Hangin’ Out…at Kid’s Klothesline!

Kid's Klothesline Holiday window featuring le•top

In 1996 Tania Yoder, pregnant with her first child, attended a family reunion.  As conversations swirled around her she overheard one of her cousins trying to convince another cousin to take over her children’s shop.  She whispered to herself “I would like to do that.”  Once Tania voiced her inner feelings there was a chorus of support – and her dream moved towards becoming reality.  The original owner helped Tania relocate the store to Perrysburg Ohio, Tania’s home.  Her son Grant was born in September of 1996 and in February of 1997 Kid’s Klothesline of Perrysburg Ohio opened and became an instant hit! 

Over the past 13 years Kid’s Klothesline has evolved in many ways – starting with the variety of collections that Tania chooses.  She feels that one of her boutique’s strengths is providing a wide assortment that ranges from classic and traditional looks that appeal to her favorite customers (‘Grandmas, Grandmas, Grandmas!’) to clothes that keep her girl’s 7-14 regulars coming back until they have ‘outgrown’ the store! 

Kid’s Klothesline’s style has evolved, but its ‘family’ has expanded!  The true secret to Tania’s success is her staff – a caring and loving group that ‘works and plays together!’  Tania cherishes her store manager, Teresa Gagnon Meredith, a treasured fixture since the store opened.  Loyal customers complete Tania’s ‘family’ – and bring her the satisfaction of sharing important occasions and milestones with the members of her community.  She loves seeing the photographs of christenings, 1^st birthdays and first days of school – in special outfits that she helped choose.  “There is nothing better than helping a new grandma select baby’s first outfit!”

Perrysburg Ohio is a beautiful area with a rich history, dating back to the early 1800’s.  The historic shopping district provides a safe and comfortable shopping experience that has an old fashioned feel that does not need to be manufactured.  Tania loves being a part of this supportive and close knit community.  Her favorite time is during the holidays when families come back to town to visit and always stop in to shop and share photos of the extended ‘family.’

Thirteen years ago Tania’s life changed – and as she relates “It’s like being locked into a roller coaster and hanging on for the ride, but loving what I do so much!”  We know everyone loves what you do Tania – keep it up!

If you are near Perrysburg stop in and say hello to Tania and her family!

Kids Klothesline
111 Louisiana Ave
Perrysburg, OH 43551
419-874-5437

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Le Top Funny Fotos: Caption This!

Here’s a NEW contest to tickle your funny bone. Every now and then, we’ll post a photo with a fun challenge to come up with an entertaining and amusing caption. le•top judges will look at the submitted entries and pick the winning caption. The winner will receive a beautifully designed Le Top outfit from their favorite collection.

To Enter – Submit your caption in the comment field below. Entries will be reviewed on September 22nd. The winner will be announced on September 24th.

Here’s the first Funny Foto. Put on your thinking caps and make us laugh!  

Editor’s Note: If you’d like to submit a photo for captioning, please upload your photos here and be considered for Le Top prizes as well!

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She went shopping…and bought the Entire Store!

Hop Skip N Jump's Store Front Along the Old Underground Railroad

Heidi Strimpfel loved shopping at the local children’s store in the quaint and historic town of Springboro, Ohio. When Heidi learned the owner of Hop Skip n Jump had decided to sell the store her first thought was “Where will I shop?” Her next thought was…I would love to make a change in my life – so she entered into negotiations to buy the lovely boutique! Heidi has a background in business, and with her accounting knowledge realized that the little business would be a perfect fit for her talents.

Hop Skip n Jump had been in business for 7 years when Heidi made her decision to ‘jump’ into the children’s clothing business – that was 11 years ago! Heidi has fine tuned the boutique into a desired destination for doting grandmothers and professional mothers who love the assortment and quality of Heidi’s carefully chosen selections. One of the store’s specialties is special occasion clothing. One customer declares “if you’re looking for a christening gown or First Communion gown and everything you’re finding appears to be cookie-cutter and not special, make a trip up to Hop Skip and Jump in Springboro, you won’t be disappointed.”

Heidi and Her Wears

The charming boutique is located on a lovely, tree lined street in Springboro, Ohio – a mecca for history buffs. Springboro, established in the early 1800’s and settled predominately by Quakers, was a major stop on the Underground Railroad. The building that the store occupies was built around the time of the Civil War, is on the National Historic Register and was the town’s original Dry Goods store. Tour groups regularly make a stop to visit the notable site. Heidi loves putting together eclectic merchandise groupings, using an antique display case and the fireplaces that grace every room. Integrating the beautiful merchandise while paying homage to the significant history of the area makes Hop Skip n Jump very special.

Take a stroll through the historic area, and visit Heidi at:
Hop Skip n Jump
220 S Main St
Springboro, OH 45066
(937) 748-9000

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Only the Best for Your Little Lamb

Little Lambs Children's Boutique in Pell City, AL

Heather Adams loves children…so she became a teacher!  When her daughter Anna Beth was born she made the decision to fulfill another dream, also in the children’s arena – she became the owner of a wonderful children’s boutique in town that she heard was closing.  Little Lambs Children’s Boutique in Pell City, Alabama was perfect!  Heather’s dream as a new mother was to spend as much time as possible with her darling daughter – and two years later Little Lambs has become Anna Beth’s second home with mommy.

Little Lambs Children’s Boutique, now open for a total of 14 years, is a fun and happy place.  Heather loved the name of the boutique, and decided not to change it because as she says,

“Children are God’s Little Lambs.”

One of the benefits that Heather loves the most about owning her store, other than spending most days there with her daughter, is the interaction with her customers and the community.  It is exciting to help choose new outfits for special babies or birthday gifts for grandchildren.  She loves being involved with that momentous decision by a new mom-to-be, when they choose their baby’s “coming home” outfit – a truly special day!

Heather’s involvement extends beyond just selling clothing to her customers – she delights in creating special events in the store that brings her community closer.  She hosts pottery parties twice per year – creating ‘priceless’ art – like the impressions of tiny hands and feet that will be cherished for years to come.  During the Christmas and Easter holiday seasons a photographer is in the store to capture wonderful moments with Santa and the Easter Bunny.

Anna Beth and Kaylie wearing le●top Flower Power courduroy print dresses from Fall 2008

Heather makes shopping for the special items at Little Lambs even easier – she has created an online store as well!  You can visit the website at www.shoplittlelambs.com .When visiting this charming website you might want to sign up for the email list; the recipients receive emails regarding preview sales and special events.  Tech savvy customers also receive special offers on Facebook!  Complimentary gift wrapping is just one of the many perks when buying that special gift from Little Lambs – and makes gifting so much easier!

“We feel very blessed to be able to have this business and are so thankful for our customers.  I have been able to make my dream a reality” – Heather Adams

Little Lambs Children’s Boutique
2247 Martin Street South
Pell City, AL 35128

Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday:  10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Creative Baby Shower Gifts: The Diaper Cake

My cousin, Joslyn, is getting ready to have Baby #2 (a girl, Haven Bella) soon and this weekend, we are holding her baby shower! Since I work at a baby and kids clothing company, it’s no secret that most of my baby shower gifts are going to be our gorgeous baby clothes from le•top and rabbitmoon, but sometimes I like to mix it up a little. “Surprise” is a big thing for me, and because my gifts are generally predictable, I like to throw a zinger in there.

• For Jess’ baby shower gift, I put together a HUGE basket of clothes, along with some great products I have come across since being in the industry (Nookie pacifiers, Baby Legs, Pedipeds, etc).
• For Erin T’s, I did the basket and a Starbucks Frappuccino 4-pack filled with clothes instead of drinks. (Erin T. LOVES Starbucks!)
• For Joslyn (since she already had a similar gift with the first baby), I decided my “surprise” would be a diaper cake.

I have come across a lot of these online, but was never sure exactly how they did it. So the other night, I YouTube’d it, and sure enough there was a cheesy – though resourceful – How-To video. I bought the diapers, the ribbon, the jewels, the rubber bands, and the pins (my variation from double-stick tape), and went to work. I had to roll the diapers slightly differently than the video explained because the cute “character scene” on the front was turning my white cake into a blue one. All in all it took about 45 minutes to roll 92 diapers (size 1 & 2) and assemble them in the cake layers; about 30 minutes to put the ribbons and the jewels on; and 5 seconds to lay the shoes on the top as the cake topper.

Remember, this was my first time doing this, and I have learned some lessons:

1. Use ALL white diapers, if possible.
2. There is an advantage to using the double-stick tape (my ribbons are falling down because I only tautly pinned them — and in one place for that matter)
3. I need to figure out a way to secure the shoes on top (double-stick tape?)
4. Use a circular cake stand to start out the bottom layer. My bottom layer is too big for the cake stand.

Have you done a DIY shower gift? Please share your ideas and/or pictures!

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We were Lucky Ducks at the Beach

I have wanted to go the beach ever since the rain had stopped. Two months ago, I randomly picked a Saturday in June and wrote in my calendar “Go to the Beach!” A couple of days before Beach Day, the weather turned gray and it had started to rain. In fact, in some areas it started to hail. I said to myself, “NO WAY! This weather better not ruin my Beach Day.”

Early Saturday morning, we packed our beach gear then left the house. It was a bit chilly, and the clouds partially covered the blue sky, but I was determined. This is MY Beach Day, and we were going to go to the beach—whether it was sunny or not. I didn’t care if we froze out there and caught colds!! Our hour-long drive to the beach wasn’t promising. It had been cloudy all the way there, but as soon as we arrived at my favorite beach spot, lo and behold… It was a gorgeous, sunny day. Blue skies and a warm breeze. We were certainly “lucky ducks” to have perfect beach weather! Maybe it’s because I dressed my children in le•top’s 2009 Spring Lucky Duck and Tiptoe Tulip Ducklings collections. (Haha!) At our next beach trip, I think I’ll have them wear these outfits and see if we can be lucky again with a perfect, sunny day. Have you gone to the beach yet this year?

le•top Tiptoe Tulip Ducklings for girls and Lucky Duck for boys. Click on the image to see all the offerings for both collections.

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Le Top’s Father’s Day Mini-Me Contest: We have TWO winners!

Thank you for all the adorable contest submissions. We were certainly pleased and amused to have seen so many mini-mes. It was a tough one—and still, just couldn’t decide between two entries—so we made them both winners! Congratulations to Latoicha G. and Jennifer H.’s…husbands! 😉 Happy Father’s Day, Dads! Your Mini-Me gets gorgeously outfitted in $100 worth (retail value) of clothes from le•top’s new Fall 2009 Collection. Look for an email confirmation in your inbox soon. Thanks to all who entered…we really appreciate you sharing your fun photos with us!

Submitted by Latoicha G. A true mini-me! This little guy looks just like his dad!

Submitted by Jennifer H. We were tickled pink to see how this little girl spends her day with Daddy.

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A Weekend of…Sleep and Appreciation

Looks like Grandma also took a little nap!

Every year my uncle throws a start-of-summer party in Paso Robles, CA, and it’s always a good time. The week leading up to it, my husband was very sick and just didn’t have the energy to make the three hour trip. Instead of us completely canceling, my parents offered to take Lilah with them. It’s always hard for me to be away from her, but she was so excited to see her grandparents, great grandparents, and other extended family that I couldn’t say no, so I dressed her up in le•top’s Butterfly Wishes top and striped capri pants (party festive!), packed her up and met up with my parents.

Once I dropped her off I realized that my husband and I had the weekend to ourselves. We immediately made plans to go see the new Star Trek movie since we’ve only seen about two in an actual movie theater since her birth (2 ½ yrs ago). On Saturday we did the regular chores but they went so much quicker without our little one around that I had a chance to mop the entire house! I know, the exciting life of a mom, huh? We got in some cat naps, worked in the garden, saw a great movie, and zzzzz slept in zzzzz Sunday morning until 9am. I don’t think we’ve gotten so much sleep since the last time she went out of town which was close to a year ago. Sunday was pretty similar except we managed to watch two videos too. It was heavenly.

Lilah gets doggie kisses

Don’t get me wrong, I thought about her the entire time and every time we did something that she would have normally made a funny comment about or done something crazy, we talked about it and her. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to have the time to appreciate her instead of just being in the thick of it.

I was soooooo happy for Lilah to come home on Monday. I heard all about her adventures with her grandparents, and I’m still hearing about how her grandma painted her toenails and put flowers on them. I guess she partied so hard that she slept in the middle of the party for five hours. Part of me wishes that I had been there for those fun times, but most of me is happy to have caught up on some sleep.

The five hour beauty nap, painted toenails and all!

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Dad and His Mini-Me…Who’re You Callin’ “Mini”?

Those Yellow Turtle gals love our Father’s Day Mini-Me Contest! So, the ever-so-famous MS bike tour presents a related story! Look at the photo below (yes, taken after a looong ride!)…who is the Mini??? The Father or the Son??? The Mini-Me caption really got J.’s attention – apparently it is a joke in her family because, well, Alec is now bigger than his Dad (Bob) – which is why J. asks the question: Which one is the Mini? Is this a trick question, J.? 😉 Tell us, who do you think is the “Mini”?

Meanwhile if you know a dad with a Mini-Me of his own, enter our easy contest for a chance to win an exclusive, “sneak peek” $100 prize of our gorgeous and much anticipated le•top Fall 09 Collection! Just send us a photo of a Dad and his Mini-Me (look-alike), and his Mini-Me gets the fabulous threads! Contest ends on the 19th with a winner announcement.

Look! It's a Dad and his Mini-Me...or is it a Son and his Mini-Me...?!?

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It’s Bikini Weather in Seattle!

Well, maybe not quite bikini weather, but perhaps MONO-kini weather? This little darling shows us how they wear it in the Pacific Northwest. You have to wear clothes UNDER your swimsuit to stay warm. 🙂

This photo was sent in by one of our loyal blog readers, Jennifer from Seattle. Her daughter, Olivia (age 2) is sporting her birthday present — a new monokini from the le•top’s 2009 Strawberry Fields collection.  Jennifer explained that she “had to have something from the Strawberry Fields line” when she saw it featured in our “Swim Classes for Fun, Exercise and Safety” entry on our blog. (She’s a huge Beatles fan and, of course, loves the song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”) When her daughter opened her present, she refused to undress and proceeded to put her swimsuit on…OVER her clothes!

Hey, Olivia! It doesn’t matter how you want to wear it. You still look fabulous in le•top, dahling!

Visit the le•top website and click on “Online Shopping Options” to purchase your own Strawberry Fields Monokini and other outfits (some pictured below) from this fruity collection! Or you can visit our store locator to find a store near you. Whether it’s our online retailers or our walk-in boutiques, you’re in for a treat! OK, so tell us, do your kids have unique ways of wearing their swimwear?

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