baby countdown

Just two weeks to go now. How it has come around so quickly is still shocking me. Although my body is starting to get heavy and weary, I'm still not feeling 100% prepared. Most probably because my husband is still over on the other side of the world for another week and the thought of anything happening without him being here yet somewhat terrifies me! However I've been slowly ticking things off the list...going through yet more boxes of Lila's tiny baby clothes, sorting and washing them, purchasing a pretty snazzy double buggy, getting my hospital bag packed and trying to remember everything/anything I learnt in my antenatal classes last time about giving birth. Seem to have blocked most of it out from the last time funnily enough.

I spent 3 days down in London visiting my dear friends, who threw me a wonderful baby shower during which an obscene amount of cake and other treats were consumed- by me at any rate. Apart from catching up with friends, a large proportion of time was also spent shopping, ahh, how I have missed thee UK shops. I made a beeline for all my favourites- Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Zara, Magma (just touching the tip of the iceberg here) and only just managed to struggle back home on the train laden down with bags. The buzz of the city is awesome and inspiring and it was great to be back in my old stomping ground. It did definitely make me grateful that I no longer have to contend with the underground and the insane crowds on a daily basis though. Wow, I can't believe I just wrote that, it that makes me sound so old.

Anyways, for now I'm happy to be back amongst the green fields and cows, and patiently bide my time until this new little lady decides she is ready to enter the world (note to bump: please wait for Daddy! Thanks in advance x)

eye candy: the work of Polly Wreford

Over the past weekend, we spent a good number of hours trawling local car boot sales and antiques fairs sourcing antique silver candle holders and a range of mismatched glassware for displaying flowers, all in the name of decorating the tables at my sisters upcoming wedding. I can fully appreciate that most people would find this about as exciting as watching paint dry but I was in my element! My head is now overflowing with thoughts of displaying and arranging beautiful objects and I always turn to my favourite creatives for inspiration at moments such as this.

For anyone in search of a little visual inspiration, look no further than the stunning work of the renowned photographer Polly Wreford. Her images mainly focus on the interiors and lifestyle genres and her vast portfolio is packed to the brim with gorgeous shots, see more here. Here are a selection from her collection of still life photographs.

easter (and eating)

The sun just kept on shining for us over the Easter weekend. Some of the fun involved an awesome family day out and Easter Egg Trail in a gorgeous setting followed by dinner at our favourite pub. We got busy in the kitchen making Easter nests (cornflake cakes filled with mini eggs) and decorated a straw Easter bonnet for Lila with yards of pretty ribbons. We visited the beautiful country house gardens of the richest man in England and enjoyed a picnic on the lawns and a delicious afternon tea with cake of course- I feel I should mention here that it wasn't a personal invitation just a special day when they are open to the public!

We came across this incredible little childrens play house in the grounds...I almost died. Apart from obviously wanting to move in myself, I would love one just like this for Lila and her soon to arrive little sister, but while Curt is very good at DIY, this may possibly be too much of an ambitious project!

Here is Lila with my cousins Natacha and Zoe, her new best friends.

It goes without saying that an indecent amount of chocolate was consumed over the weekend- someone had to help out Lila with all her goodies and it would be rude not to when you have the excuse of eating for two :) So in a nutshell, it was a glorious weekend of gardens, blue skies and eating. Lovely, though I feel like I am very definitely full now.

However as this is a chocolate themed post it seems only right to share my latest and greatest discovery- A Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate by Lindt. Yes, salty chocolate. I wasn't convinced until I tried it but it is so good, especially when you have sweet and salty cravings simultaneously. I sincerely hope I can get hold of this when I get back to New Zealand as I think I have sparked off a long-term obsession.

country life

After an intense couple of days traveling (3 flights and 30 something hours later), Lila and I are now back in the UK for our 2 and a half month stay. As much as I love living in New Zealand, it feels so good to be home. We survived the plane trips with the help of lots of new iPad apps and puzzles, some sticker books, a little princess and a king figurine and lots of healthy yummy snacks... I didn't fancy a hyper toddler on a sugar high confined in the chair next to me! It was exhausting, a little stressful but all in all it went really well and it was more than worth it when we were met at the airport by my parents.

We have spent the rest of the week getting over our jet leg, unpacking and just enjoying being back at the farm. We have been visiting the sheep, the baby lambs and the new calves, walking the dog through the fields, I've been catching up with all the past years copies of UK Vogue and Sunday Times Style magazine my Mum has saved for me, immersing myself in long, hot baths- so good after living in an apartment with only a shower! Also unpacking my deliveries from Mini Boden for Lila and Topshop Maternity for me, devouring fish and chip, home cooked and country pub dinners and catching up with friends and family. Only one thing is missing and he is still back in Auckland working for another month. We miss you Curt.

We've got a fairly hectic schedule coming up including the birth of a baby (ours), a christening and a birthday (Lila's) and a wedding (my sisters) so we've got lots of planning and preparations to keep us busy in the meantime!

nursery inspiration

We've begun to make a few changes to Lila's nursery/bedroom in preparation for the new arrival. The baby will be sleeping in our room for the first few months or so but we have started to make some space in the nursery as they will be sharing a room after that. We packed away some of the toys Lila has outgrown and have been busy getting all her baby things like the moses basket and the bouncing chair out of the garage and giving them a good clean and sort throgh ready to be used again. We have also aquired another chest of drawers to store all the teeny tiny little clothes in.

To say that the nursery is on the small side is a huge understatement, but I'm still determined to make it as pretty as possible for my girls. Here are some images of beautiful childrens spaces from around the web which have caught my eye and given me lots of inspiration.

The pastel/muted colors used in the top two images create a great atmosphere and are a creative alternative to sugary pink. I'm also drawn to the diverse assortment of prints used in the furnishings.

These oversized pom poms attached to the ceiling are an amazing focal point...

Love the painted brick walls, iron bed frame and eclectic assortment of objects on display...

This is ultra sophisticated with a great colour scheme, furniture and picture display. The graphic chevron rug just makes it...

The vibrant yellow cot contrasts so well with the blue walls and the tapestry hoops on the wall are a great decorative idea, not to mention the pink light fixture!..

The unabashed girliness of this closet had me at hello. I love how it is overflowing with treasures...

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

all fashioned out

It's been a busy couple of weeks with lots on at work. We've been styling the Autumn/Winter online fashion campaign for the Westfield chain of shopping malls in New Zealand which has been great fun (any project involving putting together moodboards is a winner for me) but there's been so much running around collecting clothes from stores, putting outfits together, tweaking, accessorising and going back to source more garments, that I have been falling asleep on the sofa, absolutely exhausted at 8pm every evening!

Only one week of work left though until my maternity leave begins so looking forward to some recuperation time. As my mind has been filled with thoughts of all things clothing and fashion related I thought I'd share some looks that have been inspiring me.

Top image from Elle.com- Love the combination of pale peach and mint green in this pretty, feminine look.

The camel blouse and red trousers teamed with the fuschia nail polish is just awesome!

Image source: Sincerely Jules

Still loving the 70's influence...that hat. Yes please.

Image Source: Lucy Laucht

Great print dress teamed with a sharp blazer and statement necklace.

Image Source: The Glamourai

Cute preppy look

Image Source: Fancy Treehouse

Chunky knit belted over gingham shirt dress.

Image Source: 9 to 5 Chic

blues and greens

Blues and greens- from aqua to turquoise to teal, chartreuse to pistachio and mint, I have loved these colours for as long as I can remember and there is nothing better than seeing them combined together. I am always squirreling away images I find involving or combining these colours for reference for future projects, colour scheme and decorating ideas and this little collection of pictures make me exceedingly happy.

Image sources: one, two, three, four, five, six