Nico Nico :: Spring just arrived!!

Even though spring has not really arrived as far as the weather, we are starting to receive Spring collections in the shop!! Nico Nico just arrived and it's OH so CUTE!

shop nico nico here!

great unisex (organic) t-shirts

sweetest summer dress! in lot's of colors!

SHOP NICO NICO HERE

favorite shop :: ANZU

this was the Anzu table at the event

There is nothing I like better than a refreshing new online shop :: ANZU, I met these guys at the Remodelista sale that we did together in December (that event was FULL of delightful meetings and new friends!) when the show was finally done and we ran around to shop for ourselves I rushed over the the Anzu table and unloaded a bundle on gifts and delightful items for our home. They are now my cherished favorites so I want to pass these guys on to you so that you may enjoy a bit of lovely Japanese craftsmanship yourself!

Anzu is a small online based retailer located in Brooklyn, it is curated by Asako Ueno - who does a fantastic job of pulling Japanese and made in USA items for a perfectly interesting and unique selection. I know that the things I found from them I have never seen anywhere else!

here are some of my favorites but check their shop to find YOURS!

this is a sweet bamboo vase for a single flower or small bouquet that hangs on a small hook on the wall

perfect japanese towels

made in San Francisco by Kathryn Davey :: super TED

say "thank you" gorgeously!

my favorite little wallet EVER!! (franny's too!)

shop ANZU here

Midtown (Manhattan) :: the place to go...

I don't know when it happened, but while I was in NYC for the Remodelista Market we were involved in during December I took a look around each night when we were done and I was pleasantly surprised! This is when it all started for ME anyway, but this has been coming for a while now. The introduction of the Viceroy Hotel on 57th may have been the start? Then others started renovating to catch up, then restaurants, with down town clout and eateries packed, decided to open outposts uptown. It's just what Manhattan needed... just as downtown became overcome and over crowded with uptown people - why not service them in their own 'village'.

The Viceroy NYC

This neighborhood is not so boring anymore... and getting better each day! In December as I stepped out onto Fifth Avenue, each day there was an excitement in the air and I no longer felt as though it was stuffy and I somehow didn't belong. We had dinner at Quality Meats one night and then another night (we got out LATE and had dinner at 10pm) at The Plaza downstairs at an eatery that is crazy and offers just about any type food you would like... it's the Todd English Food Hall, fantastic! You can have sushi while your partner has pasta! Well prepared and so fun! (great idea for kids because they can have whatever they want!)

The East Pole - on E 65th Street

If you stay at the Viceroy, there is a beautiful view at the rooftop bar! (a reason in itself to go) and then my favorite downtown eatery, Fat Radish now has an uptown spot called The East Pole with the same clean delicious menu is a perfect spot for dinner or brunch on Saturday or Sunday.

Then there is the new Dover Street Market (opened in December), which is not really decidedly "uptown" but in Murry Hill - still it's NOT downtown! (On Lexington and 30th Street) This shop - completely new multi-retailer space owned and curated by Rei Kawakubo and her Comme des Garçons group is the NEW excitement in shopping. Just as she did when she opened her store here in the meatpacking in the early 90's she has laid out the future of shopping. Let's all visit and take note! I am mostly excited for the Rose Bakery and possibly Feit shoes (from Australia) - I hope they have womens shoes too!

As we get into things more we will report more... for now, this seems good to try things out and not to run away from uptown anymore...

Valentines Day cards

I'm sorry this is a bit late.. but we just finished our Valentine Day cards last night... LATE last night, so maybe you can use this idea for next year!(?) These were really fun to make and we all got in on the action. Even Sander wanted to help, this was his first year NOT making cards for the class - such a sad time, when that finally comes to an end...

I will add that the Spin Art kit is my favorite birthday gift to give to kids (well, that AND a Lucky Fish T-shirt - always a hit!) So most of the kids around our parts already have one, but if you don't it's fun, easy to clean, and gives your kids hours of creative fun (with hardly any intervention from you!).

here's what you need:
Spin Art kit
neon paint (we use Temera Pro Art paint - it's easy clean up!)
card stock
colored pencils
sewing machine (neon thread!)

Start by making the spin art so that you have time to let them dry. We ran out of the paper so we just cut card-stock to fit the Spin Art wheel. Franny has 22 kids in her class so we made some extra just in case.

Then we cut out hearts, kids were fighting to cut out the hearts... go figure... and Franny wrote each of the kids names on the hearts and then we colored them with colored pencils (we happened to have neon colored pencils) - we didn't have much time so if you have more time this is where your kids can have some fun.

Then we couldn't really decide how to attach them so we decided it would be fun to sew them on! (I just happened to already have the sewing machine out so...) They ended up looking super cute and Franny got to try sewing a bit (it's super easy to sew on paper because it's so flat so very easy for kids), but I'm not going to pretend that she was up for sewing them all, but it was a family project in the end and we had a good time making them (low-stress, nothing was perfect!)

The result... so FUN and easy and really unique!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Just a few days left... Sale on FAVORITES!

take an extra 20% off: Clare Vivier, Lucky Fish and Lem Lem
use code: 'favorite'

sale ends FRIDAY, February 14th 2014

PATCHES

I am all for bringing back patches! I used to embroider and put patches all over my jeans... I keep asking Alex, who is the designer-creator of the ESP no1 jeans collection to make patches for her FANTASTIC jeans (I have yet to see them.... ) but I found these very cute ones by a Canadian company Belle Mine and I was HOOKED.

here's how you do it! easy....

My kids love the patches all over anything.. we use them on jackets and jeans... and everything in between!

shop Belle Mine here

kids and computer coding

Amy Mathers, at 14,  named European Digital Girl of the Year in 2013

 This BBC article brought attention to something that we have been talking about in our family lately. When I was in my 20's I was into computer coding, it's quite fun and it's like figuring out a puzzle. Today I certainly wish I would have stuck with it. It can be very rewarding for kids, they write the code and can see the results immediately! (no parental oversight necessary) They are learning a useful tool and you never know where it will take them in the future.

After reading the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell it was brought to my attention the story of Bill Gates (you will have to get the book to get the whole story.. it's a terrific book, very interesting for parents) and his early love of coding, which obviously led to his success. I think that the mystery and the 'game' of coding is great for kids and can take their love of apps and games and actually do something with it!

The BBC story talks about a "Manchester Coder Dojo" that, when it opened in 2009, had eight young kids turn up (all boys), today that same class is boasting 150 teenagers, a full house and it's free. "Many bring their own laptop, or their Rasberry Pi - a relatively simple computer for coding. And the parents who used to drop off their kids, and come back later, now often stay to see what is going on. The averarge age is about 10-and-a-half, but we have six-year-olds coming along" says Steven Flower who runs the group.

I have a friend who's 12 year old updates her website. He does a fantastic job and is already making money for himself!

I think it's exciting and I don't know about you... I would rather my kids are "building" something, rather than just playing games on their iTouch.

I'm sure you all have comments... so let's hear them!!

NEW :: Margaret Solow... in time for Valentines DAY!

These just happen to be my favorite Valentine gifts... I am so happy we have them in store just in time for you!

Shop the Margaret Solow jewelry collection here

NEW :: jess brown *SWEETS* have arrived!!

These sweet little girls are looking for a place to go for VALENTINES DAY!

You can find there girls HERE...

Happy Valentines DAY!

FINAL MARKDOWNS have been made!! Prices as Marked!

shop NOW!

hhmmm what to do this weekend :: Hudson, NY

Hudson NY in the rain

Most of our friends and neighbors go skiing each weekend in the wintertime. My husband doesn't ski so we took a break from all that and went to Hudson, NY. We have a friend who has a store there and I have been wanting to go visit him for years now. Of course, as we drove into town I looked at my husband and asked if he brought Kevin's number with him (because I didn't...) so there we were in town, without his number. We also happened to choose that weekend when at least it wasn't freezing... but is was raining like crazy! It rained the ENTIRE weekend - non-stop.

The Thunderbird room at the Union Street Guest House

We booked a place at a B&B called the Union Street Guest House which was terrific! I am not a 'big' fan of B&B's as they ten to the cutes-y or the traditional - but not here! Super comfortable room, fantastic teas and beautiful bathrooms! We stayed in The Thunderbird Suite - I will completely recommend it! Two bedrooms so the kids had their own room (and their own bathroom!).

Hudson is pretty much composed of one street - Warren Street - where all of the mid-century shops are (well many are just plain old fantastic Antique shops as well!), and also a good list of just plain great shops! With the rain and all we are going to have to make another trip as we only made it half way down the street! (that took ALL day!) I wanted to stay another day but it was asking a lot out of the kids - who were champs through all of our junk-hunting but it's not their favorite thing to do. I like to give them a mission of their own and then it's not so bad - Franny looked for heart-shaped things and Sander was in search of ANY toys he could find.

my favorite shop!

Our favorite shop - hands down... Reagan and Smith in the 600 block on Warren Street - tell him we sent you! ha! We left town with a car load of great finds... new umbrellas and full stomachs from all of the great food! (more on that to come...).


We have good karma when it comes to travel, which always leads us to think... "hey, should be move here?" and that we did think about in Hudson, it's a wonderful town and a great town for a day-trip. We had no idea of where we were going to go besides calling Kevin (but didn't have his number!). I don't know how but I was set on this restaurant that I saw on the map called DA/BA - we went early (due to the kids and no reservations) and were seated right away, but it took NO TIME to fill up into a bustling restaurant. We were handed the menu and there was Aquavit on the menu... and I thought.. .hey you don't see that often, that's nice! Well come to find out it's a Swedish restaurant! YAHOO! We had a completely delicious dinner (kids had meatballs!) and half way through, guess who sat down at the next table... KEVIN! Whaaaa?! yes he did.

Hudson was complete and we had a great time... Thank you HUDSON and DA/BA (we ate there again the next night... THAT good!). Breakfast at Bonfiglio & Bread and you are SET!

new :: Lucky Fish for Women just arrived!

Lucky Fish Women just arrived and I love them... a new batch of all things whimsical and funny - nothing like dressing with a sense of humor right!? We did some old favorites (the LION!) and some new ones that make for a set of T's that all will love...

moon opalescent foil print on a soft sweatshirt

LION! on red heather T

moon phases T

thorns print on a natural wrap T

a bit of Valentine action....

gauze one-size-fits all T with upstate print (in wine - how appropriate)

There are many more on the website... love them ALL!

Thanks Jann!!

OMAHA!

"Omaha!"

I don't even watch football but I thought this was GREAT... and somehow, no-one seems to know about it! Well at least that is if you DON'T listen to NPR. I don't know how long he has been doing it but if you watch the last few games with the Denver Bronco's you will hear Peyton Manning yelling out plays at the line of scrimage.. and if you listen closely he yelled out "OMAHA" quite a few times!!

here is the full story on NPR

So apparently businesses of Omaha, NB have got in on the game (haha) and some have agreed to pay $500 each time he yells "Omaha" to his charity for at-risk children. I don't know what happened but we can't stop yelling OMAHA! in our house... how about you...

I love it.. when asked what the play "Omaha" means he had a few "It's a run play, but it could be a pass play...or a play action pass, depending on the wind, which way we're going and the jerseys that we're wearing."

can't wait for the superbowl... GO OMAHA!

(it could also be a drinking game... I'm just sayin...)

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

When I worked in NYC I used to get mad that this day wasn't more respected and when I finally had a job where I had some 'pull' in the office I made sure we were closed for this day. Not sure if that really helps or if it just becomes another Monday off... but I like to do my part to respect the 'day' and particularly the MAN. My kids know very well who Martin Luther King, Jr. is and what he did for civil rights and for fairness in our country - and one of my favorite 'poems' is the "I Have a Dream" speech - so we read that every year.

Now that our kids are a bit older I was ASTONISHED one day when my son sat down with me to watch the news... during a commercial he got up and walked away and then he said "the news rocks..." and the biggest smile crossed my face. I must qualify I don't watch the regular news, so there is rarely anything bad - I don't know if I could handle watching the regular news every day, it's just a bit harsh. We watch MSNBC and I really love Chris Mathews... he's my favorite and when Hardball comes on, everyone in the house knows to quiet down (Rachel Maddow is a bit of a hero in my book as well, but sometimes I can't stay up that late). We also call The Weather Channel "the news" as well... which is a bit of an obsession for my husband, he is our weatherman (as well as his beloved BBC).

What I am getting at is that we can finally sit down together and watch the Public Television specials on Martin Luther King, Jr. - we sit down as a family and talk about what we are watching and get involved, you never know where the direction of questioning the kids is going to take. I enjoy it, I think it's important for the kids to be aware of the World around them both the past, the present and the FUTURE too....

Have a nice Martin Luther King Day and praise in his memory.