Tea: Children's Clothing and a Lucky Day Giveaway

I recently was contacted by a children's clothing company I had never heard of before: Tea.  They were familiar with my little blog and kindly offered me a $100 gift certificate to purchase some clothing for Beeper in exchange for offering a review of their products right here.  Now, you all know I do not usually do this here--but I have to admit that when I wandered out to their website to check out their clothing, I was pretty readily convinced that I would like to share it with you.  Let me start by telling you a bit about them...

Tea strives to bring together modern children's fashion and inspiration from locales around the world.    The design team at Tea actually travels to locations around the world, which later become the inspiration for their seasonal collections. They spend time absorbing the atmosphere and flavor of the place and then return and use this inspiration to shape a destination-influenced line of clothing for children from 0-12 years of age. They also make a point of using natural fabrics that are a little luxiurious while being durable. I am happy to attest to the quality of the fabrics after having felt them with my own hands--for instance, the t-shirts are a super-soft pima cotton with a nice heft that I am certain will stand up to my boy's head-first style of play.

What you see in all of the photos here are the pieces of clothing I recently purchased from Tea--initially, I thought I would just purchase a few things for Beeper, but when I took a peek into the girl's collection, well, I could not resist purchasing a dress for our little friend, Miss Bean (what you do not see here are the matching bloomers under her dress--so sweet!).   For Beeper, I chose some pants that  he can roll up for summer but then wear full length when he goes back to school. I was also instantly attracted to the beautiful blue plaid hooded shirt--just because it is more interesting than the standard tee or hoodie, while being less formal than a button-down shirt. Again, perfectly transitional for summer to fall when layered. And the worn-looking "el artista" tee?  Okay, this may have ended up in the order because I sort of wish I had one for myself in my own size because I would wear it with old jeans, boots and a casual patterned scarf looped around my neck--but still.

All of these clothes are from their Catalonia-inspired summer collection.  I would note that only a few pieces from the summer collection remain on sale--however, they do have a new fall collection inspired by Modern Mexico with clothing inspired by Mexican folk art and pop culture, sarapes, and Mayan graphics--which then make its way to designs on hoodies, tees and all manner of dresses.

From a pure parenting point of view, I am happy to tell you that their clothing sizes really seem to run true-to-size--I ordered all size 7's for my 7-year-old boy and, as you can see, they fit him perfectly with just enough room to grow through the next year. I also ordered a size 3 dress for Miss Bean and found the same to be true for her.  

Oh, yes, and now for the really, really good part--Tea has generously offered a $75 gift certificate to give away to one of you.  Yes, $75 to spend on anything your heart desires from their lovely new Modern Mexico collection.  And did I mention they also have a small women's collection?  Yep--I certainly wouldn't tell if you won the gift certiifcate and quietly tucked it away for you, all you.  All I ask is that you leave a comment here by the end of Saturday, August 13th, sharing something you like about their clothing, or what would be on your wish list of items to buy from Tea should you win--and I will announce the winners back here early next week (see how I slyly sidestepped committing myself to a specific date--I have learned that I cannot be counted on to meet my own deadlines...but I promise I will announce the winner sometime next week)

And you should know, both of the kids liked the clothes so much they did not want to take them off after they put them on for the first time--that's as close to a certifiable stamp of approval as you get from kids, right?
You can find all of Tea's wonderful clothing for boys, girls, babies and women here.  

I Love Paris Doll Kit

I ordered this little I Love Paris Doll Kit from Miko Design a while ago and decided I might as well make it since there was a little girl I know who still needs a birthday gift (beyond belated) and already holds visiting Paris amongst her 7-year-old aspirations.  Also, there is that Rumplestiltskin challenge I am on board with and this counts as using what I already have, right? 

But isn't she pretty?  Best part, the doll itself probably only took me an hour to whip up since she comes all silk screened on one nice big piece of fabric with clear dotted cutting lines and easy instructions--but then, I did add a few accessories and extra pieces of clothing of my own design because a girl who visits Paris requires a decent wardrobe, right?  Like a little peter pan collared jacket and a beret (skirt was made from part of the silk screened design in the kit)...

...and some leg warmers (made from the neck of an old turtleneck sweater) to go with that classic french sailor mini shirt dress, as well as a scarf made from some of that Liberty of London Tana Lawn I purchased in London (because what Parisian woman does not have a pretty scarf in her wardrobe?)...oh, and the baguette, croissants, over-sized flower pin a la Chanel...

Yeah, it got a little out of control there at the end but I am really pleased with how she turned out and how simple she was to outfit.  It is the sort of thing where I kind of do not want to give here away now that she is finished--which does not happen to me very often--but I really, really love this doll.  I think it might be that stripey french sailor mini shirt dress.  Whatever the case, you can see that I have also purchased another kit from Miko Design's shop--this one was a collection of remnants that were just ever so slightly flawed in their printing (like barely noticeably flawed) and came with a mix and match set of bodies, heads, arms, legs, etc--enough to make 3 more dolls (2 french lapins and 1 more girl--these remnant sets pop up in her shop fairly regularly so keep visiting if you are looking for one but do not see one now--they are a great deal).  So you might be seeing a few more of these turning up--and maybe one for just me.

Etsy Handmade Toy Guide

Since it's black Friday and all, I just thought I would drop in with my own personal list of handmade favorites, all found in crazy labyrinth of shops Etsy has become.  Tell me, does it not warm your heart though, just a little bit, to know that there is so much good handmade stuff for kids out there?  It makes me all giddy just to look at this collage.  Options for kids on Etsy have definitely improved over the last few years and what can be found goes far beyond plushies and custom outfits for Blythe dolls.   Some of these shops were new to me, but many are also tried and true favorites of mine--like The Small Object (and yes, I will be buying the I Like to Draw pencils and drawing set for Beeper's stocking). 

Some of my very favorites are the activity book from Belle and Boo (bought it some time ago and it is worth every one of its 9 dollars--so lovely and full of the sweetest variety of activities and crafts), the mohair bunny with all its adorable outfits and teeny weeny pastries from Man o' Mine, those simple wands with the colorful knitted handle from Green Mountain Wee Woolies, that funny little wool plushie from Sara Carr, and while this is not handmade--well, I had to slip in a vintage Fisher Price set in there (we already own this pop-up trailer and truck set--so brilliant the way it pops up, the little motorcycle that sits on the trailer, and the little boat on the top of the SUV).  Oh, and that new cat design from Cotton Monster is killing me I love it so much and really just want it for myself.

So, go ahead, do a little browsing, click away and get a closer look at some of the items and support all the great artists and crafters out there making so much fantastic stuff. (the list runs from left to right, starting at the top--just in case you happen to follow the photos from right to left from the bottom or some other wonky way)

1.    Multi-colored Natural Wooden Blocks from Imagination Kids $16 

2.    French Alphabet Cards $58 From Bibitty 

3.    Hand Turned Wooden Top from Urban Turn $4  

4.    Hellobaby Munchkin from Viola Studio $19 

5.    Little Tooth Teething Toy from Little Sapling Toys $12 

6.    Pogo Handstitched Woodland Friend  from Pogo $44 

7.    Aada Bunny from Man O Mine $200 

8.    Bubbles Before Bed Book from Belle and Boo $10.75 

9.    The Little Lion Hat from SweetPeaToadTots $55 

10. Tree Branch wands $5 rom Green Mountain Wee Woolies 

11. Set of semi Trailers from Nin Design $38 

12. Rainbow Alien Invasion Finger Puppet Set from Babus Toys $45 

13. Letterpress Fortune Teller from Sycamore Street Press $8  

14. Vintage Fisher Price Pop Up Camper $44 from Toys of the Past 

15. Ultimate Mustache Crayon Set $10.95 from Gaddy Nipper Crayons 

16. Lina Von Katz Kitten from Cotton Monster $58 

17. Paper Doll Set from Sarah Jane Studios $9 

18. Indoor Teepee Tent from Moozle $195 

19. Linen Doll Tallulah from Leilalou $26 

20. Ninjas with Intelligence from Goose Grease $30 

21. Green Digger from Elsie Marley $55 

22. Bear, Bunny, Bird Pocket Notebook Three Pack $12 from The Black Apple  

23. I am Here - Your neighborhood custom map play mat from Board Stiff $28.50  

24. Wooden Car Stacker from Just Hatched $18 

25. I Like to Draw Pencil Pack from The Small Object

26. Unique Linen Pencil Clutch $23.09 from Pilli Pilli 

27. Edie Plush from Sara Carr $39 

28. Silver Bubble Wand from Nina Gibson Designs $38 

29. Coco Doll from Beeb $43.50 

30. Mushroom Bowling $28 from Muddy Feet 

31. Yellow and Blue Wooden Toy Boats from Friendly Fairies $58 

32. Design Your Own Starter Home $18 from The Merc Shop 

33. Shooting Marbles Set from Marble Maam  $9 

34. Tim from Raplapla $56 

35. Walking Blocks from Asher Jasper $40 

36. Pull Raven from Sleeping Forest $28 

What I Bought in London: Tana Lawn

This is Liberty.  Much like Tiffany's, it feels like nothing bad could ever happen to you in place like this.  That is, until you rashly blow your son's college fund on Tana Lawn.  But have a look at this some of the fabric and you will understand how all common sense evaporates...

Tres joli, non?   There was a quilt there that was made from nothing but Tana Lawn and merely touching it I was immediately lost in a reverie of what it would be like to sleep under it, at once silky and crisp, pretty as spring, certain to keep nightmares at bay.  Even with your husband waiting patiently for time without end as you walk up and down the aisles, again, and again, and again, trying to decide which of these little pretties will come with you--even if it does mean a trade school education for your son-- am pretty sure at least some of you can understand why I could not leave London without several yards tucked safely in my suitcase. (and did I mention that you need not even visit London to buy your own?  Find their full selection of fabrics right here...)

Color Your Own Valentine's Cards

Are you like me? I refuse to buy commercial, "character" based valentines. At least for now while Beeper still does not realize he has a choice in the matter and is happy to go along with whatever his mama puts in front of him.

Like these Color Your Own Valentines Cards I purchased from Etsy--a $3.99 pdf purchase=as many valentine's as you can manage to print + a donation to the Children's Heart Foundation. I love that. Don't you?

The pdf consists of 12 different hand drawn valentines by various Etsy artists and not a dud in the bunch, I tell you. They are all sweet and lovely. Also that donation was a clincher for me.

So, rather than coloring valentines for each of his classmates, Beeper is packaging a little set of these cards for them to color themselves. Brilliant--right? A little gift and a valentine all in one envelope (never mind that we did almost the exact same thing last year--new school, new kids--they'll never know). I made a little band for the cards and Beeper addressed some brightly colored envelopes and now we are set for Friday's Valentine's Day shindig.

Interested in the cards? You can buy your own set here. Interested in doing something like what we did? You can download the band we made for the cards here:

DOWNLOAD VALENTINE CARD BAND

Happy Valentine's Day.

Bitty Birdie For Haiti

A new little plushie chicken with all the usual accoutrement has been created and the details for its listing has been sent to the Craft Hope for Haiti effort. The posse over at Craft Hope have been inundated with donations so despite all their best round-the-clock efforts, it is taking up to 24 hours for new donations to appear in their Etsy Shop they have set up to benefit Doctors Without Borders in support of Haiti. So, if you are interested in making the above little Birdie yours, all I can tell you is keep an eye on their shop.

And in case you have not been following, you should know that the Craft Hope for Haiti effort has already raised $7000 (in only two days!) from all that has been sold in the Etsy shop. Amazing, I tell you. I feel so proud to be part of this effort, however small my part may be--because it is grass roots and it is all about how a lot of little donations can make a difference. If you have not been over to the shop--go over and check it out. They are constantly updating as new stuff is in and it is selling very quickly.

In fact, I did a little shopping myself. Bought these lovely little organic cotton pink booties for a friend's baby shower that is coming up. They were made and donated by Funchi. So sweet and could be a lovely little heirloom. But best of all, that $28 I spent will all go to help the people of Haiti.

Handmade Toy Nirvana

Have you been trolling for handmade gifts as much as I have?  Scouring the pages of Etsy?  Late nights, red and bleary eyed in front of the computer?  No?  Well, fine--but I have.  I admit, I frickin' ADORE shopping for toys--I mean, I make plushies and toys in all of my spare time, so of course buying them turns my crank too. And I have found so many fantastic and lovely toys on Etsy this year and I just feel obligated to share them with you--because what if somewhere, one of you is desperate to find a handmade toy for a sweet little girl or boy?  Or need to buy something for that crazy friend of yours who makes plushies and toys during all her spare time but you are at a total loss as to what to buy her?  

Let me tell you, dear Chez Beeper Bebe friends, I so have your back on this one.  You can relax, take a deep breath, light a cigarette, pour a glass of wine and calmly click any of the links below to the toys pictured above and handmade toy nirvana awaits you...

1. Wee Bird Plushie from Krakra craft, $5
2. Beetle Style Car from Imagination Kids, $6
3. Little Red and Wolfboy Notebooks from The Black Apple, $14
4. Block Set by Fidoodle, $85 (this is so brilliant--it is a puzzle, a mix and match people set, a building set, and  features little red riding hood and peter and the wolf)
5. Garbage Truck by NinDesign, $38
6. Custom-Made Paxton Doll by Project Grab Bag, $65
7. Yoyo by Goose Grease, $5
8. Idaho Little Monster from Cotton Monster, $58
9. Wooden Max Truck with Blocks Trailer from Gaga Baby Boutique, $65 (lovely wooden stuff in this shop...)
10. Farminals by Goose Grease, $18
11. Stick Me FLICKr sticker N1 Sticker Book from Yaelfran, $12 (stickers designed in collaboration with 8 different illustrators--stickable art, I tell you)
12. Lacing Tree with Apple and Pear by Linen Kids, $13
13. Olootee Doll by Raplapla, $56 (love!)
14. Tops from Urban Turn, $3.50 each
15. Dress Up Belle and Boo Paper Dolls by Belle and Boo, $10 (with more outfits to download for FREE from Belle and Boo's blog)
16. Bitty Bebe Doll with Play Accessories from Beeper Bebe, $50 (wait, how did that get in here? )
17. Wooden Star House Camera by Star House, $16
18. Small Draw Original Art Coloring Book from Small Magazine
19. Sleepy Red Forest Fox Plushie by Sleepy King, $24 (my fave new plushie artist)
20. Rainbow Stacker from Imagination Kids, $22
21. Car Bingo from Pilosale, $28
22. Baby Oobee Sleepy Set from One Girl, $32
23. Wooden Toy Boat from Friendly Fairies, $28
24. Alphabet Flashcards from A Little Hut, $8 (more printables, people!)
25. Dinosaur Stamp Set by NoraJane, $10 (I bought a set of these for Beeper)
26. Breakfast Set (9 piece) from Forever and After, $55
27. Lego Crayon Set from Gaddy Nipper Crayons, $4.50
28. Ernesto the Softie Red Dog Plushie from Pink NouNou, $60
29. Tell Me a Story Set from The Small Object, $35 (also bought these for Beeper)
30. Kiki the Paperdoll from Elsita, $20

Downloadable Calendar Love

I am so in love with the downloadable calendars available on Etsy, right now, as we speak. Between you and me, I have ordered 4 already--and I may be back for 1 or 2 more of the above.  Does this seem irrational and like I may have some sort of hoarding problem around which a reality show could be constructed?  Well, I like to merely think of myself as smart and thrifty--because, what I plan to do with all of these calendars (aside from revel in their design during spare moments) is to give them for christmas gifts--one for everyone on my gift giving list--friends, family, teachers, coworkers, you-frickin-name-it--they are ALL getting one of these calendars this year.  And this is the beauty of the $5 downloadable, PDF calendar, non?  You can make as many copies as you please and give them out to the paperboy, neighbors, newly acquired friends on street corners...whomever, whenever.  Give, give, give.  And also, since you do have to print and assemble them, I think they can at least partially count as handmade--right? (and with the Decorate Your Own from A Little Hut, well you get full handmade credits there).

And for your own reference and further perusal, these are the calendars pictured above (listed left to right, from top row to bottom):

1. Patterned Initials by A Little Hut
2. Printable Nature Calendar by Blue Tricycle
3. Printable Calendar by Yaelfran
4. Blank Calendar--Decorate Your Own by A Little Hut
5. Petit Paris by Little Brown Pen
6. Simple Woodcuts by E.M. Papers
7. Printable Monthly Colorful Animal by Printable Project
8. Vintage Silhouettes by Red Door Studio

The downloadable calendar is pure genius, if you ask me.  I wish everything was downloadable and endlessly reproduce-able and cost only $5 for the pleasure...

Reading is Cool--and so is Studio Mela

You may recognize this from the booty I brought back from the No Coast Craft O'Rama some time back--I just never got around to framing and hanging it until this weekend......and now it is on the wall in our little TV room upstairs, looking perfect above Beeper's ever swelling collection of books he keeps stacked on the radiator in there. It is by Studio Mela--whose work I love. Her paintings are so simple and modern and sweet and happyhappy all knotted into one lovely print. Here are some of my personal favorites...I Love Your Egg BeatersMy Little MonstersMake Believe (because I so love Little People). And if I have it my way, I would buy them all, but the only problem is that I am short on wall space...but if I think long and hard enough I may be able to come up with a place to hang just another couple pieces of her work in my house (I already have the So Very Happy print above in my workshop). And, just a little mention that one of my Mr Cottontails was included in an Etsy Finds write up today on the Storque--you can see that right here. Happily, the little chocolate brown bunny sold almost immediately so he is off to a good home before Easter is upon us...

Batman Story Book and Other Toys for Pre-School Superheros

Yes, Beeper's deepest pre-school desire is to be a superhero. He LOVES them like crazy. Every morning he and Mr Beeper play a game where Beeper must overcome some sort of supervillan that shoots cold jelly and globby oatmeal (yeah, I know--I didn't make it up though...). Also, every wish of his somehow incorporates something to do with a superhero like Superman, Batman, Spiderman (the triumvirate of all superheros), or any of the lesser heros--Flash, Green Lantern, Wolverine, Elongated Man (yes--there is a real superhero named that)...so we are always on the lookout for cool superhero toys that don't involve plastic action figures that will lose a limb upon being thrown at the pavement the first time (suffice to say we've had to take superman to Mr Beeper's workshop "hospital" many times for limb re-attachments).So, I wanted to share a few of our favorites with you. First off--Beeper loves books--perhaps more than he even loves superheros. And when we found this book--Batman: The Story of the Dark Knight by Ralph Cosentino--well, it was love all around. First off, it is an actual children's storybook with colorful, full page illustrations, aimed at children (i.e. no blood or gore--although Beeper is completely fascinated with blood and has to look closely at other people's cuts--but then promptly declaring it made his tummy sick).But what I really love about this book personally are the illustrations--they are so cool and slightly blocky and very retro (like Batman himself--check out that bod and those gym shorts--hubba hubba).The book really tells the story of how Batman became Batman and what he does now that he is Batman--you know, stays fit, meditates, cruises around in the Batmobile and... captures all supervillans that seem to have relocated to Gotham City. It keeps him busy.The other toy I really dig and that Beeper seems to like too are these cool AND handmade superhero accessories found at Little Hero Capes. They make all manner of superhero accoutrement in a variety of colors and designs--including masks, powercuffs and capes. They are sturdily constructed from a nice, heavy satin--standing up to even the abuse they are subjected to when worn to preschool, passed around amongst the kids, drenched in spilt milk, and wrestled off of one another's wrists. Also, you might like that Little Hero Capes dontates 10% of their sales to charity--very super-hero-like of them.

Zipped Up

I made these easy-peasy to make zip pouches this past weekend--one for my colored pencils in this adorable little train pattern on cotton canvas and... ...one for my sketch book and Beeper Bebe idea and other scribblings book in this lovely little french landscape and black cat print (have I mentioned how much I LOVE all things french?)...you see, I travel lots for my corporate, straight-girl job and I was tired of carrying this stuff around in a gallon-size zip-lock plastic bag, looking all trashy and stuff. It would just bum me out everytime I pulled out the plastic bag--I am weird and sensitive to that stuff and like things to have an aesthetic appeal. And those little Eiffel Towers on my sketch book bag and the cute little trains on the pencil bag just make me feel all happy inside everytime I see them.

These are so super duper simple to make--and I had never ever sewn a zipper into anything before and did it on the first try. I used all cotton canvas to make these--and just all purpose zippers you can find at any old fabric store. Here's what to do:

1. Just cut out your fabric to the size you want your bag to be, including a 1/2 inch seam allowance (so you can trim with pinking shears later)--make sure you cut out two pieces so you have a front and back (you could use two different fabrics for front and back if you wanted to radical like that).
2. Now, if your zipper is just the right size-fab--but if not, measure it to be about the length you want your finished pouch to be--then add 1/2 an inch onto this and cut off the excess. 1/2 inch from the end you just trimmed, you should whipstitch tightly across the zipper several times (this just helps to keep the zipper from seperating later on)
3. Now, fold over 1/2 inch on the top of your fabric/pouch (iron it down if you want--I didn't--I just eyeballed, folded and pinned as I went), then pin your zipper to the fabric so the fabric meets up fairly closely to the teeth of the zipper (you should have about 1/2 inch of unpinned fabric at each end of the zipper--so the zipper is centered in the fabric), repeat on the other side with your other piece of fabric. Now, with the right sides of the fabric facing up, sew the zipper onto the fabric (both pieces of fabric), sewing close to the edge of the fold of the fabric--MAKE SURE YOU USE THE ZIPPER FOOT ON YOUR MACHINE OR YOU WILL BE SORRY. Really. (again, I'd never used my zipper foot before and had to get out the manual to identify it, but it worked like a charm).
4. Now unzip your zipper at least half way down, and pin your two pieces of fabric together with the wrong sides of the fabric facing out. Sew the two pieces together around the remaining 3 sides, leaving about 1/2 inch inseam, then trim the inseam with pinking shears so you don't get lots of annoying unraveling threads inside your pouch.
5. Turn your pouch right side out and VOILA! Instant zip pouch happiness.

I also made some for my neices for Christmas, stuffed full of art supplies from Stubby Pencil Studio which has THE BEST eco-friendly art supplies and fantastic customer service (if you ever require it)...

This one was for Sarah and contained Smencils (pencils with a scent that are made from recycled newspapers--so reminds me of scratch n'sniff stickers), watercolor crayons, a sketchbook made from recycled paper, and the Doodles at Dinner coloring book that is all paper placements meant to be torn out and drawn upon at will...And this one was for Hannah: soy-based crayons, a little sack of crayon rocks, natural playdough, and some little tools to go with it, and the Doodle All Year coloring book (that is so cool that I could hardly give it up--but it helped that I bought one for Beeper too so at least I can draw in his if I get too desperate).

And all of the lovely cotton canvas fabrics I used to make these came from Crafty Planet in NE Minneapolis--but they also have an on-line shop you can find here if you do not live here and are desperate for some of their fabric-y goodness.