I don't know what it is about manufacturing, why there always has to be a problem. Is it me? Is it because I knew nothing about manufacturing before I started Oh Baby London back in 2002? Mmmm, sounds like it. But what do they say?; "God loves a trier" or something like that. Or is it because there are so many things that can happen over the course of production that can lead to delays that it's almost inevitable? Yep. Is it because I am such a small player compared to the big guys on the high street that I'm the first one to be bumped if there's a problem? Yeah, maybe a little of that too. For the first time we have worked with manufacturers who get things done on time, and hurrah, hurrah I was celebrating. I didn't figure on delays once it actually arrived in the UK!

So close it truly hurts.

Anyhow, The Been Inside for 9 Months playsuits that we were so happy about getting yesterday are now arriving on Friday 3 June...
The waiting is surely going to kill me.

Happy 4th Birthday to my little princess.
We had the birthday picnic yesterday, races again this year and frankie pretty much won them all (helps to be a couple of years older, although boy is he fast - my boy, my boy). At one point we had to physically hold him back so the smaller kids could have a chance. He was tanked up on sweets and cupcakes, which I was a mug for putting out. Next time - no sweets, no way, no how.
Connie was very well behaved though a proper little princess apart from taking her clothes off and streaking around a few times, and she loved her cake as you can see - not the most ambitious cake, but it's the one she wanted.
We filled the paddling pool and even though we had a tropical downpour and it drizzled away throughout, everyone had fun, splashing and racing in the rain.

So, Michael Jackson is dead. But just as Princess Diana's death overshadowed the death of Mother Teresa, lets not forget Farrah Fawcett died just a few hours before him.

When I was a little girl, I worshipped at the church of Charlie's Angel's. I adored Farrah and it was my dream to be her. Not a bad role model really, she was a healthy, kick-ass chick and I could have done a lot worse.

In 1977 I asked my hairdresser to cut my hair like Farrah, but as hairdresser's often do, she decided she knew better and as I was a little brunette, Marie-Osmond's do might be more up my street. Marie-Osmond had a bowl cut at the time, and I sat there frozen in the chair unable to communicate my horror at what was unfolding before me.

This was my Farrah t-shirt, and I wore it to death (pardon the pun). I loved it then like I love it now. Thanks Mum for never throwing out a single item of clothing worn by any of us in our entire lives. Thanks, cause if you had, my Farrah t-shirt could have been just a memory.





We had an old farm in Eketahuna, New Zealand when I was a kid - in the Farrah years - and this pic is taken with my three sisters in the old greenhouse doing a spot of gardening, with my beloved Farrah tshirt close to my heart.

Perfect girlie picnic activity? A nail-polish-a-thon of course!
A different colour on every nail...
Even the boys couldn't resist Ali's neon nail varnishes.

Students from Frankie's schoool came to the shop to do an interview for their Trade and Industry studies. They were very professional - one asked the questions, one transcribed the interview, one took pictures and they all looked interested. It took me right back to my primary school days - I would have been way to shy to ask the questions. It's a great way for them to get their heads around the way the world works, and to realise how many different things they could do when they grow up.

We have had a few interviews in the shop, but this was by far the sweetest.

We had a nasty man in the shop yesterday, who forced his way behind the counter and took my laptop.
I feel sick, I loved my laptop, we spent all our time together.
But am consoling myself with the fact that the laptop is not in fact a real person, I hadn't started designing next season, it's desktop what a complete mess, no one got hurt and I've still got my health.

Boo.

Joy oh joy, I am running again!

And to celebrate I'm gonna do the Asics British 10km London Run on 12th of July and raise money for the wonderful Rainbow Trust charity that supports families with children suffering from terminal illness. As a mum, it doesn't get much closer to my heart than that.

So here I go, at the moment I'm running 4km a day, and you better believe I'll be knocking out 10km in no time!
I've never done this before, but I've gotta say it feels good.

So if you would like to sponsor me click here or on the link below to go through to the Just Giving website where you can securely sponsor me and back The Rainbow Trust and the wonderful work they do...



If you want to know more about the rainbow trust, click here
And if you want to know more about the Asics British 10km London Run, click here

What a great bank holiday weekend:
- Sunshine
- Carter's Steam Fair in Victoria Park - cheaper than the standard modern fun fair and infinitely easier on the eye.
- Robert Morris at the Tate Modern - art the kids can call a playground.

I have long been a fan of Mimi Berry's lovely bags, they are beautifully designed and so well made they can endure my abuse year in year out. I walk past her shop on Cheshire Street every day on my way to Oh Baby London HQ, and gaze longingly in her window.

So it was great to see her featured in Grazia a couple of weeks back with this gorgeous bag. I might have to get one. But pink, red, black or cream? Being a Libran, I will probably never decide. But you go ahead.

Check this out - Kidsoup did a video about us...
Where's Hair and Make-Up when you need them.

To see more of KidSoup click here...

My running days were abruptly brought to an end when I tore some fibres in the bottom of my calf.
What was supposed to take four days to heal has now taken two weeks and counting.
What do I do? My perfect working Mum fitness schedule has been obliterated. I pick up Frankie and Connie every day after school, and so have to pack a full days work into five hours. Being a single Mum early morning or evening workouts are not an option. Given my 5 hour working day gym sessions or yoga (and yoga I think would be the answer to all my problems - er mental and physical) are an out of the question time luxury.
So here I am, losing muscle by the minute, willing my little calf to heal, and hurry up about it.

Some see the doughnut, others see the hole... in a New Zealand Newsagent.

Oh Baby London is now on Twitter. So I get to say stupid stuff that interests no one except myself somewhere else. Hurrah. Follow at your peril. Mind you, I may just give our twitter followers some discounts, just to see what happens, so it may just be worth your while.

Sign up for our newsletter too and get even more lovely discounts...

So we are back from our New Zealand sojourn, relaxed, revived, energised and ready for action. In fact, thanks to jet lag the kids and I have been ready for action at 4am for the last two days.
I fell in love with New Zealand again, but I've gotta say, as fickle as it seems, now I'm back I love London again... big time. London on the verge of summer, with the trees heavy with leaves and blossom, warmth in the air, not a cloud in the sky...I love it.

We just spent a magical four days at Paraparaumu Beach, with Frankie and Connie getting to know their 94 year old Great Grandmother Connie (or "big Connie" as little Connie calls her now). She loves them to bits - of course they are the best kids she's ever met and they love her right back.
Once again we were blessed with late summer sun, with only one seriously stormy interlude.
It was the classic Kiwi Bach experience, and for kids, it really can't be beat.
Blew away my cobwebs and induced a feeling of calm not felt for many a moon.

Here's my little bushbabies. I took them for a walk and picnic today in the bush reserve I used to walk in as a little kid. It was such a nostalgic trip. The smell of the bush and the sound of the birds skyrocketed me back to age 7. Boo for my lost youth, and why the hell have I been away for so long?

Oops... I awoke in Wellington this morning to a light drizzle.
Come back sun, I promise not to mention it again.

The kids and I are on holiday in New Zealand. And my homeland has been turning on a lovely late summer for us. (Touching wood as I say that. If it rains tomorrow New Zealand, just blame me).
This country sure is a fantastic place for kids. Frankie and Connie are running free and wild, loving the space and loving getting to know all their family.
I am sneaking in a fair amount of work late at night (or early in the morning depending on your timezone), and am trying to tell myself that this could really work, running Oh Baby London from the other side of the world. It could, it really could.
The hard thing is when you've been away for such a long time, we're talking 15 years here, it's hard to know where home really is.
This holiday though is very hard to beat.

A big congratulations to Amanda Lamb on the birth of her little girl Willow Rose.
Here she is featured in this weeks Hello! Magazine, wearing Oh Baby London (a style icon already!).
We are really short on stock of the pink Doily Print Kimono top and pants set Willow is wearing, and it looks so gorgeous so hurry if you want it...

Here's my baby looking like the superstar he is in his Dude T-shirt in the Mirror's Celebs on Sunday magazine.
(Lucky Frankie doesn't read my blog, he's very nearly at the stage where he'd kill me for calling him my baby. Not literally of course.)

Oh Baby London starred in the "coolest stuff for your cuties" feature.
Thank you...thank you very much.

The new guy is a bit of a Lego master and Connie and Frankie love making things with him.
Here's Connie sporting the latest in Lego eyewear - will it catch on? I don't know, but it rules in our house.

My neighbour in Brick Lane, the lovely Eastside Books is putting on story time for little 'uns every Friday, not to be missed!
Here's the deal straight from the horse's mouth...:

Hi Hannah,

Thanks for offering to let your customers know about our story times.

We're very keen to welcome kids from 2-8 years old to hear stories and join in songs and story-related activities with storyteller Rosa Jane. This week we had a lovely session based around woodland animals, including Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the Foolish Chicken and Mister Fox.

We've got to control numbers carefully, so we need them to let us know they intend coming. The email address to do that is lit@nquentinwoolf.co.uk (we need to know how many children are coming and their ages, plus a contact phone number). Parents/carers to remain in attendance throughout.

At the moment the story times are between 10-11am on Fridays; however response has been positive and we're expecting to begin running them on other days too, at the same times.

The cost is £2 per child, payable at the session; free tea and coffee are included.

Warm regards,

N Quentin Woolf for Eastside Books
166 Brick Lane, London E1 6RU

The lovely Elle Morgan of Elle Morgan Kids in Marbella has run the "Face Oh Baby London Spain - 2009", and we are about to choose the winners!
Elle is bringing pictures of all the entrants over to us in London, where we will begin the seemingly impossible task of choosing the winners.
We can't wait to see them, and as soon as they are picked their pictures will be posted right here...
Watch this space...

We love these Guitar Softies and Monsters of Rock from The Grateful Thread.
They're right up our alley and from our neck of the woods (East London) to boot, even more reason to share their crafty ideas with you.

I am queen of the mismatched sock, not in a cool Little Miss Matched kinda way, in a "surrendered to the enormity of the challenge of matching socks" kinda way. It is well known that it is rare to find me with matching socks (even sticking to "black socks only" I still can't match by style), but now as a mother I am sadly passing this on to my children.
I try. I really, truly, try. But this morning I was struck dumb with disbelief as I tried to find matching socks for Frankie and Connie in their sock box that contains hundreds of socks - none of them matching. Connie has days of the week socks, and I could not find one matching pair. Monday - Sunday all present, but alone. Why is it so hard? Am I missing some matching gene that other people are born with? Are other people quite so matchingly challenged? Am I just lazy?
I want to throw them all out and start again, either in the "one colour only" mode or "conciously mis-matched", but it seems such a waste to get rid of all these poor lonely socks.

On our photoshoot last week I thought I'd sneak in a family portrait. Most of the results had me cataloguing all "work" I would have done if I was that way inclined, but this one makes the grade. Just nice to have some pics of me and my two honey bunnys.

I know I say this every year, but... time, slow down please! It seemed like he would be little forever, and now all of a sudden, I see a teenager looming. My mission at the moment is to slow down, enjoy and savour each day for what it is and not look so far ahead that I miss what's happening right now.

Happy Sixth Birthday baby boy.

(Note the Oh Baby London regulation party uniforms - not a set up, I promise)

Here is Natalie (Natalie Caroline Uranga) she is 16 and a half months, wearing an Ace T-shirt her Grandfather bought her for Christmas and leggings from her lovely Aunty Jessica, who you may have received exceptional customer service from at Oh Baby London's flagship store on Brick Lane.

I love seeing Oh Baby London worn like this! She looks so sweet but with a little touch of rock n roll, just how it should be.
We like your style Natalie...

So, we have our first Time Out First Thursdays opening for 2009 this Thursday!
Please come and joing us for a special 25% discount and liquid refreshments at
Oh Baby London, 162 Brick Lane, London E1 6RU
6-8pm, Thursday 4th February

Essence
Photographs by Fran Hergessel

"I have been involved with young children for over a decade. During this time I have been fortunate enough to be able to capture many poignant and magical moments in their lives.
I can fully appreciate a parents desire to hold on to the precious childhood years and empathise with their anguish, which comes with the realisation that they are powerless to halt the passing of time.
I was encouraged to exhibit my images by the warm comments I received from many of the childrens parents who felt that I had faithfully captured the essence of their child and the emotion of the moment.
Whilst a parent will see in a image of his child the character and history they share, the same can not be said of a casual viewer yet I have been intrigued and surprised to witness the response of such people to my images. It would appear that the face of a child holds a universal attraction, as it is not dependent on a knowledge or relationship with that child.
This exhibition marks the beginning of what is to be an on going and growing project."
Fran Hergessel

www.franhergessel.com

Today we woke up to the heaviest snow fall in 18 years, and it's beautiful.
Meanwhile, my mother tells me, in New Zealand they are having the highest temperatures on record.
Yikes.



A mammoth snowball fight, boys against girls...



...and Frankie was crowned Champion Snowball Thrower... Spot the snowball, a couple of seconds later it was in my face. Mmm, lovely.