Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts

Style Scoop - Candy Pink Ombre


Our next two weekends are booked up with girl’s birthday parties, which has put me in a girlie mood.

The ombre trend is popular at the moment and I think it looks especially cute on little girls. I found this soft tulle dress by Chasing FireFlies which would be perfect for a special occasion, and at an affordable $58.00 it would look great with candy pink or metallic shoes.

For us moms, a maxi length dress is ideal to keep cool in during the summer months, as you can throw it on for an effortless look at the park, pool or school run. It can be easily transformed into a smarter look by accessorizing it with a belt, beads or statement necklace. This pink and coral striped maxi dress from GAP also comes in violet or royal blue, and would also work with this pink ombre scarf from Forever 21 if you are heading into the cooler city. 





1.    Living etc. magazine view website
2.    Pink ombre scarf, Forever 21, $6.50
3.    Pink & coral maxi dress, GAP, $74.95
4.    Pink ombre tulle dress, Chasing FireFlies, $58.00
5.    Ombre swirl cake by Glorious Treats blog 




ModCloth - Vintage-inspired Fashion & Home Shopping


Founded by high school sweethearts – Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger; ModCloth is a vintage-inspired shopping site that features clothes, shoes, accessories and cool things for the home. 

Silverware from ModCloth - The Marin Scoop


Their mission is to empower their customers and readers by joining their ModCloth community  flipping through their stylebooks, products and find one-of-a-kind designs. You can even be a virtual buyer for Modcloth with Be the Buyer and help what designs get made!

Dress from ModCloth - The Marin Scoop
Flat pumps from ModCloth - The Marin Scoop

I particularly enjoy following their blog Modcloth Blog inspired by fashion, art and culture. They recently posted a great entry about Business Savvy Site for the Business Savvy Girl and the Best Jobs Ever. Read about the working life of a floral designer, writer, veterinarian, vintage clothing store owner, interior designer or the costume designer for the cult TV show Mad Men...an inspiring read! 

Teaset from ModCloth - The Marin Scoop


You can follow ModCloth on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest

Yarn Cake Topper - ModCloth on Pinterest 

If you like this, you may also like to read:


The Fancy


I have just joined The Fancy community; similar to Pinterest you browse images in various categories such women’s, men’s, kids, art, media etc. and shop for them at the same time. As you click on things you fancy you unlock opportunities to collect badges (similar to SneekPeeq) and are awarded promo codes for discounts.

I actually think there is more choice for the male audience on The Fancy than Pinterest especially in the “media” category which features cool gadgets, artwork from classic movies, record covers, design books, boy’s toys and general lifestyle gift ideas….ideal for birthdays and Father’s Day coming up!

Here are a few examples of what I “fancy” at the moment:


Rachel Zoe sandal on The Fancy
Notebook on The Fancy

Horbert MP3 Kid's Player on The Fancy
Dear Photograph book on The Fancy
Paul Smith mini on The Fancy

You can also find out about popular culture in the “media” section, for example I came across this poster by Pascal Witaszek with his idea for new bio flick on Walt Disney by Ron Howard starring Ryan Gosling, it’s a great idea…I hope it would happen one day!

Mock Ryan Gosling poster by Pascal Witaszek

The Fancy is a lot of fun to browse, so join up and invite your friends through Facebook or Twitter!

DVF ♥ GapKids on Sale Today!

Diane Von Furstenberg created her signature wrap dress in the 70’s and has inspired American fashion ever since, now she has designed a collection for our little ones with GapKids & BabyGap

DVF for GapKids

Baby romper suits, T-shirt dresses, T-shirts, leggings, jackets and accessories in neon colored graphic prints that include vintage DVF prints like the hibiscus and leaf print. Of course the wrap dress has been re-worked for children to wear. 



DVF for GapKids

The collection goes on sale today in GAP sales and online.

Style Inspiration this Week

It has been a while since I have featured my “Mommy Treats” on this blog so I thought I would share some things I am enjoying at the moment!


Read: Ali in Wonderland

Ali in Wonderland book
Funny lady Ali Wentworth first caught my eye when she used to appear on Oprah’s Friday Live shows, I used to enjoy her funny stories and sharp delivery so I was intrigued when Gwyneth Paltrow recommended her new memoir “Ali in Wonderland” (Amazon) on her GOOP website.

Ali comes from a family who socialized in Washington’s political social circle, with an aspirational mother who was First Lady to Nancy Reagan’s social secretary and appeared to be a mother who could juggle with grace (I’d like to know her secret!). 

She is also married to Good Morning America presenter George Stephanopoulos, who seems a bit square to me but never the less; she is very witty and has written an entertaining book, I look forward to the audio version!



Home: Urban Outfitters


Urban Outfitters tea cup
From Ali in Wonderland to Alice in Wonderland, and what better way to enjoy a good book but curled up on the couch with a hot cuppa! 

Fashion store Urban Outfitters has a fantastic home décor section on their website called "Apartment" that features great chevron duvet sets, funky chairs, rugs, brightly colored book shelves and cute accessories like this Alice in Wonderland tea cup.

I love my tea and collect teapots and tea cups (I’m such a British stereotype) so will be adding this one to my collection!



Style: Colored Jeans

I don’t get to have many fashion moments any more, I used to work in the fashion industry (but made to mostly wear black) and used to get to dress up regularly, but now I am a mom I only get to do so on rare date nights or much needed girl’s night outs. But I love the colored jeans trend at the moment especially red jeans which compliment my love of navy nautical stripes and grey sweaters. I was inspired by this picture from Style Me Pretty blog through Pinterest:



I found some red jeans from Almost Famous brand found at Tillys  (Northgate Mall or Vintage Oaks) which also come in a fabulous cobalt blue. I also love anything sunshine yellow this season, and most of my friends know I have been on the hunt for yellow cardigans or sweaters for some time, so love these yellow jeans seen on Lookbook.nu blog!

Yellow jeans on Lookbook.nu blog


Celebrity: Gwyneth Paltrow at the Oscars

Lastly, talking of fashion moments, I loved some of the dresses on the red carpet at the Oscars last Sunday, especially Gwyneth who looked stunning in this Tom Ford white dress with matching cape that was a fashion risk which she pulled off with class.

Gwyneth in Tom Ford at the Oscars


I also loved Cameron Diaz’s cream Gucci gown (well done Rachel Zoe) with her sexy new hair cut! 

Cameron Diaz in Gucci at the Oscars


The Novogratz Announce Partnership with CB2

Modern furniture company CB2 has announced a new collaboration with husband and wife design team Robert and Cortney Novogratz! They will be designing new home designs from this summer including this fantastic “Family” rug that was featured in one of their home makeover projects on HGTV's "Home By Novogratz". 

The Novogratz's family rug for CB2

I first became a fan of this design duo when their reality show '9 By Design' was shown on Bravo TV a couple of years ago. They do an amazing job of remodeling houses, hotels and business spaces using new and vintage design elements, while raising nine children! Their coffee book 'Downtown Chic'  which showcases the homes they have revamped from scratch over the years is one of my main sources of creative inspiration.

I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us!

For further information and to find out about future product launches ‘like’ The Novogratz and CB2 Facebook pages! 

Valentine's Day Crafts, Food & Gifts

Valentine’s Day is creeping up so here are some fun activities and gift ideas for the loved ones in your life.

For the Kids:

It is fun to make handmade crafts like love hearts or decorate cute photo frames with glitter and paint.

I adore this LOVE banner in my favorite circus inspired font by Roselyn Hellard, you can follow a tutorial on how to make it on her blog at Second street. You can also make your own version using different colored paper or fabric. 

atsecondstreet blog banner

Let them help with breakfast by making heart shaped pancakes with strawberries or bake cupcakes together with pink frosting and sprinkles. A good tip to create the heart shape is to insert a marble at the top of the paper case before you put the batter inside to create a heart shaped cake or muffin.

Pinterest


For Him:

The new David Beckham range of underwear for H&M was the perfect gift for my husband this year; it also gave me an excuse to gaze at Golden Balls himself. Very sexy…and the underwear isn’t bad either!

David Beckham Underwear for H&M

For Her

A woman can never have too many handbags, so check out this red suede purse ($90) which is perfect for Valentine's Day, and deep red leather tote bag ($135.00) from British fashion designer Julie Williams who deconstructs one-of-a-kind accessories from vintage fabrics especially leather and denim.  

Julie William's red suede purse

Julie explains to The Marin Scoop:

"I am given jeans and leather as donations from friends and family which it makes it inexpensive except for hardware, beads, thread, needles and of course the time and love that goes into making each piece. With the old saying in mind "waste not want not", I would like to recycle that by giving back to the community I live in by donating $1 for each bag sold to Homeward Bound of Marin."

Julie William's deep red leather tote

Julie's love of reconstructing fashion and her one-of-a-kind designs inspires the modern day woman to express herself and her individuality in a fun and stylish way.  

For further information and to buy product check out Julie's Etsy Store 



Get Pinning on Pinterest!

I love pinning, pinning is addictive, I find myself pinning while the kids are asleep, pinning while watching TV, pinning at the park, pinning while I prepare food. What am I talking about? The best thing since slice bread, well in my opinion anyway, especially if you love beautiful visuals like me…Pinterest!

Mel & Liza Blog


Pinterest is an online service which allows its users to create various pin boards and upload your own photos onto them, you can, more importantly, search for pictures on the Pinterest site or pin photographs you have found online and build up “visual collections”. You can follow your friends through Facebook or Twitter or other like-minded “Pinners” and leave comments or “re-pin” the pictures they have come across to your own boards.

Party Ideas for Kids Blog

For years I have turned to magazines for inspiration and kept tear sheets and shelves of back copies of my favorite titles, something I will probably continue to do for some time. But now I can find beautiful pictures instantly and constant refer to them on the boards I have created in my Pinterest account.

North Hawai'i
Source: North Hawai'i

For example I love interior design so I have “inspiring interiors” and “home things” boards, I collect fashion inspiration for shopping and style tips in my “women’s fashion & things”, I love to collect ideas for parties and entertaining so have a board for that too, same for food, photography, travel, men’s things, also design and clothing for kids.

bakedBree.com blog

If you are planning an event like a wedding, a party or special dinner then Pinterest helps you with visual ideas and has links that directs you back to the site or blog it originated from, so you can read the recipe, shop for the items or read more about the article it came from.

Wonderful Joy Ahead blog

The people from Pinterest say it best:

“Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests.”

You have to request an invite onto the Pinterest site and get an email shortly afterwards to set up an account and start pinning. Have fun getting inspired! 

Decorista Daydreams blog
Source: Decorista Daydreams blog link




Baby & Toddler 
Weekly Activities Calendars


Looking for something to entertain your toddler or want to reach out to new moms with babies this week?

To view this week’s activities: Click here

Who says a mom's bag can’t be stylish and practical?

A mom’s bag has to be full of everything you and your kids need for every situation when you are out and about every day. I usually carry everything but the kitchen sink on my shoulder and my husband constantly complains that he can’t find anything in my over-packed “Mary Poppins” bag. 

So I have recently organized the contents into individual clear bags for diaper changes, snacks, baby toys, toddler cars and trucks etc. and placed it all inside a stylish leather tote bag from ZARA

It has black patent leather side panels and contrasting short handles for over my arm nook and a long strap for over my shoulder. A stylish solution that my husband is happy about!

Check out H&M, Urban Outfitters, Kohls and Marshalls for other alternatives. 

Read what other moms use oncircle of moms website

Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco

Zelma Rose

On Sunday a girlfriend and I went to the 3rd Annual Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market that took place at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco. We enjoyed mooching around the local and national talent and seeing the various handmade jewelry, clothing, paper goods, artwork, posters and Concourse Exhibition Center home products.

It got our creative juices flowing and inspired us to make our own versions of some of the things we saw. Here are some of my favorite things that I wanted to share with you:


One of the first booths we visited was Yes & Yes Designs which was a lovely designer called Laura, dressed as a girl scout, who makes these wonderful vintage inspired accessories in Oakland. She designs and laser cut them herself at TechShop workshop in San Francisco.  

Laura @ Yes & Yes Designs

 I particularly loved these ‘Little Ladies’ pins that are made from old Reader’s Digest book covers, and regret not going back and getting the white one at the bottom of this picture:

Yes & Yes Designs

 Check out this great roller skate necklace:

Yes and Yes Designs


These great fabric button necklaces are by Zelma Rose Dry Goods:

Zelma Rose Dry Goods

Zelma Rose Dry Goods


I loved this fun T-shirt design from Fuzzy Ink!

Fuzzy ink T-Shirt

 This kid’s hooded sweatshirt from Diane Koss with a red fur lined hood with horns made me smile and reminded me of the monsters from Sesame Street.

Diane Koss

I adored the beautiful illustrations by Genevieve Santos who portrays the innocence of children in a very cute way; take a look at this talented artist website.

Geneieve Santos


Baby & Toddler 
Weekly Activities Calendars


Looking for something to entertain your toddler or want to reach out to new moms with babies this week?

To view this week’s activities: Click here

Help Donate to Charity or Local Schools By Shopping with Treehouse Tykes

A socially responsible deal site called Treehouse Tykes has recently launched offering high-end fashionable design-driven children’s gear and apparel at up to 70% off!  Some of the luxury brands include Le Petit Bateau, Nursery Works, Mod Mom Furniture, No Added Sugar and Kukunest, with some new designs exclusive to the site.

Treehouse Tykes is reinventing the online shopping approach and experience by giving back with 10% of each sale donated to a charity or school of the buyer’s choice!  

Co-founders Elena Zaretsky and Cynthia Saito, both mothers with entrepreneurial backgrounds, wanted to help local communities and children after seeing school budgets continuously cut. Treehouse Tykes was born out of Elena's idea to impact local schools and charitable organizations that benefit children, while incorporating the new way in which people shop.

Elena Zaretsky, co-founder and mother of two, said the idea for Treehouse Tykes came to her about a year ago.  “With every passing budget, schools get hacked,” she said. “This project’s evolution started with, ‘How do I give back to schools and be philanthropic? Treehouse Tykes is dedicated to supporting children and their education with a platform that donates 10% of its net proceeds to schools in need and children's charities. Customers can allocate their donations to charities of their choice

Co-founder Elena Zaretsky explains more to The Marin Scoop:


What inspired you to start the Treehouse Tykes website?

“I've worked in municipal finance investment banking for over a decade - working with school districts and cities in California.  While working with the schools I realized that there are so many budgetary gaps that need to be filled, things that the state won't do and cannot do - but things that the kids desperately need.  So I wanted to figure out a way to be able to give back to schools.  Then the concept expanded to include charitable organizations, because they too need to fund projects and programs during tough economic times.”

Taut Canvas on sale on Monday


What makes Treehouse Tykes stand out from similar on-line sales sites?

“No other private online sales company allows customers to select the school or charity that they want their 10% proceeds to be allocated towards.  We want our members to make a designation - we encourage them to do so.  If they have no affiliation with a school or charity, we would like them to think about selecting the Community Trust.  When they do so, they are contributing to fund an underprivileged school or schools across the country.
Also, each day of the week targets a specific age group.  Mommy & Me Monday (0-2), Toddler Tuesday (3-5), Wonder Years Wednesday (6-8) and Tyke to Teen Thursday (9+).  Fridays we do a Fab Finds Friday which can be something across several age groups or something that would be great for mom or dad.  Our members select which days of the week pertain to them and the children in their lives for whom they shop.  We've segmented our sales so that parents don't have email exhaustion - we want them to know that what comes up on their selected day is in fact appropriate for their child.”

Taut Canvas

How does Treehouse Tykes give back to children’s education and charities?

“Each quarter, we issue checks to those organizations that have been designated by our members.  The key however is that members need to shop and designate.  So, if a member for example is very involved with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) they designate them as their charity of choice and they've shopped on the site, then 10% of the proceeds from the purchases of that member are made to the JDRF.  So the more people that shop the site and designate organizations the more proceeds we'll be able to give back.

Taut Canvas


What can people expect each day if they sign up with Treehouse Tykes?

We are highly selective and very thoughtful of what we offer.  It’s not just about putting something on sale.  Often times they are toys that are helpful developmentally, they are clothes that we know and love, and they are tremendously helpful things that we've learned about.  They are also cool for the teen set and cost effective for the parental set.”


How can members benefit by referring a friend to the site?

“We have a 10-10-10 program.  If you refer a friend, your friend receives a $10 credit to use on our site.  Once they make their first purchase of $50 or more then you receive $10.  Finally, 10% of the proceeds from every sale go back to the school or charity of the customer’s choice.”
Treehouse Tykes' main objective is to offer the best products for families while instituting change by funding educational organizations and children related programs. "Our goal is not to dilute exceptional brands by juxtaposing or over exposing them within a large mix of other products. Rather, we focus our keen merchandising approach akin to the elite experience one comes to expect of a high-end boutique," says Cynthia Saito, co-founder of Treehouse Tykes.
Mod Mom Furniture


Each sale will last 72 hours and Mod Mom Furnishing has a sale starting Monday; this Pink flower design is exclusive to Treehouse Tykes.

Mod Mom Furniture 

Sign up today at Treehouse Tykes and follow them on Twitter & Facebook



Baby & Toddler 
Weekly Activities Calendars

Looking for something to entertain your toddler or want to reach out to new moms with babies this week?

To view this week’s activities: Click here


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...