Jikana Damaru

I accidently bought this....

Fern is kinda at that age where she's happy to sit and watch Play School (for 30 seconds, anyway) but it's not overly comfortable sitting on the floor, and she can't yet climb up onto the lounge.

Have you ever noticed there are awfully slim pickings on children's couch options? I have of course seen those ~~horrific~~ practical 'lounge' thingamies you can get at Kmart, the type that fold out to make a sort of sofa bed. Practical for littlies, but the only available themes seem to be Thomas the Tank, or Barbie. I know I've let a lot of things go since having Fern, but I can't do Barbie. Not yet, anyway.

For a while, I've had my eye on the stylish (and also practical - bonus!) beanbags by Cocoon Couture. But they are expensive options; my local boutique sells them for $125 each! Im not sure I can part with that much moolah for a baby beanbag, no matter how cute it is..... I might, however, part with $75. Oh wait -- I already did.

I was surfing listlessly this afternoon, whiling away nap-time when I stumbled on this NZ site called PeaKnuckle. The beanbags were listed cheaper than Oz anyway, and when I did the currency conversion it turned out they could ship Cocoon Couture to my doorstep almost half of the price of the one I can buy down the road! I know I know, buy local! But sorry folks, I'm a mum on a budget now!

I chose this one, I liked the colour and the owl motif:

So, I get the double whammy of a funky new chair for my babe, and the pleasure of stalking my mailbox over the next week or so. I'll let you know when I receive it!

Glamorous White

Last Monday I showed you the gorgeous house in Appach Road, used for still location shots, bookable through 1st option. This Monday I am showing you another house from 1st option called Stradella Road. This house has made me fall in love with Moroccan blankets all over again! I so wish I had bought one from Portobello market back in the Summer. Ah well, a girl can dream...

Moroccan wedding blanket

Have a sweet day!

Dusky Warm

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you a winter palette of dusky peach, off white and choc with these gorgeous pics. Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

The beautiful chocolates in The Manner Of Giving Is Worth More Than The Gift by Ciel Photography
The textures in molluskstole4 by Skrilla knits
The sweet ...a little bear.. by Ivy style 33
The subtle colours in P I L L O W S by Miss K.B

Have a great day!

My 'Fingerpainting'

So, we're sitting around the dinner table tonight, eating pizza. 'We' being hubby and I and my hubby's two nephews (14 and 15). The conversation? Art. The eldest nephew, Tom is a bit of a dab hand at art. Came 2nd in his year out of 150. Or something.

All of a sudden, nephew draws his attention to a piece of artwork hung above the kitchen table.

"Did you paint that, Nicole?"

Why yes. I did as a matter of fact.

He ponders the art for a moment.

"Is it a fingerpainting?"

hmmmmph.

Actually, it is NOT a fingerpainting. Nor is it an original idea. I plagiarised the idea from an issue of Real Living a long while back, painting it one rainy day with A PAINTBRUSH, dammit. It brightens up the space and despite the fact that my nephew thinks it is a fingerpainting and my mother in law rehung it upside down from while I was out of the house one day, because she felt "the flames should come up from the bottom" (I mean, I'm just the artist, what would I know about which direction it should be hung on the wall) I like it. I do feel guilty a little bit for not coming up with my own original idea, but I can't really afford expensive art; its not like I'm going to sell it, and millions of people have copied the Mona Lisa, riggght?

Have YOU ever 'borrowed' somebody elses creative idea? Come on, 'fess up -- ease my guilt, just a little!

Letting Light Into Your Day

There is a study that some people get winter 'blues' (or Seasonal Affective Disorder) from the lack of sunlight, grey skies, etc - particularly people who live in the northern hemisphere where they have long periods of night.

I wonder if even in more temperate climates, closer to the equator were sunshine is not a problem whether by living with your curtains/blinds closed all the time it can have the same effect.

The first thing I do when I wake up is open the blinds in all the rooms, open windows and doors, even if it is cold and raining (obviously not if the rain is coming in though). At work, it is the same - the blinds are always opened when I walk in every morning, in fact our whole end of the building has the same philosophy.

Surrounding ourselves with light seems to make sense if we want to feel happy. How do you let the light into your day?

Camel & Yak

Cotton reel box

Etched glass domes

Wooden storage bench

Heart pins

Wooden heart picture frame

Glass cake stand

Vintage letters

Antique pumpkins

Greengate stoneware

Just the other day I came across a great store called Camel & Yak, an interior store full of gorgeous treasures like the glass domes and cotton reel boxes above. They also stock one of my favorite brands, Greengate.

Have a sweet day!

Going Out on a Limb

Like 47 billion-odd women before me, what I've been wondering is this:

What can I do to avoid going back to work while I have small children that is (a) stimulating, (b) creative, (c) able to be done primarily from home and (d) pays sorta like my existing office 9-5 job??

Since having Fern, (again, like 47 billion-odd women before me) my priorities have changed somewhat, a bit. I don't dislike my existing job per se, its just I can't imagine returning to it while leaving my daughter in a foreign surrounding without the ones she loves for 9 hours a day just so I can buy... stuff.

I have two very talented friends, one of whom is an event manager by trade, and the other who is a very skilled graphic designer and overall creative person. The one thing we all have in common (aside from a desire to escape our day jobs!) is a desire to create a business different to any other here on the Coast. It wouldnt be difficult, really, there is a nasty sort of same same about this place and a general hesitance to break outside the mould.

Our idea is this: what if we were to create an event management company that specialises in the finer details -- from colours, to textures, to touch and taste. What if we could translate this idea into unique themed birthday parties for children, for busy working mums who want to put on an amazing event for their child but don't know where to start or lack the time to do it themselves? Parties a bit different from the run-of-mill Dora the Explorer or Thomas the Tank Engine? Parties with pizzaz! Or even baby showers, or naming days?

I'm talking personalised and unique party favours, custom invitations, creative decorations, even catering advice! Here's a sampler of some of the stuff I've done for my own 'events' so you get an idea of where I'm going:

I'm yet to fully 'nut' this idea out in my own head, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense! Do you think there would be a market for this type of venture?? Would YOU pay for such a service? Do you know anyone else that would?

I would love and appreciate your feedback...

Have a great weekend xo