Feel Fresh Fridays: Black and White

       Black is one of my favorite colors to stock up on for fall and winter because it makes for an easy transition from day to night activities; but an all-black ensemble can seem drab at times.  With winter white as a popular color choice for the fall '12 runway, pairing black and white is a simple way to lighten up your outfit and stay stylish.  Although many think black and white seem like a combination for a formal occasion, there are many ways to pair the two without looking over-the-top.  Here are a few of Renewal pieces  to get you started:

Shirt: The Addison Story NWT - Small  |  Pants: Mudd Sz. 7

Blazer: LaRok Sz. XS  |  Shirt: Love Culture Sz. XS  |  Skirt: Forever 21 Sz. Small

Shirt: INC NWT Sz. Small  |  Skirt: Gap Sz. 2

Dress: Aqua Sz. Medium  |  Sweater: American Eagle Sz. XS

Melissa and Doug: Item of the week!

Melissa and Doug have done it again.  They have come out with some fantastic games just in time for those cold winter game nights!  Don't forget they are 20% off until the end of the month as well!!

Suspend

Suspend is by far, my favorite game in stock right now...so much so, that I have my very own at home.  It comes with 24 notched, rubber-tipped wire pieces to hang from a tabletop stand.  It may sound easy but each time a bar is added, the balance shifts and the difficulty changes.  It's like reverse Jenga and trust me...so fun!

Press and Spin Games

Press & Spin games fit in little boxes - but they're big fun on game night!  All of the game instructions include multiple ways to use this colorful game set, so it can be enjoyed by preschoolers and their older siblings too!

Birthday Bear features a four traceable pictures of a festive teddy, plus a press-and-pop spinner and colored pencils.

Picture Dominoes features a colorful spinner and a deck of two-sided domino cards to bring extra excitement to this classic game.

Farm Animal Pairs features a colorful spinner and a deck of 24 memory cards with animal artwork.

Picture Bingo features a six-color spinner and four colorful game cards filled with fruity illustrations. 

Classics are back in stock!!  Pick up Sticks and Jacks!

Show your kids what fun was like BEFORE video games with these great classics!

Bingo, Memory and Hangman all back in stock!

These are great because you never lose any pieces since they are all attached and they are perfect for the car.  Get them quick while we have them in stock...they sell out every time we order them!

Feel Fresh Fridays: Classy Casual

Some of the best pieces to invest in for fall are jackets. Blazers and denim jackets can help you to dress up or down some of the staples in your closet. Denim jackets look great over dresses that might normally be too fancy for daytime events. Try pairing them with a pair of boots to complete the casual feel. Blazers effortlessly dress up jeans and a tee and can help you transition from day to night with a pair of heels. Here are some Renewal pieces to get you started:

Left: Forever 21 Dress and XOXO Jacket Sz. small  -  Right:  Silence and Noise Dress and London Jean Jacket Sz. Small

Beige Blazer: BDG Large - Striped Shirt: J. Crew XL - Brown Blazer: J. Crew sz. 10 - Tank: Free People XL

Black Blazer: Fusion Small - Dress: Express Small - Grey Blazer: H&M sz. 2 - Dress: Sweet Love Medium

Melissa and Doug: Item of the Week!

These question sets are so great to help get conversations going with your little ones.  With over 40 questions in each box, you are sure to find something to talk about!  

Family Dinner - Family Road Trip - Thanksgiving Dinner

Is your dinner table filled with silence or the noise of electronic games?  These boxes are great for getting some dialogue going during dinner time or long car rides.

Birthday Girl - BFF

With 82 questions, The Birthday Girl Box of Questions is great to get your child's party started.  The BFF Box of Questions is recommended for ages 8 and up and is a great idea for any play date.

Truth or Dare - Slumber Party - Camp Bunk

These boxes speak for themselves...how much would your daughter love to have these for slumber parties or play dates with her friends??

Fall Booties...

Ankle booties easily polish up any look and they are also so easy to wear.  Not only do they pair perfectly with jeans, leggings dresses and skirts...they are super comfortable since they offer tons of support around your foot.  Also, unlike knee high boots where you have to worry about your jeans or your calves fitting comfortably inside, these work well on anyone!

Here are a few in stock right now!

Dollhouse sz. 8

Steve Madden sz. 6.5

Elle sz. 6

R2 sz. 6.5

Fioni sz. 10

Check out Chictopia to see how others are rockin the look.

Feel Fresh Fridays: Lots of Layers

Layering is the way to go during this transitional fall weather.  It gives you the option to bundle up in the morning and lighten up through the day while still looking great.  Sometimes, knowing how to pull off this look can be a little tricky.  Here are 3-easy tips to help you feel fresh in your layers!

1.  LENGTH:

Free People Tank: XS  -  Joyce Leslie flannel: SM  -  Highway Denim Jacket: SM

Making sure your layers are different lengths helps add dimension and prevents you from looking frumpy.  A cropped denim jacket pairs well with nearly anything, while leggings and slouchy boots go well with this extra long flannel.

 2.  COLOR:

Free People Tank: XS  -  Derek Heart Shirt: MED  -  August Silk Sweater: XS

Don't go too wild with a whole bunch of bright and crazy colors.  Try to keep them in the same color family and make sure you have a neutral hue to avoid looking too loud.  Don't be afraid to let your shirt hang off your shoulder to show off that layer underneath.

 

3.  TEXTURE:

NY&CO Shirt: SM  -  Free People Vest: XS  -  Free People Sweater: XS

Layering with different textures helps prevent you from getting too bulky.  A cotton tank, a sheer vest and a crocheted cardigan is the perfect combination.  Pair this with skinny jeans and flats and this outfit can take you anywhere!

Is there an item in your closet that you love so much but you just don't know what to layer it with?  Bring it in and let us help you pair it up...we are up for the challenge!

Melissa and Doug: Item of the week!

Melissa and Doug is letting us run a promotion this month, EVERYTHING is 20% off through October 31!  

The item we decided to highlight this week are the sticker books, at $4.99 you can't go wrong.  With hundreds of stickers in each book, the kids will be busy for hours!  Take a look at some of the books we have in stock, and also the extension activities which are more ways to play and learn recommended by Melissa and Doug.

I'm sure you remember Colorforms...

the re-usable sticker pads are Melissa and Doug's version!

Make a Meal Reusable Stickers

• Fill a place setting with your dream meal. You can choose anything you like--donuts for dinner, fruit piled high or pasta and more pasta!
• Pick the right number of items from each food group to fill your plate with a well-balanced meal: 2 vegetables, 2 grains, 1 fruit, 1 protein, 1 dairy. Then treat yourself to a dessert sticker!
• Make a restaurant! Set a table with placemats in the same design. Then create the perfect atmosphere: You can make a sign, add a centerpiece to the table or put on music to set the right mood. When your guests arrive, bring out a "tray" of food stickers and let them place their orders. Serve the customers by peeling up the stickers they request and placing the food on their plates!

Habitats Reusable Stickers

Visit a farm, a prehistoric landscape, a desert oasis, a jungle, or the deep blue sea, all in this interactive sticker book! The glossy, full-color backgrounds are ready to be filled with over 150 stickers: Stick a dinosaur by the prehistoric pond and a shark in the ocean - or mix them up and make silly scenes! The easy-to-peel vinyl stickers can be lifted off and repositioned again and again, so kids can follow their imaginations fearlessly.


 Sometimes it's fun to play with real stickers as opposed to the reusable pads. 

Make a Face Stickers

The popular Make-a-Face sticker activity pad gets a wacky makeover in Crazy Characters Make-a-Face. Over 160 stickers add silly, heroic, disgusting, scary or even extraterrestrial personality to 20 background pages. Kids will love filling in the faces to create sensational characters in this hilarious arts-and-crafts activity!

Alphabet and Numbers Sticker Collection

 Add pizzazz to scrapbooks, posters, cards and school projects with this massive collection of alphabet and number stickers. Aspiring graphic designers will enjoy using the more than a dozen different alphabets and over 1,000 stickers to enhance and personalize any craft project!

Jewelry and Nails Sticker Pad

With over 360 stickers in glamorous, glimmering jewelry and nail designs, young stylists can transform illustrated models from simple to sensational. Just use the glittering nails and accessories stickers to fill 15 colorful background pages and make your own fabulous fashion spreads!

Kids and tweens will have a blast as they express their creativity in this unique arts-and-crafts activity.

Fashion Sticker Collection

This exiting sticker activity has everything kids need to outfit 80 "paper doll" stickers! The collection includes more than 600 stickers, including clothing and accessory stickers for every occasion. Choose from swimwear, party dresses, dance outfits and more, then dress the models in fabulous fashions. Great for arts & crafts and pretend play, too!

Sticker Collection - Blue

Over 500 stickers are compiled in one giant sticker book. Each page is packed with stickers to illustrate favorite topics including dinosaurs, construction, outer space and many more. Create a picture or tell a story with these favorite themed stickers.

Sticker Collection - Pink

Cute couture, adorable animals, flowers and fairies, are just some of the favorite themes in this giant sticker book. Over 700 stickers are ready to create a picture or tell a story. Your young artist will find this book designed for creative fun!

Best of all, don't forget...

Flat out Fall!

Well the weather for October seems like we're off to a great start!  The problem for me is always figuring out what to wear so I'm warm enough during the chilly mornings but not sweating mid-day.  Layers are the obvious answer for clothing, but what do you do about your shoes??  Flats are the perfect answer for this time of year and we have you covered!

Bellini 6.5  -  Tory Burch 8.5

Michael Kors 9  -  Capelli 9

Seychelles 8.5  -  Michael Kors 6.5

Banana Republic 8.5  -  Fergalicious 8.5

Kimchi Blue 8  -  Palladium 10

Marc Jacobs 38  -  Blowfish 8