KidsHaus

Tiny Haus

I think I need to have lunch with the woman behind Tiny Haus someday because, ironically, she also lives in Seattle. Hi, Tiny Haus...meet Kids Haus. Tiny Haus makes quirky and adorable plushies that have personality -- I love them. The little guy on the left is Leo the Lambs Wool Llama. Leo is a very funny guy and loves entertaining. He hopes to one day be an acrobat, if he can overcome his clumsiness! He's the perfect companion and a loyal friend. The little group of bears on the right is the Cranberry Bear family and they came from a cranberry Mohair sweater. There are only 5 from in the tribe and only 4 available for sale. Cute...

Laura Zeck: Short Stories

Jana dropped me a line about Laura Zeck's new Short Stories. Laura will create a custom and affordable work of art depicting a special story. The picture below tells of Chloe's first trip to the beach. It is hand-printed on cream Magnani Pescia paper and framed museum style in a white frame. You suggest a particular theme (travel, garden, friendship, etc.) and Laura picks images to build your story. Laura will illustrate custom images for your Short Story upon request too. What a great birthday or baby shower gift. Laura does a wide variety of art and you can shop her online store.

For the Record

For the Record is a mom/architect living in Singapore who embroiders these beautiful photo album covers and also makes fun blankets and baby onesies. I love the layers and textures of the various fabrics, flowers, buttons, ribbons, etc. that make up one of her creations. They would make a fantastic baby gift...

Pretend Play

What child doesn't love to pretend play? Honestly, the best thing I ever did was move my girls' wooden toy oven in the room right next to our kitchen. It's loaded with wooden fruits and veggie, utensils, pots & pans and mini oven mitts (of course). It has saved many of my dinners from becoming disasters by being the best distraction for Clara. Plan Toys has got to have the best array of wooden toys and that little grocery cart might be coming home with me.

Car Litter Bags

When I first laid my eyes on these handmade litter bags by Bitsy Blossoms, I was thrilled! Of course there should be a pretty litter bag in my car since it seems that there is always a bottle cap, a cracker, a wrapper or chewing gum that needs to be discarded. I usually stuff it in the cup holder or a temporarily convenient spot until I get home. The patterns are all fabulous and you can buy a roll of biodegradable replacement baggies from Bitsy Blossoms as well, otherwise they fit a standard produce or pet bag. These would make a great gift as well.

Chalk fun...

I didn't even know that chalkboard fabric existed (did you?) but Jessica Levin has taken this unique material and crafted some of the cutest dolls and mats to scribble with chalk. A fantastic idea for travel! Jessica's 6 year old daughter, Ayva Sunshine, even illustrated the rocket and fire-breathing dragon -- a little artist in the making.

Sok-O 100% Handmade

My friend, Heather, scouted these fun Sock-O toys from our local toy store, Clover. They're too cute not to mention. 100% Handmade Sock-O toys were born from the imagination and inspiration of 4 designers who had a deep-seeded passion for toys. Each Sock-O is carefully handmade with a pair of socks (occasionally an individual sock) and come with a unique birth certificate -- no two are identical.

   
 

Onegirl: Fleur

How precious is Onegirl's Fleur? Calla and Indigo are handmade from a collection of bright and beautiful vintage, designer, hand printed and hand dyed fabrics. Anyone with a baby knows that this is perfect for baby to chew on or cuddle up with. Each fleur is stuffed with wool. So sweet...

Art: Amber Alexander

I'm absolutely in love with Amber Alexander's watercolor paintings of animals that are reminiscent of fairy tales. They're both romantic and whimsical. I love the golden retriever wearing her bonnet and ruffled collar.

Flag Banners

I always think having cheerful elements to a child's room will create a happy place for sweet dreams. As a child, I remember having pale, transparent floral curtains in my room and though I'm sure my mom intended them to be beautiful, they took on shapes of faces and scary silhouettes in the night. Because of that, I've tried to be over-sensitive as to what hangs in my girls' room. Flag banners are one of those design elements that add a nice, spacial dimension and burst with cheery ambiance. I chose a few different flag banners made by different artists and ironically all are from Holland...

These bright, cheerful banners are designed by a company in Holland...

One of my favorite Dutch bloggers and designers, Mikodesign has a few options suitable for a boys room as well...

These lovely, square banners designed by From Holland with Love...

Rattle-N-Roll

Suppose you want to announce the birth of your baby or send out party invitations with an impressively bold statement. Well then, Rattle-N-Roll should (undoubtedly) suit your fancy. This family-owned business will customize baby announcements & posters reminiscent of nostalgic rock-n-roll posters. I couldn't help but feel fired up after reading about the brains behind this fantastic idea. Ryan: the husband, the father, illustrator, photographer and Gangster of Love. Andrea: the Queen, mother, president, CEO, CFO, muse and driving force -- along with their son, Elijah Cash.

Personalized Children's Books

I had a personalized book as a kid that was about a mouse named Ellechim. For you sleuths out there, that is Michelle spelled backwards. I loved the mouse character so much that I truly believed that she lived in my house. Naturally, I built her a suite of furniture made from spools, popsicle sticks and match boxes (seriously). So, the reason why I had a momentary flashback was due to this personalized children's book by Custom Made for Kids. You plug in the child's name, birthday, friend's name,etc. and you get a beautifully personalized book to give as a baby gift or keepsake. Speaking from experience, I can tell you there was nothing cooler than having a book with your own name in it.

Boo Blankets

How about these great Boo Blankets by Modern Basics? I love the over-sized animal faces! Made of fleece, they're also super cozy.

Jen Skelley Prints

More great Gocco Prints -- these designed by Jen Skelley. She has a couple styles on her Etsy shop but I thought her alphabet animals were fantastic.

Turtle Papers

I must be a late bloomer because, for the first time in my life, Turtle Papers got me thinking about ordering personalized stationery.

 

Felt Houses

These little felt houses are terrific for imaginative play. The roof opens with a tassel zipper to create a great hiding place for dolls or stuffies. With a little carrying handle, they can easily be toted anywhere...like restaurants, car rides, grandma's house. Who doesn't love a portable play thing?

Playsam Wooden Toys

Swedish toy Company, Playsam, arguably makes the sleekest little wooden toys on the market! Sophisticated enough for big kids too.

dwellbaby Hand Puppets

Most recently, dwellbaby has been churning out a vast array of baby goods and they didn't stop short of making a set of whimsical hand puppets. These are made from left-over fabric scraps so the patterns will vary -- what a terrific way to minimize waste and create something useful!

Netto Polar Bear Rocker

While on the subject of rockers, I couldn't resist mentioning the elegant and eco-friendly Polar Bear Rocker from Netto. Rufus came all the way from the Arctic Circle! What a beautiful gift this would make.

Etsy Find: JoliBebe

First, the adorable felted-wool pixie booties from JoliBebe caught my eye and then the little red ascot made me giggle (you can't help it with that precious little face).