shak-shuka

Mama Shuks Wish List

So, hooray! This Saturday I will be celebrating not only my birthday, but the birthday of 2 of my favorite little people: one of them turning 3, the other turning 4 - and me, turning involving one of those numbers in the double-digit region ;-) Saturday will be filled with 3 parties for each of us girls - starting from 11am until the evening when we finish off the day celebrating ol' Mama Shuks birthday with pizza and beer (for the adults, not for the kiddos!).

In case you were wondering what's on my birthday wish list, or even if it hadn't crossed your mind, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorites. I might not get all of them, or even any of them, but it's fun to have a nice little "wish list" handy should the occassion every arise when someone wants to buy me a little gifty-poo!

 

 

Ordinary Sundays Nude Shawl - even though summer is approaching, I still can't live without a scarf or shawl. I love the idea of "nude" in the summer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shampoodle Tracksuit Set - yes, even though we own a store that carries them, this is on my wish list. I think I might gift myself one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swedish Hasbeens Ballerina Perforated - because I have nearly all of their other shoes (heels, boots, clogs) I thought it was best to round out my collection with these babies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deux Filles en Fil Le Sac Enveloppe - ethically sourced leather, in a perfect shape for my everyday needs. love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Vegan) Animal Trophy

There are a few walls in our house that are naked, and in desperate need of some interior design TLC. A few of them I'll leave blank, because Papa Shuka really likes the "feel" (because it clearly isn't a reality) of a gallery-like-all-white-space. So I give him a few walls - don't say I don't love him!

I really wanted something a bit different for these walls, as it could really help bring the room together. One room in particular - the dining room - has this huge long standout wall, where a fireplace used to be, which would be perfect for something a bit tongue-in-cheek. Bingo: perusing my new favorite online store for quirky items - the Otherist, I laid eyes on it: a (cardboard) Animal Head trophy! I searched online for other versions, and found that the brand who makes them - Cardboard Safari - does not only make a Stag or Moose, but also Bison, Elephants, Rhinos - so wherever you live and whatever your local animal of choice would be for hunters, here's your answer. Being a vegan, I would NEVER ever think of hanging up the real thing, and these Cardboard Safari goodies do the trick of making a statement (for animal rights and interior decorating-wise) in more ways than one. So glad that I have one less wall to decorate, and knowing that found a new (fake) animal for our home!

DIY: Salty Rainbow Tutorial

I don't know about you, but I feel like our house needs a breath of fresh spring air, and not just in the form of flowers or (more) spring cleaning. I'm thinking a pop of color....but yet, it would be so much better if it was something that me and Lil'Miss could do together, so that she can show everyone who walks in the door the fruits of our labor (and potential ego-stroking for me too!).

Leave it to Twitter to show me the way. Since we at Shak-Shuka are lovahs of all things Daily Candy Kids, we saw that they tweeted about this amazing salt tutorial from Flax & Twine. Of course I had to check it out (since DCK are the gurus of all things kid-friendy+cool), and was amazed at the results. Anne Weil is the mastermind behind the "Rainbow in a Jar" tutorial, and if the end result doesn't get your crafty in the knees, just take a look at her photos for the "how to" and surely you'll be a convert. I love that it incorporates two of our favorite household items: summer-friendly sidewalk chalk (which we happen to have 2 buckets of!) and salt (which I love to eat, but LIl'Miss likes using it like sand). Who would have guessed that those 2 things would be a match made in heaven? Flax & Twine did! So grab your chalk, salt and empty baby-food jars (or something more glam) and get a rainbow in your home!

Quick! Everyone to Nina's House!

Not only has spring sprung in terms of the weather, but also in terms of babies popping up everywhere! I don't know about you, but nearly all, no - make that ALL! of my girlfriends here are pregnant, and many of them will give birth anyday now. A very exciting time, and needless to say, an even better time to have an eco-friendly children's boutique to give great gifts with!

Since this whole "baby boom" has hit us, I have been seeing new strollers, beds and the "big" essential items that you need for your new addition. I saw this amazing crib at one of our favorite sites, Babyccino Kids, and literally my face hit the computer screen. Made by a Dutch designer, Dave Keane, it is the combination of both a changing table, crib, playpen and little house all in one. Built for his daughter as they had limited space to have these 3 essential items (crib, playpen and changing table) it all fits in this showstopping little house, called "Nina's House". I don't know about you, but this crib has me seriously longing for another addition, just so we can have Nina in our house (haha). Nina's House is only available online at the Dutch webshop Planet Little (and for a hefty price tag - €1500, but totally worth it if you add up the cost of a crib, playpen and changing table....right?).

No Monkee'ing Around Jeans

I've been so caught up in the beautiful weather that I've managed to let posts slip by...no longer! Even though the sun is shining, I'm determined to share with you our beautiful eco-friendly finds.

With the influx of warmer weather, that means only one thing to me - white jeans. I have no idea why, but warm weather to me signals stripping off my usual denim or black jeans, and slipping into something lighter and, well, whiter! It is a bit crazy to wear white jeans around kids, but I throw caution to the wind now that I've got a good laundry machine in the house. I recently bought a pair of white jeans that are so great, they're almost the equivalent of a SATC Miranda Hobbs' "No Excuses" jeans that she puts on after losing her baby weight. Butt-lifting, slim in all the right places, heel-sporting good. If you're a woman, you'll know what I'm talking about - trying to find the perfect slim fit jean isn't easy. Monkee Genes is a funky name for a jean that fits the bill. I loved not only the fit, but also the fact that they are ethically produced (no sweatshops) and made from organic cotton. Ego and envirnomentally lifting? All that and so much more, so much so that I splurged on two more pairs (black satteen (LOVE! the color doesn't fade) and jean shorts). I'm not "Monkee'ing" around!

Kiboots Kick Off Spring

One of my best guy friends from New York, makes fun of how many boots the average New York woman has. It does seem a bit silly when I look at my closet and see an array of boots - high, low, heeled, no heel, black, purple, shiny, nubuck...the list goes on. But then when a chilly, downright frigid New York City winter hits, then I remember why I have my trusty Boot Collection. No woman in her right mind would be seen in heels or open-toed shoes in a blizzard!

So even though the spring is upon us, I still drool over boots. Case in point: Kiboots. Kiboots have this kind of funky, bohemian feel that I just love that I think matches perfectly with bare legs and flowy dresses. Kiboots are not your average boot either - they're made from a combination of leftover leather mixed with kilim rugs - I seriously double dare you to find a boot more eco-friendly than that. Choose from pointy or round-toed versions, and if it were up to me, they would make kids boots that would sell like hotcakes!

Updated, Knitted, Fairtraded Bean Bag

There comes a time in every wannabe-interior decorator's life (that's me, BTW!) that you hit a brick wall in terms of decorating. So far, we've done a good job of furnishing the house with basics, great lighting, and some fun accessories. But - there are a few gapping holes in my interior decorating abilities that end up jarring the results to look much more half-baked than I would have liked.

Rather than fill the space, or in this case - corner - with just any old chair, I am holding out. And waiting. And waiting some more. For the perfect place to rest my back and tuchis after a long hard day (or that's how it feels). Look no further - feast your eyes on our new seat - the Zilalila. Besides just being an unbelievably beautfiul website, the products themselves cause heavy drooling. Each piece has the "look" of a bean bag, but oh my it's so much more. Zilalila's cushions are handknit by a fair trade production in Nepal, and rather than being filled with those (toxic!) hideous little styrofoam balls, this baby is filled with more eco goodness in the form of recycled Tempex material that has been collected all over from the Netherlands (the birth place of the Zilalila). There are a few styles and colors to choose from, and I'm sure you could close your eyes and point to the screen and get one that is just right for you without fail. I seriously cannot believe that something this beautiful can be so super-d-duper eco, and such a perfect match for our home.

Arts+Crafts Go Eco

I love it when a company seems to read my mind. Actually, I might even get a bit jealous like "hey, I should have thought of that! That makes so much sense and now that I've seen it, I HAVE to have it"! Luckily this sentiment doesn't happen too often, so my wallet is spared...

Lollipop Designs is one of those companies who read my mind: what a child that is 2 years+ needs, is stimulation, a project and an end result that will last longer than their attention span! If you don't already know of this great brand, you'll see the entirely new range here at Shak-Shuka which we just got in stock and are bursting at the seam with excitement. Rubber stamp sets, marbled biodegradable balloons, book stamp sets, and by far Lil'Miss' favorite: (organic) Coloring T-Shirts. I have never had a bad response when I give these things as gifts, instead it's met with lots of "wow" factor. I love that each product is made with such care, from fairtrade, organic and sustianable materials. I mean, just look at this "build your own" Bunting Kit that is made from fairtrade, organic cotton and eco-felt made from recycled plastic bottles! Like I said, pure genius I wish I had thought of, but even if I didn't, I'm glad that Lollipop Designs answered the prayers of eco-minded families everywhere with their amazing range of eco-friendly crafts for toddlers, kids and parents!

Heti's Spring Colours

Spring is in the air! Even though there is still a definite chill in the air that is reminiscent of winter, the sun is shining and there are blooms trying to make their way through the frozen earth to show their faces. Yippee! Spring is my favorite season: filled with hope, beauty, and shedding all those heavy, winter (pounds ;-) items.

Every spring I invest in a few key pieces that I will work the rest of my wardrobe around. Here in the Netherlands we don't have much of a proper "hot" summer, so I skip the skimpy spaghetti strap dresses (enter crying here) and instead opt for short sleeve or long sleeve numbers. Sad, but true - at least there's very little room for disappointment! Having said that, I am always on the lookout for dramatic dresses. Imagine my surprise when I received an ASOS newsletter of all things, that I found an ethical treasure! A gorgeous, slinky and long dress by a brand new to me - Heti's Colours. Featuring a slight cowl neck, floor-grazing shape, and a stunning color palette unique to the Jaipur family who dyes all of Heti's Colours collection. Fair trade, ethical and eye-popping colors grace Heti's Colours tees, tops and dresses. Personally, I am in love - and funny enough, the colors are so gentle, that when the Cowl Neck Dress caught my eye, it wasn't the grey one it was the pink/red one! My daughter will surely be happy, and it's a welcome spring touch to my wardrobe.

For the Bird(house) Lovers

On Sunday I was tipped off to hit a great design market near our house. That hit both of my Sunday requirements: 1) markets - which I love 2) nearby - because I'm inherently lazy. Bingo! We had Sunday plans and before I knew it, we headed off in the chilly, but sunny weather to discover some treasures.

By far one of my favorite finds at this indoor/outdoor market with tons of great stalls from independent designers (who are the best kind to support IMO), was a Cardboard Birdhouse that both Lil'Miss and I fell in love with at the same time. I'm not sure if it's clear from the products that we sell at Shak-Shuka, but we are all about the recycled/recyclable-ness of cardboard, and this little ditty of a Birdhouse is just that! Made from water-resistant cardboard, and it comes packed flat, kids and adults have a ball painting, decorating, and then easily assembling the birdhouse together. It even comes with this adorable little wooden dowel for the birdies to stand on when they're going in and out! After becoming a happy customer, I inquired about the company who makes these, and it's Kikkerland - a design company that makes a slew of other "green" products, of which I am currently obsessed with the Rainbowmaker, Solar Disco Ball, and more. Kikkerland isn't just making our family and our outdoor birdies happy, but the environment and design-lovers everywhere!