totmama

While leafing thru my enormous pile of catalogues this week, i spotted these very chic sculptures/stools and immediately thought NURSERY! (okay, okay… i always think of nurseries, but that’s for the therapist to figure out.) These handmade Grazing Sheep by Ronel Jordaan would be lovely in a little girl’s room as a statement piece, am i right? Created of wool and wire, these sheep come in four styles from a very graphic Black Dot to a flirty and feminine Floral. What a wonderful addition from anthropologie. While you are there, check out these charming hand-carved wooden mobiles too!

They have finally arrived state side! A beautiful new array of Marimekko wallpapers, including this adorable Bo Boo transportation print that would be perfect for the transition from mod nursery to big boy room. I adore the classic Marimekko Unikko Beige Wallpaper, and could totally see creating a lovely nursery based on this as an  accent wall. Currently they have a wide variety, and they really are tempting. Check out a color swatch (8″x8″ for only $4) and experiment. Believe me, you won’t be able to resist smiling when you look at them!

With everyone going green, us parents have been just overwhelmed with the latest items made from recycled materials and sustainable woods. Who really knows which plastics are safe and what items truely are non toxic? Ease your mind by going with blocks. Sometimes it’s the simple things that really are the most fun. Check out these cleaver and fun sets I know I’ll be adding to my newborn and toddler gift stash this summer.

Ant Antic Blocks by Uncle Goose – These lovely blocks have child safe inks, and create ant trails no matter how you connect them. Just think of the fun you can have bringing your own ants to your next picnic!

 BOK Wooden Blocks Town Scene by petitflaneur – BOK handmade blocks are the ultimate in hardworking fun, being created to work from infancy to your child’s school years by incorporating cleaver puzzles and games. Made of reclaimed wood and non toxic materials, the set of 12 can be rearranged to create a beautifully drawn town scene complete with school bus and fruit market. Turn the hand printed blocks again for a game of apple and ice cream tic-tac-toe. Did I mention they are gorgeous?

City and Country Mini Blocks by Fidoodle – Made of Baltic birch, these hand screened blocks give you the feel of it all, be it the hard city streets or a country farm. Created to fit in to a gift loving 3″ recycled cardboard cube, they’re perfect for on the go. Flip these over and the pieces fit together to create a cool puzzle scene. Excellent for your child’s “blue period.”

Just adore these very cute, collectible creations by KoKo Company in New York. The textile maker has extended it’s exotic and eclectic bedding and pillow collections to include a few items perfect for kids. These Zoo Felt Animal and Zoo Cotton Pillows are so fresh and fun. Definitely a smile maker, these handmade felt critters boast bright colors and lovely fauna attached. Can’t resist the Felt Zoo Giraffe, Monkey and Rhino. For more fun, there are black and white animals as well as Zoo Cotton, featuring a crabby Zoo Crab and Zoo Frog set. Great gifts for the child who has everything, and it makes a statement in any nursery.

In these days of unsure economic times, we can’t feel totally safe with the “usual” investments and financial institutions. Seems like “brick and mortar” banks are being snapped up left and right by merger or going bankrupt. What CAN you really be sure of these days? Well, it’s nice to know you can “invest” your money in a lovely bank like this Elephant Bank by Johnathan Adler. No doubt he’s talented, and with these clean lines and the adorable color pallet at least you’ll know your money is “secured” in the classiest place in town. 

We the people have the right to live in a place free of the yucky stucco and bare white walls of the usual apartment or condo. (If you own a house and have Bare White Wall syndrome, FOR SHAME!) In our quest to rid the world of this horrible, crippling syndrome we nominate a new wonderful place to help hip your crib. For very little money, The Poster List can take your sad walls from plain to “knowhatamean” in seconds. We personally love the Orange “Chill” Couch and the Primary Cameras. They have something for everyone and every situation. (Did we mention that the posters are 2 for $20?!?!) Choose the lovely Pink Hanging Chandelier or the Pink Old School Phone for your daughter’s nursery. Maybe you can rev up your pre-teen boys with the Grand Prix on Wood or Vintage Cars. Rock out with their Guitars, Brown Amp and Drums. Cool Numberpress in the playroom… you get the idea? Let not your dining table be flanked by stomach turning white walls again. Get some “wall medicine” for your home and live happy.

My good friend Mel has set up shop! Super talented, with a knack for bringing out the whimsical in her work, she has created these adorable children’s items currently on sale at etsy.com.  Featured with her fun illustrations, from frogs in a flower to a doggie line up, these cool raglans, tees, lap tees and onesies are too cute to pass up. I’ve got my eye on a black sleeve Dog with Hydrant Raglan for my son, and I’m sure he’ll love it (especially knowing it was made by “mommy’s friend Mel”). Perfect for holiday gift-giving, each item comes with a unique cotton reusable bag. Snatch them up while you still can! mindofmel

I am always looking for something cleaver and unique for my kiddies to make and give as gifts to friends and family. The other day I got a tip on something that fits both descriptions easily. Art Clay is a cool and fun way to fashion your own jewelry! Real silver, gold or bronze flakes are suspended in a resin that is pliable and can be pressed and sculpted almost like Playdough. You fire the items in a hot kiln, and voila!… lovely handmade charms or trinkets for your friends and loved ones. The resin is burned off in the kiln, and it leaves a solid precious metal piece of jewelry with a higher percentage of metal than most jewelry (like silver which is only 92.5%). Talk about cleaver! There are local places to make your own, like  Laurel Street Arts, which have a deal that gives you enough to make 4 pieces for only $40. 

Handmade dolls have a way of bringing out the giddy girly side of me, and now that I have a daughter it’s become much more of an obsession. Over the years I have amassed a decent amount of toys, and until now I never thought they would actually be played with by a child. (Sad, I know.) Recently, I unearthed a box full of some of my girly girlfriends and arranged them in my daughter’s nursery. Now all the older dolls are mixed with recent ones I have found for her, making a very cute display of mod chicks.

The other day I was happy to find these lovely vintage-y, girly gilrfriends from Craftsbury Kids called Posy Dolls. These lovely dolls by Projectgrabbag are entirely custom, so you can choose everything from her skin color and hair color to whether her eyes are open or shut. The button mary janes, neck scarf and cutesy “poof” hair make it just the right “it girl”; totally worthy of our dresser space. Perfect for my “daughter’s” growing handmade dolly collection! I can only hope that she grows up to understand the love and care that goes into making (and picking) these adorable friends. 

Ever since my stint living in Spain, I have admired the work of Jordi Labanda. His very modern, yet retro illustrations were on everything from teen pencil bags and backpacks to a wonderful line of scents and other products produced by the big spanish style starters Zara and Mango. His drawing style was knocked off by many a designer, but no one can capture the true feel of his work. He has an eye and attention to detail that speaks of his traditional Spanish surroundings and upbringing. If you ever get a chance to check out the book of his illustrations, Hey Day, you will see what I mean. He gives you a peek into a time and place that is typical modern Spain, yet feels like mid-century bachelor. You feel like you were in your frisky great aunt’s sitting room in 1957. To this day I am kicking myself for two things; not buying one of his gorgeous and girly suede “sweet” or “bla” handbags while I was in Spain, and passing up an opportunity to interview him for a final project in my intensive Spanish classes at Esade. 

Labanda has reached overseas, having some success in the US. A huge line of summery and fun notebooks, backpacks and plastic accessories, produced by Miquelrius, were sprouting up everywhere. Each illustration had a mood, and there was someone that every person could identify with.  They are hip for teen and “young at heart” women alike. Now I have found some lovely and sophisticated items he’s added to his collection, rugs and floor coverings. They are lush and flirty, just like his other works, but with a artful feel that you just can’t duplicate unless you clone him. They are lovely. Now I’ll have to add another thing to my regrets! They don’t sell these rugs here, yet.