Apologies + News

Hi all! Long time no see. My apologies for being MIA for the past week - I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge for a break. A break from all things technology - Twitter, Blogger, Instagram, Facebook, and yes - even Pinterest. I've barely checked my email and it felt, well, awesome. Does it ever all get to be too much for you? This crazy amount of information and connectedness that we're bombarded with each and every day?

On a fun note - my sister is pregnant!!! I'm going to be an aunt (again). This is her first and she is my only sister so it does feel a little different this time around though.

I'll be helping to plan her shower and with the design of her nursery so stay tuned for some fun baby nuggets here and there!

See you next week!

xo,

Friday Favorites 1.19.12

Have you seen Joanna Goddard's master bedroom makeover?! It was designed by none other than Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook and it takes my breath away. I would fall to sleep a happy woman every night in this space.

Nicole's new business cards are simply perfect.

Love all of Jessica's outfits but especially these neon numbers: one, two.

Sweet siblings.

The prettiest matchbooks (plus you can download the pattern and print it out for free!):

You "don't have to rely on a healthy body image or self-respect" with this amazing new beauty product.

Love this post on styling your children's clothing to make it last. Because they grow out of it so. darn. fast.

Carper diem Carpe a couple of Kairoses a day.


And lastly, for all of the mothers out there I have to add an excerpt from this beautiful, beautiful letter:

Dear mother of only one child, don’t blame yourself for thinking that your life is hard.  You’re suffering now because you’re turning into a new woman, a woman who is never allowed to be alone.  For what?  Only so that you can become strong enough to be a woman who will be left.


When I had only one child, she was so heavy.  Now I can see that children are as light as air.  They float past you, nudging against you like balloons as they ascend.

Dear mother, don’t worry about enjoying your life.  Your life is hard; your life will be hard.  That doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong—it means you’re doing it right.

xo,

Got Art?

A few months ago I featured one of my favorite artists, Lulie Wallace here on with two cats, and I'm happy to say that I now officially have one of her pieces hanging on my wall. If you suffer from the winter blues like me and need a way to brighten up your, art is the best way to do it!

There's so much color and life and wow! packed into that tiny little rectangle. It's truly amazing what some people can do with paint. I'm still playing around with the gallery wall in the back room - limited space and not enough for all of my favorites. I painted the one in the center but I still want to hang my landscape by Elijah Andrus as well...sigh. Too much art, too little wall space. I guess it's not the worst problem to have, right?!

Lulie is currently the featured artist over on Buy Some Damn Art and there's one painting left up for grabs! Or you can purchase directly from her website as well (which is what I did).

xo,

Breakfast in Bed

Not spending money on each other this year for Valentine's Day? Nothing says 'I love you' more than breakfast in bed - am I right? Here are a few ideas beyond your basic cup of joe:

one . two . three . four

xo,

Like the content here on with two cats? Help me keep it going by sponsoring for a month or two! Click here for more info.

xo,

Supermom: Nomita of ebabee likes

 Nomita - ebabee likes

This week's Supermom is Nomita of ebabee likes! Nomita is mother to one and worried that her home would become 'one gigantic pink or blue frill' when she got pregnant! Luckily this led her to the creation of her blog where she writes about all things stylish for moms, babies, and kids. Her blog was recently named to Babble's Top 50 for 2011 and she's on my short list for sure! Read on to find out more about Nomita and her favorite picks for babies, toddlers, and moms:



By accident!

I love beautiful things and used to spend time seeking out beautiful products, furniture and more for the home.  When I had a baby I started seeking out lovely stuff for her.  It was never just about shopping though, it was as much about getting inspired, about admiring.  And a little bit of shopping.

Last year I started a site and thought it may be nice to share a few things I’ve found for kids on the site.  I didn’t even know what a blog was! I told my web developer to set up a page where I could share some pictures of a few products I loved and he mentioned the word ‘blog’. That’s how and when it all started…


The amazing moments. 

I don't mean the big milestones like walking and talking but that moment where you catch your child singing or playing with intense concentration and they don't know you're watching.  That moment when you watch them sleep and just see the purest innocence radiate from their face. That moment when you do something silly and your child laughs the purest, most genuine laugh you’ve ever heard (not so much fun if they make you do it again for the 10th time though!).  


The worry. I’ve never known anything like it.  Especially if it’s your first child, when they’re sick or when they’re unhappy I find it very worrying.  I’m a bit of a worrier anyway so I guess that just makes me worse than most!

This is very hard!

First I will have to say my mum-in-laws knits.  She knitted the most gorgeous little cardigans and jumpers for my winter baby.  Not only did they keep her warm, they kept her warm in style.  And they were just the sweetest little things to look at too.

Flensted mobiles – I loved these mobiles from the minute I saw them.  I chose the elephant party one which is big, bright and beautiful!  The pictures of the mobiles don’t do them justice, they are so much more appealing when you see one for real. And they are very reasonably priced too.  

A book called ‘My Friends’ by Taro Gomi
My daughter loves it and so do I. It’s been a must read every night for over a year.  It’s a very simple book with sweet illustrations that are unfussy but convey the sentiment of the book.  It’s all about a little girl discovering and learning from animals and friends.  I’m a huge fan of Japanese kids books anyway and this one is no exception.

iPhone / iPad
I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s a life saver and I’ve got to be honest.  I’m not a fan of allowing the kiddo to use it for hours on end, but those times when you need it, it’s genius.  Think aeroplane trips, restaurants, queuing.

 1. Bugaboo Bee pushchair/pram
While the baby may ride in it, I believe the pram has got to be the right fit for the mama.  And I love my Bugaboo Bee.  I had no idea about prams when I bought it, I just chose it for its looks (yeah I’m a bit shallow like that!).  It’s turned out to be the best thing I bought.  In my opinion, there is absolutely no better pram/pushchair for city living, at least.

2. French Sole shoes
I couldn’t have done without them when I was pregnant.  I wanted flat shoes that were comfortable without compromising on looks in any way.  And French Soles do just that… lots of comfort and big on style too.  With so many to choose from, the only negative is choosing just one or two.

3. Chocolate (especially the dark stuff)
I’m serious! It was chocolate that got me through the first couple of months of motherhood.  My husband came home with a 2kg box of dark chocolates one day and it was gone in less than a week. So he had to go get another one.  I looked forward to eating it at the end of each day and it was so yummy when I did.  



I love writing and finding things for my blog.  I feel a real rush of excitement when I discover something seriously beautiful and I just can’t wait to share it.  So I guess it doesn’t feel like work. I have just one child and a very supportive husband so I don’t think of myself as doing it all especially compared to some of the amazing mums I’ve met out there. 



Live in the moment.  Do things you enjoy and things that make you happy.  If you’re happy, everything else will fall in to place.



There are so many mum’s out there who manage full on careers, blogs, kids, their home and all the rest.  And there are the single mums who do it all on their own.  I can’t pick one but I will say to all the single mums out there – I take my hat off to you.

Thanks to Nomita for sharing your advice and lovely product picks! I can so relate to the worrying part - I'm such a worrier myself and I thought the anxiety was going to kill me at first! See more of Nomita and her favorite finds for babies and kids over on ebabee likes.

xo,

For All of the Men Out There...

If your lady is like me and isn't into diamonds, maybe get her this sweetheart ring instead:

"To remind her of the love in her life." Sounds pretty perfect to me!