Addison’s Wonderland came to us purely through serendipity- a chance tweet we happened to see that landed us square in the middle of a world of girl’s bedding and decor that is straight out of a faerie tail.  Ruffles, ruffles, and more ruffles seems to be the mantra here…and who could ask for more?  The delicate patterns and rich textures created by the gathers and ruffles create dreamlike scenes for children and parents alike.  I know a few rooms in my house that could use a few more ruffles…

This one is mandatory viewing for all fashion addicts, you won’t be disappointed.

Wall Stories are fabric wall stickers that your child can reposition over and over again to tell a story. With options for both boys and girls, there is sure to be something to please. If your little boy loves dinosaurs, he will love arranging a a scene with T-Rex. For girls there is a lovely garden mural. Kids can even draw on the stickers to further personalize their story.

Our favorite option was the boy and girl baby squares. There are both fabric squares with images and areas for writing and picture frame squares to add photos to. The baby squares are a very personal way to decorate a nursery. And as your child gets older, they will have a blast adding their own touch.

Made of a polyester fabric weave the images are durable, cleanable, and repositionable. The material is non toxic and Wall Stories will send you a free sample to test on your walls.

We love the current options, and can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

At the time, Emma was in size 6 months. After placing my order, I felt a little sheepish. I hadn’t heard of Baby Eggi before, much less owned any of their clothes. I wondered if I had bought more baby clothes that would languish unworn in Emma’s Closet. I needn’t have been worried.

When I received my purchases in the mail, I eagerly pulled out the jumpers. They were the softest material I have ever felt ( a cotton/modal blend), and the colors were rich and complimented each other perfectly. I wish they came in my size! Emma hasn’t been able to wear the jumper yet; it’ll be the perfect outfit for her next summer and into the fall. I definitely plan to use it as a layering piece with tights or leggings, and a sweater and cute pair of boots.

Baby Eggi didn’t disappoint when it came to my love affair with pink and brown, and my delight in my impulse purchase led me to check out their website – which is gorgeously simple. Something I appreciate in all things.

Baby Eggi is a clothing line created with love by two sisters on a mission-to make beautiful, high quality children’s clothing, and to create a better world for children everywhere. They succeed on both counts- their clothing is incredible and they give 20% of net proceeds to children’s charities.

I can’t wait for Emma to wear her jumpers, and I certainly plan on keeping my eye on Baby Eggi.

Clara de Paris is a beautiful website. We loved the layout of it; the design was pleasingly unobtrusive and so inviting. The coloring and tone reflected the clothing and accessories on display. Neutral, natural and simplicity at its best.

This boutique offers the finest French designers in children’s clothing and accessories. From trendy diaper bags to whimsical dress-up customs, there is something for everyone and every occasion. For the little boy who loves boats? How about the Boy’s Vintage Boat School Bag. For the girly-girl on her birthday? Marie Antoinette’s Princess dress. We loved the variety and the sophistication of the lines available. If you want your little one to look classy, and put together, any of these timeless looks will be sure to please.

With new designers and clothing lines added and updated regularly, Clara de Paris makes finding refined clothes for boys and girls not only easy, but enjoyable and informative. One feature on their website that particularly impressed us was their trends page. For example, they put together a lovely shopping day outfit for girls, and then had links to other recommended items. With outfit ideas for boys and girls, and adorable gift suggestions for babies, their picks were flawless.

We can’t wait to check back for more looks.

Meet Emily Ulmer Photography

This post is so long overdue it’s not even funny!  We did this interview last year and life, as it tends to do, interfered and thus it sat un-posted for months.  But now we are oh-so-pleased to introduce to you Emily Ulmer Photography.  We first encountered her work on another blogger’s site, where her unique take on photographing children had spawned many different opinions.  We for one found her work intriguing, as it captures a side of children not often seen: that side of them visible in between moments, in the silence during an intake of breath, when energy is in a state of stillness immediately prior to bursting forth once more.  Or in those moments where they find themselves lost in thought…take some time to browse her work here at EmilyUlmer.com and take in her impeccable style and thought provoking view of childhood.

Once you’ve had a chance to absorb her work, come back and read our brief interview with the artist herself.  Savor the experience, and take a peek inside her mind, incidentally 7 months in the making…

Tell us a little bit about yourself, how you got started in photography, any favorite shoots you have done, any particular photos from your latest collection?

I was born and raised in Southern Caliornia. When I was about 18, my grandfather gave me his old 35 millimeter and I began documenting my younger sister in her teenage years.  And from there I began photographing my friends, trying to capture that delicate period between adolescence and adulthood. I’ve been shooting for years but it wasn’t until very recently that I found the area I love in photography. Sometimes it takes a long time, I guess! As far as favorite shoots, it’s hard to choose, as I feel so close to all of them.  But some of my favorite recent work is the series of the two sisters, Josephine and Oona. There was an inherent maturity and soulfulness in both of them that was so inspiring to capture. And they loved having their picture taken which is not often always the case with children!

How did you get started with this current theme of photography? What was that initial inspiration that drove you to photograph children with your particular style and themes?

About a year ago I took some pictures of a friend’s four year-old son. There was something different in those photographs that felt much more pure than my portraits of adults.

It felt like an obvious gravitation as I’d always tried to capture the innocence in young adults. From there I began shooting more children in their own environments, attempting to show them in their most natural state, when they are most comfortable. I’m trying to show childhood from the perspective of the child, which is not often done.

The clothing in your photography definitely has a very vintage look to it, where do you find/how do you select it?

The clothing does play an important role in my pictures. I generally go through the children’s own wardrobes and choose pieces that are timeless and best suit the child’s personality. The simpler the outfit, the better. I’m beginning to collect vintage children’s clothing which is a lot of fun to search for.

I worked in fashion for a bit when I was younger and developed a specific aesthetic with the clothing that I use for my portraits– which does contribute a lot to the overall feel of my pictures.

Your photographs have a unique look and feel to them, is there any special equipment or techniques you employ to achieve your specific style?

Now that I’m shooting digitally mainly (as you have to take a lot of frames when you’re shooting children!), I’m very conscious of having my pictures look as though I’d shot with film.

Color has always been incredibly important to me as I printed all of my earlier work on my own. I’ve always leaned more toward ‘warmer’ colors, which is also why I only use natural light. So I spend a lot of time playing with the tone and colors as I edit my work, to achieve the look I’m going for.

Lastly there have definitely been a lot of contrasting opinions on your work. Many have felt that there weren’t enough smiling faces, or that some of the imagery had dark overtones. Do you have anything you would like to say in response?

I know, it was very surprising! I had no idea that there would be so many people that would have such strong reactions to my work— both positive and negative.  There are definitely those out there that feel that children should only be photographed laughing and smiling, etc. There’s a lot of over romanticizing in children’s portraiture. People want to think that kids are always happy and bubbly. But they also have a serious side to them, however young, which I find very beautiful.

Of course some equate the seriousness with dark overtones. But I’ve never looked at my work as dark. It’s the quiet moments that I’m trying to capture and in those moments they are typically not smiling nor jumping up and down. And I always let the overall mood of the child dictate the feel of the shoot, as I’m trying to show them for who they are.

As promised, we’ve got your hookup for Zio Sport, the awesome new kids’ activewear line we featured last week.  Their new swimwear line is debuting this summer, so get your entries in and take a shot at winning some fresh new duds for your little beach bum :)

The rules are simple, the pay off- a $50 gift certificate to their online shop!  And for a limited time for all of our readers we have a code to get 20% off your order!

Use code PV0411 for 20% off at www.ziosport.com!

Giveaway Rules:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment on this post with your email and tell us what you would buy if you won!

Extra Entries:

“Like” our facebook page and leave an extra comment here with your first initial/last name.  Existing fans you can do this too!

Follow us on twitter and leave an extra comment with your twitter name.  Existing followers can do this too!

“Like” Zio Sport on Facebook for yet another extra entry, just leave a comment here with your initial/last name!

Entries must be received by Mother’s Day, May 8th, 2011 when the contest will close and the winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed.  Winner has 48 hours to respond to email, if winner does not respond after 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

*Update:  The winner was commenter #20, Becky Horn!  Congratulations Becky, we’ll be contacting you soon!

Kids who are comfortable keep playing longer.

That is the motto of Zio Sport, a family founded kids’ sportswear company that is out to change the way you think about the clothing your kids play in.  Like so many new clothing lines we love, Zio got its start from a simple feeling of dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in children’s activewear.  In your typical chain store you’re going to find a plethora of options, all of them just shrunk down versions of the adult fit, without taking into account a kid’s unique physique and style.

To change that, Mindy Kratsas, Jane Kratsas and Ragan Melton, the founders of Zio Sport, went straight to the source: kids.  From selecting fabric, to making sure each piece fit their growing frame, kids have a say in how it all comes together.  Try finding that level of care in any other kid’s activewear line, we dare you!

Each piece is made from their exclusive cool-edge fabric technology, and each shirt features a small utility pocket for holding a cell phone, mp3 player, or other essentials.  The cool-edge fabric wicks moisture away from the skin AND blocks UV rays, keeping your little tumbler comfy and dry all day long.  Special mesh underarm patches add an additional level of air flow for maximum cooling.  Not only will your kids LOVE looking cool, AND feeling great, but because their clothes aren’t absorbing all of that sweat they’re going to look better longer, which will make your wallet happy too :)

As always, we are not content to simply tell you about another awesome new line, we’ve got to give you the chance to score some for yourself!  Stay tuned, coming up soon:  your shot at a Zio Sport gift certificate, plus a 20% discount for each and every one of our exceptionally stylish readers :)