New Juicy Couture Swimsuits!

You know what sucks? When you send someone a work email around the holidays and get their auto-reply: "Sorry, Jean Smith is celebrating the holidays with her family in Tahiti! She will respond to you on January 5 when she is tanner, has cool pictures, and is more cultured than you." Damn you Jean Smith! Why am I not vacationing in Tahiti? Why will my boss not let me have three days off in a row but you are allowed to take two weeks? Arggghhh!!! Not that I am speaking from personal experience or anything...

So along these lines, of warm vacations and oceans and sunshine, let's talk about these new swim suits from Juicy Couture. I think it says that they know their audience by marketing them in late December; people who buy Juicy are not waiting for a season to chancge, they are waiting for their Caribbean cruise to launch. So why shouldn't your teensy fashionista have the cutest bathing suit on the block? With so many styles and colors to choose from, Juicy has me impressed already, and we are just now getting our first now in the Midwest! Find these for $58.00-$68.00 at Nordstrom.

Burberry Baby Pink Silk Crepe Dress

Does this remind anyone of Baby Dior's watercolor silk dress from last year??? And I am not at all saying that as a bad thing; in no way do I think that Burberry copied Baby Dior. I think this is another prime example of how while it is exciting and cutting-edge to explore new styles and crazy stuff, it is equally as admirable to stick close to the classics: silk, soft feminine colors, subtle embellishments, and traditional form. If you can put a new spin on a classic that has always been admired, I think that can sometimes be more impressive than creating something completely new and wild. Maybe this is the after-Christmas exhaustion and too-much-Christmas-wine-detox talking, but tonight I am in a traditional mood and this dress is pleasing it. Find it for $155.00 at Children Salon.

Hello Versace Young!

I love it love it love it! In my opinion, every big line and big name should explore the options of a baby collection; I mean why not?? If anything, you have the opportunity for different styles, cuts, and body types if you ever get bored of designing for adults! (Like that would ever happen. But still.) I just love the idea of all the big names having collections for the little people, and the newest on my radar is Versace Young. How adorable are these baby shoes? Sure the top ones are super reminiscent of Gucci and Baby Dior's ballet flats, but they are still classic. And the ornate almost Baroque design on the soft blue flats have me about falling out of my chair. Baroque patterns on modern day baby shoes? Genius. Enough said. For $83.00 (top) and $64.00 (bottom) these perfect little shoes won't even break the bank. Find them both at Children Salon.

Burberry Infant's Check Booties

It's official: the Midwest US is having a brown and gray Christmas this year. I don't think I have ever seen so much rain and dreariness. So, perhaps talking about some pretty Burberry baby shoes will help to brighten things up. Cotton check with soft leather trim, these make me smile because they remind me of the traditional baby shoes you see from back in the day: the awkward ones with the wide toe and high ankle for better support. A modern twist on a classic never hurt anyone! Find these for $115.00 at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Keep Warm In A Fendi Baby Nest

Sooo... my apologies for being so awful about posting lately! The holiday season is busy enough as it is, but it is also the busiest time of year for my day job (medical field... deductible December...) AND this year is even  busier because I am knee-deep in trying to start my own business. I'm hoping for big things in 2012, and I will achieve them. 

That being said, let's talk about warm, soft, cuddly things. It seems like everyone is sick lately. There have been some raunchy jokes circulating around my workplace due to the fact that the same sickness is traveling around to everyone. All we want to do is curl up on the couch with a fleece blanket and NetFlix for the next two weeks. Too bad they don't make Fendi baby nests for adults. New in for the chilly season, this 95% cotton nest comes in both blue and pink and brandishes an all-over tiny-sized Zucca pattern. They are simply adorable, with three poppers on each side for easy wrapping and unwrapping. The perfect thing to take a new baby home from the hospital in, find yours for $230.00 at Children Salon.

Ralph Lauren Baby Gift Set

Okay... I am really hit or miss about Ralph Lauren's baby collection... but this is just so aborable! I am actually having a hard time not typing something totally cheesy like, "They hit a home run with this!" Thank goodness for pride. Anyway, this precious three piece gift set comes with a teddy bear rattle, booties, and a hat that is actually reversible: one side is comfy quilted and the other has a teddy bear pattern. The booties are also quilted and have lace and ruffle embellishments. And an added bonus: everything comes in a branded gift box. Have a special baby girl in mind that could use this set? Get it for $83.00 at Children Salon.

Juicy Couture Floral Print High Tops

High tops crack me up... who ever thought they would come back? I know that I certainly thought that they would forever live in the madness that was the 80's and 90's. Not so much. It is however interesting to note that you don't see a huge amount of high tops for adults, but for kids they are everywhere. It's like they are trying to get us accustomed to the idea first, before re-introducing them into adult fashion vocabulary. I don't think I am ever going to personally speak high top, but for some reason they work so well for baby shoes! [Example #984573984 of the Babies Can Get Away With Anything Rule.] These flowery shoes from Juicy Couture are a great example of high tops really working for the younger crowd. Girly colors and a whimsical feminine pattern meet quasi-punk with the multiple chunky belt buckles making for a funky and fun shoe! Find them for $58.00 at Juicy Couture.

Kate Spade Dizzy Dot Baby Bag

Sometimes I wish that new baby bags were rolled out as often as new regular bags. I know it's not practical; you don't get a new baby bag to go with every outfit like you do with regular bags. You get one and use it until your baby no longer requires 20 lbs of backup materials for a 30 minute trip to the grocery store. What this boils down to is me saying in a roundabout way that I wish I had more baby bags to talk about. However, this cute polka dot creation from Kate Spade is one that I have not seen before. I'm loving the shiny lacquered canvas finish because it makes the polka dots stand out even more. The black and white is awesome because it will match any outfit, any jacket, and stroller... and it of course comes with 10,000 pockets and a changing pad. Get yourself an early Christmas gift! Find this bag for $345.00 at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Faux Fur Kittens In A Hat Box.

This is so the cat lady coming out in me right now. In cat-related news, my kitten Pippa just ate a five inch piece of string about 20 minutes ago. I chased her and was SO CLOSE to pulling it out of her mouth but I missed it, and I am spazzing/beating myself up/freaking out. My neighbor's kitten ate some string and had to have surgery. Hopefully because it was a smaller piece, she will be fine. Kittens! Such a handful! But so cute. Kind of like these faux fur kittens from Posh Tots. A gift that would make the majority of children squeal, each kitten is lovingly crafted using premium faux fur and each has a name (from left to right): Daisy, Violet, and Sweet Pea. Their names are embroidered on their hind paw. If your child wants to give them their own names, so what I do with my kitties: give them a middle name, but call them by their middle name. It's a great way to honor and keep the name of adopted kitties, both alive and pretend (mine are named Iris Lucy and Lily Pippa; but I call both by their "middle" names). If you are a cat person like me, and have a mini cat person who would fall in love with these, they can be yours for $245.00. 

A Crazy Expensive Roberto Cavalli Track Suit.

It's not like this should come as any surprise. Roberto Cavalli is pretty notorious for their tiny infant track suits with the huge gigantic price tags. We see them every season, yet somehow they still blow my mind. Here we have a two piece gray track suit with velour trim in Cavalli's signature peony print that we saw so much of last season. Sure, it's cute. It's girly. It has that fun gold charm with the brand logo. The downside? It costs $469.00. Wow. If you hit the lottery recently, you can buy this at Lavish Kids.

Twin Stars Enamel Bangle Bracelets

So bracelets have been my obsession lately. I think that Pinterest is partially to blame because I have seen some of the cutest bracelets ever popping up on there. The idea of teeny tiny bracelets for babies and toddlers is just adorable to me. Any type of jewelry for kids is just adorable to me. I can still remember the days when my mom used to let me go through her jewelry box; it was like a treasure chest and ignited a love for sparkles and bangles and jewels at a very young age. These enamel bracelets from Twin Stars would be a great way to start your little girl's love for jewelry, with their whimsical and colorful designs. They open and fasten with a clasp, so you don't need to worry about squeezing it around her hand. There are even more colors and designs than this, and you can find them all (including a gift bag) for $39.00 each at Children Salon.

Fendi Baby Three Piece Gift Set with Zucca Print

Oh Fendi... you have my heart for so many reasons. One of the many: adorable gift sets like this one. The repeating baby pink Zucca pattern is the definition of designer babywear. All made from soft jersey cotton, this set comes with a onesie with cute bubble sleeves, a bib with Zucca print trim, and a perfect little hat that will cover your little one's ears to keep them warm. Who wouldn't love opening this on Christmas day? Find yours for $170.00 at Children Salon.

The Most Popular Baby Names of 2011

Well, it's that time of year. Babycenter has released their annual list of the most popular boys and girls names. Here are the results for 2011:

Girls:

1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Isabella
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Lily
7. Chloe
8. Madison
9. Emily
10. Abigail
11. Addison
12. Mia
13. Madelyn
14. Ella
15. Hailey
16. Kaylee
17. Avery
18. Kaitlyn
19. Riley
20. Aubrey

Boys:

1. Aiden
2. Jackson
3. Mason
4. Liam
5. Jacob
6. Jayden
7. Ethan
8. Noah
9. Lucas
10. Logan
11. Caleb
12. Caden
13. Jack
14. Ryan
15. Connor
16. Michael
17. Elijah
18. Brayden
19. Benjamin
20. Nicholas

I am not surprised by most, but am surprised that Madison is still so popular for girls and that Jayden is #6 for  boys. Be sure to check out the entire top 100!

Peel and Place Christmas Tree Wall Decal!

Happy December! Hard to believe it... how is it that the time between summer's end and the holiday season flies like it does? Oh well... my favorite time of year has arrived! So in the spirit of Christmas, let's talk about some fun kid-friendly decor. Is it ridiculous that I kind of want one of these? By Oopsy Daisy Fine Art for Kids, these canvas wall stickers will keep your child busy for potential hours decorating and re-decorating this tree! 140 pieces in all, a full set of letters and numbers are also included for personalized messages and even a little education. Guaranteed to be a hit, this can be yours for $129.00 (and free shipping!) at Posh Tots.