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• The Babble Review: StrollAway with Giveaway!

  Are you watching in horror as your urban dwelling turns into a Babies ‘R’ Us? There’s not much you can do about the crib, changing table, exersaucers and swings but the people at MetroTots found a solution for your new ride of choice - those big honking strollers. The StrollAway . . . Read More... Posted Jun 09 2008, 02:29 PM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: baby furniture, strollers, design, stainless steel, babies r us, storage solutions, apartment living, strollaway

• Maharam Memory Game: From Designer Textiles to Tiles

  Maharam makes some of the best designer fabrics of the 20th and 21st centuries - from Josef Hoffman to Alexander Girard to Maira Kalman. But even if you can't afford to cover your sofa in Eames or Panton fabric, at least you can get a vicarious thrill watching the kids match up 36 different swatches with the Maharam Memory Game ($36). Or play the game online for free (just go to Accessories on the menu).   Posted Apr 07 2008, 12:17 PM by Sarah Verdone with | with no comments Filed under: Toys, alexander girard, decor, Eames, gifts, design, Maira Kalman, Josef Hoffman, Panton, fabric, matching game, Maharam Memory Game, upholstery

• Illustrations from Noggin Designer Melinda Beck

  I'm a big fan of children's television network Noggin, and I particularly love their broadcast design. Specifically, the illustrations created by designer Melinda Beck (including Moose A. Moose) are my favorites. After writing about her today on my blog, I came across some artwork for sale on her website. There are all kinds of illustrations, but the "Flock of Birds" are most similar to the illustrations on Noggin. They are $25 each, and might look great in the room of the Noggin fan in your life. Flock of Birds, Ink and Collage, 3" x 2.5", $25 each from MelindaBeck.com Posted Apr 03 2008, 05:45 PM by Chris Ford with | with no comments Filed under: nursery, television, birds, decor, tv, illustrations, noggin, design, mdd, broadcast design, melinda beck, GPD08

• Kid Robot Puts Jesse LeDoux Critters in Bargain Bin

  Jesse LeDoux is an amazing illustrator that you probably don't know you know. He’s designed CD covers for Modest Mouse, The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie and many others. He also created the genius Cancerpants journal (the only blank book I know of that is devoted to cancer yet has really cool graphics). Read More... Posted Mar 13 2008, 04:10 PM by Sarah Verdone with | with no comments Filed under: Toys, decor, illustrations, design, Kid Robot, Jesse LeDoux, Critter Splitters

• Even the Smallest Girls Love Obama

  No matter what side you come down on when dressing your kiddos in political tees you’ve got to admire this design-at-home mom who, while musing that she couldn’t really compete with those heavy-hitter fundraisers, realized she could get busy with her screen printer. 50% of the profits go to Obama's campaign. - April Peveteaux   Obama Baby tee-shirt on sale at Sidepony. - $18   Posted Feb 27 2008, 12:05 PM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: toddler clothes, design, Obama, screen printing, political t-shirts

• Maira Kalman: Illustrator/Author Extraordinaire

  Yesterday's New York Times Book Review finally covered Maira Kalman's brilliant book The Principles of Uncertainty. Unfortunately, the article was kind of lukewarm and peevish (to use a word the author, Ariel Levy, chose). So I'm here to tell you, Kalman is a genius and Principles is a masterpiece. The culmination of a moving, funny, eclectic, ecstatic blog she kept for the Times, it follows on the heels of her equally-gorgeous, illustrated version of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style.  If you don't know her boisterous, beautiful books for children and child-like adults,  see them after the jump (plus a special bonus item for all Maira fans!).  Read More... Posted Feb 18 2008, 01:21 PM by Sarah Verdone with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Books, gifts, design, Elements of Style, Principles of Uncertainty, illustration, Maira Kalman

• Mom! There's A Giant Panda On My Bed!

  I admit this giant panda isn't your average kids' cute duvet cover image. There's even something a bit freakish about its dimensions. Yet somehow, those Finns at Marimekko make it work. Check out the room set-up after the jump and you'll see what I mean. Read More... Posted Feb 17 2008, 08:07 AM by Sarah Verdone with | with no comments Filed under: marimekko, bedding, design, Finnish, 14 days of nursery

• Babel Blocks For Multi-Culti Crew

  Meet Moishe, Nafisa, Mary, Chen, and Jose, a rainbow coalition of bockheads celebrating New York's diversity. So cool, they even have their own MySpace pages! Babel Blocks are the creation of Constantin Boym and Laurene Leon, industrial designers known for pushing the boundaries between art and design. Next month the 6" figures will make their museum debut in the MoMA exhibit, Design and the Elastic Mind. Note: the packaging says Not Intended for Children, but I think that has more to do with the price tag than the product. $75 at boym. Even if you're not buying, check out their videos on youtube. Posted Jan 26 2008, 11:28 AM by Sarah Verdone with | with no comments Filed under: blocks, gift, design, moma, Babel, Boym, Leon

• Bauhaus Cradle Adds Sharp Lines, Terror to Any Nursery

  Who needs sunshine and rainbows when you can remake your nursery to look like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari? Based on a design originally created in 1922 by Peter Keler for his then-teacher Wassily Kandinsky, this Bauhaus cradle ($3,150; includes shipping!) sharpens the lines of even the softest decor while ensuring that those unquestioning blobs we call offspring will grow up with a properly skeptical and altered sense of reality Posted Jan 16 2008, 01:03 PM by Aaron Burgess with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: nursery decor, decor, design, odd furniture, wassily kandinsky, modern furniture, bauhaus cradle, peter keler

• Ani-Mates Wall Art: Baby Animals Get a Make-Over, Now Even Cuter

  A recent visit to the L.A. Zoo afforded me a viewing of one of its outrageously cute new baby animals and kicked off a new mother-daughter obssession: koalas. Great timing, then, that I came across Australia-based designers Other. Their "Bright Koala" canvas print is cuter than the real thing and even looks a little bit like my daughter (well, the bright eyes and ears that resemble Afro puffs). The piece is available in three different color palettes and is part of Other's Ani-Mates series for kids, along with somewhat rave-a-licious pandas, bunnies and sheep. There's also a selection of cutesy-free prints that would make for great non-traditional nursery decor. Read More... Posted Jan 14 2008, 08:00 AM by Leigh-Ann Jackson with | with no comments Filed under: art, decor, design, Ani-mates, Australia, Other

• It's a Bird, It's a Nursery Light, It's...

  Well, it's actually a hand-made ceramic lamp ($105) designed to look like a bird -- and a stern one at that! A bit more Euro-minimalist-chic than the awesome Bird Cage Chandelier Chris recently featured, it's a nice balance of future and nature for the modern nursery. Posted Jan 07 2008, 04:02 PM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: modern nursery, birds, decor, design, table lights, table lamps, ceramic lamps, themed nursery, bedroom, indoor lights

• Extrasmall Alphabet Tees: E is for Eames Chair

  Teach your kids the ABC's of modern design with Extrasmall's cool collection of alphabet tees. Choose from five chairs by mid-century masters Renée Herbst, Eric Pfeiffer, Marcel Breuer, Robin Day, and Charles and Ray Eames.  Now on sale at auto for $23 (a steal compared to the price of an actual chair). And make sure to check out Extrasmall's entire collection of extranice clothes and accessories for newborns and toddlers. Posted Jan 02 2008, 09:51 AM by Sarah Verdone with | with no comments Filed under: chairs, modern, clothing, tees, sale, Eames, ABC, design, mid-century

• Laurie Rosenwald's fab book with really long title...

  And to Name but Just a few: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue is the name of Laurie Rosenwald's bright and beautiful book for kids (of all ages). You may recognize LR's work from a little ole magazine called The New Yorker or from her excellent, idiosynchratic guide to her hometown, New York Notebook.  Anyone interested in graphic design, color, kids, or anything that faintly resembles fun should get both of these immediately. She's an incredible illustrator/artist/painter/collagist/stand-up comedienne(-ist) who loves the Swedish. You can read all about her life amongst the quirky folks from up Norse (including a story entitled, Enormous Blonde Herring-scented Nauseatingly Fair-minded Nymphomaniacs in Clogs,at rosenworld.com.  Posted Dec 18 2007, 10:50 AM by Sarah Verdone with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Books, design, laurie rosenwald, colors, for kids of all ages

• Kurv Handheld Vacuum Sucks Crumbs from Corners, Looks Anything But Sucky

  I can think of at least three different objects that look like Dirt Devil's Kurv ($49.99 from Amazon), and none of them has anything to do with sucking up spent Cheerios -- which, of course, is just the task this Karim Rashid-designed handheld vacuum is built to handle. Bagless (just twist off the dirt cup to empty it), it features a replaceable filter as well as a soft business end to keep surfaces from getting scratched while you're racing about the room chasing breadcrumbs. Plus, it looks cool enough that you can leave it charging out in the open. (Pictured in "Choco-Latte" color.) Posted Dec 14 2007, 10:02 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: cleaning, design, dirt devil, karim rashid, kurv, bagless vaccum cleaners, household gadgets, handheld vaccum

• Boynq a Loved One With This Webcam/Speaker Combo

  Whether it's keeping you connected with loved ones or giving you a reason to broadcast your baby's development via YouTube, the Boynq Alibi is a combination 1.3 MP webcam/PC speaker/noise-cancelling directional microphone that looks as great as it performs. It comes in four elemental colors -- Earth (lime green), Fire (orange), Air (lavender) and Water (aqua blue; pictured) -- and powers off a USB port, and its soft-touch rubber finish is as attractive to wee ones as it will be to you. Available for $79.99 at Amazon.com and Target. Posted Oct 09 2007, 12:32 PM by Aaron Burgess with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: gadgets, target, giftts under $100, webcams, pc speakers, web cams, boynq alibi, design