::more from the niederlanders::

Beside the Bugaboo, the Dutch have brought us many other innovative and well-designed objects. Whether it's architecture (Rem Koolhaas + OMA!) or baby products, you can clearly see the amount of thought and energy put into each design.

My latest Dutch crush is Esthex toys. The creator, Esther Schuivens, is a trained textile artist. Her designs are simple, yet every shape and proportion is deliberate and elegant. My favorite is the lanky Sofie Doll. With the exception of her big brown eyes, every part is made from super soft materials. A word of caution: Sofie comes with her own hat which is not attached to her head, so it might be wise to sew it onto the doll with a couple of stitches.

The music box is also brilliant. The pull string is a little flimsy, but the song is a refreshing departure from the usual "twinkle twinkle little star." The rest of the collection includes hand puppets, book, mobiles, pram cords, accessories and decoration.

Look for them on nonchalantmom.com and piccolini.com.

::silly rabbit...kit+lili is for kids::

Looking for modern graphic clothing and toys for your little one? Kit+Lili offers silk screened onesies, tees, dresses and stuffed toys that are perfect blend of organic motifs and graphic crispness.

I first encountered K+L products in Marchand de Legumes on Elizabeth Street, NYC. I bought O an onesie with mums graphic motif, and an orange/white striped stuffed toy (see below).

Many of the K+L products are silk screened on organic cotton and other quality fabrics such as linen. The beautifully detailed stuffed toys are made by Sopa de Principe of Argentina for K+L.

So far, I've found very few online shops that sell K+L products. Look on sites such as nonchalantmom.com and tuttibella.com for whimsical tees, dresses and toys. The K+L website is up but not quite running--no internet trading for them at the moment.

If you are looking for an alternative to the cartoon-y graphics found on other kids clothes, give K+L a try. I hope you like it.