Star Light- Star Bright

As the silly season descends upon us and we all race towards the festive break, I thought it a great time to add some starlight into your little one's world. The star holds so many meanings for people, it's that little bit of magic that we all try to hold on to. Here's a cute star inspired vision board to help get us in the mood, from some of my favourite suppliers.

From top left across:

Silver Mushroom Lamp

I Love You More Than All The Stars Print

Bella & Lace Gold Sequin Star cushion

Pink Baby Blanket

Silver Padded Star Garland

Scandi Star Natural/ Black

Rattan Glass Top Table

Petal Rug From Amigos De Hoy

Creating with Wallpaper

If you've ever wallpapered a room you've no doubt had leftover paper, i have a load of it sitting in the wardrobde right now. So I looked to see what creative ideas I could use them for and these ideas are what I found.....
 Below are 6 easy ways to spice up your life with wallpaper.

1) Creating a cloud feature, you could do this across an entire wall or a small section to zone a space such as a play corner

Project Nursery

2) Making a wallpaper Atlas is not only beautiful it's educational too; win win!

Kinderzimmer

3) Lining Furniture with leftovers is a great way to put some pizaaz back into an old treasure, I love the use of pattern in this bedside table

Spoonflower

4) Layering strips of different wallpaper can make for an interesting backdrop, you can combine all kinds of retro patterns like this sweet wall

Apartment Therapy

5) A genius idea is to use the paper for your desk's inboard or magnetic board. 

Mokkasin

6) Adding interest to an old bookshelf, the zig zags really lift this piece and make it super kind friendly

Brit

7) Making a wallpaper house on a wall is an easy way to curb some creative play without taking up precious floor space a great alternative to a dollhouse. 

Bambinogoodies

Happy sticking people!

xx

Spring.... is just around the corner!

I can't quite believe we are coming in to September...... but it's happening and I like it! Winter is alright for a month or so but Sydney doesn't really deal well with the wet, cold side of things and I've been ill for most of it- so bring on the warmer months, it's time to awaken the spirit!

I thought I would put together some simple ideas to freshen up you little one's space for under $130. Also have put some great gift ideas in there too, as Spring is synonymous with new life ie. baby showers!

1. Cactus wall deals by Love Mae a set of 30 for $59.95

2. Baby Journal with optional custom name inscriptions and wooden box from Laikonik for $85

3. Lush velvet Beanbag art series collection from Kip and Co

4. Cotton lightweight baby blanket by Kate and Kate for $109

5. Mocka's vintage inspired bed frames for $129 (BARGIN ALERT!) that come in an array of funky neon colours

6. Flower felt garlands by Taylor and Cloth for just $35

7. Sunshine and Lollipops print by Sprout and Sparrow for $20

8. Or how about a a couple of daffodils in some jars- simply devine!

Image from Entermyattic blogspot

Happy Spring beauties xx

DIY: Tepee

I've often wondered what goes in to actually making a tepee and the other week I quite unexpectedly had to find out.  My one that was ready to install in a baby's shop window, needed a bit of freshening up so I soaked it and lo and behold all the colours bled= lesson learned never soak a tepee! Awesome what a last minute freak out can teach you.... Luckily for me I have an amazingly talented seamstress mother-in-law, that was able to whip one up so i thought I would share with you the basics of how to make your own but be aware that this is the basic watered down version of what happened.

You need:
4x metres of fabric (lightweight cotton or canvas works the best)
5x tepee polls or broom sticks from Bunnings
2x press studs
sewing machine and thread!

Our original tepee was from An Angel At My Table so we used those poles to base the pattern on. 

First off was to select the fabric- I wanted a fairly lightweight cotton so that it would breathe and drape nicely, whatever you choose make sure it's easy to clean and durable. After trying to track down a particular print and failing (time was not on my side but next time I make one I would head straight to Spoonflower they have such a great selection of fabric I use it all the time)

 I settled on a fairly plain chevron blue and white print. 

Then it was up to my superstar mother in law to mock up a quick pattern for it that would slide over the poles.... hmmm not as easy as it sounds! Lucky she was a seamstress and is amazing at arithmetic too= winning!

This is the basic layout:

  

The door  was custom made (mother in laws secret!) you can always measure one of your panels in half and then cut 3/4 to the top.
The trickiest part was sewing the insert for the poles you have to make sure you have enough space for the poles to comfortably sit in but not too loose- the diameter for our poles was 1.7mm so we left a good 1.9mm to be sure.

Then we cut the fabric to measure, sewed the segments together and then ironed it and fit it over

The addition of the curtain bits to pull back was last minute and I just added a piece of fabric with a press stud to hold back the entry

I then just added a mask to the top and hung over a banner I had from .Little O and Co to make it a bit softer. The best bit was laying out a nice crocheted blanket for the rug and getting together a few softies for a tea party.

Happy tepee making guys!! xx

Paper Creations from Roxyoxy

We are so lucky to be inundated with an amazing spectrum of artists in Australia, There's people out there creating pieces that inspire the imagination while letting our kids explore the endless possibility of what you can make with your own two hands.

I recently discussed how one gets her ideas off the ground with a lovely artist Jac from Roxyoxy Creations; who creates 3D collages and other paperlicious artworks for children around the world. I always find it interesting how us mums are able to juggle it all, Jac is always supporting us designers and spreading her joy and positivity around the community.

How did you begin your business?

Let's start at the beginning; I have always been interested in drawing and my mum reminds me I would sit for hours as a youngster just colouring in and as a teenager every book, art folio or diary was always creatively decorated and doodled. Despite my love for being creative I was also passionate about exercise and the link between food for sports performance. As a really sporty girl my curiosity to learn about the science of food won over. Off I went to do my science degree, then my Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics followed by my Sports Nutrition Qualifications. From here I had a short stint in the hospital setting but went on to run 5 successful Sports Nutrition Practises and lectured and TAFE and to the Army. I loved my work but had always felt something was not quite complete. It wasn't until my first son was born that i soon realised what was missing in my life… CREATIVITY.

During the time I had off work being a MUM- (my kids are now 11 and 12) i just adored hanging out with my kids making and creating all day. I felt like the 10 years of creativity had been repressed and was slowly leaking out with each day. I loved playing around with paper and seeing what I could make. It wasn’t till a girlfriend popped in and saw what paper art I was creating with the kids that she asked if i could make something for her kids rooms. Hesitantly I agreed, but just loved the feeling of creating artwork that could be hung and enjoyed by her kids everyday. My girlfriend was over joyed with my creations and couldn't help but spread the word about my work. This lead to word of mouth referrals, which then lead to weekend markets, which then lead to an online store. 

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Inspiration is everywhere. I am really passionate about encouraging kids to be creative away from technology so you will see in my work good old fashioned play adventure and love and hearts. I also live in the most beautiful coastal town called Mount Martha which inspires my love for the beach, surf and relaxed living. My other inspiration is my childhood obsession with Holly Hobbie and Sarah Kay swap cards which are evident in my Vintage range. I adore the whimsical and story telling nature of these illustrations.

How do you juggle family life with managing your own business?

Anyone who runs a business and family know its always a juggling act, but family is my world and always comes first. I have the most supportive husband and two very creative kids who just rock my world everyday. I love being a wife and a mum and I've really make sure my time with them is about quality. My “Me" time is getting up early and running most mornings and walking my beloved puppy coco at night. I have always been active so my exercise is so important every day and gives me time to think and come up with new designs and ideas.

I try and work in the studio 9-3 every day with social media early morning, lunchtime and at night once kids are sorted. For those that follow my instagram page you'll see that I'm passionate about sharing not only my projects I'm working on but others paper art and anything creative really.

How long does it typically take to create one of your artworks?

Every piece of artwork is different. I firstly draw my design, then every single individual piece is made into a cardboard template which is very time consuming but essential.  Next the colour palette and paper is chosen which is always fun as i have a studio FULL of paper. My templates are used to trace around and then the hours of cutting begin. I hand cut most of my work with fine scissors or scalpel which is the time consuming part of the artwork. One of my pieces just creating the butterflies can take 2-3 days.  Once all the pieces of the puzzle are created its time for foam tape mounting to give my artwork the 3D look. This is also very fiddly and time consuming but oh so worth it. After the 3D element is finished a bit of bling is added in the form of pearls or rhinestones and beautiful ribbon applied.  Finally the completed artwork is framed in a white timber frame. So it's labour intensive but I just adore it. 

Follow Jac's journey at her Facebook page or her website http://roxyoxycreations.bigcartel.com

Best of the EOYF sales!

June is the time to shop and be happy- if I was really organised I'd make this the time to do most of my present shopping and save a bundle, sadly I usually just by stuff for myself or family....

But with less than a week left to pick up some amazing bargains it's time to narrow down the top contenders, so I thought I'd do a little run down of the best picks for kids interiors and here they are:

Little Rosie and Me
Amazing rugs, garlands and dolls these guys are having a massive 30% off everything right now (enter code STOCKTAKE) at checkout

Adairs Kids
I'm in love with the Adairs kids range- so much goodness to choose from & they've taken  huge discounts of most of the range hurray!

Snooze
Time to change to a big bed? Now's the time to invest in both the frame and mattress!

Pip and Sox
In need of some new prints to pretty up your munchkins walls? Or some gorgeous softies, this is your place to scoop a good deal

Cotton On
Always a great time to pick up some extra sheets or pillowcases you can't go past $5!

Babyography
Whether it's cots, manchester or toys this sale is pretty amazing check out how much you could save

Willow & Wood
For your shelving and framing needs these guys have a great range and all handmade in Sydney- Nice!

Mocka
With a mix of furniture, toys and storage Mocka always has something you need, already affordable another 20% is more reason to go a little nuts

Nursery Spotlight: A facelift on Co-sleeper Bassinets

After the birth of your child you more than likely don't want them to be far away from you for very long, that's why the uprising of co-sleeper beds are becoming so popular. The ease of being able to get baby from bed to boob is one of it's many benefits enhancing bonding and easing the whole transition easier and hopefully maximising sleep for everyone! 

The days of bulky ugly bassinets seems as if they're coming to an end with the release of this stylish Nordic co sleeper is from the UK by Bednest, you can buy them in Australia from

 Danish By Design for around $600. It's easily folded down and for travel and can be used with both sides up as an independent bassinet if you prefer.

One of our favourites OlliElla have released a super cute harlequin print especially for these beds that we adore....

So sweet, your bub is bound to be one happy little chappie being so close to mummy and rocking these cool sheets

xx

Doll House Renno

I was given my old dollhouse back from my sister after her two kids had enjoyed the house too, and decided to give it a much needed upgrade to 2015 after seeing over 30 years of wear and tear.... I'm not going to lie, the house was a shambles, windows all busted, floors all cracked the roof collapsing it was the ghetto of doll houses. It needed a facelift and it needed it yesterday and hey we had the dough to do it (how I wish the same could be said of our actual home hehe!)

This is the original house:

I told you it was a mess.....

First stop was to take apart the whole house and rebuild the window frames and eaves and then give the poor house a big sand down:

Once this had happened we were able to select the colour palette I opted for grey, white and aqua on the exterior and white and wallpaper on the interior. I was so stoked to be able to use this roll of wallpaper from Pulp Creative Paper I had been holding on to for years that I loved but could never find a home for!

with spray painted the shutters, front door and decrotive eave mouldings (god i love spray paint!)

We then sanded back all the inside of the house and stained the wooden floors a darker tone, in a gloss stain which gave the interior a real boost and we knew would also protect the house for many more years of playing to come.

Tah-Dah! I brand new bitching house:

The house keeps getting filled with random hobos we pick up along the way and is greatly aided by my dear friend who happens to work for Sylvanian Families (totally connected!) I freaking love how excited Sophia is to play with it everyday, she sits and imagines all kinds of dramas going on in her little house just like i did and her niece and nephew too- so cute to carry something special like a dollhouse on through generations. Who knows what it'll look like in another 30 years, maybe flat screens and hover beds?! 

Long live the awesome power of the imagination xx