Shop Spotlight: Dancing Squirrels

If you are new to the blog, welcome!! Since we started we have been dedicating our Saturdays to small businesses. The shops I feature are mostly run by moms, who have become inspired to design things for children after becoming a mom. It's truly an amazing thing, how a child can bring out the most creative and wonderful side of their mom, that they never knew existed until they came along. 

Today's shop Dancing Squirrels, has a very similar story. The owner and designer is Jessica Beckner, an artist and mom of three based out of New Jersey. She specializes in creating the most adorable kids purses and messenger bags, however, there are many other fun things in her shop. Each of her bags are handmade by Jessica out of her home, and made with durable natural tone canvas making it sturdy for your kids to carry around their most treasured items like books and their favorite toys. 

Jessica came up with the name Dancing Squirrels for her shop, when the family befriended a squirrel who would visit their home for every meal, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This beloved squirrel began doing a little dance for them one day during one of his visits, hence Dancing Squirrels was born. Since this squirrel made her family so happy, and her creations aim to bring happiness to children, it makes a perfect name for her shop. 

Dancing Squirrels also carries fun pencil cases, bucket hats, and wall clocks. Check our their entire shop of goodies here: 

Dancing Squirrels

 

Sunny Days Mini Messenger | Spring Flowers Mini Messenger

Elephant Mini Messenger | Run D.M. Seal Mini Messenger | 

Breakdancing Squirrel Mini Messenger | Shady Snake Mini Messenger

You all have heard of the man purse, aka. The "Murse". Well Dancing squirrel has a number of boy friendly purses in their shop, so lets call these the "burses"! A breakdancing squirrel, a shade wearing snake, and a tune listening elephant are all playful burses, your boys can carry his favorite superhero figures in. 

Cat Mini Messenger

Foxy Kids Purse | Lil Pink Kids Purse | Emaly Kids Purse

These bags are perfect for your kiddo on the go. there is a button closure in each bag, so that your child can keep their goodies stowed away. 

Heart Kids Purse

Each purse comes with a Dancing Squirrels Eco-friendly greeting card. I absolutely love when companies add a sweet little gesture to show gratitude to their customers. In the recent months I have seen some of the cutest packaging add ons, from these small businesses, such as kids tattoos, organic lollipops, and stickers. These little gestures don't go unnoticed, and I think another reason to shop small business. 

Support Small!!! 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Shop Spotlight: Green Stitches

Hello Dolls! Thanks for joining us for our Shop Spotlight, where once a week I feature my favorite small businesses. Today you are in for a treat with Green Stitches, a handmade business based out of Salt Lake City, specializing in custom stitched dolls. Amelia Prime is the owner, designer, and creator of these adorable little sidekicks, that can be custom made to look like your child. 

All Green Stitches Dolls are completely handmade with 100% cotton, wool, and bamboo felt. They are machine washable and super soft to cuddle with. Every doll in the shop can have eye color changed. From pirate boys, to mermaids, to the newest addition, Superheroes (which will be added to the shop soon), Green Stitches has the perfect doll to match your child's personality. For those of you that have wild imaginations, and want to design your own custom doll, you have the option to purchase a custom pirate boy, mermaid, or girl doll. When purchasing just put in the notes how you would like their outfit to be customized, and their eye color, skin color, and hair color preferences. If you check out Green Stitches Instagram page you will see some amazing examples of their custom dolls, including an adorable Minnie Mouse loving Miniature. 

The details on these dolls are like no other. I'm completely in love with the handkerchief wearing Pirate Boys and Girls, and the barrette wearing girl dolls. Now how to decide which one to buy for me... I mean Stella (ha!) 

Check out all the amazing dolls here : Green Stitches

 Make sure to follow their shop on Instagram for event news, and product announcements! 

(All photo sources: Green Stitches Big Cartel) 

Pirate Girls Left to Right: Stella | Rosie

Custom Pirate Boys

Mermaid Dolls Left to Right: Coral | Lina | Leah | Jill

Custom Mermaid Dolls

Girl Dolls Left to Right: Addie | Lola | Jenny | Ellen

Boy Dolls Left to Right: Eli |  Jake

For just $1 per letter you can add another personalized touch by having 

the child's  name stitched on their doll. 

One of the reasons I love to shop small business, especially for something like a gift is that it shows thoughtfulness. Anybody can go to toys r us and pick out a doll to give a child (which is still very generous). When you purchase a custom doll, that has the child's name embroidered on it from a shop  such as Green Stitches, not only is it generous, but it is extremely thoughtful. A doll like this will be treasured for years to come. 

Support and shop small!! 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Shop Spotlight: Hudson + Ruthie

 Another fabulous "Momma-preneur" on the blog .Today I share with you one of the coolest handmade clothing shops for babies and toddlers out there. Hudson + Ruthie is owned and created by Amanda Burton, a mom to two kiddos by the name of you guessed it, Hudson & Ruthie. She started the company shortly after she had Hudson, and became bored of the styles available. She decided to give it a shot and design something on her own. Her first design was an adorable appliquéd Octopus, which started the company Eight Baby Legs. When her daughter Ruthie came, she became inspired to create some girly duds. The business was then transformed to Hudson + Ruthie, the perfect mix of handmade styles for both boys and girls. 

I found Hudson + Ruthie online one day, and their darling designs immediately caught my attention. Designed with rich and unique color combinations like pink and emerald, mustard and navy, and olive and grey, they are a vintage lovers dream come true. 

I'm a girl who loves her bows, like any girly girl. The bigger the bow the better I say! For my fellow bow lovers, Hudson + Ruthie have the coolest tees, onsies, and even boyfriend cardigans adorned with the most fabulous big bows. A great every day piece to pair with bloomers, printed leggings, and even a tutu for a special occasion like a tea party. 

For the boys, Amanda has created the raddest storm appliqués created from felt. Stitched onto sweatshirts and body suits, these pieces are sure to be a special and unique piece your little boy will love, and look completely and utterly adorable in. 

Hudson + Ruthie also carry some awesome accessories like their jersey wrap scarves to complete the looks of your chicest tots. Their neutral Camo, and heather navy styles pretty much go with anything. Other accessories include a gorgeous cinnamon play capelet that your littles will love wearing for everyday superhero and royal play. It's a must see in their shop. 

(All photos sourced from Hudson + Ruthie) 

Check out her entire collection here : Hudson + Ruthie

I like big bows and I cannot lie! This gorgeous emerald green bow stitched on a pink tee will be a favorite for your girly girl. 

I feel like I just hit the onsie jackpot. These double ruffle and scalloped Peter Pan collars adourned on  classic onsie styles are on another level. 

It doesn't get sweeter than these big bow cardigans. A must have outerwear piece for every fashionable tot.

Felt Storm Cloud appliqués Onsies & Hoodies 

Soft Jersey Wrap Scarves for Kids 18 months + 

One thing that I love about small business is their willingness to please a customer, even if it is to make sometching that is not even in their shop. Hudson + Ruthie is one of these businesses that is willing to go above and beyond for a customer, by offering custom pieces. She just loves making her customer's ideas and designs come to life. Just another reason to shop and support small!

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Shop Spotlight: Imagination Kids

Oh Saturday! A day for family. A day for fun. A day for relaxing. A day for traveling. .....A day for SHOPPING!. Small business shopping to be exact, here on The Park is my Runway. 

Today's featured shop is the uber talented toy maker Imagination Kids. The owner, designer, and creator of Imagination Kids is Erin Freuchtel-Dearing, who is also a mom to two young kiddos.  Based out of Carthage, IN, Imagination Kids toys are all carefully handcrafted by Erin and her husband Nick. Their toys are completely Eco-friendly being made from "natural wood, AP certified non-toxic paint, and their very own homemade natural wood polish made from beeswax, jojoba oil, and essential oils" making them not only adorable but safe too! 

This shop is full of toys that will make your kids imaginations go wild, which might explain the name. Wooden play food like sushi and vegetable sets for your aspiring chefs, wooden fairy wands for your princesses, animals from all walks of life on push toys (that are sure to become a favorite for your infants and toddlers), and of course their infamous wooden stackers. Not only are these toys gorgeous and well made, but the prices are fantastic and well within reason. For example, their gorgeous, super popular rainbow stacker is only $25! That's a total steal if you ask me! 

These special toys make a great gift for a baby shower, childs birthday, or a holiday. You can even go crazy and buy a special Toy of the Month club membership for a 3 or 6 month timeframe. The recipient will be delivered a package from Imagination Kids each month with a speial toy that is not currently in the shop. That's some mail I would love to receive! 

(All photos sourced from Imagination Kids) 

Here are some of my favorites available from Imagination Kids. 

You can shop the entire wooden toy shop here: 

Imagination Kids

Made from substantially harvested wood, these wands are the perfect toy for dress up time. You can even purchase a set as a party favor at your child's next birthday bash. 

One of my favorite toys designed and created by Imagination Kids are their stackers. Each stacker is so creative, and made with the upmost quality. A morning sunrise, a cloud, a rainbow, a sun, a wave, and an iceberg are just a few of the impeccable stackers included in their shop. Theses are toys you wouldn't hide in a toy chest, and would even display on a shelf in your child's room. 

With Eater right around the corner  these wooden eggs would make a great basket filler, and can be used for a fun Easter Egg Hunt. These sure beat the plastic ones, and you will use these for years to come. 

Farm Animals Set 

Circus Toys (sold separately) 

Other fun animals included in the shop include: Deer, Bugs, chickens, and horses 

Push Toys  

I seriously am truly amazed by these shop spotlight designers, and their passion go after their dreams. Like so many of our features, Erin started this business on a "whim" one day when she had an itch to purchase a scroll saw. Stories like this are so inspiring, because it teaches us to listen to our instinct, and tap into our passions. You never know what could come from one uneventful afternoon. Your own business? A charity? A blog? Go after what you love and don't be afraid to make mistakes. 

Shop & support small! 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Shop Spotlight: James Vincent Design

Saturday Shop Spotlights are by far my favorite blog posts. Each shop featured, are talented visionaries who have perfected their craft, and started their own small business. Today's spotlight feature is James Vincent Designs, an infant clothier based out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Sarah Samere is the founder and designer of James Vincent Designs, which is named after her father. She is a stay at home mom, who uses muted vintage colors, and high quality vintage fabrics in her designs. Her shop features gorgeous linen rompers, organic jersey apparel, and microboho headpieces for the coolest newbies around (NB to 24 months). This is a fairly new shop on the scene, which has definitely made a huge splash in just a short time.

With rompers, being the biggest trend this spring/ summer season, I would say the James Vincent Design's unique bloomer romper is a fabulous staple to add in your infant's closet. Layer it with Peter Pan collars and knee socks for a special occasion, or wear it bare, with bare feet for those hot summer days. They also feature the coolest unisex harem shorts your little boys can get in on.

Check out all the hip designs here: James Vincent

Here is a quick snapshot of what her shop includes. She will be loading up on new spring designs at the end of the month.

(Photo Source: James Vincent Designs)

Harem Soft Linen Rompers for Infants sized newborn to 12 to 24 months. available in colors heather grey & cream, sweet brown, sweet brown stripe, red crime stripe, dark grey creme, deep purple, mustard yellow, lime rhined green, & burnt orange. 

Organic Knit Unisex Harem Shorts for Infants

Organic Knit Twirling Skirt in black and tangerine 

The gorgeous Microboho Headband in colors: Peachy Keen, La La Lavender, Cotton Candy

Microboho "rusted gold" headband great for an every day neutral headpiece 

Here are some of James Vincent Design's Pieces that she designed in the past (not featured in her shop). Be sure to follow her on Instagram to receive updates on new arrivals to the shop. 

It is so inspiring to see these talented moms become CEOs, designers, and entrepreneurs to their own businesses. I love shopping from these mamas who have put so much drive, passion, and commitment into their work and designs, so that they could help provide for their family. You can truly see the love that is put into the designs by these small businesses, when you purchase from these shops. From the quality, packaging, and follow up, it is hard to compare. 

"Though she be but little, she is fierce"- William Shakespeare 

Shop and support small! 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Shop Spotlight: Lovecrush Bowtique

The name of this shop pretty much sums up how I feel about Lovecrush's beautiful items. Loving, and completely crushing on their amazing selection of crowns. Tall crowns, shorts crowns, mini crowns, gold crowns, black crowns, feather crowns, each style impeccably handmade, and just as gorgeous as the next.

Kelly Schell, the creator and owner of Lovecrush Bowtique is a mom of four children, based out of Ohio. What inspired her to create these beauties was "her daughters, and their love for fashion, vintage, and all things girly." Each crown is created from vintage lace, and comes in multiple colors for your children to feel like royalty! These crowns make great accessories for photography props, birthday parties, or for dressing up like royal kings and queens. These crowns are so beyond stunning I would recommend displaying them on a shelf or dresser in your child's room, if you can get it off their head!

Lovecrush Bowtique also makes special floral embellished crowns like the newest version "Queen Elsa, Ice Princess" crown. What a sweet little surprise you could add on with the new " Frozen" DVD being launched this month! If your child's style is a little more boho Lovecrush has suede tie backs, feather crowns, turbans and lace halos.

Make sure to follow Lovecrush boutique on Instagram for fabulous sneak peeks, product announcements, and giveaways. They are currently part of a fantastic giveaway where they partnered with Moccassin extraordinaire Freshly Picked, and Ryan and Rose Cutie Clips.

Photo source: Lovecrush Boutique 

Shop the entire collection here: Lovecrush Boutique

The Chloe

The Harlow 

The Sienna (bottom two) 

The Florabella 

Garden Goddess Feather Crown 

Boho Suede Tiebacks 

Ice Princess Flower Crown 

Garden Nymph Feather Crown 

Part of the reason I love to shop small business is due to the amazing craftsmanship and quality that is put into their products. Lovecrush Boutique is a perfect example of the most exquisite high quality products coming from a small made to order business. 

Support Small!!! 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Shop Spotlight: Peg Buddies

Today's shop spotlight might be small, but definitely mighty. Peg Buddies is an Etsy Shop that creates all sorts of wooden peg dolls. Rachel, the owner and painter for Peg Buddies, started the business in 2012, after creating a nativity set, when friends and family saw the set and encouraged her to start her own business. From there, her creativity sore, as she created the most exquisite, detailed wooden peg dolls resembling some of your child's favorite characters, and even custom dolls to resemble your child, and your family. Each peg doll measures 3.5" inches tall, and is painted using non-toxic acrylic paint on solid wood pegs. Rachel is a one woman shop, and hand paints each doll herself. 

On top of being the owner of Peg Dolls she is a mom to four children. These dolls are so special, and would make a great gift or fantastic addition to your child's Easter Basket this Spring. 

Shop the entire Peg Buddies Shop here: Peg Buddies

(Photo Source: Peg Buddies) 

The Disney Princess lovers will swoon over these sets. Each princess and prince is painted with pristine detail. You can buy the princesses individually, or in a set of four, or eight to suit your budget and taste. Tiana, Pocahontas, and Merida are also featured in the shop.  The newest princess set to be added to the shop are these Frozen pegs. You can also get mini versions of Elsa and Anna Pegs on a key chain. Those are a set of keys your little is sure to never lose! 

For your Pixar/ Disney Junior watching littles Peg Buddies has you covered with the Mosnetrs Inc., Toy Story, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates sets. I am seriously in awe of the amazing detail that is put into each peg. Check out the fur on Sully, and the fantastic outfits on the pirates! 

Who says dolls are for girls? These Ninja Turtle and Superhero peg dolls are as bad ass as it comes. There is even a bat mobile available for your pegs to go on super rescue missions ! These would even work for decor in your child's room. 

For the Star Wars fanatic, this Peg Buddies set is the perfect gift! Check out the amazing detail on R2D2, seriously so amazing! 

If your child has a vintage dollhouse, these peg buddies would be the perfect family to live there. Custom make them to the family of your choice (even create your own family). How fun would it have been when you were little to play with dolls that resemble your own family?! 

These peg dolls are custom sports dolls. Choose your child's sport, and team colors! Would look great on their trophy shelf. 

Today the old saying is so true, "The best things, comes in small packages".  These little peg buddies might be small but they are probably some of the coolest toys on the market, that are sure to be treasured for years to come.

Shop small!!


Yours Truly,
Melissa

Shop Spotlight: Dreamcatcher Baby

I hope you are ready to swoon, because that's what you will be doing once you take a look at the gorgeous designs from Dreamcatcher Baby. Known for their iconic "Big Bow" Dress, Dreamcatcher Baby is owned, designed and created by Jessica Swenson. Jess started the company in 2012, and is completely self taught, which makes her even more impressive. It seems as though many successful entrepreneurs we feature in our small business spotlights, have these humble beginnings. Although she is known for her bow dresses, being a mom to two young boys she couldn't leave the little gents out! Her shop also carries some of the most beautiful, handcrafted bow ties I have ever seen.  Most of her items are made to order, so will take a few weeks to ship (check shop for shipping information), yet well worth the wait to receive!

We purchased a little Dreamcatcher Dress back in October for Stella's Halloween photos, and I have been obsessed ever since. Made with the best quality fabrics, her dress was perfection in her photos. Here's a little throwback to that beautiful Black Stripe "Big Bow dress".

Photos taken by Mockingbird Photography

Stella at 14 months 

Right now in the shop there are some gorgeous dresses to choose from like their "Original" Mustard Big Bow Dress. I'm always a huge fan of mustard, as it can be worn in any season. One fantastic trait anout Dreamcatcher Baby is that she gives style suggestions for her dresses for each season, Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Just click on the dress you are interested in, and you will see listed numerous style tips!
 (Photos source: Dreamcatcher Baby)

How sweet is this little "chick" print dress?! It's the perfect dress for the upcoming Easter celebrations!

Dreamcatcher Baby sizing is for the littlest ladies, fitting 0 to 3 months to 3T. Sizes sell out quick for a lot of her prints, and season pieces, so be sure to follow her on Facebook, and Instagram for updates on New Arrivals. Recently she posted her Instagram page this sneak peak Mint & Gold print that will be added to the shop soon!! I mean so good, right?

If you are blessed to have both a boy and a girl you can match them in these coordinating chambray/ mint polka dot prints. Such a beautiful everyday print to incorporate into your little one's wardrobe.

For the boys, these bow ties are literally to die for. They are "double stacked, and fully lined to hold their shape." Pair these with their Sunday best, or with a cool screen tee, and denim suspenders.

Check out the entire Dreamcatcher Baby site here: Dreamcatcher Baby


Part of the reason I shop small business, is because of the impeccable quality and craftsmanship that comes from their pieces. Dreamcatcher Baby's pieces are a perfect example of this.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Yours Truly,
Melissa