minor details

happy new year

Cheers to everyone and may your 2008 be everything you want it to be!

See you in 2008.

structural play

Carve is a multidisciplinary design and engineering firm which exceeds in the art of planning the public space. Public space that is geared towards children. Though 10 years old, their resume is quite impressive. From skate parks to playgrounds to play structures to sport yards to schools, Carve has my vote for best efforts in getting a child's imagination thriving and cognitive thirst quenched. Amsterdam is no longer just a playground for adults!

(via thecoolhunter)

i'll take a petit seat please

I'm in love with Bookhou's petit chaise no.2

making mischief of one kind and another

One of my daughter's favorite books is Where the Wild Things Are. As many of you know, they are making it into a film. I have full confidence with Spike behind the wheel! I think the next adaptation of a children's book should be Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!

to russia with love

I'm sure these boots would keep the little mini warm over hear in Brooklyn.... if it actually felt like winter. VALENKIDS is a felt boot that is made in the last operating Valenki (made by felting) factory in northern Russia. They are so minimal and simple in design but so heavy and sturdy in practicality.

get your egg nog on and sing a carol

Happy holidays everyone! We will be back on wed thurs. (im having too much holiday fun). We have been side tracked with the holidays this past week with a last minute plane ride to see the family and now are enjoying being stuck in the atlanta airport! Thanks to Greg over at Daddytypes for the shout out and I will be back in my blogging seat on monday. Enjoy the weekend!

zzzoo light up my life

ZZZOO Light is a collection of safe and simple lighting for your child's space. They come in a kit that's easy to assemble, made from polypropylene and offer a great selection of zoo animals (big and small) to choose from. Or if you need a faster fix, they also send them already assembled in gift boxes.

eau de PLAY-DOH ?

As if the smell on my hands was not enough, DEMETER fragrance library just launched the 50th birthday limited edition of Play-Doh perfume. Don't fancy Play-Doh? Why dont you give crayon a try. Hey T, put this under things NOT to put in my stocking.....ever.

(via yokiddo)

for the sporty baby on the go

babyhome is line of gear for your sporty and industrial mini. I like the bold colors, simple lines, and mobility of the products. In my search for more information, I was a bit confused. I'm not certain if this is called "onfour" or "babynow" or "babyhome." I did find the website above and might assume that it's from the same distributors as mutsy and that some of the line was made by these guys.

back on friday

As i enjoy the last day of our vacation, i intend to soak up as many hawaiian rainbows as i can. I will be back in full swing on friday. Cheers!

expressive organization

This little unit is a colorful and expressive way to get your little mini organized!

a bamboo collection

HaPe International has introduced the world's first collection of bamboo toys. All of the toys are derived from Latin for use around the world. All of the toys develop thinking, creativity, and visual skills.What's really wonderful is that this worldwide design workshop took place between HaPe and UNESCO. It's just goodness all around.

creative eating

Bart Van Heesch designed these very cute breakfast sets for children. With the cow, sheep and pig base holding the cup and bowl in place, spillage is less likely to occur. I think my daughter would love eat her cereal in one of these! I could also see her using it as an tray when we do small arts and craft projects.

the circus is in town

The town of Melborne actually. Arthur's Circus specializes in vintage toys, collectables, and lighting. The store's motto is "nostalgia ain't what it used to be." Although the website offers no e-commerce, I'm certain an email or phone call could get you those little vintage toy cars and soldiers you've been searching for.

play me a tune

Olivelse's little ukuleles are really adorable and probably more pleasant sounding than a real one in the hands of a child.

like sands through the hourglass

Mikiya Kobayashi came out with Mov stool. The stool is best suited for the sand. Simply shove it into the sand and presto, you have a dope little seat. They also claim that if you flip it over, it becomes a cone as well. interesting.

nice A frame

Wanju has a sweet A-frame dollhouse. I'm having difficulties finding out where to score one of these. Does anyone know anything about them? They have a few more dollhouses that are not bad.

for those lil foodies and car buffs

If you were asking yourself what to get your lil Julia Child or Dale Earnhardt this holiday, well here is your answer!

mahalo

We are off to Hawaii. Myself, my beautiful daughter and amazing husband are off to the islands until Dec. 20th. This will be the first time that myself and my daughter have ever been. If you have any tips or advice for fun things to do with a 3.5 yr old...let me know. As I have a few posts in the que to keep your attention, it will be very minimal during this time.

Thank you everyone for stopping by. It's been really fun getting the blog off the ground. I have gotten some really great feedback. So please drop me a line, post comments or just take a stroll through the blog. If you see something you like, link away!

Cheers!

Jennifer

its simple to be us

To be Us is composed of Italian designers who set out to handcraft a wooden toy that was strong, warm and indestructible. I'd say they accomplished just that. These cars are made from cedar and the wheels are mahogany and could last a lifetime.

one potato, two potato, three potato, four

THREE potato FOUR is a husband and wife team of treasure seekers. With a mix of modern and vintage objects, their collection is a true beauty. They are fantastic curators, with a cute sense of humor, based out of Virginia.

hommin bird

HOMMIN was a recent project created by Hung Ming Chen. The sleek and clean products under the HOMMIN name are really amazing. One of which is the Bird Light. Stunning.

(via emmas)

under cover

Fred the Dog is a collection of fresh and fun bedding for kids. It's nice to see more for the boy set. This cute lil french textile company was started by a mom of two boys in 2006.

contain yourself

The Small Object is selling this limited edition Quart Quartet Can set. They stand only 5" tall and 3.5" wide, but could hold a world of small objects for the pint sized set.

a nod to an era i wish i had lived

Wow. I am in love with SOIL. With the vintage nod giving way to the modern tot, this designer gets a hearty bravo.

the voice of a child

In 1992, Severn Cullis-Suzuki gave a brave and heart felt speech at the Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro. She, and her two colleagues at the Environmental Children's Organization which she founded at age 9, raised all the money to have their voices heard on this day. What's truly unfortunate about this speech is that, in 15 years, nothing has changed. She speaks of realities that everyone is aware of. She admits fear and loathing of current standings. Standings that are even more an issue today. She personalizes her audience and had convictions behind that of any 12 year old I have ever known. I was not aware of this woman until today. Thank you David for sharing those 7 minutes.

mac daddy

The fine people at Apple are having a grand opening tonight at their third manhattan retail store. I hear it's huge. So huge in fact that I snagged the title of the largest one in the city. So, what better way to celebrate then to outfit your mini with "non-Microsoft" tees. Black Arrow a the new label for Apple addict children clothes. They claim that "Your children will never go unnoticed on the nearby playground park
again in front of your Windows Victims neighbors." (should that be important to you) The line has three different designs, that is for Vintage Apple lovers, iPhone future owners, and a “keyboard shortcut” to show the world your “New Document”.

Wow. okay, I'm not much for a logo pimping baby but the designs are actually kinda nice if you're a die hard Apple fan but the shirts just look like regular 'ol fruit of the looms to me.

the closet goes incognito

Kast van een Huis is a line of free standing storage for children. This would be great for a certain type of kid's room. I like that they give way to a child's independence by allowing shelves and rods to exist on their level. Hey, will you guys let me know when you do a Frank Llyod Wright one?

hey look, a green x-mas tree

Buro North is a multidisciplinary Design house based in Melbourne. This year, they set out to make an environmentally aware and sustainable Christmas tree. I'd say they succeeded. This CNC routed plywood ships flat packed and is 80% more environmentally friendly than a traditional pine tree. I have never been a fan of fake Christmas trees but this one certainly changes my mind!

(via dezeen)

bringing it back around

Wow. Today I found out something that I had been dreaming of for quite sometime. After 30 years, the Casalino chair is back in production. With different styles and colors, this chair facelift is fantastic. As you can tell, we are huge fans of this chair. (far right pic is from our portfolio!)

via (daddy types)

domo arigato mr roboto

It's so hard to find good robot artwork for kids. I think John W. Golden is on to something.

hop on board the baby bandwagon

Piet Boon has designed some beautiful things. Some of the creations under their umbrella have been BeeBoard and a limited edition Land Rover Sport. Piet Boon's designs are sturdy, sober and sleek. I'm so happy to see them jump on the baby bandwagon and join forces with Planet Little. In late August of this year, they introduced the exclusive collection, including a cradle, changing table, three-in-one bed, shelves, wardrobe, junior and adult bed. I am more a fan of the cradle and bed then the other pieces.

it's not your ordinary small magazine

small magazine is on it's online issue no.4 and I must say, I become more of a fan with every issue. Offering independant design for kids while taking a raw and bold approach. Good design... good content ... goodness.

ethical carton chic

Carton Chic is everything it's name means. Taking the classic toys (dollhouse, puppet theatre, and rocket) to a new level that is environmentally conscience and design savvy. Each piece is made from recycled and recyclable cardboard. They even made the puppet theatre reversable! I think I finally know what to get my daughter for Christmas this year!

sweet toddler / twin bed ... if i lived in LA

modmomfurniture came out with this sweet platform bed that begins as a toddler bed and ends as a twin. I really like the fact that their is no conversion kit. You just use the crib mattress with the guard rails and when the kid is ready for an upgrade, you just take off the rails and switch in a twin mattress. So to all my Los Angeles peeps, this one's for you. It's only for sale to the locals.

the happy mag for kids

"ANORAK is a new unisex magazine made for kids designed to appeal to both boys and girls. Anorak has a unique format consisting of brand new stories written and illustrated by modern authors, fun fashion and style pages and a ‘good stuff’ guide which covers new products for kids. It covers all aspects of a child’s world from fashion to stories, culture to science and sport to food. Encouraging children’s contributions and input, Anorak bridges the gap between a children’s book and character magazine to create a unique new publication. At times, it’s their imaginary friend, at others it’s their mentor. Anorak’s main philosophy is to encourage children to make their own decisions and is here to amplify their voices. It has at the core of its offering a passion for words and images that challenge and stimulate."

The interactive website just launched a few months ago and its packed with games, stories, information and videos. It's nice to finally see a creative force for kids that has nothing to do with plastic toys and television. You can buy a copy here .

take a load off

WOKmedia was established in 2004 by Julie Mathias and Wolfgang Kaeppner. They are based in London with a production studio in Shanghai. The work they produce is "based in a world imbedded in their childhood memories when emotions were not expected to be filtered, when make-believe was not equated with lunacy."

Earlier this year, the Made In China Limited collection hit the circuit. Combining traditional furniture with hand carved wooden toys, each piece is finished in white lacquer and gives way to imagination. Although creative, these pieces would only work in very specific interiors.

ships ahoy

Ok, ok. I'm not one for nautical themes. However, these hand crafted ships by Ann Wood Homemade could really make a child's room beautifully adventurous - if done correctly. If done incorrectly, you could find yourself in the borderline tacky zone. Take a look at Ann Wood's blog and you will get the feeling of what type of spaces these ships could thrive in.

funky fresh

Småfolk is a danish children's clothing line that uses bold graphics and retro inspiration. Småfolk (n) means little oneses. The new catalogue is so interesting. I like the vintage/retro pictures that these happy little kids have no idea that they are standing in front of....and the clothes are pretty swell to boot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

some people in singapore love dogs

WOOF! LOVE, in collaboration with Kiel ONGG, is a project where they have taken the Magis Puppy and given one to local artists to design for charity. The proceeds go towards Action For Singapore Dogs (ASD). This event was inspired by one that took place in Miami a while back that featured such designers as Herzog & Meuron, Jaser Morrison, Ingo Mauer, and Marcel Wanders. The proceeds from that one went to the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Now, I have no clue who these artist are from Singapore (which means nothing) and I'm not quite sure that this is a cause that will indeed benefit from the proceeds. I'm all for charities and animals rights but I think this one might fall on deaf ears. I applaud their efforts and hope for change in Singapore's animal rights effort.

(via designspotter)

a needle in the haystack

Flexa is best known for it's modular furniture system for kids. However, I spotted these two items in the accessories section. Introducing the Easel low bookcase and the bookshelf.

when grandma was young, disposable goods were unheard of

That's the motto behind Heirloom's children furniture line. It consists of classic and timeless pieces that are constructed for the child of today. The designer, Catharina Engelholm, crafted the line for children age 2-5. Most pieces are available in walnut, birch and oak and ship from Sweden.

 

 

 

 

 

(via notcot)

awe yeah

Today I fell in love with a stranger. I stumbled upon a lifestyle product design house called Iremonya Design Labo. The children's line is amazing. It's like someone is finally listening and taking action! The furniture line is so clean and has a super high dopeness factor. These are pieces that I want to have in my size. They also make lighting and storage bins as well. ありがとう Iremonya.