knit animals BLA BLA

Do you know already Bla bla kids ? 

I was looking at this brand a bit skeptical for a while, because it's to cute for my own taste…but then, the other day, I look carefully at my 3 years old son favorite knitted animal,  and I realize that Bla Bla dolls are probably loved by kids a lot ;-) They have this traditional look, cosy and frendly. My little boy has this animal ( on the picture above without any brand name ) since he was born and he will not fall a sleep without it. 

Bla Bla was created in 2001 by Susan Pritchett and Florence Wetterwald. During they visit in Peru, they came across entire villages of expert knitters who had been keeping the tradition alive for generation…and the idea to start own company was born. 

I'm thinking of getting new knitted animal  for my son…but then, which one ????

 Cat ? Monkey ? Panda….it's not easy. 

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Unknown Children room styling, Children's room, my life, toys

new start

Happy New Year everybody! 

I wish you all a great 2014 and let's make the best out of it! 

After two nice weeks at home with my boys, I need some time to get into the new rhythm, but I'm….

planing, dreaming and looking for the new to come! 

Rafa-kids is having a small clean up at our store, for the last items in our collection.  Now the junior bedding sets :  PAPER DOLL, CAR CARDS and beautiful black&white VISIONTEST, ( junior and adult) are discounted, and we wan't get more once the last one is sold out. 

This graphic iconic BIG calendar on the picture is designed by Massimo Vignelli in 1966, 

for American company Stending. 

You can get it in the Nederland here : kleuroptafel It's a real candy for the eye ;-) 

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Unknown my life, Welcome new month

Rafa-kids Year 2013 - Thank you!

The year 2013 is going to end soon.  

Do you want to look back with us and see how busy Rafa-kids was?

In January 2013 we got keys to our Rafa-kids studio. We did not even dream to open own studio/showroom being just a starting company not even a year on the market! We took the challenge though and fell in love with the space from the beginning. It needed some work and took 3 winter months to just make it clean and simple...

In March we launched our third product - A teen bed which is a perfect combination for the F bunk bed. Since then we have a new set F&A for two older kids.  We also extended our Rafa-kids collection with 2 new colors - white wash and dark chocolate and add mattresses to all our beds. Many parents asked us for it and we decided we would like to make life easer for them. 

Spring came with all new beds and colors delivered to our studio. 

Maybe you remember my blog post from March ? Picture-this-concept-by-Paulina-Arcklin? 

In May we had our fist photo session with this great lady.

Sunny Spring days met us working hard in the studio on new pictures of the white wash collection. 

Facebook fans reached 1000 and we introduces quirky little S swing and XO game.

The studio became a great place to work from ...and we also ship our products around the World. 

In September faced with still growing demand for our beds we doubled the production. 

After a great Summer break, with new energy, we photographed ourselves the dark chocolate beds. 

It is such a fun to prepare the styling, ideas and shoot it all in our own studio.

In November Rafa-kids got ready for the cold winter days 

bringing beautiful WOOL blankets from Scandinavia to our collection.

We look back and see that we worked very hard to be where we are now. 

We are also  very happy to have chance to meet on our way such a great people who inspire us and help to go further. 

We would like to thank this years especially: 

 Paulina Arcklin for inspiration, support and opening our eyes for so many things. 

You are such a talented lady, and we are so lucky to work with you.

Anouk Bedeaux/ from Tafel design for support , interest and being always next door! 

It's great to have you around and we hope, we will make more things together in the future.

We would like to thank all our clients. People who trust us getting Rafa-kids beds for their kids.

There is no bigger compliment and energy we take from your comments, 

feedbacks, hearing stories of your kids, sleeping in our beds…. 

Thank you Loods5 for your support and  burrow us products for the pictures. 

Thank you so much, all blog world, which is a fantastic community of people supporting our design. 

Thank you especially our fans at :  Kenziepoo , Little Gatherer and Minor De:tales , April and May. 

We are blow away to be featured this year at:
 Swiss Miss, The Cool Hunter , Design-Milk , Milk front page , and The Style Files.

Without all of you we would be not where we are! 

THANK you so much! 

behind the scenes pictures © Paulina Arcklin | all rights reserved

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Unknown Children room styling, Furniture, kids furniture, my life, Photography, Rafa-kids collection, Rafa-kids design

wit - white

Last Friday I went to see exhibition in Nederlandsfotomuseum in Rotterdam called " White" . 

Did you also notice a strong trend with white color in interior design and fashion ?  I personally really like the minimal tendency and that people would like to reduce they needs and simplify they life. The exhibition shows a wide perspective and different aspect of WHITE COLOR.  All the text made for the exhibition and put in different corners are very interesting . There is so many art objects which stooped me in silence and contemplation..... 

If you looking for something unique don't miss it  - it's  open till 5 January 2014

I wish you a nice week-end. 

" sometimes white becomes quieter than quiet. 

By the time life slips from a human body, there is nothing left for us to say. 

Maybe one still sees an angelic face that sighs, a final movement enveloped in fog. 

After this all that remains to us is the white things that reduce us to silence - 

shrouds, marble and bones.  " 

" The bride said : " It was a wonderful and unforgettable day, but the whole time all I wanted was to disappear." The wedding dress seems specially designed for dazzling and vanishing at the same time. The woman, who is dresses in radiant white, is exalted above herself; she is the princess of her future dream. The wedding dress is the uniform of that dream; no women wears it without a shadow of doubt. " 

" The white coat that a doctor wears admonishes you to remain calm. When you arrive, they ask for your name and write it on a wristband. It may be that the illness and the pain, the drugs and the machines rob you of your power of speech or your consciousness. The rule of white it total your risk becoming the appendage of your illness. Your life becomes whiter and whiter. " 

photos  :  studioattenzione   /  the last one + detail bride / Agata Seredyn 

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Unknown my life, Photography, Places

my live on instagram

 It was again very busy week for me and if you miss me ;-) you can always step by my instagram, 

and see what I'm into it at the moment. I do not share so much from my life out here, and instagram  it's a great tool to grab the small moments. Facebook page is my second home too, for all the Rafa-kids updates. 

My older son was having birthday two weeks ago, this weekend its time to celebrate my little 3 years old ones. This keep me busy too ;-) We got an amazing photo session on Thursday in our studio with Happylights from Belgium and Paulina Arcklin, stylist and photographer.

I really love this collaboration and will tell you more about it soon , together with gorgeous results. 

I wish you great weekend! 

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Unknown my life

Masterclass Fotografie & Styling

I'm going to join Meet the Blogger Masterclass Photography & Styling 

ran by Anouk Brands and Wendy van Woudenberg this Thursday.

 I'm very exited to meet this two inspirited ladies, which I only know from the internet. Anouk is a stylist with a very strong taste and style. You can just step by her site ANOUKBRANDS to have the feeling. Her style is mostly black&white but with a lot of personal touch and influences from different fields and cultures. Wendy has a blog BEELDSTEIL with minimalist look and scandinavian touch. The Photography & Styling class will be run at Toonkamer in Utrecht, so it's also very interesting place to see. 

I'm curious how the ladies work and looking forward to learn as much as possible. 

Wish me luck!

First photo :  www.elmarkrop.com Styling: www.anoukb.com for www.yaya.nl

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Unknown Inspiration, my life, Styling Inspiration