JUST TAKING A LIL BREAK

Hi all. For those of you who read my blog, you'll notice I've been a bit quiet lately. Recently, I've been having a lot of fun creatively, directing all my spare energy at Cinch - my small new, freelance design business. Needless to say, this has been taking up a fair bit of 'free' time. Not only with the actual design work for my awesome clients, but also with all the admin, social media and whatnot that comes with running your own show. I've been having a ball and have been so fortunate to have just the right amount of work flow to keep me going thus far. However, I've recently decided somethings gotta give. And although I don't want to let Carousel Ponies go, I just don't have the space in my life at the moment. So... until further notice, CP is taking a blogging break. I hope I'll be back sooner rather than later. But for now, farewell.

DELIGHTFUL DUCKY DO

Last weekend my sister Sarah's baby shower  arrived and we were finally able to implement all of her ideas for a gorgeous blue and yellow themed rubber ducky shower. She had some really lovely visions of this day and had enlisted me to help her achieve them.  I designed all the invitations, labels, signs, cupcake toppers and iced the cupcakes. While Sarah put her hand at making and icing her very first fondant cake - a chocolate mud cake decorated in cute ducky bubble style (pictured below). She did such an amazing job. Not only did it look absolutely gorgeous, it tasted so incredible it still makes my mouth water almost a week later!

We shopped for most of the decorations together - though it was Sarah and her husband that decided to start hanging them around their house in the days leading up to the shower, so as not to have much left to do on the day. Sarah also wanted to hand make a bunting, as she had a specific style in mind. Once again, she did it with finesse and it looked amazing (take a look below)!

I'm so proud of how the day turned out. It was such a lovely day to celebrate the anticipated arrival of a very special little boy. I for one can not wait to meet this little guy!

Sarah, you are such a special lady and I really do love you so much. You are the most beautiful mama-to-be and you are going to be a fantastic mother.

SUNDAY FUNDAY

Yesterday was Sunday, and a rather fun day actually. After having had Matt sick most of the week and then myself landing an extra design job that had me working all day Saturday, I really was in desperate need of a break. So come Sunday morning, I whipped out the beater and started making a fresh batch of pancakes for brekkie. I mean, really, there aren't many better ways to start a day than with pancakes! We sat down and demolished the whole lot before toting off for a wander down our local shopping strip. After exhausting the shops (not to mention Matt and Summer!) we headed off for a spot of fun, chasing each other amongst the autumn leaves of the Kauri Grove in Cornwall Park.

It was an awesome family day, and I'm rather keen to make this 'Sunday Funday' a tradition. It's so easy to let family time slip by in these busy lives of ours, but it's really one of the most important parts OF our lives. Summer adored throwing the leaves around, 'baaaing' at the sheep and giggling as we chased her through the park. It really was a special time for all three of us and Matt and I had a lot of fun trying to capture the moment. For those of you with children, you'll know how hard it is to get a good, non-blurry photograph of a toddler, but we did our best! Here's a few shots from the day:

OUR LITTLE MUNCHKIN

Thought it was about time for a wee update on our little toddler - can you believe she's less than a week shy of 16 months?! Time really does fly! Here's a 'Top-10' snapshot of Summer today:

1. She walks now! Thank goodness. I can't remember if I ever posted the fact that Summer was a bum shuffler? Well, I'm telling you now. At around 11 months old our dear Summer chose shuffling as her mode of transport and, quite frankly, it was often a royal pain in the a**. Not only did it make it harder for her to get around (you try shuffling uphill!), I was constantly repairing or replacing her holey bottomed shorts and longs. Actually, the only items of clothing I found to be bum shuffler friendly were dresses and skirts - as at the end of the day it was only her disposable nappies to ditch. I guess I could count that as a positive, as most mothers do love to dress their little girls in pretty and feminine things and sometimes crawling can get in the way of that. Shuffling also made Summer memorable, and countless people I'd briefly meet would always remember Summer weeks or months on from the first encounter, saying, "Oh, how could I forget a little redheaded bum shuffler!" Others would stare in utter fascination, "I've heard about these bum shufflers - but I've never seen one in real life!" said one fellow. Summer was somewhat of a showstopper. Cute? Yes! Very actually, but oh so much work for me! So when she upped and walked one Sunday morning at around 14 months, I was beyond excited - screaming at Matt to get here quick to witness this glorious sight! She moved forth in leaps in bounds from that day and is now practically running. Goodbye and good ridden's holey pants!

2. She says around 12 words now. They are Mama, Dada, ball, car, nana (banana), baby, clock, bubble, Nana, dog, up and flower. Although, right now she's calling everything a 'car' - I blame Daddy!

3. She is obsessed with organising and matching things up - and you do not dare mess with her pile of neatly place items, categorised by type or shape!

4. Books, books and more books. This one has never really changed - she's always loved books and has been turning pages since 10 months old. Most days she will toddle off to here room where I find her with an array of books surrounding as she sits quietly 'reading'.

5. Blankie. Oh how she loves her blankie, a soft Peter Rabbit muslin cloth that she calls 'Bee'. Every sleepy time 'Bee' must be there and she snuggles into it like nothing else.

6. Balls and Bananas. Must be something with these 'B' words - because these are two more loves of hers.

7. Family. Summer loves her Nana's, Poppa, Uncles and Aunty's, her Daddy and her Mummy (Me, yay! I must be doing something right!). Nothing beats a snuggly cuddle with our little one. Mmm, she's so scrumptious.

8. She loves music and dance. She is even trying to sing! Whether listening intently to the singers of Hi5, the Barbie Musical or Strawberry Shortcake, I hear this quiet lilting coming from Summer as she sings along - it's actually so sweet. She's been dancing before she could walk - grooving on the spot and clinging the side of chairs to get her toes tapping whenever she heard a song she liked. She's fussy though, and wont take any-ol' artist - Rhianna will not be on her playlist, so I discovered! However, she'll go for a bit of Blur or The Black Keys - go figure.

9. Beach. Loves the sand and loves the surf. Guess she's living up to her name:)

10. Dogs/animals. Put a baby doll in front of her and she swats it away. Put anything that resembles an animal whatsoever and she hugs, nurtures and says 'ooof, ooof (woof, woof)' - at this stage of life every animal barks in her mind.

There are HEAPS more things I could share about Summer - but then, I'm not sure anyone would want to read a 10,000 word post! I love this little girl and everyday she surprises me with new skills and every morning I swear she looks more grown up. But right now, this is quite enough to give a snapshot into the life of Summer.

CHAIN REACTION

Ooooo, I love these chunky chain necklaces. I have had my eye on these for quite some time but haven't found the perfect one yet. I wonder if I should take a stab at creating my own unique one like the this lovely lady over at I Spy DIY?

MINI RENO: KITCHEN

I've decided what my next project will be... a mini-renovation of our kitchen and I wanted to share my thoughts and moodboard! I'm really excited about doing something with our somewhat bland 90's decor, and although I would absolutely love to start from scratch with a brand new kitchen - it really isn't something we can afford right now. Besides, I think over the past 5 years I've developed a wee fondness for this trusty, sand-coloured space.

My mini-reno will consist of a re-hung and newly painted sliding door that seals off the kitchen from the hallway. However, this paint job will be done with chalkboard paint and essentially creating a giant chalkboard to adorn with ever-changing art (see image above). I will also hunt down, create and purchase various items to decorate the kitchen. I love the juxtapose of old/traditional with new, which I will endeavor to apply to my 'in-between' kitchen!  I even have a little idea to spruce up our old fridge - but I'll just see if it works first! I'm really in love with the colour mint at the moment, so luckily for me it ties in with the existing sand coloured kitchen and walls. I will also maintain some elements of black and white which will give cohesion with the rest of our (already refurbished) home. Here are some 'before' pictures... I didn't quite manage to get one before the sliding door came off, oh yeah, and excuse the mess, I'm sure you can understand with a 15 month old running around!

IN THE MOOD FOR SOMETHING NEW

You may have noticed a new little look going on for Carousel Ponies. Yes, I'm in the mood for something new creatively, starting with CP.  A wee bit cleaner and fresher, it's been on my to-do list for quite a while, but finding the time to do it was a bit of a challenge. All things aside though, it's here now and I'm rather liking it (hopefully you are too!).

But my latest buzz of creativity doesn't end here. Lately I've been drawn to DIY home renovations. Not big revamps - just the little kind that turn an ordinary space into a place with a bit more personality, whether that be by simple adornment or clever use of paint. I haven't decided what project I'm going to embark on yet, however I've been gathering ideas and 'pinning' like mad all kinds of wonderful and beautiful things that I hope will inspire me.

Here are a few ideas I've gathered. I'd love to hear your thoughts or suggestions. Even better, share your DIY project!

A. Painted bottles and glasses DIY or DIE - Elle Interior  B. Kitchen Jars and Labels The Painted Hive C. Painted Corkboard The Happy Home D. Chalkboard Painted Fridge Pure Style Home