This day happened a few weekends ago but I am so far behind on this blog it’s amazing we’re still in the same season at all.

This day was a warm spring Saturday and it started out as I’m sure many Saturdays do for families all over the world, with a trip to Ikea. But when we arrived at Victoria Gardens we discovered Ikea didn’t open for another hour, so we stopped for mall coffee (mall coffee! Why can they never get it right?!?) then took a wander through all the other homewares shops, looking for inspiration for our new house. Somewhere during the course of that hour, Madeleine managed to take BOTH of her shoes off and toss them away so, while Mr B went and got a haircut, I spent another 20 minutes retracing our steps and asking in all the stores if anyone had found one or two teeny, tiny neon-orange plastic sandals.

We made it to Ikea five minutes before opening time and, seriously, it was like the start of a race up there! Hoards of families and pregnant couples milled around the entrance with barely-concealed anticipation, before SIRENS sounded (I kid you not!) to signal the imminent opening of the store. Next minute we were off and running and following those bossy floor-arrows as though our lives depended on it. Time gets all warpy in Ikea so I don’t know how long we were in there but, when we finally emerged, it was time to get on with the ‘real’ day.

Madeleine was as grizzly as only she can get when more than an hour overdue for a nap. So While Mr B took the car back home and organised our purchases, I pushed the pram all the way from Little Audrey to Carlton Gardens, where we were meeting up our friend Tonia to check out the Finders Keepers Markets in the Royal Exhibition Buildings. Madeleine was asleep before I’d made it half a block. During that walk the day transitioned from freezing to positively balmy, and by the time we’d all met up at the markets we were starving and ready for a late al fresco lunch.

A quick walk through the park and a spot of illicit flower-picking (by Madeleine), across the road to Lygon Street, and we hit up our favourite dumpling central. I’ve always enjoyed dumplings, but both my pregnancies have sent me into dumpling overload. I dream about those babies! Afterward Mr B ordered Madeleine a baby choc milk to go, and it was HUGE, but that didn’t stop her going absolutely to town on it. By the time we got home she was soaking wet and coated in chocolate milk from head to toe.

Mr B and I disagreed on her need to change but I won that round so, a quick wardrobe adjustment later, we joined up with more friends and all headed up to the Travelling Samovar for iced tea and a second spot of illicit flower-picking (again by Madeleine) in their pretty little courtyard. (The courtyard is also pictured at the top of this post from a separate visit, because I couldn’t resist showing my little gardening angel and Oliver the dog, so happy about his invitation to the tea party). Nobody was hungry for dinner that night.

And there you have it. A simple Saturday.

Have you noticed that so many trends these days seem to start with blogs? I’m not trying to toot my own horn here; I’m most definitely just a trend-noticer and not even a trend-follower, let alone a trend-setter. But I do read a lot of blogs and I have been noticing.

Take chevron stripes, for example.

Oh look, this blogger has made a chevron picnic blanket, this one has a chevron throw draped over her couch, and that one has made herself a maxi skirt in bold chevron stripes. Suddenly, chevron is all over the Internet, and everybody loves it. Fast forward a few months, then open up a magazine like In Style or Vogue Living. What’s on the runway? Chevron! What’s that new trend that will “add a bold splash to liven up your living space”? Chevron! Wait a few more months, maybe a year. Oh hello, clothing chain stores and discount department stores, is that mannequin in your window wearing chevron stripes, par chance?

When you think about it, it makes sense. Before blogs, designers went to markets and explored other cultures and turned to artists for inspiration. They still do that. Only these days, a lot of those market stall-holders and artists and people from thousands of different cultures also have blogs. So designers can take a look at what they are doing, online. And for anyone who works in trends (fashion and interior design for example), this is a fantastic opportunity. Because not only can they see what creative people from all over the world are doing, they can also watch – almost in real time – how a decent-sized body of readers responds to each new idea.

I was part of a group of bloggers who had the opportunity to hear from a Target Senior Stylist last week, a lovely man by the name of Ti who talked to us about the process he and his team would take when it came to designing new lines for Target’s nursery range. And that process was almost bang-on with what I’ve just described.

They looked at blogs, of course, which Ti said were particularly helpful. “Because parents put lots of pictures of their babies on their blogs, so we can see what the babies are wearing, how their parents style their nurseries, and what’s popular.” They also visited markets, all over the world. Then of course they read the popular magazines, watched the TV shows, and so on.

It was really quite fascinating to hear what Ti had to say. For a big retailer like Target, they’re not ever going to push the envelope or be first with the trends. But what they are going to do is try to read the trends and stay up-to-date with them, providing consumers with a mix of more traditional lines alongside those that are a little more contemporary.

Ti also gave us a sneak peek into what we’ll start to see in Target’s nursery range during the coming months. Would you like a hint?

Triangles are the new chevron (go figure!). Sweet, quilted-style blankets that double up, on the reverse side, as bright and vibrant play-mats. Bold and beautiful clouds printed onto super-soft blankets, in blue, pink and grey. Cute-as-pie dachshund prints and splashes of neon accents. Prints that pay homage to vintage toys like tin robots and rocket ships. Owls and pussy-cats. A colourful jack-in-the-box toy that, when it finally bursts open, reveals a Very Hungry Caterpillar.

As for colours, look out for new nursery things in teal, lavender, lime and coral, alongside the traditional blues, pinks, yellows and creams.

Some of these will be all over every store in Australia. Others will be tested in just a few places at first, to see how people respond to them. Based on consumer responses, they’ll revisit, rework, and try again.

One more thing:

I was not paid to write this post. At the end of the event we did receive a goodie bag, which was very sweet and generous. However, there was no expectation or requirement that we blog about this (although I’m sure they hoped we would).

I’ve been to similar events in the past, and chosen not to write a post. I blogged about it this time because I thought it was quite interesting to learn about the creative process behind designing a range of homewares or clothing for a big retailer, as well as learning about what’s up-and-coming for the future, and I thought you might think so, too.

On any given weekend throughout the summer months in Melbourne, you will meet this guy on the corner of Brunswick and Rose Streets. He spends his days ushering passers-by into the Rose Street Artists’ Markets, a former junkyard just around the corner.

Not wishing say no to a be-leathered, be-studded, double-hatted ‘Tin Man’ in a kilt, we dutifully took a turn into this haven of all things designed, crafted and handmade.

This market has been around for close to a decade, and the Tin Man is such a dedicated supporter he has become a bit of a Fitzroy icon himself. After I asked if I could take his photograph, we stood and talked for a good 10 minutes while he crooked a little finger at Madeleine in her stroller, and she grinned her gummy grin back up at him.

The markets themselves are a combined indoor-outdoor space, dedicated to artists and designers who want to hone and sell their wares and ideas. I love seeing the fabulous things the stallholders create. Trippy fish sculptures suspended in resin, in tuna and sardine cans? Why not? Jewellery made out of vintage postage stamps? Why, thank you. Tiny planters made out of neon dinosaurs? Don’t mind if I do!

There’s also a rather cute little cafe, which I’m yet to test out but I’ll be sure to let you know about it when I do.

The day will come, all too soon I fear, when Madeleine will want to move into her own place. To ease the pain of separation that day is guaranteed to bring (to me), I may invest in real estate on her behalf to ensure she continues live nearby.

Very nearby. In the family room, in fact. And the real estate will be of wonderfully-affordable cardboard construction.

Brand new Aussie company Tinyfolk makes creative and rather beautiful little indoor cubby houses and puppet theatres out of responsibly sourced, PEFC certified, and 100 percent recyclable cardboard. They come flat-packed so you can build them yourself (with not an allen key in sight), and the version called the “white playhouse” practically begs the kids to scribble and paint and glue glitter all over it.

Theatrical set designer and mum Genevieve Dugard heads up the company. “We love thoughtful products that create a space for children to make their own decisions, that encourage open-ended play,” she says on her blog.

I’m actually quite looking forward to seeing Madeleine become Lady of the Manor, decorating her little home just like the utterly adorable toddlers in these photographs.

All images used with kind permission from Tinyfolk.

I don’t want to be alarmist, but there are less than five weeks left until Christmas. *Insert horrified yell here.* If I have to even consider another one of those repackaged-to-look-vintage pointless office nicknacks and ye olde board games that they stack in dump bins around the entrances of department stores as gifts for the hard-to-buy-for friend, I may cry. So, as much for my sake as yours, I’ve gathered together today what I think are the best five gift guides floating around the Internet. In these you’ll find unique, one-of-a-kind and affordable gifts, as well as gifts you can make and gifts you can bake, PLUS some discount codes.

1. Good stuff

Pip Lincoln’s (of Meet Me at Mike’s) fabulous ‘good stuff‘ guide is out again, and it’s chock full, with 125 pages of things to make and things to make and things to read.

2. IHOD holiday gift guide

Anna from In Honor of Design (IHOD) has scoured the Internet for affordable gift options and handmade ideas, and includes exclusive discount codes in her 2012 holiday gift guide.

3. For book lovers

This is a cute list of the season’s best gifts for book lovers from Design Mom. It will be particularly useful if those book lovers are also foodies, crafters, teenagers, parents, little ones or artists.

4. Hip and handmade

Get your craft on with the girls from Craft Pack‘s digital book, A Hip, Handmade Holiday. It costs just $10 to download, and includes more than 18 projects and 100 printable stickers, patterns, gift tags and more.

5. Affordable art

Recently I published a little post about 20×200, a wonderful and ever-changing collection of affordable art for the masses. They’ve put together a little guide with art for everyone on your list, from geeks to wanderers, and sports fans to fashionistas.

ps. Here are some more great gift lists from Etsy:

* 25 gifts under $25
* Editor’s picks
* Gifts for difficult dads

Aaaaaaand more lists of five favourite things.

I met a girl in a spice store the other day and she was from New York. At one point she even lived on Thompson and Spring, like me. She probably patted my dog! (Everyone did.)

So of course we got chatting about how much we loved it and how much we missed it and yet how Melbourne had become a kind of panacea for all that homesickness.

“I think Melbourne has all the good bits of New York,” the girl announced, and I surprised myself by agreeing.

“The amazing food, and restaurants hidden down secret laneways,” I said.

“The awesome live music scene,” she said. “And I walk everywhere here, just like I did in New York.”

“Oh yeah!” I said, “And it’s mostly flat like New York.”

And on we went. And on and on and on. And so I discovered that I really did love this city, and that perhaps I had found somewhere to call “home” at last, something I’d yearned for, ever since I left New York.

“Melbourne is really similar to New York except that it’s– it’s–” the girl said, and she flailed in the air with her hands to find a way to finish her sentence.

“Less concentrated?” I prompted, and she said, “Exactly!” I had found a kindred spirit.

The girl managed the best smelling store I had ever come across, anywhere. You know in the cartoons when a character smells something really good and follows the delectable aroma, nose in the air, for several blocks before finally discovering the source? That was me, following my nose through the door of this store.

Inside were more than 200 different hand-ground, hand-mixed herbs, spices, and blends, and it was nose heaven. Without intending to spend a cent, I left after 20 minutes with $70 worth of tea, spices, cupcake wrappers and paper straws in my bag, alongside a booklet outlining cooking classes that I totally plan to take.

I was half way to the post office before I managed to give myself a shake and think, “What just happened?”

The name of the store is completely unpronounceable: say “Gewurzhaus Herb & Spice Merchants” three times quickly if you dare. But it is a happy place.

Melbourne peeps: do you want to join me for cooking classes? I’m dead keen on the yum cha and ‘From Persia with love’ classes, but open to the others too. They all look great. Send me an email if you’re up for it.

Melbourne is a city famous for high fashion, hidden restaurants down tiny laneways, pop-up markets, art, literature and live music. At times it seems like every other person in Melbourne has a creative project on the go, and I just love the energy here.

In such a creative city, it stands to reason that we would be well represented on that online hub of all things creative, clever and quirky: Etsy. So I’ve hunted around and brought you 20 of the best Etsy items, made or found right here.

Oh, and never fear! There are no bad hats, boxy shirts or dodgy downloads on this list. This is the Etsy that does my city proud: 20 of the most stylish, most creative and most take-home-able items from Melbourne’s top craft and vintage makers and curators.

Enjoy!

Have you seen the latest collection from Fleur and Dot? If you have a little girl (or know one), you should check it out. I’m all over this on English Muse this week.

And also, PARENTAL GUIDANCE HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE. I’m not kidding. It’s so frustrating, but kind of sweet. That’s on iVillage. Has this ever happened to you too?

Roll up, roll up. Great wonders will appear before your very eyes. What phantasm is this? Behold, the conjurings of the magic lantern, seen here in my post on The English Muse this week (hint: they do it with mirrors).
And in other news, have you seen these dance blooms yet? Stunning, oui?

Dynamic Blooms from Tell No One on Vimeo.

Exploring Nicholson Village while it is still cold, holding hands and holding coffee, squinting into the parallel sun. Toy stores with hand-made and hand-painted wooden bicycles, puzzles, little upholstered toddler armchairs made by an old man in his shed on the coast. A bookstore just for children: pop-up books, cut-out books, glorious collections of classics.

Then it is our dear friends from Sydney, Aaron and Jutta, well-met in Carlton Gardens. To me, “You’re so big it’s hard to hug you now!” And to Mr B, “You look positively svelte by comparison.” The instant chatter of good friends with months of sharing to pack into mere hours. Aaron and I lag behind. I am footsore with pregnancy, and he limps after having just finished the Oxfam Trailwalk at 6am. I am astounded he is upright.

Outside the the historic Carlton Exhibition buildings, the lineup for the Taco Truck snakes around corners, but we head straight inside to browse the Finders Keepers markets and marvel in all the crafty talent. We buy some hand-painted gift-cards, a three-tiered cake-stand made from old records, and little grey winter pantaloons for the baby, spotted in ladybird red.

Back into the sunshine, which is high and hot and glorious now despite the calendar insisting it is mid autumn, we enter the happy, eclectic bustle of Brunswick Street. Italian paperies, an old-fashioned puppet workshop, vintage clothing, milliners, outlets for emerging artists, and pubs, cafes and restaurants that spill out into the sun-drenched street.

We take the back streets to Min Lokal for a late lunch of grilled haloumi on radish and chat potatoes, Moroccan spiced baked beans with labna and dukkah, and crispy pork-belly over caramelised apple salad.

Then we hug and kiss again. “I can hardly reach you,” they insist as I awkwardly try to bend forward, past my own belly and into their arms. We part ways but I am not as sad as usual because I will see them again next week when I head up to Sydney for a brief visit of my own. Mr B and I walk hand in hand back up Brunswick Street, looking in all the shop windows. A drunk man sitting on a park bench enjoying a brown-bottle beverage from a time-honoured paper bag yells at me: “You’re pregnant!” then dissolves into gales of laughter.

Home as the sun begins to set, it surprises me how early it sleeps these days. Mr B heads into the bedroom for a little rest and the dog follows, eager steal a nap on the bed since I always tell him no. I rest my aching feet on the couch and read a couple more chapters of The Harp in the South before starting on the roast butternut squash soup that will be our dinner.

How was your Saturday?
All photos are from Finders Keepers today. I must remember to take my camera out more often, but I was too busy having a good time.