Hooray, it’s Thursday… and that means time for another fabulous giveaway! Today I’m so pleased to welcome Sharryn from Pici Papucs and her simply gorgeous range of handmade leather shoes for kids. I fell in love with these recently when I stumbled across Sharryn’s Etsy store, and today I’d like [...]]]>

Hooray, it’s Thursday… and that means time for another fabulous giveaway! Today I’m so pleased to welcome Sharryn from Pici Papucs and her simply gorgeous range of handmade leather shoes for kids. I fell in love with these recently when I stumbled across Sharryn’s Etsy store, and today I’d like to swag two lucky readers with a pair of their choice!

The Pici Papucs (which is pronounced “pitzee popooch” and means “little slippers” in Hungarian) collection is handcrafted by Sharryn, designer and Mum, in her little studio in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. Sharryn uses Australian leather, suede and lambswool and crafts her shoes to Podiatrist recommend standards which includes flexible, non slip soles, a roomy toe box and breathable uppers to allow little feet to move and grow without restriction.

Would you like to snap up your personal (made-to-order) choice of Pici Papucs shoes? To enter this week’s giveaway, simply visit Pici Papucs and tell us in the comment section below which style and colourway you would choose! Two winners will be drawn on 24 May, 2012. Australia and New Zealand entries only.

Are you super keen to win our Pici Papucs prize? You can score an extra entry into the prize draw by sharing this competition on your blog, twitter or facebook page. Please leave a separate comment for each so your extra entries can be counted.

*Note: winner’s shoes will be made to order with a two week turn-around.

Good morning my (chilly) friends. Are you ready for some minty-fresh organic goodness from our friends at BORNSAGE? The lovely Hema Kumar, Mum of two and lover of east/west fusion, has invited us to review her Anaadi range of clothing for babies and kids… perfectly adorable, perfectly unisex!

Good morning my (chilly) friends. Are you ready for some minty-fresh organic goodness from our friends at BORNSAGE? The lovely Hema Kumar, Mum of two and lover of east/west fusion, has invited us to review her Anaadi range of clothing for babies and kids… perfectly adorable, perfectly unisex!

In front of the review panel of two lovely little newborns and their proud Mums this week, is the BORNSAGE Kurta Shirt & Harem Pants, Kanji Minimal Onesie, and a Short Sleeved Basic Tee.  Each one is made from 100% GOTS certified cotton, which I think we can all agree is heaven on delicate newborn skin.

After cooing over the silky softness of the fabrics, we got straight down to the business of design. Highlights of the onesie and the tee include the hint of spandex that assists with ons-an-offs and provides easy movement for little squirmers, paired with quality workmanship that washes up well. It’s simple, fuss-free and cosy.

The star of the show this week, the Mint-ash Kurta Shirt and matching Harem Pants,  were universally adored by the Mums who immediately enquired about sizes for their toddlers. I personally love the laid-back design, which looked so chilled out on our little tester that it inspired me to spend the afternoon on the back deck sipping wine and listening to Belle & Sebastian…. oh yeah, I hear you say. Any excuse!

The Verdict… down-to-earth, nature-loving, easy-wearing!

Hema started BORNSAGE in May 2008 (just before the GFC hit the streets), launching in November that year. She was compelled to create something that she could share with her children. Something that they could look back on and remember together as their lives grew and they moved from country to country (as expats do).  Her goal was to offer mums a range of certified organic clothing for their little ones that was pure and natural, and able to be bought online between feeds, baths and everything else.

Hema says, “I started by creating our logo, which is an image of our character ‘Zhi’. Zhi is the name of the baby, sitting in the lotus position wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. Along with our brand name, the logo keeps our inspiration at the forefront of our minds at all times and at the same time represents the brand in a whimsical way. Once we had designed and finalised our logo, all we need to do was source a manufacturer, design the clothing, find distributors….!”

The name BORNSAGE means “born wise person” and signifies Hema’s feeling that babies are born wise and that in the innocence of newborn life they understand everything so well (hence the tagline, “wisdom comes in small packages”).

Hema is the proud Mum of two children, Talin (her 7 year old boy) and Aarya (her 5 year old girl). Her design process begins with a theme, the first of which was “Universal Energies” which used the symbols Aum (which symbolizes the sound of universal energy), Lotus (the symbol for universal energy) and the all-encompassing Peace sign.

The latest BORNSAGE collection is called Anaadi and is centred around “Eternity” (which is what the word Anaadi actually means in Sanskrit). The range incorporates Celtic, Kanji and universal symbols for eternity, coupled with the paisley design that you see in the Kurta Shirt which in itself is a pattern for all things eternal.

Here’s three fascinating facts about Hema (in her own words)…

1. I love love love reading interesting books on parenting or life in general. The latest book I read was The Aleph by Paulo Coelho.
2. I currently live in HCMC, Vietnam with my family and prior to this we lived in Dubai for eight years. It’s been 10 years since we lived in Australia. We’ve all love the adventure but we’re hoping to come back home soon!
3. I sing to my children as I put them to sleep at night (not sure if they enjoy this but I find they definitely respond)! Songs could be anything from David Bowie to the latest on last nights Glee episode!

The BORNSAGE collection caters for babies and toddlers aged 0 – 2 years and includes a range of certified organic clothing such as tops, tees, pants, dresses, onesies and jackets. You can shop online at BORNSAGE, or visit Hema’s Facebook page for all the latest news.

There’s a few things in this life that make me especially happy. Family, of course, animals, so cuddly, and music, so joyful! This morning I embarrassed my neighbours by loudly playing the new album from Renee & Jeremy and singing along as loud as my lungs would permit. You see, [...]]]>

There’s a few things in this life that make me especially happy. Family, of course, animals, so cuddly, and music, so joyful! This morning I embarrassed my neighbours by loudly playing the new album from Renee & Jeremy and singing along as loud as my lungs would permit. You see, it’s an album of classic cover versions, and it’s just darn fun.

A Little Love is not only fun for parents, it’s a great way to educate your kids about some classic bands such as a R.E.M and Coldplay. Throw in some Chili Peppers, Lennon, and Supertramp and you’ve got yourself a party! Below is a gorgeous animated video set to Renee & Jeremy’s version of Coldplay’s Yellow, which is a little piece of whimsy!

You can listen to samples of all the songs, or purchase the album, online at Renee & Jeremy.

In honour of all things feminine and sweet, this morning I’d like to introduce you to Kelly from Cassidy’s Collection. Kelly is celebrating the one year anniversary of her label in May; a label which has grown from the original shabby chic headpieces (still super popular today) to a full [...]]]>

In honour of all things feminine and sweet, this morning I’d like to introduce you to Kelly from Cassidy’s Collection. Kelly is celebrating the one year anniversary of her label in May; a label which has grown from the original shabby chic headpieces (still super popular today) to a full range of lovingly handmade clothing and accessories.

Each piece in Cassidy’s Collection is individually handmade using high quality trimmings and embellishments sourced from all around the world. They are lovely for gifts, and would certainly make a beautiful keepsake for a special occasion. My favourite is the blush pink “Verity” headband with the pearl and rhinestone cluster, as pictured at the top of the page.

You can browse (or purchase) Cassidy’s Collection online.

Happy Monday everyone. Today’s friendly family of fabulous dolls all have one thing in common… They all have a crush on Justin Beiber? … Noooo, that’s not right! They all have a rockin’ set of plaits! And indeed, they prefer something a little more edgy than the beebs… Enjoy!