KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Edwina

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London-based girls-only clothing label I Love Gorgeous- www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk- made a big splash when it launched a few years ago and they are just getting better and better.

Designers and fashion-savvy mums Lucy Enfield and Sophie Worthington have created a truly gorgeous (as the name suggests) label that combines “a little bit boho hippy chic with a fashion edge”.

What strikes me most about the designs is a sense of nostalgia. The designs are not overly fussy, and they use traditional techniques such as hand smocking and shearing which reminds me of the party dresses that were part of my wardrobe (sadly long ago!) The choice of trim and a soft palette of dusty shades of green, mushroom, brown and coral give the range a contemporary angle, and the overall effect is completely unique.

One of the best things about this Northern Hemisphere delight is that their current Autumn/Winter range that uses a lot of moss crepe, cotton voile, silk chiffon, jersey, merino wool and cashmere is on sale – perfect timing for us! (Use the XE currency converter to size up your purchases in AUD).

Left: New Nono Party Dress GBP48
Middle: Marie Antoinette GBP78
Right: Mexican Top GBP31

Left:Smocked Dress GBP49
Middle: Poppy Dress GBP49
Right: Winter Mexican Dress GBP36

You can purchase I Love Gorgeous directly from their website. Email Kate at I Love Gorgeous with the list of pieces you’d like to buy, and she’ll send you a PayPal invoice so ou can make payment. If you are heading to London then head directly to their flagship store at 52 Ledbury Road, London. They are also stocked in lots of boutiques around the UK and also in the London store of Selfridges.

Today’s post written by Angela

Today I’d like you to meet Natasha Barber from SKEANIE Shoes – www.skeanie.com. I first met Natasha at a tradeshow and was bowled over by her statuesque beauty, and vivacious passion for her product, which is wildly infectious!

Natasha has gone from a fast-paced city existence to running her burgeoning business from her home in Goulburn: more proof that you don’t have to be a city-dweller to make it in the design world.

Besides being incredibly cute, SKEANIE shoes are foot friendly and fair trade made so you can be sure that no-one has suffered – or will suffer! – for this fashion.

Natasha lives in Goulburn, NSW, with her husband, Hamilton, son Hamish, 3 years, daughter Bella, 1 year, and their two Jack Russell Terriers Oliver and Molly – interviewed by Angela.

For stores and buyers reading this, you can meet Natasha and see the new season’s SKEANIE range at the trade-only Life INSTYLE/Kids INSTYLE show in Sydney this week.

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What was your life like before SKEANIE?

Up until 2003 I was an IT Project Manager in Sydney looking after projects for Cisco, Ericsson, Telstra, Vodafone and Hutchison. It was a pretty hectic existence!

Hamilton and I married in Noosa Heads in 2003, and shortly after we decided to move to Goulburn, where Hamilton’s parents live, and where we now live on an acreage close to town. I ran a Mortgage Broking/Financial Planning business until Hamish was born in 2005.

After becoming a mother I realised that working in an office 5 days a week was not for me, so I sold the Mortgage Broking business and ventured into the wonderful world of SKEANIE: Leather Footwear for Little Feet!

Who and/or what inspires you?

I am inspired by my children, the country, my husband and classic style. I love well made, classic items. Classic style is more important to me than the latest fashions. I tend to design items that I would like to wear, only they are smaller!

Describe your perfect day

A perfect day would have lots of variety, be full of surprises and not much would go to plan. Fortunately for me, being a mother of 2 young children and a business owner most of my days end up being perfect ones!

What are SKEANIE’s best-sellers?

The Cheeky Monkey and Little Princess designs have both been big sellers. I think perhaps this is because Mum’s can relate to them. I am forever calling my children quirky little names. Most of them have ended up on our shoes!

Summer Sandals were a huge hit this summer. I think they sold well because they were unique, there was nothing like them in the market.

Who are your favourite baby and kids designers?

Heavenly Creatures – www.heavenlycreatures.net.au. Heidi and Kelly are 2 talented women from Melbourne who definitely have a flair for style!

Knuffle Kid – www.knufflekid.com. Emma specialises in vintage for young girls. I just love the dress pictured below which I have for my daughter, Bella.

What’s coming up for SKEANIE?

I am really excited about the SKEANIE winter range which is due out next month. The SKEANIE leather loafers were influenced by the “Gucci Driving Shoe”. They are a smaller version of shoes I wear, I guess a kind-of “mini-me”. My husband is an avid horse-man; hence the snaffle-bit on the loafers. They are hand-made from high-quality leather and feature a thin rubber sole which makes them ideal for the transition from pre-walker to walker.

The Faux-fur lined cowboy boots are influenced by my life in the country and boots that I wear, again another “mini-me”. Unfortunately mine are not faux-fur lined or not nearly as comfortable!

The plain faux-fur lined boots have been extended to include “luxurious cream”: a great colour for boys or girls. Bella has recently started wearing her “Fire Engine Red” boots (coming to the SKEANIE online store in March) around the house to keep her little feet warm on the timber floors in Goulburn.

SKEANIE charge from $7.20 shipping within Australian and New Zealand. Click to shop at SKEANIE Shoes.

Today’s post written by Angela

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Kounia-Bella – www.kounia-bella.com.au – is the name of a Greek lullaby, but it may as well mean “good taste lives here” as this is all you’ll find at this divine store.

Helen and her team run a beautiful bricks and mortar store in Oakleigh, Victoria, but luckily for those of us not living within driving distance there is the online store, which is packed to the rafters with luxe brands including A-Z Designer Letters, Babylicious, Bear Box Kids, Bebe by Minihaha, Bebe Junior by Minihaha, Collette Dinnigan Enfant, Crocodile Creek, Ducky Beau Mini, Eeni Meeni Miini Moh, Eeni Meeni Miini Moh Pure, Emile et Rose, Gelati Art, Havaianas, Kaloo, Little Chipipi, Mama’s and Papa’s, Mini Rhubarb, Noonoo, Ouch, Robeez, Shabby Shaq and Tea Princess.

Right now Kounia-Bella are currently awaiting winter stock and need to clear the racks to make room.

This is a truly remarkable sale event with over 285 items reduced by 50-80% in the sale section. Fans of Eeeni Meeni Miini Moh, you’re going to be in seventh heaven, as are followers of Bebe by Minihaha, Tea Princess, Emile et Rose, Ducky Beau, Mini Rhubarb, Noo Noo, and Ouch – oh my goodness!! they’re practically giving it away!! – you will not find such a comprehensive range of Ouch on sale at these prices anywhere.

I’ll keep my rant to a minimum at this point: THIS IS UNMISSABLE – BE QUICK!!

PS Autumn/Winter 2009 Eeni Meeni Miini Moh is now in-store: get it first at Kounia-Bella. Keep reading for more benefits of shopping at Kounia-Bella.

Kounia-Bella charge from $9.00 standard postage, and $12.00 Express Post. Orders over $150.00 are shipped free* (*conditions apply). See the Kounia-Bella shipping info page for full details. Kounia-Bella also run a fabulous VIP Loyalty Club. For every dollar you spend on non-sale items, you get a 10% credit off your next purchase. Read the full details here. Leave a note in the comments/notes area at checkout if any of your purchases are gifts and take advantage of Kounia-Bella’s free (and stunning!) wrap service.

Sale on while stocks last only. No rainchecks.

Today’s post written by Miki

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Construction toys are an definite must-have for every kid’s toybox.  Whether it be some hand-me-down wooden blocks or one of the amazing sets pictured below, construction toys are so necessary, and SO much fun!

Girls and boys alike love to build things.  It fulfills a need in them for expressing their creativity and for learning how the world works: why does the tower fall down if you nudge it? What works to make it stay up?

Construction sets can be played with on their own, with friends or siblings or with a parent – especially Dad!  Want to instigate some father/child bonding?  Buy some sort of construction toy (I think Automoblox or the Marble Run below are surefire bets) and just wait for Dad and the kids to get stuck in together.

Now, what to buy?

Well the most well-known construction toy needs no introduction: Lego is eternally popular and kids just adore it.

However some lesser-known options which are just as good as Lego, if not better, are pictured below along with info on where to get them.

a. Djeco Creanimaux, $69.95 at Favourite Toys
b. Ball Track Construction Set, $199.95 at Moochie-Moo
c. Quercetti Fantacolour Daisy, $27.95 at Happy Little Hippos
d. Baufix Buggy – Small, $29.95 $24.95 at Happy Little Hippos
e. Lego Duplo Supermarket, $73.99 at IQ Toys
f. Quercetti Georello Farm, $34.95 at Happy Little Hippos
g. Automoblox Red Sports Car, $46.25 at Little Possums Toys
h. Mic-O-Mic sportscar, $34.95 at Moochie-Moo

Please check individual sites for postage, and as always check the KidStyleFile ‘All Current Deals’ page to see if you qualify for a special discount or offer.

Today’s post written by Angela

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Happy Valentine’s Day one and all. Hope you’re feeling the love today.

I have something else to give you a warm fuzzy feeling: Urban Baby – www.urbanbaby.com.au - are currently hosting a huge stock clearance of up to 75% off!!

There are some tremendous bargains to be had here. They’ve added the Inglesina Club Highchair, Oeuf Baby Lounger, and two stunning Jooki baby bags to the impressive list of products on sale just this morning.

Be super quick, and be sure to take in all 11 pages of items on sale. Some of my hot picks pictured below.

Urban Baby stock the following baby and kids designers: Aden & Anais, Active People, Alimrose Designs, Alimrose Designs, Allerhand, Angelcare, Annabel Karmel, Annabel Trends, Automoblox, Avent, Babies Only, BabyBjorn, Baby Cubes, Baby Einstein, BabyMoov, Baby Origami,BabySmart, Babyushka, Babu, Badger Balm, Beba Bean, Being Dad DVD Series, Bical Shoes, Billie Baby Soap, Bloom, Boikido, Boon, Brio, Britt Design, Bubbaroo, Built NY, Chelona Wooden Puzzles, Coco & Eli, Cold Coffee, Crocodile Creek, Crocs Shoes, Cushy Couch, Cuski, D-Lux, David Fussenegger, derriere la porte, Djeco, Dunstan Baby Language, Dwink, Emotion & Kids, Eric Carle, Eternal Baby, Fertile Mind, Fiesta Crafts, Fiona Kate – The Box Seat, FLATOUT Bear, Fred, French Bull Kids, Gaia Organic Cotton, GeoMag, giimmö Childrens Lights, Gina Ford, Go-Home, Graham & Brown, Green to Grow, Grobag Sleeping Bags, The HandySitt Company, Heimess, Hipp, Hotslings, Huggalugs, Ikaboo Childrens Lights, Infantino, Inglesina Mhome Collection, Isoki, et4Kids, Jooki Nappy Bags & Accessories, Karamana Kid, Karlsson, Kiddopotamus, KinderKot, Klippan Bruno, Kreative Kritters Window Peelies, Kuki Kids, Lalito, Lambykins, Leander, le-BIG, Lima Bean, Living Textiles, Lodger, Magnetic Poetry, Mamas & Papas, Manhattan Toy, Melobaby, Me Too Collection by Magis, Minimink, Mudpuppy, Mustela Baby, Nesting Moses Baskets, Nest High Chair, Nice 4 Neez, New Native Baby Slings, Noo Designs, Nurture Designs, Oeuf Furniture, Organised Mum, Pebbles Pouches, Philips, PromoOne, Quicksmart, Ramalama, Ribambelle Bijoux Enfants, Rorkus, Shop Girl, SkipHop, Smart Mom, Teething Bling, Starchild Leather Pre-Walker Shoes, Star & Rose, STUFFit, Sunny, Swobbles, Teeny Me, Thermos, Tiger Tribe, Travel Buddies, Trebimbi, Trunki Kids Luggage, UrbanBaby, Vessel, Vice Versa Baby, Wallcandy, Wee Gallery, Wheely Bug, WMF Cutlery and Dinnerware Sets, ZipBin, and ZUNY.

Urban Baby Ship on weight, and interenational orders are most welcome. See the Urban Baby postage and handling page for full shipping cost and delivery information.