Vintage Fair!

Today I visited the lovely Vintage Fair at Bethnal Green.

http://www.judysvintagefair.co.uk/

“Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair has been providing Vintage fans with Affordable Vintage clothing, homewares and accessories since 2005.

Now the largest vintage fair of its kind and serving 30 cities it has been hailed by the national press as a ‘shopping phenomenon’”.

That’s what I love the most about this fair is that every time is different, offering different clothes, shoes, scarfs, hand made products and many many vintage household goods. I usually really enjoy the music. Today they were singing Four Femmes on the Thames:

http://www.fourfemmesonthethames.co.uk/

Here are some photos from today’s event:

Time for tea and cake!

I am feeling blue today

Can’t wait for the next fair: The Junior Vintage and Craft Fair. 

Meet me there. 

More music from the fair: 

Inside or Outside?

Weather is changing and winter is coming! Yesterday was a lovely sunny day, but when I traveled by tube I have seen so many people in winter coats, boots, scarfs and even winter gloves!
It is the same in the nursery, children arriving in winter clothes and some parents having second thoughts on if their children should be playing outside or with water when is cold. When it’s raining not everyone wants to stay with children in the garden,  they may say: “We would go outside more if the weather was better”. However this is an adult opinion, children do not think that rain is a ‘bad weather’.

Marjorie Ouvry in her book “Exercising muscles and minds” said:
“When encouraged to enjoy all sorts of weather, most children love the experience of the elements and can be highly motivated into asking questions and furthering their lines of enquiry. The weather – well this is one of our most valuable resources. Sun, rain, snow, mist, wind … all provide experiences which can increase children’s knowledge and understanding of the word in which they live”. 

Here are some examples of what you can do with children if it’s raining outside:
– go for a rainy walk with an umbrella and wellington boots and discover the puddles
– go outside to look for snails and worms, which always come out in the rainy weather, take some magnifying glasses and a camera
– listen to the rhythm of rain and it can help encourage you to tell a story or sing a song

Parents sometimes ask me to keep their child inside, because he/she might catch a cold. But a cold is a virus, it is not caused by exposure to cold air, dampness or being outside. Colds are more common in winter as children spend more time indoors and germs spreads more easily in the cosy, warm environment. Remember about suitable clothing whatever the weather and go outside!!

It’s a rainy day

When it’s raining and I have no plans I would definitely visit an art gallery. Today I want to take you to Royal Academy of Art.
It is located in central London, 5 minutes walk from Picadilly Circus or 7m from Green Park.

Just recently I have seen an exhibition called From Paris: A Taste for Impressionism. Many inspirations, fantastic experience.

I want to show you today one I really like and I think it’s great for this weather.

This one is by Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)

The Road: Rain Effect

Pissarro’s paintings reminds me of my childhood. My grandma’s village, with animals, always fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and more.

 Jalais Hill, Pontois: 1867

Dulwich College, London 1871

A Cowherd on the Route de Chou, Pontoise: 1874

A Field in Varengeville: 1899

A Path in the Woods, Pontoise: 1879

Apple Blossoms, Eragny: 1900

Apple Pickers, Eragny: 1888

Apple Trees in a Field: 1892

Apple Trees Sunset, Eragny: 1896

Elderly Woman Mending Old Clothes, Moret: 1902

Fields: 1877

Laundresses at Eragny: 1901

Haymakers at Eragny: 1889

Bathers Seated on the Banks of a River: 1901

“Everything is beautiful, all that matters is to be able to interpret”
Camille Pissarro

“Too safe for their own good?”

It’s rainy day, I can’t even see Canary Wharf today. But great day to explore outdoors with your child.

Today I want to make another link to Treasure Baskets. How many times it happens that adult takes an object from a child and says “Don’t play with it, it’s not a toy”. But if the object interests the child, and it is safe, why can’t they hold it and examine it?

That is why Jenny Lindon in her book “Too safe for their own good? Helping children learn about risk and lifeskills” makes this point and helped me  realize that we have to stop creating risk-free environment.

Children learn about safety from birth and we need to help them to judge situations for themselves in caring environment.Do not think that some of the objects in Treasure basket are not suitable, because they may be dirty, dangerous, or babies could harm themselves. If you are very careful about maintaing and replacing objects, there should be no problem. For example, you may think that keys or shells may scratch baby mouth, however babies are extremely cautious when exploring particularly new objects. Just sit down and watch your baby how he/she explored each object. Check if the object it’s not too small or broken. Do not be afraid of objects with long handles such as spoons, whisks or brushes. You are watching your baby and if you are showing fears about objects, this can be picked up by your baby and have a negative effect on the quality of play. Start your collection today! Change your basket regularly, be creative. Here are some examples:

Shiny Treasure Basket     

or Wooden one.

Other examples:
– light and colour
– a sense of smell
– a sound of music
– the sound of metal
– the touch basket
– the bathroom basket
– the kitchen basket
– light and heavy
– all sorts of shapes
– the brush basket
– rolling along

From next week I am starting to create my own ones. Can’t wait to take my pictures.

Why BrickMum?

The name BrickMum comes from my Love to Brick Lane and to bricks – Lego! I am also a mum to a lovely 9 year old kid!

Today something about Brick Lane and Spitalfields. Here are some of my favourite spots.

Spitalfields (Entrance from Liverpool Street). If u turn right just after Pizza Express (nice pizza place), you will find entrance to Spitalfields Market. First you will see  coffee places, then if the weather is nice – sit down and then follow towards shops and boutiques.

  Next, places to eat. On Saturday and Sundays there is a great Market, where you can find lots of good stuff. Once a month there is a famous Judy’s Vintage Market.

Next, place to have a nice drink.The Ten Bells.

and shopping again. If you haven’t eaten at Spitalfield Market you can stop just after this pub on the picture and have a famous Fish and Chips serve in newspapers.

Next, place with good Italian food and great street art. Best to visit on Sunday, because of Sunday Up Market. Lots of Vintage but not only!

  Great place to spend your day. Good music, nice food (even Polish sausages), great shops, Rough Trade East, Big Chill, American Apparel…

  Backyard Market. Great on Saturday, very busy on Sunday! You must drink a tea or coffee inside. Great vintage place with vintage music.

   Vibe Bar, 93 Feet East or All Star Lanes. Good music, again good food or maybe American bowling first?

  You must visit Rockit and Laden Showroom!. Good clothes and opposite you will find unique jewelry, nice book shop, and baby clothes Oh! Baby and more.

 On Sunday this part of Brick Lane is very busy. I will write amore about this part soon, as there is lots of good live music, food, people, bikes!

Ok, so that’s MY STOP. My favourite coffee place in London. Place, which inspires me.
Every Saturday for me, sometimes Sundays or lunch breaks. My Brick Lane walk usulally starts from this place, however today we started from Spitalfields.
Next to Brick Lane Coffee you will find the famous Brick Lane beigels. Don’t worry, they are open for 24 hours. You can always have one, but in the morning they have beigels with poppy seeds. Nice!

Than of course you will find more clothes, more nice food, drink or more vintage! The best on Sundays with additional stalls of vintage stuff.

End or Start? You decide?

“The Artist who Painted a Blue Horse”

Children like to draw! 
Parents like when their children are drawing, but how many of them are giving children colouring books?

Being an artist is not about ‘staying in the line‘ or ‘using the right colours’. It is not creative!!

There isn’t a wrong colour! Children should paint/draw the world as they see it such as in a fantastic book  “The Artist who Painted a Blue Horse” by Eric Carle.

I love the blue horse by Franz Marc, which inspired Eric Carle and inspires me!

Why crocodile can’t be red, or cow – yellow or lion – green or polka-dotted donkey?

Here you can listen what Eric Carle said about his book, which celebrates imagination and the artist within us all!

Treasure Basket – objects

What object can go into the treasure basket?

You just need to remember one rule: no plastic objects !

You need to start to collect as many objects as possible of different colours, texture, taste, weight and temperature. The idea is to offer maximum stimulation to the baby’s senses.

Suggested items:

Wooden objects – spoons, door wedge, curtain ring, egg cup, corks, rolling pin, blocks, pegs etc

Metal objects – scoop, small bowls, jar lids, whisk, sieve, bunch of keys, bottle brush etc

Natural objects – shells, pine cones, hard fruits, large pebbles, feathers etc

Variety of textiles, brushes, paper and cardboard, glass, mirror. 

It is good to collect more than one of each object and you should try to have a full basket.

Here is the Treasure Basket my friend begin to create for her baby:

Last thing to remember: The more variety in the treasure basket the more motivating and richer the play experience will be for the baby!

End of London Fashion Week!

My favourite pieces from London Fashion Week. I am in love in colour Blue again! Thank you LFW!!!

Burberry Prorsum

Temperley London

Ashish

Vivienne Westwood Red Label

and Mulberry (not everything blue but great too!)

Treasure Basket

My first post need to be about Treasure Baskets 🙂

Do you remember what was your favourite object to play with when you were young? Maybe a spoon and pan or dad’s car keys? There were no toys for young children such as now and children from young age learned about texture and creativity much easier.

Nowadays you can find many types of toys, for example Iphone- rattle case for a baby! Do they really need that?

When I first heard about treasure basket, I thought ok, another toy for 5 minutes play. However since observing babies playing with vaiety of baskets for long period of time I changed my mind.

“People under Three” by Goldschmied and Jackson it is a first book which proposed a treasure basket as a new approach of working with young children.

“Babies who can sit independtly but not yet move need a variety of different objects to engage their interest and stimulate their developing senses and understanding. Two key points are emphasized:
– the object should be made of natural materials, not plastic
– the adult’s role is to provide security by her attentive, but not active, presence.”

If you wnat to know how to create one, read my next post.

If you are looking for a unique present for your friend’s new baby, make a Treasure Basket!!

Hello World!

Welcome and Enjoy Reading!