hubble + duke

For the past few weeks I have been very busy working on an exciting little project.

My gorgeous friends Rosie and Jo and I have started a little business called 'Hubble + Duke'.
We started with the idea of making screen printed baby leggings but it very quickly expanded into a whole range of products including gorgeous little leather baby moccasins and many other products that we plan to launch in early 2014.

Everything is handmade by the three of us and with 8 kids between us there is no shortage of little ones to test the designs of everything we make. It's been such a whirlwind few weeks as we only came up with the idea about a month ago and within that time we have registered the business name, designed prototypes, had labels made, sourced suppliers and created a web site! Sleep is well and truly a thing of the past!

For those who have been reading my blog for a while you will know that starting a handmade business has always been a dream of mine and I can't believe that it is finally becoming a reality. Of course I wouldn't be able to do it on my own and I am so grateful for my amazing, talented friends who I can now call my business partners.

Although we plan to officially launch early next year we have made a limited amount of our little leather baby moccasins in tan and chocolate brown that are up on the website now.
You can also follow us on Instagram (@hubbleandduke) and on Facebook.

Yay!

the nursery

I think that some people have a natural talent for taking beautiful photographs. They just seem to pick up a camera and capture an image with the perfect amount of light and at exactly the right angle. Their photographs capture what they see so beautifully.
I, unfortunately, am not one of those people.

So a few months ago I attended 'The Nursery' with photographer Tim Coulson.

I arrived at 10am with my Canon DSLR that I had never taken off the 'automatic' setting. I was feeling pretty nervous (I always am walking into a room full of people that I don't know) but really looking forward to the day ahead.

Tim and Kesh made everyone feel relaxed straight away (they are such lovely people) and as we went around the room and introduced ourselves I realised that most people were in the same boat as me.. they had bought this fancy camera but didn't really know how to use it.

We spent the morning running through the basics of photography, learning how to take the camera off auto and learning a bit about connecting with our subject. After lunch we put our new skills to the test with a little photo shoot outside.

Photography is really an incredible skill to have. Not just as a blogger but as a parent as well and I am so glad I have taken the time to try and learn a little about photography and improve my skills.
I am proud to say that since attending The Nursery I have not taken my camera off manual. Not even once.
Every shot now takes a little more time and sometimes I don't get it right (the photo is almost all white or all black) but I'm slowly learning and I like the fact that I have to think a little more before taking a shot.

Have you attended 'The Nursery'? Do you shoot on 'auto' or 'manual'?

All photos above were taken by me.

la petit magazine

If you like pictures of super pretty kids wearing clothes you can't afford..
Then check out the latest issue of 'la petit magazine'.

(I'm only joking.. I do love this online kids magazine).

*Photo via 'la petit magazine'

Pina

Doesn't this look like a brilliant film? I can't wait to see it.

I watched 'the beginners' a few nights ago and really loved that too.

Have you seen any good movies lately? I would love some recommendations to keep me busy during my days in bed.

Kinfolk.

Look at what arrived on my doorstep yesterday.

Have you read Kinfolk? I do believe it has just become my favourite magazine. (Do you call it a magazine? It does not really feel right, it feels like a book that you will keep forever. One that you will put on the bookshelf so you can see it everyday and be careful not to bend the corners when you pick it up to read.. or is that just me?)

Did you know it is also available on iPad? (But it really is much nicer holding it in your hands and turning those smooth matt pages while sipping tea. Earl grey I think.)

A winner.. Me!

Last year I wrote a post about 'Oh Mabel!' A wonderful small Australian business that makes the most adorable organic bed linen I have ever seen.
I had been swooning over the sheet sets for some time and had convinced myself that there could not be a better time for me to indulge in some new sheets, when I WON a set!
I entered a giveaway over at 'Gallop Lifestyle' and won the yellow pinwheel sheet set.
I could not believe my luck!

'Oh Mabel!' bed linen is available online at 'Gallop Lifestyle' - a lovely online homewares store (their online shop stocks some really great products.. make sure you check it out).

Thank you so much to the girls at Gallop Lifestyle and Oh Mabel.

Image via 'Oh Mabel!'

The Richmond Weekender

I have been meaning to write a post for ages about how being married to my husband is very bad for ones self-esteem. Because his parents, step-parents and his 5 little sisters are all freakin' geniuses!

One of Tom's little sisters graduated from RMIT last year and landed the coolest job working for a super trendy little design studio in Melbourne. Their latest project was 'The Richmond Weekender'.

Doesn't it look like the coolest place to spend a lazy weekend? You can read more about it here.

|Photos by Maria Gemmola via The Design Files|

Karmin

Speaking of music, I came across a really cool duet called Karmin the other day.
I found them after I saw an episode of Saturday Night Live that was hosted by Zooey Deschanel and Karmin played live.
I then went and found almost every song I could by them on You Tube and I think these two are going to be huge.

They started doing covers on You Tube, but have just realised their first single. They are also engaged and pretty damn gorgeous.

You must check out this song. (Just wait for the chorus!)
It's real 'pop' music, but I bet you will be singing "boom, boom, boom da boom baby" for rest of the week!

Japanese sewing books

Does anyone else have an obsession with Japanese sewing books? I just adore the patterns and photos and have based most of my designs for 'Snowpea' on them. I am so glad that they have just started to publish a few of them in English.

Speaking of 'Snowpea', I really wanted to launch my little business before Christmas but things got really busy and I realised that this was supposed to be a hobby for me.. I am not doing it to make money, I am doing it so that I have an excuse to buy pretty fabric and spend all my spare time sewing. I don't want to be there till 5am every morning just to get it all done..

So, at the moment I am just doing a little each day and I am just going to play it by ear. I would like to have my little shop up and running in the next month or so but I'll see how I go.. 2012 is all about taking it easy for me!

Secret Santa

Last month Chantelle from Fat Mum Slim organised a 'social media secret santa'. It was such a great idea and I got the best gift ever.. a Rob Ryan plate that I had been dreaming about for some time.. I could not believe it when I saw it!
So thanks for organising Chantelle and thanks to my secret santa.

You can find the same lovely plate for sale at Lark.

Milk jug

I really like this milk jug. Perhaps someone will get it for me for Christmas?

Speaking of Christmas, If you want to see something funny... watch this.

Milk jug (and other nice things) from here.

giveaway!

Are you excited? It's the first ever Grow. Cook. Sew. giveaway!



The lovely Allison from Lark (one of my favourite websites) has very kindly given me this gorgeous set of red polka-dot cake tins (valued at $49.95) to giveaway to one lucky person!

All you have to do is leave a comment below and I'll draw the winner on Monday 14th November.

Good luck everyone!

Madewell booties

I bought these boots from Madewell last winter.
I love them so.

iLove

Yep, we got an iPad.
I love it.
Tom loves it.
Sophie Loves it.
Tom even cooks with it..





With our Mac book, iPad, iPod touch and iPhone.. Tom was joking that we may actually fulfill all the criteria of 'stuff white people like'! Oh dear!

P.s Anyone like to come to our 'ugly sweater party'?

Pantry labels

How cool are these pantry labels from mae?
Available from Lark.

Bensimon

Ever since our last trip to Paris in 2008, I have practically lived in bensimon sneakers.
They come in every colour under the sun and are super comfy, not to mention totally cool cause all the French girls wear them!

(Image: A Cup of Jo)

Craft night

One of my friends emailed me the other day and asked if I have been doing any sewing in Perth.. Have I ever?!

For the first time in my life I actually have my own sewing room and I have been getting my craft on! (In Sydney I always worked from the dining room table because we lived in such little places and having my own sewing room was a fantasy.)

I have been doing soo much sewing and I even got an overlocker for mothers day a few months ago! (Thanks Tom Sophie!)

But the best thing of all is that one of Tom's friends from high school invited me to join her craft night when I arrived in Perth, so every Tuesday night I catch up with a bunch of really cool and crafty mums and we spend the night drinking tea, eating yummy treats and sewing! It is Awesome with a capital A!

Frankie..

I love you.

Give me an A.

I had to cancel my email subscription to Anthropologie, as I spent waaay to much time staring at all the pretty things over there..
But how beautiful are these bowls?



(Image from 'a Creative Mint')

Sophie and the new baby

I found this book at the bookstore the other day..
Can you imagine anything more perfect?



The story is about a little girl called Sophie whose parents tell her in spring that a new baby will arrive in winter. Sophie has to wait through summer and autumn until the new baby (finally) arrives..

It's like his book was written for us.. it's uncanny!

'Sophie and the new baby' available here.