which we have reviewed before here on Babyccino (like Eponime, Olive’s Friend Pop, La Queue du Chat, and Hektik Boutique), are now part of this wonderful initiative.
So if you need great basics or fun wardrobe staples for your kids, Big Blue Cuddle has a lovely selection and remember: you’re shopping for a good cause!
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• This summer: jumpsuits• Home safety (and the Ouch! Box)
• Cute tees from MimiMouse
Arsène et les Pipelettes — funky French fashion
Arsène et les pipelettes is a French brand for babies and children up to the age of ten. What I really like about their collection is the slight edge to many of the pieces: it’s all very stylish and cute, but be careful, never too cute! A tiger decorating a girly T-shirt. A cool panama hat. A naughty slogan on a boy’s shirt. Cool plastic water-shoes (I used to have them as a kid!). There’s always an un-expected detail to an outfit to give it a certain cool quirkiness, or an interesting detail to make an otherwise simple garment suddenly stand out. Fun!
xxx Esther
Olli Ella’s new gender-neutral range
I’m loving the new gender-neutral bedding collection from Olli Ella. What a great solution for parents who are expecting but aren’t finding out the gender of the baby. Or even just a good option if you don’t want to go down the pink for girls and blue for boys route. The bedding is all made in England using the softest 300-thread count cotton. I also like the new art prints which are cute on their own (or paired with the bedding of course).
x Courtney
ps — For the chance to win one of the new Olli Ella snuggle blankets, visit our Facebook page and leave a comment there!
The Rocking Company — cool retro finds!
I think little Ava might have inherited my love of chairs! I got her one of these beautiful little Tica chairs from the new French Rocking Company and she can’t let go of it. She takes it to her bedroom at night, and back down to the living room in the morning. So cute! Don’t you love the look of these chairs? The retro design and cool colours (we have the red one) appeal to me big time. And the size is perfect for children, both for Ava (now 22 months) and also for her big sister Sara (a very tall 6-year-old).
The Rocking Company also has a selection of durable, cool bibs, made from thick and soft fabrics with an unmistakable retro feel to them as well. A very nice selection of first products — I wonder what else Sandra (the owner) will come up with next!
xxx Esther
House of Balls
Ava has a new favourite toy: the ‘House of Balls‘ from stylish French toy company Vilac. The concept is simple: four coloured balls (perfectly sized for a toddler’s hand) and a house-shaped track with a little bell on the end. It’s amazingly addictive for babies and toddlers! They love to see the ball roll down the track, over and over again. The toy is really cute looking, nice and sturdy and easy to carry around, and such a perfect present for little ones aged 12 months and up!
Available through VUP baby.
xxx Esther
(Photo of Ava and her friend Luka, by Elke Mendelsohn)
Acorn Kids
How cute are these warm woollen goodies from Australian company Acorn Kids? Made with an eye for detail and with sweet designs, which kids wouldn’t love to stay warm with these? Ava has been wearing those little owl mittens, and she adores them! And isn’t that cute mouse scarf hard to resist too?? Check the website for stockists.
xxx Esther
Junikit, stylish baby bags and accessories
I’m sure I’m not the only woman who ‘has a thing about bags’, am I? Anyway, I was pleased to discover Junikit, at the Kleine Fabriek last month. Junikit is a company run by the two stylish sisters Katja and Sidney, who aim to produce classy changing bags and accessories for the modern, trend-conscious parent (or non-parent!). I was immediately taken by the beautiful illustrations featuring animals from different continents, the lovely selection of matching scarves, and, smart find — the little emergency first-aid kit (just perfect to pop in a bag or in the car’s glove compartment). Stylish indeed! Also nice: the bags are made from water-resistant coated cotton on the outside (all PVC and phthalates free), and nylon on the inside, so they’re super easy to clean and look after.
If you’re also a little bit of a bag junkie, then take note: Junikit is now giving away an emergency first-aid kit in the Australia print to three lucky readers, so quickly head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment for your chance to win!
xxx Esther
Quilted name plaques from Sarah Strachan
Sarah Strachan is a talented lady. She first worked in film and TV as a puppet maker. (How cool is that?) After having her two kids she was looking for a way to work from her home in Devon, where she nowadays creates the most gorgeous dolls on commission, and makes beautiful name plaques for children which she sells in her Etsy boutique. Sarah made lucky Ava her own name plaque, and it’s absolutely beautiful. The name plaques are original paintings, all created by hand and stitched and quilted onto two layers of felted wool, and can have a Russian doll, pixy or fairy design. They are made with a lot of care and an amazing eye for detail. I think these pieces (of art!) will be a perfect gift for a newborn and will be treasured for ever.
Sarah also keeps a blog, where you can see some of her commissioned work (she just made some dolls wearing the miniature version of the spring collection from designers Dosa and Samantha Sung for the Cross Shop in London — how amazing is that?).
xxx Esther
Gift Ideas for Babies (and their parents)
After a long dry spell there’s now a wave of new babies being born in my circle of friends. Yey for that! I wanted to put together a little guide on baby presents, especially as we have not had any newborn posts on Babyccino for a long time.
So here goes:
1. Fold away bathtub from the Babyccino Boutique Whitestep: This is a great idea, especially if you live in a city like Paris, where space is key. I would have never thought of getting a fold away bathtub, but it works and it is so easy to put together and store away.
2. Coq en Pate soft book: babies grow up so fast and several of my friends have noticed how suddenly, one morning, their babies have started to reach out for things and are ready to explore. I love this little soft book that is full of fun shapes. It is easy to hold onto and also easy to wash if it has been chewed on a bit.
3. Phil and Ted’s portable chair: though not for newborns, this is one of my favourite presents for new parents. Again, kids grow fast and this is such a handy thing to have with you on the go. I think I had mine for my kids from 6 months onwards and it is the best, especially in France where restaurants rarely have highchairs.
4. A good maternity bag: some are gimmicky and some are really useful. Through personal experience being a mom of a new born means that often your brain is a bit fried, so having a bag ready prepared, with the right amount of space and pockets, is key. (I had this bag when my kids where younger and it rocked!)
5 – 6. And for the Mums and Dads who too often get forgotten: bath salts, body oils and a Mad Men or Downton Abbey box set, to have something good to watch during those long hours feeding!
Do you have any other gift ideas for new parents?
- Emilie x
Bubble London Recap
Wow! Two trade shows in one weekend! We have seen so many great children’s brands, our heads are spinning! Here are some highlights from yesterday at Bubble London:
- The new designs at Poppy feature a little girl riding around on a giraffe through a beautifully illustrated London town, and we can’t get enough. Absolutely fabulous designs and colours in the A/W collection. Much to look forward to!
- Olive Loves Alfie is launching a new range of interiors paint and their display was awesome! So many great colours.
- We were ultra impressed with the fantastic, happy collection at Tootsa Macginty. And apparently we weren’t the only ones — her stand was buzzing the entire day long! (And we loved the new haircut of Kate!)
- As always, the Hucklebones collection was stunning. And the creators, Dan and Zoe, couldn’t be more lovely.
- Seeing the hand-crafted pillows from Lettie Belle in person made us love them even more!
- Really like the sweet prints and fresh colours in the Old Rectory collection. And excited about their new baby pyjamas.
- The ilovegorgeous stand rocked our world. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
- Loved meeting Joanna from Babatude and seeing her luxuriously soft cashmere creations.
- The Spotty Otter outerwear collection is both functional and fun, and we think this is a brand on the rise (it’s already hugely popular at our kids’ schools!).
- With beautiful textiles from India, the entire Bouton collection really, really impressed us.
- It was really great to meet Helen from Helen Gordon and to see all her pieces in one place. We are big fans of her scrumptiously soft pyjamas and love her new circus print!
- The Aden & Anais collection is, as always, super impressive. So cool to see all their swaddle blankets hanging in one big row!
- Just listening to Yanina from Aravore discuss each piece in her collection makes you appreciate just how much thought and love went into each piece. Such a gem of a brand (and a lady!).
- The bright colours and happy messages in the Boys & Girls collection put a smile on our faces! That’s what childhood is all about!
- The NYC-based brand, Ode, which we first discovered at Playtime NYC last summer, featured a stunning collection and a new knitwear line. Such pretty textiles and loads of details!
- So nice to see the Dutch brand Kidscase both at Bubble and at Playtime. As always, it’s a can’t-go-wrong collection!
- We discovered the new label Beau Loves, and with their Zorro mask prints and playful designs, we think this is going to become a new favourite brand.
- We also discovered the new UK brand, Marmalade & Mash which made their debut at Bubble. This is a brand to watch for sure!
- We met the lovely Amynta from Tulip and Nettle who wowed us with her luxurious collection and beautiful photography.
- And finally, the Spanish brand Nadadelazos is super fun and funky, and we were already fans… but even more so now!
xx Courtney and Esther
The Baby Papoose (by the Good Flock)
The first line of the The Good Flock website reads: ‘The products we make can be buried in your backyard’. Which I think is such a daring first sentence, and is proof of the innovative and fun nature of Nikki and Marco, the people behind The Good Flock. Their belief is to use wholesome materials (from living sources or eco-systems that are able to regenerate themselves), work with a conscience (real craftspeople, responsible manufacturing), and design with minimal waste (use only what we need). I’ve been thinking — it sounds a bit like how I like to cook our food! But then applied to product design. An interesting slide can be found here, where the difference between the creation of a plastic iPad case is compared to the creation of a Good Flock IWooly.
Reason enough to purchase The Good Flock products, but there’s more: the products are really, really beautiful. Gorgeous vegetable tanned leather, domestic waxed canvas, patterned wool and buttons made from sustainable harvested tagua nuts are the main materials that are used to create simple but stylish bags, covers and wallets. The Good Flock has also created a Baby Papoose, a warm and wonderful baby wrap, made from their beautiful materials and just perfect to keep your baby cozy in his Bugaboo (works for the Frog, Chameleon but also very well for the Bee).
xxx Esther
