Bandit dolls.

Loving these whimsical bandit dolls by The Black Apple. Perfect Xmas pressie for a little girl.

Ps: The Black Apple's illustrator, Emily Winfield Martin, is on the cover of next year's Frankie calendar.

{via with two cats}

wowsers, 200 followers and a giveaway!

Last week my little blog made it to 200 followers! Thank you wonderful peeps for visiting this space, for sharing your stories with me via your comments, and for showing me so much bloggie love! The thought that anyone else other than my family and friends would ever have any interest in what I write is truly flattering.

To celebrate your loveliness, here's a special something just for you. Cassandra Allen, an Australian born artist specialising in children's books and illustrations, is generously offering one Smallesthings reader the chance to win a print from her shop! That's right, you get to pick whatever one print you prefer from her entire shop - lucky you. And if don't have kids, don't forget this would make the perfect gift (for your nieces, nephews, godchildren, best friend's baby shower, etc.!).

✭✭✭For a chance to win this awesome giveaway, please visit Cassandra's shop and leave a comment below before Sunday telling us your favourite print. The winner will be announced next week.✭✭✭

Good luck everyone. And if you'd like to say 'hello' to the talented artist or follow her Swiss adventures (Cassandra is also a cooking/knitting/crochet/DIY queen + a busy mum!), it's this way to her blog.

Bilinguism.

I adored your reactions to my first "I love you" from little big L. It truly was one of the most magical moments in my short life as a mum. In fact, this whole new talking phase is ridiculously cute. Our little fella's vocabulary is getting richer by the day, I feel like I'll barely have time to blink  before he starts chatting away with us. To be honest, I had no idea that he'd be talking and understanding so soon. I thought it was something kiddies did when they were much older. I remember realising how much he actually understood when a few months ago I asked him if he wanted to read the Hungry Caterpillar and he went to his bookshelf and picked the right book. I don't know about you, but there are actually heaps of things I had no idea about when it comes to babies and which I am learning about along the way. I find it great to discover these new steps as we go along rather than read about them in advance and then be worried that L. is has not reached this or that milestone "on time".

What I am most fascinated about at the moment is to watch his little bilingual brain develop. For now, he speaks a mix of English and French, using whatever word is the easiest to pronounce in either language. He'll say "apple", "ball", "cheese", "oh dear" but "tiens" [here you go], "ca" [this/that], "c'est quoi?" [what's that]; and sometimes he'll speak franglais like when we says doudou (a mix between dog and toutou). He can distinguish the difference between both languages but is still unsure which one to actually speak. The other day when we were walking in the forest he was calling for me in French and since we speak English at home, we explained to him that I am "mummy, not maman" and he got really affirmative, repeating " noooon, maman!". It was so cute.

We would really like for L. to be bilingual like us. So many people around us tell us different stories about the best way around it, but it is seems impossible to really know what the best approach is. For now, we both speak English to him and he learns French with the childminder. The only thing we are trying to change is to switch from French to English between Mr. Franglais and me. We feel that L. might otherwise be confused as to why we speak to him in English, and French to each other. It has been really hard to for us switch but little by little we are managing.

Do you have bilingual kids or are you bilingual yourself? I'd be very interested to hear about your personal experiences.

{photo by akynou, taken at the Wall of I love you's near the Place des Abbesses, Paris 18th}

Les soldes - coups de cœur.

Here is a selection of some of my favourite items while I was shopping on line for little big L. yesterday.

Striped Donkey Scarf, April Showers

Pink Eiffel Tower T-Shirt, Bobo Chose

Dolly Gold Shoes, Tip Toey Joey

Oups Jacquard Dress, Talc

Striped Sweater, Imps & Elfs

Branca Baby Blouse, Gold

Bat Boy Hat, Oeuf NYC

Camera Jumpsuit, Bobo Chose

Robe Balo Indigo, Dis une Couleur

Car Jumpsuit, Bobo Chose

Crunchy Tennis Shoes, Tip Toey Joey

Monster Joe T-Shirt, Nissalisa

Wellies, Spring Court

Monster kids tableware.

How deliriously cool are these wee plates? Find them over at French Bull.

{via Checks and Spots} // images French Bull

A rocking Vespa.

A grandfather, whose Vespa riding days were over, had the awesome idea to turn his 'retired' scooter into a rocking 'horse' for his grandson, little Diego. See more photos of this incredible DIY project.

Mini chair makeover.

Jennifer found this mini chair for $20 in a garage sale...

and transformed it into this...

...an stunning little throne for her 11 months old daughter Chloe. Head over to Rambling Renovators to found out more on this incredible DYI project.

{via Ohdeedoh} // images ©Rambling Renovators

Nursery inspiration.

I was browsing Flickr and found these beautifully inspiring nurseries; which reminds me I still haven't posted any photos of L.'s room. I will try to do so over the holidays as I'd love to have your thoughts.
I hope you are all having a relaxing Saturday. My little L. is sick so we are having indoor fun!


Jenn Hannotte


Just Design


WinnieLovesColor


seventwentysk


seventwentysk


the happy home

Toby Tiger.

I was finishing (yep!) reading my summer copy of Baby London magazine yesterday and discovered these colourful clothes by English brand, Toby Tiger. I love the simple but stylish designs and especially, the affordable prices. I think I know where I'll be wanting to shop next time I am in the UK... that's if I don't succumb to the online temptation before then.

Munster Kids.

Today, I walked over to Not So Big in the 2e arrondissement to buy a gift for L.'s latest baby friend. It's a fabulous little shop with lots of superb items, from the famous Oeuf cots, to the Smiling Planet dishes, little Marc Jacobs clothes, and Flensted mobiles. While I was there, I feel in love with the funky Mini Munster clothes by Munster Kids. They look more like the type of clothes a rebelious teenager would want to wear rather than a little angelic baby but I guess that's what makes them so attractive.  Be sure to check out more Munsteresque clothes on their website or visit Not So Big.

NotSoBig
38, rue Tiquetonne
75002 Paris

Cotton & Milk

I was just visiting Little Circus shop to view the new autumn arrivals and discovered lovely items from Cotton & Milk. I am thinking that white vintage rocking horse would be a lovely gift for L.'s first birthday (planning far ahead I know, but I always run out of ideas for presents when people's birthdays are actually approaching).

weekend shopping.






Yesterday, we decided to go buy some toys for our growing bubba and discovered the most amazing place: le village JouéClub. It is a 2,000 square metre kiddy wonderland located in the Passage des Princes, one of Paris' many old fashioned glass-roofed shopping arcades. There are over a dozen shops which are seperated by theme: Legos, dolls, puzzles, educational & creative toys, costumes, wooden toys, toddler toys, and many, many more (there is even a hairdresser for wee ones). But the best find was this. A toy my mum was telling me about just the other day and that I had when I was a kid. Like Sophie la girafe, it's one of those toys that will never grow old.

Village JouéClub

3/5 boulevard des Italiens

75002 Paris

ps: and as you can see, L. carried all the shopping bags home. Good boy.

Soft toys for wee ones.

My dears, these days I am still finding it hard to write any kind of post. After putting baby L. to bed and having a quick dinner, I have only just about started to read your lovely blogs when the bags under my eyes start to weigh me down so much, I have to crawl into bed myself a couple of hours later. I don't know when slower-paced work days will be back but I am hoping soonish and with that, more regular posts on Smallesthings. In the meantime, I will try to keep my word and share with you some of the lovely gifts my little L. has received since he was born. Today, it's all about soft toys...



Walrus rattle, by Brio. This was one of baby L.'s favourite toy from 2-5 months. It is soft, easy to hold, and teething baby likes to chew of Walrus' long teeth! Definitely the coolest rattle I've seen so far. A present from our friends in Berlin.


Handmade crocheted elephant, by Anne-Clair Petit. A gift by Mr. Franglais to our wee one.



Dragobert, by Moulin Roty. A quirky and very colourful rattle that babies can easily hold and play with.



Duck soother, by Jellycat. This is baby L.'s doudou (it comes with us everywhere). Our friends who bought it for Liam got the same soother when their son was born a couple of years ago and it immediately became his doudou so they decided to give L. the same prezzie.


Éléphant, by Histoire d'Ours. This little guy is so soft and cuddly, and looks perfect in L.'s nursery.



Sophie, by Steiff. A German designer bear from L.'s great auntie in England; and a Peter Rabbit rattle, from L.'s sweet godmother in London.



Dream Bear, by Nattou. This was probably the gift that touched me the most because it was sent from my piano teacher in Normandy with whom I'd lost touch for over 10 years and only recently found again. We use this bear all time at nap- and bedtime because it plays the most adorable music. It also has ribbons on the back so that you can tie it to your little one's cot. A small and perfect gift for any baby.

Hope you liked this selection. Bonne nuit les amis et à demain!