Happy Christmas!

Someone was a little spoilt yesterday....although this is kind of her first Christmas as last year she was only 5 weeks old! Dressed in a cute reindeer outfit and santa socks (surely that's obligatory!).

Handmade loveliness

We are so lucky to have such creative family and friends, and I had to share some of Lily's beautiful presents from her 1st birthday. Thank you everyone!

1) Hand-sewn cushion in Ikea heart fabric and appliqued 'Lily' felt detail, with her date of birth appliqued on the reverse. Also in the left corner of the picture is a screen-printed cushion cover from Robin & Mould that I bought for her on etsy (and have yet to find a pad small enough to fit it!).

2) A beautiful Old MacDonald cross-stitch picture with Lily's name and DOB intricately hand-stitched by Lily's Auntie (made with a lot of love and over 280 hours of work!).

3) Hand-painted wooden trinket box in the style of a Bermudian house - bought back from Bermuda where her other Auntie lives.

4) Hello Kitty toy knitted by her very talented Nanna.

5) Hand-made rabbit in Cath Kidston fabric, with a little monogrammed 'L' pocket. See close-ups and other toys made by my friend for our baby buddies on her blog.

6) Hand-drawn 'Lily' name plate with images of objects beginning with 'L'!

7) Fabric balloons in Liberty print off-cuts and card bows made by me for Lily's friends.

8) Hand-painted ceramic piggy bank bought from a little craft market in Crystal Palace.

9)We picked up this gorgeous 'Rock Out' rocking horse screen-print by Kay Vincent yesterday at the Dulwich College farmers market, for a late birthday/early Christmas gift!

Home styling

More sneaky peaks from a weekend stay with friends in their beautifully-designed house. I love the delicate muted colour palettes and thoughtfully-placed objects. See my earlier post here for patterns, textures and print details.

Advent calender

Wow, the most beautiful (virtual) advent calender I've ever seen. Found on one of my favourite blogs Ungtblog, it was one of those moments where I just HAD to post it immediately! So inspiring. Count down to Christmas with Finnish designer Hanna Konola's Joulukalenteri here.

Aquarium love

The aquarium was a big hit at the Horniman Museum! Definitely worth a few visits over the cold winter months, and only half an hour walk away from the flat.

Magic Worlds

A little trip east to the Museum of Childhood for the Magic Worlds exhibition. Not quite as mystical and 'enchanted forest' as I had hoped for (although I'm sure it is to a 4 year old!), but some really lovely games packaging, intricate illustrations and retro toys and puppets.

She's walking!

First pair of shoes....so proud!

Material Teddy

I love Material Teddy, an inspiring project by recent Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Makikio Shinoda. It combines my love for material exploration and anything baby-related and is such a beautifully crafted object. I would love to have one for L!

"Material Teddy is made of various untreated natural materials that allow children to play and stimulate their senses to encourage the development of a healthy and balanced cognitive system. It reintroduces children to a rich sensory experience by stimulating the five senses". Images and text from Makiko Shinoda's website.

Web traces

A misty Sunday morning in November.