Money No Object Monday - Blessing/Christening Outfits

Crystal, Ivory Silk and Lace Gown and Cap $298

After last week's thousands spent, this sweet Etsy shop looks like a bargain basement. DbinkieOriginals caught my eye when I first fell in love with Etsy. She makes stunning special occasion baby dresses and outfits which are perfect for a Blessing/Baptism/Christening day.

Victorian Lace Dress with hat - $200

 I remember when her shop hadn't sold anything and I'm so glad she's found others who adore her creations.

Christopher Antique White Silk Christening Suit and Cap - $148

 If you aren't southern enough to put you boy in a dress for his naming day, she has some rompers.  There are also booties:

Christening Shoes $18.50

and a blanket elegant enough for the occasion and made of materials that will last so these can be heirlooms.

Antique White Silk Receiving Blanket - $68.00

Confession, I have spent considerable dollars for Blessing Outfits for the BLGrands and my niece. I made them but spent big bucks on the materials.  I justified it because I know the outfits will be reused over generations.  Is it easier to spend big bucks if you will pass it on to other generations?

Money Is No Object Monday

I love to search the interwebs for the loveliest children's items I can find. Often, these are so high priced that you have to be Will and Kate's future child or Boynce's baby to ever enjoy them.  I don't usually pine for the super lux, so why the love for high end kids stuff? I've decided not to worry about that but love away and share my lust here on Mondays.  Feast your eyes and soul on this exquisite Pirate Ship Bed.

Why do we love pirates?  We don't really want our kids to grow up to be pirates - at least not the east Africa, south sea types.  But we love, love pretending to be pirates. Maybe it's the Peter Pan connection.

This sweet piece of wood working could easily justify it's $12,400 price tag. He'll ship it for free.

It's made of pine and has full extension drawers underneath for toys. You don't have to put your clothes in the under bed area cause you have -

a full chest of drawers at the end.  Also, a crows nest (or a ship lookout area, thingy - I love pirates but I'm not nautical). This is made by Asa Conant in Rydal, Georga.  His Etsy Shop, shows he's pretty handy with tools.  It needs a better colored room and bedding.  While I'm dreaming, lets fill the barn loft with 3 of them.  What a perfect place for cousins.  They could stay there forever.

Piggies Get Dressed

I love it when a design comes together.  I usually have a vague idea and then I struggle to make it live.  When I made the Piggy Bookends, the original vision was a make believe pig with clothing.  I ended up with a realistic baby pig that's been a hit in my Etsy store but I still had that vision of a story book piggy that was snazzly dressed. Last night, I hit the jackpot and stayed up till midnight making this.

I think they're dapper.  And sweet.  When I'm excited about a design I get hyper and can't sleep.

I'm off to list them in the Shop.

Found Treasure

I'm a little slow getting reorganized after the holidays, but in my defense, I've just had a tour of half of the Best Loved kids and grands.  We went west, were bumped off planes, experienced snow and lived!  Pictures to come of the cuties.  Visiting them is worth anything!


I started making the things I have in the Etsy store because I wanted the little folks in my life to have something special, made by me.  I wanted it to be special enough that they would keep it around for their own small folk to love.  Not to toot my horn, but I wanted to make things that my decendants would fight like wild weasels over (nicely fight).  I've been captivated by someone else that made sweet childrens toys that have been saved and cherished and now are in the Victoria Museum in Australia.  I found this image on the great  blog Kickcan & Conkers and clicking on the links found an amazing story.

Victoria Museum via Kickcan & Conkers

Ada Perry was an English woman who immigrated to Australia in 1924.  She was a widow with eight children and saw herself as a pioneer.  Australia gave her land to work in an isolated area of Victoria and she and her children struggled to eke out a living.  In 1928 she was injured in a buggy accident and could no longer do the physical farm labor she had done daily.  Her children continued to work the land and she worked creating countless handicrafts from the most humble of materials.  She reused scraps and old clothes and took great pride in making wonderful gifts for family and friends.  The first "prototype" designs were kept for her children and the rest from each pattern were given away.

Humpty Dumpty - Victoria Museum

Her designs are captivating. Australia suffered from the same Great Depression we did in the U.S. in the 1930's but I imagine that Ada, like my grandmother, was already poor and living off what her farm produced so frugality and using what you had were already a way of life.

Navy Velvet Cat - Victoria Museum

Ada lived until 1962 and created original designed crafts through her entire life. I'm in awe of her tenacity.  In spite things that might make someone want to lay down and die, she regrouped and pressed on.

Cream Velvet Pig - Victoria Museum

I'm inspired by her life and work.

Little Golden Books

With some Christmas Amazon Gift Cards I was lucky enough to receive for Christmas, I got a couple of Little Golden Books.   In my search for vintage books I've usually snubbed these books.  They have a lot of Disney, cartoon, Barbie and movie or TV titles that I snobbishly think are dreck.  I've looked a little deeper, though, and rediscovered some classics. These sweet and cheap books have been published since 1942 and many well known and loved artists and authors contributed titles.

"The Poky Little Puppy" was one of their first titles and it's still available.  It, and the other eleven titles sold for just a quarter.  At that time, a child's book usually sold for $2 or $3 which was a luxury many families couldn't afford.  As a child, "The Poky Little Puppy" was part of our life.  My parents would accuse us of being "a poky little puppy" if we weren't prompt. You can still buy this title (they are now $3.99).  I see them at the grocery store, at Wal-Mart and Target.  I don't have a copy, but I did get

"The Bunny Book", by Richard Scarry.  This was first published in 1955.  I don't remember this from when I was a tot but I love the story - everyone in the baby bunny's family speculates on what the little bunny will be when he grows up but what the baby bunny wants to be is a daddy bunny. 

They are still publishing lots of titles (more than 2 billion sold in 2002) and the other title I bought new I think will be a classic, too.

"I'm a Truck" was published in 2006 and I love Bob Staake's graphic illustrations.

 Those are the only ones I've bought new, but I've scored some others thrifting. Here's just a few.

 Some are old, but many are reprinted.  I've got two that were kids prizes from Chick-fil-A in 1996.  (I think that would be a great kids meal treat.)

 I've been wanting "The Little Red Hen" but checking it out on line I've found at least four Little Golden Book editions.  Now I can't decide so I think I'd grab any edition. 


Any one have a favorite "Little Golden Book"?