happy halloween

Are you taking the wee ones trick-or-treating tonight? The baby space teen has moved past such things but the preschooler can't wait. He's dressing up as a tiger. Yep, he's been practicing his 'raawwrs'.

If you haven't prepared it's not too late. Just scour the dress-up box. And isn't this a nifty one?

Or get snipping with some coloured cardboard like paper stylist Stuart McLachlan. How amazing are these creations? Happy Halloween!

Lovely images from top: Country Living, Ana White and Meet Me At Mikes.

room for three: raspberry mint

My word! Is this the most cheerful wee room for three you've ever seen? Rebekah who blogs at a bit of sunshine created it for her two little boys and their baby sister.

Thrifty finds like the giant map by Levi's bed and birth date art add authentic vintage colour and personalised detail to the space.

vibe
Bright and cheerful with a carefully curated retro feel.

who lives here?
Simon, 5, Levi, 4 and Josie 1 in Seattle, Washington, USA.

decor

Rebekah sourced the boys' bedding and scallop shelf from the Land of Nod, the custom birth posters were from chaiv, the 'You Are My Sunshine' poster was from the wheatfield, the SING letters were from Anthropologie, the deer bookend and mushroom nightlights were from Modcloth and the large map was a vintage find.

walls
The wall paint is Valspar in Sprinkle (the mint blue) and in Josie's nook Rebekah used Valspar's Tropical Bloom.

furniture
The white dresser and shelves were from Ikea and the beds were all vintage hand-me-downs.

renovate and diy
While Rebekah was pregnant she and her husband converted the boys' closet into a nook for their baby sister Josie. Rebekah also made the nifty fabric string bag.

best buys
"The vintage map was a free find on Craigslist and many of the linens and decorations were vintage or thrifted finds. I never spend a lot of money on stuff for the kids' space since it is most likely going to be jumped on and roughed around."

Rebekah and her playful brood.

top tip
Rebekah says, "Think outside of the box when decorating for your little ones. Style has come a long way since the old tradition of blue for boys pink for girls. I always check some of my favorite sites like Urban Outfitters and Modcloth for really fun and inexpensive decorations, rugs and curtains. Etsy is another gold mine for fun unique and original artwork for your kids' space. I also check the thrift stores for things to redo – a can of spray paint can go a long way! But my biggest piece of advice - make it liveable not super sterile and pristine. I want my kids to feel comfortable in their room and inspired and not afraid to mess it up. Thanks for having me it was a treat!"

And thank you so much Rebekah, Simon, Levi and Josie for sharing your space with baby space!

the bump : 29 weeks

the baby space bump at 29 weeks and two days. photos by the baby space man while we were away on our annual families beach camping bonanza.

What would your dream birthing experience be like? Ever since my first pregnancy I've found the idea of water birth appealing. I think I must have read about it being a lovely gentle way for a wee bub to transition from it's floaty water home into the dry air world.

However I'm yet to actually have a water birth. Maybe it will be third time lucky? :)

Did you have a positive birth experience? What would your ideal birth be like? I'd love to hear.

Have a wonderful weekend!

room for baby : black and white alright

It's a crisp new creation from Nicole at Little Liberty.

I couldn't wait to share this baby room with you! I had to keep it under wraps until little Xavier was born and now he has finally arrived. My fabulous client was happy to put all her faith in me and go along with my black and white monochromatic nursery. I'm so happy it turned out so well -- I have one happy customer.

vibe

Modern and monochromatic -- a clean strong vibe for a baby boy's nursery.

who lives here?

Newborn baby Xavier, in Australia.

decor

I really focused on getting some edgy quirky items that fit the room's theme. The wallpaper I chose pulled the entire look together and the black egg chair gave a focal point to the room. I especially love the 'black sheep' mobile over the change table and the 'smile' art print on the floating shelves.

furniture

The cot and change table were from Bloom Furniture. I love the modern edge to both of these important pieces. The shelving and pigeon hole unit were both from Ikea.

best buys

The gorgeous sock monkey which sits proudly perched on his egg chair was $39.95 AUD from Parenthood. He is so cute!

nicole's fave

Definitely the amazing numbers and owl wallpaper -- it's subtle but really creates an amazing contemporary mood. Do you think I could have this in my bedroom?!


top tip

I think you can create this look on any budget, there are so many great black and white accessories around. Keeping it simple and crisp is the key.

By Nicole from Little Liberty.

giveaway : kate lauren designs

It's giving time! This month we have a sweet stash from Kate Lauren Designs, an Australian company run by Julie who is all about bringing fresh elegance to wee spaces.

Our giveaway = your choice of any cushion and lampshade valued at $139.90 AUD from any of the collections. Nice!

Aren't they lovely?

To enter all you have to do is:

1) Go to the Kate Lauren Designs website and check out their sweet wares.

2) 'Like' Kate Lauren Designs on Facebook.

3) Leave a comment on this post letting us know which items or collection is your fave.

And that's it!

Giveaway closes at midnight on the 7th of November 2011 and the winner will be drawn by True Random Number Generator and announced on baby space on Tuesday 8th November 2011. Be sure to leave your email address or check back on the 8th of November to see if you are the winner. This giveaway is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY. Good luck!

the bump : 27 weeks

the baby space bump. photo by the baby space bestie/godmum.

As terrific as I've been feeling, third trimester seems to have hit with a vengeance. I'm sleepy, hungry, emotional and have slowed down to a snail's pace. My back has started pinching and pretty much all I want to do is sit on the couch and watch DVDs. Or sleep. Yep, I'm loads of fun ;)

Just before these symptoms settled in I managed to dash up the coast for a weekend away with some of my best pals. There was one sunny day and we all ran down to the sand to soak up the rays before hiding out in the rainy beach house. We had long girly chats, ate lots of yummy food and I managed to talk them into playing my favourite board game (it's the baby space family fave).

The bump kind of looks like it's shrunk in this picture but believe me, it hasn't. The wee thing has been as energetic as ever; throwing strong kicks and shimmies all around my belly. The older two had nothing on this one's dancing -- a little karate kid we have here, I think.

Have a wonderful weekend lovelies!

p.s We've added a little store to baby space where you can grab your own game or any number of fun toys or books as recommended by us. It's an Amazon US store so it may suit US readers best, but of course there's always international shipping too if you're keen :)

room for baby : outside the stencil box

Lovely contributor Bel from Nest Design Studio recently interviewed mum, Courtney, about her wee one's bold Baltimore space.

Courtney and her husband created a wallpaper-effect with a homemade stencil.

A dramatic gallery was created with white frames against black.

vibe
Bold and graphic with repurposed flair.

my favourite and my best : coat racks

Oh, hello delightful design piece.

A place to hang coats and bags. Useful? Yes. Funky? Could be.

Mid-Century modern, contemporary art or vintage -- do you have a fave?

1. Eames Hang-It-All as seen on Varpunen, approx $206 AUD plus shipping from Modernseed. Or nab the replica approx $75 AUD from Matt Blatt. 2. It's Beautiful Here handmade coat rack, approx $465 AUD from Ikhaya, as seen in Peppermint Magazine and Oh Happy Day. 3. Vintage accordian coat rack on Etsy, approx $17 AUD plus shipping as seen on Bleubird Vintage.