Winners!!

I feel like a winner today in so many ways. I went to the doctor this morning. It was my 2-week follow-up after that yucky procedure I had done (why do they make you wait so long to find out if you're dying or not?). Well, I've been given a clean bill of health. The results were negative (negative in a good way, not like that Seinfeld episode where George thought he was dying because he got "negative" test results! LOL!!) So, that's a relief! No more worrying... well, at least about my health. :)

But I also feel like a winner today because I have such great friends in the blogging community to help me with silly things like picking out a photo of myself that doesn't look like I'm birthing a fabric ball. ;) See! I knew I could count on you guys!

75 of you voted (WOW! I'm pretty sure that's my record so far!) and I received a few other votes via email & phone (since my family was voting right along with you guys). I tallied all the votes. I couldn't figure out a speedier way than the good ol' fashioned way... (yes, I know, I'm so high-tech!)


...and it looks like picture #4 of Sydney and picture #12 of me are the clear winners... with over a 10-vote lead on the runner-ups. :) YAY! Those were my favorites too, so they are both going into the brochure! Thanks so much for your help, everyone!!! (P.S. I also added a little cameo of #8 in the brochure, just because it was another favorite of mine and it got quite a few votes from you guys.)

And speaking of winners, I said that I would pick a lucky winner from the comments left on my blog, so I used the randomizer to get this nifty little list and it looks like #50 is at the top. Comment #50 belongs to Helen of missyluluboutique. Congrats, Helen! Please email me at info@modkidboutique.com to claim your prize.



I love that most of you really got into it and gave me some specific reasons why you love your picture choices. You talked about color, composition, product positioning, lighting, etc. and coming from the marketing industry these terms really speak to me. I've spent the past 15 years dealing with these issues and striving to create marketing materials that have great visual appeal, so I am glad to see all of you out there have an interest in more than just "pretty pictures." :)

So now that I have everyone's attention I want to address some Frequently Asked Questions. Normally when I get questions on my blog I try to address them immediately, either by direct email or by posting a reply on my blog, but lately I've just been swamped so I hope those of you who have asked these questions will visit again and read this.

My #1 FAQ:

1. When will your fabrics be available for purchase in stores?
   Andalucia officially debuts at Fall Quilt Market, October 25-27. Most fabric stores will be placing their orders during the show and it typically takes a few weeks (6 or so, I think) for the fabrics to arrive. However, a few stores have already placed their pre-orders so they will be receiving their fabrics sooner than the rest. You can see 11 of my 24 designs up right now at Hancocks of Paducah and even place your own pre-order. I also know that Fat Quarter Shop has placed their pre-order but all they have right now up is a MM Fat Quarter Club, in which Andalucia has the December spot.
   
   
2. How can I place a wholesale order for Andalucia?
   Please contact Michael Miller Fabrics directly at info@michaelmillerfabrics.com, T:212.704.0774, F: 212.633.0272. I have the color cards ready so if you need one to place your order just contact me.
   
   
3. I'd love to sew samples for you for Quilt Market. Do you need any more sample sewers?
   Thank you so much for your offers, everyone. I am truly flattered and honored. Unfortunately, I do not need any more samples at this moment. We leave for Quilt Market in less than 3 weeks so all the fabric has already been distributed among my sample sewers and what I have left here is what I'll be using for my own sewn samples. I will keep you all in mind for my next fabric debut in the Spring of 2009... more on that later! ;)
   
   
4. Where did you buy those dress forms?
   I purchased those adorable dress forms (Sara and Walleena) from a display company in CA called, Skyline Display. They have an eBay store, but you can also reach the owner, Peter Moon directly via email at skylinedisplay@yahoo.com or by phone at 213-792-3538 . They are great to work with and ship super fast. I love my dress forms!

I hope I've answered all your questions. If you have any more, please just leave them in the comments section and I will try to do another Q&A session soon. :)

Next up... a show & tell from my sample sewers! Beautiful stuff, check back in a day or two...

Cool Finds
Starting officially today, I will add this as a standard section in my blog where I will feature any "cool items" I find -- "boutique" or not, handmade or commercially produced -- so that my blog readers can check them out and enjoy as well... my way of "spreading the joy" or "sharing the wealth," so to speak. ;)

I have shared special finds here and most recently here, but from now on you'll be able to click on the tag labeled "Cool Finds" to see everything I have featured since the beginning of my blog. YAY!

So, for today I have 3 new "Cool Finds". First of all I'd like to share this amazing necklace that I ordered from Ann at swede-at-heart from eBay. I didn't get a chance to purchase anything from her at X-Mas time so I figured my mom's birthday was the perfect occasion to order some pretties from her store. Well... was I blown away when this arrived at my doorstep! Ann created the most gorgeous sterling silver necklace with the names of my mom's 3 granddaughters hand-stamped on it. My mom absolutely loved it but I couldn't share here earlier because it would have ruined the surprise. ;)



It came so beautifully wrapped too... we both just loved it and I cannot wait to order one for myself. Thanks, Ann!



My second featured item for today is my new set of MOO cards. I recently upgraded to a Flickr Pro account because I wanted to be able to have more than 6 sets and I wanted to be able to upload high res photos and what not. So, with my Pro membership came a pack of 10 FREE MOO cards, so I figured, what the heck? They're FREE. And OH MY GOODNESS, I am in love.



The image quality is superb, printing quality is excellent and they also came so beautifully wrapped. I just LOVE their "mod" packaging... it fits with my "image" just perfectly! ;)



I will be taking them up on their offer and ordering my pack of 100 cards for $19.99... what a deal! These will replace my current biz cards from Vista Print.

And last, but certainly not least, I will share... my lunch today. HA! I wish! (really, I wish I was eating this instead of pretty much anything I can find in my fridge right now!) I promised to take Sophie and Sydney to The Gingerbread House to pick out a couple of new educational toys. Sophie was being rewarded for making it to the next level in swim lessons and Sydney was being rewarded for putting up with one too many photo shoots for myself and Baby Gassy Gooma.



But, I digress... to my utter amazement they picked out these awesome fake food kits from a company called Small World Living. They were only $8.00 each (on sale) so I happily obliged (not only because of the affordable price but also because I couldn't wait to take them home myself and play with them! LOL!)

Sophie chose the sushi set. It came complete with a tray of the most delectable looking sushi & sashimi, some soy sauce, sticky rice, a pair of chopsticks and a little cup for your hot tea. It even has a little wasabi leaf. :) Soooo cute!



Sydney chose the dim-sum platter ... with the cutest little Chinese dumplings, wontons, egg rolls, white rice and even a fortune cookie that opens up to reveal a real fortune! This one also came with a take-out container and it's own set of chopsticks, tea cup and Soy Sauce. :)





Hope you enjoyed my "Cool Finds" of the day.

Like my photos? I sure do. I shot these with my "new/old" lens. I say "new/old" because I have actually had this lens for about 15 years (I got it as a gift from my parents when I first purchased my Pentax K-1000 film camera back in college) and I just didn't know if it was going to work with my digital SLR but ALAS it does! For you photo buffs out there: it is a Quantaray 28mm macro 1:2.8. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about... it means you can get really, really close to your subject... like I was literally 2 inches away from my subject for these pictures and you can still get amazing clarity and sharpness at your focal point and it'll blur the background beyond belief! Oooooh! I love it! :)

I also did apply one of my own Photoshop actions to these photos, so they are not straight off the camera, but pretty close. :)

And how does it do with people? Well, this is the only pic I got of Sydney before she ran off, but I was very pleased with the results. I think I'll keep it! ;)

Fun, Fun, Fun

School's out... AAAAAAAHHH! Hmmm... what to do? what to do? We've been trying to keep busy since school let out last week... enjoying the nice temperatures and having fun with friends. Here are a few pictures of a "picnic at the park" we had last week to celebrate the end of the school year. Check out how much taller Sophia is than all the other girls! LOL! And there is my little Sydney peeking out in the middle (she was so excited to be hanging out with the "big kids")


Then, yesterday, we headed out to our local Children's Discovery Museum for a fun exhibit titled "Japan and Nature: Spirits of the Season". Sophie & Sydney had a blast checking out all the Japanese exhibits and playing with their friends, Jordan & Trenton. Of course, my girls were all decked out in their MODKID originals! ;)


Sophia was so excited to get a chance to dress up in some traditional kid's kimonos. They even had the shoes and parasols to complete the look:

Hmmmm... that's quite a fancy outfit to be going "bug hunting" in...


Even Sydney enjoyed herself at the oversized LEGO table...


That's it for now! Check back tomorrow as I will be listing some super cool Summer outfits that are both, comfy & stylish! :)

Pura Vida!

I have been tagged yet again by Crystal (so*euro) and Kirsten (winipoo) to tell all about my hometown. So, rather than bore you all with fact after boring fact about my current town, I thought it would be more fun to tell you about the place where I spent my whole childhood... my real hometown and also the inspiration for my current line of children's boutique clothing: Costa Rica.

WHERE IS IT?
Costa Rica (literally "Rich Coast") is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south-southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. (it's that little red one shaped like a crab!)


A PEACEFUL COUNTRY
Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Costa Rica is a democratic republic with a strong constitution. It is one of the most stable countries in Latin America. Costa Rica has avoided the violence that has plagued Central America; it is seen as an example of political stability in the region.

VOLCANOES! VOLCANOES! VOLCANOES!
In Costa Rica there are 112 volcanic formations. They belong to the so called Pacific Rim of Fire. Seven of them are considered as active ones. Their activity is connected with fertile soils, which cover the majority of Costa Rica's territory. Their sudden eruptions have caused huge destructions in past years. The highest volcano in Costa Rica is Irazu, the most active is Arenal and Poas has the second widest crater in the world. (diameter 1,5 kilometres).

A SMART BUNCH!
The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96% (CIA World Factbook, February 2007), one of the highest in Latin America. Elementary and high schools are found throughout the country in practically every community. Universal public education is guaranteed in the Constitution. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. There are both state and private universities.

THE WAY WE TALK
Costa Ricans often refer to themselves as tico (masculine) or tica (feminine). The tico ideal is that of a very friendly, helpful, laid back, unhurried, educated and environmentally aware people. Visitors from the United States are often referred to as gringos, which is virtually always congenial in nature. The phrase "Pura Vida" (literally "Pure Life") is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. It encapsulates the pervading ideology of living in peace in a calm, unclustered manner, appreciating a life surrounded by nature and family and friends.

Costa Rican traditions and culture tend to retain a strong degree of Spanish influence. Their spoken accent is rather different than its Central American counterparts. "-ito" or "-ita" are added to many words to make them sound more polite and courteous.

A TREAT FOR THE EYES!
In my search for beautiful pictures to share with you, I ran across this guy's site. OMG, I was blown away by the photography... this guy is a true pro. So rather than stealing a bunch of his pics, I will just send you there. Have fun browsing Deep Green Photography!

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of "my hometown". It is really a gorgeous country to visit if any of you are ever inclined to take an exotic vacation. My family and I are talking about heading down there for a visit next Summer.

Now, I have to tag someone. So to keep the "international flavor" going a bit longer, I will tag my friend Aida (Annabella Designs). Can't wait to hear more about Denmark! :)

Sources: Wikipedia, Kostaryka, Deep Green Photography

City Museum

I was about to do a big hodge-podge posting, but as I was editing all my pictures from the City Museum in St. Louis I decided it warranted its own space. This place was so amazing! I just relived the whole experience while editing pictures tonight.

Sophie, Sydney, Jon & I went down to St. Louis 2 weekends ago to celebrate my niece, Asja's 7th birthday and we were just blown away by the coolness of this place. This picture below is a view from the outside of the museum. It has this wonderful industrial look... very grungy, lots of found objects, recycled city parts, crazy textures and bizarre stuff to look at. The place is like a gigantic maze of metal and rock. As we entered the old building... lots more textures, followed by intense colors and unusual pairing of elements. Here Jon stands in the main staircase with Sydney, who is just mesmerized by the crazy colors of the hand-painted stair banisters.

We went up to the third floor and were escorted by a friend of my sister's to this back room behind a heavy curtain. We walked through a dark corridor that housed an old miniature train engine before the "party room" revealed itself. The kids sat in a circus-like stage and watched intently while a couple of City Museum staff members demonstrated various balancing moves on trapeze and large rubber balls.

Sophie wasn't too sure what to think. She was a bit apprehensive (as you can see in the picture to the right) but eventually tried everything.

Below is a collage of the three girls... from left to right, Sophie, Sydney and Asja (the b-day girl).

The girls had a great time playing together. After the party was over it was time to explore the museum... and WOW! What a place!

There was a room filled with old skating park ramps where kids could swing around on heavy-duty ropes.

There was a bar/lounge type place with sultry red lighting. It had such a decadent feel! I went in to take some pictures real quick but couldn't stay long because we had all the kids with us. I did take a few minutes to go through a fun-house type labyrinth they had set up inside the bar with crazy mirrors and weird bouncy floors. I felt a bit claustrophobic ans I walked through these incredibly narrow corridors lined with metal bars and flashing lights.


Then we explored a bit more. Went down to the first floor where my camera did not leave my face for more than 2 seconds. There was this gynormous surrealistic whale made of , I guess, polished stone? The floors were covered in beautiful glass and tile mosaic and the ceilings had... well, I have no idea what it was ... looked like giant fish scales or something, but nevertheless amazing! We walked inside the whale and came upon yet another crazy labyrinth with pathways that were way too small for any human being to pass through (or so it seemed) but the kids went in & out without any difficulty.

Yes, those are thousands and thousands of metal bread baking pans that line these walls for the most incredible textures!


Sydney sat atop a giant turtle for a perfect photo op.

And if you are wondering... yes, I did not dress the girls properly for this excursion! I didn't do my research prior to this trip, but you can learn from my experience! If you ever go down to the City Museum in St. Louis, dress comfortably! Old jeans, sneakers and t-shirts are the perfect attire or this place. Remember you will be doing lots of climbing and the place is cool but very old and dirty. We were all filthy when we got out of there, but had just an amazing time exploring! We will definitely go back! :)