lamp lust - update ...

I gave into my greed today and purchased the lovely lamp, I know it won't make my life amazingly better and I shouldn't be spending money on things like that with our new arrival imminent ... but gosh it makes my living room look lovely and more importantly it makes me smile every time I see it! I'm looking forward to when the baby is a little older and watching disney films - it will be like we have our own giant pixar lamp in the house.

Not sure where the final position will be but right now it's next to our Florence-Knoll-esque sofas and in front of the obligatory ikea Audrey Hepburn canvas. Next on the list of greed and 'in the style of' furniture is the ikea docksta dining table, a pocket friendly version of the classic tulip table, here it is looking lovely as ever over at apartment therapy.

Cx

should i??

The hubby and I had a quick dash to the lovely b&q this morning to pick up some essentials for weeding taming the garden ... his idea, not mine! When we were there I spied their tecton lamp, a version of the iconic giant anglepoise lamp, in chrome and in the sale for £55 (usual selling price is around £99). The original retails for quite a bit more than that, I've just found an orange one online for around £2000!!!

I stood in front of the display model, drooling for what felt like an eternity, but in the end left it to 'have a think' now I really don't know what to do ... it is beautiful and would compliment the rest of our retro modern furniture in the living room but hubby has got me thinking about the hinges etc and how baby friendly they would be ... aaaargh!

While I continue to contemplate life with and without the lamp, this is a picture of it in black, yummy!

Cx

autumn shades

I feel a bit ridiculous posting with this title as we are still having really humid weather here in Durham but I just can't help it. I'm the type of person that gets attracted to the new season rails as soon as the sales start, and this year it has been especially the case given that these are the clothes that I'll be wearing when I'm done with the maternity clothes.

I have had loads of fun finding really nice maternity clothes, and experimenting with items in my pre-pregnancy wardrobe, but as d day approaches I'm really looking forward to getting some new non maternity wear! I'm particularly coveting the lovely knitwear that is hitting the shelves, especially in my favourite autumnal hues of chocolate brown, dusky pink and rust. With that in mind these are two looks I've come up with ...

The first is more relaxed, something that I would like to wear when we have visitors or for that first and short trip out. I have these jeans, they are skinny indigo maternity jeans from new look and they are fab. As they don't have an over the bump panel I think they will be great for the transition as everything (more or less) returns to normal. I've also bought some looser fit basic tees, this one is from topshop, I think they will be great to have on over a nursing vest while I'm still tummy conscious. The lovely cardi is from dorothy perkins and is top of my shopping list at the moment. In the house I would team this outfit with some trusty slipper socks, outside I'd still go for comfort and opt for some pretty ballet flats, these are lovely and a bargain from garage shoes (I love garage shoes!). I'm planning to keep makeup very simple and have added a lovely tinted balm from topshop and good old falsies mascara, also some dry shampoo might come in handy! Now this watch is well out of my reach at the minute, it's Marc by Marc Jacobs ... one can only dream! I do have a lovely gold watch but had to put this one in the pic because it is just so pretty!!

This outfit looks like you've made more of an effort, even though the emphasis is still on comfort. I love the style and colour of this knitted dress, again from dotty p's, they seem to have got it spot on so far with their new season collection for me! I would team this with some fab riding boots, these are another bargain from the fabulous garage shoes (look past the naff gladiators and stripper shoes and you too will see the genius of this shop). The knitted dress would be quite forgiving on a mummy tummy and as I regain my waistline I'll be making the most of it, emphasising the new shape with a skinny belt like this one from dorothy perkins. To save the outfit from becoming too drab in hues of rust and tan, I'd bring some colour in. These earrings from topshop are lovely, as is the sunny yellow/mustard nail varnish. Again I would keep the makeup light and fresh, tinted balm and lashings of mascara will suffice.

I'm practically salivating at the thought of a shopping spree for non-maternity wear but I suppose the next spree for clothes won't be for me! We've saved money so that we can splash out on a fab new wardrobe for the baby once we know whether we are shopping for blue or pink ...

Cx

bag lady

Shopper, hold all, hobo, clutch, messenger ... I've been totally confused at to what is the perfect changing bag. Being a first time mum I wasn't too sure what to look out for and once the search began I just got more and more confused.

I know I would want something with plenty of room for all the 'essentials', which from what I've read is everything but the kitchen sink for a newborn. I also want something with plenty of pockets to keep everything organised and me sane. Ideally I wanted something that I could put on the pram, so it wouldn't have to be carried everywhere. But, ultimately I wanted something pretty! These are the some options I came up with ...

Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack - Tea on the Thames £130. This is beautiful and well made, ultimately I couldn't justify the cost so this one was ruled out.

Skip Hop Dash Deluxe - Blossom £52. I really like the striking pattern of this bag, and it's a great price but it just wasn't me when I tried it.

OiOi Tote - Ikat Tapestry £69. Lovely bag!

Pink Lining Yummy Mummy - Grey Bows £75. For each sale of this limited edition bag, pink lining will give a donation to the NSPCC. Unfortunately it's sold out ... and I don't think I could carry round something that said Yummy Mummy!

What did I choose I hear you ask? I absolutely fell in love with the prettiness of the pink lining range, but I also had in my head my list of criteria - space, pockets, carrying etc. So I went for ...

Their messenger style in 'grey doves', I love the mint green background which keeps the bag nice and neutral. The fabric has prints of pairs of grey doves, hearts and daisys ... how pretty! The hubby would say that the best thing is I had a discount code which meant I got 25% off the usual price tag of £75! It hasn't arrived yet but I'm tempted to pack it as soon as it does!

Cx

work it!

The workplace is where I seem to struggle the most with clothing - having to be smart and comfortable all day is a challenge! I've totally fallen for this patterned dress from Dorothy Perkins (£32) and based a whole work day look around it ... add to my basket, how did that happen?!

I know I've declared my love for this season's coral colours already but I can't help sneaking in a few more accessories  this time in more of a red shade and ... I couldn't resist the lovely shade of this nail varnish, something I may need to purchase soon!

My skin is a little dry so I try to keep a lip balm or tin of vaseline nearby, I also have a tube of 8 hour cream in my bag for emergencies, it is great for dry skin a calming down any irritations. I know I have said I'm sleeping better but my under eyes still need a little help to make me look fully ready for the day, I've tried most of the alternatives but keep coming back to good old touche eclat.

I love these shoes - need them in my life and wardrobe ... shame we have to keep the heels to a minimum because these are great, plenty of support for your foot and not too high. Maybe if I keep a pair of pumps to hand?!

This is something I would wear to the office (I actually wore something very similar today!), the shape of the dress is really flattering and if (like me) you are self conscious about your expanding chest you can add a plain white vest top underneath. You could also dress this down just by opting for flats and more discreet jewellery.

Cx

bugaboo and missoni collaboration

I have to say, normally I'm not a fan of designer label collaborations with pushchair/pram companies ... actually with most baby products come to think of it. The end results normally come off looking totally impractical or ... cheap (Cath Kidston and Maclaren always springs to mind). That was until now ... Italian fashion house missoni have teamed up with bugaboo to ensure the pushchairs 'earn their fashion stripes'. What is even better is the new pieces aren't being released as limited edition pushchair packages, rather tailored fabric options that can be snapped on to standard bugaboos! And each set comes with a knitted blanket in missoni's famous zig zag stripe ... lovely!

Prices haven't been confirmed yet (gulp!) but pieces will be available from Harrods in June and other selected retailers from July.

Now, I haven't gone down the bugaboo route ... there are loads of them around and to be honest I couldn't justify the cost (who knew there was so much to buy for a new baby!). I do love the bright colours of the missoni collections though and I thought I'd have a look to see how I could add a flavour of the collaboration to my pushchair at (what I'm sure will be) a fraction of the price!

My favourite missoni inspired accessory is this beautiful multi coloured zig zag blanket from etsy. A bargain at (approximately) £15.61 plus postage. This looks like one of those blankets that will get better and better with age and the more it is washed. Also it is a lovely neutral blanket so is a great gift for any team lemon families!

I also love this gift pack from The Organic Baby Company, it contains a romper, hat, bandanna bib and blanket, and comes in chocolate (pictured), duck egg and purple, at £49 it is a little expensive but when you factor in how much the individual items would be I think it's a good price ... and again a really great gift! Pieces are sold individually and range from £7.40 to £24.32.

Mu mum has kindly knitted us a bright stripey blanket, if you can knit (or crochet for that matter) or know anyone who can this is a great way to create something really special for your baby. There are loads of striped and zig zag knitting patterns out there (including this one from knit culture) and the best thing is you get to choose the colours! If like us you prefer bright colours then there are plenty to choose from, but also if you would prefer to stick to pastels then you can! I haven't knitted for years but I'm going to get my mum to give me a refresher ... I think it would be a lovely way to relax and create in those last few weeks!

Cx