Soft spot

I have a soft spot for Lark.
Everything in Allison's store is just divine, including Allison!
Demand has seen Allison open up her first brick & mortar store in Daylesford last year and Lark is featuring in just about every home & living magazine available!
But it is her new website that has my heart & eyes jumping with joy!
Even if you don’t want to shop, just drop by Lark’s website for some eye candy and inspiration.
We’re so happy to have Lark on board again this year. You will find their very pretty wares at our Malvern Market in May and Caulfield Christmas Market.

Here are some of our favourites:

Organic Pencil Case - Alphabet

These sweet pencil cases are printed on both sides with Sukie's distinctive designs. Ideal for school, office, studio or home. Available in Strange Fruit, Alphabet and Bird Tree. Size 23cm wide x 10cm high. Made in England.

Birthday Banner, Red

A hand-embroidered 100% cotton banner that you'll want to bring out year after year for family birthdays. Beautifully-made, it measures a whopping 5 metres long and is even washable. Match this with our Retro Bunting and Birthday Tablecloth for a stylish, colourful, earth-friendly party.

Pastiglie Leone Citron & Mint

Pastiglie Leone of Turin, Italy, are makers of the world's finest candy pastilles. Beautiful paper wrap hides traditional gold boxes containing mouth-watering confectionery in pastel colours. The sweets are made using natural herbs and essences and come in a wonderful range of flavours.

Baby Announcment pack

For all sorts of special occasions, Umpen have devised these delightful correspondence cards. Choose from a range of candy-coloured designs, announcing parties, weddings, new babies, house moves and big thank yous. Each pack contains ten cards of the same design, plus 10 envelopes. Not only pretty, they are planet-friendly, too. Both cards and envelopes are made from 100% recycled stock.

Carrot Rattle

Babies will learn to love their veggies from an early age with these sweet lifesize rattles. They are hand made from washable 100% cotton yarn in vibrant colours. You can pick a cauliflower, carrot, aubergine, pumpkin, tomato or a whole bunch! All of our knitted toys are made by women artisans in rural Bangladesh in fair trade conditions, and are safe for under-threes.

 

PS - almost forgot to tell you that Allison & Co are soon to open a cafe in Ballarat with a Lark shop in it! I can just picture it, lots of vintage, fresh flowers, and oh so delicious cakes & scones.
Cheers,

Anne x

A week of woe ... but it's swings and roundabouts!

I can't say it's the most joyful of weeks in our household - infact, it's been stressful, at times frightening and a little confusing too. But hard times can be wonderful in helping you remember what's really important ... so I suppose I must count my blessings, not my troubles and be grateful it's not all a whole lot worse! To explain, in the wee hours of the morning of January 26, my partner Kirk woke up and was shivering badly. He appeared to have a fever, which I confirmed by taking his temperature, and despite being rugged up in winter pyjamas and two doonas, he felt freezing cold. I suggested we go straight away to a 24 hour medical clinic, but being a man (!!), he said it could wait till morning (later on we determined that he didn't recall any of this conversation though - he "lost" a good hour). Then later and very suddenly, his condition took a turn for the worse. He began to make an alarming, guttural noise, fell from the bed and began to convulse. I was extremely scared, and as I called the ambulance I couldn't help thinking that this could be bad ... very bad. The paramedics arrived and they were at a loss to give a diagnosis. They loaded Kirk on to a stretcher and took him to hospital in a weak, delirious and groggy state. I woke bubba Edie and piled her into the car. Her sheer delight at being woken at 4am to go on an outing gave me the first cause to smile in quite a few hours! I'll fast forward to now ... Three days later, Kirk is still in hospital, and after a lumbar puncture and no end of tests, they're still not sure what's wrong. Various suggestions have been put forth: encephalitis, meningitis, a strain of virus picked up from overseas by someone and passed on ... it's a case of "stay tuned ... we're working on it." But I now feel more confident Kirk will be OK, and besides, life goes on and I have an important job to do. The focus of that job went to the park with her grandfather yesterday to play on the swings, and he snapped these gleeful shots.

So it's not all bad, is it! While it's been a  week of woe, (the icing on the cake was locking my keys in the house this morning and calling on a locksmith ... Yes, my thoughts were elsewhere and no, I didn't have a spare set!), it's also reminded me who, and what, is important in my life, and to stop and smell the roses a little more often. It's showed me that we have wonderful, caring friends & family, and that writing about all the fantastic people and products associated with Mathilda's makes me happy and cheers me up! Anyway, I hope your week is a bit brighter than mine, and that all those you treasure stay in good health this year.

Peta x

Mathilda's Market blogger

That's B for bbbbbbbrilliant!

Isn't it crazy how many bits and pieces you have to cart around with you when you leave the house with a baby? My mental checklist runs something like this: pram - CHECK. Water cup - CHECK. Dummy (and a spare) - CHECK. Pram blanket - CHECK. Spare outfit - CHECK. Hat - CHECK. Toddler sunblock - CHECK. And of course .. the b.box - CHECK! What's a b.box, I hear you ask? Well it's short for "baby box", but I'm pretty sure the "b" stands for "brilliant", too! The b.box is a plastic nappy wallet that fits neatly into your handbag. If that doesn't sound terribly revolutionary, here's the clincher: it stores a couple of nappies, a change mat AND the baby wipes, too! What's so convenient about the b.box is that it features a refillable wipes hatch that lets you access the wipes from two places, from both inside and outside the box, for those times you need to clean up a mess - fast! I'll show you what I mean. See the blue flap below? 

Open it up to reveal your nappy wipes! Tah dah!

Whatsmore, the wipes hatch is really secure, so you can be sure it isn't going to accidentally open up and leave you with a whole lot of bone dry wipes. I used to be quite good at remembering to pack the nappies prior to an outing with Edie, but not so good at remembering the wipes. Now, they're always handy. The coated polyester change mat is fabulous too, and so easy to wipe clean. The box itself is made from durable polypropylene plastic that holds its compact shape even when fully packed, so it doesn't take up oodles of space in your bag. This is MOST important, as it leaves precious space for the really essential items - such as the spoils from your latest shopping spree! It's also free of nasties, and is made with no PVC, phthalates or BPA. Given we're not sure how safe these substances are, it's good to be able to buy products that steer clear of them.

The b.box comes in five different colours and designs, suitable for both boys and girls. For the boys, the car print is a splendid choice. Beep beep! 

And for the girls, the cherry print is most definitely our fave.

I've already purchased a couple of b.boxes and stashed them away in readiness for the next friend to have a baby. I mean, it's just the perfect gift for new Mums and Dads, as you can be sure recipients will find it incredibly convenient. Plus, it's a bright, bold and stylish looking product. As you can tell, I'm rather a fan!

You'll find the clever team from b.box selling their products at Mathilda's Market in Hobart on Saturday 27 March (the debut of Mathilda's in Tassie!) and at Mathilda's Market in Sydney on Saturday 6 March - at our very first Market at the Paddington Town Hall. You're sure to see miracles at both Markets - b.boxes walking out the door!

Peta x

Mathilda's Market blogger

I need space!

We're renovating.

Our very small - bursting at the seams - house will become a cute little house for a family of five.

All good.

We are living in the house while the renovation is taking place.

OK.

My office is converted to sleeping quarters.

Hmmm.

We've been living in 3 rooms for a few months now (that includes kitchen).

Oh oh.

It's school holidays, with 3 kids, in 3 rooms for 6 weeks and no office.

^*)?%&!

Exactly.

Apparently it's all going to be finished in April.

Yes, I am sure, as EVERYONE feels compelled to tell me, it will be worth it, but right now I am at the end of my tether!

Cheers,

Anne x

School holidays come to an end

Less than a week of school holidays left! 

This is Abigail, my youngest, dancing in joy as we arrive at our holiday destination the day school holidays started 18 December 2009.

This is my oldest (Mathilda), enjoying an afternoon play in the park.

This is my son Isaac with Abigail, whilst on a walk looking for koalas. (We didn't see any!)

I never know whether to smile or cry when school holidays are over.

Here's what I love about school holidays:
- spending more time with the kids
- staying in our PJ's until whenever we feel like it
- eating naughty junk food
- letting the kids decide what to do for the day
- not having to get the kids go to bed on time
- life's just so much more relaxed!

What I don't like about school holidays:
- lack of structure ... I like to know what's happening, and when!
- I am terribly behind with work

Actually, I've never written it down like this. Looking at it this way, the pros clearly outweight the cons. So why do I still long for school & kinder to start?

How do you feel about it? Do you want school/kinder to start back again? And if so, do you feel guitly about thinking that way? (I certainly do!)

Anne x

A touch of bespoke

In an over saturated market of mass produced children’s toys, Raggidy Rag Dolls brings a touch of bespoke into the homes of children. With the help of celebrity mums such as Cate Blanchett, Rachel Griffiths and Kate Ceberano, word is spreading fast about these delightful characters, with orders now coming in from the United States. There are currently 16 dolls in the Raggidy Rag Doll range including characters for both boys and girls.Each 19” doll is handmade in Australia by skilled craftswomen, using natural fibres, vintage offcuts and limited edition prints from the Liberty range, Kaffe Fassette and other Australian and International patchwork fabrics.

Traditional techniques such as cross-stitching and embroidery are also applied, evoking a timeless quality and exclusivity that is rarely seen in children’s toys today.

“It’s so rare to find handmade toys, made in Australia that are really unique. We only make a certain amount of any one kind, we don’t subscribe to mass production. Depending on the fabric runs, we might only make 20 of one character, so they are all a limited edition and that is part of the appeal,” explains designer and founder of Raggidy Rag Dolls, Katie Graham.

Inspired by her childhood growing up in Perth, Katie also calls on her experience as a fashion designer and her love of vintage fabrics, which she says is a strong point of difference in the children’s wear market. Four years since the launch of her handcrafted, Australian made dolls, Katie has expanded into wall canvases featuring the Raggidy Rag Dolls characters, children’s tees and hoodies and a new collection of children’s cot quilts and lamp shades. The entire range is manufactured in Australia.

“People really appreciate that Raggidy Rag Dolls are made in Australia, and part of my whole marketing strategy is to keep manufacturing onshore and continuing to support local industry. I think mums really appreciate this and it’s important to them that the quality is guaranteed” says Katie.

You can buy your own Raggidy Rag Doll on Sunday 14 March at Mathilda’s Market at Hawthorn Town Hall or purchase online at http://www.raggidyragdolls.com.au/

Cheers

Anne x

Kawaii desu ne!

When Anne forwarded me the link to a new online store, Kawaii For You, I fondly reminisced about my high school years sitting cross legged on cushions and learning Japanese. I knew exactly what "kawaii" meant - it's the Japanese word for "cute", so I couldn't wait to check out this site. There's not too may other Japanese phrases or words I recall from those days, although "chokoreeto o taberu no ga suki desu" is very true (I DO have a terrible weakness for chocolate). And I did once find knowing the language handy when I asked a Japanese man standing on the coral at the Great Barrier Reef to to "please get of the reef", during a family holiday. (But it seems I've gone off topic. Oops!) Knowing very basic Japanese hasn't proved to be all that useful, but I can still be heard these days to squeal "kawaii desu ne!" in delight when I spot something uber adorable. And that's just what I did when I clicked into the online home of Kawaii For You. You'll find oodles of seriously gorgeous, enchanting knicks knacks and homewares of all sorts, imported straight from Japan and hard to find anywhere else in Australia. Don't you just love how this set of Monchhichi lunch containers (below) sit snugly inside each other for easy storage? They were dreamed up by renowned Japanese designer Shinzi Katoh, who is a Zakka artist. What's Zakka? Well as I just learned, it's a Japanese word which refers to a fashion and design phenomenon that's taken the country by storm,  and is the label for anything that generally improves your home, life or outlook.

Zakka has also been described as "the art of seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane", which really appealed to me! I'm now a convert to the Zakka movement! From now on, I'll be trying to see the beauty and appeal in everyday things I tend to look at without really appreciating them or taking notice. It seems like a nice way of spicing up our everyday existence and making the boring stuff fun! 

Also designed by Shinzi Katoh is this very practical Snow White insulated lunch bag to keep food beautifully warm or icy cold. What a brilliant idea! Great for the girls to take to school, or for storing bottles and juices in.

 

Find the Kawaii For You stall at Mathilda's Market in Brisbane on Saturday 20 February at the beautiful Brisbane Racing Club.

Peta x

Mathilda's Market blogger

T-shirts are the uniform of childhood

Want some really cool t-shirts for your kids? Angela from KidStyleFile has found them here!

Cheers,

Anne x

Making Cupcakes Gorgeous

Cupcake wrappers are a fabulous new concept for decorating your cupcakes. They are quick, easy and economical - perfect for busy people. Two Melbourne Mums, Kathy Jackson and Natalie Olver, set out to create these simple but stylish designs that can make any cupcake gorgeous!

As tempting as they look, the cupcake wrappers are for decorative purposes only. And it’s best not to bake them with your cupcakes. They are easy to assemble with a secure slit/lock design. They are made from a thick & sturdy paper card stock. Better yet, the wrappers are laminated on both sides to prevent discoloration from your cupcakes & icing (and sticky little fingers). Best of all, you may be able to reuse them too. We like that they are designed and made in Australia using environmentally responsible products.

You can buy your own Cupcake Wrapper at Mathilda’s Market on Sunday 14 March 2010 at the beautiful Hawthorn Town Hall.

Cheers,

Anne x

You’ve Got Male!

We know, we know … Sometimes at markets, it’s a lot easier to spot gorgeous stuff for little gals than boys. It can feel like you are surrounded by a thousand shades of pink! At Mathilda’s, we’re very conscious of giving you the blues (in a good way!) and staving off pink fits, because we try our darnedest to address the imbalance with lovely things for the lads as well. After all, they deserve to have simply smashing handmade things to wear, play with and be surrounded by, too! The idea for Mad About The Boy came to life when Vicki and Angela from Sydney just couldn’t find as many stylish and original clothes, shoes and accessories for their boys as seemed to be available EVERYWHERE for girls. As its name suggests, Mad About The Boy is a one-stop-online shop just for the little lads. It stocks a stack of great brands including Baobab, Cocoon, Fresh Baked, Smirk and Walnut. With summer here, your little man will stand out in the crowd at the beach with these super cool boat shorts from Cocoon.

And I fell instantly in love with this hat from Chick Pea, with its groovy retro cars design, and black and white gingham on the reverse. 100% cotton and machine washable, it offers great protection from the sun with a nice wide brim. Excellent stuff - we're very big on good sun protection here at Mathilda's Market!

Won't the boys look fab in all this wonderful summery gear. As proclaimed by that catchy ol’ tune from Footloose, let’s hear it for the boy!  Can't wait to shop? You won't have to wait long ... Mad About the Boy will be at the following Mathilda's Markets: Paddington Town Hall 6 March and Lane Cove 2 May.

Peta x

Mathilda's Market blogger

Toronto for a day

Lucky me! Part of my work consists of trawling through interesting and inspiring blogs. Today’s find was too good not to share. Bookhou (based in Toronto) launched in 2002 to showcase the cofounders’ individual and collaborative work. Bookhou is a multidisciplinary studio that emphasizes natural handmade materials and small production pieces. Evidently, we won’t see them at Mathilda’s Market any time soon, but luckily, you can shop online at Bookhou. My favourites are the soft animals, the plywood alphabet and the Sprig Storage Box.

Cheers,
Anne x

Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside ...

I'm spending a leisurely, summery week in Jervis Bay, on the south coast of NSW, enjoying the luxury of having two very willing and dedicated babysitters (my parents) on call twenty four hours a day. It's just about my idea of heaven at this time in my life! This is the most lush and physically stunning area, and happens to be home to Hyams Beach, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the most brilliantly white sand in the world. See for yourself!

Hmmmm, not bad, is it? I'm so excited to be taking Edie there. I mean, if you're going to take your little one to the beach for the VERY first time, you may as well make sure the sand she'll be eating is the most pure and pristine around! On the subject of the seaside, I've just been checking out the Lil Ludy website and I'm going to make sure I've got one of their swimming costumes for her in time for our next trip here. Trudi Steyger is the creator behind Lil Ludy, which makes gorgeous swimwear just for kids. One of the many wonderful things to like about this business is the ethical and responsible way they operate. All their swimwear is Australian made and designed, so it's "sweatshop free". I took a very happy trip down nostalgia lane while looking at their latest range for Summer 09/10. Trudi grew up in the seventies in coastal Queensland, and much of the inspiration for her designs come from the beachy fashions of that era. Trudi and I are the same vintage and I smiled with fond recollection when I saw this Leaf Print & Disty Floral Frill Bikini - the cut could have time travelled straight from 1979!

And as rashshirts go, they don't come much better than these ones from the Lil Ludy range. They're made from a revolutionary lycra material that repels water on the outside, like water off a duck's back, yet remains breathable. They're also UPF 50+, whether wet or dry. I love any garment that reduces the need for the time consuming application of messy sunscreen, so these get the Mathilda's tick of approval.

Here's my "must-have" item from the collection: these snappy little nappy pants. A far better alternative than the environmentally damaging disposable kind - not to mention, waaaaay more beautiful! Your bub will be super adorable at the pool in these.

And the boys will stand out from the crowd in these Hawaiian trunks. Hot stuff!

So a big thumbs up for this Queensland company protecting our kids from the hot Aussie sun while producing swimmwear that's the height of cool. Thanks for the memories, Lil Ludy!

Peta x
Mathilda's Market Blogger

Winners are grinners

Did you win? Is it you?
Here are the winners from our revent competitions:

Baby's Got Style ran a fabulous competition: win a $1,000 shopping spree. Yes, you heard right, the lovely team at Baby's Got Style gave one of our lucky customers a shopping voucher for $1,000. The winner is:  Julie Dilles, from NSW.  Congratulations Julie.

Teaching Toys generously donated a range of educational toys. Here are the winners:
1 x Magnetic Ballerina – April Ure - VIC
1 x Magnetic Ballerina – Fiona Turner - QLD
1 x Wooden Ice Blocks & Lollypops – Jo Stevenson - NSW
1 x Wooden Ice Blocks & Lollypops – Jodie Talbot - SA
1 x Numbers Puzzles – Lizzy Shorey-Kitson - NSW
1 x Numbers Puzzles – Rebecca Haining - QLD
1 x Numbers Puzzles – Tania Mitchell - TAS

More fabulous competitions will pop up in 2010.
Cheers
Anne x

Mixtape Kid's Issue

Mixtape is a maga(ZINE) about making time for the small things! It is totally DIY. Produced, designed and packed all from home! mixtapezine is a collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch! Justine from Mixtape is now taking bookings for the Kid's Issue (out April 18). Be warned, there are limited  advertising spots available, so better hurry ... first in best dressed! For more info, please email Justine.

Cheers,

Anne x

Feel the urge to shop?

Can't wait until our first 2010 Mathilda's Market? You can do some nice shopping at My Poppet's VIP sale right now. 20% off everything on 'Poppet in the Post' till Sunday 24 January 10pm. Just for mailing list customers...Not on the mailing list? Join now to receive your discount code. More information here ....

Alternatively, for the patient folk, you can visit My Poppet's stall at the Hawthorn Town Hall (14 March) nestled amongst the 70+ gorgeous Mathilda's Market stall holders.

Have a good night!

Cheers,

Anne x

The Perfect Habitat

When mother of three and founder of Habitat Baby, Carla Hazzard, decided to decorate her children’s bedrooms she found her options limited. Carla felt stifled by what was then available in the market place. “I wanted something that had a designer look to it – nothing too babyish,” Carla explains, “If I had been faced with any more cartoon characters I’d have screamed!”

Inspired, Carla leapt into action, and within months Habitat Baby was established. Habitat Baby offers beautifully styled bedding and accessories to suit the homes and lifestyles of today’s parents. There are three dreamy ranges available – Wish, Colour Fusion and Spring. All are created from fresh, beautiful, 100% cotton fabrics, sourced from around the world.

Worlds apart from the mass produced children’s bedding so commonly found, every piece in the unique, stylish Habitat Baby range is handmade with love. With quilts, sheets, pillows, cot skirts and more, every piece is infused with Habitat Baby’s trademark style and quality. “Just because you are about to become parents shouldn’t mean you have to abandon your designer flair.” Carla insists.

A visit to the Habitat Baby website will reveal a blissful collection of bedding and accessories, including pillows, lampshades and wall art. Most popular at Habitat Baby are the beautiful cot sets, consisting of a classic cot quilt, fitted sheet and patchwork decorative pillow - certain to be the crowning glory of any nursery!

Brisbane families can enjoy the entire Habitat Baby range at Mathilda’s Market on Saturday 20 Feb, at the beautiful Brisbane Racecourse at Eagle Farm, Ascot.

Cheers,

Anne x