This Week's Best Bits

Merry Christmas from Bubble and Speak! We hope the big day was full of food, festivities, and family fun. Put your feet up and grab the remaining Quality Street - here are some of this week's best links...

Did we mention that we'll be launching a new feature at our February 2015 edition? Yes? Well, it can't hurt to tell you about it again! Perfect Pitch will see up-and-coming Bubble designers present their collections directly to retailers, discussing their stories, collections, and plans for the future. Sound good? You can read more over at the wonderful CWB Magazine (and register for a free ticket to the show here).

Earlier this week, we introduced you to new Bubble brand Holly Hastie, which creates elegant, quintessentially British girlswear. The label has shared more images from its A/W15 photo-shoot here - and they're every bit as charming as you'd expect. We love that red cape!

Looking to keep little ones amused over the festive period? Then don't miss Cool Mom Tech's guide to the best Christmas apps - including a wonderfully nostalgic Peanuts storybook. 

And, on the subject of keeping children entertained - how about festive baking? Babyccino Kids raided their archive to bring readers some mouth-watering Christmas recipes this week. Danish pancakes, chocolate mint patties and cinnamon rolls? Don't mind if we do!

How was your Christmas? let us know! 

Oh Christmas Tree!

London has played host to some truly spectacular Christmas trees this year...

1. St James' beautiful Christmas tree presides over Jermyn Street, the home of shirt-makers Turnbull and Asser and gentleman's outfitters Hackett (image via timeout.com). 

2. We loved St Paul's traditional tree, but were even more excited to spot Paddington Bear beside it! The wooden statue was created by photographer Rankin, and is part of the London Paddington trail. He'll be hanging around until December 30th!

3. Covent Garden's red-and-white Christmas tree must be one of the biggest (and brightest) in London. Standing in its own, over-sized tub, it shares the limelight with a 22-foot-tall silver reindeer. 

4. Trafalgar Square's stately tree was a gift from Norway, to thank Britain for its support during World War II. It was lit by the Mayor of London, the Norwegian Ambassador and the governing Mayor of Oslo - a tradition dating back to 1947. 

Which tree is your favourite?

The Magic Door Store

Team Bubble and Speak can't resist a little magic, festive or otherwise - which is why we just had to share this new Bubble brand with you!

The Magic Door Store was founded by former events manager Sarah, who kept her two young children entertained with stories about the fairies at the bottom of their garden. 

When winter came, she realised that they might like to come inside - and created a 'fairy door' to make it possible. 

Her children loved their miniature doors so much that Sarah decided to share them with the world - and the rest is history!

Each 20cm high My Elf Door and Mr Fairy Door comes with putty to attach it to the wall - as well as a small vial of 'magic dust'. 

A range of accessories - including deckchairs, welcome mats, milk bottles and 'magic footstep' stencils - are also available. We love this miniature Christmas wreath!

Ultimately, the doors encourage little ones to be creative and use their imaginations - though we suspect that parents could get caught up in the fun, too!

Catch The Magic Door Store at Bubble London in February (you can register for a free ticket here). 

Bursting With Brands

If you've visited Bubble London before, you'll know that the show is a platform for innovative, up-and-coming brands - many of which can be found in our curated Bubble Gum area. 

This season is no exception; in fact, we're all set to unveil one of the best Gum line-ups yet! Here's a sneak peek at what's in store...

1. Family-run brand 2H Handknits creates unique, artisan hats and sweaters, which are knitted to order in Northern Thailand. Founders Todd Berry and Puttachard Tanomrat strive to support women in the region, establishing knitting bases and living alongside their craftspeople. Each garment is knitted from 100% cotton yarn, and finished with mother of pearl and coconut shell buttons. 

2. By turns edgy, charming and fun, Saints & Bullies' unique clothing is designed and produced exclusively in Europe. Expect unusual prints, elegant cuts, and quirky, vintage-inspired details - like the braces on this skater skirt. Perfect for twirling!

3. Portugese brand Gloop! creates organic, 100% cotton baby products. Its bibs, swaddles, sleeping bags and towels are available in a range of original prints - from pink butterflies, to soft blue anchors and fishes. 

4. Designed by two American mums, the innovative Yumbox helps to promote healthy eating. Each colourful lunchbox houses a bento-style tray, enabling parents to pack nutritionally balanced meals-on-the-go. We love this green version, which has sections for fruit, grains, protein and vegetables. 

See the full Bubble Gum exhibitor list here! 

Little Spree's Winter Edit

Little Spree is an insider's guide to dressing your kids in a beautiful and stylish way, without maxing your credit card. With their impeccable taste and eye for quality and original style, Richmond mums, Sarah Clark and Nicky Hornby-Clifton uncover their tips and ideas for everything you need to know in kids fashion and style.

Creating daily mini features on only the pieces they genuinely love, Little Spree's posts are a mixture of cool, stylish and practical baby, toddler and older kids clothes and outfits - as well as toys, gifts and bedroom/nursery ideas. They have developed a loyal following of stylish mums, many of whom won't buy anything for their kids unless it has the Little Spree stamp of approval. They do the legwork so their readers can just shop their specialist edit - in fact, if you subscribe to their posts at www.littlespree.com, their edits come straight to you. 

After huge demand, they added Mama Spree - a weekly post dedicated entirely to fashion concious mums - to the site in February. Sarah is also a Fashion Editor and Art Director, and is currently Contributing Senior Fashion Editor at Red magazine.

Here are two outfits Sarah and Nicky have put together for Bubble and Speak, mixing some of their favourite Bubble brands with the best from the high street.

Boys Outfit

1. COS Cashmere Jumper, £49.00

2. Zara Cable Knit Bobble Hat, £7.99

3. Zara Fleece Lined Pea Coat, £27.99

4. Mini A Ture Bordeaux Pant, £35.00

5. Petit Bateau Silver Hi-Top, £61.00

Girls Outfit

  

1. Zara Shimmer Hat, £7.99

2. Mango Hooded Parka, £34.99

3. Beau Loves Dress, £43.00

4. Zara Maryjane Flat, £17.99

We love their winter edits - especially that dress-and-parka combo! How about you?