Hooray For The Weekend

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Friday 30 March 2012

So the big question this weekend is "will it, won't it?!"  It's my due date on Monday after what seems like a very long 3rd trimester, and I can't help wondering if our imminent arrival might come early.  I'm certainly uncomfortable (but what pregnant woman isn't by the 40th week!), and am beginning to get my waddle on, but only time will tell as to whether things are going to overrun or not.

Oh, I suppose there is one more question on my mind...


Will keep you posted :)

Have a lovely weekend - these cute bodysuits are from Kayatine at My Little Square, so adorable! 

Fantasy Work Wear

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Thursday 29 March 2012

Sometimes simple is best, and this pretty, simple chambray denim dress from GAP is a perfect example!  I guess it's not really fantasy work wear in that it's so easy-going there's little reason why not to wear something like this day to day, even when running around after Tabby (obviously post-bump), except for the fact that I rarely wear dresses - something I plan to rectify this summer!  But for work it could easily be dressed up some heels or wedges, and you never know, maybe a slick of that red lipstick!   



Dare To Wear: Red Lipstick?

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Would you, or do you, wear red lipstick?  I love red lipstick and have always been slightly envious of those who can pull it off.  It always looks so glamourous and daring!  I'm normally more of a lip balm kind of girl and so to wear any shade of lipstick feels like I'm making a big effort in the beauty department, but recently I've been tempted to give it a go.  I've heard a rumour a few times that there is actually supposed to be a shade of red for everyone, you just have to find the right one to suit you... so with this in mind and a spring in my step, off I head to Boots!  I'm not entirely sure I've chosen the best shade to suit me, or if indeed I'll pluck up the courage to wear it, but I'm feeling a little more daring already just having it in my makeup bag!



Kids Playhouses

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Tuesday 27 March 2012

On the weekend (before Tabitha came down with a bug!) we were having a great time playing in Tabby's playhouse in the garden, and so I thought I'd bring you a round up of similar type kids playhouses that would be perfect for fun in the sun this summer!  Tabby's playhouse is from Habitat, and whilst it takes a bit of time to put up and take down, it's a great sturdy structure that still looks as good as new over a year after we got it.  But I also love the cheaper (recyclable!) cardboard house versions available at the moment too which come in a range of colours and designs, or just plain so you can have fun decorating them yourself! 





Manic Monday

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Monday 26 March 2012

Well, what a day! Tabitha fell poorly last night with a crazy high temperature and a cough so me and the Mr have been up for what feels like a day and a night, although we did manage to catch a couple of hours sleep somewhere in all of it! Needless to say, with a week to go til my due date and looking after a sick toddler today, I'm frazzled and can't think straight so just a quickie post...

I discovered this cute Etsy shop over the weekend and thought I'd share my little find with you... Such fabulous necklaces and cute stud earrings.  These are a couple of my favourites, but click here to check out the store, A Merry Mishap, in full.







I hope you had a good weekend... We're so lucky with the weather at the moment, and with the changing of clocks aren't the lighter evenings such a welcome glimpse of the summer evenings to come! :)

Hooray For The Weekend

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Friday 23 March 2012

I saw this photo on one of my favourite blogs this week (A Cup Of Jo - the article was on a different topic entirely.. to pee or not to pee in front of your partner, surely the answer being no! There's intimacy and then there's letting all the mystery slip out of your relationship!! However, I digress..!) and I can't stop thinking about how cool this Orla Kiely Stem wallpaper looks in this downstairs bathroom.  If I had a house big enough to have a downstairs cloakroom, I'd love to copy this style!  It's such a great burst of colour and print, hiding out in a room which ordinarily could be quite plain.

Image via Cup of Jo





I love Orla Kiely prints (I have a couple of her print notebooks which I love) and it's fun to see how other people have used her prints around the house - this bold orange stem print version has been used in such an original way on the stairs.. It's a really bold statement without interrupting the flow of the white/wood minimal look around the rest of the house.  Beautiful!





I think this orange version of the stem print would look great in a baby/kids room too, really fun and bright.  Unfortunately, I've yet to track it down for sale on the internet yet - if anyone can find it let me know!! 

Image via Design*Sponge

Here's a couple of other things that have made me smile this week...

How adorable is this pillow from Oeuf NYC - Tabby's still at the stage of cutting a few more teeth, not losing them, but when she's ready I'm definitely going to get one of these for when the tooth fairy comes to visit!


Here's my little niece, Marni, in her first sunhat! Too cute!


Have a lovely weekend! x

Fantasy Work Wear

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Thursday 22 March 2012

I really enjoyed indulging in my fantasy work wear outfit last week, so have decided to make this a regular feature for a while!  Today I've been inspired by the warmer weather this week and am loving this cute outfit from Monsoon.  If I am being strictly honest I'm not a big shorts wearer as I don't have the best relationship with my legs, but this is fantasy so it's fun not to actually have to worry about my body image and dress how I like!  And actually as far as shorts go, these pretty Elise Shorts have a great floaty A-line shape like a skirt and so would be flattering for most body shapes.  Happy days!






There's nothing more useful in the summer than a good tote bag... whether lugging round the kids' bits, your library books, a nice picnic or whatever, they're so handy to have at the ready and these Alphabet Tote Bags from Alphabet Bags are just perfect - form and function! 

I got an L bag a couple of years ago for christmas from my brother and I've had so many people stop and ask me where it's from... It's such a simple idea but kind of cool to have a bag with your initial on, or you could choose a letter to suit any reason you fancy! 







And these mini versions are perfect for kids, or for party bags... I'm going to get Tabitha a T bag for the summer, to carry all her bits and bobs to the park.



Check out the website for the full selection - there's purses, slogan bags, wash bags and more! 



Here's my favourite of their slogan bags!  



All images via Alphabet Bags

Are You Materialistic?

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Tuesday 20 March 2012

Materialistic - Adjective: To be excessively concerned with material possessions; money-orientated.

Hmm, this is the dictionary's definition of materialistic.  Kind of negative I feel.

Am I materialistic? This is a question I have been asking myself for a while now, or maybe more specifically, if I am is it a bad thing?

As someone who's main interests are fashion, design, interiors, etc I do spend a lot of my time seeking out things, whether by seeing what's new on blogs such as Design*sponge or Cup of Jo, by reading Vogue or Elle Decoration, or just surfing the internet for interesting sites and independent online shops.  And with that I have to admit there does come an ever changing wish list of things which I'd like to buy - currently a dress from Soaked in Luxury, a cushion from Howkapow, a cake stand from A& R Store, a iPhone holder from Whistles...  But such a hobby isn't always about acquiring stuff or to be excessively concerned about possessing stuff (of course I do have my days, when I see something I particularly fall in love with, hence the wish list, but who doesn't?!).  It's more about the pleasure involved in discovering new things - beautifully designed or well crafted things, innovative things, or reclaimed vintage things.  It's about finding out more about yourself by what you like or dislike; expressing yourself through the choices you make about what you dress yourself in, or surround yourself with.

I know, for me, the real things in my life that are important are my family - my husband, my daughter, my baby to be, my parents - and friends, and that without these around me all the other things are just that, things.

So, I wonder if it's perhaps possible to view materialism in a more positive light? To consider that by taking a real interest in the things you put in your home or your wardrobe means that we might aspire to have less, but have better - whether that's better suited to your lifestyle, your surroundings or your budget.

What do you think?

New for Spring at Donna Wilson

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Monday 19 March 2012

I'm sure you probably know of Donna Wilson and her funky shop full of cheerful cushions, kooky creatures and quirky ceramics, but she's got some great new bits and bobs out for Spring which have caught my eye, so I'd thought I'd share a few of my favourites with you...

I love this cheeky little red squirrel on the new Use My Tail tea towel, and it would make a great set with this Acorns & Leaves version too.






And another little squirrel friend also appears on this simple little bone china beaker, perfect for brightening up your morning cuppa!



And sticking with the animal theme, which Donna Wilson does so well, I love this new Fox plate.  I've been a fan of her fox cushion for a while now (and the badger one, the robin one, the owl one, I could go on!!) so this plate is right up my street, and at £14, is a lot more affordable than the cushion (which has been on my wish list for a while now!)







Happy Mother's Day

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Sunday 18 March 2012

Having a lovely morning so far, being very lazy in bed... got two cards, one from Tabby and one from the Bump! 




Zoe's always up for a lie in! 

Hooray For The Weekend

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Friday 16 March 2012

Well, I don't know about where you are, but it's a bit gloomy outside here and so I thought I'd share with you a recent discovery that is so sweet you can't help but smile!  My Little Day is a gorgeous website specialising in all things party-related for kids and since stumbling across their site I can't help but wish I had a party to plan for! (Tabitha's birthday is not for another 7 months!)


A French company, set up and run by two mothers, My Little Day is all about putting the pleasure back into party planning for your little ones without all the hassle - with simple touches such as colourful paper party bags, cheerful table decorations, beautiful paper bunting and fun party hats you can create an enchanting child-friendly theme without a disney character in sight!













All images via My Little Day

A couple of other things making me happy this weekend...

These coloured jeans from New Look are exactly what I fancy for Spring! A perfect shade of pink (not too pale) and with cool zip details, I'm definitely ordering my pair now!




I've got a craving for muffins this weekend (maybe I won't fit into those jeans after all!) and so I've decided to make some Banana and Walnut breakfast muffins, by adapting a fabulous recipe I've used before for Raspberry and Almond muffins.  It's a really simple recipe and the only thing I can make where the end result looks as good as muffins you'd buy from a bakery!  

(You should definitely try the Raspberry and Almond version - they're amazing!)

Ingredients

11oz self raising flour
8oz caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder (although not really necessary if using self-raising flour)
2oz chopped walnuts (Use chopped/sliced almonds here if making the other version)
2 eggs
4oz butter, melted
284ml buttermilk (although I never have this in so just use whole milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla Essence
Two mashed bananas (use 5oz raspberries here if making the other version)

Method

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and two-thirds of the walnuts in a bowl (dry mixture)
In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, the melted butter, buttermilk (or milk) and vanilla extract.
Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and mix together until smooth.
Stir in the mashed bananas.
Spoon the mixture into 12 muffin cases and sprinkle the remaining chopped walnut pieces on top. 
Bake in the oven at 200 C for 20-25 mins until golden brown. 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and Happy Mother's Day!
x

Fantasy Work Wear

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Thursday 15 March 2012

It's not often I daydream about going back to work, as I love being a full time mum and of course know that going back to work would involve a lot more than wearing grown up clothes that don't have Petit Filous smeared down the sleeve or enjoying a peaceful one hour lunch break to myself!... But every now and again I see an outfit that makes me wish I had the opportunity to shed my mum uniform and dress up smart for once.

Case in point, this awesome outfit from Whistles... I can dream can't I?! (Of course also in my dream I've lost all my baby weight!)






Prints Charming

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Wednesday 14 March 2012

Call it nesting, or just finally getting around to those last minute jobs before the baby arrives, but we've just finished redecorating our bathroom and I've been looking around for a print to give the room that finishing touch it needs.  And I think I've found just the ticket... this cool, contemporary map print from Bold & Noble, in Sheer Slate Grey is perfect! 




I've been an admirer of Bold & Noble's beautiful screen prints for a while now and have been waiting for the perfect excuse to order one of their type map prints.  I can't wait to see mine up on the wall - will post a photo when it's up.  

And having a further peek around their website, it's not just the map print that has caught me eye!  These charming heart prints would make perfect Mother's Day or wedding gifts, especially in the delicious Raspberry Sorbet colour! 







Or with updating the nursery in mind next now the bathroom's done, I'm tempted by these wonderfully simple alphabet and number prints... oh, choices, choices!! 






All images via Bold & Noble website - click here to check out their full collection & online shop


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