The Story Behind our Collections: En Gry & Sif

Sessi was coming up to her first birthday and I was at the stage where a mama needs to carry a busy bag of bits to keep her little one entertained whilst on the move. Those little books that come out while sitting in a cafe waiting for lunch to arrive, the little toys you  take to the park to keep little hands busy whilst you sit under a tree shading from the summer sun. I was on the search for a bag that would be Sessi's 'bag of...'

I had seen these felt house bags with a Danish name that I had thought were pretty perfect. A beautiful plaything with handles so it could also become a bag for your little one to proudly carry all those favourites things, and completely practical for mama too.  They were created by En Gry & Sif - a name I wanted to discover more about.

The bag did indeed become the bag we took to the cafe, on the train, to the park and held Sessi's important things to take to Granny's for the weekend. Since then, it has been the first house her little dolls moved into, the gingerbread house in stories re-enacted, a nappy bag when Oona arrived, the bag we take on plane flights and so much more. My girls now have one each in different colours - the bright and playful design means it stands out to them and they recognise it as 'theirs.'

I know they are pieces they will own for years to come, changing their use as they grow older and they'll last too.  When beginning the collection for Sisters Guild I knew they would sit perfectly amongst our other collections and wanted to house them in the boutique. It wasn't until  learning about the story behind the collection that it suddenly felt even more important to showcase the range in Sisters Guild. Sometimes it's what's behind the scenes that make us fall in love even more, and now I know a little more about the En Gry story I want to celebrate them.

This is the strory of 2 sisters; Gry and Sif. bored in their own lives they ventured out into the world to travel. One day they came across a village in Nepal where women were making felt and crafting beautiful pieces from it. They saw this and knew they should try to encourage it and harness their skill and their creativity. The two sisters set to find a way in which they could do it and designed a collection for children and for home. Together they create beautifully crafted wonderful pieces for children and home.

The sisters still visit the village as much as they can where it all began and where the local people are blossoming from the work provided.

En Gry & Sif has been given the medal for fair trade standards which symbolises not only thieir success in building a a business encouraging fair trade and conditions but also a stamp of 'thank you', 'well done' from all of us to you.

Even the name of company is a symbol of their original flair and the unique feel. 'En' literally means 'one', There is one Gry, there is one Sif and together they create one incredibly beautiful story, one amazing collection and many more than one persons life is enriched through their work.

I think the thing that makes this collection feel so genuinely heartfelt and completely compelling to tell others about is that it was born of curiosity, nutured with admiration and love and grown with a desire to share with others what they have found.

In En Gry & Sif you'll find playful pieces that fulfill the imaginings of the children that play with them, with the soft feel of felt that is such a tactile material and wonderful  for little hands to hold along with a sentiment of care and respect that shows through its skillfully crafted and beautifully designed pieces.

The collection carries wonderful play pieces that encourage imagination with a Noahs ark, a Gingerbread House, a Mushroom House, a Strawberry House, a Bee House and a farmhouse complete with felt animals and a rather handsome farmer too. En Gry & Sif also design around the festive season with stockings for christmas and decorations for the tree. Kepp an eye ouit for the Christmas collection oming soon

Here at Sisters Guild we search for those pieces that are designed with an idea that they can be handed down from one generation to the next and perhaps become the classics of this new blossoming generation. We believe that imagination is contagious and we hope these unique pieces spark wonder in you and your children.


Discover the En Gry & Sif collection here

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This is part of our series of blogs where we share the story behind our collections; because the collections and their creators mean so much to us here at Sisters Guild we want to pass the story on.

We bring a new blog each day; other series of blogs include our 'Monday Makery' with ideas and 'how to's'  to make and bake with all the family, Wednesday we woo you with our favourite pieces from the boutique and its new arrivals, Thursday is all about the art of living; discovering places and sharing new treasures and Friday we bring you the 'A-Z of Sisters Guild' a collection of pictures that convey the life behind the boutique

You can Follow us on Twitter here ,like us on Facebook here and visit our rather marvellous boutique here
Sign up to find out about new collections and future offers:

Monday Makery - Shoo Shoo Shoes

Perhaps it's the recent trips to shoe shops, buying new school shoes for the Autumn school term or the fact that suddenly the girls seem to have outgrown all their footwear, or perhaps there's a moment in a girls life when it all starts: the love of shoes!

Whatever their reason the girls are loving the trying on, the walk around the shop floor, the questions that follow 'how do they feel?' to which they always respond with a 'gooood' like they had just tasted a slice of chocolate gateau with a dollop of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream!

Playing shoe shops at home has become a new favourite pastime and when playing dressing up they insist on getting the right shoes to go with their outfit.

So though these would not pass the test for school footwear nor the after school social events that they are all so suddenly busy with, taking over any chance of me arranging my own, they are perfect for the dressing up box and for, in our house at the very least, playing shoe shops. 

The best thing about it is that they can design their very own, be it glittery, flowery, striped or fluffy the budding Louboutin's can let their creativity flourish.

Here's what you'll need:

• Hit the recycling bin and find some cardboard boxes; cereal boxes, double walled/corrugated cardboard boxes, shoe boxes or whatever you can find.
• scissors
• a pencil
• pva glue
• plastic jewels, tissue paper, feathers, ribbon, glitter, coloured paper, cotton wool - whatever you can find to hand

Here's how:

1. Get the children to draw around each others feet onto the cardboard to create the sole of each shoe.
2. Cut the feet shapes out and then using these as a template draw and cut another pair to match. You'll need two feet shapes for each foot. 
3. Using the cardboard from a cereal box or whatever you can find, cut two strips and bend over the front arch of the feet to measure the top strap. This will give you the 'upper' part of the shoe.
4. Measure an extra inch either side of the strip as you'll be folding this into the shoe later. 
5. Let the children decorate the strap as they like. Leave the inch either side plain so it'll easier stick to the sole when you piece them together.
6. Now its time to put it together (you may need to let the upper decorated strip dry a little depending on how much has been stuck on!). You're going to sandwich the pieces together. Take one of the foot shapes and cover with PVA glue this will be the sole. Bend the decorated strip and fold the sides under themselves and inwards to stick on top.
7. Take the other foot shape and stick on top pressing down firmly. You may find you need to add a little weight to the shoe to help it stick while the glue dries. You can just use the weight of a book or slide the leg of a kitchen chair on top.
8. Now they're ready to decorate delicate feet.

There you have it! A collection of beautiful shoes a snip of the price of the best designers but just as highly covetable.

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We have more Monday Makery craft and recipe ideas here.

If you would like to share some ideas as a guest blogger on the Monday Makery we would be very excited to hear from you. Use the contact form on our main website here.

For behind the scenes photos of Sisters Guild we have the gallery of the A-Z of Sisters Guild here.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Once Upon a Week: Does the baby know it's in your tummy?

My son has been full of questions this week as we all went to my first scan and saw 'the baby' for the first time.  It was an exciting moment for us all and we giggled at the fact that the baby was on his/her head and showing us his/her bottom! It took some time for the Sonographer to jiggle the baby into the right position and Gabe soon lost interest and wanted to play with the toys.

It was the next day that Gabe started asking lots of questions:  Can the baby hear me? Yes, and the baby will love hearing your voice.  Does the baby know it's in your tummy?  Yes, I think so. And, of course he is asking But when will the baby come?  To which it is lovely to answer that first there will be autumn when the trees shed their leaves and then it will be winter when it's cold and snowy and you will have your 4th birthday, and when the trees start growing new leaves, that is when the baby will come. It will be Spring.
Gabe is happy with this answer, probably beacuse I've reminded him of his birthday!  I will have to wait for the inevitable questions of how did the baby get there and how does the baby come out?  (Sis, I shall be consulting you on this as I'm sure Sessi was extra inquisitive about Oona!).

In the meantime we are enjoying sitting together on the sofa feeling close and sharing the wonder of 'mummy growing a baby.'

It's a whole new experience when you're having your second isn't it?

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This is the first in a new series where we give you an insight into the lives and times behind the scenes of Sisters Guild.

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery, Tuesday brings the closing of our series 'The  Story Behind Our Collections' inviting you to take a closer look at the designers we house and the beginning of a new series 'Tell Us Its Tuesday'.  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.


www.sistersguild.co.uk

The Art of Living: Bath Festival of Children's Literature

 

A wonderful festival of literature is coming to one of our favourite cities at the end of September.
Bath is host to an impressive line-up of authors, illustrators and storytellers.  This is the 5th Children's Literature Festival with plenty of events for under 3's to teens.

My son is at the age where he's ready to be absorbed by a storytelling event and I'm so excited to be taking him to a few of our favourites including Elmer:


David McKee
Saturday 24 Sep, 10am - 10.45am
Join master storyteller, stunning artist and creator of this year’s festival front cover David McKee for an incredible live drawing celebration, including our favourite elephant Elmer. A special event for all of you who love King Rollo, Mr Benn and Not Now Bernard too!

Other highlights:

Make your own Picture Book
Sunday 25 Sep, 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Scissors and glue at the ready! Join Petr Horáček, author of The Fly and the Suzy Goose books, find out how to write and illustrate your very own picture book to take home to read. How great is that!

Roddy Doyle
Friday 23 Sep, 7pm - 8pm
Roddy Doyle is talking about his brilliant new book A Greyhound of a Girl, a wittily told tale of four generations taking a midnight road trip back to the past with a very special mission…
Unfortunately I haven't got a 10+ to take to this event, but maybe they will just let me in without a child.  I'd just love to hear Roddy Doyle's voice!

It's wonderful to witness your children discovering books and becoming readers.  I was quite a 'bookworm' when I was younger and didn't mind being teased about it.  I'm still always surrounded by books and I can always gauge how balanced my life is by how much reading I've been able to do. I just hope my son feels the same joy of books as he grows up.

Visit the website here bathkidslitfest.org.uk
Or download the brochure here

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This is part of the Art of Living series of posts that bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

In our Wednesday Woo blog post series we present a selection of things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

We also have a Monday Makery with ideas for things to make yourself.

And for a glimpse behind the scenes of Sisters Guild we have the A-Z of Sisters Guild here 

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Wednesday Woo: ilovegorgeous hairbands

ilovegorgeous have created some lovely hair accessories for the autumn & winter season.  In beautiful fabrics to match the dresses and skirts from the collection, these hairbands with big bows will complete an outfit perfectly!

With the signature star print in Teal, Mauve and Pink to match the Star Print dresses: Debbie, Shooting Star, Funky Sparkle and Party Star, as well as the fabulous Tribeca Skirts.

ilovegorgeous hair accessories from £10 here

discover the girls dressing room here

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This is part of our Wednesday Woo blog post series where we present a selection of our favourite things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

We also have a Monday Makery with ideas for things to make yourself.

The Art of Living posts bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Sign up for future news & offers:

Tell us it's Tuesday: Lindsey of Urban Mums

This week we have invited the beautiful mama, journalist and blogger of Urban Mums to 'Tell Us.' Lindsey grew up in Northern California and is now settled in London, the city she loves.  Lindsey's passion about motherhood and an active life with her kids comes across in her blog as she charts her way across London and beyond bringing us snippets and stories of family, people, places, style and design.

Were were a bit nosey intrigued to find out more about this stylish mama behind Urban Mums. 
Food features a lot in her blog and below she reveals her ideal man for delicious dinners....

On waking the first 3 things I do are… roll over to see if my husband is awake (hoping he is already attending to the kids which means i got to sleep in!), debate whether or not to get out of bed, give my youngest (the early riser) a morning kiss.

If I had a superpower it would be…. to perfectly clean/organise our home with the snap of my finger.

If I could trade places for a day with someone it would be… Gwyneth Paltrow. She is doing everything these days!

If someone wrote a story about me the title would be…. Good Intentions.

When I was seven years old… I was a tomboy — playing sports and not a barbie in sight.

If you open my fridge you will see…. cookie dough, strawberries, oj, innocent smoothies.

My favourite view is… watching my daughter "streetdance" (her word, not mine!).

The 3 things I will tell my children are…I love you, give me a kiss, take another bite.

The song or musical piece for the theme tune of my life is…. I Will Survive!

I used to be… athletic. 

My biggest guilty pleasures are… Green and Black's butterscotch chocolate and People magazine.

My wardrobe is… a big fan of Comptoir des Cotonniers.

Never have I ever… drank coffee. 

My kids taught me… love, patience, and to savour every moment, especially the simple ones.

Life is like a… a gift.

My earliest memory is…. camping at Trinity Lake. a summer tradition throughout my childhood. i vaguely remember being bathed in a metal tub on the camp picnic table! very basic camping in the beginning...

My underwear drawer … is very messy and disorganised. (where's that superpower?) 

I feel like running for the hills when…. my kids whine. 

On my teenage bedroom wall there was… Leonardo Dicaprio in Baz Lurhman's Romeo & Juliet poster and Alma-Tadema prints. Interesting combination!

My ideal partner would have the the skills of Raymond Blanc. uh, yes to delicious dinners every night!

Thank you Lindsey.  We also believe that a clicking-the-fingers superpower (in the style of Mary Poppins but with a very stylish wardrobe) would be the ultimate skill for any mum.  But we can already spy that you have some super skills with that cookie dough in your fridge! You'll have to let us know the recipe sometime. x

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This is part of our new series of Tuesday blog posts where we ask you to tell us all. We wanted a fun way way to get to know the people behind the blogs and businesses we follow.  We have more people lined up to reveal themselves and may be asking you too!

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery,  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Monday Makery - How To Catch A Dream

Both my girls a big dreamers. I'm not talking about wanting to be ballerinas or to marry princes  (obviously both complete realists!) but rather those dreams that visit our sleep. Sometimes their dreams are terrifying and they wake in the night distraught, hot tears running down their cheeks, inconsolable about being chased by giant yellow ladybirds!

Perhaps its a sign of a vivid imagination or an overload of information that is desperately trying to be processesed while they rest, but regardless I want to protect their sleep and help them through troubled nights.
So, I've been teaching the girls about the native american dream catchers and their protective charms and we decided to make some for ourselves.

Sophia had so much fun searching for the perfect stick for the hoop

Before I begin let me first share the story that has been passed down from parent to child for countless years. It is the story behind the origins of the dream catcher.

Once upon a long time ago the children of the North American Objibwe tribe were recounting bad dreams that haunted their sleep. The dreams spread to other children throughout the tribe like a sickness of the night.
Their worried and concerned parents went to the shaman in search of help. The shaman listened. In order to help, the shaman would first need to enter the dream world to seek an answer that would end the terrifying dreams.
When the shaman entered the dream world he met the four elements: Air, Earth. Water and Fire.
Air, having already heard the cries of the parents had carried their message on the wind to the other elements.  The spirits in the dream world dreamed together with the shaman for a long time.
Then, finally the shaman began to understand the power of the four elements and how each could play a part in protecting the children's sleep. Air could carry the children's dreams, Earth could hold the dreams within her grasp, Water could wash the dreams separating the wanted from the unwanted and Fire could use the morning sun to burn the unwanted dreams that were caught in the earths grasp.
But what could Earth do to grasp the dreams as Air, water and Fire carried them away? How could Earth capture the dreams? The shaman and the elements could not find a solution.
However, a wise spider had been listening all the while. "I can help just as you help me. I can weave a web to catch the dreams." So she did, and the first dream catcher was born.

The spiders web caught the dreams.  The web allowed the good dreams to stay and pass down the feathers to the sleeping child, whilst the bad dreams, caught in the web were not permitted to pass and in the morning the air blew the bad dreams into the morning sun where they were burned away.
The bead so often seen within the web represents the spider that spins the web, and sometimes more jewels are strung into the weave to represent the good dreams that have been allowed to stay within the bawaajige nagwaagan (dream snare). We kept the 'web' quite simple with the idea that we would add more webs with each dream, adding a little something that represented the dream that visited Sophia's sleep.

So, here's what you'll need:

• A bendy stick, we found ours underneath a willow tree. If you can't find a stick anything circular will do: a paper plate or plastic lid with the centre cut out or a wire coat hanger bent to shape.
• string or wool
• beads
• feathers
• scissors

Here's how:

1. Bend your stick into a circular hoop and tie together by looping string around the join. Dream catchers are quite often tear shaped so don't fret if your hoop isn't a perfect circle.
2. You can chose as to whether you'd like to wrap your hoop in colour or leave it in its more natural state. Here we wrapped our hoop with a turquoise wool; Sophia wanted to incorporate the colours she thought were true to her dreams and chose each colour accordingly. To begin I cut a length of wool and tied it to the top of the loop. Then Sophia was better able to wrap and wrap around the willow. When the length of wool came to an end I tied another piece on cut off the loose ends from the knot and let her continue until the hoop was finished.
3. Now it's time spin the web. Take another length of wool or string and wrap around the hoop. To make the star that we made follow the guide above. I found this was the easiest way for Sophia, having drawn the guide onto paper and letting her follow the numbers like a dot to dot. 
4. to add the spider to the web simply thread on a bead at step number 6 on the guide. If the bead sits a little too loose on the web you can always thread the wool through the bead and then back through again to fix it.
5. Now you can create the paths for the dreams to slide down. Take a length of wool or string and cut to the desired length. Tie one end to the feathers and then start threading the beads. We used the largest bead in our collection so the hole was able to fit over the feathers ends and make them secure and neat. 
6. Once you are happy with your beaded paths you can tie them to the bottom of the hoop.
7. To hang simply cut a length of wool or string tie it to the top of your dream catcher and make a loop in the other end.
8. Now hang above the bed in a place that allows all the good dreams to pass down the feathers onto the sleeper.
9. Sweet dreams.

I have found various stoires retelling the legend of how the dream catcher came to be, this is the story that seemed to satiate Sophia's curiosity for their beginnings and their protective power. However I do love the retelling in this way here

Here is a list of the powers and spirits held in various feathers:

Crane - wisdom/knowledge
Dove - offer love
Eagle - protection
Goose - draw love
Hawk - Protection
Ostrich - truth
Owl - instill wisdom
Seagull - travel
Swallow - good luck
Wren - safe voyage
Woodpecker - used by a Shaman

Though pigeon feathers are abundant in London I'm not sure of their meaning! Perhaps being similar to the dove it offers love.  I asked Sophia what she though it held and she said it offers food! 'Food and playtime in the park.'!

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We have more Monday Makery craft & recipe ideas here.

If you would like to share some ideas as a guest blogger on the Monday Makery we would be very excited to hear from you. Use the contact form on our main website here.

For behind the scenes photos of Sisters Guild we have the gallery of the A-Z of Sisters Guild here.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Once Upon a Week - New Beginnings

This week has been a week of new beginnings. Sophia returned to school, starting year 1 and Oona has begun her mornings at the local Montessori, following in the footsteps of her big sister.
It has been an emotional week with conflicting feelings of excitement and pride intermingled with a sadness for having to let go of our summer together and evenings are spent reflecting whilst sewing labels into their uniform.

A fresh breeze has blown the Autumn collection into the boutique and as each new collection arrives bringing their winter coats and hushed autumnal tones I am reminded of the changing seasons and the chilly days ahead.

Summer clothes are slowly being put away, not returning to their place in the wardrobes after their spin in the wash but rather set aside to be handed down. Seen again when the summer returns.

Now after its first days of its new beginning is over there is a sense of calm and excitement for all that lies ahead. New friendships, afternoons spent kicking the fallen leaves as we walk home through the park, hot chocolate upon coming home and sharing our days as we eat our warm wintry food sitting at the table together.

I feel ready.

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This is the first in a new series where we give you an insight into the lives and times behind the scenes of Sisters Guild.

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery, Tuesday brings the closing of our series 'The  Story Behind Our Collections' inviting you to take a closer look at the designers we house and the beginning of a new series 'Tell Us Its Tuesday'.  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.


www.sistersguild.co.uk

The Art of Living: Castor & Pollux

My favourite Bookstore and Gallery in Brighton is located on the seafront and is absolute heaven to me!  Not only in the days of walking along a windwept winter seafront with a pram and newborn and crazy hair (I'm surprised they let me in!) but also on the sunny days of recent times when the cool archway of the gallery space allowed me to be refreshingly absorbed in some beautiful visuals for a little while. Thank you Castor & Pollux!

It's where I discovered Rob Ryan for the first time about 4 years ago and a little love affair began!

Then came Charley Harper - my favourite illustrator of nature - of whom I have a growing collection of books and prints.  My son has the Wings of The Worlds poster poised to go on his bedroom wall:

There are many local artists who exhibit at Castor and Pollux. The place is run by people who are passionate about print and good design.  The shop has jewellery collections, textiles and the best selection of books and cards too. Here's the selection of artists:

Prints available online at Castor & Pollux here

And, what is more...there's a perfect spot for coffee & cake next door.
Go there when you're next in Brighton!

Find out more on the website here

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This is part of the Art of Living series of posts that bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

In our Wednesday Woo blog post series we present a selection of things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

We also have a Monday Makery with ideas for things to make yourself.

And for a glimpse behind the scenes of Sisters Guild we have the A-Z of Sisters Guild here 

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Wednesday Woo: Waddler

Reversible Wolf & Bear Jumper by Waddler £65, Red Patch Jumper by Waddler £48, Tomatillo Romper in Robin Egg Blue by Waddler £30, Pierrot Jumpet by Waddler £40, Mouse Mitten Overalls by Waddler £60, Bombachos in Oatmeal by Waddler £42, Hooded Baby Bag by Waddler £60, Wolf Suit by Waddler £65, Blueberry Baby Dress £40

Waddler is like a legend - of a place where children run free in nature, become bears or wolves, any animal they choose, they romp and play and let their imaginations soar.  Yet it's not really a legend, it's a true story of a creative family who adventured to South America, discovered freedom for their children and dreamt up a beautiful alpaca clothing collection.  The inspiring couple behind the collection is Marina Scrymgeour and Philip Thompson who bring us something incredible and unique: ethically made clothing in alpaca wool in playful designs that reflect the fun and adventure of childhood.

Waddler really does express the wonder and the wide-eyed possibilities of being a child and embracing the world.  Waddler is a celebration of a joyous time.

We are so happy to share such a stand-out and beautiful collection in our online boutique.

Step in and discover Waddler here

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This is part of our Wednesday Woo blog post series where we present a selection of our favourite things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

We also have a Monday Makery with ideas for things to make yourself.

The Art of Living posts bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Sign up for future news & offers:

Tell Us it's Tuesday: Peggy of Paul et Paula

This week we present you with Peggy, a fabulous blogger & mama from Amsterdam (via Berlin, Paris & London). Peggy not only blogs about childrens design & family lifestyle on Paul et Paula, she is also a photographer AND designs and makes beautiful things for her own shop.  We were intrigued to find out more about this talented lady.  Here she reveals her love of the rooftops of Paris and that Life is like a feast....

Peggy at 2 years old

On waking the first 3 things I do are…think what time is it and how can I extend bed time a tiny bit, not successful in like 97% of my attempts as kids got the energy jab just right after they were born and the first years this means: I am awake, I am busy, I am 200%.... this fades with the years it seems…. But hallelujah… it takes some time…

Checking the weather, which is just a glimpse out the window as we sleep under the roof!

Switching on my phone and checking e mails…. Oh yes, call me an addict, that is fine!

If I had a superpower it would be…. sentencing people who abuse children (in any possible way) because I feel that they get away too easily and “too short”.

If I could trade places for a day with someone it would be… Kate Moss, to see if skinny really feels better than any food, I think I know the answer but let me prove it!

If someone wrote a story about me the title would be… Peggy in Wonderland

When I was seven years old…I was already addicted to Nutella and would NO WAY accept a different chocolate spread.

If you open my fridge you will see…. face cream because that is where I store mine, I love the fresh feeling it gives! 

My favourite view is…  the rooftops of Paris!

 

The 3 things I will tell my children are… be yourself, be happy and enjoy what you do.

The song or musical piece for the theme tune of my life is… Sterephonics/ Maybe tomorrow -  And I love that video… !

(this was the hardest question really, I love music and a couple of songs came into my mind. Some I was a bit afraid you might think I am depressive or something and I am not …. Or how would you like Life of Agony/ Let’s pretend… it is one of my favourite songs of all time)

I used to be… a “no cheese and tomatoes for me” person, I still do not like tomatoes but I LOVE cheese, thank god my taste changed because cheese can be so delicious…hmmm ….

My biggest guilty pleasures are… Haaegen Dasz, dark chocolate and online shopping! 

My wardrobe is… very dark…

Never have I ever… had a cup of coffee in my life… 

My kids taught me… patience and joy for the little things.

Life is like a… feast! Lots of appetizers to start with and have fun, splendid main courses with only the best you can get and an awesome desert to top it all!

My earliest memory is…. Strolling through the woods with my grandpa.

My underwear drawer … ui, needs a refreshment… and it is on the list. The day I stop breastfeeding and kick my BF bras I will go and have fun in the underwear department… that is so sure! Want to join? Would love to take a fun gal with me….

I feel like running for the hills when….  I am asked if I like beer and sausages…. (because of my German roots)

On my teenage bedroom wall there was… Andre Agassi and Depeche Mode!

My ideal partner would have the mind of /  skills of  / body of… my husband! He is perfect… for me!!!

Thank you Peggy.  So great to find out more about you - you sure do know how to live and love!
Yes, new underwear shopping, I need a date for that, as long as it involves a really good lunch too.  See you soon x

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This is part of our new series of Tuesday blog posts where we ask you to tell us all. We wanted a fun way way to get to know the people behind the blogs and businesses we follow.  We have more people lined up to reveal themselves and may be asking you too!

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery,  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Monday Makery - An Invitation to the Land of Dreams

Children love being able to assert themselves and being able to keep independent; doing things by themselves, taking care with their own things and learning the routine of the day gives them a sense of achievement and confidence. Though occasionally there are times when they need a little help and persuasion.
Perhaps like most mums I find there is a particular part of the day that seems to need the most persuasion. It's the part I sometimes find the most difficult and yet when we do it well it is perhaps the most satisfying part - bedtime!

Bedtime; the bath, the pyjamas, the story and then that which should be the gentle stillness of the end of the day can sometimes end up the most chaotic.
Though this is no cure for the chaos and the chorus of 'but I'm not tired!' and 'Can I have five more minutes?' come the bedtime hour this may turn bedtime into something different; with a gift of sleep wrapped in an envelope and alongside a favourite bedtime story. It's a delightful bedtime recipe and a routine that has been invited into our home with a tired eyed bedtime enthusiasm. There is suddenly a calm theatre to the evening, a magical end to the day.

Here we make invitations to the land of dreams. A fabric envelope personalised with a childs name, a place to keep the ingrediants for sleep; pyjamas and a good book. Its easy to make and so utterly satisfying. Both my girls love them and each night they find a book inside which turns bedtime into a beautiful story discovering time....they love opening up the envelope to discover their pyjamas and book and settling down placing the envelope at the foot of the bed ready for the next nights invitation and discovery is such a pleasure for them.....and myself too!

Here's what you'll need:

• paper, pencil and ruler - to create the template
• scissors
• 2 large pieces of fabric 
• a button
• embroidery thread
• fabric scraps, ric rac and whatever decorative pieces you might like to include

Here's how:

1. Use the template picture above to draw your template onto paper. I used sticky tape to stick four pieces of paper together to get the right size then drew on the measurements.
2. Pin you template to your chosen fabric and draw and cut around. Repeat for your second piece of fabric. I chose a thick natural linen for the outer sleeve and then a striking contrast pink for the lining.
3. Now you'll need to give both pieces of fabric their envelope shape. Take one of the pieces of fabric and fold up the bottom to create the pouch, right sides facing so it appears inside out or rather the wrong way round. Pin the edges of either side together ready to sew (see picture 1 & 2). Then sew along each side to seal the edges.
4. Follow the same process for the second piece of fabric.
5. You'll now have two separate pieces which are starting to take their shape and its time to piece the two together. Take your outer fabric envelope and turn right side out. Then place the envelope into the inner fabric pouch (see picture 4). 
6. use pins to tack the two layers together along both the bottom lipped curve and the upper flap used to close the envelope. You will need to leave a gap of 3-4 inches along one of the straight sides to give yourself a hole to turn the fabric right side out. 
7. Now sew along your pinned seams. Don't forget your turning space.
8. Using the space in the opening turn the fabric right side out. This looks a little odd but rest assured it will all make sense...... just keep following these steps, its nearly finished.
9. Lie the fabric flat onto your surface with the inner lining facing upwards. You will see there is a flap at the end where the two pouches are separated. Place your inner lining fabric into the outer lining pouch. You can use a chopstick or the end of a pencil to push the corners into each other. 
10. Finish off the envelope by sewing along the 'turning space' - the gap left for turning the fabric inside out and the right way round, and voila! A beautiful fabric envelope.

Now for the button:

1. decide where your button will go and mark with a pencil. Make a slit on the flap of the fabric envelope and sew along each new edge of the hole. 
2. sew the button onto to the pouch side of the envelope making sure it lines up with your button hole.

You could sew on a popper if you prefer or perhaps if your children may find a button a bit tricky you could sew velcro for the seal. Velcro would give it that same feeling of opening a real envelope.

Decorating the envelope:

You can use scraps of fabric to create a stamp and ric-rac makes a beautiful wavy line for the post mark. I wanted the fabric envelope to be addressed personally so I 'embroidered' an 'S' for Sessi - I use the term loosely as its just a simple running stitch with embroidery thread. You can elaborate as much as you like with buttons and sequins and whatever you can imagine. Take care in deciding what you'd like to add if you intend on your fabric envelope being machine washable. 

These fabric envelopes make wonderful and unique ways of giving gifts too. You can alter the size of the template to make the envelopes larger or smaller depending on what it is you'd like to place inside. The decorations can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, perhaps writing an address on the front: 'climb the stairs, under the pillow, land of dreams.', or sewing on  a sillouette cut from fabric for the stamp. You could make them quite surreal and dream-like with patterns and colours reminiscent of childlike dreams. There are so many possibilities.... an invitation for your imagination.

Enveloped sleep!

We hope you enjoy making your own invitations for the land of dreams. We'd love to see some pictures if you do.

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We have more Monday Makery craft & recipe ideas here.

If you would like to share some ideas as a guest blogger on the Monday Makery we would be very excited to hear from you. Use the contact form on our main website here.

For behind the scenes photos of Sisters Guild we have the gallery of the A-Z of Sisters Guild here.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

An A-Z of Sisters Guild - Z

....................................A Zillion  Kisses

We couldn't or wouldn't let our A-Z of Sisters Guild go by without a big, huge, gigantic, massive, enormous, humongous  vast, and monumental thank you to all of you wonderful, inspiring, brilliant, encouraging, thoughtful and hilarious people who have kept us going on our adventure this past 11 months with all your commentary and chatter spaced within its 140 character allowance. We couldn't nor would we have wished to have done it without you:

line 1:
@thatkat, @nataliemlue, @bambinogoodies, @babystylefile, @babyccinokids, @ChicLittleBaby,@loveitiloveit, @OlliElla, @pauletpaula, @shak_shuka,
line 2:
@TheWickedMama, @LaPetiteMag, @damselflye, @sweetknittwit, @RedTedArt, @LettieBelle, @Hucklebones, @lucydavies, @violetposy, @supernatbblack,
line 3:
@poppyvalentine, @reddskingyal, @urbanmumslondon, @hello_madeinme, @molly_meg, @poppynorton, @mumrablog, @zoesee, @ScandinavianMum, @belleandboo,
line 4:
@lattesandjuice, @babyjungleblog, @the_landofme, @nurturestore, @bobochoses, @PirouetteBlog,  @petitapetitblog @mama_magazine @AnorakMagazine, @babieKinsMag,
line 5:
@FLUKE_Kids, @mini_mcghee, @waddlerclothing, @ilovegorgeousuk, @thisismarmite, @sissyandmarley, @BabyBoltholes, @mydaddycooks, @TootsaMacGinty, @SuperAmazingMum
line 6:
@becaboop, @lottiefrank, @serendipitySt, @MaverickBaby @angelsurchins, @petitecokids, @ebabeelikes, @plus2point4, @JuniorMagazine, @littlestylebook,
line 7:
@lovedbyparents, @makedomum, @mummytips, @missielizzieb, @chloeowens, @orkneycampers , @zidzidkids, @twobecomefour, @BBCWomansHour, @paumes
line 8:
@itscloudcuckoo, @StAnnsWellHove, @kenziepoo, @adenandanais, @AllAbroadBaby, @BloesemBlog, @chldfriendlybtn, ,  @BathBabyShow,  @theTWMum,  @smilinglikesuns
line 9:
@coosandahhs, @lmnopmagazine , @AstridCarter , @menschenskind08 ,  @lilmagoolie , @mamagreen,  @ohdeedoh ,@kateagreen ,  @lollibopUK, @RICE_dk

Because you give a little love and it all comes back to you.

xx

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This is the last in the series of our 'An A-Z of Sisters Guild published every Friday. See also A is for adventure, B is for bedtime, C is for colour, D is for discovery, E is for exuberance, F is for Feminine, G is for glorious, H is for home , I is for imaginative , J is for Joie de Vivre, K is for kin  ,L is for Love , M is for Maternal , N is for Nurture  O is for Oneiric , P is for Play , Q is for Quirky , R is for Restful, , S is for Style, T is for Twitter, U is for Unique ,V is for Vide ,W is for Wonder, X is for Xanadu and Y is for Yesteryear.

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery, Tuesday brings 'The  Story Behind Our Collections' inviting you to take a closer look at the designers we house and why we chose them for the Sisters Guild boutique.  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

The Art of Living: Vintage Brighton

The collection of Paumes books in the Sisters Guild Boutique includes the title London Vintage which I recently had a peek at and it got me thinking about Brighton and all the Vintage spots around the North Laines.  The North Laines are a visual treat for browsing and discovering unusual bits and pieces.

My passion for vintage started young as we grew up in the countryside oustide Bath and when we went into the city we were drawn into the Antiques markets.  Carla & I both had a fascination with old linens and textiles from quite a young age and Carla had an amazing collection of vintage gloves and bags.  Later on came the furniture and our vintage love affair still continues to this day.  Even though there's no more room in my home for furniture there's always a shelf that can carry a small object, or room in a drawer for some antique napkins!

I sometimes have those rare Saturdays when I'm child-free and I can skip around Brighton.  That means I get to browse my favourite shops and takes some pics too! 

The North Laines in Brighton is an area full of so many unique and independent shops. I really hope it stays that way.  It's the reason why I love Brighton and why so many people enjoy visiting.

Kate & Aud, Trafalgar Street, Brighton facebook.com/kateandaud 

Dinky Vintage, Sydney St, Brighton dinkyvintage.com

Hope & Harlequin, Sydney Street, Brighton hopeandharlequin.com

Wolf & Gypsy, Trafalgar Street, Brighton wolfandgypsyvintage.co.uk

Pigeon, Pelham Street (off Trafalgar St), Brighton pigeonvintage.co.uk

Enjoy discovering these Brighton Vintage gems when you come to visit!

And don't forget Snoopers Paradise for all sorts of treasures:

Snoopers Paradise, Kensington Gardens, Brighton.  Image courtesy of uniquebrighton.com

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This is part of the Art of Living series of posts that bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

In our Wednesday Woo blog post series we present a selection of things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

We also have a Monday Makery with ideas for things to make yourself.

And for a glimpse behind the scenes of Sisters Guild we have the A-Z of Sisters Guild here 

www.sistersguild.co.uk