September 26, 2018

A Look at What’s New for Autumn 2018 in Holywood’s Magical Toy Shop, Little Citizens Boutique - With an Exclusive Offer for World of Kitsch Readers

September 26, 2018/ Claire Spence

I’ve blogged about my favourite, local, independent toy store a few times before, but I was in Little Citizens Boutique in Holywood again last week, so I thought it was time for an update.

I just became an auntie for the second time, very exciting, and was buying a present. I always turn to Little Citizens first if I have a baby present or a gift for a child under the age of ten to buy, but more often than not I end up distracted by all the vintage and kitsch things I want to buy for myself. When I say vintage, everything is brand new, nothing is second hand, the selection of beautiful retro stylised gifts include Scandinavian inspired doll houses, kaleidoscopes and baby toys.

So what’s new for autumn 2018? There’s the Moulin Roty range of dolls, jigsaws and play sets. The French brand, founded in 1972 is right at home in Little Citizens Boutique. There’s a teepee, a friendly lion plush, gorgeous baby toys, but these are my favourites from the range.

Moulin Roty Constance Party Tea Set £50

Moulin Roty Constance Puzzle £20

Moulin Roty Large Tool Set £55

Moulin Roty Wooden Garage £100

Also new for Autumn 2018 is Fair Trade brand Tegu Toys. They work with developing communities in Peru making these magnetic toys which are relaxing and fun to play with. You can make different shapes and models, allowing open-ended play.

If you love what you see, the online store is packed with all the Holywood shop has, and even more. Little Citizens Boutique have very kindly given World of Kitsch readers 20% off purchases using the code KITSCHY20 to use online until the 1st Nov 2018 at midnight - click through to the Little Citizens Boutique Online Store here. Happy shopping!

July 15, 2017

My Favourite Houses in Holywood, Plus A Real Life Grey Gardens in Bangor?

July 15, 2017/ Claire Spence

I'm starting off with the red herring. It would be an easy guess that this George McDermott designed, positively mansion-esque, flat-roofed home in Cultra would be my favourite house in Holywood.

Sitting alongside the Culloden Hotel on the main road from Belfast to Bangor, it's as luxurious inside as the size would imply. The interior has been fully modernised, but I would love to see photos of its original 1970s' stylings, especially the pool room, which it's rumoured George Best frequented back in the day. Best loved this place so much that he has his home in Cheshire based on some of the wilder features.

The home went on sale a few years back for £1.2m and includes vast grounds and an outdoor pool.

While I admire the modernist design, it alone isn't my favourite house in Holywood. There is a cluster of split-level, reverse-rooved wonders just a little further up the road and on the opposite side.

The Marino area on the hill side, not the coast side of the main road, is home to half a dozen parallel streets with these family homes of 1960s & 70s quite innovative designs.

Because of the hill, split level is used frequently, as well as lovely big windows for the views.

Here is one of the homes that's been modernised in the last decade, although the others don't look too dated.

I do wonder if this style of modernisation I've seen on bungalows in Bangor West too, will soon look more dated than the original homes, the way the cladding fad has.

This one isn't terribly design heavy, but I love it because it is true , right this minute Kitsch. A small family home overdecorated to the point it looks too much. Anything too ornate on something small is kitsch.

Finally, I'm not sure if this would be of interest to anyone, but there is a real life Grey Gardens really close to my house. Someone really lives in this house, year round. The house is as it was when the street was built. No upgrades or double glazing, in fact the top further window is broken and just has card in place.

I wonder how much it would cost to repair the place to how it should be? Would it be cheaper to tear down?

So now I think I've featured all the houses I know of and love, but does anyone know of any others I might like to look at? I've a feeling there's a patch over in Greenisland with similar houses to Marino, I just don't know where to look on Streetview to see them. Let me know! @rudedoodle

May 01, 2017

May Day in Holywood, Home of Ireland's Last Remaining Maypole.

May 01, 2017/ Claire Spence

Holywood is a small town about fifteen minutes drive from our house. We lived there the first two years of Smix's life. It's a very wealthy area, and the town reflects that. Lots of independent boutiques, indie toy shops, cafes, delis, it's a great afternoon out.

Holywood is also home to Ireland's last remaining all year round Maypole. Other villages might make a pole to dance with ribbons round for the May Bank Holiday, but Holywood has one there in place all year round. So a few years ago they decided to make the celebrations a bigger deal, and now on the Monday Bank Holiday the streets get closed off for pedestrians only and from 10am to 4pm there are stalls for charities with buns, Bric a brac, tombolas galore, and another street becomes a food fair. Sweets, crisp sticks, burgers, paella, fancy hot dogs, etc.

We learnt from earlier years that getting parked can be tricky. So instead we drove and parked for free at the Transport Museum in Cultra. From the car park it's a ten minute walk to Cultra station, and a four minute train journey to Holywood.

We got there about 11am and already the town was bustling. We shopped the junk & second hand stalls & I bought a little wooden music box house for £1.

By noon it was getting difficult to walk up and down the streets as it was becoming so busy, so we strolled down towards the seafront and began our walk back toward Cultra.

The weather was perfect, so sunny and bright but not too hot. A note for other families, the playground at Seahill seems to be closed at the moment for refurbishment. If you do go down to the seafront however, there was an ice cream van there today.

This is the yacht club where my parents had their wedding reception.

Magical little dream house.

Back by Cultra station there was a Maypole illustration. It took us about an hour to walk back via the coast.

March 02, 2017

A Quick Kitsch Stop Off at Little Citizens Boutique

March 02, 2017/ Claire Spence

Schools were closed today in Northern Ireland, as they were used for polling stations in our elections. Smix & I took a trip to Ikea, and then stopped off in Holywood town centre to visit Little Citizens Boutique.

They have a really great online store, but I like to call in to the physical shop just to see the quirky & unusual toys and gifts in real life. There are so many items I want for myself!

My favourite designer that they stock is Meri Meri.

I suppose technically the cute hair clips, brooches and necklaces are for little girls, but with cats & cacti- they are hard to resist for me too!

I already have a set of three felt brooches in the cacti design, and today I bought the matching necklace.

The store is just packed to the brim with cute & curious gifts, from newborn baby items right up to Michael's age range.

We saw a really cool watch that you can program via an app to flash different colour combinations- a good starting point for coding skills later on. Definitely one for the birthday wish list!

January 21, 2017

Charity Shop Treasure Hunting- Holywood

January 21, 2017/ Claire Spence

Another instalment of charity shop visits, this time Holywood. They have about six or seven shops, and some vintage antique shops too.

Its a nice little afternoon out too, with lots of quaint coffee shops, specialty delis, and independent boutiques.

Vintage My Little Ponies. I also spotted a Rugrats doll- the ginger one? I want to say Chuckie?

Lovely Irish linen

Royal wedding stuff is uber kitsch collectible. Charles & Diana trays, plates, moneyboxes, etc.

More original packaging. Check out the top left suggestion of how to use your push-light. Fancy dinner time.

The following items, apart from the last, are all from an antique shop beside the maypole. They are priced up accordingly, so you will pay more than a charity shop price if you want to go buy anything I show.

I love the bird cage. It's a really big home interior trend to have bronze metal accessories, so this would be a show stopping centre piece of a room. There's even a bird in the cage.

The pair of dogs is a classic kitsch decoration and they come in all colours. It's a 60s/70s 'every home has them' furnishing, like paintings of gypsy kids by Dallas Simpson, or three flying ducks on the wall.

And there's me!

Lastly, I like to finish with the weirdest thing I spot, like last week's Mona Lisa, so here she is!

August 31, 2016

Ever Wonder Where Those Effortlessly Cool Hipster Parents Shop? Not Only Can I Tell You, But I've a 15% Off Code For You To Use: Little Citizens Boutique.

August 31, 2016/ Claire Spence

There's very little I don't like amongst the inventory on the Little Citizens Boutique website, so choosing images to share with you was tricky to narrow down. The Holywood based retailer knows good design, and have just won a silver award for best toy & gift retailer in design. They also stock children's clothing and home wares, so here are some of my favourite items from their site.

Should you love what you see too, you can use the code KITSCH15 to get 15% off orders until midnight 30th September. (The quick buy links aren't active- sorry! It's just how I saved the photos of the products!)

December 09, 2015

Enchantingly retro Toys at the Winter Pop Up, Bangor.

December 09, 2015/ Claire Spence

At lunch time I scooted down to Bangor to grab a 24" slice of pizza from Little Wing.

Bangor was busy so after a lap with no parking spaces I finally found somewhere in Dufferin Avenue (the steep hill road beside the train station).

I just so happened to get a space outside a curiously lovely little shop- Winter Pop Up.

The store is here only for the Christmas season and stocks European toys with a classic, retro flair. Francesca who was in charge today is absolutely lovely and chatted to me while I snapped the toys that took my fancy. The mid-century dolls' house was very hard to not want to just but for myself.

I spotted dozens of gifts that I would be buying for Baby Spence if it was next year. I think while the Winter Pop Up is there, I'll buy some stuff in advance for my brother & his wife's baby arriving in Spring.