5 Tips to Help You Pick Art Prints for Your Home

Prints are a fabulous way to bring some colour and design to all parts of your home. Here are five of our top tips to help you pick the right pieces for each room:

1. Pick with your heart – if you love the colours, the shapes or the topic of the print, then that’s the one for you! It is important that you enjoy looking at your artwork, so make sure you choose ones which you’ve fallen in love with.
2. Consider room colours – while it is nice to choose art prints which have similar colours to the rest of a room’s décor, also consider complimentary or focal point colours within the artwork.
3. Think about sizes – an A4 print is best suited to being seen within a frame on a desk or table, while an A3 print would look best on the wall. Make sure that you know whereabouts your new piece of art is best suited to.
4. Remember words matter – many of the prints here at Pony Lane contain short phrases or words. Select ones which resonate with or motivate you; dual purpose of both looking great and encouraging you!
5. Mix and match – it can be quite striking to group and display several art prints together. For instance, if you group four together in a square, simply changing their position on the wall each week gives you an entirely different feel and appearance.

We feel our collection of prints are some of the best in New Zealand, and we’d love for them to be hanging in your home too. From watercolours to foil prints, illustrations and even limited edition prints, we’re certain you’ll find the perfect ones to display within your home.

4 Delicious Christmas Baking Ideas

We’re rather fond of both creating and eating Christmas themed food. We’re also strong believers that there’s a world of Christmas baking ideas to explore outside of the traditional fruit cake and mince pies. So, we have put together a list of ideas we’ve fallen in love with and hope you do too!

1. Chocolate Yule Log – bake a long flat chocolate sponge and while still warm, remove from the tin, place a tea towel on top and then roll up. Keep it rolled until cool, then unroll and add whipped cream laced with Baileys inside, and chocolate icing on the outside. You can even add a cute Christmas Tree Decoration on the table where you place the log too.
2. Rum Custard Tart – here’s a great Christmas dessert we can’t wait to try. It’s a rum flavoured custard within a gingerbread pastry, and we think it will be the perfect end to any meal.
3. Glazed Blueberry Rolls – sometimes at Christmas, there can be a chocolate overload. Here’s a neat recipe which uses frozen blueberries and is very similar to cinnamon rolls or Chelsea buns.
4. Cheese and Rosemary Biscuits – here is a recipe for the savoury baking fans. The biscuits are not of a cracker consistency but have a delicious cheesy taste to them. We suggest plating them up on Roma Dinner Plate, along with your choice of Christmas decoration.

Finally, we thought we’d share this cute idea for Reindeer Food. It’s not something that requires any baking skills, but is one that would be fun to make with the kids. Inside a Polka Dots & Lace Mug (easy to hold for little kids) or a snowflake covered Nordic bowl (for pre-teens), add a collection of brightly coloured sweets, mini marshmallows, pretzels and pieces of dried fruit. These make wonderful Christmas movie snacks!

As always, we’re here to help and with our lovely range of Christmas decorations, kitchenware and tableware, we know that Pony Lane is exactly the right place to visit for your Christmas gift shopping too.

Let us explain a bit about why today is the day you should join our loyalty programme.

Benefits of Joining Pony Lane Rewards

To join our loyalty programme, you’ll need to create a free store account with us. There’s no credit card details or purchase needed, and we promise not to spam your mailbox! What we will do though, is occasionally send you details about upcoming sales, new products and other little snippets of information we think you’d like to hear about.

You’ll also be able to earn rewards when shopping at our store. For every $1 spent (excluding any shipping fees, shipping taxes and purchases of gift cards), you’ll gain one point. You can then use your points to redeem discount codes to apply to your future purchases. As you gain more points, your discount grows too, rewarding you for shopping at Pony Lane.

Having a store account will also make checkout much easier, as your postal details will be pre-populated for you when you are logged in.

How Do I Use My Points?

Currently, 150 points are required to receive $10 off a future purchase at Pony Lane. To redeem your points, enter the discount code associated with the number of points you have in the discount code box on the payment page. We’ll then take the associated $ off your total purchase price. Remember that you’ll need to be logged into your store account for the discount code to work, and only one discount code can be used per order!

How Do I Check How Many Points I Have? 

Simply log in to your free store account and you will see how many points you have, as well as the discount codes which are available for you to use.

Knowing just how great Pony Lane Rewards are, what are you waiting for? Join our loyalty programme now.

• Improve the quality of our air by making oxygen
• Absorb harmful air pollutants
• Brings the outside indoors
• Bring a sense of peace and calm

Best of all, there are many indoor plants which fit perfectly into the smallest spaces! If you’re not sure which pot plants are right for you, how to care for them or even keep them alive, keep reading!

Choosing Indoor Plants for Small Spaces 

Have you ever noticed how many different types of pot plants there are? Available in a range of sizes, colours and shapes, how do you know which one is right for you? You could read the tiny print on the little plastic tag (if there is one) or simply choose one you like the look of. But we thought there must be a better way and there is! We’ve put together a list of our favourite indoor plants for small spaces, with a little bit of info about where they’d like to live too.

• Cyclamen – if you have a spot which gets plenty of light, but not direct sunlight, consider a cyclamen. With small heart-shaped mid and light coloured leaves, they flower happily each year with little effort on your part
• Snake plant  - recognised by their stiff, upright, sword-like leaves that may be banded or edged in gray, silver, or gold. Snake plant's bold structure makes it a natural choice for modern and contemporary interior designs. We think it is one of the best houseplants around. While they can tolerance low light, they are best suited to bright light.
• Air plant – you don’t even need a flat spot to put an air plant, as you could technically glue them to the wall! Absorbing water through their leaves, they are super hardy.
• Succulents – super cute and available in a range of sizes and colours, succulents make great desk plants. They like light, but not too much direct sun.
• Cactus – even hardier than succulents, cactus plants make great statement pieces for shelves, tables and desks. They will cope with most light level amounts.
• Hen and chicken fern – an NZ native, this little fern looks cute, especially when it grows little babies! Water it weekly and trim when it gets too big.

Tips on Caring for Your Indoor Plants

Believe you have a black thumb, in that every indoor plant you’ve ever had has died? Well, not anymore as we’ve put together these sure-fire tips on plant care just for you:

• Avoid overwatering, as this makes soggy roots which result in dead plants. TOP TIP: Go one step further and get yourself a moisture reader. Inexpensive and available at every garden centre. No more root rot which is often the cause of unhealthy plants.
• Check your plants once a week – you’ll be able to develop a sense of how it is doing and whether it likes the position you have placed it in
• Use a good quality potting mix for houseplants
• Keep an eye out for pests and diseases – if you spot any, take some photos to show the team at your local garden store
• Spray a fine mist of water over your plant’s leaves and wipe clean to remove dust – this ensures that the leaves can absorb light and also unblocks their pores

If you are looking for some fabulous pot plant containers or planters, look no further! Here at Pony Lane, we have a range of gorgeous planters which will complement both your indoor plants and your décor! Our retro-style Swan Planters are a firm favourite of ours, by the way! Available in three sizes or as a set of three, they’d certainly brighten up your décor!

5 Tips for Picking Perfect Baby Gifts Everyone Will Love

If only there was a handy guide which told friends and family how to choose which baby gifts both Mum and bubs would love. Well, there wasn't but there is now! Here at Pony Lane, we’re the first to admit that we’re huge fans of giving baby gifts at baby showers and first birthdays. Here’s our list of top tips on how to pick the perfect pressies for bubs:

• Gender-specific or neutral? – this will depend on whether you know the baby’s gender, as well as whether you think the parents would prefer a gender-specific or neutral gift. We find that most gender neutral baby gifts are in neutral or pale colours, making them perfect newborn presents anyway.
• Practical gifts are perfect – babies need a lot of stuff. Besides the usual clothing and nappies, there’s nursery décor to consider too. Our OYOY Zorro Cat Rug would fit the bill nicely as being both useful and gorgeous to look at.
• Time of the year – take the time of the year baby is born into consideration. A summer baby will need cool clothing for hot days in smaller sizes, or you could purchase larger sized winter clothing for the months to come. Size matters remember.
• Unique baby gifts – have you ever been given the same gift twice? Well, it happens and one way to avoid this is to organise a unique baby gift basket or box. In fact, we can arrange it for you, selecting from our range of beautiful baby gifts and shipping it directly to bubs (or bub’s Mum to be precise).

• Ask Mum – Mum knows best, we all know that! Ask the new Mum what she would like baby to be given. If she’s stuck on ideas, suggest that she thinks about hanging crib toys, wooden push along toys, baby blankets, and nursery wall prints.

If you are stuck for baby gift ideas, or would simply like some advice, we’d love to help you! Just send us a message about the new bub and we’ll get right onto it.

There are many beautiful Christmas traditions around, some of which you may not even know about!  We’re sharing eight of them with you today.

8 Christmas Traditions to Start in Your Family 

Christmas traditions are the things you do each year which have special meanings specific to this time of the year. Eating mince pies and putting up the Christmas tree are two common ones, but we thought it would be neat to look at ones which are not so common as well. So, we’ve put together a collection of eight beautiful Christmas traditions for you to start in your family.

1. Christmas decorations – a lovely tradition and way to replenish your Christmas decorations is to choose a new one to add to your collection every year. You won’t need to look very far to do this either, as we have an adorable collection of Scandi tree decorations and Christmas décor.  If you want to avoid the mess and don’t have space for a large tree, we have some super cute tabletop Christmas trees too!
2. Christmas pyjamas – no matter what your age, you’re never too old for Christmas pyjamas! Why not spend Christmas Eve in your seasonal PJs watching movies with your friends and family?
3. Christmas lights – if you can decorate the outside of your home with Christmas lights and displays. Or you could spend time hunting out and visiting local displays within your neighbourhood. 
4. Christmas cookies – a great one for a workplace or between neighbours is to designate a day as being for Christmas cookies. Each person bakes their favourite recipe and then brings them to share with everyone over a cuppa. Use one of our white Roma Dinner Plates to display them on, with a dash of icing sugar for snow.
5. Christmas crafts – instead of buying presents, why not learn a new craft each year? YouTube is full of crafty tutorials, and this would make a neat Christmas party activity too.
6. Christmas cards – you know it’s December when the Christmas cards start arriving in your letterbox. They are also one of the forms of communication which emails have not replaced! We have some adorable Christmas cards available; come take a look!
7. Thank you notes – after the hustle and bustle of Christmas day, sitting down and writing personal thank you notes to your loved ones is a thoughtful and relaxing activity. It’s also one that will bring joy to both you and the recipients of your notes.
8. Giving back – think about the ways you could give back to your local community. Could you volunteer at the local kindergarten, weed an elderly neighbours garden or donate food to your local foodbank? You could either undertake the same activity each year or swap it depending on what people need.



We’d love to know what Christmas traditions you grew up with, and which of these eight traditions you like the sound of – please drop us a comment below.

7 Popular Gemstone Meanings

There was a famous gem expert called George Frederick Kunz who worked for the American jewellery store Tiffany & Co in New York. He spent a lot of time researching the characteristics of gemstones, and some of this time was spent learning about gemstone meanings. He found out that many gems were given their meanings or powers because of the way they looked or in how they were used.

Here are seven gemstone meanings we couldn’t resist sharing with you:

1. Rose Quartz – wearing a rose quartz ring or pendant may help remove negativity around you, brings love, peace and calm to your relationships.
2. Amethyst – amethyst earrings or rings may help you think clearly, and keep a handle on your feelings. It is also said to help with reducing the impact of addictions.
3. Aquamarine – if you’re in need of some courage or want to reduce your anxiety, try wearing an aquamarine pendant. Some believe that aquamarine can reduce seasickness and help keep you calm on a long trip.
4. Citrine – a beautiful golden colour, citrine gemstones are said to hold the power to help you feel optimistic and bring you wealth. Fancy wearing citrine earrings anyone?
5. Topaz – if you’ve got a bad temper or know someone who has, wearing a topaz gemstone may help. Topaz is believed to be good at helping you sleep better too. Our white topaz earrings can give you a boho chic look too!
6. Tourmaline – here’s a great multi-benefit gemstone. Tourmaline may help you to concentrate more, calm nerves, build your self confidence and reduce feelings of grief.
7. Turquoise – a lovely green/blue gemstone, turquoise can help you connect with your natural roots, and build wonderful friendships with others. Our turquoise ring would make a wonderful gift for a friend.

We’d love to send you one or more pieces of our gemstone jewellery, so pop over and explore the Pony Lane jewellery collection. You know you want to!

Made with oil cloth fabric, reusable and easy to keep clean, lunch bags offer an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastic boxes. Free from harmful phthalate, lead and BPA, they’re also much better for your health. Let us explain why…

Why the World is Swapping from Plastic Lunchboxes to Eco-Friendly Lunch Bags 

Plastic plays a large role in our society. Throughout the day, you’ll be exposed to it in cars, computers, toys, storage containers and surrounding the food and drink you consume. While it’s great that many plastics can be reused and some even recycled, the issues lie with what is in the plastic itself and the characteristics of plastic.

While plastic looks and feels solid, the chemicals within it are not. They can leach out and into the surrounding areas. In the case of some plastic lunchboxes, these nasties are potentially contaminating your food. One study tested the urine from a group of people in the US and found 99% of the urine samples contained BPA (which our oil cloth lunch bags do not contain!). If that isn’t scary, we don’t know what is.

Then there’s the characteristics of plastic itself. It is rigid in structure, unable to be fitted into tight spaces and often lacking in personality. Compare that to the wide range of designs of our oil cloth lunch bags, which are easy to hold and pack into a bag, purse or briefcase.

The plastic manufacturing process also uses huge quantities of natural and man-made resources. In comparison, the manufacturing process for oil cloth is far kinder to the environment. That’s another reason why people are seeking environmentally friendly food storage alternatives such as our oil cloth lunch bags. Wrinkle resistant, water resistant, long-lasting and easy to clean with a soapy cloth, they are an attractive and eco-friendly alternative to the plastic lunchbox. Head over and take a look at the many wonderful lunch bag designs we have on offer, and order yours from Pony Lane today.

However, times have changed. NZ Post offers fewer mail deliveries and stamps cost a lot more. Almost everyone has an email address and walks around with a smartphone. Then there’s social media, which lets us send instant greetings to others: no more excuses.

Is it time to say goodbye to the ‘old’ greeting card forever? Nope, we don’t think so, and we’ll explain why next.

Here’s Why Greeting Cards Will Be Staying Put

Nothing can replace the fun of receiving a card in the mail. From checking the letterbox through to opening the envelope, it’s an experience an email just can’t replicate. Physically touching an item sent to you by a loved one, also has a way of bringing you closer together. Greeting cards will remain a part of our lives because they:

• Can be displayed and looked at for years to come
• Show we care about someone
• Share a personal message
• Give warm fuzzy and happy feelings.
• Let you add a gift such as money or a gift card
• Can be reused or recycled, so are eco-friendly

Receiving a greeting card has a greater impact on us than an email or social media message could ever have. One UK study found that people had a bigger emotional response to handwritten letters and cards than when they saw the same message on social media or in an email.

We know our customers are looking for unique designs that look amazing! That’s why we’ve chosen to stock greeting cards made by Fox & Fallow, Quill & Fox, and Rifle Paper Co. With their beautiful designs, bold colours and delightful greetings, we’re certain they’re never going to go out of style!                                

Come and take a look at the Pony Lane collection of greeting cards: we’re certain you’ll love them as much as we do!

Having been a popular trend worldwide since the early twentieth century, the momentum and demand for Danish designs shows no sign of slowing down. One of the biggest appeals, we think, is the balance of both pleasing aesthetics and functionality; beautifully crafted items that serve a purpose.

Keen to deliver the most wonderful selection of Danish inspired items to our style conscious followers, we’re proud to stock ‘OYOY’, the brand that truly defines this particular interior trend and everything that we so love about it. That trend of course, is Hygge. Whilst we’re often unsure how to pronounce Hygge (Hue-guh), we’re one hundred percent sure that we’re in love with this cosy and charming trend.

Hygge is a Danish word that is used to describe a special feeling that is so often created by a certain an environment, most often, a calming room. Such a room is created by carefully curating stylish and useful products. Here at Pony Lane we pride ourselves on stocking products that make life easier and more beautiful at the same time, and OYOY certainly ticks both of those boxes.

The owner of OYOY, Lotte Fynboe comes with an education from the Danish design school Teko in Herning, where she specialised in interior and furniture design, and we’re oh so glad she did. Fynboe’s passions for shapes, colours and graphics translate into products with a ‘less is more’ appeal.

From their mirrors and cutting boards to their rugs and placemats, we can’t get enough of OYOY’s quirky home additions. We adore how their simple yet effective products add substance to the lives of young ones whilst bringing aesthetic joy to the adults that purchase them too. These really are products that are out of place in no home.

We hope that you love browsing and shopping our selection of OYOY products as much as we love choosing the perfect ones for your lifestyle and home.

Shop the OYOY Collection now

As parents, finding quality children’s shoes can be quite the task. So when Karina came across the brand whilst shopping for her own daughter, we just knew that we had to share this wonderful brand with our customers. The shoes were developed by a mother who had often struggled to find children’s shoes that were stylish yet practical, and so Jack & Lily was born, and aren’t we glad!

Jack & Lily shoes come with a super flex sole, of which the benefits are endless. This particular sole moves with your child’s feet, supporting each step without restricted their natural bends and movements. These shoes are the next best thing to barefeet, so you can rest assured that your wee ones will be happy and comfortable when they rock their Jack & Lily shoes.

The shoes are 100% safe, made with breathable, premium materials and each shoe is hand inspected, so after a day on the move in Jack & Lily shoes, you can sleep easy knowing that your children’s feet are in safe hands, or shoes for that matter.

For each child, there is a pair of Jack & Lily shoes that fits not just their feet, but their personality oh so perfectly. Here at Pony Lane, we’re crossing our fingers in hope that Harry and Meghan have a little princess, as we can definitely see her rocking the Guida in rose gold. What design would you love to see your child in?

We’ve loved watching mothers, father, friends and relatives pick a wonderful pair of shoes for a wonderful child, so which pair will you pick?

Enjoy,

Jen & Karina

Ordinary markets these are not; from the Cross Hills Gardens Country Fete, a weekend getaway in a rhododendron garden in rural New Zealand to the Newtown Festival, an energetic, multicultural carnival. Whilst we know that that you’ll love the range of products, the spectacular locations of these five markets are also worth the journey.

So now the only question that remains is, which one of these will you be attending?

With around 70 stalls, showcasing the best in crafts, furniture, flowers and beauty products, we can’t think of a better market to kick start your Christmas shopping. After strolling around the wonderful grounds of Rathkeale College School, you’ll have likely worked up an appetite, so treat yourself to a sweet treat from the impressive cake stall. But get in quick as they quite literally sell like hot cakes.

Pony Lane’s top tip: Arrive early to get your hands on one of the market’s best sellers; a beautiful bunch of fresh peonies.

Sometimes, one day of shopping just isn’t enough, especially when there are over 180 incredible stores to browse. Which is why we recommend driving down in your motorhome and making the most of the whole weekend. You’ll wake up and smell the roses, just a short stroll from the market itself. When you need a break from the shopping, sit down with a picnic and let the live music entertain you.

Pony Lane’s top tip: Take your four legged friends along with you. Whilst they’re not allowed in the market itself, they’re more than welcome at the camping ground.

At the Great Christmas Market you can expect an abundance of New Zealand made wares that you’ll struggle to choose between. Come rain or shine, you can expect a joyous day of shopping as the stores are located both outside and inside the Energy Center and The Granary. Rehydrate afterwards with a cold beverage from the Organic brewery; you deserve it.

Pony Lane’s top tip: As this market is set amongst a heritage park, allow time to visit the historic stores of years gone by, ride the train and of course to try the craft beers"

The Rotary Martinborough Fair is somewhat iconic, and deservedly so. Set in the breathtaking Martinborough Square, this market is one of the largest in Australasia. With almost 500, yes 500 stalls selling everything from artwork to clothing, you’re bound to find many items that you simply can’t leave behind.

Pony Lane’s top tip: Given the sheer size of this market, comfortable shoes and sun protection are a must.

Pony Lane’s top tip: With 14 stages, live music here is one of the main attractions, so factor in ample time to enjoy it.

Here at Pony Lane we understand that online shopping does not give you the full shopping experience which is why we think that markets are an amazing opportunity for you to not only see and feel our range of homewares, jewellery and children’s wear but also to soak up the beautiful surroundings and atmosphere. We love this time of the year where we rise with the chirping of the birds to ready ourselves to meet our customers at these markets. So it’s nearly time for us to pack up our products and we hope to see you soon.

Meet Andrew and Yas Imamura. A talented duo also known as Quill & Fox. Together these two independently run their self described 'ma and pa' small shop straight from their own home in Portland, Oregon. Small and independent is how these two like to operate and true to their values they personally hand delivered our order to us the evening we were due to fly home!!! We admire their personal approach and we knew immediately their nostalgic and whimsical cards stationery range would fit right on in with Pony Lane.

Meeting Andrew and Yas was like meeting people who would become your friends and here are the talented duo. Wouldn't you want to be friends with this talented duo?

The Quill & Fox paper design studio specialises in hand-designed cards and stationery that evoke a welcome sense of nostalgia. Being a small company, the studio is continuously growing its line of paper goods and is always looking to delve into different creative ideas to expand the medium of paper. 

We have selected a range of Quill & Fox stationery perfect to celebrate an occasion or postcards cool enough to decorate and hang in your home. 

Happy Birthday Piñata and Get Well Soon Card Designs

Terrarium Postcard Set of 4 and Fawn and Fauna Notepad 

Everyone had told us that Portland would be the city where designers flock to and creativity is everywhere. This is one city that didn't fail to disappoint. 

Enjoy,

Jen 

You could say we have quite a close relationship with the designer, Angela Young, or as she is better known, Craft Me Up. While it wasn’t a case of sibling rivalry that led Karina and I to establish Pony Lane it did make us stop dreaming and kick started the beginning of our own business and luckily we’ve included Angela and her design brand Craft Me Up along the way. 

Back in 2008 it was a request for a purse by myself that led Angela to find some use for the stash of fabric she had been stockpiling (everyone has a pile of fabric they will one day do something with right?) and it’s been a flood of purses from Angela ever since. Angela estimates 2000 coin purses have found new homes over the last seven years – quite a feat as every product is completely handmade! She's even had customers who are now onto their third or fourth coin purse. Her range has now expanded to include jewellery and home décor items but don’t expect her to do away with her purses anytime soon – they’re here to stay.

Let's get to know Angela a bit more....

1. What you do you love most about working with fabrics?

I love that you can start off with a piece (or a few pieces!) of flat fabric that doesn’t really have a use and within a few hours it can be transformed into almost anything, a bag, a piece of furniture or piece of clothing.

2. Describe your style in three simple words?

Fun, quirky and bright!

3. I know you have a knack of picking the next trends so what do you see coming up for 2015?

There is a lot of natural materials being used now in homewares such as marble, wood and concrete. It has started to flow through to accessories now too with marble patterned fabric becoming quite popular. In my current range I’ve used a laminated fabric which has a wood panel print on it which is just stunning!

4. You travel regularly to gather material and inspiration for your designs, can you share a little secret of a place we must visit or experience?

Well I haven’t quite visited this place yet … but I’m heading there in May … so I would have to say Portland. It has a real kitsch and hipster vibe about it and the locals are known for being crafty so once I’m back I’m sure I will have lots of tips for you!

I have to elaborate that the trip to Portland will be a Pony Lane & Craft Me Up trip, or a collaboration as we call it. Imagine a camper van, three sisters, a couple of national parks and being surrounded by creative and inspiring folks....what a dream holiday right? 

- Jen 

You can view Angela's entire range here at Craft Me Up 

Thanks to Elizabeth Lugg at Hold Your Colour Photography for the photos

Welcome to Pony Lane! 

After two years this is where Pony Lane will be entertaining or providing some inspiration to you in some way. Why after two years did I decide to start blogging? Well…it was just a matter of setting the foundations first. I wanted to dedicate my time to making Pony Lane with its products and images your initial source of inspiration but now it’s time to share with you some of the Pony Lane journey.

We’ve met some amazing and creative people who are doing what they are passionate about and they do it so well. Expect to meet them within our blog and see why everyone can use their creativity and follow their passions. Everyone has to start from somewhere so I hope these stories excite and inspire you to make some changes to your own homes, living spaces or lifestyle.  

Enjoy the blog and here goes!

Jen