The Art of Living - Lost in a book

From The Incredible book eating boy - by Oliver Jeffers. 

This week Sophia has been celebrating reading week at school; there has been a school assembly, a book swap and tomorrow a dressing up day where all the children dress up as their favourite characters from literature.

It got me thinking about all the books we have enjoyed over the last (almost) 6 years. The stories I have read and reread, the ones I still know off by heart and the ones we revisited from my own childhood.
I started to feel a little nostalgic in remembering our early bedtime reads, the books that Sophia devoured, sometimes quite literally, the books that helped to give her a voice and the books she now reads to her little sisters Oona.
There are books on our shelves that are worn and tattered through their lives lived in ours and so many that almost feel alive, as though the words are still heard without being opened.

We're going on a bear hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

Some books seem to me like a right of passage, a milestone in a child's life, memories made and adventures enjoyed together. Here are some of the books I would recommend for any bookshelf. Books that may begin the love of reading, books with great imaginings but more importantly books that can be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere, every day.
Though I've given a rough age guide for the books it is only a rough guide and only you know your child, so follow your own instinct - it'll always prove you right.

First books

Guess how much I love you - by Sam McBratney, Peepo! - by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, Each peach pear plum - by Janet and Allan Ahlberg and The very hungry caterpillar - by Eric Carle I would recommend all of the books by Janet and Allan Ahlberg and also those by Eric Carle; The illustrations are always wonderful and the stories focus on the simplicity of everyday and more often the humour and pattern found in it. They are reassuring, wholesome whimsical stories told with clarity and satisfying sounds.

Great books for 2 year olds

ABC - by Brian Wildsmith, Goodnight moon - by Margaret Wise Brown, Rosie's walk - by Pat Hutchins  and The Gruffalo - by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler The images in Brian Wildsmith's book are so incredible that when I discovered a second copy in a charity shop I decided to create a framed picture with them all for the girls room. They are images we could never tire looking at. We have loved goodnight moon and we could spend so much time looking at each individual page and their cosy intimate illustrations. I think this book will stay by our bedside forever!

Wonderful books for 2 year olds

Brown bear, brown bear, what do you hear? - by Eric Carle, Lost and Found - by Oliver Jeffers, The Shirley Hughes Collection - by Shirley Hughes and The tiger who came to tea - by Judith Kerr. Its funny how some children's books almost become theme tunes to the day, We'll often be bobbing along through our day reenacting these stories and almost singing their words. All of these books have great rhythm to them and are great for helping with children's language. 

Great books for 3 year olds

The Incredible book eating boy - by Oliver Jeffers, Where the wild things are - by Maurice Sendak, The heart and the bottle - by Oliver Jeffers and The enormous Crocodile - by Roald Dahl I'm a huge fan of all the books by Oliver Jeffers and of course no childhood could go by without a dose or rather a huge dollop of Roald Dahl. 

books for 4 year olds

The Giving Tree - by Shel Silverstein, Leon and the place between - by Graham Baker Smith, The Little prince  - by Antoine De Saint Exupery and Charlie and the chocolate factory - by Roald Dahl  The giving tree is a story of the relationship between a tree and a boy and is perhaps the first book that brought tears to Sophia's eyes. It started a long conversation about love, selfishness and sacrifice and remains a firm favourite. Leon and the place between is a book who's story leaps off the page through its words and illustrations with such effect it is almost overwhelming. It was an instant hit!

books for 5 year olds

Alice's adventures in wonderland - by Lewis Carroll, The Lion the witch and the wardrobe - by C. S. Lewis, The magic faraway tree - by Enid Blyton and The sheep pig - by dick King-Smith I don't think I could count the number of times we have read Alice's adventures in wonderland. We have dozens of copies this way, that way and the other way all over the house and it has inspired birthday parties and our own made up stories and pictures too. Discovering Narnia with Sophia has been amazing and now hiding in wardrobes and cupboards in games of hide and seek has taken on a new meaning!

There are so many books I am looking forward to reading with the girls as they get older, these are (for us) the ones whose stories remain silent, whose adventures have not yet been told. They are our part of our future adventures together.

books for 6 years and up

The secret garden - by Frances Hogdson Burnett, Swallows and Amazons - by Arthur Ransome, The happy prince - by Oscar wilde, Treasure Island - by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Hobbit - by J. R. R. Tolkein,  and Watership Down - by Richard Adams, 

Reading is without doubt the best free thing to do with children. The words we read have the magic to create worlds, people, creatures, legends, they feed our imaginations and help voice our own lives. With local libraries supplying us with row upon row of free adventures be it knights fighting dragons, Big friendly giants, a wardrobe that acts as a portal to another world or a caterpillar who spends an entire week feasting before his metamorphosis as a bright butterfly, there's a whole universe of words and pictures to discover. So, hop along to your local library, grab an armful of books and give them a go.

"By words we learn thoughts, and by thoughts we learn life"

- Jean Baptiste Girrad

Oh and 4th Februray 2012 is

 NATIONAL LIBRARIES DAY 

So its the perfect time to become a member of your local library!

I know there a thousands and thousands of books that could/should/would be on the list.... tells us your favourite books too.....

---

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.

Monday Makery - Fabric covered books - 'my autobiography'

These are our new fabric covered scrap books. Our own personal books, covered with our chosen fabrics we love. Made to fill with our memories of the year. Be it flowers picked on a journey home, pressed and stuck inside, favourite drawings, photo's, stories, postcards of places we go and all sort of things we begin to treasure.

This is such a simple craft to put together and one I had intended to start at the very beginning of the new year. Its a tradition that I've kept going each year since the girls have been born, but  they've been more my involvement and choreography and enthusiasm than theirs. Now they're a little bit older I feel as though this is something they could now 'write' and enjoy as much as I have and it'll be all the better because this time for the first time they are their books; not the flowers I pick on the way home and stick inside or the ticket stubs from a theatre trip I chose. They are now the authors of their lives and so this should be the their autobiographies.

Here's what you'll need:

• Scrapbook - you can find these very cheaply in pound-shops and supermarkets
• Fabric - you can find old fabric in charity shops even if its just a nice print on a T-shirt or pillowcase
• 'Heat 'n' Bond' - an adhesive for fabric projects in principal double sided sticky tape.
• Scissors
• An iron

Here's how:

1. Spread your piece of fabric right side down so the pattern faces the table and open out your scrapbook on top.
2. Measure the size of fabric needed to cover the front and back of your scrapbook. I wanted the books to have a truly luxurious feel and so covered the inside of the front and back pages as well as the front. If you're intending to do it this way too fold over the fabric into the book and cut it where it meats the  inside spine.
3. Next you need to secure the fabric to the book. This is where 'heat n bond' comes in handy! Put the book to one side leaving your fabric (now cut to size) right side down. Place the sheet of 'heat n bond' over the top of the fabric and iron over the top to adhere. (instructions are clearly written on the packet).
4. Peel off the paper backing and line up your scrapbook in the centre. Fold the fabric over the front cover and on to the inside cover page. 
5. Iron over the fabric to adhere. Repeat the process on the other side.
6. Trim the edges of the book and you're done.

I'm looking forward to all that this year brings and now the girls can keep a record of the changing seasons and their ever blossoming selves. It'll be interesting to see what they choose to put inside, the things they deem 'treasure', the things that make an impression upon them and the days they don't want to forget. This is the beginning of a new chapter, a new year and a new adventure about to begin.

I love the feel the fabric gives to each book and how instantly it cheers me up see them. With more notebooks to cover (I never have enough pretty notebooks) and no more 'heat n bond' I went on to cover some notebooks using fabric glue. Though the finish wasn't as professional looking as it was with the magic 'heat sheet' they look just as beautiful. 

I think I've discovered a new habit and am now searching for more books in the house to cover.... any excuse; battered spines, gruesome covers, photo albums with faded covers they're all going to get the fabric treatment.

Happy Making

---

This is part of our Monday Makery where each week we bring you a recipe to bake, a craft to create and simple ideas for fun things to make with children. We know that sometimes the craft isn't about the final finish but having created something together and we want to encourage everyone to have a go. I am certainly a 'newbie' when it comes to making things and trust me I'll leave all baking recipes to my sister, you see the thing is my girls love it, they feed me with inspiration and I love that our home is a constant and evolving state of creating and creations.

Our daily blogs offer you a sneak preview in our 'once upon a week' where we give you an insight into a week with Sisters Guild, a guide to whats on, with places to visit and things to do with all the family in our 'Art of Living', on Tuesday we bring you a little closer to our designers and why we chose them with 'The Story behind Our Collections' and a little closer to the bloggers, crafters and friends of Sisters Guild with our fun 'Tell us its Tuesday', whilst on Wednesday we show you new arrivals and inspiring discoveries in the Sisters Guild Boutique. To find where we get our inspiration from take a look at 'An A-Z of Sisters Guild' ; a collection of images inspired by the words which express the meaning of what we believe.

2012 - a year of new discoveries

Happy New Year to you all. We hope you have enjoyed some good holiday time with friends, family and places you love. We had a busy December, which involved a trip to New York for Carla and a relocation from Sussex to Somerset for Bekka. Whilst London will remain a creative hub for Sisters Guild, the practical operation of the business will now be happening in the lovely little town of Frome. We shall be introducing a new 'sister' to you next month who will be learning the ropes and getting to know you all. AND March will bring a new baby for Bekka. So, 2012 looks set to be a year of new discoveries for the sisters and family.

It is with much excitement that we give you a glimpse of the pattern, colour and detail of collections that are coming to the Sisters Guild Boutique in 2012. It is such a pleasure to look at these images, especially in the grey of January. For SS12 ilovegorgeous is full of delicious colour and playful design, whilst Maileg brings us a new collection to oooh and ahhhh over, En Gry & Sif has some Easter delights and Rice DK has extra zing for your home....with many more collections to be revealed in the coming months!

In the meantime, there's the Winter Sale to shop with up to 60% off. Pop along to the sale here

The blog will continue to bring more ideas and inspiration from all quarters. If you would like to do a guest blog or send in any ideas we would really welcome them....as you ARE all part of Sisters Guild too!
Discover the Monday Makeries here

Here's to 2012 and a year full of love, laughter, wonder and new horizons.

Carla & Bekka
xx

Have a wonderful festive holiday!

We have had a marvellous year and we are very thankful for all the enthusiasm you have shown for the Sisters Guild Boutique & Blog.  The New Year will bring many more exciting and inspiring collections.  We look forward to discovering and sharing so much together in 2012.

Meanwhile, we shall be enjoying some time off for celebration, chatter, play, rest, relaxation & family time (not forgetting some yummy food and quality BBC Drama)

We hope you all enjoy the same with an extra sprinkle of magic!

With warm smiles

Carla & Bekka
xx

If you do feel the urge to shop the Winter Sale  - with some relaxed browsing time it's always a pleasure isn't it! - you can still place orders & they will be dispatched after 9 Jan 2012

Holidays plans for 2012 with Baby Friendly Boltholes

Baby-Friendly Boltholes is a website I go to when I have escape on my mind.. There are some seriously desirable family holidays that are firmly on my wishlist - a Tuscan Villa, a Greek Boutique Hotel or a Devon Retreat. Next year will take some extra planning for me with a 4 year old and a baby arriving in March, but I already feel quite relaxed at the idea of a holiday with all those thoughtful and family-friendly extras.

Here is a Christmas Wish from Baby-Friendly Boltholes:

Baby-Friendly Boltholes, the online little black book of stylish yet child friendly cottages, villas and boutique hotels, is a big fan of Sisters Guild and would like to wish all its users and their little ones a magical Christmas and a fun-filled 2012. To help with the fun next year BFB would like to offer everyone a £20 discount off a break booked online at www.babfriendlyboltholes.co.uk on or before March 15, 2012.

Simply enter BFBSISG when making a booking. One per booking. Not valid with any other offer.

Last Day for Christmas Orders TODAY!

TODAY is the last day to place a UK order for Christmas - please place your orders before Midnight tonight!  Then the sisters and elves shall be on holiday.  You will still be able to place orders over Christmas & New Year, to make the most of the Winter Sale, but orders will not be dispatched until after 9th January 2012. Thank you.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

The Art of Living - Winter Wonderland

Every year we've put on warmest winter layers and headed off to Hyde Park in London to enjoy the delights of Winter Wonderland in the cold crisp evening air.
Approaching the park is exciting in itself, seeing the twinkling lights in the distance and then the rich spicy aromas floating through the air of delicious warm food feels instantly like Christmas. There is something quite special about being out with the children after dark. This is especially true when headed out for an evening of fun, frolics and food in the park once the sun has left the sky.

First on our things to do will be some ice skating. This year both the girls will be old enough to put on some blades and dance across the ice rink so there will be our very own version of skating on ice. Well, perhaps it'll be more of a cautious crawl with a few tumbles but to them it'll feel like dancing! I'll be well prepared for the falls and will be sure to take some extra clothing or better yet some waterproof bottoms.

There's a 50 minute performance by Zippo's Circus with trapeze artists, jugglers and acrobats I know this is where i'll want to sit and enjoy my hot chocolate and watch the girls faces light up with the thrill of it all. Once home I think the girls will try to replicate their performance just as they did after cirque de soleil and having said they'd like to join the circus we had weeks of balancing acts and dancing through hoops. We've had to buy stilts and a giant hoop for their enthusiastic acrobatics!

There's also Zippo's Circus Extreme with dare devil acts and what looks like a whole lot of flames and 'The Motorbike Globe of Death' this might be one that the dads and the boys will be thrilled to see. I think i'll have to avoid this one for fear that the girls won't follow the 'don't try this at home' rule.

Whilst I'm quite terrified when it comes to heights daddy and the girls are sure to want to soar 60 metres into the sky to get a beautiful birds eye view of the lights over London. I'll happily watch from the ground.......

or.....time for me to enjoy another hot chocolate! Unless 15 minutes is enough time to do a little shopping at the Angels Christmas Market. Yes, there's shopping too. You'll find an array of stalls with little nic nacs and some delightful wooden toys too.

There are lots of rides to enjoy from the traditional carousel to the more heart stopping stomach in the mouth ones. The carousel is surely the ultimate of all rides. Nostalgic and beautiful horses riding and rising up and down whilst the riders imagine they might really take off and gallop across the star lit park.

If you can get there before 5pm you may like to go and say hello to Father Christmas. He'll be waiting to hear your Christmas wishes between 10am and 6pm. He's been very busy over the past years and so we've not often had the chance to see the magical man himself but even knowing he's there and getting a glimpse of his deep red coat seems to be a thrill in itself despite not getting any closer.

When tummies start to rumble, and with the smell of so many delicious choices rumble they will, there's a host of places to grab a bite. With real log fires at the 'the house of st nicholas' live bands at the famous bavarian village or cosying up in a booth at the spiegel saloon, you'll find something that'll satisfy everyones belly.

There really is something for everyone, every age. Though its best enjoyed once the sun has set for those of you who turn into pumpkins the afternoon will be just as magical.

So, grab your hat, your scarfs and your warmest gloves and come and join in the fun. See you there....

I'll be the one hugging the hot chocolate gazing up at the big wheel... or if that's not me I'll be on my bum (a lot) on the ice rink!

images courtesy of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland  

www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

---

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: Clothing, Gifts & Decor all in one place!

Little Duckling Knitted Hat WAS £24.80 NOW £12.40, PEACE T-Shirt by Dandy Star WAS £26 NOW £17, Little Duckling Denim Jeans WAS £36.25 NOW £18.13, Johnny Joe's Colouring book £5.99, Bon Bon Blue by Lucky Boy Sunday, £75 Teal Japanese Garden Hairband by ilovegorgeous £10, Skinny Sally Jumper by ilovegorgeous WAS £52 NOW £31.20, Sweet Party Skirt by ilovegorgeous WAS £38 NOW £22.80, Pink House Storage Basket by Rice DK £34.80, Diana & Daisy Bunny Rabbits by Maileg £36 each,  Boucle Wool Hat by Hucklebones WAS £31 NOW £15.50, Lambswool Scarf by Hucklebones (only Blueberry now available) WAS £27.50 NOW £13.75, Babycord Gathered Shorts in Aubergine by Hucklebones WAS £45 NOW £22.50, Milk Carton Mouse House by Maileg £45,
Matchbox Mouse by Maileg From 16.99

What we are passionate about at Sisters Guild is bringing together children's clothing, gifts and decor pieces all in one place. It is a genuine pleasure to see shopping baskets full of such a lovely selection of things and knowing the smiles they will bring for Christmas and beyond - winter layers, scarves and hats, matchbox mice, toy baskets, bunnies and colouring books.

Not forgetting some beautiful pieces for mama herself:

Year 1970 Freedom Horse Necklace by Renaissance Life £89, Swallows Wall Stickers by Love Mae £39,  Knitted Alpaca Shawl by Waddler £90, Golden Nuage Bracelet by hop hop hop £35, Screen-printed LOVE poster by Dandy Star £100, Paris Brocante book by PAUMES £20.40,  Painted Birds Candelabra by Rice DK in Fuschia £44

Last Posting dates before Christmas

Please place your order early if you need things before Christmas.
We will be at the mercy of the postal service so we cannot make any guarantees of delivery times I'm afraid.

These are the last dates to place your order :
UK: Monday 19th December


Europe and Rest of World: Friday 2nd December NOW CLOSED for orders.
You can still place an order but it will not reach you until after Christmas

---

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:

The Story Behind the Collections: Waddler

Discovering Waddler was like opening a magical storybook.  When Waddler came onto the 'scene' we knew  we had found something so special and so desirable!  It made us remember the reason why we started Sisters Guild - to bring together collections from talented and imaginative designers, makers and mamas, those with an inspiring vision.

Carla & I were in awe of Marina when we met her with her collection of alpaca loveliness, along with her family - her newborn son contentedly wrapped in an alpaca baby blanket.  We wanted to throw our arms around it all.  And so we did!

Waddler is an important part of the Sisters Guild Boutique and we are full of excitement each time we send a piece of Waddler around the world. Our own children are now being enrobed with alpaca jumpers as the winter sets in.  In March the new addition to the family is set to be wearing that amazing wolf & Bear jumper!

Waddler weaves (or knits!) a 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 so incredible and unique - ethically made clothing in alpaca wool in playful designs that reflect the fun and adventure of childhood.

Waddler is here to remind us of how children love to run free in nature, become bears or wolves, any animal they choose, romp and play and let their imaginations soar. The clothing is innocent, nonrestrictive and designed to be played in, to climb trees and roll on the grass.  The alpaca wool is very soft - it is one of nature's finest fabrics and it will last many winters for many generations.

Waddler for us expresses 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 aware that the Waddler family are back in Bolivia developing their future collections, doing what must be an awesome photoshoot and enjoying new discoveries as a family.  You must follow their blog here

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

Step into the storybook and discover Waddler here

---

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 - Gingerbread Family

Gingerbread Family

There's something so very festive about the smell of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Their warm spicy aroma fills the house with deliciousness and making them is almost as good as gobbling them up. Especially with all the fun of decorating them with colourful button clothing and, if Sophia has anything to do with it, bright pink underwear!

These make great gifts for sharing at Christmas and there's a particular food lover in our family, Uncle Stu, who'll love to gobble these little people up! We'll wrap them up in a little box and hang a gingerbread man gift tag on top. Yummy!

Here's what you'll need:

• biscuit cutters
• greaseproof paper
• 180g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 125g of soft brown sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 400g of plain flour
• 3/4 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 125g treacle

Here's how:

1. Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and and using an electric mixer whisk until light and fluffy.
2. When the mix is thoroughly combined add your beaten egg and treacle. Stop now and again to scrape down the mixture caught on the sides of the bowl.
3. Let this mix whir on a medium speed whilst you put together the dry ingredients into a separate bowl.
4. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and your spices into a separate bowl. Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and spoon by spoon slowly mix in the dry ingredients into your sugar butter mix. 
5. Once your mixture has made itself into an even dough remove from the bowl and begin to knead it a little on a flour sprinkled surface. Sprinkle more flour onto your surface and your dough if it starts to get sticky.
6. Take a sheet of grease-proof paper and roll out your dough on top until its an even 3-4mm thick. Place another sheet of grease-proof paper on top and place in the fridge for at least half an hour (its best to leave it overnight, but half an hour will do if there's not enough patience in the room!)
7. When your time is up take it out of the fridge and place on top of a flour sprinkled surface.
8. Turn the oven on ready for the delights to bake 170oC.
9. Start cutting out your desired shapes, if you don't have gingerbread men figures, stars and hearts are equally festive. Place your gingerbread family onto baking trays (I always line them with grease-proof paper) and bake for 10-15 minutes.
10. Once they're ready leave to cool for a few minutes on the tray before cooling on a wire cooling rack until they've cooled completely.

Now decorate away to your hearts content!

You'll have to wait til our next batch to see our decorations - they were literally all gobbled up before I could take pictures! Nom nom.

---

This is part of our Monday Makery where each week we bring you a recipe to bake, a craft to create and simple ideas for fun things to make with children. We know that sometimes the craft isn't about the final finish but having created something together and we want to encourage everyone to have a go. I am certainly a 'newbie' when it comes to making things and trust me I'll leave all baking recipes to my sister, you see the thing is my girls love it, they feed me with inspiration and I love that our home is a constant and evolving state of creating and creations.

Our daily blogs offer you a sneak preview in our 'once upon a week' where we give you an insight into a week with Sisters Guild, a guide to whats on, with places to visit and things to do with all the family in our 'Art of Living', on Tuesday we bring you a little closer to our designers and why we chose them with 'The Story behind Our Collections' and a little closer to the bloggers, crafters and friends of Sisters Guild with our fun 'Tell us its Tuesday', whilst on Wednesday we show you new arrivals and inspiring discoveries in the Sisters Guild Boutique. To find where we get our inspiration from take a look at 'An A-Z of Sisters Guild' ; a collection of images inspired by the words which express the meaning of what we believe.

Christmas is coming and we've been busy putting together a little inspiration to help you through. We're helping Father Christmas with his lists and guiding you though our selection of gifts and decorations.

Bekka's Best pick of Christmas pressies

 

Here's a round up of some fantastic pressies for all ages.  I've nearly got my Christmas list sorted - how about you?

Large Acrylic Frames by Rice DK, £11.50
Matchbox Mouse Big Brother by Maileg, £21.95
Large Belle Dress Up Doll, £10
Recycled Cardboard House for Decorating by kidsonroof, £16
Mini Dinosaur Stickers by Love Mae, £15
Elephant Cushion by Zid Zid, £26
Airplane Rucksack by Zid Zid, £31
Playplax, £15.99
LOVE bag by Dandy Star, £15

Last Posting dates before Christmas

Please get your orders in early if you need things before Christmas. 
We will be at the mercy of the postal service so we cannot make any guarantees of delivery times I'm afraid.

These are the last dates to place your order :

UK: Monday 19th December

Europe and Rest of World: Now closed for Christmas orders.
If you place your order now we can still deliver in Januray 2012

---

This is part of a new seasonal series where we bring you a guide to all things festive. We'll be decorating and preparing wish lists and gift guides for all the family and with some little treats and wondrous surprises along the way. You'd better be sure to come and join the festivities with us.

sign up so not to miss offers and news of what's in the boutique

Be sure to watch our Monday Makery- we'll be bring you decorations to make, recipes to bake, homemade gift ideas and new traditions to begin.  The Art of Living will help guide you through what's on and what's great for families.  And on Friday we'll be giving you sneek peeks into the houses of the sisters of Sisters Guild in our Once upon a Week.

If you would like to guest blog, have a craft, recipe or some great tips for family life we'd love to hear from you.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Wednesday Woo: Kids love cooking

The kitchen really is the heart of the home. It's a place where children can learn to cook alongside Mummy, Daddy or Granny.  It's also a place from which children can take ideas for their own play and make-believe. We have gathered together some pieces for real cooking and play cooking together:

Belle & Boo Apron with the sweetest detail, £18.50
Boo cookie cutter for Bunny Shapes biscuits, £3.00
Melamine Mixing Bowl Jug with a 1.5litre capacity in Jade by Rice DK, £19
Fabric Patisserie cakes in a box by Maileg, £28
Flower Print Kids Apron with dress detail by Rice DK, £15
Mini Red Polka Dot Tea Set for parties with the bears, £12
Butterfly Cookie Cutters £3.00
Crochet vegetables by Rice DK £8.00 each
Childs Apron with a Gingerbread Cookies recipe by Maileg £17.50

And one of the most genius designs we have recently found...
Crepe Shop Play Set by the Japanese designers gg* £33

A cooking themed gift for Christmas is something that will inspire those budding chefs and is bound to be put to use in the kitchen and played with all year through.

There's more Christmas gift ideas to inspire young minds in the imagine and play section.

---

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: Lesley of Leilalou

It feels like a Christmasey 'Tell Us' this week as it's from the talented designer Lesley of Leilalou who is currently tucked away in the mountains of rural France - where somehow I imagine it's already snowing! I'm picturing a stack of logs at the ready, faces of dolls and angels at the window, a full larder and a Christmas feast planned. If we could magic ourselves there we would!   

It was over a year ago when we were planning Sisters Guild that we found the Leilalou dolls on Etsy - it was instant adoration and so began a growing collection of dolls in the boutique and a growing friendship with our 'sister' in France. It's a lovely feeling that Lesley was there from the very start and was full of enthusiasm when the doors of Sisters Guild opened! We exchange tales back and forth and are always excited to see the new Leilalou creations - there's now custom dolls and a screenprinted range.  Lesley taught herself screenprinting this year. I've got a feeling Lesley is a mama who can turn her hand to anything!

You can read more of the Leilalou story on the blog and see the exquisite Leilalou collection in the boutique - each doll is hand-made and unique with fine linen fabric and detailed embroidery. Many dolls are now in new homes, which is so exciting, but more will be arriving in the New Year. Otherwise do pop over to Leila Lou on Etsy.

Read more about the creative mama and maker behind Leilalou...

On waking the first 3 things I do are…turn on the computer, make a coffee, turn on “The Gruffalo”  (my son’s latest obsession) while I read my e-mails and check for orders.

If I had a superpower it would be…the power to heal.

If I could trade places for a day with someone it would be…A star of a Broadway show.

If someone wrote a story about me the title would be...Just do it.

When I was seven years old…We moved from a town in England to a tiny fishing village in the Scottish Highlands….It might as well have been the moon for a seven year old in the early 70’s.

If you open my fridge you will see...more vegetables than I have room for and more chocolate than I need.

My favourite view is…my children hugging each other or any view from any window in my house. I’m lucky enough to see both often.

The 3 things I will tell my children are…You can do anything, be anything, go anywhere if you really want it enough.

The song or musical piece for the theme tune of my life is…Queen “Don’t stop me now”

I used to... be a very busy chef. Now I just enjoy cooking.

My biggest guilty pleasures are… Rod Stewart and chocolate.

My wardrobe is… full of pre pregnancy clothes which no longer fit and are most definitely no longer fashionable.

Never have I ever… been happier.

My kids taught me… life really is too short.

Life is like a… book in the writing.  With the possibility of filling its pages with anything you want, but now and again, losing the plot.

My fondest memory of Christmas is...any of my childhood Christmases, they were all magical and I only hope I can recreate them for my own children.

My underwear drawer… is in shocking need of 500 pound spending on it.  (My husband says doubles as a parachute drawer-I think his credit card might be short 500 pound in the morning.)

I feel like running for the hills when….the ironing has to be done. It’s like weeding, great satisfaction when it’s done followed by misery one week later when it needs to be done again.

On my teenage bedroom wall there was… Adam ant and Shakin Stevens. (The early 80’s had a lot to answer for).

Christmas isn't Christmas without...... children, “National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation” on the T.V, and your father asleep on the couch resting a half eaten mince pie on his belly.

Thank you Lesley.  I love that genuine vision of Christmas! And you are so right about life being a book in the writing.  Being a maker of fabric dolls it must feel like you stitch some magic into life too - with your dolls that fly off to new homes and are held by little hands across the world. Thank you for creating such treasures and we hope your talented hands have a rest for the Christmas holidays...and your birthday! Enjoy the family festivities. x

---

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

A Colourful Christmas

Fill your Christmas with colour...

Red Felt Red Heart Stocking by En Gry & Sif, WAS £29.50 NOW £23.60, Red Papier Mache Christmas Baubles by Maileg, £3.95 each,  Red Pram by Maileg £19.50, Hanging Sugar Cane Christmas Decorations by Maileg £3.50 each, Red Advent Candelabra by Rice DK, WAS £48 NOW £38.40, Red Alpaca Patch Jumper by Waddler £48, Climbing Pixy in Tin by Maileg, £18.50

Green Recycle Mobile Home by kidsonroof £19, Green Papier Mache Christmas Baubles by Maileg £3.95 each, Green Hobby Horse by Rice DK £25, Hanging Sad Joe Green by Lucky Boy Sunday £28, Green Wall Hanging Carousel Hooks with Bird by Rice DK £31, Totem Bird Tree by kidsonroof £37.50, Frisbee by Rice DK £3.50, Green Felt House by En Gry & Sif, £38

Purple Mauve Funky Sparkle Dress by ilovegorgeous WAS £92 NOW £55.20, Purple Hanging Sad Joe by Lucky Boy Sunday £28, Purple Floral Fabric Purse by Rice DK £15, Felt & Wool Christmas Ball by Rice DK WAS £8.50 NOW £5.00, Purple Papier Mache Christmas Baubles by Maileg £3.95 each   Mauve Star Hairband by ilovegorgeous £10, Purple Dinosaur by Rice DK, £5, Purple Fabric Covered Treasure Box by Rice DK, £44.50

Blue Blue Pram by Maileg £19.50,  Bon Bon Blue by Lucky Boy Sunday £75, Blue Papier Mache Baubles by Maileg £3.95 each, Blue Dinosuar by Rice DK £5.00, Small Circus Storage Basket by Rice DK £34.80, Felt & Wool Christmas Ball with Butterfly by Rice DK WAS £8.50 NOW £5.00, Animal Candle Holder - Blue Ostrich - by Rice DK WAS £31.80, NOW £15.90, Blue Flower Print Kids Apron by Rice DK £15

Discover the Christmas collection here
And the Winter Sale has started too!

Last Posting dates before Christmas

Please get your orders in early if you need things before Christmas.
We will be at the mercy of the postal service so we cannot make any guarantees of delivery times I'm afraid.

These are the last dates to place your order :
UK: Monday 19th December
Europe: Friday 9th December

Rest of World: Friday 2nd December NOW CLOSED for orders.
You can still place an order but it will not reach you before Christmas

www.sistersguild.co.uk

---

This is part of a new seasonal series where we bring you a guide to all things festive. We'll be decorating and preparing wish lists and gift guides for all the family and with some little treats and wondrous surprises along the way. You'd better be sure to come and join the festivities with us.

sign up so not to miss offers and news of what's in the boutique

Be sure to watch our Monday Makery- we'll be bring you decorations to make, recipes to bake, homemade gift ideas and new traditions to begin.  The Art of Living will help guide you through what's on and what's great for families.  And on Friday we'll be giving you sneek peeks into the houses of the sisters of Sisters Guild in our Once upon a Week.

If you would like to guest blog, have a craft, recipe or some great tips for family life we'd love to hear from you.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Monday Makery - Felt Baubles

Each year we try to create our very own pieces for Christmas whether it's decorations, treats or homemade gifts it feels good to get creative in the festivities and the girls love it more each year as it symbolizes the getting ready for the festive season.
So far we've been making some homemade gifts and decorations that I hope have inspired you to create your own.
Here we make beautiful baubles made with felt. They're very quick to sew together and the sewing doesn't require any expertise, just an eager needle and thread.

Here's what you'll need:

• felt in your chosen colour.
• scissors
• pencil
• needle and thread
• small piece of ribbon or ric rac

Here's how:

1. Begin by drawing around a circular object onto your felt. We used a large cup to create our circles but what you use will depend on how big you want the circumference of your baubles to be. 
2. Repeat until you have 6 circles
3. Place the circles one on top of the other and sew down the centre line to join them together. Leave a small gap at the top to sew on your ribbon for hanging.
4. Take a piece of ribbon or ric rac and fold it in half, the length of your ribbon may depend on the size of your bauble and the drop you want to give it. Place the ribbon in-between the gap at the top of your circles and sew the last remaining stitches to complete the central line.
5. Now to give your bauble its shape. Take two edges of the circles and sew a few stitches in the centre of the edge. Take the next pair and sew a few stitches to join them together at the centre edge. Continue until all 12 edges have been paired to create 6 pairs.
6. Now pinch one edge of one pair and another edge of its opposing pair about a quarter of the way down from the top and sew a few stitches at the edge to bring together. Do the same for the bottom end, again about a quarter of the way from the bottom edge. Keep going around the bauble sewing a few stitches to the bottom and top of each opposing pair. 

Now you're ready to hang them up. 

These would look great with alternate coloured felt and can be altered in colour and size to suit your own festive decor. The rich red and soft texture of these make a nice contrast to the bright and shiny baubles we have on our tree and I'm hoping to make enough to hang along the banister to add some richness to our hallway.

If you don't have felt you can replicate the idea using card and glue which for younger children may be a little easier. The idea is to show you that being creative isn't a gift you either are or aren't blessed with but rather a pleasure that just requires a little time and imagination.

---

This is part of our Monday Makery where each week we bring you a recipe to bake, a craft to create and simple ideas for fun things to make with children. We know that sometimes the craft isn't about the final finish but having created something together and we want to encourage everyone to have a go. I am certainly a 'newbie' when it comes to making things and trust me I'll leave all baking recipes to my sister, you see the thing is my girls love it, they feed me with inspiration and I love that our home is a constant and evolving state of creating and creations.

Our daily blogs offer you a sneak preview in our 'once upon a week' where we give you an insight into a week with Sisters Guild, a guide to whats on, with places to visit and things to do with all the family in our 'Art of Living', on Tuesday we bring you a little closer to our designers and why we chose them with 'The Story behind Our Collections' and a little closer to the bloggers, crafters and friends of Sisters Guild with our fun 'Tell us its Tuesday', whilst on Wednesday we show you new arrivals and inspiring discoveries in the Sisters Guild Boutique. To find where we get our inspiration from take a look at 'An A-Z of Sisters Guild' ; a collection of images inspired by the words which express the meaning of what we believe.

Christmas is coming and we've been busy putting together a little inspiration to help you through. We're helping Father Christmas with his lists and guiding you though our selection of gifts and decorations.

Baby's First Christmas

For those of you who have the excitement of a baby's first Christmas to look forward to with your family and friends, we bring you a lovely collection of gifts and clothing to make it a special celebration.

Reversible Folktale Doll - Lion & Mouse - by Zid Zid, £25
Alpaca Wool Wolf Suit by Waddler, £65
Candy String by Lucky Boy Sunday, £21
Jungle Team Rattle - Lion - by Maileg, £9.50
Newborn Baby Bunny with Ball by Maileg, £16.00
Boo Cot Bed Quilt by Belle & Boo, £45
LOVE Baby Sleepsuit by Dandy Star, £26
Baby Bunny Butterfly Rattle by Maileg, £9.50
Cashmere Baby Booties by ilovegorgeous, WAS £48 NOW £28.80

Discover the Baby Trousseau and Baby Dressing Room in the Sisters Guild Boutique

Last Posting dates before Christmas

Please get your orders in early if you need things before Christmas.
We will be at the mercy of the postal service so we cannot make any guarantees of delivery times I'm afraid.

These are the last dates to place your order :
UK: Monday 19th December
Europe: Friday 9th December
Rest of World: Friday 2nd December 

www.sistersguild.co.uk

---

This is part of a new seasonal series where we bring you a guide to all things festive. We'll be decorating and preparing wish lists and gift guides for all the family and with some little treats and wondrous surprises along the way. You'd better be sure to come and join the festivities with us.

sign up so not to miss offers and news of what's in the boutique

Be sure to watch our Monday Makery- we'll be bring you decorations to make, recipes to bake, homemade gift ideas and new traditions to begin.  The Art of Living will help guide you through what's on and what's great for families.  And on Friday we'll be giving you sneek peeks into the houses of the sisters of Sisters Guild in our Once upon a Week.

If you would like to guest blog, have a craft, recipe or some great tips for family life we'd love to hear from you.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

The Art of Living: Beach Hut Advent Calendar

Many of you will have opened Advent Calendars today in lots of different shapes and forms.  Brighton Beach is going one step further and for each day from now until Christmas a Beach Hut will open its doors to reveal something festive and magical.  It started today and I was put off by the rain but I shall have to pop along at the weekend.  It's the biggest scale Advent Calendar I've ever heard of!

Find out more about the Beach Hut Advent Calendar project here

---

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