Author Archives: topbird

1. A wee tour: My modern vintage baby’s room

   July 26, 2013 10:54 am 12 Comments

   It’s funny the things you forget. Like the little details in my son’s room when he first arrived. It’s been two years since these photos were taken, but since I’m running a week of all things related to babies and kids, I thought you might like to see how I decorated his room back then.

   All photography by Lucas Boyd.

   There was no real plan or theme, as you can see from the photos (although there are a lot of birds and bunnies, naturally). I was fiercely opposed to anything too matchy-matchy, or beige and neutral. I wanted a light, bright and happy space for my new baby – and me.

   I’ve spent a lot of hours in this room – and now that it’s home to a very busy two-year-old, quite a lot of things have changed. But one thing that hasn’t changed is my love of print and pattern, and my magpie approach to decorating.

   

   

   I guess you could call Harry’s room modern vintage – but really, we were confined by a tight budget – and space. And like so many other new parents, we trotted off to IKEA for the requisite Expedit shelves and chest of drawers.

   The rest of the space I filled with vintage and second-hand-stuff, like the Stokke cot I bought for a song on eBay. And I didn’t want to splash out on a new rocking chair or anything that was marketed as a ‘nursing chair’, so I made do with a mid-century chair that I bought and had reupholstered by the brilliant A Pair of Chairs in Redfern.

   The teak arms of the chair were instantly ‘christened’ by my son on the first day we brought him home, so I hastily covered it with a mix of second-hand granny blankets, quilts and cushions.

   

   

   Budget and space were also major factors to consider when it came to buying baby furniture. So much in fact, that I was vehemently opposed to anything that had a sole ‘baby furniture’ purpose. So instead of buying a new nappy change table, we made do with a change mat on top of the IKEA set of drawers. And instead of a separate Moses basket or basinette, Harry slept in his cot from day one. I also decided against buying a bulky baby bath, so a baby seat in our bath did the job just as well.

   

   I introduced colour and texture into what was an otherwise plain white space with my own childhood toys, new finds, and the many generous gifts from friends. My beloved Little Wanderer by Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara – a gift from a friend for my 30th birthday – found a new home on Harry’s shelves.

   You can also see the hand-painted cotton reel garland that my mum and sister made for me when I was born. And if you look carefully, you’ll be able to spot my childhood copy of M Sasek’s This is Sydney, along with my childhood Mr Potato Head, fuzzy felt board, red school case, wooden xylophone and Danish wooden fish puzzle. And like every other design blogger with a baby two years ago, I duly bought the IKEA spice racks and re-purposed them as rather nifty book racks. Ha!

   

   To keep things fresh and to add a splash of greenery, I popped a pot plant on top of Harry’s shelves – it’s still there but it’s now filled with dinosaurs.

   Here’s a wee list of some of the things you can see in his room. Most of these things were gifts but I’ve provided sources where possible.

   Vintage fabric bunting by Hazy Jane from My Messy Room.
   Babar print from a seller on the banks of the Seine, Paris.
   Original Winnie the Pooh etching, from a bookshop in Cecil’s Court, London.
   White Expedit shelving unit (lying in its side) from IKEA.
   Malm chest of drawers (with Cath Kidston nappy change mat on top) from IKEA.
   Hen and chicks mobile by Flensted.
   White crochet granny square rug by IDA Interior Lifestyle’s Etsy shop.
   Alphabet blocks, a gift from a friend, can be bought here.
   Yoshitomo Nara’s Little Wanderer.
   Heico rabbit lamp, kindly gifted by Caravan Interiors.
   Small hand painted tambourine, trimmed with vintage ribbons by Claire Fletcher from Made in Hastings.
   Vintage chair re-upholstered by a A Pair of Chairs.
   Birdy cushions from Habitat, London.
   Vintage wallpaper animal wall decals from Inke Heiland.
   Bajo wooden bird abacus from My Messy Room.
   Bajo red wooden bus from My Messy Room.
   Old fairground wooden battleships from Pedlars‘ Notting Hill shop.
   Much loved McNuttie the Squirrel, kindly gifted by BlaBla Kids.
   Multibirds mobile, gifted by BlaBla.
   Red bird dream ring, gifted by BlaBla Kids.

   

   Photography by Lucas Boyd.

   It’s a week of babies and kids on Wee Birdy! Make sure you haven’t missed:
   Top 12 affordable art prints for children’s rooms
   Wee find: Laikonik once-a-year baby record books
   19 clever ways to transform a kid’s room with wallpaper
   The 12 best presents for baby girls
   A wee historic royal baby exhibition
   The 12 best presents for baby boys

2. Top 12 affordable art prints for babies and kids

   July 25, 2013 10:21 pm 3 Comments

   

   Decorating a child’s room can feel a tad overwhelming when there are so many options available. And let’s not even mention wave of confusion – and sensory overload, once you start wading through Pinterest. If you’re not quite brave to go down the wallpaper route, you might want to consider a collection of beautiful art prints. It’s a certainly more flexible and affordable option for adding colour, detail and interest – and prints are perfect for renters.

   But where to start? I’ve curated my top 12 favourite art prints, which would make wonderfully vibrant additions to any child’s room.

   

   1. Lesley Barnes ‘Imagination’ print, £12 from the V&A Museum of Childhood.
   2. Jamie Nash I’d Like to Be A Red Bus Driver hand-pulled silkscreen printed, £35 + p&p from I’d Like to Be.
   3. Hello Marine ‘Une Pomme’ limited edition print of 100, AU$44 from Hello Polly.

   
   4. Bianca Gomez ‘Bonjour’ art print, AU$30 from Hello Polly.
   5. Amyisla McCombie ‘Grand Old Duke of York’ limited edition print of 100, £26.73 from Amyisla Illustration’s Etsy shop.
   6. Paul Thurlby alphabet giclee prints, signed and numbered limited edition print of 200, £45 from Paul Thurlby.
   7. Hello DODO Lion Party art print, £10 from Hello DODO’s Etsy shop.
   8. Ashley Percival ‘Biking Animal Friends’ print, £26.72 from Ashely Percival’s Etsy shop.

   
   9. Made by Cecilie ‘The Queen’ print, AU$24.95 by children’s dept from Down that Little Lane.
   10. Camila Lundsten ‘Rain Littlephant’ art print, AU$36 from Hello Polly.
   11. Hanna Melin ’10 Birds’ art print, AU$35 from Hello Polly.
   12. Missy Minzy ‘I Love You Long Time’ archival art print, AU$40 from Down that Little Lane.

   It’s a week of babies and kids on Wee Birdy! Make sure you haven’t missed:
   Wee find: Laikonik once-a-year baby record books
   19 clever ways to transform a kid’s room with wallpaper
   The 12 best presents for baby girls
   A wee historic royal baby exhibition
   The 12 best presents for baby boys

   Did you have a favourite print or painting in your room when you were little? What’s your favourite work now?

3. Wee find: Laikonik Once a Year Baby Books

   9:00 am 1 Comment

   
   

   I hate to admit that it’s taken me a full 29 months to even start thinking about putting together a baby record book. It’s been playing on my mind for ages, as I fret about the thousands of un-edited baby photos sitting on our hard drive, and that I’ll forget all the important details and milestones. Am I the only one who’s spectacularly crap at all of this?

   But just last weekend I stumbled across the most exquisite handcrafted solution – Laikonik Once a Year Baby Books.

   

   These beautiful, hand-bound books have a clever concertina design so you can stand and display the book, or store it away in the sleeve. I love that in terms of record-keeping, it’s all about once-a-year – meaning you only need to insert one photo to represent each year of life. There is hope yet!

   

   

   There is space to document all the important milestones from the year, and over the course of 18 years the book becomes an incredibly beautiful narrative of your child’s life. And you don’t feel like such a craptacular mum, afterall.

   The books are handmade in Australia using acid-free, archival quality paper. The gorgeous Polish folk-art inspired motifs on the cover and matching bag are silk-screenprinted onto industrial hemp, and come in four different colour ways, with a choice of a birdy or horse design.

   These bundles of memory-keeping goodness also come with a companion ‘chatter book’, so you can document all the things your kids say over the years.

   I haven’t stopped thinking about these Laikonik’s genius baby books since I spotted them in Sydney’s Workshopped a couple of weeks ago – and now I can’t wait to begin my son’s story.

   Laikonik Once a Year Book, AU$80.

   It’s a week of babies and kids on Wee Birdy! Make sure you haven’t missed:
   19 clever ways to transform a kid’s room with wallpaper
   The 12 best presents for baby girls
   A wee historic royal baby exhibition
   The 12 best presents for baby boys

4. 19 clever ways to transform a kid’s room with wallpaper

   July 24, 2013 11:46 pm 2 Comments

   

   Vintage and retro-inspired wallpapers have been trending in baby and children’s rooms for a while now, and it’s a style I really love. In recent years, the use of vintage wallpapers has been a popular look in creative Scandinavian nurseries, where print and pattern is used for a nostalgic patchwork of colour.

   However, wallpaper can also be used with restraint to create a clean, minimalist look. Either way, there’s no end of possibilities with so many gorgeous new (and old) wallpaper designs on the market. Here are some of my favourite ways to transform a baby or children’s room with wallpaper.

   

   Clockwise from top; Create detail – and a narrative – with Un Dimanche a Paris wallpaper from Famille Summerbelle; a simple soft mint harlequin wallpaper by Ferm Living creates a peaceful and harmonious backdrop to this pretty-pastel room; and contrasting green shelves pop against the vintage floral wallpaper in this room via milk magazine.

   Clockwise from top, a single wall of vintage wallpaper creates a ‘jungle-style’ background for toys and figurines, via Dwell; the colours in this striking vintage wallpaper set the scene for this eclectic bedroom via Kenzie Poo; a single pop of yellow offers a nice balance to the soft harlequin wallpaper in this nursery, via Scandinavian Deco; Cath Kidston’s retro-style cowboy wallpaper is enhanced by a vintage letter ‘H’ in this fun boy’s room via House Beautiful.

   

   Clockwise from top right, cloud wallpaper complements the clash of bright prints in this nursery via Blafre; beautiful bird wallpaper by Hygge and West creates a sweet babyscape in this nursery via Kitty Genius; and scraps of vintage wallpaper have been used to create a collaged landscape in this bedroom via Bolig Liv.

   

   Clockwise from top right, a collage of vintage paper creates a patchwork of pattern on this little shelf, via Retrovilla; a single wall of forest-themed wallpaper creates a fun background for this playroom via IKEA Family Live; and Josef Frank’s incredibly detailed botanical wallpaper makes a strong statement in this nursery via DesignSponge.

   

   Clockwise from top right, honey-toned timbers enhance the golden hues in this dotty wallpaper by Ferm Living; a graphic zoological wallpaper by Ferm Living creates a fresh and minimalist look in this baby’s room; and the clash of print and pattern in this gloriously vintage-style room is pulled together by a set of mismatched drawers painted in complementary tones, via Petra Bindel.

   

   Clockwise from top right; the restrained timber floorboards balance the intensity of the retro folk wallpaper in this little girl’s room via Milk magazine; the pale blue Majvillan wallpaper provides the perfect backdrop to a colour palette of blue, tan and red in this baby’s room; and a fun alpine landscape is created in this room with the help of a hot-air balloon and a cable car (find it at Theo) via Flickr.

   It’s a week of babies and kids on Wee Birdy! Make sure you haven’t missed:
   The 12 best presents for baby girls
   A wee historic royal baby exhibition
   The 12 best presents for baby boys

5. The best 12 presents for baby girls

   5:38 pm 1 Comment

   

   It’s a week of baby and kids on Wee Birdy! Here’s my round-up of the best 12 presents for baby girls (I had it ready to go an option when the royal prince arrived, but thought it was too cute not to share, anyway!)

   

   1. Pink plush angel bunny, £14 from Petit Home.
   2. Oh Baby! Girl letterpress card, AU$6.95 from Lark.
   3. Toshi floral muslin wraps, AU$29.95 each from My Messy Room.
   4. Pink canvas crib shoes with brogued leather, £22.42 from Ajalor’s Etsy shop.
   5. Short sleeve angle wing onesie, US$56 from Marie Chantal.
   6. Modern bird mobile, £114.14 from Baby Jives Co’s Etsy shop.
   7. Maileg Princess & the Pea, £58.99 from Camel & Yak.
   8. Flossie romper, now £40 from Marie Chantal.
   9. Knitted beanie with tassels, AU$14.98 from Pure Baby.
   10. Liberty print orange chive bloomers, AU$12.95 from Liberty.
   11. Stoff Matroyschka, €42.90 from Pink Milk.
   12. Boo and Friends girls mug, £6 from Belle & Boo.

   What’s your favourite present for newborn babies?

6. A wee historic royal baby exhibition

   July 23, 2013 9:57 pm 2 Comments

   

   Princess Maud’s baby shoes c1869 (Queen of Norway) © Museum of London.

   As many of you know, London is one of my favourite cities in the world, due in no small part to its extraordinary layers of history. So it’s no surprise that as much as I adore the British Museum, the Museum of London is one of my favourite places to immerse myself in the history of the city, where London is absolute centrepiece.

   Royal baby shoes in order of date © Museum of London.

   To celebrate the birth of Baby Cambridge, the museum has dug into its considerable archives to curate a fascinating collection of royal baby garments and accessories, spanning a period of 400 years of UK history.

   Robe worn by Prince Albert Edward (Edward VII) c1841 © Museum of London.

   Box of Royal baby shoes © Museum of London.

   Close up of Prince of Wales Feathers on robe worn by Prince Albert Edward © Museum of London.

   There is a small but beautifully curated array of royal baby clothes and accessories, including a delicately embroidered skullcap worn by Charles I, a nursing robe thought to be used by Queen Victoria, and baby shoes emblazoned with the three feather insignia of her eldest son, Prince Albert Edward (later Edward VII).

   It’s a brilliant insight into how royalty dressed their babies over the years (pointy shoes and all), and as far as teeny-tiny baby clothes go, it’s a wee sweetie of an exhibition.

   Museum of London
   A Royal Arrival
   From 28 June to October 2013
   Free admission
   150 London Wall
   London EC2Y 5HN
   Follow the Museum of London on Twitter and Facebook

7. It’s a boy! The 12 best presents for baby boys

   7:22 am Leave a Comment

   

   Congratulations Will and Kate on the birth of your baby boy! As a wee tribute to the new Baby Cambridge, I’ve put together my edit of the 12 best presents for newborn baby boys – you could say that they’re fit for a prince!

   

   1. Blue bird mobile, US$144 from Blabla Kids.
   2. Baby name framed pictures, £34 from Helen Leslie. New picture themes are £5 extra.
   3. Toshi muslin wraps, AU$34.95 from Summer Lane.
   4. Baby crib shoes with brogued beige leather, £22.42 from Ajalor’s Etsy shop.
   5. Short sleeve angel wing onesie, £56 from Marie Chantal.
   6. Personalised baby boy biscuit tin, £43.50 from Biscuiteers.
   7. ‘Diapered elephant’ baby congratulations card, US$4.50 from Hello!Lucky.
   8. Blue bunny angel, £14 from Petit Home.
   9. Hand-painted beech wood hairbrush for babies, £80 from Dragons on Walton Street.
   10. Handmade chubby pixie wool bonnet, £25.04 from Typically Red’s Etsy shop.
   11. Baby spot blue boxers, AU$18 from Papinelle.
   12. Boo wall sticker, £12 from Belle and Boo.
   13. Green baby Lapin lamp, £60 from Lapin & Me.

8. Top 12 Summer Frocks to Survive a Heatwave

   July 22, 2013 11:29 pm 2 Comments

   

   I know. We’re all gripped by royal dilation updates, but I thought I’d take a moment to cool things down a little, and offer a little distraction from the imminent, er, crowning.

   So I’ve pulled together my top 12 picks of summer frocks, just for my heatwave-stricken northern hemisphere readers. With a palette of mostly neutral tones, I’ve chosen an assortment of silhouettes and styles to suit different figures and occasions.

   The one thing these frocks have in common? They’ve all got natural, breathable fibres. I’ve nixed all the polyester blends because let’s be honest, when you’re stuck on the top deck of the 243 to Holborn and that ungodly blast of hot air hits your calves, you really don’t want anything other than one hundred per cent cotton clinging to your legs. Am I right? Let me know which one is your favourite!

   From top left;
   1. Paul & Joe Sister Baroque dress, £205 from ASOS.
   2. Diane von Furstenberg flowing Carsandra dress, reduced to US$219 from ShopBop.
   3. Free People lace and embroidered black dress, US$128 from Shopbop.

   

   4. Lauren Moffatt Montreal I Hoped For Dress, now US$247 from Modcloth.
   5. DKNY Trapunto stitch shirtdress, US$395 from ShopBop.
   6. Lauren Moffatt Alley dress, £111 from Couverture and The Garbstore.

   

   7. Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Halton draped summer dress, £370 from Net-a-Porter.
   8. Antipodium interface shirt dress with contrast collar, now £120 from ASOS.
   9. Emily and Fin Too Much Fun Dress in the Sand, US$79 from Modcloth.

   10. Just Female Striped Dress, reduced to £32 from ASOS.
   11. See by Chloe high low dress in cotton voile, £200 from ASOS.
   12. Grey stripe cotton prom dress, £59 from Dorothy Perkins.

   Need some new sandals with that? Check out my Top 12 Sandals picks.

   Disclaimer: Some affiliate links are used in this post, for which I receive a small fee per sale. This fee helps support your favourite top bird’s blogging endeavours. But never fear – it doesn’t affect my decisions or selections. I wouldn’t feature any crap on Wee Birdy.

9. Wee find: Winter warmers by Otto and Spike

   10:43 am 1 Comment

   

   See that lady hiding behind her rather lovely stripey scarf? That’s me. Actually, it’s not really me, but it bloody well could be. This is exactly what I looked like when I woke up this morning, now that frosty old winter has descended on Sydney again. (Northern hemisphere readers – bookmark this post for September – and look away for now or you might start to feel all hot and bothered.)

   

   The one nice thing about winter is layering on loads of cosy accessories – and since the rest of you is covered up by coats and jackets, the accessories part is really rather important.

   And why go through winter with dull/boring/mass-produced hats, scarves and beanies when you could be resplendent in this raspberry and mustard stripey scarf by brilliant Melbourne designers Otto and Spike? I mean really, it’s a no-brainer, right?

   Otto & Spike have a fabulous back story (you can read the tale about these master knitters here), knitting in the same factory in Brunswick, Melbourne for the past 40 years. I stumbled across their glorious scarves in Sydney’s Workshopped last weekend, and after reading their lively banter on their website, I wanted to share them with you.

   Unlike many other Australian companies, who take production off-shore, every single brightly-coloured purl and stitch is created in the original Brunswick factory.

   

   And the end results speak for themselves – fine knitwear in a dazzling and fashion-forward array of pattern and colour. They use pure lambs wool in their products – mostly surplus wool “from an industry that has gradually disappeared” from Australia.

   I love that this little company is so proud of its heritage, the raw materials they use – and even their collection of knitting machinery. Their factory sounds like a veritable museum exhibition on the history of knitting in twentieth century Australia.

   Here are my top picks from Otto & Spike to keep you cosy this winter:

   
   1. Pantonia scarf, $65; 2. Pantonia beanie, $60; 3. Harlequin scarf, $65; 4. Allsorts scarf, $70; 5. Slippery dip scarf, $65; 6. Big top scarf, $65; 7. Fagin fingerless gloves, $35; 8. Mad Mouse scarf, $65; 9. Bikes scarf, $60; 10. City block, $65; all by Otto & Spike.

   
   

   All photography courtesy of Otto & Spike.

10. Make this weekend: Crochet a set of rainbow nesting baskets

    July 21, 2013 8:47 am Leave a Comment

    

    Here’s a great project to make this weekend: a set of crocheted rainbow nesting baskets. The step-by-step tutorial by the rather brilliant Marinke of A Creative Being for Crafttuts+ is perfect for crochet beginners and you can use them to store all sorts of knick-knacks – or they’d make a fun tactile toy for babies.

    

    Head on over to craft.tutsplus.com (my other wee baby) for the full tutorial here.

11. Shopping in London: New summer brights at Goodhood’s Life Store

    July 19, 2013 4:00 pm Leave a Comment

    

    Have you poked your nose into Goodhood‘s relatively new shop, Life Store? As the name suggests, the East London store is home to Goodhood’s edit of lifestyle products – and if you’re familiar with the Goodhood brand, you’ll know that true to their moniker, they’re rather good at cherry-picking all the good stuff.

    On the fashion side of things, they stock the likes of Antipodium, Karen Walker Eyewear and P.A.M for girls (yay for the Antipodeans!) and Garbstore, Junya Watanabe Man and Norse Projects for guys. Or in their words, they stock “everything you would require for a good life”.

    
    

    As part of their statement for their summer lifestyle collection, the good people at Goodhood claim that “colour is an important aspect in life, it can dramatically affect moods, feelings and emotions.” Now if anyone deserves a star, I suggest they get a big fat (neon pink) one for delivering on their mission, with a ripe-for-the-picking bunch of delicious bright new products for summer.

    It almost feels like they’ve raided my favourite shops from around the globe (including Etsy sellers!), with cult Scandi brand Hay leading the way in the colour and style stakes. The Danish design super-store brings a whopping dose of hygge to Life Store – that unique Scandinavian concept that doesn’t directly translate into English, but suggests a certain warmth and cosiness at home.

    

    The buyers at Life Store have shown a rather deft hand in selecting key products from Hay’s considerable product lines, from the vividly patterned wool blankets and quilts to the stunning ombre plisse accordian file (£18.33), which is well on its way to becoming a modern design classic (see below).

    

    The immaculate curation continues with a gorgeously inexpensive range of neon-dipped concrete candle holders from Melbourne brand Sarai (£21). Seriously, is one of the buyers Australian?

    

    And they’ve delved into the Etsy archives with a collection of more neon colour-dipping, courtesy of Wind & Willow‘s stunning range of wooden bowls and spoons (just £7 for a wee bowl).

    

    The Neon Brights show continues with Nud lighting, a collection of beautiful oversized naked globes and bang-on-trend neon and patterned cords, which are sold separately (from £25). Transform your bedroom by hanging a couple of bulbs over your bedside tables and – pow! Instant mood change.

    

    More delicious summery hues are delivered via &Klevering‘s multi-coloured tealight holders (a colour punch steal at £7), Kleen Kanteen’s flask (a summer essential at £19) and Petites Production’s vivid green steel table legs (£126).

    

    For an excellent review of Goodhood’s Life Store from someone who’s actually set foot in the shop (anyone want to sponsor a wee birdy on a research trip to London?), head over to Jonestown London. Dan Jones is a sublime writer and as Time Out London‘s former Shopping & Style Editor (and my former boss), he’s totally in-the-know when it comes to best of London retail. Oh, and you can read Dan’s Secret London for Wee Birdy here.

    Goodhood Life Store
    20 Coronet Street
    London N1 6HD
    Tel.  (0)207 729 3600
    Nearest tube: Old Street
    Opening hours:
    Monday to Saturday 11am-6.30pm
    Sunday 12 noon-5pm

12. Sydney design: Bright and bold new DAN300 textiles

    July 17, 2013 4:55 pm Leave a Comment

    DAN300 Babcha Luxe spring textiles. Photography courtesy of DAN300.

    I’m super-excited to exclusively reveal a sneak peek of the new DAN300 spring/summer 2013 collection of textiles on Wee Birdy. I’ve had my eye on Sydney designer and director of DAN300 Daniella (Dani) Rosen for the past few years, as each new collection grew bigger – and brighter.

    It was only last year that DAN300 launched their very first collection of cushions – before that, the business was primarily focused on stationery and small accessories. The new spring/summer 2013 collection marks a new level of maturity for the design studio – and look how much it shines!

    
    DAN300 Nana’s Garage Folkland textiles. Photography courtesy of DAN300.

    DAN300’s signature kaleidoscopic use of colour and pattern in last year’s Babcha Luxe collection is reflected in the new collection, with a soft new ‘aqua’ colour-way available in a range of cushions and handy zip-cases. The harlequin, fish scale and geometric prints are back, re-worked with a mid-century influence which would work beautifully in any retro-inspired or contemporary setting.

    

    I’m also loving the relaunched Nana’s Garage collection, with its ’60s folk-inspired floral prints that are worked through the range of cushions, zip cases and a collection of new softies for babies and kids.

    
    DAN300 new Nana’s Garage Folkland softies and zip pouches. Photography courtesy of DAN300.

    The textiles ranges are named after Dani’s grandmothers: Babcha Luxe is named after her maternal grandmother (‘babcha’ is Polish for grandma); and Nana’s Garage is named after her paternal grandmother, whose garage was often used as storage for DAN300’s early collections.

    I like that Dani has brought a personal ‘family story’ to her collection, as her brightly-coloured, vivid designs are at once fresh, contemporary and nostalgic – and the collection has been cleverly designed to layer throughout the home.

    Dan300 Babcha Luxe aqua textiles. Photography courtesy of Dan300.

    I’m rather keen on the smart collection of zip cases (below), which would make very handy emergency-nappy pouches for your handbag, as well as sweet little bags for make-up, craft supplies or pencils.

    
    Dan300 Babcha Luxe accessories. Photography courtesy of Dan300.

    DAN300 will be at the upcoming Home & Giving Trade Fair in Melbourne, where Nana’s Garage relaunch will make its debut.

    
    Dan300 Babcha Luxe Brights cushion. Photography courtesy of Dan300.

    

    DAN300’s new spring/summer collection will be available to pre-order online from August 1, 2013. The new products will be shipped out from August 18. But in the meantime, check out the current collection. There is free shipping within Australia for all orders over $50. Click here for a list of stockists.

    Follow DAN300 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

13. Wee Birdy’s Top 12 Sandals

    July 15, 2013 4:00 pm 2 Comments

    
    Salt Water Sandals via Stitches and Maps

    When you’re in the midst of summer heatwave (I’m talking about my northern hemisphere readers here), the most practical and on-trend option for footwear is a sensible leather sandal.

    One step up in the style stakes from Havianas (er, flip flops), a good flat leather sandal will see you through many a fashion-meets-heatwave dilemma. This season, old-school sandals and fugly orthopaedic shoes are enjoying something of a mini renaissance, taking their wearers from day to night. And I haven’t stopped smiling.

    It’s interesting watching trends emerge from the ‘other’ side of the world (and from the depths of a chilly winter). This past summer in Sydney, I couldn’t walk a block without spotting a veritable rainbow of bright and shiny Salt Water sandals. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Salt Waters were a Summer 2012/13 wardrobe staple. This pleases me no end, as my arthritic toes can’t really handle anything steeper than a five-degree slope.

    Tan and coloured leather sandals handcrafted in the traditional Greco-Roman style are also having a moment in fashion right now, with the likes of Net-a-Porter and ShopBop stocking a range of K. Jacques sandals. (This is something I don’t think I’ll ever fully appreciate, after trekking through le Marais in Paris to find the cult-ish K. Jacques store back in 2007. And then blogging about it.)

    But if you’re looking for something a bit friendlier on the wallet, you might like to head to Etsy and my secret-squirrel shops where you’ll find a range of traditional hand-crafted sandals for as low as £8.50 (GO!). And then a wee birdy told me about Greek Sandals, where you can pick up a pair of traditional Mediterranean-style sandals priced for around €30.

    

    Meanwhile, in London, The Sandal and the Craftsman (see above) has been popping up in locations around town, for one-one-on appointments with his gorgeous range of hand-stitched flat sandals inspired by the Italian tradition. Available in a range of gorgeous colours, this is one craftsman to keep an eye on.

    

    

    Here are my top 12 sandals for summer:
    1. Salt Water sandals in yellow, US$39.99 from Mod Cloth.
    2. Marais USA espadrille wedges, now US$88 from ShopBop (available in other colours).
    3. Marais USA gladiator sandals, US$130 (available in other colours).
    4. K. Jacques Flavia crisscross sandals, US$248 from ShopBop.
    5. CoSTUME NATIONAL Fiore Flat Sandals, reduced to $178.50 in orange.
    6. A.P.C. flat sandals, US $310 from ShopBop.
    7. Red women’s leather sandal, £88.36 from Einat and Stephan Kedmi’s Etsy shop.
    8. Roman Greek leather sandals in black, £8.50 by Ananias Sandals’ Etsy Shop.
    9.  Thebes Sandal Natural Color sandals, €30 from Greek Sandals.
    10. Ancient Greek Sandals Clio sandals, US$185 by ShopBop
    11. Carvela Kloud studded flat sandals, £65 from Selfridges.
    12. Loeffler Randall Dree woven sandals, now US$70 in cobalt/mint (other colours available).

    Disclaimer: Some affiliate links are used in this post, for which I receive a small fee per sale. Never fear – it doesn’t affect my decisions or selections. I wouldn’t feature any crap on Wee Birdy.