Two For Tea

My toddler has been invited to her first proper birthday party so this calls for a big post.  In honour of her mate Esme's 2nd birthday (and because HM's recent insatiable interest in the content of my jewellery box has indicated that she is a real girl now) I will break things down into two important shopping areas. Outfit and present. Let's start with the clothes!:

Outfit

1. Wild Things - Funky Little Dresses by Kirsty Hartley £32.00

The retro look: So funky and pretty without being too pink and girly. Gorgeous!

2. Sister's Guild Bobo Choses Dress £35.00

The casual chic look: I can just imagine how gorgeous this would look with some white pedal pushers and bare feet.

3. Bethany Dress by The Eggcup Clothing Company £100.00

The classic elegant look: A touch more formal but absolutely to die for and the vintage rose print makes it truly spectacular.

4. Tutu by Cotton Fairies £14.99

The junior fashionista look: I love the punky-ness of this pretty little skirt casually paired with a faux-fur jacket and bother boots. Adorable. 

5. Pink Loafers by Skeanie £34.99

I've just ordered a pair of these for her along with a couple of other styles from the Skeanie website which now ships to the UK. Paediatrically-approved and much more stylish than anything Clarks has to offer, I anticipate becoming a regular. 

6. Port Red Shoes by Livie & Luca £34.99

They look sort of edible don't they? Love them.

7. Flower Shoes by My Little Boots £16.75

Reassuringly sturdy while being irresistibly dainty.

Gift

1. Wooden Biscuit Game  by Ella James Living £12.00

Fun, educational and so pretty. I love the vintage box too.

2. Personalised Embroidered Nursery Cushion by Big Stitch £48.00

Slightly pricer but timeless, tasteful and classic. Something to keep forever. 

3. Rubber Stamp Set by Lollipop Designs £7.50

Most two-year old girls will be getting into art by now in a major way. These collections of stamps in sweet little bags will keep them well occupied while creating their daily masterpiece.

4. Allsorts Button Bracelet by The Blue Pebble £9.60

Edible. That is all.

5. Owl Handbag by Vicky Davison £12.00

Pretty to display in a bedroom and perfect for toting about all those little everyday essentials like toy cars, bangles and small toys.

Special Event. Special Baby

In two weeks we're off to the smoke again for the Christening of my oldest friend's daughter; the gorgeous Georgina.  Little G (as she is affectionately known) is almost two years old and I now find myself charged with the task of finding an original and meaningful gift for this very special little girl on this most special of events. Practical is (almost) totally out of the window on this one but I must confess that 'keepsakes' in the traditional sense of the word does leave me a little cold. Somewhere in between is the answer. Here are my findings...

1. Hunter First Wellies in Yellow £25.00

I recently bought a pair of these for my own daughter (now 16 months). They appeal to me not just because they are insanely cool but also because they have a timelessness about them that means that at some stage in the future they will no doubt end up in some keepsake frame of her early clothing that I will feel obliged to create for her bedroom. 

2. Cooking Play Set by Weaving Hope Fair Trade Gifts £39.50

It's not just because she's a girl! The fun kids get out of mimicry would make this lovely set of toys appeal to any child and I particularly love the fact that you can spread it out on a table top for extra authenticity.

3. Extending Ivory Pearl Bracelet by Highland Angel £22.00

I can't tell you how much I love this company's stuff. It's just out of this this world and what I particularly love about this bracelet is that it is suitable for a little girl but can become a piece of jewellery for a young lady too. Timeless genius! 

4. Dorcas The Duck Wooden Chair from The Little Ark £79.00

There are a number of different styles of this chair from The Little Ark but I've have a real obsession for egg yolk yellow at the moment. It maybe a bit of rebellion against girly pink. Choose from labradors, chickens, elephants and rabbits in a rainbow of colours and the parents will thank you because it will look classic and chic in the nursery amongst the forest of plastic. 

5. Personalised Framed Papercut by Kayleigh's Papercuts at FromTheWilde.com £45.00  

Girls names are so pretty. What better way to celebrate a new life than something that simply records the important facts. Intricate and elegant. Say no more! 

Stocking Fillers 20

Amazing and original and packaged in a lovely tin with a hand-drawn design printed on it. This witty range of Clothes Plasters (from £2.99) are embroidered patches designed by artist Jennie Maizels and require only a hot iron to affix individuality and flare to your children's clothes. They come in packs of one, two, five or ten (£9.99 the ones in the tin above) and there is a style to suit all. My favourite is the "Love" range mainly because I have a favourite jumper with a moth hole at the chest and I think one of these would prolong its life considerably. Gorgeous!  

Stocking Fillers 17

How cute? Why not stuff a stocking with this Blue & Red Rose Coathanger £4.20 from This Is Pretty. I met someone once who (quite vehemently) believed that padded hangers were the work of the devil and I could never understand why. Obviously some are nicer than others (pastel yellow, crocheted and smelling of mothballs are a no-no of course) but who could say that this child-size hanger isn't cute as a button and wouldn't look so smart with a pretty dress hanging from it in a wardrobe or on the back of the nursery door. It would also make a lovely present for a 1st birthday or new baby. 

What's it going to be?

It's my baby girl's first birthday next week so it's a pretty happy time. I've just finished putting the finishing touches on her cake and I'm thinking about presents. I did, by the way, buy the 'Ma Little Princesse' hanger I mentioned in my post Scandi Baby Chic and it's gorgeous.  This time last year I was going slowly bonkers wondering if she was ever going to arrive. We didn't know she would be a girl so we didn't really buy her any clothes other than white babygro's before she was born. I did want her to have an outfit to travel home in style in though - very important for that all important 'home from the hospital' shot. I found this gorgeous Cashmere Pullover & Bootees Set £32.00 from Little Hooligan who sell their beautiful range of baby clothes on NotOnTheHighStreet.com. This was my first present to my own beautiful (and as it turns out not so) little hooligan and, since she arrived in the middle of a snowdrift, most appropriate for braving the icy temperatures outside the sweltering maternity ward. Here she is in all her 3-day old glory wearing the pullover and stripey trousers by Olive & Moss. I can't see the same trousers amongst their range anymore but there are lots of lovely similar designs on their website. Hat, snood and rose brooch by me. If you are handy with the needles and want to buy this for a new baby, you could do what I did and make a little corsage suitable for either a boy or a girl (I had a little knitted bee ready for a boy) so that the mum can attach the appropriate one when she puts it on the baby. I made the attachment out of sticky velcro to avoid having any pins in the nursery. Happy Birthday, little A. 

Brrrrilliant!

I'm not normally a fan of giving gloves as a present. They're right up there with picture frames and nailcare kits in the zero inspiration stakes. But I am prepared to make an exception in this case. These days, everybody knows somebody who is inseparable from their touch screen gadgets which won't work through the fabric of your gloves on a cold day. Totes Isotoner have come up with a very stylish solution to this problem with these SmarTouch Gloves £14.99. They have conductive thread knitted into the forefinger and thumbs of both hands so you can tap, pinch and scroll away without losing the feeling in your fingers and a suede palm grips to stop the device sliding around in your hands. Perfect for city folk waiting for the 'bus that never comes' on cold winter evenings. They come in a range of materials, designs and colours including a very nice leather pair with chic bow detail for £24.99 and microfibre version for ski-ing £19.99. Brrrrilliant!