Make your own playhouse

July 19, 2012

This is a great idea for fostering imaginative play in your child with a play house that won't fill up their bedroom or play room. With it's lack of walls and roof, a handmade house frame is perfect for fort-making with blankets or hang some butcher paper on the frame and let kids paint their own wallpaper! We discovered it via Coochicoos and Apartment Therapy.

.

Kate Spade Brushstroke clutch

July 17, 2012

Everything is perfect about this "brushstroke" clutch from Kate Spade. We're craving it for summer!

July 17, 2012

We're loving these install shots from Benrimon Contemporary's 2010 exibition of Yoram Wolberg's sculptures and prints, Cowboys and Indians. Yee Haw!

Cortney Novogratz on life, kids and inspiration

July 16, 2012

We're big fans of Cortney Novogratz (and are thrilled about being featured in an upcoming episode -stay tuned!) and her balanced approach to life. Recently featured on Claudia Chan's blog, Courtney shares her thoughts on starting her own business, raising kids and taking risks.

On having kids she notes, "Having kids has made me a better person. As a result of having kids and being around kids, I have become more creative. When you have kids you instantly see the world through a different lens. Although there can be overwhelming days, the joy and drive to live fully is at the center of each day of my life."

Stay tuned for more peeks from LittleCollector on Home by Novogratz on HGTV!

.

Introducing Giotto's Fly

July 13, 2012

We are very excited to be launching a new print by Marc Dennis, whose hyperrealist paintings are to be found in top collections around the world. Perfect for a playroom or nursery, Marc kindly editioned his painting Giotto's Fly (can you spot him?) with LittleCollector to allow kids everywhere to grow up around great art. Starting at just $40 for an unframed 8x10, Marc Dennis and LittleCollector both believe that art should be a part of every home.

Read our intro to the edition below:

There are many famous animals in art history from Shepard Fairey's Obey Elephant to William Wegman's Weimeraners. But did you know that a simple realistic fly painted by Giotto on the canvas of his teacher Cimabue, plays a role in one of the greatest art lessons of all time?  Inspired by the tale of the fly so realistic it fooled his teacher, Marc Dennis painted his own version entitled Giotto's Fly featuring his daughter's favorite mylar balloons. Play Eye Spy with Giotto's Fly and see if you can spot him!

Marc Dennis is a renowned American realist painter whose work has been exhibitied internationally and is held in major public and private collections including the FLAG Art Foundation, the Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University and the Museum of Comparative Zoology at  Harvard University. The original painting of Giotto's Fly is part of the collection of John and Amy Phelan. He is represented by Hasted Kraeutler, New York.









.

Bored, you say?

July 12, 2012

picture by Audrey of "Miss Audrey Sue"

Love this idea for kids when they cry out in boredom. Simply have them pull an activity from the "Bored Jar" and save yourself from racking your brain for something to do. Shabby Beach Nest has tons of ideas for fun and easy activities (including printables) and great links to other moms who have put together their own Bored Jar. Better yet, print the activities on popsicle sticks, as one mom does, or might we sugest crayons, and have kids select from those!

.

Shepard Fairey Giveaway

July 11, 2012

File this one under: WIN WIN WIN!

After our sold out run of Shepard Fairey's Obey Elephant we're excited to announce that we will be giving away the very LAST ONE. And it could be YOURS! Simply like the LittleCollector Facebook page between now and Friday morning, and you will be entered to win this framed print. Winner will be announced on Friday morning, 10:30 am EST.

Details:

11x14 inch limited-edition giclee print of Fairey's Obey Elephant. Edition 115/150. Otherwise SOLD OUT.

Framed in black wood, framed dimensions are 16x20.

Mounted with a signed and numbered authenticity acrd on the back. Eco- and Child-safe.

.

Share it, Maybe

July 10, 2012

.
This video making the rounds of the internet is really brightening our day! It needs no introduction, except to say that Cookie Monster ought to be considered a national treasure :)
.

Modern Woodland nursery

July 10, 2012

If your child loves animals but you don't want a nursery that looks too much like a menagerie, try these soft hues and delicate accents from Beckham's nursery profiled by Apartment Therapy. With soft seafoam green walls and white and birch furniture, it creates a gentle effect that will transition easily into a toddler's room in a few year's time. The light color scheme further makes the dark wood frames over the crib really pop and solves the problem of the delicate art fading into the wallpaper. Love it!  (Images: Swoon by Katie)

Of Mice and Monsters

July 9, 2012

If you're in Brooklyn, be sure to check out this fantastic exhibition of kids art called Mice to Monsters at 440 Gallery in Park Slope.  We particularly love that the work will be hung at children's eye level to make it accessible to visiting tots!

From the press release.

June 28 - July 22, 2012.
Opening reception: Thursday, June 28, 6-8 pm

Brooklyn, NY -- Stroller gridlock at coffee shops, children's hair salons, Spanish and German language kinder-care and a Bean Sprouts pre-school - all are within a few blocks surrounding the 440 Gallery, clear evidence of Park Slope's adoption of a child-centered culture. It's not a surprise, also, to note that this neighborhood is home to many aspiring as well as award-winning children's authors and illustrators. The time has come, at last, for 440 Gallery to host From Mice to Monsters: Illustrations for Children, its annual juried theme exhibition.

This exhibition will feature children's book illustrations, published and unpublished, and any work which focuses on children as an audience. The 41 artists selected for this show are from all over the country, and Brooklyn is well represented: Tenaya Anue, Tatiana Arocha, Susan Blanchard, Bonnie Branson, You Mee Cho, Jeffrey Chuang, Theresa Coulter, Kristin deNeeve, Nancy Doniger, Missy Hammond Dunaway, Lisa Falkenstern, Michelle Farkouh, Magge Gagliardi, Sarah Gramelspacher, Melissa Guion, Abigail Hanlon, Kievan Havens, Eri Honda, Allyn Howard, Michelle Kratchman-Garcia, Boris Kulikov, Joyce Leipertz, Kelly Light, Li Ma, Sine Morse, Kristen Orr, Kristiana Parn, Edie Pijpers, Carolyn Schallmo, Corey Solinger, Christine Staehelin, Mariko Suzuki, Hala Swearingen, Peach Jin Tao, Cathie Urushibata, Ani Volkan, Sara Woolley, Junko Yamada, Bill Zeman. The juror is Buket Erdogan, a Park Slope resident who has illustrated children's books for Orchard Books, Simon and Schuster, and Harper Collins. Three of Buket's "Mouse's First" series were New York Times Best Sellers.

In order to accommodate young visitors to the gallery, work will be hung lower than usual, at a child's eye level. A selection of the published works, including of Kulikov, Zeman, and juror Erdogan, will be available for sale at the Community Bookstore, a longtime Park Slope institution located at 143 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.

In conjunction with this exhibition, 440 Gallery will host a series of Sunday artist talks/demonstrations by the artists. The events are planned for Sundays, July 15 and July 22, at 4:40 PM.