little elegance...holiday style

Each year when we celebrate another year of business my family reminisces about where it all began.  It's not uncommon for the family videos to come out and remind us of the enthusiasm and happiness from such an incredible memory.  No matter how many times I watch those videos, I am still amazed at my Mom's courage and drive to complete such an undertaking.

A few weeks ago we stumbled upon a tour of the store (narrated by my sister) on October 22, 1993, the night before our grand opening.  It reminded me of one of my Mom's original idea's 'Little Elegance' which was a section of our store for fancy party and holiday outfits.

So, last weekend when my Mom went on vacation, I surprised her by re-introducing Growing Kids - Little Elegance...Check it out!

One of my favorite things to do is create corresponding children's holiday outfits and there is no better joy than receiving the Christmas card and seeing those outfits in action...stop in so we can help you put some together and make sure you are ready for holiday photos!!

  

Who said you can't find matching outfits in a resale store??

Looking for a more casual look?  We have items for every style...

Don't forget the dress coat and shoes!

melissa and doug update...

We just received an outstanding shipment of Melissa and Doug toys!  I felt like a little kid when I was looking through every page of the catalog circling what I wanted...except, instead of just circling the pictures and never actually getting the toys...I ordered every last bit of it! 

In order to make room for our new arrivals, we have marked down most of our current Melissa and Doug inventory and every toy in our sale section is 40% OFF!! 

Some of our new arrivals are shown below...

Wooden zoo animal train set, big rigs, race cars, construction vehicles, 8 pc. cargo train set, and vehicles and street signs

Get Up and Go games...

Travel games back in stock and perfect for holiday road trips

First play grasping toys...great stocking stuffers

Dessert food - Now carrying some of the 'felt food' line

Pizza party, cutting fruit, sandwich maker and food groups...all back in stock!

Decorate your own, perfect for indoor winter fun!

New additions to the role play costumes...Super Hero, Waitress and Knight - ADORABLE.

Play Money!

Dinosaur, Insect and Fashion stencils back in stock!

New trucks to the collection, Log Carrier, Horse Carrier, Cargo Carrier and Car Carrier.

Happy Giddy and Bella Butterfly tunnels!

My personal favorite, stained glass paper

Past tyme classics, who doesn't LOVE these?

Stop in to see even more and stock up for your holiday gifts!! 

feel fresh fridays...boots!

I have to say, a pair of boots is just as good of an investment as a great pair of jeans.  Both of these items are easy to splurge on and can definitely be justified - especially if you manage to find a pair for half of the original price!

Boots are the one thing you can wear for a solid 8 months out of the year and can be paired with nearly anything from shorts and skirts to dresses and jeans.  Not to mention a really good pair just gets better with age and can always be re-soled to extent their life.  We have had some incredible styles in already and our options continue to change daily.

 

 

melting snowflakes and warming hearts...

A few dear friends of ours here at the store have sadly lost everything they have owned due to Hurricane Irene and have been displaced from their house ever since.  I could never imagine the pain of raising a family and watching your kids grow up to start families of their own and then just one day having all of the memories literally washed away - not to mention the costs associated with starting over from nothing while you are supposed to be retiring.  

I have tried to relate to their situation as much as I can and it's truly impossible. 

Just from speaking to them over the past few weeks, the phrase "starting over from nothing" has really given itself a whole new meaning.  My first thought was that they were going to have to replace all of their furniture, appliances, carpeting, sheet rock, etc. but it's all of the little things you don't even think about...socks and underwear, dish towels, pillows, a can opener, a potato peeler even just something as simple as Q-tips or a needle and thread!

My Mom has come up with a fantastic idea about how to help them get back on their feet.  We have put a little twist on the typical holiday giving tree and we have asked them to register at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond.  They have made a TargetList and a Bed Bath and Beyond registry under the name Growing Kids (when you go to look it up it's the first name Growing and last name Kids).

We have most of the items printed out on snowflakes inside the store, so if you would like to participate you may stop in and pick one up or simply stop into Target or Bed Bath and Beyond and look up their registry - this can also be done online through either website.  Here is the direct link to their TargetList and here is Bed Bath and Beyond.

Please help us melt our snowflakes and warm their hearts, every little bit helps!


"You will find, as you look back on your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others." - Henry Drummond

thanksgiving is coming...

Growing up around resale really taught me a great lesson on how to be frugal.  I constantly look for multiple uses for different items and I am always trying to figure out how to take something and make it better.  Over the past few weeks, I have come across some amazing craft ideas for decorating your home for Thanksgiving and I thought I would share them with all of you!

The first idea is turning your leftover pumpkins into a planter...how cute is this?  Just carve out the center and stick your flowers in there!

The next idea I stumbled upon is printing place mats with apples and potatoes!  This place mat was made with 2-layers of muslin hand stitched together with embroidery floss but you can always purchase solid fabric place mats and skip that step.  The apples are sliced in half, dipped in paint and, stamped onto the fabric.  Then you cut the potato in half and carve a leaf shape out of it with a paring knife.  You can really cut any shape out of the potato and have fun with it!

My personal favorite from these crafty ideas is turning your bangle bracelets into napkin holders!  The variety of colors and patterns really will add some character to your table...

 

 Here are some we have in stock right now if you need to add to your collection!

One last thing that we all need to start thinking about is those little visitors that we will be having for dinner on Thanksgiving.  Make sure you stop in to check out our high chair and booster seat collection before going anywhere else so you can be prepared and not spend a fortune!

Aquarium high chair with toy!

Graco high chair

Booster seats with trays

Booster seats for the little ones who just need a lift

Bumbo chairs for the infant visitors who can just barely hold their heads up

Bouncy seats for those brand new babies!

I also read a cute article in The Parent Paper that had some fun activities to do at the Thanksgiving table.  My favorite was to ask everyone during dinner, "If you could travel back to any Thanksgiving in your life, which one would it be and why?"  They also mentioned that it may seem old fashioned, but don't skip going around the table asking for this year's blessings, and I couldn't agree more!

We have free copies of this month's Parent Paper here in the store, so come pick one up.

i have a confession...

As you know, we are a resale store.  This means we buy merchandise from people like you and re-sell it here in our store.  We've been doing this now for 18-years and we get such enjoyment when we see more than one person enjoy the same great item over and over.  

The confession I have to make is that we sell BRAND NEW Melissa & Doug® children's toys.  We are an authorized retailer for this leading toy manufacturer meaning we buy merchandise direct from the company and are fully stocked with all the best items everyday.  They also give us free shipping on our orders, so if there is an item you are looking for specifically that we don't have in stock, we can order it for you and we generally receive it in 3-days! 

As scary as it is, the holidays are right around the corner, and Melissa & Doug® make some awesome toys that are perfect for gifts!  Their 'Classic Toy' line is one of my personal favorites...they couldn't have named it any better, these are timeless and classic toys that every child should have in their lives.  I don't know about you, but wooden toys always remind me of Christmas morning.

Right now the entire classic toy line in stock is 30% OFF!

Not only is Melissa & Doug one of the leading designers and manufacturers of educational toys and children's products, they have an incredible story to go along with it!  In case you are wondering, Melissa and Doug are REAL people and actually started their company in Doug's parents' garage over 20-years ago!  Read more about their story here.

Be sure to check out the 'terrific twenty holiday gifts for 2011' straight from Melissa and Doug themselves...click here for more detailed information.