Monkeytail and Wellington

Sesame Street turns 40!

2009-11-05T15:28:00.003+10:00

I remember getting in trouble in the second grade for having a "Sesame Street Education" because when I recited the alphabet I said "Zeee" and not "Zed"! and Mum tells me that whenever she turned on the TV when I was a kid I always thought it was time for Play School and Sesame Street, no matter what time of the day or night it was!

Now, I'm happy to tell people of my sesame street eduction and the fact that the Muppet's is my all time favourite TV show. Ella is in front of the box watching Play with me Sesame right now (excellent parenting!)

But when I opened up the google homepage today so see Cookie Monster starring back at me declaring Sesame Street was 40 yrs old! OMG. I just can't believe it. I still know all the songs, when I count something out for the girls I still do it like the Count does (One, Once chocolate cookie you can't have hahahahahah) and even though Baby Bear gives me an eye twitch I'll always have a soft spot for Grover (especially if he's got his Super Grover helmet on!)

Keep up the good work Sesame Street, you rock!

Cmon get into Renee & Jeremy

2009-11-03T21:42:00.002+10:00

Out Nov 10th is the new album C'Mon from Renee and Jeremy. Here is a super sweet snippet, the title track from the album.

Oh yeah, and you can go to their website and download this little beauty for free!

Interview: Andrea Everman of Owly Shadow Puppets

2009-10-26T23:06:00.008+10:00

When Monkeytail and Wellington launched into cyber space nearly 18 months ago, one of the first indie designers we showcased was Owly Shadow Puppets. The shadow puppets started off a best seller and have continued their popularity. As we've just received a new shipment in the lead up to Christmas, we thought it was high time we got to know Andrea Everman, the crafty creator of Owly Shadow Puppets!

Who is Andrea Everman?

I guess I am a puppet designer? I have a small company that makes shadow puppets called Owly Shadow Puppets. I also do freelance design work for some puppet theaters in Chicago, and have been known to teach workshops for kids that combine writing and puppetry.

How did you get from model maker to shadow puppet maker extraordinaire?

It's true-- before I was a puppet maker I was a model maker....I've found that both jobs earn bonus points at parties. To completely explain the jump, I guess I should tell you how I got the model making job:

I worked for a year as an art teacher in a terrible school and when I quit that job I had to find something else. I saw an ad in the newspaper about model making and went down for an interview. The interview consisted of a tour of the shop (where they had a full wood shop plus two laser cutters and a 3D machine) and a test-- could I put together some teeny tiny chairs with superglue? Lucky for me, I had built my own dioramas and miniatures and even had a portfolio to prove it. I made some chairs, got hired, and worked there for the next three years.
This particular model making company specialized in models of buildings; new condominiums would have a model made to go in their sales office to sell the condo units before the real building was built. My job was to do the landscaping. I would make tiny trees and shrubs to scale and when time allowed I added "whimsy"...literally. The models were highly realistic and I got to add things like people having a party on their balcony, or coming home with a bouquet of flowers, or children lining up outside the school door after recess. The clients LOVED this kind of thing. But the position as whimsy-maker went to my head. I was given a great deal of freedom in the shop and often got myself into trouble. Once we made a model of an Island and I tried to sneak on a tiny pirate ship and buried treasure. For a while a co-worker and I made fake time capsules that we hid inside the models we shipped out. On one particularly large model I planted all sorts of odd things like squirrels and battleships and cutlery and made a list of the objects to find-- it was meant to be a game like "I Spy.." On another building-- a model of an old mansion-- I filled the inside of the walls with drawings of ghosts.

After a year of this sort of nonsense my boss had a bit of a chat with me. She wanted me to do more design work and I would have to learn the program Auto Cad. She gave me an operating manual and put me in a cubicle. The program was hard to learn but I could see the possibilities-- Auto Cad is the program used to draw buildings and design things. In the shop we used it for everything--you can draw in a very exact way and then have those parts cut by the laser cutter. Amazing!

I did the work I was asked to do, but eventually I grew bored. Making buildings was boring. I started to doodle at my desk. I kept a stack of paper scraps by my mouse pad and when no one was looking I would doodle. Sometimes I would draw things I wanted to make with the laser cutter, other times I would draw goofy little pictures to cheer myself up. Then I would hide these drawings all over my desk. One day after hours I decided to cut one of my drawings-- a T-rex. I drew it by hand with the mouse and then laser-cut my line drawing out of black cardboard. Playing around with my T-rex silhouette I realized I had just made a shadow puppet! I went back to my file and gave it overlapping parts to make joints, and took my improved design home with me.

At the time I was making little things that I sold at a craft fair as a hobby. I had been operating under the name "owly handmade" since the definition of "owly" meant: "in a wise or clever manner" according to wikipidia. I made a few more puppet characters and took a small batch to the next craft show, calling them Owly Shadow Puppets. I didn't even have proper bags for them, but came with a roll of tin foil and wrapped each one in foil when they sold. They were a big hit, and then stores wanted them and people were trying to buy them online. I knew I had something great to sell, but it depended on my access to the laser cutters at my job.

There were a few months where I was seriously in limbo over what was going on. By day I tried to keep up with the tedious cad work I needed to do...but I was a terrible employee. I didn't work on the puppets during work hours, but I daydreamed about new designs and doodled all day long. At night I made new files and tried new things.

Id like to state here that Im still on good terms with this model making company. In fact, my little brother works there now and I see some of my old co-workers at least once a year at Bill and Joani's Mardi Gras party. So, well, everything worked out in the end. But once I started making puppets I took steps to make it a business for myself. I bought my own lasercutter ($$!!) and set up shop in my livingroom. I dropped down to part-time at the model making job to have a bit of a financial cushion before taking the total plunge of self employment...and then, after much hand-wringing, I walked out the door with my box of doodles and stolen office supplies and went home to work for myself. I was terrified, but also felt like dancing. My older brother helped me make a website, and I got on Etsy. Its not been smooth sailing, Ill admit, but I don't know what else I would have done. Ive been self employed for 2 years now. Wheeeee.

I see a lot of humour and a bit of retro quirkiness in your puppets, where does your inspiration come from?

I don't know where my sense of humor comes from, but it seems to be genetic. The funniest people I know are related to me-- my two bothers. They spend most of their time reading popular science magazine and drawing up plans to build personal airplanes. As siblings, we have been known to sing songs about helicopters or the age-old midnight snack dilemma-- "icecream, or beer?"

Genetic quirks aside, I find a lot of humor in the design and shape of objects. Some of the funniest include: teakettles, teapots, rice cookers, vacuums, hairdryers and portable heaters. Usually I find that if an object is fun to draw it has good potential for humor. A T-rex is funny all by itself, but if you add a refrigerator....see what I mean?

My stuff might have a bit of retro quirkiness to it since most of the objects I like best are considered retro. (And I do think the design happening in the 50's and 60's had much more character to it than our current trends!) Landscapes kinda crack me up, too. I often find myself taking in the view from my bike or a car window and wonder "why is this here?". Buildings with air ducts and pipes and chimneys, water towers, even grocery stores have personality.

Any new designs to look out for?

I don't have any new puppet characters in the works, but have been focusing my attentions on a puppet show kit that includes everything a family needs to make a shadow show together. It would be great for a birthday party or holiday activity. The pack includes a script writing book that works like "Mad Libs"...are you familiar with these? You fill in the blanks without knowing what the story is and create a funny script to perform. The writing activity is meant for kids around 10 years old-- that magical age where kids are honing their own story-writing skills.

What exciting things are on the horizon for you and Owly Shadow Puppets?

It's fall, and there's so much to do! I'm currently trying to re-locate my workspace to a better, more work friendly place. Working in your pajamas is nice, but I would love to get my livingroom back. I have been producing some other laser-cut things, one being a series of snarky valentines that I make with the same black matboard I use for the shadow puppets. I have also been toying with the idea of creating a menorah that uses light bright pegs, and Id love to design a coo coo clock made with colorful acrylic.

In my outside work, Im very excited about 2 projects that are up and coming... Im working with Redmoon theater and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to create a shadow show version of Swan Lake, this will open in December...and I am also working with the Chicago Childrens Theater designing puppets for a special show for children with Autism called "Red Kite".

Any last words of wisdom?

I have a few mantras that are in heavy rotation around here:
"You need to be poor for the right reasons." and:
"No exercise? No icecream."

My own personal philosophy about life is thus:

You should make your life into a happy Island.
You should always have enough of everything to share.
And then, when you find people who have never seen an Island
and need an Island in the worst way,
You should invite them over.

We have Andrea's newly designed Shadow Theatre Screens now in stock as well as the full range of shadow puppets and landscapes for all your shadowy adventures at storytime.

Teachers can check out this lesson plan on Andrea's website for creating your own shadow puppet!

Ribbon with a twist

2009-10-26T11:36:00.002+10:00

A funny kind a girl I met from Kalamazoo has been creating some of the most divine ribbon sculptured hair clips I've seen this side of Pluto! My new buddy Krista is a super busy Mum who's crafty creations I would defiantly call art, the attention to detail is amazing right down to the little net petticoats under Alice's skirt!

We already have an Alice in Wonderland Clip, a Little Red Riding Hood and a whole set of Wizard of Oz inspired clips in store right now. And coming soon a whole array of little delights such as Eloise, Olivia, mermaids, fairies, wild things and Fancy Nancy inspired clips just to name a few. I'm finding it hard to list them in our shop cause I just want to keep them all!

Technical difficulties

2009-10-21T14:50:00.001+10:00

My apologies to anyone trying to visit the Monkeytail & Wellington website today. It appears that there is a problem afoot with our servers and we are temporarily down :o(

Don't worry, we haven't run off with your money and will be back up and running as soon as possible. May just have to make that phone call about transferring to our new servers today! Serves myself right for procrastinating.

Sorry folks, back soon xx

Interview: Anorak Magazine

2009-10-12T21:48:00.005+10:00

One of the most recent additions to the Monkeytail & Wellington virtual shelves is Anorak Magazine - The Happy Magazine for Kids.

I know from all the wonderful feedback we've been getting just how much everyone is loving Anorak and I've been eagerly awaiting a parcel that has recently arrived with some back issues from the early days of Anorak's inception. We now have the latest issue Volume 12 in stock a plenty and also back issues of issues 11, 10, 7, 6, 5 and 2... everything I could get my mitts on to be honest!

I've had some lovely echats with Anorak's co-creator Cathy Olmedillas. Cathy so kindly agreed to a little blog interview so I could get to know the mind behind my latest obsession.

Who are the faces behind Anorak?
Lots of lovely artists, doodlers & writers from around the world and Rob (aka artist Supermundane) our creative director & myself, Cathy.

How did you get started?
I had the idea floating in my head for a while but it’s when I met Rob that it became a reality. Because of our previous lives in publishing, we understood the ropes of independent magazine making so we had contact with printers and distributors. Rob started with creating the logo and doing sketches of Anorak, our blue fellow. Once we had an idea of a theme and content for our first issue, he commissioned other illustrators to help us bring our stories to life.

Why is it called anorak? (Makes me think of train spotters)
Trainspotters are a constant source of inspiration!
It just came in a flash of inspiration, when we were looking for words relating to fashion & collecting stuff. We wanted Anorak to be something people collect and cherish, just like trainspotters collect and cherish… err.. train time tables!! And let’s face it for those of us brought up in the 70s and 80s we all had to wear an anorak at one point hence the perfect connection with childhood..

Which is your favourite issue so far and why?

Argh that’s a tough one: every issue is themed and we have really loved working on all our themes. The one I have most enjoyed writing is the WORDS issue. Rob’s favourite issue is the CHOCOLATE one.

What do you see in the crystal ball for Anorak's future?
Lots! We have an issue coming out Mid September with a BUGS theme. We have just launched a design competition amongst art students from around the world. (Details here)
We have made some Anorak tote bags, which are now available in our shop. We have a colouring book coming out soon too. We are a small business so we still get mega excited about everything we achieve.

How do you find your contributors and artists? Anyone you'd love to work with?
Rob finds them all, he is a well connected chap! We would love to work with more kids, we have lots of little editors in the UK but would love to involve more kids from around the world. Lately, we did a project with the Akshara in India (http://www.aksharafoundation.org/), they did some wonderful drawings for us, it almost made us weep. (Drawings will feature in our Winter 09 edition)

Where do you look for inspiration for Anorak?
Thoughts just pop in our heads. For me, being a mum helps! It’s a weird process but it seems to work. Two major things that have inspired me are the Pink Panther and Yellow Submarine cartoon by the Beatles.

What is on your style radar for kids fashion/toys/art or other.
I fell in love with a lovely & new British label called Let Them Eat Cake. It uses vintage fabrics to create dreamy dresses. Gorgeous. Recently discovered Edwina Simone, she makes wonderful hand-drawn plates with owl motifs. And Chloe Owens is another favourite, she uses vintage fabrics to make lovely purses and cushions. We will be introducing these last two in our shop next month.

Thanks Cathy :o) Make sure you check out the Anorak Blog here too !

You can find all the latest issues of Anorak in store at Monkeytail & Wellington here

Interview: Little Hero Capes

2009-10-08T22:07:00.005+10:00

One of the things I love most about my business is the wonderful people I meet along the way and the way our businesses grow together. Hands down one of my favourite suppliers is Allison Faunce from Little Hero Capes. Allison started out her business at a similar time to Monkeytail and Wellington and we've been learning from each other every step of the way.

We share a similar passion for nurturing the pure imagination of children and Allison was one of the first people I approached when sourcing products for Monkeytail and Wellington. I was so excited when Allison was willing to try her hand at a few of my suggestions for cape designs and masks, and even more excited when they proved to be a success with other retailers also taking them on board.

I have little echats with Allison all the time, and every email makes me smile, so I thought you might like a little smile in your day by getting to know a little more about the creative Mum behind Little Hero Capes.

Who is Allison Faunce?
Allison Faunce is a Mom, Wife, Artist, Entrepreneur, Red-Head, and someone who likes to find ways to juggle all these labels at once! The Red-Head part comes easy.

How did Little Hero Capes start?
Little Hero Capes was a product which soared out of the imagination of my own son. He needed a cool cape for his daring adventures and I needed my dishtowel back.

You support the Discovery Arts Program for kids undergoing hospital treatment for serious illness. Can you tell us more about the programme and your involvement?
The Discovery Arts Program is a super non-profit that brings Art, Music, and Dance Programs to children being hospitalized with Cancer and other serious blood disorders. They are based in California and have branched into 6 Hospitals currently serve over 3500 children and their families each year. As soon as I heard about their program my heart melted. Graduating with degree in Art Education, I naturally gravitate towards the sponsorship of the Arts. It didn't take a second glance to realize this program is doing so much more than bringing the Arts to children. They are giving these amazing kids moments to be children again if even for an afternoon.

The program relies completely on the donations and therefore I knew I wanted to help support their mission through my own business. 10% of all sales of the Little Hero Capes are donated directly to the Discovery Arts Program. Furthermore, I knew the Little Hero Capes have an amazing power to summon courage from children. It was this notion that led me to create "Courage Capes" for the children of the Discovery Arts Program. This allows a person to become real-world hero through donating a Courage Cape to one of the children undergoing treatment in the hospital.

As a mum of a busy 5 yr old, what is on your style radar at the moment
Hmmm, style radar. Well I must say I have an obsession for anything hand-made and with that quite an addiction to Etsy. I also have a strong love of the color green - every shade of it! Green makes everything look great especially for Red-Heads. The color green usually lures me into trying out something that normally wouldn't end up on my fashion radar. It is also my son Finnegan's favorite color. However, no matter how green his zucchini is, he still won't try it.

In your plans for world domination, what does the future hold for Little Hero Capes?
Whether it means harnessing real super powers and world domination, I know one thing is for certain, my ideas for Little Hero Cape never stop whirling around. It is my hope to keep building on the idea of "Soaring Ahead and Giving Back". As the business grows, and more Little Hero Capes are sent out into the world, it is my true hope that more real world heroes will also emerge. I want Little Hero Capes to not only expand the imaginations of our little ones, but also be a tool to teach them the importance of becoming a real hero to the world, the environment, their community, their neighbors, their family, and themselves. Everyday is an adventure and Little Hero Capes' future is not completely carved out but the central idea of "soaring ahead to give back" is certainly the springboard for all the missions that lay ahead.

If you have the afternoon to spend with just Finn and you, what's your favourite thing to do together?
Finn's and my favorite thing to do is to go for nice long walks. It gives us a both a chance to wonder aimlessly and just enjoy the simple journey of being in each other's presence. We go for a walk everyday. Some days the walks are quiet, other times they are full of silly laughter, some days he just wants me to hold his hand while he balances on the curbside, other times the air is full of incessant questions about the world around us. No matter the tempo of our conversation, or the temperature outside, the one commonality is that it is always him and I walking with each other. This is our tradition and I hope we hold onto it for many years to come.

You can check out Allison's website Little Hero Capes here and her blog is a "Super" fun read too!

Monkeytail and Wellington are launching Side Kick Sock Monkeys this week. Allison has cleverly created some extra-Little Hero Capes and Power Cuffs that are a perfect fit for our Sock Monkeys. I am currently negotiating with a children's charity to donate all profits from the sale of our Side Kick Sock Monkeys to continue the charitable endeavours of Little Hero Capes on this side of the world and hopefully give some needy Little Hero's a Side Kick to get them through the tough times.

Find Little Hero Capes and Side Kick Sock Monkeys at Monkeytail & Wellington here :o)

This little house....

2009-09-18T22:02:00.012+10:00

I've been mentally writing this blog post for about three weeks, then I've been squirreling away under a mountain of fairy door orders, I'm finally getting around to posting...

My brain is always full of crazy ideas that rarely come to fruition. Abby, my eldest, turned 4 a few Tuesday's ago and I wanted to make her a gift this year that she would really love. Now this is a bit of a long story, so bare with me for a sec :)

Abby has these little dolls that live in her pocket that she calls her "Pocket Peeps", and I swear she came up with that on her own! Anyway, these two little dolls used to be mine back in the day. They have a metal ball bearing inside them which used to make them slide down a ramp from a school bus. No idea what happened to the bus, but the peeps made it and some 30 yrs later are once again seeing the sights from a pint sized pocket.

So the Peeps have travelled the country with Abs and have even caused her to be frisked at the airport when they set off the metal detector. Now that's a funny sight seeing your 3 yr old made to empty her pockets and take off her shoes and belt.

So in my Internet travels I came across these awesome little wooden dolls on Etsy you can paint yourself. So I bought a family set about 4 months or more ago with the intention of making her a family of pocket peeps. Mostly cause the originally are getting a bit rusty cause she literally takes them everywhere and they occasionally go through the washing machine.

Here are Abby's own personal Carter Family Pocket Peep's!

After feeling pretty pleased with myself for my first attempt at making these, I thought they needed a house to live in, so off I went in search of a tutorial on how to make a small, fabric, portable dolls house. I found a fantastic tutorial on UK Lass in US blog, and voila the Pocket Peeps have a home.

You can get all the supplies you need to create your own Pocket Peeps from a lovely lass on Etsy called Goose Grease and the tutorial for the house at the UK Lass in US blog! I'll be doing another one for Wellie for Xmas or her birthday too!

TTFN!

Threadless Kids

2009-09-15T13:17:00.002+10:00

Being a serial t-shirt wearing family I'm surprised I haven't stumbled across this before now. Threadless is a US based tshirt label company who really do produce designer shirts. except rather than be a designer label, the prints are designed by some pretty cool artists with their finger on the button of whats hot and funky in tshirt design.

There are several arms of the Threadless company brand, Threadless as they simply put "the best tshirts in the world"; Threadless Kids for your baby onesies and kids T and hoodeis; Typetees which is the best in slogan t design; and Select which are artist limited invite only designs.

T's start at US$18 each, but there are heaps on sale as well. Shipping to Australia from $9US

Here are a few from my shopping basket today :o) early Christmas shopping of course ;p

Ladies and Jellybeans..... The Flannery Brothers

2009-09-07T22:28:00.005+10:00

A while back I received a fantastic surprise in the mail. A copy of The Flannery Brothers brand new CD Love Songs for Silly Things. It took me a while to get it into the CD player to have a good listen, but when I finally did, I was kicking myself I hadn't done it sooner! There isn't a song on here that didn't have me tapping the beat out on the steering wheel (first listen was on the way to ballet lessons :).

The album has a 50ish feel with a little Beachboys and the Muppets thrown in. Each song really is a love song for the silly things that Dan & Michael Flannery love the best. And you can't help but find a little adult appreciation in the lyrics.

The unanimous favourite for my husband and I is the second song "best pillow in the world". As adults we can so totally relate to the importance of a comfy pillow, Abby just loves the infectious beat and yelling the chorus really loud!

Ella however now eats broccoli since we started singing "broccoli yet" at the dinner table. The irony is a little lost on 2 1/2 yr olds, but I could kiss the Flannery Brothers for helping us over come another vegetable obstacle! She even does the coolest broccoli dance.

And there is no better start for a 5 o'clock boogie session than "Let's Start Dancing". What an awesome opener to this album.

Love Songs for Silly Things was only released in July 09, but it already has a swag of awards under it's belt. 2009 Preferred Choice from Award from Creative Child Magazine, "One Wasn't Enough" won the 2008 Lennon Award in the John Lennon Song Writing Contest, a 2008 Children's Music Web Award and honourable mentions in the International Songwriting Competition. Not bad for a first album.

Visit the Flannery Brothers website to hear a songs from the album and see footage from live performances. You can get your mitts on a copy of Love Songs for Silly Things at iTunes in Australia.

They Might Be Awesome Giants!

2009-09-02T13:28:00.006+10:00

My all time fav kiddie rock band of the moment They Might Be Giants have just released Here Comes Science, which has been so long awaited its just not funny.

Riding on the happy coat trails of their previous kids albums NO!, Here Comes the 123'3 and Here Comes the ABC's, the new album will surely not disappoint. It is not yet available in Australia, but never fear, I'm sure it will be coming to a Happnin' Tunes category near you sometime very soon!!

In the mean time, here is a great new video from the new album - Electric Car.

Plus, in my eTravels, I've discovered that another wonderful book from the two John's will be out in November. Titled Kids Go! you can pre-order from Fishpond now. This gem will feature illustrations by Pascal Campion and contain an animated DVD. Visit the TMBG website for more details :)

Kids Go!

Doodlers unite...

2009-08-28T20:18:00.005+10:00

Our new favourite magazine for kids Anorak has just launched an awesome competition for all art students & recent graduates to design a cover for the Winter edition of Anorak.

The terms and condition are pretty simple. Open to all art students around the globe, you must come up with an innovative design for the cover of our Winter issue of Anorak magazine. The cover must contain the following words: ‘Anorak the happy mag for kids’ and must be fun.

All the details are available here on the Anorak blog. The ultimate prize is of course seeing your artwork gracing Anorak's cover and be forever immortalised as a doodler extraordinaire but you can also pick up a nice little booty of prizes such as Tate goodies picked by Anorak’s creative director, Supermundane, worth £100 and a doodling pack from Sharpie Pens. there are also three runner-up prizes.

What are you waiting for? Get doodling!

PS - We will have more copies of Anorak, including a few back issues arriving at the MTandW Store in the next few weeks!

Book Week 2009: Picture Books - A Visual Delight

2009-08-27T22:18:00.004+10:00

The picture bookshelf at home has recently extended to it's second shelf. We have a lot!! Here are a few of our favourites which are on regular rotation.

Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood
Its no secret that I adore sock monkeys! This is my all time favourite sock monkey book. In this adventure, Sock Monkey the actor has been nominated for an award, but to attend the gala event he must have a bath! I also highly recommend checking out Sock Monkey Boogie-Woogie and Sock Monkey Rides Again.

And the Train Goes...
Full of fantastic retro style illustrations using bold colours and some very witty detailing, it's the rhyming nature of this train tale that I love so much. especially fun to read aloud, you find yourself really getting into the clack, clack clickety clack of it all.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
That crazy pigeon, always up to something! Author Mo Willems was a script writer for Sesame Street for over 9 years and I love each and everyone of his books, but this is the standout. When the driver leaves the bus temporarily, he gives the reader just one instruction: "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus!" But, boy, that pigeon tries every trick in the book to get in that driving seat.

Man on the Moon: (A Day in the Life of Bob)
It's Bob's job to keep the Moon clean and tidy. He gives guided tours and lectures and even sells little souvenirs to the moons daily visitors. he's always on the look out for aliens, but Bob knows there aren't any aliens on the Moon. Or are there? A cute look at the Man in the Moon myth and what such a job may entail. Lots of aliens hiding about staying out of Bob's sight.

Fancy Nancy Bonjour, Butterfly
The french speaking iridescent azure butterflys are the reason Abby is going to the butterfly farm for her 4th birthday. Fancy Nancy has many posh adventures, but our little nature lovers have a fondness for this. Fancy Nancy is excited about Bree's Butterfly Birthday, but then she has to go to her Grandparents wedding anniversary party instead. She is at first disappointed, but getting to stay in a grand hotel and attend a party soon has her enunciating in french again.

Sunny [With CD]
The illustrations to this adorable little story are made up entirely of stunning photographs. In this story, Sunny and his friends are having a hootenanny. There are two other adventures about Sunny's friends, Snowy and Chinook and Windy. A lovely gift size book, Sunny comes with a CD of music from the story.

Mutt Dog!
One of the first picture books we every owned, Mutt Dog is the story of a scruffy Mutt who lives by his wits in the big city. Mutt Dog is brave and fast and gentle and loyal and smart, but he's also hungry, and he doesn't have a home. Then one day his luck changes, and he at last finds a family--and a cozy, loving place to belong.

I am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed (Charlie & Lola)
I love everything about Charlie and Lola! The books of course, the TV show, the merchandise. Everything! But this story is a favourite just because it is so cheeky. Lola is trying every trick in the book to get out of going to bed, despite Charlie's help. She finally gives in once all the tigers have had their pink milk, whales have been shooed down the plug hole and the two dancing dogs have lent her some PJ's.

Busiest Firefighters Ever!
My husband and I can quite literally recite this story word for word, cover to cover with out even sneaking a peak. We pull out this amazing feat of memory endurance on long car trips. You really can't go past the Little Golden Books for fantastic stories, awesome illustrations and lasting memories.

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
Easily the master of the children's tale, the Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake combination is a match made in heaven. A giraffe with an infinitely expandable neck, a pelican with a magical retractable beak, a dancing monkey, and Billy, a small boy with a dream, team up to make the most amazing ladderless window-cleaning company ever invented!

Book Week 2009: Perfect Hump Day Helper Assistants

2009-08-26T19:52:00.003+10:00

Hump day needs all the help it can get. I must say I don't own a lot of these types of books, but the few I do have I cherish. For some reason I'm drawn to the activities that seem so obvious, if I'd only thought about it for a while. This usually means that they fall in to my appropriate skill level also :) Here are my Top 5...

The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination & Nurture Family Connections
This I consider my craft bible for hump day's at home. It's part arty and craft guide and part parenting guide. Loads of easy to do crafty things using regular things found around the house and the back yard. The author Amanda Soule is the voice behind the delightful blog SouleMama

See and Sew: A Sewing Book for Children
I have only just recently acquired a copy of this little treasure for myself. The tasks are probably a few years off my little ones, but I've learnt so much about sewing myself it's fantastic. It's an easy intro to sewing that doesn't require a machine and has simple step by step directions for 16 tasks. Author Tina Davis is also behind other gems Look and Cook: A Cookbook for Children and Sow and Grow: A Gardening Book for Children

Art and Crafts for Kids ("Australian Women's Weekly")
These may have been around for donkeys years, but that's for valid reasons. An Aussie bible for mums, teachers and child care workers with projects on drawing and painting, printing, collage, weaving, puppets and more

Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals [With Patterns]
There is no doubt that the Japanese are the masters of the cute softie genre, only problem is it's near impossible to find any of their awesome craft books in English. Author Therese Laskey has combined patterns from 25 plush artists around the world.

Super Duper Art & Craft Activity Book
This book has over 75 projects for kids from quilted placemats and bark rubbings to feet puppets. Never more a dull moment

Book Week 2009: Treasure the Classics

2009-08-25T14:38:00.003+10:00

I am an avid reader and it is something I really really enjoy doing for the simple pleasure of it. I can remember thinking within moments of finding out I was pregnant with Abby that I couldn't wait to start building her a library of wonderful stories so I could pass on my love of the written word straight away. I immediately started researching vintage and antique first editions of my favourites, and how to finance the purchase of the library of my dreams ;p

Both Abby and Ella now adore story time and we read several books a day. However we've made several attempts to read the classics, but unless they have lots of vivid pictures, they're just not interested. I know it's just their age, but I can't help myself, I want to read Alice in Wonderland to them NOW!

Here is my top 10 list of beautifully illustrated children's classics, which if they don't already, will be gracing my bookshelves very soon!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll's complete and unabridged text are graced with the unique perspective of Alison Jay's illustrations. She shows us an exhilarating Wonderland, where Alice, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and all the rest are playfully quirky and adorably fanciful. Full colour illustrations on nearly every page makes this lavish edition a perfect introduction to the novel.

The Wind in the Willows
The original version of the much love tale of Rat, Badger, Mole and Toad with Illustrations by E H Shepherd is hard to come by these days. However this edition with Kenneth Grahame's classic story and outstanding illustrations by Patrick Benson is a beautiful combination it it's own right.

Pippi Longstocking
Astrid Lindgren's story of the adventurous nine year old Pippi Longstocking is now 50 years young! This latest incantation has the divine illustrations of none other than Lauren Child of Charlie and Lola fame. Pippi Longstocking has just moved into Villa Villekulla where she lives all by herself with a horse, a monkey, and a big suitcase full of gold coins. Pippi thinks nothing of wrestling a circus strongman, dancing a polka with burglars, or tugging a bull's tail. That's my kind of girl :)

The Jungle Book
Not to be mistaken for the Disneyfied version, Rudyard Kipling's classic Jungle Books One and Two in this edition comprise of the original short stories. Not only does this attractive volume feature the beloved tales of Mowgli, the "man cub" raised by wolves, and Rikki Tikki Tavi, but also the lesser-known but wonderful stories of Toomai, the boy who gets to see elephants dance; Quiquern, who saves his Eskimo people from starvation; and Kotick, the white seal.

Charlotte's Web
Who didn't cry when they read this story in primary school? The unforgettable story of a girl called Fern who loves a little pig called Wilbur. It tells how Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful grey spider, saves Wilbur from the usual fate of nice fat pigs, by a wonderfully clever plan - a plan so original that no one else could possibly have thought of it! This hardback edition is accompanied by the original illustrations by Garth Williams and has been in print for more than 50 years.

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
T S Eliot’ s famous collection of nonsense verse about cats was the inspiration for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats did you know? This edition features pen-and-ink illustrations by Edward Gorey and was originally penned by Eliot to amuse his Godchildren and friends in the 1930's. A fun musical and rhythmical read following the adventures of Mr. Mistoffelees the trickmaster, old Deuteronomy, a laid-back cat, Rum Tum Tugger, a contrary cat, and Macavity, the famous master criminal.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 100th Anniversary Edition
Celebrating over a hundred years in print, this is only 1 in 15 books in the Oz series written by L Frank Baum. This lavishly produced facsimile of the rare first edition contains all 24 of W. W. Denslow's original color plates, the colorful pictorial binding, and the 130 two-color illustrations that help make" The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" so special and enduring.

The Magic Faraway Tree
Enid Blyton's classic tales of Joe, Beth and Frannie and their adventures in the Faraway Tree series are making a resurgence in popularity. I must have read this series a hundred times between the ages of 6-8 and I loved it and found something new each time. Enid Blyton is the master of the children's tale and is the author of some 800 publications including novels, story collections, some non-fiction and magazine articles. WOW!

Biggles Story Collection Vol 1
The legacy of James Bigglesworth, better known in flying circles as Biggles is also making somewhat of a comeback with a two volume collection of his adventures now available. First editions and also vintage copies of any Biggles book by W E Johns will bring you big bucks these days. In this edition "Biggles in France" - Biggles discovers that air combat is becoming more sophisticated; "Biggles Defends the Desert" - fighting the arid conditions of the desert is a desperate business; and "Biggles: Foreign Legionnaire" - Biggles and Ginger enlist in the French Foreign Legion.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Can you imagine Roald Dahl's tale of the five luckiest children in the entire world and their visit to Willy Wonka's famous, mysterious chocolate factory without Quinten Blakes illustrations? I know I can't, in fact it almost feels like sacrilege to ready any other version. This is high on my list of favourite books of all time, at let me tell you, a lot of Roald Dahl's stories are in that list.

All of these books can be found at Fishpond.com.au

Book Week 2009: Board Books for Littlies

2009-08-24T13:18:00.008+10:00

This is my top 10 pick for Board Books for littlies (in no particular order). All are much loved books from my own childhood and are among my children's favourites. All these books can be found at Fishpond.com.au

Curious George Story Book Collection Boxed Set

There isn't anything I don't love about Curious George! Although originally he got off to a rocky start what with being kidnapped from the jungle by the man in the yellow hat and all, but his adventures are just so charming and make me smile. The TV show and movie are all big hits in our house as well!

The beguiling little monkey is featured in four books in this boxed set: "Curious George and the Bunny, Curious George and the Rocket, Curious George Goes Fishing" and "Curious George Rides". Includes a sturdy, reusable, carry-along box.

A Child's First ABC Alphabet

We call this the "crack book" because of the way the illustrations have that old cracked painting look. But there is so much detail on each page and a hint to the next letter in every picture. I credit this book to my daughters extensive knowledge of the ABC!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

What child or adult for that matter doesn't love this story? And can you believe it was first published over 40 years ago? I particularly love this adorable story of the glutenous caterpillar who ate too much in the board book version as it withstands many explorations by little fingers and lives to tell the tale again another day.

That's Not My Puppy

I've lost count how many of these books we have. I started reading them to them when they were first reaching out to touch new things and our collection has grown and grown. Now at 4 and 2 1/2 they will still choose these off the bookself. Titles in the USBORNE TOUCHY FEELY BOOKS series encourage interactive play for babies and toddlers. On each page there is a different texture waiting to be discovered. The bright illustrations and the simple text develop sensory and language awareness.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt
"We're going on a bear hunt. / We're going to catch a big one. / What a beautiful day! / We're not scared"

I love to read stories that have a rhythm and require a bit of theatrics. Michael Rosen has written so many books I love, but this is my favourite. Do you know the song?

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

I always think that this is such a lovely gift for a new baby and parents. Such a sweet simple story from Mem Fox, she really does have a way with words!

"There was one little baby/who was born far away./And another who was born/on the very next day./And both of these babies,/as everyone knows,/had ten little fingers/and ten little toes."

The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew it Was None of His Business

This appeals to my sense of humour, and everyone knows that little kids think toilet humour is both disgusting and hilarious. The first book I ever bought my nephew was a gift pack including a little mole with a poo on his head :) This is the tale of a little mole who wakes up one morning only to have one of the other animals 'do its business' on his head. The Little Mole then sets out to track down the culprit to exact his revenge in his own little way.

Guess How Much I Love You

This is the much-loved classic that children will simply cherish."I love you right up to the moon - and back." The story of Little and Big Nutbrown Hares' efforts to express their love for each other has become a publishing phenomenon, selling more than 18 million copies worldwide. First published over 15 years ago, this lovely new edition is one that children will ask for time and again.

Down at the Station

Another of those great rhyming sing a long stories that are great to get the little ones involved in. They'll be singing along with you in no time. It's a Play School favourite too, so chances are if your not familiar with it, they are!

On the Day You Were Born

"On the eve of your birth ... the Earth and her creatures with the Sun and the Moon all moved in their places, each ready to greet you the very first moment of the very first day you arrived."

Every child loves to hear the story of how he or she came into the world, but usually very little attention is paid to how the world was in that magical moment. The book has simple, bright pictures and each illustration and theme in the book (migrating animals, gravity, glowing moon, rising tide, etc.) is explained in simple and direct language that can be used to teach older children how nature works on our planet, and how Earth works in the universe.

Book Week 2009: MTandW Hot Picks #1

2009-08-24T12:00:00.005+10:00

Book Week 2009 has now begun and runs to Friday 28th August. The theme this year is Book Safari and you can learn lots of details and find some great do at home activities on the Children's Book Council of Australia website. All the local libraries also have some great free activities planned and usually cater to all age groups.

Each day this week I'll bring you my top 10 book choices for board books the littlies, children's classics, our favourite picture books and great activity books suggestions. Plus some great links and suggestions on activities to keep you busy for book week. But first....

The Storyline Online website has short downloadable video footage of actors from the Screen Actors Guild in the US reading picture books aloud. You'll find the likes of James Earl Jones and Jason Alexander reading aloud to the illustrations and short animations. There are some much loved stories here too such as Stellaluna by Janelle Cannon and Wilfred Gordon Mcdonald Partridge by Julie Vivas. Useful for teachers as well, each story has a downloadable activity guide.

Retail therapy

2009-08-19T13:30:00.005+10:00

We're stuck at home today with the car in for a service and I'm trying to psych myself up for the bike ride into town later this afternoon to take parcels to the post office. Don't usually mind the ride, but it's hard work going up the hills with the two girls in the trailer yelling at you to go faster.

So I've been indulging in a little retail therapy today. Few early Xmas presents organised, looking for Father's Day pressie for my husband from the girls and for my Dad, but so far all I've found are things I want myself (surprise surprise :)

This fantastic necklace was on the front page of Etsy this afternoon. I just missed out as it got snapped up so quickly. I'm really into silhouettes and shadow themes at the moment.

Find the artist The Mymbles Daughter on Etsy and check out all the other awesome designs she does. I love all her Alice in Wonderland pieces too!

Speaking of shadow's, our Mermaid Seascape Shadow Puppet was featured in Shop 4 Kids magazine which came out on Monday. Super excited to see ourselves there, now we just need to get more in stock cause were already sold out :( Don't worry they'll be back soon!

Funky little dudes

2009-08-17T10:57:00.006+10:00

Girls are easy to buy for, don't you agree? But boys, how hard is it to find clothes, gifts, anything for them? It may be cause I have girls I find it easier, but my friends with boys are always commenting on how hard it is to find cool stuff for them. So here are a few picks from Monkeytail & Wellington that would make great boys gifts.

From The Piggy Story Range...

What's a Dragon Tableware Set

What's a Dragon Suitcase Sleepover Set

Doggy Diary Handy Notecard Kit

Faunbourg Saint Denis...

Faubourg Saint Denis Grey V Neck T

Faubourg Saint Denis Demin Pants with Suspenders Faubourg Saint Denis Sleeveless Jacket

Wonderworld Towering Castle Playset

Makin' Robots Activity Mat

Hump Day Helper #12: Paper Dolls for Boys & Girls

2009-08-12T14:50:00.003+10:00

I loved paper dolls as a kid and my girls are into them too. I especially love the magnetic ones, they seem a bit more durable and less fiddly. But boys often miss out on the paper doll side of life, so I've found a few paper dolls to suit the girls and the boys. Hope you like :-)

These gorgeous paper dolls are from the multi talented Hilary Lang of Wee Wonderfuls. Made to be put on magnetic paper, but just add some tabs when you cut them out to do it the old school way! Get them here

Here are some pretty cool paper dolls for boys from ReadyMech They aren't your usual paper dolls with clothes and such, but they are pretty cool, made of paper and dolls!

And the ultimate in paper toys and dolls is The Toy Maker website. Now I haven't yet given this website the attention it deserves, but at a quick glance it is absolutely chocka's of great free paper toys to print and create. This would keep you going for a month of Hump Days :)

Nasty scams...

2009-08-10T23:06:00.003+10:00

I'm having a bit of a crazy sock monkey making, fairy door painting kind of week, so I've been a bit slack in the blogging arena :-( mostly cause my fingers are a bit tender from accidentally sewing myself to a monkey yesterday! Funny how your pain receptors take a vacation when your tired. I was two stitches in before I realised my index finger may be going on a permanent holiday to Victoria with the monkey.

Now that I'm all band-aided up and its still a respectable hour, OK it's 11pm but that's respectable for me. I figured I should update a little on a some crazy things going on in the world.

You will hopefully be starting to see this pop up in the media such as A Current Affair very soon. Firstly and most importantly a fellow work from home business Mum, Tanya from Ankle Biters has been stung by what must be the mother of all credit card fraud rings. She unfortunately fell pray to a scam that started from the lure of a wonderful sale that would have seen her business grow in leaps and bounds. You can read more about her story and the progress on gaining media attention at her blog.

My heart goes out to Tanya and her family. I can't imagine the stress and heartache this is causing them right before they launch their bricks & mortar store too. Hopefully this little post will create a bit more of a buzz about their plight and will help catch the scammers or at least bring enough education to everyone about these types of scams so they won't get away with it again.

Doodle Bread... the coolest thing since....

2009-08-05T14:26:00.004+10:00

This is Doodle Bread. It tops my list as the coolest find I've made this week! Bread is my all time favourite thing to eat, and I can't wait to wrap my lips around some of this gastronomic delights.

The Doodle Bread products and concept was hatched by Rose Kane from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Whilst studying at Art Collage in London, Rose wagged school one day and had a play around with some dough in the kitchen. Voila, Doodle Bread!

A Doodle Bread kit comes with

A Squisher
A Doodle Shaper
A Doodle Bread Baking Tin
Big Doodle Mix
Little Doodle Mix

There is a super easy and adorable tutorial on the Doodle Bread website to help you with your creations. Plus your encouraged to email in photos of your finished Doodle Bread and any new creations you come up with.

What a fantastic rainy day activity and a great way to get the kids involved and interested in the cooking too. All ingredients are as healthy as you want or need them to be and there are many recipes on the Doodle Bread Blog to try out too!

Priced at 22GBP for all of us on this side of the globe including shipping. Add another item to my wish list. It's getting pretty long now, I hope someones paying attention (cough cough ;)

Chocolate Vanilla Star Loaf!

World Breastfeeding Week Aug 1-7 2009

2009-08-04T23:04:00.003+10:00

It's World Breastfeeding week from 1-7 August 2009 and I think its something that deserves a mention.

Don't you think its a little crazy that what should be such a natural thing for mothers to do as nature intended actually needs a whole week dedicated to it to bring awareness to the issues that mothers face with Breastfeeding.

We not only have to learn how to do it, fight with our little bitter babies and suffer through the cracked nipples. But now we're being ostracised in public for feeding, or struggle with feeling inadequate if we have trouble breastfeeding cause all the books tell us we must try. Or maybe we just can't do it or choose not to. It seems no matter what our choice is its open to debate and criticism from all corners.

I did breastfeed my girls. But I have many friends who couldn't or chose not too. We all have a story about our choices and we've all felt pressure from some areas to change our position on breastfeeding.

So here's to hoping that World Breastfeeding Week helps everyone understand! Visit the Australian Breastfeeding Association website for more details and a links to info on Breastfeeding week around the world.

Meet Me At Mikes....

2009-08-03T13:42:00.003+10:00

I've just returned from the dentist, having just had my first ever filling, so feeling a bit sorry for myself. And hungry! I forgot to eat breakfast and now I can't feel my tongue and wouldn't it be a perfect day if I bit a chunk off that too!

Hmmmmmmm, need chocolate, but that kind of defeats the purpose of the dentist visit doesn't it!

My spirits have perked up considerably after receiving a lovely little gift from the postie in my mail box on my return! I ordered this last week on the sly from Fishpond, and I must say it has exceeded all of my expectations.

Meet Me at Mike's: 25 Fun and Crafty Projects

I am a huge fan of Pip Lincolne from Meet Me At Mikes! She is the Australian craft goddess, in a ultra cool non Martha Stewart kind a way. There are so many places you can find Pip's work, one of her many blogs, in her Melbourne shop which I am itching to visit or in Frankie Magazine.

I've made a couple of Pip's projects from Frankie, but her book is the icing on the cake for me. Gorgeous pictures, patterns included, easy to follow instructions, it's all just too cute!

I think my first project will be Butterfly Evelyn! (pls excuse my dodgy photo, doesn't do it justice). xx

Hump Day Helper #11: Fall Down Tree Colouring In Pages

2009-07-29T14:17:00.002+10:00

Hiya Friends!

I've been on the hunt for more prints for MTandW lately and have been revisiting some old favourites such as Sarah Jane and Adam Record of Fall Down Tree fame.

Adam's recently launched his website www.falldowntree.com and it is being populated by a few little goodies for passers by. Like wall paper for your desktop, ipod or iphone and a few colouring in pages from his original artwork.

The colouring in pages are lovely and simple, super easy for twiddlies of any age to create a masterpiece from it.

Visit the Play category on Adam's website to download and print your colouring in pages :)