10.31.2011

Happy Birthday Nonchalant MOM! 8 years old!


It's hard to believe that 8 delightful years have already gone by, but we wanted to CELEBRATE! We will have some giveaways and fun things going on this week so stay tuned! To start things off and as a THANK YOU to all of our wonderful customers and FRIENDS we are offering 20% off the ENTIRE STORE -- now through November 8th!! It's time to get those things you have been looking for and get 20% off... use code: 'birthday' at checkout and you will see your discount.

A trip down memory lane...
very first photo shoot on our beach 2004! (paulina quintana t-shirts... remember those!?)

the original homepage image! created by Wayne Kogan

very first Makié product shot... not so bad...
We started that first season in 2004 with: Makié, Lucky Fish (I just sold her leftover samples!), Erica Tanov (more of her collection below), Marimekko and Lucky Wang... and we grew from there! I would wait for all the product to come in and then we would do one big photo shoot! We also made a fantastic fold out catalog (we would rush to get it out on time... but then we hardly even had a mailing list!)

Erica Tanov kids - 2005 (or 06?!)

Erica Tanov again... wasn't it just the cutest clothes!

for awhile we photographed product on the mannequin, but then we weren't in love with that headless look!
For our second catalog I had hired Rose Kauffman to work with me, she is a graphic designer and also helped by packing boxes with me. We packed boxes out of our guest house and worked on the website at our kitchen table... those were the days!! (UPS hated our driveway!) Then a few years later Rose and I opened a store together in our town, it was great to share a store space together with a friend like that, she even lived upstairs from the store.

makié FW 06

makié FW06

my Swedish Aunt made these pillows for me to sell in the store - she wove the textile herself! (I have two of these left - click here)

this amazing toy collection was from Amsterdam, now defunct, they are still BEAUTIFUL!

Rose made this homepage for me in 2008 (franny!)
We always had the 'tips and information' on the website but in 2007 we started the Nonchalant Mom blog... this became a much easier way to be in touch with our audience, share new ideas and inspiration with everyone. I do my best to blog 4-5 days a week and for a time there in 2007-08 my husband had a popular 'Nonchalant Dad' following! He certainly had a 'different' viewpoint and it was fun to have that on the blog (click on nonchalantdad in the labels section to see his blogs). To-date one of our most favored blogs was about what to eat during breastfeeding - I still stand by that list and it's super helpful for any new breastfeeding mom - click here to view.

styled photos that were super popular!

these were cut-out dolls I made... LOVE their look!

Two years ago we made these dress-up dolls that were very popular, we have decided to do something like this again each week in the blog... I love to do these, it just get's the creativity pumping and shows you how to mix and match the collections together... I always try to make them work so that you do not have to wear them all together (although I KNOW there are a few Makié devotees out there).

one clean day in the store (2009?)

my inspiration wall... it rarely looks this clean, but this photo shows you I CAN do it! (but too many post-its!) - that small black and white photo at the center of two boys has been with me for more than 15 years... it's always inspired me!

And now we are so happy and thankful that we are still going strong (stronger than ever!) - thanks for taking this trip with us down memory lane... I can't believe it's been 8 years... but I can't wait for what's ahead.... surprise!

shop nonchalant mom between now and Novemeber 8th 20011 and get 20% off if you use code: 'BIRTHDAY'!! 

Thank you all for a wonderful 8 years!