big boy bed

this little dude has finally got a big boy bed! we got him the exact same bed as joseph so he'd be keen on sleeping in it (and it just so happened that there was twin red beds at my parents which isaac had in his room when he was younger) and lovely aunty sam sent the hey duggee bedding from the uk. it's near impossible to find any duggee stuff here, so we were thrilled - and his little face when he saw it made it all worth it!

look at that smile. he was so stoked to be going to bed and went straight to sleep, only to wake up at midnight screaming. sigh. but the next night was better - and we are hoping it keeps going that way. fingers crossed. but how cute is he? i love that little face!

we had a win a few weeks ago when the child health nurse came to do his 2.5-3 year check. he was such a nice guy and loved alex. one of the questions was how their speech is - and they recommend that by this age they should be able to say a 4 word sentence. well. alex came rushing by us and and blurted out. mum. mum. i want to go pick maddie up from school now! well. his face was priceless. big tick for alex. he's leaps and bounds above where he should be and don't we know it! little gem. 

alex's nautical room

alex's room has been set up with some adorable things over time, and mum has added to them, with these adorable boat prints, which are actually quilted and stuck into the frames. they match the baby quilt she made for him and i loooove them! she is honestly so clever.

i mean seriously. i would never have thought to make something like that and she just blows me away time and time again.

he has all kinds of nautical things in his room and so they match perfectly with his pirates and little boat shelf and this adorable ocean style map sheet and pillowcase that i picked up at the opshop this week. 

perfection! ❤

 

op til you drop

i washed our sheets and remade the bed yesterday and while everything was looking so pretty snapped a picture... i know so many people who still have this idea that everything from the opshop is smelly and old and gross. you know what, sometimes it is, but mostly, it's not. for example, everything on this bed is second hand, other than the sheets (that you can't see anyway). the doona cover is from sheridan australia, but i snapped it up at the morley good sammy's store for $2, the cushion was $1 from the good sammy's mega barn, and the pillow cases were from st. richards guild in midland for $1 each, whilst they were still current stock at bed bath n table. mum snapped them up a couple of years ago, but is yet to have a turn.

let's go further. my actual bed frame was given to me by a friend (who knew i was after a white one) when she got a new one. bed side tables were $20 for the pair one one of the local buy sell swap pages, painted to suit my room, with crystal knobs from ebay. even the amazing patterned glass bedside lamps (unfortunately out of the shot) were an absolute steal from the salvos store local to my parents house. 

so for all you people who don't opshop, i ask you again, why not? this should be more than enough motivation for you! ♥

a mothers love

when i was 5 years old, my mother decided to make a quilt for my bed. i watched her spend a good part of the next year sewing these blocks up and then handstitching the entire thing stitch by stitch until it was done. i would hide underneath the fabric as she sewed each night and was thrilled to pieces when it was finally done and spread onto my bed for the first time. i loved it then and i still love it just as much. so all these years later, it seemed a waste for it to sit in a cupboard when madeline is using my old bed... so mum go to work once more and made it hers...

this new piece was added to the quilt a month or so ago, quilted over the top of four calico hearts with the letters of my name... and this week the quilt has one again taken pride of place on my old bed. madeline is thrilled to pieces and couldn't wait to snuggle under it this evening.

"those who sleep under a quilt, sleep under a blanket of love ♥ "

joseph's room

i have been meaning to post joseph's finished room for quite some time, but seem to have failed miserably in doing so.

i had such a good time making this space for our little man and i am so glad i went with bright yellow and green with grey and white... it looks amazing and i am thrilled. i love to be in here with him. ♥ 

so here we are; better late than never...

canvas: officeworks

weathered blocks: chris lentz-reid

yellow frames: thingz home and gifts

mini fale, handheld drum and carved turtle: flea markets samoa

yellow house lantern: kmart

giraffe led night light: target

(drawers from ikea)

cot & change table: has baby

rug & cushion: anna joy french

metal storage baskets: kmart 

nappy stacker: ma & me

grey/yellow dachshund bedding set: target au

teddy bear: funky kids

deer head: the reject shop

mobile: made by my talented mum whilst in samoa

tupac and biggie cushions: passive juice motel

knitted blanket: target

deer cushion: ma & me

patchwork quilt: also made by my mum whilst in samoa, she was on a roll!

green storage cubes: target

monkey over door hangers: kmart

bookshelf: homeart

toy tub: kmart

dream frame: spotlight

vintage train: vinnies stores

elephant: ma & me

handmade pillowcases

flicking through a few home magazines (and pinterest of course... always pinterest) i've come across numerous yellow bed covers and i am loving them. i was almost at the point of considering paying full price for one (anyone that knows me will be rolling with laughter) and then on a recent opshop adventure i discovered this beauty hanging out on the manchester rack just waiting for me to discover it. For just $10 it was a score... the only issue was that it only came with one pillowcase. so tonight i worked a little magic with my trusty friend my sewing machine and made it into two!

i had an idea in my head to simply pull apart two plain white pillowcases, then use one side (with the flap closure still attached) to sew to a piece the same size of the patterned fabric (i'd also pulled the other pillow case apart), making a standard sized pillow case. i don't have mad sewing skills, but thankfully it worked perfectly and i now have two pillowcases to go with my new cover! yay!

new bedset? $10. winning. 

madeline's big girl room tour

well, here it is! my little girl has grown up suddenly and has a room for a big girl. with a big bed (that she loves to jump on) and other fun things. niques vacated the room and left for queensland shortly before we left for samoa... and i have finally gotten around to posting some pictures of it on here.

i have done my best with the terrible cheap (now dirty and worn) carpet and awful coloured walls that come with a rental... and despite that, madeline is thrilled with the result. every time someone comes to our house, they are greeted with "do you want to come in my room?" "i love my room" "mummy made it for me" she's clearly easily pleased, but it is a nice place to sit and play.

3d butterfly heart pic a custom piece from ma & me

princess castle available at all department/toy stores or online here

toy basket below from the reject shop

i'm ocd as anything, i had to have matching hangers... and it has made such a difference to how neat her closet looks, no more mish-mashed hanging... get to kmart $3 for 10

solid recycled cardboard cubes $10 each from target

pink laundry tub (mini handbag storage) from bunnings

follow your dreams canvas print from kmart

dolly pram made by my grandfather for my third birthday ♥

antique cast iron bed a gift for my sixth birthday from my grandmother

pale pink quilt set with white fluffy wings detail & matching white fluffy cushion trelise cooper at ezibuy au

babushka cushion toy a gift from my best friend to madeline

pink chevron cushion from flamingo tease

rainbow quilled picture, a custom piece from ma & me

bedside table from kmart

wooden campervan playset from kmart

lamp from keeley's garden

dream canvas from the local opshop for $5 - what a steal!

jewellery stand from diva (now lovisa)

teddybear money box, made by my aunt when i was a child

m from cotton on kids

dreamcatcher canvas from earthly gifts by the sea

love letters from thingz gifts

"heaven" canvas from kmart

birdcage from junk to jazz

eiffel tower bookends from gumtree

classics bookset available here

praying children also from my aunt

mirror from ezibuy au

"wild thing" gold leather crown from hubble + duke

chest of drawers from ikea

mr piggy, a gift from a friend and still madly loved by miss maddie

pink wooden stool handmade by my beautiful grandfather

lightshade from ezibuy au

so there you have it! madeline's room. 

we love it and are glad she does too ♥

felt banner hack

disclaimer to begin - i in no way own this picture, total possession belongs to homely creatures. i simply have a friend who upon seeing this banner featured in a competition on instagram fell in love, but was a bit short on cash, so i decided to make my own version - for her.  i think it's a cute idea and all credit to them for the inspiration, in fact if you want your own, please go and buy one here! they are a very reasonable price for how much work goes into them... but if you too are a little short on cash, feel free to follow my instructions and diy!

you will need - half a metre of felt on the roll, available from all large craft/sewing stores (i went to lincraft) most places will measure slightly larger than the 50cm so that you definitely get the amount you've asked for, so mine wound up being about 30cms wide. i simply folded the piece into 4 and then cut into pieces, then evened up the edges with my scissors also.

grab a piece of chalk and start drawing the outline of your letters onto the felt. they don't look even? not a worry - as you can see from the original, not all letters are the same size and are slightly higgledy piggledy. once you are happy with your outlines, grab your sewing scissors, poke into the felt and cut around each letter, then use a dampened cloth to wipe off any excess.

i've then made a slight hem at the top and pushed through some wire, to make sure the felt doesn't sag and just sewn a straight line across the bottom for the same reason. to hang, add a piece of coloured string (poke a hole and thread through) or use 3m strips if you're renting (thus the lack of string on all the ones pictured!)

i am very much hoping that they are enjoyed by the two little men they are off to... but this is the beauty of the internet. like something you see? make your own version! all it takes is a little inspiration and makeshift materials and you're well on your way to having your own! now off you go and make your own.

maddie's big girl room

my little girl is about to be a big girl. she's turning two very soon and i assume that means that i have to *sob* move her into a big girl bed. that, however means that i need to get her new bedroom stuff, cause her cot quilt isn't going to fit my vintage bed. 

i have been stalking this bed set online from ezibuy for quite some time... and this week discovered they were having a sale and all the things i wanted for maddie's room were 50% off. yay! so maddie now has on the way... a new quilt set, with two funky cushions and two awesome mirrors. 

the best bit? my beautiful bestie went halvsies with me! woop woop! i am sure maddie will be in her cot for quite some time still, but i am excited for decorating when it's time.

new bedroom

aunty niques has come to live with us and take care of madeline for the next year while i go back to work :( so doug and i have been madly trying to get her room done, and finished just a few hours before her plane arrived. we thought simple with a lot of room was best - and decided on black and white...

dresser from ikea

lamp from the york salvation army rummage sale

jewellery stand from diva

tea cup and saucer from st vinnies in claremont

mini black frame from the york salvatino army rummage sale (spraypainted black booyah!)

mirror and black mosaic frame from loot in queensland 

another lot of handiwork...$5 mirror from midland picture framers, also spraypainted black... i was on a roll! haha

my old bed from mum and dads, painted with cream powder coating... a gift from grandma goodlet when i was a really little girl ♥

black and white doona set from big w

magnetic board and magnets from ikea

and stickers on said board from avon a few years ago. we actually tried to put the stickers on the walls, but unfortunately they didn't stick, the paint must be a rough finish or something... so in the end they went on the board - they are old fashioned chandelier decals and are so so cute!

we are super excited to have aunty niques her with us and hope you enjoyed the brief tour of her bedroom ;)

yawwwwwwwwwn!!!

it's been one of those days....
i am so freaking tired that all i want is to go to sleep
- and i've felt like that, all damn day. i know i'm a wuss - but ugh...
bedtime for me can't come soon enough!
i totally would have pulled this paris hilton move over the copier and everything... if i thought for even a minute that my boss would let me get away with it.
so instead i kept myself awake googling non-sensical things, and discovered this fabulous bed... anyone want to buy it for me?
it's the coolest!!
love love love... want want want!
it's only $15000
goodnight!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz