home sweet home...

Experiencing a bit of cubby envy? ...yeah, me too!....how totally divine is this outdoor play room! Erika from mikodesigns is in the running for the Best Mummy award for this gorgeous excuse for a cubby house!

Complete with patchwork curtains, a sunny veranda and a mini gourmet kitchen, what child wouldn't adore this. Even the cushions are to treasure, re purposed from vintage scarves.

For more pics, see Ericka's blog...she also has some lovely things in her etsy shop...

hop to it.....

Hop to it....Magnolia Square is only days away. We are busy little bees here at Mag Square headquarters preparing a floral soiree to welcome in the coming of spring.

This cute little bunny can be found twitching his nose over at Dick and Dora where little critters go to play. Joined by dizzy birds perched on trees, flowers in bloom and woodlands creatures, these rabbit friends have been inspired by the 1950's elementary school readers.

Interpretations of the fun and playful world of the story book characters, Dick and Dora, are created using arcylic, felt and beautiful ribbons.

Skip on over to see the range at Magnolia Square Malvern - next week!!!

giddy up....

Lise Taylor, editor of My Child Magazine couldn't go past the iconic range of children's furniture and awarded the My Child Magazine favourite things award to Little Nest at Magnolia Square Sydney.

Our debut range of child sized replica furniture respectfully pays tribute to 20th century modern classic furniture designs, which are true icons in the contemporary design world. We are inspired by innovative design, technology and fresh ideas.

The giddy up children's chair is a replica of the 1973 Pony chair by Eero Aarnio and is surprisingly comfortable and can be appreciated by everyone in the household - it certainly proved a hit with Lise!

lox to love....

The super stylish paper range from Lox + Savvy was the object of Real Living's Jason Grant affection and was awarded with the Real Living Magazine favourite things award.

Inspiration for each range comes from a love of everything old and new again – style’s of the by-gone era, diversely textured and high quality paper stocks combined with an array of bold colours, striking lines, natural fibre fabrics and vintage highlights reflect the spirit of the lox+savvy creations.

Fun+quirky, stylish+classic, old+new, Lox+Savvy’s collection features a range of unique and creative designs that venture from barbershop stripes to hand-sewn button cards. The collection is defined by its attention to detail, individual designs and specially selected printing processes.

Sourcing paper manufactured through renewable plantation forests or using sustainable forestry practices, within each Lox+Savvy collection is some form of renewable resource. Fabrics include cotton, twine and roping teamed with 100% recycled stocks, paper off-cuts and pre-loved vintage buttons and buckles which feature across the range.

Well Done Lisa - and good choice Jason!!

Spring is in the air, flowers are in bloom and the birds are nesting. We love this time of year and to celebrate are bringing you another tightly curated array of superb retailers. Each has been selected for their unique signature, exceptional quality and contemporary appeal. Meet the makers behind the products and be inspired by their stories. Our tiny and small concept has everything for hip little people and their parents so come along and see the delightful range of children's clothing, accessories, jewellery, decor pieces, art and gourmets goodies.

Malvern Town Hall (corner Glenferrie Rd and High St)

Thursday 6th August 10am-9pm

Friday 7th August 10am - 5pm

Saturday 8th August 10am - 4pm

Click here for a list of retailers on show. We look forward to seeing you and your Tiny and Small soon!!!

celebrate spring....

Spring is in the air, flowers are blooming, birds are nesting and the bees are buzzing. No better time to enjoy the tightly curated array of beautiful retailers that is Magnolia Square. Each has been selected for their unique signature, exceptional quality and contemporary appeal. Meet the makers and be inspired by their creative talent in homewares, women's wear, jewellery and accessories and gourmet food. Our adorable tiny and small concept has everything for hip little people and their parents.

Malvern Town Hall ( Corner of Glenferrie Road and High Street)

Thursday 6th August 10am - 9pm

Friday 7th August 10am - 5pm

Saturday 8th August 10am - 4pm

Click here for a list of retailers on show. We look forward to seeing you there!

sweet indeed......

Sweet William is made up of sisters, Shelley, Paula and Jeanine spread from New Zealand to Melbourne. Apart by many miles but together in their passionate for creating all manner of interesting things. Sweet William was named after a pet Persian cat and the flower, Sweet William which represents friendship - a name with both meaning and a sense nostalgia.

"We draw inspiration from all over the place - motherhood, markets, magazines, blogs, film, music, art, design, nature, colour, pattern, etc., and we have a thing for the past, especially old children’s books and vintage fabrics. Illustrating is at the core of Sweet William. We try and keep our products unique by incorporating our very own original artwork."

Paula is the illustrator, her drawings are incorporated into products by Jeanine and Shelley, who love to sew. Recycling and up cycling are key elements in the designs; most of the craft materials are thrifted and or vintage from papers, fabrics, buttons and old games.

Stroll through the range in the Etsy shop or even better, at Magnolia Square in August.

clouds and puddles...

What a delightful image to start the day with! A rainy day would be much more bearable when arriving home to this...wallpaper by Julia Rothman from Hygge and West .

Have a good day everyone!!

just because .....

just because i thought this was so pretty.....

we heart....a child's day

Katie from We Heart Books takes us through her favourite book of the moment.....

From the moment I set eyes on Ida Pearle’s work, I was so impressed by her ability to capture both the activity and stillness of childhood. Her figures of children are absolutely mesmerising.

Ida is a young New York artist and already making a big impression internationally. When I learnt that her medium is collage I was gob-smacked – each part of her illustrations is cut and glued by hand… And yet she includes such detail and maintains incredible fluidity in every image.

Ida’s choice of papers is stunning – origami and other decorative paper is featured and contrasted beautifully.


Ida’s first children’s book, A Child’s Day: An Alphabet of Play is an alphabet book with a difference. Clearly touched by an artist’s hand, there is no room for C is for Cat in this book – try C is for Catch, D is for Dance… and Z is for Zoom! A child and his or her activities are the theme, providing both an incredible showcase of Ida’s talent and room for a child’s involvement and emulation.

We have imported Ida’s book directly from the US for the We Heart Books store, and it took pride of place on our table at Magnolia Square Sydney. You can imagine our joy when we discovered that across the way from us, our friends from Kindergallery had Ida’s stunning Alphabet cards. It would be a very lucky child (and mum) to be given both Ida’s cards for the wall and the book for bedtime reading.

Magnolia Square Malvern shoppers will be able to see and purchase this beautiful book in just a few weeks…

master (or misses) chef.....

The Masterchefs were good.... but the real challenge is coming up with a nutritious meal that children will eat...and time of course is never on our side.

Annika’s Favourites is a delicious range of handmade baby food, frozen in ice cubes, delivered to your door. Using locally sourced, fresh ingredients the business supports local farms, which helps to stay connected to the seasons and take advantage of the unique flavours and diversity of local crops. Buying locally also reduces the environmental impact of transporting products and minimises the degradation of the produce cooking. Annika's Favourites is made in small batches without artificial flavours and colours--just pure, wholesome food.

"Food plays a big role in our lives. Meals are a great time for families to come together and where baby's first mouthfuls are often the beginning of a lifetime love of food. Annika' Favourites embodies this philosophy of familial warmth" says owner Katie.

Peruse the menu at Magnolia Square at Malvern Town Hall 6th, 7th and 8th August.

meanwhile, back at the station....

Sydney siders at last had the chance to pour over the gorgeous Koolaman range of silver jewellery with character; an boy, did they love it! The Koolaman stand was a buzz with shoppers spoiling themselves or organising beautiful treasured gifts.

Stacey and Lisa where thrilled to have caught the eye of Victoria Carey, the deputy editor at Australian Country Style who awarded Koolaman with the Country Style product award.

"Country Style is one of our favourite magazines and we were absolutely delighted that our silver with character range was awarded Country Style magazines 'my favourite product" says Lisa in her blog.

Well done girls - you deserve it! We love the new style ball chains which will be shown at Magnolia Square in Malvern August and Sydney November.

gertie and you...

Gertie and me is the focus of Melbourne-based designer, Anna Guinness. She (and her Jack Russell Terrier business partner, Gertie!) established gertie and me in mid 2005, initially inspired following a trip to Europe after seeing some exquisite children’s interiors.

Her first product launched was the very stylish and practical Classic Moses Basket. Being snug, secure places for your baby to relax, sleep, and play these baskets are the perfect new born accessory. With superior comfort and convenient handles for transportation, it’s the perfect first sanctuary for your little one.

The range also includes a collection of charming velour soft toys ready to be taken home and loved. Visit Anna at Magnolia Square at the Malvern Town Hall Thursday 6th - Saturday 8th August.

If you clamour for glamour that is less about glitz and more about unexpected details then ANGUS & CELESTE might be your thing. We love the understated elegance of this range of fine bone china jewellery adorned with delicate motifs of flora, animals and other curios. A&C recently joined us at the inaugural Sydney event (the images here were taken at the Sydney show). We were thrilled to have them there and just as excited to say they will be at Magnolia Square at the Malvern Town Hall in a few weeks - click here for event details.

blow a bubble, climb a tree...

There is always lots of love flying around the Magnolia Square office with beautiful things being presented to us all the time..such was the case with the heavenly Little Bubble and Tree which we all agreed just had to be a part of Magnolia Square.

Only 9 months into the business, we have witnessed an expanding product range and a rapidly growing fan base, all loving the nostalgic collection of children's garments and accessories and of course the divine Kelly at the helm.

We would like to share with you Kelly's experience at Magnolia Square Sydney:

"What can I say, another beautiful Magnolia Square event. This was my third time showing at Magnolia Square, and it seems to just get bigger and better every time. The fellow retailers and crafters you meet are so inspiring to be around, you really form a strong bond with a few that develop into new friendships to take away with you....not to mention the extra shopping you do while you are there for the 3 days of course!

The venue was perfect and the way it was decorated made you feel like you were part of something really special. The buzz we all felt at opening time 2pm on the Thursday was excellent, and it only increased by the response from the public. Most were absolutely blown away with the high quality of retailers, and attention to detail the organisers put into the venue.

For me, I am just 9 months into my business - so taking my range up to Sydney (from Melbourne) was a fantastic opportunity to show off my kids kaftans to a new audience. I was so overwhelmed with the feedback I received, and to then to have wholesale enquiries - was just icing on the cake! I would love to make the journey back up in November, for I believe it will be bigger and better with Christmas spirit and by everyone telling their friends how magical it really was.

Thanks for having little bubble and tree!"

Well Kelly - the pleasure was ours!! You can see Little Bubble and Tree at Malvern in a few short weeks. Click here for times...and for up to date Little Bubble news check out Kelly's blog .

lucky duck....

Opening time each morning at Sydney resulted in scenes such as these with eager shoppers keen to get amongst the very finest in unique and gorgeous wares showing for the first time in Sydney.

One lucky shopper will enjoy her next Magnolia Square even more with her $200 shopping voucher in hand.

Congratulations to.....Donna Loon from Baulkham Hills who is the winner of our $200 Country Style competition. The only hard part left Donna is choosing what to spend your voucher on!!

colour burst....

Had to share these incredible images with you.

Mathematically organic paper sculptures,” is how Miami-based artist Jen Stark describes her quirky and captivatingly colorful creations. Having started off using colored construction paper more out of economic necessity, she now minutely assembles up to a hundred layers of paper that she separately cuts by hand into complex, precisely arranged, vibrant 3-D objects.

Jen Stark's art is endlessly mysterious. In addition to her explosive, painstakingly detailed drawings the young artist builds wondrous sculptures out of layers, folds, and cutouts of multi-hued paper, leaving viewers as engrossed by the pieces' beauty as they are baffled by their execution. What amazing patience!

Learn more about Jenn Stark here....

stick em up.....

Imagine the possibilities: large, vibrant, stylish designs add new dimension to your home decor. Classic to contemporary, country quaint to urban chic. Removable wall decals allow you to reinvent your space again and again, quickly, easily and with minimum expense.

In 2006 Fiona and and Jen started The Wall Sticker Company; a Melbourne-based business passionate about the "wow" factor that wall stickers can create in a room.

"We offer designs which aim to create a customers ultimate space; whether our customer is a home owner, a renter, or a business, creative or not. We have designs which stand alone and add instant impact, designs which can be used together to create a theme and even an interactive story for children, and designs which are so simple, the customer can create the feeling themselves"

Look out for the girls at Magnolia Square in Malvern later this month. Click here for times and further details.

on ya bike....

We love unearthing new exciting products at Magnolia Square which we know our customers will love. The latest comes from Jambolli, and will I am sure, make its way onto the Christmas wish lists of many.

The Jambolli Motorbike is a wooden toy balance bike that teaches children skills associated with riding a bicycle. They are completely designed and made here in Australia by the very clever Roman Schmidt. Eco conscious customers will be delighted to know that Jambolli uses only sustainably grown native plywood and environmentally friendly paints and coatings.

Be one of the first to take one of these babys for a test ride at Magnolia Square in August. Click here for dates and times.

heaven is a biscuit....

"The recipe of a truly great biscuit can’t be found inside a book, but rather in the heart and hands of the maker."

I must confess to being a biscuit devotee when it comes to Michels; it's the passion fruit creams that get me every time! Its the buttery, tart flavour that tastes so homemade and literally melts in your mouth.

Michel's Fine Biscuit Co. Castlemaine is an Australian owned and operated company based in regional, Victoria. Since 2002 the company has been delivering freshly baked handmade products with passion and enthusiasm. Using the finest, freshest ingredients with no added colours or preservatives backed to order and including a gluten free range.

Michel’s Fine Biscuits Co. Castlemaine source and use the finest natural fresh ingredients, local lemons, raspberries, passion fruit (Queensland), Belgian couverture chocolate, Australian macadamias, pistachios, pecans, and almonds. The freshest, top quality ginger from Buderim in Queensland, free range eggs, and fresh butter are also used. The biscuits are free of preservatives, artificial colours and flavours.

Tempt your taste buds at Magnolia Square Malvern - you will be hooked!

maiike promotion in MY CHILD magazine

The winner of the maiike promotion which ran in the current issue MY CHILD magazine was K. Scott from Crowsnest in NSW. Congratulations. Beware, you may become addicted.

best in park

I cannot tell you how excited I am about this find! A quick peruse of the Melbourne Design Market today at the Fed Square car park revealed a fabulous new brand with the all the hallmarks that I love. Beautiful branding, fabulous photography and of course a high quality, design orientated product. Enter BEST IN PARK!

Yes I do have a pooch, maybe that's why it caught my eye. I tend to think that it was the backdrop of vintage doggy swap cards and the smart four legged silhouettes brandishing leather collars and leads fit for a catwalk (pardon the pun).

Christina Teresinski, creator of best in park and owner of Walter, a black miniature poodle has combined her love of dogs and her design and marketing background to save style conscience canines and their owners everywhere.

The range includes high quality leads, collars, identity medallions and home objects crafted by superior materials coupled with exquisite workmanship. Not a diamante stud or pink leather choker to be seen!

party time...

Everyone loves a party..that is of course except the stressed out parents attempting to pull the event off! Never fear, Sambellina is here. Here with a gorgeous range or co-ordinated party accessories.

Mother of 2 and seasoned party planner Kate is most excited to introduce Sambellina, a new collection of designer party accessories and stationery especially for children (or the young at heart). The collection is colourful and bold enough to be fun and enticing to children but simple enough to be stylish and appealing to us Mummies.

Sambellina has been created out of a life-long passion for all things paper, doodling & drawing, and beautiful birthday parties. "Samantha, my 4 year old, is the ultimate party client. Everyday she is either a princess, fairy, mermaid or ballerina. My little girl has reminded me how much fun it is to draw, create and of course, have a delicious birthday party !!" says Kate.

See Kate at Magnolia Square in Malvern in August.

red berry takes it out....

Red Berry Design was voted number 1 in the first visual merchandising award in Sydney....closely followed by the thoughtfully gorgeous stands from Little Bubble and Tree, Red Wagon, Bluebird and Honey and Little Bird Photography.

Owner and designer,Jacqueline speaks of her experiences at the fair;

"Being part of Magnolia Square gave me the perfect platform to showcase my hand made range to the public. The superb range of high quality goods presented at the event created a unique shopping experience for both the general public and retailers alike.

Magnolia Square created a more personal and intimate approach to presenting my range allowing me to chat on a one to one basis to potential buyers and explain design influences and qualities to my range, giving the shopper a special insight to the creativity process for each individual piece.

To sum up Magnolia Square I would have to say; beautiful pieces and wonderfully creative people. It was amazing to have so many talented creators all together participating in the one event. Can’t wait for the next, bigger and better Sydney event in November."

We can't wait either Jacqueline..congats on your well deserved award!

Images courtesy of Little Bird Photography..please do not use without prior consent.

kids give a thumbs up...

Our first Magnolia Square in Sydney proved a success not only for our savvy shoppers but also for our smallest critics.

A delicious cupcake from Sparkle Cupcakery and a scrumptious cookie from Sweet Dream Cupcakes filled the tummy and set the scene for a fun day ahead. Next stop was the lmnop colouring table where chubby hands played Picasso and went to work on mini masterpieces while Mum and Dad enjoyed a coffee at the cafe.

It was then time to wind down on the We Heart Books story mat. Little faces watched and listened, enthralled by the beautiful books being read by our resident story tellers Lou and Katie.

We look forward to seeing all the Tiny and Smalls back again in November!

images of tiny & small retailers in Sydney ...

We are so excited ... the first lot of Sydney images have just arrived from our gorgeous photographer, Pru Trundle of Little Bird Photography. Yipee, they are divine Prue!!

(It is illegal to copy these images without prior consent from website owner) .

Lovely soft little creatures from maiike. Congratulations to maiike creator Aly Peel who won the award for favourite product from Jenny Lacey, editor of online mag lmnop.

Cute recycled fashion for little girls by yknot.

Little Bubble and Tree - a spectacular job of merchandising their stand, well done!

We heart books entertained the little people with story time on the map during the event ... they were a big hit while mums had a quick coffee.
The very pretty cloth poppy for lovely skirts, tees and accesssories combining vintage fabrics with other favourites such as liberty florals. Delightful!