A song for saturday

This is so beautiful.  Louis Armstrong singing Bare Necessities.  One of the favourite songs in our family.  Amazing to find such a great version.  We love...




Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life

Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzin' in the tree
To make some honey just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants
And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try a few

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life

Now when you pick a pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw
Have I given you a clue ?

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

So just try and relax, yeah cool it
Fall apart in my backyard
'Cause let me tell you something little britches
If you act like that bee acts, uh uh
You're working too hard

And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true

The bare necessities of life will come to you

Happy saturday singing

x

An A-Z of Sisters Guild - C

colour (NAmer color) /'kulə/ noun 1 a visual sensation, eg of redness, blueness, etc, caused by the wavelength of preceived light. 2 a hue, e.g. red or blue, or such hues in general, esp as opposed to black, white, and grey.

colour (NAmer color) verb trans 1a to give colour to (something). b to change the colour of (something). 2a to misrepresent or distort (something). b to influence or effect (something).

Sessi: Imagine if all the world was pink. It wouldn't be very interesting would it.

C: Oona what colour are your wellies?

Oona: Red!

C: What colour is the sky?

Oona: Red!

C: What colour is the moon?

Oona: Red!

B: I remember learning to read the crayola colour names as a child - Aquamarine, Dandelion and Shocking Pink - and later became fascinated by oil paint colour names too - Cadmium Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Viridian.  I just love the way they sound.

Wednesday Woo - Lucky Boy Sunday

Lucky Boy Sunday spring / summer 2011 collection is here! Sisters Guild is so proud to house these unique and beautiful pieces that can be enjoyed generation after generation. This beguiling collection, brought together by the talented Danish designers Camilla and Camilla, will undoubtedly become the sought-after classic of the new generation that blossoms today.

Lucky Boy Sunday was established on a sunny sunday afternoon. Their creators Camilla and Camilla made a promise to eachother: to create their very own version of a child's reality. Their workspace was built around the framework of the words 'silly,' 'seriously,' 'joyful,' 'graphics,' and 'dreams.' Their entire collection speaks this promise in a language of design that is enjoyed by both child and grown up alike.

Each quirky little piece is made in Bolivia from 100% baby alpaca and non-toxic dyes. We are grateful too that they are all machine washable on a gentle wool cycle. So no matter how much they are hugged, cuddled with sticky fingers or journeyed around whilst bumping on the ground, you'll always be able to give them a clean!

There's nulle, jealous baby, kiddo doll, blib blob, jazzman, bow jovi, miss white, bad eye lily, ready to become part of the family.  Some pillows to share a hug and a secret with: sad joe pillow, quiet kid pillow, favourite place pillow - they surely belong in grown-up spaces too! Plus some flap ear rattles who are looking for nothing more than a good shake!

View the Lucky Boy Sunday collection in the Sisters Guild Boutique here

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Monday Makery - The Land of Me

The Land of Me is an interactive and educational programme for ages 2-6, which we shall be reviewing in full forthwith!  In the meantime we can show you all the crafts and activities which are part of each section of the DVD-Rom, and have been the main 'makery' of the weekend.

Both London & Brighton households of Sisters Guild have been gripped by the charm of the 3 adventurers Buddy Boo, Eric & Willow who are now officially part of our family!

The Land of Me has been Gabriel's first encounter with a computer and he was very excited to discover that we could print out Buddy Boo (his favourite) and 'all kinds of things' (jumping up and down).

I feel that the printable side of The Land of Me is very important as it provides something physical to create and play with beyond the screen.

Using all the printables means the story of Buddy Boo, Eric, Willow and friends can be taken to another level as they are introduced to a whole array of other playthings and new adventures ensue.

Gabe's imagination was truly sparked and he led the way with acting out lots of stories. It was great to watch and hear all the scenarios and conversations Gabe created with the characters and creatures.

All you need are scissors, colouring-in pens, pencils or paint, and some glue.  There's finger puppets of all the characters and creatures, a Buddy Boo Windmill, an Eric Castle, aWillow Teepee, vehicles, a matching pairs game, hats, masks, dioramas, story dice, flick books...and a map. Every child (and adult) loves a map!

The Land of Me provides great materials for creating and learning with your child, and it's fun too! Gabe's Dad had to go to work today in character - 'be Buddy Boo Daddy' - and we have used the map around the home this morning to discover new lands. We all know how a chair, a sofa plus a big sheet can become something amazing - it's all about the imagination!

Tip: Print all the Land of Me things onto thick paper - they will be played with a lot!

Take a look at the Made in Me blog for posts about further creative & educational possibilities with The Land of Me:

Learning with Me: Create a Sensory Environment
Learning with Me: Small World Play
Learning with Me: Language Development

Beautiful bedtime

We chose these pieces with beautiful bedtimes in mind.  It's all about fine cotton, pretty florals, soft muslin and some favourite things to play with in those moments before sweet slumber.

Clockwise from top:

Boo Cot Bed Quilt by Belle & Boo £45

KISS Cushion Cover by Rice DK £21.50
Single Layer Sleeping Bag, Star Light, by Aden & Anais £22
Princess & the Pea Bed Set by Maileg £59.95

Spring Patchwork Double Quily by Rice DK £120

Cornelia Rabbit by Maileg £34

Single Swaddling Muslin, Blue Star by Aden & Anais £12.95

Bubbles Before Bed Book by Belle & Boo £6.99

Lambswool Handknitted Baby Blanket by Mini Mcghee £56

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An A -Z of Sisters Guild - B

bedtime: [ˈbɛdˌtaɪm] noun 1 the time at which one goes to bed. 2 a bedtime story

Carla: Did you have a nice nap?

Sessi (at 2): I wasn't sleeping I was just resting my eyes.

Gabriel (3): 'Mummy, they paint pictures in my bed at night-time' (an interesting decsription of dreams!)

Bekka remembers: ' Muuuum, Carla won't stop singing and I'm trying to go to sleep' (we shared a bedroom. Carla would wake up singing too!)

Wednesday Woo!

Mae wall decals, Hucklebones SS11 collection, Belle & Boo collection

The Hucklebones and Belle & Boo new SS11 collections carry us to an English garden where we can have picnics and sprawl on the grass, and when the warm days feel like they go on forever (can't wait for that feeling!). The crisp cottons, fine voiles, seersucker and silks are the perfect fabrics for spring and summer days.

Both Hucklebones and Belle & Boo have many international fans and we can see why. This is clothing that harks back to previous decades when childrens' clothes were carefully tailored and maintained an innocence and integrity. There's an old-fashioned English romantic feel to the Hucklebones collection with Wedgwood blue being a key colour, A-line shapes complimented by penny collar blouses, big bows and the new print for SS11, the oversized Dahlia.

And, one last 'Wow'...the Mae wall decals are such a great discovery. They are scrunchable and re-usable which means thay are not only a decoration but a plaything too. The spring dress-up doll is fabulous and comes with different hairstyles and accessories, oh yes!

Now, let it really be spring, so we can start playing spring dress-up for real...and find us a perfect lawn somewhere!

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Monday Makery - Money Bags

The joy of cooking with children, for them, is the apothecary of mixing, the mess, the getting your fingers sticky and creating from a few ingredients something incredibly delicious that will disappear from the plate as soon as it's been presented. This recipe* ticks all the boxes and once you realise how easy and thrown together it is you'll be adding it to your repertoire of yummy recipes. You can adapt the ingredients to suit your taste and your whats-left-in-the-fridge-availabilty. You can make them sweet with frozen fruit  (easily available at most supermarkets) and dip them into yoghurt. Sophia suggested we use some mince meat, the kind you use for making Christmas mince pies, and others with apples and cinnamon. As well as the recipe below we've been experimenting with other flavours too.

You'll need:

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 250g filo pastry
• 100g feta cheese
• 100g cherry tomatoes
• bunch of basil, parsley or chives
• plain flour for dusting

 
Here's how:

1. Take a sheet of baking paper / greaseproof paper and let the mess begin by getting your child to smear a few drops of oil onto it.
2. Chop the feta and tomatoes into small piece.
3. Chop your chosen herbs and mix together in a bowl with the cheese and tomatoes.
4. Sprinkle a little plain flour onto your table and peel off two sheets of filo pastry and place one on top of the other. Using a knife or a pizza cutter cut into 12cm squares.
5. Brush the squares with a little oil. A small cup makes a 'paint pot'. Stack one square on the other making an 8 pointed star (the recipe we used for this suggested using 3 squares but I think this is a little too much).
6. Spoon a little of your feta and tomato mix into the middle.
7. This next step is a little tricky for little hands at first but once you've shown them how to do it they'll be able to do it. Perfection is in the practise!
8. Place each parcel onto your greased baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes or until crisp and golden.
9. Let them cool on the baking sheet enough that little hands will be able to hold them. 
10. Devour! Nom Nom.

We're now trying different fillings and a minced beef version 'burek' has been added to our list of favourites now. The girls love to dip these into a dish of plain yoghurt whilst my husband loves his with yoghurt/ sauce (similar to raita or tzatziki ) I make which has finely chopped cucumber, lots of chopped fresh mint, crushed garlic and a few pinches of salt. This dip goes amazingly well with homemade beef burgers too; one of our favourite summer barbeque faves.
I love how versatile this money bag trick is. I shall now always keep a stash of filo in the freezer.


*this recipe was discovered in 'Baking with tiny tots' by Becky Johnson

An A-Z of Sisters Guild - A

adventure:  /ad ven′c̸hər, əd-/  noun 1a an undertaking involving danger, risks, and uncertainty of outcome. b an exciting or remarkable experience.

adventure: verb trans to venture or risk > verb intrans 1 (usu + into/on/upon) to dare to go, undertake, or enter. 2 to take a risk.

because everyday is an advenrture

B: Hey sis remember when we used to go on expeditions and how we thought we could walk for miles and get to other lands.

C: Yeh, and then only make it to the next field and start on our jam sandwiches already...

B: And then get distracted by butterflies.

C: Or boys!

We ask our children: What kind of adventure would you like to go on?

Sophia : I'd like to go all the way to the moon and when we get there we can collect moon aliens.

Oona: Scooter. Moooooon.

Gabe: In a really big boat to find some monkeys.

What kind of adventure would you like?

Wednesday Woo!

ilovegorgeous SS11 collection with Build a Tree Wall Decals by Mae and accessories from Rice DK SS11

Here it is! The new SS11 ilovegorgeous collection is a true celebration of glorious days spent outdoors.  Inspired by the moody skies and colours of an English summer, it speaks of freedom and adventure.  There's dusty plums and pinks with some pretty florals, including a delicate vintage inspired English rose print.  A clothing collection for party girls but also for girls who are not afraid of mud and climbing trees,  for enchanting woodland creatures that want to play all day long.

As always with ilovegorgeous the beauty is in the detail - the fabrics, the ribbons, the trims, the hems, the sleeves, the pockets, the ties and embroidery. 

View the ilovegorgoeus collection here

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Monday Makery - Gabe's Easy Raisin Sponge

Making a sponge cake fulfils many things including keeping little hands busy on a rainy afternoon  (or any time really), and having a focused thing to do together that results in a home-made treat.
For me personally (as a non-baker) the greatest fulfilment is baking a cake that actually works.
This is a doddle!

My son and I now know this recipe off-by-heart.
He tells me the amounts each time we do the weighing...that helps, as I can forget!

I really hope my son will always know how to bake this cake...and I can imagine it will impress quite a few girls when he's older.

The recipe is in actual fact based on your simple Victorian Sponge recipe with a generous handful of raisins. Simple as that.
It was Gabriel who decided to add the raisins. They sink to the bottom of the cake -  the WI probably wouldn't approve but it's delicious!

I probably don't need to tell you the ingredients...

• 150g softened butter or marg (olive oil spread is fine too)
• 150g caster sugar (or any other sugar you may have)
• 3  medium eggs
• 150g self raising flour - (wheat free flour works too - Dove's Farm do a good one)
• A generous handful of raisins
  
  In the oven on 180 for only 25 minutes.
  

It really is a fuss-free bung ingredients together kind of cake - make a mess and hey presto there's a sponge cake.

It's the making and having a giggle that's important. Oh, and eating the lot before Daddy comes home!

Ping, just out the oven! Nom Nom.
x

Woohoo for Belle & Boo

We know our passion for all things Belle & Boo is going to be a long-term love affair, and for our children the illustrations of Belle & Boo will be the images that will stay with them from childhood, just like Beatrix Potter and the Flower Fairies did with us.

We have added to the range of Belle & Boo in our boutique, with many more art prints, including some boyish themes:

Belle & Boo mounted art prints My Paper Plane £32.80, Pirate Party £56.30  My Paper Boat £32.80,      I Like Your Hat £20.50,
With background wall stickers Cowboys & Indians from £59.99

A beautiful selection of prints featuring Belle in various activities, perfect prints to adorn the walls of a girls bedroom:

Belle Feeds the Chicks £32.80,  Belle & Boo Fly a Kite £36.00, Hello Chick £32.80, Parade Wall Sticker from £20.00

The art prints are mounted giclée prints of various sizes, signed by the artist Mandy Sutcliffe.  They are sure to become collectable works of art! View the full range of Belle & Boo art prints here

If it's a personal family heirloom you're looking to create then the Family Tree Poster is a beautiful way to display family photos:

Family Tree Poster medium £16.00, large £30.00

And for gifts the lovely badges are now in stock:

Belle & Boo badges from £2.00

With further delights of the Belle & Boo range including Clothing, Cushions, Wall Stickers, Book Plates, Bags, a Dress-Up Doll and the Bubble Before Bed Book, and lots more to come, we are completely smitten and utterly grateful to Mandy Sutcliffe for all these beautiful creations.

There's some spring dresses about to arrive and the oh-to-be-coveted Boo quilt available soon!

Sign up for the newsletter on the left to keep updated with all the spring arrivals in the Sisters Guild Boutique!

Hucklebones spring / summer 2011 collection is here!

Like a fresh spring breeze the Hucklebones SS11 collection has arrived at the Sisters Guild Boutique.  With fabrics to suit the spring / summer season - ditsy checks, fine cotton voile, soft fluid silk, crisp cotton and seersucker.

And as we said before...

We love the beautiful dahlia print and the colour palette inspired by petals. With colour names such as Wedgewood Blue, Walnut, Buttercup, Sunshine and Peony, you immediately know these pieces are delicious, delicate and would look beautiful on your girls. With shapes that reflect feminine grace and movement:  A-line dresses, neat ‘penny collar’ blouses, bows and scalloped hems.

The collection takes inspiration from the fauna and flora of the garden.  Oh yes, we can picture the garden that inspired such a collection - a delicate English garden with a few bursts of colour.  It would of course be a garden with a lawn with space to run free, for girls dressed in soft silk dresses, floaty tops and jumpsuits, to play on picnic rugs, chase balloons, do cartwheels and possibly end the day in a beautiful sleepy heap with a crumpled dress and tangled hair.

That's the vision that the spring / summer Hucklebones collection conjours up for us.

Take a look for yourself and feel a hint of the gentle spring that will soon be here!

View the collection here

Monday Makery - Shadow Puppets

Sessi (Sophia) was remembering on the way to school the days when the sun was shining brightly and we would walk along making shadow puppets on the wall, telling a story along the way. Last summer it became part of our morning routine on the walk to nursery. So much so we ended up having to leave 10 minutes early to allow time for our shadow stories. The sun isn't shining bright enough now for our morning tales so I thought we would make some puppets at home to make stories together that way. 

Shadow puppets are a great way to encourage story telling with children. This is especially true for children who have not yet learnt to read by themselves. Each story is limited only to the puppeteers' imagination. There are endless stories to imagine, endless puppets to make and hours of fun to be had retelling fairytale classics not to mention those brilliant and often comedic tales children like to tell quite often adding their own twist to a well known story.

It's fun to recreate the characters from a favourite book; Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, or The Gruffalo. Though it's equally if not more fun to create a random selection of creatures and people and let the children use them to conjure up a story of their own imagination.

As the puppets are so simple to make you will no doubt keep adding more and more characters to your collection and this is what makes these creations all the more wonderful.

Children who are too young to play puppeteer themselves will love the new way of having a story told and what a great introduction to theatre too. Oona who is not yet two is too young to be able to recount a story but she loves the way the shadows move. She walks around with a puppet in hand squealing with delight 'marmai' every time the mermaid shadow appears on the wall or floor.


What you'll need:

• card - pizza or cereal boxes are ideal
• scissors
• pencil
• pipe cleaners or lollipop sticks
• a spotlight or lamp with the shade removed
• an empty wall or a sheet to hang

Here's how:

• draw outlines for each character, animal or scene you want to use on your card and cut each out carefully.
• using sticky tape secure a pipe cleaner to the back of each shadow puppet to create your stick. If your character feels too heavy twist two pipe cleaners together before sticking.
• hang a sheet from the ceiling using small tacks or knot each corner of the sheet and tie string around the knots using the string to hang the theatre from more hidden corners of the room. If you chose you can project the shadows onto an empty wall. Though this may make it harder to give a sense of there being a stage and an audience. A very long sheet of greaseproof paper stretched across the room and taped to the wall either side also makes a great area for shadow puppet theatre. To make a more permanent theatre albeit a smaller one an opened cereal box with a rectangular frame cut from the front with greaseproof paper stuck inside the frame makes a fantastic portable theatre that won't need to be taken down.
• Sit your lamp or spotlight behind the sheet or paper leaving enough distance for the puppeteer to be able to stand and perform and let the show begin.

Once upon a time ..........................

................and they lived happily ever after.

Wednesday Woos the Designer or Architect in you!

You can create something new every day at your own kitchen table...desk, floor or rug! If you harbour secret desires to design, invent and construct, satisfy your inner designer or architect with the wonders of Miller Goodman, Playplax and Rosie Flo

Miller Goodman PlayShapes are made of rubberwood and feel incredible in your hands. This set of 74 shapes allows you to become the master of some stunning creations, characters, creatures, buildings and landscapes.

Playplax is the new Lego in our household. We gather round to slot and stack and create colourful constructions, then sit back and admire. They are a pleasure to play with, way past the kids are in bed!

And for paper and pen creations...

In the world of Rosie Flo heads, arms and legs are missing and it is up to you to add these body parts, along with a rainbow of colour. The posters are big at 54 x 40 cm - you and your budding little designers can create a unique piece of artwork to give as a gift or keep and frame as a memento of your childs' unique imagination.

The Sisters Guild Let's Create section is full of those things that are ideal to have tucked away in a cupboard, ready to pull out and turn a dull day into an inspiring one.

10% off for the rest of february using this code: CREATE

*offer valid on Let's Create category only, until midnight Monday 28th February 2011

Monday Makery - I Give You My Heart

Love for breakfast. 

Love for tea. 

Love for you, 

Love from me!

Breakfast in our house is mostly the rushed bowl of cereal and a slice of marmite toast in hand rushing out the door for the school run. Whilst weekend breakfasts are a leisurely and might I add messy feast of pancakes. As valentines falls on our most hurried of hurried days we brought ours a day earlier and started the day with an epic feast of croissants, strawberries, blueberry pancakes, those forbidden chocolate cereals, boiled eggs and toasted soldiers and a table scattered with hearts, flowers and a few little surprises!

The heart table decorations are made using paper napkins and it's as simple as a few folds a few snips and voila! Follow the directions here. They also made fantastic crowns. 

Underneath their plates were hidden little valentines cards. I couldn't find any cards that I felt had the right sentiment, a card with a message of love that was suitable for children and I found this great idea here. I love these clever little envelopes that open up revealing their secret messages inside. For Oona who is too young to read I placed a picture of us together as a family, a sweet one of us lying on the grass together. Rather than just an 'I love you' message, which being said so much between us would not mark the day as extraordinary, I placed an invitation to an evening together. I wanted the day to be filled with things we love to do with the people we love. I wanted a day to remember. So, inside were tickets to Cirque de Soleil!

I love the idea of giving people seeds as a gift. Something to plant that can be nurtured, that will grow, blossom and just like love grow bigger every day. The girls were both given their own little pot with a personalised packet of seeds for them to plant. 

Hopefully their 'love in the mist' will grow strong in their pots ready to be planted in the garden of our new home.

What would a Sunday be without the all important aroma of something wonderful baking in the oven. Another of the girls things they love to do. We made gingerbread people and gingerbread hearts. The recipe is an easy one to follow, easy to make and easy for children to decorate.

What you'll need:

• greaseproof paper
• cookie cutters
• 130g butter at room temperature
• 110g soft brown sugar
• 375g plain flour
• 3-4 tsp ground ginger depending on your own taste
• 1/2 tsp of ground cloves (optional)
• 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 1 egg yolk (save the egg white for the icing)
• 280g golden syrup - almost 2/3 of a standard 474g tin 

for the icing you'll need:

• 240g icing sugar
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp plain flour
• food colouring

How to:

1. Preheat your oven to 160C (fan assisted)
2. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper
3. Mix together the butter, sugar and egg yolk in a bowl. (you may find it easier to use an electric mixer as it is quite a heavy mix by hand)
4. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cloves and cinnamon.
5. Start adding the flour and syrup bit by bit to make sure the ingredients are equally mixed together.
6. Knead the dough until it feels smooth. You can do this in the bowl if its large enough or on the table with a little sprinkled flour to prevent it from sticking.
7. Cut 2 sheets of greaseproof paper and sprinkle one with a little flour placing half the dough on top.
8. Placing the other sheet of greaseproof paper on top roll out the dough until it's a lovely flat sheet about 1/2 thick.
9. Using your cookie cutter start cutting your shapes and place them onto your pre-lined baking trays.
10. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes and leave to cool on their trays.

For the Icing:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl adding enough juice to make it spreadable. If you'd like to use different colours to decorate your gingerbread men divide the mixture into separate bowls and add your food colouring accordingly.

Decorating the gingerbread men:

1. Spoon the icing mixture into a freezer bag or a strong sandwich bag.
2. Cut the tip of one corner and gently squeeze the icing onto the cooled ginger bread shapes.

Yum Yum!

These 'sweet' hearts are a beautiful idea for hanging treats on the bedroom door. I love how one is not complete without its matching partner. You can fill them with anything you like. The girls and I filled them up with home-popped popcorn. We hung them from the mantle ready to pick up on our way to the theatre, our little treat for the interval.

Now I've discovered how to make them I shall be doing them again; hanging them up ready for an evening snuggling up together with a favourite film. I think they would make beautiful party bags too and what a wonderful way to carry confetti ready to throw at the bride and groom at a wedding (though do make sure you're a guest, I would not recommend throwing confetti at a random couple newly married!). You can see how to make them here

With Love

x