Thank you so much, Indi, for letting me take on this super fun role as guest contributor for Kid Independent this Christmas! Today’s guest post involves a special end-of-year treat for everyone – a lovely 2012 Printable Calendar that is chock full of all things girly, vintage and cute!

Thank you so much, Indi, for letting me take on this super fun role as guest contributor for Kid Independent this Christmas! Today’s guest post involves a special end-of-year treat for everyone – a lovely 2012 Printable Calendar that is chock full of all things girly, vintage and cute!

I must confess, my life as a mum with 2 little girls is pretty full on and there are days that just seem to whizz by, don’t you agree?! There are lots of things that need to be done, day by day, week by week and sometimes, I just need to sit down and make sure I take time out to relax and chill… crafting is always good… and I love baking with the kids too.

As a mum and owner of Chibi Run, I am always on the lookout for beautiful design that is also useful for me and my family. When I see a lovely photo or a quote that just stands out, it does so much to inspire and rejuvenate my mind (which is sometimes sleep deprived from a teething toddler or from churning out meals day after day!). So I feel that it is most important to have little things around us that keep our life batteries charged!

I’ve designed this calendar to be super useful, interesting and pretty! I hope you like it. It has a series of vintage paper doll postcards, a little inspirational quote or two and two very yummy cake recipes that are a staple in my family. I’ve also included some pretty printable kitchen jar labels to help us stay organized too. The vintage paper dolls are dedicated to Indi, because I think she has a soft spot for dolls and softies as she always sends us these beautiful newsletters filled with the latest dolls and softies she’s discovered.

The calendar is designed to be printed on standard A4 sized paper/cardstock, so off you go!

Print away, clip it and put it somewhere important where it can be seen, while at the same time giving you happy thoughts every day of 2012!

Click here to download the full document in high resolution for printing!

Special thanks to the lovely Germaine from Chibi Run!

Kids are interesting individuals, they surprise us constantly with their hilarious take on the world, their boundless energy, their vivid imaginations and their ability to turn boring inanimate objects into rocket ships and princess castles. The only thing about kids that is 100% certain, is the fact that they’ll celebrate a birthday [...]]]>

Kids are interesting individuals, they surprise us constantly with their hilarious take on the world, their boundless energy, their vivid imaginations and their ability to turn boring inanimate objects into rocket ships and princess castles. The only thing about kids that is 100% certain, is the fact that they’ll celebrate a birthday with every year that passes…

Today I’m delighted to introduce the new collection of birthday party packs from our friends at Marigold Lane. They are designed by Melbourne Graphic Designer, Giulia, and are available in a range of designs including race cars, lady bugs, butterflies and aeroplanes.

Congratulations to our winner, Rosalie Bernacki!

To celebrate the launch of her birthday party packs, Giulia is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a pack of their choice including 25 Birthday Invites, 25 Matching Envelopes, 25 Cupcake Toppers and 25 Thank-you lolly/gift bag tags. To enter, visit Marigold Lane and tell us which other items take your fancy. Winner drawn on Thursday 1 September, 2011.

Are you super keen to win our Marigold Lane giveaway? You can score an extra entry into the prize draw by sharing this competition on your blog, twitter or facebook page. Please leave a separate comment for each so your extra entries can be counted.

Hello friends, it’s with a heart full of joy and a big cheesy grin that I present a simply delightful collection of goodies from EmmyRose for our very last giveaway of 2010. It’s pretty, it’s petite and it’s just what you need to satisfy your stationery cravings…

Hello friends, it’s with a heart full of joy and a big cheesy grin that I present a simply delightful collection of goodies from EmmyRose for our very last giveaway of 2010. It’s pretty, it’s petite and it’s just what you need to satisfy your stationery cravings…

EmmyRose is boutique stationery studio in inner Sydney run by the lovely and talented Emily Anderson. Emily is a self-confessed shameless romantic, with a love of all things pretty, paper-esque and nanna-ish. Emily’s walls are are filled with paper prettiness, and her desk is lined with quirky tea pots… what a fun place to work!

At EmmyRose you’ll find a selection of stationery, gift tags, invitations, note cards and calendars. They’re created from recycled elements and are inspired by childhood holidays spent in the country amidst muted pastel hues and an overgrown garden.

Congratulations to Jenni-Mae, winner of our EmmyRose prize!
Nanette and Millie have also won a runner-up prize.

We have an EmmyRose Goodie Bag to giveaway, filled with two boxes of ‘an owls party’ invitations and a 2011 desk calendar. To enter the draw, tell us {in the comments section below} your favourite childhood birthday memory. Winner drawn on December 30, 2010.

Prize details; there are ten invitations in a box, each printed double sided on 300gsm paper with 100% recycled envelopes. The 2011 desk calendar is printed on 100% recycled paper and all drawings are created by EmmyRose.

Photos by ©Godelieve Mols Photography

If I had to name one thing that inspires me about vintage design, it would be the innocence and whimsy of the illustrations. All of the kids graphics from the 40s, 50s and 60s have beaming faces and a sense of adventure. Looking at them takes me back to a simpler time, [...]]]>

If I had to name one thing that inspires me about vintage design, it would be the innocence and whimsy of the illustrations. All of the kids graphics from the 40s, 50s and 60s have beaming faces and a sense of adventure. Looking at them takes me back to a simpler time, when kids used phrases like “Boy Howdy” and “Gee Willikers!” {or so I hear, I wasn’t actually alive then…}

This collection of crafty goodies is from the Real {pretend vintage} collection by Jodie Holdman. Jodie creates vintage inspired art supplies, toys and accessories. I’m crazy in love with her pencil sets. How cool is the spaceman set above? A cool item for kids, or a fabulous collectors item for the space enthusiast.

You can find the Real {pretend vintage} collection online at Etsy.

Only 38 sleeps till Christmas my friends; time to spruce up the kids, put on your Sunday best and pose for your family Christmas photo. I always find great joy in receiving Christmas cards in the post each year, sporting the cute smiling faces of nieces, nephews, godchildren and friends. Scroll down [...]]]>

Only 38 sleeps till Christmas my friends; time to spruce up the kids, put on your Sunday best and pose for your family Christmas photo. I always find great joy in receiving Christmas cards in the post each year, sporting the cute smiling faces of nieces, nephews, godchildren and friends. Scroll down for fun Christmas greeting ideas and a fabulous giveaway from Stella Grace.

Stella Grace is a collection of stylish announcements and greetings for special occasions such as births, christenings, birthdays and Christmas. The festive creations that you see here are from their Christmas 2010 collection. Each one may be personalised with your family photo ($1.50 each, minimum order of 20 cards, with free delivery Australia wide).

Congratulations to Vanessa Portors, Tess Howard and Melissa Maxey,
the very lucky winners of our Stella Grace giveaway!

Win one of three gift packs from Stella Grace, each containing 30 customized Christmas greetings + envelopes (value $51 per pack). To enter, head over to the Stella Grace facebook page, find the “Grinchy Girl” picture in the photo album and post a comment on the photo telling us if you’re on the nice list or the naughty list this Christmas. Three winners will be chosen on Thursday 25 November, 2010.

It won’t come as any surprise to you when I say that I love the opportunity to showcase some beautiful creations from a local designer. Today I’ve got a few snaps from the kids collection by Invite with Style. It’s whimsical, it’s colourful and it’s full of character.

It won’t come as any surprise to you when I say that I love the opportunity to showcase some beautiful creations from a local designer. Today I’ve got a few snaps from the kids collection by Invite with Style. It’s whimsical, it’s colourful and it’s full of character.

Invite with Style is the creative project of Brisbane based graphic designer and mum Anna Matjasec. Anna started Invite with Style in early 2009 and has grown her range to include groovy birthday invitations for both kids and grown-ups, baby shower and christening stationery, thank you cards, and also a collection of wedding stationery.

I’ve picked out a few of my favourite designs for this post, but you can view the full range online at the Invite with Style website. Anna loves a challenge, so if you have something specific in mind, custom projects are also welcome. I must admit that the ‘birthday girl’ and ‘birthday boy’ section of Anna’s website is my favourite. I particularly adore the Maya Enchanted Party design pictured below.

The Invite with Style collection is 100% designed and made in Australia. Anna also has a special offer running at the moment for Brisbane and Gold Coast customers. Make your purchase before the end of September and receive a $150 photography voucher. Click here to view the offer, along with a couple of adorable shots of Anna’s daughter Sofia.