This morning I showed Miss M the paper quilt that Tiel over at TskTsk had posted. I started to tell my girl about how I’d like to do a family project like this. One where we all do a paper quilt along a specific theme. She nodded, and skipped off to our craft cabinet (a re-purposed buffet).

She had no interest in doing a group effort today, but was totally up for doing her own thing.

I still think it would be fun for each of us to make a collage either creating along a specific theme, or maybe using the same papers or palette… I’ll have to think this one through a bit. Once done, the (master)pieces would have to be displayed together. Natch.

Ever since mentioning my delight at having my Paumes books in hand, I’ve been trying to understand what about the experience was so familiar. After several days of ruminating this I finally figured it out — My Père Castor Books!

When I was little I had a boxed set of French word books, L’imagier du Père Castor published by Flammarion in 1952 (they were already old books when they got to me). I loved them. Really, truly loved them. I could easily browse through my eight little books for hours on end, and find something new and beautiful with each reading. (more…)

A couple months ago I followed a link from Loobylu, and an obsession began (this blog is teaching me that I apparently have many of them). I begged and pleaded with Tomas that he get me some of the Paumes books for Christmas, being quite sure that something terrible would happen if I didn’t get a chance to flip though these books. ASAP.

Tomas couldn’t figure out how to order them, so he said I should since I knew exactly what I wanted. I contacted the folks at Paumes directly by e-mail, and they were so very helpful, and responsive. I thought it was rather funny that I found them through an Australian site, and ended up buying several books written in Japanese about Scandinavian, French and British interior design and crafts, and that the transaction was done in French. Dizzying, really.

The books are little things, but full to bursting with lovely pictures. I am in love with the design aesthetic they have so neatly packaged. I’d probably get a lot more out of them if I understood Japanese, but the photos and illustrations are plenty enough for me

I’ve already got a list going of the activities I’d like to do with the kidlings that are inspired by these books.  I have no idea if we’ll ever actually do the projects, but it helps me in those “Mommy, I’m booored. What can I doooo?” moments to have these visuals in my subconscious.