We would like to take a moment to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas, and a bright and beautiful New Year. We hope each of you will experience the true joy of the season, and be surrounded by love and happiness.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Boutique Cafe – XOXOXO

For Christmas this year I wanted to gift my “oodles” of darling nieces and nephews with something handmade from me. I decided to use the Owl Pattern from my friends Kim and Kris at www.thediydish.com to make my owl buddies. Then I created a little nest for each owl to sit in, now they can set them on their dressers and have a little bed for their owls to nap in.

Merry Christmas xoxo Daria

What is needed for this project:
Small wreath from Michaels or your local craft store
glue gun
glue sticks
feather boa (if desired)
wood strips/filler (could use paper raffia)
styrofoam eggs (not required but I had some lying around the house)

Guess what I just caught wind of for my favorite Boutique Cafe readers? A killer sale at DownEast Basics. Here’s the info and you’re welcome :

DownEast Basics will be making an exciting announcement to email subscribers about our biggest sale of the year. Be the first to hear about this once-a-year deal by signing up for the DownEast email list here.

-Katie

Sure, reviewing high-end diaper bags and fabulous children’s shoes is an awesome job, but what really floats my boat is the the wide variety of children’s music we’ve popped into the CD player so we can review new artists for our Daily Dish readers. I discovered some of my most favorite children’s CDs (Putumayo Kids collection for one) as a result of a Boutique Cafe review, and today I have three more CDs you might want to consider adding to your collection. (Stocking stuffers, anyone?)

Swimming in Noodles by Jim Cosgrove

Jim Cosgrove is an award-winning performer who channeled a lot of free-wheeling energy into his latest CD, Swimming in Noodles. I love an upbeat, bounce-in-your-seat children’s CD and this one definitely fits the bill. My favorite song is “Just Like You,” which was inspired by a chance encounter Jim had with two musicians from Uganda at a hotel pool. (Cool, huh?)

George had this to say about “Little Miss Floppy Socks” when it came on the car speakers: “I like his songs!” Livi said, “He said, ‘P.U.’ That funny!” And when track 14 came on, George’s comment was, “This is a wonderful song. I like it.” I couldn’t agree more, George!

You can find Swimming in Noodles and listen to sample tracks from the CD online at JimCosgrove.com.

...
Sunny Day by Elizabeth Mitchell

Though I generally prefer a children’s CD that makes you want to shimmy and shake, it is nice to take a little break from all that toe-tapping and enjoy something a little more mellow. Elizabeth Mitchell’s Sunny Day is that deep cleansing breath that keeps us centered. The CD features a variety of voices including Elizabeth’s husband and nine-year-old daughter plus cousins and friends. The tracks include everything from traditional American folk songs to Japanese and Korean nursery songs.

When track 2 came on, Livi’s comment was, “Hey, I yike this song!” (She still can’t figure out how to pronounce her Ls…) And when track 7 was playing, George said, “Mom, this is a different beautiful song. Keep this one, Momma.” Of course the best was track 1. George: “I love the little kid. Mom, do you love the little kid?” Me: “Yep!” George: “Me too…but not love, love, love.” (That kid is too funny!)

You can find Sunny Day, including a video and free song download of “Oh, John the Rabbit” on the Smithsonian Folkways website.

...
Use Your Words by Jeremy Zmuda of Jeremy Plays Guitar

The third CD in this roundup is Jeremy Zmuda’s Use Your Words, a more child-behavioral CD if there is such a thing. The tracks on this CD, which feature everything from jazz to rock to country-folk, are all about helping children learn “social skill development, purposeful language, and emotional concepts without compromising the joy and fun of singing and dancing.” It is definitely a teaching CD, but at least it teaches in a way kids will love. For me, 14 tracks of “parenting” is a bit much, but my kids didn’t seem to notice, so I guess that’s a good thing! They songs on Use Your Words are catchy and do teach some valuable lessons, and if it can get my kids to remember our “House Rules,” then I’m a fan!

You can find Use Your Words and even download the hit single “Jump So High” on JeremyPlaysGuitar.com.

*** We are giving away one gift set that includes a copy of Swimming in Noodles, Sunny Day and Use Your Words! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•Leave a comment sharing with us your most favorite children’s song or CD.
•“Like” Jim Cosgrove on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•“Like” Elizabeth Mitchell and Your Are My Flower on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•“Like” Jeremy Plays Guitar on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: December 22, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Tracie T., the winner of the CD gift set 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!

Enjoy a trip through the homes and traditions of friends in our very own Boutique Community. This episode will make you feel all warm and fuzzy, and ready to decorate like crazy. Thanks so much to those who participated by sending in their pictures. This idea makes me feel like Robin Leach from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (minus the accent)!! It’s a fun little holiday jaunt into the homes of some very creative gals who give so much year-round to their families and community. We hope you feel inspired by the Christmas decor, so cozy up with your hot cocoa and visit the homes of some of our closest friends.

Holiday Homes Included in this episode:
Chelsea – Vintage Chic (Free!! Pillow tutorial on her blog>>)
Patty – Mod Kid Boutique
Emily – georgietees
Liz – LizzyAnne
Lisa – The Domestic Diva(TUTORIALS: Make Tulle Garland, Bow Tutorial, Scents of the Season, Gift Wrapping Tutorial)
Catherine – our “Muirhead Family” Tree
Daria – Boutique Cafe

Don’t miss out on the incredible shopping deals still available in our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide>>

Holly’s newest bedding piece is a Hi Height Baby measuring crib sheet from Clarechen. It’s so cute! We have the lavender one and the color is just right. The color is from “UNI color for Textile” environmental friendly ink from Japan. The crib sheet has added a really fun punch to Holly’s crib. It washes well and I haven’t noticed any fade in the color. Holly’s not growing rapidly enough for me to use the height measuring factor, but I know when our newborn arrives, I’ll be lamenting/rejoicing daily as I’ll be able to see that she’s increased in height.

Here’s a little more about the Clarechen:

Established in 2009.  CC believes good ideas are born at anytime in a person’s life under unintentional situations.  A lot of times, those ideas are the most powerful for finding daily problems and needs.  CC’s products are inspired by daily surroundings.  Exclusive, simple, different are the main elements we aim for to provide our consumers.

As far as pricing goes, the crib sheet is comparable. This makes an excellent baby shower gift or if you’re nesting like I am, go ahead and order one! – Katie

***Giveaway! Clarechen is giving away one Baby Speaks Bib to one lucky reader!***

Leave a comment telling me what baby speaks bib is your favorite or what color of Hi Height sheet you like the best. I’ll draw a winner from the comments and contact her via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Contest closes December 21st, 2010 (midnight).

Congratulations Brooklyn! You’re the winner!

I grew up rinsing out and crushing milk jugs and then saving them for recycling day without ever really considering what those milk jugs would become. Now I know…

Green Toys is a company that uses recycled milk jugs to make toys. Every pound of recycled milk jugs saves on average enough electricity to power a television for 3 whole weeks. Huge, right? Reusing these milk containers also reduces greenhouse gas emissions (learn more here). And that’s just bonuses to the cute and affordable toys Green Toys makes. I was sent the Stacker toy to review. It’s made in the USA and it’s made from 100% recycled plastic milk containers. And we’ve loved playing with it! The pieces nest easily and can stack in any order. The stacker has shown no wear and tear even though we play with it a lot and Holly likes to throw the pieces. It’s a good-looking toy whether it’s on the shelf, or scattered across the floor. The stacker came packaged in only recycled and recyclable materials printed with soy inks. When it arrived, I carefully looked it over for any inconsistencies in the dye or imperfections, but found none! It holds no trace of being made from recyclables.

I’m a big fan on this toy and this company. They carry an excellent selection of toys at completely reasonable prices. From spoons, forks and plates, to dump trucks! Reward yourself and your children for all the recycling you’ve done lately (and teach them what can be made from all your milk jugs) and purchase some Green Toys for the holidays! – Katie

I want to start off this post by singing (in my best Julie Andrew’s voice) “Oh, it’s a Jolly Holiday with Mary, Mary makes your heart so light. When the day is grey and ordinary, Mary makes the sun shine bright…”. As you can tell I’m crazy about my dear friend Mary Abreu, and of course her new book that is out on shelves as we speak.

“Little Girls, Big Style” is her new labor of love, and the beauty of this book is that it allows you to create limitless possibilities for a little girls wardrobe by using 4 easy patterns. You can then let the creativity flow, and will be amazed what you can create! Mary has laid everything out in a simple to understand manner. The book sells for $25.95 through Stash books and includes tear-out pages! YAY! I love the beautiful photography and graphic feel of this book, you just can’t get it wrong.

You can Purchase the Book directly from Stash Books here>> They are also offering a PDF download of the book for those who want to get their hands on the information right away – like me!

“Little Girls, Big Style” is taking a grand tour of blogland this week. We are privileged to be a stop along the way, and to host a GIVEAWAY so you can snag your very own (much coveted) copy! All you need to do is post a comment, tweet this post on Twitter, share this link on Facebook, Blog about this giveaway, and then let us know in the comments section. You may enter as many times as you like, we want a huge buzz around this book for our friend Mary so each time you tweet, share and comment and blog, it’s worth an extra entry. We’ll draw a winner on Dec.15th at Midnight!! (please provide a valid email address in your comments)

This book would be an ideal Christmas gift for the sewing beginner or more advance sewing lover in your life. Sing it with me – “No wonder that it’s Mary that we Love” – xoxo Daria

Blog Book Tour Details:
12/6 Lisa http://thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com
12/7 Susan http://bluemoonriverblogspot.com
12/8 Jessica http://juicy-bits.typepad.com
12/9 Penny http://sewtakeahike.typepad.com
12/10 Daria http://boutiquecafe.com
12/11 Rashida http://iheartlinen.com
12/12 Kristin http://sewmamasew.com/blog2
12/13 Jona http://jonag.typepad.com
12/14 Kim http://trueup.net
12/15 Bari http://barij.typepad.com

And we have a winner!! Congratulations to Robin (AKA @CokeLush on Twitter). The winning entry was the tweet pictured below and drawn randomly from all entries received. Thank you so much to everyone for your participation, and comments! I know that Mary is over the moon from the ecstatic response to her first book!!

A GIFT FOR YOU: As a little Holiday treat for our readership we commissioned the talents of Maggie from Boutique Graphics to create some original Holiday prints as our Christmas gift to you!!

These sweet sayings are Free for you to download and print off at your local print shop (or at home on your printer). Put them into a cute frame and place them around the house to make your holiday festive and bright. We’d love to see pictures of where you place your prints and how you display them, post a link to your blog if you share them – (*remember good things come to those who share…).

We have two Holly Jolly designs available:

“All is Calm, All is Bright”

“A Little Cup of Christmas”

Each download is available in 4 sizes (4×6,5×7, 8×10, 11×14)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each and every one of you.

With much love,
Daria and the entire Boutique Cafe Team

FREE DOWNLOADS
Click to download the sizes you wish
“All is Calm, All is Bright” (colors are Turquoise and red)
4X6
5×7
8×10
11×14

Click to download the sizes you wish
“A Little Cup of Christmas”
4×6
5×7
8×10
11×14

I’m sure you’ve seen or heard of aden+anais muslin swaddlers. They’re definitely one of the hottest baby blankets on the market and a must-have for all Moms. I didn’t have any for my first daughter, but aden+anais sent me a 4-pack from their classic collection to review and help me prepare for my second daughter. They are the softest cotton blankets I’ve run into yet! I absolutely adore them. They got even softer after I washed them. My toddler, Holly, loves throwing them around, spreading them on the floor and wrapping herself in them. They’re so cozy – I can’t blame her! I’m a huge believer in swaddling; Holly was swaddled tightly until she was 9 months. I plan on swaddling baby number two just as much. Aden+anais swaddlers have some great stretch to them so I know I’ll be able to tightly wrap my new baby. And they’re breathable so I can breath easy and not worry about her overheating. Honestly, these are just the best!

Here’s some facts about the company:

aden + anais are winners of the Creative Child Magazine 2007 Seal of Excellence




and two iParenting media awards




All aden + anais baby products feature 100% breathable muslin cotton




All aden + anais baby products feature fun and contemporary designs and colors




Muslin wraps and blankets are safe, affordable and stylish




Original baby wraps can be used for swaddling, covers, and more




Special Muslin cotton provides warmth without overheating

Check out all of the swaddlers and beautiful patterns here. And don’t forget to peruse aden+anais and their other products. I think their dream blankets look darling! I want one! – Katie

Here’s how to enter. You may do as many of these as you like. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

• “Like” aden+anais on facebook


• Tweet about this giveaway (leave a link in your comment)

I’ll draw a winner from the comments and contact her via email. The winner will then have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway closes on December 14th, 2010 (midnight). Good luck!

Congratulations Delaine! You’re the lucky winner!

I’m not a huge jewelry wearer. My mother-in-law refers to me as “granola” because in general, I’m rather low maintenance. But, when my love Locket arrived from Julian & Co, I wore it daily. It’s just right for any occasion from cleaning bathrooms to a Christmas Party. It’s modern, yet sweet. I found the locket to be just the right size and the chain to be the perfect length. My love Locket has become my favourite necklace, second only to the pearl necklace my husband gave me on our wedding day.

Do you know how Julian & Co was started? It all began with a family and a mother who wanted something just right for her son. Tania, the founder, quickly became and expert of precious metals and fashioned the perfect piece for her son, Julian. Soon orders began pouring in and so began Julian & Co. You can read the full story here.

Julian & Co creates so many beautiful pieces, all heirloom quality. Stumped on what to give your Mom for Christmas? Julian & Co has the perfect gift for her! Feeling like your wish list is a little short? Add this initial wax seal fob pendant to it! Make sure you leave this review open for your husband to see, especially since Valentines Day comes so quickly after the holidays! – Katie

***Giveaway! Julian & Co is giving away a love Locket to one lucky reader***

To enter, leave a comment telling me what Julian & Co piece (besides the love Locket) you’d like to give to someone you know. I’ll draw a winner from the comments and contact her via email. The winner will then have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway closes on December 14th, 2010 (midnight).

Congratulations Lise! You’re the lucky winner!

On a recent girls’ trip with my mom and sis to L.A., we spent a day enjoying the sights of Catalina Island. While there we browsed the artisans at the local craft fair, and that’s when I discovered Island Cowgirl jewelry. I don’t know what it was about this collection of rustic silver and gold jewelry—perhaps it was the handcrafted look and feel, or could have just as easily been the unique designs. Whatever it was, I was in love! Oh, and I still am. Deeply.

Heather Kraty, the true Island Cowgirl, was born in upstate New York. After graduating from NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology, made her way to St. Martin where she “lived on a catamaran, dove for buried treasure and sold her jewelry on the beach.” The rest of her story is totally amazing…but you’ll have to read it for yourself. (Note: It just might include a business partnership with Sean Penn.) I love Heather’s sources of inspiration:

I find beauty in things that I loved as a child…, the sun on my back, the sand in my toes, trees and the stars, the flowers along the garden path, puppy dogs and hearts…

...

...

Heather sent me the At First Glance necklace to review for our readers. (I have a very demanding job.) The outer circle is engraved with “At first glance, I loved you with a thousand hearts.” And at first glance I loved this necklace. In fact, I immediately took it out of the package—well, after snapping a few photos—and put it on. True love.

Yes, I’m wearing a hoodie and t-shirt, but I have a feeling Island Cowgirl jewelry would look perfect no matter the outfit. It has quickly become one of my favorite pieces. Must be that handcrafted, rustic feel. Kind of speaks to the soul.

The only thing not so perfect about the Island Cowgirl collection is the price tag. Though the earrings I’m good with, I do have a bit harder time with the bracelets and necklaces, but then again, I don’t often invest in jewelry. Maybe it’s about time I did.—Emily

* Promotion! Island Cowgirl is offering Daily Dish readers 15% off purchases made before December 22nd! Visit ShopIslandCowgirl.com and enter CAFE15 at checkout. Offer expires in less than three weeks!

Sorel, Sorel, Sorel. The name rolls of the tongue as nicely as their boots ward of the elements—in style. I am still in love with my Shila boots from Sorel. They are a Utah winter staple and keep my feet toasty warm. In fact, I usually keep them on all day long, even in the house (they are that comfortable).

When Sorel approached me to review a pair of boots from their newest collection, I was all over it . . . and all over the website trying to decide which pair to take for a test drive. And let me tell you, it was a really hard decision. Just look at all those super cute styles like the Suka II, Firenzy and Tivoli Low Lace to name a few. But I finally settled on their new Cate the Great boot. Of course the image of the girl in a fancy cocktail dress sporting these stylin’ boots helped seal the deal.

Remember my Looptworks review? It featured a photo of yours truly sporting their Ningxia cowl neck top paired with Sorel’s Cate the Great boots. Here, let me refresh your memory:

How cute are those? And they were warm and comfortable to boot (pun totally intended). Plus I love the little tuft of faux fur accent lining the top. Though the laces do take an extra minute to adjust, they stay put. Compared to my Shilas, this pair feels a little more stiff and almost clunky, like they don’t hug my feet as much nor have as cushy an insole, but the Cate the Greats do have more flair, which means you can pair them with sweat pants or skinny jeans and a dressy top (or cocktail dress if you’re brave enough).

I don’t know anyone else who does winter boot style like Sorel. They seriously have a corner on the market—and if they don’t, they should. Just look at some fun styles for men, women and children:

I know, right? Love them! And yes, Sorel boots will cost you more than the ones you’ll find on the shelf at Target, but they are also a heck of a lot more fabulous and will last you a heck of a lot longer. And you can’t put a price tag on that!—Emily

*** Giveaway! Sorel is giving away one (1) pair of Sorel boots, winner’s choice! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•   Visit Sorel.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite style.
•   “Like” Sorel on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•   Follow Sorel on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: December 9, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Shop Owners, Vendors, Designers: We’re putting together our 2010 Christmas Podcast and would love to offer a spectacular Giveaway Package to coincide with the show.

If your business would like to contribute prizes to our Boutique Cafe Holiday Giveaway pls contact Daria (daria@boutiquecafe.com) (**Prizes considered must be value of $25 or more, we require a picture of the item and a link to your shop). Promotion on Boutique Cafe in our Holiday Show Post will be provided for your business of course!!

HO HO HO!! – Santa Daria

I love to sew. How happy I am that I get to have two daughters to sew for! But, just like Liesl Gibson founder of Oliver + S, I’ve been disappointed by the lack of contemporary designs. Luckily for me, Liesl began creating her own patterns and starting in 2008 she “...refreshed a product category that had been dormant for over a decade.” Even though I don’t have a boy to sew for, I love that Oliver + S has an excellent range of sweet boy clothes.

Oliver + S sent me their School Photo Dress pattern to review. I eagerly waited for it in the mail and dove right in as soon as it arrived. The instructions were clear and concise and the dress turned out exactly as it’s pictured on the pattern package. I love that it’s fully lined and I also really liked that on some things the pattern instructions refereed me to the Oliver + S blog rather than giving lengthy printed directions. The dress turned out a bit big in size. I made an 18-24 month size and I would compare the sizing to Gymboree’s.

Liesl and Oliver + S have expanded beyond their adorable patterns. In September, Liesel’s first fabric line, City Weekend, was released by Moda. I received a sample pack of that fabric and it’s absolutely darling. I think the fabric collection has stayed true to the patterns. The colors are spot-on and it was really fun making a doll quilt for Holly’s stocking out of it! I hope to be using more of the City Weekend fabric line in the future.

Even though Oliver + S patterns are on the higher end of pattern pricing, I highly recommend them. I’m so happy with how my School Photo Dress turned out! One method I use to overcome the price is I trace my patterns so that I can reuse it at anytime in any size. Happy sewing! – Katie

***Giveaway! Oliver + S is giving away one pattern – winner’s choice!***

To enter, visit Oliver + S and leave a comment telling me what pattern besides the School Photo Dress you would choose.

I’ll draw the winner randomly and contact her via email. The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen. Deadline to enter: December 8, 2010 (midnight).

Congratulations Colleen, you’re the lucky winner!