Velvet Moustache - love at first sight!

Velvet Moustache - does this name sounds familiar to you?
Maybe you've already seen their eco-friendly/ decorative/ playful animal cushions?

After my studies in fashion design, I was looking for some little freelance contracts & came across this Montreal based company. I totally fell in love with their vision, aesthetic & designs! I got in touch with Majorie, the highly talented woman behind the brand, and was lucky enough to do a few little contracts for her! I got to know her & her company, and let me tell you, my admiration now has no limits for her! It so inspiring to see local artists grow their business with so much passion (and hard work!) like she does.

When Livia was born, I bought the Owl cushion for her nursery. She totally loves it & sleeps with it every single night ever since!

So now that Logan is here, it was only a matter of time before he got his very own Velvet Moustache cushion. This time around, I had a hard time choosing which design I wanted to bring back home because there are so many to choose from & they are all adorable. We ended up choosing the Fox, as a tribute to my lovely little redhead baby boy!

On Wednesday, we did a little field trip and visited Velvet Moustache's HQ! Isn't this wall of cushions impressive? (and you don't even see the entire wall here!)

You can buy your very own Velvet Moustache cushion on their website! Go take a look!
And tell me, what's your favorite design?

Talk to you soon!

Under the sea... a surprise giveaway!

When I was little, The Little Mermaid must have been one of my favorite Disney movie! (and "Under the Sea" one of my favorite soundtrack songs!) I've always loved swimming & I remember dreaming of being a mermaid, just like Ariel! Do you remember the part when Ursula turns herself into a human using Ariel's voice to try to seduce Prince Eric?...God was I mad her evil human self was called Vanessa! Why oh why! Hahaha!

Brings back childhood memories, right?

When I was asked to do a giveaway, I couldn't resist! My daughter loves her Little Mermaid book and to this day, she has never seen the movie so it will be a great opportunity for me to travel back to my childhood & watch this award-winning Disney classic with my favorite little lady! One lucky reader will also get his very own of the Blu-ray +DVD combo pack of The Little Mermaid- Diamond Edition (coming out October 1st)

So if you'd like to be the lucky winner, all you have to do is:
-Like my facebook page (if you're not yet a fan!)
-Leave a comment below the giveaway's post on my facebook page!

You have until September 27th (Midnight EDT) to participate, winner will be announced on September 28th!
Good luck to you all! :)


**Please note that I did receive a copy of the movie in exchange for this post, but all above comments & opinions are my own**

Guest blog post #5: Margaux from Young Nesters

Margaux is a fellow Etsy shop owner who, just like me, enjoys blogging about her family life. Her blog is called Young Nesters & our kids being about the same age,  I can totally relate to many of her posts! You can follow her Facebook page for updates about both her Etsy shop & her blog

I hope the Cutiful family is busy resting and enjoying their new little Logan so I volunteered to fill in one day and share a project of my own.

I'm Margaux and I blog from time to time at Young Nesters and also have a little shop on Etsy.  I talk about my family and all the adventures we have.  We recently relocated from Pennsylvania all the way to California and we've been pretty busy unpacking and exploring our new home.  My husband is an ecologist and works in the national forest near by and my son is an energetic two year old, always teaching me new things every day.

Vanessa lovingly shared the beautiful nursery space she created for little Livia on my blog a while back when I was making my own son's room a little more toddler friendly.  And since we just moved to a new house I thought it would be a great idea to share my inspiration for creating a new space for my own son, Darwin.  I need a little help though so I'm asking for a vote on my bed linen fabric choices at the end!

My inspiration came from a neutral wall color.  His room in Pennsylvania was so bold and saturated, I wanted to tone it down and bit but still keep things bright with pops of color.  I started browsing for curtains to match the rug he already had in the room and I was immediately draw to these orange ones and started to work the rest of my planning around that theme of orange and brown. 

It's still evolving a little bit as things start to come together but I'm very excited! 

So what do you think?  Would this make a nice space for a growing boy?  My fabric choices are below.  Cast your vote in the comments.

And here are the sources for all of the items (and images) from above:

Paint Color: Crumb Cookie by Olympic

Curtains: Target

Interactive Wall Map: Kohl's

Every Boy is a Super Hero Print: Etsy

Golden State Print: Etsy

Tiger Print: The Animal Print Shop

Toddler Bed: IKEA

Table and Chairs: IKEA

Woodland Rug: IKEA

Dresser: IKEA

Crib Sheets: One, Two, Three, Four (All from Target)

I'll leave you with a view of how it's looking now that I recently shared on Instagram...  Can't wait to paint over those drab baby blue walls!

1 month

Dear Logan,

Already a month has passed by since you came into our lives! Words can't explain how happy, proud & grateful I am to be your mom! We are still getting to know each other, yet it almost feels like you've always been part of our lives! Sometimes you make the funniest little faces & you remind me so much of your sister! You love to be held and I totally love it when you're in my arms, just staring & smiling at me! You also started staring at your sister, as if you were already looking up to her! I'm so blessed to witness this new relationship growing up between you two!

The 1st monthly pic of a serie I plan on doing

Dear Livia,

The last month must have been a real roller coaster for you! We've had our ups & downs, but I can proudly say that there were a lot more ups than anything else! It's a real pleasure to see how thoughtful & caring you are towards your new little brother. When he cries & you simply stop whatever you're doing to sing him a lullaby...it just melts my heart, everytime! I know you already love him, I can totally see it in your eyes when you look at him. I know for a fact that you'll be an amazing big sis and I can now say that all my worries have totally disappeared! I'm so proud of you!

She doesn't like to see him cry...

Morning rituals

During my pregnancy, on weekends, Livia used to crawl into our bed to cuddle under the sheets & watch some cartoons before going downstairs to eat breakfast! I loved our little morning ritual...but lately (mostly since Logan has arrived now that I think about it) she won't come into our bed like she used to...and I totally miss our lazy morning starts...especially now that we don't really have any schedule, now that we can totally enjoy our family time, even on week days!

Yesterday morning, after a rough night with Logan, I was totally pleased when she came up to me, gave me a kiss & snuggled up into bed with me! I asked if she wanted to watch cartoons with me & she said yes! And guess what?... This morning too! Happiness can be made of lots of things...little things like lazy mornings in bed with my 2 babies! :)

Him sitting on my laps...

Her cuddling my arm...

Do you have any morning rituals with your little ones?


Feel free to share in the comment section!
Have a good one!

Guest blog post #4: Sabrina from Les Loupiots

I first discovered Sabrina's blog called Les Loupiots via Instagram. I totally fell in love with her style & aesthetic, so I decided to get in touch with her through her Facebook page. She's a writer & film-maker, but most importantly, she's the proud mom of an adorable 6 months old baby boy called Edgar. Her cute blog is filled with her latest baby/kids-related finds & inspirations.

LILLE NORD | ONLINE MAGAZINE

I absolutely love Scandinavian culture, especially design & fashion. A couple of months ago, I discovered a new online magazine called Lille Nord. This free mag is perfect for parents who love the Nordic style & want to be inspired by new projects. Across the pages, we discover fun DIY projects, activities to do with the kids & also funny recipes.

LILLE NORD features each month upcoming and established Scandinavian designers and offer to their readers a free illustration to print! Isn’t it great?

Already 4 issues are available to download in PDF, perfect for your tablet!

Oh, they also share great discoveries on their blog, go take a look!

Don't deny it...

Do you have any issues with your kids when it comes to napping?

A few months ago, Livia has decided she simply didn't want to nap anymore when we're home. At day care, no problem! On the road, during a car ride, no problem either! But at home...FORGET IT!

Even when she's clearly tired, if you simply pronounce the word "nap" in front of her, BE AWARE!!! She will put up a fight... then, when you'll be cooking dinner, she will most probably fall asleep on the couch & be the grumpiest little person when you will wake her up!

Last week, she woke up really early & was starting to be really cranky, crying for no reasons so I told her she needed a little rest & would feel better afterwards! She ended up crying & yelling in her bedroom for about 45 minutes before FINALLY falling asleep! Let me tell you, this kind of behavior drives me nuts... it's sooooo exhausting! (Especially when all I wanted to do that day was to take a nap with my baby boy after the rough night we had!)

2 days ago, she kept fighting & didn't want to nap (same old story!)...and my boyfriend finally caught her sleeping on the powder room floor! What the hell?!?! When you end up falling asleep on the floor (especially in the powder room or bathroom) you CLEARLY are tired! Don't deny it!

Anyhow, the reason I'm writing those lines is because yesterday was kind of epic! At least for me as a mom! Haha! I've been able to convinced her to take a nap with me & her baby brother, in my bed! She didn't complain & even slept for almost 2 hours! A dream come true, I tell you! (even though I only slept about 30 minutes because Logan woke up to be fed...a power nap is better than no nap at all, right!) Her nap seriously made all the difference in the world! Her behavior & attitude throughout the day was way more pleasant than usual!

 Today is a rainy day... perfect for a family nap, all cuddled up! Will I be able to convince her once again? Wish me luck! ;)

Have a lovely day!

Guest blog post #3: Alexïs from Nana Toulouse

Alexïs is a mother of 3 (just for that, she has all of my admiration!) who is also a freelancer (more admiration over here!) She works as a fashion writer & has her own blog called NaNa Toulouse. If I remember correctly, we've met through Facebook (common friends, common interests... ) but we've physically met a few months ago in the exact same "mommy event" where I met Marie, my 2nd guest blogger. Since then , we chat quite often! She's such a generous person, always has great advices & kind words! Thanks for sharing this post with us Alexïs!


If you’re reading this today, chances are that Vanessa gave birth to her second child!!! How exciting! I’m really super happy for them. Their little family is growing, and Livia will now have a little brother to grow up with.

I was SO excited to try out this recipe! I tested it a few times with my son, Joseph (4 and half.) A total hit! Since then, the kids are constantly asking me to make these “rainbow cookies.”

This recipe comes from an old issue of Coup de Pouce (I gotta admit, I stole the magazine from a waiting room, only to try this particular recipe. In my defense, the magazine was so old that I’m positive that no one will miss it. If anything, I did that dental clinic a favour… but I digress.)

It was only when I was going through my pics that I noticed the half-eaten cookie on top of the pile. I believe it was my sneaky little helper who was to blame!

Without any further delays, here is THE recipe:

Yields 36 cookies. (Well, no. More like 24. Mine must be bigger.)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup (310 ml) of sugar 
• 1 cup (250 ml) soft butter 
• 2 eggs 
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) of corn syrup 
• 1 tblsp. (15 ml) of vanilla extract 
• 3 cups (750 ml) of all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. (4 ml) of baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) of baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt Candy covered chocolates, i.e. M&Ms

1. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and butter with a hand mixer.
2. Add in the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla. Mix it all until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir consistently.
3. Shape the dough into little balls, approximately an inch and a half (4 cm) in diameter. Place some sugar on a place, and roll the dough balls in the sugar. Place the sugar-covered balls on two baking pans, keeping about two inches (5 cm) in between each. Lightly flatten each ball with the bottom end of a drinking glass. Into each cookie, press a few candy-covered chocolates.
4. Preheat your oven at 375°F (190°C). Bake cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are firm on top.

When Zack arrived home from school, he was the first to try our heavenly treats! He really loved them, especially since these cookies aren’t too sweet. Zack is more of a salty type; he doesn’t really have a sweet tooth. If you’re like him, chances are you’ll love these cookies too!