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Fig!

Esther in Amsterdam — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:16 +0000

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

Esther in Amsterdam — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:50 +0000

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!

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:00:18 +0000

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!

Esther in Amsterdam — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:00:10 +0000

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!

Courtney in London — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:00:52 +0000

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

Esther in Amsterdam — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:46:01 +0000

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

London Cushions

Stephanie in Auckland — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:00:17 +0000

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

ABCs from The Wild Unknown

Courtney in London — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:00:42 +0000

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??

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:00:51 +0000

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

Stephanie in Auckland — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:01:15 +0000

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

Duralex Glasses

Emilie in Paris — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:00:56 +0000

In a household of 3 clumsy girls (I can bank for the fact that clumsiness is indeed genetic), we need hardened utensils, that can survive a lot of rough and tumble. Thus, I am a big fan of Duralex, famous for making the same iconic hardened glasses for the last 60 years at least.

Have you ever been served a coffee in a little glass in a French café? Probably a Duralex Gigogne glass. Show any French person a Duralex Picardie glass and it will take them back to their school cantine days, where everyone got to drink out of Duralex glasses. I love their utilitarian chic and the fact that they are almost unbreakable (I say almost, as I will never forget my mother trying to demonstrate how unbreakable these glasses are by hurling one on the floor, where it smashed into a thousand pieces, much to her embarrasment!). They are perfect for families with young kids, especially if you are getting a bit tired of colourful plastic cups.

I picked my glasses up at Merci, but I also found them on this website which deliver internationally. Alternatively, you can find them in most French hardware shops. For our readers on the other side of the Atlantic there is a dedicated USA Duralex website!

-Emilie

Junior Chair from Ikea

Stephanie in Auckland — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:00:09 +0000

I’m kicking myself now, but I never bought Stokke Tripp Trap chairs for my children when they started on solids. I wish I had looked to the future and realised they would last them for years to come!

So I was very excited when I happened to come across these chairs in IKEA the other day. We have a very high table to accommodate the tall Dutch folks but sitting at it with a normal height chair was a bit of a problem for my 4½- year-old. Now that she has this chair, she can sit in one spot without wriggling around trying to reach her plate. I will buy another one for my son when he grows out of his high chair. I love the simple design and the fact that they are super easy to clean!

Steph xo

Tin Trunks from Toast

Courtney in London — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 05:00:50 +0000

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

Esther in Amsterdam — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:00:24 +0000

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

Sweet summer bowls

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:42:29 +0000

We’re vacationing in France at the moment, and I came across these adorable bowls in a store yesterday. Of course I just couldn’t resist — thinking they would just be perfect for breakfast in the garden, or for serving summery dishes like blackberry cobbler! They are available online through the online store of Comptoir de Famille, or in the UK at Divertimenti.

xxx Esther

Coral and Tusk

Courtney in London — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 05:36:53 +0000

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

STEK — cool pieces, bold lines

Esther in Amsterdam — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:00:00 +0000

For the past few months we’ve had a little STEK rocking chair living in our living room and we’re all really, really pleased with it.
I’m loving the bold, modern lines and the great colour (I chose the olive green one). It’s an unmistakable piece in the room, it has a very strong shape, which makes it a really cool design piece and adds a certain amount of style to the room. For the kids, it’s a chair, that rocks, that they can play with, use, have fun with.

STEK is a Dutch design agency that has produced a series of lovely handmade children’s furniture, all recognisable by the strong, simple, bold and basic shapes and cool, strong colours. A great addition to every room!

xxx Esther

Nasturtiums — a gardeners dream!

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 05:00:27 +0000

In Dutch we call them ‘East Indian Cress’ — my favourite plant in our garden! I love the pretty round leaves of the nasturtiums, I love how wild and crazy (and easy!) they grow, and I love the beautiful, tissue-paper-like flowers, with their bright, happy colours. Both the leaves and the flowers of the nasturtium are edible, which only adds to their appeal. They have a delightful, peppery sweet taste (a bit like radishes), and look so beautiful in a fresh, green salad. My kids love picking them before dinner, and they love to eat them too (high in vitamin C, I’ve read)!

xxx Esther

Dinosaur Cookies (fun boys activity)

Esther in Amsterdam — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:00:11 +0000

My son Pim just started school (here in the Netherlands school starts at the age of four), and he’s still getting used to the whole ordeal. He’s really exhausted when he gets home in the afternoon, and I can see (and imagine!) that the whole thing is a big change for him. Getting used to the bigger boys, making new friends, learning to learn and behave…
Anyway, he needed a bit of special attention so he and I made fun dinosaur cookies when his big sister was away on a play date the other day. We got these cute dinosaur cookie shapes for him when we were in London last month, and we made and ate a whole batch of them. I used the sand-cookie recipe that I’ve written about earlier, and which is great because it’s easy and children can be very involved in the process. Similar cookie cutters are available on Amazon (UK or US)…

xxx Esther

My house on Design*Sponge!

Courtney in London — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 05:00:50 +0000

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)