Playtime: Spring 2012 Fashion Preview

it's playtime!!!! this fair is a love fest for me. the brands that i write about here honestly have the most lovely and talented people behind them. when playtime rolls around they all come together on one floor in a loft in soho.

 after spending the morning browsing the spring collections, i have to tell you: the future is bright!

first some bad news: apparently, some ding dong has been knocking off bobo choses' designs and selling them, so they wouldn't let me take pictures of the collection. the good news is the spring collection is a m a z i n g! we're talk'in 152 pieces of awesome!! lions, whales, bananas, pineapples, bicycles--you know all that summer stuff! plus loads of color.

great example of some lovely people, bobo choses thanked everyone on their booth--including coos & ahhs!!! somewhere under halle berry. i am touched.

super cute circus animal themed prints from little esop

mini rodini made a debut appearance this time! it was exciting to meet their person and see spring, but, again, they are having trouble with a copycat and wouldn't let me take pix of the pieces. some highlights are the safari/giraffe print windbreaker (left) and leopard print swim trunks!

nico nico's spring collection stays true to itself with more soft and airy fabrics in relaxed silhouettes. i loved that they included a few subdued black pieces for spring!

the spring collection from opus is a lot of fun: fringe; florals; and chambray! 

esp no.1 collaborated with osborn to make these super eco shoes: made from recycled canvas and tire soles. the spring collection is timeless and laid back.

a green story is developing for spring, with bobo choses and others... here we have a cloud camo shirt from littl by lilit (left) and a bright green school bag from easy peasy...

green bat tee from mini & maximus; a beautiful muted green palette from esp no.1; and soft celadon green from nico nico.

sons + daughters is a newcomer offering a full range of handcrafted eyewear for kids. more to come from them! but, now, would be a good time to put on some shades...

this spring is going to be full of bold and bright colors for our little guys! kicokids (left) is all color, unfortunately this was the second playtime in a row that their booth has been completely packed the entire time--i could only walk around the edge. h-luv has these beautiful bright trees to add to their soft forest.

adorable line of colored denim from esp no.1 (left) and the color story continues at a for apple with neon neoprene pockets on black tees.

the racks at a for apple where packed with color including zippy wind breakers, overalls and tailored shorts in nylon (can't remember the name of that fabric!)

like i said, packed... cotton bomber jackets in brights, neoprene bibs and visors...and the cutest baby cardigan. i also had the best time chatting with the team at a for apple!

bensimon shoes got the color memo

more bright color including forest fun from h-luv; eco backpack from easy peasy; and beautiful screen printed bloomers from wovenplay

backpacks from easy peasy and cookey creature baby shoes 

 another trend i saw for spring was stars. i couldn't be more happy since i love stars and especially for little boys--it will be nice to get away from stripes for a little while! the star story is going strong with the spring collection at anais & i. she added an infant line--too cute!

 more stars from anais & i including a beautiful star ripped print sweatership and a soft linen button down

shirin features a lot of stars in her spring collection including this organic sweatshirt (left) le marchand d'etoiles has stars sprinkled everywhere this spring including these beautiful pajamas

also from  le marchand d'etoiles cotton pj's and a star print sleeper that comes in a star case!

coral and tusk knocked my sandals off with these fully (front and back) embroidered dolls!! notice each one has a removable object in its pocket.

for holiday coral and tusk has christmas ornaments, and for spring, a fox fabric wristwatch and pocket watch

last but not least, atsuyo et akiko had so many wonderful things i got overwhelmed and just focused on their next collaboration for disney: mickey! 

Ahhs: Push Presents and More!!

this mama loves customized gifts and silhouettes. so it is no wonder i go a little bonkers for the goodies from love & victory. trying to find a push present for your lady? (are there any husbands listening?) a ring with your baby's name on it is perfect! or what about a little footprint charm? it is way better than trying to make your own with those dumb plaster kits--has anyone gotten those to work anyway? www.love-and-victory.com

Fashion Coos: Fall Preview, Nadadelazos

nadadelazos is my new sweetheart. i am drooling over everything i see from them! i love the bright colors with grey and the baggy silhouettes are perfect for lounging. this spring (i know, too far away) they will knock everyone's socks off!

Coos Reviews: In My Forest + In My Jungle {Chronicle Books}

i am a huge fan of petit collage, so i was excited when the founder, lorena siminovich started this series with sara gillingham back in 2009. the "in my..." series has since grown and this year chronicle books released in my jungle and in my ocean. 

they sent me two titles to review: in my jungle and forest. like all the books in the series they feature a little finger puppet animal and die-cut pages that teach little guys about the animal's habitat and what is the best part of any home? family!! the illustrations are bright, bold and modern with heavy board pages. henry is still trying to figure out how that little critter moves. lots of fun!  shop the whole series at www.chroniclebooks.com or at books to coo about.

Adorn: Winter Water Factory Bedding

we are getting very boyish these days over at coos & ahhs. this new print from winter water factory for land of nod fits the bill! i love the crisp colorful graphics of this print and, of course, it's organic cotton!!

Fashion Coos: Bobo Choses Fall 2011

since it's about 150 degrees here in nyc, i thought it was time to dream of cooler weather ahead! here's a little preview of the bobo choses autumn/winter collection. per usual, the collection is huge-- just some highlights...owls, umbrellas, stars, and pretzels! 

Enchanting Lullabies from Essie Jain

tired of singing hush little baby till you are blue in the face? does it make you cringe that you can sing the words to elmo's song? or did you spend the better part of your 20s at rock shows and music stores? then this cd is for you!

singer/songwriter essie jain's album, until the light of the morning, was created with us modern mamas in mind.  the songs on until the light of the morning are true lullabies: soothing, simple and calming for babies and parents alike. 

after just a few listens,  i was humming along and singing songs to henry.  o'i love you and falling asleep are two of my favorites on the album. we had thrown out the quiet time part of the nite-nite routine almost a year ago, but now we are putting on essie's album around bedtime. 

until the light of the morning was recently released in the us and is available on itunes.

Word of the Week: RAINBOW!

last week we had a giant rainstorm followed by henry's first rainbow and it was a double too! he went wild... you can see what i mean here. he's still talking about it!

1. lulu& nat pj's 2. grimm's rainbow stacker, shak-shuka 3. rain bow tote 4. donna wilson rainbow scarf 5. stella mccartney joplin tee 6. molo rainbow bib 7. brights & stripes rainbow top 8. rainbow turtles, acorn 9. instant rainbow print

10. suns and rainbows tee, love it love it love it 11. lulu&nat rainbow tapestry 12. brights and stripes rainbow pants, peter and jane 13. flensted rainbow mobile 14. molo rainbow romper, peter and jane 15. topo ranchito tee, ron robinson 16. a rainbow of my own book 17. naef rainbow, fawn & forest 18. lulu&nat rainbow blanket

Coos & Ahhs Summer Travel Survival Guide

off to some exotic local this summer? not looking forward to taking your little one on the plane? 

hear ya! last summer, henry was still breast feeding, which makes plane travel much easier. so i was dreading this summer's busy travel schedule. with five plane trips already under my belt this season, we learned somethings to make it smooth sailing...

1. healthy snacks make for a happy baby

a major challenge in airports/airplanes is finding healthy easy snacks for kiddo. i stock up on these organic treats from happy baby when traveling. they are easy, tasty, and don't make a mess. 

2. dress for the occasion

can you believe that some planes do not have changing tables? so easy access for diaper changes is key. this soft cotton romper fits the bill. just a few snaps and you're in--also easy for those stand-up changes.

3. keep it simple + light

it might seem counterintuitive to leave behind your super star diaper bag, but i have found a tote to do the job well. for one, it forces me to bring just what i need, and two, you'll need all the free hands and space when you got a little one in tow. 

4. throw in the towel 

some of the rules go out the window at 30,000 feet. so load your iphone up with children's videos--we like yo gabba gabba. these colorful headphones from urbanears are made for adults but they fit nicely on little guys and they like the bright colors.

5. bring a project

dk animal sticker books are great for traveling. they are both lightweight and the stickers will keep kids entertained without making a mess.

6. let them carry-on

trunki suitcases are great for longer trips. pack it full of toys and books and they can ride it around the airport. hours of entertainment!

safe travels!

Coos Reviews: Out of Sight {Chronicle Books}

this is one bold beautiful book! out of sight by pittau & gervais features more than 50 animals that will take your little one on a pop-up peek-a-boo adventure. chock full of fun facts that even had me raising my eyebrows, like a rhino's horn is actually dense hair- say what?! 

this is a great book for a toddler to an early reader, my toddler son loves lifting the flaps and identifying the animals. he is too little to read it solo--since he'd rip it apart in no time--but it has proven to be his favorite book at the moment. so much so that the title has take on new meaning: we have to keep it out of sight or we are stuck reading it for hours! buy it at books to coo about!

Ahhsome this Week

just a few things to toot about this week...

1. recycled graphic tees make this shirt from ggrippo art + design very sporty! 2. must get these red straight jeans from the gap. 3. adorable growth charts from les invasions ephémères.

Fashion Coos: A for Apple for Opening Ceremony!!!

i have had this collaboration between two of my favorite brands/stores on my radar all summer. so i jumped for joy to finally get the lookbook in my inbox this week!

a for apple is a very hip children's clothing line out of hong kong, which is almost impossible to find in the us. certainly not cheap, but still fun to look! my favorite is the little sailor suit! available now online or in opening ceremony stores.

Word of the Week: Raccoon

pronounced: cack-coon.  i have to control myself and not call this animal by the name cack-coon, but it is so darn cute!! this is a popular word since number three hangs over henry's bed and number six sleeps with him. although he is still getting owls and raccoon's mixed-up. understandably. i personally love raccoons, they are the badasses of the woodland creatures!

1. angel dear raccoon rattle 2. graphic spaces raccoon wall clock 3. berkley illustration raccoon print

4. donna wilson rudie the raccoon 5. coral + tusk bandito pillow 6. blabla bandit  7. vintage little raccoon book (1961) 8. oeuf raccoon mask and tail 9. areaware raccoon cushion

10. vintage german book  11. moolka holztiger raccoon 12. my mimi raccoon pillow 13.hisss costume raccoon  14. blabla bandit canvas backpack 15. marga marina raccoon 16. 3 sprouts raccoon storage bin 17. land of nod alarm clock 18. jimbo art raccoon plate