Nursery in a box!

Have you/ did you ever wish you could just order your gorgeously stylish nursery in a box? You know, just hand over your trust and credit card to someone with impeccable taste who would transform your white box into a beautiful and functional space for your babe-to-be? On a -- gulp -- budget?

Well, now you can!

Many of us would love to create a stylish, modern, cohesive nursery space... but not all of us have the vision or know-how to pull it all together. The magazines make it look so easy, but there is a reason interior designers are paid to do what they do! And not all of us can afford to hire our own personal interior designer...

There are tons of baby stores out there of course, but not all of us are excited by the Winnie the Pooh matching duvet/ wall decals/ lamp set or the Fisher Price musical mobile and its hard to know where to go for something both unique, affordable and stylish!

Well, look no further than Little Maison. I stumbled upon founder Leah via her blog a long while back; we're both mumtrepeneurs with young kids and I really adore her style. Her 'Nursery in a Box' concept makes nursery design a cinch! Simply pick your gender and budget and Leah does the rest! Gorgeous furniture (LOVE those egg chairs!), unique linen and decorative pieces make your nursery the perfect space for your tot.  Here are some images from Leah's site; do pop over for the breakdowns and pricing etc -- I really wish I'd known about this when I was struggling to put Fern's room together! Have fun looking xx

The Boxing Day Sales... thoughts?

The boxing day sales. 

Ladies, let's go there.

We all like a good sale, don't we? And on-the-whole I rather enjoy a frivolous romp about the shops; I can cope with crowds; I have no problem double-parking in a loading zone to avoid circling the carpark 47 times stalking those holding carkeys and bags in hand...

But the boxing Day sales?

I dunno.

In the good-ole-days (ie. three years ago bc (before children) I used to save my pennies weeks before the BD sales. On Boxing Day, I would burst through the yawning early-morning doors of Myer with fists ready to box anyone who would dare snatch that half-price pair of designer jeans before I laid eyes on them; and come home hours later sated but with bags and bags of bargainous joy to happily last me until the next Boxing Day sale madness.

Yes, the good ole days. 

Then, I fell pregnant with Fern. And that Boxing Day I was 39 weeks pregnant with feet like boats. No Boxing Day shopping adventures to be had that year. Then last year, Elliott was just four months old and would not be parted from my boobs for longer than an hour at a time and - having already established that my son had zero tolerance for shopping even by four months, I had to skip another Boxing Day sale.

This year was my year, folks. And I was NOT going to miss out!

Nursing a slight hangover and feeling slightly dog-of-the-bone I nonetheless fronted up at the shops at dawn along with my sister. Sensible shoes. Loose, comfortable clothing that could be slipped easily in and out of. Folks, I went prepared!

But sadly, it all turned out to be a little fizzle. Sale? Is anything really on sale on Boxing Day? Anything worth lining up for and grappling through crowds to part with hard-earned cash for, that is??? Most of the department stores had sales on before Christmas and to be honest, I saw nothing that excited me at Myer on Boxing Day. Despite circumnavigating the mall brandishing my credit card for a couple of hours that morning, I came home with a couple of measly little bags and a large amount of disappointment! Has it always been this way? Am I just a little more prudent about my purchases? Or has the concept of Boxing Day 'sale' as defunct as a shop selling CD's next to the I-store?

Ok, I did get a few little trinkets. And one great bargain -- a $100 bikini from Country Road for just $30. Oh, and some half price and seriously delishy body wash from Lush called "snow fairy" that I would like to drink straight from the bottle. A couple of stationery items from Kikki K. A pair of jammies for Elliott. Some invitations to the 3rd birthday party Fern does not yet realise her mother does not have time to plan for her next week (?!). But I wanted shoes! Clothes! An unnecessary but too-great-not-to-grab handbag! And I found none of it on Boxing Day..... oh well. There's always next year.

And you? How did you fare? Did you 'do' the Boxing Day sales? Am I just having a whinge or are they really a little overrated? Do share! I want to see what YOU snared!!

xx

My Boxing Day 'loot'. 

Xmas Ideas for the Crafty Cow

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a splendid weekend... today, I'm lusting over these finds which I thought I'd share with you -- my picks for handmade Xmas ideas for the 'crafty cows' in your life! I especially love the little vintage-inspired pincushion, what a great idea! 

pincushion in a teacup. $28 here

"Let's so" embroidery. $29 here

Metal storage box. $3 here.

Babushka knitting needles. $40 here

Made with Love stamp. $8.50 here

Kawaii fabric covered buttons. $5 here

Craft box. $30 here

What have you 'discovered' in the world of handmade lately?

Op-Shop Porn.

Yesterday, I went op-shopping. It was on a whim. I was driving past and something told me to stop.

In my experience, op-shopping can be terribly hit and miss. In my case, more miss than hit!

But this time, I totally came up trumps!

My loot? Total crafty-lovers porn: A huge jar of vintage buttons, an old ivory knife, a gorgeously vibrant vintage pillowslip (perfect for my Summer range dresses and bloomers!) and AND some totally adorable patterns for baby rompers, sundresses, hats and more that have me literally salivating for some spare moments to jump on my sewing machine!

I cannot wait to whip up some Summer delights for my shop with these finds.

Unfortunately, it will have to wait. We're off to New Zealand tomorrow for a week! V exciting!

What trumps have you scored from the thrift stores of late?

Paper and Scissors = makebelieve FUN!

I saw this on Etsy today and got excited. Very excited. Because as a parent, you are on a constant and often fruitless hunt for activities for kids that are:

- stimulating
- creative
- fun
- inexpensive and (perhaps most importantly)
- able to keep 'em entertained for more than 4 seconds.

Printable play clip-art. Need I say more? I think I am as excited about this as I am certain Fern and (one day -- when he stops thinking paper as a snack before lunch --) Elliott will be! Oh, the glorious afternoon that would be had printing and cutting these little beauties over banana milkshakes... and the hours of make believe fun to be had after!

And have I mentioned these sets are $7 each?

The only question I have is -- which one to choose? Buy them here. I'm pretty sure that tea-set will be in Fern's Xmas stocking!

and the cutest hat in the whole wide world award goes to......

..... my little son, Elliott! I just have to share this with you -- a little find from a handmade market I attended last weekend. Hand crocheted and just $5. I mean. Photographed today while sonny-boy sat on the bench out the back of our place, soaking up the lukewarm rays and inhaling a milk arrowroot like it was his last meal. Like he eats EVERY meal, come to think of it! Bless.

Have a lovely weekend, my poppits!

My New Keyring

As if I wasn't already well aware of how much I've changed since becoming a mum...

Two years ago, I bought a new car. So excited was I, that I drove an hour out of my way specifically to visit an Oroton store to buy a keyring. I had to have it. An essential must-have to match my shiny new car, I thought. I don't remember how much it was, but I'm certain it was TOO much.

Today I got a new keyring.

I spent $6.50 on it.

And it's so deliciously daggy, but I love it. I succumbed to one of those online photo companies who was having a 30% off sale on photo products. I normally grab my 12c prints and ignore the other offers. I've never really wanted to see my mug on a mug, thanks.

But I got to choose the shape, the colours, the background, you can even add text! And at this point, I should admit that I might in fact have bought a second one that says "go daddy go" for Dan. It seemed sort of rude not to.

Anyway. I left the Oroton ring on for old times, but I can't help but think my new one is a whole lot more fun...

What have YOU 'personalised' for yourself/ a gift?

My Big Little Treat to Myself!

On Sunday, I awoke feeling... well... a little less than 'fresh', shall we say. I think I may have had a small bout of food poisoning from some Thai the night before. It was bucketing down with rain, Dan had the day off work and really I had all the excuses in the world to just lie in bed for once and do. nothing.

But I didn't, of course. I'm not capable of that. So I dragged myself out of bed, decided eating was an activity that should best be delayed for the next 24 hours and decided to go shopping!

I had a $100 David Jones voucher that had been mocking me from it's magnetised clip on the fridge for the better part of a month. A world record, by my usual standards! And this time, this time I was determined to buy something for myself with it, rather than clothes for the kids, which is 99% what I do with gift vouchers these days...

Feeling a litte worse for wear, I was only at the shops for under an hour, but after circumnavigating DJ's a few times, I kept coming back to the one item I've coveted for a long time and that I've gazed at longingly every time I go to DJ's. Something extravagant. Something decadent. Something I didn't need. But something I'll look at every day and one day pass down to Fern. It's this:

It's the Jasper Conran Chinoiserie Green platter by Wedgewood. I didn't have quite enough money on my gift card, and had to fork over an extra $50. But I think its worth it. And I'm really glad I bought something for me. Which is probably why I then hit the kids section and bought clothes for the kids! teehee.

How often do you treat yourself to something you love?

Hope you have a great week... x

Halfprice books - who's doing who a favour?

Wandering past the Angus and Robertson bookstore today, I saw a poster: "50% off all stock!" I wandered in, waiting for the catch. But there didn't appear to be a catch!

Unfortunately for me, I quite literally had my arms full: it had seemed a good idea to carry Elliott through the shopping centre without a pram... or a sling... or a Baby Bjorn... and so I had him, my handbag and 3 carrier bags to grapple with. There was no way I was leaving that store without at least looking though, and as usual I beelined it for the cookery section (we've talked about my cookbook addiction and quite possibly the irony that nothing more complicated than a muffin ever extracts from my oven) and then the craft section. There wasn't a whole lot left; but I did manage to snare a copy of Sew Darn Cute, a steal at $16.

I would love to have scanned the bookshelves further, but Elliott was squirming like an earthworm by this stage and I knew I had about 6 minutes to get him home and into bed before major-mall-meltdown. Uh uh.

As I paid for my book, however, I sort of felt as though I was taking advantage of a bad situation. Big corporate or otherwise, here was another iconic store from my childhood desperately waving a white flag. The truth is, the internet is slowly assassinating business. It's happening at all levels and in all industries. We all do it; its so easy to sit at home in the comfort of our squishy armchair, searching and paying for online bargains. Who cares where the product comes from? And slowly but surely, local industries with already slimmer than Jenny Craig margins give way to their global competitors.

I don't mean to rant. And the thought didn't stop me from buying the book. But it did make me think, and  realise that I am more passionate than what I realised about 'shopping local'.

Anyway, I'm sure Angus and Robertson would much rather you buy their drastically discounted books than have stores full of unwanted stock. So run in while you can!

And then, go and buy a juicy apple from your local greengrocer. You'll be doing them a favour, and yourself too. One day your kids will need jobs and its our job to support our little communities!

Have a great day x

Kitch or Cool... the collector teaspoon!

Welcome to Monday... did you have a nice weekend? Mine was happily filled with sunshine, and any weekend where the sun is shining has to be a good one!

Carrying over from my tea theme last week, I thought I'd share with you a little purchase I made recently and get your thoughts... I was poking through an op shop hoping to find some vintage pillowslips to make more little dresses like this one when something else caught my eye. Buried amongst the plastic turner-upperers, rusty egg-beaters and mismatching cutlery... I found a little box of collector teaspoons.

The little box was more a big box, really, and was filled to the brim with collector teaspoons (most still in their plastic velvet-lined cases). Pawing through the box, I was immediately intrigued. Who had owned these spoons, and what was their story? I mean, this was somebody's life represented in teaspoons! There were tens of them. I could see where they had travelled, what events they had lived through.... and, sadly, I was to witness the ultimate resting place of the spoons on a dusty shelf in an op shop, unwanted and unloved.

But you know me better than that. Do you think I could leave these spoons on the shelf? I think not! Let it be said, I am not a collector of teaspoons myself  but something about these spoons was calling me to adopt and bring them home with me. I decided to restrain myself to four spoons. The last thing I want is a house full of (more) junk, and I wagered that if nothing else, they would be cute for Fern's little tea parties in the cubby.

And it took me ages to decide. Way too long, really. I fiffed and I faffed until finally I reminded myself that at 0.50c each, I could hardly go wrong and could always come back for more! So, this is what I came up with:

I chose two spoons with pretty flowers, and a commemorative spoon of Halley's Comet from 1984 which seemed fun and hey - could be worth something one day! These, I have passed on to Fern.

But my piece de resistance, and the only one to make it into my own cutlery drawer and the one guaranteed to have pride of place at any high-tea I decide to hold in the future:

Do you love it? It's got 'England' engraved on the front, and a crown with little red stone held inside. The spoon is about 20 years old and they are not in circulation anymore. I know, because I spent a happy hour on google looking it up. It is so deliciously kitch and I.love.it. Here it is with the vintage china teacup and saucer I brought home in my backpack from an op shop in Brighton Beach 4 years ago. In England, beautiful and vintage teaware is literally everywhere, and I kick myself to this day that I only brought home one piece!

So tell me. Cool..... or kitch? 

x

My New Swimming Pool

I've always wanted a swimming pool. And it was hot on Sunday. Very hot. So, it seemed an excellent idea to go shopping for a small inflatable 'pool' to play in... one that might fit all of us, rather than the teensy 20-cent-coin sized number we got last Summer for Fern to splash around in.

At the shops, there was only one pool on the shelf. And it was on sale! "Do you reckon it will fit?" I asked my husband.

"Yes, it'll fit" he replied.

Shopping is hardly a recreational pursuit with 2 children, so we snapped it up, got it home and opened up the box.

We started pumping.

And pumping.

And pumping.

And then we got the hose out and started filling.

And filling.

And filling.

While we waited, I read the entire Harry Potter novel series cover to cover.

And then we peeked. Our little blow-up pool filled the entire courtyard, with all the furniture removed! We stuck a toe in. It was like dipping a toe into the deep-freeze at the supermarket! My husband bravely dove in. I sat on the sidelines and pondered the meaning of buyers remorse.

I picked up the box and skimmed the capital warning emblazoned across the top. How did we manage to miss the fact that this monstrosity requires a fence! 

$40 for the pool.

$4000 for a pool fence?!!?!

Eventually I braved the cold and slid in, one limb at a time... we made a pitcher of icy-cold (to match the water) sparkling water and I pureed some hummus. We enjoyed a lovely hour or so in the sunshine like that. Of course, now the afternoon is over I'm wondering what to do with my inflatable 3m pool - now filled with a zillion tonnes of water? I've already extracted 300 watering cans-full, the garden is now drowning -- so much for the Aussie drought! What to do with the rest?! 

Dan is diggin the new pool... on another note, can you believe his awful attempt at 'Movember'? 

Free to good home: One as-new inflatable 3m swimming pool. x

Stuff Your Doodles!!!

My gorgeous friend Ben posted me an UK magazine article this week, profiling a designer that will transform your drawings and sketches... into a softie! He thought I'd like that idea, and he's right, I love it!!

The only problem is, I can't draw. Not even at all. But perhaps you can! And if you (or your children) can, this idea is so delectable: founder Lucy Moose and her team will send you a hand-stitched figure made with vibrant recycled fabric based on your original artwork. The process takes about 6 weeks.
The company is called Stuff Your Doodles, and prices start at UK$50. The idea is so simple, I wish I'd thought of it!

Here's an example of a drawing by Gus (aged 4) and the resulting softie:

and some more softies:

Imagine how much fun you could have with this...

Fun Things I Bought on a Whim

I love a good sale... doesn't everybody? When else do you buy things you don't really need but suddenly can't live without because they are ON SALE, folks! Last night, I was a little bit bored and found myself ordering the following from Ten Little Indians. Just because.

Oobi Nappy Covers -- surely a Summer essential for little Elliott to be teamed up with a white chesty Bonds singy?

Oobi pencilcase set - an essential stocking filler for Fern!

Lolligraph T - because in a week of confessions, I must admit hubby and I are more than a little addicted to licorice allsorts... and it was <$10!

... and the whole lot cost me $45 inc postage!! Have a squiz yourself, and all orders over $50 get a 30% discount. Just add KIDSTYLE at the checkout. Boredom is a costly exercise... 

Bitten by a Mozi!

I'm all for supporting Australian designers, and when it comes to online shopping there is one site that never lets me down when the decorating bug decides to bite! I'm talking about Mozi - the brainchild of two Melbourne sisters whose range of tea towels, aprons, soaps, stationery and other goodies have long taken my fancy! The bold designs and fuchsia, turquoise, and yellow palette of colours are right up my decorating alley! But would you consider my personal Mozi loot of no less than 3 wall prints, 2 cushions, 2 candles, 2 tea-towels, an apron, and a bar of soap a slight obsession?!? hmmm.

Anyway, here are a few of my picks for the new season - this tea towel in particular is hard to resist:

$19.95

$34.95

$24.50

$14.95

$24.95

$249.95

It's kind of a shame Mozi doesn't do a children's range... little oven mitts and aprons would be so sweet in a little girl's play kitchen! Anyway, who are some of YOUR favy Aussie home designers that accent your personal style?