Thank you Lovestamp!

I just have to show you: I decided to make little bookmark keepsakes for Ivie's Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers and Aunties, to commemorate her first birthday. We'll be having a little family get-together, and thought something lasting would be nicer than a lolly bag or the likes for them.

After making them, I decided that a more personalised touch was in order, so called on the very lovely Jo, aka Lovestamp. I got 9 sterling silver discs, each handstamped with 'love Ivie xo'

Here's what I made

And (I hope you don't get too bombarded now, Jo!), I had asked Jo how squished it might look with lots of words on the disc, and she'd made up a sample for me to see. She actually included that sample for me as a gift to Ivie! It just made my day!

Plus, all this was ordered, organised, and delivered within 4 working days (because I am a serious last-minuter)!! Take a look at Lovestamp's Madeit and Etsy stores to see all thebeautiful pieces that Jo makes.

Jo, thank you so much for your wonderful service! These are so special, and Ivie can't wait to give them out to the special ladies in her life.

A post about nappies - at last!

It must seem like I've been slacking off. Posting about anything but nappies... I have been working, I swear!! In fact, I think I can finally say (after almost 6 months!) that I have found a manufacturer!

Now, don't get me wrong, the actual production is still months off, but let me tell you, I am so relieved to finally have found someone who I think will be able to uphold the style and quality of the MiniLaLa modern cloth nappy. I'm very excited! Terrified at the same time...

Until I can get everything sorted, though, we'll continue with the lottery. It was a great success last month, and we hope to open the next one after Ivie's first birthday - this weekend! So yes, next week (that would have been shorter). Make sure that you are subscribed to the newsletter on the website at www.minilala.com.au for info on how to enter.

Still going on about wall decals!

Yes, it's days later and I'm still obsessed! There are a few more that I want to share:

I accidentally stumbled upon these yesterday from newbies, Sticky Apple (available from Made by White)... How cool are these!?

Here are more from Sticky Apple, as well as a couple from For Walls and My Munchkin Home

Plus Made By White also sell some other fabulous pieces!

While I'm here, I'd better tell you that I'm also loving Morgan Wills. She makes very beautiful things from reclaimed materials. I love her Bushka dolls!

Yes, yes! I have been sewing - just doing this in my 'me-time' (if you can call it that, LOL)!

...And have a look at this great web tool, Spell with Flickr by Erik Kastner

I could spend hours! Look what I made

OK. Back to work for me!

For the very best looking walls...

Here they are: My top 10 (well, actually it's 11 because I just couldn't decide!).

I'm one of those annoying people who has to keep changing and tweaking things. I'm constantly changing my mind and redecorating (or whatever it may be), so removable art is perfect for me!

Ivie's birthday is in a couple of weeks, and Nick's in a month and a half. I want a set for each of their rooms... and for my office... maybe one for the playroom too (though I do have Wallcandy in there already).

Help me choose!

'Decorated wooden horse' from Paristic - I just LOVE the fuschia wall!

'Dainty toadstools' by lovemaestore at Etsy - such lovely patterns and colours. Wouldn't this be perfect for a newborn nursery?




'Large sweet tree with birdies' by singlestonestudios at Etsy. I'm really loving this one - maybe in yellow for Ivie or blue for Nick?? This is something that would suit a child's room for years.


Now, this one makes me all nostalgic! Who else had these paper dolls as a little girl (or boy)? I just adore this one!
'Dress up dolls' by lovemaestore at Etsy

Nicholas is obsessed with fish at the moment - he caught his first fish a couple of weeks ago, and decided a long time ago that he wanted a goldfish for his third birthday... He'd love these!

'Gold fish' from Giggle Smile Designs

'Trees' by Boodalee from Blik - I'd love these in a baby boy's room.

'Happy creatures' by Threadless from Blik - how funky is this? Maybe for Nicholas?

'Animal circles' by byrdiekids at Etsy - I want these for the playroom!


I also love these!

'Dandelion' from Paristic

'Fly society' by Wallcandy Arts

'Zebra' by Paristic


Now which ones should I get!!!???

Search Mission

I have been on a mission this week - I have been looking everywhere to find the best removable wall decals. I've found so many fantastic ones, and I wish I could buy them all! I still can't decide which ones I want, but thought I'd share my favourites with you all, seeing as I put many, many hours into my search (yes, I know, I know, I should be sewing)!

I'm going to have to do this in a few posts, I think...

There is still no way that I will get all my favourites on, but I do have a full list with pictures and links, so if you're interested in seeing all the decals i like, drop me an email, and I'd be happy to send it through :)

So my recommendation for the best place to start is Etsy. There are hundreds of designers on there, and the prices (on the most part) are fantastic!

This set is just $5USD!

I have at least 40 on my list from Etsy sellers

I also love The Wall Sticker Co, two Aussie mums with some great designs, including some gorgeously sophisticated kids designs.

And a few more from around the place - Giggle Smile Designs, Blik, Decorette, Wallpaper Decal Design Shop (ebay), Stick Meon, Stickee, Paristic, Wallcandy, The Vinyl Room, Spin Collective...

My very favourites are yet to come...!

Sare Bear

That's my sister. Sarah. She's lovely! We speak on the phone every day (actually, it's more like a few times every day). I love her to bits, my little sis!

So anyway, I'm telling you about Sarah because, after months of persuasion (apparantly I'm quite the slave driver - it's my inner perfectionist...), she has agreed to work with me at MiniLaLa! I'm very excited! Sarah will start out helping me with admin occasionally, but I'm hoping that it will soon become a more permanent thing.

Here's Sarah. You may hear from her sometime :)

Something different...

I'm trying something new for this month's stocking.

I started out taking custom orders last year. There were way too many, and I couldn't keep up. So we tried the stocking all at once approach, and well, many of you know how that went!

So rather than putting myself, and all of you, through the stress of yet another manic stocking, I thought we'd do something different and see how it goes....

A lottery! Basically, you enter the lottery by selecting up to 6 nappies that you would like to purchase, then we choose the 'winners'. Sounds like fun, right? I hope so!

So, if you want to buy some MiniLaLa nappies, you really, really need to subscribe to the newsletter, because that's where you'll find all the important info (try to do so before this weekend). Oh, and be sure to let everyone you know about it too ;)

I get so many emails asking if people can purchase nappies right now, and it hurts me to say no - it does! So until I get this manufacture business all sorted (it is happening!), I'm begging you to please, please bear with me! Hopefully you'll find something else that you love, and have a bit of fun on the way.

Oh, and another mention for the amazingly talented Kristen Cook. I just love the photos she took of Ivie (above). If you are looking for a photographer in Melbourne, you must contact her.

Flirty Bird

Don't you just love the name? I love everything about Flirty Bird! I love that everything is handmade by a lovely lady named Michelle. I love the funky designs. I love that postage is FREE anywhere in Australia. I love the spunky looking website (and that the little bird goes 'tweet' when you add something to your cart - cute!)

Here's Ivie in one of her new pony holders

I also bought a few headbands, as Ivie is going through a phase of pulling clips out and chewing them... and apparantly headbands are just as tasty, so I will have to get back to you with photos of those (actually I could get plenty of Nicholas in them - he loves them!)

And here is Michelle's gorgeous daughter, Scarlett, doing a bit of modelling. Just too cute!

I love Flirty Bird!

This is unlike me!

I'm a bit of a post-a-holic today. Usually I can barely find time, but I have a few things to share today. As some of you might know, the kids and I have been away this week. I just had to share a few cute pics of the kids from the past week.

Here's Nicholas getting his hair cut. I had had two attempts at it, and he had been wearing a very asymmetrical 'do' for some time. It wasn't a very good look. He really hates hair falling on him, which is why I'd had no success.

The new 'do'!

And here he is in a pair of ridiculously large sunglasses that he insists on wearing everywhere. I just love them! How cute is he (apart from the finger up the nose, LOL!)?

Ivie in the glasses

And Ivie with her first ever ponytail!

...Which brings me to my next post (yes, another one!).

Aren't my kids just the cutest!?

Photographing children...

Children's photographers must have some kind of Mary-Poppins-esque powers I think.

When I try to photograph my own children, I end up with maybe a 1% success rate, and the rest are of face-pulling, blurred, hitting, writhing, tantrum-throwing little monsters (well, I must say, one is a bit worse than the other, LOL)! It takes me FOREVER to get what I need when trying to do 'product shoots'.

For example, I was trying to photograph the kids in my mealtime bibs the other day....

I did get a few cute ones...

You can see more of the good ones on the website

Here's our attempt at a Daddy and kids shot.... funny.... sort of.

This is why I love to have professional photos taken. They just make it look so lovely and easy. Of course I have to mention my most favourite ever photographer, Kristen Cook. She's in Melbourne, and is simply amazing! See MiniLaLa for some of her delicious work!