Bright Summer Patterns from Kenzo!

Ugh, why is it only mid-January?? The only silver lining I am seeing to this situation is that it means I still have about four months to get "bikini ready" as they say. The holidays once again caused me to loosen my belt a notch... but that's what it's all about right? In any case, I am loving the colorful sunny patterns that Kenzo is showing for their spring/summer 2013 collection. My favorite is definitely the strawberry print headband pictured at the bottom. Also in this print you can find dresses, hats, you name it. So so adorable. Tons of bright bathing suits too, both one pieces and bikinis. Now all we need is some sun. Get ready for it and find these and more at Children Salon!

The Perfect Holiday Dress from Baby Graziella

Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas party, church on Christmas, New Years Eve... this dress is perfect for all holiday occasions. It is a wonderful combination of wool and cashmere, combining all sorts of textures from the ribbed top to the sequin bubble skirt to the soft satin bow belt. I love dresses that you could pair with both white or black as far as tights, shoes, and accessories go. This dress falls right into that category. This hat by Ciccino would be an adorable addition to the outfit:

And maybe pair them with these little black patent shoes from Early Days:

Why am I all of a sudden excited for the holiday season? Why am I wishing I had a baby in my life (umm not necessarily my own) to buy these things for? Almost too much cuteness to handle. Find all of these at my all-time favorite, Children Salon.

Big News and Fall Approaches!

Umm so once again, Designer Baby disappeared off the radar for a while. The reason is something that I find to be pants-wetting exciting, but does not involve some great magical mystery.

I quit my day job. I did. Finally. I put in my notice on Monday, and believe my boss thought I was having a stroke. I walked into his office, said I needed to talk, sat down, and no words came out. Then tears came out. Lots and lots of tears. Typical chick move! But I did it, gave a month notice. Four weeks from now I am going to be HOME FREE.

Here is my small soapbox speech: if you are not happy with something in your life, change it. You choose nearly everything you do and you absolutely choose everything you feel. Yes, hard times and tragedies cannot be avoided, but you choose how to react to them, how to deal with them. This life is so precious and so beautiful, and every single person deserves to be happy every single day.

Now, onto the good stuff. Since I have been so preoccupied with quitting and figuring out everything surrounding that, I have barely kept up on the new clothes coming out for fall. Just did some browsing and WOW have I been missing out. Now there's a treasure trove of things begging to be talked about. First up, this tartan dress by Fendi:

Maybe my Scottish roots have something to do with this, but tartan makes me go crazy. I think I wore the same tartan skirt to church every Christmas when I was younger for like four years in a row. It can be so versatile. Like this dress... you could do white tights, you could go super-sleek and do black tights, then a fur jacket? A black bolero? Or how about a white cardigan? It's fantastic to have so many options, especially if you are someone like me who gets bored easily. Oh, and how about the little bow below the peter pan collar? It has the Zucca print pattern on it. Thank you Fendi for being consistently awesome. Find this dress (and some accessories too!) for $262.00 at Children Salon.

Hello Expensive Fendi Baby Dress!

Okay first of all, happy best part of Friday to my fellow M-F 9-5ers!! How great does it feel on an early Friday evening when you have the entire weekend in front of you? And when it is a beautiful evening (in the midwest it is anyway) AND the first weekend of summer? Bliss. What a magical evening. Aaaanyway, let's go over the top right now and talk about this new dress from Fendi's baby collection. Talk about classic: soft satin with a Peter Pan collar and organza overlay with simplistic flower embroidery. It's beautiful... although despite the color it honestly reminds me more of a holiday dress. IE pair it with black tights and shoes, add a black bolero or cardigan, and voila: instant hit. But I suppose at the same time you can add some cream colored open toed sandals and have a sweet summer look as well. Oh, and the price? How about $356.00, at Children Salon.

Adorable Top & Bloomers Sets from Stella McCartney - ON SALE!

Oh my goodness... it's like a delicious combination of boho and eyelet and ruffles and patterns... These top and bloomers sets from Stella McCartney Kids are too cute for words. I am loving the all white Isabella set because there are about a million options for accessories and shoes... not to mention there is eyelet. Eyelet makes me crazy; I adore it. And with the Lorena paisley patterny colorful set just as much; anything boho also makes me crazy.And the best part? They are both on sale! The Isabella set is marked down to $101.00 while the Lorena set is just $47.00! Get yours while you can!

Beautiful Simplicity: Baby Dior's Tulip Print

I've said it once and I'll say it again: I love seeing the signature prints emerge from the big brands every season. How fun would it be to be the person who looks at the work of presumably hundreds of talented designers and pick their favorite to be used in future items? I'm sure it's as stressful as it is fun, but still. So far this season I'd have to say my favorite is Baby Dior's tulip print. It is so soft, sophisticated, classic, beautiful... the list goes on. I'm also loving the white stick detailing you can see in various parts (like around the edges of the pattern itself on the dress and romper). Reason #19829845 why I love Baby Dior. Find all of these and more at Children Salon.

I Pinco Pallino Makes Expensive Pretty Things.

It's so much fun to stumble upon a brand that I have never heard of and learn a little bit about the story behind it. Today a gorgeous dress caught my eye while I was peeking around Children Salon. A few clicks later I was falling in love with the brand I Pinco Pallino. Children Salon describes the brand, "Founded by Imelde Bronzieri and Stefano Cavalleri in 1980, I Pinco Pallino is a romantic brand with fairytale detailing that demands attention." I can definitely see the fairy tale quality in these dresses; they are just stunning! Maybe even a little Alice In Wonderland-esque? In any case, these are every girly-girl's dream. The only downfall one may find would be the huge pricetags... these dresses will set you back anywhere between $300 and $500! Oh the price we pay to be stylish.

A Couple Girly Things from Juicy Couture!

To me it seems that Juicy's baby collection just keeps getting better and better. Or maybe it's because the brand has slowly won me over with it's baby and kids collection, who knows. Who wouldn't want to be folding these into their baby girl's suitcase while packing for a summer vacation? They are so beachy and whimsical and just plain cute. It's hard to believe that summer is already here again. Everything about this time of year is just fantastic to me. If you have a fun vacation planned and need a couple of perfect outfits for one lucky lady, you can find these at Saks.

Bright Colors from Versace

I am a sucker for yellow. I cannot tell a lie... I have that olive skintone that can pull the color off very well and I wear it pretty often once the warmer months roll around. This little dress from Versace is obviously very yellow and thankfully the "Babies Can Pull Off Anything" rule can be called into play and skintone is no matter. The detailing at the bottom is just precious. Brighten up your favorite girl's wardrobe and find this for $325.00 at Lavish Kids.

Mixed Pattern Dresses from D&G Junior

So these are pretty genius. New for Spring/Summer 2012 from Dolce & Gabbana Junior, I am loving how these dresses use such different elements from D&G's arsenal of recognizable patterns. All three have denim zip-up backs and adorable denim pockets on the front to complete the look. It's never too soon to bulk up a girl's A-line dress collection! Find all three for $256.00 each at Children Salon.

Precious Patchwork from Janie and Jack

What is it about patchwork that just never gets old? I used to have this doll quilt when I was little. I don't remember where it came from or who made it, but every single patch on it was different. I had favorite patches, least favorite patches, and would never get tired of looking at them all. Perhaps I was a bit of a strange child... but now as an adult that love for patchwork is still there. Janie and Jack's colors and styles are always so cheerful, and their Spring 2012 things are certainly no exception. My favorite items are, of course, the patchwork ones. How can you look at these and not think of a warm Spring day? We are getting so close!

Some Lovely Red Dresses

So I have been teerrrrrible about blogging this month! I feel like there has been so much going on. I just had a birthday, spring has arrived about a month early, and I have been indulging in weekend trips left and right! I need to get back on track here. I know my last post was about red things, but truly I cannot get enough of them. One thing I love about Children Salon is that when you are viewing an item, they have a "You might also like" feature at the bottom, which is how I found these beautiful red-accented dresses. 

First is a simple and cute creation by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada. I am not a fan of the heart on the belt, but the scalloped bottom makes up for it. And I'm sure you could remove the heart if you really wanted to (I'd probably try). This one can be yours for $92.00.

Next is my favorite, by the always-impressive Monnalisa. It is actually a three piece set that comes with the cute little bolero cardigan and headband. Again, the attention to detail that Monnalisa consistently shows is incredible: from the white trim at the bottom of the cardigan to the ruffle on the headband, it's amazing. This one will cost you a nominal $299.00.

Last is a sweet little ladybug print dress and bloomers set by Moschino. You can tell it is just the softest cotton by looking at it, and the gathered ruffles at the bottom are too adorable. This one you can purchase for $139.00.

Happy Friday all!

Young Versace Baroque Ruffle Dress

So I am still not super familiar with Young Versace; as of now I have only posted about the shoes. What I am noticing though is that they have that same classic, gentle beautiful-ness that you can see with Baby Dior's designs. Case in point: this girly pink dress. I am loving how each tier is the same color, yet the patterns are all different. One can only imagine how beautiful it must be in person. And to top it all off? It comes with a pair of cute little bloomers. The Young Versace logo in rhinestones on the top of the dress doesn't hurt either. Find this for $204.00 at Children Salon.

Potentially Obsessed with Roberto Cavalli's Floral Print.

Okay okay, I know I already said this when talking about the Cavalli baby nest, but I cannot get enough of this gorgeous floral pattern! It's springy and warm and Easter-y and such a refreshing break from the usual things we see from Cavalli (leopard and ruffles and other fun stuff). This morning was unusually sunny in the Midwest US; lately it has nothing but gloom. It gave me that false sense of feeling that spring is just around the corner, when in reality we probably have a good 5-6 weeks. I suppose I am finding solace in beautiful flowery things like these: just imagine the weather they will be worn in! Hopefully you know someone who either has a little girl or will have a little girl when this magical time of year finally arrives, because this collection is begging to be shared. Find it all (there's more than what is pictured above) at Children Salon.

New From Gucci Baby!

What I love most about these dresses from Gucci: they are all different colors, different styles, different materials, yet all of them have that classic Gucci look. I think my favorite of these would have to be the denim ruffles because that belt is just fabulous. Now all we need is some warm weather to wear these things in! I mean it is almost February; we can say we are on the upswing now right? Find all of these at the always-fabulous Bergdorf Goodman.

Dolce & Gabbana Junior Silk Chiffon Butterfly Dress

Oh my goodness. How many people just found the perfect Easter dress for their daughter? Everything about this gorgeous silk and chiffon is light, springy, and whimsical. I am loving how Dolce & Gabbana is using the same beautiful watercolor-style for the butterflies that we saw in this lovely dress that Baby Dior debuted last year. Normally I am not a huge fan of mass amounts of ruffles, but with this dress they work. Accessorizing this leaves an endless amount of possibilities. Love love love. Find this dress for $376.00 at Children Salon.

Luna Luna Spring 2012 Preview

Let's face it guys: Sunday nights suck. We are right now the furthest away from the weekend. So, to help with that Sunday night feeling (I suggest wine to help as well), here are some beautiful new things to look forward to this spring from Luna Luna Copenhagen:

How I wish it was already time for that warm spring breeze to be blowing through a flowy dress or skirt. Find all of these, plus more spring 2012 items (most are preorder only at the time, just a heads up) at Forest and Zoe.

More Burberry Love!

I swear, there is no one who knows how to work a little traditional denim like Burberry does. It has a certain softness and this warm, all-American feel to it. Like I can see a toddler running through a field of daisies with lemonade in a sippy cup while wearing this dress. WOW. Can you tell I am ready for spring already? This time of year is always really exciting though, because who doesn't love seeing the spring and summer lines emerge? I have been particularly impressed with Burberry lately, and this dress is just another example of why. The pleats, ruffles, and sweet little sleeves show such a fantastic attention to detail. And nova check bloomers? Yes please. You can find this dress for a lucky little girl in your life for $142.00 at Children Salon.

A Beautiful White Dress from Fendi

Why does it seem like the spring and summer collections come out earlier and earlier every year? Okay, so I am already over the cold weather. But isn't everyone after the holidays? But am I ready to think bathing suits and sun dresses? No way. I am still flabby, pale, and multiple lbs away from my goal weight. And besides all that, we still have like three months of winter. Seeing spring collections at this point is just depressing, because it is still so far away. So why not be a total hypocrite and talk about this beautiful, breezy, springy dress from Fendi? I can't ignore it; it's a classic. A-line. White cotton. Zucca print. It is simple and beautiful and timeless and everything I could ever expect from Fendi. I'm ready for spring. I'm not encouraging global warming, but I'd be okay with keeping this strange pseudo-winter going. Think spring and find this dress for $245.00 at Children Salon.

Baby Dior Red Pleated Bubble Dress

WOW! I am loving this change from the normal soft pastels and patterns we usually see from Baby Dior. I am a huge fan of red. Red clothes, shoes, accessories, paint, pictures, just not cars. Randomly. Do not like red cars. But anyway, new from Baby Dior, here we have a stunning red silk bubble dress with sweet little pleats and enough ruffles to give it that special girly flair. I love how this dress could be great for Valentine's Day, the holidays (even though they have passed), or even a summer dress if paired with the right accessories and shoes. A break from the ordinary is always so wonderfully refreshing. Find this sweet dress and bloomers set for $394.00 at Children Salon.