Archive for the ‘Our Current Favorites’ Category

Peacock Picks: Rag and Bone 12 Wishes for Baby Book

I promise I will always keep… A special place I hope you’ll visit someday…My wish for you… Twelve Wishes features photo pages and a fun “five simple rules” section to write down basic rules for any child as they begin their lifelong journey. Delicately bound with a beautiful satin-finish ribbon, this book perfectly symbolizes the loving sentiments of those first years and is sure to become a treasured family keepsake.

Peacock Pick: Tiny Revolutionary Recycle Love Tee

You recycle your newspapers, your plastic bottles and your tin cans but do you recycle the most important natural resource on earth? That’s right, it’s L-O-V-E! Bigger than nuclear, cleaner than coal, love is what powers our world and as long as we keep recycling it to future generations, the world will become a kinder, more peaceful place for all of us. 100% Sweatshop Free Organic cotton.

Peacock Pick: Serena and Lily Red Letter Pillow

With five dazzling designs to chose from, Serena and Lily’s Letter Pillows are a simple, colorful addition to any bed. Contrast piping borders a white center on each pillow, while the four sides provide pattern and depth.
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Peacock Pick: Branch Buddies Growth Chart

San Diego based Oopsy daisy began out of a desire to provide art for children that would engage and inspire. Oopsy daisy’s collection has grown to over 1000 works of art, and more than 70 artists. Oopsy daisy’s kid’s growth charts are created on the same artists canvas as their stretched wall art. Grommets placed in the four corners make them easy to hang, and color coordinated decorative covers fit easily over the screw or nail you choose. This product creates a great childhood keepsake, and rolls up easily for safe storage. A permanent marker is a great way to mark dates or ages on the chart.
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Peacock Pick: DwellStudio Scribble Kits

Don’t get caught without them! This handy entertainment tote will get any parent through an emergency at the airport or a slow waiter at the restaurant. DwellStudio Scribble Kits are an all-in-one kid play station that includes Crayola Crayons and a Scribble pad. Add your favorites like Play-Doh, cars or animals & your little one will be occupied anywhere! Dots Chocolate, Transportation & Paper Dolls prints.

Gift giving made simple at Polka Dot Peacock!

Great Serena & Lily Prague Gypsy Tote Review from Product Mommy!

http://productmommy.blogspot.com/2009/11/serena-lily-undiaper-bag.html

Find Serena & Lily’s Prague Gypsy Tote at Polka Dot Peacock!
What a fabulous review – Thanks Product Mommy!

Serena & Lily Prague Gypsy Tote

It should’ve been like any other Sunday around here, and, in many ways, it was.  My husband made his weekend-morning breakfast — Sunday brought scrambled eggs, sausage and biscuits — and we cheered the Cowboys on to victory.  Somehow, though, between those two rather typical Sunday events, we became dog owners, too.

We have certainly discussed getting a dog so many times, but we have, every time, come up with multiple excuses to delay the inevitable.  It is not as though we dislike dogs — My husband and I both grew up with them {namely Friskie, Pepper and Dolly} — but it has always seemed that, on top of our three zany children, it a dog would just take even more energy from my already-exhausted life.  And, to be even more honest, as hard as it has been to actually potty-train my children, the thought of teaching a dog to head outside during the impending winter months is even more dreadful.

But somehow, at 1 PM on Sunday afternoon {with Henry in his Tony Romo jersey and the girls in their Minnie Mouse dresses}, we were at the Plano Animal Shelter and, an hour later left with a dog on a leash.  And, so far — less than 72 hours in — it seems as though we’ve won the dog lottery. He rarely barks {except at our backyard neighbor — who we are wonderful friends with and contemplate building a gate between our houses — though my husband jokingly says this makes Duke a a good judge of character}, he lets my three children poke and prod and kiss him, and he is house trained without fail thus far.  Without being pesky or bothersome, irritating or troublesome, this dog has brought new life to our house and the kids – all three weekday mornings so far — have woken up and promptly asked if their new dog is awake yet.

What was, Saturday at midnight, a pet-free home has been instantly transformed.  Duke now has {what seems like} as many toys and treats and equipment as my kids.  Perhaps good things do come to those who wait.

My current dog favorites:

1.  Serena & Lily Aqua Buddy Pillow: How much fun these pillows are, which bring a touch of elegant whimsy to any room.  Contemporary design transforms the standard dog-themed room, and Serena & Lily give a boy’s room a modern {yet kid-friendly} space. Not quite the color-scheme you need?  Serena & Lily also has a Curry Buddy Pillow, too!
2.  Aunt Bucky Winky Dog Parisian Pooch Smock Dress and Tunic:  Adore Aunt Bucky for a few reasons. Her designs are absolutely one-of-a-kind, and I adore the whimsical, avant-garde fabrics that she uses within her apparel, crib bedding and home decor.  I also just smile at her artistic elements that give her designs a unique, designer feel — namely her twill ribbon ties, which reads “Made With Love Aunt Bucky.”  Aunt Bucky’s smock dress and tunics are fabulous, as the garment begins its journey as a dress, and then grows with her to become her super-hip tunic, befitting of that new pair of big-girl jeans. It can be worn alone when the days are sunny or can be layered on cooler days.

3.  Byrdie Graphics French Frames Wall Decals:  Love wall decals for a few reasons, but primarily because I tend to be non-committal {perhaps one of the reasons I couldn’t endorse a dog until Sunday} and wall decals can be changed on a whim.  The French Frame Wall Decals are actually a set of six decals – and one, naturally, is a poodle!  These high quality, self-adhesive vinyl decals can be easily removed and leave no residue behind. They can be applied to any clean, smooth {or lightly textured} flat surface.  Also brilliant:  Byrdie Graphics {and thus Polka Dot Peacock!} offers 20 different hues, so you can snazzy-up your space regardless of color-scheme.  Whimsical images in grand color. Decorate without fear.

I have no idea if this is strange or not (likely is as my personality just tends to be), but my two favorite foods growing up were tacos and meatloaf (not served on the same night of course).  I’ve now added my husband’s steaks, my father-in-law’s Caesar salad, my mother-in-law’s sausage crepes and my sister’s sweet fried chicken (though not necessarily in that order) but I am still a sucker for taco night and I love a good meatloaf.

Mondays tend to be crazy around here.  The whole week looms ahead and I find myself already looking forward to Friday.  Monday is my day to get plan meals for the week and get to the grocery store.  Monday is my day to play catch-up with my work from the weekend and then take care of Monday’s work as well.  I am always looking for comfort food on Mondays, especially easy-to-make comfort food that doesn’t take too much time out of my already chaotically busy Monday.  Yesterday I turned to my mother’s meatloaf.

I must admit that I completely outdid myself.  Meatloaf with green beans, homemade mashed potatoes and even banana pudding for desert — and a meal that me and my crew (my enthusiastic kitchen-helper daughters) less than 20 minutes to prepare.

I have tried many a recipe and bought many a CD, but few stay favorites given the course of time.  There is something to be said about those things in life — whether it be food or bedding or music — that remain year after year after year.  The oldies that remain – those are the goodies.

In the design world, this is no different.  Though designers are continually coming up with new ideas — adding new collections and discontinuing the ones which have lost steam — you can trust and depend on the staple collections.  Oldies but goodies, just like my mother’s meatloaf.

Some of my favorite designer oldie-but-goodies:

Serena & Lily Caroline Damask Duvet Cover

Serena & Lily Caroline Duvet:  One of Serena & Lily’s original 14 bedding collections {which debuted in 2004}, Caroline’s pink and green modern damask-patterned duvet was an instant classic.  A look that is breezy, classic and elegant, the Caroline duvet is sweet and all-girl.  Pair it with the Pink Letter Pillow, Pink Scallop sheeting, bedskirt and shams and and you have a timeless favorite.

Whistle & Wink China Doll Toile Duvet Cover

Whistle & Wink China Doll Toile Duvet:  Until recently, Whistle & Wink has only offered their bedding in twin size.  The China Doll Toile pattern — based on hand-painted vignettes depicting China Doll’s adventures in an Asian garden — is such a goodie that it is now available in full/queen size, too.  With amazing little details {like the traditional handmade sateen Chinese frog closures}, it is no surprise that this pattern is such a favorite.  Love the pattern but decorating a nursery? Whistle & Wink has a China Doll Toile Crib Bedding Set, too.  An oldie and goodie in any size you need it!

Caden Lane Taylor Crib Bedding

Caden Lane Taylor Crib Bedding Set:  One of Caden Lane’s original Classic Collection crib bedding sets, the Taylor crib bedding is certainly an oldie but goodie.  Inspired in design by the simplicity of bold stripes combined with whimsical polka dots, Taylor is a twist on the traditional baby pink prints.  Caden Lane also has two other original Classic Pink Collection sets available – Ella and Cassie — as well as Classic Blue collection for boys — Cade, Hudson, Jack and Noah — or classic neural/red crib bedding — Carey and Avery — AND Classic Big-Kid bedding, too!  If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.  Caden Lane’s Classic Collection is just the gift that keeps on giving.

There is certainly a reason that designers keep the oldies around… They are goodies, tried and true.

Four years and 22 days ago to date, my husband and I jumped into our car, picked up some full-strength coffee (my doctor always told me it was better for the sonogram to have a little caffeine in my system) and headed to Baylor University Medical Center for our 32-week pregnancy check-up.  It was on that day that things in our life drastically changed.

Turned out that, in the weeks between check-ups, I had developed preeclampsia (in short, high blood-pressure), most commonly found in first-time mothers and mothers of twins — both of which, at that moment, I was.  Through a series of tests and ultrasounds, it was determined that we would deliver our twins in about 24 hours — 8 weeks and 2 days early.

Madeline Nova and Estella Carol, whose middle names honor their great-grandmothers, were born one minute apart on August 26.  Estella — until birth commonly referred to as Baby A — was born in at 3 pounds, 1 ounce and Madeline, her eternal little sister, was a mere 1 pound, 15 ounces.

Estella stayed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Baylor for 49 days, and Madeline came home on Day 50.  Though they had to learn to breathe and eat and live, we were — and continue to be — extremely fortunate that our girls had little health complications.  The problem, however, with being born at three pounds (or less) and having a mother who is only 5′4 (and I think that is a bit of a stretch but I’m not going to measure) is that it is extremely hard to catch up.

They had their four-year check-up yesterday, which resulted in 4 shots, a finger prick, a hearing and a vision test and the flu mist — for each of them.  Turns out that, though still under 30 pounds, they are still following their own little growth curve (drastically different than that of an 8-pound baby) and the doctor was at least fairly pleased.  Much relief for the mommy that stresses when all her children wish to eat is Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Tootsie Rolls.

So, all things considered, good things come in small packages.  Four years later, my little girls still remain small but, oh, how good they are…

My current favorites:

1.  Baby Star Daisy Chain Quick Change Diaper Pouch: A clever disguise for those Pampers when you’re running out of the house without the diaper bag.  Fits handily in your purse or diaper bag or simply in your hand, the diaper pouch fits up to 4 diapers and a wipes case comfortably and comes in sixteen patterns.

2.  Serena & Lily Take-Me-Home Gift Set:  The lovely little outfit for those first baby pictures.  Pure white organic cotton swaddling blanket, newborn gown and hat with contrasting trim and tassels in pink, blue or green.  Beautifully packaged inside Serena & Lily’s Newborn Keepsake Box, which also serves as a wonderful place to store mementos from baby’s first year. Photo frame and journal space on interior lid allow for personalization.

3.  Caden Lane Pink Dark Swirl Hooded Towel and Washcloth Set:  Because babies look so much cuter when swaddled in hooded towels… I don’t know if this is crazily unusual, but my son Henry always hated the bath tub (and still would prefer – at age 2 – to stand in the tub if we’d let him) and ONLY looked adorable once he was out of the tub and wrapped up tight (for when he was in the baby tub he was always screaming).  Caden Lane has a HUGE selection, whether you need pink or blue, traditional or whimsical.  The perfect little baby gift.

There is rarely a product out there that MAKES me want to have another baby.  I write the following few paragraphs with much Mommy love for my youngest son, Henry, who was possibly the worst baby ever.  He screamed, literally, for half a year – starting when he was about 2 months and finally stopped around month 8 – and we were finally told, after trying everything from Milicon drops to Gripe Water to baby Prevacid – that he was just the truest definition of a colicky baby.  My husband and I originally wanted four children.  Henry is our third and, at this time, the final of our children, as we still – a much rested, scream-free (except for those lovely children tantrums) – 2.5 years later – don’t think we’d be able to handle another baby like him again.

But recently Polka Dot Peacock found Rikshaw Design, and, oh… How I want to decorate a nursery with Catherine Fitzsimmons’ beautiful crib bedding.  Her Indian-inspired nursery bedding and accessories — which are also made in India — are poetic.  Elegant giraffes, elephants and monkeys are paired with delicate medallion and paisley prints to create soft, modern pieces. She uses everything from sunny yellow to pastel pink to create serene, stylish spaces.

If only I were able to forget those dreadful few months… I’d have my nursery ready.

My twins (Madeline and Estella, almost 4) float around the house in their finest fairy costumes, casting magical spells on their little brother.  Their miniature Disney princesses spend more time in the Bat Castle than Henry’s superheroes could ever dream of, and Batman himself has been named king of all royalty.  They will only wear dresses, commonly use the word gorgeous for anything with ruffles and, perhaps most importantly, they love the color pink.

In honor of the twins, my current pink favorites:

1.  Punch Bloom Pillow from Serena & Lily:  Hand-appliqued with modern, multi-hued pink flowers, the Punch Bloom Pillow can add that necessary girly touch to any room. Give your sofa a quick update with Punch Bloom’s fresh pop of color, or pair it with Serena & Lily’s Shell Pink Diamond Quilt for the perfectly pink room!

2.  Ella Crib Bedding Set from Caden Lane:  This dainty crib set includes everything needed for the girliest of baby cribs – oversized blanket, reversible bumper, tailored bed skirt and fitted sheet.  Bright pink polka dots, bold pink stripes and petal pink grosgrain ribbon are complemented by the prettiest of chocolate browns to create this perfectly-pink nursery set.

3.  Pink Mod Dot Stroller Blanket from Swaddle Designs:  Soft, cozy and sized for on-the-go, this chic stroller blanket is idea to tuck around your little girly girl in the stroller or car seat.  The Mod Dot blanket is perhaps the perfect accessory, and even celebrity mom Tori Spelling was pictured with the Pastel Pink with Brown Mod Dots tucked around her daughter Stella!

As the Texas July temperatures were only expected to reach 93 degrees on Saturday, we decided to take our kids to the Fort Worth Zoo. After an immediate stop for a sturdy rental buggy (we own a kazillion strollers and didn’t remember to bring a single one) and six overpriced AA batteries (my camera conveniently ran out of juice as we walked past the entrance), we entered the monkey house.  To take three children (all three years old and under) to a zoo is an amazing thing. Their eyes are wide open and they are (in true form) in a constant hurry to see what is next.  At the end of the day, the girls loved the flamingoes the most (because they were pink), Henry and Matt leaned towards the white tigers and I had an unexpected affinity for the mountain goat.  All in all, a lovely day.

My current zoo favorites:

1.  Whistle & Wink’s Itsazoo Nursery Collection: Whistle & Wink’s signature contemporary nursery goes on safari.  Soft, neutral colors make this perfect for baby boys or girls. Elephants, giraffes, lions and turtles adorn an ivory ground with khaki piping and mini-check accents.  The crowining jewel, though, is the fantastically embroidered canopy, with tiny appliqued animals.  Oh, Itsazoo out there alright.

2.  Byrdie Graphics’ Animal Circle Wall Decals:  Whimsical images in grand color; May you now decorate without fear.  These self-adhestive vinyl decals can be easily removed and leave no residue behind.  Four animal cut-out circles (one elephant, one rhino, one lion and one monkey) and four circles bearing their name are included.  We highlight here the orange (perfect for Serena & Lily’s Ben Collection and Pixel Organics Lions, Tigers and Kitties nursery and big-kid bedding) but offer twenty hues!

3.  Kee-ka Organic Monkey Onesie Bodysuit:  In signature style, Kee-ka’s organic bodysuit is the perfect gift for baby boys everywhere.  Simple in design but big in message, this supersoft onesie make the morning clothing choice easy, even before you’ve had the first cup of coffee.