Sunday, July 18, 2010

Well, hello dolly...

I seem to be at war with the culture these days.  I feel that young children are assaulted at every turn with  over-commercialized, over-sexualized tripe. From Bratz dolls to high heels for toddlers, slick marketing is aimed at readying little girls for pole dancing. It is evil.

The island in this storm is the classic, the pure and the true. I try very hard to steer my children toward classic clothes, healthy toys and good activities. Here are a few of my favorite things for kids...

Madame Alexander Dolls -

There are a bazillion Madame Alexander dolls to choose from. They are so lovely and sweet. They are a treasure to pass on to future generations. Here are some more beautiful dolls from MA.

I love American Girl. I love that they encourage girls to be little girls for as long as possible. They present great historically based characters that are age appropriate but not dumbed down.  They have new features on their website to allow for more interactive play. Bravo!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Wild for Westies...

We got princess 1 her own puppy this year, a wild little Westie. I found these cute little purses, one with a little Westie on it that I am getting for her, from Warm Biscuit. Cute!


Friday, July 2, 2010

Happy Independence Day!..... Early that is.

I love the 4th of July! I love watching presidential biographies, planning the menu and spending time with my family. I love driving through the beautiful, patriotic community that I live in during this time because the houses are all decorated with bunting and flags. It so beautiful and makes me feel very proud.

Here are some beautiful images of beautifully decorated houses that I found online.

I love this cozy porch featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine.


... from Country Living


Also from Country Living. 

And I love, love, LOVE these decorations using Hydrangeas from Good Housekeeping. Lovely!


I wish you a happy and safe 4th of July!


~Tally

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Clothes for kids...


Lately I have been overwhelmed by the volume of inappropriate clothing for young girls.
Tacky clothing has always been something to avoid, but choices for classic children's clothing
seem to be dwindling when compared to the commercialized, sexualized offerings being
marketed to the "tweens." I think this trend is heinous. I decided to post some cute clothes
that exist amongst the ick out there.

Love these ensembles from Ralph Lauren.


But what the heck is with the humongo logo from RL. Ick. 
Lands End stripped polo dress is always a nice choice. 



Lilly is pretty and feminine.


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Spring babies

Happy Spring!
I love Spring. And one of the things I love about it is buying outfits for my daughters. There is nothing sweeter than seeing well dressed kiddos. Here are a few outfits I bought for my sweeties from Orient Expressed. Their smocking is gorgeous as is everything else they make. To me, OE captures the innocent sweetness of children in their clothes. www.orientexpressed.com



Monday, May 3, 2010

Interview with Lisa Birbach...

Ivy-style has a fun interview with the queen of prep Lisa Birbach.

http://www.ivy-style.com/


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Charmed I'm sure...

Do you love charm bracelets? Then you just may be a southern prep. So-preps just love them some charm bracelets. I have the old fashioned kind with charms signifying things I love or things I have done.  My Mom has told me she is going to give me hers from when I was a child sometime this year.

I also like pandoras.

My little girls have bracelets similar to these that my mom bought them at a little boutique in Palm Desert.
When my oldest daughter turns twelve, she will receive a big girl bracelet. The family will add charms each year for her activities and things that mean something to her. I love this tradition. 

Charmed,

~Tally