Sweetpea Blog

I always try and look for a Easter treate for the girls that isn't chocolate.

This year I have fallen in love with this bunny ear egg cup made by Hop and Peck.

Of course a delight on Easter Sunday with a chocolate egg but then I know it will be enjoyed all year round with our boiled egg and soldiers.

It is loving made in Britain from sustianable solid oak.

Happy Easter!

As you know I love great design so I had to share with you this wonderful piece of furniture. It's described a POD - where you’re little on can sleep, study and keep all their treasure close to hand!

This POD designed by IOKids Design, can be simply transformed from a traditional bunk bed to two standalone beds or a day bed and a work station with storage. It is the ultimate marriage of design and functionality allowing you to create unique combinations to meet your needs and more importantly adapted and change as your little ones grows up.

It made of Scandinavian birch plywood and is currently available in two colours, white and yellow, with other colours available upon request.

It's super cool , what is there not to love about it!!

No sooner are the Christmas holidays behind us and we are looking to half-term!

We love the Imagine Children’s Festival at the Southbank Centre which is on from 11-26 February. It is a great celebration with so much to do from talks from authors to live music, comedy, theatre, workshops and animated film.

Lots of the events are free but if there is something you particularly want to do I would book early. Some of my favourites so far are the Dinosaur Petting Zoo, a comedy about what happens when the queen’s knickers go missing and making a giant lego book!! There is something for all ages.

Take a look at the programme book yourself for some inspiration.

Street Entertainer Belgravia Christmas Sunday 2012

Christmas is fast approaching and what better way to start advent than visiting Elizabeth Street this Sunday....for the Belgravia Christmas Sunday. This is a wnnderful event that has become part of our Christmas traditions.

There is carol singing, Father Christmas, street entertainers, reindeer and last year we have a visit from the three wise men and their camels ( yes, real ones!) . All the shops are open plus lovely market stalls and plenty of Christmas Fayre to eat and drink, from mulled wine to a hog roast. This event is a real Christmas treat.

The Belgravia Christmas Sunday takes place from 12pm - 5pm, Sunday 2nd December 2012 along Elizabeth Street and Pimlico Road. Admission is free. Nearest tubes: Knightsbridge, Sloane Square and Victoria.

Christmas is my favourite time of year and the countdown is soon to begin! It is time to start thinking advent calendars. Over the years our advent calendar has become part of our family Christmas tradition. There are now so many lovely advent calendars which make lovely decorations and become a real part of the Christmas celebration.

The days of advent have been counted down since the early 19th century started by the German Lutherans. The first calendars were hand-made and this started me looking into making a calendar this year. Whist I was doing my research I came across this reindeer idea which I loved and had to share.

All you have to do is sketch a reindeer on to MDF, your local timber merchant will help to cut it out, then smooth the edges with sandpaper and then paint, then fasten on a hook from which to hang your advent calendar gifts.

Let me know how you get on!

We love a party in our house and I am always on the look out for inspiration. I recently discovered Peach Blossom- this on-line shop is full of wonderfully simple and stylish essentials and the blog is full of ideas, some so easy you keep asking yourself why you didn't think of it!

My favourites, and already in my shopping basket, are the paper straws, candy stripe bags, the mini milk bottles and of course the all-important photo props!!

I cannot wait to organise our next celebration.

Since the 14 September London has been celebrating and showcasing London as a global leader in design. There have been loads of events across the capital.The majority of events are free of charge - enabling everyone to participate, listen, learn, commission and make purchases.

This Sunday, 23 September, we will be taking part in a competition  for children to build their version of  'The House of the Future' out of Lego. The event is being hosted and will happen at the Fritz Hansen store, London.

Whilst looking for some inspiration with the girls before the event I came across this amazing house (pictured above) made entirely out of  Lego. It's the world first full size Lego house. It includes a working toilet, hot shower and I imagine a very uncomfortable bed. It took 3.3million plastic bricks to build.

London's next Design Festival is on the 25 May 2013.

We are delighted to be stocking FUB for the first time this season. This is a fabulous Danish brand set up in 2009 by Anne Sofie Olrik. This knitwear collection is not about upto the minute fashion but about great understated, timeless design with a contemporary feel that will never date. But the collections unique styles and colours means that you can have fun creating a look that reflects your little ones personality not matter what they are doing whether climbing trees to playing games at a  birthday party.

All the collection is made using the finest organic cotton and wools which are not only super soft but also free from harmful chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers  and pesticides.

This is a great product, I just wish they did it my size!

At long last the sun is shining here in London and it’s glorious. We love sunny days; it means ice-creams, picnics in the park, lazy days sitting under shady trees. So when I discovered The Beaming Summer Tree print by MisseMai, it illustrated summer perfectly and so simply for me. The cherries, cupcakes, balloons, butterflies and flowers all centred on a big tree capture the magic of summer beautifully.

This gorgeous print and others are created in a corner of Copenhagen by Louise-Mai, who has a wonderful eye for simplicity, detail as well as capturing a mood perfectly  in her beautiful black and white prints. All her prints are based on original hand drawn pictures screen printed onto Lana Dessin paper.

As well as the prints products there is illustrational art pieces, hand printed pillows, children’s organic bed linen and lingerie. Look and enjoy!

The best thing about a present is the cardboard box it comes in. This is so true and my girls love nothing more that making their own creations out of our recycling bags. But this film has to be watched and shared  as it takes creativity from cardboard to a whole new level.

It's an inspirational and fabulous story of a 9 year old boy who built an elaborate cardboard acrade in his dad's used auto parts store and how he had the best day of his life.

A fund has now been set up the Caine's Arcade Imagination Foundation which will find, foster and fund creativity and entrepeneurship in kids.