Tuesday 27 November 2012

The reluctant father- Phillip Toledano

(Soon to be)Auntie Svava showed me this lovely book, it's by  a photographer (Phillip Toledano)'s who shares his experience of becoming a father. 

"It's funny. There's how you feel, and then there's how you think you should feel." he says. 

When his baby is born, he is still coming to terms with it, it takes a bit of getting used to.  He tells us a real story, and I love the very honest words and photography. I think it's difficult for a lot of men to get used to this tiny new human that has come into their lives! maybe a lot of people can't admit it.
as you go through the book he gradually falls in love with the baby,  made me cry! ( yes I do have a lot of pregnancy hormones in my body!!)


My favourite part is this bit:

Loulou's arrival has really made me consider my own mortality.
When she is twenty, I'll be sixty.
Will I seem like an old man to her?
Confused by how she talks?
Will she roll her eyes and say "oh dad..."
Or will we be friends? Drinking cups of tea in the kitchen talking about the latest boyfriend?





The images are a bit small to read but here is a link to the book online.

http://www.pqblackwell.com/work-in-progress-detail.php?id=159

and some info.

The Reluctant Father

Phillip Toledano



THE RELUCTANT FATHER is the frank and moving account of award-winning photographer Phillip Toledano's experience of fatherhood.

In an effort to understand the strange new person who had suddenly entered his world, Toledano observed and recorded his daughter's development, asking the question: "Does every baby picture have to be sweet and beautiful?"

The resulting series of images chronicles this self-described contrarian's slow and inevitable metamorphosis from detached observer, to willing participant, to "blithering idiot of love".

Saturday 24 November 2012

can't wait to meet you... and dress you up in wool!


 I have been collecting wooly hand knitted items for baby, I hope he/or she is not allergic! but I think it's so nice compared to the man made fibres fleece  etc.  Quite a few of these things were bought on our recent trip to Iceland (you can see other posts on handicrafts of Iceland  http://donnawilsonsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/handicrafts-of-iceland.html)


 I think this is a knitted nappy cover!



The tiniest knitted booties!

Sunday 18 November 2012

Beautiful Book - The Fir Tree

Another beautiful book for you- this one was written by Hans Christian Andersen, so it must be good!- haven't read it yet.The Fir tree was first published in 1845.
This one is illustrated by one of my favourite illustrators Sanna Annukka. Sanna spent her childhood in Finland and is now based in Brighton.
 It has a lovely fabric bound cover- a few photos for you- great Christmas gift.



wise words from those rays of sunlight !

Friday 16 November 2012

Alternative Kids Toys

At  Milan Furniture Fair this year, you see so much design, and only a small part of it sticks in your memory,  These kids toys did it for me.
Beautifully made, simplified and pared down to basic element- a wooden shape that rolls or stands, a bean bag in a faded chalky hue and a natural piece of leather.
The designer told me that it was to encourage play and kinds to use their imagination and with these lovely textures I think it would do that. I'm so sorry I don't even know who made them... if anyone does let me know and I'll post the name on the blog.


Tuesday 13 November 2012

felt away the moths!

 I got this lovely hand knitted vest years ago from Jon's mum who brought it back from a trip to Iceland. it's so light weight and stretchy but when I found it in the cupboard it was covered in moth holes!
A great project for my woolfillerkit.
If you've ever done felting you'll take to this straight away- it's a little kit with two felting needles and some wool tops and you can create little spots over the holes making them a feature!
can't wait to have a babe to wear it now!!

Here's a funny video of all it's uses.

a product by Dutch Designer Heleen Klopper www.woolfiller.com/




Saturday 10 November 2012

I choose Bobo Choses

Have come across a lovely little baby brand, and wanted to share it with you. Haven't bought anything from there yet, but I think they would make beautiful presents. it's called Bobo Choses www.bobochoses.com The main reason I like then is that there's not a pastel blue or a pastel pink in sight! 



 This dog suit is my favourite!!... ok one pastel pink baby suit but look at the funny black drawing of a cat. it's not the normal cutesey stuff you get everywhere.
 and they have some limited edition items too, look at this hand woven Peruvian poncho!
Hope you like !

Sunday 4 November 2012

Beautiful Books - Laurent Moreau

I 've only just started buying things for baby, but I've always bought children's books for myself! This is such a lovely book, with great drawings of people, then when you flip over the flap you see what tat person is dreaming about. I love Laurent Moreau.









Friday 2 November 2012

Thanks Rob Ryan!

So as my partner wasn't there when I found out we were having a baby, I was so excited to tell him our news. I decided to wait till the evening and make a nice meal. Under his plate I placed this tile:

When he eventually found it, after he's eaten all his spaghetti bolognese, and cleared his plate away to reveal my surprise....he got the shock of his life !

So Thanks Rob! for breaking the news to Jon.  Rob has a lovely little shop on Columbia Rd market, where I got the tile from, and a great blog: http://rob-ryan.blogspot.co.uk/


You are my sunshine

This is where I was when I found out  you were coming into the world.
I will always remember this moment, I woke up uncharacteristically early, did the test and sat down in front of the large window to see the results, at the same time the sun started to rise up over London. I looked down and had an overwhelmingly happy calm feeling. We are going to have a baby, a child, a new human being!  I went to work that day with the best secret inside me.