Stylish Kids: Little Bubble and Tree

Summer is in full force and I've been searching for cool but sun smart things for my little one. Mind you, it's tough to get her to wear anything at the moment, but with sun this harsh, it's important to have lots of cover-up options that won't make her feel weighed down.

Stylish, fresh and oh-so-cool children's label little bubble and tree from Victoria has some fabulous options for littlies. There are some gorgeous pint-sized kaftans, tunics, shirts, dresses and loose shorts, made from natural fibres in Australia and India (through a fair trade program) in summery colour combinations that I love. I also adore the colourful and quirky bird necklace/belt accessories for draping around necks, waists or walls.

You can find little bubble and tree kids clothes in the online store as well as stockists in Australia (check the website for details). And for more behind-the-scenes info, check out the little bubble and tree blog.

Find more Australian-designed clothes for kids on Bondville Kids. And shop online for kids fashion from great stores in the Australian Online Kids and Baby Store Directory.

Images: little bubble and tree

Happy Holidays from Bondville

Here are a few glimpses of our low-key Christmas/Hanukkah at Bondville this year. It's a special Christmas for us with the imminent birth of our 2nd child and all the expectation and mystery that surrounds it. I've been doing a little requisite baking (melting moments!) and lots of prepping/cleaning/resting. I've also had some lovely surprises from friends including this gorgeous package of cards and holiday goodies that I won from Percival Road Designs. Thank you Anastasia! Mum also made us the most divine Christmas cake, which we topped with glace cherries and flaked almonds. So delicious. I just wanted to take the time to send a huge thanks to all Bondville readers for a wonderful year of sharing great Australian design for Mum, kids and home. It will be a little quiet around Bondville in the new year as we get used to the new rhythm, but please stop by to say Hi and catch up on new finds. Best wishes, keep safe, and happy holidays, Steph xxx Images: Steph Bond

Hip Products: Kim Wallace ceramic jewellery

My friend Kim Wallace debuted her divine handmade ceramic jewellery range at the Finders Keepers markets recently and I've been dying to show them off to you. Imprinted with vintage lace doilies, the pendants are strung on cotton cord and brass chain. They sit beautifully and look gorgeous on - like delicate shells, or icing sugar moons. Feminine and hip at the same time.

I'm also taken with the limited edition pendants that Kim has created in collaboration with artist Belinda Kemp (see bottom image). Each porcelain disc pendant sits on a sterling silver chain, with a sweet hand-stamped design and the artists' initials on the back.

These are perfect last minute Christmas gifts. You can find Kim Wallace ceramic jewellery in the Udessi online gallery (also curated by Kim). Order before this Sunday 20th December 2009 to ensure delivery to major Australian cities before Christmas.

For more about Kim, check out the Kim Wallace profile on Bondville.

Images: Kim Wallace

Welcome New Sponsor eeni meeni miini moh

Competition entries close tonight for our huge eeni meeni miini moh giveaway, and I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome this wonderful label as a sponsor of Bondville.

eeni meeni miini moh is an Australian super-label with a divine range of childrens' clothes, toys, bedlinen and accessories for 0-12 years. This premium brand uses natural fibres and an harmonious colour palette to create a contemporary range for urbane kids. Collections include Pure Newborn (0-3 months), Seasonal Collections Apparel (0-12 years) and e3M (2-12 years).

As the silly season ramps up and money seems to fly out of our purses/wallets/back pockets, make sure you sign up for the eeni meeni miini moh VIP newsletter to save some cash, earn a few bucks, and be the first to find out about the huge January 2010 eeni meeni miini moh sale!

As a VIP member, you will receive:

1. a $10.00 eeni meeni miini moh® voucher for your child/ren on their birthday.

2. Advanced notice on new collections, competitions, secret online offers, promotions, and sales previews.

3. Savings on your online orders with the e-cash Loyalty Program.

Now get ready to save 30-50% off the entire eeni meeni miini moh Spring Summer collection. The eeni meeni miini moh VIP exclusive online sale starts 1 January, 2010 and to participate you must be an eeni meeni miini moh VIP. Sign up now for free eeni meeni miini moh membership to receive the discount code. You'll have to be quick. The sale ends 14 January, 2010 and stock is limited.

Images: eeni meeni miini moh

Cool Websites: Wedding Ideas Australia

I am so proud to introduce you to my latest online project, Wedding Ideas Australia ... a searchable collection of real Australian weddings categorised by location, colour, theme and style.

There are lots of inspiring weddings featured on the site, from elegant affairs to very casual garden weddings. Brides/grooms share with you the places that they sourced all their wedding details from, as well as tips for keeping it budget-friendly, eco-friendly, and handmade.

I hope to be able to show that you don't have to spend a fortune or conform to a particular style, to have a beautiful wedding. And I encourage you to send me your wedding pics (and those of your friends too!) to share on the site.

Please pass the site on to your engaged friends, or just have a look through for some beautiful colour palettes and interesting craft ideas. Let me know what you think!

Also, a huge thanks to Kim at Udessi for the gorgeous design and Harris for his energy and skill on the programming side and tireless support. Enjoy! www.weddingideasaustralia.com.au

KatyJane Designs Christmas Cards and offer

I get a little sentimental about the Christmas atmosphere in the northern hemisphere, and these new vintage-style Christmas card designs from KatyJane Designs in Perth bring back lovely memories. These are just two of the lovely designs on offer from these stationery mavens this year - for the full range, check out the KatyJane Designs website.

KatyJane Designs are offering Bondville readers a great offer on Christmas Card orders up until 18th December 2009:
1. Spend $25 or more at KatyJane Designs and receive free postage by entering the code CHRISTMAS at checkout.
2. PLUS when you place your order, subscribe to our newsletter and you will also receive a free pack of five Christmas cards.

Terms and conditions:
The promotional offer is only valid for orders of $25 or more and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer, code or voucher. The offer is for Australian orders only and excludes international orders and post. Orders will be sent via standard Australian Post only and excludes Express Postage. Recipients must subscribe to the KatyJane Designs newsletter to be eligible for a free pack of cards. By signing up to the newsletter you give permission to KatyJane Designs to email you news, updates and promotions. Each free pack of cards includes 5 KatyJane Designs Christmas cards & envelopes with the value of $10.00. Designs are as featured on the website and will include a mix as available. Each free pack of cards will vary according to availability. No exchanges will be made. No cash alternative is available. KatyJane Designs reserves the right to change the free gift subject to availability and replace with an alternative to the same value. Offer closes 18/12/2009.

And for more about KatyJane Designs, see this profile on Bondville.

Images: KatyJane Designs

Cool Websites: 1 Million Women

We all know that we need to improve our energy usage - and most of us want to - but it can be quite hard to figure out exactly what you can do and then hold yourself accountable for it.

Well very cool website 1 Million Women comes to the rescue with a slick, easy-to-use, site that helps you figure out what you can change around the home with your own family, and then gives you the ability to check back in and report on your achievements. And the big gold star? Your very own C02 impact that you can track over time.

The goal of the site is to inspire 1 million Australian women to take practical action on climate change by cutting 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse pollutant causing global warming.

I signed up and found some great tips that I've been able to implement at home straight away and it's going to feel great going back in a week, a month, a year to see what kind of an impact just our little family has had on C02 emissions.

There is also a social networking aspect to the site that I didn't participate in, but if you are interested there are lots of ways to get more involved. Or, like me, you can simply use the site's tools to help manage your own energy use. I hope you like it. Join here now to increase the number from the 13,000+ plus on the site to 1M!

Image: 1 Million Women

Stylish Kids: Rittenhouse

Oh my. How very cool are the duds for bubs from grown-up Sydney-based fashion house Rittenhouse. Baby harem pants. Directional onesies. Patchwork bloomers. In hip, up-to-the-minute fabrics.

Designed by Sally McDonald and Micah Hamdorf, the growing collection includes onesies, tops, bottoms and dresses for girls and boys 0-8 years.

You can find Rittenhouse children's wear in the Rittenhouse online store and at stockists across Australia and Indonesia.

For more Australian designer clothes for children, head over to Bondville Kids. And shop online for kids fashion from great stores in the Australian Online Kids and Baby Store Directory.

Images: Rittenhouse

Tiny Concept note cards and dolls

For me, one of the highlights of the Nov 09 Brisbane ABCD Meetup goodie bags were the gorgeous cards contributed by Kristina Snerling from Tiny Concept. They reminded me that I wanted to share Kristina's incredible dolls with you also.

Former children's wear designer Kristina creates divine hand-sewn heirloom dolls that have been eagerly snapped up by collectors at markets over the past year. Kristina is a former children's wear designer, which is evident in the detail and quality of her dolls' fashion - perfectly gathered ruffles and rosettes, and beautiful use of wools, linen, raw silks, Swiss cottons and vintage textiles. Each doll has her very own name and history and huge dose of love.

You can find Tiny Concept dolls, soft toy soldiers and other lovely pieces at the Tiny Concept online store (where you can also place a custom order). You can also find the more elaborate doll designs exclusively at Udessi online and these are truly heart-stopping (see Marjolaine above).

Kristina has also recently released a delightful series of Christmas cards and note cards featuring her sweet illustrative characters; you can find them in the Tiny Concept online store.

And don't forget to stop by and say hi to Kristina on the Tiny Concept blog.

You can shop online for kids products from great stores in the Australian Online Kids and Baby Store Directory.

Images: Tiny Concept; Marjolaine doll image by Udessi.

Giveaway: eeni meeni miini moh $250 Gift Certificate! - now closed; drawn week 18th Jan 10

I'm sure you know all about the gorgeous and award-winning children's label eeni meeni miini moh (a Bondville favourite). But did you know that the children's clothing range is about to rock the tween market, launching a new brand extension for the older kid up to 12 years.

The new e3M collection will be made from the same natural fibres in the distinctive eeni meeni miini moh colour palette but with a more mature “streetwise” edge. Pieces are creative and inspired by art - “the same e but for an older me” - and will include pieces that will layer easily and complement each other.

The great news is that the generous folks at eeni meeni miini moh are giving away an AUD $250 Gift Certificate to one lucky Bondville reader to spend on the new eeni meeni miini moh and e3M autumn/winter collections, due to be launched in February 2010.

All you need to do is visit the eeni meeni miini moh website and sign up for free VIP membership, then comment below, and you will be in the running to win. Entries close at midnight (AEST) on Friday 18th December 2009. Good luck!

PS – All eeni meeni miini moh VIPs also receive a AUD $10.00 gift voucher for their child/ren on their birthday, receive advance notice on collections, competitions, online offers and sales previews, and can save money on orders with the e-cash Loyalty Program.

Rules:
1. One comment per person allowed.
2. Entrants will receive the eeni meeni miini moh VIP newsletter and the winner will be checked against the VIP newsletter database.
3. If you write about the competition on Twitter or Facebook you will receive two (2) entries (please leave this in the comment to let me know)
4. If you write about the competition on your blog you will receive three (3) entries (please leave this in the comment to let me know)
5. Please include your email address or a link to your website where I can comment or find your email address.
6. This competition is open to entrants worldwide.
7. Entries close 11:59pm AEST, Friday 18th December 2009.

eeni meeni miini moh is an Australian company based in Brisbane and you will be able to order the gorgeous e3M collection as well as the entire lifestyle collection from the online store and stockists all over Australia and the Asia Pacific. Read the Bondville profile on eeni meeni miini moh for more background info on this great brand.

Images: eeni meeni miini moh