Little fashionistas, pt 2

Babies grow so quickly, that it is kind of wasteful to spend a ton of money on clothes. Especially with the chance of throw-up always lurking in the background. Reasonably-priced can still be of good quality (fit, style, material). In honor of this; two of my favorite high-street brands.

Baby Zara
A good reflection of current trends, with everything from lace dresses and chinos to studded gladiator sandals and neon derby shoes. And a super quick delivery and return service! I receive my packages within 2 days and within 24 hours of return my refund was booked.

Super cute dipped hem dress that Zoe Isobel has

Adorable and bright playsuit for summer?

A star-studded dress for my superstar?

H&M



A brand that has been part of ZoBo's closet since before her birth. A lot of her basics such as tights, onesies and pj's, as well as a large number of adorable dresses, are from this collection of kawai. Even her first pair of hard-soled shoes.

Super hip lace jacket with drape front

In honor of her love of Hello Kitty, whose hair clip has been worn all this week!

I am mad for this trench. Alas, it quickly sold out in her size





Little fashionistas

I find clothing is a great way to express your personality, attitude and mood. My little girl has such a great, big, happy personality that I like finding clothes that express that. Being as that I need to keep three other persons stylishly dressed, I combine pricier more unique items with things from the bigger chain stores. Always with thought, as not just anything old thing from the chain stores will do. My next post will focus on this. Here are some of my favs of the specials.

I love the vintage styling of Fleur & Dot's stuff. I adore these shorts for they playful yet don't mess with me attitude. A perfect match.

And these dresses. With a pair of converse and bright tights, just perfect for my ZoBo. I even think the little girl on the left looks a bit like ZoBo with the dark curly hair.

Forever in my memory as the first dress that papa liked, Gold Belgium is absolutely fabby. The words effortlessly cool, stylish and luxury materials, come to mind.

Paired with the first and favorite dress from Gold's was the exact tights in the next pic from Le toit de la Lune. Uniquely french; born to be stylish. The boys clothes are great as well, but that is another post all in itself.

Sliding.. into class

Where was this when I went to school? For the giant kid at heart that I am and who enjoys the playground more than my own toddler this is just the ultimate way to get to class. Alas my college days are behind me. Plus I do not live in Munich. Check out this pair of twin 4-story slides in the Technical University of Munich.

Knuckle buster

I have a few clutches in my wardrobe. They are by far my most favorite style of bag, despite being ever so impractical as they hold next to nothing. Alas, being a girl sometimes negates functionality.

I love knuckle clutches in the style of Alexander McQueen. Here are a few of these beauties

And for the more economically challenged, including myself, some lovely 'inspired by' versions

Via Shopggstrut

Via Princess Young

Via Ahalife

Green clean

Since becoming a mom (mostly because of the associated morning sickness) I have a growing aversion to toxic cleaners. They get the job done, but often smell like they would melt metal. If I would not want these things touching my skin, why are the covering so many surfaces in my house? After all whether by first or second touch, they get in contact with you, your skin and your food.

I prefer to use a bit of elbow grease and hot water, baking soda, vinegar and lemons to abrasive bleaches and chemical blues. The down side is that this is more time consuming and often with lesser results. So I have been on the search for good green cleaners. Easier said than done, especially as the (ship to) Dutch market is pretty darn small.

I Like the Murchison-Hume line, but alas not available outside Aussie

I adore this complete kit from Mrs. Jones, but also no standard shipping available

Maybe give this line from Haven a go? They are willing to ship internationally

Hey, nobody said the road to greener pastures would be easy..

Guardian angel

Vlieger & Vandam makes some fabulous bags and accessories. Fabulously designed and equally priced. Not something to buy on a whim, but definitely worth saving for. The latest offering is all about skulls.

But I am loving the older guardian angels. Some of my fav models, just in case you wanna.. gift me...

Cappuccino cookies

I think a couple of sites almost daily, one of which is about all things kitchen related. One of today's recipes was for cappuccino cookies with white chocolate. This went straight to my favorite map. I hope to give it a whirl and get back to you after the taste test.

Staples

   One dish that we make regularly is Tuscan bread soup. Filling, healthy and easy to whip up.

   Another is for deliciously, unhealthy creamcheese brownies. For ahem balance with the above.

 

Studded

When we were in Hong Kong last year february I tried on a pair of purple converse (style) sneakers with studs down the front at the Steve Madden store. I decided against them at the time, but could not forget them. I searched many hours for them on internet, but alas to no avail. What did happen was a deep love for studs. Especially studs on shoes and bags. The perfect studded bag has aluded me thus far. But recently I decided to take the plunge with...

These River Island limited edition biker boots (in gray not black like the pic), which are now sold out and much desired on the selling scene. Daan hated them, making me doubtful, but now I love them so much they stand proudly displayed in the bedroom and not the cupboard

I have my eye on these sneakers

My dream pumps "Lorissa" from Sam Edelman

Or their more affordable cousin from online store Nelly

Fade to ...

I love love ombre in fashion. Even my blog has an ombre touch to it. Ombre is in principal a gradual fading of color. Something you see alot in hairstyles with darker roots that very naturally turn a lighter shade the more you get to the tips. Fashion wise you can find it in shirts, skirts, tops, jeans, dresses and just about any type of clothing.
My eye has fallen on some yummy items, which I hopelfully will acquire:

These fabulous ombre tights in the color family coal

 This gorgeous pink maxi skirt

Both items are on Etsy. The shop that sells the skirt I have ordered from recently and am very happy with the items and service.

All about the family

The Bambino site is still a go. It is a place for us to share what's going on with the Arts-Richardsons. The site dates back to early in 2010. It shows how we have grown as a family and continue to grow. Including the triumphs and downers and set-backs we face as a new family. Check us out!

Neon brights

My new found love of color extends not only to my home, but also my wardrobe. I am loathe to follow trends, but fluor has been all over the place recently and I am totally digging it. I love the pinks, yellows, greens and oranges. My pedicure (a special treat) was with a bright almost hot pink called ''kiss me on my tulips". My leggings are yellow and my eye has fallen on hot pink for my summer slippers. I would love a pair of brightly colored skinny jeans, but maybe that is a bridge too far.

Color my home pretty

My home has gone from beige based to a very strict color scheme of gray and white. Since the kids I have been longing to inject some color. However from neutrals to color is a scary step. But I have taken the plunge! A pink backsplash in the kitchen. Baby blue in the kid's play area. Petrol in the powder room a.k.a. the downstairs loo. A mint and an ochre yellow cushion for on the couch. A bright and tropical bird of paradise plant in the living. Not big steps, but a start.

The mint cushion (light green cushion on the right) is from Tas-ka. On a side not I love their bird lamp for a kids space.

 This ochre Hay cushion I bought in the Bijenkorf shopping marathon last week after loving it, but not the price for some time

All about the me

Well I used to hate writing, but ever since we created the baby site, I find it not exactly therapeutic but it does help me to focus and calm down from the whirlwind that is my mind.
However all that emotion and thought can tire a girl out, especially with a toddler and a newborn. To not lose sight of me and all the other interests and joys in my life, this blog was born.

Not exactly a third baby, but defintely a pet project.