How was your weekend? Are you ready to see something so adorable it will mesmerize you? When I first stumbled upon these woodland dolls during a quick stroll at Anthropologie it was love at first sight.
And of course I bookmarked them immediately and I am so excited to share them with you today. Rose started making her decorative woodland dolls after her sweet girl Alba was born. Inspired by memories of her grandmother, the creativity she had passed down, Rose borrowed a sewing machine and started to sew.
Today, Thicket & Thimble consists of a small team of makers, lovingly creating each doll entirely by hand. Using very noble and hand-dyed fibres. Each doll features Irish linen and hand-stitched wool-felt applique and all designs arrive with a numbered tag and a glitter cotton dust bag:
‘Crafting my endearing little characters has been a hugely fulfilling creative process – new ideas are forming in my mind constantly and it’s a joy bringing them to life and a dream come true knowing they bring happiness to others.’
You can clearly see how much passion and craftsmanship goes into each doll. Every doll is a piece of heart, and something the dolly mum or dad will keep forever.
And you can find two distinct collections: Heirloom; the signature, hand embroidered decorative dolls, each one numbered. And Keepsake; a collection of water colour linen print designs for play.
When looking at these adorable dolls, full of details and love, I imagine how satisfying it must be to make them. To creat etheir outfits, stitch every little detail, and adding final touches to make each of them perfect. And then you send them out in the big wide world where they will be loved and cherished.
I know, a very romantic view. But why not…
Look at them, one must fall in love!
And every doll from Cerise is handmade with natural and noble textiles like silk, linen, cotton, wool … and with a lot of care. After all, in Sarah’s world, the woman behind these magic creatures, there is a lot of space for play, dream, imagination, and a desire to create with poetry in mind.
Every creation has it’s own soul, character and is truly unique. I think that they are the most stylish rabbits and dolls I have ever seen…
Look at these gorgeous outfits!
Further, I am very intrigued by the “Dollhouse” box (last image as example) which includes everything one needs to make a comfy nest for their doll: a linen mattress, cotton cushions, as well as a round decorative cushion in velvet quilted by hand. Plus a linen blanket with metallic embroidery, a pouf, one crocheted cotton basket, and a leaf linen carpet. Also note the hand-painted floral notebook and the cutest cotton pennant garland. All packed in a lovely wooden box. What a great gift for a little dolls mama or papa.
More heirloom toys? How about these charming wooden toys or the best boho accessories for the nursry and kids room!
Oh and talking about dolls houses, you want to check out my list of the best dolls houses.
Just this Monday I published my last gift guide for this year and then I went through the things I bookmarked to share with you. And I saw that this lovely natural handmade wooden toys shop just added some lovely wooden reindeers, forest animals, and a nativity scene.
And I am pretty sure you will love these as much as I do. Because who does not love beautiful, and gorgeous wooden toys? So please see today’s post as an addition to me baby gift guide as well as the children’s gift guide. You are so welcome!
The story: Dainius and Nora are two creative people, designers, parents of two little girls, and the founders of this amazing natural wooden toy brand*. They live in Lithuania and all toys are 100% handmade.
‘Our first daughter was the inspiration for the wooden toys. We wanted to create a safe, ecological, natural and nice, long lasting toy. Wood is perfect for all of those reasons. The whole process of designing, producing and testing is happening within our family.’
This big set* is amazing and leaves so much room for creativity and different play options, especially role-play.
The simple designs are playful and the small size figures are perfect for little hands to hold and use in play!
Dainius and Nora only use certified sustainable European wood. And all toys are made in line with EU legal toy safety requirements. The packaging is nature friendly as well and they do like to encourage to buy less but choosing high quality, timeless and durable items. Another reason why these toys make great presents!
Now, let your child use their imagination and have fun creating their own stories!
I guess when thinking about a good gift for teens it has to tick quite a few boxes. Trendy, personal, useful for their daily life, stylish and, of course, something they really want.
My eldest is 12 1/2 so we are nearly there. In the teen stage. But I have to say, even the tween phase is so interesting. How her interests develop, things that get her engaged, and her reaction and opinion on big problems like the future of our world. The pureness and straight forwardness that for example my 7 year old is still so good at, is starting to fade away. Sharing your thoughts is not so ‘out of the pistol’ anymore…
But then she is also still my ‘little girl’ that loves nothing more than enjoying a good book with a cup of tea. Being creative and here her latest discovery is lettering. And wow, she did some very beautiful things. And yes, most of the things from my list today are approved by her too.
Here are some really cool ideas that I am sure a teen would love to find under the tree:
1. Sure to be one of the hottest gifts this year, and maybe even the next! The Nintendo Switch* allows you to play the latest Nintendo-developed video games. And the killer twist? You can play these games on your TV, and at any time you can un-dock the Switch, allowing you to enjoy full console games on the go. Altogether, the Switch features small, detachable Joy-Con controllers so you can play with a friend at any time.
2. 3 in 1 charging dock station. Non-toxic silicone material is used for this compact charging hub. And it is the perfect accessory to have on your bedside table or on a desk. The Charging Hub* supports your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time.
And the cable management holes on the rear side, preventing the cluttering of your cables.
3. Bullet Journal Set* with the most bonus : A high quality notebook set with 1 Bullet Journal Notebook, 15 colours fineliner pens, 5 pieces of reusable stencils, 6 sticker sheets, 6 washi tape, and 1 black gel pen. It is perfect for someone getting into, or wanting to get into a bullet journal. And this is so much fun!
4. The Big Life Journal is all about developing a positive mindset that encourages resilience, gratitude, and positivity. With this, teens can learn how their mindset is shaped by their thoughts and experiences. It also teaches them that, with practice, they can overcome anything. Inspire, create goals, and breed positivity!
5. This health & fitness Smartwatch* with heart rate, music & swim tracking includes on-screen coaching too. An all-day smartwatch that helps your sporty teen live their best life. Because it comes with sleep monitoring as well which tells you the time you spend in each precious sleep stage. Get them to move more, track it, and have fun! Plus, this watch will track any work out automatically – no need to switch it on!
6. A very stylish touch sensor night light* that is a Bluetooth 4.0 Hifi speaker, digital alarm clock, MP3 player all in one too. Great 48 colour changing bedside lamp with sleep mode. It is touch activated and you can fully control the brightness, colour and power.
7. If you have a teen girl, you probably know that they love to do their hair. Straighten, curls… and when it comes to hair must-haves, shine always comes top. Now you can get a straightener to help you create styles whilst caring for your hair too. If you want more intense shine, to tackle frizz or to have healthier looking hair in an instant then look no further. This clever range of tools* incorporate the next generation of advanced ceramic plates. Plus they are infused with special micro conditioners, so not only will your hair be styled to perfection, it will be shiny and healthy looking too.
8. Make your own Lip Balm Kit*. This kit is the perfect gift for teens. Inside the fully recyclable box, you will receive everything you need to make 5 of your very own lip balms, along with blank labels to help you get creative. And it is a great way to learn about what goes into making a lip balm, and also be sure you are only putting the most natural ingredients onto your body.
(various kits available incl. a ‘Make your own face mask’ kit)
9. The modern version of the iconic AF1*, combining classic style and modern details. The low design offers optimum soil adhesion and a classic look. This version of the Nike Air Force 1 features rippled leather edges for a cleaner, slimmer line and more refined details. The leather and fabric upper features external layers positioned at strategic points for a lifetime durability and support. The perforated inserts favor the breathability to keep the foot always fresh and dry. These sneakers are super trendy right now, and they go with anything!
10. Day Off Jelle Beanie* Hat!
11. This one is for those that enjoy programming and tinkering around. The Arduino is a starter kit* that features flexible and easy-to-use hardware and software. It includess a guidebook and 15 different projects to complete, taking you from beginner to expert before you know it. Think light sensors, heat sensors, electronic display screens, robotic things. This is perfect if you are interested to understand how gadgets work for example.
12. Teenagers are all about their skin and also about the environment. Therefore, this My Clarins gift set, which has fruit and plant-based ingredients, will help them to be in all their natural and nourishing glory.
And it is a wrap. The gift guides for this year are done and I hope that I could inspire you a bit! Ho Ho Ho and wishing you a lovely and very festive time over the coming days and weeks.
End of last week a big parcel was waiting for us when we got home. And inside was something that definitely deserves the title ‘Christmas came early’. A stylish wooden doll house.
It was quickly assembled and immediately taken over by the girls. The house has a good size (L 81 x W 60 x H 29.5cm) and it is easy for more than one person to play with it. Perfect for us. And with the four floors there is lots to do too!
The Dollhouse from Petite Amélie is beautifully designed with neutral tones and natural wood. The white, grey and black tones make it possible to have it anywhere in your home. A true eyecatcher and such a heirloom toy!
The house we received is called La Maison d’Amélie and it comes with a 19-piece wooden doll house furniture set which you can buy separately as well. And the cupboard doors and drawers actually open and the beds are made up with blankets. Plus, a set of four wooden dolls is also available and they are gorgeous. The four dolls are made with love from solid wood and beautifully painted. A mum, dad, and two children. Altogether these accessories invite children to play, to create stories, and to bring life into the house.
Leonor now wishes that she could live in a house just like this:
The minimalist design in this grand house is so lovely to look at. Leaving even more space for your child to enter a world of fantasy and fairy-tales where all kinds of characters come alive in this imaginative wooden dollhouse world.
Therefore, if you would like to make playtime more enjoyable for your little one, these wooden dolls houses are delightful and an ideal toy for your child to play with for hours on end.
By the way, the houses are dispatched the same day if ordered before 7pm!
In collaboration with Petite Amelie who kindly send us a dolls house to review. Here you can see how it looks in our house.
