These are a few of my favourite things.... Day TWO: lil' Brockli Boutique
"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes......" ~ Maria, The Sound of Music
I am NOT crafty and I definitely can not sew!. Oh, sure, every now and then I can pull off some miracle of craftiness, but for the most part I did not inherit that gene from anyone, nor have I taken the time to really learn how to DO anything crafty. But what I lack in craftiness, I make up for in appreciation and respect for those who are and do and in the end create amazing works.
That being said, next up on my list of favourites to shop with this season is lil' Brockli Boutique. Lil' Brockli is owned by Allison Brock, a fabulous woman and a mom of three girls and although you would never guess it she actually failed Home Ec!!
Allison creates incredible, one of a kind boutique clothing for little girls (and soon little boys too!) that are impeccably made. She is a stickler for things like serged seams and topstiching and a whole slew of seamstress talk that just goes way over my head!
What I do know is that she makes incredible pieces of clothing. Ones that are cherished by both the people who buy them and the kids who wear them. I mean really, just look at my DD in her lil' brockli original made especially for her birthday this year!
Allison also brings in some of the best made Pettiskirts I have ever seen. They are made in the US and are the fluffiest and highest quality that I have found. And the best part is that you can customize these and get whatever combination of colours you want in them.
And last but not least are the shoes!! OK, I fully admit it, both my kids now have what I deem a healthy appreciation for shoes (others might call it an obsession. Eh-potAtoes, potAHtoes!). Allison carries the lovely Livie and Luca brand of shoes in her boutique and we love, love, LOVE these shoes. And I did not know this before, but every pair of shoes from Livie and Luca is handmade from leather remnants that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill somewhere! Now I love them even more.
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Allison has been so kind as to offer all of you a 10% discount on all in-stock items in her boutique. So head on over to her website or go over and 'like' her page on Facebook and get some one-of-a-kind quality goodness for your little princess this year!!
"...these are a few of my favourite things...."
Natasha~
These are a few of my favourite things... Day ONE: Stella & Dot!
Oh Stella & Dot! How I love you so! This incredible line of jewelry has made me want to actually wear jewelry again. It is timeless and classic and yet trendy and fashion forward all at once. There is literally something for everyone, including the little girls in your life. (PLEASE check out the Stella & Dot Girls line--it is so adorable and any one of the pieces would make an amazing stocking stuffer or Christmas gift!) I have always been a big accessories kind of gal and the designers and stylists at Stella & Dot make it so easy for everyone! I just had a Stella & Dot Trunk Show a few weeks ago and I managed to get myself a nice early Christmas present out of it. I now have these incredible stacking bracelets and I got them all for FREE as part of my hostess rewards!
My best friend Janine Weber is my local stylist and has made quite a name for herself in the Stella & Dot world (she just came back from a trip to Cabo last month!!) and here is what she has to say about Stella & Dot.
Stella & Dot gives every woman the means to style her own life. We have a vision of the world where strong women live bold and joyful lives. They know what they want and they work for it. They inspire each other. Passion and joy are their best accessories. Of course, our gorgeous jewelry is their next-best accessory! As a Stella & Dot Stylist I am helping women find the means to style their lives, either by starting their own business, by hosting trunk shows, or by purchasing something that makes them (or someone else) feel great! Our trunk shows are simple and fun. Invite some friends, open some sparkly drinks, share style tips, gab. Try on all the jewelry you want. As a trained Stylist I provide personal service and, of course, no pressure. And as the lucky hostess, you earn $100s in free jewelry for enjoying an evening with friends. How fun is that? Contact me to learn more.
What is more likely to be on your mind at this time of year is that holiday shopping list of yours! Let me save you from circling a parking lot and fighting the crowds. Shop from the comfort of your home. Our jewelry all comes in irresistible packaging, just waiting to be gifted. Contact me for a Look Book or check it out online at www.stelladot.com/janine. When you're ready to order, call or email me and I will place the order with the discount. We have an awesome Style for a Steal sale section right now too!
Janine has been ever so generous and is offering all of my readers and followers the following:
Make sure to send this link over to your husband or boyfriend or mother or whomever needs it, with your wish list of course, and get what you want and deserve under the tree this year!!
More great local shopping coming your way, check back everyday for more of my favourite things~
Natasha~
This week's pick - Hazelwood Necklaces
My pick of the week this week....
The hazelwood necklaces we have at Natural Urban Mamas are made from the branches of a hazelwood tree alternated with gemstone beads. No chemicals of any kind (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) are used to grow the hazelwood trees these necklaces are made from. (Often when wood comes from a plantation chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used.) The necklaces are handmade - from the gathering of the wood to the stringing of the beads. All of the metal used to fasten the clasp and the clasp itself is sterling-silver (a lead-free metal).
The life span of the necklace will depend on the level of acidity of the body. In general, a necklace will maintain its medicinal benefits for 6 months to 1 year. Higher acidity may mean a shorter lifespan of the necklace. Some indicators that a necklace is losing its effectiveness are: the ends of the wood beads will darken and/or symptoms return.
Keeping the hazelwood moist aids the body in absorbing the beneficial properties of the Hazelwood. Though it is not recommended to wear the hazelwood in the pool, spa, or in other highly chlorinated water, it can be worn in the bath or shower. Don't be alarmed if/when the bark comes off the hazelwood beads - the wood beads will change over time.
Safety considerations - These necklaces do contains small parts; Children should be supervised at all times while wearing them. The necklace should be removed when the child sleeps.
My daughter is getting her two year molars right now and has NOT been fun for anyone. She has always worn an amber necklace and we use the now-recalled Hylands Teething Tablet's too (My choice-I feel that this is a safe product for her and it WORKS!). She has been wearing one of the new hazelwood necklaces now for about three days and last night was the first night in over a week that she has had a decent sleep. I have both her amber and the hazelwood necklaces on during the day and take the hazelwood one off at night (just because the beads on it are not knotted like the amber ones are).
I have heard from quite a few people that hazelwood is also great for eczema. We don't have that problem in our house, but I would love to know what your experience has been or if you have had success with using it for other ailments too.
You can find our selection of Hazelwood Necklaces here at Natural Urban Mamas. Have a great week everyone! Natasha~
Natasha's Pick of the Week
>Welcome everyone! This is my first "Pick of the Week" post and so I am going to pick the new and improved Natural Urban Mamas website!! I really hope you like it! My fabulous designers and gurus at Syncopate Media have done an amazing job of putting together my 'vision' of what I wanted for the new site. Please take a minute to browse through the shop, check out the INFO pages (updated as well) and please feel free to leave comments with your feedback and any suggestions for further improvement. As a gift to you all, for the rest of the week we will be having a "Welcome to our new Home" Sale. All purchases from now until Sunday, August 15th will receive 15% off (including sale items). Use Coupon Code "OKKH82OJ195" upon checkout to apply the discount.
Thanks everyone and I really hope you like our "new home"!!
All the best, Natasha~