What does it mean to be ‘Mom enough’?
Who needs live theatre when we can be entertained for days on end by the backlash from last week’s cover of Time magazine of a mother breastfeeding her three-year-old son?
- TAGS:
- Parenting
Your world: Cinti Gonzalez-Pell, Melbourne
My Poppet blogger Cintia Gonzalez-Pell says that living in multicultural Melbourne is like being on holiday all the time – you walk down the street and hear people speaking different languages and cafes serve all sorts of delights from Israeli shakshuka to Greek treats. The talented crafter is also partial to vintage pieces, so luckily for her Melbourne is full of great flea markets and thrift-shop finds!
One of a kind find: custom-painted art
A favourite childhood toy can be painted onto a canvas…
In a quaint Polish village just outside the city of Wroclaw, Amelia – a graphic designer by day, painter by night – creates bespoke canvases based on special childhood toys. I discovered her work last year when I was searching for unique art for children on Etsy. At the time All Abroad Baby hadn’t yet launched, but I couldn’t wait to tell AAB readers about Inameliart, so I featured her Etsy store on the AAB Facebook page. Now that the AAB website is here, I absolutely have to tell you about Inameliart again, as her work is too beautiful to not be shared. Each 30 x 30cm portrait is hand-painted using professional artist-grade acrylic paints on a gallery-wrapped canvas that can be hung without framing. If there isn’t a favourite teddy you’d like to have custom painted, there are many other canvases available to buy. Check them out here. Talk about a one of a kind find!
- TAGS:
- Inameliart on Etsy, Poland
Shop the world: quirky cool at Thumbeline
Celebrating all that is delightful, unusual and oddball…
When Lisa at California-based online boutique Thumbeline first contacted me we talked about which designer to feature on All Abroad Baby. This conversation was like opening Pandora’s Box – all it did was produce more and more questions. At first it was going to be Sweden’s Nordic bohemian brand Petitbo, who I had adored for some time. Colourful Noé & Zoë from Berlin were another choice and Lisa had just made a reorder due to the popularity of the latest collection. Then we talked about beautiful French label Bodebo, who were highly commended in the Junior Design Awards 2011, and the decision became even harder. It wouldn’t do Thumbeline justice to feature only one of its quirky indie brands, so here are a few of my favourite pieces…
With names like Une Sardine à Rio from France, Sweden’s Koolabah, Belgium’s Morley, Spain’s Bobo Choses and Teenitini from Germany, it would be fair to assume that Thumbeline admires European children’s wear designers. However, I also spotted Babylady, Oeuf and Dagmar Daley, which all hail from the United States, as well as Munster Kids and Sudo from Australia. I’m not surprised that Thumbeline describes itself as celebrating “all that is delightful, unusual and oddball in the world of children’s fashion and design”. And considering their selection of chosen designers, they have every reason to celebrate!
Giveaway Monday: Rifle Paper Co. print
Win a Rifle Paper Co. print, no matter where you are in the world…
If you like giving unique gifts with that extra special feel then there’s nothing more disappointing than walking into several newsagents, only to discover that they sell the same old cards as the others you’d already been to. Even worse, you know that the chances are pretty high that someone else will have bought the same card for the very same person you’ll be giving yours to.
Thank heavens for talented illustrators like Anna Bond, who had the gall to take on the Hallmarks of the world by starting her own boutique stationery brand. Even better, her designs have become so adored that they’re stocked in many stores all over the world. This is the story of Florida-based Rifle Paper Co., and what makes it an even lovelier tale is that Rifle Paper Co. is a husband and wife team (Anna’s husband Nathan manages the business).
I first discovered Rifle Paper Co. via one of their stockists, Pink Olive in New York City, who had told me that Rifle Paper Co. products were one of their most popular. As I’m one of those people I talked about who walks into my local newsagent, only to sigh at the lack of original cards, it was a relief to discover such a beautiful brand of stationery (cards, invites, notepads), prints, calenders and journals. I just wish I’d heard of Rifle Paper Co. when my husband and I married – I definitely would have asked Anna to design our invites!
Rifle Paper Co. is giving one AAB reader the chance to win either their Alphabet or New York print (pictured above). You get to choose which print you’d like! Go to the AAB Facebook page and ‘share’ the post about this giveaway. Make sure you share it ‘public’ so that we can see your name and enter you into the giveaway. Leave a comment letting us know that you shared the post.
A winner will be chosen randomly via http://random.org and their name will be announced on the AAB Facebook page and in the next Giveaway Monday post on 21 May. Giveaway closes midnight 20 May (AEST). Good luck!
- TAGS:
- Rifle Paper Co., United States
