We ♥ Roddy & Ginger

We love nothing more than a good old nosey round other people's houses and studios and a few weeks back we were lucky enough to visit the studio (and house) of the lovely Virgina Armstrong the creative bod behind Roddy & Ginger!

For those of you that haven't stumbled across Roddy & Ginger we suggest you check them out! We are totally in love with their vintage inspired designs that are all hand-printed onto linen or cotton using water based dyes and made in the UK.

While we were there Virginia let us into a little secret, she is in fact just weeks away from producing her first wallpaper range, with the first design Logpile to be launched in Autumn 2011. The range is being produced in conjunction with Siecle and the lovely people at Colour Makes People Happy (another of our lovely neighbours!). It will be matched with the Seicle colour range and available smokey blue followed by an olivey yellow and a warm grey. Virginia is also planning on developing the Logpile design further and incorporating it into a bedlinen collection - we like to sleep like a log, don't we! If that appeals you can check out some the Roddy & Ginger Logpile pillows available online here!
So remember you heard it here first and we're sure there is a wall in your house just crying out for the Roddy & Ginger touch :)

Beach Belles

The sun is shining and the beach is calling and here at Sparkle & Spin we have some lovely Summer pieces that will ensure your little lady is Queen of the (Sand) Castle!
We love these great striped dresses from Milibe, made from 100% and designed with comfort in mind they are practical and stylish. Katvig has as ever come up trumps, how cute is this vibrant stripe towelling dress, perfect for throwing on over a swimsuit we think it looks great teamed with their cute canvas deck shoes and is perfect for hitting the beach.

So grab a towel, get your best beach wear on, head to the beach and be a beach belle!

Happy Sunny Day

Something for the Weekend... Folkestone Triennial 2011

Richard Wilson's work 18 Holes, one of the permanent Triennial Artworks. Photo Sonia Earl

Patrick Tuttofuoco - Folkestone, Folkestone Triennial 2008. Photographer Thierry Bal

Model Georgina Baker at the site of the Folkestone Mermaid at Sunny Sands. Photograph Cornelia Parker

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside, we do like to be beside the sea!! This weekend is certainly the best weekend for a trip to the seaside town of Folkestone as it marks the opening of the second Folkestone Triennial event.

The Folkestone Triennial is one of the most ambitious public art projects ever to be presented in the UK. Nineteen selected artists have been invited to develop new works for Folkestone's streets, squares, beaches and historic building creating a cutting-edge contemporary art exhibition.

Curator Andrea Schlieker conceived the inaugural exhibition in 2008 and has worked togther with an amazing team of people from Folkestone's Creative foundation to direct and produce the 2011 Triennial, A Million Miles from Home. The exhibition will explore Folkestone's relationship with the wider world and acknowledge it's status as a gateway to and from Europe. With the selected artists living or having a biographical background from countries far and wide, including Algeria, Eygypt, Denmark, the UK and more the exhibition promises to take it's visitors on a journey around Folkestone and beyond. You can look forward to seeing amzing new works from the likes of Cornelia Parker, Hew Locke, Hamish Fulton and Martin Creed to name but a few!

We are sure this trip promises something for everyone and of course if you are really not an art lover there is always chips!

25 June – 25 September 2011
http://www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk

An Alice in Wonderland Adventure

It seems to be party season again and we just had to share with you the amazing Alice in Wonderland tea party we were invited to last weekend. There were Mad Hatters aplenty and despite some rainy weather we had a brilliant time!!

Get Set Go....

We've had lots of new vehicles rolling into the Sparkle & Spin HQ over the past few weeks and as we all probably know most little boys ( and plenty of girls too) can't get enough of toys that can be pushed or pulled along.

For little hands we love the little wooden dump truck, great for whizzing across the floor. With it's removable load it is perfect for hand eye co-ordination. We know every little man will want one of these brilliant wooden Car Transporters. Complete with two cars to load on the back this wooden lorry is a perfect gift for all those little petrol heads!

Last but not least is the scale model of the cult classic 1962 VW Campervan The rear and side doors can be opened and simply pull it back and watch it whizz across the floor. It doesn't need road tax or an mot just pick it up and off you go!

Anyone for Tennis?

With Wimbledon starting today we thought it was about time we pulled on the shorts and had a knock about. Of course there is bound to be strawberries & cream involved too and possibly a cheeky glass of Pimms ;)

Happy Father's Day!!

We all love our Dads don't we...... Happy Fathers Day :)

Something for the Weekend.... Art Car Boot Fair

This Sunday we're going to get all cultural and head over to the annual Art Car Boot Fair. With exclusive works from Damien Hirst, the Chapmans, Marcus Harvey, Peter Blake, Gavin Turk, Tracey Emin, Harland Miller and Ian Dawson for sale.

Plus amazingly frivolous and fantastic entertainments including a band on a car, a human snowstorm and the Big Fat Gypsy Fortune Teller and food and drink from St John Bread & Wine and the Southampton Arms. It set to be the best car boot you'll ever go to!! See you there :)

Art Car Boot Fair 2011
Entrance Fee £3Entrance corner of Brick Lane and Buxton Street – doors open 12 midday, pre-selling entry from 11am to an orderly queue.

We ♥ Diddi Dance

If you're little one really loves to Sparkle & Spin and if the recent run of dancing programmes (think Strictly and So You Think You Can Dance) has got their toes tapping then you HAVE to try out Diddi Dance!

Each Diddi Dance class lasts for 45 minutes and takes your little one through a range of warm up exercises that will have them jumping, turning, galloping, moving and shaking. The sessions are taught by experienced professionals and explore lots of different dance styles from hip hop to salsa and country to rock and roll. Throw in some hula hoops, ribbons, pom poms and more and you can be sure that it won't just be the little ones that have their hips shaking. It is great way of keeping fit and active and is GREAT FUN!

Dancing helps with co-ordination and gross motor skills as well as rhythm. Dance is also a great confidence builder and can help with social skills. It's not just for girls either, you little man may not want to be a ballerina or a fairy but we can guarantee that given a toy guitar he will turn into Mr Rock n Roll! So what are you waiting for!

Find out more at www.diddidance.com and if they don’t currently have classes locally then don’t worry they are recruiting enthusiastic energetic franchisees across the country all the time so there will be a class near you very soon!

Rainy Day Play

It looks like the rain is here to stay today so we're going to take the opportunity to check out this Ladybird Make and Do Set.
Each box set contains three classic ladybird books from the 60s and 70s (bring back memories Mum & Dad?) and every book is filled with ideas and instructions to fill a rainy day. The Things To Make book is proving a winner and if the rain holds out we will definitely be trying out the invisible ink recipe and I know Dad is only too keen to brush up on his part piece with some tricks from the Tricks & Magic book!!

Why not take a look, there are plenty of ideas to spark your little one's imagination!

Something for the Weekend... From The Tiger Who Came to Tea to Mog and The Pink Rabbit

The Tiger Who Came to Tea © Kerr-Kneale Productions Ltd

This weekend we'll be heading over to one of our favourite Museums, the V&A Museum of Childhood, to see a retrospective of Judith Kerr, the lady behind the brilliant picture book The Tiger Who Came to Tea. First published in 1968 the book remains as popular today as it was then and in our house a day doesn't go by without reading about that cheeky tiger, the Sparkle & Spin scamps no it word for word but never tire of it!

Judith Kerr is also author of the popular Mog series and original artwork, notes and sketches from her books will be on display, alongside a selection of Judith's early childhood drawings, which show how she became the well-loved artist and author we know today. Little visitors to the exhibition can have tea with a life-size tiger in Sophie's kitchen or read the adventures of Mog curled up inside her cosy basket. See you there!

May 28th - Sep 4th V&A Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Rd, London, E2 9PA

Make Time for Tea :)

We always make sure there's time for tea. We love our new spotty tin tea set, it's a shame cake is not included ;)

Something Special

No we are not talking about the infamous Cbeebies programme Something Special, although we do have a soft spot for Mr Tumble!! We're actually thinking about all those Summer events that need that something special outfit!!
If you're like us you've got wedding, christening and party invites coming out of your ears and no idea what to put the little ones in!! Well the Sparkle & Spin girls are here to help!!
We've have some great pieces in stock that are just extra special and will make your little one the belle of the ball! So check us out!
www.sparkleandspin.co.uk

Something for the Weekend... At Home in Japan: Beyond the Minimal House

View from a living room onto a domestic garden in Nara, Japan
Credit: Susan Andrews

The inside of a closet showing tableware in an urban home in Osaka, Japan
Credit: Susan Andrews

A Shinto shrine hung up high against the wall in a kitchen in Nara, Japan
Credit: Susan Andrews

A collection of lucky owls displayed in an entrance hall in an urban home in Osaka, Japan
Credit: Susan Andrews

We'll be heading East this weekend to get a real taste of the East at the Geffrye Museum's current exhibition, At Home in Japan: Beyond the Minimal.

The exhibition questions the stereotype of the minimal Japanese house and takes the visitors behind the doors of contemporary Japanese homes to see how domestic lives are lived in Japan today. Visitors can travel through the layout of a standard urban apartment filled with a selection of everyday possessions.

Do you remember that classic TV series Through the Keyhole, well it's going to be just like that! We can't wait, we love to have a good nosey around other people's houses!!

Until Sun Aug 28 Geffrye Museum, Kingsland Rd, London, E2 8EA

We ♥ Isla Bikes

Ok so here at Sparkle & Spin we do love a bit of glitz but we know that when it comes to some things you have to leave the glitter and glam behind and get serious. So when it came to choosing a bike for the little Sparkle & Spinners we just had to check out Isla Bike.
All cyclists know how important it is to get your bike to fit properly, and how much easier a light bike is to ride than a heavy one. After watching young cyclists struggle with bikes that weigh nearly as much as they do Isla put her years of cycle design experience and practical cycling knowledge together to produce a range of exclusive bikes for children.
Each Isla bike is produced with a child specific frame geometry and a full set of proportional components, including brakes that can be operated safely with small hands. Isla's motto is buy your child what you think they need, rather than what they think they want – when they discover they can ride further, faster and with more confidence than their mates they will thank you. She's right you know!! Check them out here!