Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Denim Ladybugs


Just wanted to show you our newest (and I think, cutest yet) ladybug sneaker. It's our pink ladybugs on denim and they're perfect for spring or summer. Bright and fun, they're sure to get noticed and certain to be loved! Get yours at www.snanimals.com

Monday, April 27, 2009

website launch promotion extended

clickety click to visit
** Promotion extended until 31 May **
I am pleased to announce the launch of the new Sheeps Clothing website and monthly subscriber newsletter.


To celebrate the launch of the website, I'm giving one subscriber to win their favourite item from the Sheeps Clothing shop.

To enter:

- Visit the website and sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive exclusive subscriber only offers. (Please note subscriber information will be for the exclusive use of Sheeps Clothing and not divulged to a third party. )

- Once you've entered, leave a comment on this post advising which in store item you'd like to win. Or alternately, you can email me your choice at stacey@sheepsclothing.au.

The winning entry will be randomly chosen from the subscriber list at the end of April (now extended until the end of May).

Good luck!

Crikey! Kobold Welcomes Bindi!

Need a friend for Barbie who is less into her pink convertible and more into adventure? Say G'day to Kobold's mate, Bindi. Bindi is ten inches tall and cares more about wildlife than fashion. Modeled after the famous child conservationist, Bindi Irwin, and recorded with Bindi's real voice, the doll recites 10 environmentally empowering phrases. Bindi also comes with accessories for pretend wildlife and nature exploration. At Kobold Toys, you can choose from Bindi Ocean & Surf Rescue or Bindi Wildlife Rescue.


You'll need to broaden your Aussie vocabulary to interact with Bindi- here are some of Kobold's favorite Aussie terms:

Bonzer! - Great

Dinkie-Di- Genuine, honest

Greenie - Environmentalist

Hooroo - Goodbye

Lolly- Candy

Stickybeak - Nosy Person

Wog- An illness, like the flu


If your child is a fan of the Never Never and is in need of a new cobber (friend), Bindi is the perfect addition. Also, consider Bindi's outback animal collections.
Tune into Bindi the Jungle Girl to learn more about wildlife conservation.




Thursday, April 23, 2009

Zip A Dee Doo Dah! Zip Bins!

Spring Break. Summer Vacation. Grandparent's House. Family Reunion. These all lead to toy transportation issues and general headaches for the parent.

Kobold is a fan of the ZipBin from Neat-Oh! ZipBins are a line of attractively designed, transportable and collapsible interactive storage products that unzip to become activity or play surfaces, and then zip back up to storage bin form. Click here to view a product demo video!

THESE ARE TERRIFIC! At Kobold Toys, you can find a ZipBin in the shape of an airport, racetrack, horse stable, train depot and fairy castle. Kobold's favorites include:

ZipBin Street Racer
ZipBin® Street Racer Playpack™ is a backpack that looks like and is shaped like a race car. It’s the perfect way to carry your vehicles. And then it opens to reveal a city street with drivable roadways. Now it’s the perfect place to play with those vehicles. And it includes two die cast sports cars.



ZipBin Airport
ZipBin® Shape Airport looks like and is shaped like an airplane hangar. It’s the perfect way to store and carry your planes, helicopters and airport vehicles. It opens to reveal an operating airport with runway, control tower, heliport and hanger. Now it’s the perfect place to play with those toys. Airport includes a 3 inch die cast propeller-driven plane!


ZipBin Fairy Castle
The Fairy Castle bin's attractive, colorful exterior looks great in your child's room. When the bin is unzipped, it becomes a play mat! This activity center is perfect for dolls, ponies and other animals. Fantasy play is encouraged with a sparkling castle, a magic forest, an enchanted waterfall and shimmering ponds. This Playset includes two fairy dolls.


This Country Stable Playset features Safari Ltd.® collectible Replicas! The soft-sided horse barn converts to a rider’s delight. The Playscape™ features two barns, a pond, a training paddock and ample corral. This is a must have for every horse lover.

ZipBin is the perfect solution to toy storage- at home and on holiday. Happy Travels!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Winter Collection In Store Now

With a delivery to My Poppet yesterday, the Sheeps Clothing winter range is now in store at all our children's stockists. The up to date stockist list is available on the website or on the right hand side of this page.

Not all items are available in all store, so please contact me if you are after something specific. Of course, the entire range is available on line here and here.

For the last couple of years, The Knittery has been custom dyeing our lovely thick thin yarn as pictured throughout this post. With the pending closure of The Knittery, the yarn I have now is the end of the line.

There's still a little left, but if you've had your eye on something, I suggest you get in quick because once it's gone, it's gone.

Celebrate Earth Day!





Providing eco-friendly toys to you is what Kobold Toys does to “give a little bit back”. Throughout the month of April, we will donate 1% of our sales revenues to our favorite green foundation: The Nature Conservancy.

In honor of Earth day, we thought we would share some ideas and resources to help you communicate the importance of eco-friendliness to your children.

In addition to Frog Awareness Month, April is also National Garden Month! As I have mentioned in a previous blog, my daughter loves the family garden she started with my father. One resource we use is KidsGardening.org. This month's "Family Room" provides parents with a garden primer- whether you want to tackle the windowsill box or a veggie garden- this non-threatening guide will help. We are even considering creating a worm bin this spring!

Our second child is showing a sensitivity to the changing seasons. For those of you with allergies or an aversion to dirt, Mudpuppy's "In the Garden Constructible Building Set" lets you create a beautiful indoor garden complete with butterflies.

Our friend Woodsy the Owl said it best: "Give a Hoot - Don't Pollute!" For more indoor learning, our science lover Kobold suggests an experiment that will help show your kids the danger that oil spills in the ocean pose to water plants, fish and birds. (Grades 1-4)

You’ll Need:
* Four sealable plastic bags
* Water
* Marker
* Motor Oil
* 4 hard boiled eggs
* Timer

Label the bags A B C and D. Fill each with ½ cup water and ½ cup motor oil. You can use vegetable oil with a few drops of food coloring as a substitute. Place one egg in each bag. Remove the egg from bag A after 15 minutes, from bag B after 30 minutes, from bag C after one hour and from bag D after two hours. Carefully remove the shell from each hard boiled egg. Those that stay in the oil polluted water the longest will show the most damage.

Source: No-Sweat Science: Nature Experiments by Anthony D. Fredericks (Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. , 2005.

Kobold Toys believes strongly in promoting environmentalism and conservation. We hope that some of our ideas and resources will help you and your child have fun learning.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

"Let Me Grow Studio Makeover" open house poll :)

I want to celebrate this well-deserved "studio makeover" open house with the following kick @ss promo.
Pick your favorite theme and I'll set up the studio to do just that kind of shooting all weekend long:

Girls-night-in (boudoir session) what's boudoir photography?

Me, myself and I (portrait)

Mommy and me! (family portrait)

Little ones (kids only)

Poll is located @ the top-right hand side of my blog:
http://letmegrowstudio.blogspot.com

Vote, please?

My personal choice --->I wish I could put together a really fun group of ladies to do a very tasteful boudoir session.

Open house details
- Where? My home-studio, SW Ranches FL 33331
- When? May 2nd and 3rd, 2009
- How much? $45.00 / 20 min. session (1 person) - $100.00 / 1 hour (up to 4 people, group or family session)
CD with final images included.
- Why? Cause' everybody loves pictures of themselves so... what's better than doing it with me @ the comfort of my place with all the pro lighting and gear? You tell me :)
- More questions? letmegrowstudio@yahoo.com

Poll ends April 26, 2009. Feel free to forward this post to your friends and family. Results will be posted Monday April 27, 2009.

I will start taking appts. April 27th.
More info & photos coming soon... promise.
http://letmegrowstudio.net

"Special shout-out to Tom and Jeff. Thx guys for your hard work!!!" - Rosie

Monday, April 20, 2009

Once Upon a Time


I can still remember watching the lavish wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in the early 80s. I was mesmerized. What little girl does not want to be a part of a fairy tale? The wedding season is approaching , and the promise of beautiful brides and exciting parties is in the air. Whether your daughter will be a flower girl in a wedding this year or just loves a romantic story, the PLAYMOBIL Church is the perfect backdrop for pretend play. Your child can press the windows of the church tower and hear the bells chime and the organ music. To complete the set, consider the "getaway" convertible and the party guest tent.

Pretend play helps foster imagaination, encourages self-expression and can help children work through their fears and feelings. I love to eavesdrop on the conversations my daughter creates with just about any object. It gives me insight into our relationship and what communication cues she is using to make sense of her world.

Right now our friend, "the scientist," has set sail on a global ocean sampling expedition aboard the Sorcerer II. He had previously sent our daughter pictures of his trip to Antarctica, complete with penguins and whales. On this expedition the team will travel from California to the European seas, and we are excited to see pictures from his trip. If you have a budding marine biologist or high seas adventurer on your hands, The PLAYMOBIL Expedition Ship will let your child explore the mysteries of the ocean and can be partnered with a shark diver and a research raft and whale.

And maybe, just maybe, the scientist will be rescued by a brilliant and bold shark diver or whale watcher during his adventure. And maybe, just maybe, they'll fall in love and have a beautiful church wedding off the coast of Italy. And maybe, just maybe, on their honeymoon, a whale will eat the scientist, and the whale watcher will pursue the naughty whale for the rest of her days. Or maybe, just maybe, they'll sail off into the sunset and live happily ever after! I'll ask my daughter and get back to you.

Cheers to Happily Ever After!~ Ashley

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Cupcake Maryjanes at Snanimals


I made a pair of these tiny cupcake maryjanes for Anna and was immediately in love. They really are darling. I put a pair up for sale at my etsy site (http://www.jlperillo.etsy.com/) to see how they would do and had an order immediately. So now you can find them permenantly at http://www.snanimals.com/. They are perfect for a birthday or anyday! Your little princess will love them.


X-posted from my blog http://snanimals.blogspot.com

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Half Off Sale on BabyLegs!































It's BabyLegs Season! BabyLegs are the perfect way to take the chill off, layer under shorts, tees or with a onseie for an adorable way to keep your little ones warm on these chilly spring days. One size fits most- BabyLegs are for babies, toddlers and young childern.They also make diaper changes a breeze and are the perfect gift for new Moms!

Click here to stock up now on these adorable arm and leg warmers. All BabyLegs are half off- orders over $40 qualify for free shipping.

Curious Minds Want To Know!

Last year a friend gave me a book titled Curious Minds: How a Child Becomes a Scientist. I love science, my friend loves science, and in fact she is married to a scientist, so I was excited to explore the book. The book is a collection of interesting and entertaining essays from twenty-seven scientists “about the moments and events in their childhoods that set them on the paths that would define their lives.”

The book is not an “ABC” guide to growing a scientist. Some contributors attribute their path to genetic factors- a predisposition to love reading for example. In fact several of the essayists remark on their love of reading. Others point to the necessity of “rich opportunities to learn” provided by parents, travel and the great outdoors. The book does not provide you with a road map to making your child love science. What reading the book did for me was remind me of the thrill of discovery. My daughter loves learning, and we are fortunate to live in a city that provides plentiful and easy opportunities to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, or whatever the topic du jour is. While she has learned valuable information on the museum tours, she learns the most roaming (with hair free, of course) across the earth. Her mind and spirit flourish when she is fishing with her grandfather, rescuing turtles, studying clounds or just wandering around outdoors. She prefers to learn through books and doing. In fact, my favorite memory from last summer involves her stomping along the beach with her net catching and picking up anything she could find (especially anything that the older boys on whom she was spying were brave enough to touch). It was magical to watch.

Last spring my father, "Papa Charlie," helped my daughter build a garden. We grew radishes, lettuce, basil, pumpkins and four kinds of tomatoes. We dug up worms. We picked a gazillion tomatoes. We were frustrated that the pumpkins would not stay alive and had to research ways to "save" them. In the fall, Papa brought a volcano kit to build with her. They worked on the volcano secretly for a day and then took it to her preschool to launch. Needless to say it was a big success….


We need to create opportuntities for our children to experience discovery first hand. Look for these moments- whether created by a museum event, a science kit or a tidal pool.


After all, as a certain supermarket magazine used to say, “inquiring minds WANT to know.” ~ Ashley

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Guitar Hero? Give me a Basoon Hero!

I recently read an article about “endangered instruments.” These are instruments like the oboe, tuba, clarinet, bassoon, and string bass. I agree that “Oboe Hero” and “Bassoon Hero” are not as appealing as “Guitar Hero” so I am glad that there are Endangered Instrument Programs (EIP) across cities in the US that work to expose children to the wonders and magic of music and to make these instruments “cool” too.

I believe music is an essential ingredient in raising a healthy and happy child and promoting self-discovery. Cognitive and early learning experts continue to provide indisputable evidence that exposure to music education provides long-term benefits. I enrolled both of my children in Kindermusik programs, and I believe first hand that this foundation has and will continue to be essential to their learning and development. Songs and lullabies communicate feelings and expose infants and toddlers to joy and love. Music has proven to impact memory and the development of crucial language skills. It helps children learn to listen actively. Music reinforces logical and perceptual ideas of beginning and ending and harmony and dissonance. It can be used to familiarize children with counting, colors, vocabulary, emotions, and the wonders of the world.

Our house is full of noise, and I prefer it to be music whether classical, rock, country, children’s classics or my daughter’s latest song creation. Instruments and musical books, CDs and DVDs are wonderful gifts for the children in your lives.

Kobold, our rascal goblin and toy connoisseur, loves to play with instruments. He especially likes the offerings from Tatiri, an Italian brand collection that emphasizes beautiful, attractive, lovely, colorful, young and dynamic items. The company has strict safety regulations with regard to materials and manufacturing so you can feel good about the safety of the instrument. PlanToys also has a wonderful collection of musical toys that are of course eco-friendly and fun.

I know all of our little pirates and cowboys and princesses may not gravitate towards an instrument- but remind them that pirates love a good sea shanty….cowboys play their banjos and violins on the prairie…and it is a royal mandate that princesses know how to play at least one instrument, so why not the recorder! ?

Rock It Out Mr. Bassoon Man!~ Ashley

Saturday, April 11, 2009

New Shoes at Snanimals.com

Okay, the break has been great but we're coming back for more updates and fun. Check out some new styles over at http://www.snanimals.com/ including these dancing ladybug sneakers!


Also remember to visit our etsy store http://www.jlperillo.etsy.com/ to find close-outs, samples and deals!

Use coupon code get20 at snanimals to get 20% off your order!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Sheeps Clothing Store Update


Since being featured in Shop 4 Kids magazine, this hat has been flying off the shelf, or rather, needles. As well as its original pale pink form, it is now available in both shops in cream and this vibrant primrose pink.
As much as I love cream wool, photographing it always presents a dilemma. I don't like to see knits photographed against a solid background in another colour than white, and as you can see here, cream against white doesn't work that well.


Until that is sorted, you will just have to take my word for it that the cream is lovely. Really truly.

Thanks to everyone who has already visited the new website and signed up to receive the new monthly newsletter and subscriber only offers.

If you haven't yet signed up, it's not to late to do so. Remember to sign up and then visit this blog post before the end of the month to tell me your favourite item from either shop to be in the running to win your selection.



Don't forget to visit our sister site:
Posh Mama, The Hip Hangout for Haute Mamas!