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Hi folks! It’s not very often that I do two designer interviews in a row, but I just couldn’t resist sharing our recent chat with Trina from Lola & Ben before the end of the month. It also ties in with the start of the Lola & Ben sale {kicking off tomorrow, scroll down for discount code}. Not to mention that these innovative organic sleeping bags are perfect for this ridiculously cold weather! Brrrrrr!
Lola & Ben specialises in…
Our ‘4 Seasons in 1 Bag™’ Organic Baby Sleeping Bag with interchangeable New Zealand Merino liners which adapt to each season. The ‘4 Seasons in 1 Bag™’ is our own unique design which is made in New Zealand. Our sleeping bags can be purchased from Lola & Ben and also at a growing number of retailers which is exciting for our brand.
Lola & Ben products are unique because…
They combine the best of functional design with gorgeous GOTS certified organic cotton and superfine New Zealand merino wool. We have designed a functional garment which has interchangeable merino liners that allow parent to dress baby in cotton only in hot climates and by adjusting liners you can take baby through all seasons. Less is more, with one garment!
Lola & Ben products are all proudly made in New Zealand. A local high quality CMT manufacturer allows us to maintain tight quality controls on each garment while reducing the amount of miles they clock up in their production.
The inspiration behind the 4 Seasons in 1 Bag™ is…
Our children, the New Zealand weather (raining in the morning, hot at lunch, frost over night) and trying to keep baby comfortable throughout… Modern parents who demand highly functional products and embrace eco ethics in their daily lives… Our German influence of high quality (thanks to Sigi the other half of Lola & Ben ~ AKA Lola’s mum) and the burgeoning German market… Beautiful New Zealand merino wool…
Our original prototypes that were proudly made at the kitchen table… Our friendship & the desire to learn & develop a business enabling us to work from our homes in rural South Auckland around our families… Avoiding cheap Chinese imports and our consciences to keep it real and ethical…. Aaaand paranoid aversion of dressing our newborns in polyester or anything synthetic.
My favourite materials to work with are…
New Zealand Merino & GOTS certified organic cotton and our colour ranges reflect our own choices which is great to be able to reflect in our brand. New Zealand Merino is adorable and the luscious 300gm I’m Snug winter liner in Cocoa is perfect for baby to snuggle up in.
Ethically produced and organic products are important to me because…
It is a continuum of my own life. Our business reflects our daily lives in that we produce ethically manufactured high quality garments that are functional and unique. We, like many mums these days are busy and juggle many things on a daily basis. Parents demand functional goods that will be well used. Lola & Ben also believes in one off high quality purchases that are used and loved on a daily basis. We shy away from ‘fast fashion’ and buying stuff just for the sake of it (stuff that is likely to end up in a land fill after a few short uses). We are also aghast at the trend to dress & sleep babies in polyester putting baby at a real risk of overheating or at least uncomfortable and sweaty.
My purchases are often high quality & and always natural fabric & ethically produced in New Zealand or Australia if possible. Being a Coeliac (gluten intolerant) I have to make all my own meals, mainly from scratch, and can’t have many (any) convenience foods without the risk of being sick. Albeit a nuisance it’s opened my eyes to the diet of mainstream New Zealand, and what is a natural progression to the rest of our lives. I never realized what a massive and significant part of one’s life food is. To complement our diet I grow 80% of our vegetables, spray free. Nothing is more therapeutic than pottering in the afternoon with the kids and we all love getting outside.
My favourite memories from my childhood are…
Gardening with my grand dad, going for long walks in the country with my dad, time with mum, having farm animals and the never being too far from the beach/sea.
The five most important things in my life (apart from family) are…
Time, my friends old + new, a nice glass of Chardonnay (maybe a cliché but still my fav NZ wine) or Pinot Noir, my computer (if I’m being honest ..), the beach. Oh and I love tennis too.
If I could trade places with anyone in the world for one day (dead or alive) it would be…
Hhhhmmmm that’s hard. I really like my life… mostly. No actually! Anyone who could eat chocolate pastries, Fish & Chips… anything unhealthy and full of gluten just for one day. Not very philanthropic of me, huh?!
If I was given the opportunity to change just one thing about society it would be…
That everyone reads (& understands) the labels on the foods, cosmetics & clothing that their family uses and knows exactly what they are eating or putting on their skin or wearing. I can’t believe most people often don’t take ownership for their bodies in this regard.
My goals for the next 12 months are…
Establish new offshore retailers for Lola & Ben products. We are attending Kids InStyle in Melbourne this year, which is so big for our brand and ourselves. Hopefully start renovating (whether that’s achievable with a 2 & 5 year old). Go to the movies more often, see friends more often, entertain more, improve tennis game, more family holidays… enjoy the life I have more !
Thank you Trina, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you better.
 Lola & Ben are turning three, and to celebrate are offering 10% off the purchase price of their 4 Seasons in 1 Bag™. Simply enter the discount code THREE at the checkout to redeem your discount. Offer valid online from 1 – 31 July, 2010.
Are you in the mood for some cute kitschy products folks? Last week I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Katy from Little Yoyo Styles; a brand new online store that has just launched. Never one to miss out on the opportunity to showcase a big bunch of cuteness, I asked Katy to tell us a little bit more about her store. Here’s the inside scoop!
Little YoYo Styles is…
A place you’ll find the most unique and gorgeous little accessories and treasures for your stylish little angels.
Three things that make Little YoYo Styles unique are…
1. sourcing the most unique items from all over the world. 2. our combination of all kinds of kids accessories & fashion 3. having our own range of handmade products (designed and made by me!)
My career before opening Little YoYo Styles was…
I had casual jobs when I was a student at UNSW like beauty shop sales girl, kid’s clothing boutique sales girl. After I got married and had my son I decided to stay at home with him. I then began selling items on Ebay and opened a very simple online store called Dreamy Baby. I also became interested in craft and learned how to sew and knit. It was then that I decided I really wanted to have professional / beautiful / gorgeous designed store and where I could sell my handmade goods. It’s my dream to have my own brand in the future… some day.
When choosing brands for my new store, my priority was…
Cute! Unique! Funky! I am a Asian, so I am seriously in love with Japanese, Korean, Asia’s funky Styles.
When I look around my workspace I see…
My workplace is very messy.. .many little materials all over the place, along with my little computer (a laptop), and my son’ drawings, as he like to sit beside me when I am working in front of the computer.
When dressing my own kids, I would describe my style as…
Funky! I also tend to dress my boy like a girl {I will get him wearing very slim tights or leggings…}
I just hit shuffle on my iPod, and it landed on…
I do have a iPod…but never use it…
Three things that make me smile each day are…
1. when my son wakes up in the morning and smiles at me. 2. when he runs to me and calls me “Mummy” 3. when I try out new stock or samples on him {I sometimes try out a dress or pair of hair clips on him…}
If I could trade places with anyone in the world for one day it would be…
I love to be myself… so could not think of anyone….
In the next 12 months I would like to achieve…
Be a happy & “famous” designer Mum! (with 2 kids, I am expecting again and she will arrive at August!)
Thank you Katy, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you better.
If you’d like to view more of Katy’s work, drop by and say hello at Little YoYo Styles. Plus, in celebration of their grand opening, you can find heaps of cute kids accessories on sale!
Hidy Ho Neighborinos! Today we have a double treat for you… first up we’ve asked our friend Monique from Your Cheeky Monkey to give us the inside scoop on her handmade business. Secondly, Monique was lovely enough to send us a little package containing one of her famous “TagNCuddles” comforters so we could check out the quality for ourselves… see below for our “dig it” review.
Your Cheeky Monkey is…
To get to the heart of the matter… me finally following my heart and doing something completely of my own choosing with my life. I just love making my own decisions, and being able to spend more time with my family than if I was working out of the home. Plus I get to combine designing and sewing with the business side of things which I love too.
The motto I live by is…
To treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Whether in business or your personal life, it is a motto I truly believe in. I also am a big advocate of “Upwards and onwards!”.
My daily routine consists of…
Firstly being woken somewhere between 4am and 5am by my youngest son. Alas sleep-ins of any sort are a distant memory for me. I usually check emails first and make coffee. Then its a matter of getting my husband off to work (I usually make lunch for him), and getting the boys to kindy if its a kindy day. During the day I try and get the most important things on my “to-do” list done, go to the post office and bank, and sew and pack orders if needed. Then dinner, bedtime for the boys, usually an hour or 2 of work and bed. Totally boring existence come to think of it!
The first handmade product that I made for my store was…
Burp cloths and the bunny rugs I make with the crochet edging. What I make and sell at Your Cheeky Monkey are products I have always made over the years for gifts and my own children, but actually receiving orders for them and posting them off was very exciting. It’s still a great feeling when someone likes something I make enough to buy it.
When I sit down to sew a new product I like to…
Jot down on paper my initial ideas… but then I tend to be a total bull at a gate and just start sewing madly. I’m way too impatient for my own good to see the finished product!
If I could be any character from fiction, I would be…
Hmmmm… This is a really hard question. Just to be really obscure I would probably choose to be China Bayles from the China Bayles Herbal Mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert – this is a series of books I just love and wait each year with great impatience for the next one to come out.
My idea of complete happiness is…
Having my family around me safe and sound. And maybe a full time maid and chef would be rather good too.
Currently residing on my bedside table is…
Well not much really. My 3 year old is a bit of a pain with things (ok he is downright annoying) so all I have there is a lamp and the book I am reading.
When I grew up, I always wanted to be…
A Forensic Scientist (and this was way before CSI!) – hence my science background. It is a topic I have always been fascinated with & I did work experience throughout high school (late 1980’s – early 1990’s) at the Police Scientific Department in Brisbane. When finishing my studies at Griffith University I was offered a place on the research team for a big international genetics project and then never managed to sign up to the police force to get into forensics!
The next handmade item I plan to make is…
An iphone pocket or case, I have started working on the design but haven’t sewn it yet. I can’t wait to finish it!
 What is it?
The TagNCuddle is a gorgeous handcrafted comforter made from 100% cotton with super soft flannel lining. Around the edge you’ll find a funky assortment of tags, ric-rac and ribbons for curious fingers {and mouths} to explore. The fabric print on our TagNCuddle contained an array of grubs, grasshoppers, bees and butterflies. It was super colourful and resulted in our test subject taking a dive off Mum’s knee in hot pursuit when it was waved in his direction… in short… we dig it!
Five reasons why we dig it!
- It was loved by the little guy {the toughest critic}
- It’s super tough and can survive grabby {and grubby} hands, teeth, slobber + stains.
- It washes well and comes up looking as good as new {well, it would if we ironed it… which we didn’t, cos that would be like ironing undies or tea towels… pointless!}
- It’s handmade with love by a Mum with a passion for little folk crafts.
- It’s affordable, at $16.
Happy Monday Folks! Today we take you behind the scenes with Cate Bolt from Project 18. Cate is a mother, wife, humanitarian, author and conservationist. Her commitment, vision and work for her charity Project 18 is truly inspiring, she also manages to do all this while raising NINE children ranging in age from 3 – 18.
Project 18 is…
Project 18 is a not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to raising funds for humanitarian and conservation projects, the first of which is an orphanage and wildlife refuge in Indonesia. Project 18 focuses heavily on education and awareness, and believes that the key to a brighter future lies with raising children to live more sustainable and compassionate lives.
I’m passionate about conservation and humanitarian aid in Indonesia because…
Indonesia is so close to Australia and is in such bleak contrast to the abundance we enjoy. Indonesia is home to 1.8 million homeless children, living in abject poverty and subject to exploitation. It is also home to some of them most exquisite and critically endangered animal species on the planet.
The most common question people ask me about Project 18 is…
“Why?” – And I answer “Because I can”. We all can do something to help someone less fortunate than ourselves, and no matter how bad our lives might seem on any given day, there is always someone far, far worse off than ourselves. If everyone made a conscious decision to improve some small part of the world, the entire world would be a better place. We can’t all wait for someone else to start a revolution.
The Project 18 humanitarian / conservation mission will be funded by…
A range of fundraising activities, including the orphanage sewing project, special events, raffles, the Planet You video series and whatever other crazy ideas we come up with along the way.
The Project 18 sewing project involves…
Making a range of saleable items from recycled, reclaimed or remnant materials. The project was started by myself but will be taken over by the house mothers in Indonesia, while their children are at school during the day. We’re making a whole range of items from kids clothing to bags, purses and home decorating items.
Fabrics in the Project 18 dresses are…
Our fantastic sponsors and generally come in small quantities, so nearly every dress that we make is an original and unique. A small piece of fabric remnant can give us enough money to feed a child for an entire MONTH. Every cent of the purchase goes directly towards saving lives. .. {note from the editor.. you can see a couple of examples of these gorgeous dresses above. Be sure to drop by and check out the full range, available in a variety of gorgeous colours and sizes}
When my kids describe what Mum does for a living they say…
The older ones say “Just savin’ the world, brotha” (a quote from the only TV show I usually watch, Lost) and the younger ones would say I’m “trying to look after the kids who don’t have a mother or father, and saving the orangutans from palm oil”
The most satisfying aspect of the project is…
Having a purpose, being involved in something that isn’t about me. Having the ability to save lives and make real global change and having the ability to teach my kids that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.
The most challenging aspect of the project is…
Raising funds. Hands-down! Getting people to part with their money is a lot harder than I had expected.
My goal for the next 12 months is…
To take at least 10 children off the streets and raise $1,000,000AU to start our reforestation project and full-scale orphanage village in Sumatra.
Thank you Cate, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you better.
If you’d like to learn more about Project 18, please visit Cate online. You can also make a donation through her website, or shop for cool handmade products from the Project 18 shop.
Aloha! Welcome to another fabulous week! I’ve never been overly fond of Mondays, so I always like to start them off with a cheerful post to put a smile on my face. Today we’ve invited the arty Ms Kylie from Kale to share some of the inside info on her WAHM business, and a couple of cute photos of her family.
Kale was…
Started when my son was born I couldn’t find anything I liked to decorate his room so I started making it myself. Pretty soon I ran out of walls, so I started selling some of it on madeit. I have found something that I love to do and that can be done around and with my boys which is very important to me.
I would describe my creative/work space as…
An escape from the everyday; it feels like a place where I can be creative and have fun {and then I turnaround and in reality… I’m in the laundry!!}
The materials that I like to work with most are…
Anything that I can glue together and stick on canvas!
The thing I enjoy most about creating my art is…
Seeing my vision come to life and people enjoying it as much as I do.
When it comes to work my biggest strength is…
Being organised! You need to be organised when you’re working from home. I like to get the work done first, and then focus on the play & the rest.
When it comes to work my biggest weakness is…
Being distracted working from home!! Sometimes it’s tough when you see all the things around you that also need to be done… {note from the editor… I hear that sister!}
If I could be any fictional character, I would be…
Hello Kitty! I have loved her since I was a kid.
My three most prized possessions (apart from my kids/family) are…
The things in my work space which my husband gave me in support of my venture into the craft world. If course, they’re all pink! A bracelet my sister-in-law made just for me! And photos of my old dog.
If I had to perform in a talent show, my talent would be…
I’m still looking for it!
The number one goal I would like to achieve this year is…
To push myself to create more interesting & different art for my store.
Thank you Kylie, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you better.
If you’d like to view more of Kylie’s work, drop by and say hello at Kale.
Hi folks, and a very happy Monday to you! In today’s ‘behind the scenes’ post we meet Cintia Gonzalez, owner of My Poppet and designer of label Cinti does Vintage. Cintia’s store is top of our shopping list for next time we’re in Melbourne, luckily, she also sells online!
My Poppet is…
An idea that developed over a long period of time. I was working as a pharmacist but wasn’t happy. I needed a creative outlet and started selling handmade baby accessories at various craft markets around Melbourne. My customers always complained that there weren’t enough retail stores stocking independently made goods. I took the plunge and opened My Poppet. I Like to think My Poppet is “Happy Handmade”.
Indie style for kids is important to me because…
I think children should wear clothes for children, not made by children! The reality is that so many cheap garments are made by workers, some times children, with very low pay and working conditions. Our society needs to snap out of the cheap throw away mentality and value the effort that has gone into producing a garment, or anything else for that matter! When you buy something made by an indie designer, you usually get a lovingly made and high quality product that has been ethically produced. Quality not quantity is what matters to me.
The first handmade garment I ever made was…
Probably a dress for my sister’s Cabbage patch kid doll. I clearly remember using an existing dress to trace a pattern. It was properly constructed with sleeves and buttons. I’m sure mum still has it stored in her roof/attic space. Making things was just second nature to my sister and I as kids. Mum knitted, crocheted or embroidered most evenings and sewed on the weekends. It was bound to rub off on us.
When I sit in my office/creative space and look around the room I see…
A giant mess! I’m the kind of person that creates on impulse. Planning a project is not my strong point and usually ends up different, and hopefully better than my initial idea anyway. I’m always surrounded by piles of fabric in need of folding. Paperwork is carried around from room to room at home, much to my partners dismay. At least I have a sewing room where I can contain my creative mess, usually!
The three coolest products in my store at the moment are…
Melamine cups and plates by Danish brand Rice. Memory game by French artist Nathalie Lete, and my one-off vintage fabric skirts.
When I was a child, my favourite toy was…
Mmm, can’t remember. Never really had a doll. Loved to play with Lego or just draw.
If asked to describe me in five words, my kids would say…
Da, da, da, da, da! Emma is 11 months now and all she says is “dada”, in a million different ways. I’m working on “Mama” without much success.
The front-page headline in a newspaper story about my life would read…
Oh! I hope I didn’t die tragically! It would be nice if it said, crafty mum wins millions in the lotto and retires young in the Bahamas!
Few people know that I have a hidden talent, it is…
I’m very good at picking things up with my toes! I’m also a pretty good dancer (at weddings, not in a classically trained performance kind of way).
On my current “to do” list is…
Organising a Pop-Up Shop in Hamilton, Victoria (AUST) on Easter Saturday. We will be travelling there to visit family over the long weekend and I thought it would be a great opportunity to spread the My Poppet love. Now I just have to work out the logistics of how to fit a whole store into the boot of my car!
Thank you Cintia, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you better.
If you’d like to view more of Cintia’s work, drop by and say hello at My Poppet.
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