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!

Cute New Sandals for Summer!

Baby Graziella

Kenzo

Monnalisa

Roberto Cavalli

I love how summer creeps up every years and somehow I seem to fall short of my springtime fitness goals... except this year I randomly decided to get back into running and am up to five miles a day. Even crazier yet, I have signed up for a half marathon in October. Goals are good to have, right? In any case, one of my favorite parts about summer is ditching the socks and shoes for painted toes and sandals. And why should your little one be left out of the fun? Especially with all of the cuteness popping up around Children Salon lately, wow! I went ahead and picked some favorites (pictured above) but there are soooo many more to choose from. This year seems to be about embellishments galore: ribbons, bows, charms, flowers... loving it all. I guess the only issue might be settling on just one pair or two that you like!

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!

Some Cute New Monnalisa Accessories

I cannot tell a lie: in my opinion Monnalisa can do no wrong. There is just something about the little touches that you can see in every single one of their baby items; it's like every small beautiful detail was taken into consideration. My favorite of these new accessories for Spring/Summer 2012? The stretchy orange print headband. Notice how not only the Monnalisa name is embroidered across the orange, but there are also little rhinestones all over it. Spice up your child's warm weather collection and find these at Children Salon.

New Monnalisa Bathing Suits!

Well... I guess one of the good things about seeing bathing suits in January is knowing that you still have four months to whip your body into shape before you have to be seen in one. Or, you can be a baby and completely oblivious to the horror that bathing suits instill upon many adult women. I envy those ladies who could take a phone call right now, "Hey Sarah! Yeah, it's Melissa. Frankie is having people over, and they have that indoor pool so bring your bathing suit!" And Sarah could toss a bikini in a bag and be good to be, like immediately. The thought of putting on a bikini right now makes me want to run five miles then eat an entire bottle of green tea diet pills (that don't even work). 

Okay sorry for that rant. So here we have some absolutely adorable 2012 bathing suits from Monnalisa. As if we would expect anything different from this untra-feminine and attention-to-detail-gurus brand. I love how daisies always seem to pop up somehow, somewhere. There is just something cheerful about daisies, that you can't exactly put your finger on but you can surely appreciate. All of these (and more!) can be found, ranging between about $80.00 and $100.00, at Children Salon.

Why I Love Monnalisa Gift Sets

Just look at the details on this, on every single piece! How could you choose a favorite part? I'm loving the bunny footies, the adorable bib that looks like a heart-shaped box of chocolates, the trim and logo around the collar, or how about how there is a bunny's booty on the chest?? I swear, every gift set Monnalisa designs leaves me smiling and shaking my head in adoration. I wish I had a special baby girl to give this to for Valentine's Day. Get yours for $132.00 at Children Salon.

Monnalisa Leopard Print Snowsuit...

Oh boy... I don't want to get myself into trouble with what I am about to say here, but... Monnalisa, NOOOOOO!!! I don't know if it is the pink faux fur around the hood, or the belt, or the pink leopard print in general, but I am just not loving this season's girl's snowsuit. This is hard for me to say, because Monnalisa is one of my favorite names; I would pick it over many of the mega-designers any day. But this snowsuit is just a bit... tacky. I love the little pink bows around the ankles, wrists, and neck, but it pretty much ends there. Booties, mittens, and hood are all detachable which is a plus, but I am still left in the negative with this one. Sorry Monnalisa, but don't worry, I still love you. See more details of this $305.00 creation at Children Salon.

Monnalisa Baby Shoes and Boutique For Children

Boutique For Children is an interesting website. I feel like months and months after discovering it, I am still trying to figure it out. The website of an actual boutique in Forest Hills, New York, they carry all of the big names, with a few randoms thrown in there. They carry some of the current seasons styles and some of the previous season's (or year's) styles. Then some things are randomly marked WAY down from retail price. Think almost 50% down. These little gray shoes from Monnalisa for example. Retail price: $110.00. BFC price: $60.00. They do have a clearance section, but a ton of their sale stuff is listed just like the regular stuff. The bottom line: it's worth sifting through because they have some really awesome deals. 

Monnalisa Patchwork Blanket

One year in college, I lived with three other girls. What a mess that was. But one of the girls, in her free time, sewed a quilt. She went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought all different materials that she liked, which was a daunting tast in and of itself considering the amount of material they had there. Then she cut all the pieces into little squares. Then she HAND-SEWED them together, added some stuffing and a solid back side and voila: a patchwork throw. It was amazing and I loved it, but she worked on that thing for like five hours a night for maybe three months. I lack that kind of dedication. But ever since then, I have had an affinity for patchwork blankets and quilts. So naturally, Monnalisa who I love to begin with, comes out with a patchwork blanket! One side is soft ivory fleece while the other side is patchwork squares with a pink fleece trim embellished with bunnies and the Monnalisa logo. LOVE. Find it for $166.00 at Children Salon.

Monnalisa Pink Prewalker Shoes

Aww... Monnalisa's things are always so soft and pretty. These shoes combine satin ribbons, a soft knit outer (it's very hard to see in the picture but there are actually little ivory hearts under the knitting), a faux fur interior, and a frilly front. All things girly and fabulous. And while their prices are definitely high, they are not enough to break the bank. At $88.00, these shoes can be purchased at Children Salon.

Monnalisa Leopard Print Bambi Suitcase

This post is pretty appropriate for me right now because I have had travel on the brain like none other. I haven't been out of the country in YEARS and haven't even taken a significant vacation in quite a while. Call me a jerk, but I do not understand people who have no interest in seeing what is out there in the world... whether that be in your own country or visiting someone else's. Just a thing I guess. In any case, I think this is the first suitcase I have seen my Monnalisa. I generally don't go for their Disney-themed stuff, just because I think that their signature clothing is so amazing by itself, but this is pretty cute. Leopard print and Bambi are kind of an odd combo, but I don't think a little girl would see it that way. The inside is lined with a silky pink material, adding to the femininity. All in all, I am a fan. It is however... a tad pricey. For $283.00, find this example of cuteness at Children Salon.

A Fun 4th of July Hat by Monnalisa: On Sale!

I mean come on, what's not to love about this hat? Granted the "blue" flowers are actually black, I still think this could pass as a very cute hat for the 4th of July. Which, by the way, who can believe is coming up in the next week? Where has time gone. In any case, I stumbled across this hat while browsing around Lavish Kids and I honestly do not know if it is on sale because it is from last year or for some other unknown reason. Point being: it's on sale. Originally $95.00, this sweet little hat is now a whopping 50% off, taking it down to $47.50. Come on, who cares if it's last year's. It's adorable. Don't be one of those people. Just buy the hat. 

Yet Another Beautiful Dress from Monnalisa.

Have I mentioned my obsession with eyelet? Perhaps a time or 200. I am trying to distract myself with all things beautiful tonight and just keep trying to post away, because I am not speaking to a very close friend of mine and am very bothered by it. I was out of town all week on the business trip from hell. I was exhausted. Missed flights, delayed flights, lost luggage, rental cars, ten hour meetings, too much alcohol... it was a mess. I got in just after midnight in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Then my mom came up Saturday day and we planted flowers for about six hours, then Saturday night my aforementioned friend and I had a congratulations party to attend for a friend who was promoted ranks in the military. I messed up and went to the wrong destination to meet this friend (we were carpooling, as the party was a bit over an hour away). He freaked out, like flipping a light switch, called the whole thing off, told me he was over me, and hung up. Did I mention that he is 38 years old? Yeah. Ridiculous. I went to the party anyway, and it was fabulous. 

So aaaaaaaaanyway, back to the distraction from my anger that is this dress. Eyelet is one of my all-time favorite things, and Monnalisa has put a child-like spin on this eyelet, using flowers and small dots for a very playful kind of feel. Then to add a bit of sophistication and dressy flair, the straps are lined with satin rosettes and sweet gold bows. You could dress it up, you could dress it down. Either way, it's a winner. This dress can be found for $275.00 at Mon Petit Child.

New Monnalisa Gift Sets!

Be sure to check out Monnalisa's website to see all of their fantastic spring and summer looks! And, they may have the most adorable pint-sized models I have ever seen. All gift sets can be found at Children Salon.

Monnalisa Red Flower Sandals

Favorite shoes of the new season thus far! While some people may find these to be kind of busy and obnoxious, I am loving the red leather ruffles paired with the multi-colored flowers. They almost remind me of cake icing. Top it off with tiny polka dots on the leather soles, and you have a recipe for a pair of quirky, genius shoes. Monnalisa's Spring 2011 collection has yet to falter for me; every new thing I see I love even more than the one before. See these sandals for a whopping $191.00, plus more of the fantastic line, at Children Salon.

Monnalisa White Daisy Dress

You know... daisies are not my favorite flower. I blame a friendship that went sour on that... I had one of those one-upper friends (like that character Kristin Wiig plays on Saturday Night Live) that made me feel like nothing I did was good enough. When I finally stood up to her, she never talked to me again. Point being: she loved daisies. I guess that is kind of stupid. I actually don't even know why I started talking about that. But everyone knows how people can "ruin" things for you, like a horrible hangover can ruin vodka cranberries for a lifetime. Soooo back to more appropriate baby-friendly things, this daisy dress by Monnalisa is cute enough to help me make peace with daisies. I love the summery yellow trim and the little ruffles. How many more days of winter? For $108.00, this dress is available from Children Salon.

Monnalisa Pink Cupcake Dress

Monnalisa how I love thee. I love thee almost as much as I love cupcakes. Looking at this dress is making me think of these "Smart Ones" strawberry shortcake dessert things that I just bought at the store (they probably suck because they are "healthy"), and now I want them for dinner instead of the pizza I have cooking. Calories do not count on Fridays. It's the law. I believe there are many cupcake lovers out there, both the food and the icon, so many people will go nuts over this dress. I also know this because four of the six sizes it comes in are already sold out. Flowy and springy, this dress can be found for $140.00 at childrensalon.com.

Monnalisa Taffeta Polka Dot Dress

This just screams "birthday party!" does it not? Polka dots are great, they can be big or small, casual or classy, classic or avant garde. Who knew something as simple as a circle could be so fashionably versatile? Monnalisa has always been one of my favorites and this dress is just another reason why. Love the colors and the mixture of fabrics and textures. This can be found for $265.00 at lavishkids.com

Monnalisa Baby Puffer Jacket: Know When to Stop.

You know when you are laying on the couch and your husband/boyfriend/friend/brother/whoever tickles your feet? At first you laugh and yelp, "Stop!" Then they do it again. You laugh more, then say stop again. Then... they do it again. You feel the first twinge of annoyance. "No really, STOP." And then... they do it once more. You become the epitome of fussy. Some people yell. Some kick. Some leave the room. But the message is clear: you need to know when to stop. These are my feelings on the amount of ruffles and folds and floof of this jacket my Monnalisa, who normally I think can do no wrong. It gives me that yikes feeling, like my feet are being tickled for the fourth time. If you like yikes, this can be yours for $255.00 at monpetitchild.com.

Monnalisa 4 Piece Bear Print Gift Set

How can Monnalisa take something so old school, like anything bear print and make it so adorable? I mean, it's bears. Does anyone go for the bear theme anymore? Teensy dots, heather gray, and subtle yet genius details make this four piece gift set just... lovable. The set contains two onesies, a pacifier, and a bib. Put this under someone tree for $225.00, found at lavishkids.com.