Gorgeous toys

One thing I really love are babuskha dolls....I never had a set growing up but find them beautiful, both as toys and using them as decorations.
The below pics popped up on Bambino Goodies this morning, designed by Ingela P Arrhenuis (available from Peanut & Pip). It's great to see some that the boys can use! I love the circus ones....what about you?

Unique but not expensive

Recently, I had someone comment that I must of spent a lot of money putting together Hugh's room. It had me in two thoughts.....

1. Wow, thanks!

2. Ummm no (I think part of me was offended)!

The fact is I didn't spend a lot, we'd just moved into our brand new first home and didn't have spare cash to throw around!

One of my BFF's favorite word is 'bargain' and that has definitely rubbed off on me. Sure I like to spend, but I don't like to spend unnecessarily.

For the furniture, I researched and researched until I found the cot I wanted at 1/2 price (and I have actually purchased exactly the same cot again for Hansel, but at an even lower price!), found the best price for his change table, the square bookshelf is a cheapie from a furniture warehouse (I think it was $40) and I inherited the dresser from my Nanny.

When it came to the 'finishing' of the room, I've never been one to follow the cookie cutter Winnie the Pooh or Peter Rabbit trend. I like for pieces to mean something to me and I usually find that it's so much cheaper to do so.

Artwork in particular is my biggest bug bear. My problem is that I'm arty enough to know I can make/paint something, but not arty enough to know what it is I want to do! In fact the walls of our house are pretty much bare because I really want the art that goes on my wall to mean something and buying a random print isn't quite what I'm after.

With Hugh's room, I got some cheap frames from Target (when they were 25% off) and made number owl pictures for his wall using decorative paper I already had (same with the owls on his tree). Bargain!

I customised a cheap lamp from Fantastic Furniture by adding some simple ribbon. Bargain!

I painted the tree on his wall. It cost $30 for a tin of blue paint and then I used left over white paint (the painters left behind when we moved in) and some time to research what I wanted the tree to look like. Bargain!

I've got a very crafty Grandma and she made Hugh's quilt (it's embroidered on the other side with beautiful flowers) and has since made other things for his room.

In fact, the only things I really purchased for his room were his 'H' (which was actually white and 1/2 price because it was knocked about, so I painted it with left over blue paint), the Hugh on his door (I love it so much, I was going to have it regardless), his owl mobile (Looking back, I'm sure I could have given it a go of making it), red suitcases, a stuffed toy owl and one of pillows I use on the nursery chair.

Everything else has been a beautiful gift from friends and family.

I can hear you saying, that's very good Belinda, but what's your point? My point is that you don't need to spend much money to have a unique and individual room. Use things you already have around the house, give making a piece of art a go, paint a unique feature wall. Just because you are going to go for a transport theme (or whatever way you decide on going) doesn't mean you need to purchase the matching quilt, sheets, wall stickers etc etc! Put together the room based on things you love.

My greatest product resource website is Etsy. So many talented people have great items listed for sale and you will find some amazing and cheap things!

So before you go to the baby store and purchase the matching everything, put it back down and walk away and do some research first. Do you really love it or are you just buying it because it's there and you're excited to be buying baby items?

images by Little One Baby & Me

It's a .............

I still don't know! I couldn't do it and make Matt find out when he didn't want to....however we have the result sitting in a sealed envelope on the kitchen table just waiting to be opened (it may sit there for the rest of the pregnancy un-opened yet!).....so now I have start planning options for the nursery for boy & girl (and add to that names - urgh!). I have warned Matt this may lead to more spending (if I see something I love for a girls or boys room, I might just have to buy it regardless)!

We also found out that bub isn't 100% well. It's only a small issue (Hansel's kidney isn't filtering urine properly) but we'll have another scan in 10 weeks to see if it's fixed itself. Hopefully it should all be ok by then but if it's born with the problem, it may lead to UTI's frequently. I know there are certainly worse things you could be told, but still was a little sad about not getting the absolute all clear.

Twin Room

How gorgeous is this neutral twin nursery?!

Why did you break my heart?

On Friday, I fell in love. Hard, big time. The kind that gets you so excited.

I'm sure you've seen it before.....the sneak peak of the Bugaboo Donkey. How did they know what I was looking for in a double pram? 4 wheels, check. Bassinet option, check. Baby face in or out, check. 1 or 2 babies, check. But most of all, stylish, check.

Prams stress me out. I can't tell you how much sleep I lost when I was looking, looking, researching and then looking some more for Hugh's pram (by the way - I picked the Love N Care Adiva....which I love but I have to give up as it doesn't come with a toddler seat). I would wake up at midnight, jump on the net and hope the perfect pram would rear it's head. I also did the same for my carrier (let me rave about how much I love My Blessed Baby Mei Tai). They really did my head in.

So now, I'm on the lookout for a double pram. I don't like 3 wheelers, don't like one's that have the extra seat underneath and don't like the side by side umbrella style ones (I like to have baby facing me).....so what does that leave me with? NOTHING....until Friday that was. I knew it would be touch and go with release dates (due out in Spring 2011 in the US), but thought I could make do until then. That's when my heart was broken.....the perfect pram........not available in Australia until January 2012!!! Are you kidding me?

So it's back to the drawing board for me. Think I'll have to go for a Strider Plus (at least the top seat can face me), but it does have the extra seat underneath and I really don't like the colours it's available in.

Any recommendations?

What to do, what to do?

Nursery idea's are swirlling round and round my head at the moment for Hansel (AKA - New baby)! I'm so excited about our trip to Melbourne next week for the 20 week ultrasound.....now here's the dilema. Mr Nest doesn't want to find out the sex and I do (completely opposite of when we had Hugh! By the way - I won the last battle). I realise how busy and chaotic life will be once #2 is born and I'm realistic in the fact that I won't be able to dedicate as much time to the new nursery as I did Hugh's, so I have a week to convince Mr Nest that I am right (AGAIN)....because I don't want to do neutral (whilst lovely, it's not me)!

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So will it be blue......

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Or pink?!

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Time will tell! But regardless of if (who am I kidding, of course I will!) I have my way, we are going to keep it a secret!

I'm loving.....

How cute is this mobile? Moustaches have been huge in the party department recently and seems that mobiles are getting a 'tash treatment too! This one's from Etsy - Jall & Toffta (which I noticed over at Bambino Goodies) .

A question of ettiqutte

When I was putting together my post yesterday, I wasn't sure of who the correct person to credit an image was. Do I put where I found the image, which was actually via elsewhere and then via elsewhere, or do you put the original source?

What is the correct etiquette?

My other question.....when I save images I love, I save them under where I found them and then via the other source (if applicable). However when I go to share them with you, I haven't saved the original link back direct to where I found it. So getting to the point.....how do you 'file' images you love and want to blog about?

Hmmm, off to ponder some more. Baby brain is KICKING in big time!

From the 'Bright' file...

The sun is shining, Spring is finally here (although you wouldn't think so with all the flooding going on at the moment!), so let's have a squizz in my 'bright' file!

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Lilac Delights

Have you noticed alot of purple & lilac nurseries lately? Well I have and inspired by these gorgeous rooms, I put together an Inspiration board for you!

And now for the breakdown:

First the colour scheme.....I'd paint the walls this gorgeous silvery lilac colour and use accents of light aqua blue and soft sunshine yellow.

1. The stunning Leander Cot/Toddler bed. I just love the shape of this cot.

2. Monte Luca Glider.....the chair of my dreams (yes I have emailed to see if they ship to Australia - Yes they do, but for nearly the same price as the chair!).

3. I want one of these Table Tonic Morocoon pooufe in every room of my house please.

4. How cute are these owls from Barnes & Noble?! I am tempted to order a set of these bookends for Hugh's room.

5. For colour, we'll add this mobile from Etsy vendor - Lil Sprout Creations.

6. Of course, we need storage! So from the Shelving Shop, one of these 3 square shelves.

7 & 8. Prints for the walls. 7 is from Etsy vendor - Belly Babies & 8 is Etsy - Sugar Loop

9. To finish off, we will use this gorgeous sheet set from Cot Couture.

And from my 'purple' file......

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So what's your opinion on purple? Not something I thought I would really like, but I'm actually loving it at the moment!