The Long and Short of it...

Remember this vintage book find from way back when? I've been looking for some more in the series at every Op Shop I go to for nearly a year now without much luck. After seeing the original blog post a lovely reader (thank you, I don't know who you were as the package was thrown away) sent me one she had found bringing our collection to two , until now...

In the place I least expected it, one came to me. Mums elderly neighbor in Argentina (Emma called her Granny like in Totoro) popped over with a big bag of books that she had kept from when her children were young. In it was this beauty, Largo y Corto (Long and Short), in Spanish from the same series by a different publisher. Trippy!
The books were on loan whilst we were there but she let us have this one after she saw how excited I was about it. Aren't the illustrations just the best?
And there are those heart knee patches again.I wonder where the next one will turn up?

More colour!

After spying the home of talented Kiwi interior designer and all round cool gal Alex Fulton on the Li'l Magoolie blog and Apartment Therapy, it has gotten me thinking about introducing some more colour to my living space.
My living and dining areas are looking a bit 'brown' so this spring I'm going to inject some big time COLOUR!

I really love how Alex has displayed this collection of vintage ceramics...
And get a load of that staircase!Photography by Maddie of Li'l Magoolie who has just moved to Oz from NZ...I'm hoping we will get to meet for realz one day.

Iron-ons...a crafty good time

A lovely facebook liker suggested I add some iron-on appliques to the shop after I'd put out a call-out for your suggestions. Coincidentally I bought these cute appliques in Japan and had never gotten around to listing them until now.

So yes this is a blatant product flog. Go and buy some cuteness now (over here), there are only 3 of each design available.

What would you put them on?

Oh and I thought I might mention that you can now get free domestic shipping for all orders over $150 when you use the code SHIP4FREE150 at the checkout.

Postcards from Mar del Plata - Instagram love

If you follow me on twitter you would have caught some of my Instagram photos from the trip. I didn't have a data roaming service on my phone in Argentina, but most cafes had WiFi so I tweeted pics at every opportunity.

Some of the highlights:

Some vintage goodness:

FYI: My Instagram feed is set to private, apologies to those of you that have sent requests without a response, I'm a bit funny about photo privacy.

I'm Back - a vlog post

My first vlog post...it's just a quick one till I get the hang of being in front of the camera.



Hope my crazy eyes weren't too distracting?

Sponsor Profile - Scruffy Dog: New Season

Scruffy Dog one of our favourite brand of kids shoes has Just released their new season range. Introducing two great new styles, Giselle and Juliette.I'll let Leila from Scruffy Dog tell you all about them...

"Giselle is such a superbly elegant and versatile shoe that can go straight from school to a party. Dance with confidence to your hearts content in these flexible soles and secure foot hugging elasticated fastenings. With a full leather upper and lining of stunning soft red leather your feet will be comfortable and healthy with or without socks. In black or distressed white. Rrp $79.95.

For versatile party shoes with a bit more glitz, you simply can't go past Juliette. A strong well fitted shoe with full leather upper and lining and that irresistible flash of glamour in silver, pink or blue. Now on special at $64.95."

Pop over to their website now and check out the stockist page to find a retailer near you. You can also purchase directly from Scruffy Dog, just ring or send an email to check size and colour availability. Their Gallery Page has pictures of all the styles.

Thank you to Scruffy Dog for their continued support of the blog, it's great to have such an awesome sponsor!

Merry-go-round...

In Mar del Plata nearly every little plaza has it's own Merry-go-round. They are all quite old and charming, and probably being held together by many coats of paint. Mum tells me I rode some of them when I was Emma's age, some have even been there since mum was little.

As soon as she saw her first one she was hooked. It takes an average of 3 rides before she loses interest although the other day she had to be forcefully removed before I went broke.
This one was particularly pretty...

Postcards from Mar del Plata: Flea Market Finds

Just around the corner, and one block away from mum's apartment, is a little plaza that on Friday, Saturday and Sunday attracts a few vendors of randomness and tat. I've had a little fun treasure hunting there but the pickings are slim as most of the wares are not what I'm after. It's mostly architectural fittings, old tools and tacky jewelry from the 90's. I did find this cute enameled lion brooch for me (I love him, his head moves), and some lovely woodland themed wooden knick knacks for the shop maybe? Emma has been eying the little fawns off with great interest...

Sponsor Profile - Mon*star Kids

I have been a fan of the Mon*star Kids clothing label for a long time now. When I opened the shop it was my number one 'must have' range. Monstar was a big hit with my customers too, I often had a waiting list of savvy mums wanting to snaffle up new stock. I know a lot of you out there are big fans and were quite sad to see the store close because you wouldn't be able to get your Monstar fix any more. Well fear not, Monstar now has an online store and the new season range does not disappoint. Fiona the creative talent behind Monstar has been nice enough to share a sneak peek of the new Summer range about to hit the stores very soon and available online now.

As usual the range has been made in Australia, and this season Fiona has designed some exclusive fabrics for the collection which have been printed in Melbourne. Monstar has always been about a hands on approach, with all the screen prints, embellishments and even button details finished by Fiona herself. Pop over and check out their new range. It's very reasonable priced and the quality is excellent.
You can also pick up a last season bargain on the Specials Page.

Find them here:
WEB SHOP : FACEBOOK

Time Capsule...

We are staying in Mum and Dad's apartment in Mar del Plata, the home where I spent the first 3 years of my life. For about 33 years no one has really lived in it as it has been used as consulting rooms for a psychology practice so it has remained relatively untouched for that time.

It's been furnished pretty randomly now but the kitchen is still pretty cute.

Blythe 10th Anniversary Exhibition

Yes, I'm still talking about Japan, bear with me...

Pilgrim and I were so lucky to catch this amazing Blythe Doll exhibition during our last few days in Tokyo, it was in the Parco Department store gallery space.
Called '10 Happy Memories' it's a collection of every Blythe doll that has ever been released in Japan. WoW!
I believe it is touring some of the Parco stores in Japan till the spring of 2012 so if you are a Blythe lover and are going to be in Japan around that time, pop it on your to-do list.
Some of these gals are super stylin' and probably so hard to get now. I wonder if there is a 'Blythe HQ' with a giant vault full of rare Blythe dolls?

Here is a link I found with more information about the tour and a few bits of interesting Blythe trivia.

Postcards from Buenos Aires: Sopa del Principe

Stumbled across the cutest shop ever in Buenos Aires. Called Sopa del Principe (translates to 'Prince's Soup'), it's a softies workshop full of whimsical handmade animals, dolls and monsters waiting patiently in fruit crates for new owners. You have to check out their website, it's super cute.
As you can imagine, Emma loved it, especially the corner with giant soft pebbles and blades of grass. The shop fit was so quirky and colourful, I couldn't wait to share it with you.The store and designer Verónica Longoni, are quite well known and have even exhibited some of the creations at MOMA in New York.

FYI the prices are in Argentinian Pesos, divide by about 4 for US/AUS dollars.

Sponsored Post - Win $1000 to spend at Lark

The very lovely Allison from Lark is running a fantastic giveaway over on the Lark shop website this September. All you have to do to be in the running is subscribe to the Lark weekly newsletter and then refer a friend for your chance to win a $1000 shopping spree! I receive the newsletter in my inbox every week and it certainly brightens my day. Click over here for the entry form and details.

Now that would certainly be an amazing prize both to win and to spend. I've already compiled a modest wish list of my favourite things that I'd put my prize towards. Secret Santas pay attention...

1. Toadstool Lamp, 2. Pippi Longstocking, 3. Toy Grocer's Shop, 4. Fairy tale blanket , 5. Valise, 6. Made by me ribbon , 7. Babushka carafe, 8. Decorate , 9. Op Shop tote, 10. Ploc , 11. Diamond ring icy pole mould , 12. Vera

I'm so thrilled that Lark has chosen to sponsor this post and tell us all about this great chance to win a really wonderful prize. Make sure you all enter, it's would be so awesome if one of our readers won.

Postcards from Buenos Aires...

We spent two nights in Buenos Aires before moving onto the next leg of our journey to recover from the flight and adjust our body clocks a little.
With a 13 hour time difference it takes a little while.

Buenos Aires is a big noisy (and not always safe) city so rather than staying right in town we thought it would be quieter and safer to stay in one of the more residential areas of Palermo Soho. I found a cute little B&B on the internet called Soho Rooms which was owned by an artist couple and had a really chillaxed retro vibe. I liked it, and any bed after a 24hr journey is so comfortable.
Check out the awesome wall art in the breakfast room made from vintage wall paper.We took a walk around the area in the morning on our day there, it was a mix of grand old buildings, trendy boutiques and historic businesses. Sadly most of the beautiful turn of the century buildings in Buenos Aires have been razed to make way for apartment blocks, this area still has some of the character remaining, but may of the buildings are in a sad state of disrepair or have been marked for developments.
I was planning on returning to some of the cute boutiques that were closed that morning (most didn't open till lunchtime), but unfortunately we couldn't keep our eyes open and went to have a snoozzze...

Room Tour - Cherry's Nursery

The thing I love most about blogging is sharing ideas, stories and inspiration, that's why today, I feel privileged to share a peek inside Cherry's beautiful room. These gorgeous images were taken by Elle, a creative and beautiful new mama, who has just started writing a blog of her own called Cherry and Me. Elle is a graphic designer with a background in the arts industry, so as you can imagine, she has a great eye for colour and design. Cherry is one lucky baby girl. I'm sure you will all agree that this room was just too pretty not to share.I asked Elle a few questions about the space:

Cherry's room is filled with a lovely collection or vintage pieces, where did you acquire them from?

Most of my vintage things have been collected overtime from childhood and from my grandparents house after they passed away. I was very, very close to them. My grandfathers name was Jerry and that's where the name Cherry comes from. My blog is dedicated to Nana Nina and I've featured the photography by Papa Jerry as my first ever blog post. Back in the day they ran a business where papa would shoot portraits for families and nana would hand colour the black and white developed prints. My twitter image is the most gorgeous photo of nana eating a cherry wearing a straw sunhat. I love it!

What's your favourite piece in Cherry's room?

My favourite piece in Cherry's room is an oil painting by my mum Natalia, above Cherry's feeding chair. It's a pretty babushka doll on a candy pink background, coated in high gloss enamel. She is an incredible artist, trained in Russia, with a passion for nudes and nature. I'm an art lover and collector, so this is the first piece in my daughter's art collection.
What does Cherry enjoy most about her room?

Cherry's favourite piece in her room is the hand made butterfly mobile (Made by Mosey), a gift from 'aunty' Lauren. She gets totally mesmerized by the spinning black and white butterflies! Every night, just before bed, we talk to the the butterflies and tell them all about our day. we also ask them for nice dreams, blow them a kiss and wish them good night. It's our little secret ritual.

You can see the full room tour here on Cherry and Me.

Thank you Elle and Cherry for letting us take a peek into your beautiful home.

Sponsor Profile - Little Sparrow

Have you heard of Little Sparrow? It's a pretty awesome place to spend some time. It is owned by my friend Shelly who is an amazingly creative and crafty lady. Not only is Little Sparrow a Steiner inspired toy store, it is choc full of beautiful organic yarn, craft and specialist Steiner books and lots of hard to get habby supplies. My idea of heaven really.
Little Sparrow has recently moved to a bigger space in Balaclava, Melbourne, with a dedicated class room for craft workshops. Check out their website for class timetables. You may even find me holding some classes there soon...

Shelly loves to support local artisans, and stocks some amazing handmade products as well as beautiful German and fair trade wooden toys. I visit a quite regularly to catch up with the lovely Pilgrim who also works there, and Emma is kept entertained in the kids play corner. Isn't that toadstool table so cute?

My most recent purchase there were a few of these amazing painted beads. I'm hoping to make a few little dolls with some pipe cleaners and fabric scraps. Watch this space.

If you are in Melbourne's south, make sure you visit them at
324a Carlisle St, Balaclava, 3163, Vic, Australia. Telephone 03 90410103
Open 7 days
Mon to Fri 9.30-5
Sat & Sun 11-4

Or you can shop online here

*In the interest of full disclosure I have categorized this as a sponsor post because Little Sparrow has an ad on my side bar, but really I've been meaning to write about Little Sparrow for well over a year now. Shelly is really an amazing person who I am lucky to call a friend. She is very generous with her time and knowledge (she helped me make my first Christmas pudding) and I am embarrassed I haven't got around to telling you all about the store until now.

Cinti & Emma hit the skies...

Wow, what a long trip it's been to get to Argentina. I don't think mum realised what she was getting into when she suggested this 'holiday'. It all started with a 2.30am wake up to catch a 6am flight. First stop Auckland NZ. The Qantas flight was great, Emma got her own little breakfast tray and a window seat with this gorgeous view. I was already tired by this stage, Emma full of beans. Mum dozed.Then came the first hard bit, waiting in Auckland for 4 hours for the connecting flight. Our pram had been checked all the way through because the Qantas check in staff insisted that it wasn't possible to unload at either Auckland or Santiago, and there would be strollers there to use, yadda yadda. Of course the were no strollers and a huge walk carrying bags and a toddler was crappy. Emma may have slept in a pram, instead she ran around for 4 hours straight, introduced herself to everybody and kept me on my toes.

Then it was time to board again. This time it was a LAN (Chile) flight to Santiago, 11.5 hours.
We were so lucky the plane wasn't full and we were allocated 4 seats for the 3 of us. Emma nodded off during take off for about 2 hours which meant we could eat in peace and recharge our batteries.

The flight was really pleasant, food was nice, plenty of leg room and the staff on LAN super helpful, I couldn't fault them.

Emma woke and didn't go back to sleep for the rest of the flight, but really she was quite good. Not too cranky, watched a bit of telly and introduced herself to most of the passangers. Everybody knew Emma. I managed to get a little sleep and stetch out whilst Emma entertained herself.

The only funny/annoying bit was that Emma is terrified of the toilets on the plane. She became hysterical when you tried to get her in to change her. It was all a bit distressing. I think it was the flushing noise, it's pretty loud.

Luckily I took some spare clothes for her because her nappy leaked. By this stage Emma was saying "I want to go home." She didn't want to lie down because according to her her cot was at home and she wanted to sleep in her cot. Bless. Landing in Santiago was the start of the next difficult stage. We had a 7 hr wait scheduled and Emma was starting to get really exhausted. She only wanted to be carried and we really struggled with our hand luggage. Without a pram for her to sleep in, this was going to be hard. Luckily mum sorted an earlier flight so we saved 4 hours waiting/travel time. I was pleased!Emma was distracted with some snacks that I'd packed for the trip, she was still going strong.

In the final leg to Buenos Aires Emma finally sucommed to the sleep fairy (yay!)
We were all pretty exhausted, luckily there was a special express immigration queue in Buenos Aires for Diplomats and Pregnant women and families. How good is that?

Of course not everything could go super smoothly. Our bags and stroller never arrived as they hadn't been put on our new flight, I suspected it was a possibility. So more paperwork to do for the baggage claim. The guy was really helpful, I had to deal with it as mum was getting super dramatic in a non-helpful way. Mum feared the worst! Bags just arrived now to where we are staying, about 24 hrs later. No drama for us because I always have an extra change of clothes in my hand luggage.

So all in all, it was not terrible. Emma was really quite good considering. A pram at the gates and our luggage not being delayed would have made it the perfect journey (well as perfect as it can get with a toddler).

Everyone is napping now. I'm off to join them.

I'll share some photos of Buenos Aires soon...