Chic Mother & Baby Blog {daily}

Lets Play Croquet

A croquet leisurely get together will be fabulous with a bunch of girlfriends - get preppy (as if you are part of a pony or boat club). Bring out your polo tees and tailored shorts! Sip on lemonade (or ginger limeade) and snack on sweet treats. Make it your own outdoor high tea event.

{1} Oxford Croquet Set {2} Barber Pole Hat {3} Very Sisters Bracelet Rose {4} Le Coq Sportif Leather {5} French Connection Naval Shorts and Witchery Shirt

Trend Alert: Hoodies

Hoodies aren't just for hoodlums - they are super urban chic for kids as modeled by the beautiful Poppy De La Vega, aged 3 who loves dancing and twirling in tutus.

A little fashion history: In the 1970's, hip hop culture emerged and the hoodie trend took off cause of the anonymity hoodies offered. It was the clothing choice for criminals but this notoriety became a fashion trend that eventually was embraced by high end fashion labels.

The popularity of hoodies spread all over becoming apart of different subcultures fashion like skateboarders, surfers, gymers and dancers. Afterall, they are the most comfortable and often warm clothes.

Check out Chic Mother and Baby's hoodie range for boys and girls.

Chic Mother & Baby Croquet Photoshoot.

Chic Mother & Baby had their first photo shoot at the Cheltenham Recreation Club to showcase the Autumn/Winter range. Croquet is a lost sport and it is unbelievably fun and fit for all ages! It is the perfect weekend activity as it doesn't require that much energy or specialised gear (as much as I love bowling, I always break a nail). The weather was extremely generous to us.

The Cheltenham Recreation Club has sufficient facilities to host your next get-together or even birthday party.

6 mod-grass tennis courts
2 bowling greens
2 croquet lawns
clubhouse available for hire with function room, caterer, bar, kitchen, shower
ample on site parking

We were lucky to work with some gorgeous baby and toddler models who were not shy of dressing up and posing for our photographer Kimberly Ngo. Although, the hardest part of it was to keep the kids entertained (popcorn, cupcakes, bubbles, flowers) and contained within the area, oh and also not to dirty the outfits.

You can see the shoot throughout the Chic Mother & Baby online store.

This thank you is long overdue. A big thank you to all that helped particularly Leslie from the croquet club and the mums and gave up their Saturday morning to be with us.

Credits: Fashion Stylist - Kristy Boyce. Art direction - Mina G. Photographer - Kimberly Ngo & Partner. Clothes from Chic Mother & Baby store. Location - Cheltenham Recreation Club contact Leslie.

Anywhere but here...the W hotel

Sawadee Ka!

Paradise is not too far away. Forget about all your troubles and indulge in 5 star luxury at the new W hotel at Koh Samui, Thailand. Opens August 1st, 2010. Rates are at 16 000 Thai Baht = approx $580 AUS per person a night.

Cupcake Couture

We all love cupcakes....and we certainly love decorating them! Here at Chic Mother & Baby we are loving Kylie Lambert from Le Cupcake delectable cupcake designs. We are seeing her work pop up lately everywhere. They just look so divine that I want replicas of them to put on my shelf! Be sure to check out her flickr stream (I couldn't choose my favourite ones so I took a screenshot of just one of her many fantastic photo galleries)

ABC Chairs

Late friday find - how stunning are these chairs by Rotterdam designer Roeland Otten ! I wish I had a large studio space for the whole alphabet.

Via Dezeen

Giveaways, Prizes, Competitions Round Up.

I wanted to share with our readers all the giveaways and competitions on various blogs so you don't miss out. You all know the saying..."you gotta be in it, to win it!"

Start off the giveaway frenzy with entering our very own Invite with Style competition. Simply a 2 step process to win 1 of 2 gorgeous invitations for your kiddo's next birthday party. 1. Become a facebook fan of Chic Mother & Baby and Invite with Style. 2. Choose your kiddo's birthday outfit from Chic Mother & Baby store.

Mini Must Have has launched their new name, look and website with lots of giveaways including Chic Mother and Baby's ErgoCocoon, Crayon Rocks and MiniMi prints.
Handmade Co-operative have MASSIVE giveaway from different handmade designers.
Nest Design Studio's very first giveaway – $55 gift voucher at Buyster
Best Buys 4 Baby have Contigo Drink bottles, copies of Seasons by Bexbolex and Little Innoscents gift packs. They are definitely a site to bookmark as they review mother and baby related products.
My Little Jedi will be giving something away after reaching 100 fans
Little Bird Decor has an easy 1300 fan competition giving away bird puzzle valued at $100
Sweet Treats (by Frankie Magazine) at Day Dream Lily
Win with Fisher Price - there are different prize packs. The best being the High Chair booster worth $229 on Baby Universe.
Fairyland competition on Romantic Flair's blog
One of my favourite competition is run by Raegan from A Little Bit of Cheek - part of the competition to win 1 of 3 prizes is guess when her baby will be born, it's weight and if it is a boy or girl.
SA readers will love this - WIN A FREE photoshoot from Sweet Blue Photography
Flobib & Petit Giveaway
Danity Apple Jewellery has a facebook fan giveaway.
Tail Wags Helmet Covers, become a fan and you'll have a chance to WIN a helmet cover (10 to win).
She-Tea giveaway at Yummy Mummies & Me

All these competitions aren't difficult to enter and are ending real soon. Hurry now and click along.

Good luck! xxxx

Project Brown Cardigan

Isn't always the case that when you are looking for something, you'll never find it but when your not its everywhere?! This is the case for Miss Kristy (mother of 2 little ones with little time to search and shop) who has been looking for 'the' brown cardigan to go with her new spunky brown boots. I have searched high and low for them Witchery, Country Road, Esprit, Sportscraft, Saba, Kookai, David Laurence, Jag, Dejcuba, Cooper St, Wish, Seduce, Oxford, Marcs, Cue and even our beloved Shopbop (have I missed anything?) There is cream, black, purple, grey, coral, pink and navy but no brown this season! Searching online for brown taupe, chocolate, mocha and even mushroom but no magical results.

If you have spotted a nice brown cardigan - leave a message!

1. Maxwell Cardigan 2. Sambag 3. David Lawrence 4. Marc by Marc Jacobs 5. Tylie Malibu at Bluefly.com

Starstruck

How chic are these Eco-Stars made from recycled crayons from the same company as the organic playdough I featured a while ago. Each box contains 20 star shaped, solid colored crayons made from 100% recycled and recyclable crayons packaged in a 100% recycled box. {Thanks to a lovely email all the way from NY}

Dog Mansions for Poochie Lovers

Let your pooch live in chic style houses. Made in Germany by Best Friend's Home. There's the Scandinavian, Fairytale and a Snoopy-like house to suit different dog's personality.

Via Notcot

M is for Magazine Holders...

Some chic magazine racks/holders for your space. My favourite is of course the letter 'M'. Hmm I wonder if I could put the bamboo rack together myself :D

Creative Magazine Holders, Home Pet Magazine Rack, Bamboo Magazine Rack

Oh Deer

This week's animal theme is based on Alison from Sophie & Jack favourite deer hair elastics as featured on our blog recently.

Suzanna from Montresor also recently did a "D is for Deer" blog post.

Fiona the Fawn Organic Wood Teether, Organic Deer floor pillow by Amenity Home, Oh Deer fabric wall decal by Mae, Light Switch Cover by Funky Chicken Design, Little Deer by Little Toot, Baby Deer cupcake toppers from Cupcake Social, Ringspun Bambi Love Tee at Asos.

Happy Blankies

A 10 year old genius vision - combined his sister's love of stuffed toy animals and blankies to become "Happy Blankie." He just wanted the world to smile! Such pure thoughts that were further developed by his mother who decided to give away a "Happy Blankie" to a child in need for every blanket sold.

The Happy Blankie family consists of Giggle the Happy Pig, Stomp the Happy Frog, Tumble the Happy Bear and Chase the Happy Dog - all with massive cheek to cheek smiles. You can't help but smile back!

Invite with Style + Giveaway!

+++++ THE STORY +++++

I have to introduce everyone to an up and coming creative designer Ms Anna Matjasec from Invite with Style. We all love knowing more about our local talents and this is her story...

1. How did Invite with Style begin?

Invite With Style was born not long after the arrival of my daughter Sofia. I had spent 10 years in the industry as a graphic designer & had decided it was time to create something for myself. So when Sofia was about 2 months old the design frenzy began! and it hasn't really stopped since.

2. Which is your favourite invitation?
I honestly love them all, I wouldn't show them to the world if I wasn't proud of them BUT if I had to choose, I do love JAYDEN & MIA! [mina: no joke, these are my future kids chosen names!!]

3. Which designers, artists or creative people inspire you?

I am inspired by an art project I work on every day called 9626deventures. The blog is a joint project between myself & my cousin Annoushka who is also a designer.

Each day we take time out of our lives to find something creative to share with each other (& the world). Annoushka inspires me with her beautiful photos & creative eye and she sends me pretty pictures every single day. I am very lucky. [mina: its a wonderful idea and I know that it was featured on Frankie Blog!!]

4. What is the most chic item you own?

Chic is difficult when you have a toddler! But I adore my vintage english penny pendant & necklace given to me by my best friend who lives in the UK.

5. Lastly, what is next for Invite with Style?
I only hope to get bigger & better, with more of my invitations being stocked in online stores & shops and of course, I want to continue making the world a happier place, one invite at a time.

Make sure you visit her website to see all her amazing invites for baby showers, birthdays, and weddings or get her to design one just for you!

+++++ THE GIVEAWAY +++++

Lucky for Chic Mother and Baby readers... you all have a chance to win Anna's favourite birthday invitations.

1 pack of 10 x Jayden Design invitations with matching envelopes & adhesive magnets

1 pack of 10 x Mia Design invitations with matching envelopes & adhesive magnets

All you have to do is:

Be a Facebook Fan of Invite with Style and Chic Mother and Baby

Leave a comment below as to what your ultimate child's birthday outfit from Chic Mother and Baby's store would be. The lovely Anna will be the judge of the most chic and stylish outfit.

*To be in the draw you must live in Australia. There is no "pick" of invitations. Competition closes 9pm EST, 2nd Tuesday June 2010.

The Wheel for Parents

This has got to be the funniest present you can get for new parents. Can you imagine waking up in the middle of the night, spinning the wheel and leaving it up to fate as to who attends to the crying baby?
The Wheel for Parents available at Wry Baby

Tomato Soupie

Cooler nights call for an alternative soup recipe to the classic pumpkin or chicken and vegie soup.

Roasted Tomato-Garlic Soup (Serves 6)

1.5kg Cherry Tomatoes (depends how tomato-ey you like your soup)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Basil or Oregano or both!
6 Cloves Garlic, peeled
6 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
Optional for extra flavour - ¾ Cup Cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Cut tomatoes in half. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes with garlic cloves, olive oil and herbs. Place in the lined pan and roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender.

2. Remove from the oven and transfer tomatoes and garlic into a large pot. Add three cups of the stock and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Puree the tomatoes using food processor or of that liking, stock and garlic together for about one minute or until almost smooth.

Add the remaining stock and cream into the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish the soup with croutons.

Great Party Trick: Put together a little garnish buffet - have a selection of different ingredients to let your friends customise their soup.

Bread (go nuts with bread choices)
Parmesan Cheese or Parmesan Crisps (see taste)
Chopped Chives
Fresh Herbs
Crème Fraiche
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

We would love to hear some of your favourite soup dishes...

[tomato soup image from taste.com.au]

Dribbles & Drool...

New to Chic Mother and Baby are these gorgeous Lima Bean Bandana Bibs - these Australian made bandana bibs become part of the outfit! The Lima Bean Bandana Bibs have an absorbent top layer and a fleece layer underneath to draw mositure away from the skin. So no nasty heat rashes! Also make a lovely gift idea for a baby/toddler.

Available in plain navy and pink too. Retails for $16.90.

Sophie & Jack Winner

And the winner is.... Eliza Whitton (please email me for your postal address)

Alison from Sophie & Jack and I had a really tough time choosing a winner because everyone had selected great pieces from Chic Mother and Baby. I even said to Alison, I wish I could give something to everyone. Thank you everyone for participating and don't worry there is another giveaway next month (hint: something for the nursery...)

DIY Simple Cowboy Party

I was set the challenge to put together a Cowboy themed party for a two year old with $200 and 12 party animals. This was my first kids party and I hope I did a good job - I really wished I was able to co-ordinate everything beautifully like Style Me Gorgeous Max's naming party. With very little experience and a tight budget, I had to really hold back on purchases and get creative and crafty.

Money & Time Saver tips:
+ Get creative with what you have at home (a dollar here and there really adds up!)
+ Send out e-card invites - people tend to reply faster via email too.
+ For fabric related ideas, I suggest you get in touch with people like Giggleberry & Zippy Zippy from Made It and see how they can customise items for you - everyone I have been in touch with from Made It are so helpful.
+ Think twice with your purchases first see what items you have leftover from previous parties and try to buy items that will have more than one use.

Decor, Toys & Party Favours:
+ Horse Pony Sticks with sound from Toys'R'us ($50 - biggest sprluge)
+ DIY Party Brown Bag Favours ( raffia/ tiny teddies, milky bar, DIY moustache sticks, cowboy neckties by Zippy Zippy, boot shaped colouring-in sheet, horse puppets and sheriff badges)
+ Popcorn Stand & Cones - Using a large cardboard box, poked a few holes covered it up with leftover wrapping paper. For the cones - printed cowboy lucas print and folded it into a cone.
+ Flowers in glass bottle jars decorated with leftover xmas red ribbon (alternatively use can tins)
+ Vinyl red checkered tablecloth from Big W ($8)
+ Cactus Pinata ($24.95) from Party Warehouse
+ Red plates, cups & cutlery (supermarket)
+ Bunting from Lucas's nursery

Food ideas:
+ Musks
+ Wagon Wheels
+ Banana lollies
+ Milk Duds
+ Star-shaped homemade cookies (like sheriff badge)
+ Chocolate cake homemade with lots of love by mummy.
+ Nibbles like popcorn, cheezels etc...

Cowboy Outfit:
+ Moppit checkered shirt
+ Fresh Baked dark denim skinny leg jeans
+ Brown Shoes
+ Cowboy straw hat (bargain store - $7)

Gingerly Love

Ginger is our ingredient of the month!

It is common tradition for new Chinese mums to have a ginger based diet right after giving birth. It is believed that ginger will strengthen the mother's blood production and immune system. A typical dish is Ginger and Pig trotters in black vinegar (black vinegar is used to cleanse the womb of residual blood clot). I remember my great Aunt simmering this strange and smelly dish for several hours until the trotters were tender and tasty for my mother.

No, I am not going to share that chinese ginger recipe (phew). Instead, I have put together a refreshing Ginger Limeade drink recipe – great for a casual get together and it is a kid-friendly beverage. Miss Kristy & I love putting a twist on traditional beverages such as lemonade, orange juice and this gingery limeade sounds super chic (a great crowd pleaser I say).

Sparkling Ginger Limeade

4 cups sparkling water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup organic fine sugar
1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger

Whisk together all these ingredients until the sugar dissolves. To garnish, add lime slices. Serve over ice.

Make it an afternoon delight with friends.

Compliment the drink with Apricot Cake Slices (thanks to miss Kristy)
Dress up your drinks with fancy stripe straws by Montresor
Like a Margarita, run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in sugar
Got leftover fresh ginger? Freeze it in a freezer bag or container (its easier to grate when frozen)

ErgoPouch Sale Alert!

Awarding winning ErgoPouch sleeping bags are a must have this winter! So much so that chic mother and baby have ErgoPouch Bamboo Fleece Sleeping Bags on sale for $50.

These organic unisex sleeping bags are an ideal gift for expectant parents!

To find out more about why ErgoPouch is fast becoming Aussie's mums sleeping bag choice visit our website.

Boot-i-licious

Bergstein Gumboots (all the way from Holland) are the ideal footwear for your toddler jumping from puddle to puddle in this wet weather. Classic and simplistic in design, these sturdy rainboots are available from a brand new online boutique store Little Elk. Bergstein Gumboots is available in a range of bright colours and retails at $49.95. A worthy investment to keeping your little ones toes warm, dry and happy!

I can't wait to see what else Little Elk brings to our Aussie shores - I can only hope more popular European and Scandanvian goodies.

Friday Find: Sweet like Candy

Today's Friday Find: Le Chou Chou is a sweet bijoux collection by an Italian jewellery and accessories designer that I discovered on Etsy (thats what I love about sites like Lark, Etsy & Made It - you get to discover all these talented designers). These delicate bijoux accessories are too sweet!

Sex and the City 2 Charity Event

+ + + + + + “Sex and the City 2” Movie Night + + + + + +

Chic Mother and Baby have been invited to Sex and the City Charity Movie Night for Still Birth Foundation organised by the fabulous Melinda Hickin. I have know women who have traumatically experienced stillbirth and it is VITAL that more research is invested into this.

All profits raised going to the Stillbirth Foundation Australia. This fantastic charity works to reduce the incidence of stillbirth by funding and encouraging research into, and increasing public awareness of stillbirth in Australia. Tragically, over 2,000 babies are stillborn in Australia each year, averaging 6 babies a day, with a quarter of those at full term (37+ weeks), often with no explanation for their death…

Details are as follows –
Date: Sunday 6th June, 2010
Time: 6.20pm
Venue: Event Cinemas (previously Greater Union), Cnr Herring & Waterloo Rd, Macquarie Centre, North Ryde NSW
Cost: $30 for a premium luxury seat (which semi-reclines!) and a bag of goodies!
RSVP: By Friday 28th May, 2010, but hurry as seats are limited!! Email Melinda for payment details.

So grab your girlfriends (or boyfriends if you managed to drag them along) to watch a fabulous chick AND more importantly support a worthy cause.

If you not around town, there are still other ways to support the Stillbirth Foundation. So make sure you visit Stillbirth Foundation Australia website and see how else you can help a worthwhile cause.

Wine Time: Health Smart Magazine

Thank goodness its Friday! Finally, I am going to have time to enjoy the latest issue of 'HealthSmart'.

There were days I felt I just wanted to get out of slumber. I just wanted to feel motivated to get active. I didn't want to go to the gym all the time or feel like looking after myself would be such a chore. Trying to be the ideal mother, daughter, partner, friend, employee and colleague is exhausting as it is, that it is too easy to forget about 'you'. That's how health lifestyle magazines came into my life (taking a break from fashion, tabloid and design magazines).

I enjoy 'Health Smart' because it gives you loads of tips to living a healthy and balanced life - nutrition, great recipes, relationship advice managing stress levels, emotional well being, and interesting facts on food and drinks - all delivered in a fashionable manner. It is greatly designed to make an enjoyable read. (This magazine has been around for a while - thank goodness for its new makeover otherwise I would not have noticed it - just makes it feel fun and fashionable)

One of the articles "Pulling the Plug" has given me the idea to make sure that this Friday when I unwind, I am going to make sure that I will have no electronic distractions i.e. computer and phone switched off all night. No temptation to check emails or facebook, no working - just 'me' time and learning something new from words on a printed page.

How do you celebrate 'me' time? Is it as simple as a taking a bath? walk? reading a good old book?

It's a Matter of Taste

Heard of an eggplant shoe? or a raspberry purse? I am sure this is not what you picture...

Stunning visualisation! Fashion is a matter of taste - a very succinct statement. Found via Coute Que Coute an art/fashion/design blog I follow. There are unusual pieces of art and design but definitely inspiring textures, fashion, photography and thought-provoking images.

Monkeyin' Around

Betcha many mums experience their little toddler monkeyin' around the dinner table. I have witnessed this so many times just when you pick up your fork, they want your attention. So many of Chic Mother and Baby's friends love our Hello Hanna Jungle placemats and we just have to share it to everyone. They make great pressie ideas and little Lucas loves them. These adorable paper stock mats features pop-up jungle animals plus a set of stickers that your kiddos can use to decorate it. Guarantee will keep them entertained at the dinner table (well for a little while) while you eat your meal.

{1} Hello Hanna Jungle Placemat sets {2} Mashaka the monkey {3} Monkey Hangers {4}Monkey Lunch bags {5}Organic Monkey Storage Bin {6} Monkey Yellow Hooded Towel

Barcodes can be interesting too!

Pretty much everything you buy at the supermarket has a barcode - those black and white stripes that consumers don't ever take notice. So why can't they look cool? After all, people pay attention to the labels, tags and packaging but ah ha of course the Japanese take it to another level! D-Barcode in Japan that specialises in barcode designs.

My favourite barcode is the blue one that is the back of the couch. Super funky I say!

we heart Chalet

I am sure we all wished we had every baking equipment and kitchen accessory needed. This is why we love Chalet - a cute little shop that sells designer range of kitchenware to make it chic, practical and fun. The good news it that now you can shop online at Chalet !

I am not a great fan of using disposable icing bags so I upgraded to "I did it myself" Decoration Sets by Chalet. I love that it has different icing tips and packaged in a little case.

Perfect gift ideas suitable for any price range.

Apron Style

The fabulous Kristy has introduced me to Jessie Steele's retro Aprons at The Cupcake Courier and now I want to look chic when I am baking and covered in flour. I have found some stunning aprons from ones that make you look like a cute 1950s housewife to looking like a chic masterchef hosting a cooking show. These make fabulous pressies.

There are fashionable aprons for the little boy and girl masterchef in-the-making too. Make sure you check our Me2Me2 who have a HUGE range of cute kids aprons.

{1} hemp & cotton blend aprons from Blossom Creations {2} Ellen G. Cooking Apron @ lark {4} Spanish Omlette from Anthropologie {3} Midnight Aprons by Mozi

The Memory Shelf.

The Memory Shelf is a new and upcoming store by Kirsty Barber - she has come up with a practical and organised solution to keeping your baby photos and keepsake items forever. Chic Mother and Baby and her have something huge in common - our love for Scandinavian design. This is exactly what her current products are about - minimalist and cute enough to put these memory boxes on the bookshelf instead of using shoeboxes and hiding them under the bed.

The Memory Shelf have a current special at the moment offering a 15% off special. Visit Babyology for more details!

I was lucky enough to find out more about Kirsty Barber and her story...

1. How did The Memory Shelf begin?
The Memory Shelf started with the simple idea of providing families with a safe and stylish solution for storing their keepsakes. I realised that I was collecting so many keepsakes for each of my children that I needed somewhere special to store them and keep them organised. I wanted to find a storage solution that was durable, archival friendly and stylish at the same time. So I created a range of memory boxes made from archival grade plastic with four gorgeous designs for babies and kids.

2. What has been your favourite memory?
Since having my own children I have begun to treasure all of the special things my Mother has kept from my childhood, like favourite books, a few toys and postcards/letters I received as a child. I'm now reading the books that belonged to me as a child to my own children, and it really makes my heart glow warm. Which is why I want to make sure I'm keeping these special things for my own children.

3. Which designers, artists or creative people inspire you?
I love design and there are so many talented and creative Mums out there that I would love to be like. At the moment my favourite designer is Sandra Isaksson. I love Swedish design!

4. What is the most chic item you own?
Mmm... probably my new glass bird paperweight I just bought for my new home office. It was a Mother's Day gift to myself and it's gorgeous!

5. Lastly, what is next for the Memory Shelf?
The Memory Shelf has just launched so we are concentrating hard on getting ourselves known so we can share our wonderful memory boxes, memory books, photo albums with everyone.

I predict that The Memory Shelf will be a huge success to the likes of kikki.K (my other love :)

Sophie & Jack: The story + Giveaway!!

+ + + + G I V E A W A Y + + + +

To celebrate our Alex & Ant and Fresh Baked promotion with Sophie & Jack, we have one of Sophie & Jack's latest creations set up for grabs*!

To be in the running to win lovely Sophie & Jack hair accessories set, I'd love to know how you would style these Pink, Purple, Red and Green pony tail hair elastics with any one of Chic Mother and Baby's items. Simply leave a comment below with your chosen chic outfit from our store.

Even if you don't have a little girl, they make a great gift!!

Happy Styling!

*T&Cs: Competition ends next Sunday 23rd midnight (EST) and winner will be announced Monday 24th on Chic Mother and Baby blog. Competition is open to Australia and New Zealand only. If you don't have a blogger profile, please leave your email address in your comment.

+ + + + T H E S T O R Y + + + +

Here is Alison Lantry, creator of Sophie & Jack and her story...

1. So tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Alison and I live in the beautiful Hunter Valley in NSW with my wonderful husband and my two gorgeous children, Sophie, 4 and Jack, 1. I design and handmake quality hair accessories that are both beautiful and affordable. I am extremely blessed and lucky to be to able to work at home doing something I absolutely love, while both my children are young.

2. What inspired you to start making hair accessories? Was it hard to get started?

I started to design and make hair clips for my daughter after finding similar accessories in designer boutiques were quite expensive.

Once I started, I found I enjoyed and loved creating these gorgeous accessories so much that I decided to make them for friends and family and it really just grew quite quickly from there. The hardest part was having faith in my passion and love for Sophie & Jack Designs and taking the leap to put my products in the public eye. However, my fear was unwarranted as the response has been wonderful and beyond even my highest expectations.

3. So as a WAHM, how do you manage it? What’s your day like?
Busy! I do most of my creating during sleep times and at night when both children are in bed. There is also alot of time spent on the computer, emailing, sourcing and shopping for supplies, and processing and packing orders.

And then of course, there are two children and a household to run... let's just say the ironing pile is growing larger by the day!

4. Which designers, artists or creative people are you inspired by (or in general)?
Fabric, fabric, fabric! I love all the cute Japanese fabrics and I spend way too much time browsing the multitude of fabric designs and gorgeous supplies.

There are also a collection of amazingly creative people on madeit.com.au, which is another favourite place I like to spend time browsing.

5. Which piece is your favourite?
Oh, I really do love them all! I am very fussy in choosing what I make and only sell pieces that I truly love! I particularly love the hair ties because they are practical and can be used every day, plus they have the added bonus of being gorgeous! Probably the "Dear Little Deer" hair elastics are my favourite - they are so cute!

6. What’s next for Sophie & Jack?
I have so many new ideas and designs in mind and I look forward to getting crafty and making them a reality.

Visit Sophie & Jack's store to see their wonderful collection and definitely join their facebook page to see their latest creations!

Free Sophie & Jack Hair Accessories*

Chic Mother and Baby are excited to announce free Sophie & Jack hair accessories with every Alex & Ant dress and Fresh Baked girl bottoms. Your little toddler girl will adore the entire ensemble.

Friday Find: Tabitha Emma

The enchanted forests and woodland creatures appear to be very popular lately! I was super excited to stumble onto Tabitha Emma's blog featuring vintage collage pieces. Lovely wall hanging pieces - visit her Etsy store to see the entire collection.

Cupcake Wrappers

Never leave a cupcake nude, dress it up with these cupcake wrappers...

Gorgeous goodies available from Lehane's Fine Stationary and Pink Frosting Mini Tulip Cupcake Wrappers, A Little Lollipop Tree, and The Cupcake Wrapper Co. cupcake wrappers images are from Little Bird Photography who has a lovely portfolio of work. There is a huge range from etsy to choose from.

Super Cool Pancakes

How lucky is Jim's daughter!! Jim Pancakes documents his creative pancake creations on his blog.

I am all corked up...

More Eco-Chic finds. Cork has a wonderful aesthetic - its soft & recyclable.
{1} Animal Corkboards {2} Toast it {3} Corkels {4} Cork Pots {5} iPouch

Window Shopping @ Anthropologie

Our wednesday wishlist is really about window shopping... wanting things we can't afford particularly from Kristy's and mine favourite store Anthropologie. Yes they do ship to Australia but we both can't get past the expensive postage handling. The shoes, bags, clothes and homewares are gorgeous I have put together a moodboard as to what Anthropologie is all about and how they inspire our style!

All things toadstool/mushroom...

I was inspired by Sophie & Jack's cute toadstool hair elastics to do a mushroom/toadstool theme. I believe mushroom madness started from those cute red and green toadstools from Mario Super Bros. I would love to throw a Woodland party!

{1} Cute Woodland Invite by Invite with Style {2} Mushroom Kaleidoscope {3} Colourful mushroom print pouch {4} Mushroom Salt & Pepper shakes {5} Toadstool & Ladybug wallet by Rabbit & the Duck {6} Mushroom decals {7} Mushroom Cupcakes & Pencil Toppers for Woodland party theme {8} Tiny Woodland Terrarium Necklace {9} Wee Mushroom Spool sets

Beanie Weather

Over the weekend, we enjoyed a small campfire out at night and it was lovely! We were snuggled up in our hoodie jumpers, fuzzy socks and beanies (well the boys were wearing their wannabe thug caps). Here are some of our beanie picks to keep your baby or toddler warm and cute!!
{1} Run Scotty Run Stripe Knit Beanie {2} SugarB Baby Hats {3} Lily {4} Buckle Beanie by Two Seaside

Miss Ballerina

This post is perfect for every little girl who loves to t w i r l.

Our feature ballerina is from Frangipani Designs. Chic Mother and Baby has a little Ballerina inspired outfit - Alex & Charli Pink Butterfly Wing Singlet and Tutu Bloomers and of course some Alex & Ant sparkle ballet flats.

For all your ballerina hair accessories you must visit Bowtique! The lovely and talented Christina from Bowtique has just made these intricate ballet slippers hair clips.

Mee a Bee also has a handy ballerina tote as highly recommended by Kellie and daughter Poppy from Mini Style Hive

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!!

I would have love to buy new furniture and tableware to set a lovely table but sometimes it is a lot more fun improvising with what you can at Mum's house. For example, rummaging through the kitchen I found bamboo placemats from our Vietnam holiday.

Our mother's day tradition is lining up for 45mins for Yum Cha. This year I threw mum a surprise intimate brunch for my mother serving:

+ freshly squeezed orange juice
+ bananas
+ high mountain oolong tea
+ raspberry and white chocolate muffins (would have been nice if I thought of cupcake wrappers!)
+ buttermilk pancakes
(all using organic ingredients!!)
+ fresh orchids from local Harris Farm Markets

Would love to hear about your Mother's Day...

Ming Makes Cupcakes

My late Friday night find - Ming Makes Cupcakes blogging her cupcake, savouries and cookie recipes. Triple Yumm-o!

Wine Time: A family Table: Julie Goodwin's

This evening I will be winding down with my latest book purchase (30% off from Myer) - Our family table by Australia's first MasterChef, Julie Goodwin. The soy candles from Dusk, lychee, rose & guava scented are lit and I am starting to feel a sense of calmness and satisfication from this week's achievement.

Our family table is a simple Donna Hay like recipe book with stunning food photography to re-inspire you of all the familiar food recipes (like Spag Bol, Meatballs and Muffins that you all probably have cooked to death). From lazy weekend breakfast meals to special occassions to Julie's famous lemon diva cupcakes it is a delight to flick through.

All things Babushka...

Ah Babushkas brings me back to my trip in Krakow, Poland where I stayed in a little village with my friend's 80 year old grandma who we called Babooshka! We made jam and preserved all the fruit and vegetables freshly picked from the farm - all in preparation for the winter months! It was a wonderful experience where it was a barter system between neighbours. For example, "I'll give you our cow's milk in exchange for your hen's eggs"
{1} Monstar Babooshka Long Sleeve Tee {2} Princess Tina: Babushka Pin {3} Buttons by Lou Lou {4} Babushka Salt & Pepper Shakers (very old from Anthropologie){5} Interesting cosmetic packaging
{6} Babushka Messenger Bag @ MeeaBee

My Winter Basics

This is why my credit card has been placed in the freezer ... yes I bought all this... oh why wasn't I stronger to resist my urges?!?!

1. Long Sleeve Knits – Witchery has a 30% off for loyalty members - which is worth it for 100% quality wool knit items. 2. Jumper Dress - casual comfortable dress worn with leggings and boots was only $55 from Gosh Celebrity Fashion. 3. Bonds striped socks from Best & Less 4. Country Road Knit Scarf - CR also has a 30% off all knitwear 5. The most practical purchase for winter is comfortable black boots from Nine West.

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