Party Ideas....

It's nearly our 1st Birthday and if it's nearly our Birthday then it's really close to being DangerBaby & The Naughty's birthdays as well.

So with the party spirit in the air I thought we should look a party theme that everyone can get behind:

Colours!
Often overlooked as a 'theme', this is a simple but effective design 'trick' often used at weddings. Pick a colour for your party theme and then pick this colour up in your decorations, party outfits and food!

It doesn't have to be pink for a girl, blue for a boy! This year why not try a patriotic - Red, White &  Blue theme.

We have some decorative pieces, party clothes & gifts that can help out with this theme:

An array of Shuktara blankets, available in red, white & blue - perfect for those Spring & Summer picnics. Place one of these beautiful blankets on top of a plain white blanket to really set off its vintage sari pattern & colour.

Or give one of our Shuktara blankets as a gift. These chic vintage sari blankets are a firm favourite and are guaranteed to bring a squeal of delight from any parent.







Our handsmocked party clothes for children aged 0 - 5yrs makes any little one into the belle / beau of the ball. Dress your little one's in these lovely party clothes - but don't forget that camera! They'll be picture perfect in these wonderful creations:

For those parents that are more aware of the benefits of upcycling, there's a lovely array of Ta Daa clothes fashioned from the best french linen & cotton:

Looking for handmade gift inspiration?

Well our Larry the Lamb is supporting a very tidy red scarf & he's white to boot. Knitted in bamboo, both Larry & his scarf are soft for baby ( and washing machine friendly!)

We have a blue dragon, perfect for those little boys born this year (see Anna's blog post about 2012 being the year of the water dragon).


The beautifully printed Insectissimo book cover is a vivid blue & white. Enjoy the story & its wonderful illustrations.








If you want to go that extra mile - take a look at Anna's blog about making bunting. There's nothing like a bit of personalised bunting to make a party look extra special!

Above all, enjoy the party and take lots of photos!

New year, same old resolutions?

I've never made a New Year Resolution, it's not that I don't think that I'm perfect and don't need to change, it's just that I don't have the yearly urge to set goals for each 1 Jan to the next.

But this year it's different! This year I'm setting myself a goal.

THIS YEAR I AM GOING TO DECLUTTER!

Daddy DayCare is a hoarder, DangerBaby is a force of nature and when the two of them get together it's a nightmare! It takes them a few minutes to turn whatever room they are in to a sight more often seen on the news after a freak tornado.

So this year will be the year I cajole, nudge and gently persuade my family members to recycle, upcycle, and give up those items that they no longer need, no longer fit and no longer want.

This is very much in line with the lovely ethos behind Ta Daa, our friends who upcycle old clothes into new clothes for little people.

We're currently stocking their rompers, pants, dresses and shirts in our 'Natural' section of the website.

  

The colours and textures are usually associated with the high quality tailored shirts you see gentlemen purchasing in Saville Row.

Transformed into these lovely children's clothes, no two pieces are alike and when ordering you should let us know your colour preferences.

Our range can be found here:

http://www.unikgifts.co.uk/products/textiles_tadaa.php





I'll let you know how we go with the declutter later on in the year!

Looking forward...

I'm going to start the beginning of my last rota'd work days of 2011 (yes I only have 4 official work days left this year) looking forward to next year.

For those of you who know us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/unikgifts) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/u_ni_k) you'll see how cheeky this post is and will know that Anna's going to kick my behind for this (more than the arts vs. science degree debate!), but here goes:

2012 A very special year – Let's party like it's 2012...

Are you excited about 2012? Well you should be, and here's a few reasons why:

Leap year proposal

2012 is a leap year, which for us using the Georgian calendar means that the month of February has an extra day. Yep Feb 29^th is the topsy turvy day that traditionally ladies propose to their menfolk. Now I know in these days of equality a lady can propose to a man (or another lady) any day of the year that she chooses but there's something special about the lovely tradition of proposing on the 29^th Feb. And lovely traditions are something we at u-ni-k are rather fond of, and you never know perhaps Anna will take this upcoming opportunity to propose to her other half. [I'd wear an extra special hat on that day!]

2012 also sees some events to celebrate being British!

Buckingham Palace

It is the year of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II – A diamond anniversary used to be the 75^th year but is now more commonly the 60^th year of celebration. If it's a marriage celebration in the Commonwealth realms, one can receive a message from the monarch for 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, this is done by applying to Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, or to the Governor-General's office in the other Commonwealth realms. [Better hurry up with that proposal then Anna....]

You'll be bowled over to know that diamond anniversaries are usually celebrated by the giving of diamonds (duh?!), but since the QE II herself owns plenty of diamonds over 6000 in the Imperial crown of India [which includes the Koh-i-noor – a huge diamond at 105.6 carats!!!!!), she'll probably not need any more. So don't send her majesty any diamonds, but get out the bunting and celebrate with her!

London 2012

THE OLYMPICS!

My friend Fred,
Portland Harbour

A showcase of British Talent, hospitality and global presence – this is the year for the London 2012 Olympics! Britain is full of Olympic spirit and 2012 is their year to shine. The Olympic complex is mainly based in London, but the watersports (sailing, windsurfing etc) will be based in one of my favourite places – Weymouth! [at the excellent Portland Harbour]. So once again, out comes the bunting and flags, time to shout for your team and celebrate all things that make GB Great.

My wedding...

Not forgetting this will also be the first vintage year of u-ni-k IT HQ's damson gin. Damsons from the garden, gin from a local store, sugar and time hopefully have made this a classic vintage. We'll let you know once the hangovers have cleared. [First tastings seem to have gone down well...]

So, a busy year all in all [especially for Anna as she may have a wedding to plan] she'd better book a date before December though. Many have predicted the end of the world or that cataclysmic / transformative events will occur on December 21 2012. So good job we partied like it was 2012 then for the rest of the year!

:p