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Wow we’ve had sunshine this week! And what a difference it makes :) I’m feeling all spring like and cannot wait to get into some lighter, brighter clothes.
The mummy blogger
has a fabulous competition running where one lucky blogger can win up to £200 worth of goodies from the White Company. To win you simply have to style your spring outfit, no problem I shout! I’ve styled Littlelish in some gorgeous white stretch jeans from £24 and a lovely petal pink sparkle jumper £28. I think you’ll agree this is a pretty adorable combo – sweet as pie!I just love The White Company for their understated chic and beautiful muted shades. I want to be soft, feminine and light in the springtime so I think you will agree this striped linen sweater £60 and curved linen t-shirt £45 worn with a crisp pair of white cropped jeans £80 would be ideal. Fingers crossed for a win! I’ll keep you posted…
We take a look at the snuggest jackets, coats and knitwear from Next
The cold months mean one thing and one thing only in the UK: wrapping up. Not being prepared for the change in seasons – which is just starting to sharpen up and kick into gear – can lead to colds and discomfort for the whole family. And especially when you’re more than you, taking care of the little ones and protecting them from the cold is imperative.
So that’s why today we’re looking at the top winter warmers for the whole family; from winter coats for women to kids cardigans and mens leather jackets, this is all about the best cover-ups and snuggly outerwear for every member of your family unit.
1.Boys: Fairisle Patterned Cardigan
This is a great knitted cardigan for young boys – its pattern looks cool and trendy, but more importantly for mum and dad, it’s very warm and can easily be worn under a larger coat or layered with scarves and hats to protect against wind and snow. The red Fairisle Patterned Cardigan (pictured below) is a real Christmas keeper too!
2. Ladies: Navy Luxury Parka
A longlined coat with excellent coverage, a big faux-fur hood and pockets is the ideal for weekends, walks and long trips away with the kids in the colder months. The navy colour of the parka is also great for staying clean and fresh-looking.
3. Mens: Red Hooded Jacket
A very stylish present if your boyfriend or husband is having a birthday in the next few months and you want to buy them something practical as well as a la mode. The dark brown/red hue of this jacket is very on-trend, but the rest of the story is all about warmth, practicality and utility. Hood keeps out the cold and the high collar also works to prevent any draughts getting to the neck or chest.
4. Girls: Quilted Jacket
There are several quilted jacket styles to choose from but these are great for the young ladies in your family – lightweight but extremely warming, and available in several colours, from a black to a blush pink, with or without hood.
5. Mens: Tan leather jacket
A classic winter warmer that lasts well into the spring and the next autumn, this stylish tan leather jacket is perfect if you’re looking for a slightly light alternative to the winter coat.
Oh my, it’s September already! Autumn is fast approaching which means we have the task of finding Littlelish a new coat (her one from last year looks so teeny tiny now). Our requirements are rather simple, warm and practical ie. with hood and pockets (Littlelish looooves pockets) and perhaps no pink (that’s perhaps me talking).
I spent a while perusing all the main high street stores I could think of and compiled this moodboard of my favourite coats. I think I am leaning towards the M&S checked coat just for the lovely colours although I’m not sure how warm and waterproof it will be. As Littlelish is quite sensitive to the cold maybe we are better off going for a padded coat? I wonder if the Zara coat at £19.99 will match up to the quality of the Lands’ End coat at £70.00 (despite the fact that Polyvore says it is £22)? Internet shopping is great but for practical matters such as this I’m afraid a comparison is necessary which means an actual trip to the shop is on the cards.
Let you know which coat wins the shopping test…
On Saturday we celebrated Littlelish’s 3rd birthday by throwing her a fairy party. Although I was super looking forward to it I spent all week fretting about the rain and having to do it inside the house. Our house is not really small but I think the walls start to close in on you the minute you get 10 3 year olds and their mothers in any room! Plus we were arriving back late on Thursday night from Holland and I distinctly remembered leaving the house in rather a tip before I left. All the weather reports were predicting rain so it was a case of doing an emergency tidy up on Friday, trying to put some order into my creative chaos in the kitchen, hanging some bunting inside and keeping my fingers crossed they had got it wrong! Turns out my prayers worked (though my house was nice and tidy by this point!) as it stayed dry and we even had some lovely sunshine! It was great as it meant the party could go ahead as I had imagined…
We had the bunting and pom poms from Plush Parties decorating our ancient apple trees, spotty balloons decorating the front door and plenty of lawn for little fairies to flutter around happily. I also made up some fairy dust which was liberally sprinkled around. We had a pretty picnic rug which was laid out on the grass which I used to sit on while I painted the children’s faces. The girls also used it as their creative station where they stuck gems on little secret treasure boxes and decorated, iced and sprinkled up their biscuit fairy wands.
We played pass the parcel (and I spent the whole time frantically hoping I had made enough layers!!), listened and danced to the FAB party CD from Justin Fletcher, ate yummy party food and generally had a jolly old time. The gorgeous fairy house from Win Green was a huge hit, it seemed to really add to the fairy atmosphere and there was always about 3 children in it at any given time.
The 2 hour time slot I had planned literally flew past and it was very soon time for everyone to go home. I breathed an enormous sigh of relief at the fact that I had actually counted the number of little fairy guests correctly (not missing anyone off!) and would not be left ‘one party bag short’ as I had dreaded all week! So the fairy party was a big HIT! Hopefully it was a memorable day for her, she looked so happy and beaming all day, so proud her friends were there to share it all which of course made it all worthwhile :) I was chuffed at having arranged a lovely party despite all the chaos currently going on in our lives.
I have to say a little bit of extra planning really paid off. Creating a board on pinterest is great for storing ideas on food, decoration, games etc and using a website like Plush Parties really took a lot of the stress away as all the party supplies were delivered to my doorstep!
I will be putting together a little guide to planning the perfect fairy party so if you are thinking of throwing a fairy party and want more details on the activities or fairy decorations we had, watch this space!!
Well hello! Have you missed me? We’ve been in Holland this week working on our house for the new tenants, more on that to follow…
For now I have more pressing matters like organising a fairy party! Oh there was me (never one to take the easy option) with grand ideas of handmade bunting, paper pom poms and crafted goodies. All excellent material for DIY craft blog posts might I add. Alas, it turned out that life had other plans for me. The past few weeks have been a blur of job interviews, freelance work, the blog being very much in demand, bark carving orders flying in AND the small task of furnishing my entire house back in Holland for new tenants. Meh busy is an understatement! No craft scissors/pens/washi tape/coloured tissue paper were to be lovingly made into party accessories of any shape or form.
And here I am after 4 long days of working 8am – 12pm cleaning, painting, shopping, arranging, decorating in Holland. Home in the UK… with 1 day left to pull off the fairy party of the year :) Luckily this busy mummy has been saved by an amazing discovery, Plush Parties – Boutique Party Emporium. Sounds grand? They are!
Looking over their website I was inspired to organise hundreds of amazing themed parties ( from circus to dinosaur!) as they stock the most fantastic, inspiring, unique and refreshing party supplies I’ve seen. From invitations to party bags, tableware to baking items, they’ve got it all. Their products have been beautifully designed and add a real touch of style to a party. I will admit it probably would have taken me half a year to rustle up anything as anything as coordinated and creative!
What I like is that you can find everything for your party on the site, there is no need to hunt in more than one shop for fab items for party bags or spend ages pulling together a look that you have in mind. Everything is gorgeous, themed and with matching items. Pulling off a party to remember has never been so easy.
So I’ve ordered some key ‘fairy items’ that will crank it up a fluttering, flowery, fairy notch or two as well as some really pretty, fun extras;
Bake your own wands to decorate
Floral fairy garlands to hang up
The fairy centre piece
Lovely spotty thank you tags
Edible butterflies for the toadstool cake
The ultimate icecream tubs
To see everything I choose and much more fairy party inspiration check out my pinterest page
I have to say the service delivered by Georgie was remarkable. She was extremely helpful and friendly, offering advice on colours, items that complimented each other and replacement items when one of the ones we wanted was out of stock. The order arrived swiftly and I cannot wait to open it and get started!
Mostly I am absolutely thrilled to have been able to cover shopping for the party (minus the food of course) all in one go. I worked my way through the site, selecting items knowing it will all be delivered to my door and all I need to do is unpack it and get to work on the day! Busy mums have enough on their plates when organising a party, Plush Parties are most definitely the way forward!
Disclaimer: Plush Parties very kindly provided us with the items for our fairy party in exchange for this review. All opinions are entirely genuine and all words very much my own. We were honestly blown away by the service provided and their gorgeous products!
We’ve spent the entire week outside in this glorious sunshine and I’ve been reminded just what a joy it is to be able to play outside with Littlelish. I’m sure I am not alone when I say that my little one doesn’t need much to entertain her when she is out in the garden, give her some water, a tea set and a play tent and she is sweet for hours. Recently I was introduced to the fabulous Win Green. If you haven’t heard of Win Green I definitely recommend you take a look at their website where you will find beautifully, lovingly handmade playhouses and accessories for children.
“At Win Green, we believe that children should be encouraged from an early age to explore their own imaginations through play, allowing them to use their own creativity to develop their playing and learning skills”. Our enchanting collection of hand woven cottages and tents, floor quilts, beanbags and accessories capture the traditional charm that we have endeavoured to create. Their ‘old fashioned’ appearance sparks childhood memories in parents wishing to recreate the innocence of their youth for their own children. The bright colours and beautiful detail instantly captures the imagination of children alike – looking to explore!”
What a great philosophy. I love that they understand that many people (including us!) are looking to move away from mass produced plastic toys and bring back the qualities of the old fashioned toy, where detail is the key ingredient. All their products are designed in the UK and manufactured in India, using traditional Indian weaving and dying skills. Each design is embroidered and appliquéd by hand and takes 15 sewing hours to complete, wow!! There is a great section on their website about how they have changed the lives of their female workers in rural India empowering them to gain financial freedom and be able support their families. Fantastic!
Win Green have generously offered us a beautiful fairy house for Littlelish’s fairy party in a few weeks time which will just be the icing on the cake! Thank you Win Green. It is a surprise for her and I cannot wait to see the look on her face. I thought I would give you a sneaky peek…
Isn’t it just adorable? The picture perfect cottage for a sweet little girl. I absolutely love the old fashioned charm of this house. If I think back to my childhood, my greatest memories are spent in the garden, more often than not in and out of play tents and wendy houses. I remember the magical feeling of creating your own shady space, too small for any adult to get into, your own private little place to play in peace. As Win Green so rightly captured in their philosophy I cannot wait to recreate this with Littlelish…
I also have a treat to share with you my lovely readers as Win Green have also offered a beautiful fairy floor quilt to one lucky reader. The Fairy Floor Quilt is also 100% cotton, beautifully appliquéd and embroidered. It is lightly padded and makes a great rug or play mat.
Do you believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden…? At Lish Concepts and Win Green we do!!
Make a wish…. and enter via the Rafflecopter ;)
It is party planning time! There is only one theme Littlelish wants for her birthday party and that is fairies… so fairies it is! First step in the party planning was to make an invitation. Every birthday I have designed my own invite for her, last year I made a very lovely collage invitation with all Littlelish’s favourite things at the time (dandelions, rabbits, the beach, shells) which we have now framed. So this year I wanted to create my own fairy inspired invite.
Image taken from Blackie’s Children’s Annual
I have a vintage children’s book (picked up from a charity shop) with the most lovely illustration in, a girl playing with fairies who are throwing blossom at her from the tree. I’ve long admired it and done nothing with it because I cannot bear to rip it out of the book. I scanned it in and changed the colours from black and white to something a little more girly. I don’t really want to have an entirely pink party so we are having a rainbow coloured theme with a good helping of pink for my Littlelish. I cleaned up the image as it was vintage and a little ‘scratchy’, changed the blossom to rainbow colours and added some rainbow stripes to the back of the invite with all the details on (you can see a sliver of it at the side).
So now all the little fairy friends have been invited and I have the party colours and theme to go forward with the party planning. Fun!
What do you think of my invite? Would you like me to make an original invite for your little ones birthday party or even for your own? Drop me an email and we can discuss creative ideas!
For this weeks Green Dream we are featuring the fantastic Little Green Radicals who make beautiful organic childrens clothing at a really reasonable price. As you may have guessed we are passionate about all that is green/eco/organic in our household but we love it even more when it is also absolutely gorgeous! We were sent this lovely dress for Littlelish and I cannot begin to tell you how soft this organic cotton is… it is beautiful, so super soft that I could snuggle up in it!
Why Organic Cotton? The organic cotton we use means the farmers and their families don’t run the risk of bring poisoned by nasty pesticides and our customers get clothes that won’t irritate the skin of their little ones! In addition, the water used for dying our garments is treated and recycled and the dyes are azo, formaldehyde and chlorine free!
A classic nautical dress with a funky twist, I adore the little details like the button hole at the back of the dress and the addition of the blue panel at the top and the frill at the bottom. A loose fitting, comfy outfit which is perfect for little girls on the move. It is very versatile and is easy to wear with a variety of colours, Littlelish combined hers with white leggings (not sure why she always feels the need to roll them up!) as it was not such a warm day despite the sunshine.
What I love about this dress apart from the fact it is so soft (did I mention that?) is that it is beautifully made, a real quality item of clothing that you can tell will last a long, long time. Littelish is wearing a 2-3 year olds dress (she is very nearly 3) and she has plenty of growing room in it. I also like that it is a great mix of being comfy, loose enough to play and run about in but still very girly. With a price tag of £14.40 I think I would even go as far to say that it is an absolute steal!
I definitely recommend a visit to the website as they have some really lovely, lovely things especially for babies AND a summer sale on with up to 50% off. What are you waiting for? Byeeeeeeee!
Disclaimer: We received the dress in exchange for the review but all opinions and thoughts are entirely honest and very much mine!
The winner of the Wild Things dress was mummy Michelle who choose this absolutely beauty. Great choice Michelle, couldn’t have picked better myself! Brand new in the Wild Things collection this gnome dress is just adorable with a capital A. Made from 100% cotton this dress is a change on Kirsty’s normal A-line shape – this is a dress to twirl about in! I know a little girl who is having a birthday very soon and I’m thinking this would make the perfect party dress for her fairy party! :) The dress itself costs £44 and is available to buy on Etsy, Notonthehighstreet and Folksy.
Look what I’ve just spotted! Lands’ End have a SALE on all their children’s swimwear. Unfortunately I think it might be the last day today (Thursday) so better get in there quick to stock up for your holiday and all the nice weather that is on it’s way!?! I’ve just ordered this more »
Look what I’ve just spotted! Lands’ End have a SALE on all their children’s swimwear. Unfortunately I think it might be the last day today (Thursday) so better get in there quick to stock up for your holiday and all the nice weather that is on it’s way!?! I’ve just ordered this for Littlelish, with the top now priced at £9.60 and the bottoms £4.80 I couldn’t resist.
I’m a freelancer in creative marketing with a background in design and styling but when I'm not working I'm doing the most important job in the world, being mummy to my beautiful little girl! I love to create and craft and have a passion for colour and beautiful detail. This blog is all about my life, my amazing daughter, my inspirations and creations!
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