Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to a fabulous fellow blogger, Pam Ratzlaff. Pam is half of the dynamic duo that makes up the team at Sugarplum Sisters and she hails from the lush suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia. As a lady who loves style, design and all things lifestyle and lovely, Pam is certainly a kindred spirit!

Pam has very graciously put together a mood board with her ideas for what would make for a fabulous nursery for le babe. Take a peek!

Crib by Land of Nod // Pendant Light // Birch trees with Birds wall decal by Surface Collective// Fabric for bedding, drapery and pillows from Tonic Living // Paint Colour – Snowball by Benjamin Moore // Honeycomb Wall Shelf by Land of Nod // Womb Chair + Ottoman from Eternity Modern // Tribeca Dresser from Restoration Hardware //

I’m loving all the grey {especially that faux bois fabric for the drapery panels…I really have a thing for faux bois}. I also really like how clean and bright Pam’s design feels. Pam says, “It’s been 10 years since I had my last bundle and I must say that furniture and accessories for nurseries have come a very long way!  I love a clean, modern aesthetic combined with organic elements….and I love to have a good mix of patterns too!”

“I went with a grey, white and red theme which works equally well for a baby boy or a baby girl.  If a boy arrives, mores grey or charcoal could be incorporated, and if it’s a girl, more red could be added (like red polka dot fabric).”

So fun! Pam also did a little interview with me so we could get to know a little bit more about this half of the Sugarplum Sisters team.

How long have you been blogging and what got you started?  

Laurel and I started blogging in October 2011.  Laurel had worked in the fashion industry for Tommy Hilfiger and we had both worked in interior design for about 10 years.  We were finding it more and more difficult to work with clients as we were and are spending many hours in the day ferrying our kids to their activities all over the valley.  Laurel had suggested that we start a blog as it would offer us more flexibility and allow us to be creative in more areas than just interior design. We bounced the idea around for about a year and decided to just jump in and do it!

How would you describe your style?

When it comes to interior design, I love a clean, bright and modern look that combines hard surfaces like concrete and marble with more organic elements like rustic wood. When it comes to fashion….I love fun bright pieces and mixing patterns paired with classic items…think J. Crew.

What is your favourite thing about being a lifestyle blogger?

Being a lifestyle blogger is the perfect outlet for what I call my adult A.D.D.  As a mom you really need to multitask and can’t just focus on one thing.  Since having kids, I work better with multiple things going on so blogging allows me to write about all of my favourite things in design, food, travel, and fashion.  And as Sugar Plum Sisters we don’t just write our blog but we plan events, teach cooking classes, plan parties, and do room makeovers!  Blogging gives me a ton of variety and flexibility.

How old are your children and how would you describe each of them?  

Berkeley is our oldest daughter. She’s 14 years old.  She’s very caring and maternal, has the best giggle ever, is a super loyal friend, a graceful dancer and an amazing baker!  Dylan, our middle daughter, is 12.  She’s a perfectionist, very compassionate, a charismatic dancer and is very passionate about most anything she does.  Maguire, aka Mac, is our youngest son.  He’s almost 10.  Mac is a leader, he’s sensitive to those around him, he makes friends easily, and he’s pretty funny too.  Mac lives and breathes hockey and is very dedicated to his training.

What do you love most about being a mom?

The best part of being a mom is seeing your kids do something kind or compassionate when they don’t know anyone is looking.  I’d say that the hugs and cuddles are up there too! Oh and when your kids find something they are passionate about…that’s pretty thrilling!

What do you find hardest about being a mom?

I’d say feeling inadequate as we come to each new stage.  We are in the teens now with our girls and they are fantastic kids, but parenting changes….I am still the mom but my role is different.  I seriously have lots to learn and many days feel horribly under qualified.

If you could do the newborn/toddler phase all over again, what would you do the same and what would you do differently?

I think I would try to enjoy the newborn stage more and just be more relaxed. I have type A tendencies and was very concerned about sleep and eating schedules. I think I would just try to chill more and soak in every moment.

What are your top survival tips for pregnancy?

I’ll be honest….I didn’t enjoy being pregnant as I was sick the whole time with all three of my kids.  But here are a few things…

• invest in some good maternity jeans….jeans can be casual and dressy and you will probably wear them almost every day, so it’s worth it
• be as active as you can and eat as healthy as you can….I wished I would have done more of that!  Always have some healthy snacks like almonds with you.
• treat yourself to a pedicure during your last month…or more if you like!
• do some special things with your hubby and son that might be difficult to do once baby comes along…like go to a movie or have dinner at a restaurant you may have been wanting to try

What are your top survival tips for the first few months after the babe is born?  

I always tell moms to have no expectations for the first 6 weeks. By that I mean, don’t have expectations on yourself on what your house should look like, making dinner or getting the laundry done.  Sure…do the best you can but don’t feel guilty for what you don’t get accomplished.  Don’t book early morning appointments, sleep when you can, and accept help that’s offered.  If someone does offer help, maybe see if they could come and hold your baby so you can do something special with your older son…that was a great piece of advice a friend gave to me!  It really helped my older kids to not resent the baby.

How do you get away and recharge so you can bring your best to your family and your business?

I will admit that I was really bad at this when the kids were little!  As they got a bit older, Jason, my hubby, encouraged me to get away with my girlfriends once or twice a year.  I found different people who could help with childcare when Jason was working (like my college-age cousins or friends from church) and then he was Mr. Mom once he got home from work. It was good all around….I missed the kids and Jason terribly, but I came back recharged and Jason had a better appreciation of what I did (though he never made me feel guilty).

Now that the kids are older, Jason and I try to get away alone once a year.  We are both running in different directions throughout the year with the kids dancing and playing hockey.  I highly recommend doing this!  It’s investing in your marriage and reconnecting.  We also try to have a date once a week which is much easier now the the kids can stay on their own.  Some weeks the date is just lunch at home together, but it is time set aside to talk, reconnect and make each other a priority.

Ok, that was all personal stuff.  For blogging, there are a few things that I do.  I do keep a list of places that I want to visit in Vancouver (we live about an hour east of the city) and I do take time to get into the city to check them out!  I usually come home very inspired and full of ideas for posts…and I feel like I had a mini vacay!  Also, trips away provide inspiration for the blog!  We connect with other bloggers who live in the places we are visiting by Twitter and ask for recommends.  We have also gone to couple of Alt Summit Conferences…yes, there is such a thing as conferences for bloggers!  We come away with our heads spinning with so much great information and inspiration…it takes months to try to implement it all!  We just recently went to Alt San Francisco and took our hubbies along.  We stayed a few extra days and took a day to go out to Napa.  It was a fantastic trip and was great personally and professionally!