21st Century story-telling

A fine group of Dads have got together to create an online service where grown-ups, or the kids, can record personalised stories from a selection of books, complete with sound effects and background music.
Perfect if work commitments mean you sometimes miss your kid's bedtime...'cos you can download the recordings onto disc or MP3.
What a great way to encorage the little ones to get reading too...?
The instructions are easy to follow and you can record your chosen book over and over till you get it just right...Jacanory for the modern age!
See for yourself at the Magical Story Machine.

Jenny Zarins - photographer

I first saw Jenny's photos in a Jane Cumberpatch interiors book. I love the fresh, light feeling and soft colours, and was inspired to take a look at her website...guess what?...more beautifully atmospheric images that take me back to the Summers of my youth...I remember skinning my knees jumping into Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, and still have the scar to remind me of those carefree days.
What's your favourite memory of childhood holidays?

I saw a mouse! Where?

There, there on the stair...or the wall, or on a shelf or anywhere you like really. Hand made by two sisters, following techniques perfected by their grandmother, these wooden mice would make a great wall decoration hung in a child's room or up a set of stairs! Very 'fairytale' and vintage-looking, each mouse is between 25 and 40cm high and prices start at £25. Find these, and other animals at Victoria Burnett Designs....apparently, there's even one at Buckingham Palace!

Mini modern seating for kids rooms.

Looking for a 'design classic' to furnish your kid's room with?

Molly Meg is well worth a visit...with a range of children's chairs from the 1950's to the present day...many from iconic designers of their time.

I've got an ever-growing list of furniture classics that I'd like to see in 'child size'....

What would be your choice?

Hollie's hen houses

These higgldy-piggledy wall cabinets are the creation of Hollie Wright, a graduate of Hereford's College of Arts, and are made from reclaimed wood and fittings.

As if her recycling efforts are not enough Hollie re-homes a little wire chicken in each of her designs...apparently it goes back to her days growing up on an Oxfordshire farm. Hollie will be showing her cabinets at the Country Living magazine fair in March.

I'm thinking they'd make a lovely display for precious baby mementoes, what do you think?

Adorable Dogs in miniature.

How could you not be amused and enthralled by these beautiful little canine creations from Domenica More Gordon. Each dog is lovingly created from a ball of unspun wool and a felting needle...! You can see the collection at 'The Dog Show' at The Workshop in Edinburgh from 19th November to 18th December, or visit The Workshop online.

Welcome to little Kai Rooney

For those of you who don't follow football the name Kai Rooney will have no significance whatsoever. However, I'm sure the arrival of their first-born child will have sparked a frenzy of interior design activity for the proud parents...Wayne and Colleen...! And, I'm sure no expense will have been spared to ensure little Kai's every comfort in his new nursery....Here's a Dreams and Wishes take on a footy-themed bedroom for Kai...naturally the colour scheme will favour red, white and blue to honour Waynes' footballing career with Manchester United and England....with an Astroturf carpet for Kai to get used to the grass beneath his feet at an early stage. Planet Little make beautiful, classic furniture that can be hand-painted the 'Man Utd red' and how about a touch of red gingham wallpaper to give the room a 'nursery' feel. Finally, a few 'football' bean bags dotted around the room....Right!! Time to stop!...me thinks I might be getting to carried away....anyway, Congratulations to the Rooneys.