Personalized Onesie

Check out these adorable baby items in Lindsey's custom children's clothing store on Etsy - Baby Boky Designs. 

Lindsey's profile is short and sweet:

"29. happily married. nanny extraordinaire. obsessed aunt. lover of all things baby. creator of cute baby things!"

I love items that are made just for me…. and my daughter ;) because they are one-of-a-kind. This onesie is extra special because it labels my daughter as my husband’s and mine lol.

This design is simple and sweet, and I hope she won’t outgrow it for a long long time! It came perfectly gift-wrapped, so if any of you have baby showers coming up, this would be perfect to give to the mama in person or by mail. The onesie came wrapped like a little cupcake, complete with a pink cherry poof ball on top, cupcake wrapper, and blank gift tag, all in a nice box. What a special personalized gift this would make for your child or a friend!

Be sure to check out Lindsey's store, it's full of sweet gifts for newborns! Baby Boky Designs

Baby's First Walking Shoes - Review and Giveaway

Need some comfy shoes for protection that don't restrict your child's feet? Check out Eileen's Etsy shop, Baby Cricket! 

A little info about Eileen and her shop:
     "My background is in architecture, landscape design and lighting design, but my real passion is for creating lovely things that make people happy. I have painted, crafted, sculpted and otherwise created for as far back as I can remember. My latest projects are about being a mommy to a very active toddler boy. I have had so much fun making things for him, and I have gotten such great feedback from people, that I would like to share some of these creations with other families.
My baby shoes were inspired by my little boy's chubby little feet that didn't fit easily into many of the cute shoes available commercially. I searched and searched and became aware that there is a lack of soft soled cozy baby shoes that are easy to put on and hard for baby to pull off. I started making my own and the rest is history.
     I sew when my boy is sleeping, a creative outlet that I treasure and need. My sewing machine is a beautiful robin's egg blue Singer from 1963 that I had refurbished. It folds away into a sweet little table whenever I'm not using it.... (which has not happened lately) It has been my trusty partner in all my sewing endeavors."

I generally don’t like putting shoes on my daughter because I feel like most pairs are too stiff, make her feet sweat, and make her off balance. However, I absolutely refuse to let her outside without shoes on! She can now walk while holding onto one or both of my hands, so I’ve been on the hunt to find a soft pair of shoes that will protect her little feet, yet allow her to learn to walk properly. I’ve read it’s best to let babies learn how to walk barefoot, but since that’s not an option when we’re out, I’m glad I found these shoes! They are a beautiful robin’s egg color on the outside and a sweet stripe on the inside, which matches well with all of her pastel (i.e. pink) colored clothes. The main part of the shoe is made from a soft cotton fabric, which allows her feet to breath and spread out in them like they do when she’s barefoot. However, the sole of these shoes are made of a suede fabric, making them durable enough to wear outside. They also provide good traction on slippery floors. I’m glad these shoes are still a bit big on her since she’s not actually walking yet. I can’t wait for her to grow into them when she decides to start toddling around!

Eileen has decided to sponsor a giveaway of one pair of her children's shoes. SImply go to her shop and pick your favorite!

Mandatory Entry:
1) follow my blog
2) go to Eileen's Etsy store "Baby Cricket"and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage "AnnelynDesigns"

2) go to my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns" and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from "Baby Cricket"
4) create a treasury including an item from "AnnelynDesigns"

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

6) love Eileen's etsy store "Baby Cricket"
7) love my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns"

I will choose a winner on Wednesday, July 13, via random.org.

A Great Twist on a Trend

The trend seems to be taking baby items and packaging them to look like yummy cupcakes or cakes. I love the idea, but then they all start to look similar and it becomes hard to know which shop to choose from! In her Etsy shop, Social Butterfly Design, Jaime has taken this trend and added her own twists, she makes "sundaes" in sippy cups, "sushi" sets, and "bouquets" in addition to the traditional cupcakes using lots of organic items...even G-diapers! 

A little info about Jaime and her shop:
     "I'm Mom to 3 year old Dylan, and 8 month old Justin. My husband, Erik, and I just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, and I've lived on the west coast my whole life! I began making shower gifts for friends' babies and weddings, then more and more frequently, I was being asked to make gifts for friends of friends, and soon after, Social Butterfly Design was born. It's been the perfect opportunity for me to work from home and be close to my babies everyday!
     One of the best things about ordering from Social Butterfly Design is that all our items come ready to give as gifts. Every item is packaged in either a bakery box or a cellophane bag, tied with pretty ribbon and has a tag to let the recipient know exactly what the "ingredients" are! All the work of giving a gift is done for you!"

I was sent a pair of Babylegs wrapped as a cupcake to review. So cute! It actually comes decorated with ribbon, wrapped in a cupcake liner, and inside a clear cupcake container. So cute! The best part is what comes inside is just as great. I love Babylegs because I don’t have to pull them off during diaper changes like I do with pants, yet it keeps my daughter’s legs covered while crawling, or when it’s chilly outside and she has a skirt on.  These should be machine washed cold and laid flat to dry. The pair I received is a pretty blue color with light pink, dark pink, and white heart accents. They are plush, soft, and stretchy enough to fit her through her toddler years. Any mom would be delighted to receive such a yummy looking cupcake. So cute!

As a giveaway, Jaime is offering a coupon code for 50% off any one item in her Etsy shop.


Mandatory Entry:

1) follow my blog
2) go to Jaime's Etsy store "Social Butterfly Design"and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage "AnnelynDesigns"

2) go to my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns" and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from "Social Butterfly Design"
4) create a treasury including an item from "AnnelynDesigns"

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

6) love Jaime's etsy store "Social Butterfly Design"
7) love my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns"

I will choose a winner via random.org on Wednesday, July 13, 2011. Good luck!

A Summer Crocheted Sunhat - Low Entry Giveaway Ending Soon

Living in hot hot Texas, we have lots of hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. So, it only makes sense for me to stock up for my daughter too! Along with hats for children and adults, Tess also offers crocheted newborn cocoons, scarves, dresses, and tops in her Etsy store, Trendymates.

Here is some info about Tess:
     "I fell in love with the art of crochet sitting at the foot of my grandmother over 37 years ago. At only 4 years of age, instead of joining my friends outside in play, or for a tea party, I'd sit, watch, and ultimately insist that she teach me. Watching her intricate stitches, as she made priceless items for my Trousseau, I was intrigued at how a piece of thin cotton could be turned into a beautiful piece of art. Using a size 1.5 metal hook, and cotton thread from Greece, I learned how to combine the classical stitches, twisting them and changing them around to create doilies for our home. Funny thing is, I never used a pattern or knew the names of the stitches I was making, nor did my grandmother. It was an art passed down from generation to generation. I found that I could take this archetypal art form and put a stylish new spin on it, combining the traditional appearance of crochet with looks that are usually only seen in knitting. I love the idea of my crochet taking me to levels of artistic expression I had never dreamed of finding in a doily. In fact, one of my goals is to ultimately publish a pattern book of my creations.
     I'd like to think that my style is simple, elegant, sleek, chic, and "classical with a twist". I prefer to use superior yarns and take time to search them out and import them from Australia, and Europe. When I can I prefer to use material that is sustainable or recycled. In addition to thoroughly enjoying creating items with yarn, I truly enjoy teaching the art of crochet as a volunteer in neighborhood schools where both students and parents can participate! Seeing their joy as they learn each stitch brings me back to the time I shared with my grandmother...I now know the joy she felt as well."


This hand-crocheted sunhat made by Tess is soft, yet airy. I asked Tess for a yellow one, since we already have a (surprise surprise) pink hat. I love the cute little flower and ribbon accents, and it fits my daughter perfectly:




Tess is offering a made-to-order crocheted cocoon as a giveaway. This is an awesome giveaway, since her cocoons retail for $50, and you can choose your own colors!

Mandatory Entry:
1) follow my blog
2) go to Tess's Etsy store "Trendymates"and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage "AnnelynDesigns"

2) go to my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns" and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from "Trendymates"
4) create a treasury including an item from "AnnelynDesigns"

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

I will choose a winner in Wednesday, June 29 via random.org.

Pretty Handmade Rosette Clips - Low Entry Giveaway Ending Soon

Since my daughter was born, practically everything I've bought has been for her. So, when Erika approached me about doing a review on one of hair accessories I thought, perfect, finally something for me! I love cute, girly, hair accessories that are sweet without too much fuss. I absolutely loved Erika's designs, and chose a pink rosette set to review from her Etsy shop, Kawaii Sayuri. Here is a picture of them nestled among some of her other clip sets:

                                            

Here is a little info about Erika:

     "I'm Erika, I study at Québec City, a french city on Canada, I'm a phD. student in fungal genetics. I'm a brazilian girl with japonese background (my grandparents are japonese). But I'm totally brazilian and my native language is portuguese! Crazy, isn't it? But I'm a etsy seller too. I love etsy!!! I make many kinds of crafts like origami and fabric flowers. But I'm always between both. Sometimes I make origami mobiles and sometimes flowers for hair and flowers for decoration... In the end both have many applications. Like flowers for scrapbooking and appliques, or for origami as jewelry."

The pretty pink and white rosettes are well made and so cute! They are a substantial size and attached onto nice large snap clips which hold my hair back well. They are cute for clipping back parts of your hair or just as accents to jazz up a bun or ponytail!

Erika is offering a giveaway of a set of blue and white rosette clips:

Mandatory Entry:
1) follow my blog
2) go to Erika's Etsy store "Kawaii Sayuri"and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage "AnnelynDesigns"

2) go to my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns" and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from "Kawaii Sayuri"
4) create a treasury including an item from "AnnelynDesigns"

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item
6) like Erika's facebook page "KawaiiSayuri"
7) love Erika's etsy store "Kawaii Sayuri"
8) love my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns"


I will choose a winner via random.org on Tuesday, June 28.

Wild Animals Crayon Wallet

My daughter does not like to sit still, so I’ve been thinking of ways to keep her occupied without turning on the dvd player in the car or giving her my iPhone at the grocery store. I think constant stimulation by electronics full of crazy lights and sounds just feeds hyper activeness….but that’s just my opinion (albeit based on a little research and my experience teaching J). Anyhoo, I really want to teach my daughter to use her imagination through reading, drawing, and playing. I have always loved to draw and paint, and plus I’m an art teacher, so it I get excited when I see artsy things for my daughter too. Since she hasn’t quite graduated to an easel yet LOL this was the perfect solution! From an early age she’s loved pens, but I was afraid to give her anything she could use because I was afraid she’d try to lick or bite it instead. Now that she’s older and mimics the writing motion when she has a pen in her hand, I feel safer trusting her with crayons…..not that I’ll be more than a foot away from her anyway….crayons DO look tasty. Elizabeth has LOTS of crayon designs to choose from, I especially love the little robots and dinosaurs! She also makes crayon wallets and organizers, perfect for when you or your little one are on the go:

A little about Elizabeth and her Etsy shop, Posh Paper Creations: 

     "My name is Elizabeth...a stay home mom to 2 wild but lovely kids. After I put the wild kids to bed, then is when my paper creations start. After years of making party decorations for friends parties, then my kids parties, I have decided to take it to the next level and here I am. My style is simple but stylish, fun and unique. I hope you enjoy my creations..."

This tri-fold wallet holds 10 crayons, a notepad, and has an empty pocket for me to add other items (color pencils, pencils, erasers, etc.) It folds up easily and is secured by a cute oversized button and elastic loop. It’s small enough that we can bring it anywhere for her to use in the car or when we’re out, yet the notepad is a large enough size for her to draw her baby scribbles on. I absolutely love the print! The cute little forest animals, including foxes, bunnies, and bears oh my! are set against a light green background. A coordinating stripe fabric is used on the inside, making this item very gender neutral. The wallet feels sturdy and durable, and the cover is padded and reinforced with something sturdy on the inside to keep its shape. I think it would be handy for adults to use as a notepad too. The crayon slots could hold lipstick, chapstick, or a key, and the middle slot could hold money or a cellphone. In fact, Elizabeth makes calendar notebooks too! In addition to the crayon wallet, I was sent 2 dinosaur crayons - they are so cute, and large enough for little hands to hold onto.

Elizabeth is sponsoring a giveaway of 50 loose minifigure people in the colors of red, blue, green, yellow and orange.

Mandatory Entry:
1) follow my blog
2) go to Elizabeth's Etsy store "Posh Paper Creations"and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage "AnnelynDesigns"

2) go to my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns" and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from "Posh Paper Creations"
4) create a treasury including an item from "AnnelynDesigns"

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

6) love Elizabeth's etsy store "Posh Paper Creations"
7) love my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns"

I will choose a winner via random.org on Wednesday, July 13, 2011. Good luck!

Sweet Felt Hair Clips and Headbands - Low Entry Giveaway Ending Soon!

I realize how many hair accessories I've reviewed already, but I can't help it, I love them! My daughter's hair is just now getting long enough to hold clips so I'm even more excited! I absolutely love Mai's Etsy store, Lil Chatterbox because she makes some of the sweetest hand-made hair clips you'll find anywhere. Her color pallet, attention to detail (she never uses glue, everything is hand-sewn!), and sweet, whimsical designs make her pieces perfect accessories for any young, or not-so-young, girl out there. Here are my favorites....I couldn't pick just one or two!

Here is some info about Mai:
     "My name is Mai. I am a mother of two adorable children. The inspiration to make felt hair clips came across with the birth of my daughter, who is 3 ½ now. My own mother and I love to go shopping, but we couldn’t find a hair clip cute enough for my little girl. She was born with a head full of hair, and I had to come up with something to hold it down. That was when, my mother and I collaborated our ideas and came up with “Lil chatterbox”.
     Lil chatterbox originally started with hair clips, but expanded to making headbands for newborns and little girls. Our products are all made using 100% Holland wool felt. Each one is hand stitched together, and no glue is involved in the making for children’s safety. We put a lot of love and care into making each one special. We are constantly cooking up new designs, so check back often at my store."


I reviewed this sweet pink butterfly clip and detachable headband. I love that the wings are heart-shaped, and that it is so well made. My daughter has played with this hair clip a lot, and I'm impressed it's kept its shape and still looks new. Mai sent me a headband that the hair clip can snap onto, which would allow any little ones out there with fine or too short hair to use these cute clips!

Mai is offering her Baby Pink Poppy clip as a giveaway! 

Mandatory Entry:
1) follow my blog
2) go to Mai's Etsy store "Lil Chatterbox"and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage "AnnelynDesigns"

2) go to my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns" and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from "Lil Chatterbox"
4) create a treasury including an item from "AnnelynDesigns"

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

I will choose a winner in Thursday, June 30, via random.org.