Big Bad Numero Uno

Very bubbly birthday baby!
'oh happy day' banner in background.

ONE!

Vegan Carrot Cupcakes; only a mother would love!
The week before the big bash, I baked a batch of these vegan carrot cupcakes as a trial run. Olivia turned up her nose and shook her head 'no!'
Since I am not much of a baker and she is not much of an eater, we went with them anyways!
The results are pretty.
I ate about 5!

Using her party invites as the favor cards, we bundled up Shanghai's pretty teeny tangerines in cellophane, added a little IKEA snake (green), moose (orange) or dog (blue) & a chopstick waving bunting flags with the guests initial.
Dada added a lime green pot of orange marigolds to the table;)

The tee pee adorned with bunting flags.
Olivia's newest paintings in the background.

Lo and behold..our baby turned ONE!
Little teeny tiny Olivia is now a wobbling toddler!

Thankfully Shanghai is full of shops to get my craft on, so down to party business it was, in the week's before the big day!
Since her nursery has never been used and the colour palette still keeps me day-dreaming, I stuck to the tangerine, turquoise, chocolate & limes.
And voila!
Bright and bold baby birthday!

Retro Busy Bus

Lovin' me a Retro City

I have an addiction to design.
Very late at night I will leave baby and hubby in our cozy bed and sneak downstairs to paint.
If I start surfing my go-to sites (Project Nursery, Ohdeedoh), hours whittle away with no shut-eye.
There are worse addictions.

'Busy Bus' above, caught my eye because it is especially simplistic and has that homey Richard Scary child-like illustration going on. It is sometimes a real challenge in a painting to stay simple, but the results are bold and beautiful.

Favourite elements;
-plump fig-shaped trees
-street scooter
...and of course the old school camper attached to the station wagon:)

Swinging Koala

A Swinging Day at the Beach

Joey & Sea Turtle

Ahhhh!
Nothing like a finished piece of art for baby-to-be!

In my first piece to a customer since our daughters arrival, we have some of my favourite elements of children's design combined; brilliant colours, fun-loving characters & pops of pattern.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to work, via email with a lovely and patient customer in America. She has been generous (and organized enough with her nursery planning!) to allow me the much-needed span of time to complete a piece with baby in tow.

This 2x3 foot canvas is meant to bring a little Down Under to a baby boy living Stateside, who is set to make his grand arrival in the New Year. Since his nursery is going to boast a few pieces of work from an Aussie painter, mom wanted to stick with the Australian theme; landscape, beach & animals. Mama & Papa kangaroo are set for a day on the beach with their surfer koala baby and Joey. Sandals, surfboard and sea turtles suit the ambiance and bring in pops of tangerine, lime and turquoise.

Babies love patterns and it keeps them occupied just long enough to change a diaper. Above you will find polka-dots on Papa's surfboard, Hawaiian style Hibiscus on Koala's board shorts, coppertone rings adorning the inside's of the kangaroo's ears and bellies, not to mention spots on the sea turtles. Loads to look at 'eye-spy' style.

Wishing a beautiful and healthy final trimester to the mom and dad-to-be.
Pleasure working with budding families near and far!

DROOL-Sister Site

Little Olivia is three months old tomorrow!
(By far, the best three months of my life has been the first three of hers!)
To celebrate, her journaling junkie mama has opened a sister site...
DROOL
www.mamadrool.blogspot.com Lessons in Mamahood...as taught by a Little Miss.

Pictured above: My "Teach" in my fave tee, with our fave guy!

Olivia`s Woodlands Nursery

Roots & Wings-Mural by Mama
~Ahhhh! Finally a mural for my own baby girl!
Group of Seven styled tree trunks, baby owl in nest with parents perched on the branch above. Framed in cherrywood, here in Shanghai.

Paper Lanterns
~Dada worked hard to find these! (Crazy to believe it is so difficult to find paper lanterns in China!)
Nursery colours; turquoise, lime & tangerine. Placed near the change table for occupying Stinky Pants. LOVE them!

"OLIVIA" Letter Animals
~Each letter of her name coincides with a Woodlands animal/motif. Frames painted in the three nursery theme colours: turquoise, lime and tangerine.

Woodlands Crib Decor
~"Love" "Foxy Baby" and Retro Felt Fox adorn the crib between naptimes.


Woodlands Mobile
~Owl, Fox, Doe & Hedgehog surround a woodlands tree with bell.

Olivia has arrived!!
Her Woodlands themed nursery is complete.
Now we just have to think about one day moving her into it! Maybe in the Spring...or when she is 20...or something like that;)

BLISS!

olivia grace
December 4th, 2010
8:32am
7 pounds & 13 ounces
Shanghai, China

Simply cannot express the happiness Adam and I feel since the safe arrival of our baby daughter, Little Livie Grace! There is absolutely no feeling that compares to this kind of bliss:)

This morning Livie and I headed to the market & I reached in my coat pockets to find a pair of her socks in one..and a diaper (a clean one!) in the other!
Finally...I am a mother:)
Life is good.

Happy New Year to your and your loved ones! Our hearts are bursting...we are so grateful & in awe of the miracle of life.

Tiny Taste

Stumped.
What colour to paint this teeny, tiny Hootling, while sticking to our nursery palette;
chocolate, tangerine, lime & turquoise?
Bump has been asked.
Bump has a sense of humour.
One day, kicks for BOY.
Next day, kicks for GIRL.
All while snickering to his or her little self in there;)