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We are now counting down the days to the Easter break- not long now! As a little treat to our fellow tweeps (twitter people) we are giving away our beautiful Hyacinth basket (display everything from logs to spring blooms in), Bashful Bunny Soft Toy and Rococo Chocolate’s limited edition ‘Food Chain Easter Egg’ (3 eggs in one) hand painted by designer extraordinaire Donna Wilson

Simply retweet ‘EASTER GIVE-AWAY’ and follow @LauraAshley__ on Twitter to WIN! Good luck!

To view Rococo Chocolate’s website click here

We caught up with inspirational mother of four, interiors stylist and founder of blog ‘That’s Yummy Mummy’, Jess Contomichalos to learn more about her blog and how she styled up our boy’s home accessories for her very own little chappy, Antonis aged 4 years old…

Tell us about your blog ‘That’s Yummy Mummy’…

I really started ‘That’s Yummy Mummy’ as a platform and creative outlet back in 2010: I ultimately wanted to create my own magazine. I am essentially an interiors stylist but I thought that as I had four children (age four to twenty four years old) I had something to offer other mums. I have worked for many years on a variety of publications and sometimes found it stifling; as I couldn’t do things exactly the way I wanted to. Freelancing can also be difficult, as you have to fulfill a brief… ‘That’s Yummy Mummy’ was a destination that was my creation and something I could control. I wanted to give mums something they could dip in and out of, that was interesting, didn’t take too long to absorb and was for them – hence my reluctance to deal with serious parenting issues… just yummy things for yummy mummys!

As a stylist I have been fortunate enough to be able to put all my shoots for other publications on ‘That’s Yummy Mummy’ as the photographer I work with Matt Spour gives his permission – so most of the interiors shoots are original photography rather than press shots. Readers can find reviews for books, holidays and restaurants, recipes, styled interiors shoots, interviews with celebrity and non- celebrity parents and a few ‘parenting’ features… but don’t come here for advice on bed-wetting or colic(!)… ‘That’s Yummy Mummy’ is supposed to offer mums a break from all that!

Tell us about your Laura Ashley kids room picks and why you love them? 

I have had a long-standing love of all things Laura Ashley since I was about seven. My friend’s mother used to wear Laura Ashley smock dresses – she’d style them with American riding boots that she got from Argentina or clogs – she was ahead of her time. I thought she was just wonderful. Then in the 80′s I became an enormous fan again – with bodices and skirts that looked like Victorian petticoats, I even had a ball dress from Laura Ashley. When I was pregnant with Chelsey I wore Laura Ashley smocks, not forgetting the endless quest for Princess Diana ruffle shirts and a beautiful chunky embroidered belt! This addiction extended to interiors. I craved a Laura Ashley wallpapered bedroom with curtains to match (and scented with the Laura Ashley perfume). It seems only natural that I should have a penchant for Laura Ashley in my own home. Antonis, my four year old has his own little pad at the end of the garden – it’s a mix of beach hut meets 50’s kitsch. Picking Laura Ashley product for Antonis’ Pad was an absolute pleasure – here are my favourites!

Gingham Tie Top Ready Made Curtains: I have had a fondness for gingham since I was a child! We used to have needlework lessons at the convent I attended and we always had to buy metres of gingham for something or another! It is a lovely fresh fabric which perfectly suits a rustic little beach hut or cottage and seemed like the obvious choice for Ant’s pad. These Laura Ashley ones are perfect as they have tab ties and can be easily attached to a piece of dowelling which I then rested in cup hooks instead of curtain rails and brackets.

Boys Blue/Red Cotton Bunting: 

I am the bunting Queen. I have it up in my garden almost all year round! At Christmas I have some green, red and mint bunting hanging around the hall (which I got from Laura Ashley in 2008), we have boys gingham birthday bunting and tropical flower birthday bunting for the girls (me and Chelsey). So bunting is an absolute MUST for Ant’s Pad – it gives it a holiday feel and cheers us all up!

Red, Blue and White Star String Of Lights: 

These string of lights is a fabulously inexpensive but very decorative way to dress a room, and adds a comforting, gentle glow when it’s cloudy outside – these star lights are great as they are battery powered – perfect for sheds without electricity!

Boys Ahoy Fabric Boat Doorstop: Ant’s Pad was built by my husband and I which means that the angles aren’t all straight and the doors swing shut when you want them open (oops!), so the nautical boat doorstop was an ideal solution for keeping the doors open when it’s warm outside.

Pit Stop Blue Multi Wool Hook

Antonis’ pad is short on storage so some peg rails are the best solution – this fab Pit Stop peg rail is sweet and matches the gingham curtains – great for hanging bags, hats and jackets!

The one thing you wished your own mum had told you about being a good mum? 

My mum was very young when she had me so she was kind of ‘learning on the job’! My mum and dad were still growing up themselves – children of the 60′s revolution – I don’t think my mum left out anything actually – she has always been a great mum and given me wonderful advice and been there for me tirelessly with unconditional love. I am extremely close to her – I think my Mum is stronger than me and sometimes I wish I could be more like her when it comes to putting my foot down – she never told me how to completely master that!

And lastly, your top tip for starting a mummy blog?

I think you need to be passionate about your message whatever it is. I think the design is very important: if it looks good it will attract visitors! Secondly I think that you need to be clever and look into marketing/sponsorship opportunities to generate interest and never underestimate the power of the link! My biggest boost when starting up was being lucky enough to speak to Krista Madden of Handpicked Media. After the initial excitement when it launched I suddenly felt frightened and responsible. I rang her for advice and she said, ‘do you feel like you’ve created a monster?’ – I giggled with relief…she knew exactly what was going through my mind! She signed me up with Handpicked Media and to be honest – I’ve never looked back – they are a brilliant social media agency – a collective of independent websites and blogs.

To visit ‘That’s Yummy Mummy’ blog click here

Arriving on set of the Laura Ashley SS12 Girls shoot was a bit like stepping into a six year old’s fantasy tea party: big colourful balloons, a riot of ribbons, a dreamy dressing up box and a spectacular spread of sugary treats! Shot in an East London warehouse conversion, take a look below at our behind the scenes video. See the visionary team of photography and stylists at work, whilst our adorable little lady models get posing at play…

All the Spring/Summer SS12 Girlswear will be available to buy instore and online soon.

Every year there are always great Christmas party clothes on sale for both adults and kids and it’s very tempting to go for the most fantastic, spangley dress for both yourself and your little one – after all, this is a time for celebration. But when I’ve done this in the past, I find that I don’t have occasion to wear the outfit as often as I’d like to and it can end up languishing in the wardrobe unworn. The same is true for my daughter because a beautiful party dress seems too good for everyday.

So this year I’m looking for an outfit that can look equally as fabulous at a party as it would on a trip to the park or playgroup. Not only can my daughter and I enjoy wearing the clothes more but it certainly decreases the cost-per-wear factor, which means I’ve got value for money too.

Carnation Print Cotton Tunic Dress

I chose this Carnation tunic dress for myself because the darker colour palette can easily be made to look formal and dressy, especially with tights and some sparkly accessories. However, I know I could easily dress it down with a long-sleeved coloured top underneath plus leggings and boots/trainers. I could also see myself wearing it with sandals next summer or even to a wedding with a pretty wrap/cardigan.

Girls Pink Tiered Tutu Skirt, Fairtrade Cotton Button Trim Top

Likewise, each piece of my daughter Florence’s outfit could be mixed and matched with her other clothes for everyday wear. A tutu skirt always has the ‘wow’ factor and this is exactly the word she used (repeatedly) when I put her in it. But I think this skirt would also look cute with a jumper and wellies and when it eventually gets a little tired looking we can still use it for playing dress-up as a ballerina or fairy. The leggings are eternally useful as is the comfy top, which has pretty buttons to add a bit of sparkly decoration.

There you have it: two gorgeous party looks; lots and lots of everyday outfits.

To view Kat That Got The Cream blog click here

Finger puppets are incredibly simple to make – start with a basic shape then all the fun is in the decorating!

Materials Needed:

Small scraps of fabric or felt

Scissors

Needle

Thread

Fabric glue

Decorative elements (e.g. ribbons, buttons, beads, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, sequins)

Instructions for Basic Puppet

Cut two puppet ‘body’ pieces (for the front and back) from fabric or felt. Then, use the following instructions to customise the basic shape to make a girl, man, rabbit or parrot.

To Make the Rabbit:

1. On the front of one cut body piece, glue a pair of googly eyes. For the nose, stitch on a small black button.

2. For the teeth, cut one pair of small squares from white felt. Affix with glue just below the nose.

3. For the bunny ears, cut 2 x 10cm lengths of white pipe cleaner and bend each in half. Lay these at the top of the puppet front, pointing downwards and hand stitch in place. (See image for guidance)

4. Place right sides of two body pieces together, matching edges. Stitch all the way around the curved edge, using a 5mm seam allowance and leaving the bottom edge open. Turn the puppet right sides out and press.

To Make The Girl:

1. Place right sides of two cut body pieces together, matching edges. Stitch all the way around the curved edge, using a 5mm seam allowance and leaving the bottom edge open. Turn the puppet right sides out and press.

2. Stick on a pair of googly eyes. Cut a pair of lips from red felt. Affix to the puppet just below the eyes.

3. For her hair, cut a 14cm length of black pipe cleaner. Curve the ends around your finger to create a ‘curl’ then stitch the pipe cleaner to the top of the ‘head’ to hold in place.

4. Next, cut a bow shape from red felt then glue to the hair.

5. Finally, cut a flared skirt shape out of floral fabric, approximately 4cm wide at the top and 8cm wide at the bottom. Hand stitch to the front of the puppet, being careful not to sew through both layers!

To Make the Man:

1. Place right sides of two cut body pieces together, matching edges. Stitch all the way around the curved edge, using a 5mm seam allowance and leaving the bottom edge open. Turn the puppet right sides out and press.

2. Stick on a pair of googly eyes.

3. For the moustache, cut 1cm length of black pipe cleaner. For the hair, cut 5cm length of black pipe cleaner. Stitch in place.

4. Next, cut a bow tie shape from blue felt and affix with glue.

To Make the Parrot: 

1. On the front of one cut body piece, glue a pair of googly eyes. Next, cut a small triangle of felt for the beak and affix with glue.

2. For the wings, cut 2 x 90cm lengths of pipe cleaners. Bend these in half and place onto the puppet front, pointing downwards (like the bunny ears, see text above).

4. Next, cut 3 x 4cm lengths of pipe cleaners in different colours, representing head feathers. Again, place these on the front of the puppet, pointing inwards. (NB: You may need to pin or tack these with tape to hold them in place while you sew.) Stitch down all of the pipe cleaners, double stitching if needed to fasten securely.

5. Place right sides of cut body pieces together, matching edges. Stitch all the way around the curved edge, using a 5mm seam allowance and leaving the bottom edge open. Turn the puppet right sides out and press.

To enquire about The Make Lounge in Islington (London) contemporary craft workshops please visit http://www.themakelounge.com/

We love reading all about blogger Metropolitan Mum’s daily mummy musings on twitter so much we invited her to style up her daughter Little L in her favourite pieces from our AW11 Girlswear collection and share with us why she loves them….

Hi! Metropolitan Mum is a blog about me, Deborah. During mornings, when my daughter plays at nursery, I am a writer, sitting in one of the many coffee shops of Kensington, pounding the keys on my laptop. In the afternoon, I am a London mum, discovering playgrounds, museums and parks with little L.

Just like every other London family we need to get out from time to time. The other weekend we went to Chichester, so that my husband could quench his thirst for shiny old vintage cars at Goodwood Revival. Little L however was more fascinated by the pebbles on the beach nearby and by the fact that there was a funfair in the backyard of the hotel. On our weekend give-away we took away our top picks from the delightful new Laura Ashley Girls collection…

PICK 1: GIRLS PINK SPOT WOOL MIX COAT

I love this pretty little spotted coat – it is city chic yet still playful. It’s got the perfect length to be thrown over a party dress, taken out for a Sunday walk in the park or simply matched with wellies for a pebbles hunt.

PICK 2: GIRLS PURPLE VELVET BOW NECK DRESS

The quintessential little girl’s party dress (: scrumptious, super soft velvet, heart shaped buttons that fasten on the back and a big bow to complete the angelic look. I know what we will be wearing this Christmas!

PICK 3: GIRLS STRIPED STAR FRONT COTTON JUMPER & PICK 4: GIRLS BOW PATTERN KNITTED HAT, SCARF & GLOVES SET

This brightly striped star jumper has ‘playdate’ written all over it. It’s been the little one’s favourite (“Look, mummy, STAR!”) and it’s going to be a treat to set eyes on during those grey, grim winter days. Black velour skinny jeans give the outfit a cool, grown up touch – especially when teamed with colourful shoes.

As for the hat, scarf and gloves set: its so cute and super soft Its deep purple base colour makes it neutral enough to go with most of little L’s wardrobe, and the bow detail adds a little bounce to a rather practical affair. Chances are more than good that this hat will not be pulled off after two minutes.

See Metropolitan Mum’s Blog here