Monday, March 24, 2008

Realistic Shoes.







For any of you out there obsessed with good shoes, here is one for the record. Gucio Shoes makes practical yet beautiful shoes for baby and toddler. There are very minimal differences in their three shoe models. I *mean* that; the only differences are no holes, holes, bigger holes - for the amount of breath-ability/type of weather.

While there seems to be some difficulty with their website including where to find them, don't let that discourage you from tracking these shoes down. We have owned more than one pair of these and found them to be a breath of fresh air - tired of the clunky-plastic athletic shoes you find at so many stores, even the stores that are dedicated just to children's shoes (we wont mention any names). The soles are very flexible and the uppers are all leather, and the seams are stitched on the outside, so there is nothing to poke or dig into baby.

The larger sizes (24-28 French sizing) are double-soled, for more stability. They do have a great sizing chart for picking the right size, as well as a plethora of pleasing colors. No cotton-candy pink with flowers here. You get rich and calm yet happy earth-and jewel-toned colors such as olive, navy, chestnut, heather, ginger, aqua, and yes, "natural."

What I really like about the great variety in color, is that I have a four-year-old. If your four-year-old is anything like mine, she needs to have some (all?) say in picking things out. So, if I choose the shoe, I might be able to put it past her by letting her pick the color. Crafty, no? ;)

Anyway, go support a work-at-home dad and his ingenious design for a healthy shoe.

Made in Poland. Very reasonably priced.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Recycled, Handmade, Simple




Peaches and Nips is another mother-owned company on Etsy, and they make these really cool baby-hammocks.

What seems to be unique about this hammock is the wood structure: how the design allows the hammock to "gently move up and down, back and forth, and side to side."

Also, not only are he fabric portions of the hammocks bohemian-cool, they claim to use 90% recycled materials in all their products, which I find very useful to those who are environmentally-conscious.

The wood portion is made of Poplar, which is supposed to be a very strong hardwood, making the design even more well thought-out.

Lovely.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Retro Cool. No, Really.





One of my chief complaints about "retro" stuff, is that it is often intermixed with cheap-o, not-so-cool, not-really-retro stuff. Not the case with Liliconfetti. Their shop is well put together with darling and sweet things for kids big and little.

Arthur the Bear Creature is particularly cute: "He enjoys socialising and likes foreign travel. He also loves drinking peppermint tea late at night and gardening. His favourite thing in the whole world is ballet dancing but he appreciates other forms of dancing too!"

And, who can resist a cute little squirrel mouse pad?

Ants in Your Pants?!




Snoffs Design is another cool Scandinavian kids clothing company. There are tons. I don't don't know what it is about Scandinavian kids clothing companies, but there are tons of cute ones. Worth pointing out, though, are these darling training pants with ants across the butt. Or are they diaper covers? I don't know. I can't read. ::sigh:: but they are cute, and I want some.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

More Bunnies for You.








There is no doubt that the world of Etsy is saturated with all sorts of handmade plushies. Once in a while, though, you run across something very special, something you can tell is very high-quality and unique. Such is the case with Astulabee. Not only are the names cool (how many bunnies named Berthold or Rupert do you know?) but the details are artistic, and the animals are made from wonderful textiles such as silk and wool, with touches of Ultrasuede.

Go get some bunny love...

Go check out her blog for upcoming creatures.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

oh, how I love thee.....


New fabrics! New fabrics! They are starting to come in! You can find them at my new Etsy site: Acme Baby Co., or www.acmebabyco.etsy.com.

Couldn't you just eat them?!

You can click on the image for a closer view. Some of the new ones include Amy Butler's new line Midwest Modern, Sis Boom, Joel Dewberry (a lot of this), and some good old Amy Butler favorites.

Bunny IN Chocolate.


Kit + Lili has long been a favorite of mine. Now they have a terrific little bunny t-shirt - long sleeved no less - just in time for Easter. Darling, darling, darling.

Good socks.



Is anyone out there as frustrated with cheap crappy baby sock as I? These are lovely little socks, in a traditional preppy design in a wide variety of colors. They are a little on the pricey side at $16 for two sets, but as long as your dryer wont eat them, they should be well worth the money. Go check them out at Nixbaby, for some All Star Socks.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Laugh Make Nurture Organize Play


Another cool online mag - my favorite way to read, being the environmental-conscious being that I am.

This is a great showcase of wonderful toys. Although it is Australian (you may have a hard time finding some of the stuff) you can get a plethora of ideas for toys and crafts at over at LMNOP.

So much cute stuff.

Beautiful Child...












There is nothing more magical for a child than play, and these are the play clothes that dreams are made of. Capes, wings, caps, all beautifully handcrafted and wonderfully vintage-looking. There is something about the "already-played-in" look that stirs the imagination and feigns a sense of authenticity.

From princess coats to star skirts, knight and cowboy/girl costumes, to outfits with such great names as "Stella" and "Asterion," Wovenplay is a breath of fresh air for those who cringe at the thought of walking past the "costume section" at any commercial discount store.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

How *much* is this stuff?















Frankly, I don't care. Nothing will prevent me from having sugar-plum dreams of this stuff nightly. This is about the most gorgeous and delightful baby stuff I have ever seen. All the items are made out of roving, or felted wool; each uniquely hand-crafted and blocked. Dreamy.....

By all means, oogle here... or fly on over to HUT up, for even more of this exquisite wearable baby art.

Do You Think a Four-Year-Old Would Like These?


Um, duh. Yeah.

I think my girl would die if she saw these. Not to mention the clickety-clack they would make all over the house. Maybe these are just the ticket for birthday number five.

Find 'em here at ChildrenSalon Treasure.