This commercial from Kia made Nathan and I laugh so hard! I love the Sock Monkey getting the tattoo – hysterical! Had to share. What’s your fave commercial right now? – Daria

Our new baby girl Lola Olivia has recieved so many lovely gifts since she was born! I am going to try to feature her wearing them as quickly as I can. This darling hat was made by Jennifer Cirka of Jaybird Designs. Jennifer and I have known each other in the boutique community for many years, and I was thrilled to have something special that this talented gal has made for my little girl. It’s definitely going to be a treasured heirloom for Lola. Thanks so much Jennifer!

Visit Jennifer’s website and blog here>
Get your own, custom made, SugarPlum Hat here>
Or make your own with Jennifer’s SugarPlum Hat Crochet pattern!

Article by: Lisa Carroccio The Domestic Diva

DIY: TULLE GARLAND TUTORIAL

I’ve always used tulle when decorating my Christmas tree. It’s the secret to making a cheap tree look full. Basically, I’d “stuff” the tree with tulle and call it a day. However, this year since I now have a full pre-lit Christmas tree, I needed to somehow find a way to incorporate tulle into my tree. What better way than to Tulle Garland?!

All you need is a serger and a few rolls of 6 inch tulle in whatever color you like. The color choices are endless. I used 4 rolls (100 feet each) of “Old Gold Shimmer” tulle. Tulle rolls are sold in increments of 25, 75 and 100 feet. Be sure to buy as much as needed or you’ll be making additional trips to the craft store like I did.

Serger Settings:
4-thread overlock
Gathering Serger Presser Foot (if you have one)
Left and Right Needle Tension = 8
Upper and Lower Looper Tension = NORMAL
Stitch Length = 5 (or highest available setting)
Differential Feed = 2 (or highest available setting)
Note: You can use a sewing machine to gather your tulle, but the serger makes it a fast project…and I’m all about speed.



With the roll of tulle in front of the machine, on your lap or on the floor (like I do), fold tulle in half as it comes off the roll (folded edge to the left). Use your right hand to guide tulle through the serger cutting off 1/4 inch. With your left hand, place two fingers behind the presser foot to prevent the tulle from feeding freely.

This helps the tulle gather even more. When your fingers can no longer hold the tulle from behind the machine, let it go. Repeat until you’ve gathered all your tulle needed.



Once you’ve gathered all your tulle, you’ll need to “poof” it by separating the two layers of the tulle.



This is what 400 feet of gathered tulle garland looks like. Just enough to decorate a 7 foot Christmas tree.

Hello! My new organic towels from Welspun are here!

After the exciting release of my organic bedding, I’m so happy to expand the collection with my beautiful bath towels. Made with 10% organic exchange cotton, these towels are super soft to the touch. The bold and vibrant colors will brighten up any bathroom space even in the wee hours of the morning when waking up is so hard to do. These joyful designs will lift your spirits and get you going!

My new line will be available in my online shop, along with Bed, Bath & Beyond stores nationwide and on Bed, Bath & Beyond.com (with many more retailers to come!). Please visit my website for inspirational photos and all the great details.

Warmest Wishes,
Amy

Giving Away 100 Tubs to Parents In A New Product Testing Challenge
Are you a new parent? PUJ is looking for you!! We love to share great opportunities with our readership, and this is one you don’t want to miss:

Vancouver, WA – November 2, 2009 – Puj, a leading designer of modern baby products that help Simplify Parenthood, is putting its new Puj Tub to the test, literally. The company is looking for 100 parents to act as official product testers for its new Puj Tub. The Puj Tub has been hailed as one of the best baby products to come on the market in years, offering a revolutionary new way to bathe a baby. With this new Puj 100 Tub Challenge, parents can see for themselves how easy bathing a baby with the Puj Tub can be.

Parents everywhere know how anxiety-inducing bathing a newborn can be – such a delicate creature slipping and sliding can quickly cause inner panic. With the Puj Tub, parents are able to bathe their baby in a standard sink so there’s no bending over a big, awkward bathtub. The Puj Tub cradles the baby in a cushiony, non-absorbent and non-slip closed cell foam that is also PVC and BPA free. And once the bath is done, the Puj Tub dries fast and folds flat.

The Puj Tub will be available for purchase at the end of November at a price of $39.99; however, through the Puj 100 Tub Giveaway, parents with a blog can go to the Puj site and apply to receive the tub for free in exchange for being a product tester and sharing their honest views on the product. The 100 selected winners will also be listed as official product testers on www.pujbaby.com . In this economy, giving consumers an opportunity to try a product at no cost is welcome news. For more information on the Puj 100 Tub Giveaway please visit www.pujbaby.com

Puj designs products for parents with the focus on making their lives easier. As parents and designers, Katie and Ben Richardson know how wonderful yet challenging parenting can be and have set out to design products that Simplify Parenthood. Having designed products for numerous name brand companies, it just seemed natural to begin designing products that helped them raise their own children. From shoes that fit baby’s feet perfectly to the latest innovation in baby products, Puj Baby makes parents lives easier. For more information on the Puj Tub and Puj please visit www.pujbaby.com.

Boutique Cafe is a very proud sponsor this year of the Gal to Gal Virtual Walk! Join Emily and Daria as we virtually walk across the country (via the DesignHer Gals nifty website) raising money for the Gal to Gal Foundation. Bottom line, they do GREAT things such as provide funds to fulfill the dreams and wishes of women suffering with Stage IV Breast Cancer. Just read these incredible wishes they are hoping to fullfill during this year’s walk, and I guarantee you’ll want to be a part of this touching venture.

For as little as $5 you can design your very own virtual gal, and start her walking. Don’t forget to join TEAM Boutique Cafe!! (simply add Boutique Cafe in the team name field when you create your gal, come back here and let us know you joined our team). It’s easy and it’s fun! The joy you feel in knowing that your dollars are helping make dreams come true for cancer patients, well it’s magic.
Here’s Virtual Daria and Virtual Emily doing our thing

Our good friends at YOUCANMAKETHIS have so many sweet NEW ebooks to make your fall and holiday season a hit! Don’t miss out on a jump start on those Christmas projects, now is the time to get planning. YouCanMakeThis has an incredible collection of everything you need to start your projects off right.

Check out this fantastic Silk Web Rose Tutorial from The Domestic Diva – Lisa Carroccio! We love you Lisa, and I adore hearing your accent in this video. For Lisa’s blog please visit here>>

The beautiful & amazing Heather Bailey, fabric and textile designer extraordinare shares her inspirations and ideas on NBC’s Studio 5.

Enjoy this awesome interview with Heather, she even shares a quick and easy tutorial on how to create a beautiful fabric flower accessory from sewing scraps! We LOVE you Heather – way to go!

Read Heather’s popular blog here >>

Hello Friend!

I couldn’t be more excited about LOVE! My newest fabric collection for Rowan has me reeling.

I’ve gone over-the-top with prints and color to make a luscious and yet “bite-sized” collection of 26 quilting/fashion weight fabrics and 12 Home Dec weight fabrics. A marriage by design coming from a love affair of rich, soulful, organic florals and architectural prints passionately inspired by my recent trips to Indonesia and England. Rich tropical colors with ethnic imprints and elegance found in over the top florals like full roses and exploding peony blossoms join together in an optimistic celebration of print and color.

Print stories ” heart ” and ” soul ” provide the most positive vibe! Let the un-limited mix of design and color fuel your customer’s next creative project! Click Here to view the entire collection, I hope you and your customer’s fall in love with them all!

One of my favorite parts of my Love collection is the expansion into different substrates! I had a blast creating my new Love projects. Keep in touch and continue to check my website to see the new lifestyle and project photos and to learn about the releases of Love in quilting, home dec, flannel, laminate and double-faced quilted fabrics! We will be updating the website and adding free downloadable patterns featuring the different Love fabric weights throughout the month of September. I can’t wait to see all of the fun projects you and your customers come up with.

Westminster Fibers is accepting orders now for all substrates so be sure to contact your rep to place your order or call 1-866-907-3305 to set up a new account. I hope that Love inspires you & your customers to create great things this fall.

Peace and Joy,
Amy

Ahhh the 80’s! I was totally obsessed with the show Punky Brewster, my sister and I never missed an episode. Well Soleil Moon Frye gifted her loyal fans with a true blast from the past this week. She promised her Twitter fans that once she reached 1 million followers she would dress as Punky Brewster. Out came the bandanas and mis-matched shoes! I can’t express how much joy this brings me Soleil – you ROCK! Punky Power forever! – Daria

Follow Soleil Moon Frye on Twitter here>>

Adagio Bleu Studios is bringing the most awesome autumn fashions and back to school gear for you and your children! Even though the slightest hint of fall hasn’t been seen in most parts of the country yet, our designers are thinking ahead and offering so many trendy and fashionable handmade items in their Etsy shops. We stay ahead of the crowd and pride ourselves on fresh, fun and wearable clothing for children and the moms who love them.
Our collective of indie designers works very hard to bring top quality boutique items to the market through the Etsy venue and our own websites as well. You can easily find over 400 items handcrafted with the utmost skill and care, and of superior quality by searching our search term on Etsy, Search: “ABSD” (Adagio Bleu Studio Designers)and prepare to fall in love!

We have several designers with a focus on babies and adorable items such as hats, personalized onesies, burps, bibs, diaper bags and car seat/stroller cozies. We are pleased to have designers which specialize in couture clothing for boys as well as girls. Adagio Bleu also has some awesome accessory designers who make gorgeous bows, footwear, wallets, cell phone cozies, purses, handbags, backpacks, key fobs and even pet items such as designer fabric collars and leashes!
Come and see what Adagio Bleu Studios is all about, and search our items on Etsy.Com >>

The Apronista is having the sweetest festival on her popular blog and you still have time to be a part of it!! Simply visit this link and enter your blog address. Now you’re signed up in the Linky directory to recieve all kinds of blog attention. Don’t forget to host a Giveaway of your own, prizes are a BEAUTIFUL thing!!

**Giveaway:For our own little contribution we’re going to offer one lucky commenter a FEATURE article on ApronADay!! That’s right, if you’ve been hankering to get noticed, we’ll share your (handmade or apron related) blog or shop with our readers and give you a little boost of attention. All you have to do is leave a comment here along with your url and email address. We’ll draw the winner at Midnight on August 7th!!

Good Luck and have fun visiting all the lovely blogs participating in Apronfest this year! Loads to see and win – its a feast for the eyes!

This weekend mommy bloggers from all over are descending on Chicago for the annual BlogHer Conference. Emily and I (Boutique Cafe) were set to attend this year with our tickets in hand, however due to several complications things didn’t go well and we ended up selling our Blogher tickets to some very stinkin’ LUCKY gals.

Now we’re both at home, watching the #BlogHer09 tweets roll by on Tweetdeck and pitying ourselves for the missing of this great event. Even though it couldn’t be helped, won’t you join in our little pity party?

I just tweeted my affirmation for today: “Even though I’m not at #BlogHer09 I’m still darn awesome!” Follow me here–>

**If you’re a blogger who is at the conference and would like to share your experience please leave a comment with your blog post address. If you’re not at BlogHer (like Emily and myself) feel free to post your woes below too, and you can link to your blog as well (you’re darn awesome too!!).

Daria included in Top 111 Biz Women to Follow List in new ‘Twitter Inspiration’ eBook! Find out more here

To Follow Daria on Twitter click here

Yes, it’s true. Nathan and I are expecting baby #5 at the end of December (and yes it was a BIG surprise to us). I’m still trying to wrap my head around the impending big belly, sleepless nights and all of that. After our miscarriage last fall I really thought that I was done, Really I just felt that was it, but this little person has other plans so I’m excited to meet him (or her).

Sadly I’ve been bedridden, hospital prone and severely dehydrated from a pregnancy condition called HyperEmesis Gravidarum. It’s actually quite a series condition, there’s even a website you can check out at http://www.helpher.org which says:

“HG is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening pregnancy disease marked by rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration due to unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting with potential adverse consequences for the newborn(s).”

And it’s all true! I’ve been so sick, weak, tired, and losing weight rapidly. 12 pounds so far! This has caused me to need to pull back on alot of obligations over the past month or so, I’ve just had no choice. Thankfully I have an amazing family who have dropped their lives to rush to my aid and take care of me and my kiddos. I also have my Nathan who has been like a dream hubby, jumping in with both feet and taking care of all things children and housekeeping. I’m lucky to have such a great man, his Mom taught him well. Needless to say that the past 6-8 weeks or so have been trying and really tough to get through…sniff sniff. I’m hoping as I enter my 2nd trimester that my HyperEmesis will let up a bit and allow me to live a more normal existence but HyperEmesis tends to last the entire 9 months for me. In the meantime I spend most of my time in bed, in pjs, and catching up on every show on tv. ugggh! I miss feeling like me.

So that’s my big news, there’s a little baby on the way but I’m not quite in the excited phase right now. I’m more in the bitter, resentful because I’m so ill phase. Maybe some bloggy friends encouragement will give me the boost I need! XOXO – Daria

It’s one thing to find an all-natural product line that nourishes and heals the skin; it’s another to find one that also nourishes the soul. Basa Body does both and the story behind the company is worth telling in their own words:

It began with a trip to Kenya where we connected with wonderful, intelligent women working hard to feed their families. We met with the women of Mombasa and visited the first small-scale coconut oil plant called Coast Coconut Farms where they produced pure organic coconut oil by hand. Determined to find a way to assist them in selling their oil and to help them grow their business, we came home and through the help of many good people, created Basa Body (named after the women of Mombasa). It is our hope that by sharing this natural healing lotion with their inspiring story, we can help lift these women of Africa out of poverty and help them become self-reliant.

Inspiring, isn’t it? Kind of makes you want to buy a truckload of Basa Body lotion!

Basa Body’s products are infused with organic virgin coconut oil, which nourishes, hydrates and rejuvenates the skin. The company works hard to keep their coconut body products 100% natural with no artificial ingredients, which means their great for sensitive skin. The line consists of lotion, a body stick and soaps, all made from 100% natural coconut oil and the finest natural ingredients. Basa Body products actually help the skin heal.

I received their Basa “Kiss Me” gift pack (see photo), which included the Basa Body Coconut Oil lotion, Basa Body Stick push tube, Mint Chocolate Truffle Soap and Cherry Chocolate Truffle Soap. The first thing I wanted to do when I opened the box was take a huge bite from the mint chocolate soap–it smelled that good! Plus it came in a cute candy-like paper wrapper, so can you blame me? I tested every product except the cherry chocolate soap (not a cherry fan) and the Basa Body Stick was by far my favorite. Though the soap smelled super fantastic and moisturized as I washed, once I rinsed my skin felt really grippy (i.e. squeaky clean), which is probably a good thing but I didn’t love it. And the lotion went on nicely and absorbed quickly…I only wish it smelled more like coconut!

But the stick was awesome! For an oil-based stick, it absorbed really quickly and moisturized so well! I put it in my daughter’s upper arms where she suffers from dry skin and it immediately remedied the problem. Her arms (and my hands) stayed moisturized for hours! You can actually use it to treat skin irritated by eczema or psoriasis. Plus the natural antibiotic, anti-fungal properties of the coconut oil make it great for diaper rash. They say once you try it you’ll be hooked (right, Jyl?) and I am! And get this, the Basa Body Stick has been referred to by customers as the “Love Stick” because it’s a “wonderful, natural and safe personal lubricant. Try it and say goodbye to K-Y.” I’m sold!

Basa Body products nourish the body, while the company’s story and mission nourishes the soul. By the way, Basa not only purchases all their coconut oil from Coast Coconut Farms but also donates 10% of their profits to projects in Kenya to fight poverty. How can you not love Basa Body?

Mother’s Day is around the corner. Give a gift that gives back by purchasing Basa Body’s “Kiss Me” gift pack. At less than $30 it’s the least you can do! –Emily

* Promotion! Basa Body is offering a special discount and giveaway! Use the promo code “momitforward” when ordering for 10% off your purchase and an automatic entry to win a $250 Disney gift card!

Since announcing that we’re Giving Away two Poken as part of our Ultimate Blog Party, I have received alot of questions. “What are Poken?” “How do they work?” “How much do they cost?” “Where can I get one?”

This fun video shares all that information and walks you through the easy steps to “rock” your Poken experience. You can be totally cool and order a Poken from www.doyoupoken.com OR you can email me at daria@boutiquecafe and I can hook you up with some of my own sweet Poken for sale.

However you snag your Poken, be sure to bring it along the next time we meet up! – Daria

Hello, Boutique Cafe fans and Daily Dish readers! Daria was nice enough to let me post some important (well, important to me!) information here in the Chat section of Boutique Cafe. Most of you know me as one of the contributing editors here on Boutique Cafe, but I also co-own georgie tees, a company that offers “freshly baked style for bellies & babies.” (Yes, great tagline!)

Anyway, the good news is my business partner and I both have a few new projects in the works. The bad news is in order to make these new endeavors happen, we will be moving on from georgie tees, selling the company we have built over the past three (almost four) years.

We are looking for a mom or moms who are interested in owning their own business and who would be a perfect fit for our company. We have spent over three years building our business and as much as we’d love to continue, both of us have new projects we are working on and entrepreneurial husbands who could use our help to grow their own businesses.

Even with all the multitasking we do, we can’t make time for everything in our busy schedules! We have built a strong foundation for georgie tees and are excited to see it grow under new ownership. If you or someone you know might be interested in georgie tees, you can email us at bizinfo[at]georgietees[dot]com for more information.

We appreciate everyone who is helping spread the word. We aren’t in a hurry; we’re all about making sure the new owners will be a great fit for georgie tees (i.e. we hope they have a good sense of humor!). Until the sale is final (and probably for a little while after) we will continue to pour our hearts and souls into our baby company…it’s what mompreneurs do! –Emily

Trisha from Mom Dot explains just how messed up the CPSIA legislation really is, and how Julie Vallese (the CPSC’s spokesperson) insulting the momprenuers and mommy bloggers might not be the best idea.

On a personal note: Thanks for sharing the fab mommy made products that you own Trisha. Especially the gorgeous picture you won on Boutique Cafe. We can’t believe that these beautiful products may be no more without some serious re-writing of this legislation.

We have a fun new button design and it’s free! Snag the code from our Share The Love page and place it on your blogs/website etc.

Thanks to each of you so much for sharing Boutique Cafe with your readers and friends!

(**thank you to Amy from toteandtee.com who designed this actual tee shirt pictured, it was worn by Amanda Congdon in an episode of Rocketboom!)

“Ball of confusion, oh yeah; that’s what the world is today, hey…” Those are the lyrics (originally sung by The Temptations) that come to mind when reading about the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, or CPSIA for short. I’ve tried reading the info on the CPSIA website but my brain quickly becomes its own ball of confusion. What does it all mean for small business who manufacture/design/create products geared toward children age 12 and under? Will they (us included) go bankrupt because we can’t afford third-party testing of our products to certify they do not contain lead or phthalates?

We are still doing our research but we have done enough to know reform is necessary to keep thousands of small business from closing their doors. “The CPSIA: Good in Theory, Hurting Small, Favorite Green Businesses in Practice” from The Smart Mama is a great post outlining the impact of the CPSIA on small and not-so-small business. It gives a better picture about what types of products/business are affected and the types of testing involved. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the article:

On August 14, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). It was drafted as a toy safety law in response, at least in part, to the numerous recalls in 2007 for lead in children’s toys and jewelry. It was also drafted in response to the tragic death of a 4 year old after ingesting a charm that was almost pure lead.

It was designed to be a toy safety law, but its reach is much, much broader. And, like all broadly written, reactionary laws, it has very significant, it appears largely unforeseen consequences. Like perhaps putting out of business thousands of small manufacturers of children’s products, including some of my favorites – the small manufacturers of reusable cloth diapers, natural wood toys, handcrafted costumes, and innovative children’s products.

She promises to have another post on the phthalate portion of the CPSIA next, and we’ll be on the lookout for it.

Another site serving as a clearinghouse for info is NationalBankruptcyDay.com: “February 10, 2009 untold numbers of children’s products manufacturers and retailers will be closing their doors.” Sounds like a national bankruptcy day to me. This site has the most recent info and FAQs on the new legislation with links to how you can get involved, from forums to writing the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and your legislator.

Z Recommends, one of my most favorite sites for children’s product reviews, safety information and pretty much everything a parent needs to know, just posted “Five steps you can take to save natural/handmade companies from the CPSC and CPSIA“:

Livelihoods, work-at-home arrangements, and the availability of handmade and natural products for our children are at stake. Here are five things you can do today to help force Congress to address the mess they’ve made before the law goes into effect on February 10, 2009.

The steps are fairly straightforward and require only a small amount of time. You might think the new CPSIA doesn’t affect you, but even if you don’t design and sell children’s products, you probably buy them. With the way the CPSIA is now, you will have far less products from which to choose and the ones left on the shelves may carry a price tag no one can afford.

LeShan and I are still learning the ins and outs of the CPSIA but you can bet we’re doing our part to make reform happen. Because if it stays as is, you will no longer see georgie tees cute infant onesies and tees online or in boutiques… –Emily

This year, while many are struggling with great decorating ideas for the holidays on a tighter budget I have a small suggestion. I recently have seen a few Christmas trees that have been adorned with Christmas Crackers (you know, the kind that are classically at the dinner table and snap open to reveal a trinket or toy) – THEY LOOK SO COOL! I think it’s a brilliant idea, Christmas Crackers have a unique and festive shape and fill space well, they are light weight so they won’t weight down your tree branches. The bonus is that they typically come in packages of 8-12 and are relatively inexpensive.

For even more bang for your buck, you can DIY your way to Christmas Cracker bliss. All you need is some gorgeous wrapping or scrapbooking paper to get started. I found these great directions with step by step pics and instructions. Fun for your holiday table or ON your tree as festive and fun ornaments. Fill your crackers this year with sweet treasures, or personal notes of praise for your family members. What a treat on Christmas morning to snap open a little love note.

Assignment Share: I’d love to see pictures of the crackers you design this year, blog about your DIY Christmas Crackers and then come back and share the linky to your blog. We’ll all come over to Ohhh and Ahhhh over creative you! (I’ll be sharing pictures of these snazzy crackers on our tree too!)

Can’t wait to see! – Daria

Hi everyone,
Thank you for your vast support through the past few weeks of my pregnancy. Unfortunately I have miscarried and I’m truly devastated. This is not the first time, but definitely the most painful both physically and emotionally. Please bear with me as I’ll be away for a few days, I’m not taking calls while I’m going through this.

Your love and prayers are much appreciated. I thank you for all you have done to support me. Please feel free to pass this information along, as I won’t be able to work on Boutique Cafe this week. I will answer emails next week, thank you for your understanding while I take a few days to be with my family and recover.

Love,
Daria

This is Marielle. She is the beautiful teenage daughter of Lisa (aka The Domestic Diva), a dear friend of mine from the boutique world. Marielle desperately needs a kidney transplant, unfortunately finding a match for Marielle is extremely difficult. Her mother is one of the most generous, kind and talented people I have ever known. I know the agony of seeing her daughter in constant pain is tearing her apart, and the fact that she is unable to donate her own kidney to Marielle must be sorrowful for her. Lisa is exhausting each and every possibility as the ultimate advocate for her daughter’s care. Her bravery in this situation is awe-inspiring to me in every way.

Please help to save Lisa’s daughter and consider being a living kidney donor. Here is how you can help. Prayers are also much appreciated for Marielle and her family.

Please help save this child’s life!

Baby Candy emailed me today about a special promotion for Boutique Cafe Readers. To celebrate our new President of the United States, Baby Candy is offering our readers 15% off their popular Obama tees, which range in size newborn to 4T. Use code “ObamaBaby” at checkout. Offer expires November 30, 2008. You can view the new tees on Baby Candy’s website.

Attention everyone, this is so exciting! My very talented sister-in-law Elizabeth is offering a jaw-dropping quilt as a giveaway on her blog! This new quilt design called “Spring Up” will also be available as a pattern for purchase at Quilt Market in a few weeks, so be sure to swing by Patty Young’s booth (stop by to see the Andalucia fabric version in person, it will be magical!).

Here are the ways you can enter to win:

1. Leave a Comment on Lizzie Anne’s Blog HERE
2. Receive 5 extra entries by blogging about this giveaway on your own blog (you must let her know about it by sharing the url in comments as well).
3. Receive an additional 5 entries by sharing her banner in your sidebar (code is available to copy & paste).

The winner will be drawn on Friday, Oct. 17th so prepare to get all wrapped up in wonderful!

The kiddos might be just heading back to class, the warm weather is still brightening our days…but planning your holiday sales starts months in advance. Here’s how to reserve your ad space in our 2008 Holiday Gift Guide.

On Boutique Cafe we’re excited to offer our popular 2008 version of our Holiday Gift Guide for your online shops to take part in! The savings guide will run from Sept. 1 – Dec. 31st. To reserve your ad space simply send us an email to daria@boutiquecafe.com and in the subject line please put “Holiday Guide Reservation”. We’ll send you further details on how you can take part and create a holiday selling season to remember!!

We have a fun new button design and it’s free! Snag the code from our Share The Love page and place it on your blogs/website etc.

Thanks to each of you so much for sharing Boutique Cafe with your readers and friends!

(**thank you to Amy from toteandtee.com who designed this actual tee shirt pictured, it was worn by Amanda Congdon in an episode of Rocketboom!)

From the team that brought you www.YouCanMakeThis.com, comes a new machine embroidery website — www.SWAKembroidery.com! This new website provides free “how-to” video tutorials, tips, ideas, inspiration, and darling embroidery downloads! Machine embroidery opens up a whole new world of creativity. From home décor to clothing, you’ll soon be adding that unique touch to everything!

You’ve made some amazing items from the eBooks at www.YouCanMakeThis.com. Now it is time to “seal those projects with a kiss” with machine embroidery.

As part of our grand opening, the Janome company is sponsoring a give-away for a free embroidery machine! The Janome Memory Craft 350e is a fantastic machine. Read more about the features this machine has here: http://www.janome.com/documents/File/Brochures/MC350E_Brochure.pdf

We appreciate the Janome company for offering this fantastic prize. To enter this drawing, simply sign up for the free www.SWAKembroidery.com newsletter and you’ll automatically be entered into the drawing. Details on how to enter through mail are also found on the site.

Enjoy your visit to www.SWAKembroidery.com!