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CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Family. Friends. Hounds. Books. The Beach. Autumn. Cameras. Computer. iPhone. The color orange. Caramel frappucino. The words "dude!" and "nice!". Oh...and world peace ;-)

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28 September 2007

::splendid weather::

FINALLY, indian summer seem to have left us for good. We had splendid weather today...O and I went to my old firm and demonstrated some of her new tricks. Her skinny Old Navy jeans were also a big hit.

Speaking of splendid, O's terry dress and hoody set by Splendid is a wonderful addition to her fall wardrobe. The terry cloth used to make the garments is sooo soft...like butter. The dress is stretchy enough that it does not impede her movements. She started crawling last week, and has not stopped moving since ;-)

25 September 2007

::trouble in paradise::

My iPhone is not working. The top half of the touch screen is working, but the bottom half is not. This happened briefly on Sunday, but it is now completely kaput. Tried resetting and restoring, nothing. Completely ridiculous...I have had it for less than 90 days!

I called the iPhone tech support. Super nice...told me they will replace the phone free of charge. They'll even send a temp phone while the new one is being configured. Although, there is normally a $29.99 charge for the temp phone (they waived it for me). Crazy...considering how much they charge for the phones.

Not completely satisfied with the fix, I packed up architectdad and O and trekked out to the Apple store in the burbs. The sales person and manager were great. But because the "Apple Genius" was all booked up, I will have to go back tomorrow. They promised they will replace the phone, but the Genius will have to fill out all of the paperwork. We shall see. Wish me luck!


::update::
I took my sad little iPhone to the Apple store today so that the "Genius" can take a look and tell me what is ailing it. It turns out, this problem is not unheard of. In fact, after about 10 seconds of looking at it, he immediately told me I will be given a new phone on the spot. No complaints here! So all is well again...let's hope this one lasts a little longer ;-) Oh, and I signed up for the rebate...not $100 cash back, but store credit. Good enough, I guess.

23 September 2007

::hunter green::

The beagle national specialty show is next week!!! Too much excitement for words. Z's nephews (by the way of his littermate sister) will be competing in the show with 288 other champion beagles.

Believe it or not, there is actually a color which beaglers use to distinguish themselves from the fox hunters. Ever heard of the term "hunter green?" Apparently it refers to dark green formal hunting jackets of the beagle master. Fox hound masters wear red coats instead.

So, in order to prepare O for this event, we went to J Crew and bought her a hunter green quilted barn vest and cordoroy driving cap (with embroidered doggies!) from the Crewcuts children's line. Neither is available online, so the images here are not exactly accurate. The pieces from the children's line are similar to the adult versions...plain, simple and great for layering. Although, I must say that J Crew had way better products in the 90's.

Now all O needs is a cashmere Burberry scarf...

::skivvies::

Someone's mother always says: "Make sure you are wearing clean underwear at all times." As if the other option is even thinkable?!?!?! I know it's a little early for O to be worrying about her skivvies, but nice undergarments are the foundation for a successful ensemble. Wouldn't you say?

When we were in NYC last, O was so excited to be in the Big Apple that she spat up all over her Nana Ki outfit. So, since we were already in Sons and Daughters, we quickly changed her from the stinky two piece into a Hanssop tank onesie which we bought on the spot. Hanssop is a Dutch (!) company that specializes in high quality underwear and clothing. The printed graphics on the cotton/Lycra onesie reminds me a lot of the Victoriana prints by Albert. To boot, the little tank onesie features three rows of ruffles on the bum...too much cuteness!

Another brand which sells high-quality underwear is the Dutch company, Claesen's. The smallest size they make for children is XS, which translates to 2-3 years. So if you know of a toddler who is in need of beautifully made undergarments, a sweet Claesen's set would be perfect for her.

19 September 2007

::do what sharon stone did::

Remember when Sharon Stone wore a plain white Gap shirt and a black silk taffeta designer skirt to an award show? Everyone loved it and suddenly, it was chic to pair couture with carefully chosen mass-produced pieces. The same is true for baby clothes.

Beautifully designed children's wear is not cheap. However, it is possible to buy some of the staples (pants for example) from stores such as Gap or Old Navy, and dress them up with other pieces from high-end brands.

As autumn approaches, I had to (sadly) put O's summer dresses away for good. That's when I panicked. I do not have pants that fit her!!! During my panic fit, I visited the Old Navy site, in hopes of finding some plain pants/jeans for my darling girl. Thankfully, Old Navy came through for me.

I ended up ordering the flared cargo pants, the flared jeans and the skinny jeans. The skinny jeans are hilarious...butt crack is extra of course. Phew! Danger is diverted. Now I can concentrate on finding nice tops and outerwear to match ;-)

16 September 2007

::all about knits::

Sorry I did not keep up with the blog entries last week. The fall allergy season has started early for me. Ever since the pregnancy, I've been really susceptible to ear-nose-throat infections. So with some major-domo antibiotic, I am well on my way to recovery.

The gorgeous autumn weather we've had this weekend certainly helped with my recovery. Architectdad and I took O to Piccolo Piggies to pick out some new fall clothes for her. We came upon a pair of knit mittens by Catimini. As we dug deeper, we found a matching hat/scarf combo, and a beautifully feminine knit cardigan by the same. By comparison, I think Catimini has Deux par Deux beat, hands down. The designs and graphics are equally whimsical, but the colors are a bit more subdued and less clown-ish.

The French brand, in my opinion, sizes a little larger than average. For instance, we bought O the size 6M cardigan, but she could certainly wear it through the Fall and into Winter. On the other hand, we had to get her the size 2T hat so that we can fit it around her big noggin without too much protest. Hmmm...

You can find Catimini clothing on A Child's Closet and Madeleine Boutique. Also look for Catimini children's linens on French Brand.

10 September 2007

::icky poo poo::

My shopping habit apparently doesn't take holidays. While on our beach vacation, I just HAD to stop by a baby store during one of our day trips. The store was surprisingly hip, considering we were surrounded by mullet hairdos and farmer tans. I bought O a little cotton/Lycra knit dress by Icky Baby and a wooden puppy-shaped toy by Beeswax.

I was drawn to the Icky Baby dress because 1) it was on sale (I know, not really logical thinking at all) and 2) the print is actually quite graphic and contemporary and 3) it was on sale.

You can find Icky Baby products in high end children's stores, as well as department stores such as Nordstrom and Barney's.

04 September 2007

::soaking in the sun::

Architectdad, O and I are away on a beach vacation. We rented a house directly on a private, dog-friendly beach. The weather has been great and O is sleeping and eating as usual...nothing to complain about ;-) The Candeloo mishap has already been left behind.

O loves to sit in the sand, grab a handful and shove it in her mouth. Thankfully, we've been able to stop her every time. The hounds are having tons of fun chasing crabs and running on the beach. Since it is after Labor Day, the beach is pretty much deserted except for a few locals and late vacationers like us. That's the way I like it...uh huh.

V, M*x and D joined us on Saturday with their cavalier K-C spaniels, C + S. They left this afternoon. It was wonderful to be in their company and we wish they could have stayed longer :-( Uncles M + A are coming to visit us here at the beach tomorrow from NYC, and they are bringing L and her Baby F. Can't wait to see them!

It will be hard to leave this place, but we hope to make this an annual vacation. So...there is always next year to look forward to!