Oh Baby London

Done and Dusted

Hurrah, 10 am and I'm finished uploading the first installment of the new AW10 collection.
Check out the new playsuits, tshirts, bibs and hats, I hope you like them!
There's more to come next week - bubble dresses, biker playsuits, girls frill sleeved playsuits.... but that's another story.

yaaawn

Too tired... uploading new collection... school holidays so must do at night.... 2.30am and I've only done playsuits... must sleep or tomorrow will be a disaster... promise will do in morning if I wake up.... zzzzz.....

Happy Holidays

And so the first week of the holidays has bitten the dust, and all is well.
Tomorrow we go camping for a week, it's the first time for the kids, which I can't believe.
They're gonna love it, and with a little help from Math and Cath Go Camping I think I'm pretty prepared. Famous last words...

My london

Believe it or not, this shot is post photoshop. I got the shock of my life when I zoomed in on this pic taken is the harsh light of day. I love getting older, really honestly love how I feel these days, but "no!" I thought, I don't have that many wrinkles! Surely this is a mistake! Sadly it was not, but all was fixed with a bit of gaussian blur. If I could only develop a programme that made getting rid of real wrinkles as easy as a photoshop wand I could be the next Bill Gates.

Anyhow, this was taken for an interview I did with Visit London, about my London; what makes London great for my kids and me, click here to read...

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania for Melissa

OMG! We love these little Mini Melissa/Vivienne Westwood shoes so much, we're launching our mini shoe boutique just so we can bring them to you. They are so comfortable, and practical as well as being super stylie - which in my book makes them perfect for kids!
Sizes UK 4 - UK 9.

Long have I coveted the heart stopping Vivienne Westwood/Melissa adult collaboration - it was love at first sight the first time I saw these Lady Dragons. Melissa is a Brazilian shoe company that has been making the softest pvc shoes for over thirty years, coming onto the UK's radar through their amazing collaborations with the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier and Zaha Hadid as well as the amazing Vivienne Westwood designs that are my personal favourites. They take me to shoe heaven, which is pretty much my favourite place to be.

Hey, Jo! Whaddya know?

Give a big welcome to the newest member of the Oh Baby London Family!
The lovely Jo has just started as our placement student for the next year. She'll be getting a taste of all aspects of the business as she completes her third year of a Fashion and Textile Management degree. And having some fun at the same time.
Jo showed initiative by contacting us last year in her holidays to ask if she could do a few weeks work experience, which she did and from that secured her placement. Note to young players - take the initiative, you don't get if you don't ask.

Welcome, Jo, it's great to have you on board.

Popster

We looked after one of Robins adorable chihuahuas this weekend. Poppy is half chihuahua half miniature daschund (which translates visually as chunky chihuahua), and is the sweetest dog I've met in a long time. My childhood dog, Mac, has held that title in my heart for the last 25 years.
So little Popster is a total honey, and won the hearts of Connie, Frankie and me in the first heartbeat.
Frankie and Connie have recently started arguing over who owns the rights to the top bunk. Connie had her sights set on it after Frankie decided that things were cooler on the bottom bunk during the hot weather. But when Poppy came to stay the argument was reversed, and all of a sudden, Connie was claiming birthright of the bottom bunk.
So lessons in sharing had to start again in earnest, and they didn't go that well. We split holding the lead on walks 50:50, but Connie had real trouble handing it over. Bless. Sort of.
At the end of the day, that little pup brought a big ray of sunshine to our home. Both Frankie and Connie are in love with her, so we're gonna make it a regular thing.

tell me what you want, what you really, really want...

So we want to know what you want - in our quest to be the best.

If you're an East End London Mum, what would you like us to stock in our shop on Brick Lane that would make your life easier, something you love and have to travel or send for to get...

If you shop with us online - what would you like to see on our site - remember, with your newsletter sign up discounts you could make some big savings on items you love to love.

go on... email me:
hannah@ohbabylondon.com

Everyone who does will receive a special discount...

I like it...

Just having a look on the V&A's website - a great place to go if you need a beautiful, unique gift, I came across this ring. And I want it.

"Quirky, eclectic and colourful this oval raven ring is inspired by 1940s and 1950s bakelite jewellery. Each piece is handmade, with the images reproduced from the artist's collection of vintage advertising and ephemera."

My birthday's in September... just in case you didn't know.

we heart london fields lido

Yesterday was glorious, not too too hot in the a.m. turning into a scorcher in the afternoon.
We spent the day - 11am - 5pm at London Fields Lido and it was awesome. Yes! it was pretty damn hard to get in each time (for me the heating could be turned up a notch) but how refreshing, and what a lovely relaxed vibe. Nice people, lovely pool, excellent cafe (go for the mezze - it rocks).
We had a brilliant time, although too much sunscreen is never enough.

further summer reductions!

We have just made some further reductions to the Oh Baby London summer sale... with 50% off:
The Future is Mine t-shirts in pink and blue
The Future is mine Playsuits in pink and blue
Doll face tshirt
You are all Dinosaurs tshirt
Undercover Princess playsuit
The future is Mine bibs in pink and blue

and...

The gorgeous girl's bubble dress in pink or blue.

So grab a funky tshirt, playsuit or dress for the baby in your life, and happy shopping!!

Happy Birthday Baby...

Happy Birthday to my little sweetheart, 5 today!

We had Connie's Party on Sunday, hottest day of the year so far...

I was all set to make it difficult for myself, making hand made sausage rolls a la Jamie Oliver when Ali set me straight; "just whack a sausage in a bun, make it easy!". Best advice ever. A whole lotta Tescos Finest chipolatas and fresh rolls from the 24hr beigal bakery on brick lane plus king size tomato ketchup (and a few bottles of cava for the grown-ups) later and we were all happy campers. I did make cupcakes, and I did make a cake - although Connie HAD to have a store bought Disney Princess cake as the main event...

The weather was so good, and it was a lovely chilled out picnic, with egg and spoon and sack races to liven things up. A medal for all, cause everyone's a winner baby - that's the truth.

And then there was the face painting... I now believe it's essential.

I found a fantastic face painter, Shantala Sacco 07980 179338 who I would recommend to one and all.

She was absolutely lovely, the kids all loved her, and man she gave good face. She is very talented and a league above most of the face painters I have come across.

samba baby

baby doing the samba in brazil @ Yahoo! Video" >

I don't really get into watching stuff on you tube, my broadband connection must be a bit rubbish because it keeps stopping and starting.
But check this out, the kid's got rhythm...

going to paradise

Yes, today we are going to Paradise Gardens. Great family-oriented free festival in Victoria Park in London. It's really worth going, beautifully put together. There's kids face painting, art activities, dancing, music, street theatre, bubbles, great food and of course... a fun fair! But it's Carter's Steam Fair - the loveliest fun fair there is.
"Carter’s recreates the pleasures of a visit to the fairgrounds of days gone by with rides dating back to the 1920s. All rides, games and side stalls have been lovingly painted and restored to their former glory. "

on my travels

It's a bit of a secret that as I have got, ahem, older I have become a little more of an anxious traveller. The tube can freak me out, and I have to be very firm with myself in the air to help myself stay calm.
It's not a biggie, I'm just a lightweight these days.

Anyhow, on my my back from Auckland to Wellington on a 'Pacific Blue' plane (which reminded me of an old bus) I realised I was sitting next to the safety door. Not my favourite place, as my sister's flatmate was tragically sucked out of an Aloha Airlines plane via the safety door back in the 80's, and so I have a little issue with sitting there. But on this airline, we, the people by the doors, were asked by the steward that should there be an accident, would we mind being the ones to open the door and help carry the life rafts. What can you say? No? Move me please? Get me off this goddamn rust bucket? I smiled and said of course, it would be my pleasure and immediately looked at the guy sitting next to me right by the door, checking that he wasn't the sort of guy who might freak out and open the door spontaneously, killing us all.

To my relief he seemed like a nice, normal guy and having noticed my anxiety proceeded to chat with me throughout the journey, very kindly distracting me from any further thoughts of freakiness.

Turns out he's a talented guy, a kiwi artist called Matt Guild from Martinborough. Here's and example of his work, and a bit about him. I want this print for my kitchen wall. This and may others are for sale on his website, and he ships around the world. Every ex-pat household could do with a bit of this. Lovely.

"My paintings are about light, shadows, reflections and about the way things look in their environment. I love capturing the detail, the way a certain object looks in a moment of time. Capturing New Zealand icons and pulling on the heart strings, helping us to remember where we have come from, this the over all passion of my work.

Realism painting for me is about capturing every day bits and pieces, the reality of living."

http://www.redbarnart.co.nz