Introducing...

May I introduce to you our precious little girl Heidi. She came into our world on New Year's day and has since filled our lives with so much love and joy. She's simply perfect and we couldn't be happier.

Life is certainly turbulent at the moment and I am learning to adjust to my role as a mother of three little ones.

Tschüss... 

German "Gemütlichkeit"

Hello friends, thank you for stopping by today. While the northern hemisphere is enjoying the start of spring, down here autumn has definitely arrived. The days are getting shorter and cooler but the air is crisp and clear. I love the mood of autumn - the leaves are turning golden and we can witness the most amazing sunsets and sunrises above the sea. More time is spent indoors than out and while we love wrapping up and bracing the cool winds we love coming home to a hot drink and that lovely feeling of german "Gemütlichkeit".

My long awaited Moroccan plate arrives all the way from Germany. I simply couldn't find one here at a reasonable price and so turned to the wonderful Dagi who sent one all the way around the world for me. I love it and it will no doubt get used in many ways as I decorate my home.

Last week I was invited to my friend Fran's new house. I was very impressed with her little slice of paradise. She spoilt us with the most delicious afternoon tea and after a little search I found the recipe online. I was cutting a few corners and used my bread maker to knead and rise the dough but you can find the full recipe here.

One of my big projects last months was making four little flower girl dresses. I loved the job and was pleased with the way they turned out. Sewing was once a huge part of my life but with two little ones it is tricky - now that they are getting older and one is at kindergarten I am hoping to steal a few hours here and there to get back into it. Who knows where it may lead...

Finally I went on a major hunt for some bedding for the boys. I spent what felt like a whole month searching for something that did not have Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder or any other cartoon figure on it. Bad enough they watch these things on tv they don't have to dream of it at night :-) I wanted something plain and simple that would work with a red roman blind I made for their room. 

I finally found a blue and white striped cover and it works perfectly with their small letter cushions I made for their old room in Germany (here).

The room is tiny but sleeping is all they do in it and they have a large playroom for all their toys.

With one million interruptions by my little one this post has only taken me 3 hours to complete :-) 

See you again soon, I promise.

Tschüss...

Boys room and some news

Thank you for visiting me today and apologies for my absence this week so far. Thinks are a little hectic here at the moment. We have finally booked our flights back home to New Zealand -  there is no going back now. We'll be leaving here at the end of this year and though that seems like a while it actually creeps up on you and it makes my head spin thinking of all the things I need to get done for the big move.

We have become quite expertly in relocating over the years but this time we have two boys in tow and a lot more belongings than ever before. I am both excited and sad to leave - our two and a half years here in Germany have been absolutely wonderful. Needles to say I will feel sad to say goodbye to family and friends here. It is of course a huge comfort knowing that we also have family and friends waiting for us on the other side...

Today I want to share with you our boy's room which has had a little makeover. Our little guy - not being so little anymore, has moved from his cot into a big boy bed and so we purchased two matching Kritter beds from IKEA. I think they are cute - rather fitting for two little Lambs. I still need to find some nice bedding - so far I've had no luck. I was thinking of maybe some light blue and white fine checked duvet covers - or maybe a bedspread. Do you have any tips?

Tschüss...

(images: Nina Lamb)

My baby turns 2

Yesterday my youngest boy turned two. It's excited and a little sad at the same time seeing him grow up so fast. It felt like yesterday that I brought him into this world. He's a very busy little boy, full of energy and just a delight to be around.

I had invited some of his little friends for a "splish splash" paddle pool party. The weather was glorious and the mums were grateful to dip their toes in the water as well. In the evening we had a BBQ with my family - a perfect day!

I didn't want to go overboard with decorations and kept it pretty simple. The blue, red and white party bunting and cupcake toppers are free print templates from here.

The lemon cake was a store bought cake mix and it was fool proof - even for me ;-)

You can find the recipe for the carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing here

The party favour bags (in the background) had some sweets, a small book and a water toy in them.

I used paper bags, string and a label in the same style as the invitations.

I hope you have a great week and thank you so very much for stopping by today. 

(images: Nina Lamb)

Children's Rooms

How, looks like we are back up and running. Wouldn't have surprised me if blogger had asked everyone to pay up to have their site back online :-)

Would you like to look at some kid's rooms with me? 

I have to admit that our boy's room has been a little neglected in terms of design. It's very functional but I would change a million things if we were staying in this apartment a little longer. My boys are sharing a bedroom and that works beautifully. 

How cool is the first room? I know my boys would love a castle themed room and a little secret hiding place behind the door. I always think the nautical theme works well for boys rooms, but done in a subtle way like in the third picture. 

I would love to one day have a girl and know I would probably end up making it quite a girly space without turning it into barbie's room. I like the subtle hints of pink in the last photo and adore the overall look of the first photo. 

Having children share a room can throw up all sorts of challenges, especially when space is limited. So far I have my older boy in a single bed and the younger one still in his cot but I do like the idea of bunks, as they are a huge space saver. 

These photos have inspired me to update the boys room a little by using soft furnishings rather than investing in new pieces. I'll keep you updated.

Tschüss...

(images: 1st Option)