Friday Finds

For Michaela
With a new baby in the house, Michaela has watched more tv in the last few weeks than in her whole life to date! She is currently a big fan of Giggle and Hoot and I'm sure this cuddly owl would be a hit.

Available here and ABC shops

For Harper
Harper is already 12 weeks young and her hand-eye coordination and ability to focus on faces means that books are the perfect entertainment for her now. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see? is perfect for little ones as it's brightly coloured and contains rhyme and repitition.

For me
I do LOVE this poster......it's just a shame it costs so much now after appearing on a front cover of Domino magazine a few years ago.

To make
How cute is this floor cushion?! Perfect for a reading nook anywhere around the house. I can just see Michaela carting it outside to do some reading under a tree. Tutorial here.

Softies for Mirabel

The Softies for Mirabel Foundation is being run again by Pip from Meet me at Mikes. I sent these two softies last year and will endeavour to put another one or two in the post by the 5th December. There are so many free softie patterns available on line if you fancy trying your hand at making one, and who doesn't love a cute stoftie?!

This blog is a good place to find softie patterns. I also like this cute doll and this friendly monster. Another option would be to purchase some gorgeous craft panels from Kelani Fabrics and make a simple softie.

Harper Rose Lindsay O'Brien 7/7/11

It has been a while since I have had the time (and energy!) to write a post and all because of this little gorgeous, cuddly, smiley creature.



Harper arrived 4 days before her due date on Thursday 7th July at 12.25pm. She weighed 7 pound 8 ounces/ 3.42kg and measured 51 cms. The labour went smoothly and quickly, which is apparently the way my body likes it- get it over and done with fast! We have both had a few hiccups since she arrived but we are now doing well and enjoying getting to know one another. It has certainly been a whole new adjustment this time round. I'd forgotten how much extra washing one little person can create and how getting to a certain place by a certain time requires A LOT of logistical planning. Michaela is enjoying being a big sister and seeing her change in these last few weeks has been really lovely.

At the 12 week mark, Harper is now starting to settle into a semi-predictable routine which will hopefully allow me to get back into some sewing and blogging. I hope to share the final nursery pics soon as well as a few crafty creations. I went to a friend's baby shower last weekend and managed to make her one of these. I forgot to take a photo of him but he turned out very nicely and was a quick project I'd been meaning to do for a while.

I really like the monthly baby photos done by this and this blog and will be doing the same for Harper. Here she is at 2 months; slightly stunned but still cute! She is sitting next to an adorable bear that my parents gave her which is personalised with her name and date of birth. They can be ordered here.

37 weeks

Here's me and my belly at 37 weeks. I had intended to capture a few more photos during this pregnancy but alas I am almost at the end and only have a couple of pictures. I'm at the 'can't wait to meet this little person/ can't wait to sleep on my back, see my toes and eat some smoked salmon with lashings of soft cheese' stage. I've put on 11.5 kgs to date which is much less than with my first pregnancy. I gained almost 17 kgs last time due to a lot of fluid retention: carpal tunnels, cankles, chubby face! This baby is moving a lot, has hiccups most days and has a favourite spot for kicking out her foot, all of which make for a very active tummy. I get such strong movements at night that the mattress shudders! All in all the pregnancy is going well and this last trimester is flying by. I've almost completed the nursery and am enjoying popping in there each time I come upstairs.

Here is a list of my pregnancy/baby daily 'must-reads'

• Spearmint Baby


• Buy Modern Baby Blog


• Ohdeedoh


• Project Nursery

Interior Inspiration

I was very lucky to receive the book, Decorate, by Holly Becker from the much loved and visited blog decor 8 for Mother's Day last month. The book is stunning and contains lots of beautiful images and tips for creating gorgeous, personal spaces. You can get your copy from Amazon.

My other recent resource for all things interior is the current issue of Adore on-line magazine found here. The content is great, although I wish I could thumb through actual pages of this magazine.

Taking shape

I'm 33 and a bit weeks along in my second pregnancy and all is going well. Lots of baby wiggles, low back pain, reduced sleep...........it will all be worth it!! (My new mantra!!)
I've been collecting bits and pieces and ideas for the nursery since I found out that I was pregnant and this week has seen the room begin to take shape. My Dad lent me a few hours of his time and his painting skills to paint the room in Taubman's Grey Comfort. Between the two of us, the room was done in about 2.5 hours. The colour looks great and does have a soothing effect.




I also diy-ed a $2 lampshade from Target in Sandy Henderson Happy Butterfly in Blush I bought from this etsy seller. I bought some fabric bias tape from Spotlight too for the top and bottom trim.
Hopefully I'll have some finished nursery photos to share in a week or so when I've completed some more projects.

A quick project

The embroidery fabric hoops which were originally featured on the Purl Bee can be seen all over the net. I love seeing them in nurseries and are a great way to add colour and texture to a wall.
Yesterday saw the beginning of some (hopefully!) cooler weather and with that I dusted off a couple of my favourite winter accessories- scarves and brooches. Rather than having my brooches shut away in a box I thought I'd use a fabric hoop to pin and display them.