This gorgeous dress is one of a kind and created lovingly by Jennifer Paganelli herself! (We met her a quilt market and she’s the most giving and kind person ever).

What an amazing opportunity to own something made by Jennifer (proceeds are going to charity- see auction for details).

Jennifer has collaborated with the gals from Adagio Bleu Studios for this launch. Dress comes in Size 3/4 OOAK! Made with “Mod Girls” fabric from the SisBoom line.

Click to bid on Jennifer Paganelli’s Dress >

For the full SisBoom launch with Adagio Bleu click here

** Boutique Cafe gals Megan, Daria and Amelia Meeting Jennifer Paganelli at Market! What a total thrill!! XO!

Before I came across The Scoville Food Institute on The Big Idea’s “Million Dollar Question” segment, I thought hot sauce came in one flavor, one color and one level of heat (”hot” of course). Leave it to the Scoville Food Institute to create a whole periodic table of peppers and a wonderful line of hot sauces.

The Institute, founded in 2007, bases its work “on the historic findings of Professor Wilbur Scoville. Often called ‘The Father of Pepper Pungency,’ Scoville was a mild mannered and hardworking chemist/scientist who invented a ranking/rating scale measuring the pungency of peppers way back in the late 1800’s.” And you thought I was kidding when I mentioned a periodic table of peppers! These people take their hot sauce very seriously–just as seriously as they take their all-natural ingredients. Scoville hot sauces may have “a dab of this and a smidgen of that” but they are free of additives, preservatives, MSG, Red #4, and other “unworthy” ingredients.

The current line includes seven–yes, seven!–different flavors (and five different heats) of hot sauce: Cayenne (medium), Jalapeno (mild), Orange Habanero (hot), Red Savina (x-hot), 4 Pepper (medium), Extra Hot Habanero (x-hot), and Super Hot Off the Charts (xxx-hot). So if a mild hot sauce is still a bit hot, can an “xxx-hot” hot sauce burn a hole through your plate? Let me know what happens–I’m way too chicken to test this one! I’m planning to pass my bottle of Otc to my brother-in-law, who orders Thai and Indian food “spicy” and has yet to meet a hot sauce he didn’t like.

If you’re thinking these would make a great Father’s Day gift, you’re right! But the gift isn’t just the sauce. I am in love with Scoville’s creative packaging. Not only is it eye catching, fun and unique (and a million-dollar idea according to Donny Deutsch) it is also easy to understand. There’s little chance of your mixing up the Extra Hot Habanero with the 4 Pepper. And here’s something you probably didn’t know: Scoville also does Valentine’s Day labels, wedding favors–whatever you want–as long as there’s hot sauce inside. Now that’s almost as cool, or should I say as hot, as their winning three major awards at the 2007 Fiery Food Challenge! –Emily

** Giveaway! The Scoville Food Institute is giving away a gift set of sauces plus a Periodic Table of Scoville Units t-shirt (size XL). This would make the perfect gift for Father’s Day! Leave a comment telling us your favorite (or craziest!) use for hot sauce; include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 6, 2008 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

** Congratulations to Amy L., the winner of the Scoville Food Institute giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

In our continuing coverage of Quilt Market Daria interviews designer Jan Lutz from The Apron Lady Designs. Boutique Cafe was honored to be given special media access to the recent International Quilt Market in Portland. While at Market we had a chance to rub elbows and get to know so many talented fabric, pattern and quilting designers (we even got to cheer on some of our very own friends in our community!!). It was a “dream-come-true kind” of weekend. Over the coming days and weeks we’ll be sharing our video coverage with you on Boutique Cafe.

**Giveaway! – The Apron Lady Designs is giving away a tremendous prize for a few of our Boutique Cafe listeners. First prize: An 8-pack of all of their beautiful patterns, as well as a finished apron in the style of their choice!!. Second prize: Two winners will receive the 8-pack of apron patterns. To enter simply watch our coverage and comment telling us the name of the first apron Jan Lutz shows us OR visit The Apron Lady site and mention which pattern is your personal fave!

Please include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June, 5 2008 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

**Boutique Cafe is brought to you by Aveeno Baby.

UPDATE!! It’s Time to announce our Winners!! Congratulations to each of you, and thanks to everyone for your GREAT comments for Jan Lutz. I know that she was very touched by all of the attention.

Two Second Prize winners are:
Val of The South
mannequin
*you have won an 8 pack of all The Apron Lady Patterns

First Place Winner is:
Jennifer Bogart
*you have won your choice of apron, made up just for you! Plus, an 8-pack of all The Apron Lady patterns!!

I never get tired of reviewing Putumayo World Music’s new releases. I don’t buy a lot of children’s CDs; in fact, I think Raffi’s Bananaphone was the last one I purchased. For me the amount of children’s music out there is overwhelming, but if I were to buy a CD or two I would want the most bang for my buck (i.e. something Mom actually enjoys hearing over and over again). And if the music exposes my children to other cultures, that’s just icing on the cake. No wonder I absolutely love Putumayo Kids and their Dreamland and Playground collections.

Their latest in the Dreamland collection is a relaxing, soothing compilation of African music. African Dreamland is the fourth CD and just as interesting yet calming as the other three (Dreamland, Asian Dreamland and Celtic Dreamland). African Dreamland’s soothing sounds feature vocal and instrumental blends from Cameroon to Cape Verde. Putumayo calls it a “cultural lullaby experience” and the CD lives up to its claim. I’ve actually been a fan of African music ever since I saw The Power of One and bought the soundtrack (”Penny Whistle Song” is one of my all-time favorites), and I fell in love with the music all over again after listening to African Dreamland.

The CD also features new artists as well as longtime Putumayo favorites: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Toumani Diabaté and Samite. New artist Mapumba, from the Congo, and Chiwoniso, from Zimbabwe, are featured not only on African Dreamland but also on African Party, which celebrates Putumayo World Music’s 15th Anniversary. If introducing your children to other cultures is important to you, then add African Dreamland and a few other Putumayo Kids CDs to your collection. You never know…they may actually prefer them to the Disney culture they know so well. –Emily

P.S. A portion of proceeds from the sale of African Dreamland will be donated to NextAid, a non-profit organization committed to developing and implementing innovative solutions to the challenges facing African children.

** Giveaway! Putumayo Kids is giving away 3 copies of African Dreamland! Please leave a comment with a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: June 5, 2008 (midnight). The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

** Congratulations to Michelle R., Suzanne B. and Cindi H., the winners of the Putumayo giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

It’s great to be back after a week away! To kick off my finds this week I wanted to travel on over to Etsy and find something cute for the summer. Luckily LittlebitsbyLisa had this darling set I couldn’t resist sharing.

Custom size 2t-8. ODOD! We love the fun little sarong idea on this set – summer just got a whole lot cuter!

Click to view listing on Etsy

Daily Dish shoe reviews are few and far between so I am super excited to finally do another one, and I’m not just saying that because Söfft Shoe Company makes some of the most beautiful styles of flats, wedges and heels I’ve ever seen. I say that because they have beautiful, handmade European-inspired shoes that are surprisingly comfortable.

For this review I was able to try two styles of Söfft shoes, so I carefully browsed the site for both a flat and a heel so I could get a well rounded “feel” of both Söfft’s style and comfort. (Sigh…this job definitely has its perks!) It was a very hard decision (you try just choosing two!) but I finally went with the Pilar flat in pewter and the Vivian high heel in black patent…and then I anxiously waited for the UPS man to knock on my door.

The Pilar got its test run at a family birthday party and were the perfect complement to skinny-leg jeans. The insole was super cushy and I loved the added touches like the corset lace and bow on the back of the heel. They did take a little breaking in (a warm day where you’re on your feet the whole time is not the best first-run for any new patent leather shoe) but that was related more to the stiff patent leather rather than the nicely padded insole. And I absolutely love it when a company adds a finishing touch by putting something decorative on the sole of the shoe, which Söfft does with a beautiful floral pattern. (Note: this shoe runs about a half size small.) I’ve worn these shoes quite a few times already and they are definitely one of my favorite pairs of shoes!

The Vivian is all sass, and what woman doesn’t love a sassy pair of shoes! These peep-toe slings have a 3 1/2″ heel (great for showing off the legs this summer) and look perfect whether you’re wearing a skirt, jeans, or dressy bermuda shorts. And again, Söfft adds a great little touch with French piping and stacked heel (and that fun floral print on the sole). I have very few pairs of heels I can wear all day and so I’m more than happy the Vivian is one of them. I may have to get another color, especially that yummy red. Talk about sassy!

And I know this review covers Söfft’s Spring 2008 collection, but you’ve got to check out Fall 2007. They have some to die for boots and heels. I’m hoping these are still available because I think I’m going to have to buy the Calypso, the Modena III, and maybe even the Regina. It’s not too early for Christmas shopping, is it?!?! –Emily

** Giveaway! Söfft Shoe Company is giving away one pair of shoes, winner’s choice!!! Please leave a comment telling us your favorite Sofft shoe; include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 3, 2008 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

** Congratulations to Julie R., the winner of the Sofft Shoe giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

My fellow family channel member and buddy Chassy Cat (host of Technogeekery) is putting out a call for her viewers to send in video clips. In her new show up today you can see clips of a little message I recorded for her show #30.

In addition to seeing me goof around on Technogeekery, you can also learn valuable information about how to upload and send GINORMOUS files over the internet to those you love, it just might save your life someday. Chassy Cat recommends: You Send It.com as well as, MegaUpload.com.

So come on over, learn something new, and laugh at me (I mean with me!). Remember Boutique Cafe is always looking for video clips from our listeners too, so why not try out Chassy Cat’s suggestions today and send us a little video clippy lovin’? You might just wind up on Boutique Cafe TV!

Watch Daria on Technogeekery>

Once Memorial Day is over, Father’s Day is just around the corner, which really stresses me out because I’m always at a loss for great gift ideas. You can only give so many ties, Old Spice soap-on-the-rope (hey, my dad swears it was his favorite gift), and men’s facials (okay, that gift probably never gets old). But if the man you’re shopping for is big on barbecuing, I’ve got a “hot” gift idea for you–and it’s not a “kiss the cook” apron.

Woodbridge Grill’s Get Smokin’ smoker boxes are an easy way to give a yummy smoked flavor to whatever you’re grilling. How easy? Easy enough for me to do after reading the directions only once. Get Smokin’ wood smokers come in three flavors: Applewood, Mesquite and Toasted Oak. The canister contains wood chips and seasonings along with a small, metal smoker box and magnet. Simply fill the box with wood chips, securely close the lid, and then use the magnet to mount it underneath the grill over the hottest point of your barbecue. Turn on the heat and once it starts smoking add your meat, fish or veggies around the smoker.

We tested the Applewood smoker with country style boneless pork ribs. Usually we like to marinate our pork ribs but to truly test the smoker we left them completely naked. I wanted to see what kind of flavor the smoker would add to our ribs. Sure enough, the ribs had a faint applewood flavor to them, but what I really liked–and I think this was due to the smoker–were the almost caramelized grill lines on the ribs; they were lightly sweet and crispy. The ribs did need a little Famous Dave’s barbecue sauce, but I found this only enhanced the smoked flavor. Everyone had seconds, so I’d say Woodbridge Grill’s Get Smokin’ smoker box was a big hit!

Woodbridge Grill was recently nominated for two SoFi Awards including Outstanding Food Gift. (SoFi, which stands for Specialy Outstanding Food Innovation, is the NASFT’s prestigious annual product awards competition.) Looking to give the barbecuer in your life an award-winning, “tasteful” gift this Father’s Day? I suggest the Family Pack from Woodbridge Grill. He’ll get all three flavors and you’ll have a few less meals to plan this summer! –Emily

** Giveaway! Woodbridge Grill is giving away a gift pack to two lucky winners! Please leave a comment telling us your favorite grilled food; include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: May 30, 2008 (midnight). The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Stacey M. and Cheryl K., the winners of our Woodbridge Grill giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

A big big thrill from my trip to Market in Portland was the time I spent with fabric designer extraordinaire Anna Maria Horner.

The first thing you notice about her is how lovely she is in person, dark gorgeous hair cut shorter in the back and tapered forward to show off her stunning features, beautiful eyes and a tremendous smile. Then when you speak to her you feel so at ease, Anna Maria is just so real and full of life. It’s impossible to be nervous around her! (though my nerves attempted it at first)

Her booth at market won first prize and it was easy to see why, a total visual feast of the most delicious fabrics, textures and patterns. Everything holding true to her unique sense of style and movement. When we sat down in the beautiful wing-back chairs en-robed in “Drawing Room” fabric, it was the perfect place to hold our little interview for Boutique Cafe.

What I didn’t expect from Anna Maria Horner was how entirely funny she is! She had me cracking up so hard at the start of our interview that we literally had to pause and start again (something about the size our our large microphone made us all laugh uncontrollably).

I hope you’ll take a peek at my Boutique Cafe interview with Anna Maria and leave a comment for her. She really was a wonderful guest and just a total thrill to be around!

(Photo Credit: Intimate Photography by Amelia for exclusive use by Boutique Cafe)

MORE Quilt Market NEWS and INTERVIEWS Coming on Boutique Cafe.com – Check in often!!

Over the past weekend Boutique Cafe was honored to be given special media access to the International Quilt Market in Portland. While at Market we had a chance to rub elbows and get to know so many talented fabric, pattern and quilting designers (we even got to cheer on some of our very own friends in our community!!). It was a “dream-come-true kind” of weekend. Over the coming days and weeks we’ll be sharing our video coverage with you on Boutique Cafe.

In this special episode, Daria interviews Anna Maria Horner about her new lines “Drawing Room” (and Garden Party), her love of fabric and her adoration for design. It’s an interview not to be missed! Thank you so much Anna Maria for your charm and talents, we felt honored to meet you in person. Please leave a message for Anna Maria in our shownotes today if you enjoyed her interview. You can find out more by visiting www.annamariahorner.com

**I couldn’t resist blogging more of my personal thoughts about Anna Maria and our interview: click here to read and see more pictures too!

**Boutique Cafe is brought to you by Aveeno Baby.

Besides the handful of cool strollers and a few other products here and there it’s not often my husband takes notice of the products I review on the Daily Dish (unless, of course, I walk around the house flaunting my new Wallaroo hat…look for that awesome find in a couple weeks!) . But when TrioArt Stationary sent samples of their whimsical and fun product line, he took notice, especially since they sent him his own “manly” yet super cool personalized stationary. And I know for a fact he’s already used it!

TrioArt actually has delighted everyone in our family. My oldest daughter couldn’t wait to use her personalized enclosure card for her friend’s birthday gift and my second oldest daughter was excited to have her own notecards (a great way for the middle child to feel like an only child!). My two-year-old had his own cool luggage tag, which he proudly put on his My Bag, and TrioArt even had something for our baby: personalized sippy cup and bottle labels! But I think the TrioArt goodies for me were even better because they included an awesome babysitter’s notepad, which had a generous size and room for notes. I find most babysitter’s notepads have room for less important items and leave little room for all those random thoughts you have to jot down just before rushing out the door.

There’s just something about TrioArt that puts a smile on everyone’s face, and perhaps it’s because of the designer behind TrioArt:

…I listen to your needs and find the right images and message to create a meaningful product specifically designed for you. … I draw inspiration from my children, nature, fabric, vintage finds, interior design, architecture and fashion. I believe in following your passion, giving with your heart, and accepting life with joy and gratitude.

Personalized stationary makes a wonderful, unique gift and TrioArt will make that unique gift simply perfect! Good luck trying to choose just one design; fortunately the prices are just as delightful as the product line. Oh, and if you need help creating your design TrioArt offers some wording ideas to help the creative juices flow. Father’s Day is coming up, and what would be more fun than to give Dad something he can truly call his own? –Emily

* Promotion! TrioArt Stationary is offering Daily Dish readers a free gift with purchase! Receive one of their super nifty large grocery pads (a $10 value!) when you enter code “grocery list” at checkout. NOTE: I LOVE this notepad; it groups your groceries by type–super handy! Offer expires June 30, 2008.

At baby&momma you can “shop ’til you pop” and then some! The company has some really fun tees for pregnant bellies and babies. Their maternity tees are a cotton/spandex blend so they are really soft and have great stretch. I was able to check out their “Who’s Your Mommy?” maternity tee, and though it’s about 10 months too late for me to actually wear this cute t-shirt, the fabric and cut made it easy to believe it when baby&momma claims their tees “can stretch over even the largest of pregnant bellies.”

baby&momma’s maternity line has some really great sayings like “I’m with my Inner Child” and “Our future lies within.” And let’s not forget their cute onesies for newborns. Though sized 0-3 months, the company says they’re sized large and can fit most babies 3-6 months (100% cotton–no spandex in these babies so they will shrink slightly when washed). My faves from their onesie line are “Are you really my relatives?” and “Notify the press: I have arrived.”

If you’re looking to add a fun, new tee to your maternity wardrobe or a fun baby shower gift for a friend, visit baby&momma’s website. You’re sure to find something cute and comfy! –Emily

** Giveaway! baby&momma is giving away one of their “clone” infant onesies! Please leave a comment with a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: May 28th (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Tara R., the winner of our baby&momma giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Do you ever wish your child’s sippy cup had the insulating power of your favorite thermos? Or wish your thermos had a leak-proof top complete with pop-up straw so your child’s OJ doesn’t ferment on the drive to Grandma’s? Well your wish has been granted with Thermos’ new Foogo line.

Thermos has taken its superior insulation and put it into its new Foogo line, which includes a sippy cup, straw bottle, and food jar. Besides protecting food from spoiling and possible food-borne illnesses, Foogo products use all FDA-approved materials and do not use plastics containing Bisphenol A (BPA). With all the new research and latest news about the negative side effects from BPA, Foogo offers peace of mind for parents…and fresher, safer food for kids.

We received samples of all three products, and though we haven’t used the food jar yet we have definitely broken in the sippy cup and straw bottle. In fact, both my 10-year-old and 2-year-old love the straw bottle and we’ve had to do the take-turns thing with that one. Though they have a few more parts to wash than our typical single-valve sippy cup, it’s worth it knowing at least one food-related product is BPA free. For those into the science behind Foogo, here you go:
• The vacuum-insulated stainless steel interior and exterior is non-reactive to all food and beverages
• The soft drinking spout is made from “food contact safe” Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE)
• The valve plate and lid are made from polypropylene (PP#5)
• All materials are FDA approved
• All plastics used for Thermos Foogo products are BPA free

I found the Comparative Study of Foogo an interesting read as well. And if preventing food-borne illness isn’t that important, at least buy them because they look cool. I’d choose Foogo over a Spongebob sippy cup any day! –Emily

For the past few days I’ve been immersed in the creative kingdom of International Quilt Market (in Portland). Boutique Cafe was given special access within the show to videotape and interview a plethora of our fabric and designer heroine’s and (heros). Taking along my amazing team of Megan from Brassy Apple and Amelia from Intimate Photography we worked the showroom floor interviewing, capturing and photographing, drool worthy textiles and admirable creative geniuses. We also had the opportunity to meet up with several members of the boutique designer community, it’s been the most spectacular meet and greet!

We’re on our way home tomorrow, and can’t wait to share it all with you! Now the fun begins as we edit video tape and photos to share on Boutique Cafe. Watch for our video coverage of 2008 Portland Quilt Market…coming very soon!!

Pictured in this photo (L to R): Amelia, Amy Butler, Daria, Megan

Handbags are like jeans and shoes–you can never have too many. So when you come across a limited edition, retro- and vintage-inspired bag that exudes quality, it takes only a moment before it becomes a “need” and not a “want.” That’s how I feel about the handbags and wristlets from 144 Collection.

Lesia Griffin launched 144 Collection in February, 2006 as a hobby after taking sewing lessons, which she took to help express her creative side. (Sewing helps me express my all-thumbs side…) Lesia soon discovered she loved designing her own patterns and especially creating one-of-a-kind handbags and wristlets. I’m sure when friends and family saw her fun and funky designs they requested their own bags–I know I would have! Because 144 Collection’s bags are handmade each one is not only unique but also made with attention to quality and detail.

When not hauling around the diaper bag, my bag of choice is 144 Collection’s Jessica handbag. I love its simple style and its ability to hold a lot of stuff without anything getting lost in the shuffle. It has two interior pockets so my cell phone, lip gloss and gum don’t disappear, and the straps are the perfect size to work either on the shoulder or off. Plus there’s something quite satisfying about carrying a limited-edition handbag. And how can you not love the retro, unique fabrics!

144 Collection offers five styles of bags plus a cute wristlet. I love my Jessica bag so much I may pick up a wristlet. At 8″ by 6″ it might even be big enough for diapers and wipes. (Hmmm…I may have to get two.) Along with the retro fabrics you’ll find 144 Collection bags have a retro price. For something this high quality, this detailed, and this unique you could easily pay over $100 but you’ll find these bags won’t bust your budget–leaving room for another pair of shoes, of course. To purchase your own 144 Collection tote or wristlet visit the designer’s store on Etsy. –Emily

I really wanted to feature CnK Designs before May 11th so you would be able to give Mom (or yourself) a beautiful, inspirational, handcrafted necklace or bracelet for Mother’s Day. Alas, our scheduled was full and I couldn’t review CnK Designs until now. But if your Mother’s Day was anything like mine (sick toddler, fighting prepubescent daughters, grumpy husband, exhausted me) you deserve a fabulous post-Mother’s Day gift just for surviving May 11th, and CnK Designs is the perfect I-survived-another-Mother’s-Day gift.

If you visit sites like Etsy you’ll find a wide variety of handmade silver jewelry, but I have yet to see anything that comes close to CnK Designs‘ with its whimsical hand-etched designs on the front and hand-etched messages on the back. It’s those “hidden” messages I think I love the most. I received the Wildflower necklace, a pendant crafted from fine silver with wildflowers on the front and the word “grow” on the back. It hangs from a 16″ sterling silver round box chain and both are oxidized and hand polished for a rustic look. When I wear this necklace it reminds me that even at my 30-something age I can still “grow”–learn new things, step out of my comfort zone, and if “bloom” wherever I’m planted. I love how such a simple design can make such a powerful statement.

My other favorite designs in the collection include the Do What You Love bracelet (we should all follow that advice), Summer Night earrings, and Shine necklace (pictured at the top). CnK Designs welcomes custom orders and can personalize any piece. Plus every item comes in the cutest little packaging. Treat yourself to a dose of inspiration from CnK Designs. Mother’s Day mayhem or not, you deserve it! –Emily

* Promotion! CnK Designs is offering Daily Dish readers 15% off their order! Simply enter code bc15 at checkout.

Mother’s Day might be over but that doesn’t mean we can’t pamper ourselves! I’m always on the hunt for something to soothe my feet, silken my skin, refresh me with amazing fragrance, and ease my tension. Having quality products in my home that aid any brief moment of relaxation and rejuvenation are a hot commodity to me. I personally don’t often have time to get to the spa, or the money to afford those expensive treatments, so the alternative is my own little convenient home spa.

I recently discovered some praise worthy natural body products from a new company called Chloe & Jane, that I couldn’t wait to share. Co-founding girlfriends Laura Albin and Wendy Viscuglia wanted to create a line of spa quality products that were luxurious, relaxing and eco-conscious. Basing their new company on the history of their own friendship, Laura and Wendy used some “alter-ego’s” on opposite sides of the spectrum to name their company. Chloe, a certified spa junkie and Jane, a skeptical spa newbie. The result being a line of hand soap, moisturizing body wash, hydrating wonder lotion, pure sugar body polish, and ultra smooth body butter.

Each product is created with all-natural ingredients, but the real pleasure is in indulging in the use of them. The fresh spa scents available include: Lavender Sage, Citrus Camomile and my ultimate favorite First Bloom.

In “testing” (aka: totally indulging) in my review of their product line, I was throughly impressed with Chloe & Jane. The consistency of their body butter is dreamy and left my skin feeling hydrated, but not oily. The Wonder Lotion is aptly named, it’s like “silk” in a bottle. And my favorite of all the products I tested had to be the Pure Sugar Body Polish! Perhaps because it sounds so delicious but is calorie free, but mostly because my feet and legs looked so healthy and beautiful after I tried it. Kudos to Chloe & Jane who have taken my own little home spa to new heights! – Daria

PROMOTION: from for our Boutique Cafe readers!
15% discount + Free Shipping, no restrictions
Use Promo Code: HAPPYCAFE

Giveaway: Chloe & Jane is offering a wonderful Giveaway for TWO of our Daily Dish readers. The Perfect Duo Gift Set winners select choice of fragrance!
To enter our drawing please leave a comment telling us: Are you a spa junkie like Chloe, or a spa newbie like Jane? Please include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: May 21, 2008 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

How many of you fondly remember Harold and the Purple Crayon or can recite Chicka Chicka Boom Boom from memory? And who hasn’t read Goodnight Gorilla more times than she can count? Well now those favorite books can be your child’s favorite–and educational–DVDs.

In March Scholastic unveiled six storybook classics on DVD: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom…and More Fun with Letters and Numbers; Chrysanthemum…and More Mouse Mayhem; Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type…and More Amusing Animal Tales; Curious George Rides a Bike…and More Monkeying Around; Good Night Gorilla…and More Great Sleepytime Stories; Harold and the Purple Crayon…and More Stories to Spark the Imagination. These storybook classics have been completely refreshed, re-authored and repackaged with new, thematic story collections and celebrity narrators. Yes, celebrity narrators!

The kids and I have enjoyed watching our Chrysanthemum and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom DVDs. They sure beat a few other DVDs we have (not naming any names) and I love that I can watch these without falling asleep! Each of the new DVDs offers at least an hour of stories, an enhanced read-long function allowing children to follow the narrator as the story is read, and a new kid-friendly navigation (mom friendly too).

Scholastic Storybook Treasures collection has won numerous awards including Parents’ Choice, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video, American Library Association Notable Video selections, NAPPA Gold Awards, and Parenting Magazine’s Best DVD of the Year making it the #1 award-winning line in the children’s video marketplace. All the more reason to enter our giveaway for your own collection of priceless stories (on DVD) from Scholastic Storybook Treasures! –Emily

* Giveaway! Scholastic is giving away five two-packs from the selection of DVDs mentioned above! Please leave a comment with a valid email address telling us your favorite storybook classic for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: May 20, 2008 (midnight). The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

This darling hand embroidered tank is adorned with Hello Kitty! Also included is the sweet twirl skirt, all by olivia*kate on eBay. Size 2t-3t for your little Hello Kitty fan!

Click to bid and make this yours on eBay.

Looking for a great solution to keep your kids hydrated in a healthy way this summer? I know personally the woes and struggle it can be to keep your child’s beverages healthy but still drinkable. Bot beverages are a parent’s best buddy, I can’t wait to tote them around for my kids in the heat of our holiday time knowing that they aren’t injesting a ton of sugar.

Bot was created in 2006 by a husband and wife team (Cricket and Brian Allen). As parents of twin daughters, these savvy parents wanted to find a healthy, low sugar drink for their girls, but they weren’t able to find any on the grocery store shelves. That’s when mother invention stepped in, and they decided to create with a tasty and “good for you” drink that will hydrate kids without the sugar high.

I was sent several bottles of the Bot beverages to test with my team of taste testing critics (my kids). Let’s face it, if the kids won’t drink it then no matter how good for them it is, it won’t fly. We tried them both chilled and served at room temperature, the consensus was that everyone preferred the chilled Bot in our family. They come in subtle flavors of Lemon, Orange, Grape and Berry, and are fortified with Vitamin B which is essential for growth, energy production and energy release. The kids loved the Orange and Grape the very best. For my husband and I who also took our taste test, I loved the Lemon and he was a big fan of Berry.

Bot really stands out as fortified water with 75% less sugar than juice (no artificial flavor/sweeteners /preservatives), but still boasting a lovely flavor to entice your children to drink up. Of course developing good eating habits while your children are young will not only set them on a good course for overall health, but ease you the pain of trying to pull your kids off of sugar if they are accustomed to it. If you have little ones that love drinking soda or juices, they may shy away from Bot at first as they would notice the lack of sugar, but keep with it and keep offering them the healthy alternative, things will turn around.

The packaging for Bot is outstanding and definitely branded to appeal to kids and parents alike. Finding bot beverages is easy peasey, just visit their website and place your zip code in their handy store locater web page.

The next time you find yourself reaching for a juice box to satisfy your childs thirst, give Bot a shot! – Daria

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms and moms to be in our community. You have a tough job, but it’s the most important one in the world! I honor each of you today and say thank you for all you do to nurture your families and raise fantastic children!! Feel special today (and everyday).
XOXO!
Daria

Besides doing Body for Life almost 7 years ago I’ve never stuck to a diet plan for longer than a week, and that was only before a photo shoot or tropical vacation. I’ve dabbled in Suzanne Sommers, South Beach, and even a little Atkins but all of them pretty much left me tired and hungry. I was intrigued by the Flat Belly Diet when I saw the women behind the plan on Rachel Ray. The diet claims to get rid of belly fat by sticking to a 1,600-calorie diet where you eat a mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) with every meal:

This breakthrough diet from the editors of Prevention magazine was made for health-conscious women who have tried virtually everything to eliminate harmful belly fat – it offers a proven, science-based solution combining a cutting-edge nutrition plan with expert motivational tips and advice.

I could write a whole page on the ins and outs of the Flat Belly Diet but to save time and space I’ll let you read a little bit about it here or you can watch this great interview with Cynthia Sass, nutrition director at Prevention, who talks about the science behind the diet. (I’ve actually heard it’s similar to the Mediterranean diet since MUFAs include foods like nuts, healthy oils, olives, avocados.)

I tried out the 4-day jump start plan and that probably wasn’t the best way for me to test out this diet. To be honest, I’m really not at a need-to-diet stage, so the 4-day jump start (1,200 calories a day) just wasn’t quite enough for me. Though the planned breakfast meals usually did a great job of filling me up (note: I think the 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds on day 1 is a typo–that’s almost 400 calories right there), lunch left me hungry and grumpy by the mid afternoon snack. I was really grumpy by dinner time the first day, but I had missed the planned midday fruit smoothie, so I’m sure that was part of the problem. I really should have just started in on the 1,600-calorie plan and tried out the yummy sounding–and more substantial (i.e. filling)–meals you can eat once you’re off the jump-start phase. I’m talking apple-almond oatmeal, avocado-tomato herbed breakfast tacos, Mediterranean wraps, and pork with Szechaun vegetables. Read the rest of this entry »

And that’s surprising for someone like me who originally thought food free of wheat, gluten, dairy, nut, egg, lactose, casein (the principal protein found in milk and other dairy products) would also be free of taste. Enjoy Life has changed my way of thinking about gluten-free and allergen-free foods.

So if they’re products are free of so many allergen-inducing ingredients what ARE they made of? I went online to read more about a company whose dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips are just plain yummy. (I’ll get to those in a minute.) Though Enjoy Life foods have some rice products (rice flour, rice flakes, rice protein) they differ from “other” manufacturers by using nutrient- and flavor-rich alternatives like amaranth and sorghum flour. “Instead of eggs, we use a combination of aluminum-free baking powder, flax, and applesauce. Rather than saturated fats, we use non-hydrogenated, trans fat-free safflower oil. For sweeteners, we skip the refined stuff and use a combination of natural fruit juices and honey or pure brown cane sugar. Instead of the artificial stuff, we bake with rosemary extract and a fruit juice/grain dextrin mixture to lock-in freshness and extend shelf life.” With all that good stuff inside it’s no wonder Enjoy Life foods taste so dang good!

And my family should know–we recently used their semi-sweet chocolate chips in our favorite cookie recipe. Read the rest of this entry »

A boutique launch not to be missed. Please bid generously to benefit our dear colleague Michele and her children. For more information on this very special launch visit We Love Mud Blog.

“Michele our hearts, love and prayers are with you and your family” – from all of us at Boutique Cafe

Click to Support Michele and her children>>.

**Boutique Cafe wanted to get involved: 100% of All Banner Ad purchases on BC’s Market and Sidebar from May 7-9th will go directly to benefit Michele and her family.

Many tee shirt company’s these days work in mass volume creating gigantic orders, it works great for the big guys, but for those of us who love the personal touch ordering from a smaller company can have real benefits. Happily I discovered an incredible company called Wee Wee Wear that designs and hand screens all of their tees with tender loving care.

Wee Wee Wear was created by a new mommy with a background in art. Her goal was to bring unique and trendy tees to infants and toddlers. Each garment is carefully inspected before it leaves the studio, this gives the buyer great peace of mind to know that their special item will be “gift ready” when it arrives.

I was sent the most darling tee for review, the “I Love Ya Like Cake” tee. It looks absolutely precious on my youngest son Noah, and I adore the saying it makes me smile whenever he wears it. But that’s not all, Wee Wee Wear have many charming sayings and adorable graphics to add to your child’s wardrobe. Some of my personal favorites include : Backseat Driver, Mama’s Little Muffin and Happy Camper tee to name a few.

All of the garments from Wee Wee Wear are beautiful 100% Cotton, super soft and high quality. The thing that you’ll really adore, and will keep you coming back for more is their packaging…it’s AWESOME! Hand packaged with care in a plastic zipper pouch and adorned with the cutest sticker. Their packaging definitely makes a statement and is ideal for gift giving. Take Wee Wee Wear all the way home. – Daria

Boutique Cafe would like to feature your groups designs for an upcoming launch you might have in the works. We realize this may take some coordination to get images together and sent in so we’re booking features for group Fashion Shows now through the end of summer. Bookings will be done on a first come, first served basis and the fashion showcase will last one week on our front page (then of course in our archives).

We’ve created a new Bookings Calendar, to use it simply search availability for a GROUP Fashion Show feature on Boutique Cafe. Once you see your desired date, send us an email to: daria@boutiquecafe.com with the following information for approval.

- Dates of your launch (this is critical)
- Number of participants
- Theme/Name of your launch
- How long your group has been running
- The leader’s name and contact info if applicable
- If you’re group would like to offer a prize or giveaway to coincide with the feature on Boutique Cafe (we highly recommend offering some type of giveaway as extra incentive for our readers to check out your launch listings.)

*Once your date is approved and we confirm with you, we’ll require some additional information, 1 image per participating member for the Fashion Show, your group logo and a quote about your group and what makes it special. (**images will need to be supplied at least 1 week in advance of your feature date in order to create the movie. If they are not received 1 full week in advance your feature will be cancelled)

We’re so excited to offer this great opportunity to so many talented designer groups! Cheers – Daria

Email:

Looking for a way to contact us at Boutique Cafe? It’s as simple as 1-2-3! Click your heels together three times and send your email to: daria@boutiquecafe.com

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Blogs:

Secrets from the Studio
Daria’s Life (personal blog)
Apron A Day

Back in April I reviewed Dr.Hauschka’s holistic home remedies, and I am still a faithful uses of our Mercurialis Wound Rescue and recently discovered the healing abilities of the Apis Belladonna Sore Throat Rescue. It’s not surprising the same healing qualities that go into Dr.Hauschka’s Holistic Home Remedies can be found in their line of skin and sun care products. The concept is to “infuse the healing qualities of plant extracts into every preparation in order to stimulate the skin’s ability to find its way back to health.” So is their skin care line as effective as their holistic home remedies?

I’ve been able to test the Everyday Matters cleansing system, which includes their Lavender Bath (soothes skin and opens pores for deep cleansing), Cleansing Cream (removes dirt and impurities; encourages gentle exfoliation) and Facial Toner (restores firmness, tightens pores and helps prevent breakouts). I also tested Dr.Hauschka’s Rose Day Cream (includes extracts of rose petal, rose hip and avocado to soothe and heal; 30 rose petals go into every tube!) and Rhythmic Night Conditioner (strengthens, renews and regulates the skin). To be totally honest, the night time ritual was a bit intense for me. Though the special “press and roll” technique used for applying Dr.Hauschka’s skin care products is holistically sound, I couldn’t help myself from doing some light circular motions while using the Cleansing Cream. And I didn’t get around to using the Lavender Bath because I was usually too exhausted to add the few drops to my cleansing water (I splash right from the tap, baby).

But here’s the good news (and it’s really good news): Read the rest of this entry »

Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petton has held a recent contest for the Best Parenting Podcast and we were informed that Boutique Cafe is one of their choices! What a thrill to receive a nomination from one of you, and to hear such high praise from Ms. Van Petton herself about Boutique Cafe.

Teens Today is a website that showcases a teen’s perspective on parenting today, from her “net” generation view of the wondrous world of young people.

Please check out the fantastic list of “Best Parenting Podcasts” mentioned on Teens Today website (we’re in the Parenting with a Twist category). And be sure to leave a comment for Vanessa about why you love Boutique Cafe – we really would love you for it!

Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petton >>

Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petton has held a recent contest for the Best Parenting Podcast and we were informed that Boutique Cafe is one of their choices! What a thrill to receive a nomination from one of you, and to hear such high praise from Ms. Van Petton herself about Boutique Cafe.

Teens Today is a website that showcases a teen’s perspective on parenting today, from her “net” generation view of the wondrous world of young people.

Please check out the fantastic list of “Best Parenting Podcasts” mentioned on Teens Today website (we’re in the Parenting with a Twist category). And be sure to leave a comment for Vanessa about why you love Boutique Cafe – we really would love you for it!

Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petton >>