Shower the Baby!
By: Sarah - 8/11/2010
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Sometimes it seems that all of my friends are pregnant. While this is a wonderful time, I'm left scrambling for a baby shower gift. I'm not a huge registry shopper, so I tend to only look at the registry for first-time-moms. But even then, I love to find something that's special and shows that I put the time into thinking about them and their new baby. |
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My favorite thing to give is a high-quality hooded towel. Little Giraffe makes the softest, most durable towels I've found. I bought 2 towels for my daughter when she was born, and I'm still using them now 3 years later. When washed in cold & tumble dried on low, they keep that "new" look seemingly forever. And they are a great size for saddling a newborn or wrapping around a 3-foot-tall toddler.
I like to top these off with a cute bubble bath or rubber ducky. We have some great new bubble baths by Two's Company with wonderful animal faces! |
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Another gift I love to give is a blanket buddy - a hybrid of a blanky and stuffed animal. Bunnies by the Bay makes amazing blanket buddies in all sorts of styles. Most recently they've introduced a ByeBye Buddy that is a smaller version of the standard Buddy - this one has a strap on the back to attach to baby, a car seat or stroller. These are |
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great comforts for kids of all ages. The only thing I suggest is to get a second one if it becomes the child's lovie so they can be washed, moved, or heaven-forbid lost.
BabyLegs has consistantly been voted one of the best shower gifts. They are great for newborns who chill easily, pre-walkers with sensitive knees, and potty-training toddlers. They also make great arm warmers for older kids!
I love to top off a gift with a wonderful stuffed animal bow. Small stuffed animals are great for little hands. I personally love Jellycat and Bunnies by the Bay for these. They both have stuffed animals with loose filling for tiny fingers to grab and love. And wrapping one in the gift bow makes a beautiful package that always gets oohs and ahs from the shower guests. |
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No matter what you decide to give, the important thing is to choose from the heart. Babies are fun, so have fun shopping!
Our Summer Clearance Sale is going on now. We have FREE nightlights with any purchase of $45 or more in the Baby Boutique! |
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Five Simple Rules for Displaying Your Collection
By: Sarah - 7/9/2010
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No matter what you collect, whether it's a specific line like Swarovski or Harmony Kingdom, or it's a group like walrus figurines or angels, there are a few simple rules that will help to create a good-looking display at home.
1. Sort your collection into themes. I have literally hundreds of Harmony Kingdom and Adam Binder Editions, and they are sorted by animal and theme (like cats, birds, African wildlife, road kill, etc.). Georgia has over 300 different walrus figurines. They are sorted by size and material (her Swarovski walrus figurines are together, as are her Adam Binder Editions and Harmony Kingdom pieces). Having groups makes it easier to glance at the collection and see the greater picture.
2. Group in Odd Numbers. Groups of 3, 5, or 7 are more appealing to the eye - especially if your piece are all about the same size. A group of 4 Harmony Kingdom cats, for example will get clumped together by the eye. A group of 5 staggered pieces will be noticed for their individuality.
3. Think of your light source. If your case has no lighting or no lighting from above, you don't want to overcrowd the upper shelves to darken and obscure the view of the lower shelves.
4. Stagger the height of your pieces so you can get more on a shelf without it looking crowded or hard to see the beauty of individual pieces. I use acrylic two and three-step risers for this. But you can be more resourceful... Most collectibles have great boxes (but remember that boxes can conceal the light source). One of my favorite things to do is use glasses turned upside down, small cake displayers, or even blocks of wood.
5. Step back. Most people, including you, will not directly walk up to your case and individually admire every single item. They will simply glance at it. If you've followed the rules above, your display will have a great overall look and a clear point of view.
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