Tied with a Bouw

Liar liar!

2012-02-25T18:17:00.001+08:00

Ahhh, trust Blogger to make a liar out of me! I logged into my account the day after my last post (honouring my vow to make a return to regular blogging) only to be greeted with a message that my computer software no longer supported my Blogger account! Nooooo!!!

I was well overdue to replace my four year old Sony Vaio anyway (especially seeing as Mr B dropped it last month which resulted in a cracked screen) so I guess this was just the kick up the backside I needed to finally upgrade! Soooo I am sitting here typing this (very happily!) on my brand spanking new MacBook Pro :)

Please give me a few days to find my way around the different set up as well as move some of my files across from my old laptop... but after that, I'm all yours! Have a great w/e! x

AWOL

2012-02-17T18:32:00.004+08:00

Wow. I cannot believe it has been 2 months since I have posted! Thanks so very much to those who have emailed over the weeks letting me know they miss my posts as it has given me a kick up the bum to attempt to get back into blogging! Please know that I haven't been sitting here twiddling my thumbs.. and I know I sound like a broken record... but it HAS been a busy three months...

Allegra and I have had a total of 10 flights (Sydney- Melbourne return x4, Sydney- Brisbane x1, Brisbane- Melbourne x1 and somewhere amongst that Mr B spent an entire month in London!

We have had celebrations galore including my brother's engagement party, my cousin's wedding, Allegra's 1st Birthday, Christmas, News Years, my brother-in-laws 40th, our 2nd wedding anniversary, Australia Day, a close friends wedding, Valentines Day AND my best friends 30th.

Somewhere in between I am slowly but surely making our new place in Sydney home (although we have been living here for 6 months... already)! AND I am excited to say that my vision is starting to come together and I promise I WILL share with you all when I feel it is presentable (and when I get some proper snaps as it's not the easiest house to photograph)!

But for today (and to bring you fully up to date) I thought I would take the easy way out and post a heap of photos of the celebrations mentioned above taken whilst AWOL... oooh, and I am sure you will be shocked to see how much our darling Allegra has grown! Quite the little lady indeed! Although I will hold off on posting too many recent photos of her as I will post her 15 month update next week! :)

My gorgeous Mum and I at my brother's

engagement party held in Melbourne in November.

Allegra and I all frocked up for my cousin's
wedding in Brisbane also in November!

And here's Allegra with my Mum (aka Nanny G).

How sweet are these homemade, personalised gingerbread men
made by the groom's Grandma! They doubled as the
bonbonniere AND the name place settings :)

Christmas morning @ Mum's place :)

Like mother like daughter... Allegra and I
enjoying opening some pressies together :)

As always, spoilt by Mr B :)

Our Christmas angel :)

A quick family snap before hubby and I head
out to dine at one of our fav restaurants (Rockpool)
to celebrate my brother-in-laws 40th Birthday!

Mum spotted this dress in a shop window
when we were Christmas shopping and
insisted it was for me! :)

And this Tilkah clutch Mum bought me for
Chrissy tied in with my outfit perfectly :)

Mr B & his big brother, the Birthday boy!

A knock at the door revealed a special delivery...

From Mr B for our 2nd Wedding Anniversary! :)

Frocked up once again for our
dear friends wedding.

We had such an amazing time drinking and
dancing the night away... probably the most I have
kicked up my heels since pre-pregnancy!

And this grin is for no designated driver :)

The gorgeous and delicious cake!

And lastly, here is hubby and I ready for
an early Valentines Day din dins at the
restaurant we married in just over two years ago :)

And here's me wearing my V day present...
this divine dress which I LOVE!

One happy Valentine :)

So there you go. I bet you're sick of my ugly mug now! hee hee

Now that I have given you a debrief of what's been happening in my world, I can shift my focus to returning next week with some home decor dedicated posts! About flippin time you say! Thanks again for sticking with me through my absence my friends :}

Have a beautiful weekend :) x

When Sonja met Sally!

2011-12-14T20:15:00.000+08:00

Ok, so it doesn't exactly have the same ring as When Harry met Sally, and there definitely wasn't one of us faking an orgasm in the middle of the restaurant hee hee but last night, Sonja (that's me!) met Sally! You might remember this unbelievable story I posted back in June (if you haven't already read it click here)! So after emailing, Facebooking and sms'ing each other for over a year, my blogging bestie (Sally from Once Daily Chic) and I finally got our acts together and organised a real life catch up! I was a little nervous as this was the first time my virtual world was to cross my real life world... but it turns out I had nothing to worry about! The night began with us both rocking up with almost identical bunches of flowers for each other (hee hee) and after some bubbles and wine, a lovely meal, and not even one awkward silence, it ended four hours later with us practically being kicked out of the restaurant so they could close! :) And the best part? Sally is exactly how I thought she would be, true to the persona she portrays on her blog. Lovely, gorgeous, down to earth, fun and extremely easy to talk to! I'm sure we'll be doing it all again very soon. Anyway, I thought some of you might enjoy that happy ending. And here's a pic of the two of us! :)

Me and Sal! :)

And a big thank-you again to Sally for picking such a lovely venue for our first meet! We wined and dined with a gorgeous table overlooking the water at the Public Dining Room in Balmoral. Not only is the food and atmosphere delightful but the modern, Scandinavian inspired interior makes it all the more enjoyable! Fellow Sydneysiders, be sure to check it out! x

Allegra's Garden Tea Party!

2011-12-08T18:56:00.001+08:00

Me again! Twice in one week, I know! Soooo, I promised to share some pics of Allegra's 1st Birthday party held last weekend at Nanny G's in Melbourne (aka my Mum's house). It was a lovely day (despite the weather being a little on the cool side) and it was so nice to have our family and close friends help celebrate Allegra's special day! Rather than boring you with my words I'll let the pictures and their little captions speak for themselves... but brace yourself, because there are a heap of them! :)

I made these signs using paper and lettering from Spotlight.

My handmade invites! I first purchased this paper from
Catchy Crafts in Hornsby (NSW). Coincidentally, I then found
the same paper (used for signs) at Spotlight in Melbourne!

The party details were on the back and the guest's
names were written on the attached teabags.
I then hand cut all of the number ones and used
mounting tape so that they were slightly raised.

And again.

Allegra's gorgeous party outfit purchased from
the lovely Tami @ Snuggles of Love :)

The quality really is so beautiful...

And fit for a party princess!

My flower arrangements :)

Purchased from the Prahran Market.

Me and my big one year old!

The dessert table!

The set up in Nanny G's back garden :)

The cake! I was originally planning on making a teapot
shaped cake, however with so much else to
prepare I decided to play it safe by dressing up
my homemade, fondant covered choc mud cake!
I used this recipe- the bottom tier was made
from two 23cm cakes and the top tier
from one 15cm cake.

Teapot from T2, fresh flowers from
Prahran Market and ribbon from Spotlight.

A combination of my white chocolate mud cupcakes and
classic cupcake recipe (used in my lemon curd cupcakes),
both with butter cream icing! Cake stand
and patty cases from Pink Frosting.

Mini Teacups! These were an absolute hit with the kiddies
and only took about 10 minutes to make a whole batch!

Get the recipe and instructions here!

Chocolate coated strawberries with handmade
flags using offcuts of paper from the invitations,
toothpicks and my trusty hot glue gun :)

Preparing the infamous rocky road :)

A closer look at the cupcakes :)

Chocolate bars, again, wrapped using the same
paper used for the invitations.

Lollies!

Coconut balls... yum!

Another view of the dessert table.
Buntings from Le Petit Party.

Bits and pieces.

Plastic cutlery from Spotlight, napkins,
plates & cups from Pink Frosting
and table runner from Le Petit Party.

Lollies bought in bulk from
The Biggest Lolly Shop in the World.

For us big kids :)

This kept this kiddies entertained :)

Birthday Cake!

Popcorn boxes...

And lolly bags also from Pink Frosting!

Tags handmade by me :)

The happy, cheeky party girl
rocking her tutu & converse Chuck Taylors :)

Again, also from Pink Frosting.

One more of us Bouw gals :)

Opening presents with Mummy...

AND Daddy :)

Hee hee... so gorgeous!

So there you have it, Allegra's 1st Birthday Party done and dusted! I still can't believe it's been and gone :( Is it too early to start thinking about her 2nd Birthday Party?! hee hee. Apologies if some of the photos are small or unclear (I really need to update my blogger template and layout) but I think I have covered most of the details in the little captions. If I have missed anything or if you have any questions please ask away :) x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is ONE!!!

2011-12-07T17:01:00.001+08:00

I've had a few emails over the weeks checking on my whereabouts as I have indeed been MIA lately :/ I wish I could say I've been busily decorating our new home but I'm afraid that's not the case at all. I know I sound like a broken record but it has been a busy month or so with lots going on but I do apologies for my disappearance. We had a trip to Melbourne for my brothers engagement party, then back to Sydney for a week (which was spent nursing one sick little girl), then to Brisbane for my cousins wedding, then we were suppose to fly direct to Thailand for a friends wedding (and a little family holiday) however Mr B was summonsed to London to work on an acquisition so we had to cancel our trip to Thailand boo... and to make things worse Mr B ended up being gone almost an entire month :{ So Allegra and I flew back to Melbourne as this is where we were going to be holding her 1st Birthday party and with hubby/Daddy away, at least we would have company whilst staying at my Mum's place. Oh and somewhere amongst all of this I was planning Allegra's 1st Birthday party. Soooo, that's what's been happening in my world.

Here's a sneak peek at Allegra
in her party outfit :)

More importantly, did I mention that my baby girl turned one 11 days ago!!! Yes, that's right, Allegra Isobel is one! Where on earth did that year go?! I hope you have enjoyed watching her grow through my little 'Allegra' updates as much as I have enjoyed watching her grow in person. She really is the most amazing little girl and it is incredible how as each day passes I adore her even more. Happy 1st Birthday my darling girl, thank-you for the most special year of my life so far... I love you, so very much. And for you my readers, here are a few recent pics and videos of my big one year old :)

Cheeky...

And cheekier! :)

The Birthday girl! 26/11/2011

Nanny G's pikelets for brekky, yum! :)

Out for a birthday lunch with
Mumma B and the family!

Playing with the goodies for her party.

Me and my polka dot princess
all dolled up for my cousins wedding.

Birthday noodles! hee hee

Look who's walking!!! This was taken a week

or so before her 1st Birthday. Not bad for

a bub who never crawled :)

My clever and coordinated darling girl

taking her cup-stacking very seriously hee hee :)

And lastly, here is a snippet of Allegra's two latest

obsessions... talking on the phone and kissing!

She is already so affectionate AND
a great communicator :)

Allegra Isobel Bouw, my little miss sunshine :)

Ooh, and I will be back (I promise!) before the week is out to share some pics of Allegra's Birthday bash which was held last Sunday!

Happy hump day my friends :) x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is 11 Months Old!

2011-11-02T17:55:00.000+08:00

Yep, that's right, Allegra turned 11 months old last Wednesday. Can you believe that in just 24 days my baby girl will be turning one?! I can't. And for those of you who have been following Allegra's journey from day dot, I'm sure you will agree that this last year has flown by! What can I tell you about our little darling this month? Well, she still refuses to crawl this daughter of ours BUT she is great on her feet and very confident so I am quietly hoping to have a walker on our hands by her first birthday (see second video below)! Allegra continues her love affair with balloons, babies, the park and cheese (don't we all) and has also added dogs to the list! She goes absolutely bananas every time she sees one and I even have to stop to let her pat the guide dog statue that sits outside our local supermarket ha ha! She is oh so charming our little miss (possibly even a little cunning hee hee) already trying to charm and talk her way out of trouble. She clearly knows right from wrong which you will see in the first little video below... it's cheeky and so gorgeously hilarious! Allegra already has such a zest for life and there is nothing better than watching the look on her face as she takes it all in. Our beautiful Allegra Isobel, what an angel. Here are a few pics taken over the passed few weeks :)

She's obsessed!
At the park... again :)

Getting more and more confident
on her feet as each day passes!

Pretty girl :)

Sharing Daddy's ice cream... yum!

Catching up on her fashion
mags before bed hee hee :)

Too darn cute Allegra!

Where did our baby go?! :{
Look how big she is!

Allegra's hair is also getting blonder
by the day! You may recall it
was almost black when she was born!

Me and my girl :) x

Strike a pose why don't you Allegra! :)

Little Miss Right from Wrong :)

Little Miss Go Go Go!

I still can't believe it... although it is starting to feel a little more real as I put the finishing touches on Allegra's invites and get down to planning the nitty gritty details for her party which will be held the first weekend in December... as for her actual birthday (26th November) we will be celebrating in style in Phuket as we are attending a close friends wedding a few days prior- lucky us!

Enjoy the rest of your week! x

The Loungeroom!

2011-10-26T17:59:00.001+08:00

Don't you hate it when you speak too soon?! Well it seems I did. Long story short, the curtains for the lounge room ARE being remade BUT for various reasons they have to remake them using the SAME fabric that had me gagging all last week. I have calmed down about the whole thing now as it's not the end of the world and whilst I won't go as far as saying that they are growing on me, I will say that I think I can make them work. The following pic is a snippet of the curtain fabric. Some of you might even like the fabric but you might also know me a little by now and know that it is most definitely not something I would have chosen. I bet you're thinking 'It doesn't look THAT bad' right?! Well picture it covering an entire wall with very high ceilings... it hurts the eyes a little more, trust me :P

The fabric in question.

After deciding to go with the cushions in Option #1 for the bedroom, and then being told the curtains in the lounge room will remain as is, I was quietly excited when I realised the Chiang Mai Dragon cushions I was considering for the master bedroom will go perfectly with the lounge curtains along with our original vintage poster which is still with the framers!

Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon cushion

I quite like them teamed with these
Schumacher Summer Palace cushions
also from Etsy seller Woody Liana

Oooh and I am also excited to report that I have ordered x2 mirrors to go above the mantles in the lounge room and the formal dining room. After umming and ahhing for weeks whether to go circular or rectangular, antique or contemporary, my mind was made up for me! I was on my way home from doing the grocery shopping when I was stopped at a red light and staring straight at me from the window of a design studio was exactly what I had envisioned! Don't you love when that happens! By no means does the below picture do the mirror any justice, but you can kinda get the idea...

Black glossy framed mirror from Meizai

And here's a snippet of what it will look like together...

What do you think?! I'm crossing my fingers I can pull it all together. Next on my list is a new coffee table!

On a separate note, today I managed to pick up all the bits and pieces to make Allegra's 1st Birthday invitations... I'll keep you up to date as the planning progresses! :) x

The Master Bedroom

2011-10-13T13:07:00.000+08:00

Hello! I arrived back from Melbourne earlier this week anxious to see our new curtains! I mentioned that due to the fact that we are renting we weren't involved in the selection process so I had been holding my breath for the last month hoping that the owners taste wasn't too far from our own. Overall, I am relatively happy with most of the choices- white roman blinds in Allegra's room, sheer white and a block out white for the upstairs dining. The lounge room on the other hand is a whole other story. Without sounding too dramatic, it looks like someone has projectile vomited over that entire wall. Seriously. Ok, maybe that's a bit over the top. BUT it appears luck was our side... this is the only time I think I will be happy that the manufacturers buggered up the measurements and made the curtains about 30cms too short (insert chuckles hee hee) so they have to be completely remade :) With this in mind, I immediately emailed our agent and attached some photos of the curtains in hopes that the owner might agree with me about the said curtains... and he did! Thank goodness! We both agreed that something more neutral (either white or off white) would be much more pleasing the everyones eyes. Ahh, the joys of renting :)

Now, as for master bedroom, whilst the curtains aren't something I would have chosen, they are still something I can live with and hopefully work with in terms of decorating the remainder of the room. I thought I'd attach a few pics so you can see for yourself...

The tones go quite nicely with our drawers
(which run along almost the entire wall).

And also go well with our off-white leather bed.

As you can see the pattern is quite busy so choosing the perfect colours and patterns for cushions etc. is the tricky part. In the flesh the curtain fabric throws off numerous colours such as chocolate brown, gold and bronze and sometimes even a yellowy/army green! I have decided to play it safe and stick to crisp white linen on the bed and whilst I entertained the thought of keeping the cushions very plain, I can never go passed a bit of colour!. The brights you saw in our KL apartment just don't seem to work as well in this house but I am thinking something along the following might...

I am considering either of the above as the feature cushion

to mix with the following two options...

And here's what they look like teamed together...

Firstly, what do you think of the curtains?! Do you think the above combos work together and do you have a favourite? As always, I welcome any other suggestions you may have! x

Embrace Images!

2011-10-08T05:44:00.000+08:00

In Thursday's post I mentioned that Allegra had her first professional photo shoot earlier in the week. Kylie from Embrace Images has given me a sneak peek of some of the pics and they are amazing!!! And despite me going along with absolutely no intention to be in any of the photos myself, Kylie convinced me to jump in for a few and I am so glad I did! I just adore some of the moments she captured of Allegra and I :)

For a sticky beak, head on over to Kylie's blog, Embrace Images! Thanks again Kylie, a million times over, for these precious memories we will be able to treasure forever.

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend! x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is 10 Months Old!

2011-10-06T17:55:00.003+08:00

Hello from Melbourne! We've been visiting again for the last week as we have a number of celebrations to attend, hence why I am over a week late (again) with my monthly Allegra update! This will be a quick one and I'll let the photos speak for themselves (with the help of my little captions)... oh and I have also included three videos for your viewing, I hope you enjoy!

Allegra had her first lot of professional photos taken yesterday by
Embrace Images- Photography by Kylie Maguire.
I wasn't supposed to take part but Kylie asked me to jump
in for a few quick pics and this is one of them. I adore it!
Diamonds, pearls and my beautiful Allegra...
what more could a girl want! :)

Off to our regular Saturday brunch :)

Hee hee... look how long her hair is!

Allegra's first train ride in Sydney :)

An impromptu picnic in Hyde Park, Sydney.

Too cool Allegra! :)

Cheeky girl :)

Our little sleepy head... so gorgeous!

Allegra and Daddy Bouw... feeding Allegra's balloon obsession!

Squealing with delight playing chasey with Mummy in the kitchen!

Our stubborn little girl thinks crawling is
beneath her and refuses to crawl...
she is on the other hand great on her feet! :)

Allegra continues to fall asleep with
everything and anything on her head!

Loves her bath!

Peaches and cream... deliciously sweet Allegra!

Little Miss Conversation Hog! She might not be crawling but she can sure hold her own in a conversation! Our ever so chatty Allegra Isobel @ 10 months and 2 days old :)

Little Miss Walkies! Allegra getting almost too quick for Daddy B :)

Little Miss Giggle Monster. Having fun with Nanny G

(my Mum) before beddy byes :)

She's darling isn't she! Our little lady, what a delight! I cannot believe Allegra's first Birthday is fast approaching... eeek! I better get my act into gear with the party plans!

As for an update on our home, our curtains were finally installed just after Allegra and I left for Melbourne! Due to the fact that we are only renting we didn't have any involvement in selecting the curtains so I am eager (and nervous) to get home to see what they look! I'll keep you posted.

I hope you're having a great week! x

Where do I begin... The loungeroom!

2011-09-20T20:10:00.001+08:00

Hello! I have been promising you all an update on our new home in Sydney but with so much to do, I haven't really known where to begin. So rather than going off on a tangent I thought I would keep it simple and give you a room by room update in point form (well my version of point form anyway hee hee) over the next week or so. So for today, here's where the loungeroom is at...

The x2 white leather chesterfields you saw gracing the covers of the 2010 summer addition of Adore Magazine as well as the x2 coffee tables will not be joining us in our new home. Unfortunately we will be selling these as the lounges are far too big and bulky for our new space and the coffee tables just don't feel 'right' in the room :(

Instead, we have decided to replace the chesterfields with the two white fabric sofas (plus matching chase lounge) that we already own. In our apartment in KL we had the two seater in our guest bedroom and you might recall seeing the three seater in Allegra's former nursery (see below).

There is a lovely feature fire place in the loungeroom that desperately needs something placed above the mantle. The room has very high ceilings so that wall is currently looking very bare and unloved. I've been dilly dallying for weeks whether to go with a piece of art or a mirror and have finally decided that a mirror is the way to go so now I just have to find the perfect size and style!

Two out of our three gorgeous Table Tonic Moroccan pouffes will remain (the white and silver)... and I might even purchase one more... in gold perhaps?! :)

The rug from our apartment in KL will do the job until we find something we like (in my experience searching for the perfect rug is much harder than you would think)!

Our new window furnishings will hopefully be installed in the next fortnight.

And now for the most important part of the room... a colour scheme! I had been feeling quite stuck and uninspired about what 'feel' and 'look' I wanted to create for the loungeroom in our new home. But this all changed when Mr B arrived home this evening with a large, cylindrical package sent from Melbourne. Inside the tubing lay our stunning original Bourin Bourin vintage poster that we received as a wedding gift at the beginning of last year. It has been a while since I have laid eyes on this enormous, firey beauty as it has been in storage for the last 18 months as we did not want to take the risk of having it lost or damage by sending it overseas to KL. We now have to have it framed and mounted so this following image is one I have obtained from the net and by no means does it do our original any justice... the colours in the flesh are gob smacking...

Originally, I thought I would angle for a slightly warmer and more mature colour palette than the brights featured in our home in KL, however, this may be difficult to achieve as this piece of art is gigantic, extremely vibrant and will definitely be a feature in the room! So this evening it was back to basics taking the same approach I used whilst decorating our previous home... start with cushions! It is funny how an entire rooms identity can stem from one tiny piece of fabric but I really do believe they provide inspiration and a foundation for your space. And where else to turn to than Etsy! Here are a few combos that are tickling my fancy...

What do you think?! I'd love to know your thoughts!

Also, I spent this afternoon shopping for coffee tables and found a few that may be contenders, so I hope to be reporting back soon with some news of a purchase :)

There you have it, the loungeroom update. I promise to share some sneak peek pics as the room comes together but I might just make you wait until it's complete for a big reveal! It has been a big and busy year so I thank those of you who have continued to visit this little space of mine! Here's hoping that my decorating mojo is back for good so I can start giving you the blogging goodness you have been missing from me! S x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is 9 Months Old!

2011-09-11T20:32:00.002+08:00

Hello my friends! Ahhh, I have been SOOOO slack on the blog front I know but it has been a crazy busy month trying to get settled here in Sydney... I PROMISE to give you an update this week! But tonight I thought I'd better get my act together and post my monthly 'Allegra update' as it's already 2 weeks late (she turned 9 months on the 26th August)!

Allegra Isobel, you are growing up far too quickly for our liking but there is nothing better than watching you explore and discover as you blossom. You are such a darling and a funny little girl indeed. You are hilariously loud and gosh do you love a chat! Shopping with you is so much fun as you insist on stopping everyone in our path for a chat and giggle. You are clever and stubborn and it seems you don't see the point in crawling and may very well just skip that step and go straight to walking... or maybe you are just stubborn and lazy! ha ha :) This month you have a new found obsession for our local park and it is absolutely priceless watching your face and hearing you squeal as we approach the gates. Every day is a joy with you in it our little miss sunshine... and we love you beyond words.

So here are a handful of snaps and a couple of videos of the one and only Allegra Isobel taken over the passed couple of weeks...

Allegra rocking the Farrah Fawcett flick :)

Nappy time before bath :)

One of Allegra's latest things is pointing
at EVERYTHING she sees :)

Fun at the park on a chilly Saturday morning :)

Little darling xoxo

Mummy/daughter shot taken in our new place!

Already a clean freak like her Mumma :)

Allegra loves being on her feet!

Fun at Luna Park hee hee :)

Enjoying the sunshine and a
morning walk on Father's Day :)

Father's Day and Mr B's Birthday celebrations!

Enjoying a ferry ride on a sunny Sydney afternoon!

Father's Day 2011

Sweetness xo

Beautiful girl!

Love the piggytails Allegra!

Our little miss sunshine!

Our gorgeous water baby @ 9 1/2 months old!

Little Miss Point the Finger!

Classic Allegra... I wish I knew what

she was trying to tell me!

Little Miss Houdini!

Our little magician is clearly saying

'The 7 of spades, is that your card'?!

Hee hee Allegra Isobel @ exactly 9 months old.

She's grown so much hasn't she! Love you Allegra, a bushel and a peck x

Again, I apologise for my absence. I hope you are all doing well and look forward to giving you an update this week on what's been happening in my world this passed month! x

Mum Mum Mum!

2011-08-12T14:28:00.000+08:00

Yep, you guessed it, Mum is the word! Well it is on Allegra's lips anyway. Yippeeee! She finally spoke the magic word a few weeks ago now but it was only just the other day that I managed to capture it on film! Music to my ears :)

You might remember this post where I shared a video of Allegra's first word (for those of you who don't already know, it was indeed Dadda), so how could I not do this same and share the evidence of my baby girl saying Mum Mum Mum Mum.... love you Allegra! x

And I just had to throw this next video in for good measure... Here is our clever and very chatty Allegra Isobel at 8 1/2 months old saying both Mum and Dad as well as 'hi' with a super cute wave....

See, I haven't been lying when I have said she has alot to say :)

On a separate note, I am very excited to say I now have the keys to our new place in my hot little hands! This weekend will see us move our suitcases across from our lovely temporary accommodation and stock the fridges in the new place (yes, that's plural, the kitchen comes with not one but TWO fridges) before our container is delivered on Monday and the real fun begins! Have a great w/e! x

On the home front!

2011-08-10T12:27:00.002+08:00

Hello! I am finally back in Sydney after darting home to Melbourne for the last week and a bit and I'm happy to say I will be staying put for at least the next month! Before flying back to Melbourne, I spent a chunk of time with a relocation agent inspecting various properties in different areas around Sydney in hopes to find something that we would like to call home. With the rental market here in Sydney being so fierce and properties getting snapped up almost as quickly as they are listed, I was a little anxious that it might take us a while to secure something we liked. Thankfully, I was wrong! Call it luck, fate or just darn good timing but we get the keys to what will soon be our new home this Friday!!! Yeeehaaaa! And we got news last week that our container sent via sea freight cleared customs without a hitch and is being delivered on Monday! This also means an end to living out of suitcases... joy! I know I will have my hands full unpacking, setting up house and looking after Miss Allegra but I am SO eager to get settled in our new city and am once again itching with the decorators bug... hopefully this will see me return with some decor focused blog posts!

But for the time being, and as promised, I thought I would share a few pics of the temporary accommodation we have been staying in since arriving in Sydney last month...

The dining and lounge area.

The kitchen!

The master bedroom.

The terrace... heaven!

And the view :)

Once again, lucky Mr B isn't afraid of the colour pink! hee hee... Allegra and I on the other hand feel right at home :)

Oh and I promise to fill you in a little more about our new home soon! x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is 8 Months Old!

2011-08-01T20:32:00.001+08:00

I'm a week late with this post... Allegra Isobel turned 8 months old last Tuesday! I cannot believe our delightful bubba girl is 2/3 of a year old!!! And what a delight she is! Allegra continues to grow into the most amazingly beautiful, confident, chatty, opinionated, loud, hilarious, cheeky and life-loving little girl. She really does fill each day with so much joy. More than I could have ever imagined. My little ray of sunshine. Oh, and I think it is totally worth me mentioning that Allegra FINALLY said the magic words last week... Mum Mum Mum Mum!!! Music to my ears and the sweetest sound ever! I am yet to capture this on film so for the time being, here are a few photos taken over the last couple of weeks...

Check out her cheeky, toothy grin...
Allegra already has 8 toothypegs!

Hi Mummy!

Allegra and I hanging out on the terrace of our
temporary accommodation in Sydney!

Yoghurt moustache = Cuteness!

Hey blue eyes.

Daddy and Daughter :)

My bubba girl and I :)

Yoghurt... Allegra's latest obsession!

Loving the Aussie supermarkets! :)

My best friend, Em, and her beautiful baby girl, Gabriella,
who is 5 months younger than Allegra...

Two generations of besties!
Allegra and Gabriella getting better acquainted...
special times and a dream come true for Em and I :)

This is what happens when I leave Allegra
alone with a comb hee hee :)

Ooh!

My gosh she makes me laugh! :)

I love you Allegra Isobel Bouw. A bushel and a peck! x

Room with a view!

2011-07-25T13:34:00.003+08:00

Hello! Apologies for my abscense! Following the big move from KL (and despite all being struck down with the flu), Allegra, Mr B and I spent a lovely two weeks in Melbourne catching up with family and friends and, well, just enjoying being back in Oz! But with our gypsy lifestyle, we didn't stay put for long! Mr B started his new job in Sydney last Monday and Allegra and I arrived on Friday night. After contemplating buying a house in our new city (which you might recall me mentioning here), we have decided against it for various reasons meaning we will once again be renting... sigh. Whilst we search for the perfect rental property (if such a thing exists)and wait patiently for our sea freight to arrive and clear customs, we are staying in a gorgeous fully furnished, fully equiped apartment! I will share some pics soon as I am certain many of you out there would just love it (think sex in the city with a dash of Anna Spiro) but for the moment, I just had to share the view from our gorgeous terrace!

I snapped this yesterday evening as the sun was setting...
yup, a perfect view of two of Australia's most iconic landmarks...
The Sydney Opera House AND the Harbour Bridge :)

And it seems we have a bit of a running theme going when it comes to rooms with a view and iconic buildings...

This was the view from the loungeroom in our apartment
in Kuala Lumpur... the famous Petronas (twin) Towers in KLCC!

And this was the view from our balcony when we lived
on The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai... that's the iconic
Burj Al Arab you can spot across the water.

What next, the Eiffel Tower?!

Again, please bear with me whilst we get settled in Sydney... this might take longer than expected especially seeing as Allegra and I are Melbourne bound once again this weekend as Mr B takes a business trip to the US. Never a dull moment that's for sure!

Have a great week my friends :) x

There's no place like home...

2011-07-05T09:49:00.002+08:00

After 3 years, 5 months and 21 days it is time for Mr B and I to close this chapter in our lives and bid the expat life adieu... and what a chapter it has been! We have moved countries (three times!), I changed careers, we've had a handful of amazing holidays (I've now visited 64 cities in 20 countries), got engaged, married, started this blog, fell pregnant and had our beautiful baby girl, Allegra. And so as I sit in our almost empty apartment (waiting for the removalists who are late for the second day in a row... hmph) I am filled with so many emotions, some happy, some sad, but I am mostly feeling overwhelmed that I am so very lucky. Because in the last 3 years, 5 months and 21 days, life has been so kind as to set the most amazing foundation for what I know will continue to be a blessed life with my precious little family and amazing friends (including you, my bloggy ones). So please, bare with me whilst we get settled back in Australia as I would love for you all to come along for the ride and join me for the next exciting chapter... whatever it may hold. But for now, I am clicking together the heels of my ruby slippers... because there is no place like home! x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is 7 Months old!

2011-07-01T17:52:00.005+08:00

I know, I can't believe it either, last Sunday Allegra turned 7 months old! And what can I tell you about our darling in this monthly update?!

Well, besides getting more adorable as each day passes, this last month was filled with many more 'firsts'! It really is amazing how much bubbas grow, change and develop on a daily basis isn't it! As you will see in the pics Allegra is now pretty much sitting up like a big girl! She is rolling and flipping all over the place and whilst she hasn't attempted to crawl yet, it wouldn't surprise me if she just skips that step all together! It seems Allegra much prefers to be on her feet and has already begun trying to take little steps with the help of Mum and Dad to steady her. She has several new teeth which has reintroduced a few sleepless nights in the Bouw household but this also always results in double the cuddles. Allegra has been little miss independent since she was born, however, numerous times in the last week she has demonstrated a few 'I want my Mummy' moments when people she doesn't know all that well have attempted to hold her. And whilst it is never nice to see your little one cry, I was secretly loving the unfamiliar needy side of my baby girl :) Allegra continues to use (or overuse in my opinion hee hee) her one and only proper word Da da dad dad dadda (which you may have seen here), however, she also continues to grow into one cheeky and very chatty little girl yakking away throughout the days. Her little voice brings me instant joy and it is so exciting picturing having conversations with her a few months down the track! She was up to her 'raspberry blowing' tricks again this week... which you will see in the video below. The last time she blew this many raspberries she spoke her first word just two days later... hmmm, could Mum Mum Mumma be on the horizon?! Anyway, here are a handful of recent snaps followed by the raspberries in question... I sure do love my Allegra Isobel to bits...

Allegra loves her food :)

My gorgeous lil' toadstool :)

Allegra and Daddy after a Saturday lunch!

My little lady and I :)

Story time with my in-laws, Grandma and Puppa Bouw :)

Daddy, Allegra and Puppa Bouw :)

The girls :)

Cuteness! And I'm loving that a few people who
have seen this photo have said she is finally
starting to resemble me a little :)

My gorgeous, cheeky girl!

And here is the video of Allegra blowing

raspberries as if her life depended on it :)

So there you have it, yet another Allegra-dedicated post!

This weekend marks the close of a very significant chapter in our lives. This weekend will be our last in Kuala Lumpur. Our last as expats. And our last before we will be permanently back on our beloved Aussie shores. I know I will be spending it taking it all in and reflecting on the last four years. But I'll save getting all nostalgic on you for another post and for now, bid you a lovely weekend! x

Baking with Mrs Bouw!

2011-06-24T21:29:00.000+08:00

Hi there! The last few weeks have been quite hectic indeed! They've included house hunting, a trip to Sydney and back (more on that later), organising bits and pieces for our big move, booking removalists, flights, a little packing and I have had my inlaws visiting since last weekend all of which has been keeping me on my toes! But rather than bore you with all of those details I thought I would do a LONG overdue 'Baking with Mrs Bouw' post! I had a lovely ladies morning tea to attend yesterday and thought these bite size cupcakes would be ideal! It was my first time baking these little suckers and I must admit, they were super easy and so delicious! The original recipe is from 'The Hummingbird Bakery ~ Cupcakes and Muffins' cook book but as always, I played around with it a little by adding a few ingredients I thought were missing. Ooh, and I decided to try their recipe for the cream cheese frosting (as I found that the quantities I had previously used from other cook books gave an inconsistent result) but this time the icing turned out just perfectly so I'll be using this one going forward! And those of you who have been following my baking posts for a while now know that I love my frosting! This recipe makes 12 standard size cupcakes, however, I used slightly smaller patty cases which made 16 cupcakes.

Place the dry ingredients and butter in the bowl of
an electric mixer and beat on a low speed until
combined and of a sandy consistency.

Add the milk, eggs and vanilla essence and beat well ensuring
you scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl.

This is what your mixture should look like.

Add the pumpkin puree and stir by hand until evenly dispensed.

Here's what your final mixture should look like.

Cupcakes before being iced...

And after!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream cheese frosting
1 cup all purpose plain flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
Pinch of salt
50 grams (3 tablespoons) butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup full cream milk
2 eggs
200 grams canned pumpkin puree

Cream cheese frosting
2 1/3 cups icing/confectioners sugar, sifted
50 grams (3 tablespoons) butter at room temperature
125 grams cream cheese

- Preheat oven to 170° C
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, salt and butter in an electric mixer and beat on a slow speed until combined and of a sandy consistency.
- Add the milk, eggs and vanilla essence and beat well ensuring you scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree by hand until evenly dispersed.
- Spoon the mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked when tested with a skewer.
- Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack and covering with a clean tea towel to cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting
- Beat the icing sugar and butter in an electric mixer on medium-slow speed until mixture comes together.
- Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely combined.
- Turn the mixer up to a medium-high speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Be careful not to overbeat as it can quickly become runny.
- Spread or pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes.
- Enjoy! :)

And yes, they are as sweet as they look! So go on, give them a go!

I hope you have a lovely weekend! This is the second last one we will spend as expats... because in just 13 sleeps we will be home sweet home... this time FOR GOOD! Exciting times indeed! Enjoy and happy baking! :) x

Allegra's first word!!!

2011-06-08T16:28:00.000+08:00

Hello! I have been meaning to share the following with you for the last week, however, as you know I had been having a few issues with my blogger account including not being able to leave comments, upload videos or pictures... all of which have now been fixed thanks to the help of a few fellow bloggers! :)

The first video you are about to see was taken last Wednesday. This particular evening Allegra seemed to be mastering the art of blowing raspberries and I managed to capture her in all her splattering glory... I present to you Exhibit A... WARNING: It's pretty darn cute! :)

When one of my girlfriends saw the above video she made a comment that 'Daddy won't be far away now'... I'm not sure how she gathered that from Allegra's raspberry blowing but she was RIGHT! This second video was captured just two days later... I present Exhibit B...

So there you have it, Allegra's first word. And yes, at just 6 months and one week old our little lady is indeed destined to be a chatterbox! I know many of you can probably relate to my initial feelings of slight envy that her first word wasn't Mumma BUT then the pride set in that our clever little girl had spoken her very first word AND she sounds sooooo ridiculously sweet saying Dadda that it's just one more thing to add to our list of Allegra's heart melting moments :)

And just to share a few more of those moments with you, here are some recent pics of the one and only Allegra...

Beautiful Allegra.

Blackberry obsessed just like her Daddy!

Caught red handed and looking a little guilty :P

Earlier this week I put Allegra down for her midday sleep
and found her playing with her top pulled over her head...

I was a little to slow to get the camera but she
gave me this cheeky smile when I caught her out :)

For those of you who have never seen Allegra
with wet hair and without her trademark bow!

She looks so much more like a baby here! So gorgeous.

She loves eating din dins in just her nappy :)

Cheeky chops :)

I know most of my posts these days are all about Allegra so I sure hope you enjoy receiving these updates!

On a separate note, I have a busy and exciting few weeks ahead which will hopefully result in me having lots to fill you in on soon...

Until then, happy hump day my friends! x

Blogger help!

2011-06-07T10:55:00.000+08:00

Hmph. I am having some issues with my blogger account and am hoping someone out there might be able to assist! I have been unable to leave comments on other blogs for the passed few days now. Every time I attempt to do so I am asked to select my profile (ie. blogger, wordpress etc.) and then sign in to my account but when I do it asks me to sign in all over again... and this prompt keeps repeating! :{ I recall seeing a fellow blogger post about a similar issue they were having in the last week or so, however, I can't for the life of me remember who it was or how they fixed the problem! If you know who this was or you yourself have been experiencing a similar thing I would love some advice! Thank-you! x

A story TOO good not to share...

2011-06-03T00:00:00.000+08:00

Without getting all spiritual on you, are you one to believe in fate? Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?! Well I am. And I do. I also love a good 'six degrees of separation' story (who doesn't right?!) and it turns out this little story I am about to share is a mixed bag of destiny, fate, Facebook (what good story doesn't involve FB these days :P) and six degrees of separation all rolled into one. But above all else it involves this wonderful universe we call the blogosphere!

At the beginning of 2010 I began this lil' ol blog of mine. One of the very first blog friends I made was the gorgeous Sally from Once.Daily.Chic. Emails flowed back and forth and over the passed year we have gotten to know each other (as best you can via email) chatting regularly about blog life and our real lives and I would say Sal has become what I might call my best 'blog friend' :)

These last few weeks Sal and I have been communicating on a 'several time a day basis' as it turns out one of the houses Mr B and I are looking at purchasing as our new home in Sydney just so happens to be in the same suburb Sally lives in. Coincidence #1. As a matter of fact, last night Sally was kind enough to do a thorough inspection of the property for us (it helps that she is a talented architect) and we thought that in itself was strange enough (the fact that we have never met and all) and taht we might potentially become neighbours! But this story is about to get a whole lot crazier...

So, this evening Sal and I were emailing back and forth and there was something random she was describing to me that she said I might better understand if I have a look at a particular album of her on Facebook. So I got my Facebook stalk on and off I went (gotta love a FB stalk hee hee)! I was scrolling through Sal's albums on the lookout for a particular one and on the way got distracted by the cover of another album. It was a random photo of Sal's Mum and her Step Dad and I couldn't help but to 'comment' on how stunning (I think I actually used the word HOT haha) her Mum is! Within a minute I had a comment back from Sal's Step Dad (who got the notification of my comment as he was tagged in the photo)... asking if I was in fact Married to Matt Bouw aka Mr B! 'What the...' I thought. Coincidence #2.

It took a minute for his name to ring a bell in my head and then the penny dropped... and so did my jaw... and then I nearly dropped right off the couch! It turns out that Sally's Step Dad and Mr B know each other, have met and were speaking on the phone only yesterday! AND I had actually received emails from him over the last few weeks only knowing him as a work colleague of Mr B's. It turns out Sal's Step Dad actually recruited Matt for his new job in Sydney! I couldn't believe it. Being a Sydneysider, Sal was one of the first people I confided in when we were considering making the move from KL to Sydney and low and behold Sal's Step Dad played a BIG part in it too! Both without knowing the others involvement or connection to Mr B and I!

So you can imagine once Sally and I pieced together the 'less than six' degrees of separation we were both utterly gobsmacked (so were the gents mind you)! We then proceeded to get a little giddy like one of those Lyndsay Lohan-type movies where the sisters are separated at birth only to be reunited by sheer fate later in life haha. I had to do my best not to burst into song singing 'It's a small world afterall' :P

But it is isn't it?! This world of ours. It really does just solidify my belief that sometimes your paths really are meant to cross with others and that some things really do happen for a reason. Bless this crazy, wonderful blogosphere that opens up so many doors and presents us with friendships and opportunities that might otherwise not come about. And as much as I hate to say it, bless Facebook! Because if it wasn't for my random FB stalk, we would never have made the connection as Sal and her Step Dad have different surnames! I wasn't lying when I said I love these kind of stories. It has left me with goosebumps and warm fuzzies all at the same time. And I love that it is my story to tell :)

Has a similar thing ever happened to you?! x

Birthday goodness!

2011-06-01T22:53:00.000+08:00

Ok, so I was completely spoilt for my Birthday again this year! Not only did I have an early Birthday weekend getaway to Sabah a few weeks back, I also had three days of celebrations filled with my favourite things and of course my two absolute favourite people! Here are a few pics from the weekend that was :)

Getting ready to head out for Saturday
lunch followed by a spot of shopping :)

Potato Moustache :)

Me and my best girl out to lunch!

Out to lunch AGAIN on Sunday!
Allegra studying the menu...

Clearly taking her time :)

She loves me THIS much :)

The opening of the presents was
shared with Allegra...

And she loved every minute of it!

Gotta love hubby's envelope! Not sure if you can make
it out but it is addressed to 'Sexy wife' hee hee

The goods! :)

S*P*O*I*L*T
The 'Laurine' Swarovski ring was one of the items I listed in my
'Valentine's Day Gift Guide' on the blog Mimi & Meg
back in February! Check out the post HERE :)

My first Birthday as a Mumma...
And wearing my new Birthday dress :)

Family Bouw

And what a way to end a perfect and very special Birthday!
A few hours out on the town with a (rare) romantic dinner for two :)

On top of all this I did shop a just a little storm purchasing a few new threads, some new ballet flats, a bag and a purse! What a Happy Birthday it was thanks to my darling husband and baby girl... I'm one very lucky lady indeed!

And a big thank-you to those of you who were kind enough to send your Birthday wishes! x

Birthday!

2011-05-30T12:58:00.000+08:00

Today is my Birthday! There has been so much happening lately that to be honest, I have not even thought about it until now! So far my day has consisted of an early morning walk with little miss Allegra, the two of us are doing some baking as I type this and the real fun comes this afternoon when Mr B arrives home a little earlier than usual for the 'opening of the presents' followed by an evening out, just the two of us! But presents or no presents, dinner or no dinner, I really can't complain because this is my first Birthday as a Mumma and as soppy as it sounds it really is the best gift of all :) I'll be back tomorrow to share a few pics of my Birthday celebrations and goodies (well hopefully) :) x

Allegra Isobel is 6 Months Old!

2011-05-26T19:36:00.000+08:00

Six months ago my life took on a whole new meaning when I was blessed with the gift of motherhood and the most beautiful baby girl... my darling Allegra Isobel. I can't believe she six months old today! Wow. Six months. One of the most amazing and thrilling parts of parenthood is watching your child grow and develop into their own little person and seeing their personality come to life! In the beginning you wonder whether they will have Mummy or Daddy's character traits and as the weeks pass it really is delightful (and sometimes not so much haha) seeing parts of yourself shine through. So, what can I tell you about our little lady to date...

She is beautiful. So beautiful. She can be both quiet and loud. Cautious but bold. Alert and intrigued by what goes on around her. She throws herself into conversation with what we are sure is a very strong opinion on, well, everything. She loves music. And her sippy cup. AND having her back scratched (this she got from me, I'm sure of it). She is a morning person (like her Mum) and greets us each day with the most gorgeous grin from ear to ear as her legs kick off the blankets excitedly. She adores company and being out and about. And this last week it appears she can also be slightly temperamental... although as ridiculously proud and protective parents, I'm sure we are not the first to excuse this occasional unpleasant behaviour by putting it down to teething and an upset tummy... because surely she could not have inherited such behaviour from us could she?! Me, I'll just blame hubby. And I know you fellow parents are with me on this one because god forbid our children are anything but perfect! hee hee :) BUT she is perfect. In our eyes. Our gorgeous Allegra Isobel...

Happy half Birthday my precious, beautiful, darling daughter, Mummy loves you, a bushel and a peck! Now please stop growing so quickly! x

My Early Birthday Getaway to Sabah!

2011-05-18T21:44:00.001+08:00

Hello! Ok, so would you believe I have been packing and unpacking AGAIN! Well, this time I didn't quite mind as Mr B, Allegra and I just arrived home from a blissful 5 day getaway to Sabah! You might remember last year hubby took me on a weekend away for my Birthday to Pangkor Island (just after I announced I was pregnant with Allegra)... well this year I was spoilt again and Sabah was our destination! My actual Birthday isn't for another week or so but with guests coming and going over the next month we decided to get a sneaky Birthday treat in now. This little trip also happened to be our first proper family holiday and it was quite special comparing it the trip we took this time last year... back then we were dreaming about what life would be like once our precious baby was born... and now, a whole year later we found ourselves living (and absolutely loving) the dream :) We stayed at the gorgeous Rasa Ria Resort and had an amazing time from start to finish. Rather than rambling on, I thought I would entertain you with a heap of photos which pretty much sum up how we spent the last 5 days :) ....

The view from our balcony... heaven!

Allegra making herself at home on the king size bed :)

Our very own private tub!

The sunset on the first evening.

Mr B and Allegra attacking the room service menu :)

Both Allegra and I loving the baby pool :)

Daddy & Daughter.

Umm, hello Queen of Sheba! :P

More pool time!

Little Miss Allegra and I at breakfast :)

Our little gigglepot :)

Another hard day at the office! :)

Family Bouw... two out of three smiling is not a bad effort :)

Beddy byes after a hard day at the pool...

Allegra fascinated by everything and
everyone on the flight home :)

This pic was taken earlier today but
I thought it was too cute not to share...

AND this one was taken after her din dins
tonight... isn't she just too delicious! :)

So there you have it, my week in review! As for the remainder of my week, well I'm a wee bit excited as I have my bestie (who I have previously blogged about here and here) arriving in KL tomorrow night! Amy will stay with us for the next four nights and we are both giddy with excitement that we will get to spend some long overdue quality time together... food for the soul I say :)

I hope you enjoy the next few days as much as I know I will :) x

Allergra's Nursery Update!

2011-05-12T10:52:00.000+08:00

So, after 5 1/2 months of sleeping in Mummy and Daddy's room, we finally moved Allegra into her nursery for the first time last night! Although Mr B and I are happy to have our suite back to ourselves, we were both a little sad when we tucked her into her cot last night... our baby girl is growing up WAY too fast! But, after all those months during pregnancy spent planning and designing the room that would belong to our firstborn baby girl and then daydreaming and imagining her in it, it gave me such a sense of fulfillment as I dimmed down the lights, kissed Allegra goodnight and whispered 'I love you' in her ear. Because sometimes I still pinch myself that she is here. AND that she is ours.

Most of you have probably already seen Allegra's nursery as pictured above (if you haven't, CLICK HERE for all the details). But what you haven't seen is her room from this view (below) including a few framed prints that I have been meaning to share with you for quite some time, as well as her 'Allegra' name plaque that she received from good friends of ours for Christmas :)

Clearly Allegra's Room :)

Top left and bottom right: 'Pair of personalised
ABC initial prints' both from Etsy store Ampersand,
'Sitting Pretty' owl print from Etsy store Yumi Yumi
and all frames (magenta & white) are from Ikea!

The view as you enter Allegra's nursery.

Speaking of Allegra, here she is relaxing in her room :)

And as you know, we will be moving soon so sadly we will have to bid Allegra's gorgeous nursery adieu... BUT it gives me a great excuse to try and recreate this beautiful space in our new home! :)

My First Mother's Day!

2011-05-09T08:00:00.000+08:00

I woke to this precious face chatting away in her cot...

Cuddles with my two loves...

A few goodies including this Swarovski
crystal ring from Allegra and Mr B :)

You can't really see it in the photo but
a secret heart has been cut into it which
you can spy as the crystal catches the light :)

A delicious lunch!

My meal, Aglio Olio Spaghettini...

And Mr B's meal, Ciabatta Steak Sandwich.

Me and my little lady :)

Cupcakes for dessert!

AND the BEST gift I could ask for?! My darling Allegra Isobel! I thought I would share a snippet of Allegra doing watch she does best... chatting (or should I say squealing) her little bum off and melting Mummy's heart with her giggles... LOVE you Allegra!

What a perfect day! I hope you fellow Mummy's enjoyed Mother's day as much as I did! x

Some news...

2011-05-06T12:41:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I had some exciting news. I was also complaining about unpacking. And how ironic that they now come hand in hand. Here we are about to pack and unpack all over again... but THIS time it's on a MUCH larger scale. Yes, The Bouws are packing up house here in KL and are on the move again... this time to our mother country, Australia! Yipee! Mr B was presented with a work opportunity that was too good to pass up and although the move will not see us return to our home city of Melbourne, it will see us embark on a new adventure in SYDNEY! And all within the next couple of months! Hubby and I are both extremely excited to be returning to our beloved Aussie shores and can't wait to see what this next chapter will bring... hopefully it will include another home make over which I can than share with you :)

So, that's my news! :)

And that bring us to the end of another week. After a busy month I plan to take it easy this weekend with my two favourites with a spot of shopping and lunch on Saturday and not to mention my very first Mother's Day on Sunday! Wishing all the Mum's out there (including my own) a very Happy Mother's Day! Have a gorgeous weekend... x

I'm back!

2011-05-04T12:39:00.000+08:00

Why hellooooo!!! It really does seem like forever since my last post (almost a month... eeek) but life has been busy busy busy. Allegra and I only just arrived home from our 2 week visit to Melbourne and prior to that we had my Mum visit us here in KL for 12 days. I have the tedious task of unpacking to do so in the meantime, rather than inundating you with my words, I thought I would make this a VERY visual post and inundate you with HEAP of photos taken over the last month instead... although as always, most of them are of Little Miss Allegra :)

Me and my little lady dressed up for
a fancy Sunday Yum Cha :)

Family Bouw!

My Mum (aka Nanny G) and Allegra :)

My little Burberry baby.

Allegra wearing her first proper pair of jeans :)

Allegra just being cute :)

My best friend, Emma, gave birth to a beautiful, healthy

baby girl, Gabriella Grace, on the morning we landed in Melbourne!

Here's me having my first cuddle with baby Gabriella Grace :)

Yes, a trip to my beloved Melbourne hairdresser
saw me go a shade darker... still not sure if I prefer this

or being a touch blonder...

Allegra Isobel was 5 months old
on the 26th April!

AND what do we have here...
she ALREADY has her first two teeth!

Tummy time!

And again :)

Allegra on one of her playdates with baby Alice :)

More cuteness!

Bath time :P

Having fun @ Nanny G's house!

Cuddling her new lullaby owl.

One more photo of Mumma B and Allegra...

And a very pooped little miss after our
flight home from Melbourne to KL.

I will save giving a proper update on Allegra for when I do her '6 months' post in a few weeks time... I know, 6 months, I can't believe it either! AND I have so much to fill you in on in general... including one rather exciting piece of news which I hope to share soon! Now off to tackle those suitcases... hmph. x

Adore's latest issue!

2011-04-06T18:06:00.007+08:00

Yep, that's right, I'm still on the Adore band wagon and I'm holding on tight! I finally found the time to properly scroll through the pages of Adore's latest edition and I am loving, well, everything. What can I say... Loni Parker has done it again and knocked out another B to the rilliant issue! This April/May issue is jammed packed with so much colour inspiration you won't know where to look! So if you haven't already, grab yourself a cup of tea and a few sneaky easter eggs (because that's exactly what I did) and click HERE to enjoy yet another gobsmackingly gorgeous issue. Online pageflicking at it's best!

I'll be back at some point with a round-up of my fav items featured in this months Adore mag! x

Milestones.

2011-04-04T09:29:00.012+08:00

I know, I know. I have been SUPER slack with my blog posts (again) but as most of you know, life as a new Mummy doesn't leave many hours in the day for such things. I take my hat off to those super bloggy Mums who have time to look after their little ones AND dedicate time to posting regularly! So I am sorry my dear and loyal readers for my lack of posting! I have however still been reading your blogs daily! :)

These past few weeks have been full of milestones for our little miss Allegra which I wanted to share with you! She had her four month check up just over a week ago which consisted of another two injections (where our brave girl barely shed a tear) and of course being measured for height and weight. It turns out we have one big, healthy girl on our hands! Allegra is in the 95th percentile for her weight and 97th for her height! Wowee! This might have something to do with the fact that I had noticed some changes in her behaviour and sleeping patterns over the last week (as well as her eyeballing us when we ate!) so we made the decision to slowly introduce Allegra to her first solids! So yesterday we gave her her first taste of rice cereal mixed with Mumma's milk... and... she loved it! The other big milestone is that for the past four nights Allegra has slept right through the night... for 12 hours straight... yeeeehaaaa is an understatement! And seeing as many of you have given me the thumbs up to share as many photos as I like, here are a few more taken over the last couple of weeks!

Allegra Isobel @ 4 months old.

Pretty girl.

Up yours Mummy... hee hee :P

Our polka dot princess rocking it out in her Bumbo!

Mumma & Baby Bouw.

And again.

Our beautiful little miss.

Watching her first Grand Prix with Daddy... clearly nail biting stuff!

Exhausted after the race... having a nap poolside. So sweet.

More polka dot prettiness! :)

Cheeky monkeys!

Allegra about to try her first solids...

Hmmm...

Success! Nom nom nom :)

Happy bubba = happy Mumma! :)

Allegra, you are our little superstar and we love you beyond words!

My Mum (aka Nanny G) arrives for a 12 day visit this Thursday which we are all really looking forward to... especially as she hasn't seen Allegra since she was 7 1/2 weeks old! Allegra and I will then fly back to Melbourne with her for a few weeks over easter to visit family and friends yippee! Although it's such a bummer that Mr B will be unable to join us due to work committments :( However, it will be a very special visit for us none the less as on of my closest and best friends, Emma (I have blogged about her previously here and here), is due with her first bubba... the day we arrive actually! I am SOOO excited. It is something all best friends dream of isn't it, to raise their children together?! Such a blessing!

Anyway, I should be back with a few posts this week. I hope you had a great weekend! x

Kimmi, Kokeshi & Babooshka Dolls

2011-03-23T08:25:00.008+08:00

Most of you are probably familiar with the Kimmi Dolls (aka Kokeshi dolls) I have displayed in my kitchen (above). What you might not know is that I have a soft spot for both Kokeshi dolls and Matryoshka (aka Babooshka) dolls. Between Allegra and I we have a few bits and pieces inspired by both types of dolls including this blankie that my sister bought for Allegra before she was born...

This photo was taken almost a month ago...

Allegra @ 3 months old.

I love the story behind what Kokeshi dolls stand for...

'Kokeshi dolls have been a Japanese cultural institution for over two centuries. Giving and receiving Kokeshi dolls dates back to the Edo period (1603-1867) in Japan. Kokeshi dolls were handcrafted by woodwork artisans of the time known as Kijiya, (which means woodworker in Japanese) to be given away as tokens of love and friendship. Kokeshi dolls were given as gifts to newborn children as a lucky charm to bestow good wishes for a healthy child.'

Above: Kimmi Doll Collectables

Yesterday a friend of mine was kind enough to forward me the link to the T2 webpage as she thought these T2 Kokeshi Jars were right up my alley (thanks Bree!)...

These jars come in red...

Yellow...

And blue.

I was already a fan of T2's beautiful products, however, I had not yet seen these cute and practical, hand painted, air tight jars! Perfect for either decoration or storage or perhaps the perfect gift to give as they are a symbol of love and friendship!

How about you... are you a fan of Kokeshi or Matryoshka dolls?!

Happy hump day :) x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is 16 weeks old!

2011-03-18T17:33:00.005+08:00

Yes I know, 16 weeks old already! And yes, I am now one of those parents constantly saying 'Oh they grow up so quickly don't they?!' But it is so very true. I'm doing my best to hold back the tears each week as I find myself packing away outfit after outfit... our baby girl really is growing up far too quickly! The above photo was taken earlier today and it doesn't matter how much time I spend with Allegra, the love, pride and pure joy I get when I look at this beautiful, innnocent, precious face never (ever!) wanes.

I thought I'd share a few more pics of our beautiful Allegra taken over the last week or so...

Going for her first spin in her new

and second set of wheels!

A lazy Saturday morning poolside with Mummy!

Seeing the world from a different view since

strengthening her neck over the last four weeks!

Allegra just doing what she does best...

being TOO darn cute!

Hee hee... gotta love the dropping of the bottom lip! :P

What else can I tell you?! Allegra continues to be one happy and very chatty little lady. It seems she doesn't want to miss a thing! This week she has been turning up her 'cuteness factor' when it comes to nap time by throwing herself into conversation... and with her heartmelting voice oohing and ahhing at me, it's hard not to be sucked in :P Allegra does not have a dummy but this last week has mastered the art of sucking her thumb when she is tired or relaxing in the bath. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing but it sure is ridiculously cute! With the little TV that we do let her watch, she seems to have developed a bit of a crush on Mickey Mouse and move over Jolie, it appears there is a new Angelina on the block... Angelina Ballerina that is! And well, I can tell you that Mr B and I are SO thrilled, SO proud and SO in love with our perfect little creation that Allegra already has us entertaining the thought of Baby Bouw #2... but let's not get too ahead of ourselves right?! :P

Have a great weekend! x

High/Low!

2011-03-15T08:53:00.008+08:00

You will love this! Over at styleathome.com they have a section on Decorating & Design which includes a brilliant series called 'High/Low'. Basically, they create two rooms which to the naked eye appear almost identical. It's not until you really study each room carefully that you can pick out which items are in fact different. And the biggest difference is one room is created at a 'high' cost and the other at a 'low cost'. What a great concept to show you how to get the look you want BUT at the fraction of the cost! Seriously, it's crazy how much cheaper the 'Low' looks are...

Check out these highs and lows...

Above: 'high' cost of $20, 893...

Above: 'Low' cost of $4408.

Above: 'High' cost of $10,571...

Above: 'Low' cost of $3727.

Above: 'High' at a cost of $5874...

Above: 'Low' at a cost of $1003.

Above: 'High' at a cost of $10,101...

Above: 'Low' at a cost of $4194.

In this last example, I also love how they have shown what the room looks like as an almost blank canvas displaying only the essential items. This demonstrates what I believe is one of the key points in decorating successfully- keep your essential pieces neutral and then decorate as your heart desires by introducing colours, patterns, prints and textures...

Above: 'High' at a cost of $17,485...

Above: 'Low' at a cost of $4636.

How's that for a game of spot the difference! It just goes to show that you really can create the look you love on a budget! You can check out more High/Low's as well as what products they used to create each look here! x

Necklush.

2011-03-10T14:21:00.005+08:00

Some of you may not know that I have a wee fetish for scarves.... in fact I have at least 40+ neatly hanging in my wardrobe. I didn't always love them but back in 2007 Mr B bought me a scarf that I simply adored. I wore it everywhere and with everything, I just didn't want to take it off! And so my love of what I deem to be one of the greatest accessories a woman can have was born!

Now you all know I love Etsy (that's no secret!) so you can imagine my delight when my friend Linda (thanks again!) sent me the link to Necklush!

LA Times Magazine calls Necklush "the ultimate hybrid accessory, one that will end your "scarf or necklace?" debate once and for all."

'Necklush is an accessory designed to put creativity into your hands. The multiple, seamless cotton loops allow for many different styles and forms, while remaining simple, yet modern. The scarf, cowl and necklace are redefined with the all-in-one patent-pending design of a Necklush.'

Here are a few of my favourites from Necklush's Etsy store...

You've gotta love a scarf and necklace in one right?! You can check out the entire range here!

It's Friday AGAIN tomorrow! The weeks are certainly flying by aren't they?! I've had a productive week with my little lady which included our first (and might I add successful!) trip together to Ikea. This is a great achievement if you ask My B who believes a trip to Ikea under ANY circumstances is not for the faint hearted hee hee :P We purchased a bundle of new frames for some little feature walls I'm working on, including one for Allegra's nursery! I'll be sure to share some pics once they are mounted!

I hope to make it back here tomorrow for a Fancy Friday post... see you then! x

Rebecca's bedroom... suggestions please!

2011-03-04T10:37:00.006+08:00

Rebecca, a loyal reader of TWAB (and fellow Melbournian!) emailed me earlier this week kindly asking for some help! Rebecca was hoping I might be able to suggest some curtain or fabric stockists as she is wanting to replace the heavy and slightly dated drapes currently hanging in her enormous and gorgeously organised bedroom! Having not lived in Australia for over three years now, I too had no idea where to start! So I am turning to you, my readers and fellow bloggers for some help with:

1) Suggestions for either Melbourne based OR online stockists of curtains or fabric for curtains.

2) And while we are at it, some suggestions for what type of curtain you think would best suit her french provincial styled room would be great too!

Here are some photos so you can get a sense of the space...

Look at that stunning archway!

Loving her office nook!

Here you can see the drapes Rebecca wants to ditch!

French Provincial style furniture.

From another view...

And again.

So now that you have seen the room in question, can you suggest any stockists as well as what style curtains you think Rebecca should choose to replace these old ones and bring this window back to life?! Sheer, patterned, coloured, neutral? We would really LOVE your input!!! :)

Can you believe it's Friday again?! Mr B has been o/s for the last three days so I am looking forward to him arriving home in the next few hours so we can start our weekend :) I hope you have a great one too! x

Top 25 Creative Moms Nomination!

2011-03-01T10:22:00.005+08:00

When I logged into my emails this morning, I was surprised but super excited to see that I have been nominated in the Top 25 Creative Moms on Circle of Moms!

On March 11th, the top 3 bloggers will get to share their favorite craft or design with an active community of creative moms in a custom issue of the Circle of Moms weekly digest.

To be honest, my initial thoughts were 'Eeek, I'm not so sure I am worthy of this nomination'!!! After all, there are SO many talented and legitimately crafty Mummas out there! BUT I was then reminded that motherhood in itself is indeed a craft and so is using my eye for design as well as my creative juices to offer styling tips, DIY's, recipes and inspiration via Tied with a Bouw!

So, I am humbled and very honoured to take part in this search! I truly value the support YOU my readers give me and I would really appreciate your vote :) CLICK HERE to cast your vote!

Sheesh, between this and entering Allegra in the 2011 Bonds Baby Search, I feel like I am ramming an election campaign down your throats... so I do apologise! What next? Mr B for president?! hee hee :) Thanking you in advance! x

VOTE ALLEGRA!!!

2011-02-28T14:22:00.005+08:00

Yep, that's right. I am still suffering from a severe case of PMS (Proud Mumma Syndrome) and the stage Mumma within could not resist entering our beautiful Allegra in the annual 'Bonds Baby Search 2011'... after all, us parents all think our children are the cutest don't we?! :P

So I'm going to be a wee bit cheeky and shout from the rooftops here in the blogosphere... VOTE FOR ALLEGRA!!! I'm terrible aren't I? :P

To cast your all important vote click HERE, enter your email address and remember to check your emails and 'confirm vote' (otherwise your vote won't count)!

Whilst I'm on the topic of my leading lady, I thought I would share a few photos I took of Allegra yesterday, getting ready to go for her first ever swim!

Rocking the Speedos Santa bought here!

"What's that Mummy? I'm the cutest baby ever?!

I thought that's what you said" :)

Testing the water with help from Daddy :)

Too cute right?! :)

I hope you all had a great weekend! Can you believe it's March tomorrow?! x

Tickle my fancy Friday!

2011-02-25T09:59:00.012+08:00

fan•cy
nn.pl fan•cies
1. The mental faculty through which whims, visions, and fantasies are summoned up; imagination, especially of a whimsical or fantastic nature.
2. An image or a fantastic invention created by the mind.
3. A capricious notion; a whim.
4. A capricious liking or inclination.
5. Critical sensibility; taste.
6. Amorous or romantic attachment; love.

This Friday I fancy:

This wooden Dalahast horse...

And this three pack of super sweet
notebooks, both from Kikki K!

This coral link necklace...

Also in pearlised white...

And this two drop necklace
all by Kenneth Jay Lane via Shopbop!

Not that I even have an outfit to team it with
but this Vintage Chanel purse
has me turning green with envy!

With a soft spot for owls,
I love this 'Winking Wisecracker'
cookie jar from Antropologie.

Lastly, I completely fancy how ridiculously
adorable my Allegra looks in this
Floral Romper from Baby Gap...

Oh and I also fancy the fact that you have all given me the green light to post as many pictures of Allegra as my proud Mumma heart desires, thank-you :) Thank-you also for those of you who left beautiful comments about our little lady!

Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend and I'll see you next week! x

POP by Sheridan!

2011-02-23T10:15:00.011+08:00

On the hunt for some new bed linen, I was delighted to stumble upon the new 'Create your own bed' tool via POP by Sheridan. With the simple click of your mouse you can choose your bed size and then create as many different combos as you like by mixing and matching the duvet cover, pillow cases and sheets! It's great fun being able to use your imagination as well as letting the interior-designer-within loose! Unfortunately I was unable to save the images I created but here are some looks created by others just to give you and idea...

Do you get the gist?! And having purchased Sheridan bed linen in the past (we currently have it in our guest bedroom) I can assure you the quality is wonderful and will last you years! The only problem is settling on just one look as Sheridan's POP range has over 40 colours and designs to choose from! To try your hand at creating your very own look, click here! Enjoy! x

Too CUTE for words!

2011-02-21T20:04:00.002+08:00

I don't mean to bombard you with pictures of our little miss but I just HAD to share this photo of Allegra that I snapped earlier today... the title of this post says it all... TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!!!

I hope you have had a great start to the week! x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is 12 weeks old!

2011-02-20T15:09:00.005+08:00

Over the weeks I have had a few of you, my bloggy friends, ask how the gorgeous Allegra is doing so I thought I would share her monthly photos (which I blogged about here) with you! These were taken on Friday... yes that's right, my darling baby girl is 12 weeks old! Would you look at that face! *sigh...

What can I tell you about our little lady?! Well... she really is the sweetest thing, so poised and mature at such a young age! She's a little chatterbox (baby talk of course :P) with already so much to say. Her coos and squeals give me warm fuzzies. Most say she looks exactly like Daddy Bouw although we are still fairly certain she will be blonde in only a matter of time. She very rarely cries and her giggles make my heart melt. Never have I known a baby who loves a bath as much as our gorgeous Allegra... she sure knows what it means to be pampered so Daddy and I joke and call bath time the 'Day Spa'. There is nothing better than seeing her smiling face when she wakes each morning and nothing quite like the innocence and purity she emanates when she falls asleep in my arms each night. Boy do I love her to pieces. Motherhood truly is something else. As is our Allegra Isobel.

So my friends, this adorable little creature is the reason I have been a little slack with posting of late... but can you blame me?! :)

I hope you enjoy what's left of your weekend! x

Your honest opinions please!

2011-02-14T14:41:00.005+08:00

Last week I was browsing through Etsy (as I do quite frequently!) but this time it was for a friend of mine, Katy, who came to me for some help in the hope to find the perfect combo of cushions for her bedroom! Personally, I find great joy in mixing and matching fabrics and patterns so I was more than happy to help! After coming up with several different combos for Katy to look over, I then became distracted and begun playing around with some combos for myself...

I stumbled across the above cushion cover (using Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms Peacock Feathers fabric) and developed a little crush... something about the pattern and the colours just grabbed me... maybe because it reminds me a little of the pattern used in these Missoni Dahlia Rainbow cushions (at a fraction of the cost mind you!) ... and who doesn't love Missoni right?!

Missoni Dahlia Rainbow cushions

But with no real need to purchase this cushion and really nowhere in particular to place it, I thought I would create a combo to possibly replace the cushions that we currently have in the master bedroom (note: we have crisp white linen)... here's what I came up with...

x2 of these White & Pink Bamboo Cushions
from Ada & Darcy

Paired with x2 of these Rosette Pillow Cases in Cherry
(to sit behind our white pillowcases)
also from Ada & Darcy

The full combo.

Also, Mr B and I received an amazing (and gigantic!) original Bourin Quinquina vintage poster as a wedding gift (which we are yet to hang) and I have been wanting to feature it in our bedroom but thought it might look too masculine... when I saw this cushion I thought the colours and quirky yet feminine pattern would tie it all together nicely giving the room a girly but edgy look...

Here's the thing... I was pretty smitten with my whole look... however, after both Mr B and my friend Katy said that whilst they liked the look as a whole, they weren't at all keen on the front cushion (the very cushion that grabbed me in the first place) they have got me second guessing my choice. SO... I am turning to you for your HONEST opinions my friends. I'd love to hear what you think of both a) the featured cushion and b) the look as a whole!

Thank-you in advance! :) x

Mimi & Meg's V Day Gift Guide!

2011-02-07T08:42:00.002+08:00

In need of some inspiration for that perfect Valentine's Day pressie for both you and your man? Pop on over to the always wonderful blog Mimi & Meg to check out the Valentine's Day Gift Guide series!

Did I mention that Mr B and I are today's couple of the day?! :)

I hope you all have a brilliant Monday! x

Tickle my fancy Friday!!!

2011-02-04T11:36:00.005+08:00

This Friday I fancy:

Love these Tory Burch

Patent Prescot Ballet Flats in nude!

And how fun are these

Limited Edition Logo Rainboots

also from Tory Burch!

This Caroline Bracelet in peach

by Etsy seller Devon Baer

Loving this War of the Roses necklace

from Tilkah.

My new Matryoshka Measuring cups

which were part of my Christmas gifts

from my little sis... they're super cute

and look great on display in our kitchen!

This Magenta World Map would be perfect

for Allegra's nursery... what a stylish way

to learn about geography!

And lastly, oh how I fancy suffering from

proud parent syndrome...

And showing off my beautiful beautiful
little Miss Allegra Isobel @ 10 weeks!

I know it has been light years since I have done one of these weekly Friday posts but it's awfully hard not to give majority of my attention to my divine little lady! This post is dedicated to Kathryn, who emailed me last night confessing that she misses my Fancy Friday posts as well as my regular posts giving me a friendly kick up the bum to show my blog some love and attention! Thanks Kathryn, I think I was in need of some fanciness too!

I hope you all have a fanciful weekend! x

My feature interview in Liminas Magazine!

2011-02-01T10:25:00.008+08:00

Liminality: The transitional time or condition in which one is not what it was and not what it will become, but something in between.

Liminas: {Lim} {in} {oss}
A term coined (by Liminas creators Lauren Isobel & Ashley Taylor) to describe woman who are living in a liminal space, somewhere between adolescence and adulthood.

And so the name of their new online magazine/magblog was born!

We all know that virtual page flicking is so hot right now BUT unlike the majority of other new online magazines, Liminas brings something new to our screens. Considered more of a 'magblog' Liminas shares and discusses all the hot topics from style, health and beauty, to career and living.

"With Liminas we wanted something organic– we want to share our struggles and conquests, our stories and observations, our mistakes made and lessons learned–essentially, we wanted to share our lives, and like a good friend, we wanted to share them with you. From that ideology the magazine (a term we use loosely) was born."

And my friends, little ol' me is lucky enough to be featured in the wonderful first issue of this gem-of-a-read! Go on, check it out now! Click HERE to visit the Liminas homepage and HERE to read my feature interview! Enjoy :) x

Tied with a Bouw turns one!!!

2011-01-26T18:12:00.003+08:00

I cannot believe today marks one year since my very first blog post... and what a year it has been! Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this spot, my little corner of the blogosphere, would bring me so much joy, make me many new friends from all around the world, allow me to express myself creatively, share snippets of my life and inspire me to want to inspire others. To you my readers, thank-you for your encouragement and support over the last year and for finding my rants interesting enough to want to return and read more... even after a whole year I still can't believe people actually READ my blog... crazy!!! It has been SO lovely getting to know you all. Here's to the wonderful world of blogging that allows us to form friendships with people we have never even physically met and spoils us all with the luxury of escaping to a happy place with the simple click of a mouse. AND here's to wishing Tied with a Bouw a HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY and many more!!! With much love... Son x

P.S Happy Australia Day to all my fellow Aussie's! x

Allegra Isobel Bouw is 8 weeks old!

2011-01-24T16:00:00.006+08:00

Creative Mumma and one of my fav fellow bloggers, Nicole from Bubby Makes Three, is the inspiration behind the below idea! Nicole records the growth of her gorgeous bubba boy, Elliott, by taking a monthly pic of him and then photoshopping his age onto the photo. Brilliant right?! Well I've decided to take a leaf out of Nicole's mummy book and do the same for my beautiful Allegra! Here are a couple of snaps taken of Allegra who turned 8 weeks old a few days ago! I might be biased but is she not gorgeous?!

Allegra Isobel Bouw

Everyone is always shocked when I tell them how old Allegra is! Maybe it's THAT head of hair?! She is thriving indeed and obviously getting everything she needs (and some) from Mummy's milk! My little baby is not so little anymore. Although it's funny you know, I never really felt like Allegra was much of a 'baby' baby at all... does that make sense? To me she is a beautiful old soul with such a strong character. She really is quite the little lady already, so switched on and not wanting to miss a thing. I feel like her and I have always known each other and that she has always been a part of my life. It is such a special thing to feel so connected to my darling daughter. I love her so much. Our little miss has brought us so much joy in just these passed eight weeks and I look forward to sharing snippets of that joy with you all! x

Thank-you Jennifer Ramos!

2011-01-20T11:29:00.004+08:00

Unless you have been sleeping under a very large rock for the passed few years, I don't think I need to introduce Jennifer Ramos to anyone frequenting the blogosphere. We all know that she is a blog goddess/designer-extraordinaire, one very talented gal indeed. And what I also know is that she is as lovely, as thoughtful and as giving as she comes across on her blog. Jen and I have shared a few emails over the months and late last year, I did Jen the teeniest favour and sent her an issue of CLEO Malaysia (which she sweetly blogged about here) that she was featured in as she was unable to get her hands on a copy all the way from Nevada.

I of course expected absolutely nothing in return... SO you can imagine my absolute delight when weeks later a mystery package arrived in the mail. Inside was a gorgeous card (designed by Jen herself) some gorgeous little socks for Allegra and a wrapped item from Antropologie!!! Yes Anthropologie! I have long admired MANY goodies from this well know store but have never made a purchase. Not one. So I was super excited to see what was beneath the wrapping! Inside was this darling and unique 'Looking for a friend' stuffed horse for Allegra! How special! I love that is isn't your typical stuffed animal toy not to mention it is just perfect for her nursery! Although the colours do go beautifully in our lounge room too... Allegra may have to share horsey with Mummy :)

'Looking for a friend horse' from Anthropologie.

How thoughtful is that?! What a gorgeous gift from a gorgeous and generous woman! Thanks again so much Jen, Allegra and I are very thankful indeed! And to you my land of blogs... thank-you for the random acts of kindness that blogging brings each day... you and my fellow bloggers will never cease to amaze me! x

I'm home!!!

2011-01-18T18:44:00.003+08:00

Hello! It's been a while I know! Mr B, Allegra and I arrived back from Australia yesterday morning after spending a wonderful four weeks back home in Melbourne! I will share some more pics over the coming days as well as some of the amazing goodies Allegra received from family and friends that are going to look just perfect in her nursery! Unfortunately I have been battling a nasty fever for the passed five days that I just can't seem to shake so plan to spend the next few resting... the perfect excuse to cosy up on the couch with my laptop and catch up on a months worth of blogs! For those of you who left questions on my recent posts, I will do my best to answer those too, so please check back in :) x

One year ago today...

2011-01-09T18:26:00.005+08:00

One year ago today I married my best friend, the most gorgeous, funny, supportive, loving man in MY world. One year ago today I became Mrs Bouw!!! I was just reminiscing about our special day and thought I would share a few pics taken on our wedding day, the 9th January 2010! To see more details from our wedding you can visit previous posts here, here and here.

Just Married!

Moments before becoming Mrs Bouw!

The perfect day!

My dress from Simonelli Bridal Couture

Mr B surprised me with an enormous bunch of beautiful flowers (see below!) and the two of us and our darling baby girl Allegra enjoyed a delicious and relaxing lunch at a winery this afternoon.

The bouquet is almost as big as me!

Me and my love, Mr B! x

Happy first wedding anniversary my darling!!! I am one very lucky lady and I love you with all my heart. What an incredibly amazing year it has been... here's to many many more!!! x

A quick hello and a few holiday snaps!

2011-01-05T18:36:00.007+08:00

Hello hello! Us Bouw's are still off enjoying our holidays BUT I have been feeling a tad guilty for neglecting my little blog so thought I would pop in to wish you all a Happy New Year and also to share a couple of pics of my new little family taken over the last few weeks!

Tis the season to stuff ones face *drool!

Allegra's first Christmas and very own personalised
Santa sack... she was/is one very spoilt little girl!

Mr B and I weren't suppose to be doing gifts for
each other this year so you can imagine my delight
when he presented not one, not two but THREE
of these divine boxes... yes, I was very spoilt too!!!

I love my hubby!!! xoxo

Santa... Bouw style!

Allegra and I receiving presents from Santa!

Mr B, little miss Allegra and I on New Year's Eve!
And yes, I know her hair is out of control tee hee :P

Boxing Day... Our beautiful baby girl @ 30 days old!

Cuddles with Mummy!

She really is the sweetest thing...

Cuddles with Daddy!

Cheeky girl @ 39 days old!

Too precious!

And lastly, me and my little lady on New Year's Eve.
It was so special seeing in the new year
with Allegra in my arms!

I won't officially be back for another week or so but will do my best to stick my head in when I can... we are having too much fun enjoying the festive season as well as loving every second of being new parents to our little darling! She really is something else!

I look forward to catching up on all my blog reading soon... apologies to the blogs I follow regularly for my lack of comments of late!

I hope you are all having a brilliant start to 2011!!! x

Thank-you and Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-22T08:46:00.003+08:00

I know I haven't been around much of late but I have been spending my days getting to know our little miss Allegra... and I am loving every minute of it! She really is such a beautiful, funny, charismatic little angel... and she definitely had me at hello (or should I say waaaaa) :P

I will most probably be a little scarce still over the next couple of weeks. Mr B is taking some much deserved annual leave so that the three of us can enjoy our first Christmas together as well as some time with family and friends... I simply cannot wait. It will no doubt be the most magical Christmas ever!

So my dear bloggy friends, I would like to take the opportunity now to thank-you for all of your support and encouragement throughout 2010. It still blows my mind that anyone would actually find my blog all that interesting and it really does bring sunshine to each day receiving all the gorgeous emails from you, my readers. It is a special thing indeed to form friendships with people I have never met from various corners of the world... and this blog has allowed me to do just that!

Sending you much love, wishing you and your loved ones the merriest of Christmas' and here's to a brilliant 2011! The Bouw Family x

Tipsy Toes!

2010-12-17T13:54:00.007+08:00

Despite having indulged in only one measly glass of champagne in the last 8+ months (this one glass was enjoyed last Friday night, two weeks after giving birth!) I am usually fond of a glass, and occasionally, a bottle or two! And although it's been a while, I am still oh so familiar with the equation alcohol + stilettos = a drunk, stumbling, shoeless, not-so-classy lady, with sore, blistering (and dirty) feet! We've all been there right?! :P

SO given tis the season to be tipsy, um I mean jolly, I had to share this genius creation with you...'Tipsy Toes' (loving the name) offer four fashionable styles of light weight, flexible-sole shoes that are made to fold up so that they are compact enough to fit into your bag! How nifty is that?! Wouldn't these make a perfect gift (and totally affordable at $19.95 per pair) for those ladies in your life who might have a tendency to equal the above equation or those of you who cannot begin to fathom dancing your nights away in 5inch heels! Or perhaps for any of you brides to be?!

Check them out!

My personal favorite, snow leopard.

Bright spark silver.

Black Noir

Bride.

Sheer brilliance right! But are you thinking what I'm thinking... why didn't WE all think of this sooner?! :)

Visit the Tipsy Toes website for more info!

Have a beautiful weekend! x

Allegra's Nursery!!!

2010-12-15T09:32:00.008+08:00

Hello! Ok, so for the last few weeks I have been promising and promising to share some of baby Allegra's nursery details with you all. Most of you have probably already had a good sticky beak if you saw my little feature in the current issue of Adore Magazine. But for those of you who waited oh-so-patiently for months (while Allegra's gender remained a surprise) to hear about all of my purchases for the nursery, this post is for you :)

This stunning patchwork minky from

Sew fun by Monique is what set the colour

inspiration for the entire nursery!

Moroccan Pouffes from the

lovely Louise @ Table Tonic,

'Hampen rug' from Ikea.

'Love print' in candy bubble gum by

Made by Girl, 'You are my sunshine'

screen print from Jess Gonacha and

'Spring Songbirds' print in lavender

from Yumi Yumi.

Allegra's beautiful handmade
'Nesting Sparrow Love Dream Catcher'
from Nooshka.

And this absolutely darling handmade
'Velveeteen Kitty' also from Nooshka...
I adore both of these items!

The nest even came complete with healing crystals!

A full view...

Paper lanterns from Ikea!

Cushion covers, front to back...
Lavender 'Bird on cherry blossom' from Joom,
'Loopy Vintage' in fuschia custom made by
Sew fun by Monique to match the patchwork minky
and 'Pearl Bracelet' in orange by Vida Style.

Another shot of the patchwork minky!

Cushion covers, front to back...
'Twin adorable owls' by KainKain
Again, the 'Loopy Vintage' in fuschia and
'Amy Butler Sandlewood 'in lavender
by Asmus Home Interiors.

Creating Allegra's open closet was as simple as
purchasing these Lack Shelves from Ikea
and the railing from a local hardware store.

Baby pink and white 'Zebra Print'
cushion from Mi Casa Bella.

Close up of shelves.

Goodies from Nanny G!

Sundress from a little shop in Bali
and Plum Baby 'Flamingo' sunsuit
from Zodee.com.au

There you have it my friends, I think I have covered most of the details! If I have forgotten something or if you have any other questions you would like answered just shout :)

I hope you enjoyed seeing little Miss Allegra's nursery in a little more detail. We have Allegra and her cot sleeping in our master bedroom for the time being but I'm hoping once we move her in she will love the room I have created for her!

Happy hump day! x

Go on, Elf Yourself!

2010-12-14T08:27:00.005+08:00

On the weekend my sister emailed me a gorgeous little Christmas video she created on Elf Yourself featuring herself, my mum, Mr B, Allegra and me. Ok, I admit it is a little cheesy but I still got a big kick out of watching it... especially seeing my baby girls chubby face dancing on an elf's body :)

These videos are a great replacement for your typical Christmas greeting cards. This e-card type feature is super easy to use and it only takes a few seconds to upload your photos... I have created a new video featuring only myself, Mr B and baby Allegra for your viewing. CLICK HERE to see us dance our little Christmas butts off :)

Your kiddies will find this an absolute hoot (and maybe you big kids will too) so get in the spirit and visit Elf Yourself to create your very own! Enjoy! x

The past two weeks...

2010-12-10T09:30:00.010+08:00

Hello my friends! Firstly, might I say an enormous thank-you to all of you who sent your kind words and gorgeous wishes regarding both the birth of our precious baby girl and my feature interview in the latest issue of Adore Magazine... it really means so much and has only added to the magic of the last two weeks!

I know, I have been super slack with my blog posts lately BUT I have THE BEST excuse in the world... how can anyone NOT want to give their undivided attention to something so sweet, innocent (for now anyway), and beautiful... these pictures of our darling Allegra Isobel Bouw say it all...

Allegra @ 12 days old...

Would you look at those lips! Allegra @ 13 days old.

I know I am yet to share the story of her birth as well as the details of her nursery but I do promise I WILL do this next week! But for now I thought I would share a few snaps from the last couple of weeks... it has been filled with many 'first times' for us as a family!

Mr B and I leaving the hospital with our beautiful baby girl!

Mumma & Dadda Bouw on our first

lunch date with little miss Allegra!

Taking Allegra to see the Christmas displays...

the fact that she slept through the whole thing

didn't dampen our spirits in the slightest :)

Love!

Cuddle time!

AND today marks another special occasion... 5 years ago today Mr B and I 'officially' began dating :) I wish I could say we will be celebrating a romantic evening just the two of us but instead we will be spending it with 700 others at his work's annual Chrissy do! It is a masquerade theme and I have had literally had no time to shop for a new frock so will have to wear something I already own... however I unexpectedly managed to pick up a new mask on my way to making a very quick and unexciting trip to the chemist!

I am thinking of teaming up the mask with this dress, these shoes and accessories I already own... what do you think?!

I'll let you know what I decide on. Have a beautiful weekend and I'll see you back here very soon!

P.S Did I mention this will be the first time I will be rocking a frock since giving birth 14 days ago... eeek!

P.P.S It's not all that bad... the post-pregnancy gods must seriously love me because I have lost almost 9kgs in 2 weeks!!!

PINCH ME NOW... my feature interview in Adore Magazine!!!

2010-12-01T21:30:00.017+08:00

Oooh... what an exciting week I have had!!! I was beyond proud to announce that last Friday we welcomed our beautiful baby girl into this world, and now I am also filled with pride and joy that our apartment is not only featured in the summer issue of the super stunning Adore Magazine (along with my very first interview!) but is gracing it's cover for the December/January issue!!! Pinch me now!

And you may recall I mentioned that I would be revealing a few pics of baby Allegra's nursery in true style... well, for those of you who have been dying for a sneak peek, be sure to check out this months issue for a few snippets before I share all the details with you back here on my blog!

To read the full interview CLICK HERE!