Friday 28 June 2013

Lunch On The Grass







Lunch on the grass with our bunny friends. Maileg Dk have launched a new collection of beautiful melamine for children and we're thrilled to announce their arrival in the boutique.
Using the same unique and magical approach as with all their creations Maileg are bringing the bunnies to the table.

The imaginatively organic shaped designs make mealtimes all the more piquant, whilst their durable construction ensures no end to their beauty even from the most enthusiastic diners and those who'll shout 'I've finished' and drop their plate to the floor before you've had to time to grab it!

Each pretty piece depicts a part of two tales; that of Bunny Green ' The carrot story', and the story of 'Bunny Honey'. With a familiar feel of characters and signature colours unique to Maileg's collections there's a wholesome charm with a whimsical twist making mealtimes all the more fun.

Dishwasher safe, almost indestructible melamine and designs children will love... what more can you ask for breakfast?













Thursday 27 June 2013

Children's Choice





Every child has their own unique style and we furnish the dressing rooms to express this
With the Summer Sale in full swing there's no better time to freshen up childrens wardrobes with pieces they love pieces that express who they are





Monday 24 June 2013

Monday Makery - A Child's Pinterest


My home office walls are covered in pictures, be it new collections yet to arrive, pictures the girls have drawn for me and pictures to inspire its a collection of ideas, of interests that cover just about everything I do and almost all that I am.  The girls have their own notice boards where they keep invitations, letters, cards and things they have been given to treasure, but they don't use them for ideas and inspiration. They love the eclectic mix that surrounds my desk and have been hankering after something similar for a while so we created our very own collection of mood boards that can hang above their desks ready to pin all those ideas, interests and inspiration they gather from around them.





I knew it had to be fun, fun enough for them to be inspired to pin and I thought a collection of boards would be great for different moods, just like our own collections on pinterest. I also didn't want to the run the risk of them both losing their pins on the floor so we made our own 'pin it buttons' which they love.

Here's what you'll need:
  • cork trivets
  • drawing pins
  • buttons
  • spray paint
  • picture mounts
  • strong adhesive glue
Here's how:
  1. Add colour to your cork trivets using spray paint and leave to dry. We sprayed one with gold glitter paint for some sparkle and covered part of one before spraying to create a clash of colour. I'm on the lookout for some neon colours too so left a few more to be painted, and the girls have asked that we make a stencil of their initials for 2 more, already the collection is growing.
  2. Once dry use strong adhesive glue to fix your picture hook to the back. Leave to set overnight if needed.
  3. In the meantime choose your buttons and dabbing glue onto the head of the pin adhere each pin to a the back of a coloured button. Leave to set.
Hang the miniature mood boards ready for inspiration and ideas to be pinned. 



Happy making
xx

Wednesday 19 June 2013

MT Tape Installation

To further fuel our obsession with the wonders of Washi tape, we discovered this....




images via Koji Iyama

Koji Iyama is an award-winning Art Director and Graphic Designer who creates amazing installations in unusual Japan locations.  Two years after the Tsunami the artist and MT-Ex chose Sendai as the location for the latest installation which brings colour and shape to an old warehouse, using the full height with hundreds of rolls of MT Tape.  Iyama created floor to ceiling suspended stripes to awesome effect, not forgetting taping the entire floor with a rainbow of MT Tape.  Along with some enticing looking mini-house installations, it demonstrated the many creative possibilities with the new collection of MT CASA - rolls of Washi Tape for decorating the home - on whatever scale you choose! 





Friday 14 June 2013

Free Printables for a Sunday Papa

Mr Printables

Sunday is sometimes a day for practical things after a working week, or simply a lazy, lolling day with the children ....or an indulgent day taking over the kitchen for a day long munch-fest, still in pyjamas. Even better if the table is strewn with Sunday papers, pots of pens, colouring books and card games. And maybe this Sunday a few things just for Daddy....as a Sunday always welcomes a few surprises too - a 'look what I've made.' It's a day when we can slow and take time to read and make, to look and see.

Enjoy your Sunday in whatever shape it takes.

And THANK YOU Mr Printables!

Thursday 13 June 2013

XO - In My Room and worth waiting for



With a vision in our heads of what we wanted to bring to Sisters Guild we've been hunting for unique pieces to create stylish interiors.
We've finally found those pieces we dreamed and from a small company who's ethos marries our own.
It began with an image, an image we fell madly in love with and 7 months later having tracked down its origin we are now so excited to bring the very piece that caught our eye, stole our hearts and had us dreaming of children's interiors in a whole new way.



The story behind X0-in My Room added to our love of the pieces, and as you'll know from all the designers we house, the people behind the collections are as important as the pieces themselves.  
It is a story of 3 brothers. The eldest is the creator and the designer of the furniture, The middle brother is the logician and the youngest is the craftsman who inherited his fathers workshop for handmade wooden furniture. 
The three brothers have come together to bring us a collection of beautiful and unique pieces for children's rooms. Resuming their passion for well designed furniture together they create versatile pieces with creative finishings, made with reclaimed wood the workshop uses natural products and eco-friendly processes. 


Co-partner, co-founder and wife of the eldest brother is Carina, a mother of five children. Having worked in the fashion industry as a stylist and graphic designer her family life steered her professional work towards the wonderful world of children. After the birth of her 5th child Carina began to think ' ...if I was brave enough to have another child, why not jump into another big adventure'

and so the adventure begins.........



It is very fitting that the beginning of our journey matches a beginning of theirs. This is Olivia, the dresser, named after the daughter of it's creator. 


We adore the detail, the hidden surprise's that make each piece so unique, so charming and quirky. Each versatile piece holds an extra touch that adds a big heap of fun for stylish interiors with their individually painted drawers and linings which you'll open to discover shades of turquoise, blues, aubergine or beautifully illustrated birds. This combination of creativity, versatility, and unique aesthetics opens up a new door into the world of interiors bridging practicality with unique charm enhanced by its influence of childhood and family life.



Friday 7 June 2013

122 things every child should do before they're 5



With Oona soon to start school and only one summer left before she begins I've been thinking about the rites of passage a child goes through in their early years.  I've put together a list of things I'd still like to do while she's still (very) young and things we've enjoyed doing or rather things I've encouraged her to do as part of growing up.
There are lots of things a child does that seem to be experienced at particular ages, some things that they do for the first time are acknowledgements of their growing up, or mark a particular curiosity at that age, though some things are very small they often mark a huge milestone in their lives as they make the transition to being very much a child making their own choices, and stepping towards a little more independence.
Milestones in a child's life often conjure up the transition into adult hood: learning to drive a car, beginning university,  but I believe that its the fibs and mud pies, the den building and belief in fairies that begin our journey. It's these things that should be celebrated, and encouraged as a child grows up, its their rite of passage, and rituals of growing up. We only do it once, let's make sure we do it properly.


Here's our list of what we believe are the true milestones, the measure of the first 5 years of childhood:

1. Believe in something that can't be seen. I believe in fairies!

2. blow bubbles

3. have a treasure box

4. have a hero

5. put on a puppet show

6. roll down a grassy hill

7. finger paint

8. build a den

9. make a mud pie

10. have a teddy bears picnic

11. feed an animal

12. ride on daddy's shoulders

13. answer the phone

14. own one piece of fabulous fun clothing

15. choose a favourite story (you know the one thats read several times every night!)

16. have a secret place

17. play with play dough

18. grow a vegetable

19. go to a museum

20. build a sand castle

21. make a master piece and have it framed

22. tell a lie

23. eat homemade ice-cream on a hot summers day

24. go to a fair

25. plant  a seed

26. catch snowflakes with your tongue

27. play dress up

28. write a thank you letter to family member , a teacher or a friend

29. bake a cake

30. go to a farm

31. have a hobby

32. learn a joke

33. fly a kite

34. watch a magic trick

35. scribble somewhere they shouldn't

36. laugh so hard milk comes out their nose

37. enjoy a bonfire

38. jump in a puddle so hard the water goes into mummy's shoes!

39. go to the theatre

40. go on a moonlit walk

41. visit where mum and dad and grew up

42. run a lemonade stand / book shop

43. make a homemade gift

44. go on a scavenger hunt

45. play in the rain

46. build gingerbread house and eat it

47. camp in the garden or at least camp in the sitting room

48. play in the mud

49. climb a tree

50. hunt for bugs

51. create a self portrait

52. receive an award

53. own a library card

54. sing loudly in public

55. ride the top deck on a double decker bus

56. clean their own teeth

57. buy something in a shop

58. discover their shadow

59. play in the bath til their skin wrinkles

60. have a collection

61. make their own pizza

62. go crab hunting

63. race sticks in a stream.

64. break something valuable

65. eat wild fruit picked by hand

66. feed the ducks

67. let a bug crawl up their arm

68. play with food

69. own a cuddly toy that they never want to part with

70. eat out

71. see a classic on a big screen

72. grow cress in the shape of their name

73. go out at dusk, watch the sunset and see the stars come out

74. take interest in an instrument and play a tune (of sorts)

75. make and fly a paper aeroplane

76. set up a snail race

77. make a scrapbook of memories ; a holiday book is a great first

78. see a parade

79. be given freedom to make choices, decisions and mistakes

80. have some quality alone time with a parent

81. have one really big special birthday party

82. go to the beach

83. lick the whisk / lick the bowl

84. cut their own hair

85. have a special first love

86. learnt to live without tv

87. feel like you're flying in the wind

88. have a really really good friend

89. wear pants on their head - pirates in pants is a favourite game!

90. begin to learn how to swim

91. spend lots of time naked

92. receive praise for who he / she is; perhaps a 'just because' note

93. make up a silly nickname for someone or themselves

94. ride the tea cups at the fair

95. do something to make a mark on the world, plant a tree

96. take a trip; a train ride, car trip, plane journey or a boat trip

97. receive a letter; perhaps a note of love or appreciation, thanks or well done

98. express creativity without boundaries

99. dance until you're exhausted.

100. ride on a carousel

101. swing on a rope swing

102. go on a hike or follow a long trail

103. climb a steep hill

104. do a belly flop

105. see the ocean

106. pretend. as much as they can.

107. lay the table

108. learn to say sorry.

109. plant it. grow it. eat it.

110. plan a day of fun

111. be told 'i love you' and make sure they feel it every day.

112. lose something.

113. learn to say 'please' and 'thank you'

114. have a favourite special place.

115. pick wild flowers and press them

116. choose their own clothes

117. make up a story

118. dare to fail

119. get covered in paint

120. run in the sprinklers

121. experience disappointment and learn that it's ok.

122. have a dream and have an adult believe in it












It's never too late to do the things we all ought to be free to do. If you've got things you've never done; do them together. If you've got more things you'd like to add; tell us.

What would you add to the list?




Thursday 6 June 2013

Best Dressed Bunnies




With the new collection of bunnies and rabbits now arriving in their oh so beautiful underwear there's a whole new range of clothing and accessories to choose from. Maileg DK have introduced the largest range of clothing so far with lots of new accessories, shoes, bags, suitcases, school satchels and even swim-wear the bunnies are spoilt for choice with pieces to suit each and every one.

Being huge fans of Maileg DK since the birth of our children we proudly boast the largest collection of Maileg all in one place and to make it easier to shop for the bunny in your life you can now shop for the clothing and accessories by size be it micro, mini, medium, maxi, mega or mega maxi there's a clothing range for all.

So if you've got a bunny who loves to pirouette across the floor or a bunny who always hosts the best dressed tea parties or a bunny that prefers the comfort of cotton dungarees when hopping about you'll discover it all here as well as the entire Maileg collection. 


Show me the entire Maileg collection

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Tutu du Monde - Gracing the Globe!


via Sweet Paul Mag
via Sweet Paul Mag

Sweet Paul Mag - Kids edition, recently featured this stunning photoshoot (above) with the Tutu du Monde pieces.

via ginakimphotogrtaphy on rawr.fi
An iconic photoshoot (above) by New York Photographer Gina Kim: Celebrating in NY, for RAWR magazine, featuring Tutu du Monde

via ninasaycheese.com
Vanessa Lewis at ninasaycheese.com says she was commissioned to submit an image entitled 'Beauty.'  You must see her stunning photography, featuring Tutu du Monde




























take me to Tutu du Monde 


It is always so exciting and ultimately inspiring to see the things we are passionate about shared and celebrated across the globe.




Here in the press posts we gather all the places online and in print where the Sisters or the collections we house, have been featured.  Thank you to all the blogs, mags &  newspapers that share the love for the unique and imaginative, the wonder of childhood and home, and  keep independent shops as well as talented designers and makers thriving.

We have lots to tell and share and if you are a blog, website, magazine or newspaper, please do get in touch with us at rebekka@sistersguild.co.uk  We will happily provide products for press photo shoots or for review, along with high-res images.