September 24, 2011

You know how you see something in a store and you want it but it costs too much so you leave it there?  You spend the next few weeks/months dreaming of when the price will go down enough so that you can get it - secretly thanking God that you no longer live in NYC so no one really knows it's from four seasons ago by the time you get it!  I kinda love that feeling!  I had that feeling when I was doing the whole "Deal of the Day" thing on my twitter page.  Even though I don't have a daughter, the feeling still hit me. 

There was a shirt that I just loved but I thought the price was insane. I mean it wasn't like Gucci prices but it was more than I would pay for a shirt for myself, much less for my pretend daughter!  And I didn't love it, love it - but I thought it was unique enough to make a cute outfit.  I would see it every day while looking for deals to post on twitter.  But it wasn't unique enough to be $77!  That's right - $77!  Then it would go on sale for $60 or $45.  These prices are still way too high for a shirt for my pretend daughter - though it may be perfect for some of you and your real daughters.   Anywho, it's finally on sale at a price that I can stomach.  So here I am to put this twill shirt (that is perfect for fall) together with a couple of things that I hope someone out there gets for their daughter or niece or goddaughter or cousin...you get the picture!

The offending article of clothing is this Splendid Girls' Military Twill Shirt.

As you can see, it has a very slight and cute military flair.  Maybe I like it because it reminds me of my brother and our troops or maybe I just love the simplicity of it.  When I saw this shirt, I saw versatility.  It can be worn open over a cami with a pair of jeans and sneakers or half tucked in a pair of skinny jeans with your fave pair of boots.  For the sale price of $27.72 at bloomingdales.com, it will pay for itself in the many different ways it can be worn.

I also envision this shirt with a super cute denim skirt and cream leggings with ballet flats or boots.  A pair of shorts would work, too - as long as the shirt is left open/partially open with a cami - and some simple sneakers (like Converse or Vans).  Here are a couple of options to go with this minor obsession of mine:

Of course I prefer the olive colored cargo shorts over the navy ones from Levi's.  The denim skirt is also by Levi's and they both can be found at macys.com.  They are $11.99 and $17.99, respectively and are for girls sizes 7-16.  Have fun with this one. There are so many ways to wear it!  I may even get it in a 14 or 16 and rock it myself!

Hair Bows & Clips

So I spent the month of August experimenting with a "Deal of the Night" on Twitter.  It was interesting but I'm kinda glad it's over.  Now I can just shoot out deals when I find them without the pressure of finding an uber sale item everyday.  But I did find some great items and ran across a lot of blog topic ideas - so it opened up some new avenues for me! 

My topic today is one of the first ideas I got from looking for daily deals.

The ex nanny and her baby girl are here visiting for a while.  The ex nanny told me she couldn't find any hair bows that were cute and not pink in the stores in her area.  I figured it really couldn't be that hard to search for some hair bows for baby girl.  So I hit a few stores and searched on line on a quest for cute hair bows.  I found some really ugly bows and clips that cost too much money.  And I found some really cute bows and clips that cost way too much money!  I checked a few store websites and even craft sites.  I even  hit up hair stores in areas a chick like me shouldn't venture into!  I really just couldn't believe how much people were charging for baby hair accessories.  There was just no deal to be found for quality or quantity.

My mind immediately went back to my craft foundation - thanks to my wonderful grandmother.  She taught me how to loom, crochet, knit, sew, use a latch hook and do needlepoint.  I hope I didn't leave anything out!  We were a busy little duo when it came to crafting!  So I drew  upon my background and decided that I would just make hair bows and clips for baby girl.  How hard could it be?  With a little research I was sure that I could get it on and poppin!

So I researched and found a lot of people already make and sell hair bows and clips for babies and little girls.  Once again, I found some really cute clips, but the prices were really crazy to me!  Seriously, how much could ribbon and glue cost?  If you know where to find a bargain - not that much!!!  I spent about a week doing research before purchasing the tools I needed to make hair accessories for baby girl.  I found that choosing ribbon took up most of my time.  There are so many different designs and they can get pricey.  Getting ribbon will be just like any other purchase I make - I'll be waiting for it to go on sale/clearance!  

I set up my hair bow/clip station this morning and started creating.  I have a non slip technique for baby girl's newborn hair.  They stay in place no matter how much she wriggles around.  I can't wait to start experimenting with more designs and ideas.  I even tried my hand at a bow holder!  Check out my pics!  What do you think?  Should I open up shop and start selling these little things?  I know for a fact my prices would be less than the ones I found on craft and selling sites.  New side hustle, perhaps?

Baby Girl is Here!

This is just a few quick lines in honor of the ex nanny finally being able to hold baby girl in her arms!!!  She made her debut a few hours ago.  I don't have all the particulars yet but I am so proud of them both.  I finally found a layette for baby girl to travel home in!  I can't wait to see her in it! 

The ex nanny wanted a Ralph Lauren ensemble minus all pink.  I found this cute kimono pajama set in Dilliards after seeing it online several times.  I know it's summer and this outfit has long sleeves.  Being able to handle it before purchasing helped seal the deal.  I could see my hand through the super soft cotton fabric.  It is loose and breathable.  So it will work for summer temperatures on a newborn just leaving the hospital.  My color choices for this particular item were pink, blue and white.  They didn't have the newborn size in blue, so white won!  White is perfect for the angelic baby of the hour!  I got it on sale for $24. 

Here is a quick picture I took before sending it off to the new mommy!  I'll be back with a regular post soon - and don't forget to follow me on Twitter @NYNiapurple.  I'm trying out a deal of the day for the month of August.  Let me know what you think!

Just Add Sun!

There was a kind of nail polish that I loved back in my university days.  I believe it was Revlon that had the line of polish that came in many different colors that cracked up when you put it on to show the color underneath.  I loved it.  I used to buy all the bottles I could find because they kept stressing that it was a "limited" polish line.  It did go away and I missed it.  But now, thanks to OPI, it's back!  OPI brought the whole crackle nail polish concept back to the mainstream!  Sally Hansen also followed suit along with other companies.  Between the different companies, there are many different colors - black, navy, silver, gold, purple, green, red, grey.....I haven't seen it in pink yet.

I've shared My OPI Black Shatter polish with my nieces, the ex nanny and my cousins.  They all (ages 5 to 38) loved it!!!  It gives you a salon look without spending the salon money.  I use it at home for my mani and pedi.  I just change the colors up every week.  Sometimes I may just have one cracked nail on each hand or I mix it up with different underlying colors and cracked top colors.  It is a lot of fun and got me thinking about other polish lines that may exist that I could play with.  the curiosity led me to a special line by Del Sol.

Del Sol has color changing nail polish!  It isn't a mood polish like I originally thought when I saw it. Rather, you just add sun!  It goes on one color and then changes color when you step out into the sun.  I have found 24 different colors so far - mostly online.  It is awesome!  The color that I chose to experiment with was Heartbreaker.  It is a semi sheer sparkle red color that changes to a purple color in the sun.  I found my color at Walgreens for $2.99 in the state of Florida.  The options were limited in store.  I was surprised to find the additional colors that existed on Amazon.com. 

Now I have more options and ways to play with my at home mani/pedis each week.  I am now rocking Del Sol on my middle fingers and white polish with black crackle on the other fingers.  Fun stuff.  It keep my nails short because of my hobbies and they always look cute.  This is something for young, old and in between!  And here's a tip:  Check out the Amazon link. There are pink choices, too!  I chose this particular link because it shows all of the color options.  The price actually starts from 7.99.  This is something fun for yourself and/or the little diva in your life.  Try it!

July 22, 2011

So I had a not so great experience while shopping for a bicycle the other day.  I found a great purple one for myself, of course, but then we had to look at the toddler bikes because the sun would not have it any other way.  Can you guess what I saw while watching the SO push our sun up and down the aisles on a cute 12" blue and black bike with training wheels?  I know you know the answer!  PINK!  There was not one single toddler bike that didn't have pink on it in the entire store!  Not only were they all pink, but they either had flowers on them or a cute picture of a little blond girl.  If someone were shopping for toddler me, there'd be a problem.  No offense to flowers and little blond girls, but I wouldn't want either of them plastered all over my bike - especially if it were already pink.  I was never a fan of floral prints and I wasn't a little blond girl.  I remember that my neighbor and playmate was a little blond girl - but I wasn't - I wonder how she's doing?  Anyway, toddler me would rather have a blue bike with racing stripes or something on it.  I do know that non pink bikes exist for girls (I found a few online, just none that I loved).  I was just shocked that there weren't any in the huge store.  My toddler me's feelings were kinda hurt!  I decided to move on to another store to look for a couple of items for the house.  My new bike agenda would have to wait for another day.

My second stop of the day yielded a little better results.  After shopping for curtains in another huge store, I walked passed the newborn section on the way to the escalator.  I usually don't shop in this particular store because they are just not my style, but I did see something that caught my attention.  The blankets that they had to offer for girls were all pink - no surprise.  But they did have a wall display of items for baby girls that had another color showcased.  It was the only section for girls not dominated by pink.  I was pretty happy.  Not just because it was mostly purple, but because it wasn't all pink.  My day was kinda saved!  We have a long way to go but we're getting there!  I snapped a couple of pictures for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy!

July 14, 2011

I've got little tiny baby girls on my mind again!  I can't stop thinking about our littlest sisters because the ex-nanny's due date is fast approaching!  Can you believe I still can't find a designer non pink layette for her to come home in?  If I find something that isn't pink, it doesn't come in a newborn size or the ex-nanny just isn't a fan of the outfit.  She would prefer a Ralph Lauren item and I've been searching everywhere.  This is hard!  I remember seeing so many things when my sun was just born.  I don't know where they've gone, but they need to come back!

I went to the outlets this past Saturday to see if Ralph had anything for me.  He didn't.  So I hit up all the children's stores and guess what I found?  Nothing!  Pink really has taken over girl's clothing!  I'm always up for a challenge, so I'll continue my search for our tiny sisters.  I will never give up!

In the meantime, I decided to do something I did for my own sun when I couldn't find what I wanted - make it myself!  I started crocheting (my grandmother taught me when I was a child) a personalized blanket for the ex-nanny's baby girl.  In shopping, I saw a lot of baby blankets, but they were mostly pink or had a pink design on them.  Now, you know that I just am not into to pink at all, so even the smallest amount of pink takes me out the game!  I just decided to go to the store and buy some soft baby yarn to make a blanket.  I made all of my sun's blankets, so why not?  I'm hustling to get it done and in the mail before this little lady makes her debut!  That's why I've been quiet for the last few days.

Crocheting is a great way to give someone a little piece of you when they are having a baby.  The time it takes to make a masterpiece can only be given up with lot of love.  I'll get off of my mush box now and let you know that if you are not a master crochet artist, such as myself or my homie, CB, there are other options.  I loved all the organic cotton blankets and towels that were given to my sun.  They have no dyes or chemicals that may irritate baby's skin and they are so soft!  I found this American Baby Company receiving blanket on Amazon.com for only $9.99.  Isn't the little bear cute?


Anywho, I have to get back on my crochet job.  This blanket isn't going to make itself.  I'll make sure to post a picture when it's done! 

Happy Birthday, KK!

What's the best surprise from your significant other on a holiday weekend that you've decided will be spent at home?  A child's birthday party that he has RSVP'd the family for!  Even better - the Saturday night 10pm reminder that we, of course, don't have a gift!  He has the best timing!

My mission: Find the perfect gift that will make my SO look like a hero when he returns to work on Tuesday.

My questions for SO: How old is the child?  Is it a boy or a girl?  What time is the party? Is there a theme? What does the child like to do/watch?  What size does the child wear? How long is the party?  Where is the party?  What is the child's name?

The answers from SO (after a 10 second blank stare):  It's a girl. She's turning 3. It starts at 12 and she's a 3T. Ain't no theme and they call her "KK."

From all this great information, I correctly deduced that SO's coworker was the little girl's father.  Father to father information is sometimes not that informative!  But it was all I had to work with. 

Sunday morning found me in wrinkled clothes going shopping.  For the record, I didn't think my clothes were wrinkled. SO was the one that pointed it out (and we've already established that he isn't a great source of information).  I was optimistic as always about my task.  My plan was to be in and out of TJ Maxx in under fifteen minutes.  All I had to do was find a gift for a 3 year old little girl - that wasn't pink.  And don't forget my rule: I never buy anything for anyone else's child that I wouldn't buy for my own.  I just think it's kind of rude to have my child dressed at a certain level and then shop for another child at a lower level.  I am not rich or well off at all.  If I can find the deals to make my sun look like we spent $100 on his outfit when we actually spent $30, I can do it for your child, too!

I won't drag this out at all.  After almost forty minutes of searching through the entire girls' section, I was left with only two options.  They were solid options that served me with a dilemma.  I had to choose between a very pretty white sun dress and a ruffled top and leggings outfit.  The sundress was very well made but I didn't recognise the designer.  The white and blue leggings ensemble was by Calvin Klein. I was leaning towards the dress when I had a crazy but valid thought.  I hadn't asked SO if KK was white, black, Asian, Hispanic, etc.  If she was a pale child, the white dress would wash her out.  So Calvin Klein won this battle at $14.99.  A great price for only having two options, right?  The dress was $19.99.

So what did I learn from this experience?  First, I made the right decision with the outfits.  After meeting KK, her personality was definitely leggings and not frilly white dress.  I also noticed that I have no idea what little girls play with.  All the toys were so very pink!  I remember just playing with cars as a child because everything was too girly for me.  Someone has to tell manufacturers that making something pink does not automatically make it appealing to girls or women!  I have to find not pink girl toys!  And lastly, never trust the SO to get party details.  It was a water party and our sun was dressed in a polo and khakis while all the other children enjoyed the water stations and wet bouncy houses.  He didn't mind, though.  He loved staring at the beautiful KK and whispering her name lovingly!  That boy is a trip!

July 3, 2011

I didn't venture out to the stores today. I planned on it. It just didn't happen. Instead, I spent the day playing with my sun and working on this laptop. It wasn't a typical Saturday for us. The idea of being in the holiday crowd just didn't sound good - no matter how many times the sun asked to go to the beach. I just couldn't do it. My mind is still abuzz with ideas for this blog, so I'm going to throw out some deals I found on a few non pink items for the little ladies of the world. And trust, I won't forget the grown women - just no shine today!

This is a classic from Ralph Lauren! I'm not into frills, ruffles, floral or crazy prints, but this little ensemble caught my eye. It comes in four non pink colors! The yellow and green versions of this Bubble Polo Dress do have pink ponies - that's a deal breaker for me but it may work for you. I found this $17.99 deal at RalphLauren.com. You do have to move quickly! It's on sale and they only have 6 and 9 month sizes left!

I had to include these Polo by Ralph Lauren patent leather shoes! "Briley" is only $6.99 at Macys.com and they only have a size 2 left. Cute, right?

With the Fourth of July in mind, I chose my next picks. The Star Tee is by OshKosh B'gosh and I found it at Belk.com for $5.60. Macys.com also has it for $6.99. It's 100% cotton and a steal at both prices! The sand khaki Shirred Pocket Shorts by The Gap are so serious! I have a very similar pair by BCBG that I love! These shorts are just as cute and are only $7.99 at Gap.com! With either a pair of espadrilles or uptowns, this will work for Monday's barbecue!

I'm done for now. I gotta get some sleep! I know my sun won't put up with being in the house again tomorrow. I need to get my energy up!

I Remember

So, my friend and former nanny is pregnant. She's due August 3rd and it's a girl! Time to get excited? Not really. More like time to get stressed. Now I have to give you some background as to why.


First off, I was never into babies or kids at all. I didn't want children. They always seemed to love me but I could never really figure out why. I didn't know what to say or do with them and I found their mothers so very annoying. I got no pleasure from knowing how advanced little Lisa was. I didn't want to know about their first steps or words and never bothered to feign interest. The last thing I EVER wanted to hear about was the whole pregnancy part....ugh! Then I was told that I couldn't have children.

Everything changed. I had been challenged. Who can say no to a challenge?

My unofficial family of two immediately started the long process of trying to become an unofficial family of three. We had few ups and many downs (of course the biggest up was my baby!). The downs taught me that this was more than a challenge. I wanted a baby. I wanted my baby.

When I finally made it out of a first trimester, I knew that I would not disclose the sex of my child. Truth be told, from the beginning I was praying for a boy - an adorable, little momma's boy. Why? Mostly because I hate pink! My mother - Jennifer - surrounded me with pink everything - coat, earmuffs, bedding, sneakers, hand muff - you read right - hand muff. I loved (and still am quite obsessed with) purple but there was pink mocking me every time I opened my eyes. Jennifer just believed, as many do, that girls should wear pink. I remember worrying that everyone would take me back to those pink days by buying every pink item the stores had to offer for my baby. How would I politely tell friends and family to leave all pink where it lay? Was it proper to put it in shower invites? Add it to the registry notes? I started to have nightmares of pink bedrooms. I even imagined a defiant daughter screaming at me that she loved pink and not purple! So I prayed and prayed for a boy! I wouldn't force my sun to wear purple but I knew I wouldn't have to explain why he wasn't in pink. My prayers were answered and I had a beautiful sun who is so addicted to his mommy!

Two years later, I am excited to talk about my sun. Everyone better listen to me when I talk about when he learned to walk or what funny things he said. And what story is better than a "what I was doing when my water broke" story? He consumes my life! Ha, well most of it. I do sleep...with him cuddled up right next to me! I love everything about him and I love shopping for him. But I did notice that the boys' section is tiny compared to the girls' section in stores!


So imagine my excitement as I got my sun dressed to go shopping for his nanny's shower! I was smiling all big and ready to tear the place down! I had plenty of snacks and juice ready to last at least 3 hours. Then I was attacked - by pink! It was everywhere. That huge girls' section that I was so jealous of the past two years was tainted! You see, I have this rule when shopping for children's gifts: I don't ever buy a gift for someone else's child that I wouldn't buy for my own. So pink was out of the question! And the ex-nanny was not a fan of pink either. Now what?

Now, with just a month until the due date, I am perplexed by all the pink shopping roadblocks! I have such an array of colors to choose from for my sun - red, blue, yellow, green and , yes, purple! But these roadblocks have left me looking confused in the stores! So here I am - vowing to you that I will search everywhere that I can to find quality girls clothing that is cute, a great bargain and NOT PINK! I know I'm not the only one out there that's tired of all the pink! Let's give our girls a choice to express themselves with other colors! Let's get it! No more pink, PLEASE!!!