Playhouse Finds New Home

Last Saturday, our day for chores, grocery shopping, gardening and the like, was pleasantly interrupted by a call from a close family friend. His family member was moving to Washington and had a playhouse her kids had outgrown; could we use it?  Our response: “Love to!”  The next thought: “Where will we put it?” Our smallish yard is pretty full with our large edible garden, flowers, patio furniture, lots of gardening equipment, a grill, and lumber for an upcoming fencing project!

I tend to live by Tim Gunn’s motto of “Make it Work.”  A few hours and an aching back later everything was in its new organized place and our yard actually looked bigger! Our friend showed up with the pieces of the house and by the time Lilah woke up from a much needed nap she had a new playhouse. She was so excited to have a ‘new home!’  We put potted roses outside the kitchen window to give it a homey feel – it’s perfect!!! Lilah loved it so much that, even though the fog had rolled in and a cold wind blew through our yard, she insisted we have a tea party. Luckily one of the walls pulls back to make it an indoor/outdoor dining table so I could be in the house without actually being “in” the house. I know she will get years of enjoyment out of this little abode. I am grateful we can enjoy the playhouse, rather than adding to the landfill!  Tea Anyone?

Read Full Post »

New York, New York!

If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,
It’s up to you, New York, New York.” – Kander and Ebb

le•top Booth

Every August le•top debuts the new Spring collection at the New York Children’s Club Show – one of the most exciting (and anxious) times of the year for us.  After working on designs, fabric development, go-see’s (a warm thanks to all that responded to our call for ‘Cuties!’) and photo shoots we were finally ready to present the Spring 2010 collection to buyers and owners of the fabulous stores that carry le•top.

Cute as a Button Fall 2009

Ta-Da!!!

The moment had finally arrived when we were able to see reactions to the results of all our hard work.  The verdict is in and…THE SPRING 2010 COLLECTION IS THE BEST WE HAVE EVER CREATED!

Some of the comments we heard during the show:

“It’s all so cute; I don’t know what I am not going to buy!”

“I love the bright colors!”

“This is just what I dreamed you would do!”  (really!!!)

After all the hard work we were ecstatic to hear our retailer’s enthusiasm!  What brought about the smiles and excitement?  Really great groups, including classic Ducks for boys and girls, Grasshoppers that Hip Hop, bouquets of beautiful Flowers and a whole menagerie of our famous Monokinis!  Everyone can look forward to an endless summer of fun – arriving at retailers in January of 2010.

Walking with Dinosaurs Fall 2009

But don’t wait for next summer!  Fall 2009 is here!  The new le•top and rabbitmoon fashions for fall are arriving at your local boutique every day!  The phones are ringing with re-orders as our retailers sell the cutest kid’s clothes on the planet…and beyond!  Check out some of the top sellers from Walking with Dinosaurs and Cute as a Button!

We had a terrific trip to New York!  Our booth at the Children’s Club show looked great after we put up wallpaper, assembled tables and chairs and steamed and fluffed our samples.  The excitement of hearing the praise for our new creations was our reward…and the reward of experiencing New York City life for a week!  Coming to the blog next week we’ll share our experiences at some of the fabulous restaurants we visited!

Read Full Post »

Our Winner of le•top’s Mother’s Day Presents Contest: Jen G.

This entry made us laugh and cry all at once. Thank you for submitting your wonderfully heartwarming and funny story! Look for an email in your inbox!

As told by our winner, Jen G.:

A hand-colored heart, to which the first pack of gum was taped...

A couple of years ago, my then-5-year-old daughter asked what I wanted for Mother’s Day.  Since money was tight, our house was a mess (in part because we had too many “things” already), and I honestly couldn’t think of anything I needed or wanted anyway, I just asked that she and her brothers make something for me.  Pre-school was always great about helping the Kids make gifts, and I treasure all of the holiday items they’ve made through the years.  Apparently my Kids were more observant than I gave them credit for because, when I arrived at daycare to pick them up one afternoon, I noticed a big poster board on which the teachers had written responses to “What does your Mommy want for Mother’s Day?”  There were nearly 20 responses, each one-upping the last:  “Dinner; Dinner in a restaurant; Dinner and a Show; Spa Day; Weekend in Tahoe; Earrings; Diamond Earrings; Hearts on Fire Diamonds; A Convertible.”  Then I saw my Kids’ entry:  “Gum”.  It was perfect, not only for the should’ve-been-embarrassed-but-was-actually-quite-proud grin I couldn’t get off my face the rest of the day, but because I really do love gum.  Flowers are temporary, fashion is fleeting, but gum has the shelf-life of Twinkies, which means it’ll be around forever.  When I no longer have the teeth to chew it, I’ll still have a big, silly grin on my face every time I find a pack of gum tucked away on a shelf in my closet, next to the half-painted jewelry box from 2008, the scented homemade bath salts from 2004, and the small, multi-colored, possibly ceramic blob from 2003.  Maybe this year I’ll get cinnamon.

...on the back side, Anna (5) signed her name and Freddy's (3), and my husband traced Jeffrey's (1) hand.

Read Full Post »