pretty pinnies

Are you dreaming of summer days too?

It gets quite warm here in eastern Switzerland during summer (particularly in July and August). We spent many a happy day last summer playing with Ryn in the town's water fountains, drying off as we walked home. And to think I always considered myself a cold weather person before we moved here!

After seeing Rachel's latest find (at $2 for crying out loud!), I was yearning for an embroidered pinny for Ryn. They're perfect to wear out to play during summer and lightweight enough to dry quickly for any water frolicking you may have planned :) I had no idea Etsy held so many beautiful embroidered dresses! Here are my favourite finds:

Vintage hand embroidered pinafore by DashfieldVintage

Classic pinny (check out the buttons on the back!) by sassykidsvintage

Vintage sunny jumper dress by OhSydney

Bohemian sundress by Kyssa

What do you think? Are embroidered items a favourite of yours, too?

vintage on etsy: chic but not necessarily cheap

Beautiful heart cardigan by TheLovedOne

I love Etsy. I love it so much I would gladly yodel my heartfelt declarations from an Alp mountain-top for it (which are literally and conveniently, for my lazy little self, at our back door). An instance of my passion: I spent two...or was it three?...hours last night trawling over - wait for it - 1,400 baby cardigans, both vintage and handmade. Three hours. On baby cardigans. Can you imagine if I'd put that effort into something really useful?!

Now I live in Switzerland, in an itty bitty town in the middle of nowhere and from my experience, the Swiss don't quite do vintage as they do it in the UK or US. I've spent a few rather stressful Saturdays travelling around the entirety of Zurich with a list of vintage shops to hit up in the hopes of finding something - anything - resembling that which you might catch on (a few of my personal favourites) 3ringcircus or jherrmann or hartandsew. But I've always come away with nothing. Zip, nil, nada. So for any pretty vintage items I may want for Ryn or Fox, Etsy is where I turn.

And it may just be me, but when I think of "vintage" I also think of "style bargain". So when I come across cardigans which might cost $4 in a vintage shop, if I were to shop myself, but are upwards of $12 (and more when you tag on shipping - usually $8 or more to Switzerland) on Etsy it makes me a little sad to close that browser window. I've found the same, more-so probably, with dresses (boy's items, I've found, are usually more reasonably priced). That's not to say I don't understand the effort which is put in from the seller's behalf - the hours which go into searching, photographing, accessorizing and parceling off each item, or my appreciation for it. However, I do feel that the prices are sometimes quite restricting and for certain items (baby cardigans being one) I am turning away from pricey vintage options and choosing handmade, where I feel the prices are more justifiable. What are your experiences? What do you think?

Here are a few of my favourite girl's and boy's cardigans: peach dream, must-see tangerine, very cute and classic (and hello! might not break the bank!), mmmm mint, lovely blue, I love this outfit!, the temptation for this may be too strong!!

love, love, love...

A short but sweet post: today began with a cheery greeting for my Owany :)

Which was soon demolished by a hungry Ryn...

We spent the afternoon attempting my own crafted vegan version of The Cake:

Whilst it wasn't bad, it could certainly have been better!

We've also donated to two charities in the kid's names to spread the love around in other ways - we are so lucky to have what we do.

Happy love day all :)

crazy about...

Some of the most amazing handmade baby leggings I've ever seen, but be warned, they're pricey! I have been saving my pennies so that Fox can rock a pair as soon as the weather is a little warmer here :) Get them at Thief and Bandit.

<@FP>

introduction

I have wanted to do a blog for about three years now. We had a tiny weeny family blog when I was pregnant with my daughter, Ryn (now nearly 3), and I was just never quite organised enough to do it when my son Fox (now 9 months) was camping out in-utero.

After all, there's so many choices! You have to know what URL you're going to choose! AND title! And it has to look cool! So, for me, that was enough to delay this undertaking for a couple of years. Alas, I did make it in the end; so ahoy Poppins, and let's set sail!

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name: Claire
Birthday: March 11
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Current Location and what is cool about where you live?: No-you-haven't-heard-of-Walenstadt, Switzerland and we have the Alps at our back-door. As well as a herd of cows.
Eye Color: Bluey-green
Hair Color: Auburn
Height: 5"2"
Right Handed or Left Handed: Right
The Shoes You Wore Today: Vegan Ugg imitations
Your Weakness: Shopping
Your Fears: Do we HAVE to go there? Alright. They include but are not limited to: being stuck in the middle of the ocean, parachuting into the middle of the ocean (SHUDDER), standing next to tall buildings in open spaces (our Paris vacation saw me cowering on the floor next to the Eiffel tower), my kids being injured, being robbed...the list goes on....
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Blogging consistently, documenting our year
Thoughts First Waking Up: "Hey kids, it's not time to wake up yet!"
Your Best Physical Feature: My hair
Your Bedtime: Usually around 11pm
Single or Group Dates: Any! Please!
Chocolate or Vanilla: A good vanilla, hands down
Do you believe in yourself: Certain aspects of myself, yes
Are you a Health Freak: I'm vegan, does that count?
Do you get along with your Parents: That's a story for another time...
Do you like Thunderstorms: YES!
Do you play an Instrument: I've dabbled in guitar, flute and violin but mainly played piano from the ages of 4/5 to 13
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: YES! I both made and ate it yesterday for the first time in...four or five years?! How weird you'd ask!
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: I am trying earnestly to figure this out. Aren't we all?
What country would you most like to visit: A tie between Italy and Japan
Number of Piercings: Ears - still pierced, top of right ear and belly button - re-healed
Number of Tattoos: Zero
Favorite thing to waste $ on: Clothes and furniture
Favorite place to eat: Anywhere two vegans actually CAN eat! :-)
Favorite date night: A gala my husband and I recently went to with Samuel L. Jackson and a host of other A-listers, it'll take a lot to top that night!
Something you are passionate about: Compassion towards others and animals
Something random that you totally hate: Arrogance, insensitivity, Scarlett Johansson