Get Their Room Looking Boom Boom Boom

Wednesday, October 10 2012 | by Suki P | 6 comments | Add Comment

So y’all know that we, at KSJ HQ like to bring you MORE. You’re style junkies after all. You need a fix and we like to give you just that. Today’s style injection is one for kids spaces, from top Kids Interior Decorator and owner of the über cool kids homeware store Bobo Kids, Niloufar Bakhtiar-Clignet. This is one ‘in the know’ woman. And thanks to moi and moi’s interview skills – so shall you be. Check it!

Bobo Kids Home Accessories Interior Design for Kids

Niloufar

Moi: What’s your top tip for decorating a girls room?

N: Try not to decorate everything in pink. She will tire of it and so will you! Opt for neutral tones and splashes of colour in accessories that be changed easily like lampshades, decorative garlands, cushions and wall stickers.

Oeuf Garland circle multicolour £59

Moi: What’s your top tip for decorating a boys room?

Lit for your Chicks

Monday, October 08 2012 | by Suki P | 0 comments | Add Comment

Hands up who hasn’t read, laughed and/or cried at a Jane Green novel? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Thought not. She is probably THE most prolific author of books for birds. Those books were there when I broke up with Mr Big Mark 1, 2 and 3. And it felt ALL better.

Band Aid for Break-Ups

Not only that – she is (more importantly for our purposes..) one of those beings I supremely respect/admire/fear….a mother of four – twins included! So who better to tell us what book she enjoys than a brilliant author with four kids? Anyone? Anyone? So may I present her TOP 5 kids books. Over to you Jane….

Brave It At Gleneagles

Friday, October 05 2012 | by Suki P | 0 comments | Add Comment

Summer’s over. And just as we get ourselves back in the flow of life with kids stuffed back at school – another holiday rears it’s ugly head. Boo bloomin hoo! What to do what to do?

AH HAH! That’s where marketing can be a beaudiful thing.Check it! Unless you’ve been living in a box or in outer space – you will know that Disney Pixar released the film Brave earlier this summer. And boy was it gooood! My kids LOVED it. Particularly as it has a princess AND some naughty triplets in it (it’s a multiple/girl thing!).

Princess Merida does her thing!

So the fabulous people at the equally fabulous Gleneagles Hotel gots to thinking….hmmmm where better to experience the fantasy of the movie than at the beautiful Gleneagles Hotel? And ABRACADABRA PUFF…..they created a MYTHS AND LEGENDS BREAK. It’s the PERFECT location for an EPIC half-term adventure for the family.

Wow!

Set in 850 beautiful acres of Perthshire countryside, they have put on a load of Brave inspired activities for the WHOLE family! Archery and Riding (the heroine Princess Merida’s favourite sports); Crafty Activities (sword-making, shield-making, tartan weaving…), Family Pass to Stirling Castle and Brave-themed Ghost hunts and treasure hunts. Oh I do love a treasure hunt. In my life – it normally involves Selfridges…

Bring out their inner-warrior!

And whilst the kids are busy busy, you can MASSAGE AWAY THE SCHOOL RUN in their award-winning ESPA spa, or, if you prefer, play golf on one of their Championship Courses.

Falconry Action

Prices (including breakfast and full use of the Club Facilities) for 2 nights in October for a family of 4 in a Sovereign Room are £700, and for 1st November through to 31st March 2013 the price is £600. Now if you amortise that cost across every minute of pure enjoyment – I’d say worth braving it!

Go go go! Be free!

For more information click here. Images are courtesy of Gleneagles Hotel and Disney Pixar’s Brave.

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Utter Peanut Butter Nutter

Wednesday, October 03 2012 | by Suki P | 6 comments | Add Comment

I had me a little meeting last week with the fab Rose and Nicole from Nixie Clothing. They showed me their Ziggy Stardust inspired SS13 line. And I like! Look…

Bloomin' Marvellous

But I wanted MORE MORE MORE. I needed more than just a style fix. And the lovely Rose kindly fed my habit. My chocolate habit….check it ouuuut….Tribe Nixie’s Authentic American Peanut Butter Cups.

Nixie Clothing Kids Clothes Accessories Peanut Butter Cups

GIMME NOOOOOOOOOW!

Who knew an ex-accountant could be so cool and creative?! Here’s what to do to get your ass to PEANUT BUTTER HEAVEN….

This recipe will make 50 – 70 yummy treats.

GET:

16-oz Skippy Smooth American Peanut Butter (apparently English brands won’t do!) available from Sainsbury’s £2.28.

My heart Skips a beat...

2 lb high quality chocolate, 1/2 and 1/2 milk and dark works best
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 TBSP butter, softened
Mini Cupcake Papers Cake Craft World are good for these.

DO:

Empty the peanut butter into a bowl and stir in the caster sugar.
Mix in the softened butter and set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring with a spatula. The chocolate should be smooth and velvety.

*drools*

Arrange your cupcake papers onto a baking sheet. Spoon the melted chocolate into the cupcake papers, coating the bottoms and sides entirely & quite thickly. DO NOT LICK YOUR FINGERS PIGGY!
Set the extra chocolate aside. Once all cupcake papers are coated, place the tray in the fridge to cool for about five to ten minutes.
Pipe or spoon the peanut butter mixture into the cooled chocolate cups, and then spoon the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter and place the tray back in the fridge for another 30-minutes to set completely.
Serve and enjoy (not very American, but they are super awesome served with a piping hot cup of tea).

So there you go people, now that bikini-time has long gone – wrap your lipsticked chops around this recipe. Oh, and your kids might like it too – but be warned it can cause THIS look….

Ummmmm...

Images are courtesy of Nixie Clothing and Rex Features. Warning – addictive. KSJ takes no responsibility for increased bottom size….

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Inside the Workshop of Atsuyo et Akiko

Monday, October 01 2012 | by Suki P | 0 comments | Add Comment

When I recently went to NYC, I saw a CREATIVE GENIUS at work. No darlings – I wasn’t looking in the mirror….but paid a visit to the FABULOUS workshop of Atsuyo et Akiko. I had a lovely chat to one half of the dynamic duo Akiko Mukae, and she showed me around her Brooklyn studio. And boy was it interesting! Look…

Akiko - genius at work!

Both the girls are from Japan and met in NYC 15 years ago. They started up the brand 5 years ago when Akiko’s daughter was 8 and Akiko wanted to dress her up in something cute – but not too expensive. Being from a fine art background – she began by screen-printing tees. And the rest as they say – is kids fashion history!

Where it all happens...

The line covers kids’ clothes, home accessories, dolls and jewellery. Their raison d’etre is to produce edgy classics that are not too trend-led or commercial. They don’t do ‘seasonal collections’ per se. Inspiration comes from everyday life – museums, flea markets – the French language is a big part of their collections. Bien sur!

The nerve-centre of stylish necklace making!

And they have done some fantastic, high profile collaborations. Late last year, they were approached by the behemoths that are The Walt Disney Company who wanted to be more active in the high end marketplace. So they did some lovely Winnie the Pooh, Aristiocats, 101 Dalmatians and Mickey & Minnie Mouse pieces like this…

How to make Winnie the Pooh cool and not twee!

As well as erm..slightly lesser known yet BRILLIANT artists and creatives – such as Jess Brown (master doll maker – who makes for Wovenplay, Bottega Veneta and others), Coral & Tusk (textile designer) and NY artist Tamar Mogendorff.

These sum up my thoughts on everything Atsuyo et Akiko make!

I asked Akiko for a scoop. Not chocolate chip, or other calorific horrors. Fashion, darlings. Just for you…for AW13 you can expect to see a Bambi line as The Walt Disney Company and Atsuyo et Akiko collaborate again. I am SUPER DUPER excited to see what they dream up! It will showcase at the trade show Playtime Paris in January 2013. I’ll be all over it like a very stylish rash!

Disney Bambi Collaboration Atsuyo et Akiko

Bambinspiration!

I had no control over myself (let’s call it STYLE-INCONTINENCE) and bought way too many pieces so I have decided because I love y’all – to give two stunning necklaces away!

I went MAD!

I will be running the competition on my Facebook page SOON. To be in the draw to win – you need to LIKE Kid Style Junkie on Facebook. If you haven’t – then ya won’t know when the draw will be! And that would be a stylish shame! And DOH! Please ensure you also message me on Facebook with your email address so I can contact you!

If you’re not lucky enough to win – the full collection is available from Atsuyo et Akiko. Orfeo and Couverture & The Garbstore sell selected pieces from the collection too.

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Latest Blogs

Get Their Room Looking Boom Boom Boom

Lit for your Chicks

Brave It At Gleneagles

Utter Peanut Butter Nutter

Inside the Workshop of Atsuyo et Akiko