Stuck for original and charming present ideas for the little ones? I’ve scoured the globe for the most amazing gifts for kids, starting at $10.
1. The Magic Tree House, AU$179 from Lark.
2. Tsumiki house, EUR91 from The Space Penguin.
3. Antique rose ballet bounce skirt by Collette Dinnigan For The Australian Ballet, AU$39 Target.
4. Kiko machi wood+magnet town, EUR32 from The Space Penguin.
5. Little Roar Head by Flatout Frankie, AU$35 from Hello Polly.
6. Rain Littlephant art print by Camilla Lundsten, AU$36 from Hello Polly.
7. Nathalie Lete Friends magnet set, £22 from Niddle Noddle.
8. Coq en Pate giraffe shoulder bag, AU$33.95 from My Messy Room.
9. Rock Your Baby ‘Masked Crusader’ blue t-shirt with detachable cape, AU$35 from My Messy Room.
10. Flensted Elephant Party mobile, AU$30 from Great Dane Furniture.
11. Maze the ark ducky hook, AU$31 from Funkis.
12. Nathalie Lete Sailor Tin bucket by Nathalie Lete, £8 from Niddle Noddle.
13. Kids Company Dodgy Panda knitted hooded scarf, £45 from Liberty.
14. Plastic Clonette Doll with Rabbit in dark blue, AU$10 from Lark.
15. Theatre “ESPAÑOL” (to assemble), EUR22 from Teatritos.
16. Rock Your Baby ‘Eat My Dust’ board shorts, AU$39.95 from My Messy Room.
17. OMM Design Tiger Plate, AU$12.95 from My Messy Room.
18. Bear jacquard knit green jumper by Tootsa MacGinty, £31 from Burp Boutique.
19. Djeco magician pencil trick book, £13 from Liberty.
20. Blink Design colours wall art , AU$60 from My Messy Room.
21. The Game of Sculpture, £7.95 from Culture Label.
22. Kiko ashiato cat print toy beach sandals, EUR17.60 from The Space Penguin.
23. Harry Potter Marauder’s Map, £36.95 from Harrods.
24. A Menotti and Y Labat’s How Many Jellybeans?, AU$24.95 from My Messy Room.
25. Lion face cushion, AU$29.95 from Lark.
26. Kiko gatcha gatcha dispenser, EUR39 from The Space Penguin.
27. Best Bead Kit In The World, £11.60 from Cox and Cox.
28. Animal crayons, £5.20 from Cox and Cox.
29. Vintage caravan, AU$29.95 from Lark.
30. Milk n Soda Sailboat Bow Tie in Sky, AU$19.95 from My Messy Room.
31. Harry Potter Hermione’s Time Turner, £51.95 from Harrods.
32. Chalkboard Cowboy, £29.50 from Daisy Mooo.
33. Blafre Giraffe Steel Drink Bottle, AU$24.95 from My Messy Room.
Want more lovely present inspiration? Click here for all my Christmas 2012 Gift Guides.
Prefer to buy all handmade? Click here for my Etsy 2012 Christmas Gift Guides.
And don’t miss my Top 20 Christmas Crackers and my Top 20 Christmas Stockings!
Precious little presents under the Christmas tree are always welcome, but they don’t have to cost the earth – or come from the pages of chain-store jewellery catalogue. Here’s my round-up of some of the best little luxuries for Christmas from around the globe, starting at $36.
1. Georg Jensen Ilse stainless steel vase, AU$110 from Georg Jensen.
2. Eclectic candles by Tom Dixon, NZ$135 each from Simon James Design.
3. Kate Spade icebox jewels emerald coin purse, US$46 from Kate Spade.
4. 3.1 Phillip Lim silver metallic pointed collar, AU$175.01 from My Wardrobe.
5. Alex Monroe teeny tiny bumblebee ring, £460 from Alex Monroe.
6. Measuring hedgies, US$36 from Anthropologie.
7. Tom Dixon form bowl set, NZ$155 from Simon James Design.
8. Rococo Nail Apparel gold leaf nail varnish, £35 from Cult Beauty.
9. T. LeClerc secret powder, £33 from Cult Beauty.
10. Alex Monroe twig ring, £120 from Alex Monroe.
11. Vintage cube necklace, US$24 from Sparkle Farm’s Etsy shop.
12. Georg Jensen Ilse brass candleholder, AU$135 from Georg Jensen.
13. Golden twig charm, US£16 from Anthropologie.
14. Belmacz silver swan pure silver eyeshadow, £28 from Cult Beauty.
15. Hammered band bracelet set, £18 from Anthropologie.
Want more lovely present inspiration? Click here for all my Christmas 2012 Gift Guides.
Prefer to buy all handmade? Click here for my Etsy 2012 Christmas Gift Guides.
And don’t miss my Top 20 Christmas Crackers and my Top 20 Christmas Stockings!
Here are 25 beyond-lovely Christmas presents for all the favourite menfolk in your life:
1. Mattt iPad mini sleeve in cuisenaire blocks (includes a notebook sleeve prefilled with a Moleskine sketchbook, which also protects the screen), AU$60 from Mattt.
2. Jonathan Adler horse bottle stopper, £18 from Heals.
3. Shakespeare Mini booksi Dock for iPhone and iPod, US$50 from Rich Neeley Designs.
4. Timex Weekender watch in red and blue, £44.99 from Goodhood.
5. Limited edition Hobbit Moleskine notebooks, $16.95 from Think Geek.
6. Higonokami penknife, £18 from Toast.
7. Mattt Melbourne Map travel shoulderbag in grey, AU$185 from Mattt.
8. Moleskine 2013 Star Wars Large Weekly Planner+Notes (Hard Cover), US $22.95 from Moleskin.
9. Happy Socks big dot sock, AU$16.95 from Happy Socks.
10. Super People sunglasses in matt/crystal, £120 from Goodhood.
11. Set of six sport coasters by Cockpit Arts, £44 from Culture Label.
12. Ukulele leather iPhone case, AU$52.50 from Follow Store.
13. Rich Fairhead ‘For Sale’ Star Wars print, AU$40 from Hello Polly.
14. Refinery shave oil, £25 from Goodhood.
15. CK One blue stripe flannel pajama pants, £30 from Urban Outfitters.
16. Nick Bronson red knitted silk tie, £40 from Liberty.
17. Elephant bottle opener, AU$70 from Georg Jensen.
18. Clarks Originals walnut suede desert boots, £79 from Urban Outfitters.
19. Studio Amour square design hand-printed cotton handkerchief, £15 from Soma Gallery.
20. Aesop Moroccan neroli shaving serum, £25 from Cult Beauty.
21. Bike Watching: An Explorer’s Journal, £12.95 from Culture Label.
22. Stripe flannel pyjama, £69 from Toast.
23. 22 Design Studio concrete rollerball pen, £45 from the Design Museum.
24. Pineapple boardie, AU$69.95 from Country Road.
25. Herschel red Hank wallet, £36 from Urban Outfitters.
Want more lovely present inspiration? Click here for all my Christmas 2012 Gift Guides.
Prefer to buy all handmade? Click here for my Etsy 2012 Christmas Gift Guides.
And don’t miss my Top 20 Christmas Crackers and my Top 20 Christmas Stockings!
Finishing your Christmas shopping this weekend? Here’s my edit of the best presents for all the lovely ladies in your life, starting at £8.96. If you spot something you fancy for yourself, just share it on Facebook or Twitter prefaced with a big ‘Hint, hint’!
1. ‘Dash Dot’ pointy mittens by Donna Wilson, available in three colours
£32.50, from Soma Gallery.
2. Aesop Reverence hand wash, £27 from Cult Beauty.
3. Postie leather envelope, AU$190 from Follow Store.
4. Dinosaur Designs set of three bangles, AU$215 from Dinosaur Designs.
5. Polli woven peacock pendant, AU$79.95 from Polli.
6. India Knight Mutton (hardcover), £8.96 from Amazon.
7. Paul & Joe Kitty Blusher Stick in Minou, £19 from Rose Apothecary.
8. Paris Wakefield Additions Bliss cotton satin cushion, £59.50 from Paris Wakefield Additions.
9. Melinda Young hand cut acrylic flamenco pendant, AU$95 from Collect.
10. Cadiz serving bowl, £34 from Anthropologie.
11. Ceramic band bowl XXL, €70 from Foldoys.
12. Paul and Joe colour powder (081), £19.50 from Rose Apothecary.
13. Eiffel Tower ring dish, £10 from Anthropologie.
Want more lovely present inspiration? Click here for all my Christmas 2012 Gift Guides.
Prefer to buy handmade? Click here for my Etsy 2012 Christmas Gift Guides.
And don’t miss my Top 20 Christmas Crackers and my Top 20 Christmas Stockings!
This is the book that I’ve been excited about for months. And it’s here – at last – and just in time for Christmas. Megan Morton in one of Australia’s leading stylists, but really she’s much more than that – she’s actually pretty amazing. She recently opened The School, offering a super-fresh take on craft workshops (you can learn to make pineapple piñatas, flower bombs and shibori, to name a few) as well as sharing her own creative talents through styling masterclasses.
In her new book, Things I Love, Megan has curated a darn exciting and inspirational collection of homes, people and design she loves, as well as offering a raft of tips and advice. It’s the only book I know that injects warmth and genuine excitement into sharing practical tips such as how to clean a vintage painting, how to mimic the Kate Spade wall, and – my favourite – how to fold a fitted sheet. Naturally, it’s beautifully designed and it’s full of cute features like zip-out postcards and fold-out pages.
So I thought I’d have a wee chat with Megan about something we both love – SHOPS – and boy, does she spill the goods…
You’re a such a creative bird, Megan Morton. If you were a bird, what kind of bird would you be?
A Leila Jeffreys budgie! Have you seen her photographs of Aussie budgies?! Amazing! Standard budgie at first glance but not-so upon further inspection! Her budgies are showing at Tim Olsen gallery at the moment and are hilariously wonderful!
I adore Leila’s birds, too! Especially the cheeky parrots. Congratulations on your fabulous new book, Things I Love. What about shops you love? Can you tell us which shops you love in Sydney?
La Croix in Kings Cross is a personal favourite because you can spend $6 or $6000 over a coffee. The grey leather banquette with pompoms is enough of a drawcard for me, let alone the glassware, candles, cups and marble kitchen bits all acquired from a medley of sources and countries [see images below].
I love Koskela for their commitment to Australian-made and furniture that is so well made and designed with wit [see image below].
I Love You Beads Warehouse in Leichhardt. There are so many hysterical reasons to love this store. I have taken up a hobby making necklaces. They are actually super nice! I go to this shop as it tickles my sense of humour as well as services all my bead fantasies.
Flour and Stone in Woolloomooloo for lamingtons and tea served in Beryl ware from classic Brown Betty tea pots [see image below].
Fairfax and Roberts. Such a decadent and wonderful store experience. I adore jewellery and watching its almost theatrical presence at this store is a wonderful way to tyre-kick/window-shop for all budgets. Shopping for me is not just about nothings, it’s about observing and getting inspiration.
Dolly Up in Surry Hills is a dangerous place for me to go in the same way Belinda is. I love maxi dresses and Erin at Dolly Up has magnificent ones. I have bought many a vintage Valentino from her. With two daughters I feel like I am doing my bit to give us all some nice vintage options in a shared family closet!
Although I designed it, I do honestly love the Ecoya candle store on Queen Street [see images from the launch night below]. Moody and devastating, with hand-blown glass scent chambers down one wall and tarnished mirror down the other. A sensory experience in the truest sense of the word.
Plus, any suburban Priceline chemists – it’s like the JB Hi Fi of chemists! High volume, low decoration with lots of useful stuff! I also like huge warehouse shops too! I love looking basically for things that aren’t expected and challenging myself to find things that are wonderful and not necessarily from predictable places or usual sources.
Which online shops do you love?
Rachel Castle for her sunshiny goodness [see images below]; Strawberrynet for cosmetics; Mecca Cosmetica; JCrew for the kids; and I can’t resist looking at the sale section of West Elm. Lu Lu Lucky for her hand-made block-coloured envelopes and other makeables.
Top five shops in the world?
I can’t contain it to five, unfortunately! I love shops and want to share them with as many people as possible so all these clever people can stay trading and thrive as they deserve to!
1. BHV in Paris – the French alternative to Bunnings although without compare.
2. Gravel and Gold in San Francisco [see image below]. Almost an anti-store. I love its jewellery, American camp blankets and the way they wrap plants in foil for unusual window displays. Everything here is so well-made and the store has little fanfare as its quality speaks volumes.
3. Arts & Science in Toyko, Japan. Another store that renders me speechless.
4. Tsé & Tsé Associées in Paris. No words.
5. The Pirate Store in San Francisco – genius. Sheer genius. Again, no words! Retailing at its highest art form here [see images below].
6. Camargue in Brisbane for its Queensland edit of the European clothes I adore, but edited for summer-wearing and set in a classic, neutral and not overly-designed boutique setting. It lets the clothes do the talking.
7. First Dibs – the online interiors auction house. The real store is on Lexington in NYC. Totally incredible and it almost makes you woozy!
8. The Tinsel Trading Co. In New York it’s one of my first stops – I could go there every day for a year and find something in there that I had not seen the day before! Expect trinkets, ribbon, garlands – actually expect none of that – as it’s that kind of place [see images below]!
9. March in San Francisco. I don’t have words for how perfect this kitchen/gift/lifestyle shop is. I hate the word “lifestyle” but in March’s case it really is a life I covet. Everything – and I mean everything here is beyond. Utterly beyond.
It’s almost Christmas and I’m dying to know what you’re doing for a Christmas tree this year.
I do a year on and a year off – so this year I am blindfolding my family – seriously – and taking them away on a surprise out-of-town Christmas. Just us. No tree. We are packing the kids’ bags without them knowing and I can’t wait to see their faces when we get to our destination!
I’ve sent a small tree and their gifts up to said destination so it’s going to be a year of surprises. Last year I did a faux tree but highly doused in mercury and silver and pewter decorations and a lunch with all the trimmings, with a day-before-Christmas party!
Year on/year off works so well for me. It gives you the energy needed to deliver a great Christmas and a rest when you need it! I love all trees and decs – even the bad ones! There is nothing bad about this time of the year, I make no style judgements.
This year at our studio we have erected a paper chandelier by Lu Lu Lucky and we are asking people to place wrapped gifts under it along with tins of food they can spare for The Salvation Army. Christmas for me only works when you can shine a kindness light.
Thank you Megan!
Click here for a Wee Birdy Sydney map, showing Megan’s favourite shops.
Things I love by Megan Morton is AU$49.95 and can be found in all nice shops and book stores right now. It would make an amazing Christmas present and you can also buy it online from Booktopia. You can find Megan Morton online right here.
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