glitzkrieg

padraig cottage / baby slippers

Holy crow, these booties are adorable. If you want something that makes people coo and say "Oh mon Dieu, regardez les petites bottines!!" as they pass in the street, these are for you! Made by Vancouver's Padraig Cottage, these slippers are created from hand-dyed pure wool, crocheted into a perfect mini-boot and feature a slip-proof leather sole and a cozy sheepskin-lined interior. Did I mention they're beyond cute? They come in a bunch of however-will-I-choose colours and in two sizes for little ones: newborn and baby.

You may be rather excited to learn that Padraig slippers come in adult and almost-adult sizes as well.

areaware / harry allen / pig

I love this pig. It's part of Harry Allen's Reality series for Areaware. By no means new, this Piggy bank, officially called "Bank in the Form of a Pig" has been around for a good while now, but Areaware is constantly offering it in new colours. The chrome and gold are classics, but I've been holding out to see a version in copper before I commit. They just launched in a pale pink chrome and I'm hooked! Forget copper! The glow-in-the-dark green is fun too though, don't you think?

back to school with quentin's abc

Looking for a fun, perhaps inspiring spruce-up for back-to-school? Osborne & Little's Quentin's ABC wallpaper is already a classic, but look how amazing it is with one contrasting panel in the middle of a wall. An idea definitely not reserved for little ones.

Illustrated by Quentin Blake, Quentin's ABC is part of the Zagazoo collection and is available in 7 different colours, 2 of 'em black.

1st image, photographed by the ridiculously talented Damian Russell for Ideat magazine, remaining images Fabricsandpapers.com.

cherish baby chairs / horm

Super-adorable chairs by Horm, called Cherish baby. Why are these so darn adorable? Is it the slightly stubbier than one'd expect legs?

bunny!

Steiff, the uncontested master of the teddy bear, have deviated from their usual adorable, rather reality-based stuffed animals to bring us this acid pop charmer. He's 8" tall, retails for about $50, and comes in five collectible colours that mean it: melted creamsicle orange, psych-out purple, pepto pink, kinetic blue & what I'll call inchwormeee! green. And for Easter I would like one of each. ;)

Because he's so different from their usual fare he's called Crazy Rabbit. There's also a rumour that he comes with some kind of cutout costumes. What fun!

kids collection; richard lampert

Feels like it's been forever since I came across interesting kids furniture. German manufacturer Richard Lampert have released a super-awesome new collection designed by some of the most creative (& fun!) names in design today: Bertjan Pot, Monica Förster, Doshi Levien, and more:

What you're seeing:

Famille Garage storage unit, workbench and table by Alexander Seifert

Rocker rocking horse by Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien of Doshi Levien

Wonder Block matching bench & desk fit together to make a cube; by Monica Förster

Bertjan Pot's Pit Stop bean bag wheels with impressive treads

In-Out mini easychair by Eric Degenhardt

Nixe carpet by Straub & Straub

Tur Tur non-traditional high chair by Eric Degenhardt is part storage unit, part lookout point

bryndís bolladóttir; kula

Icelandic textile designer Bryndís Bolladóttir has found a playful way to incorporate craft and local resources in her Kula series, now picked up by Normann Copenhagen. Made from wool, a material that Bolladóttir says plays a large part in Icelandic identity, each felt ball is uniquely imperfect. In Kula, they are used to make hooks, perfect for a kids room or entryway, and a charming tactile trivet.

tsumori chisato for petit bateau

Tsumori Chisato and Petit Bateau have collaborated on a capsule Christmas collection, in stores in October. Most of the fun is reserved for little ones, but some of these charming pieces will come in adult sizes too.

 

bholu; creatures wallpaper collection

Bholu wallpaper is a range that's the product of a beautiful collaboration between Australian companies Bholu and Porter’s Paints. Check out how Bholu's adorable characters Mavis Monkey, Frederick Elephant and Marjorie Duck come to life on the wall.

 

children's imaginary world by marni

The clothing I most covet in the world, the pieces that really speak to me, are from Marni. This despite my bf's exclamation "Are you being serious?" when I posted about Marni's F/W 2009 collection in September. I can't help it; I'm a coveter. I love pretty things in a non-voyeuristic way. I love them, and therefor, want them near me. It's a sickness, really. It helps to love things that you're convinced are made by lovely people, deserving of your unwavering, rabid attention.

I'm happy to be obsessing over Marni today because of their renewed focus on their charity project The Children's Imaginary World. Here you can buy shopping bags, t-shirts, jackets and more, decorated with charming artwork by kids from all over the world with proceeds from the sales going to support street children in Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Tibet, India & Sierra Leone. Sold exclusively online and at Marni boutiques with prices starting at US$145.

From left to right: My World tank, My Wonderland zip jacket, My Home T-shirt.

Shopping bags from left to right: My Home, My Wonderland, My World, Big Kiss, and My Imaginary Friends.

Check out the intro on the Marni website to see a fun illustrated version of the fairy tale The Lion and the Mouse, which in part inspired the drawings. The other source of inspiration is said to be a rainstorm. Love that.