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I changed my tune since I've recently discovered a few companies creating some lovely wall decals. Apple Pie Design out of Belgium is producing a line of sophisticated, simple wall decals that integrate nicely with the decor. Pink giraffe, anyone?
These nifty little storage bins from Loom are cute enough to keep on display while hiding all of the things that are better stashed away. The Pop Bins compress flat for shipping and then magically pop into shape.
Spiralling Store has added some absolutely sweet, new Japanese goodies from Decole & Shinzi Katoh. The Kinoko & Mushroom fabric by Shinzi Katoh has me drooling. I wish I knew how to sew!
Thanks to mamasaidshop, I was given the nudge I needed to finally spring for Camilla Engman's set of 4 prints for a mere $45. There's a reason why Camilla is so popular -- just look at these fantastic illustrations! I'm really looking forward to their arrival but now I need to make some space for their debut. The Bean's room? The playroom? hmmm, maybe MY room?
If you live in Seattle or just happen to be visiting this Sunday, then you can't miss SOIL's annual art auction. It's loaded with great talent and who doesn't want to continue supporting art?! Susan Zoccola, Chauney Peck, Chris Engman, Ellen Ito are some of my personal faves.
If you're looking for bold and cheerful art to liven up your child's room, Avalisa is overflowing with a vast range of graphic prints to choose from -- just look at the images below! I love the mixing and matching of different graphic patterns while using the same color palette.
I've known Glug Baby to have fantastic t-shirts but somehow their pillows flew under my radar. They're just as cute...
Sorry I'm a bit behind today, I'm nursing a head cold that I caught over the weekend. Good news though -- Trish Grantham is having an online art sale today. There are some great pieces!!
We're off for a mini family-road-trip to Portland this morning. It's such a fun and easy place to escape with the girls. We'll be making a couple of kid-friendly stops that I'll be sure to highlight next week. Until then, I thought I'd leave you with these Japanese anemone boxes so beautifully designed by Modern-Twist. They make a great place to stash stuffies, PJs, toys or a baby sister (just kidding).
I was recently downtown and literally did a double-take as I briskly walked by Dave Barne's art hanging in the salon where I get my hair cut. I came to a screeching halt and was like a moth to the light. I stood inches away in order to see the fine details in Dave's work. He uses scrap wood, canvases and found objects as his base, then layers bold illustrations and collage elements to give each piece character and depth. Either of these would be fantastic in a kid's room...
By now you've probably heard about the BPA or bisophenol chemical most often found in polycarbonate plastics. Bisphenol A is an estrogen-like chemical used to make plastic. These plastics are used in many plastic water bottles, baby bottles and sippy cups. I learned about BPAs a couple of years ago and have felt uneasy giving my daughters' plastic sippy cups and baby bottles since then. So, I was ecstatic when I discovered my first SIGG aluminum bottle and promptly purchased a couple. Thankfully, there are other companies entering the scene with some nicely designed aluminum or stainless steel bottles, so I thought I would showcase a few. SIGG is the most popular brand, made of aluminum but internally coated with an inert coating so there is no aluminum leaching into the bottle (thanks Molly!) and they offer additional accessories such as kid handles and a neoprene jacket. Klean Kanteen, made of stainless steel, also has additional accessories and other lid options, The Safe Sippy, also made of stainless steel, has a straw-like spout (proven to be better for speech development) and then I had to mention the Shinzi Katoh drinking bottles for their fantastic illustrations.
In a recent post
about wall decals, I said that I wasn't typically a huge fan of them;
however, I think I found a line of wall decals that I'm ecstatic about.
Seriously, I may even have to get a couple for the Bean & Mini's
room. Vinyl Wall Art is doing a great
job at making cute decals that would add a touch of character and humor
to any room. In a few of their staged shots, if you look carefully,
you'll see a decal subtly positioned in the upper corner of a wall in a
kitchen or living room. Well done!
A typical Sunday ritual usually consists of getting coffee and taking
the girls to the Ballard Farmer's Market. We cruise up and down the
street checking out the local vendors while The Bean repeats her
mantra, "Let's go to the toy store, let's go to the toy store...". Once
we've bought our supply of fruits and veggies, we'll mosey on over to Clover
-- the cutest little toy store in Seattle. It's chock full of unique
toys, games and furnishings for kids. The owner makes special trips to
Europe to sniff out a nice selection of goods that you won't find
anywhere else in Seattle. Through the month of October, Clover is
featuring Amanda Kindregan's
original paintings and prints. Her style is nostalgic and reminiscent
of children's book illustrations of the 1950's. She tends to paint
animals and outdoor landscapes; her work is very sweet and whimsical.
It definitely reminded me of books that I read as a child.
I could easily spend hours perusing Etsy if I had the time -- I know I'm not alone. I stumbled upon Willarie's shop this afternoon and was immediately smitten. If either of these outfits were available in my size, I swear I would wear them! They're all simply gorgeous.
Mahar Dry Goods collaborated with artist Kristin Loffer Theiss of klt:works to make this whimsical and adorable mobile of cats spying on unsuspecting birdies. Made of wool felt and cotton fabric. Very cute!
Oozing of form and function, the Culla Belly co-sleeper is an amazing design! I wish this was around when I needed it. I know plenty of parents who don't have enough space to fit a bed and a crib or another (larger) branded co-sleeper in their room. Culla Belly seems compact enough to fit in even the smallest of rooms. Check out how it can also be converted into a bassinet -- brilliant! Unfortunately, this little beauty doesn't appear to be available in the U.S. yet.
What a cute idea! Smiles:-) Wheels by Emmanuel Dietrich. They're suited to be mounted on most types of furniture that need wheels...weeeeeeee!
A fantastic artist and all-around nice person, Amy Ruppel, is having an online art sale today. Hurry though because they sell out incredibly fast! Don't worry if you miss out, Amy can usually accommodate commissioned work.
I've found a new favorite artist -- Kathleen Lolley. Her work tends to run a bit on the dark side yet they also have a wonderful childlike quality that reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are. I will have to show Ms. Bean Lolley's work tomorrow because she insists that she loves "scary things". No dolls or pretty stuff for my girl. One of my favorite Seattle galleries, OKOK Gallery, presented Ms. Lolley's show a few months ago but I missed it. Fortunately for us, she has a website chock full of her work to enjoy.
