graphique fantastique

graphique fantastique

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In progress!

Hello there

I’m Natasha; a Freelance Creative, Blogger and Cool Mum based in Cambridgeshire, UK.

I love Graphic Design, bold colour palettes & denying my notebook addiction.

Graphique Fantastique is an award winning Creative Lifestyle blog – est 2009!

natasha_nuttall

The juggle is real 😩 It’s been a longggg week

The juggle is real 😩 It’s been a longggg week here in the house of germs, but we’ve made it through!

Long story short, thankfully it was tonsillitis, not Strep A. The cuddles have been SO lovely because it’s rare that Dylan sits still for 2 mins these days BUT it’s also quite hard to wrap up for maternity leave with a crying child clinging to your leg 😅🤰🏻

There’s so much more to parenting than toilet training and putting food on the table. The responsibility is really heavy when small humans are ill and there are a lot of potentially deadly illnesses going round… paired with a shortage of gp appointments, a shortage of antibiotics and the fear of being classed as an over dramatic parent.

I’ll always risk looking a bit silly to doctors over the health of my child though 💕

There are just THREE working days until I put my out of office on and close my laptop before this baby arrives. And then the responsibility doubles - eeeeek! 😅🤯🤪

Also yes, very much at that stage where all of my jumpers aren’t long enough to cover bump 🤣

Check me out 🏁 This is the kinda glowy, colour

Check me out 🏁 This is the kinda glowy, colour Co-ordinated, baby bump but make it fashun vibes I wish I could channel all the time… 😍✨

But mostly I’m in maternity jeans and a jumper that doesn’t stretch all the way over my bump 🤣 this is 34 weeks, baby! It isn’t all that glam tbh but let’s just pretend for 28 seconds ha

I painted Dylan’s room this time last year (and you came along via stories) but I never actually posted it on the grid 🤦🏻‍♀️ so here’s a snippet - love an orange & blue combo 🧡💙

Having a bump is one of the loveliest things 🙌 I definitely haven’t celebrated it enough this time round but life is busy. With my mat leave looming, I’m going to try making an effort to take more bump photos before I pop 💥🤞 Let’s see if I can stick to it…

#confidentlycolourful #pregnancyfashion #neverfullydressed

Where you’ll find me for the foreseeable 🌈🔵🤰🏻

33 weeks in and it’s finally got me - I feel pregnant 🤣 I’ve pretty much carried on like normal up until this point but the time has come: my clothes don’t really fit, I’m exhausted and my back is killing me!

Yesterday I went to pick Dylan up from nursery and realised that I can’t walk at my usual pace anymore so I had to call grandma for assistance 🤦🏻‍♀️

There’s just 2 weeks until I stop working to go on maternity leave - how did that happen!? 🤯 I’m both dreading it (I love working) and itching for it to be here as I feel VERY unprepared for baby’s arrival potentially next month! Can’t wait to start getting organised and hopefully pop up on here a bit more (although everytime I post about being pregnant I lose followers ha 😅🤷🏻‍♀️) I’m hoping the creativity will get me through… ✨🤞

Anyway, HAPPY FRIDAYYYY!

✨ London Calling ✨ There’s something so magi

✨ London Calling ✨ There’s something so magical about London at Christmas, so we headed to the big smoke to show Dylan the sights for our last Christmas as a family of 3 🧡

Everyone knows that I really miss living in London, so any chance I get to show Dylan all of the amazing sights, colours and culture… I’ll take it!😍🙌🌈

I get a bit nervous taking a toddler to London because it’s not always the most kid-friendly of places (especially central and at Christmas 🥴) but we did it! And we had the BEST day so makes me want to show him even more of the city - I’ve got a big to do list! 🤞

(Although let’s be realistic… I’m not going to be able to juggle a newborn and a toddler in London for a while 😅😢)

🍂 Bump watch 🍂 That moment when all of a sud

🍂 Bump watch 🍂 That moment when all of a sudden you look actually pregnant, not like you’ve just eaten a big meal 😅🙌🤰🏻

I said I wanted to take a bump photo every week with baby number 2… but of course that didn’t happen 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 The reality is that in between juggling a toddler, freelance stuff and general life, there’s not been much time for it 😅 Pregnancy when you’ve already got a mini human to look after is quite a different experience - there’s no rest time!

That 1st trimester exhaustion paired with anxiety is hard work, so it’s lovely to have a proper bump and enjoy a burst of 2nd trimester energy… before it all goes down hill again 😅

BUT the good news is that I don’t have Gestational Diabetes 🙌 I’m so glad because with a low lying placenta, the rhesus negative stuff (I’m negative and the baby is positive 🤪) and previous birth trauma, I really didn’t need anything else to add to my list ha Pregnancy is very glamorous ✨

Bun in the oven 🤰🏻🥐 Is it a croissant? Is

Bun in the oven 🤰🏻🥐 Is it a croissant? Is it a pain au chocolat? No… it’s a baby! 🤭 We’re so excited to share our latest sweet treat; due out of the oven February 2023! 🥰✨

It took me a while to persuade Jack to prep the ingredients for baby number 2 and then getting the right recipe took a while, but they’re halfway baked now! 🤪 Dylan is SO excited to be a big brother, but of course he doesn’t realise that it means sharing his toys/ snacks / our attention yet 😂

Thanks to our videographer/director and fancy caravan host @emmajanepalin - if you’re going to do a baby reveal baking pun in a kitchen, where better than at @clubjupiteruk 😍🙌

Will share more on ‘the journey’ soon, but for now… you’ll find us panicking about becoming a family of 4 in like, 4 months 😱 scary but exciting times!

P.S. I know these announcements can be hard (I felt this for months 🧡) so if you need to mute or unfollow I totally understand and send a big virtual hug your way 😘

#pregnancyannouncement #pregnancyfashion #bunintheoven #pregnantmama #babynumber2 #mamatobe

🎃 Oh My Gourd 🎃 How have we been country pum

🎃 Oh My Gourd 🎃 How have we been country pumpkins for a year now!? 😱 It’s over a year since we left Essex and moved to Cambridgeshire! A lot is different, but some things never change… like did I even go to a pumpkin patch if I didn’t try to match my wellies to the produce? 😂💛👌
A lot of people have asked how we’re settling in and to be honest I can’t say that I’ve gelled with our new town and slower pace of life. It’s quite hard/weird to admit but I’ve tried to like it… and I just don’t 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s very quiet and brown here 😅 which sounds lovely for some but it’s just not my vibe. Don’t get me wrong, it could be a lot worse but I miss the city 💔 I miss people 💔 I miss the buzz 💔 I miss change 💔 I miss culture 💔
When I ‘pitched’ the move to Jack he thought I was mad 😅 I already knew I wouldn’t love living here (I grew up locally and couldn’t wait to escape) BUT I also knew that sacrifices needed to be made in order to be closer to family for Dylan, childcare help and general life/ career progression. Do I regret the move? No, because it’s what we need for now… but I’m not convinced it’s our final destination 😅 Parenthood is full of sacrifices, eh?

💕 Mama’s Boy 💕 Call me crazy, but I think

💕 Mama’s Boy 💕 Call me crazy, but I think this threenager stage is my favourite 🤯 Sure, Dylan is pretty stubborn (wonder where he gets that from? 😅) but he’s mostly great entertainment. Some of the things he comes out with are so funny 😂 recent favourites include:
✨ I’m going to tell your mum! (as in MY mum 🤦🏻‍♀️)
✨ Well then, no treats for you!
✨ Tomorrow… we’re going to… Disneyland!
✨ Do you know what my favourite {insert object} is? (With a different answer to 5 mins ago)
✨ I’ve got a great idea…
✨ If you stop telling me off you can be my friend

…and then there are the unexpected cute moments too! 🥰 He loves to keep us on our toes!

It makes motherhood slightly less painful for about 5 seconds 😜

#millennialmamaclub #getintheframemama #millennialmama #motherhoodunplugged #lifewithlittles #documentingmotherhood #thepeakandpitcollective

Instagram vs. reality 🌈 Plants, Pumpkins and Pa

Instagram vs. reality 🌈 Plants, Pumpkins and Paw Patrol - all of the trendy interior accessories 😂 I posted this on stories and felt like it deserved a more permanent feature, for the fireplace progress if nothing else! (Look at that before shot with the magnolia walls too 🤮)

This is one of the things about having children - the toys become part of the decor! 😅 Even if you have a designated toy storage space/cupboard, they still sneak out 🤦🏻‍♀️ BUT they are nicely lined up so I can let the Paw Patrol off without a parking fine for now 😂

Anyone else adopted toys into their interior styling? Peppa pig in the kitchen? Unicorns in the bathroom? 🐷🦄

Also don’t talk to me about how the print isn’t central above the fireplace 🤦🏻‍♀️ the hook was already there from a previous tenant/ DIY bodge job! 😂

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© Natasha Nuttall | January 2022