neenä life

2012-01-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Decorate Book Launch at Liberty

2011-04-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

Liberty

The U.S. edition

Holly Becker's book Decorate was launched a few days ago at Liberty's in London . It looks like it was the bloggosphere event of the year, actually I don't know of any event up to date bringing together as many personalities of the world of blogs and design from all over the world.
Everyone was there: Yvonne Eijkenduijn from Yvestown, Stylist Selina Lake, photographer Debi Treloar, Emily Chalmers from Caravan (super nice store in London) and author herself of the book Flea Market Style.

In case there’s anyone out there who doesn’t know who Holly is (where have you been?!), she is the author of Decor8, a blog dedicated to sharing fresh decorating ideas, beautiful interior spaces, independent art and design that inspires over 35,000 readers daily.

The book (with nearly 300 pages) is packed with ideas and inspiration from creatives worldwide and gorgeous photography by Debi Treloar. Stylish houses and quotes from guru designers such as Jonathan Adler, Amy Butler, Rita Konig (ex editor of Domino Magazine) and Anita Kaushal author of my favorite book The Family at Home.
A directory in the back guides you through the best of interiors accessories, art, design, furniture, and a must-read list pointing out some of Holly's favorite blogs.

The event was hosted at Liberty’s new kitchen and dining department, what a lovely place to have your book launched!
Holly and Leslie (from a creative mint ) styled a dining table for the event, the center piece is an old lampshade with a disco ball, fabric scraps and old keys. Natural flowers were displayed in glass bottles, old jelly jars and ceramic vessels that look like tin cans. They also used old books and vintage cake stands. Notice the tablecloth was made with Mitzi Liberty Tana Law fabric (the same I use for the banner of my blog).

If, like me, you are wishing you had been there, you can get an idea of what the event was like on this video.

Ruby rhino

The Pale Blue Door

2010-12-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

I just found the most amazing setting, I was so mesmerized that I had to write about it immediately, even if this means I will be late to my morning appointment with the doorknobs lady.

It's The Pale Blue Door, a nomad restaurant designed by Tony Hornecker, a set designer who has worked with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Stella McCartney, Puma and Vogue. The particular dinning spot opened in London in 2009 with the support of his family (his mom supplied the tablecloths) and friends, to 24 open-minded diners who traveled across London to experience Hornecker’s concept. In 2010 the restaurant traveled to Buenos Aires, Santiago, New York and Berlin.

It is a homemade structure that resembles an overgrown dollhouse, an art installation of balconies and secret rooms, built and furnished with the trash and castoffs that Hornecker himself collected around town for his fantastical creation.

The wonderful surreal ambiance resembles sets from the Mad Hatter's tea party. Vintage tablecloths, colorful antique painted furniture, old chairs, wooden stairs. Flower curtains that hide cozy spots with cushions to lay on amazing lighting.

I can't believe my eyes when I look at the wonderful photographs of Manuel Vazquez. I just wish The Pale Blue Door comes to Mexico next year.

Shops in Norway

2010-09-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

This summer I spent ten days in Norway and 10 days in Paris, it was a wonderful vacation and I got to do one of the things I like the most: visiting shops. Not so much shopping, but just visiting, kind of like when one visits a museum. Looking around, getting inspired, amazed with styled vignetes, beautiful arrangements of everyday things placed on the perfect spot. Gray was the color that was mostly used, along with rich textures: old wood, linen fabric, stones, oxidized metals and of course liberty fabric. The natural world is brought inside and paired with industrial pieces. Sheepskins and antlers are the Scandinavian staple this season, and the It piece of furniture was the Tolix Chaise A chair, designed in France in 1934 and made from galvanized steel, it was for sale in almost every shop I went to.

Bolina, Oslo

Shabby, Oslo

landromantikk, Tønsberg

Shabby via norskeinteriorblogger.blogspot.com

Hip and Soul in Paris

2010-06-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite part with the kitchen tools hung on the bar and the picture of the granny on the sofa. Loved the vintage chairs painted in white and check out the legs left unpainted.

Mexican Oilcloth tablecover on the comunal table and wooden pizza oven in the back.

Last weekend we stayed at the oh so chic Mama Shelter hotel in Paris. A perfect mix of hip and soul, The Sun Herald called it.

Far away from ultra modern sterile interiors, Mama shelter is cozy and fun. One of the latest creations of Philippe Starck, who also designed one of my favorite places in Miami, the Delano hotel in South Beach.

The theme is quirky design chic, filled to the brim (actually, a vast chalkboard ceiling covered in graffiti) with Starck’s inventiveness, a mix of classic design pieces like the tulip table, light fixtures made from bird cages and bizarre Asterix and Obelix face masks used as lampshades are all part of the fun. The rooms are small but functional. The beds, are hugely comfortable with crisp cotton sheets and each room has got a Mac screen that works as your TV, Radio, and includes Internet access.

The restaurant is overseen by one of France's leading culinary figures, chef Alain Senderens, There’s a huge communal table with a long oilcloth table cover, in cherry print. I actually checked and it was made in Mexico, from the same brand I use for Neena products.
It's also got a beautifully furnished rooftop terrace and bar where barbecues are the rage.

The hotel is located in Saint Blaise neighborhood, the city's boho SoPig (south of Pigalle) in the 20th arrondisment. This neighborhood hosts a few of the latest bars and rock venues and its supposed to become Paris equivalent to New York's Meatpacking district, although I found it to be more of a residential area with families walking by and a nice apartment buildings and a school a few blocks away from the hotel.

I loved every bit, each piece was thoughtfully selected and placed, the colors, the pictures, the fabrics, the textures. A lot of messages are sent through images (they had interesting paparazzi photos of the British royal family hung on the wall at the dining room) and through graffiti on the walls and on the carpets. I think we will see more and more of this kind of interiors where all these details make the space feel very personal, very well lived.

Tulip table and open kitchen

Mama Shelter Terrace

Vintage Artwork Displays

2010-06-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

Country Living Magazine

Ever since my last post I have been obsessing over vintage art work, bidding constantly on Ebay (currently bidding on two pink ballerinas and one vase of roses paint by numbers that I don't know if I will get till june 6th. I am counting on the fact that it is my birthday and therefore I have to have good luck).
I have also been searching on countless blogs and websites for nicely displayed collections of framed artwork. I specially like the mix of colorful paintings, unrelated subjects from different eras, antique gold leaf frames and modern furniture. These are some of my favorites.

Domino

The Rug Company

German magazine Living and More
Via Sweet Home Style

Studio da Lu

Supermarketsarah

Painting by Numbers

2010-05-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

I was searching online for pictures of colorful vintage flower paintings paired with mid century modern furniture, like those I had seen on the Rug Company cataloge, when I came up with Trey Speegle in Anthropology's website.
Speegle has art directed and designed for publications like Vogue and Vanity Fair, but he is also quite an artist. He owns a paint-by-number collection which he uses as a departure point for his artwork, sometimes deconstructing it and combining it with text. He creates wonderful contemporary images with a pop visual language reminiscent of Lichestein's.
Now Anthropology has launged rugs and pillows with Speegle's iconic work and they even sell some of his original artwork online on their gallery section. I like these accesories but what I'd really love to use is one of his paintings in a very white interior, paired with modern furniture like a Tulip table or white Bertoia chairs.

I Love Liberty!

2010-04-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

MERCI
TARGET

I have been into Liberty of London fabrics for a while now and I am very happy to see that my personal craze is now shared by most everyone around the globe and not just my good friend Aina. I seem to find liberty fabrics everywhere I turn to!

This spring the most stunning collection of limited edition Liberty print pieces was lounged, in collaboration with Merci (the stylish Parisian concept store) all designed by Merci's Creative Director Marie France Cohen. The collection includes fashion for women and children and also homewares, stationery and furnishings. I saw pictures from the opening here. They had everything from liberty print aprons, to cute baskets for babies. I love the structured suitcases, so vintage and the jumper is at the top of my wish list. You can still buy a few pieces from the collection online at Liberty's website.

And it doesn't stop there, my heart almost came out when I read about Target's collaboration with Liberty. Aparently I was a little late with the news since almost everything is soldout or available only at some stores. With prices that are more affordable that Merci's and easier to buy for us in America, Target now carries a line of Liberty print products, beautiful dresses, bathing suits, trays and plates, two tiered dessert stands and a beautiful bike. Even the ads are cute!!!
I'd use the nighties as dresses to wear during the day, I love the wellies, and I really NEED one of those pareos to use as a scarf.
"I am thrilled by the way Target has interpreted the flower power of Liberty by mixing, in a very modern way, our heritage prints with the widest ever range of products from lingerie to design chairs to bicycles," said Geoffroy de La Bourdonnaye, chief executive of Liberty, in a release. "The collection is a very youthful interpretation of the love and rebellion values that Liberty of London stands for."

Liberty has been doing this collaborations for a while. In 2009, they partnered with Nike (and made very pretty sneakers), APC and Hermes, amongst others.
Cacharel's, spring 09 show featured re-edit pieces with the Liberty prints they created in 1970, to mark their 50th anniversary. Lovely dresses, very 'Little house on the prairy' kind of style.

Liberty or not, we will be seeing a lot more of this girly floral prints that remind me so much of the way we dressed as little girls back in the 70's. And if you are creative and adventurous enough, you can get your own liberty fabric and easily tailor made your own creations!

Bloomers I had made for Leah and My husband's shirt

Neena Interior Design Acapulco

2010-01-17T05:49:00.000-08:00

Entrance

This being the first post of the year is also the most important to date. I am showing pictures of the first apartment designed by Neenä! It is the work of 6 months, years of inspiration, thousands of interior design magazines read or watched (as most of them where Norwegian issues of Interiør and Vakkre Hjem) and countless hunting trips to La Lagunilla (my favorite flea market in Mexico City) materialized in an apartment designed by scratch.

It is a three room apartment in Acapulco, Mexico. Right on the beach, with a nice balcony overlooking the ocean. We did everything except the kitchen, and went as far as buying sheets, towels and choosing the dinnerware. The owners were thrilled with the end result and needless to say, so was I. We went for a scandinavian cottage look, with some contemporary details very white and a little color here and there. I wanted our clients (a lovely couple with three young boys) to feel welcomed comfortable and relaxed at their vacation house. All of the other apartments in the building where designed in a very contemporary way with brand new furniture and no character, so it is a nice surprise when people enter this one.

The floors, that look like white painted wood planks are actually marble which is a much better choice for Acapulco's weather as it will not be affected by humidity and feels so fresh to the touch. Almost every piece of furniture is white, most of it was found at flea markets or antique stores and some of it was made to order.
We used a lot of linen and cotton throughout the house, I really prefer natural fabrics. The cushions in the living room are made with Designers Guild Arabella silk fabric. The sofas have removable cotton slipcovers that can be washed at home and they are super comfortable.

I used a lot of wicker furniture on the terrace and updated the look with a vintage Tulip table. The new ones from Knoll have a metal base that cannot be used outside but this one is from the sixties and it is made of fiberglass.

In the master bedroom I found a XVI century English secretaire and paired it with the beautiful Louis Ghost chair designed by Phillip Starck for Kartell. We chose lavender color here because it is both relaxing and warm enough to use in a bedroom and mixed it with charcoal gray (a very 'of the moment' combination). And of course I had to hang a Keep Calm poster somewhere.
The children's room turned out lovely in blue and white and all the diferent fabrics on the cushions work really well together.

There are still a few things that need to be worked out, we are waiting for an iron bed and a sleight bed for this room and some artwork and other details for the living room, but I was dying to show you how it came out. I hope you like it as much as I did.

The Keep Calm Craze

2009-12-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic

Yvestown

Happy Loves Rosie

moline

Livingetc

revolutionarygirl / saidos da concha

Rachel Ashwell's own dinning room

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic

My friend Aina's living room in Oslo

I want to dedicate this post to the infamous Keep Calm and Carry on Poster. We have seen it everywhere and in every possible color. In the words of Holly Becker from decor8 "you know that if someone has a Keep Calm and Carry On poster that they must have read about them on the myriads of blogs out there. When I look back on this period I’ll forever remember the KC&CO poster".
The poster was made in 1939 in Britain, it was third in a series propaganda posters intended to comfort and inspire the people should, heaven forbid, the massed armies of Nazi Germany ever cross the Channel. Most of them never got to be seen by the British public.
For 60 years, the poster had been forgotten. Then, one day in 2000, Stuart Manley, from Barter Books in the UK, was sifting through a box of books he had bought at auction when he saw one of these at the bottom, they framed it and put it up on the bookshop wall. And that's where it all started.
Victoria smith from sfgirlbybay, an interior design blog from San Francisco, blogged about it in 2006. Since then, it has become a staple for bloggers all over the world. Rachel Ashwell from Shabby chic sells them at her stores and website, now you can buy it too at Neenä in Mexico City.
The words are particularly so positive and reassuring, that in a period of uncertainty and anxiety, they seem to speak to everyone of us.
The rights for the design expired 50 years after it was made so now everyone can reproduce it, and this is why one can find it for sale everywhere from Etsy shops to little indie shops.
If you haven't got one yet and are planning to buy one, be aware thatsome of them aren't made with the right font. The original typeface was hand drawn, but the type that comes closest and adds to the British memorabilia value of it is the P22 Undergrownd, designed by Edward Johnston in 1916 for the London Underground.

Vintage and Retro Wallpaper

2009-11-22T20:37:00.001-08:00

Lark

smilerynker

lutterlagkage

Andrea Larson

Aimee Wilder

Wallpaper has been the decorating item of the year, we've seen it everywhere from living room and kitchen to even bathrooms, but I think the best use for it is children decor.
This is a selection of lovely rooms where they have used wallpaper as a way to add color and graphical interest to a child's room.
The first picture is from the house of Allison Jones, founder of Lark, who now lives in Australia, I found it via papier mache, very cute children online magazine. I love the way they used mismatched prints and colors.
Picture 2 and 3 are belong to a creative woman from Denmark who makes super cute retro dresses. Check out her creations at smilerynker
Pictures 4, 5 and 6 are from Stine Holm's house , the owner of Lutterlagkage, an amazing store in Sweden. You can see pictures of her store and learn more about her designs here.
The owl wallpaper is not vintage, though it looks like it. It's designed by Andrea Larson from Denmark.
Aimee Wilder, a talented designer from Brooklyn, who has worked for the likes of Martha Stewart and Dwell makes the gorgeous retro looking wallpaper with the squirrels and the robots.
All of this rooms remind me of my childhood back in the seventies, when I had yellow fabric with blue flowers for my curtains and bedspread. For a fun and authentic retro look , mix big prints, colorful wallpaper with bold colored furniture, white wooden floors and crochet cushions or blankets.

Cupcake Wrappers

2009-11-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

It is no secret how much I love cupcakes. I have posted before about cupcake sets from Wu&Wu and Meri Meri which are sold in my shop. This time I found lovely cupcake wrappers from The Cupcake Wrapper Co.
Kat and Nat, two Mums from Melbourne, Australia who, like many of us where looking for that job to excite and challenge us but still give us time with for our families, started the company last September. Their wrappers, Australian designed and made, stylish and eco-packaged can make any cupcake look fabulous. They are made from a thick & sturdy paper card stock and are laminated on both sides to prevent discoloration from cupcakes and icing.

I love their designs, the line they just lounged for Christmas is fun and retro, I'd use them for tea parties and birthdays too ( I am huge fan of polka dots).
What I like the most is the styling of their photographs. They seem to have the loveliest collection of antique floral plates and teacups, glass accessories and vintage kitsch porcelain figures.

You can buy their wrappers from their Etsy shop and visit their Blog to learn about new products.

Crown and Crumpet

2009-10-02T22:57:00.000-07:00

Crown and Crumpet, a darling English-style tea room in San Francisco opened at the revamped Ghirardelli square exactly a year ago. Oh, how I'd love to go to San Francisco just to spend an afternoon there with a warm pot of tea and endless warm scones with clotted cream.
I am so delighted by the style that I can't even begin to say what I like best. The colors and mix of patterns, the Cath Kidston tablecloths and vintage chairs, the art on the walls, the sofa upholstered in two colorful stripes and flowers prints, and specially the British flag cushions.
In their menu they offer Mimosas for breakfast, Welsh rarebit for lunch (a typically English sauce made from melted cheese served hot over toasted bread), and a selection of tea sandwiches such as egg salad, asparagus, cucumber and cream cheese or salmon, with your afternoon cup.
Not only do they have amazing decor but one can also buy beautiful things like pastel colored Parisian glass and delicate porcelain gold rimmed tea sets. Totally my kind of place.

Please look at this lovely felt tea cosy from Cath Kidston that I think matches perfectly Crown and Crumpet's style.

Food Styling

2009-09-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

I have a new goal in life since I discovered Aran Goyoaga, an amazing food stylist and photographer who lives in South Florida and is originaly from the Basque Country. On her blog Cannelle et Vanille she showcases the most beautiful food pictures I've seen.
With every amazing picture, she includes the recipe, she uses fresh seasonal produce and lots of spices, and I like how she pairs ingredients like rosemary and honey, caramel and fleur de sel, or the sweet and delicate spiciness of pink peppercorns with raspberries! hers is a very contemporary style of cooking.
I wish one day I can learn to photograph like she does. It gave me hope to know that she started as a photographer a little more than a year ago and she is completely self taught. You can tell she has improved a lot if you take a look at older posts in her blog.
I like her white on white pictures the most, she is able o capture every little detail in them, and I also like the softness she creates by having some parts out of focus. I decided to give it a try. I began following Aran's tips: "Natural lighting, no lamps, shoot with a high aperture, make sure the white balance in your camera is set to the right category and try to over-expose the photo a bit. Not too much, just a little".
After 100's of pictures, this is the best I could come up with. I needed a photograph of this glass that I sell on my shop. It is made from recycled beer containers and is hand painted in a small village in Mexico. They are traditionally used at weddings. I think they're really pretty. I will use the picture on my website, even if is not that great, and just hope some day I manage to create beautiful images, like she does.

Event Styling

2009-08-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

After six years of planning birthday parties for my kids, I have grown a passion for birthday party styling, decorations and specially cupcakes. In my search for nicely styled parties I came across Amy Atlas, a sought-after event planner in New York City, and her signature dessert tables.
Don't you love her work? I think her decorations are stunning, the color palettes of every one of her creations are just perfect, each event is uniquely planned and styled with vintage jars, natural flowers, beautifully crafted labels, perfectly thought backgrounds and patterns and whatever it takes to complete the theme, no detail is overlooked. She works with great bakers and candy purveyors. I haven't been in an event planned by her, but from the pictures you can tell the food must be great too.
The pictures were taken by Gemma Comas and Karen Mordechai.
Amy has a nice blog where she talks about her work and recommends suppliers and vendors.

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey

2009-08-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

I got this super cute book last christmas, Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth (2007) by Jill O'Connor and photographed by Leigh Beisch. I got it mostly for the pictures and the graphic design. Every page is adorably designed, with lovely colors and typography. The photography is great and nicely styled, I love the dots and gingham backgrounds and the plates, cups and dishes they used. I haven't cooked anything from it yet but I just love to look at it.

Whimsical Room

2009-08-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

Via magnoliasquarelittlesnippets.blogspot.com

I had to add this room, just because I like it so much. The art deco armoire is beautiful, the collection of vintage cages, which I am so crazy about lately, and the mobile create a whimsical setting. The antique toy stroller is also very cute.

My Son's Room

2009-08-16T11:00:00.001-07:00

This is my son's room. I don't really like the color of the wall, so I am thinking of painting it midnight blue. I am pretty happy with the rest of the elements and how they work together. The bookcase is from the years I lived in Costa Rica, it belonged to a public school. It has been painted several times and you can tell by the many colors that show through its scratches. The minute I saw it on the street, waiting for the garbage truck to pick it up, I knew it would be perfect storage for Alain's toys and books.
The garland is Neena's own. I ordered the map online from National Geographic's website, the antique trunk is a find from a flea market trip and I found the paddle in Key West many years ago.

Children Space

2009-08-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

domino magazine

emmas.blogg.se

Sunrise Buffalo home via katyelliott.com

I am posting a few more children rooms from my collection of inspiring images, except this time I will show more colorful and less girly decor. I love how maps decorate a kid's room, vintage furniture and toys are also a common element and so are sheep skin rugs, garlands, and creative storage such as old trunks, baskets and tins. Antique children books look beautiful on a nice old bookcase or on a pretty rack. I apologize for those pictures that I don't give credit for, I just can't remember where I found them.

Bed of Flowers Hotel

2009-08-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

As I wrote in my latest posts, I am very much into Interior design these days and working on a few projects, I often find myself blogging into late night hours, that is how I came across this fantastic hotel in Holland.
The style is exactly what I am all about: floral fabrics, vintage artwork, white sofas, wooden floors, crystal chandeliers and antique furniture pieces. I also love the vintage floral porcelain, the gingham fabric and feathered birds in the chandelier.
Although I am mostly attracted to very white interiors, in this case I really like the touch of color given through upholstery, a few painted walls and lots of flowers, their choice of turquoise, hot pink and green makes a great palette. I would absolutely love to stay here sometime.
Bed of flowers is the name of this gorgeous place, you can find more information and even book your room at www.bedofflowers.com.

Via absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com

Maria's girls room

2009-07-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

One of the best sources of inspiration is one's own friends. Like my friend Aina who introduced me to the shabby chic, cottage style that they like so much in Norway where she's from.
This summer I visited my friend Maria in Toronto, she has a lovely apartment and she just redecorated her daughters room since she is expecting her second baby girl. The room is painted in a beautiful shade of pink and she made the bird artwork herself. Do you recognize the doll? Yes! she traveled all the way from Neenä to Toronto.

Girl's Decor

2009-07-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

After opening our store, we got many requests for furniture and decoration, which gave birth to Neena Interior Design. We are now working at an apartment in Acapulco and a few kids rooms in Mexico City. Here are some children's rooms that have inspired me for these projects. I love the use of painted old furniture, birdcages, vintage colorful fabrics and iron beds.
I have to apologize in advance because I don't have most of the credits for this pictures. It is just a collection of images that I have been saving in my hard drive for the past year or so. Some of the sources are the blogs I usually visit like apartment therapy or decor8 and Sköna Hem website, others come from flickr, searching for children's rooms.

Whimsical play clothes

2009-05-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

I discovered Wovenplay, through Jess Brown (she joined them for her limited edition dolls). , Wovenplay is a line of imaginative children's play clothes inspired by nature, arts and crafts and music, based in Manhattan.
Their collection crosses the line between clothes and costume encouraging children to play and wear pieces anyway they like for free creative expression. Their aesthetic is a mix of vintage, bohemian and children's books illustrations and their clothes are exactly what I think children's clothes should be, comfortable, made of natural fibers and most of all creative, so kids would love to wear them.
Most pieces are either handmade or hand-finished, tinted in natural or low impact dyes, their packaging is recycled and/or biodegradable.
This is something Neena should carry for sure, I will order a few pieces from their collection for the shop, although they are not cheap, they are worth every penny.

Vali's dolls

2009-05-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

We have our own thing going on at Neena too. Vali, a good friend of us, is making these cuties for our store. Each of them has its very own personality, some are funky and revelious and others are sweet as honey. Vali uses old cotton shirts, torn jeans and wool and cashmere sweaters that have seen better days, and finds them a new life transforming them into this beautiful dolls.

Even more dolls

2009-05-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Liliana the doll made a big impresion on me when I found her in Kristina Snerling's blog, she is just one of Kristina's creations who, based in Australia makes the most stylishly dressed dolls, many of her doll's dresses seem to be taken out of an Audry Hepburn film. And her dolls are well traveled too, just look at this one getting a glimpse at Magnolia bakery in NY!
You can buy one of her girls at her website, and treasure it for life.

Rag dolls for you and for me

2009-05-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

Since we've been talking dolls, here are a few more. Please meet, Jess Brown and her adorable, one of a kind rag dolls. Each doll is hand dyed in persian black teas to create variations in skin tones. They are all made of cotton muslin and linen, primarily recycled and antique fabrics and findings. Each doll is stuffed with a sustainable corn fiber stuffing. Jess recently joined Wovenplay in a limited edition of Wovenplay dressed dolls and it worked out beautifully, since they both have a strong aesthetic connection. I find them so whimsical and intriguing, I'd love for Leah to have one of them to play and own for life.

Handmade for a good cause

2009-05-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

I read on allsorts blog about Craft Hope, a love inspired project designed to share handmade crafts with those less fortunate, which has begun its second project, collecting handmade soft-bodied dolls to send to the children at the Casa Bernabe Orphanage in Nicaragua.
Many of the children come from abusive situations and the dolls will allow the children to develop the mothering and nurturing instincts that most little girls have. Its such a good idea and the people participating are really taletented, the dolls and the pillowcase dresses from the first project are more that beautiful.
There's a Craft Hope flickr pool where you can see the dolls that have already been completed as well as previous projects. If you're interested in participating you can sign up at Craft Hope. They will need the dolls by June 13th, so you better start stitching (or knitting if that's your thing)!

If you are in need of inspiration or guideance, take a look at this hand sewn felt doll tutorial from the purl bee, it is a pattern created for them by Mimi Kirschner or visit Mimi's blog "doll" at mimikirchner.com/blog/

Odd Molly shop in Stockholm

2009-05-07T18:39:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I last published. I've had my plate full with classes, the shop and then the Influenza! I've had for a few weeks now, this entry about one of my favorite clothing brands. And yes... it had to be scandinavian.
Swedish brand Odd Molly opened its first concept store last february, in Stockholm, Sweden. Unfortunately, their clothes are very hard to find in the US and inexistent yet in Mexico.
The new colorful shop looks great from the pictures and it provides the label with a way to demonstrate what the brand is all about: Feminine bold, ethno and boho-inspired patterns and prints that are mostly all hand made. Their creative director Per Holknekt says they like it this way because handmade is imperfect and adds lots of character, many of their designs cannot even be done by machine. He also admits Odd Molly is slightly allergic to black, their collections are all about color and texture although they do have some "almost black" pieces. I wish they open a store in the US soon! You can visit www.oddmolly.com to get a grasp on what the craze in Europe is all about.

Cool kids

2009-03-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find cool clothes for kids in México, even harder to find some that are actualy made in Mexico. I recently found Babylon Baby. They make the coolest t-shirts in sizes 6 months to 6 years. Their designs like Antifolk (inspired by NYC Antifolk music movement) and Groovy 70's Owl pictured here, and the very retro colors they use are a joy to see on kids. Their shirts are hand silk-screened and then dyed for a vintage look and feel, made from organic cotton they are really cozy and soft.

Babylon Baby is a division of A Mano Trading Company (www.amanotrading.com) which is based in Sonoma, California and Mexico City. Their products are locally produced, Fair Trade, and Green. Like they say: "Small is good. Small people, small world, small planet". Visit their website www.babylonbaby.com and check out the song, I love it!

Asian Kitschology

2009-02-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

Created by Fiona Hewitt and Andy Tainton experts in asian kitschology, the Dumpling Dynasty brand was inspired by years spent living in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, trawling the flea markets and junk shops for inspiration.
They have created lovely kits packed in beautifull tin cans ilustrated by Fiona herself. They feature stylish retro designs, gorgeous colors and good quality products that make great gifts or keepsakes. There's a shoeshine kit, baking kit, first aid kit and sewing kit, which all look great and are very useful too.
Visit www.wuandwu.com to view their products or http://www.fionahewitt.com/ to see more of her illustrations.

Great finds

2009-01-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

Our neighbor in bazaar fusion and friend of mine Claudia Cornew is making the most beautiful handmade bags made of 100% natural felted wool. Interesting shapes, beautifull colors and a perfect stitch make Claudia's bags a piece of art.
After 20 years of knitting and embroidering she's become an expert in working with wool and she is sharing her knowledge in a taller called 'lovin lana' at Centro de diseño in Mexico City. Take at look at her website www.claudiacornew.com

The Shop

2009-01-30T14:26:00.000-08:00

Finally it's time to publish images of our recently opened shop.
I am so proud of it, it really is a dream come true.

Lovely needlepoint

2009-01-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

I live just across The Rug Company store in Mexico City. Last night I was walking my dog Rita when I saw this needlepoint wallhanging on the window and I absolutely loved the slavishly mix and match of colour and patterns.
Its called Jubilee and its designed by Lucinda Chambers, fashion director of Vogue.
Then I found this picture, it looks amazing in the room with all those cottagy romantic fabrics and then the Union Jack flag wich just makes it a total fashion statement.

Most Inspiring Books

2008-12-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

Tired of traditional children's decoration, I was looking for sources of inspiration for Alain and Leah's rooms, and also for the shop, when I found these books at Yvestown online store, where you can order them. Although I can't understand what the text says (as it is writen in japanese), the pictures are enough reason to own a few, if not a bunch of these books.
Among my favorites, 'Children's rooms Paris', 'Children's rooms Copenhagen' and 'Kitchens 'Stockholm'.
Also available at the amazing kids' store Pomme. The publisher, Jeu de Paume has more books on kids' rooms, kitchens and interiors from Paris, London, and so on, you can purchase directly from their site. www.paumes.com

Flea Market Finds

2008-11-30T20:48:00.000-08:00

I was hanging out with a friend at the fleamarket, when I spoted these fabulous nutcrackers wich are just what I needed for the christmas decoration of the shop. I made a feather wreath to complete the Vintage European Christmas look I was going for. Here I show two arrangements, one with a pale nordic look and a more colorful one, still don't know which one I will use for the window.

Neena's creation

2008-11-20T05:29:00.000-08:00

This patchwork mat is our solution for the mess under the highchair, protects the carpet when kids play with dough and best of all, is perfect for a picknick. This is the one I like best with the classical red and white combination.

Retro fabric

2008-11-18T05:41:00.000-08:00

While in NY we also went fabric shopping. We found this retro fabric from Robert Kauffman at B&J fabrics on 7th Ave right in the fashion district. I love the color, I am so into purple lately...

Flea Market finds

2008-11-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

I went to 'La Lagunilla' flea market searching for treasures to fill the new shop. I found this beautiful chair. I've always loved chairs, there is something about them, they resemble sculptures. This one was found in a small village on the mountains of Oaxaca. You can almost picture a local woman ebroidering while sitting on it.

NY Inspiration trip

2008-11-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

Two weeks or so from opening the first ever Neenä shop, we went on a very inspirational trip to New York City. Here we are at Petrarca Vino e cucina in Tribeca where they had the oilcloth tablecovers that we like so much.

Handpainted enamel thermos we found at a made in china store on Broadway in Soho.

We watched "Il y a longtemps que je t' aime" at The Angelika Film Center.

Beautiful crochet blanket from Anthropologie.

Aina at Moma next to one of Mark Rothko's paintings

Lovely window from a shop in the East Village. Yarn balls give a very homey feeling.