Let's Call it a Comeback...

Excuse me while I go fish my jean jacket out of the back of my closet...

from Totokaelo...(check out their 50% off sale!)

Listen to These - Girl Talk

kid and hubby @ swimming lessons, me bustin a move to Girl Talk

Feed The Animals and Night Ripper

a word of caution: most of the lyrics will have you shouting "earmuffs" at your kids

Heaven in a Shoebox

Prada Spring 2010

Nostalgia - 1984

I woke up this morning singing the theme song to "To Sir With Love"...Do you remember this movie? It was one of my favorites growing up...Sidney Poitier plays a teacher who goes to work in a rough London school...great clothes, music, etc - today's hipsters would die over the mod dresses, skinny pants and ankle boots...but, you're asking yourself - what does this have to do with 1984?  Well, we moved to Japan in 1984 for a few years...my Dad is a pilot and at that time he was Top Gunning it for the navy so it was just another stop in my nomadic military childhood.  He was off on a ship for a large portion of our time there and would record VHS and Beta (!!) tapes from the ship's library and send them home...To sir with Love was one, Swiss Family Robinson, Bond movies, 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea, all made quite an impression...My brother and I had a huge amount of independence for a 9 and 6 yr old and we took full advantage...riding the subway to Yokohama for school we were probably not the best American ambassadors...

we were discovering Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cindy Lauper and Wham who were all huge at the time...this led to some embarrasing conversations - "Mom, what's a virgin?"..."Hmm, well, uhh, it's a woman who's never been touched by a man."  and that's all a 9 yr old needs to know...We were experimenting with our wardrobes - 2 different, huge dangling earrings made it into my 5th grade picture, loading up our arms with black rubber bracelets...stealing from mom's closet - giant belts over her oversized tees...seeing my first "dirty" movie - Purple Rain at a sleepover, and discovering the John Hughes Oeuvre...sneaking in see Desperately Seeking Susan - Heady times...for a girl who had spent a few years at Christian schools it was an eyeopening couple of years...Domo Arigato Japan!

Ma Vie En Rose

It's not very cool but my favorite color is...PINK...more specifically, you can usually find me in a pale, peachy, slightly nudey pink...the shade that looks so lovely with gold...but after falling in love with the Lanvin Spring Collection and spotting these lovelies from Vanessa Bruno I'm ready to take it up a few notches into hot Valentine's Day, Barbie pink...I'm loving it paired back with red and nude too...

Siince I won't be walking any red carpets soon - I'll pick up this red cardigan from Jcrew, toss on this Lizzie Fortunato Necklace (soon at the store), this pale pink tank...some slouchy jeans, and these gold desert boots...voila! almost feels like spring!

Lanvin Photo - Tim Walker for Vanity Fair, Vanessa Bruno via Seesaw

Sponsor Giveaway - Pretty Chic SF Notebook & Planner

Honestly, since having a baby my brain definitely doesn't function as well as it used to...and if it isn't written down then...well, it's not going to happen! Known as "mommy brain" it is an actual medical occurence - post delivery the babe is sucking out all your omega 3's or something like that, not to mention sleep deprivation, etc - really, I saw it on Oprah...or I think I did?

So, my solution is to have various notebooks and planners stashed all over the house so I can write everything down...and what could be better than these super chic paper goods from Pretty Chic SF.

Designed by Richelle Goodloe who believes everything in life should be beautiful and inspirational...(amen!)
Here's a bit about them from the designer:
My weekly planners and notebooks are a sophisticated and fun way to organize your busy schedule and are the perfect size to fit in your purse. They are made with recycled paper and printed and bound in San Francisco, California. Each weekly view includes an inspirational quote, goal planning and opposite titled ‘to do’.
Perfect for savvy blackberry and iphone users, like myself, who still appreciate the written word. With seven unique planner and twelve notebook styles, Pretty Chic’s Weekly Planners and Notebooks are a pretty chic way to organize your 2010 year!
“create a life you love everyday”

Richelle has been generous enough to giveaway one notebook and planner to one of our lucky readers!! Simply visit the Pretty Chic Etsy shop, check out all the fun patterns, then come back and let us know your favorite by leaving a comment below. Winner will be drawn on Friday...Good Luck!!

She's an Artist, she don't look back...

There are things I completely suck at as a mom...I'm terrible at playing dolls or house (I space out about 2 mintes in and remember all the "chores" I need to do), I don't get her out much in the cold, she watches way too much TV in the winter (although I'm hooked on Charlie and Lola too)... but I could dance "ballet" all day long, read to her for hours and love to do art projects...she's been really into watercolors lately...I love that we can leave them out and when she gets the whim she just paints away... not nearly as messy as fingerpaints and a lot more satisfying than crayons...and the colors turn out so beautiful!  What are your favorite toddler activities?

 I love this Indie Rock Coloring Book - great, whimsical illustrations

Here's a few shots of Lila rockin out at The Current's Rock the Cradle last weekend...It was a blast!!

She was particularly enchanted with Jeremy Messersmith...

I thought Koo Koo Kangaroo was hysterical...(you can download free music from their site)

and groovin to Adam Levy's Bunny Clogs - a great kid's cd that won't make your ears bleed...

A few Annoucements...

Just a couple of things...
* John Robshaw prices go up on January 31st and we will be adjusting ours accordingly...so if you been hemming and hawing about an order now's the time to get it in!

*we are also donating 10% of all sales to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief through Jan 31st - shop now

*We have a new Matta scarf in stock - it's a square dupatta with a slight check pattern woven in...colors are white, cloud, bark, and black

*We are now taking sponsors...ad rates start at just $20/month - please contact me for details!

****If you are in the Twin Cities and looking for a doula, one of my favorite people, Kristina Milinkovich, just completed her training and is taking clients...she's just one of those totally real, down to earth girls who makes you feel completely at ease - I can't imagine a better person for birth support! you can contact her @ kmilinkovich@hotmail.com or 952-250-0776***

The Help

Have you read The Help yet?  Fantastic, Touching, had me up late a few nights...

Vintage Elephants

I love elephants and these are two sweet vintage finds from livingston & porter

They also have some great canvases...this one might be my new favorite motto:

Rock The Cradle...MPLS

Kid's Disco, Storytime with the DJs, Performances by Adam Levy, Jeremy Messersmith and more...

Sunday, Jan. 24  11 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Children's Theatre

See you there!!

One of Each Please...

New Arrivals from Steven Alan @ Bows + Arrows and a longtime favorite necklace by Manu

Listen to this...

New Releases from Spoon + Vampire Weekend = Happy Girl

Apt de Mlle B - Pt 3 - Odds and Ends

Just the last bits of loveliness from Mlle B's...she wouldn't let me near her closet with a camera even though it's perhaps the most gorgeous thing in the apt :)

Hearts For Haiti - MPLS

For all my twin cities readers:

What a great idea! My friend Kristen forwarded me this info:

Looking for a way to reach out and help earthquake victims in Haiti? Please join Red Ribbon Studio for a photo shoot fundraiser to raise money for The American Red Cross earthquake relief efforts.

Here is the deal. . .


1. Call Maribeth at 952.237.9496 or email (thestudio@redribbonstudio.com) to schedule a 15 minute sitting.


2. Bring someone (or the someones) you love for a photo session at your scheduled sitting time. Donate a shoot fee of your choosing directly to The American Red Cross. You get the tax receipt.


3. Photos go up online for print orders.

-----------------------


Maribeth Romslo


Red Ribbon Studio


vibrant. fresh. joyful.


www.redribbonstudio.com


952.237.9496

Golden Girl

Don't you love watching old Bond movies? I, of course, love Sean Connery but Pierce Brosnan was my first crush (remember Remington Steele!!).  Can you believe Goldfinger had a character named "Pussy Galore"?

I haven't seen Quantum of Solace yet but it's up next on my Netflix list...a few golden things that caught my eye:

Chanel Gold Nail Polish, Laura Lombardi Necklace - via Arrow + Arrow, Gold Sperry Topsiders - J Crew,  Oh Joy Notebook & Patch NYC Blanket - via Lonny, Florence Broadhurst Wallpaper