A Golden Nursery

I might be a little biased, but I do think that I have some very talented customers. Every time I see how someone has used one of my cushions or mobiles I get so excited. So you can imagine how I felt when I saw these images from the beautiful nursery Ailee has created for her gorgeous little girl Isla. So pretty!!

You can purchase the ivory pom mobile in my store. Head on over to Ailee's blog to see more gorgeous photos and to get the rest of the product sources.

Nursery Inspiration for Elliot

Little baby Elliot doesn't have his own room yet (he will stay in our room until he's about six months old), but that hasn't stopped me from planning and dreaming about what I want to do in his nursery.

If you have a look at my pinterest board you'll see that I've changed my mind quite a few times, I think I have finally settled on what I want now. My plan is to keep it quite neutral and and classic (no surprises there!!). Here's some of the images that are currently inspiring me.

I love everything that Bel from Nest Design Studio does, so it's no surprise that I am head over heels in love with the sneak peaks she's shared of Leo's new nursery. Cannot wait to see more!

Monika Hibbs is another blogger who's style I love, Liam's nursery is right at the top of my inspiration list.

I'm loving the mix of grey, white and wood tones in these rooms (from here and here).

And these nurseries from The Boo and The Boy are so gorgeously serene.


As soon as I get started on his room I'll share some progress shots!!

Design Inspiration

Milka Interiors

One of the things I am loving is the amazing amount of talented interior designers that are around at the moment. Whether you are a DIYer or someone who likes to pay for a job well done, the ideas out there are endless.

Nest Design Studio

Here are a couple of inspiration boards that I've been lucky enough to be included in lately. The Gold heart cushion and gold love cushion both available in my store.

Little B Styling

Lincoln Loves Treasures (plus a Giveaway & Nursery photos!)

 ** This post is sponsored by Nuffnang and Treasures Nappies - All opinions belong to me, and all adorable chubby thighs belong to Lincoln**

A couple of weeks back I was asked if I would try Treasures Nappies, a thirty year old, leading New Zealand brand that has just hit the shelves here in Australia. Honestly, my first reaction was to say 'thanks, but no thanks'. I tried out a few brands of nappies when Max was little, found the ones I liked and have stuck with them ever since. I didn't even bother trying anything new when Link came along, I just stayed with what I knew. Then I got to thinking, soon I will have two babies in nappies... Which means double the cost (and double the poo...). I figured now was probably as good a time as any to give it a shot.

As I heard a little more about the nappies I actually started to get excited about giving them a try. My sister told me that she used (and loved them) when she was living back home in good old NZ and I found out they come in at a lower price point than my current brand. A recommendation and the chance to save money, win win!

So here's what happened when Link and I took them for a test run.

First Up - The Acid Test
The nappies arrived just before Link's naptime, so I figured that was as good a time as any to get started. I changed Link's cute little butt into one and put him down for his nap. Two hours later I heard him calling out 'Mum, Mum, Mum, Poo Poo, Poo Poo (as he does!). By the way it kills me that he's dropped the 'Mumma' and switched to 'Mum' so young. I'm sure Max was still calling me 'Mumma' when he was three! Anyway I went in to pick him up and was hit with a wave of poo so I knew it was going to be a bad one. And it was! It was one of those explosive poos that go all the way up the back, and the front of the nappy. Not great, but a perfect chance to see what Treasures could handle. I was seriously surprised (and impressed) when there was no leakage at all. Not one tiny bit. The entire mess was completely contained in the nappy. We were off to a very good start!

Round Two - The Overnighter
Feeling confident that the nappies could handle such a big poo, I decided to put them to the overnight test. Link still isn't a great sleeper and often wakes up in the night wanting a bottle. When he does I don't change him because it gets him too alert, I just feed him and get him back into bed as quickly as possible. Good for my sanity, but it does mean a really wet nappy in the morning. The two things I was hoping for would be that the nappy wouldn't leak (obviously), but also that there wouldn't be a really strong smell. Some of the other brands I tried with Max were terrible for that. When I went in and picked Link up in the morning the Treasures passed both with flying colours, they easily contained everything and there was no nasty all night wee smell. I've used them every night since and am loving them!

Last Up - The Pants Test (aka my baby has a big butt)
Link is a little chunky, in the good way that some babies are. He has deliciously chubby thighs and a big butt to match. Once you add in a bulky nappy some pants can be a bit of a tight squeeze, especially since a lot of his clothes are hand-me-downs and Max always looked best in slim fit clothes. As soon as I put the first Treasures on him I knew they were going to be a perfect fit. I actually found them to be a lot less bulky than our usual ones and I had no problems getting his pants on to his squishy little behind. Three out of three!

So even though I started out quite skeptical and very loyal to another brand I have definitely been won over. Their quality is on-par with the more expensive brands, they're cheaper and I actually like the look and feel of them more than our previous ones. Totally convinced! Plus they're stocked at IGA stores, which is super convenient for me as we have one just down the road from us.

Click the photo to visit the Treasures Page and find out more

Now here's the extra exciting part! I have a Treasures Nappies prize pack to give away valued at over $75. All you have to do is leave a comment (and your email address) sharing a personal tip on how to keep children sleeping through the night with the hashtag #sleepingtreasures. The winner will be drawn after 5pm AEST on 9 April 2014, announced on this post and contacted by email. Don't forget to share your experience with Treasures on facebook, twitter, instagram etc using #sleepingtreasures. Let's get the word out about these great little nappies!

{Click here for the full terms and conditions of the competition.}

Three Times the Charm

So the thing is, when you neglect your blog you may also neglect to share the most important news you've had all year. You may have already seen this seeing as I did post it on instagram and facebook, but just in case you missed it...

We're expecting baby number three!!

I'm 16 weeks along now and thankfully most of the first trimester symptoms have passed. To be fair though, the pregnancy itself has been a lot easier than last time. I think it's been more about having a baby and a preschooler to look after and a growing business to run that have left me super exhausted.

In the last couple of days I've started feeling the little peanut moving around, which I love so much! Each night when I go to bed I'll just lie there for a while hoping to feel it move. Oh and when typing that I automatically wrote 'him' and had to go back and change it to 'it'. Sean and I both automatically think of this one as another little boy, it's so hard to imagine anything else! A couple more weeks and we will know for sure though :).

Thinking it's a boy hasn't stopped me from daydreaming about decorating a girls room! I have so many ideas that if it is a girl I have no idea how I would actually narrow things done to one design! I'm sure I won't have to worry about that though, and with Sherry and Katie recently sharing two very gorgeous boys rooms I'm definitely not short of inspiration for another bouncing baby boy.

Max is excited about getting another brother (he refuses to believe that it could be a girl too!), part of the excitement comes from the fact that Link won't be the baby anymore because he can't wait for Lincoln to grow up enough to play with him. He asks me all the time when Link will stop being a baby and turn into a 'real kid'. Poor little Link has absolutely no idea what's going on. He will be about 21 months when the baby arrives and I'm not sure that he will really understand until he actually sees the baby come home with us. That's probably what I'm most nervous about, Link is still my baby and I don't want him to feel replaced.

All in all everything is great over here in the Riley household and I promise I will be back sooner rather than later with another post!

Welcome Evie Jayne

A little less than a week ago my best friend Erin gave birth to a beautiful little baby girl called Evie. I've only seen photos so far, but I already know that she is just about the sweetest thing in the entire world! I can't wait to actually meet her :).

I shared this Evie inspired mood board on facebook last week and as promised I'm back with the sources for each of the items I used.

Cot - Reese Cot from Incy Interiors
Chair - Peacock Chair from The Family Love Tree on Down That Little Lane
Yellow and Pink Blankets - Sticks and Stones on Etsy
Love Cushion - This one is by me :) - Max and Me Homewares on Etsy
Pom Pom Cushion - Limited Edition Cushion by Petite Vintage Interiors
Curtains - Ikea Sheer Curtains
Light - DIY by A Bubbly Life - Tutorial in Link
Bunny Wall Art - Chloe's Shop
Polka Dot Canvas - Nest Accessories on Down That Little Lane
Mouse Softie - from Cloth and Thread

Pinterest Challenge # 5

I have so many exciting projects on my pinboards that I should probably be working on right now. But with being 38 weeks pregnant I decided to tackle a nice and simple (and very sweet) project that I've wanted to do for just about ever.

A pretty little birdie jar.

I originally made it as a gift for Georgia's first birthday, but it accidentally got broken. Re-making it gave me the perfect opportunity to also use it as my pinterest challenge project :).

The inspiration came from this gorgeous Aussie blog and as you can see I really didn't vary mine much from the original at all. The main thing I did differently was use red and pink so that it would look good in Georgia's very gorgeous red and pink nursery.

Supplies:

•  mason jar (I used a large moccona coffee jar)
• fake moss 
• stick / branch
• fabric scraps
• needle and thread
• ribbon
• birdies (I found mine at spotlight)
• hot glue
• tacky glue (optional)
• iron on interfacing
• small plate or circle (for tracing)
• scissors
• rubber band

I started out by brushing a layer of tacky glue into the bottom of my jar, I then poured in a heap of the moss and pressed it down into the glue. I wasn't completely happy with the coverage though so I ended up pouring in a heap more moss and just leaving it loose in the bottom of the jar. In hindsight you could probably leave out the glue at the start and just go ahead and leave all of the moss loose in the bottom of the jar...

For my branch I used this fake Christmas branch that I got on sale at spotlight. I just chopped off the bit that I needed. It had wire through the centre of it which made it really hard to cut, so I pulled the wire out with pliers and then had another go at chopping it. Much easier without the wire!

Next up I used the interfacing to fuse my fabric scraps back to back, then cut out some teeny little triangles. I hand stitched them into a little bunting garland and then tied it onto the branch.

Using hot glue I stuck the branch into the inside of the jar. It took me a fair few goes to get it right. After each failed attempt I would scrape the dried hot glue off the inside of the glass before giving it another go. I got there eventually!

To get the birds perched nicely on the branch I just squeezed some hot glue onto the bottom of each and placed them onto the branch.

To finish the jar off I traced a circle onto the red fabric, cut it out and then secured it to the lid of the jar with a rubber band. I tied a pretty ribbon around the lid to hide the rubber band and voila - all done!

 

I'm seriously in love with this little jar. If I had little girls of my own I would definitely be making more of these for their rooms. They're perfectly equal parts pretty, girly and whimsical :)

I've linked this up with Katie, Sherry, Sarah and Carmel for the Fall Pinterest Challenge. Make sure you go and check out what these very talented girls have made for the challenge. There are already hundreds of projects linked up... so much pinspiration!!

If you'd like to see any of the projects I've made for previous pinterest challenge projects you can see them here:

TeePee - Height Chart Ruler - Laundry Gallery - Star Mobile

 

32 Weeks

This pregnancy is going so fast now that I'm almost at the end & I am completely torn between wanting to enjoy every moment (in case it's my last) and being so excited to meet my new baby.

I started my maternity leave a couple of weeks ago and I feel so much more relaxed now. Eight weeks of one-on-one time with Max, time to get done the things I want to get done and not having to worry about working is just what the doctor ordered. It's kind of like the calm before the storm I guess!

Max is really excited about becoming a big brother and loves to talk to the baby in my belly. He has his heart set on calling the baby Luca and won't consider any other names. Whilst Sean and I both really like the name Luca I don't know that it will be what we name the baby, hopefully Max is ok with that!

I'm a little worried that the reality of having a new baby in the house is going to come as a rude shock to Max. I was talking to one of the daycare Mums who had just had a baby the other day and she was saying that her 3 year old is having a bit of a hard time adjusting. Things like crying for no reason, wanting to wear nappies again, asking for a dummy have all been happening at her house. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

My belly is so incredibly huge now and I'm getting lots of comments from 'well-meaning' strangers (as you do when you're pregnant). I get things like 'only days to go now!' 'are you sure there's only one in there?' and 'you must be having a girl' from people that have absolutely no idea. Doesn't really bother me though, I love my huge belly!

The one thing I seriously need to get started on is setting up the nursery. At the moment is just an empty room stacked full of every baby item my sister and I have ever owned. I have a pinboard dedicated to the baby's room and so many great ideas. I just need to stop pinning and start doing!! Here's a couple of things from the board that are inspiring me:

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Who knows how the nursery will actually turn out though. The one thing I have done is start to get a piece of original art organised. I am so excited about it and can't wait to share it :). Stay tuned!

Max's Big Boy Room

I've been planning Max's new bedroom in my head (and on pinterest of course) for quite a while now. I've pictured it with a mix of dark timber, white furniture & navy blue stripes. I want to keep some of the elements of Max's nursery, but also show that he's not a little baby anymore. (Click here for a photo of Max's nursery, it's down at the end.)

The time has finally come to get started on this room and I am so excited! When I first got pregnant and started planning Max's room I debated over whether or not to move him to a new room or re-do his existing room. I read that it's not a good idea to displace a toddler when a new baby comes along, but I really wanted to work with a room that hadn't been painted baby blue. In the end I decided to ask Max what he wanted. The room belonged to his cousin Ava (who he idolizes) for the 6 months that my sister lived with me. So when I asked him if he would like to move into Ava's room he was ridiculously excited about it. Win!!

I was still a bit worried about the whole 'kicking him out for the baby' thing, so Sean and I decided to do the switch well before this baby is born.

We started potty training yesterday (after months of half-hearted attempts) and Max did so well that I decided to reward him with his new big boy room. I've moved the main pieces of furniture into the room and Max slept in there for the first time last night.

When Sean got home from work last night, Max took his hand and dragged him straight down to the room. It was so adorable watching him point out all the things in the room. He is so proud to have a big boy room!

I haven't started to decorate it though, so I'm not going to share photos until it's done (or I at least have some decent progress).

Here's some of the images that are inspiring me (all can be found on my pinboard):

I like the combination of dark timber and white (no giraffe though)

Nailhead trim on an upholstered headboard

Navy and white inspiration for the bedding.

I might have hanging globes instead of a map

White teepee and dark furniture

Large frame filled with photos of Max's art

I love this display shelf.

And here's my to do list:

• Make a headboard and add furniture legs to Max's bed
• Make bedding, pillow covers and cushions - navy blue stripe
• Upholster bench seat cushions
• Turn ugly fake timber blinds into a custom roman blind
• Instal ceiling fan
• Refinish antique desk (made for my Mum by her Dad and used by me when I was little)
• Refinish toy box and add safety hinges
• Add shelving above toy box (ikea lack floating shelves?)
• Make display shelf
• Buy and hang globes or map
• Make floor cushions for teepee
• Print and frame collage of Max's art
• Create a gallery wall of empty frames for displaying more of Max's art
• Add shelving into wardrobe

Phew, the list seems huge when I write it out like that!! Hopefully I will have some of it done this month and can start to share. I've been so busy working on getting my etsy shop going (soon!) that I haven't done a lot of DIY projects lately. I can't wait to get started!