Go Dandy

Mini is wearing hot new Brit label Dandy Star today. I fell in love with this simple slate t-shirt dress with it's red, fuchsia and gold star bow print when it hung for weeks on end in the window of hip kids boutique Petit Aime. I managed to avoid it's lure for quite some time but caved in eventually and I'm thrilled it finally fits (that said, Tom wondered why Minis t was so big when he got her dressed this morning)
Dandy is a label that does fantastic slogan t's for boys and girls (Phin has a great one which says Save The Whale and a beyond cool retro sweatshirt in sky blue with 70's striped collar and lucky tag line). They're not brash like a Henry Holland or banal and simplistic renditions of trucks and dinosaurs or fairies like Gap or Boden's idea of groovy tshirt designs. Instead they combine off beat colours that somehow just work, coupled with their simple slogan they have an uncanny knack of looking cool.

They even make mugs, posters, cards and a few designs come in larger sizes too. And don't get me started on their nude and pink neon labels or their recycled card and red foil print tags. Can you tell I've got a new fashion crush? Check out their website on www.dandystar.com

Princess for the day

Oh great celebrations were had in our house today. How could we miss out on such a momentous fashion moment. Well firstly we dressed Mini in her princess finery. A hand-me-down outfit courtesy of little Alice and Grace comprised of a pale sugared almond pink pleated skirt with grey edging and tulle underskirt from Italian label Il Gufo paired with a pink velvet trimmed wrap Cardigan from little White Company and her White Bonpoint blouse all topped off with mummy's finest pearls from Dorothy Perkins (the tiara was being cleaned I'm afraid).
Then we dissected the event with top fashionista Kim Hersov from Harpers Bazaar, novelist Alex Preston, actor Oliver Chris and Arabella Preston, who gave Kate Middleton her pre-wedding make up lessons (bravo Ari for doing such a great job!)
And finally Phin and I did our very own balcony kiss on our front door step. The perfect end to a fairytale day.

Hey you!

Hey you rock steady crew! Make a break, make a move...Mini's stance is only getting stronger as is her attitude. She holds her own against her brother whether it be stealing food quite brazenly from his plate or resorting to such sisterly subterfuge like pulling hair and poking eyes, Mini always gets her way in the end. Today Mini is showcasing a mix and match approach with a combination of her sage cotton pantaloons from Makie (strangely these were Phins) her elizabethan pleated frilled collar blouse from Caramel which I adore and her much used short sleeved waistcoat from Bonpoint. She is warm, comfy and above all able to manoeuvre magnificently.

Phin on the Go

Mini is taking a break for the day and instead Phin is showing off his new birthday gift from his godmummy Daisy. It's a bicycle seat perfect for cycling to kindergarten on sunny days. He's wearing his Stella for Gap little drummer boy jacket as Strawberry Fields are having a Royal Wedding extravaganza today. What a busy birthday. Three today!

Black Eyed Pea

Oh my poor little Minimaus. She slipped and fell and now has a bit of a shiner. Not that it's damaging her style quota. She's flexing a Revolutionary Road 1950's vibe with her Maan owl woodland print dress and Bonton grey Cardigan perfect for cousin Gigis birthday bash.

Sir Phineas McPhin

Phins papow (grandfather) and tante Poppy were busy in Blue Peter mode constructing a sword (complete with jewel encrusted base) and shield ready for Phins many marches and crusades against the nettles. Who had more fun?

Big Bloomer

Minis been having a bare foot blast this Easter break. Last day in Kent and lots of cuddles with her papa. Today she's wearing her Stella T adorned with English garden flowers and her new oversized cotton bloomers from Bonton. She spent most of the day eating the bread meant for feeding the ducks and practicing her balancing on two feet act.

Hop hop hop little bunny

It's Easter Sunday and Mini is all geared up for her first Easter egg hunt down on Bathurst Farm. She's decked out in her sunflower and cowslip dress and matching pantaloons from Makie and of course her silk shantung bunny ears from J Crew. Shes already nabbed her Hello Kitty Easter cat from her basket (thanks Mimo) and is enjoying the sugar high had by us all.

Chicken Little

Mini is torturing the chickens. But seeing as the cockerel woke us up with his squawking at five I'm pretty ok with this. Mini is wearing her Ralph Lauren cotton smocked t shirt and floral frilled shorts to galavant around grandma and grandpas farm. Our very own little house on the prairie.

Oh Sandy

Summer Loving happened so fast. Well it may be spring but it's been so hot it certainly feels like summer. Mini took a jaunt with her friend Leo to the sandpit and covered herself happily from head to toe with sand. It's so fine that getting it off is almost like getting a full body micro dermabrasion.
Mini is maxing out her sundresses. I too go for a dress when the sun comes out. A simple one stop go to item. Today's Minis indigo ruched tie strap dress is another auntie Peggy number from Ralph Lauren with floral sunhat.

Up Up and Away

At nigh eleven months Mini is mastering standing up on her own. She balances like a sumo wrestler and slowly raises herself upwards. She also likes eating pebbles. Today Mini is on an Easter hunt at Merrill's house and is gloriously dressed in her springtime dress from the Gap. It's an apple green and has the prettiest print complete with birds and sunflowers.

Hi 5

Mini has been practicing her first word for a while now. And she now has it down pat with a hand gesture to boot. It's a loud Hi or even sometimes a Hi There (pronounced hi dare) with an accompanying raised arm in a hi 5 stance. It's hilarious. She's so social she does it non stop to anyone passing by while We're walking down the street.
I love that today mini is wearing a dress from when she was two months old(you can even check it out on the back issues of mini's blog) It's from The Gap and has a wonderful provencal style print while the ruffles lend it a Spanish flair. Ole!

Finn and Min

Today it's Finn and Mini on fashion file. Not big bro Phin but cousin Finn Nuala who has come over from Germany to spend time with us. Both my little ones adore their older cousin and she dotes on them too. Today mini is gearing up for the heat in her rose print short baby grow. It's too cute for words with frills and bows and a matching short sleeve rose bud Cardigan and comes courtesy of the ever thoughtful Chuck and Margo in the USA.

Greige

Greige. The combination of grey and beige. Not really a colour you would imagine on toddlers but where the fashion world goes so too does the world of designer baby duds.
Of course there is nothing I like doing more than coordinating mini with my Christian Dior grey wall colour. It is my moment of calm after a day spent with Phin in the primary colour world that is Lego Land. So with that in mind mini was resplendent in a pair of dove grey polkadot pantaloons from Japanese label Makie. A slate grey shirt from Petit Bateau and her beige crochet gilet from Bonpoint. Slate frilled edged socks come courtesy of Bonton and her trusty Mary janes from Pepe. Serenity of colour itself.

Best Friend

We're normally super strict about friends. And big Enid is a friend that normally never sees daylight. Sometimes she's allowed on a plane or a long car journey but mainly Big Enid's place is behind bars. That said mini is in the throws of teething and if anyone is going to calm her down it's the unbridled love of a giant grey elephant.
Today mini has gone all patriotic. Maybe it's because her uncle Piggle is running the marathon on behalf of Bernardo's but she's flexing her red White and blue with a Liberty print floral dress from Bonton (thank u emma) and a new addition to her grandma eve home knit range with this slate blue and red ribbon Cardigan and her delectable red ballerinas from Baby Bloch. Good luck uncle Piggle screams Phin from the sidelines and well done from us!

Nice n' Navy

After her morning swim with adoring cousins Josie and Gige, Mini had a spot of lunch with her Opi and then onto Dounia's 4th birthday bash full of princesses and knights.
We decided to wear our navy lace and tulle party dress from The Gap. It is so girlie in it's fabric and net underskirt and the finishing touches of the front pleating and grosgrain waistband but the simplicity of the navy takes the saccharine edge off. We added her grey Bonton cardi and matching frilled edged socks and plum suede booties from Caramel and navy bow from Peach Ribbon. Princess perfection. Kate take note!

Little Bow Peep

Mini does love a bow. And this dress is like one giant bow. With its scalloped edging and crochet bow detail on the front, Mini looks a pretty package. Its a dress that she's worn quite a few times but this is a first without a polo neck and tights. Today we've paired it with her putty coloured crochet style footless tights also from Stella for Gap and a bow from Peach Ribbons. Its quite a short dress, just skimming her bottom and has a lot of give due to the fabric, perfect for allowing Mini maximum manoeuvrability. Phin meanwhile is rocking his Marc Jacob's t-shirt in dusky pink. A gift before he was born from the fashion team at Red, and i love a man whose not scared of his feminine side.

Daisy Duke

Mini is sporting her new denim dungaree shorts from The Gap. They are beyond cute and have plaited straps and roll ups. Even if the weather isn't hot enough for bare legs we've still hauled them out and put a pair of her grey footless tights from Stella for Gap underneath and a light weight frilled collared shirt from Bonpoint. A look that's a sure fire rival for Daisy Duke meets Alexa Chung. What better style hybrid icon could there be?

Sleeping Angel

Little Mini is all pooped out after a morning of fashion appointments. The girls at Ferragamo and Etro were super impressed with her dedication to fashion (although i was a tad worried about her munching on next winter shoe samples) After such a hectic morning she fell fast asleep in her ultra swish Marie-Chantal Liberty print car seat cover (the ultimate baby gift from fellow fashionista Carolyn). She did love her new Etro ball though even if it's just to chew on. Today mini was sporting a full Bonpoint look with her burgundy table cloth check shirt Liberty floral neckerchief and pale pink cords. I love mixing up prints and textures. A definite trend for next winter.

Big bro phin helps Mini navigate the stairs

Later in the day we decided to road test Phins birthday present from his godmummy Daisy. What fun! We borrowed his spiderman helmet and off we went, mini grinning from ear to ear as the wind blew in her hair. She was in her element.

Little Diva

Mini looks like she is casting for a part in her favourite soap opera. She may only be able to say hi but with so many expressions she never fails to convey what she's feeling. On the last day of our heat wave Mini is wearing a pale blue gingham sundress with puffed sleeves and a mini pelmet from The Gap worn with her john Lewis lace edged socks and gold ballerinas from Baby Bloch. I think she's ready for her close up.