Sorry for my absence!!

I must apologise for my lack of blogging lately! Life has a way of throwing curve balls at us, and we received one not long ago (15 weeks ago to be exact!). My lovely family of four, is now going to be a family of five! To say it took us by surprise is an understatement, however we are blessed to be having another baby (if you overlook the sleepless nights, cracked nipples, etc etc LOL).

So, my lack of blogging has been due to a lack of energy/inspiration - all due to the dreaded morning sickness which has beseiged my life! All my last reserves of energy have been going into completing my orders and running my business and my family.

At 15 weeks I am hopeful to be getting back to 'normal' soon, despite my expanding belly and everything else!!

Does anyone have a cot, pram, car seat, change table, etc etc - we had generously given all our's away to expectant friends! Ha, ha - ah life, ya gotta love it!

The gorgeous "Noonie" by Lala's Pequenos

Since its launch, the "Noonie" has been a big hit, receiving a great response from new mums everywhere! It is easy to see why. Made from the softest organic fabrics, lined with soft organic sherpa - the Noonie was designed to create a perfectly cosy environment for a baby.

Not designed to be slept in, but to be used perhaps after a bath, whilst feeding, or out and about. It is one of those lovely products, one which makes those of us who think we are finished with babies wistfully want to hold another one in our arms!

Made in America by Lala (mum of two), the Noonie is available on Etsy or you can visit their website www.lalaspequenos.com

Smiling Planet - promoting peace

In this day and age, where the world can seem quite mad, and there are constant threats around, we need to stop and listen to the simple messages when we come across them. Smiling Planet is one of those little companies that just make you happy with their great products which come with lovely messages. This eco-friendly, mankind friendly business make wonderful earth friendly products for kids, with cute slogans that don't preach, just remind.

I love their t-shirts which state "all the world is wonder full, let's make her smile" featuring an illustrated chain of friendly people and critters around the globe.

Their earth friendly plates contain no BPA, no phthalates, no lead and no toxic inks. Perfect for feeding our precious little earthlings from. They all have cute slogans, my favourite being "make your mother happy" even though they are probably referring to Mother Earth, I'll take all the help I can at meal times!

Smiling Planet have an admirable business concept, with a peaceful, responsible approach to the earth and those who inhabit it. I am no 'greenie' by any stretch, but was moved by this business and its products, and highly recommend you visit their website also! Using their products helps us all in the end, and isn't that what humanity should be about?

R.I.P. old website

We've been hacked by 'trojans', battered by 'bots', invaded by 'viruses', which have finally brought us down. Sadly, I must bid farewell to my first, my original Little Light House website. I feel a sense of loss, as we have weathered the trials and tribulations of small business together, coming out triumphant more often than not. Good-bye my faithful friend....

And hello my newest addition!! Coming very soon a slick, new, improved version of the old favourite - I hope you will like it, and forgive it any glitches as it settles in to life in the 'fast' lane!

Have a great day!

Sue

Donna Hay - hey hey!!

Little Living is a staunch supporter of Little Light House and our gorgeous products! So much so they used our lovely lampshades as the hero product for their ad in Donna Hay's Kids' Magazine, which went on sale a couple of months ago.

Now I adore Donna Hay's recipes, so I was going to buy the mag anyway. But this ad was extra incentive, it was very exciting to see my 'babies' in this magazine when I bought it. A huge thanks to Little Living for their ongoing support, their website www.littleliving.com.au is well worth a visit when you are looking for something special for the little people in your life.

I urge you all to rush out and buy your copy of the magazine as the "Polka Dot Brownie Cupcakes" on the inside back cover are to die for!!

Dobbin and Drum - Brisbane Toy makers!

Dobbin and Drum are a Brisbane based, family-run creative force, whose beautiful range of Teepees, Hobby Horses, Drums, etc are proudly designed and made with "soul and substance". Their aim is to stimulate the imaginations of our children by offering products which inspire creative play and laughter. I think we all played cowboys and indians in our backyards as kids, hours of endless fun, providing lasting memories of the good times shared with siblings and neighbourhood friends.

Dobbin and Drum are committed to responsible use of the world's resources, because they believe the future of our kids and the environment really does matter. They use natural fibres, robust construction, and pleasing appearances to make their products last the generations.

Visit their website at www.dobbinanddrumtoys.com for a closer look at the delights within. All their products come in a wonderful range of colours and styles, with optional extras - well worth a good look around!

Win a lampshade and base with Alphabet Street!!

Do you want to go in the running to win a Little Light House lampshade and lamp base? Of course you do! Then rush over to Alphabet Street, the new and happening website for all things child related. Subscribe to their monthly competition, and you could be the lucky reader!

Alphabet Street is the brainchild of creative force, Penny Price. She has created a destination for all parents and carers, who wish to make their lives easier, when it comes to seeking local information about what's happening and what's available for kids. Targeting the Newcastle region, Alphabet Street is a wealth of knowledge on what's happening in and around the area.

Visit www.alphabetstreet.com.au for an informative read about upcoming events, latest products, and other practical information for us busy parents. Oh, and good luck with the Little Light House competition!!

Frame it!

Our collection of lovely family photos is growing by the day, and yet I haven't framed or hung any of them around the house! I want to, I intend to, and now that I have found these gorgeous handmade timber frames - I will!!

LA based Obrien Schridde Designs specialise in designing and making beautiful picture frames, with that slightly time-worn, weathered look of an antique piece. The frames are romantic in design and reflect the Schridde's appreciation for time gone by. Available in seven different styles, they are all elegant, classic yet subtle in their beauty, and they frame photos in the loveliest way. "Timeless, distressed, romantic frames - each handmade with care."

The founders, Louise Obrien and Daniel Schridde, armed with a collection of gorgeous family photos, created these perfect frames worthy of showcasing your favourite family shots, frames which look wonderful grouped together, or as a statement piece in each room. Available in a range of soft hues and styles which yearn for a time gone by.

They do ship to Australia, so you can finally do justice to those expensive family photos, or the more relaxed happy snaps! Your friends will have "frame envy"!

Visit http://obrienschridde.com/ for a look around their gorgeous website.

Thanks everyone!

Well, Mathilda's Market has come and gone - and what a great success it was! Brisbane City Hall was a beautiful venue to hold the upmarket market, and all the stalls were gorgeous in their display of products. Apparently there were about 900 visitors through the doors, which is pretty impressive for this niche market only open between 9am and 1pm! There was a lovely atmosphere from a warm and supportive crowd.

Thanks to everyone who came to visit Little Light House, we had a huge day in every way, and are further inspired to create our gorgeous wares!

Stay tuned for our next offerings......

Mathilda's Markets Brisbane- 19th July

Yippie yeah - it's almost here! Not long now and we will be showcasing our wares at Mathilda's Market here in Brisbane. This is a fabulous niche market that offers unique, stylish and affordable baby & kids goods that are lovingly handmade or of limited production. The retailers are hand picked to ensure an exciting product range. You will discover a vast array of funky, unique and gorgeous clothing, wooden letters, canvasses, soft & wooden toys, soft leather shoes, room decor, bags, paintings, etc etc - the list just goes on and on! All this for your little ones..... it is a kid's shopping heaven. Most of the retailers do not have a shop front, so you know you'll find something special on the day.

Please come along and see our stand on Sunday 19th July at Mathilda's Market from 9am to 1pm at the Brisbane City Hall, King George Square. With over 60 retailers and yummy food, this will be a fantastic day out for young and old. Entry is free.

For a sneak preview of who is exhibiting, have a look at www.mathildasmarket.com.au

Little Light House is working hard to bring a great selection of our lampshades to you, we will be showcasing our most popular designs. However if you want to see a specific fabric/shade please email us now, so you won't be disappointed on the day.

My new favourite fabric - "Butterfly"

Can you be in love with a fabric?? Ok, then I have really strong feelings for this gorgeous fabric for girls! Depicting colourful butterflies in various stages of flight, surrounded by lovely little flowers, I had to have it and now need to turn it into lampshades in order to bring it to you.

Because the butterflies are quite large, each lampshade will have one big butterfly and some pretty flowers - it will look so fresh and lovely in a little girl's room. We all know how much they adore butterflies!

But what to trim it with? Nothing too busy which would detract from this fabric's impact. I recently found some mini ric-rac in different shades of pink, and I think this frames the butterfly nicely.

Hey presto, here is the finished product, ready to brighten up her room!

New to Little Light House, you can view more information about this shade at www.littlelighthouse.com.au

Ani & Trio - Brisbane duo creates lush linen!

Ani & Trio is the brainchild of two friends with the one desire to provide a new and exciting range of nursery linen for our little ones. Based in Brisbane, they design and create these bold, fun and unique cot collections. Shown above is their stunning "Under the Stars" cot quilt. Each piece is beautifully made with attention to detail. The addition of ribbons and trimmings teamed with their signature patchwork style, results in a truly designer look.

Also available are 100% cotton sheet sets and pillowcases, designed to match the cot linen collections. Shown below is their "At the Fair" collection - so fresh and lovely.

Check out their website www.aniandtrio.com.au for a closer look at their gorgeous range.

Etsy Fab Find - "Almost Sunday"

Almost Sunday is a delightful Etsy shop full of striking paper design products for kids and parents alike. The "Butterfly Mobile" (shown above) and "Fish Mobile" (shown below) will stimulate your baby with their bright and playful designs, each one handcrafted with love and attention to detail.

Mobiles are a wonderful way to keep your baby entertained in their cot, or keep him/her occupied on the change table while you get busy with the task at hand!! The mobiles are made to be viewed from underneath, designed specifically for your baby's enjoyment.

These mobiles are made to order, and are a wonderful unique addition to your child's room.

Check these out, and more, at www.almostsunday.com

Release the decorator within!

It brings me such joy to receive a photograph from a customer showing one of my lampshades in its new setting. I am constantly inspired by the creative flair of my wonderful customers, and really enjoy seeing their different decorating styles.

These gorgeous pictures were sent to me recently. I love the pink/green combination - so fresh and pretty for a little girl's room. The lined baskets are a wonderful idea for storage, and the pink cuddly critter looks beautiful beside our "Candy Stripe" shade. Job well done Gillian, I love your 'inner decorator'!

Thanks for the photos, my lampshades are my labour of love, and it is great to see where they end up after my hard work is done.

Release your decorator within, but please, share your triumphs with me!!

Zooni - gorgeous baby hats

These adorable "Mop Top Hats" are high on my list of favourite things! They are somewhat wild and woolly from the front view, with an adorable animal from the back view! Never has your child looked so good while running away from you! With names like "Chunkee Monkee" shown top left, and "Panda Monium" or "Puppy Love" shown top right, plus "Leo the Lion", and many more - you are sure to find the right hat for your little wild thing.

Based in San Francisco, Zooni is a children's accessories business which specialises in unique, handmade hats, mittens, and 3D socks. Each design in their Mop Top Hats, M'uppet Mittens, and ConFEETI 3D socks lines is one-of-a-kind and guaranteed to turn heads. Each product is handmade or hand-detailed from high quality materials for maximum style and function.

If your little darling doesn't fancy a wild animal on her head, then there are some gorgeous "Flower Power" hats which will keep her head warm, and be oh so stylish for winter.

Visit www.zooniwear.com for their full catalogue - you are sure to fall in love with these products!

Mathilda's Markets - see you there!

Mathilda's Market is a fabulous niche market that offers unique, stylish and affordable baby and kids goods that are lovingly handmade or from limited production line.  The retailers are hand picked to ensure an exciting product range, and most of them do not have a shop front, so you know you'll find something special, not available anywhere else.  

Mathilda's Market is coming up in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth in June and July. With up to 70 gorgeous stalls, yummy food, free kids entertainment, this is a fantastic day out for young and old.  For a sneek peek, have a look at the gallery on Mathilda's Market website (www.mathildasmarket.com.au) and enjoy browsing through past Markets.

Little Light House will be exhibiting at the Brisbane Mathilda's Market on July 19th between 9am - 1pm at Brisbane City Hall.  Come and meet us there, and see first hand our wonderful fabrics and beautiful choice of lampshades for kids.

Little Light House back online

Hello everyone,

We were/are having some technical difficulties, resulting in the website being offline - the problem is being fixed, and we will soon be back to normal!

Thanks for your patience....

Sue

Wallace Cotton - Dreamy Bed Tent

Wallace Cotton have a passion for all things cotton. They provide a wonderful, stylish collection of bed linen and homewares, all in the finest cottons. Wallace Cotton believe fine, natural cotton is mother nature's best material, which keeps us warm in winter, and cool/dry in summer and feels fantastic against even the most sensitive skins.

They are a small, family run business who only sell directly to their customers, no wholesalers, agents or retailers.  This enables them to offer top quality products at reasonable prices.

I am a devoted customer of their's, having bought lovely bedlinen and accessories for my kids' rooms.  When I saw this wonderful bed canopy, my eyes really lit up! I have a young 'princess' in the family who would feel very special indeed lying in bed under one of these impressive 'tents'!  Available in either Pink or White, made with lovely soft cotton, they are generously proportioned for that luxurious feel.

Wallace Cotton, remember the name, and check out their gorgeous range at www.wallacecotton.com

Hubas - Handcrafted 'cuddlies' for kids!

The internet is a wonderful place, it opens our eyes to so many products and services which we otherwise might never know existed.  Hubas is one of those online stores which I came across, and am forever happy I found!

Hubas creates a gorgeous and colourful range of children's accessories, just screaming out to be hugged and played with by our little ones.  There are four styles of Creature Cushions, "Oskar the Fish", "Berta the Bird", "Franz the Cockerel", and "Thea the Mouse".  The Creature Cushions are all generously proportioned, the perfect soft armful for a kiddy cuddle!  So cute and stylish, using a lovely mix of colour and pattern - choose the one which best suits your child.

Then there are the squeezable Pet Pouches, wonderful snuggly bedtime companions which can be filled with favourite things.  "A peer belly to be proud of" is their catchphrase!  Such is the cuteness of "Doris the Elephant" and "Walter the Dog" - they will become treasured childhood possessions.

Hubas is based in the UK, and will ship worldwide.  Each sale contributes to the children's charity Childline.  

Go to www.hubas.co.uk  for a better look at these delightful critters!

1st of May - Just love it!

Happy May Day!  Break out the Maypoles for the kids, and have some fun!! Does anyone do this anymore?  It is a centuries old tradition in celebration of the start of May, when the harsh winter was ending and crops were beginning to grow (in the northern hemisphere of course)!

I love May, I love our cooler weather (in Australia), the autumn leaves falling, spoiling our mothers on Mother's Day, my birthday is in May ........ 

There are some funny old superstitions about the month of May!  Here is a good one :

Apparently, first thing in the morning on May 1st, young girls used to rush out in the garden to wash their faces in the May dew. Why? There is an old tale that says the May dew has magic properties and that anyone who has washed their face in it will have a beautiful complexion all through the year.  This dew was supposed to be able to remove freckles and also spots and pimples!  (The first 'miracle cream', I wish I was up early this morning!!)

Anyway, have a wonderful May!  And to all those mothers, a wonderful Mother's Day on the 10th.

lovemaestore - an Etsy wonderland

Wall decals are all the rage at present!  I do love them, they are an easy way to add pizzazz to a room.  This beautiful range from lovemaestore on Etsy is the pick of the bunch for me. Unlike the common vinyl variety, these are made from fabric - and I do so love fabric!!  

These gorgeous decals are removable and totally reusable, and even washable!  Practically indestructible by little hands.  Kids can move them around, and have the most wonderful enchanted games in their own rooms, without damaging the walls.

There are lots of designs to choose from, and you are supporting Australian made, as lovemaestore is a homegrown commodity.

Take a long look at www.lovemaestore.etsy.com

Hable Construction

I am a long-time lover of Hable Construction.  I first stumbled across them in 2002 when reading a US decorator magazine.  I was just starting out in my business, and they were a relatively new force in the US textiles market.  I was quite taken with the Hable sisters' story and their use of the name Hable Construction, which came from their great-grandfather's road construction business.  I love an interesting business story with a strong family theme running through it.

This New York based textiles company designs and creates gorgeous textiles and homewares. The sisters, Katharine and Susan, combine their many talents to come up with collections which encompass gorgeous patterns, colours and styles.

They have some lovely storage ideas for kids rooms.  Shown here are two of their wool felt storage boxes, which come in a variety of colours and styles.  Also shown are their gorgeous range of wool felt appliqued cushions, in colours you could almost eat, which would look lovely in all rooms of the house!

Check out Hable Construction at www.hableconstruction.com

The good news is they do offer shipping to Australia!