Welcome baby Casper!
I am not just saying this because she is my very best friend… but Esther is the most amazing mama I know. She makes birthing babies look so easy. She is so brave and so strong… and so quick. (This was her fourth natural delivery. In the hospital and out the same day!) Her baby boy was born this afternoon, and they’re already back home enjoying their first moments as a family of SIX!
His name is Casper and he is SO cute! Just the most perfect little person. It’s crazy to think he was just inside his mama’s belly this morning, and now he’s here. Isn’t the birth of a baby just the most magical thing?
Esther, you are the strongest woman I know. So beautiful and so brave and so full of love. You are such an inspiration to me and to so many other women. Enjoy these cosy first moments with your beautiful new baby boy and the rest of your family.
xx Courtney
p.s. Please share more photos soon! x
Something old, something new…
The bed for baby is ready! Set up in our bedroom, waiting, waiting… The one very special thing about this little bed is the sheet that was embroidered by my late grandmother in the 1940s of last century, for the birth of my mother (her oldest daughter). It’s 70 years old! I love that little sheet.
I also like Pablo, the Oeuf pigeon on the nightstand, guarding the crib. Now that everything is ready, I’m starting to wonder — when is this little baby going to announce himself?
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• ABCs from The Wild Unknown• Take advantage of our Special Deals!
• Who’s been sitting in my chair??
Kindred — cool concept, perfect outcome!
A while ago I received an email from Simone and Heike from Kindred, two girls from NY who had come up with a darling idea for a new business: creating one-of-a-kind pieces for babies, re-using vintage clothing or pieces worn by your own family. I was so drawn by the idea of re-using my husband’s old shirts and making them into a little outfit for our new baby, that I decided to test out the Kindred custom-made service. And it was such a cool process! Two out-of-date blue shirts of my husband were sent to NY, and not long after I received an email with some sketches and ideas for the baby outfit.
So cool to actually receive design sketches! Like it’s haute couture! We chose outfit Tuta 2 (hard choice!), and right now, in front of me, is the most adorable little outfit, absolutely beautifully made (and I can tell because I try to sew a little every now and then). It is truly so very special, and not only because of its cute design and beautiful detailing, but it’s made of my husband’s old shirts, that I’ve cuddled up to so many times already! Even my husband, who usually displays a typical male des-interest to baby clothing, was touched when he saw the little outfit…
All in all, I can really recommend Kindred — a wonderful concept, but an excellent execution and perfect outcome as well!
xxx Esther
The Il Tutto Georgia Hobo: A very stylish baby bag!
The Il Tutto Georgie Hobo is a changing bag in good disguise. Not made from wipeable plastic material with ugly prints, no oversized shoulder straps or giant buggy clips in sight. Instead, it is made from luxurious and soft Italian leather, featuring the most beautiful detailing, with a cool and relaxed, slouchy look. In fact, it is as fashionable and stylish as any other it-bag of the season! But don’t be tricked — this is, in fact, a proper baby bag, with all the necessary and handy practicalities you could ever wish for. Like insulated pockets, large zip pockets, a removable change mat, bottle holder and wet pack, a dummy clip, phone holder, pen pockets… And it does come with that extra, strong and adjustable buggy strap. The waterproof lining can be easily zipped out and washed, and, best of all, once it is removed the bag is also fully lined, making it super easy to transform it into a regular handbag. Clever!
xxx Esther
New on the market: the NJOY Bubble Buggy
The two buggies we currently own have been with us since our first child was a baby. That’s nearly 8 years! Our Bugaboo Frog is still in great condition (really, you can’t go wrong with Bugaboo, can you?), but unfortunately I can’t say the same about the light-weight umbrella stroller we got for travelling. It is decrepit! So… for this new baby, we decided it was time for an upgrade.
I recently received the new-on-the-market reversible Bubble buggy from Petite Star & Njoy. It’s the first umbrella stroller which is reversible, meaning it can go from rear facing to forward facing in one easy step. Because of the reclining positions and padded seat/head rest, it’s also suitable from birth onwards. How great! I’ve already tested it out and it’s easy to use, easy to fold (in either direction), easy to push, and ticks all the boxes for a great, practical buggy. (Available to purchase online here.)
x Courtney
My hospital bag
I keep thinking I have a couple of months left, but the reality is… that today I have only two weeks left until my due date! So it’s about time I prepared some things for the imminent arrival of our baby. This morning I packed my hospital bag. I must say I feel a bit more relaxed now!
So this is what I packed… (more…)
Pi’lo
I am sure that with time you will discover I have somewhat of a dual personality! As much as I love vintage and colorful design items, I also have a love for all things white and natural. So it will come to no surprise when I tell you I loved Pi’lo’s collection as soon as I saw it, about a month ago at the NYC gift fair. To top it off, Pi’lo is a Canadian company from Toronto and so I felt even more compelled to share my discovery with you. Everything is handmade with natural fibers such as cotton, linens and felt by the lovely Heather Shaw herself and practically from her home — her studio happens to be just behind her house. There are lots of great items to choose from for your home and not only for the kids — I particularly love the lined paper collection as well as all the pillows, although I think my favorite has to be the tic tac toe game. You can discover lot’s more on the website and Heather even has an Etsy shop.
-Celina
Baby Joule nursery
I just discovered this new nursery line from Joules, called Baby Joule, and it’s so cute! The prints are just adorable, with a Mad Hatter theme for girls and an ‘On The Farm’ theme for boys, and I love how easy is it to combine it all. There’s a moses basket, a cot bedding set, sleeping bags, towels, toys — you name it. All equally tasteful, and so cute with the little pockets for little dolls or dummies. Decorating your nursery just became a whole lot easier! (Find stockists here.)
xxx Esther
Sheepskin baby booties on my desk…
These little sheepskin baby booties have been living on my desk (a.k.a. our dining table) for the last few weeks, and every now and then I just have to pick them up and admire them. So tiny! I’m getting excited about the fact that I’m going to have a fall/winter baby for the first time. Like Courtney, all the other times I had spring/summer babies — now we have to prepare to dress a baby through the cold season. I’ve started knitting tiny woollen baby outfits — what a lovely way to prepare for the cosy months ahead of us! Did you have summer or winter babies? Do you have preferences?
(Booties are handmade in New Zealand by Babies in Sheep’s Clothing, personalised notebook is from Sloane Stationary, both available through Babatude Boutique.)
xxx Esther
Knitted hood hats
I discovered this hood hat knitting recipe on Pinterest a while ago and immediately re-pinned it. How cute are these hats? And how simple the recipe is! After returning home from summer holidays, I decided to get out my knitting needles and give this recipe a go. I always get inspired around this time of year to start knitting again. It must be the cooler Autumn days and knowing that winter is on its way! Plus, I have so many friends who have had or are expecting babies… so I figured these little hats would make sweet gifts.
The recipe is so easy. Seriously simple! I have changed it slightly to make the hats smaller (I first did exactly what the recipe called for, and it made a hat that would fit my 3-year-old). If you want a smaller sized hat, you can reduce the number of stitches you cast on to 60, and then only knit for about 7 inches. This seems to be a good size for a 6-12 month old. Also, I’ve been using 5mm (US8) sized needles and Debbie Bliss ‘Cashmerino Aran’ yarn… in case you want to do the same.
x Courtney
p.s. There is something so meditative about knitting! I’ve been knitting every night in bed for about 20 minutes, and it’s such a nice time to let your mind unwind from the activity of your day. Being pregnant, I find it a nice time to think about the baby, focus on the little kicks inside, and dream about life when the baby is born…
Fable Baby & Nursery
Fable baby & nursery is, thanks to Pinterest, my newest Etsy discovery. Every little thing is cute and useful in this shop. First, their fabric is all hand printed in the sweetest prints on organic cotton. Secondly, every item was carefully designed with the baby & mom in mind: the t-shirts are longer to prevent them from rising, the sleepers are knotted for easy diaper changes in the middle of the night and some of the pants come with feet to keep the baby’s toes nice and warm. Their hand knitted sweaters are adorable too. This design duo from Australia got it all right, timeless prints with high quality fabric for infants 0-2 years, what more could you ask for? Bigger sizes, please!!!
-Celina
Vevian handcrafted baby shoes
Shoe designer, Vivienne Lopez, recently got in touch to show us her collection of handmade designer baby shoes. Aren’t they gorgeous?! She designs and makes the shoes here in London, and all the shoes are made from high quality leather (both the shoe and the sole) and include little details which really put the shoes in a league of their own. I love the little booties with contrasting piping — great for both boys or girls, and how sweet are the MaryJanes?
All the Vevian shoes come in a fabric-lined wooden box for safe keeping. What a great way to keep your baby’s shoes safely treasured (it also makes for impressive gift-giving).
-Courtney
Belle Enfant — an exquisite collection
Belle Enfant is a new, UK based company that I’m very excited to share with you. This summer, the brand launched with a small yet perfect collection of little luxuries. Fleur and Henrietta, the creators of Belle Enfant, are childhood friends, and share a passion for beautiful things — and you can just tell. Everything about the presentation, the packaging, and the collection is just so thought over, and perfectly detailed. Unwrapping the order is a pleasure to start with: think beautiful boxes with embroidered ribbons, sweet printed cards, all of the clothing is carefully wrapped in tissue paper and ever so lightly scented. Pieces from the collection are exquisite: little silk blouses with sweet pleated collars, a fine knit collection in a gorgeous bamboo/cashmere blend, stunning receiving blankets in pure cashmere, a set of delightful gold wings that make your little one look like an angel. (Ava adores them!) The Belle Enfant collection is truly timeless, and full of style. And for the practical side: I love that it’s all washable at home.
I will definitely be using the cashmere receiving blanket for my soon-to-arrive baby boy. Such a perfect piece, exactly the right size, so soft and natural and ever so practical with the little hood. It will be on top in my hospital bag (which maybe I should start to prepare soon!). I’m truly impressed with the Belle Enfant collection and will be using them for future gifts for sure!
xxx Esther
Gorgeous hand knit baby clothes from Fournier
Right as I was saying that I needed to invest in some warm winter baby clothes, a package arrived from Fournier with the most exquisite hand-knitted goodies for the baby. The softest and sweetest baby booties, hat and blanket, all made from 100% baby alpaca. What a lucky little baby this will be!
Annabel Fournier is the beauty and brains behind the brand, and I have become such a huge fan of hers recently as I started following her on Instagram (@petitsfournier). She often posts behind-the-scenes images of her products in the making, and it is so fun to see how much love and attention goes into each piece. I love her little knitted toys and garlands, and how cute are these neon snowflake mittens?! Annabel is committed to socially and environmentally responsible design and supports local artisans in Bolivia who knit each piece by hand. Impressive.
x Courtney
Séraphine multi-functional nursing shawl
I love the versatility of this nursing shawl from Séraphine! What a perfect piece — lovely to wear as a throw or a scarf when you’re pregnant (it’s super comfy to wear and looks very stylish), great to use as a nursing cover when it’s a bit chilly or you feel very exposed, and handy to have around as a blanket or swaddle for the baby. Best of all — this piece won’t lose it’s attractiveness after pregnancy and nursing — I’m sure it will stay a staple in my wardrobe! Available at Séraphine (online or at one of the shops).
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Patchwork perfection from Lindsey Berns• Olli Ella launches a bedding line!
Cabbages & Kings
I am loving the hand-knit goodies from the newly established Cabbages & Kings. Aside from the gorgeous colours and designs, I like that the pieces are practical too. The leg/arm warmers, for example, have a little fold-over muff to act as mittens or booties on little babies. And the scarves can either be worn around the neck, or pulled over the head to act as a hood. Cute! Plus, all the pieces are hand-made by Peruvian artisans who work in collaboration with a network to help strengthen their local community and participating institutions.
I just got a pair of leg warmers for the new baby. It will be my first time having a baby in the colder Autumn/Winter months (all my other babies were born in the spring!). I need to stock up on warm & cosy babywear!
x Courtney
Sweet bunny sleep suit from Wowo
Emilie finally took me to Wowo last time I was in Paris, and it was fun to discover the cute collections. The fabrics are so lovely, and it’s pretty hard to resist these cool hoodies with neon drawstrings, or even this sunny sunsuit? I did end up buying this cool bunny baby ‘Grenouillère’ for the new baby — so sweet, featuring Mr. Lapin avec moustache!
xxx Esther
Mamy Factory
Mamy Factory is a new Paris based boutique that offers a most wonderful range of hand-knit baby and toddler items. All the products are knit with love by real French grandmothers aged 59 to 91 years old, so there’s a lot of care and dedication that has been put into each hat, cardigan or slipper. The yarn they use is made from luxurious and natural yarns produced by French woollen mills, and is selected for their softness and lightness: think wool, alpaca, cotton, cashmere, bamboo, and silk. The models are truly lovely and will pass on from child to child and generation to generation, and the website is a pleasure to browse — I’m loving the cute illustrations, and the useful tips!
xxx Esther
Bobo Choses Tapestry Rugs
I recently spotted this beautiful image on the Bleubird blog and fell instantly in love with that Bobo Choses tapestry rug hanging on the wall. I love the colours and the texture that the tapestry brings to the wall, and love the idea of hanging it behind a baby’s cot. In fact, I ordered one for our new babe… and think I might swipe the idea and do the same thing. (I’m already dreaming up the baby’s bed/nursery!)
The rugs are on sale now… so if you’re tempted by these beauties, scoop them up quickly.
xx Courtney
Maison Indigo
After a busy weekend in Paris last week for Playtime, I went to the Kleine Fabriek (the Amsterdam children’s trade fair) the day after — and one of the discoveries I definitely wanted to share with you are these super sweet characters made from recycled denim by Maison Indigo. This fox, anteater and elephant are handmade by disabled people in a small ’social atelier’ here in the Netherlands and I think they are just so perfectly adorable! Maison Indigo doesn’t have a functioning webshop just yet but to order you can just email Myriam here.
xxx Esther
