Room to Grow

We haven't had to do much to our little guy's room since he's transitioned from baby to active preschooler. We moved out the convertible crib and upgraded to a big boy bed, keeping it a simple platform and letting the bedding and million stuffed animals do the rest. The bold dark wall color is a great backdrop for colorful books and framed illustrations which can be updated as his interests change. Currently featured are illustrations from a close friend, Brian Fraley, who created them for our baby shower party and a Japanese calendar page of his birth date which was wrapped in a gift, a spontaneous suggestion from a small shop owner.

Cool with a K

The puffy Liddle Kiddle Kabin carrier lives at our friend's beach cabin (not with a k). Thanks to the bright 60's color palette, I found it hiding amongst the piles of legos, tea sets, ping pong paddles and the stuffed shark surrounding it. Like the Captain Kangaroo book from my earlier post, the illustrations seem a little disjointed but charming all the same. The style of the dolls feels much different than the backgrounds and animals illustrations. But the mix of 3-d and 2-d furniture really makes the toy stand out. This gem is definitely going to inspire me for future color and illustration styles.

Mini Muji Municipality

I brought this little toy city back from a trip that included a stop at Muji. After proudly showing my find to my husband, he asked, "You went all the way to New York and brought back a wooden city of London?" A fairly reasonable question, I must admit. But as he well knows, I have a soft spot for all things London. Not to mention, its building shapes had more flare and I didn't think the 3 yr old would know the difference between the BT Tower and the Empire State Building.

Each City in a Bag is packaged in a satchel (no, I don't normally use that word) featuring a continuous silkscreened line drawing of New York, London, Paris or Tokyo. The blocks themselves have a timeless design that can be both modern and vintage. Simple and beautiful. And hard to pass up.

Don't worry though, my little guy also got the requisite metal taxi cab and FDNY truck. But I trip over the City in a Bag more often than the other two.