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Feb
27
Crafty Fingers Get Busy
Filed Under baby/kids apparel, for baby, gifts | 1 Comment
I confess….. I received a grade D in home ec. class. We had to sew a very simple top and I could not even thread the needle properly or find the bobbin. I was hopeless. So all this time, I thought of myself as the Un-Martha Stewart. Having a baby boutique and seeing all the cute products inspired me to begin doing my own thing. Not to mention, I discovered the mark up on things like hair bows is like 500%!! So it began with a simple hair clip, then tutus, etc… I discovered I am much more crafty than I ever thought possible and I am enjoying it. So now I have turned my creativity to creating some new designs to display in my store. I started by designing a unique one of a kind birthday dress (and then happily handed it over to my seamstress to put together). I know my limitations- you would not want your child in anything I sewed! My latest designs are these fun capri pants for spring. I am a total fabric nut and love all the great designer pieces available now. I used trendy Amy Butler fabric to make these ruffled pants. Pair with one of our big initial monogram tees. I also have 10 new birthday dresses for spring summer using the latest designer fabrics . Look for my new line March 15th. Right now, we are having a 10% off sale. Use coupon code SAVE10 and receive 10% off your entire order!Feb
18
The Sky Isn’t Visible from Here
Filed Under books | 5 Comments
I agreed to review The Sky Isn’t Visible from Hereby Felicia C. Sullivan for PBN mostly because I expected to relate my own story of childhood abuse and neglect with that of Felicia’s. And relate I did.
Felicia shares her childhood memories of her mother’s drug addiction and narcissistic rages while telling her story of how she succumbed and overcame her own drug addiction.
I imagine most read her memoir with shock and disbelief that a mother could be so cruel and neglectful but I nodded my head in understanding. My mother was a cruel and neglectful parent due to her mental illness. She also suffered addictions to food, shopping and pills. Like Felicia I was my mother’s caretaker. How Felicia’s mother envied her successes and how she rewrote history resonated the hardest for me such as Felicia’s dream where her mother is wondering in her room and looking at Felicia’s beautiful and expensive possessions with envy and in another passage that could have been a conversation with my own mother:
“For once, can this not be about you?” my mother said.
“Because it’s never about you,” I said.
“He’s taking me to Disney World.” She was gushing now. “Soon I’ll be on a plane. Like you”.
My mother was leaving my father for mouse ears, cotton candy, and amusement park rides.
“Good for you.” I gathered my things. When I stood to leave, my mother grabbed my wrist tight. She was always stronger. “Let go,” I said.
“Don’t take this from me,” she said, pointing her cigarette at me. “It’s not fair, all that you have. Don’t be so fucking selfish.”
“Selfish? I guess that’s what you would think.”
I know first hand how damaging it can be to have a mother who can’t handle her child having the very things she wants and Felicia writes about its effect on her with such clarity.
In so many ways our stories are similar so I found myself embracing the child Felicia was and feeling angry at the drug addicted woman she became. I know what it’s like to vow to not be like your mother and I was so disappointed that she was repeating the cycle of addiction. I had a hard time sympathizing with Felicia when I read her explanation of how she succumbed to the drugs:
“In the bathroom, curled up in the tightest ball you can imagine, you wonder how it is you got to this point. Because you told yourself in your bathroom that first time in December when you threw the housewarming party, and people came who weren’t invited, people trickling in off the street, and you were alone with Merritt in the bathroom with the cracks in the ceiling, the chips hailing down, with two rolled bills and neatly cut lines that you’d never be an addict like your mother because you survived the war that was her, because you convinced yourself you were stronger than she was. And then, there go the lines.”
I was shocked that Felicia was very much becoming her mother especially since anything that I do that reminds me of my mother in the slightest makes me physically ill. But yet I understand the need to make the pain go away, dull the memories, and anything that gives you a sense of self worth is very addicting.
I had no right to feel smug or superior to Felicia considering I battled my own demons while trying to figure out where I fit in the world except my addiction was sex rather than drugs. It was my power and a way to feel loved and worthy. Besides this is Felicia’s story and not mine.
I triumphed with Felicia as she bravely conquered her addiction and told her story so bravely, beautifully, and honestly. Felicia writes in such a gifted and descriptive way that I found myself feeling like I was there.
Here is the paragraph that resonated with me the most because it could have been out of a chapter in my own life:
“A part of me longed to obey, to be the good daughter who cleans up a house, bears her family’s collective shame, but I was so tired.”
Felicia’s memoir deserves to be read and reread. She has endured and overcome so much and it deserves to be celebrated.
Feb
6
A Simple Way Every Mom Can Help Autism Research
Filed Under charity | 3 Comments
With the high prevalence of autism in today’s world, most of us have in some way been touched by it. Either you know someone who has it or you are personally dealing with it. I recently discovered this touching video about a child who has autism and the fight the parents are waging to get help for their precious little girl. For me, it put “autism” in a whole new light. The video shows parents (like all of us) celebrating the birth of a new baby. We watch as this little girl grows, smiling and talking and hitting all of her developmental milestones and then suddenly …….. silence.
For charity specific donations whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com will pay $1.00 per view of the designated charity’s videos - until the number of viewings equals the amount donated less .04 per view. The .04 expense is Revver.com’s .03/view webhosting charge and California Community Foundation’s (CCF) 1% administrative expense. OVER 95% of money donated goes directly to the chosen charity!The funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal.
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214
Feb
5
No stains. No smells. No worries.
Filed Under video review | 1 Comment
Would you be more likely to buy a car if you knew the fabric and carpet was anti-microbial, anti-stain, anti-stink, and anti-static? I definitely would. My SUV is a little over a year old and despite my vow to take great care of my new vehicle, life happens. I have four kids and a dog. Need I say more?
YES Essentials high performance line of automobile fabrics and carpets eliminate the worrying about the spills and spoils that go along with an active lifestyle. A foundation of YES Essentials is Milliken’s StainSmart technology which repels liquids and releases stains and soil allowing dirt and stains to be easily removed with just a little soap and water. It doesn’t matter what gets on the fabric or carpet, how severe the stain is or how long it has been left unattended before being discovered, consumers are now able to remove the spillage without a special order cleanser or a trip to the car wash.
I was sent YES Essentials carpet and fabric samples to put the SmartStain technology to test. I applied ketchup, soy sauce, and pickle relish to all three samples. The fabric cleaned up the best. The liquids bubbled on top without ever soaking in which made cleaning it up a breeze. I just blotted and wiped with a wet cloth. The carpet took a bit more scrubbing to remove the stain. All three samples left no evidence of odor and retained their “new car” smell.
Here is a quick video of our experiment.
You can also visit Splat The Mat to dump different common spills on a smug woman and see how efficiently the spills are cleaned up.
You can find YES Essentials in select Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models.
Feb
1
Fab Finds Friday
Filed Under Fab Finds Friday, baby/kids apparel, for baby, gifts | 1 Comment
Birthday attire is all the rage nowadays. Ten years ago when my oldest was celebrating her first birthday I had to pay a seamstress to make my daughter a personalized birthday outfit. Fortunately now there are plenty of boutiques ready to outfit your birthday child on their special day.
Liliputians NYC offers clothing that has a superior, true boutique, heirloom quality rarely seen today. If you are looking for a unique birthday outfit then Liliputians is the place for you. They offer beautiful handcrafted tops, bottoms, and dresses made of vintage fabric and appliques. Whether you are shopping for a boy or girl they are sure to have just the outfit you were looking for.
Kangaroodle offers great birthday apparel but our favorite pick is the birthday bib. Choose
from white with pink trim or pink with hot pink trim. While you are there check out theirlarge selection of monogram birthday dresses and overalls.
If you are looking for something a little more old fashioned then Tamara’s Creations is the place for you. All outfits are custom made per your child’s measurements and personalized with your child’s name.
Our favorite place to shop for birthday apparel is Avannabel Baby which offers a large selection of birthday outfits and accessories. You will find a large selection of classic monogrammed dresses, personalized birthday hats, rhinestone birthday tees, and birthday tutu sets.
