Archive for the ‘shop love’ Category
attention people of melbourne! hudson clothes (the tremendously-awesome-but-now-closed carlisle street, balaclava boutique) and nikki (the brains behind the tremendous awesomeness) are back for 8 days only! she’s having a pop-up, pop-in shop at vintage posters, 1136 high street, armadale from saturday the 14th of may until saturday the 21st of may, selling super cute goodies from her recent adventures in latin america.
10am – 5pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sunday. Phone (03) 9500 2505 for further enquiries. Cash Only.
be there or be deemed a SQUARE!!
a couple of weeks ago, prior to my jaunt to canberra (yes, anything less than 4 nights is classed as a ‘jaunt’. make note!) my boy and i popped into the little shop of handmade in carnegie. brace yourself, because its cute and right opposite the carnegie train station so car-less people like me have absolutely no excuse to not do all their christmas shopping there.
the name isn’t an exageration, it really is a little shop of handmade. little being the operative word, but you know that saying good things come in small packages? this small package is filled with good, smaller packages. the store has two rule: everything must be made here in the state of victoria, and nothing costs over $50.
the range of treasures is ample. you can buy things for babies, things for kiddos, things for teenagers, and things for people who are older than all those previous people combined. buy toys, kitchen linens, wallets, jewellery, books and zines, accessories of all kinds, and a brazillian other delightful things.
so in conclusion, visit bec at little shop of handmade and stock up for christmas, easter and also the following christmas. its a fun little shop, so packed with variety and i had a lot of fun chatting and browsing and oohing over the delights in store. even my hairy rock boy loved the pretties, but shhh don’t tell anyone that.
visit little shop of handmade: 8 woorayl st carnegie, melbourne, or online and definitely ‘like’ it on facebook.
all photos by me, cute buttons & elements by kitschy digitals
last week i took you for a virtual tour around one of my favourite local stores, lulu. this week i take you next door – to little lulu! little lulu opened a couple of months back and to my delight is just as fascinating as its grown up neighbour. stocked with international brands and local designer’s its a paradise for parents and those looking for an interesting present. doesn’t it look inviting? and look below at the sweet window display.
i really love browsing in lulu+little lulu because the stock reflects the beliefs of sally, who has brought it all together. everything there is considered and beautiful and has an interesting story. while i don’t claim to be exempt from big chain store purchases i really love shopping in small boutiques because of the consideration that’s put into their contents. take a browse with me, won’t you?
another reason i love little lulu is it actually has things for boys! shock! i don’t know what its like where you live, but more often than not i’ve walked into a children’s clothing store to be met with 4 racks of pinks and dresses and half a rack of really boring boys clothes with camouflage and trucks and other cliched things. note to designers: my son is not fighting hand to hand combat in a jungle – the camouflage is not necessary. if anything i’d like my son in a fluorescent orange vest at all times so i can find him. anyway, i digress. classic colors and quirky prints are in at little lulu and lots of local labels. (i get a dollar every time i use an L word.)
but little girls aren’t forgotten, there are plenty of pretty dresses and girly treasures to be found. isn’t that screen printed cushion adorable? i love her big button pinafore! and all those pins by lark are just asking to be picked over and sorted and treasured. i used to have a special old chocolate tin to keep special little things like that in (including my impressive eraser collection)
vintage books line the tops of the shelves in the store. isn’t the wooden cuckoo clock mobile fabulous? and the wooden girl looks like she’s marched straight out of one of my mum’s girlhood picture books.
its quite fascinating how nicely everything fits together in little lulu. old fashioned style sits alongside sleeker modern designs. handmade and commercially produced items are presented together and yet everything fits and is inviting and interesting in its own way. don’t you just want to play with all those little wooly finger puppets? you be the turtle and i’ll be that toadstool.
how great is that pinafore? uh i want it! and i’ll take an outdoor explorer’s kit too please. and lots of coloured pencils…
visit little lulu if you’re in the area, and definitely pop in if you’re after an interesting present – theres even a play area for your little lulu (or lou) to play in while you shop. nice!
do you have a favourite shop near you that you think i’d love? let me know because i’d love to visit.
a view to a lulu, the striking window display of hanging orchids in jars
since moving to my neighbourhood three years ago i’ve loved visiting lulu, so i’m really excited to share with you this gorgeous boutique i’m so lucky to live near! i have a feeling you’re going to want to step into these photos. lulu is run by sally, who is one of those people who exudes cool and excellent taste without being aloof or unfriendly. you know the kind of people who you want to immediately be friends with if only you weren’t the awkward ham that you are. every time i visit she’s playing some fab music, has chosen some gorgeous and interesting new stock and is always happy to help and tell you about what’s what. so let me take you on a virtual tour, that will no doubt inspire you to pay lulu a visit if you’re in melbourne. and if you’re not? come, visit – its great here (you’re welcome, tourism board)!
pink mozi teatowel, lulu cards and the pretty blue window display
eyeeeee candy! lulu’s stock is always so nicely displayed, and there are vignettes of treats at every turn. this makes for a shopping experience that’s charming, cozy and yet stylish. i’ve gone in so many times looking for a present for someone else only to be tempted by a present for myself. what? gift buying is tough! i deserve to be treated.
top left: golden clutch purse, notebooks & body milk, below: wooden covered notebooks, right: plush woolens and cushions displayed artfully
so what’s in store? where to begin. there are lots of independent designers’ products to choose from, as well as well established australian and international brands. a range of labels stocked is listed on lulu’s site. what i like most is that every item in the store feels like part of a cohesive range. everything is beautiful, well crafted, good quality and interesting.
left: a folky feeling shelf, top right: sukie ‘face book’, bottom: charming rubber stamps
you think these treasures are cute? wait until next week when i show you lulu’s sister store – little lulu, for baby & childrens’ things. you might just die of cute, so like those old B-movies warned you, have a medical professional standing by!
gorgeous candle packaging, and an amazing necklace.
i love the contrast between the cut metal and the silk threads. i don’t think i’ve seen anything like it. in fact, pretend you never saw it because i think i need to go back and buy it!
above, some of lulu’s selection of clothing, below from left: wooden brooches by elk, kokeshi dolls, and fabric purses by rabbit & duck.
lulu’s range covers jewellery, clothing and footwear (melissa shoes! love!), small artworks, paper goods (stationary, notebooks gift wrap and cards), bath and body products, and small home wares. its such an amazing place to find presents – but as i said, prepare to be tempted into a treat for yourself. and give in to the temptation, because when you find a shop like lulu, it deserves to be supported. shop love indeed!
i’m sure you’ve heard of arthur’s circus, natalie and nick’s gorgeous vintage treasures (and photographic prints of said treasures) have been featured in some of the world’s top style blogs and magazines! if you haven’t caught the buzz, here’s your chance for a crash course and a virtual visit.
arthur’s circus is a sweet little treasure trove in unassuming queensbury st, north melbourne. its like the coolest, most perfectly curated garage-sale-from-heaven you could ever dream of! let’s let some pictures do the talking, shall we?
gorgeous bowl of marbles. its been so long since i’ve seen marbles!
i’m so in love with this stove top! only this stove can’t convince me to cook seven days a week.
just a tiny view of the wealth of awesomeness you could be buying right now.
roll up! roll up! come buy cute stuff!
aurelie guillerey’s print was SO close to coming home with me. oy! that apple! i die!
vintage cushions ready for your eames nursery rocker.
stacks of vintage children’s annuals. ready for wholesome reading times!
no idea what this is about, but the illustrations are great. is that boadicea throwing money at some guy?!
shhh. pink bunny is enjoying orange puppies saxo-jazz.
aside from vintage toys, books/ephemera and homewares, arthur’s circus also stocks new things with a vintage flavour! like paumes interior books, art prints (by the talented likes of yee-haw, gary taxali, aurélie guillerey and their own sweet photographed toy vignettes) paper-goods, brooches, and softies and cushions from vintage fabrics. for more pictures from my visit, take a look on my flickr
ooh over their flickr
aah at their online store
what are you still doing here?! go get some treasure: take a little red wagon to pull it all home in!
i’ve mentioned the little sparrow shop in north caulfield previously on draw! pilgrim, and i wanted to dedicate a post to this awesome local shop so you can all see why i love it so much!
little sparrow is run by the completely lovely shelley davies, who has used her crafty knowledge and experience with her own children to build a shop filled with inspiring creations and the materials to inspire you to create something yourself! the combination of toys and handwork (craft) supplies might seem odd, but in the context of little sparrow it makes perfect sense.
inside little sparrow, the majority of store fittings are recycled & built by shelley’s husband who is a set builder
through her two children, shelley has been involved in the steiner education philosophy (or waldorf as its known in some countries), that focuses on the importance and quality of play and creation. many of the toys sold in little sparrow are wonderfully crafted and have multiple uses leaving plenty of room for a child’s imaginative interpretation.
while little sparrow is steiner inspired, its certainly not dogmatic, i’m not really a follower of any philosophy other than ‘do what feels right’, but the importance of play in steiner philosophy really speaks to me. i was lucky to have a mum with discerning taste in toys, so rather than have a ton of cheap throw away tat that broke after one use i’ve been able to pass on cherished toys to my son that i thoroughly enjoyed. what better investment than a child’s development?
i think it would be hard to go wrong with any purchase from little sparrow. aside from beautiful one-off handmade softies and felted toys there are wooden trucks and cars, handmade children’s clothing, art and drawing supplies, puzzles, books, dolls clothing, hand embroidered mobiles and shelley’s own special friends dolls.
from bushfire to blocks
little sparrow is a celebration of good work, and shelley strives for it to be a place that caters to buyers and also the makers who craft her stock. a lot of the store’s produce is made by shelley’s friends, and hearing the stories behind each object just makes for such a richer shopping experience. i think one of the most moving things was hearing of a man who lost his home in the devastating black saturday bush fires. from the wood salvaged from his property he began making bags of play wood pieces, kind of free form building blocks. each piece is cleaned and rough parts are sanded but mostly the wood is left as natural as possible. its just like the bits of wood kids bring home from the park, but its cleaner and the journey it’s taken is very special. the innocence of children at play gives this bushfire survivor a new life. how’s that for a feel-good purchase?!
pure wool felt
i also really love the range of handwork supplies stocked at little sparrow, many of which are environmentally responsible. organic wools and yarn, delicious pure wool felt in loads of colors, wooden buttons and notions, hooks and needles of all varieties, pure wool stuffing, trims, ribbons, and kits for all sorts of projects! my next purchase is going to be a flower loom, which i’ve been dying to try for ages. and if you’re after the best wool, check out the range by woolganic yarn available at little sparrow. its such a pleasure to work with, none of that nasty squeaky action i get with acrylic yarn. i’m pretty much a convert and can’t wait til the last dregs of acrylic yarn are used up!
all these supplies are all well and good if you know what to do with them, but what if you’re a novice or just an in-between crafter? little sparrow is good for that too! throughout the year there are various classes run after hours: you can make your own steiner/waldorf doll, stitch a felt brooch, learn to crochet, or try felting, embroidery, and toy making.
colorful owl softies
162 carlisle st,
