The Story Behind Our Collections - Maileg

We are huge fans of toys that are pieces for play that encourage a childs imagination. We believe that creativity is about coming up with something new. Seeing something through the minds eye rather than the eyes in which we see our physical world.

Maileg is the imagination and the creativity that was born from the eyes of an originative mind. A collection of pieces designed to decorate the home and a wonderful collection designed for children. The Danish design house of contemporary interior lifestyle concepts was established in 1999 and is the imaginative, tactile and visual universe of Dorthe Mailil.

Dorthe Mailil is a graphic designer from The Danish Design School where she graduated in 1996. With studies at the E´cole D´art de Marseille in France and previous stays with creative work in Paris Mailil has a unique talent for creating delightful pieces with an unusual richness and quality.

Winner of the Formland Design Award several times it comes as little surprise that the world that grew up around the bunnies and elves has become an adored collection all around the world.

The authenticity that underlines Dorthe Mailil´s touch has also made her well known as a graphic designer for both books and magazines. Dorthe Mailil´s design has among others been presented at Louvre, Paris – Caixa Forum, Barcelona and Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The Danish design house Maileg brings us a world of rabbits and bunnies with beautifully crafted accessories, mice that sleep in miniature matchboxes on soft striped pillows and woolen blankets. You'll find a charming princess with her bed piled high with mattresses and the infamous pea beneath them, skittles, rattles, and contemporary seasonal decorations for Easter and Christmas as well as storage drums for your favourite things and of course treats.

I have been a fan of maileg ever since my girls were born. My love started with the Belle Amis rattles and has grown along with my girls since. The pieces are crafted beautifully and the fabric and textiles used have such a pleasing feel to touch and play with.

The fabrics used are quite the signiature of Danish design, following a natural theme using cottons that have clear simple patterns typically including white stripes and checks and just as with the bunny collection you'll find that florals are seen too with frosty pastel petals on a white background.

The colours associated with the designs are typical of scandinavian interiors with subtle cool pastels; delicate blossoms of pink and blues that conjure up a milky sky, alongside stronger tones like royal blue, touches of red and bright green.

Natural wood is used frequently in the collection. The furntiure follows the strong designs of the Scandinavian feel for fresh and timeless pieces, where strong lines are often met with gentle curving detail.

The girls insist that the mice are private creatures that live in wardrobes and cupboards where it’s quiet and safe. I cannot count the times I’ve laughed aloud at the places I’ve discovered them hiding along with tea sets and miniature furniture where they’ve set up house.  Our mouse house is tucked in a bookshelf and has been their home for as long as I can remember. We have made a ‘townhouse’ from old shoe boxes for them too, and this is where they come to stay when they’re visiting their cousins.

It is as though they are the mystical creatures that live alongside us. The girls will make up stories too of what they get up to when we are not at home. ‘Coco’ is the sensible one whereas ‘Beau’ is a little mischievous trying to coax the others into some sort of cheeky game. ‘Coco’ and ‘Beau’ have travelled all around the world with us too, taking their suitcases and holiday must haves with them. 

I continue to love the way the girls play when they play with Maileg. Their imagination is free to create little worlds in which their bunnies or mice live in. Whereas their dolls follow a more traditional routine of role-play in which they mimic our everyday lives seeing the world as it is. I have noticed that with other ‘toys’ they are freer to ‘let go’ of this way of play.  ‘Coco’ and ‘Beau’ live in a wonderland where flowers sing, stars are sprinkles of magical powers and the world is a place of new discoveries in which nothing is at it truly is. Their creative play goes beyond thinking and feeling the world as it is and into having their own ideas about it. Interpreting their experience and imagination to give it new meaning. This is not to say that one is more important that the other but rather there is desire for both. A puzzle can only be pieced together in one way; there is an order a logic to it. A picture can use different media and be many things either as a replicated image of something known or a journey into the artists own imagination. Neither is more important than the other and both are part of a childs play. The girls have toys which are played with using their experience of the world as they have learned it and of course those that teach them about the world as it is, then there are toys in which they play with through their ‘minds eyes’. They are inventive, imaginative and turn this into creativity.

This is one of the joys of childhood; the ability to be so utterly spontaneous in thought. To create just to be creative. This is why I love the collections of Maileg. The timeless pieces that have brought a little magic to my own children, a sense of nostalgia to me and hopefully too to be handed down to their children where they can see, as mothers, the other side of play.

Thankfully The Maileg collection holds more than well designed toys for children.

There are beautiful seasonal decorations for Easter and Christmas alongside goodie tins, candle holders and bunting. The designs are instantly recognisable through their colour, design and theme.

Some of our family traditions involve Mailegs designs, the Easter egg tins are rediscovered in the garden every year with different treats inside according to their ages. It’s a tradition I hope to keep going from bunny accessories which is a current favourite and girls’ obsession to hiding a lipstick or a pair of gloves when they are (much) older.

Our pixy advent calendars come out in December to squeals of excitement and their pockets are filled with treats and surprises and ideas for the day. I’m hoping when the children are older they’ll get an advent for us too to fill with ideas, wishes and treats too. The fabric decorations are hung by the children on the lower branches of the Christmas tree and the girls feel like they have been part of the decorating affair that is Christmas. Each year I will add to the collection giving the girls a ‘special’ decoration that is ‘theirs’. Mostly they are chosen depending on the children’s ages and characters at the time. Sometimes just because I know they will adore them.

The Maileg collection grows stronger with each new season. Bringing new collections; a new range of matchbox mice with beautfiul seasonal colours and bunnies in glorious fabric clothing. Easter is just around the corner now and their collection for this special time in spring conjures up imaginings of sunny picnics, fresh spring flowers and wonderful Easter egg hunts. There are plenty of inspiring gifts to suit all ages and wonderful pieces to start your own family traditions.

You can see the best of the Maileg collection here

My favourite pieces from the spring / summer 2011 Maileg collection are the fabric tea set and patisserie cakes.  They are made with beauty and longeivity in mind and just like the whole of the Maileg collection, they are very desirable and collectable.

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This is part of our series of blog posts that reveal the story behind the collections and why we chose them for the Sisters Guild Boutique.

Monday Makery - Chocolate Nest

The lunch is a huge part of Easter Sunday and children get so excited by all the treats I should probably be writing a recipe for something more savoury for the day. But, I can't help but use it as a time of utter indulgence. Whilst I shall have a go at making brown sugar meringue nests with fresh berries piled high on top and I may try making some Hot Cross Buns, or rather the now ceremoniously renamed Hot Kissed Buns, after Sophia decided that the + also looked liked an X once turned to its side. 

Sophia thought it would be far more fun to create a giant chocolate nest having talked about spring and its symbols. So in the style of making sand castles we bring you our chocolate nest decorated with marzipan flowers and filled with little birds and chocolate eggs. A feast of chocolate and a table centre piece of utter edible indulgence!

This is one of the easiest and satisfying recipes for children to make and with so much spoon licking and 'checking to see if it's right' it's a fun treat just making it.

Most of the time I make chocolate cornflake cakes I make up the amounts as I go adding more chocolate or syrup as it,s needed, but as a rough idea you'll need:

• 4 tbsp of Golden syrup
• 4 tbsp of Chocolate powder or 200g melting chocolate if you prefer
• 50g of Unsalted Butter
• 150g of Cornflakes and shredded wheat
• Coloured Marzipan

Here's how:

1. Break the chocolate into small chunks and place in a non-plastic bowl. 
2. Place the bowl of chocolate over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water and stir until it is smooth.
3. Add the butter and golden syrup and stir together.
4. Whilst the bowl is cooling pour your shredded wheat into a bowl and bash it up so it looks like strands of straw. Add the cornflakes and mix the dry ingredients together.
5. Now pour on the chocolate mixture and stir it all together making sure it all gets equally covered with the yummy chocolate.

You can either make small nests in muffin cases or make one large nest like we did here. We spooned 2/3 of the mixture onto a plate making a round shape and patting it down with the back of a spoon to make it firm. Then we spooned small amounts around the edge pressing against the edge of the base to form the outside edge.

For the flowers we rolled out lumps of marzipan and cut shapes using cookie cutters and made more flowers by rolling small amounts of marzipan into balls and shaped them as we would with play dough to create petals.
Finally we put a couple of big chocolate Easter eggs inside! Nom nom!
I should have been a little quicker with the camera as the flowers were being eaten so quickly! The girls are very proud of their nest and as they're full of chocolate already thanks to all the spoon licking they're happy to save the cake for later - which is a first!

Baby Friendly Boltholes

Now is the time of year that I start thinking about holidays, dreaming about jetting off to a remote place to simply swim, sleep, eat and indulge and read at least 5 books! It's a different ball-game when you have kids as there's so much more to think about and pack.  The first time I holidayed with my son at 6 months old, there was very little room in the suitcase for my own clothes and definitely no novels! I took every piece of baby equipment as well as nappies and food - so much stuff that I really didn't need to worry about. Then I discovered Baby Friendly Boltholes...

When you travel with a baby you want it to be easy, you want to know what lies at your destination, you want to be free of anxiety - otherwise it won't be a holiday.  Sian Williams created Baby Friendly Boltholes to make your holiday just that - an easy break where you can rest your mind about what awaits you and have all the essentials lined up. She says:  So, if you're looking for somewhere that combines taste with toddlers and most importantly is run by the kind of people who know that it takes far more than a travel cot and a highchair to make a family-friendly  holiday, look no further!

We're big advocates of British holidays which usually take the form of family camping weekends, big barn weekends with friends and cottage breaks with grandparents, but we've never had a cottage weekend with just the three of us -  husband, son and I. It's something that is really appealing as we live in a flat so having a whole cottage for the three of us would be like living in our dream home for a week. BFB have selected some beautiful places to stay in the UK.  This one comes under the 'romantic' category:

The Dairy Cottage  - New Forest, Hampshire

This is a place for fans of architectural design and eco features. It's an oak frame built 2 bedroom cottage that was featured on Grand Designs, with underfloor heating, eco woodburner, solar heating and a water recycling unit. The garden even has a teepee.  There's an impressive list of equipment that is available on free loan: 2 x zed beds, Bugaboo stroller, 3-wheeler stroller, bouncer chair, bibs, steriliser (with 2xbottles), bottle warmer, magi-mix, fly net cover for cot, feeding pillow, changing mat, 2xbaby baths (upright & regular), baby toiletries (wash, shampoo & oil), potty, bathroom step, Baby monitor and plastic crockery and cutlery. It truly is geared up for families with any age baby or child.  How easy and breezy would you feel heading to this place.  With plenty of toys and entertainment, and a pub within 10 minutes walk I think everyone would be happy.  I spy some May dates available...

Next I browsed through Italy, a place I am very fond of as I lived there for a while.  This place has been named one of Tatler's 101 Best Hotels and I'm certainly drawn in by the glamour....and that infinity pool with a view of the Tuscan hills.

La Bandita, Pienza, Tuscany, Italy

For those who are used to the luxury of boutique style hotels La Bandita is a slice of heaven for you and the kids! The converted farm buildings provides accommodation to suit families with the Pig Sty Suite offering more privacy and space. A brilliant sliding wall turns the open-plan room into a family-friendly two-bedroom suite with a double bedroom, kitchenette and sofabed plus cot.  Equipment provided, on request, includes cots, highchairs, baby monitor, plastic cutlery and cups, toys, kids books and pool toys.  There's a small toddler pool attached to the 72-metre infinity pool.

The draw for me is the space, the view and the surrounding countryside, plus the lively communal suppers. For my husband the mention of an extensive record collection for guests to use (the owner used to be in the music industry) is enough to make us put this destination on our wish list.  Oh, and Pienza is where The English Patient was filmed with the beautiful Sant'Anna in Camprena ('the villa') nearby.


I love the Greek Islands as they hold memories of different phases of my life.  The carefree days of heading off on a cheap flight with just a backpack and no acommodation booked and having all sorts of adventures - which is what us sisters did a few times. Then there were the early boyfriend romantic adventures - part of the romance being only having enough Drachma for a bread, cheese, tomato and wine picnic on the beach!  Followed by a more luxurious phase with my husband discovering boutique hotels with fine linen and fine restaurant dining. The next phase I look forward to is 'Greek Islands with child' and Baby Friendly Boltholes has just the perfect place.... 

Ammos Hotel, nr. Chania, Crete

The Ammos Hotel has so much appeal I find myself visualizing myself there and it becoming a regular family holiday spot. It's small and friendly - BFB say 'the staff have a genuine affection for babies and toddlers'. It's beachside and also has a pool, including a small toddler one.  It has simple interiors and furnishings using Marimekko (fabric flutter alert). Not to mention the Korres products, treatment rooms and Yoga. Oooh Mama loves, Mama needs....
With a choice of a Studio or Suite you have all the hotel services of a restaurant and room service but with a spacious room that includes a kitchenette.  A basic kitchen is a must for us as we always have to buy food - a holiday isn't complete without shopping at food markets and my husband conjouring up an amazing meal for us.  Altogether, a perfect family destination...and only 20 minutes from Chania Airport.  I'm just off to look up some flights.

Happy Holidays!
x

An A-Z of Sisters Guild - F

feminine /fem′ə nin/ adjective 1 of or being a female person; woman or girl. 2 characteristic of, appropriate to, or peculiar to women; womanly; qualities regarded as characteristic of women and girls, as gentleness, weakness, delicacy, or modesty. 3 effeminate; womanish: said of a man. 4 of or belonging to the gender that normally includes most words or grammatical forms referring to females. 5 having or occuring in an extra unstressed final syllable; feminine rhyme.

“God made man stronger but not necessarily more intelligent. He gave women intuition and femininity. And, used properly, that combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I've ever met.”
Farrah Fawcett


Elle flotte, elle hésite, en un mot elle est femme.
(She floats, she hesitates; in a word she's a woman)
Athalie (1691) Jean Racine



“A woman may develop wrinkles and cellulite, lose her waistline, her bustline, her ability to bear a child, even her sense of humor, but none of that implies a loss of her sexuality, her femininity”
Barbara Gordon


"I don't mind living in a mans world as long as I can be a woman in it"
Marilyn Monroe

"[About Fred Astaire] "Sure he was great, but don't forget Ginger Rogers did everything he did backwards . . . and in high heels!"
  - Bob Thaves 1982 © NEA Inc.
 

“I'm not very feminine. Tried it once, threw my back out, had to give it up.”
Stephanie Hodge

"Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood"
Oscar Wilde

                                                                                                                                                                      

This is part of our 'An A-Z of Sisters Guild' blog posts published every Friday. See also A is for Adventure, B is for Bedtime, C is for Colour, D is for Discovery and E is for Exuberance.

The Art of Living: Making Easter Plans

For planning half-term and the Easter bank holiday I can't live without the following resources. I confess my obsession with always having to know what is on and where!

Netmums is a  resource I use a lot as it has so much information for families.  I can always rely on Netmums for a recipe and to find out about places to go.  It also has good information about Playgroups, Nurseries, Pre-School Classes and After School Clubs, plus plenty of Easter craft ideas. A page that is also really handy is 101 things for Free Family Fun

The new site that has been rocking my world is childfriendlybrighton.  This is a site I was crying out for when my son was born and I wanted to go places, meet people, get involved and find out where exactly was child-friendly.  I'm guessing the Founder of the site Shoshana felt the same and thus created childfriendlybrighton. We are exteremely grateful! It really is incredibly useful as you can view events by date. So it's a case of saying ' oh what is happening on such and such a day' and click there you have it! Just take a look at the calendar page.
There's information on all the cafes, farms, parks, libraries as well as classes for all ages.  Makes me realise how much there is to do in Brighton and Hove and why I love living here! And if it's childcare you need Zoe at the Baby Rock Agency is the one to get in touch with.

For Londoners or visitors to London a copy of Time Out is essential when it comes to what's on in the capital - with things to do for kids as well as adults (though it's been a long time since I looked at the clubbing listings!).  When I first moved out of London I still subscribed to Time Out for years as I HAD to know everything that was happening even if I couldn't be there!

Another good mag to pick up is Angels & Urchins - a fantastic resource for places and ideas.  The website also has London what's on listings and features such as Easter Camps.  And I just spotted the Just so Stories at the Pleasance Theatre which is well-timed for our London visit.

Baby London is also great for London listings with a handy quick glance calendar alongside the events page.  There's Baby Surrey and Baby Hampshire too - great coverage of all the exciting events.

Daily Candy Kids is good to browse for inspiration and there's a London newsletter for news and events including fashion news. I've just received a newsletter this morning with dates of a Paul Smith Warehouse Sale which is a very tempting holiday shopping treat for me!

ABC magazine is a long-established free parenting magazine that covers EVERYTHING. The Sussex edition I can't do without.  You can check on the ABC website to find out where to pick up a copy that covers your local area.

Bambino Goodies is THE best place to discover childrens lifestyle and design news but also 'Cool Spots'and 'Hot Spots' in their Places to Go section.

If I've forgotten any essential online resources or if you have any tips to add, please do leave a comment.

Happy Easter holidays!
x

Wednesday Woo - Welcome to the New Rabbit Family

Welcome Alex, Abby, Christina & Cornelia, the new Maileg Rabbits for spring /summer 2011 that have  hopped into the boutique from Denmark, just in time for the Easter holidays.

The Rabbit Family live in a wonderful lair behind a tiny hill-top. There are sisters and brothers, nephews, cousins, a whole family. Every morning they wake up the sun, before it rises, and in the evening they eat star-sprinkles with warm milk using a silver spoon. They are beautifully dressed and ready to play...

Maileg Rabbits - Medium - Christina & Cornelia, £34

The outfits can be changed and the medium sized rabbits even have sweet little shoes you can take on and off - perfect for keeping little hands busy.

Maileg Rabbits - Medium - Abby & Alex, £34

Maileg have used some beautiful fabrics this season - fresh green check, bright florals and a sweet yellow blossom print. Alex has a soft knitted cotton sweater and stripey shorts - so the boys aren't left out of all the rabbit play and dressing fun!

Maileg Rabbits - Small - Christina & Cornelia, £16

And of course there are baby rabbits in the family too:

Maileg Rabbits - Baby Boys & Girls, £14

The Maileg rabbits are made with fine linen with embroidered deatil on the face, fingers and toes. They have dangly arms and legs which adds to their charm. They are so adorable and easily become favourite companions to join in all the day-to-day activities...and far flung adventures too. 

When the rabbits are out and about there's a lovely little duffle-style bag which is perfect for the babies and all the bits they need.  The medium rabbit fit in too with their little face and ears popping out the top to spy all the things that go by.

Maileg Weekender Bags, £13.95

Another rabbit that we are completely smitten with is Boo, Belle's best friend. The pair of them have been up to all sorts of things so far this spring:

Belle & Boo art prints

Boo is ready to charm your little ones at bedtime with this beautiful Boo Cot Bed Quilt (coming very soon!)

View all things rabbity in the Easter section here

The Monday Makery has some wonderful Easter crafts ideas, including Bunny Bunting

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The Story Behind Our Collections - Playplax

Playplax was born in 1967 and quite by chance. The brilliant brainchild of Patrick Rylands Playplax was an idea developed from working on the design of prefabrictaed interlocking facings in ceramic and concrete. Rylands developed these facings into a free standing building which like a construction toy could be built to create a plethora of designs. Whilst on holiday from his time studying at the Royal College of Art Rylands minaturised the principle parts of this project he was working on. First he created a design in cardboard and then later in the form we all remember, the acrylic model.

Playplax consists of 48 transparent plastic slotted squares that can be pieced together as abstract structures or of real models and objects. There are a multitude of ways in which a child can be creative. Learning about structure, shape, form and balance, and with red, blue, green, yellow and clear pieces included in each set children will also learn about colour and their combinations. It is a 'toy' of exploration. A challenge for the imagination and as fascinating to adults as it is to children.

I remember playing with Playplax as a child. I remember the feeling of their perfectly smooth and light shape, and the sound they made too. I remember sitting for what must have been hours constructing a tower, a bridge, trying to create a curve and more often an abstract 'something'  that I'd give an equally abstract name to as though I had created a genius form.
We redsicovered it in the games cupboard at our mothers house and whilst we intended to let the children play we became so utterly engrossed with it oursleves. For the entire weekend our table consisted of some sort of Playplax creation. We were also happy to simply touch them whilst chatting and feeling the perspex in our hands and holding them up to the light.  It really is even more lovely to play with them in a spot where the sun can shine through.

Once we learned that Playplax was being manufactured again by a UK company there was no doubt that we would have to house it in our boutique. There were plenty of squeals when they arrived and we were able to see them in all their shining glory! It speaks so much by its design, its function, its fascinating limitlessness and its elegance, that it summarised what our imagine & play principle is;  freedom to create, to discover and above all explore imagination.

Patrick Rylands makes a point that rings true with us here at Sisters Guild: "For me", he says "one of the most important functions of a toy is to enable the child to enter into fantasy. I believe that a child can come to grips with reality through fantasy. The proverbial cardboard box is excellent because a child can make anything of it: the box suggests so little itself that the child is completely free to use his imagination. This 'less is more' principle probably applies more to toys than anything else: the doll that does everything itself does nothing for the child. I do not set out to design specifically 'educational' toys. My prime aim is to design something that will amuse children; if I achieve this then I believe the child will be learning anyway"

Sisters Guild believes that imagination is key to a child's learning and this shows in our carefully selected 'imagine & play' category whereby 'toys' are more 'tools for play' that allow the child to be free to explore with their own imagination.

As a design led company we are constantly searching for what could become the classics of the new generation.  Already a classic for previous generations we believe this love of Playplax will continue for many more to come.

Playplax is included in the permanent collection at both the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York and here in London  at the V&A and of course in the permanent collection here at Sisters Guild!

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This is part of our series of blog posts that reveal the story behind the collections and why we chose them for the Sisters Guild Boutique.

Read about more British Designs: Belle & Boo and ilovegorgeous

Monday Makery - Easter Blossom & Bunny Bunting

I have probably said this before and those of you who have read previous Makery's will know that I love decorating for special occasions. Easter is on its way and with so many spring colours blossoming and the skies turning blue it's that beautiful time of year when we invite spring into our homes. The Easter egg hunt is probably the favourite part of Easter Sunday for the children. For me it starts a little before that. When I'm planning the hunt and making decorations for the big feast that will be our Easter lunch. We will move our big kitchen table into the garden, treats will be hidden in as many places as we can conceal them, the table will be a visual feast of spring colour and home-made decorations and of course the bunting will be hung.
As we are away for Easter we will be celebrating the weekend before so yes, I've started already! This is the first of our Easter Makeries.

 
This decorative tree is easy and feels wonderful to create your own blossom that will look simply beautiful as a centre piece. On the day we will hang treats and decorated eggs from the branches. The bunny garlands are incredibly easy too and can be hung anywhere and everywhere. Sophia has asked to hang some in her room too. So we're making a rainbow of bunnies to adorn her bedroom.

For the Blossom Tree you'll need:

• dry twigs - the wonkier and more crooked the better and a great excuse to head to some fields or a park.
• pot or vase 
• old newspaper
• glue stick
• paper and scissors

Here's how:

1. Arrange your twigs in a pot and use tightly screwed up pieces of newspaper to fill the surrounding space to hold them.
2. Fold over one edge of a piece of paper to give you a flap about an inch wide. Fold over again and again. This will save you all the time of having to cut the flowers individually.
3. Draw the silhouette image of flowers onto your paper and cut them out. 
4. Using your glue-stick stick the paper blossoms onto your branches.
5. I made the grass by cutting a strip of green paper and then snipping into it roughly and then used the glue-stick to stick around the inside lip of the pot.

For the Bunny Bunting you'll need:

• coloured paper
• scissors
• wool or string
• glue stick
• pencil

Here's how:

1. Draw a silhouette of your chosen image onto card and cut out.
2. Fold a piece of paper over to give you a strip wide enough for your image. Fold over again and repeat so that your paper is a series of folds on top one another in equal size.
3. Draw around your card template to create a line of figures and cut each one out.
4. Take a length of string or wool and glue each figure onto the wool and hang!

Find more Monday Makery posts here

Sisters Guild Four Day Sale

We've got giddy with reductions on this April Fools Day.  Find reduced prices on Rice DK, Mini McGhee, Aden+Anais, Belle & Boo, En Gry & Sif, Renaissance Life, Rosie Flo, Clothkits, Love Mae, Angels Face and more!


Browse the april fools sale here

An A-Z of Sisters Guild - E

exuberant /ig-zyoohb(ə)-rənt/ adjective 1a joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic b lavish and flamboyant 2 great or extreme in degree 3 abundant or luxuriant 4 Growing, producing, or produced abundantly; plentiful

This is one of our favourite words.  Children have a natural exuberance that is infectious.

One of the best things about being a mum is when your children remind you of how important it is to let go and feel unrestrained, uninhibited joy......and generally mess about and be very very silly!

The Art of Living

This is the first in a series of blog posts about the 'Art of Living.' 
Each post will be a visual feast, a celebration of all things inspiring, beautiful, exciting, quirky and fun.  All the things that we are passionate about. Here we will embrace people, places, travel, music, photography, film, nature, books and more!

Spring Brings...Flowers and Afternoon Tea

This is the time of year when things blossom.  Life feels a bit more gentle.  People and encounters seem more open and easy.  Our bodies shed the winter layers and we feel more inclined to be outdoors and active.  It's about new things, new beginnings, new life....

The picking and giving of flowers

For those lucky enough to have their own patch of garden and can actually cultivate their own flowers, they can directly feel the joy of being able to gather up beautiful stems to fill vases at home.  Others, like myself,  have to call on a florist for our own bunches of flowers...or hope that we are presented with a bunch now and then!  There's one very special florist called Kate Langdale round the corner from us.  She does the most beautiful bouquets...and I'm usually lucky enough to receive a posy for Mother's Day.

I've also just discovered Scilly Flowers - flowers by post from the Isles of Scilly.  They do Scented Narcissi, which are truly bright and beautiful. Last orders for Mothers's Day TODAY - by 12 noon!

Crocus is also a great place for flower deliveries as they do generous bouquets but also plants as gifts if you're keen to give something more lasting.  I can't resist poring over their gardening collection...and dream up what will be in the flower beds of my future garden.

Floral prints

We both have a passion for floral print and pattern and this shows in the boutique in the spring / summer 2011 clothing collections:

There's also some lovely floral prints in the spring decor collections:

A perfect place to see spring flowers

Spring Bulbs & Blossoms at Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens is a magical spot in West London and the Crocus Carpet is a bright jewel-like sight to behold.  The crocuses are over now but there's cherry blossoms just bursting through and the bluebells that will be putting on a show soon too. I'm going to try and time another visit to see the the blue carpets that are my favourite spring show!

Time for Tea

I don't need an excuse to indulge in a Cream Tea.  We've sampled quite a few in London and Brighton and various spots in Sussex....in fact, wherever we go we manage to sniff out a scone and all the must-have accompaniments, including clotted cream (Cornish preferably).  This Mothering Sunday we shall seek out some Tea Rooms in the Sussex Downs.  I've heard Steyning Tea Rooms are lovely - I shall report back to you what we discover.  For those in London, there's plenty of Afternoon Tea options, ranging from little tea shops to grand hotels.

 

High Tea of Highgate is a sweet little Tea Shop in Highgate Village serving up Afternoon Tea in the traditional style. Cream Tea (with the Tea quite rightly being Loose Leaf Tea) all served up in pretty vintage crockery - delightful!

Bake-a-Boo is another spot in North London. With a wide range of cakes and treats and the all important scones.  They do gluten-free too.  There's a special Afternoon Tea for Mother's Day with the traditional tiered cake stand full of dainty yumminess!

For something a bit more regal and the opportunity to take in some Art at the Marylebone Gallery, The Wallace Restaurant has a lovely setting for Afternoon Tea in a courtyard.

And lastly, for an Alice in Wonderland inspired dining experience the Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea at Suka at the Sanderson looks amazing. 

Enjoy the spring and all it brings!
x

Wednesday Woo Wishes

The joy of spring is in the air and the sisters households have been busy.  There have been birthday parties,  lots of work behind the scenes of the shop, new stock arriving and parcels now being delivered across the world!

We are very passionate about all the collections we stock in the boutique and this is expressed in our series of posts about The Story Behind Our Collections.  We do squeal with delight when new stock arrives and get excited again when we have the chance to beautifully wrap the parcels oursleves and send them on their way  for customers to enjoy.  We often say ' Oh, what a lovely order, I'd love to receive that parcel'!  So we thought we'd take the opportunity to pick some of our favourite pieces, the things that make us smile, the things that we would love to receive!

Carla loves...

My Favourite Place Pillow by Lucky Boy Sunday.  This beautiful cushion is made of baby alpaca and it is very soft and just the right size to hug. I would have to put this on my favourite chair, just where it catches the morning light, and relax with my mug of tea....on Sunday of course!
Fabric Cakes in a Box by Maileg.  This is the kind of thing I would give my daughter but secretly desire for myself.  A patisserie box of fabric cakes with beautiful detail. They would, of course, end up in various places round the house adding charm wherever they lay.
Sophia (S) has become fascinated with family members and how we are all connected.  This Family Tree Poster by Belle & Boo is a beautiful way to display the family as a tree, with spaces for photos hanging from the branches.
When we discovered the Renaissance Life jewellery we loved how heavy and solid the pieces are. They are so amazing to hold and you honestly feel a certain allure when you wear them. This Year 1952 Secret Heart has a drawer to keep something safe inside. I would keep a piece of paper with a secret wish ....although S would say 'Tell me, tell me mummy, whisper it to me...'
Edition Paumes books from Japan are, quite frankly, a visual treat.  Full of inspiring pictures, the title 'The Parents Love-Chiselled Gifts for Their Tiny Ones' is about the wonderful gifts creative parents have made for their children. It's very magical and heartwarming.
Love Mae wall stickers are not only designed for children. They are wall art, interior decoration AND fun to play with.  The Dress-Up Dolls set is a man and a woman (boyfriend and girlfriend for sure) with a selection of rather enviable clothes, hairstyles and a pet cat. Really very cool.

Bekka loves...

The Rice Dk boxes are covered in fabric with the most beautiful embroidery. Stunning.  But there's more...when you open the ribbon tie and look inside there's a lovely contrasting fabric surprise. These are treasure boxes for Mamas.  I would keep all my collectables in here and enjoy the pleasure each time I open it.
My son loves to gaze at pictures of his girl cousins and these Cherry Photo Frames by Rice DK would be the perfect way to display the rosy-cheeked faces of his four favourite girls. And they'd add a bit of pretty to his bedroom too!
I could pore over Paumes books for hours, dreaming of creative interiors.  The title Finland Family Style allows me to peep into Nordic homes and admire the individual style. They are child-friendly homes too...even more inspiring!
This Rice DK Velvet Clutch Bag I have very recently been lucky enough to hold. It's one of those things that you want to hold to your chest and adore. There's velvet, crochet, floral prints, gingham, sequins and gold trim - now that's a fancy bird! 
The colour of this hop hop hop locket is a shade of green I am always drawn to. The enamel finish and gold chain really works with this colour. So fresh and vibrant.  A colour to wear and feel full of vitality.
More of my favourite colours are on this candle-holder. It is beautifully hand-painted as what you'd expect from Rice DK and has a really pleasing round shape. An object that would definitely always make me smile.

Enjoy browsing the Sisters Guild Boutique here