Fig!
I love figs. To eat of course, but also, very much the smell of them. I’ve lined up a few of my favourite fig-scented products below — hoping of course that you will share yours!!
1. Zenology Sycamore Fig — discovered recently in a hotel and love the entire collection.
2. Company de Provence Savon de Marseille Extra Pur Figue — I love Marseille soap, I love fig, so this combination is hard to resist. The hand soap is a fixed staple in our house.
3. Diptyque scented candle — Very rarely I splurge on a Diptyque candle. Figuier is one of my favourite scents (I love Pomander too).
4. l’Artisan Parfumeur Premier Figuier — a beautiful perfume, that I’ve never owned but always run to in shops.
5. Rituals Under a Fig Tree fragrance sticks — the best fragrance sticks, I think.
xxx Esther
Davina Zagury photography
If you’re looking for something truly special for your house, take a look at Davina Zagury’s website. She has a collection of beautiful still-life images with three main concepts. The first one is about the land of lost toys. Vintage toys, found at flea markets, second hand stores or in the garbage bin (!), make us wonder about the children that once treasured these toys, their home, their story, their life. The second series is about kitchen appliances. Not only are the objects so interesting and beautiful to look at, they also hold memories of our grandmother’s kitchens; they smell of home-made biscuits, chocolate cake, and warm milk. In the animals series that Davina created, little toy animals take centre stage and tell us a special story in which they play the main part.
xxx Esther
Tante Ted — just for boys!
Tante Ted (‘Aunty Ted’) is a Dutch brand focussing exclusively on boys bedding and accessories. I’ve known Ted for a few years now and I’ve seen his brand develop, and it’s so cool that his collection is now professionally produced by bedding company Damai! Well deserved, because Ted just knows what boys like. The bedding for starters, all very cool and with bright colours and graphics, inspired by traffic, travel, insects and other things boys love. But what about the lights (my son Pim LOVES this builders’ light!), or the carpets (made from moving blankets! And there are lampshades too!). Everything is just so very cool, just what boys love… and stylish too, just what their parents love. Way to go, Ted!
xxx Esther
P.S. The Tante Ted site is still just in Dutch, unfortunately, but just email Ted if you have questions or would like to order something!
Fabriko — a passion for patterns!
Swedish design company Fabriko was started last year by Lisa Erikkson, a Stockholm-based designer and mum. Her patterns are aimed at children but I’m sure they are as attractive for big people as they are for the little ones! The collection consists of wallpapers and a textile collection including bed linen, pillows, quilts and bags, all made from organic cotton and really super cool and decorative. Lisa currently works with 4 amazing patterns, but I hope we will see more in the future.
xxx Esther
Happy December!
Can you believe it’s December already?! Wow! It crept up quickly this year, didn’t it?!
This year will be the first year we stay in London for Christmas… which means we get to properly decorate the house and make it nice and cosy and christmasy (!!!). We’re all very excited about it and have already hung our stockings, set out the decorations, and of course, hung the Advent Calendar (which starts today!). And… I’m listening to Christmas music as I type! Oooh Happy December!
Have you caught the ‘holiday bug’ yet? Do you do an Advent Calendar? Any other little traditions you do around this time of year? I would love to know!
xx Courtney
Jeans and cords party bunting
So… Ideally this craft project would have been finished long before posting about it, but I have to face reality — it was started 3 years ago and didn’t progress much since. Maybe this post will inspire me to finish it before the next birthday in our household?
The idea is simple: don’t just trash old (ripped) jeans and trousers, but cut them into flags instead (a simple cardboard triangle will help you cut out the shapes). I personally like to create the bunting out of two layers so there is no front or back to it (leave the top of the triangle open so that you can turn the flag right side out). Next (and last!) step will be to sew the flags to bias band. I’ll post about the finished bunting soon I hope!
What I like about the idea of using jeans and cords besides simply re-using is that the colours are really cool and stylish — so much so that maybe this bunting can be left hanging all year long. Because really, shouldn’t every day be a little party?
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Summer or winter, always in bloom• 10 things to have as a nursing mother
London Cushions
I loved living in London and it still tops my favourite city list. A while ago I saw this fabric in a Cath Kidston shop and had to buy a couple of metres. I love the vintage look and the colour and the detailed pictures. In fact I love everything about it! I ended up making a couple of cushions out of it for my bedroom so I will always have a little reminder of London when I go to bed at night.
Steph xo
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Acme Party Box Company• Water-resistant garlands from Hip Hooray
• Happy 3rd Birthday to us!
ABCs from The Wild Unknown
I’m a big fan of the whimsical prints and calendars from The Wild Unknown — I have this calendar hanging in my office and it’s one of my favourite things in my house! So of course I was so excited to receive an email from them announcing their latest project: a series of art prints for children… and a children’s ABC book! I love the touch of watercolour to the ABCD print and the fact that a butterfly lands on B and a mouse creeps across M, etc. So sweet. And from the sneak peeks of the book, it looks to be just as beautiful. It’s available to pre-order now.
-Courtney
Who’s been sitting in my chair??
A few months ago we stayed in Emilie’s flat for a few days, which is a feast for my kids because they love all the new-to-them toys and secret hide-aways! (Emilie’s daughters also have a ‘real’ mini sized Vespa which my kids go crazy about. I think baby Ava and Pim sat on it every single minute we spent in the apartment!) We also got to discover some new books while we were staying there, and ‘Goldilocks’ was one of them — funnily enough it made a deep impression on them! I know this might sounds strange, but my kids didn’t know the story of Goldilocks — it’s not a common tale here in the Netherlands at all.
So when I saw this pillow from Samantha Morris, I thought I should get it as a little fun joke in our living room (and how cute is the little bear at the end of the zipper?). I also would love to get my kids a good Goldilocks book — I found this one in Dutch that looks nice, but can anyone recommend a good one in English? (Or any other language for our readers in the rest of the world!) Thanks!
xxx Esther
Sock Monkeys
How cute is this little guy? I’d like to say I made him for my kids… but in fact he sits on our bookshelf in the living room keeping an eye on family life. I wanted a quick craft project one day and found some instructions on line. Have a look here for some instructions on how to make one.
I love the fact that every monkey is different — from the way you sew them up to the positioning of their eyes, they all have their own personality. I think my sock monkey looks a bit bewildered but then he does have to watch our family all day!
Steph xo
Tin Trunks from Toast
I must have a thing for trunks. We have a few scattered around the house storing all sorts of things: dress-up clothes, toys, my knitting supplies, winter scarves and hats, etc. I like that you can use them as decor (they look cool just placed on the floor!), but they’re also handy for storage. I stumbled upon these tin trunks on the Toast website this week and just thought I would share my find. They’re available to pre-order, and I have a feeling they will sell out quickly.
-Courtney
Gorgeous fabrics and must-haves at MondaysMilk
Dutch online boutique MondaysMilk is a little gem. I’m telling you. Please have a look at the gorgeous fabrics, the beautiful quilts and pillows and the hand-crochet bags and hats and I dare you to say you disagree! (Ava has a cat hat in green and it’s really ridiculously cute…)
I’m thinking about re-doing parts of my house, and I’m going to start with the couch pillows. So I have been ‘window-shopping’ at MondaysMilk and I love this fabric here, these cute flowers, this neon yellow… With this depressing fall weather here in Amsterdam, it’s time to get my sewing machine out and make the house cosy!
xxx Esther
Coral and Tusk
I am absolutely in love with Coral and Tusk, a husband and wife design studio based in New York. I first discovered their products on the Smallable website a few months ago, I then got to see them in person in the Sweet William boutique, and then finally I got to meet the lovely designer, Stephanie, at Playtime last week… and I could not be more impressed with everything about the brand. How darling are the designs? I love all the feathers, the many different animals, the natural linens and the colourful embroidery. Take a peek at the website to see the full range of products (you can also purchase directly from their site).
x Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Little Nutty Helmets — for the coolest bikey in town• Sweet for baby: Toffee Moon
My house on Design*Sponge!
I am a huge fan of Design*Sponge (well, really who isn’t?!!), and I look forward to their Monday sneak peeks each week. In fact, when we were renovating the house, I often browsed through all the past sneak peaks for a bit of design inspiration — it’s so fun to see all the different interior styles. Well anyway, I am so super excited to have my very own house featured on this impressive design blog. It’s a little bit like hearing your own voice on a recorder, a bit bizarre, sort of funny… but also really exciting! The image above is my boys’ bedroom, and you can check out the rest of my house here. (Please say nice things! It’s still a work in progress.)
x Courtney
(Photograph by Darrin Henry)
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Win! Play-Doh Fun Factory• I Dreamt I was a Dinosaur
• A week devoted entirely to BOYS!
Batchi Batcha Quilts and Bedding
With three little children in our house, it’s very nice to discover items that work for them as well as for me. Batchi Batcha is one of those finds: these quilts are beautiful! Made in India out of thick, organic cotton, with gorgeous coloured hand-printed designs inspired by Indian Warli Art (a Tribal Art depicting scenes of nature: trees, birds, animals), these quilts make me happy as well as the kids — to use as play mats, as a blanket on the couch, or as a picnic rug… Or just for decoration.
xxx Esther
Insekt desk from BB+++
I am in love with this beautiful Insekt desk designed by Kellie from Buisjes en Beugels +++. So simple in shape, but so strong in concept! The desk is available in 3 sizes (kids, table height and kitchen counter height), and three vibrant colours. It’s now available for pre-order on Kellie’s (cool) webshop. Are you as tempted as I am??
xxx Esther
Tissue box holders from Sparkly Pony
I am in love with these tissue holders! Esther gave the whale to my son for his birthday and it is so cute. What a great way to hide an ugly tissue box. I just love that the white tissue acts as the whale’s spout (or the horse’s tale!). Isn’t that so clever? They’re available from the Sparkly Pony Etsy shop.
-Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Serena and Lily Moses Basket• Sweet for Baby: Bonnie Baby Vintage Fun Collection
• Celebrating all things BABY!
Around The World Print
I just got this Around The World print from the recently re-designed site, L’Affiche Moderne, and I love it. It’s one of those prints you can look at for hours and still find something new. My kids are especially fond of it — and I think it’s such a clever way to teach kids about the world and the different regions. All the cute little creatures and colourful details are so fun to point out.
We’ve mentioned L’Affiche Moderne before (here)… but the whole site has recently been re-designed and I’m loving this spiffy new version. If you’re looking for affordable art for your house, this is a good place to start.
-Courtney
Little Fashion Gallery Candle
Little Fashion Gallery have done it again. Now that they have started their own line, called LFG Editions. Nothing can stop them! After the beautiful poster I wrote about, they have recently brought out this lovely candle.
I have to admit that I am a candle addict. I love putting the kids to bed, tidying up the flat and putting on a candle and some good music. This candle fits right into this ritual. I can’t wait to see what else LFG Editions are going to come up with next!
-Emilie
The Royal Wedding
Have you caught Royal Wedding fever yet? The wedding is this Friday! I haven’t really paid any attention to it… but everyone I know is starting to get excited about it (my mom even came to town for the event!). Every store front in London is devoted to the wedding, and there are commemorative gifts and objects available to buy everywhere (my mom came home the other day with a deck of cards, each card with a different photo of Wills and Kate — too funny!). Here are a couple of my favourites.
- Of course I love the ‘Keep Calm It’s Only A Wedding‘ print — funny!
- I also really love the William and Kate tea towel available on Etsy
- And of course Belle and Boo have made something beautiful as well — I love their Royal Party Parade Poster!
Do you know of any other good commemorative gifts?
xo Courtney
