Words of Wisdom Wednesday

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Keeping it Cosy (and an Instagram change)

I wanted to make the interior of Axel’s teepee a place where he could relax and play quietly (ha! For those of you who know my child I’m sure you are laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of that statement!) but any-who a girl can dream and he has actually managed to do so for maybe 2 minutes max – a work in progress…

I didn’t want to spend heaps of money but wanted to give him the cosy feeling on mass straight away so Kmart and Cotton On Kids were on my hit list at the mall.

The faux sheep skin rug was $35 from Kmart and the cushions from Cotton On Kids were great value for money and tied in well with the Wild Thing-esque theme I’ve got going on in there (monster cushion available but the little triangular  cushion is sold out online). I already had the Wild Thing cushion (from Society 6) so added that in there too.

Axel loves to run head first in there and throw himself down on the cushions so it must be pretty comfortable (I actually know it’s pretty comfortable as have had a wee rest in there myself on occasion!) and I can easily add new cushions and blankets.

Also thought I show you a pic of what we got the cheeky monkey for his first birthday present – this awesome Blacklist Studio print which we got via PaperPlaneStore as they have them already framed. I love it! For the moment it is sitting up on the windowsill but when he changes rooms (maybe / eventually / one day) it’ll go up on the wall as there isn’t quite the right spot for it in his current room.

On a side note I was so useless at logging in and out of my personal account on Instagram to post images on the blog account that I’m going to flag the blog account and just link it to my personal account. Hmmm hope that makes sense! Follow me at @claredoornenbal.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone xx

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

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Words of Wisdom Wednesday

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A big birthday and then some bugs!

Our little man turned one a couple of weeks back – I was ridiculously excited, almost like Christmas Eve excitement! Not sure whether this is normal but it was pretty cool! We had a fabulous day with family celebrating this milestone and then partied with Axel’s friends on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I went to a party shop here in Christchurch where I was in and out in 20 minutes, leaving with a plethora of Beatrix Potter themed party wares – easiest party planning ever!

And then I came down with a virus – ugh! I haven’t been struck down with anything this bad since I got swine flu while living in London. While it was nothing nearly as bad swine flu, I have been feeling average to say the least for the last two weeks. Finally today, the fog seems to have cleared and I am beginning to feel a little more like my energetic old self. Thank god for that!

Here are some photos of the birthday boy, including a couple with his friends in his new Mocka teepee (thanks to his Granny and Grandad!). Will do a separate post on the teepee and what I found to make it extra cosy later this week.

Thanks for sticking with me while I’ve had a loooong absence! X

A Cooler Climate…

calls for knitwear and I can’t wait! I love the changing of the seasons and am getting itchy feet to start wearing some cozy knits, in particular a long, snuggly cardigan.

I’m on the hunt for a grey or khaki green one (or maybe both – lets be honest!) as these colours look fab against black / blue / white denim (my winter staples) and I already nabbed this black cable jumper when in Hanmer Springs a couple of weeks back.

Apparently khaki coloured cardigans aren’t so popular though as I could only find the ONE below that was the style I’m after. It is a mighty fine one though thanks to NZ label Moochi – I may have to make the investment…. Seed Heritage does have this khaki coloured jumper that might curb my craving at about a third of the price (and is probably much more likely haha!) 1. Clara Long Line Cardigan – Forever New 2. Cushy Cardi Coat – Moochi 3. Sleeveless Longline Gilet – Witchery 4. Slug Mixed Yarn Cardi by MNG Online – The Iconic 5. Cameo Right On Cardigan – Fashion Bunker

Wallpaper Love

I LOVE, love, lurrrrveee the half moon Ferm Living wallpaper we used on a section in Axel’s room!

I think it really adds a wow factor and pulls everything together. I love how it sneaks around the corner so that you get a peak of what awaits you from the hallway. Clashing prints in the same accent colour allows for cohesion but a sense of fun – what a boys room should be!

I ordered the wallpaper through the Paper Room – they have an amazing range and provide great advice on what products to use to help ensure you get a perfect result.

It was a little tricky to hang due to wonky walls (the joys of living in Earthquake prone Christchurch in a 1930’s bungalow) and my idea to bring it round the corner, but my Dad and brother did a fab job and probably saved my marriage haha! I have slowly been piecing together my ideas for this space.

You can see that I have ticked off the rug from my wish list on this previous post and swapped out the orange curtains for some neutral ones that Mum had in their place and was replacing. I love it when I find cool boy things to add character and a little design to the room – there are so many girly things out there or things that are brightly coloured which don’t really fit with the style of the room so you can imagine my delight when I found this super cool bat hanger online – cheap, cheerful and monochrome!

See below the photos for links to products I have used so far – mind you the Mocka chair is about to be replaced next week (Axel turns one on Wednesday! Where did that year go?!) by something much more whimsical and a whole lot safer; our crazy child scales the chair, props his feet on the heater then boosts onto the windowsill! Not so safe anymore!

Chair – Mocka (similar here)

Rug – Letliv

Moroccan Pouf – Letliv

Animal Artwork – Bird in a Bunny Suit

Wild Thing Cushion – Society Six

Alphabet Cards – Tanya Wolfkamp

Words of Wisdom Wednesday…

Thanks to Miss Swift…

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Blog Loving

I feel like I have been crazy busy lately which also means super slack when it comes to making time to blog. I also haven’t had the time to sit down and peruse some of my favourite blogs which is what started it all – finding inspiration from some super creative and fashionable talent around the world.

I ignored the painting of the skirting in the second bathroom over the weekend to actually sit down with a cup of tea (and some chocolate!) and catch up on some of my old and new favourite blogs.

Here are the links to some of my go to blogs for fashion and interior inspiration – definitely worth bookmarking!

1. Emily Henderson – interior designer/stylist extraordinaire, plus super cute mum and hilarious writer. Her posts are some of the most well planned, detailed and entertaining around. A total professional.

2. The Grace Tales – self proclaimed ‘for the stylish mother’ a great place to go for profiles on fashionable, working (celebrity) mums and fashion for mothers and their babes.

3. Not So Mumsy – gorgeous Sydney-sider Marcia Leone chronicles her favourite things and self- styled fashion shoots with super cute son Archie. Honest posts that will speak to many a mumma. (Gorgeous instagram feed too!)

4. My Scandinavian Home – If you like Scandi style then this is the perfect place to go for interiors inspiration and beautiful styling.

5. Hello Fashion – Christine Andrew founded Hello Fashion in December 2011 as a way to showcase current trends in fresh, inspiring ways. Her looks are always stylish but also very achievable and often on much lower price point than many other of the fashion blogs I follow. She also has a super cute son (and husband!). (Gorgeous instagram feed too!)

6. Leia Sfez – Parisian chic… need I say more?! (Gorgeous instagram feed too!)

Happy reading and bookmarking everyone!

Black Estate

We had such a fab weekend in Hanmer – the weather was amazing (even though we spent much of Saturday afternoon inside watching the cricket! Exciting but stressful thanks Black Caps!) and we left on Sunday feeling very relaxed and rested.

On the way up to Hanmer on Friday we stopped for lunch at Black Estate winery in the Waipara Valley. The modern black architecture of the building was a stark contrast to the golden burnt fields that surround it. Inside the simple decor let the stunning view take precedence and the food was a delicious compliment to the setting, not to mention the cold crisp bottle of Rose we shared! There was plenty of space for Axel to practise his hill climbs (while his Granny chased him!) which allowed me to enjoy my perfectly seasoned groper, served on confit potatoes and green beans with a tomato salsa. There was a lot of tasting off each others plates from everyone at our table as it would have been rude not to share such delicious flavours!

image via Black Estate

I highly recommend a road trip for a special lunch to Black Estate – all of our meals were beautiful and the setting truly is something special. You could easily while away a number of hours sitting in the sunshine enjoying the view, wine, food and company x