Hey San Francisco peeps! If you haven't been into Tantrum in Cole Valley yet then you must go take a peek! One of the most unique and well done kid's shops in the city! They have mid-century modern inspired toys, home goods, & other finds at a price you can't resist. They even feature us and other local letterpress & we couldn't be more proud to be amongst such visual bliss!
Eunice's Nursery Style
Eunice, our co-founder and creative director, is due to have her baby this week and it's been really fun to see her pull together her baby girls nursery. We're loving Eunice's nursery style and would't mind moving in ourselves. She's still working on the final pieces and waiting for everything to arrive but we wanted to share the cuteness already in place.
Here's what Eunice had to say about creating the nursery space: The overall look I was going for was light and airy and modern with some sweet girly details. The overall palette is pale pinks and greys and neutrals (inspired by my obsession with French interior design) with occasional dashes of neon pink. I chose the photos because my 3 year old Jude is obsessed with animals (particularly baby animals) and I thought it would be great to make the baby's nursery a place he would enjoy as well.
Eunice got the sweet baby animal prints from The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose. How absolutely adorable are they? Such a great idea for a nursery. The bunny lamp above is from Sunday In Color. And she found the bassinet on giggle, a great place to shop for kids and babies.
To see more of Eunice's nursery style inspiration check out the pinboard she created. She's also working on a downstairs room for Imogen (her baby girls name!) which we'll share photos of as it comes together!
Links below to where Eunice sourced everything in her nursery: Crib, Changing Station, Dresser, Chandelier from ebay, Bedding, Changing Pad Cover, Atsuo et Akikio Pillow, Mobile (to come), Rocker (on it's way).
Eunice's Custom Made Potty Training Chart
Trying to convince Jude to use the toilet was NOT an easy sell and one of the few times in my child-rearing experience so far that I've really, really wished I could pay someone any amount of money to do it so I could completely avoid having to deal. I poked around online and discovered that everything available seemed to have about as much flair as a corporate power point, so I whipped up this chart with examples of animals joyfully peeing and pooping (some have better aim than others) with a bit of foam core, a sharpie and some highlighters.
Hilariously, he immediately got it - it helps that he is absolutely obsessed with animals - and was super excited to imitate the animals on the board,. Now that sucker is covered with stickers and he hasn't screamed "GIVE ME A DIAPER!!!" in three weeks! (Small miracles!)
New Kids' Party Invites from Esther Aarts!
We're so excited to introduce a new line of kids' birthday party invitations designed by the lovely and talented Esther Aarts. These invites were inspired by our popular series of birthday cards designed by Esther. And like all invitations on our website these designs can be personalized with the message you want and with your kids favorite color palette.
These cards don't match your party theme? Check out our circus birthday party invite, balloons invite and all of our other kids' birthday party invitations.
New Designs from Jacqui Lee
We're big fans of Jacqui Lee's work here at Hello!Lucky, as you may have noticed from the many collaborations we've done with her in the past. Today we're excited to talk to her about her latest release with us, birth announcements and kids stationery. We thought Jacqui's beautiful watercolor paintings and sweet designs would be perfect for such an important life announcement and we are thrilled with how they turned out. We talked to Jacqui about her latest release with us and her process.
These new designs are adorable! What was your process for making them and how did you decide on which animals to pair with each letter?
Thank you! I had a lot of fun making them. Animals are always a favourite subject of mine to work on, so this was a dream project for me. In the beginning there was a lot of brainstorming to match up animals with each letter, and sometimes it was super tough to choose just one. For the letter A, an aardvark lost out because I felt I could create a more visually interesting image with an alligator. Many of the final decisions were made based on which animal and letter combinations had the most character.
Do you have a personal favorite?
It's tough for me to pick favourites with this series, but I admit I have a soft spot for the letter L. I remember the lion was giving me a bit of trouble and I ended up doing a lot of revisions on him. I really like the way he turned out in the end.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
For this project, I had a clear idea that all of the animals and letters in the alphabet had to be simple. I ended up taking a lot of inspiration from one of my favourite illustrators, Charley Harper. He was a master of creating distinctive animals using mainly shape and colour.
Who are some of your favorite designers?
There is so much great work out there that I have many, many favourites. I feel like there are too many to list, but I will say that I have always admired Louise Fili's work and her distinctive design aesthetic. As for illustrators, again, there are so many! Some of my favourites will always be mid-century illustrators such as Alice and Martin Provensen, Art Seiden, and Roger Duvoisin.
What are you currently working on?
I'm currently working on a children's book! It's actually the third in a series that I started on back in 2011 with Simply Read Books - the first is titled Murilla Gorilla: Jungle Detective. It has been an amazing experience so far. Jennifer Lloyd (the author) and I have been getting some fantastic reviews, and I feel really lucky to be paired up with such a great writer and publisher. Right now I'm still in the sketching and planning stage, which is probably my favourite part.
Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us Jacqui, and thanks again for another awesome collaboration. We can't wait to work with you again!
You can see all of Jacqui's designs for Hello!Lucky here. View more of Jacqui's work on her website, follow along with her on twitter & tumblr.
Flower Fairy themed party from Vanessa Mason
My daughter Sienna was 1-year-old last month and “girl” what a bash we had! We had a guest list of 12 children ranging from 1 to 8 years old and I had decided on a flower fairies theme, which worked out beautifully. The girls all arrived wearing fairy wings and Scott and Sienna wore theirs. The delicious chocolate cupcakes, perched on a cardboard themed stand, were decorated with little flower fairy figures and the table was adorned with mini fairy stands depicting magical flower fairy girls. The mood of the party was happy, fun and innocent! The main eye-candy was a homemade-layered rainbow cake, which I had made the night before. Sadly, I ran out of steam to do the seventh layer to be true to the rainbow, but nobody noticed a part from me.
The floral centerpiece was made up of a selection of vases carrying fragrant white lilac, baby pink cherry blossom and fresh mint. We served our guests with pink raspberry lemonade and Italian Prosecco, depending on their mood. English classic pastel party rings and pink wafers were also served as part of the buffet. And Sienna’s godmother Grace surprised us by bringing a huge box of pink gloss Krispy Kreme doughnuts, yummy. Halfway through the party, a children’s entertainer named Barry from Loopy’s Laughter Show put on a needed distraction, whilst the grown-ups chattered away in peace.
If you’re looking for the same innocence and return to nature for your wedding or party invitations, check out Hello!Lucky’s Floral or Vintage wedding invites, all of which can be customized and changed into birthday party invites as well! Table decorations by Talking Tables.
Jude's Picks: Favorite Apps
Last week I shared some of Jude's favorite books and movies and this week I thought it would be fun to share some of the apps he's been enjoying. Crazy that a toddler would have favorite apps, I know! But it's a brave new world! I appreciate these apps for their educational qualities, he's pretty eager to learn when he has that ipad in his hands.
The peeps at Toca Boca make some of our favorite apps, but Toca Doctor is probably the top choice these days (bug squishing! Burping! Farting! and all kinds of other hilarity). This app actually helped me convince Jude that brushing his teeth is cool and fun and not simply a horrific exercise in torture - I stand behind anything that can help me explain oral hygiene to a toddler!
Not that Jude would ever get the iPad right before bed (hello, cracked out temper tantrum), but this Nighty Night is darling (and in several different languages - it's always tricky to find great apps in French, so this is a big plus in my book). You turn out the light and say good night to each animal on the farm and watch them settle down for the night - the illustrations are adorable and it's full of amusing details.
Another beautifully designed app with great illustrations, Tam & Tao in Numberland is a very popular choice with Mr. Jude. Full of fun puzzles, coloring and counting games, and cool, dimensional animations.
As always let me know if you have any fun app suggestions for kids! I love hearing about new ones.
Jude's Picks: Reads, Tunes & Films
As a parent to a very active three year old I am always on the look out for great reads, apps, and music that will keep him entertained. I also love sharing what Jude is currently getting excited about. So here's the most recent installment of Jude's Picks...
Creature by Andrew Zuckerman is a great alphabet book filled with gorgeous rich photos. Jude is currently totally nuts for animals and this book from Chronicle is one of his latest faves.
One of my favorite books when I was a kid, Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever (Le Grand Livre des Mots is the French/English edition which you can get here ) is filled with all kinds of fantastic vocabulary words accompanied by Richard Scarry's classic animal characters. Be warned it includes a few questionable choices - I wonder, does the little pig really, really, dream of growing up to be a butcher?
Dancing around the kitchen with Dad is still a favorite activity - this month's top pick is anything by the Talking Heads.
French Songs for Children is a long standing favorite (when he was a baby, this album would instantly calm him even in the midst of a screaming fit, and thus has been a permanent fixture in the car for the last three years). Remarkably tolerable - Lucienne Vernay was a French singer in the 40's and 50's and the vintage quality remains charming even after having listened to it about 15 million times!
Rio is Jude's latest film of choice - it's actually not too bad (though, given my druthers, I'm definitely more of a Nemo, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Dumbo kind of gal - all recently tired of, alas) - Jamie Foxx and Will.i.am play a couple of amusing hip-hop-y birds and it is pretty hilarious when you realize your toddler is shaking his booty and singing "I like to party, I like to samba!" while you change his diaper!
Jude is also a huge fan of nature documentaries (again, nuts for animals - trucks, firemen? eh, whatevs, but a good wildebeest stampede really rocks his socks!) the BBC's Africa with David Attenborough has just recently dethroned the reigning champion, Planet Earth.
I'm always on the lookout for recommendations so please share what your kids are loving in the comments!
Third Birthday Party -- Rainbows & Unicorns!
Jude, James, Alex and a whole band of kids just celebrated their big birthday number 3 and the theme for this years party was rainbows and a unicorn. The Unicorn was the only member in the group who was turning one. Beatrice had a special unicorn outfit just for the party. It wasn't easy to top last years amazing neon bash but Eunice, Sabrina, and their friends outdid themselves and managed to make this years celebration even more memorable than the last one.
Eunice designed the rainbow themed invitations complete with custom rainbow liners. Each kid was assigned a color of the rainbow and as you can see from this photo the parents matched!
This years party was held at Urban Recess in San Francisco on a Saturday evening. Urban Recess proved to be the perfect space since there are already so many built in activities for kids including train sets - which Jude loved-- slides, a climbing wall, and even a giant swing.
As a surprise the parents brought in a musical act this year and the kids loved dancing and singing along to the band Your Song My Song. Jaime Lee Currier and Eric Hart sing classic kids' songs, Beatles, originals, family favorites and lots of sing-a-longs.
The preparation for this years party of course involved lots of crafting. Together the parents made sweet little party hats (inspired by hats made by Jihan of Geronimo), a giant number 3 covered in rainbow streamers, t-shirts with the number three on them for the birthday kids, colorful cupcake liners and rainbow toppers, rainbow balloons from Sparky's, and of course a giant number 1 so Beatrice wasn't left out.
Happy Birthday to Jude, James, Alex, Ella, Raphael, Hugo, Lillian, & Beatrice! We can't wait to see what your 4th birthday party looks like!
All photos (excluding the giant number 3) taken by Sandra of Happy Morning.
Easter Craft Projects
While we haven't had a chance to come up with a fun craft project for Easter yet we love seeing everyone else's projects popping up online. To celebrate the season here are some of our favorite Spring projects from around the web. Shown above are Moustache Easter Eggs from the blog No.2 Pencil. She uses a craft cutting machine to make the vinyl moustaches, but it would be just as fun for kids to draw them on the eggs with a Sharpie. Adding eyes and some hair would give these eggs even more personality.
How sweet are these marshmallow plush bunnies? They're like giant bunny peeps! You can find the full tutorial over at Dandelions & Lace.
You probably noticed we have a thing for circus characters around here. So we fell in love when we spotted this guy over on Etsy. Who wouldn't love this illustrated cup and matching wooden egg? He can be found in Sweet Bestiary's shop here.
How adorable is this burlap bunny table runner? We love the little bunny silhouette and the yarn cotton tail. You can find the instructions to make this sweet table runner over at Eclectically Vintage.
How could you go wrong with old school egg dying and stamping? We love the way these eggs look and it's such a simple project. Read more over on Lovely Indeed.
And finally we had to share one of our own projects. This is from our book Handmade Weddings, but it's the perfect project for Spring. You can download the template to make this spring wreath here.
Do you have any fun Easter craft projects you want to share? Leave us a link in the comments!
Inspired By: Wee Gallery
How clever are these Wee Gallery Dress Up animal cards? As stationers it's sometimes a challenge to come up with designs that can be suitable for both kids and adults, but these cards definitely bridge that gap. We love the simple and painterly illustrations and the thought of kids customizing these card for a friend or sibling. So sweet! The Wee Gallery definitely has a knack for kids, and their focus on making “smart art for little minds” is brilliant. Getting kids to channel their creativity at a young age is a great way to inspire new ideas and we've got to give props to Wee Gallery for contributing.
They also just released a book to go along with the clever cards! It would be a great stocking stuffer or gift for kids (oh, and did we say this is fun for adults too?!) We can probably come up with 32 ways to dress up a pig, bunny, and fox. Can you?
Since Jude, Alex, and James are all obsessed with sea creatures and animals (remember their costume sneak peek?), these Sea wall graphics would make a fantastic addition to their rooms.
Visit the Wee Gallery website for more awesome kid-spiration!
Happy Friday!
Check out the pure bliss on Sabrina's twins faces when they spotted their favorite car (a mini) on a walk around San Francisco today. We hope you're weekend is filled with just as much joy.
Have a great long weekend everyone!
Marimekko Kids
Watch out crewcuts, these images from Marimekko's kids collection are reaching the top of the cute chart. It's not unusual that we are caught wishing kids clothing came in adult sizes, but once we see those little bodies show off those fashionable threads, they're definitely making a spot on our wish list. Marimekko has always inspired us with their colorful patterns and bold decor, but now that we're seeing more of them in our every day lives, we're even more in love.
And with all the little boys in our H!L family, we're obsessing over their toy car illustrations. Who wouldn't want to trek that backpack to the first day of school next year!?
Visit their beautiful US website right here, and be sure to check out the kids collection here!
Local Love: Tantrum
This year we're starting a new feature on the blog showcasing some of our favorite local shops, eateries, and spots in both San Francisco and London. We're kicking off with a unique vintage shop in Cole Valley called Tantrum. From the moment we first saw the circus themed window display and sign, to the precious stop-motion video of their shop, it's definitely a new favorite. Tantrum, located on 858 Cole Street, has a sweet collection of mid-century and vintage items for kids of all ages.
They not only carry awesome kids stuff, but one-of-a-kind housewares for moms and dads too! We're really digging all the rich colors in this photo.
We fell in love with them once we saw the sneak peek on Modern Kiddo, then when we saw co-owners Amanda and Michelle in these vintage get-ups and it kept getting better. They gave a fabulous Q & A and we can't wait to get our hands on some of their goodies.
Check out this stop-motion video of the space!
Tantrum from Paul Trillo on Vimeo.
They must have such a good time working together. Check out Tantrum at 858 Cole Street in San Francisco!
Here Comes Santa Claus!
Last week Sabrina took her three boys to go visit Santa in Union Square. The city is so festive and cheery this time of year, so it's always a must to go see all the new decorations. Of course with Santa in the agenda, the twins were definitely on board. They stopped inside the Westin Saint Francis to get a view of the square. That tree was enormous! And with a birds eye view of the festivities below, Alex and James were starry eyed with excitement.
Inside the Westin was a beautiful tree so they stopped to scope out the ornaments and pick a favorite. But the real favorite was their visit with Santa. We think William will definitely grow to be a calm, cool, and collected little dude, since he's the only one posing for the photo! No matter the photo, it's always the memories we keep forever. Thanks to Macy's Santaland!
Modern Kids Photography and Baby William
We're all still giddy about the birth of Sabrina's third baby, William. She had favorite photographer Sarah Wert of Modern Kids Photography capture the exciting first moments as a family of five and they turned out just beautifully. James and Alex waited so patiently for the arrival of their baby brother, so this photo of them is just perfect. We love how Sabrina decorated the nursery with colorful wall decals from Gosh and Golly, too.
Sabrina was sure to spend some quality time with the twins before the baby was born. Reading some of their favorite books is a great way to relax together, and offered some photo-worthy moments for Sarah. They also got a little playful by blowing up balloons for the big arrival.
William is too precious! We can definitely see the resemblance to his brothers.
We are so happy for Sabrina and her family. Thanks to Modern Kids for the beautiful photographs!
Child's Own Custom Toys from Drawings
This image has spread like wildfire on Pinterest. There's something magical about a child's imagination, and the playfulness of a simple drawing. Child's Own Studio has been turning those imaginative doodles and drawings into real life toys since 2007 and we are completely in love.
The creator and master softie-maker Wendy takes time to incorporate every detail, from each finger and toe to every scribble of the nose.
This is the kind of gift that stays with a child for a lifetime, so we encourage parents, family friends, and all to invest in this one-of-a-kind toy. Currently Wendy is booked, but visit this list of other Softiemakers for your order. Congratulations to Child's Own on all the success!
Sunday in Color
I love, love, love beautiful children's design, especially lovely French things, so needless to say I was super excited for the launch of my super fabulous friend Sonia's new shop, Sunday in Color.
The site features collections of her favorite gorgeous toys, decor, and stationery from different countries - France, Thailand, Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands...how adorable are these Japanese globefish paper balloons?
and this adorable little mouse in a box by the Danish lifestyle design company, Maileg? So sweet.
Or this basket by Petit Pan, one of my favorite shops in Paris - so excited to be able to buy some of their things here!
We're super excited to be able to offer our lovely readers a 15% discount on everything in the shop until October 31st. Just use the coupon code "hellolucky" at checkout.
Halloween Craft Roundup
Witch hats, black cats, ghosts and gourds, all these things that represent Halloween make wonderful holiday decorations and crafts. This year we're overwhelmed with inspiration from around the web from sites like Pinterest and Craftgawker, so as Hallow's Eve draws nearer, we can easily keep track of our favorite DIYs. Our Halloween Craft Roundup has projects in multiple categories - from costume ideas to kids activities - and from quirky to sophisticated.
These easy and inexpensive kids craft ideas bring a little spook to your standard DIY. Straw toppers are super versatile and really simple to make. We love the idea of using the bendy straw as a nose. Props to Classic Play for coming up with a great idea for the kiddos. Next are these potato print candy bags by the ever-clever Martha Stewart. Again, this craft can be customized for any shape and it's totally suitable for children.
Grouping ghosts together keeps Halloween decor simple but with a subtle scare. This amazing ghostly cake by A Beautiful Mess is definitely going to make an appearance at our Halloween party. It's made with just cotton balls, cheese cloth, skewers and string (aside from the delicious looking layer cake). So simple and so pretty. Next is the playful ghost light garland by Design, Dining, and Diapers, made with cotton fabric, lantern lights, string, and black sharpie. Almost everyone has a set of string lights, so we are loving the quick and easy transformation into Halloween decor.
You may have noticed our obsession with Halloween costumes (see sketches for the boys this year), so it was hard to pick some favorites. This bat headband by Martha Stewart always comes to mind when thinking of quick adult costume ideas. Simple, spooky, and totally handmade. Just how we like it! Then there's the incredible Operation Incognito seen on mmmcrafts. You can buy the pdf patterns right here and in just a few quick stitches you'll be a whole new person.
We couldn't help but include our DIY Sidewalk Skulls into the roundup. Check out the full instructions here!
And last but not least, perhaps our most favorite DIY this season has to be these pumpkin envelope liners by Studio DIY. It's the perfect touch for sending out our free printable Halloween party invitation and is also easy to customize. We're blown away with all the talented people sharing their brilliant ideas. Halloween is just around the corner so get crafting today!
Halloween Costume Sneak Peek!
Halloween is just over the horizon, so it's time, once again, for another possibly overly ambitious halloween costume! This year's costume is inspired by the boys' various sea creature obsessions - Jude happens to be a big fan of turtles at the moment, and this concept was inspired by a turtle embroidery kit that our mom did back in the 70's.
The idea is to have the shell be made from a piece of patchwork which will then be stuffed with batting for a cool soft sculpture look - I have a feeling Jude's really going to enjoy throwing himself around once he realizes being ensconced in this costume will make him semi-impervious to doing himself bodily harm. The overall costume will have a front and back shell attached to each other with wide bands of fabric and elastic, paired with a green long sleeved tee and leggings. Some cute rosy cheeks, a red sassy bandana, and voilà! Turtle-y goodness!
Of course, Sabrina's twins James and Alex must have coordinating costumes! James loves starfish and suction cups right now, so our plan is to make him a plush starfish costume with suction cups glued all over the front like starfish feet. Possibly a bit of a patchwork look on the back to match Jude's 70's vibe. Still have to sort out the logistics of the neckline - fingers crossed!
Alex is going to be a jelly fish - essentially an organza or other sheer fabric fashioned into a bubble skirt with some tulle for structure, worn decorated with shimmery paillettes and ribbon tentacles. It will be blue so we don't compromise his masculinity TOO much! Love the idea of a little starfish perched on his head as an homage to James.
We're thinking that the dads will be dressed as fisherman, complete with pipes, yellow hats, and stripey shirts. Sabrina and I are tbd - possibly mermaids (really just an excuse to own a pair of metallic American Apparel leggings) although we are toying with turning Sabrina, who is very pregnant at the moment, into a pufferfish, her belly being perfectly proportioned!
Stay tuned, the crafting begins in full force this week! We'll be sure to post photos of the finished costumes here!