Star-gazing made me smile.

It's not been a great day. First task was to remain calm while BT attempted to sort out my intermittent internet access, second task was to contact the shop responsible for sending out my partner's birthday present...already 10 days late...!
The list goes on but I won't bore you with more. Suffice to say I needed a little 'pick-me-up'. Then I stumbled upon this little Amigurumi on the DaWanda website, and under the image of this rather miserable looking star was written a few lines from 'Catch a falling star'. Perfect! Just what I needed to get me back on track and put a smile on my face. Now that list of tasks doesn't seem so bad after all.

Oh...and in case you were wondering, Amigurumi comes from the Japanese words meaning 'yarn' and 'stuffed toy'...

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.