JetSet: Storming my way to France...

Around the world we go, all the way to France! POLDER is a lovely handbag and accessory brand, they have both an adult and children collection. Guess what the children's collection is called: April Showers! Now, that isn't the only reason i am talking about this brand today! I happen to love everything they make, and I mean EVERYTHING!!! From the color combinations, to the crochet details, and their use of metallic accents... love love love!

APRIL SHOWERS by Polder

And for Mommy cool: POLDER

Hit or Miss?

O.K. so here is a new feature to my little blog: HIT or MISS? Basically, I will post a picture of things I'm on the fence about... and I need you to participate! 

All you have to do is: go to bottom of the post and click on on of the little squares with your reaction... if you hate it click on " funny", if you are undecided click on "interesting", if you love it click on "cool". 

So what do you think of these rain boots? 

KLAS Rainboots

BOYS WILL BE BOYS : On Cloud Nine!

Aigle Raincoat

The traditional fisherman's yellow raincoat is always a winner, but how can you resist all of these other styles. I was really surprised at the selection available for little boys! I had a hard time choosing my favorites...

 
1. Western Chief at Nordstorm 2. The North Face 3. Munsterkids 
1. Flora & Henri 2. Mini Rodini 3. Aigle
1. Paul Smith Junior 2. Aigle   3. Talc
1. Spring Court  2. Tretorn 3. Aigle

Here's Mister M's pick...

1. The Classic K-Way 2. I am in absolute love with these Tretorn rain boots (I think I like the khaki ones better, but black looked better with this set!) 3. Mister M would go carzy for this shark umbrella by Gymboree

Girly Girl: April Showers Bring May Flowers

Talc Raincoat

I don't know about you, but this month of April has been miserable here in Montreal... I just can't wait for the rain to go away and the sunshine to come out already! Needless to say, who doesn't love to jump in some puddles... Here are some my favorite rain coats and boots for this season! 

From Left to right:

1. Dome with polka dots from Ebay 2. Clear Dome from Ebay 3. Polka dot umbrella from Pluie Pluie 

1. Little Marc Jacobs 2. Ailgle 3. Hucklebones

1. Hunter 2. Ailgle 3. Pluie Pluie 

1. Stella Mccartney 2. Catimini 3. 

1. Stella Mccartney 2. Agnes b. enfants 3. Hunter 

Here is a new little feature... Miss E's pick! Basically, what I would get for Miss E...

Umbrella by Goggles, Raincoat by A is for Apple ( an eco-friendly brand), Rain Boots by Western Chief

So sorry...

First,  If you like my blog, vote for me on http://www.circleofmoms.com/blogger/petit-petit-family-1

You don't need to sign up for anything or give your info, all you have to do is press on "vote". 

P.S. if you really love my blog, then you can vote every day, once! Thank you!!!!! I don't expect to make it on their top 25, but perhaps someone else will discover by little blog and start following it too...

Secondly, I am so sorry, but there will be no posts until Wednesday evening... I am working on this crazy cool project with an amazing High School (École secondaire St-laurent).  I have to have 8 upcycled costumes ready for a fitting on Wednesday afternoon.
Check out their website (http://sommetdumillenairepourlajeunesse.wordpress.com/ ) to see what the school is working on (it's in french), and I'll let you know more about my participation at a later date!

Mommy green...

OSBOURN

So who says you have to look like a granny when you wear ethical clothing? I think I've showed you that kids can look fashionable in a sustainable way! So, how about us Mommies? Well, we too have quite the choice when it comes to dressing "green"...
First I want to share with you a Montreal brand, that tries to be green and has amazing styles, that are comfortable & easy to wear... COVET. They uses natural fibers such as Bamboo, Tencel, Organic Cotton & Linen for their collections, and although the clothing is manufactured in China, they personally make sure that the manufacturing is child labor free and that the workers have good conditions. Here are some of my favorite styles...

I also created a gallery of some items I love... all these items come from some really amazing websites that carry only eco-friendly designs: KIND BOUTIQUE, ASCENSION eco boutique, BEKLINA.

Mommy Green... by Petit à Petit featuring shoes

Check out these handmade shoes... OSBOURN (the very first picture on top) sooo cool!

You should also check out... COSA VERDE, this website gathers independent artist that make sustainable handmade goods. It sort of like an Etsy store!
Oh my, I could keep on going... Ok! one last thing!
If you like bargains and sustainable goods, than this website is for you: PURE CITIZEN. So first you need to become a member (it's free), and then they you can shop, but watch out, the sales only last 72 Hours...They have new products every day from ethical fashions to organic beauty products, fair trade accessories, healthy home and much more...

P.S. Since so many of you seem to have been interested in this weeks theme, I decided that each time I talk about a sustainable product I will add a little green logo...

Oeuf be good + Lucky Boy Sunday = It's good to be green!

I could not finish this week without talking about 2 of my favorite kids designers, and they happen to be eco-friendly too!
Oeuf be good... All their products are environmentally friendly, from the cribs to the mattresses, the clothing and the accessories. The furniture is not only eco-friendly but multifunctional, the design is simple but stylish with a contemporary feel. The clothing is all made from alpaca wool, so soft and hypoallergenic. The styles are so cute, with angel wings and hearts.  My favorite is what they call their goodies, accessories great for playing dress up or even to wear out. 

Lucky Boy Sunday... Your kid's will love it and so will you! These knitted treasures are to cute! They are also made with alpaca wool, the dyes used are eco-friendly and the production is all handmade in ethical manners in Bolivia. Their is so much humor in all of the designs with a touch of retro and sooo much creativity!!!

Bit's and Pieces: more green living!

The Enchanted Cupboard

I created a little gallery of bit's and pieces of some really great eco-friendly toys and accessories for your little ones.. Some are vintage, some are handmade, some are organic, and all are green!!! 

1.Soopsori, Eco-friendly wood toys, lot's to choose from! 

2.Snooshy, hand-knitted eco-friendly softies. 

3.Calafant, the most amazing cardboard toys, made from recycled cardboard and recyclable!  

4.Set Carre, pencil roll made from recycled fabrics and this Etsy seller is from Montreal!.

5.HopScoth Kid's, non-toxic nail polish in the coolest colors ever!
6.Baby Doll, entirely made from natural materials.
7.PlanToys, green Dollhouse made from sustainable wood... amazing selection...
8.Severina, handmade eco-friendly dolls. How stylish is this couple!
9.Animal flashlight, just squeeze, no batteries needed!
10.Hecmec, eco-friendly chairs, entirely recyclable.
11.Boom Box, upcycled skittles.
12. Edmond, Vintage toys.
13. Design Lab 443, My Secret Robot... handmade from upcycled fabrics.
14. Night-night Light, solar powered by Clifford Richards.
15. Nook, organic sleep system... I love the pebble design!
16.Imagination Kid's, wood toys, handmade earth friendly! 

My love of Vintage...

So I talked about Organic Clothing on Monday, I talked about Upcycling on Tuesday, and BOGO on Wednesday... and TODAY I talk about my love for VINTAGE clothing! What can I say, I am a nostalgic! Oh! How I wish I was born in the early 1900's... So I could have worn some flapper dresses and cloche hats. Wait a minute, I do! I can't tell you the pleasure I get when go I go shopping at my local thrift store and find some cute clothing for the kids reminiscent from the past... You can't even imagine how many hours I can spend on Ebay and Etsy, looking for that perfect little vintage dress for Miss E... Do you love vintage clothes but don't have the patience to look through racks and racks of clothing, or pages and pages on websites? Or perhaps you don't like the idea of your kids dressed in someone else's clothing! Well, today is your lucky day... Here are two great websites, where they have gathered and researched the best quality and most beautiful vintage clothes for your little ones. Bonus: they ship Internationally!

BELLE HEIR: Their focus is on newborns to five year olds, boy and girls. Their emphasis is on linens, cottons and silks. They are on the look out for quality items with exquisite details such as pin-tucks, embroideries, hand-stitched details and smocking...

PETITS HABITS: NEW vintage clothing... you heard right! These little numbers have never been worn! It's all dead-stock from Italy, the finest kids clothing straight from the 50's to 70's. A gold mine!!! You can find, barrettes, swimsuits, pajamas, dress-up clothes, shoes, hats....You name it, they got it!

If your looking for a bargain, Ebay and Etsy are still two amazing websites to browse through. Also, garage sales, thrift stores, church sales, flea markets and antique stores are always worth checking out. Here are a few tip's I like to follow: buy bigger than the size you need, kids were smaller back then and so was their clothing. Check for stains and holes! Wash in cold water and in the ultra gentle cycle or wash by hand. Mix and match old with new, wear dresses as tunics, skirt as dresses,  basically just have fun!!!! Also, when on Ebay, look for European sellers, they have some beautiful antique clothing.

Head over Heels: VEJA & SIMPLE

Eco-Friendly sneakers to die for... for the whole family! Made from sustainable fabrics... check it out!

VEJA: cooler than cool! This french brand has been around for a while, you maybe have a pair and didn't even know they where sustainable!!! They use organic cotton, Amazonian rubber, and vegetable tanned leather.

SIMPLE: high quality shoes made from the craziest materials! Just to name a few: bamboo, recycled carpet, plastic, cork and the list goes on...  

Go BOGO!!!!

Go BOGO... and, I am not talking about Target's buy one pair of shoes get the other half off promotion... I am talking about companies that offer the "one for one" model... Buy One Give One! Basically, it's a new way of charitable giving, a customer buys a product and someone less fortunate receives the same product for free. These companies do exactly this... these aren't all children's products, but I thought they were worth mentioning, don't you think?
TOMS Shoes... With every pair of shoes you buy, Toms will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need. I need to get a pair for the whole family... Seriously! Kid's shoes are between 30$ and 40$, and the styles are great.

WHITTEN GREY... For every dress bought, Whitten Grey gives a dress away. From 88$ to 140$... and it's made from Organic Cotton!

ROMA Boots... For every boot sold, they will give a pair to a child in need. 38$ for Kids and 78$ For Grown Ups... Pretty Cool!!!

FIGS Ties... What a great Fathers day gift idea!!!! For every tie sold an underprivileged child gets a school uniform.

ONE WORLD FUTBOL PROJECT... For every ball you buy, they will give a second ball to a community in need... 40$... What Kid doesn't love a ball, and if you don't need a ball you can just donate one for 20$.

BOGOLIGHT.... Buy a flashlight and they will donate one of their Affiliated organizations in need. If you want , you can choose where you want to give your flash light e.i. literary or schools, healthcare or environment... For the mini Bogo it's 39$ or for the SN-2 it's 59$.


B1G1... If you have a company, B1G1 can help your business make a difference!

POP IN: a Laïla b. retrospective...

Laïla b.... here's a look back at everything I have done since 2004... an Upcycling Love Affair!!!

Photos: Mikael Ohana

Photos: Stéphanie Lefebvre

Photos: Stéphanie Lefebvre

Photos: Mikael Ohana

Growing Up Green: UPCYCLE...

Have you ever hear of the term UPCYCLING? It was first used in 1994, and was used to explain a recycling process, where waste materials were used to create  new products of better quality or higher environmental value. So what does that mean for the fashion industry? Basically, you find some second hand clothing or material, wash and dry them, then you use that material to make something NEW... When I first started Laïla B. in 2004, I was doing just that... But the term UPCYCLING for clothing didn't quite exist yet, it's only been a popular word in last couple of years. However,  this form of recycling has existed for ever... I am sure your great grand mother was upcycling. Julie Andrews upcycles The Von Trapps curtains into cute outfits for the kids in The Sound of Music! It wasn't so glamourous then, now it's almost a form of Luxury!!! If you understand the process, than you understand the high price tags... It is custom clothing after all! There are lot's of Upcycling companies out there these days, just type upcycle on Etsy and you will get pages of upcycled items... but in my opinion there are only handful I really like. I am not a huge fan of patchworks and mix matching a bunch of different colors and patterns! So, here is some of my favorites...
BABY BEAN at Little bean shop

CHABUKI

LITTLE BIT

 MY FAIR MAIDEN


LITTLE TREE KID

SOHO KIDS

TEAM CHIPMUNK

Growing up Green...

This week things are going to be a little different... Did you know April 22nd is EARTH DAY! So I decided my theme of the week would be GROWING UP GREEN and make it earth week. So where do I start, there is sooooo much I could talk about that it took me a little while to decided how I was going to present my posts this week. Today, I will showcase some of my favorite brands, for girls and boys, that are eco-friendly and use organic fabrics. Clothing companies are just starting to use fabric that are environmentally friendly... not too long ago (3 years ago!) you couldn't find half the things that are available now. At first, you could only find t-shirts and in the dullest of colors... now the possibilities are endless (denim, poplins, wools...) and the prices are more affordable! For a manufacturer, the cost is now almost the same wether they decide to use organic cotton for their collections or not... Other fabrics, such as bamboo, ramie, tencel are still a little more expensive. Hopefully, everyone will jump on the band wagon! It's about time, don't you think?

My first two choices are two labels that only do UNDERGARMETS... They both use 100% certified  organic cotton. Wouldn't you want your little one's first underwear to be chemical free?

GOAT MILK: pure and simple... classic!

ADRI: fun, fun, fun!!! What kid won't wear super hero underwear? Potty training made easy!!!!

Now let's get to my latest obsessions...

BOdeBO presents BOdeBIO: this french label is one of my favorites,  the silhouettes are just amazing! And how perfect, they now have a BIO division, and the it's all black! How I wish I could get my hands on a piece for Miss E...

SHAMPOODLE: this sweedish company started out with a tracksuit (5 780 sold to this day!) and has now grown into a full fashion label with amazing denims and blouses as well. Comfortable & easy to wear, some piece even grow with your child! All their cottons are certified organic and they assure that the production is made in good working conditions... Love it!

IMPS & ELFS: this dutch label is modern, trendy, ultra comfortable & has smart graphics... Their add campaigns are hilarious.   The clothing is produced under the label MADE-BY, therefore certifies that the clothes are made 100% child labor free and from organic cotton.

GO GENTLY BABY: this Los Angeles label offers sweet, simple style with a little edge. All the clothing is made in the US and only uses organic and sustainable fabrics. They also only use water based ink and low impact dyes. Sweet...

SERENDIPITY Organics: this scandinavian brand has been around since 2003. Their key piece is their organic velour, super soft and cosy. The collection is now offered in materials such as linen, wool  & silk, all certified organic and the production is certified Fair Trade as well. Classic styling... timeless. Available here in Montreal at Le Nid de la Cigogne.

ESENCIA: this label is collaboration between two mothers, a Bolivian and a Japanese, both living in Denmark. The result is a beautiful, soft and timeless collection. I don't even know which piece I prefer. The sweaters are so delicate and the color palette is so tender. The collection is made from the finest alpaca and llama fibers, as well as organic cotton from suppliers who value the principles of fair trade and sustainability.  Harmonious...

MINI RODINI: yet another swedish company, launched in 2006, is full of creativity and imaginative styles. A brand the parents love as well as the children... 80% of the collection is made of organic cotton. 

KIDSCASE: is a dutch label offers styles that are modern and inventive. A little street, a little sportwears, and very high fashion! 70% of their fabric is certified organic and 52% is made under certified fair trade conditions. What is interesting about this brand, is that they reduced their use of organic fabrics to 70% in order to get better percentage of certified working conditions with their suppliers! They hope to improve on this in the coming collections... Bravo!

and the list goes on & on... I've already posted about other brands such as KLT & WOVENPLAY... and of course laïla b.( I used organic cotton and everything was made by me! Well, I'm not too sure that was in amazing working conditions!!!) Since sustainable goods hold a special place in my heart, this isn't the last you'll be hearing about such amazing and inspiring companies! I grew up being green and I hope to educate Miss E & Mister M as much as I possibly can, on the effects humans can have both positively and negatively on our beautiful earth. Hopefully this weeks posts will inspire you to do your little part too! I can't wait for tomorrow already....

If you want to learn more about eco-friendly and organic fabrics, check out this link, it is explained in a really simple manner: http://www.telio.com/pdf/Organic.pdf