‘How to use Instagram’ – Sunday Independent feature

If you turned to page 5 of yesterday’s Sunday Independent Property Suppliement paper, you would have found Cora’s cheeky little face alongside a lovely piece by Nathalie about Instagram parents who went against typical design trends when it came to designing their little ones nurseries, and who found Instagram and Pinterest places of inspiration. 

It’s a really sweet piece and I’m so glad and count myself very lucky to have been included in it. Or should I say, that Cora’s been included! Because let’s face it, she steals the show these days [not complaining]. 
I really miss Cora’s room these days and I find myself saying to myself “Oh I’ll paint Cora’s room a nice muted grey … No wait, I can’t do that AGAIN“, but we’ll see. It was such a lovely combination of colours and was such a calm room for her, I might recreate it a bit in her new Ottawegan bedroom. Thank you again Nathalie, and thank you Yolene for nabbing a copy of our feature and photographing it for me 🐃😜

Cora turns one

I don’t know how it happened [I actually do], but today Cora turns one. So much has happened these past 12 months and the biggest was our little 6lbs 9oz of a curious and clever baby girl. 
I know everyone says it and you really don’t get it until you are one, but being a parent is the most exhausting and incredible thing to happen to you all at once. It’s frustrating beyond belief one minute and the next will have your heart on the brink of exploding. Cora is hilarious, clever, adorable and has an attitude I laugh at now, but come back and ask me in a few years how much I’m laughing over it then. 

The past year has flown by in many ways, and in others, it feels like we’ve had Cora for much longer. It’s really tough trying to put into words how much our cheeky girl has changed us. It’s been such an adventure and the more glimpses of Cora’s clever little mind we catch, the more excited I get about the adventures ahead. 

OBLIGATORY MUSHY PARENT PUBLIC SHOUT-OUT TO THEIR OBLIVIOUS CHILD: Little Cora, we love you beyond any proper sentence can put into words. Happy 1st birthday. We love you to the Death Star and back xx

p.s. If you’re at all curious and like reading about birth stories, you can read about Cora’s here. If you don’t like reading those kinds of things, don’t. Because it’s full of don’ts. 

Agatha at Mendl’s by Rachel Corcoran from April & the Bear

When I was planning how to change our spare bedroom into a nursery, for the longest time I wanted to design Cora’s room with a Grand Budapest Hotel theme. I had chosen beautiful donut themed artwork, found handmade GBH room keys on Etsy, and even dreamed about Grand Budapest Hotel Pink walls, complete with paneling. The more I got into it, the more I realised it was a theme I should really only try when we have a home of our own because a lot of my ideas were not realistic as a renter. 

Fast forward to a few weeks ago and Siobhan from April and the Bear shared a new print they had in stock by Irish illustrator Rachel Corcoran of her Agatha at Mendl’s illustration and I immediately wanted it. I had just treated myself to their letter board so I was like, woah hold on just wait a minute before you buy something else, so I was waiting for a nondescript thing to happen so I could treat myself to some Agatha [am I the only one that does that? Waits for some kind of justification before buying something? Because I know it’s crazy, but I do it]. 

A week or so later I actually ended up winning a voucher from April and the Bear for sharing photos of our new letter board on Instagram (!!!), so I had thee perfect excuse to go back and get my hands on Agatha. Cora and I made our way to Cows Lane and we picked up the last print in stock [I’m sure they have loads still so don’t worry]. When we got home, I realised we don’t have any picture frames big enough for her, so I put Agatha on Cora’s top shelf out of harms [tiny, sticky fingered] reach. 

Rachel’s illustration perfectly captures Wes Anderson’s innocent whimsy. It is so beautiful and perfectly captures the movie. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of its sweet details. Rachel also has two Gilmore Girl’s illustrations as well as a healthy choice of frightening female prints featuring the likes of Wednesday Addams, Lydia Deetz, Ripley from the Alien movies and Winifred Sanderson. All of which I now need and to further instill my it’s Halloween all year theme. 

Thank you again again again Siobhan for the voucher and for stocking such dangerously beautiful things in your store, and to Rachel for your mad skills. You have both stemmed my need for a GBH theme. Temporarily 😉

Also featured – cardboard monogramfaux taxidermyswan mobile