Another Episode of: When Kids Dress Themselves.

This is one of my favorite things about being their Mom.

Adding lots of fun stocking stuffers today!!

Play food, hair accessories, and toy cars, oh my!







Don't forget local yokels, free delivery for ya!

Great Success at the Preschool Boutique

Thanks to the friends, neighbors and families at the preschool who came to shop at our two day boutique! We raised over $400 for the WomenShelter of Long Beach! I had a great time, and did some really fun shopping! See ya next year!

New Poll

In an effort to be more connected and conversation-ey with you friendly faceless readers out there... I put up a little poll on the right hand side of this page. See it? Right over there --->

Put in your vote to my pointless conversation!

stocking stuffer: organic bamboo filled fabric blocks

These beautiful, heirloom quality blocks are made with beautiful quilted fabric & organic bamboo batting. Bamboo is naturally anti-microbial, so this is a great thing to allow baby to gnaw on without worrying about germs, toxins or other nasties getting into her system.

They are machine washable, and just air dry them to last from infancy through toddler-hood, and beyond.

Also make darling nursery decor!

Find them here.

These are the last two... we sold out of the rest - a great stocking stuffer!

New: Organic Onesies by Simple Syrup

We've been selling out of baby clothes like crazy... just more proof that this recession is making a lot of babies!

We're happy to oblige, by getting in some beautiful, bold and very one-of-a-kind onesies by Simple Syrup. Artist Danielle Duer uses her amazing artwork to print these organic onesies, with eco-friendly inks.

See more of her art here
See and buy the shirts here

Handmade Holiday

There is a great e-magazine over at Little Miss Heirlooms, and I was a guest contributor for the premier issue! I am not tech savvy enough to post my word document layouts with the snazzy links that I sent to her here, sadly... so I just copied the text for you to read. Here you go!

Last week I thoughtfully penned my Christmas shopping list. I will not, however, be heading to the mall the day after Thanksgiving. (okay I never had the gusto for that, but you get my drift.) I will be taking my cash directly to the craft fairs.

I hit the farmers market for some gourmet breads and local honey and jam. My mama friends will get some swanky writing papers and embossed snazzy pencils from a local crafter, picked up at a craft fair.

The kids have gotten some amazing toys, like the toy barn lovingly hand-crafted in North Carolina by Etsy seller Stevens Creations, and hand-knit doll clothes made by the mother of a local art gallery owner.

why buy handmade?
it’s more fun. I have a much better time with my family being outside, slowly perusing vendors, enjoying local eats, than dragging the clan to the mall. Trying to park, trying to hear each other over the roar along the cavernous, endless marble floors.
I buy cooler stuff. Beautiful, interesting things that my friends and family hadn’t seen before.
I support a neighbor. I love getting a chance to meet the person behind the craft. It makes it more personal, and allows me to tell a cool story to whomever I’ve given the gift.
people love getting something unique. It gives them a chance to shine!

More good info at Buyhandmade.org

Where Do I Go?
Online:
Etsy.
Featuring over 170,000 sellers, you can search for any item and likely find it.

Indie Fixx.
This site is like an 'indie mall' featuring a juried mix of designers & boutiques.

Shop Handmade.
One stop Handmade shopping.

Near You:
Craft Fairs. They are popping up in most major cities. Our local Patchwork Craft Fair has over 60 handmade vendors all in one location. Also check for small events at churches, non-profits, and schools. You never know what you might find!

I also made a gift guide. Here is the image, but of course the links don't work... not tech savvy, remember... I'm learning...






For anyone who loves yummies.
Snowflake cookies by Sugar Cookie Couture.


For her.
Hydrangea ring by Patrick Irla Jewelry.


For him.
Custom initial cufflinks by Conjured Memories


For baby.
Eco-spun felt shoes from theOutfit.


For the cool high-schooler.
iPod/iPhone case from L'atelier de Luluu.


For the home.
“best before” porcelain vase from Ricochet Studio




The e-magazine can be seen here. I wanted to share my layout, because it looks a little different than what was published and I was a little bit excited that I made it look decent with my limited know-how! Ha! There are some great items to check out, and some generous discounts to super cute online stores. Be sure to check out the Food For Thought Challenge.

Featured on this darling blog: Sumiko Shop

Thank you to Evelyn, the blogger behind the lovely Sumiko Shop, for having the Outfit as a guest this week! I always find inspiration in the cuteness she features on her blog, and darling jewelry and accessories she has available in her etsy shop:

(case in point)

Thanks, Evelyn!

What the... Who the...

This is kind of Mark's uniform for the weekend. A white t shirt, his brown hat, and sunglasses.

One of these men is not Mark. One is our dear and talented friend Mr. Dan Ballou.

They fooled both wives and one child.

Decmeber 3 & 4: Holiday Boutique @ Belmont Heights Church Preschool

This is where Elliette goes to school three days a week with her buddies! We love our school, and the Outfit is excited to be organizing this year's Holiday Boutique. We have 20 vendors!! Lots of great merchandise from local favorites such as:
The Kids Are Alright, Kait Emerson Designs, My Funky Little Monkey, Friendkidly, Sugar Cookie Couture, Kangacoo, Baby Bubbles, Medlyesque, Lisa Faye Dawson, Lily Morell, Baby Taylored, Kiki Originals, Bird Candles, and more. There will surely be something for everyone on your list!

This is a fund-raiser for the Womens Shelter Long Beach. Please come for some convenient, meaningful shopping!

Come to the Belmont Heights Church Preschool on 3rd & Termino in Belmont Heights.

Felt Animal Blocks featured on Cafe Mom!

Cafe Mom has been a go-to community and blog for cool moms for three years now, and I have enjoyed it for quite some time!

I was so happy and flattered that Cafe Mom showed our Felt Animal Blocks!

The blocks are all hand-made by Plushkins here in Southern California with no buttons or plastic parts, all felt, sewn and glued.

Thanks, Cafe Mom!

Nic Hess @ Hammer Museum

We recently had a family trip up to the Hammer Museum at UCLA. We went primarily to see the work that Nic Hess did in the entry. His work is made up mostly of tape, and the effect is striking. It was a great day, followed up by the veggie soup at Jerry's and an ice cream sandwich at Diddy Reese! (this time I went with chocolate chip cookies & espresso ice cream... all made fresh, and to my order! Heaven!)

But, honestly, the best part was just the time with our family.

Congrats Giveaway winners!

Thanks to all who joined in the giveaway!

Congratulations to Liz & Anne - can't wait to see how you spend your gift certificate!

We are excited to be at the Patchwork Long Beach Craft Fair on Sunday Nov 29th! Lots to see and do... a craft area for kiddos, great food, live music, beautiful hand-made goods, and more. Please come support local, handmade merchandise and sellers, and enjoy the beautiful Long Beach sunshine!

more info here.

Happy Birthday Lady Elliette!

Happy 4th Birthday, my love!

Paint your own Shape Puzzle!

Just added to our e-store today! This is the perfect holiday gift for a cool kid you know. Something they can use to be creative and learn about color and shape!

This wood puzzle is handmade in upstate New York, and left unfinished. With kid-friendly non-toxic paints and brushes, your little DIY-er can design and customize a puzzle to his liking.

This also will make a great keepsake, something to pass down as we all grow up…

Puzzle measures about 9″×12″. Click here to buy.

Pigeons! They flew the coop!

Hands down, the Best. Costume. Ever.

Staci's little girls requested to be pigeons... so she made these costumes up! She's my hero of the week!

Little Miss Heirlooms Giveaway: vote on your gift pick!

Our friend Madeline is turning 3!



This poll is in conjunction with a giveaway on the wonderful Little Miss Heirlooms blog. Your vote on this will count as one entry in the contest! (Please go to her post for full contest details.) the Outfit will give two winners a $25 gift certificate for use in our e-store or at one of our local boutique events!

So, back to this poll. We need your help! What would you give a 3 year old who is full of energy, loves pigeons, is always smiling, and enjoys her music loud?

Here are my top picks from the Outfit e-store:

1. She's pretty as a picture, so the frame tee is suiting.


2. She's being primed to excel at games, so this tic tac toe set would be fitting.


3. She will look just as darling as she is talented helping her very artistic mom and dad wearing this art smock.


Those are my top three picks, but I'm open to suggestions. Please look at all of our gift ideas here, and vote on what you think Madeline would love most!

Thank you to Little Miss Heirlooms for hosting this fantastic giveaway! Be sure to read her blog post about this giveaway to find out additional ways to be entered to win! You'll love looking through her blog, too, it's a great read.

Thanks!

KLT:works seen on the street!

Check out this cutie pie! His Mommy bought him this KLT:works Owl tee before he was born! Lookin' good, Mr. RAD!

This shirt is available here.

Goodbye Broadway, Hello to new ventures!

Hello, friends!

While we are sad to say goodbye to our retail location on Broadway in Long Beach, we are looking forward to
our new venture as an online shop - still devoted to bringing
handmade, unique and one of a kind baby and kids merchandise to Long
Beach and beyond!

Why now? Because we're expecting our third kiddo in March!

To say farewell we're offering an additional 15% off all merchandise
in the store during the last week of October. Come on in for some
great early holiday shopping!

Be on the lookout for announcements about our up-coming events! (have
you heard? Patchwork Craft Fair is coming to Long Beach Nov. 29th!
Mark your calendars and watch for more info)

All of our wonderful mailing list subscribers who live in (or near)
Long Beach will receive free local delivery, usually availabe same-day
for any last-minute shoppers our there! Please remeber us when you are
planning for a birthday party or baby shower. We're still local and
available to you! If you're not on the mailing list and want to be, just send me an email at WeAreTheOutfit@gmail.com and let me know.

Thanks to all of you for making our time on Broadway so successful and
vibrant! Let's keep in touch!

All the best,
Angie

Diapers on the site! Yay!

All In One cloth diapers are the perfect introduction to cloth diapering. Such a good introduction, in fact, you’ll never need a different diaper!

These diapers are all one piece, no stuffing, pinning, or covers are needed. Just put it on baby, wash, and use again!

Give your baby a stash of beautiful, economical, absorbent, leak-proof modern cloth diapers that are effective, save money, and are fun to use! Eli Monster cloth diapers have a soft suedecloth interior that wicks moisture away from baby’s skin, a super absorbant microcloth internal soaker, a waterproof PUL layer and an extremely cute print outer layer. Aplix (Velcro) closures give diapers almost unlimited flexibility in fit (they even have some extra loop tape to one flap for those ultra-skinny babies). Incredibly easy to use; these diapers can be called “daddy proof.”

This is a trim-fitting diaper, not bulky or thick. I have used these diapers for my kiddo and love how easy they are to use, and how super-cute they are!

If you would like additional information on cloth diapers, please email me at WeAreTheOutfit @gmail.com for an e-brochure that has lots of useful information.

To purchase, go here.

Kristin of KLT:Works featured on Bloesom Kids

Well, Kristin, as if you weren't adorable enough - we have loved KLT:works since the beginning of the Outfit - now we get to see your house and we want to move in!

You can find some of Kristin's beautiful work on our e-shop here.

Mark your datebook: Photo Session @ the Outfit!

We're so happy to have Zoom Theory Photography in the store on Saturday, October 17th, from 12-6.

This is the perfect opportunity to get your kiddos pictured in that home-made Halloween costume (or, ahem, the Batman PJ's he may insist on...) or even a cutie portrait for the annual Holiday Card!

Zoom Theory also specializes in pet portraits, please feel free to bring Fido.

Sessions are discounted to only $25, and if you spend $25 in the store, with either theOutfit or The Kids Are Alright, Zoom Theory will throw in a free 5x7. Additional prints can be purchased directly from Zoom Theory. You can get a new little something just for the photo shoot!

The Kids Are Alright just got in some beautiful new jewelry and casual but elegant clothing for a fall-tastic look.

See you there!!

Plushkins - a four inch cube of cute

Ashley lives and works in Garden Grove, CA, where she hand-makes these darling plushkins!
The animals are all 4" cubes.

The animal Plushkins are perfect for babies who are learning to grab, sort and toss.

Please support our grieving neighbors

If you live in the area, you've seen the roadside memorial set up at Redondo Ave & 10th. This is just blocks from our home, so I see it daily, and am reminded, daily, of a loss of a beautiful young life. It is saddening, and even more maddening.

A little girl named Kaylee and her brother Oscar were hit by a drunk driver in their wagon, and Kaylee died in the accident. The local organization We Love LB blogged about a fund set up for the family, and gave a detailed account of the accident. Read it here and if you choose to make a donation to the family, you can do that through that post as well.

Our prayers for comfort are with the Alvarez family.

New Book: Grow - An Environmentally Friendly Book

I am so excited to have this book. I always scour for handmade books and shoes... both are hard to find!

This is a kids book, developed for kids age 2-5 by KJ Bradley and Alyson Beaton, and illustrated by Alyson Beaton. It takes the reader through the average day, and touches on elements of living an environmentally responsible life. This is a great way to start conversations with kids about living in a way that is environmentally sound. The pages are simple, colorful and engaging. A single word such as "eat" or "share" along with a very modern yet whimsical illustration adorn the pages.

What I'm excited about is that this book was created in Chicago using the most environmentally responsible methods available, using vegetable inks and recycled paper. All books are hand-bound. They are "board" books, as the pages are sturdy and can withstand daily kiddo reading.

To purchase go here. **Free Shipping through Sept 30th**

New toy Barn for the Kiddos!

My mom surprised us with this amazing toy barn, created by hand by Etsy seller Stevens Creations in North Carolina.

I had to post about it, it's just so beautiful! Each piece is made perfectly smooth, and any dye used is food coloring. It came with a full barn-yard of animals, a family, a pond, fence and grass... it's amazing!

My kids had some little plastic toy animals they added to the mix...

I dare say, I've rarely seen such a beautifully-crafted plaything!

Kenzie Poo

Many thanks to Rachelle Wilde, the mother and writer behind kenziepoo.blogspot.com
for the honorable mention on her wonderfully sweet blog!



See more info here:

New Fall Styles from Babylon Baby

Babylon Baby is located in Oakland, CA. We have two styles in stock for fall - the lace bunny long sleeved hooded tee, and an organic onesie with the cutest Woodland Owl. I love these images - the Owl reminds me of the relics I collected from thrift stores years back.

Posh Little Back to School Guide

the Posh Little Back to School Guide is packed with cool stuff, and we are happy to have the Peace Bunny Tee available at the Outfit shop featured, too!

Be sure to check out the Posh Little community, there are tons of small kid-centric businesses around there, and so much cool stuff to see!