A day at the beach

It might be winter but sometimes I think that makes the beach even better. There are less people and the sun makes you nice and toasty without burning you within seconds of having emerged out into it. It also means the sand is the perfect temperature for playing in and no risk of third degree burns to little fingers making sandcastles!

As it was an impromptu trip, my outfit was a tad impromptu too. A Coco & Ginger dress over jeans and topped with my reversible Moppit hoody. I bought the hoody from All About Baby at the end of last winter as they cleared old season stock. Like my Oobi coat, it's turned out to have been a great investment - even more so given how cheaply I got it! One side is plain pink and the other is red with pink polka dots.

Of course any outfit would not be complete without a pair of Mummy's shoes - in this case, some black Havianas!

Friday morning shopping

Mummy and I went to our local shops this morning - we usually walk down on a Friday morning but this morning the mercury hit -4 and it was still hovering close to zero when we were ready to leave, so we opted to drive instead! I picked up a few bargains - including a cool purple ball that matched my coat.

I'm getting to be such a big girl now so I insist on carrying our shopping basket. Mummy thinks it's a ploy to slow us down so I can spend more time looking at things!

ps My Oobi swing coat has turned out to be a real workhorse this winter - it's warm and stylish

Last of the Autumn leaves

There's no question it's winter now - frosty mornings and cool clear days. But there are still some lovely Autumn leaves hanging onto the trees if you look closely enough. I'm a bit of a fan of climbing so when I scrambled up onto this windowsill Mummy thought it made a lovely photo (thank goodness for iPhones!). The leaves match my Chalk n Cheese blouse don't you think? And my Chook Leaf shoes highlight the green of the grass.

The most magnificent skirt ever

It's hard to find words or take pictures that do this exquisite pettiskirt justice. It was a present from my Aunty Meghan and even though I know she has impeccable taste (she regularly advises Mummy on her purchases) I had no idea a thing of such beauty existed anywhere!

I whirled and I twirled and pulled just about every pair of Mummy's shoes out of her cupboard to find the perfect pair of heels - these Tony Bianco black patents ended up being my favourite.

It took a lot of coaxing me out of it when it came time for bed, however, when Mummy promised me she would not sneak away with it while I slept I relented and let her hang it up where we could both stare at it for a little longer. I'm still not entirely sure Mummy doesn't have designs on it for herself ...

Slowly coming together

My playroom continues to evolve. The poster on the top of the shelves is an Isak counting poster Mummy bought the The Infant Boutique and has pinned into a canvas that is covered in pink silk. We're still deciding whether to leave it like that or find a frame for it.

The yellow photo frame is from The Rocking Horse and the blue one is from Typo. They'll get photos when Mummy works out how to make the ink print properly on her new photo printer!

Next up we're going to tackle the couch and the wall behind it. Mummy has an old - I mean vintage - fabric panel with numbers and animals of it thatwould make a nice wall hanging. Although that might also look good hung in the window. Decisions decisions ...

Coolest toy bag ever

It was quite the day for impulse purchases but there was no way Mummy could leave this divine Corban & Blair toy bag behind. The animals are educational, the colours are gorgeous and it's the perfect size to boot. It fits my entire kitchen/ tea party set in with plenty of room to spare. Not something you'd expect when you see how much floor space they can cover when tipped out!

Shopping spree

Yesterday Mummy went on a scoping expedition for some funky storage and decorating ideas for my shelves. She only intended to look around and make a note of what was available where to avoid impulse purchases that didn't really fit the room or what we want from it. That was until she walked into Typo. A very cool concept store by Cotton On. It also happened to be the very first store she visited - so much for no impulse purchases!




These letters were incredibly cheap so Mummy overcame her slight suspicion of initials being used as decoration and threw some in her basket. I think they look surprisingly good and are a good size for being displayed together or eventually split into different cubes. They also lend themselves to being painted or covered in some gorgeous paper. A craft project for a rainy day perhaps?





Mummy also found some lovely paper lanterns to brighten up the shelves. We're not entirely sure whether we'll end up hanging them from the ceiling like the ones in my bedroom or keep them as shelf features. Either way they're a lot of fun to play with!

Coffee for the workers

With Mummy working hard to create a gorgeous and functional playroom for me I've been keeping her plied with cappucinos to make sure she doesn't lose focus on the task at hand. My pretty pink machine makes a mean cappucino and a macchiato that really puts a spring in your step.

My black cord Sudo dress and some Country Road tights make the perfect uniform for a pint-sized barrista don't you think?

Transformation - progress

On Saturday morning we had a delivery from Ikea - three Expedit bookshelves. We've got the Billy's in the living room and Mummy and Daddy tossed up putting them in this room too, but decided the Expedit shelves would provide a bit of a contrast. Plus they're a little more playful looking I think with the cubes.

I've got to admit that I share Mummy's love of all things Ikea and flatpack. There's no better way to start a weekend than sitting on a great big pile of Ikea boxes to be unpacked. Mummy says there's nothing better than unpacking a great big pile of Ikea boxes and directing the assembly of their contents. Daddy just sighs.

It was a close run thing getting all the bookshelves to fit along the wall. When Mummy and Daddy measured the wall they didn't take into account the skirting boards on the floor so the skirting boards had to go. Mummy waited until Daddy went out for a few hours before she butchered them. Her secret is safe with me.

Then began the mammoth task of shifting my books. I've been very very lucky and given lots of lovely books as presents as well as having a lot of Mummy's from when she was a little girl. It's an unbelievable amount of fun to go through them all and find new stories.

It's still a work in progress, but at least my books have been put away. I will keep you updated on progress as the room continues to transform.

Playroom transformation - before!

This is the before shot of Mummy and Daddy's study/ my playroom. We've been trying to make it a space that works for both things, however, Mummy felt it was lacking storage and, well, a bit of style. As you can see there's my table and chairs and also my tubs of toys. Then there's the couch and at the other end of that is our computer (photos will follow when it's been prettified too).

These are my shelves in our living area where I keep my books. Mummy and Daddy are fairly keen to reclaim these shelves for themselves so my books will be moving into the study/playroom.

Winter woolies for an afternoon at the park

Any self-respecting toddler knows it's important to be comfortable when you're visiting the park for some fun on the swings and slide. But that's no excuse to look daggy! Nor is the fact that it is getting decidedly chilly at the playground in the late afternoons.

Check out this gorgeous handmade t-shirt (seriously how cute are the ribbons on the pigtails?!) at B & Me. I stumbled across it when I was on there buying another gorgeous dress (Hummingbird Dress) and couldn't resist. It comes with a matching polka dot skirt too!

I teamed it up with my fave Neige jeans, an Ollie and Max quilted military jacket from Little Living, some Chook Leaf shoes (what else?!) and a beanie from Sheep's Clothing. The beanie actually came with a gorgeous vintage fabric and button brooch that I have pinned on another favourite jacket of mine.