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.

Burberry Baby Snowsuit - Fancy!

Oh yes, I'm so going there. I'm posting about a snowsuit on the last day of August. Why not get crazy... it is Friday, tomorrow starts a new month, and I am headed to Chicago for a weekend of awesomeness. And let's face it, winter will be here before we know it. Normally I think that shiny snowsuits somewhat resemble Hefty bags:

Come on, it's a little uncanny isn't it? But... now I'm going to be a hypocrite. I love this one from Burberry. Something about the combination of the dark, shiny material paired with the softness of the check lining and faux fur works for me. Or maybe it's just because it's Burberry, but who can say? The hood is detachable and the entire thing is machine washable; the only downside in my opinion is that there are no detachable mittens or booties. Half of the sizes are already out of stock, so get yours while you can for $335.00 at Children Salon.

A Beautiful Outfit by Chloe Baby

Be still my heart. Chloe's baby collection is just amazing. Words that come to mind: classic, soft, French, sophisticated, stunning. Soft gray flannel pleated shorts with an elastic waist give the appearance of traditional wool but will be as soft and comfortable as pajamas. The top is a cotton/silk blend (maybe even more comfortable!) with a ruffly empire waist. Little pink flowers and a rhinestone logo add the final feminine touch. Amazing. I can see white tights and little black shoes under the shorts and maybe a beret and black jewelry of some sort? Endless possibilities. Find the shirt for $145.00 and the shorts for $150.00 at Neiman Marcus.

D&G's Ugly Sweater Party

Okay... I don't know if I'm in a particularly opinionated mood or what, but this sweater is just... yikes. Not really sure what Dolce & Gabbana is going for here, but it doesn't seem to be working for me. Something about the combination of the knit flowers paired with the brown remind me of a pillow my grandmother made back in the 80's. It was a beautiful pillow perfect for the 80's, not material for a sweater in 2012. Vintage is all the rage nowadays and I'm guessing that is what D&G is going for here, but I'm just not digging it. Made of 100% wool, this unique gem is sure to keep your baby warm. Find it for a nominal cost of $450.00 at Neiman Marcus.

Fancy Fur Baby Booties

Well... it doesn't get much fancier than this: fuzzy leopard faux fur, pink velvet ribbon tied into bows on the sides, and a rhinestone logo. Under normal circumstances, if I read a description like that I'd turn up my nose. It just sounds like too much, doesn't it? But... in this case it's not. It's not at all. Let's call it "Monnalisa Magic," because everything they touch is just pure gold. These are fantastic. If I was out somewhere and saw a baby wearing them, I'd stop and inquire. They almost even make me excited for winter. Almost. These are sure to sell out quick, so get them while you can for $101.00 at Children Salon!

Designer Pacifier Bags!

Talk about a luxury! Who even has an inexpensive regular bag for their baby's pacifier? Don't most people just use a ribbon or cord to attach it to the actual baby? Well, if that is not fancy enough for you, consider this cute little leopard print pacifier bag from Roberto Cavalli. It cracks me up that this has a strap like a wristlet. Perfectly girly with wild leopard print and gold logo, this would make a very unique gift that you can pretty much guarantee no one else at the baby shower will bring. For a whopping $107.00. And if this one is a bit too feminine for you, how about this blue Zucca print pacifier bag from Fendi:

This one is a bit more low-key and suitable for a chic baby boy. Wouldn't the two make fun boy/girl twin gifts? That is, if you have another $104.00 to spend on this one. Style is not cheap! Find both at Children Salon.

From People.com: Mini Straw Fedoras

Could these kids be any cuter? A straw fedora is the perfect summer accessory and who says that kids can't rock them as well?? From left to right: Honor Warren, Skyler Berman, and Vida McConaughey. I am loving Vida's dress as well! Find more cute mini-celebrities at People.com.

Catimini Winter 2012: A Sneak Peak

So while I am finally ready to welcome the idea of fall (not actual fall, just the idea of it), there is no way that it's time to think about winter. The Christmas season - my favorite time of year. Everything else about winter - ie ice scrapers, snow driving, dark at 5:00... not my cup of tea. That being said, these items from Catimini's winter 2012 line were too adorable to not share. We will call it "getting our feet wet," so maybe when actual winter arrives it will not be such a shock. Find all of these at Children Salon.

Baby Bag Trend: Patterns.

Patterned bags aren't just for adults anymore! Okay... so baby bags are still carried by adults. But still. I have always been a huge fan of the crazy colorful patterns found on Petunia Pickle Bottom's bags, and it seems like more and more brands are taking that carefree, fun approach. When you reach into your bag to grab the extra pacifier because your child lost theirs for the 1000th time, wouldn't you feel better if you were reaching into a bag like these?? The top bag is Dolce & Gabbana, followed by Kate Spade, then Marc by Marc Jacobs and you can find them ALL at Saks.

TOMS Mary Janes! With Glitter!

Yes yes and YES. After overcoming my anti-hipster attitude-induced distaste for TOMS shoes, I have all but fallen in love with them. I especially love their "One for One" motto: for every pair of shoes purchased, a pair is donated to someone in need. So the hipsters had the right idea... this time anyway. Red glitter shoes are fabulous and fun for any little girl, even if they are not familiar with the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy's famous ruby slippers. Sometimes about them just makes you feel like dancing around. And with their super durability, your little girl can dance until she drops. Find these for $36.00 at Neiman Marcus.

Fall Accessories from Neiman Marcus

Okay okay, I am finally warming up to the idea of fall being around the corner. The end of summer is weird isn't it? You feel ready for sweatshirts and leaves on the ground and football, but feel sad to leave behind sunny days by the pool and daylight until 10pm. This fall is special for me, as my last day at my at my day job is September 7. But I have already been ranting enough about that. So here we have a handful of pretty autumn things. On top, a very expensive ($290.00) baby changing pad by Gucci, a fair isle blanket set by Ralph Lauren (is it not the sweetest thing you have ever seen) and ribbed tights by Tartine et Chocolat. Note the little rhinestone butterfly on the ankle. Okay fall, I'm ready to accept your entrance. Find all of these at Neiman Marcus.

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.