fawn&forest

New project from Karen Ronneback of Olli & Lime! Two fantastic Halloween-Autumn inspired projects using her georgous wallpaper. Crazy fun for a party....... or the playroom!

With the witching season upon us, we thought it would be a good idea to rustle up some Halloween-themed items Olli & Lime style! These mini projects include a Halloween bunting and a unique mobile. Best of all, everything can be made in less than an hour.

We've used our Billie roasted brown and (pumpkin-esque) burnt orange wallpaper to give a real Halloween flavour.

The starting point is to cut out triangles, make a template from a heavy piece of card, mark out on the reserve of the wallpaper and then cut.  Make holes in two opposite corners of each one.

For the bunting (pictured above,left)  thread the triangles  onto string and fix in place with clear tape.

For the mobile (pictured above, right) take 2 triangles and place them back-to-back, thread the triangles onto string, bunch-up and creatively arrange to suit.

 

Thanks Karen! Happy Halloween, kids!

I'll tell you straight up: i'm fascinated. The Boon Squirt "baby food dispensing spoon" is absolutely fascinating. A very tidy + convenient way to feed your child -- all you do is put up tp 3 oz. of baby food into the flexible bulb-end piece, which firmly attaches to the end spoon piece. Squeezing the bulb squirts a tad of food onto the spoon and baby eats. I'm fascinated! Bite by bite.

And apparently with no mess, that child in the image above isn't wearing a bib! Check it! 

To the kudos of Boon all plastic is BpA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-free. Happy Squirting. 

October's International Forest Finds has been a real treat. I have been blessed with the chance to work and communicate with such an interesting bunch of designers + creatives. I think if I were to not have fawn&forest and actually know how to knit (well, at least!) I would want to be Angelique and run Benk. I am crazy crazy about all of her knits. Modern, yet nostalgic.  Love.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a kid i always was busy with making clothes for my Barbies. I thought of nice dresses and crocheted and knitted. When i was older i for example took a picture from vogue/elle and counted the pattern and made another sweater with that pattern on it. My grandmother (named RIEK) tought me how to knit and I was addicted! Unfortunately i did not follow any designer-school.  It is ok so far. Also i wanted to work for KLM (Dutch airlines) as my father did and i wanted to become airline hostess.

What inspired you to start BENK?
When my second child was born, one evening i started to make her a little hat. And thought 'wow' this maybe is something to do. When i gave one as a present to a friend, she was at a babyshop with her little baby and the owner kept on saying she loved the babyhat. That was my first shop and from there it started growing !!

What does 2009 hold for you? 
For now i have all the hats and items handknitted by Dutch woman but as it grows and grows (Japan asked for a few hundred) I want to make something good from this and have them knitted by a Group of women in other poor countries and let them make some extra income for themselves being at home with their babies. Or being together with other women in their village and knit for BENK. This is difficult to start as how to get the merino yarn there, and check the knits etc etc. Hopefully 2009 i can work on that plan !!

Thank you Angelique! That cute image above is not the present day Angelique, but of when she was a cute little girl!

Now is your chance. Six Nurseryworks Crib Bedding sets are now on sale. 50% off. Quick before that Macaroni Canary set is sold out. To see all sale items, click here.

Oh my, big love to Famille Summerbelle! In addition to being a beautiful piece of artwork, the Family Trees are an amazing way to represent a diverse family. Perhaps a family that would not normally fit into the standard family tree format.. step-families, adopted children and otherwise. Brilliant!

Michelle of Kids Hause is the master of delicate illustration with a retro vibe, not overdone and quite witty. Michelle is also the only October Forest Find curated by Irene of Bloesem Kids that is from the US! I am delighted to have her. Roar Growl is tops. 

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was 6, I clearly recall the day that I knew I wanted to be an artist...or at least knew that I had the ability to draw (I had drawn my own interpretation of a cartoon rat that my father had in the basement). From that moment forward, I became obsessed with drawing animals and thought that I would work as an animator for Walt Disney someday.

What about your life inspires you most?
We get a lot of gray days in Seattle, so when the sun comes out, my brain becomes super-charged with enthusiasm and ideas; however, my biggest inspiration is my 6 year old daughter who is a crazy-talented artist already. We sit down and draw together frequently and she influences my illustrations and I influence hers. When drawing together, I often ask her what I should draw or add to an illustration and I always love the unbridled imagination of a six year old.

What does the rest of '08 and 2009 hold for you?
I'm hoping to dive deeper into my "style" as an illustrator; adding more depth, layers and textures. I'd also like to create 6 or 7 more illustrations within the next several months and add a line of greeting cards and invitations. My brother has got a major screen printing operation in his basement, so we're going to partner in printing on tees and fabric in the coming weeks. There are so many things I want to do, but being a mother is my first priority, so I continue to master the art of balance and prioritization.

Thanks Michelle!! And be sure to check out Michelle's blog, called Kids Haus. 

Ecotots: you know they were going to do it! The twin bed. The bookcase. First made popular with the simply designed project table + stool set, Ecotots has now released 9 new kid-sized peices of furniture to compliment their existing pieces (project table + stools, art easel and coat rack).

The Ecotots pieces are quite creative. Included in the Surfin Collection: a surfin twin bed, big kahuna bookshelf, beach locker, surfboard growth chart, boogie board desk + stool, sideboard storage unit, first wave step stool and bonsai book caddy. 

All available in 4 finishes: fire red, leaf green, natural wood and cocoa brown. Ecotots also has a patented "no tools  necessary" assembly method, where all the pieces fit together and all you have to do is follow the directions and give them a good wack.

And yo: 100% formaldehyde-free, FSC Certified real wood and featuring an eco-friendly, non-toxic, eco-friendly finish!

My favorite? Eliot would love to put his shoes on while sitting on that beach locker (pictured above, far right)!

Olli & Lime's recently released Egg Collection is a real hotty. The toddler bedding is so sweet makes you wish you could shrink down to toddler size again? Karen, the talented creative behind Olli & Lime is not holding back and has added a few more pieces to the Egg Collection.

Owls. As in little Egg prints with Owls. They universally match but would be snappy all by themselves. And we all love owls. 

So now I am fully convinced of 2 things:
1. Having boys at a baby shower adds a whole new element. They are loud + quite engaging + totally fun.
2. Baby Showers ought to be really simple. Really simple.

We threw a boy-girl baby shower last Sunday. So nice to have lunch together with a large group of friends. We went the 'assigned dish' potluck route and it worked out deliciously. Cupcakes for dessert. Dang, the vanilla cake mix from Trader Joes really is that good. My secret revealed.

Decorations? At 10pm the night before i was inspired to sew 5, 15 feet long baubly-circle garland elements (pictured above middle) that we  layered down the middle of the 18 foot table we all ate lunch at.

How-to: for 1 garland cut about 24 circles of paper ranging in size (3" to 8" accross), run through the sewing machine + you're set.  I used paper scraps + such in yellows, browns + greens. With a yellow tablecloth I heard the words "ohhhh, that is so Crafts-y!". Fun.

We also played my favorite baby shower game: "guess the girth"... and a Tikoli Tea Towel was the prize. The winner? A guy. Yeah, totally a lot of fun to have boys at the party.  Psalms made her delightful macaroons for the favors, all packaged up in cute little bags.

Oh, and the best gift to the mom + dad  (IMO).... an Organic Teething Bonbon (pictured above left). Congratulations Conrad + Jenna!

Ohh, Olivelse! I have had my eye on these Ukulele's for quite some time now so, yeah, I was totally thrilled when Irene presented her Forest Finds curation to me! Love! Else seems to be the type of gal you'd want for a best friend. A fresh young French Mom who creates crazy cool + crafty stuff. She has an amazing blog + takes such beautiful photos!

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
Quite soon in my life I felt I wanted to make a living having a creative job. I have always been very curious, and already as a little girl I was very fond of books and had a real passion for drawing. Ever since high school I took up an artisitic course of study that I followed all the way until post graduation, when I specialize as a graphic designer. I still have very fond memories of my life as a student.

What inspired you to start making fabric ukuleles and other fabric goods?
I have always been very interested in textile, sewing and so on, but what always really excited me was creating things, being able to hold in my hands the product of my work. The main idea with Olivelse was to create a range of bad linen and accessories for babies and children. A guitar shaped blankie  we created for our daughter Mila, is what got everything started…to our big surprise ! every since there have a been a lot of ideas, dreams, projects.

What does the rest of ‘08 + 2009 hold for you?
2008 has been a great, very encouraging year for Olivelse : our blog is an amazing place for people to exchange and share ideas! This past year we have had a lot of inquiries and several orders at first from shops in France, and then from retailers in the USA, Spain and recently even Canada …I really look forward to develop Olivelse activity in 2009 : I want to take time to create new products and in particular design original textile patterns with Olivier, so as to have our creations produced with our own fabrics. Thanks to my brother’s amazing skills as a craftsman, another idea is to develop a limited series of wooden toys…we will see !!!

Thank you so much Else! Be sure to check out her blog!

For the happiest Monday: new Decoylab goodies! Maiko of Decoylab has just released a handful of freshly  illustrated owls + bunnies + such, making their appearance on clocks + prints and even bookplates! I am loving the whimsical 70's vibe gone children's book. A set of the orange + yellow bunny prints would look sweet with this set.

The simplicity of imaginative play is the crown jewel of the Kidsonroof Collection. The 'House' is more intriguing than a refridgerator box, the 'Totem' is better than a deck of cards. But still, just that simple. But better. I am delighted that Irene of Bloesem chose Kidsonroof as a part of her October Forest Finds curation. Thank you, Romy for giving our children a Home!

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I was like most girls: I just wanted to become a teacher as teachers seemed to be 'knowing it all'. Else a librarian as I have always loved books to creep into my own imaginative world...

You have very imaginative products -- what inspired you?
Inspiration to us is nature and our children - we have a countryhouse in the south of France without electricity or running water - spending our weekends there with our 3 children just makes us boiling with ideas on how to make the world more beautiful and fun with as basic as designs as possible!

What does the rest of '08 and 2009 hold for you?
A lot of inspiration - a launch of a furniture collection and lots and lots of love to share with our family and friends!

Thanks Romy! As an additional thumbs up, Kidsonroof donates 5% of profit to specific Unicef projects. 

Oh look! New to fawn&forest, the grand-daddy of modern baby furniture, the Moderne Collection by Netto. The Moderne Collection includes 3 pieces: crib, dresser and changer. Optional accessories include linen storage boxes (to utilize the sliding shelf on the crib) and wool felt baskets (for the changer). Plus, the Moderne Crib converts into a sweet toddler/day bed.... Nautical style.

Nice.

Yep, we now are on the Tumbr! A fawn&forest photo album + other goodness like the twitter feeds. Check us out: fawnandforest.tumblr.com!

Another freaky recipe makeover idea by Jennifer Carden (author of The Toddler Cafe): 

Welcome to Freaky Friday. I happen to be the lucky owner of a set of recipe cards from 1973, a lot of recipe cards, and most of them are a bit freaky! I thought I'd share some of my thoughts and possible ways to update these recipes. Some cards are just too far gone and can't be fixed but hopefully, at least I can get you laughing. Now don't be afraid because some of these recipe cards have a good foundation for creative recipe ideas. We have come a long way baby...

You can't really go wrong with a cupcake but these seem to have gone really wrong. It is not Halloween yet but these sure are spooky! Maybe it is the dried leaves the are sitting in or the creepy faces, or the dangerous fire sticks positioned to burn off all your arm hair as you grab for one. These are perfect for your next front yard séance, don't forget the fire extinguisher.

1973: Old School Cupcakes
unsweetened chocolate
flour
baking powder
salt
margarine
sugar
eggs
milk
vanilla
walnuts
1 pkg fluffy white frosting mix
licorice laces, candy corn, lifesavers, chocolate chips + chocolate sprinkles

 

2008: Updated Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 package organic cupcake mix, chocolate
assorted candies and some free time

Homemade Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon orange peel (optional)

Combine cream cheese and butter; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar and grated orange peel.

Thanks Jen! 

It seems when I am busy like a lunatic, I feel the urge to bust out the glue and do a project. You? So I was quite excited to see this project by Karen of Ollie & Lime (found on her blog) utilizing her gorgeous wallpaper:

Our Carrie wallpaper looks equally fabulous adorning a dressing-room wall or child’s bedroom, but we’ve found another way you can use it.

It took us literally ten minutes to create this shoe storage solution, using a self-assembled ‘kraft’ shoe box, with our Carrie paper over the top. One roll of wallpaper will cover around fifty standard boxes!

 

Take a look at the Olli & Limes collection of wallpaper and their full collection of bedding + wall art! Wallpaper is available in 4 designs in a variety of colorways. Thanks Karen!

Wa-hoo kids! The big reveal of October's Forest Finds! Check it out. This month's selection is hot + has been guest curated by the amazing Irene of Bloesem Kids blog.

October's Forest Finds is very international: Kidsonroof from Amsterdam, Olivelse from France, Tas-Ka from the Netherlands, Kidshaus from the US, Famille Summerbelle from the UK and Benk from the Netherlands (soon to be added). And did you know Irene herself is also from the Netherlands?!

I'm crazy thrilled about this month's selection! Thanks Irene!