modeco kids

This creative window display is the storefront of Bouton Jaune, a baby boutique in Montreal.

Technorati Tags: storefront, window display, baby boutique, Montreal

July 30th, 2008 Lisa posted in RETAILERS, storefronts | No Comments »

Here are some of the most beautiful, handcrafted mobiles I found on Etsy. I love how this butterfly mobile considers the baby’s perspective, with all the butterflies facing down. This unique fishing line mobile really “caught” my eye! Below is a simply gorgeous and gender neutral pinwheel mobile that can be customized with your choice of color and number of pinwheels.

Handmade Japanese paper is folded to make this peace crane mobile with gemstone beads. This green fish mobile is made from ribbons and I cannot believe it is only $15! The artist’s Etsy shop is brand new, but she’s been making these mobiles for over 25 years. This star mobile is made from 14 hand-folded paper stars that are lightly dusted with glitter for just a touch of sparkle. Different colors are available.

Technorati Tags: handmade, mobiles, baby, nursery, Etsy, children’s spaces

July 27th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor | No Comments »

I love the way artist Sofia Arnold overlaps the colors in her 2-color screenprint to make a third color. This 6×8 inch print is available at her Etsy shop for a mere $15 and would be lovely in a child’s room.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, handmade, screen printed, screenprint, artwork, illustration

July 25th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, paper goods | 1 Comment »

I love the philosophy behind Hazel Wood Children that’s so eloquently expressed by boutique owner Jennifer:

When you consider it, our choices as parents have a tremendous influence on the way our children will eventually see the world. Again and again I asked myself, isn’t it even more important to surround a child with such beauty? Why not nurture these values in every way possible, rather than settle for the plastic and ordinary?

You can read more here. I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer when I was in NYC and she visited my booth at the National Stationery Show. She’s so down-to-earth! I’ve been meaning to post about her online children’s boutique for such a long time, so the other day I finally did some leisurely browsing and wanted to show you my favorites.

Letterpress prints by Old School Stationers
Serendipity 100% organic cotton baby blouse
One-of-a-kind handmade sailboat by Ann Wood
Alphabet cards by Ida Pearle

(images via hazelwoodchildren.com)

Technorati Tags: children’s boutique, kids, baby, independent artists, indie designers, retailer spotlight

July 23rd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, clothes, paper goods, retailer spotlights | No Comments »

The intro to Cici Art Factory’s custom portraits says they will help you “capture the memory of your child’s magical preschool years”. This is so true! This original painting reminds me of my two sons and their birthday parties last year when we had a ’space’ theme complete with a cardboard rocketship.

The artist is Liz Clay and she’s also a mompreneur who lives in Canada. I had the opportunity to connect recently with Liz about something unrelated and she mentioned that she uses eco-conscious painting products such as organic/hemp weave canvas, stretcher bars from BC lumber, low VOC primer and quality artist paints from a family-run Canadian company.

Liz’s whimsical artwork for children’s spaces is available at Cici Art Factory and also at her Etsy shop. She offers 12 different themes and each painting is personalized with your child’s hair, eye and skin tones. You’ll even notice in the image above the initials on each astronaut’s suit!

(images via ciciartfactory.com)

Technorati Tags: art, children’s spaces, personalized, custom, portrait, kids

July 22nd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor | No Comments »

Harveys recently launched The Little Collection, a new line of seatbelt bags for kids. I’m loving their mini messenger bags - a very stylish alternative to backpacks with cartoon characters!

(image via seatbeltbags.com)

Technorati Tags: messenger bags, seatbelt bags, kids, children

July 20th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, gear | No Comments »

The other day I discovered the Handmade Kids Showcase on Etsy. It’s refreshed daily and you can access it from the home page. I read here that it’s part of a new initiative by Etsy admin to promote children’s items and that this project runs until August 4th.

I recognized this colorful patchwork baby quilt by Sarita Baby in today’s showcase. I had already bookmarked it for a future post, so here it is!

Here’s another tip for you: Etsy’s blog, The Storque, has a Handmade Kids series which you can read here. You can also add its RSS feed to your RSS reader like I did.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, handmade kids, children, baby quilt, crib quilt, stroller quilt

July 20th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, textiles | No Comments »

MyWares is a free online marketplace for wholesale buyers. This site showcases quality wholesale products that are created, designed or made by a woman. Retailers, you can join for free and browse many categories including baby, kids, paper goods, green and handmade to look for new products for your shop. You can also download catalogs, linesheets and media kits and contact sellers.

I also wanted to draw attention to the featured seller in the image captured above: Soapylove offers these handmade glycerin Soapsicles that look so fun and unique. Soapsicles are carried by several children’s boutiques including Pink Olive and Mahar Drygoods.

Technorati Tags: online marketplace, wholesale, retailers, wholesale buyers

July 8th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, RETAILERS, resources, skin care | No Comments »

I just saw this new ABC poster on KidsHaus and had to share it here too as I really like the illustrations and color palette. This animal alphabet print is by Swedish illustrator Lotta Bruhn and you can buy it here. Ships worldwide!

(image via lottabruhn.typepad.com)

Technorati Tags: ABC poster, alphabet poster, animal poster, children’s spaces, artwork

July 7th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor | No Comments »

Here’s a great tip for online-only retailers: host a one-day shopping event in your local community! It’s a fantastic way to connect with your existing customers and hopefully meet some new ones.

Nancy DeHart of Toronto-based Kai Kids is going “on location” this coming week to showcase her online boutique’s collection of ethical, eco-friendly, natural, non-toxic, upcycled and organic products for babies, toddlers, new moms and moms-to-be. She says here that she’s hoping to make it a regular event with monthly (and eventually weekly) Kai Kids shopping days.

If you’re in the Toronto area and want to check out Kai Kids in person, drop by 1390 Danforth Avenue in Toronto between 10am and 6pm on Tuesday July 8th. Email Nancy at info@kaikids.com or call 416-318-1501 if you’d like more information. A change room and mirror will be set up in the space so you can try things on. Also you can expect special sales for this one-day shopping event, available only to walk-in customers!

All products sold at Kai Kids are fair trade or ethically manufactured. You’ll also find several Canadian brands and products made locally including some I’ve featured on this blog (Bare Organics, Little Soles, RiNGLY and Petit Flaneur).

While browsing Kai Kids to pick out a few products for the image above, I noticed how well Nancy has described where things are made. The product description for Little Soles, for example, clearly states that they are made in China, but they’re sweatshop-free: “The Calgary-based owners travel to China to oversee the production run to ensure fair labour practices and quality control.” These details are perfect (and reassuring) for label-checkers like me! (I’m not alone! See this article that predicts that a growing number of consumers will want to know about the origins of their purchases.)

Here are the links to the products in the image above:
Little Soles leather baby shoes
Cut4Cloth organic top
Bambu bamboo bowls
Jessica Scott maternity top
Fleurville diaper bag (made from recycled pop bottles)

(images via kaikids.com)

Technorati Tags: online children’s boutique, baby gear, organic, fair trade, Canadian, eco-friendly

July 6th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, RETAILERS, clothes, gear, mealtime, retailer spotlights, shoes | No Comments »