Ottie update

My third little munchkin has turned six months if you can believe it. Nothing beats having a little cuddle in the morning before the day starts.

Mini is really embracing being an older sister. She's been a little forceful at times, however today she gently pushed Ottilie on her first time on the swings.

Like Mini i can't help but dress Ottilie up. She has received so many great clothes as well as all Mini's great hand me downs. Here she is in her heart peplum sweater from The Gap with star print leggings from Kids Case and Mini's old red baby Bloch ballet slippers

Here Ottilie is in another great Bonpoint gift, a beautiful linen dress with front panel embroidery

Mini is sooooo excited to be a big sis. And what could be better than wearing matching outfits. Here Ottilie is wearing Mini's old sweater crochet dress from Stella McCartney for Gap, whilst Mini still fits the top.

Here's Mini in the same dress when she was little but with a bow of course!

Its party time and to celebrate Ottilie attending her first birthday party she wears Minis old Angel's Face tutu but with a Grandma Eve hand knit.

And here is Mini in the same tutu. Just as frothy, just as fun!

And here Ottilie is sitting on her 94 year old great grandma's lap in Germany. We went for the weekend and it was such a treat for me to see the oldest in our family embrace the youngest.

Channuka comes early...

Channuka came early today at our house. And what a celebration was had. I took to deep frying the potatoes latkes and Tom made a tarte tatin (not particularly festive but exceedingly yummy). We had our friends and their children come over to help light the menorah and read about this festival of lights and exchange lots of presents of course. Phin lucked out with his Melissa & Doug mini piano while mini had to fight off her pal woody for her shopping trolley. Everyone left on a supreme sugar high.

A tale of two outfits

We're back fashion filers! And even in those few days away, she's grown. Her hair is longer and she's chatting away even if we can't understand everything she says.
Today we were off swimming and she kicked and splashed and jumped galore, Proving that she and her friend Aurelia can swim rings around their brothers.
Post swim Mini wore her Bonton chartreuse knitted waistcoat, chocolate check blouse and olive leggings topped off with big bros Bonpoint shearling booties and puffa to keep super snug.
Later In the afternoon mini went off to her new pal Ludo's birthday picnic. It proved a great occasion to show off a new dress. Typically the minster is bang on trend with her Stella McCartney for Gap rose pink flapper number. 20's drop waists are all the rage for next season and she wore hers with gold sparkle knee socks by Hartford, little mouse shoes and a new rose satin bow from Marie-Chantal.

Girl Time

With me jetting off on a photoshoot this weekend and having been in court on jury service for what seems like forever I'm trying to pack in lots of Phin and min time. With that in mind mini and I dropped Phin off at kindergarten and rather than just grabbing a quick coffee before swimming we headed to the electric club for a bit of mama and mini quality time. Mini as usual stole my breakfast of scrambled eggs as well as polishing off her jam croissant. We lounged for half an hour before launching into an energetic swim class with best bud ray ray. Mini wore her leopard sweater dress for the first time today from Stella for Gap, accessorised with her dusky pink desert boots from Clarke's at sarenza.co.uk.
Stella did such a great job designing those collections I'm thrilled I bought things in advance for mini. I did feel a tad ridiculous buying an antique pink layered tutu for a hypothetical three year old who was still gestating in utero at the time but hey you cant say I dont love my fashion.

Wendy house

Mini loves nothing better than playing in her cousin's Gigi and josie's Wendy house. It's perfection. Pink and complete with flowers in the window box. Today mini wore her stella for gap crochet bow dress with coordinating poloneck and crochet leggings topped off with her j crew pearls.  Perfect transeasonal dressing. 

Chubba Choo

Agh mini is losing some of her chub. I know it may not seem like it in this pic but one roll of her thigh flesh has already dissipated. She's still got her ravenous appetite (watermelon and baked beans are a current face - not eaten together I might add) but she's moving around so much the blub is being worked off. Still she's not exactly wasting away and is delightfully cuddly. Today she wore one of my all time favourite buys that stella McCartney did for Gap. It's in a size 2 but I couldn't help but unveil it early as I adore it so much. The off beat colours, the crochet top and linen bloomer pants attached. It's just too pretty and mini shows it off to perfection.
Phins not looking too shoddy himself with his Dandy Star cowboy t-shirt for Cath Kidston and his stella for Gap roll up denim shorts and Bensimon White tennis shoes topped off with his mum made name necklace for his nod to Ibiza's hippy vibe.

Days Away

We've been to Germany visiting Mini's great grandmother otherwise known as uhr Omi or Mimi for short. She was recently usurped as the youngest great grandchild by little Lea who is three months old. Mini had loads of fun at the local petting zoo with her cousins where the miniature goats and lamas loved eating from her hand. Mean whilst the big distraction back at Mimi's was tipping out and then putting the caramels back into the sweetie bowl, Mini soon learnt how to unwrap them and pop the sticky spheres into her mouth. Let's just say uhr Omi had a big fan.

Purple Pantaloon

My plump princess is sporting her purple pantaloons like someone out of a Shakespearian play. Her namesake Hermione from a Winters Tale may not have worn these herringbone shorts festooned with bows from Zara nor a knitted doublet from Bonton and footless tights from Stella for Gap but it's a perfect layered look for doing battle with the british weather.

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!

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?

Baby Doll

Gosh Mini is exhausting. Up down, up down, wriggle wriggle. One minute she's standing the next she's sitting, crawling, pulling herself up, climbing on top of you. Its never ending. So comfort is key to her remaining on the move. A favourite of mine is this blue shirting babydoll top from Bonton. It looks great worn with leggings and when the temperature heats up it will look even cuter with frilled underpants. And best of all it doesn't get under her knees.

White Wedding

It may have been mother's day but more importantly than that it was Tata's wedding. Phin's old nanny Marta was getting married, or rather she was being a princess today and meeting her prince (way too much Disney in our house i'm afraid).  As Billy Idol proudly sang, it was a 'nice day for a white wedding'. The sun was shining and what better occassion was there to unveil her white broderie anglaise smocked dress from Marie-Chantal. A generous gift from the lovely Natalie, who also gifted the ultimate party shoes from Stuart Weitzman. All finished off with delectable socks trimmed in lace from John Lewis, perfect for showcasing those gorgeous chubby thighs that i just can't help squidging.

Phin was so excited about Tata becoming a princess for the day. He dressed for the occasion in his stella for Gap skinnies, blue and white nehru collared shirt from Bonpoint, caramel cardi from Cos and chocolate cord blazer from Marie-Chantal. And then he got a kiss from his princess and the day was complete.

Footloose

Wednesday's have become little gym days and so Mini needs to keep her fashion full of comfort and ease. Today she will be able to do her forward rolls in style with her Stella striped t-shirt and her Stella for Gap footless tights (how very footloose!). She has covered up with one of Phin's old Bonton cardis and her little Trumpette ballet socks. She's definitely going for a Jennifer Beale slash Fame look today. In fact she loves her class so much she is constantly tilting her head backwards in the hope of achieving a backward somersault.

Here she is limbering up for her class, and now for the splits...

Roar

Phin went to another party this weekend and got his face painted for the first time - a dinosaur. Mini in the meantime has been spending one on one time with her papa while Phin and I have been off galavanting round town. And so it was left up to him to clothe Mini and a great job he did too. Dressing her in phins old beige stripe shirt from Bonpoint, pale pink cords and her grey cashmere stella for gap cardi topped off with her new bow from Lucia.

Party Time

Mini and Phin are in the throes of party season and today was Phin's mate Alalstair's 3rd birthday bash. Mini, keen as ever to showcase a new look, was out and about in her new Makie seventies sunflower print sundress and matching bloomers. Bought on our last trip to NYC,  i fell in love with the cool faded colours of iced pink and blue and the retro print. We paired it with her mauve ribbed cardigan from Bonton and ballet slipper socks and gold shoes from Baby Bloch

The theme may have been knights and dragons but phin was flexing his little drummer boy meets Elton John vibe. A look that definitely says medieval rock star. His jacket is by Stella for Gap, t-shirt Marc Jacobs and denim cargo shorts from H&M

Dotty Divine

Mini's back in town and cooking up a style storm today. It's a bit of a seasonal mish mash what with it still being cold (grey cashmere sweater from Stella for Gap) mixed with light weight dove grey polka dot pantaloons from Makie because I'm already so over Winter clothes I had to throw something new into the mix (albeit with a warm pair of wooly tights underneath). Top it off with a frilly White blouse from Bonpoint and her little grey bow and Mini looks like a Dior Grey Fondant Fancy. Good enough to eat.