Show Your Party Loyalty - Shop Eklektika

Hey, folks, 2008 is an election year. Are you registered to vote? If not, visit Declare Yourself and register now! Use the following link:

http://www.declareyourself.com/?gclid=CJ_1rZ6M0ZACFQcZYAodERPDSA

Want to show your party preference? Our second shop on Etsy, Eklektika, has two OOAK bracelets listed right now - one for each party:

Visit Eklektika today at http://www.eklektika.etsy.com. These bracelets won't be around long!

Groovy Baby Designs Now Showing at Willow - An Artisan's Market

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth at the Downtown Littleton Art Walk on Saturday! It was a great day for an outdoor show and I met lots of really great people (cute babies, too!).

I'd like to announce that Groovy Baby Designs are now showing at Willow - An Artisan's Gallery, located at 2400 W Main Street in Littleton (for directions, click here: http://www.dexknows.com/detailsmap.ds). Helen Rice, the owner, was very enthusiastic about adding Groovy Baby Designs to her ecclectic and funky mix of handcrafted art, and took an armload of quilts, blankets, bib and burp sets, diaper pockets, nursing covers and more to fill an area in her shop. Stop by or call (303) 730-8521 for more information.

Groovy Baby Designs at Downtown Littleton Art Walk This Weekend

Groovy Baby Designs will be participating in the Littleton, Colorado Downtown Art Walk this Saturday, September 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Space #4 in the bank parking lot. Visit their website for more information: http://www.twilightmotelband.com/littletonartwalk/

Come by and see all our Groovy Baby Designs in person - mention you saw this blog post and get 10% off your entire purchase, including sale items.

Groovy Baby Designs - as unique as your baby!

No Tag, No Chase, No Common Sense...

I just read today in the Denver Post that a school principal in Colorado Springs has banned "Tag" and "Chase" on the playground. Hello? The reason she gave was that there had been too much rough play in the first two weeks of school - so, no more! http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6761944

As the mom of a pre-schooler and second-grader, I find that absolutely ludicrous! First of all, if there's rough play, isn't that a perfect opportunity to TEACH THE KIDS about how we treat our peers and what is considered acceptable behavior? And, secondly, isn't the idea of recess to play games and run around and work out all that pent up energy from sitting all day?

I could accept the demise of dodgeball - mainly because I never really liked it when I was in school ;o) - but simple, enthusiastic games like Tag and Chase? What has the world come to? Where is the common sense?


I'd like to hear your opinion - answer the little poll to the right and I will publish the results in a few days.

Thanks - and keep your heads on straight!

Groovy Baby Designs - designs as unique as your baby.

Northglenn Art Show

Groovy Baby Designs will be participating in the City of Northglenn, Colorado's Annual "All About Art" Festival this weekend, August 25 & 26. We will have a booth displaying all of our grooviest designs and we hope you come by to say "hi!".

http://www.northglenn.org/p84.html
All About Art Festival – “Wild and Wacky!” (2007 Theme)
Saturday and Sunday, August 25 and 26 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Saturday / 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sunday Marketplace at Northglenn 104th and I-25
Call 303.450.8909 for more information

If you mention that you read my blog, I'll give you a 10% discount on your entire purchase, including sale items (offer good this weekend only)!

Remember, at Groovy Baby Designs, our designs are as unique as your baby!

What is ETSY?

You may have noticed that I list all items for sale on a website called ETSY (you can link to it by choosing to "shop" on http://www.groovybabydesigns.com). Some people have questioned why I sell on ETSY and not on my own site. The simple answer is, I started selling there before I had my own site. But, as I've gotten more involved in the ETSY community, that answer has changed a bit.

Etsy.com is an on-line marketplace for artists and crafters to sell their works. Officially, it is "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade." Etsy is a venue, not a retailer; it is collection of independent shops, each run by a different artisan. I liken it to an online craft show - lots of different artisans and crafters, each with their own booth, selling to people who love handmade, high-quality products.

As a buyer, it couldn't be simpler to use. All ETSY asks is for you to register a user name, password and valid email address. Then you can shop til you drop. It's that simple.

I mentioned before that I've gotten more involved in ETSY lately, and its true. The site is set up with forums and private convos (email messages) and there's a general sense of community amongst most of the sellers. If sellers have questions, or comments or just want to make contact with other sellers, the forums are a great place to meet and greet. They're like a big party, where you can chat with lots of different people all at once.

The fact that ETSY support handmade crafts make it extremely attractive to me, as an artisan. I like that there is a whole community of people out there who love to create and take pride in their creations - and that there is a site for us to promote our creations to the public.

So, if you haven't checked out ETSY before, try it now. It's full of wonderful, one-of-a-kind creations from crafters all over the world!

Something to Think About

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"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing."
Phyllis Diller
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"Children make your life important." Erma Bombeck
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My youngest just turned 4 last week. He's older now than his sister was when he was born. My daughter will start second grade in a few weeks. She's no longer "starting elementary school", but is an old pro at school lunches, recess, and full-days.

Sometimes I think we moms get caught up in the "to do" list, when what we should be doing is just enjoying our babies (young and old). Today, take the time to sit and really listen to your kids when they tell you that long, convoluted story. Take a walk to the park and stay as long as your kids want. When the kids ask for a treat - give it to them. Make a mess with them. Enjoy a Slurpee.

Summer - and childhood - will be over only too soon. What will be more important to your kids, clean toilets or time with you?

Just a thought...

Untraditional Baby Showers

I've been to two baby showers in the recent past where the hostesses refused to subject guests to those old, tired showers games. You know the ones - "Oh, you said B-A-B-Y, I get your diaper pin!". Ergh! At almost-40, I know I've had enough!

At the first shower, the hostess had bought an assortment of white cotton onesies in various sizes, from newborn to 24 months. She provided fabric paints and markers, stencils, sponges and brushes and invited guests to decorate a onesie for the baby. It was a blast - and guests got a chance to laugh and chat in a relaxed, no pressure atmosphere, while the mom-to-be got a supply of oh-so-necessary baby goodies, each personalized by a friend or family member. As a special treat, the hostess took a picture of the mom-to-be with each guest holding the onesie they had decorated - what a special keepsake!

The second shower, which I attended this weekend, also left the mom-to-be with a real treasure. The hostesses had set up a mini-scrapbooking workshop, where they provided an assortment of cutting implements, adhesives, patterned and solid papers and stickers (most were from their own stashes). Each guest was asked to design a scrapbook page, front and back. When all the pages were complete, the hostesses put each page into page protectors and inserted them into a beautiful album. Not only does the new mom have a wonderful memory book from her shower - but the pre-decorated pages will make it so much easier for her to start her baby book! All she has to do is insert the pictures and make notes, a real time-saver for when she is sure to be sleep-deprived and without much free time!

I love that these hostesses planned something out-of-the-ordinary to make these showers super-special for the moms-to-be and now Groovy Baby Designs makes out-of-the-ordinary gifts for parents-to-be. Our blankets, bibs, burp cloths, quilts, nursing covers and diaper bags are made from patterns and designs that make them truly unique. Our 100% cotton designer fabrics, quality construction and attention to detail make them true keepsakes.

For your next shower gifts, check out http://www.groovybabydesigns.com/ for a gift that's as unique as the baby-to-be!

Our Funky Monkeys blanket, bib and burp cloth set, and onesie make a wonderful gift for expectant parents.

Welcome to Groovy Baby Designs!

Groovy Baby Designs is THE place for unique baby items created from bold, contemporary designs, funky vintage graphics and high-quality, 100% cotton materials. You won't find any pastel teddy bears on our blankets, only bright, stimulating patterns that babies love! Blankets, quilts, bibs and burp cloths, nursing capes, diaper totes and more - all handmade by a real mom. At Groovy Baby Designs, our designs are as unique as your baby!

I started Groovy Baby Designs after years of creating one-of-a-kind baby gifts for friends and family. Custom baby quilts were my signature - always a unique design that suited the interests of the mom- or dad-to-be. I've done cowboy quilts, banana quilts, car quilts, bug quilts, handpainted and tie-dyed quilts, you name it and I'm sure I've attempted it at one time or another! The gifts were alway enthusiastically received and I heard over and over, "you should sell these!" Ta-da! Groovy Baby Designs was born!

As a mom with two young children, I know that when I was shopping for baby blankets and other goodies I was always looking for something really unique and different, not the pastel teddy bears and bunnies that I found at the mass market retail stores. Even the smaller boutiques that I visited either didn't have what I wanted - or it was outrageously priced. So, I set out to provide a quality product for a reasonable price, allowing moms (and gift givers) everywhere a chance to express their personalities through the fabrics I offer.

I also found that the synthetic fleeces of the blankets that I received were just horrible for real-life, everyday use. They were hot and clingy and while they felt very nice, they were totally impractical for actually swaddling or wrapping a baby in. That's why at Groovy Baby Designs, I use only 100% cotton fabrics for the items that go next to baby's skin. I'm a Texas girl, so maybe I'm biased, but I do know that :

• Cotton is hypoallergenic, so it is soothing to babies' skin;
• Cotton is very soft, and gets softer after multiple washings;
• Cotton is long lasting if well looked after;
• Cotton breathes, unlike synthetic fibers;
• Cotton absorbs body moisture and evaporates it to the surrounding air, keeping you cool in summer and dry and warm in winter;
• Cotton is strong and durable and will withstand repeated washings in the hottest water; and
• Cotton is a renewable resource, and it's also biodegradable.
  

So, that's my philosophy - funky, contemporary patterns and vintage graphics give each item I produce a truly unique personality; 100% cotton ensures that moms are happy with the maintenance of these products; and quality construction means that these items will become long-loved, well-used keepsakes for your child.

Visit our website at http://www.groovybabydesigns.com/ to view our entire product catalog. You can visit our booth at craft shows around the Denver and Front Range area - so be sure to check our Shows Listing as well.

Here's a sampling of our baby products and items for the Groovy Mama!

Now you can nusre in privacy and style with our Privacy Nursing covers, which come in a range of beautiful designer fabrics. Each offers an adjustable neckstrap with a double "d" ring closure and a piece of boning at the neckline enables mom to keep an eye on baby while keeping her privates private!

Our product catalog features wonderfully ecclectic prints like this "Flora de los Muertos", which is shown as a baby blanket (with green ribbon), bib and burp cloth set (top center), pinafore (top right), and embellished onesie (lower right).