Cute as a Cupcake

Truth be told I'm not a big fan of Halloween, and I can't remember the last time I dressed up in a costume. That said, I have enjoyed the last few years of dressing my Mini Fashionista, and I have already purchased her costume for this year. You will have to wait until Halloween to see it.

Here was last year's costume. I brought this at a consignment sale for $12! It's from Pottery Barn Kids and is still available (here). 

Isn't she the cutest little cupcake you ever did see?

Last weekend when we were in Bend visiting friends, the Mini enjoyed playing dress up in all of her little friend's costumes, these fox overalls included. 

My friend bought them on Etsy from the WildThingsDresses shop. The designer and creator, Kirsty, is a mother of three and makes these fabulous costumes at her home in rural England. The quality of the fabric is fantastic and the craftsmanship is impeccable. How cute is this little mouse dress and hat? 

Or what about this rainy day dress. It's a costume without being a costume....which is my kind of costume. 

I love the little pony. The mane is too cute. 

And how about this sweet little polar bear dress?

Finally, for the boys....a raccoon.

Or you could always go with the fox.

And the cute matching hat!

I love these little costumes. They are slightly on the expensive side, but as I said, the craftsmanship is fantastic, and they are definitely the type of thing I would save to pass on to future generations. They would also make great gifts for the special little people in your life. 

In the Olympic Spirit

With the Opening Ceremony for the 2014 Winter Olympics just days away, I thought I would share a great story about how the Ralph Lauren Opening Ceremony Sweater came to be.

This story starts right here in Oregon, on the Imperial Stock Ranch, which has been raising sheep and cattle for over one hundred forty years. In 1999 they began selling the ranch’s raw wool by creating and selling premium wool yarns. As a spin off of the historic Imperial Stock Ranch, Imperial Yarn was born.  Once a year the luxurious wool is harvested, custom milled, and sold across the country and beyond.

In July of 2012, Ranch owner Jeanne Carver received a call from someone in product development at Ralph Lauren. Soon after, designers from Ralph Lauren came to visit Imperial Ranch, touring the facilities, historic buildings and landscape. After a few sample orders, they eventually placed a production order for a "special project", and eventually Jeanne learned that the yarn would be used for the sweaters being made for Team USA and the Olympic Opening Ceremony. 

And that is the abridged version of how this sweater came to be (read the full story here). This sweater is sourced, designed and manufactured all in the United States of America. 

Some have criticized it for being similar to an "Ugly Christmas Sweater". I, however, think it is fantastic. This is meant to be a showpiece, a costume of sorts. Having attended the Opening Ceremony at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, I can tell you that what the athletes wear NEEDS to stand out, not only for TV but also for the live audience. 

So here it is, in all its American glory! 

images from 

So let the games begin!