Where I come From - Going Home

Last weekend we took off on a road trip to my birth town of Urana, in the Southern Riverina, NSW. We were there for my little cousins baptism and it was the perfect excuse to show Mr PA where I grew up and my old primary school. He also got to meet a bunch of relatives that he wouldn't otherwise see and so I thought I'd share a few of the photo's from the day. 

This is the "good" road. Urana is dry and flat as far as the eye can see!

The local watering hole. I think my parents 'courted' there over a few lemonades and beers. 

Winter blooms (or me trying to get fancy with my iPhone)

My old primary school. There were 28 kids in the school from kinder to year 6 when I attended and apart from some aesthetic changes, she's pretty much the same. 

Our old next door neighbor, Andrew Whitehead, makes these amazing sculptures out of old bits of scrap metal and farm machinery. You can see more of his work here. 

This photo is exactly what I remember about my old home. Red dirt, flat plains that went forever, storms that would tear your house down, and a land that you both loved and loathed. We took this road home so we could drive past the farm I grew up on. 

Lastly this is my old farm. I remember riding my bike up that long driveway every day for school. It took an hour to get to school on the bus and an hour to get home. Such long tiring days. I can't imagine Emily doing it now. Mum spent most of her days out here alone when we were at school. No mobile phones, no internet, and Dad usually down the paddock on the tractor or feeding sheep. I don't know how she did it! 

The trip back to Urana gave us a real appreciation of what we have in town. The lovely rolling hills, the green, the good roads and the friends and family who are just around the corner or across the road. The one thing that has never changed out there is the sense of community and how a whole town really becomes like family. It'd been 20 years since I stepped foot in that place but they were welcoming and friendly and genuine. I'm looking forward to heading back very soon. 

Where do you come from? 

What Emily Wore - Princess Party

Most of my regular customers know that we are very blessed to have a gorgeous, although sometimes a bit too energetic, daughter named Emily. I Instagram Emily a lot, especially if she's wearing something from Petit Armoir. So when her 3rd birthday started coming up I couldn't wait to pick out outfits and 'style' the event. 

OK so Mr PA did mention to me at several times that the party was for Emily and not for me, but I don't think I went too overboard. And she did pick the theme - Princess of course!

The inspiration came from Donna Hay's latest Kids Magazine. Love the styling in this edition and the recipies are well thought out and easy for a novice like myself. 

The birthday girl! I can't believe she's three already. Where does the time go? She's wearing Fabrik Odette Skirt and Fabrik Navy Stripe Leggings, Navy Skeanie Loafers. The tee is models own (wink wink that means I got it from Target ssshhhhh!)

I made the birthday cake. I told you I didn't go overboard! Like the hair accessory on top? The cupcakes are the Rose Swirled cupcakes from the Donna Hay Kids Magazine and the large cake is vanilla butter. They were delicious! 

That gorgeous water urn is from my god friend at Pour Mes Amis. She also supplied the bunting, party plates, cups, napkins and a voice of reason when I started to get a little out of control! The straws are from Paper Eskimo. 

Paper Eskimo Balloons - every Princess needs some pink balloons!

Kissing Frogs. Mum found the mini Cadbury frogs and the little cups are from The Essential Ingredient. Huge hit!

The Pink and Purple Princesses. These two are 8 weeks apart and the best of friends. Emily has a Fabrik Cable Knit Cardigan on. 

The next day we took off for a Sunday drive and lunch to the Gerogery Hotel to listen to some live music. This little pub is an absolute gem. It's located about 25 minutes from Albury and there's a great beer garden with swings and a sandpit for the kids. 

Fabrik Circus Tee and Fabrik Rah Rah Skirt with the Navy Stripe Leggings. Perfect for a swing!

You know your in the country when this is what you see on the way home. 

We had a fantastic weekend. How was yours?

Road Trip!

This past weekend we took a little road trip to Canberra, our nations capital, to visit my two sisters and their families. I was so surprised to find some very cool shopping and places to eat that I thought I'd share them with you. 

The trip from Albury to Canberra is about 4 hours and with a 2.9 year old in the back we knew we would need entertainment plus a decent stop to keep things civil for the entire trip. Armed with an iPad full of movies and games, books, coloring pencils and paper, lots of healthy snacks and her favorite pink hippo we were all set. 

Our stop over was at beautiful Gundagai. We're not big on the traditional truck stops in our house and so we ventured off the freeway and found the most wonderful nostalgic little cafe, Niagara, that opened in 1902 and is still going strong today. All the decor is original and you feel as though you've been transported back in time upon entering this establishment. The menu features your good old fashioned hamburgers, fish and chips, steak sandwiches and the like. We loved it! 

I'm sure we had kitchen benches that color in the 1970's. 

I had been looking forward to this trip for a while. My sisters and I don't get to see each other enough and the cousins just love getting together. Mostly I was just looking forward to an opportunity to leave the kids with the hubby's and do a little shopping with the girls. 

Have you ever been to Shop Handmade in Canberra? If you haven't I can highly recommend it. I love markets but it's not always convenient to go to them and sometimes I just really want something original and unique and can't wait for the next market to come up. At Shop Handmade you can find something gorgeous, something unique, something inspiring in every nook and on every shelf! 

I currently have an obsession with Yellow. I'm loving my new wallet. So much easier to find in a black handbag too!

How to put a potted plant in a boys bedroom.....Dinosaur cactus's! 

Stunning!

Hello Scoops Design! So many beautiful things.

The Canberra Center was the next stop. It has everything, and I mean everything! I drooled over technology in the Apple store, lusted after clothes in Zara, tried yummy lotions in L'Occitane and then I found these.....

Hello new boots! 

We stopped in Lonsdale Street, Braddon for lunch and on a Sunday that place is packed! Organic bakery's, all-day breakfasts and boutique beers are just some of the things you'll enjoy in Canberra's newest hip shopping district. We ate lunch at Debacle, a very cool bar and restaurant and they have a great tapas menu.  I can highly recommend their calamari and selection of NZ wines!

On our way back to the car we stumbled across Hipsley Lane, a vintage clothing outlet owned by Lifeline. Well worth a visit, these guys have outdone themselves in merchandising and styling. My younger sister scored herself some very cool skinny black Zara jeans for next to nothing and my older sister found a gorgeous shirt for a pittance. I found Mrs Woog a possible birthday outfit! Not sure it's really what she had in mind but I couldn't resist taking a snap and instagramming it to her.  

V-neck, pink and blue floral, flowing arms....who could resist!

Then it was back to pick up the hubby, miss 2.9 and off we set for the drive home. Thank God for the invention of the iPad is all I can say! 

Not sure what was so funny....

Next time your in Canberra, have a look around. It's not just Parliament House and the war memorial. There are a plethora of unique shops, trendy eateries and upmarket bars to choose from. 

Have you found a trendy shopping district that people would love to know about lately? When was the last time you visited our nations capital? 

Gifted

Every day Mums, Dads, grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends come into our little store looking for the perfect gift for a newborn, birthday, christening or just because. Buying for someone else's child is not easy. You don't always know their taste and  if it's for a baby shower, you may not even know the sex of the child. 

I thought I'd share some of my ideas on what makes a great gift. 

The Baby Shower

If you don't know the sex of the baby there are plenty of neutral options to choose from. 

Gaia Organic Cotton newborn gift set with 'Take Me Home' onesie, mint stripe wrap and hat packed in their 'Special Delivery' bag. It's the perfect gender neutral gift. 

BABU NZ 100% Merino Wool blanket comes in gender neutral grey and is great for the pram, cot or used as a wrap. Put it with something pink and it's a girl, blue and it's a boy! 

You can never have too many hooded towels and we still use our Aden and Anais towel and face washer set now, even though my little girl is almost 3. They are so generous in size and lovely and soft. Plain white keeps it gender neutral. 

Handmade and totally gorgeous, this soft rabbit from 'and the little dog laughed' will be a keepsake for the newborn and a lovely addition to their nursery. The overalls and shoes are hand-crocheted and it comes complete with a handmade linen gift bag so you don't even need to wrap it! 

1st Birthday

Daju Balloon Balls make a perfect 1st Birthday present. Their are boy and girl designs to choose from and they come with 4 balloons to get him or her started. Best of all they can be used indoors and outdoors so a great entertainer on rainy days. 

Woddlers insulated lunchboxes are so handy. We use ours on trips away, play dates at the park or when we send her to grandparents for overnight trips. Great for storing bottles of milk, snacks and lunches. There is a great selection of styles and colours too. 

At this age they are learning to talk and Glottogon make a great range of "My' books such as My Body, My Week and My Manners. It's a great way for them to learn all the parts of their body and a gift that can be used well into the toddler years. 

2nd Birthday

Another one by Glottogon. Puzzle Pairs are designed for 2 years plus. They teach Opposites, Matching and Colours. Each puzzle has beautiful illustrations and only the correct pieces fit together which is great for encouraging independent play and analytical skills. 

Daju Chalkmats make fantastic gifts! Each mat features cloth chalk fabric on one side and laminated fabric on the other. They come with two pieces of chalk and an eraser and roll up to a compact size so they're perfect for the car, travel and at home. The reverse side is great for using as a mat to do all those stick and messy craft projects on too. 

3 years plus

Wee Can Too Veggie Baby Finger Paint is great for all ages. Made from organic food based ingredients such as fruit and vegetables, this paint is safe to eat! It's also gluten and dairy free so if the child has allergies this paint is perfect. 

Kaboodle Kits for Kids Create Your Own Treasure Box contains everything they need to make their very own keepsake box. Suitable for boys and girls, this box contains glue, glitter, paints, jewels and a paintbrush as well as the blank box. 

Glottogans Big Puzzle. We have three styles available. A truly BIG puzzle - measuring 60cm x 55cm when complete. Made from extra thick board and with 30 pieces to play with. Wonderful illustrations by French artists Emilie Chollat make this a must have gift.

Let me know if you have any great gift ideas. I'm always looking for more! 

Banana, Quinoa and Chia Muffins - Dairy and Sugar Free

We have been trying out lots of different healthy snack recipe's in our house for no other reason than it's fun and good for us. I love taking a recipe and "converting" it to sugar free or dairy free. 

Chia seeds are great for digestion, gluten free and contains 20% Omega 3 ALA, making it a super food for the brain and heart. Chia has eight times more Omega 3 than salmon!

Quinoa (pron. keen-wah) is also high in protein, fibre and iron making it another 'super-food' and again it's gluten free so easy to digest. 

This muffin recipe was adapted from a quick cake mix cookbook I've had for years. I just substituted ingredients and this time around it worked a treat!

You can whip these up for a healthy afternoon snack in about 30 minutes and they have stored well in an air-tight container or freezer too. 

Banana, Quinoa and Chia Muffins (Dairy and Sugar Free)

1 ½ cups of wholemeal flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

60g nuttelex (or milk free margarine)

¼ cup quinoa flakes

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

2 eggs

¼ cup stevia

2 mashed banana’s

¼ cup soy milk

Pre-heat oven to 200’C

Line a 12 cup muffin tray with paper cups or lightly grease.

Rub the flour, baking powder and nuttelex together until they form bread-like crumbs. Add in the remaining ingredients and fold with a large metal spoon until just combined.

Spoon mixture evenly into each muffin cup and bake for 20-25 mins or until lightly golden and cooked through. 

New Digs - A look at the new shop!

Our new store has been open for almost a month and I can't believe it's taken me this long to pop up some pictures! 

Moving into City Walk in the heart of the shopping precinct in Albury has been wonderful. So many new customers and all the regulars have made my risky move worthwhile. I can't tell you how nerve racking the decision to move was!

We have put a lot of work into the new locations look, keeping the colour pallet very neutral so the clothing and products really stand out. There are still so many things I want to do and need to do, such as extra signage, some colour and photo's on the back wall, plus a few new racks and stands. But for the most part I'm happy with how it turned out. 

If you live in Albury Wodonga or you're passing through,pop in and say hello. We'd love to see you! 

Meanwhile here's a look at our new digs.... 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on our new location and look. We still have so many plans for the future of Petit Armoir and this is just the beginning so stay tuned! 

There's a difference...and not just the price!

Recently I was invited to join a Facebook fan page of one of the labels I stock. These fans post pictures of their children wearing their favourite label, they buy, swap and sell pieces on the page and have generally good spirited conversations about why they love this particular label so much. They are fiercely protective of said label and go to extreme lengths to grab their favourite items and add to their collection. 

One fan posted a question today and it made me think......I need to write about this! It's something I am fiercely passionate about. 

This fan stated that she likes to dress her children well however a family member thinks she wastes her money buying boutique labels when she could buy trackies from chain stores for $5.00. 

When you buy a $5.00 t-shirt or $8.00 pair of jeans, ask yourself where did it come from, who made it, what pay did they receive, did they work a standard week and under fair conditions? Could you really make a t-shirt for $5.00 and tick all the fair and ethical work conditions boxes?

Child labour in China and many other parts of the developing world is a huge problem and reports show that it's increasing at a rapid rate. It's estimated that of the 10 million children out of school, 5 million of them are working in factories. Many of these children are forced to work over 10 hours a day and they are as young as 5 years old! Can you imagine your own 5 year old picking cotton or packing boxes for over 5 hours a day with very little pay and virtually no breaks? The conditions they work in are horrid and beyond belief. Child kidnappings are on the increase and it's believed they are being sold to factories as slave labour. 

My challenge to ALL the major chain stores is to show consumers that they don't support child labour and that they do manufacture under fair and ethical working conditions. 

Next time you go to buy the bargain pair of coloured jeans or cute tee, think about how much it cost to make it, who made it, where was it made and was it made under ethical conditions for fair pay. My theory is, if I wouldn't let my daughter work under those conditions, why would I pay for someone else's child to do it. 

Labels we trust are ethically made under fair working conditions include Oishi-m, Baobab, Skeanie, Uh-Oh! Sleepwear, Gaia Organic Cotton and Silkberry Baby. Let us know your favourites.