While we don’t need a winter coat here — a spring/fall jacket will get us through the handful of “cool” days we might have — I still wanted to put together a fun mini round-up.
Oilily “Chilly” winter coat via olliewood.nl
Collection B® Packable Down Jacket via JCPenney
Checked Lumberjack Jacket via John Lewis
John Galliano Gazette Print Bomber Jacket via Harrods
Will it get cold enough for winter jackets where you live? What’s in the coat closet for your littles this year?
I get a little grumpy when it feels like the world is spinning without me, and it seems that way every time the seasons change. Northern California had its first rain on Labor Day, and the red clay drank up the water thirstily, the dust sliding from the waxy Live Oak leaves and running in rivulets into the cracked earth. I know the scent that thirsty ground gives up, and I know the coolness that falls in those drops.
Soon in the Midwest, the mercury will dip and everyone will pull open the bottom dresser drawer, reaching to the back into the sea of only-just-abandoned knit socks. The apples have already started to fall, red and green and sweet-smelling, tumbling from the crooked branches into the leaves and grass. I know the way an orchard apple tastes, seated on the crumbled stone remains of a farm someone once loved and lost.
And I know the faces belonging to all the laughter that rings from the Sierra Nevada in the West across to the northern end of the Mississippi, and I know the threads of family that tie us all together.
And sometimes it seems that everyone, everywhere, just keeps on spinning, dipping from summer into fall and through the winter and back up into spring, while Florida trudges steadily through the humid fog, and I with it. I lose track of whether it’s March or whether it’s September. I lose track of the hemisphere. In the constant green, the constant jungle, the constant rain, the passage of time seems as fluid as the tropical rains that turn sidewalks to streams.
But there is always somewhere I see time. I see it daily, in her rapidly growing face, I see her changing quickly, changing out of my reach and control, changing like the waves that never stay the same shape or height — unless I seize the scene, grasp it breathlessly with the grip of lens, and press it into a stolen moment, flat on the page.
This is what I do with my Aveline Alenka, my little ocean of joy. I toss my butterfly net across her laughter, I blink and remember her golden face for a moment, tucking it away into photographs.
And these photographs sail from the headwaters of the Everglades up to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and across to the Golden State, and they sail into the hearts of waiting family, who see and feel and hear the passage of time through these colors infused with life.
We see the passage of time together, and we are connected. We are connected like the rain that falls across the Sacramento Valley, like the snow that tumbles down the Minnesota pines, like the steam that rises up off the Everglades. We are connected, for we are family, and no side effect of meteorology or geography can ever change that.
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Disclosure of Material Relationship: I received a sample Fabkids.com box in exchange for my participation and promotion. All the photographs, opinions, and experiences shared here are in my own words and are my own honest evaluation. Please be assured, I only accept sponsorship opportunities for brands I personally use would recommend to close friends and family, and I will always disclose any such relationships.
Fabkids.com is a subscription service based on your style preferences, allowing you to receive a personalized 3-piece box of children’s clothing and accessories each month. Unlike other subscription box services, Fabkids.com lets you know what that month’s shipment will be ahead of time, so you’ll always love what shows up on your doorstep. Find out more about the styles, outfits and options available — for both boys and girls! — at Fabkids.com.
I always get excited when the back-to-school sales start. When I was a kid, I’d make sure my folders, pencils and notebooks were color-coded by subject, and then I’d add a matching sticker to the corresponding textbooks. I haven’t outgrown that too much — I’m still an office-supply nerd — and I definitely never outgrew the fresh new-start feeling of the back-to-school season. There’s just something in the air that makes me want to reorganize everything, get dressed up, and then sit down and work like crazy. I’ve got plenty coming up this month, with magazine interviews to write, articles to edit, and a lot of work for my secret project, too.
And then there’s Aveline, whose enthusiasm for “da alphabets” never wanes. She spells everything she sees — loudly, of course — and begs me to write out the letters over and over again. I know this fall is going to include a lot more of “da alphabets” as we delve into letter sounds, phonics, and, oh, counting past thirteen too. For now, we’re savoring summer while singing the ABCs on loop and hanging out with my best friend Lauren, who is vacationing here before launching into the new school year as a staff-member for a study-abroad program.
We three girls have been doing a lot of shopping, and this week we headed to JCPenney to pick out a new back-to-school outfit for Aveline. Aveline’s a perpetual motion machine, and I think the intense color of the changing rooms energized her even more. Phew. She really never stops.
Which #FirstDayLook should Aveline choose?
ONE – Intentionally worn two sizes too large, this modern black and white stripe turns into the perfect toddler maxi. A faux leather jacket completes the look.
TWO – A loose-fitting blouse and cami over cuffed floral denim is a great segue from summer to fall.
THREE – Puppy dog tails and sugar and spice pair up when this boys’ top from the infant section (sleeves are cuffed to 3/4 length) is worn with an off-white tulle skirt.
FOUR – Houndstooth leggings and a ribbed pink tank worn under a faux leather jacket brought out the spontaneous air guitar and crouching tiger — and a James Dean face.
I’m heading back to JCP to pick out Aveline’s #FirstDayLook soon — which outfit is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
Disclosure of Material Relationship: I received compensation in exchange for my participation in the JCP Kids Collection partnership, and the #FirstDayLook and #MakeItYours campaigns. All the photographs, opinions, and experiences shared here are in my own words and are my own honest evaluation. Please be assured, I only accept sponsorship opportunities for brands I personally use would recommend to close friends and family, and I will always disclose any such relationships.
Oh yes, more Polish goodness! Last time it was Czesiociuch, this time Miszkomaszko. And I just LOVE this brand, which is hand-produced in Poznań, Poland. The colors, the patterns (can you spot the volcanos?) and the great photography. I can definitely envision Aveline in these pieces!
Striped cotton one-piece pajama via Cotton & Button
Palm tree jumpsuit by Mini Rodini via Smallable
Does anyone know of a brand which makes this style of romper — cotton, one-piece, footless — in higher sizes? Most labels stop at a size 2. Even Hanna Andersson only makes one-piece sleepwear through size 3, and then switches to 2-piece.
There HAS to be someone who makes sleep-appropriate cotton jumpsuits (even short-sleeved/short-pants ones) for kids past the baby stage! Help me out?
UPDATE: The wonderfully helpful POP Street Kidz curator and readers have found several options! They are all listed here on the POP Street Kidz Facebook page.
How great is the playfulness and energy of these lookbook photos from Polish children’s clothing brand Czesiociuch?
I’m curious. Where do you fall when it comes to harem pants? (They’re also referred to as genie or Aladdin pants, hammer pants, or Turkish trousers.) I happen to love them, but my husband doesn’t “get” them.
At all.
It’s been a while since we had a Designer Spotlight on Oaxacaborn! The conversations in this series are intended to inspire and encourage, and allow all of us to glean a little wisdom from fellow creatives and small businesses owners.
Today, I’m chatting with Olivia Lin and Archna Patel, who together run the childrenswear brand the little hummingbird.
Walk me through your creative process — I guess you could call this the “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” question. Do you have a finished product in mind from the start, and then execute a series of steps to achieve this? Or do the ideas evolve and take life as you go through the creative process?
We think it can be a little bit of both!
Sometimes we have a finished product in mind; our poncho from the Fall ’12 collection and the pointelle cardigan from Spring ’13 are both examples of this. Other times, it is an evolution of ideas starting with a piece of trim, style detail, or theme we both like and are inspired by. Because we are a duo, we communicate and bounce ideas off of one another a lot, and try to make sure we are merging and using ideas each of us has.
When it is an evolution, it is definitely exciting seeing an idea come to life! (I think that is how we feel each time we complete a photoshoot and see a collection come to fruition!) For our current Spring ’13 line, we knew we wanted to incorporate pintucks into our designs but didn’t have the finished product in mind yet. We started by sketching as many different ideas as possible– which is the fun creative part! From there, we edit, share our sketches with each other, edit some more, then we finalize which styles we should go forward with and have in our collection.
At one time or another, all creatives experience that “hitting a brick wall” feeling, where the ideas just stop. How do you deal with creative slumps and roadblocks?
We hate it when that happens! We deal with it by taking a break and focusing on doing something else such as reading, baking, or cooking. Putting some music on and surfing the web or flipping through magazines — we both are inspired by clothing for women — can give us a fresh perspective as well. Another thing we like to do is look back at old photos of ourselves and siblings when we were kids, and modernizing the pieces we used to wear.
So is it safe to say you’re more influenced by the idea of reinterpreting vintage rather than keeping up with latest trends?
One of the things we wanted to do when creating the little hummingbird line was to create pieces that are timeless and can be passed down through the generations. We don’t really follow trends– we try to stick to the beat of our own drum and be true to our style and design aesthetics.
From a business perspective, what does collaboration look like for The Little Hummingbird? How do you decide which roles each of you takes on?
We both do a little bit of everything for the little hummingbird and try to make sure we are being fair and the workload is equal. The way we decide which roles we each take on is a combination of a few things. Which method is the most efficient? Is one of us is more skilled in that area? What’s the timing and priority? Who is available? And sometimes it just comes to logistics, like which one of us has a shorter drive to save time and gas! I think the big key to our collaboration is honesty and lots of communication. You should see how many emails and texts we exchange in a day!
What is the most challenging thing you have faced in your creative career?
The most challenging things we have faced have been the funding as well as marketing — getting the little hummingbird to a place where it is a known and trusted brand.
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to fellow creatives?
We would say to give your dreams and goals a chance, follow through, and don’t give up! It is not easy and you have to be able to handle rejection, but believe in yourself! Be fearless, open to making mistakes and learning — ask questions and try to stay organized and remember to have fun and enjoy the journey :)
Thank you so much, Olivia and Archna!
The Little Hummingbird | on Twitter | on Facebook | on Pinterest
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Previously on Designer Spotlight:
SCARF: An old bandanna I’ve had for years
OWL BELT: ej sikke lej, a gift Auntie Lauren brought back from Denmark
LONG-SLEEVE WHITE TEE: American Apparel c/o Wittlebee
JEANS: Levi’s, a gift from Grandma
METALLIC SHEEPSKIN SHOES: Melton, another gift Auntie Lauren brought back from Denmark
And a cactus. She was convinced the cactus needed some TLC.
The Oaxacaborn Blog 