Get your NEON

Want to keep the summer going? What better way than to add some neon colors to your fall and back to school wardrobe! These items will keep you dreaming of next summer and brighten those rainy days coming ahead...

Here is my selection of must haves for the boys and girls...

Just click on the images above to find out where they come from or got to Get your NE.ON by petitapetit on Polyvore.com

If you didn't get your Fluro Cambridge Satchel pan>this summer, now is the time!!!

Don't forget to stock up on Washi Tape... So all your school projects will look great!

My suggestion is D-O-N-T put it all together at one time... ONE item at time please!

And just in case check out Crewcuts and American Apparel, they always have a great selection of neon items!

Caramel Baby & Child

There are those brands I like, then there are the ones I love, but once in a while there comes a brand that really inspires. I love the styles, the fabrics, the color choices and their combinations, as well as the styling and the photo shoots... and Caramel Baby & Child is one of those brands! They never cease to amaze me, every season is better than the last! I had a hard time choosing which pictures to showcase, you must check out there website for the full collection... If you're wondering Caramel is based in London, however they sell online and they offer international shipping.

There are so many cute clothing lines for girls out there, but when it comes to the boys, I always find it to be a little trickier! Sometimes it's too many graphics, a little too girly or simply too fashionable. I find Caramel has found just the right balance, classic with a twist without being too twisted!!! I love how they played with the colors, the textures and their use of proportions. Now if only I could win the lottery, or perhaps this is where I can spend my first paycheck next week!!! One thing for sure is that I will definitely be inspired by this lookbook this fall!

Lunch Box idea... DIY

Sorry for the lack of posts, I promise to catch up next week... I am working on Miss E's birthday party preparations and my sore back isn't helping! I am as slow as a turtle and I can't stay seated or standing for too long! However, I saw this on Pinterest and had to share it with all you moms who make lunches for your kids... I thought this was such a cute and EASY DIY project. If you need some instructions just go here.

All you need is some chalkboard paint ( I saw some at the dollar store yesterday!), and some chalk! Your kid can't read, just draw a heart... Change the message every day! LOVE.

Changes...

Do you feel the change in the air? It's getting chilly here in Montreal... the autumn breeze is slowly making it's way and I'm getting ready! Ready for some major changes around here... in my life and consequently on the blog. I've already mentioned, on multiple occasions, that I was turning a page in my life and starting something new, as of september I will no longer be a stay at home mom or my own boss... I'll be working a full time in an "office" and that means no more free time while Miss E naps to blog, pin, play, search, experiment! So you can expect a few changes on the blog as well, have you noticed that the themes are gone? Yup, no more themes... As of now, I am not sure what I'll be able to produce, but I promise to keep on blogging, it keeps me sane! Seriously! I'll try a lot of the same, but a little less often... So have you noticed the new layout? I'll be tweaking it here and there... Miss E's birthday invitation was the inspiration! You'll get lot's more details on her party next week!

Take a good look, because it's not often you get to see my kid's faces! That's a topic I've wanted to address for a little while now, but it will have to wait some more...

What's in your closet: Miss E & Mister M?

There is nothing I like more than dressing up, and I'm not talking about getting up in the morning and putting on a pair of jeans, I'm talking about costumes... I love that my kids are at that age where they want to wear costumes out and I'm all for it! When the daycare decides to do a theme day, I take it SERIOUSLY! This summer Mister M has had two different themes he's had to dress up for at daycare, the first was "Color Week" and his class was assigned the color red... check it out! I even looked for some red underwear, but failed! If there had been a prize I think he would have won...

Then this friday, the daycare had a Hawaiian theme going on. My first reaction was "oh no! We don't own anything Hawaiian besides a ukulele!" I dug a little and asked Daddy Cool if he thought Mister M could wear a bathing suit to school all day (I wasn't not sure how comfortable those would be!) and we added a few details here and there... Mister M insisted on wearing his 3-D glasses, he said they were cool!

Miss E wanted to dress up too, she didn't take these off until bedtime!

And remember how I promised Mister M I would make him a sword, well I always keep a promise... I was going to make a tutorial out of it for the blog, I took out my camera and took some shots, but as the project progressed I realized that my sword wasn't going to be tutorial material and that I'd better stick to sewing! The kids loved and still love their swords, Mister M was so excited that he wanted to go to the park all dressed up... So we did!

Miss E didn't have a cape, so I took one of my scarfs and tied it to her t-shirt with some brooches... she was very happy! I think I'm going to have to make her cape pretty soon!

Miss E's sword is just about as tall as her... She handles it like a champ!

I googled "sword clipart" and Mister M choose the design he wanted...  then I used carboard, duck tape and plastic tape, all things we had in the house!

Mini & Maximus

Perhaps you have noticed, but I haven't talked much about back to school or fall trends yet. Maybe it's the procrastinator in me or perhaps it's simply because I don't want to let this summer go! Fall, for me this year, means a whole lot more than the start of a new season, new clothes or a new classroom... It's a new beginning, a new adventure, a turning point. The first week of September, I will no longer be a stay at home mom, which I've been for the past 4 years, I will no longer be my own boss, which I've been for the last 8 years, and little Miss E will start daycare... So pardon me if I want to hold on to this summer for just a little longer!

However, here's a new fall collection I'm excited to share with you: Mini & Maximus. They are the masters in t-shirt design and I love that they work with different artist and even children to create their collections. Do you want your child to be the hippest kid in the schoolyard? Look no further!

Are you tired of the same old Disney t-shirts and want something a little more fashion forward? Look no more!

Do you need some really awesome sweat pants and sweatshirts as well, you're in luck they've added some cute ones just for you! This fall Mini & Maximus have entitled their collection "imperfectly perfect", that pretty much says it all!

Once again they've outdone themselves, and I'm having a hard time choosing my favorite.... Did I mention the whole line is eco-friendly? Big big bonus....

Happy Birthday Miss E!!!

2 years old and hole lot to love... Here are the little things I ♥ about you...

I ♥  I ♥ I ♥ I ♥ I ♥ I ♥ I ♥              I ♥ I ♥ I ♥ I ♥ I ♥ I ♥ I ♥ I ♥

I ♥ how sweet you are...♥            I ♥ how you do the robot...♥

I ♥ to watch you dance...♥          I ♥ how you run, walk, move... ♥

I ♥ how goofy you can be... ♥      I ♥ to watch you eat ice-cream...♥

I ♥ how graceful you are, even when turning a page on the i-Pad...♥

I ♥ how you kiss me before I even get a chance to get mad at you...♥

I ♥ how you look at your brother with such admiration and love...♥

I ♥ how we can look into your eyes and see your happy soul...♥

I ♥ your determination and how you never give up...♥

I ♥ your smile, your two dimples melt my heart...♥

I ♥ how you squeeze my face to kiss me...♥

I ♥ how you say "t'adore maman"...♥

I ♥ how independent you are...♥

I ♥ how big your heart is...♥

I ♥ to watch you grow...♥

I ♥ YOU...♥
ELSIE

♥

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! 
and yes we will eat cake today!

Little Miss E, just a few days old...

Pleased to meet you Cara Carmina...

I first saw these beautiful dolls way way back at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts book store, and immediately fell in love. So I was so delighted to see them again at a street fair a couple weeks ago when I was on vacation. However, I am upset for several reasons, first my camera batteries were dead, so I wasn't able to take any pictures.... Secondly I had no money on me, so I wasn't able to purchase one of these beauties for Miss E, secretly for me, but that goes with anything I buy Miss E...that's for some other post! And thirdly, I didn't get a chance to chat with the talented creator and mastermind behind Cara Carmina, my kids were having one of those days! Oh well thank god for the Internet, I was able to check Cara Carmina's blog here and her flicker photos here and I found these to share with you.... Look at all the details, the colors and fabric choices. You have got to love the Frida dolls, I know I do! I think I would get one those for Miss E since she also has a unibrow...

Good thing she has an Etsy store, so you and I can get our hands on one of her creations: dolls, jewelry, prints, notebooks... and look at how cute the packaging is! L'amour...

And finally, I am sure I will get to meet Norma some day soon, we do live in the same city after all, this time I'll make sure I don't just grab a business card and then leave it lying around on my desk for weeks, this time I'll try to say something proper like "pleased to meet you Cara Carmina"... Wouldn't you be?

Water Bobble, tested & approved!

My Lil'Sis' has been on my case about my use of bottled water for a while now, and I keep on explaining that I buy water bottles for the good of the kids, which in my opinion is more important than the environment! Yup, I just said that, talking like a true mom aren't I? It's not that I don't care for the environment, hey I've spent the last 8 years making recycled clothing and trying to do my little part, but tap water has a bad rep... This may be old news for some, but I was so happy when I found these Water Bobbles last week at Warshaw near the Atwater Market. I had never heard of these before and Daddy Cool was a little skeptical, but I thought that we should give it a try and bonus, they were on sale at 10$ a piece.

What first attracted me was the design and colors, no wonder it's so cool it was designed by Karim Rashid and produced by Move Collective LCC.

Then I read the label, refillable water bottle with carbon filter, no BPA, made from recycled plastic, taste great and reusable. So basically it's designed to remove the chlorine and organic contaminants from tap water and give it a fresh crisp taste...WAWAWOW! The filter is good for about 2 months or 150 Liters of water which is the equivalent of 300 bottles. You can find all of their products online here.

Does it get any better? Sure does, for me at least! My kids love their new bottles, we take them everywhere! Mister M & Miss E now drink tap water, it's helped me cut down on their juice consumption as well as ween Miss E of the milk bottle. Oh, and it doesn't leek, so the kids can take it to bed and I can put it in my bag with no dangers of ruining it, as I have so many times in the past!

So Daddy Cool, are you convinced yet? I know I am...

P.S. These aren't only good for the kids! Now I have to get myself one as well... hum which color?

Zara Fall Campain...

I have to say I am really impressed with the Zara for kids fall campaign... The colors and the styling are ever so inspiring, I especially like the vintage inspired pieces, it makes me want to buy everything! I usually like to talk about smaller, indie designers, but the honest truth is that I usually end up buying most of my kids clothes from Zara and occasionally H&M and thrift shops. Honestly, it's what I can afford, and most of the Kids designers I really love aren't available in Quebec, and when they are, via online shopping, the shipping costs are usually more than the actual clothing! Kuddos to Zara! I find that with every season passing, Zara outdoes itself, they really have a knack for picking up on the latest trends. Look how stunning this photo-shoot is, so simple yet so compelling!!! Word of advice for this fall/winter: COLOR, COLOR, COLORS! Love it!

Kids 4 Polar Bears by Little Nordic

So as you have probably already guessed I love fashion! This comes as no surprise, since I dedicate most of my blog and time to this obsession of mine. But when it's fashion for a cause, I go crazy!!! So when I read on the Little Nordic blog, that they are coming out with a series of limited edition t-shirts called Kids 4 Polar Bears, I was ecstatic! They hope to raise awareness about the imminent dangers the polar bears are in and the threat of their extinction. Personally, I think it's a cute way to your teach your children about climate change and how these precious animals might one day just disappear. So your thinking, but I could just get a book or check it out on the net. Of course, but if you buy a t-shirt all the profits will go to support www.polarbearsinternational.com and the design is really cute! Aren't your kids going to need to wear something this fall after all? And I'm sure they would wear this t-shirt with extra pride... This is the best of both worlds.... good design (thanks to Anika Lori) and a great cause. And yes they will ship internationally! Yeah! These will be available as of september, so if you'd like to place a pre-order go check out their website here. I know I will...

High's then lows...

Mister M had the time of his life last night... But why is it that every-time he has toooo much fun, it always ends badly?

Our neighborhood park was hosting a "Movie Night" and Daddy Cool wasn't working late this thursday, so he thought it would be a great idea to bring the kids. The park was filled with goodies for the kids, inflatable games, face painting, and they were even giving out balloons. They had set up a BBQ tent with hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and some really tasty corn on the cob. So we had ourselves a little picnic, Mister M and Miss E sat through their dinner nice and quietly, this would have never happened last year, and that's probably why we didn't go!!!

And then the kids got to try out the inflatable games... Miss E was petrified, so I hung out with her in the field, while Mister M went crazy!We got the kids some Cotton Candy, Miss E almost ate the whole thing on her own, she was covered in blue by the end, I hope that stuff doesn't stain!

Mister M was so excited, so happy, giggling, dancing and singing. He was surprisingly good at staying in line and waiting for his turn. If only you could have seen his face! I've rarely seen him this happy, but then he started getting overly excited, so we decided it was time to settle down and calm down before the movie started... First we got the kids some balloons and then sat in the grass.

I'm pretty sure this event was organized by the day camp they have at the park all summer long. So just before the movie stated they had a slide show with all the camp pictures and some music, the kids were so happy, most of the songs they played are the ones we listen to and dance to everyday... Dynamite, Waving Flag, Rock Party Anthem. So much for calming them down, this hyped up the kids even more, they were dancing and running all over the place.

Then, the worst possible thing in the world happened: Mister M's balloon sword popped! OMG!!! The tears, and the crying and the whining... I promised him I would make him a better one out of fabric or cardboard, that didn't work! I told him, I would buy some new balloons and make him a new one come tomorrow, that didn't work! So we decided to leave before the movie even started, and that made things worse! So I tried to negotiate with Mister M, I told him that if he would stop crying, we would stay and watch the movie for a little while. That worked for about 2 minutes! So we left, so he cried until we got home. Good thing it's a two minute walk! He cried some more at home...and all I'm thinking is " why is it that every time this little boy has so much fun it ends with a crying session?". Is it the adrenaline rush, the endorphin giving him such a high that it can only end with a low? Do you have the same problem? Anyhow, Mister M finally got to bed, and his room is right next to the living room, and after being in there for a few minutes, he yells out (in french of course) "mommy, do you think you can make me a plastic sword tomorrow, I think that it will be more solid!", I smile and say "we'll see, but I promise we will make a sword tomorrow"... Guess what I'm doing after daycare?

It's a good thing we have selective memories and the good ones usually surpass the bad ones. Every time this happens I'm surprised, you would think I would know what to expect by now... Oh what we wouldn't do for our kids! I love you Mister M, I love you no matter what...