Practical Parenting magazine Mumpreneur Of The Year 2013 awards

I'm sending a big shout-out to friends and Bondville supporters Small to Tall who are one of five finalists in the Practical Parenting magazine Mumpreneur Of The Year 2013 awards. Sophie Ellis and Sarah Binley are in the running to receive $5000 (and a 4moms infant seat) to help along their business.

Small to Tall is an online store for kids' clothing and accessories that won't break the bank. The duo have curated a collection that is ethically and sustainably produced from recycled or organic materials. These entrepreneurial local Sydney Mums have built up a great business together, as well as having day jobs! So inspiring.

I wish them all the best of luck! You can vote in the awards right here - voting closes 5pm on 15th October 2013.

Voices of 2013 awards - top 25 Creative and Home blogs

Holy Moley. That's all I can say. I was beyond thrilled to receive an email from Kidspot to say that I was a finalist in the Voices of 2013 awards - one of the top 25 Creative and Home blogs in Australia. And then... I saw the finalists page on the site and just about fell off my chair. Look - it's me! And look at the callibre of the bloggers on there - Pia Jane Bijkerk!!! Eat Drink Chic!!! the red thread!!! And more! The food, fashion and parenting categories are amazing too. This is some serious business:

I'm incredibly honoured and flattered. On Saturday night I went to the Voices of 2013 launch  in Sydney (grinning from ear-to-ear) and met some of my favourite bloggers and re-connected with others.

I hadn't seen Maddie from Colour Me There since high school (what are the chances!), got to meet Pip from Meet Me At Mike's and Bron (maxabella loves) for the first time, and Cintia from My Poppet who is just as much fun in real life. It was great catching up with Lisa (the red thread), Viv (ish & chi), Lexi (pottymouthmama), Babs (Patchwork Cactus), Susie (Flowerpress), Rebecca (Wee Birdy), and Belinda (The Happy Home).

And there were new friends to make too. Ali from At Home With Ali is just about the loveliest person you will ever meet and has an incredible blog full of ideas for being creative with kids. And Alana from HouseGoesHome who is warm, engaging, super-interesting, and just about the best blog writer I have ever met - her site is a hoot! (And she was wearing the Marc Jacobs mouse shoes... and she has just been to a southern wedding in North Carolina... there was too much fabulousness going on).

I spent all evening gas-bagging, and not taking photos, but there are lots to see on Instagram and Twitter (#voicesof2013). When Kidspot posts all the photos from the night I will share then with you. The awards program runs all year with some great prizes (including a trip to NYC, writing contracts and Ford cars!), so I will let you know how it progresses. But seriously, I'm overwhelmed to just be a finalist.

Thank you Kidspot, justb., Vogue, Taste.com.au, and sponsors Ford and The Good Guys!

Australian Writers' Centre Best Australian Blogs 2013 - yes please!

Hi friends,
It's that time of the year when blogs are bestowed with awards and I'm honoured to be nominated for a Best Australian Blogs 2013 award from the Australian Writers' Centre. The finalists and winners are currently being determined, but there is a People's Choice award too, and there are some great writing prizes to be won.

I would love for you to head over to the voting page to vote for your favourite blogs in the People's Choice category. There are so many fabulous sites (1007!), and you can vote for more than one. Look for my besties the red thread and Easy Peasy Organic on there too :) You can vote until 30th April 2013. Let's get behind Aussie writing!
Steph
x

Top 25 Kids' Style Blogs - I need your vote

Hi friends,

Circle of Moms is hosting the Top 25 Kids' Style Blogs awards and there are some amazing kids blogs that have been nominated. I'm thrilled to have Bondville and Bondville Kids on the list and would love your help to make the Top 25 by 9th May 2011.

I'm currently sitting at #31 with 212 votes which is fantastic. I'm pretty sure that #1 is out of reach (1376 votes!) but I would love to make the Top 25. The blog at #25 currently has 335 votes, so I probably need another 170+ votes to make it in. Will you help me out?

All you need to do is click here to reach the Bondville and Bondville Kids voting page, then click on the orange "thumbs up". That's it! So fast, and you don't need to register. You can vote every day until 9th May 2011.

While you are there, check out the other amazing blogs on the list. There are so many great sites - I've found lots of new favourites.

Thank you so much - have fun!

Steph

x

Happy New Year!

We're back! It rained, it poured and it rained some more, but we had a lovely time with family at the Sunshine Coast. Mr Bondville and I even managed to squeeze a night away to Maleny which was super-special (check those views!). I caught up on lots of sleep, planned for this year, and spent waaaay to much time on Pinterest. We caught a few movies (best: The King's Speech worst: The Tourist), had a few nice meals out, went to the beach in-between rain showers, and I had an amazing facial and two massages (spoilt!).

Last week I was thrilled to receive the Stylish Bloggers Award from Kate (Another Donkey Design) and passed it forward to 15 great bloggers. As per the award requirements, check out 7 things about me and all the details here on my personal site. My friend Bron also gave me some great recommendations for her favourite iPhone and iPad apps for her 3-year-old - you can find them here as well.

Looking forward to sharing lots of amazing Australian design with you this year. Wishing you all a fantastic 2011.

Steph
x

Image: Steph Bond

Kreativ Blogger Award

I am so honoured to accept the Kreativ Blogger Award from the very generous Thea from Thea & Sami. The Kreativ Blogger Award requires you to nominate seven blogs that you believe deserve this award and also list seven things that you love. You can read all about seven of my favourite things and more about the seven blogs that I have nominated for this award on the About Me page.

And the passing of the award goes to: Grab Your Fork, Udessi, The Lark, The Red Thread, Frozen Brooklyn, Beets & Biscuits and Strawberry Lemonade. I hope you love reading them as much as I do!

Cool Websites: Proximidade Award

Thank you to Angela from the very cool KidStyleFile for nominating Bondville for a Proximidade Award. This is a special acknowledgment for me as the Proximidade Award is all about community - sharing, celebrating others, and commending those who are building something special online. Here is the official overview:

“These blogs invest and believe in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!”

The Rules for those who receive the award are: This blog award should be sent to your favorite eight bloggers and they, in turn should forward to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade (above) in your announcement blog.

I would like to share this award with some cool websites. These special blog authors make our online space a better place:

Udessi - Kim's fantastic online gallery store of Australian art should be your first destination for gifts.

Bespoke Letterpress Boutique - Alischa's very special letterpress stationery business and blog always inspires.

Desire To Inspire - The sweet collaboration of Jo and Kim from two corners of the world to bring us beautiful design inspiration.

Bandelle - Aussie expat Kylie is a genius with both her customisable jewellery range and her gorgeous blog.

The Daily Imprint - Nathalie's blog is a must-read for me and now she's an author on Babyccino too.

Georgie Tees - On top of a fun range of tshirts for maternity and kids, Emily also authors a really insightful blog that is always a pick-me-up.

Bloesem - Irene's sites Bloesem and Bloesem kids are two of the most awe-inspiring, chic, stylish designs sites you will ever read.

Pia Jane Bijkerk - Aussie expat stylist and photographer Pia fills my life with dreamy beauty via her special blog.

Shannon Fricke - Another gorgeous Aussie stylist, Shannon has a way with words and colour that will knock your socks off.

You will love them all.