The Nanny Diaries - big girl Suri steps out without Mummy or Daddy in JCrew

Can you believe little Suri Cruise will be 4 on Sunday? She looks all grown up on an outing with her nanny (no sign of Mummy Holmes or Daddy Cruise) in NYC earlier this week. Wearing two cute clips in her now very long hair and black ballet flats with socks, Suri is wearing a pretty little JCrew crewcuts Cozy Cotton Tunic Dress in Bright Coral and she is clutching a Webkinz Virtual Velvety Elephant Pet Plush toy - isn't he cute? We found him available online at www.bbtoystore.com or LB Toys website. Thanks to Suri Cruise Clothes Blog for the outfit reference : )

Lester Lampert Absolutely Precious Collection

Last January I referenced another blog and identified the gorgeous hand carved baby shoe charm bracelet that Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt gave to Brad's mother with their children's names sculptured (and not engraved) into the soles as being from Aaron Basha. Though the Aaron Basha charm bracelet is simply stunning, one of my readers (thanks Monica!) has advised me that the actual bracelet given to Mrs Pitt was from Chicago jewellery designer Lester Lampert's Absolutely Precious collection. The difference being that the names are carved in the sole and not simply engraved. You can see the Lester Lampert designs at his website here. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Dannii Minogue - Who Magazine's Most Beautiful - capturing the beauty of a first time pregnancy. Just come back & see me when you are up to #3...

Back in the mid-eighties, every Aussie teenage girl wanted to be Dannii Minogue.

With her big 80's teased hair, funky 80's fashions, singing and dancing up a storm on a Saturday night on Young Talent Time - who didn't want to be Dannii? My sister and I would copy the hair and fashion and sing along with the songs. When Dannii got a perm, we got a perm. If Dannii teased her fringe, we teased our fringes. If Dannii wore a braid, we wore a braid. Why, if Dannii jumped off the Harbour Bridge we would probably have given that a go too.

So now in my late thirties I find myself pregnant at the same time as Dannii - pretty much due around the same time. However, as I sit in my jim jams, feeling bloated & exhausted with bags under my eyes, I am a far cry from emulating 2010 Dannii, even if I tried. Voted this week as Who Magazine's Most Beautiful, deservedly so, Dannii is a perfect poster girl for how attractive a pregnant woman can be - even with the help of a stylist, a bit of lippie and a beautiful dress. Regardless, she looks absolutely fantastic. But then, all first time mum's are beautiful - they have that "glow" you always hear about in pregnancy books. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing - and don't get me wrong, take away all the yucky stuff, I love being pregnant - however I would like to see if Dannii feels just as beautiful after a couple of pregnancies. I must admit, the novelty does tend to wear off just a little. Let me elaborate....

Given that it is her first child (oh, and the fact that she is a super hot pop star!), she has the edge over me anyway because she only has herself to consider, and I do recall when I was pregnant with Gigi that I was all about pedicures and manicures and coffee with friends and running my own business - because it was all about me. I can say that unashamedly because it was fun having everyone make a big fuss over you. I bought all the pretty over sized clothes and dresses, had my hair done and wore lots of makeup. Hubby and I even went on one of those so called babymoons - a weekend away just for the parents-to-be, lots of pampering and massages and good food and quality couple time. Enjoy it while you can, I say, because the second time around, people are less fussed because they figure you have been there, done that, plus you have a cute little toddler to chase around after and it is all about them now. I had sold my business and was alot more casual in my approach to pregnancy - still wore the pretty, billowy dresses and wore a little bit of makeup but did less of the mummy pampering - had the odd pedicure and wore my hair in a ponytail 80% of the time because a trip to the hairdresser with a two year old was all too hard. As for a weekend away, meh, who had the time or the energy or the inclination.

Now I am heading towards the business end of pregnancy number 3 and it's basically just going through the motions this time around. I have a signature pair of loose, stretchy pants, several plain, longline tee shirts in bigger sizes, a range of scarves and a couple of layered cardis and that is pretty much it for me. I am down to a smidge of foundation (mainly to cover and fill wrinkles), but having said that, I always wear blush and lipstick as a rule. Depending on time or if I am in the mood to be bothered, all my other makeup is simply gathering dust in the cupboard. I went for a hair cut the other day and my hairdresser was shocked at how long it was - and funny, I can't remember when I last had a hair cut. You see, this time around we are talking ponytail 99% of the time..

Now don't get me wrong, frock me up, shave my legs, do my hair and makeup and send me to a ball and I would guarantee you I would have a good time and I would have that "pregnancy glow" but for now, I am more than happy to curl up on the lounge with my little chickadees, who love mummy just as she is, and leave the glamour shots to Dannii. But seriously, congratulations Dannii - you have worked hard and I am really happy that you will get to experience motherhood as it is really the best thing in the world and I am sure you will look just as fabulous next time around x

gigi + lulu Stylista - introducing - Bonpoint Flowered & YAM for 12-18 year old mademoiselles

This would have to be one of my favourite floral prints from Bonpoint - their Flowered story, with contrasting darker and lighter prints.

I am also a fan of Bonpoint's YAM collection for 12-18 year olds - my favourite look is No 9 - the Enora dress with matching cardi in ochre. Tres chic!

gigi + lulu Stylista - Down Under Designers - baobab Autumn/Winter 2010

I am an Aussie mum who is proud to support our local children's and babywear designers so I have started a new section in my gigi + lulu - Stylista section to highlight some of our best local talent and I am calling it Down Under Designers. Starting today, one of my new faves - baobab

I am loving the baobab Autumn/Winter 2010 collection for little chickadees - our faves:

1. baobab "My Purple Heart" Lilac Heart Dress
2. baobab Blue Stripe Baby Dress
3. baobab "Fly, fly, butterfly..." Butterfly Envelope T

Available online or in various boutiques Australia-wide - and featured in Shop 4 Kids Magazine February issue - I love the prints and coordinating colours - definitely worth a look : )

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from my family to yours x x x x x
PS: Gigi & Lulu love bunnies (and we see LOTS of them on our farm!) so here are some lovely Easter images, including these adorable bunny slippers, similar to the piggy slippers we saw Suri in this week on Suri Cruise Clothes blog (thanks Natalia x)
PPS: If you want some children's Easter books inspiration, I did a feature last year of my Top 10 Favourite Children's Easter Story Books - check it out here : )

Harlow Winter Kate Madden - Tu-Tu Cutie in Gymboree

We love Harlow Winter Kate Madden and she looks as adorable as ever in her tutu and baby ballet shoes while out in LA with her mummy, Nicole Ritchie. Topped with a Gymboree Two Button Flower Cardi, you can find a great range of baby ballet shoes by Baby Bloch online at Tiny People. I have talked about tutus and pettiskirts by Kaiya Eve in an earlier post but you must check out their Rainbow Pettiskirt for a copycat of Harlow's lovely multi coloured tutu. Just TU-TU CUTE!

Easter Bonnet Time!

It's that time of year - Easter parade at school and time to construct that flamboyant monstrosity that we know as an Easter bonnet. I have fond memories of my mother & nonna creating wacky and way out creations for my school parade and had wondered how I would ever measure up when the time came for the baton to be passed to me and the responsibility now on my shoulders to come up with a work of art worthy of comparison. Luckily for me, Gigi's school likes to encourage the children's creativity and hence we only need to provide the materials and they are involved in the construction of their own hats. Phew, big sigh of relief. For those of you that have been lumbered with the task of DIY Easter bonnets, I have found some really cute websites and blogs to help you with some ideas. Whether you prefer layers of tulle and silk flowers, paper mache eggs and tiny yellow fluffy chickens, or more simply a paper plate tied with ribbon and decorated with pipe cleaners, left over Christmas tinsel and crepe paper, there is something for everyone at a cute little blog called Easter Bonnets on Parade. Other sites you way want to check out include Easter Craft, Decorative Packaging Blog and I also found a more modern take on an Easter bonnet on Boo5's blog - an Easter Fascinator. You could even put it away and bring it out again on Melbourne Cup Day! Happy hat making xox

seed Autumn/Winter 2010 in store plus special offer on shipping within Australia until 13th March 2010

seed Autumn/Winter 2010 is in store now, with a special offer of free shipping within Australia only until Sunday. As Katie Holmes' baby boutique of choice whilst in Australia, seed has both a beautiful kids line as well as a practical and chic women's wear line called seed femme. They have some beautiful textured scarves on sale so with my burgeoning belly, I think I am gonna stock up!

A trip down memory lane with Fisher Price - Little People 50th Birthday Play & Go Farm

When I came across this image of the 50th Birthday edition of the Fisher Price Farm house, I took a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Who doesn't remember this toy? My sister and I played with ours all the time until we were about 10 years old - no Nintendo or Wii back then! I remember loving to attach the trailer to the tracker and hooning around the lounge room. Or bridling up the horse to the trailer to drag the dog around. I distinctly remember the soft nose of the sheep and how I chewed mine like a dummy - I even strangely recall the taste of that soft rubber. Weird huh? My sister and I would dip the cow and the horse heads into the troughs to feed and I can still hear the sound of the cows as you opened the farm house doors. We used to sit the chicken and rooster on the posts of the fences and I think someone even broke off my farmer's hat. I would love to get my hands on one of these sets for my girls - I recall many wonderful hours of fun and imagination with my 1970's version!

Who wore it best? Our Gigi or Dannielynn in Pumpkin Patch

Both these little princesses look divine in this lavender hued dress with jewelled neckline and checked skirt, which was featured in the summer collection of Pumpkin Patch in Australia, unfortunately no longer available online. Gigi just loves this dress - it has a layer of black tulle under the skirt which gives it some flounce and it looks like Dannielynn Birkhead loves wearing hers as well. It is a shame her mummy, the late Anna Nicole Smith never got to see her in it but daddy Larry Birkhead looks as proud as punch!

Online Boutique Critique - Shabby Apple

While browsing around for beautiful little dresses for my Christmas Favourite Red Dresses feature, I came across this gorgeous online boutique - Shabby Apple - which specialises in simple, one piece dresses for little princesses. Worth a look - my favourites are the Canary Dress, the Garden Party Dress, the Starry Night Dress and the Vineyard Dress

Willow Smith in a gorgeous Juicy Couture Coat

Back in December, attending the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony with her parents Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith, stunning little Willow Smith looked ever so grown up in her Juicy Couture Double Breasted Coat, a wool/nylon/cashmere blend, which was also available in a bright watermelon pink colour way (it is no longer available online, unfortunately). Will & Jada were hosting the event but I think little Willow upstaged them, what do you think? : )

All little girls LOVE Taylor Swift - and now they can have her all to themselves...

My little princesses just LOVE Taylor Swift and now they can have their own Taylor Swift doll, available online through Amazon.com. There are several different versions available, and some even sing. Our favourites:

1. Taylor Swift Performance Collection "Picture to Burn" Singing Doll
2. Taylor Swift Performance Collection "Our Song" Singing Doll
3. Taylor Swift Pretty in Pink Fashion Collection Doll
4. Taylor Swift Sundress Medley Fashion Collection Doll
5. Taylor Swift "Teardrops" Singing Doll
   

Indigo Packer having a splashing good time in a Billabong rashie

Just before the birth of her baby brother Jackson, cute as a button Indigo Packer, daughter of billionaire James Packer and model wife Erica, was happily frolicking at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia in her very sun friendly Billabong rash vest. We have lots of Billy Kids clothing in our house - their little girls range is just adorable!

Support OmniPeace with these terrific tees

As featured on Celebrity Baby Blog, OmniPeace has launched a children's tshirt line, with proceeds going to their charitable foundation supporting human rights in Africa. The tshirts by joah love say "when I grow up...I want to make a difference". Available in a variety of colours, why not support a worthy cause that helps teach your children about compassion and giving to those less fortunate than us

Just Do it! Get yourselves some cute little shoes like Sam Woods

Though it's been a rough time for her family the past few months, you must give credit to Elin Nordegren for keeping her kids looking so gorgeous! We have seen beautiful little Sam Woods, her daughter with golf superstar hubby Tiger Woods, wearing some funky little footwear, my faves being the Nike Sensory Motion Peanut Girls Shoe and the Baby Gap Furry Pom Pom Boots. The red sweater dress Sam is wearing with the boots is by Hanna Andersson - kudos to Elin for supporting a label inspired by her own country of heritage. Check out the Hanna Andersson website - they have some really cute swimwear designs in stock

I'm BBBAAAACCCKKKKK!!

Hello again everyone! Following my big announcement in January, I have been so busy preparing for the new baby, as well as doing the run around now that Gigi has started "big" school and Lulu has started ballet, and I do apologise for my self imposed little hiatus from my blog. Having said that, I have still been closely following all our favourite little celebrity princesses and the new trends in fashion, accessories, nursery furniture, maternity wear (ESPECIALLY maternity wear!) for 2010 and I look forward to getting back on track with things, starting today!
So, enough of my babble - let's get right into it, starting with some Funky Little Footwear as worn by gorgeous little Sam Woods, who we have been seeing alot of recently in the media.......

2 Pink Lines.....

It is with great joy that I can announce that I am 13 weeks pregnant! Our much longed for third baby is due late July and we are so thrilled! It has been a very long, hard journey to get here as I have had alot of health complications in the past 3 years that have hindered our progress in getting pregnant but after 3 unsuccessful cycles of IUI, we took a break in October to consider our options and though I was told it would be very unlikely I would fall pregnant naturally, my little miracle happened and we did just that - finding out on my 39th birthday which was the best present ever! There will still be extra ultrasounds and tests required to ensure the safe arrival of our baby but in the meantime, I look forward to enjoying my pregnancy and sharing my experiences with you. I will be continuing with gigi+lulu but I am also creating a new blog - Baby, One More Time, which will be a diary of my pregnancy in my own words and I look forward to talking about my experiences with IVF/IUI, life after an abnormal pap smear and cone biopsy, the fun things that Gigi & Lulu say about my growing tummy and generally just documenting my experiences for my children to read one day. Once again, thank you for your ongoing support and I hope you enjoy my new blog as well x x x
PS: It is a little grainy but above is a photo of our little jellybean, giving us a little wave at my 10 week scan

Exciting News! Watch this Space....

I appreciate everyone's patience with me the past few months - I have had alot going on with me personally & professionally however I have some exciting news that I will be sharing with you all soon before I am back to business as usual. Watch this space xoxox
PS: I almost forgot - Happy New Year! 2010 will definitely be one of my most memorable ; )