As a mother of three, leading Australian stylist Megan Morton couldn’t find inspired options to occupy her own children’s small, curious and creative minds. Sure, she was used to coordinating photo shoots and sourcing props and trouble-shooting endless last minute snafus. But when it came time to wrangle her littles in an engaging, art-inspired fashion,
The concept of heirloom toys has always seemed kind of impossible, you know? Could a single toy actually survive the chewing of babies, throwing of toddlers, forgetting of children? And with the quick sifting of trends and color schemes and “of-the-moment” patterns, how could you ensure a timeless, classic design?
Fredericks & Mae can. And has.
A few days ago, I was perusing the work of Karen Barbe (an amazing textile designer / photographer based in Chile) and came across the sweetest story that paints a perfect portrait of growth, innocence and the art of discovering talents anew:
A few weeks ago, former Associate Editor of British ELLE Decoration and Top Design judge Amanda Talbot sent me a heartfelt note with a link to her new book, Rethink: The Way You Live. She thought it might resonate with me, as I’ve slowly morphed into this odd, thinky design blog where I’m asking a lot of questions, searching for answers and trying to figure out how design applies to my life now. I don’t know if I’ve properly put this into words here, but I’m in this weird space where I see so much value in design, but am also seeing a lot of the cost. Consumerism, materialism, keeping-up-with-the-Jones-ism. I mean, these concepts have been around for years, yes. But for some reason, I’m feeling the weight of it in a bigger way. Something in my heart is stirring…
If you’ve read this site for more than four minutes, you’ll know that there’s a very special place in my heart (and Bee’s toy chest) for multi-purpose products that can grow from the baby stage to todderdom and beyond. So of course, I was pleased to receive a note from Elisabeth announcing a shop update were I spotted the cleverest blanket of all: Bu! Blankets.
I am in a constant state of thought surrounding why it is that we choose to wear what we choose to wear. (I’m still reeling from this post in particular.) I’ll be honest – there are lazy mornings where I pad around in my pajamas, my mood matching my attire: thoughtless, wrinkled and sleepy. And then I shower and throw on an outfit I love and the cloud lifts. I feel… better. And I sometimes wonder why it is that dressing in particular clothes brightens my day. Am I polishing up my outsides to hide the insides? Am I decorating to hide an unsteady foundation? Are we draping ourselves in clothing to hide the flaws beneath?
We just sent out our invitations for Bee’s first birthday next month (what?!), so I’ve got celebrations on the brain. We’re big fans of low-key parties around here and are planning an ordinary cookout full of backyard games and watermelon and family jokes. And speaking of birthdays, how darling are these yearly tees for tots?
Leslie David is a graphic designer and illustrator living the dream – a bustling career in Paris toting a portfolio packed with high profile clients from Colette to Chloe and Pucci to Miu Miu. Her range is extraordinary, designing patterns for fashion collections, covers for CD labels and art directing magazine issues. But perhaps her boldest career move to date? Dropping out of college.
