May 22, 2013
The long weekend is ahead (finally!) and what better way to spend it than with family getting outside and enjoying the start of summer? Whether you're packing up the family car for a roadtrip or hunkering down for a staycation, we're sharing all the things that are inspring us as we head towards Memorial day.
1. WEAR: On the High Seas onesie from Fetching Pretty will have your little one ready for a high seas adventure, or simply paddling around poolside.
2. MAKE: Striped Ice Pops by Martha Stewart. Ok, so these aren't exactly car trip appropriate, but we love that these ice pops are a little messy and imperfect. Plus the recipe is easy enough that the whole family can get their sticky fingers involved.
3. DO: Go for a hike! The American Hiking Society has tons of great resources for where to hike, canoe and camp across the country. Plus they offer kids activities including a coloring contest!
4. DREAM: This tender landscape painting entitled Georgia's Dream by Stephen Hannock will inspire sweet dreams after a long day outdoors. Available in 3 sizes and 4 framing options.
5. READ: Green by Laura Vacarro Seeger. This book for young readers is a beautiful introduction to all the many shades of green that exist in nature.
May 21, 2013
May 17, 2013
There's nothing like a lazy spring afternoon to remind ourselves of the pleasures of a good book. Simply add sunshine and a quiet corner to a spring book and presto, your child will be buried in the pages in no time. Below we share some of our favorite springtime reads from the inimitable Eloise to the classic children's tale Millicent and the Wind. Sit back, relax and enjoy!
Millicent and the Wind, by Robert Munsch: This classic children's book from Canadian author Robert Munsch tells the story of Millicent, a girl who lives high in the mountains and who, in her loneliness, makes friends with the wind, that is, until real friends come along. A great lesson in friendship and imaginative play.
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog, by Mo Willems: What does the pigeon do when he finds a hot dog on the ground? Well, with his appetite roaring he can barely restrain himself! This story written and illustrated by Mo Willems is both lovingly illustrated in a modern blocky style and hilarious as Pigeon wrestles with the voice of reason and his love of hot dogs.
Eloise in Brooklyn: Not a book per se but a wonderful set of illustrations from New York Magazine, illustrator Joana Alvilles reimagines the Plaza's most incorrigible young resident moving to Brooklyn and taking up residence at the Wythe Hotel. What havoc will Eloise wreck once she has access to social media? You'll have to read it to find out :)
Magritte's Marvellous Hat: A Picture Book, by D.B. Johnson: A lovely picture book that introduces young readers to the paintings of Magritte via the adventures of an industrious pup. Fitting because kids seem to naturally grasp Surrealism according to Wired's Geek Dad column. Read the full review on Wired for more.
May 7, 2013
As an office that reads and follows a lot of publications about design, kids and parenting we're familiar with the decidedly female tone of much parenting journalism. So we were very heartened to see the release of
Kindling Quarterly, a beautifully-designed magazine about fatherhood that is available via
subscription through their
website. Launched in January 2013 in Brooklyn, Kindling is now in it's second quarter with issue #2. We particularly love this line from their
About page: "There is no shortage of familiar portrayls of dads in media, yet we aim to present a thoughtful dialogue about fatherhood that is missing from our cultural landscape. Men who are active caregivers are not a novelty and we do not depict them as such." Check out more from
Kindling Quarterly and subscribe
here.
May 7, 2013
Great news art lovers! The wonderful Brooklyn-based artist
Chris Uphues, who we're proud to collaborate with on LittleCollector, has just signed on to give the Saturday kids tour of NADA at 11am. We're thrilled to welcome Chris to the roster and, having done kids' art activities with him before at the Affordable Art Fair, we can guarantee that these tours are going to be an absolute delight. Join Chris for a free kids tour of the NADA fair where young art lovers will have the chance to meet gallerists and artists while learning about different media and the principles of color, shape, symmetry and narrative. RSVP as space is limited to hello@littlecollector.com.
.
May 6, 2013
We all love our mommas and nothing is more straight from the heart than a handmade card made by little fingers. Here's one of our favorites that we discovered via the blog KareWares. Made with simple craft items - construction paper, yarn, markers and glue - it's easily mastered by toddler hands with the help of an adult, or order children on their own. For an even more personalized variation, try replacing the grass with cutout handprints. To see step-by-step instructions click here and download the easy template, then hang your masterpiece in the window where mom can't miss it!
May 3, 2013
GoGirl Finance video
LittleCollector Founder Chrissy Crawford made a video for
GoGirl Finance about mistake that all rookie entrepreneurs should avoid. Check it out on their fantastic website and for everyone who aspires to own their own business, take note!
May 3, 2013
We're very excited to announce that Yolande Whitcomb, Co-Director and Co-Founder of
The Art Dossier, will be leading the free kids tour of
NADA (the New Art Dealers Alliance art fair) on Sunday May 12th at 11am. We're thrilled to have such an accomplished art lover as Yolande leading the tour and it's guaranteed to be a blast. RSVP to hello@littlecollector.com as space is limited! And read more about Yolande's collecting tastes (in art and clothes) above.
The
NADA art fair will be taking place at Basketball City at Pier 36 in NYC, 299 South Street at the East River. Tour are open to kids 5+ and completely free.
May 2, 2013
As we get set to relaunch LittleCollector with a great new design and tons of new features - see above for a sneak peek - we also encourage our readers to follow our other social media platforms. Our facebook, twitter and pinterest feeds are a great place to find out what is inspiring us and keep up with the news and events that are on our rader in and around New York. Plus you'll get insider peeks of upcoming new releases and go inside our artist's studios with pics, interviews videos and more. You'll also hear first about sales, deals and promotions. So follow us! We love hearing from you.
April 30, 2013
Ok, this is not only really cute but really clever and educational.
Drawnimal is an app for kids that helps them practice drawing and learn the alphabet. Simply open up the app on your ipad or iphone, place it on a piece of paper on a solid surface, and get started! The app provides the animal inspiration linking it to the first letter of the animal's name, your imagination does the rest. We like this app for its simplicity (simpler is better when it comes to kids apps, especially on the iphone) and solid design features. Strongly recommended for kids 4+.
