Monthly Archives: June 2010

Vintage Tuesday Toy Time: The Dreamy World of Dakin.

Best of Alix, Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff, ,

Hurray for vintage tuesday! Hey, how about those crazy toddler road map pants Dottie found?? I love ’em for a summer vacation car trip, that’s for sure. So today I thought it would be fun to take a look at one of my favorite vintage toys—the Dakin Dream Pet. Dream Pets are wee little stuffed animals that are like cuddly cartoon characters. They all have amazing personalities and great little details—like hats, handerchiefs and more. These little suckers are super cute and make for adorable little room accents, but they have an equally interesting history too!


image: Kitsch and Curious.

Back in 1957, R. Dakin & Company began importing electric toy trains from Japan. As they unpacked the trains, they made the unusual discovery that the boxes were packed with several small, quirky stuffed animals—apparently the Japanese workers had handcrafted these whimsical little animals from scraps of velveteen and used them as padding to protect the trains on their long trip. Unexpectedly, these sawdust-filled little critters became more popular than the trains themselves! The workers called them “Dream Pets” because they said they could make any kind of animal they could dream up and the name stuck. The people at Dakin weren’t fools and quickly realized that they should be producing these sweet animals instead of trains! Let’s check some of ’em out:





Images: The awesome Susie and Heidi from Make Something Happy. (Check their Blog out. It rocks!)
Image: PinkyJane
Image: KitschCafe
Image: Lollygomez

Images: Tiramisue
Image: Nascar Trophy Wife

These little guys are so full of personality! The best part is, they can still be found very affordably (we’re talking $5-7 a pop, perhaps a little more for rarer ones). They would look adorable on a book shelf,  or even a display shelf. You can also try hanging them on a little framed shadow box on the wall! Yup….these little cuties are certainly dreamy.

Vintage Kiddo: Retro Round-Up

Kiddo Style: Vintage

Thanks everyone for letting us gush about Nate Berkus. He’s so dreamy and that design–hoo boy!  But you know we couldn’t NOT do a vintage kiddo round up this week! Because there were way too many goodies out there not to one.

What with Father’s Day so close, I had to start the vintage kiddo fashion show with this Daddy’s boy shirt. Imagine your little one wearing this while carrying a trade of homemade waffles. Mmm… Waffles. I love the little white belt detailing–mimicking Daddy’s leisure suit, natch!

As a nod to Alix’s dirdnl chic refernce on Friday’s wonderful kiddo, we have this darling vest and shoe combo featuring some stunning embroidery. I know those shoes will turn into one lucky little one’s  favorite holiday slippers.

You know I can never get enough of vintage prep–for myself or a kiddo. This wonderful whale t-shirt will certainly inspire your kiddo’s inner Buffy.  Matching Bermuda bag not included.

Forget what Barnum and Bailey said–clowns and kids aren’t the best pairing normally.  The exaggerated make up comes across to many kiddos as more scary than jolly. Or for one kid, perhaps the fear came from wearing this  scary clown romper.  The X’s for eyes. And sneaking around the side to scare you like that? Not cool, Bozo. Not cool at all. But fashion-wise–AWESOME.

With summer bringing the blazing sunshine (seriously bringing it–like I got a sunburn just sitting in the window for 45 minutes) this little matching gingham pinafore and bloomers is perfect for running through the sprinkler in.  There is nothing better than baby bottom, but cover it in some bloomers and I just might faint.

I think it’s time for saddle shoes to come back–shouldn’t they if they are as cute as these blue and tan saddle shoes? I would love a pair in my size.

Now this little summer shirt is charming as they get, but then you see the wonderful applique of a brave little duckie manning quite the sassy schooner.  With a sailor hat. Followed by a seal/whale/yellow fish thing that can walk on water. I love the idea of using blue ric-rac for water. Genius.

Who doesn’t love a good pair of pajamas–and let’s just up the cuteness level by putting cowboys on ’em.  And bonus points for the fringe print because I’m thinking real  fringe would be a bit uncomfy on pajamas. Don’t you?

You know I love a good pattern. So check out this great map fabric shirt and pants combo.  Wouldn’t that top look adorable over a long sleeved shirt with jeans on your little one?  Truly, it’s the perfect outfit to wear on a road trip!  Lost? Just look at the shirt!

I know most of our vintage pieces are are for the toddler set, so we get very excited when we find a nice piece in a larger size–like this snazzy size 10 Olympic Sports Jacket.  Oh Canada! I know your glory will live on in this  jacket.

These little knitted one pieces are so great for winter-time.  And this camel knitted one piece is particularly yummy.  Camels and pyramids aren’t your normal fair for baby fashion, but they certainly work here!  Let your little one crawl like and Egyptian in this one. Sorry I couldn’t help myself on that one…

And of course, stay tuned for more vintage goodness thanks to our friend the lovely and talented Miss Alix around noonish or so!

We Interrupt this Vintage Monday— for NATE the GREAT.

Kiddo Rooms, Things We Like, , ,


So listen. I know we usually post our favorite vintage goodies on Monday…but today we have something a little different for you. Hello cutie pie, it’s NATE BERKUS DAY!  I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I loooove me some Oprah. I tape it religiously and watch it every night. The ever-adorable Nate has always been one of my top favorite Oprah “pals.” Just in case you’ve been under a rock, he is one of Lady O’s friends (she always calls him Mr. Cutie Pie) and is a fabulous interior designer. He also loves doggies, seems incredibly sweet and has the best guy hair on TV. Just sayin’. A few weeks ago he had a tearful farewell on the show as Oprah sent him off to start his own show—The Nate Berkus Show, which will be premiering September 13th. The ladies over at Moggit (a hysterical blog, kinda like the Fug Girls but for home interiors) approached The Nate Show via Twitter and said, “Hey, you should do a show where the entire audience is filled with bloggers!” And thus, NATE BERKUS DAY was born!

We’re not a traditional Design Blog over here at Modern Kiddo, but we love chatting about cool kid’s rooms and giving ya’ll fun ideas for little spaces. We are super excited to be a part of Nate Day and we would looove to see more of Nate’s great ideas applied to cool rooms for kiddos. (As an aside, I’m also super impressed that Nate and his show’s producers are listening to bloggers!! Woot!)

One of the things I’ve always loved about Nate’s work was his eclectic mix of styles. His rooms are never too fussy or formal but warm, modern, chic and LIVEABLE. He also has a great appreciation for vintage and always throws in fun eclectic pieces to give his rooms a twist. Check out his own kitchen below and that rad vintage drafting table. I love it!

I think one of my favorite Nates designs was when he redid Katie Lee Joel’s townhouse. I saw it in Domino magazine and it was so sunny, hip and inviting. I looooved it:

But really, let’s just cut to the chase and talk about Katie Lee Joel’s bathroom. More specifically THE TUB and THAT chandelier! Hellllllllo glass of wine and quiet time for mama!!!

Gorgeous, huh. So Nate has a few simple rules when it comes to decorating and we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of our favorites and see how our kiddo rooms stack up!

NATE TIP #1: Hang something other than artwork on your walls, like antique objects or your favorite collectibles.

We love this tip! Hanging vintage dresses, aprons, record albums—even the records themselves!—is a great way to bring personality to your little one’s room.


See more of Georgia’s adorable room here.

NATE TIP #2: Live bold, but start small.

Another great piece of advice. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but try it out in small doses. Remember this amazing grey and green nursery from Virginie in Montreal? Who would have thought that grey would work for a baby nursery? Yet it does! And the big bold pops of color come in small doses, making this a totally warm, sweet but utterly modern space!

NATE TIP #3: Don’t be Afraid to Use the Good Stuff

While the original tip probably referred to things like grandma’s good china, we interpret it to mean, don’t be afraid to have grown up “nice” things in your child’s room. We’re not talkin’ your prized collection of razer sharp Japanese katana swords, of course, but we think grown up art or and even grown up furniture (like a mid-century dresser) can look dandy—and totally appropriate!



See more of Wolfie’s funky space here.

And finally, NATE TIP #4: Bookcases aren’t just for books anymore.

This is another super fave of ours. Books are such an important part of a child’s room (yay for storytime!) but I’m also a huge fan of displaying fun toys and mementos on shelves too. One of my All Time Favorite executions of this is Kristin’s incredible converted dollhouse changing table in her little boy Sayer’s room. Some of the shelves house books but many are home for fun items like vintage Fisher-Price toys and modern favorites. (Plus she has that awesomely clever book wall over there…)

If you never saw this post, do yourself a favor and check it out here!

So that’s our take on Nate the Great. We heart you Nate! Good luck with your new venture and HURRAY for recognizing design/style bloggers and giving us a shot at being in your audience! *MWUAH! from your fans in San Francisco!*

Be sure to tune in when The Nate Berkus Show airs September 13th, 2010 on ABC.


PS. Special thanks to Julieann of CreateGirl who dreamed up the idea for NATE DAY and got the attention of Mr. Berkus to begin with!

PPS. Vintage Monday is being pushed to tomorrow so look forward to a VINTAGE TUESDAY! We’ve got our usual Retro Round Up of fun vintage kiddo clothing as well as a Vintage Toy post that is not only fun but will give you some more cool decorating ideas for your sweet kiddo’s room!

Link Lovin' Friday.

Things We Like

It’s Friday people! Whoo hoo! I like to close things out with a sampling of things that caught my eye….hopefully you’ll enjoy ’em too. Oh, and when you pop over to some of these other blogs, why not leave a little comment saying “Hi!” I feel like we have some of the coolest/best readers around—let’s share the Kiddo love! OK….on with the linkies.


1. Older But Wiser.

I don’t mean to start a crafty riot with this statement…but the owl has become a tad ubiquitous. You have to admit, they are second only to the little birdie. At the same time, I’m still TOTALLY loving them! Dottie sent me the Brown Owls web site and I had a blast at checking out all things owlie!

2. Beautiful Liddles Kiddles from SMALL Magazine.


Ooooh SMALL mag, how gorgeous are you?  As usual this issue is chock full o’ goodness, like this beautiful fashion spread.

3. Giddy (Giddy) Over This Family.

My friend Teri runs the super popular kid’s accessory’s shop, Giddy Giddy. She also has a totally inspiring blog and I have to say some of my favorite posts are the ones she does of her adorable family. They recently returned from a trip to Barcelona and Paris and the photos are so incredible! Her post detailing their Family Mission Statement is a must read! Teri’s youngest daughter is in Wolfie’s kindergarten class and I feel so lucky to have met this wildly creative woman. (And yep, the whole darn family is super cute AND crazy nice!!)

4. I Know it’s Wrong But I Want a Panda Dog.

Apparently dying your dog to look like a more exotic animal is a huge trend in China now. Tigers. Pandas. It’s soooo wrong, I know….but dammit these pups are cute. Go here to see more and tell me that the big Tiger dog doesn’t actually look a little psyched by his new ensemble.

5. These Photos Are Child’s Play.

Our pal Robert over at the awesome Junior Society turned us on to this cool artist who takes children’s drawings and then styles them up into these amazing photographs. Look closely, it’s truly awesome! You can see more over here. I just love this idea.

6. Art, Art Baby.

The lovely Sarah Jane creates these beautiful illustrations that remind me of vintage story books. You know I’m a big fan of art in yer kiddo’s room, so you can imagine I was totally over the moon to see this huge Sarah Jane Studios print in this nursery. You’ll find the original over at Aubrey and Lindsay’s Little Home blog.

7. Chalk It Up To Creativity.

While browsing Kenzipoo this morning I was totally taken by these rad porcelain figurines painted with chalkboard paint. HOW COOL IS THIS IDEA???? If you are a little lazy (or simply want to get one from the pros), swing by Ladies And Gentlemen. They have boat loads of cool stuff, like the bunny and horse pictured above.

8. VOTE FOR MODERN KIDDO! Yes, a bit of shameless self-promotion....see that brown box on the top right of the blog with the jugglin’ mommy that says “Vote for Me”? Can you pretty please with sugar on top click it? It takes a second or two and will help us get a listing in the Top Mommy Blogs directory. You can vote every day, I believe. Not like I’m askin’ ya to do THAT….unless, you know, you want to. *wink*  THANK you! You can also click here, for our personal link to vote.

9. Hall & Oates
And finally….this week’s video is actually an audio track. I’ve been obsessed with Hall & Oates lately (I’m telling ya, they are the new Journey….) and this tribute album by The Bird and the Bee is totally fun. All the songs are great—Private Eyes, I Can’t Go For That…..but of course, I had to close this week out with a personal fave, MAN EATER.

HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYBODY!

Meet Mathilda! Our Weekly Kiddo.

Weekly Kiddos

This week we have a special little sweetie from Springfield, Missouri! Her mama is the stylish and creative Amy who clearly has an appreciation for the days of yesterday—she gave her the awesomely, old-timey name Mathilda, which is just about the cutest thing ever! Little Miss Mathilda has four siblings, including two older sisters, who provide plenty of sassy hand-me-downs for this stylish little gal. Her fun wardrobe is made up of lots of vintage and thrift-store treasures with, of course, the occasional new item thrown in for good measure! When you see how cute she is, you’ll die. Let the Walzing Mathilda begin!


CUTE! Love the moccasin booties and adorable overalls!


Tee hee. A little bit dirndl chic, a little bit Red Riding Hood and a whole lotta CUTE.


The long stripey legwarmer knee socks make this outfit adorable.


Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!! Tutu and vintage roller skates? Hellllo. This is SO Mathilda’s album cover in about 10 years.



Chillin’ with her best girls….I love her red dress and look at that smile!


This is the most adorable rain combo. The sweet buttercup yellow vintage dressie and then those totally utilitarian wellies is AWESOME.

Mathilda is one of those awesome little hybrid girls—she loves fun girlie things like roller skating and playing dress-up, but she also likes to climb trees and hang out with her four urban chickens. CHICKENS??? WOW!  I love it!  The lovely Mathilda has a sweet kitty cat named Casper that she looves and her mama says she charms the neighbors with daily visits to cheer them up! I am pretty taken with this little lady’s style—don’t you think she’s the bees knees?? Amy, thanks for sharing your gorgeous girlie with us!