Monthly Archives: March 2010

Jumping for JonJons

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(Source: History Place)

You know how I feel about the jumper for girls. We’ll I’ve found the equivalent for boys. The jonjon (John John/Jon Jon) romper.

Named after everyone’s favorite John John, this romper is just about the stinkiest cute thing to put a boy in ages and can be dressed up or down.  Dressed up, it’s a nice alternative to the blue shirt and khakis combo.  Since Prepp chic has made a comeback in men’s  fashion,  let’s bring it back for boys too!

Following is a nice selection of jonjon rompers from playful to fancy and everything in between. Perfect for Easter, if I do say so myself!

Bob the Builder enthusiast? Get him this vintage jonjon with tools appliqued on the jauntiest plaid ever! From everyone’s favorite Etsy seller, Baby Hank Vintage.

Etsy seller Pinkdixie makes some of my favorite jonjons ever.

If yer hankering for a real special one for your little cowpoke, take a gander at this one from Pinkdixie.

Blast off to a new world of cuteness with this rocket romper. It’s out of this world! (Sorry, Jody….)

From: Mamajane

Who says jonjons must be a summer thing? Check out this great corduroy one lined with cozy plaid and darling pines on the front.

(From RoomtoRomp)

I don’t monkey around with smocking–but I would with this adorable jonjon with smocking by Claire & Charlie.

(From Best Dressed Child)

And my new favorite Etsy seller Strawberry RicRac has done one of the cutest jonjon ever with cars! Vroom vroom! Strawberry RicRac also has a great selection of jumpers too, FYI.

Now, although these are for boys, don’t be shy with putting them on your little girls!  Here’s the Peach in a fun vintage romper I bought ages ago. it has the best fabric–numbers!

Here’s a close-up of the fab numbers.

Kinda cute, eh?

Oh baby, it’s Wednesday.

Baby Kiddo, Widdle Wednesdays, , , , , , , ,

Being the mom of a spunky 5 year old, I don’t often get to look at the baby section. Dottie and I were chatting the other day and I mentioned I felt like I was neglecting our teeny readers. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a day focused just on the bebes? And that’s when Dottie came up with the most genius name ever. So I’m ever so pleased to introduce a new feature over here at Modern Kiddo:

Aw yeah! Yup, today we’ll be talking all things baby. I’ve rounded up a collection of super cutie things for you that can’t help but make ya smile. I love bright, bold colors, so that’s what made me extra happy on this fine spring day. For example, look at this amazingly cute combo from Kit+Lili, available at artebebe:

The black polka dots give it just a little bit of edge and that red frock is adorable. I also love these little graphic prints. True the owl is a bit ubiquitous, but this is a pretty sweet version:

One of the cutest brands for little boys is Mini Boden. They do an amazing job of creating fun clothing for boys. Of course their little girl’s clothing ain’t too shabby either. I warn you, you’ll be sucked into their crazy cute world….


Houston, we have cuteness. I really loved the 70s photo-realistic silkscreen on these groovy onesies, available at Retro Baby. Wolfie would have loved the rocket launch (kind of reminds me of the old skool “I want my MTV” promo!) and little kahuna’s everywhere will love the surf romper, when they hit the beach this summer:

OK, why is it that little things are just so much cuter?? Check out these insane little booties….red, wingtip, FABULOSITY Currently on sale from Jacadi.

For you rock-n-roll parents out there, take a look at these two goodies from Psycho Baby. Who says babies can’t wear black?? I also like their playful take on the skullie motif!

If you’re a crafty type you can make these gorgeous little shoes yourself. Just check out the tutorial from the crafty geniuses at  Sew, Mama, Sew!

See Kai Run has amazing shoes and these little golden t-straps would be adorable on your little miss:

These Scandanavian prints are all the rage lately, and I’m still not tired of them. Find these and even more psychidelic awesomeness at Ittikid’s online shop.

Some of these items are a bit more spendy, but the awesome news is that these days you don’t have to spend a fortune on . Now you can scoop up totally brilliant prints for as low as $6 at your friendly neighborhood Teerjit. Look at that adorable bicycle Pedal Power shirt!

OK OK, that’s just my fancy name for Target (makes it sound like some hot Euro brand, haha). I’m loving all the fun graphic prints they have been featuring lately. We’re also big fans of Small Paul by Paul Frank, and their Paul Frank for Target is crazy affordable and cute as can be.

These Dwell Studio for Target picks also are amazing and look like they cost much more than $9.99-$12.99, lemme tell ya.

And of course, how could we neglect to give a tip of the hat to the line that is allll the rage, Liberty of London at Target?? The pieces are all extremely cute and have great detailing on them. This little romper even comes with a wee sun hat. And those sandals (while not Liberty) are a steal at only $10!

That’s all for this edition of Widdle Wednesdays. What do you guys think? More baby? Shall we celebrate the tiny treasures every Wednesday? I’m up for it if you are! Shoot, I don’t even have a baby, and all these things still make me smile.

Sweet, Neat and Eco-Chic

Eco-Kiddo, Kiddo Style: Modern, , , ,

As our old friend Kermit the frog always said, “it’s not easy being green.”  But never fear, your Modern Kiddo gal pals have found some great eco kid clothing lines that remember to keep that cute factor dialed up to 11.

Our first featured designer is UK-based  Floppy Buddha.  This Floppy Buddha’s sassy designs are not only good for the soul but for the world using Oeko Tex dyes on 100 percent organic cotton. BTW, cotton is one of the most toxic-ridden commerical crops out there, so it is one of the key crops to keep pesticides down. But fortunately Floppy Buddha keeps the fashion up, with gorgeous designer prints that are fun and have a nostalic feel that would look great on any baby.

Check out this adorable printed onesie with moose, rabbits and squirrels to create an almost rococo pattern.

I am in love with this jumper made of the most delicious dog tooth print ever.  Oh and the dogtooth print is ACTUALLY MADE OF CATS. Genius! Nay. Super genius!

Panda bear cuteness anyone? If you insist… But only if the nose is a heart! Check and check!

Floppy-Buddha is giving Modern Kiddo readers a great deal on free shipping if you write ModernKiddo in the promo code!

Dadoo Kids is another eco-chic line started by , designer Christine Miller Kelly who was inspired to develop a line of playful, modern, and super comfortable children’s clothing that simultaneously celebrates the joy of being a kid (no rush to look like an adult!) and the realities of day-to-day play.  Kelly has chosen particularly soft and eco-friendly organic cotton and bamboo blends to create a line of knit clothes without closures, and have elastic waistbands so they move easily and comfortably with each little body in action.

Here are some of my favorite pieces:

This print is so deliciously beachy that you can just imagine the little tawny girl running across the beach in this infinitely wearable little dress.

I love the comfy raglan t-shirt with little helicopters on it–don’t you?

But I saved the best for last–these long shorts have built in knee pads for your little surfer to be! Worn with this great hammerhead t-shirt which you could wear all summer long.

And best of all, Dadoo Kids is doing a special sale–40 percent if you use the promo code Spring40 at checkout. Sweet!

What is an outfit without shoes? Well, baby shower perennial, Robeez just launched its eco-friendly line of baby and toddler shoes without giving up an inch of its famous super cute design. Get a load of this!

Ladybug and t-strap!

Citrus mary jane!

Trees of cuteness!

Stop the madness, before I turn my baby into Imelda Marcus, Jr. FIE!

Vintage Fun :: Valley of the Paper Dolls

Best of Dottie, Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff, , , ,

(source: Flickr Peppermint Kiss Kiss)

Summer wasn’t summer without a visit to my grandparents’ house.  What made it particularly fun was that I spent the week with all of my female cousins in a whirling weekend of hopscotch, ice cream truck forays and re-enactments of Charlie’s Angels. When it got too hot to do anything and just standing outside would lead to sweaty bangs, my cousins and I would sit on the stairs landing inside in front of the air conditioner and play with our paper dolls for hours. I think paper dolls were what piqued my interest in fashion. That of course and watching perhaps one too many Dance Fever episodes…

You don’t see many paper dolls around any more, which is a real shame. But they’ve been around for ages.  According to Kovels, the collectors’ bible, paper dolls were probably inspired by the pantins, or jumping jacks, made in eighteenth-century Europe. By the 1880s, sheets of printed paper dolls and clothes were being made. The first paper doll books were made in the 1920s. Collectors prefer uncut sheets or books or boxed sets of paper dolls. Prices are about half as much if the pages have been cut.

This paper doll looks like she’s traipsing through the quad at Vassar in 1958. (image via Black Watch)

Why have only one paper doll, but two with Twins! It’s almost like they are twin Brooke Shields with this stunning wardrobe.  Straight from the pages of Young Miss! (from Etsy seller, Eveyln’s Alcove)

I have completely fallen in love with the Swedish paper dolls Kattis Klippdockor from the Swedish magazine Aret Runt that ran for decades in the magazine.

(image via: Sally Jane Vintage)

I wonder if that’s where McCall Magazine got the idea to create the wildly popular Betsy McCall paper doll series, which you can download today thanks to several sites like  Teri’s Paper Dolls.  Talk about the dream vintage girl wardrobe…

I love the celebrity paper dolls.

TV ones are my favorite like this Jody and Buffy one from Family Affair. Just look at those outfits. I’d kill for that raincoat!

Clearly the marketing folks over at ABC were smart enough to cash in on the awesomeness of Marlo Thomas from That Girl.

(images via: TV Acres)

Most celebrity paper dolls make sense–like of course Elizabeth Taylor.

(image: 2008 Paper Doll Convention Archives)

Some are rather head scratchingly bizarre.  Er… Mr. Kotter?  Awkward.

How telling is it that my celebrity paper doll of choice in my childhood was the Gilda Radner one. No lie!

What was your favorite paper doll?

Vintage Kiddo Mondays: Retro Roundup

Kiddo Style: Vintage

Is it me or did this weekend just fly…FLY by?? This week our e-thrifting journey is definitely inspired by the 1970s. We’ve got lots of color and fun for you…and to set the mood, I’ve taken the liberty of selecting a song for you to listen to as peruse our collection. OK, are you ready? Let’s hit the e-thrifts!

First up, I give you this adorable A is for Apple dress. Lawdy it’s cute! And you know what they say— a vintage dressie a day keeps the ho-hums away. It’s true people.

Buy this QT from Etsy Seller birds and black fawns

OK, I usually eschew the sport-themed duds on little boys. It’s actually a bit of a pet peeve of mine. But ya know, never say never….because I think this lil cardy is brill!! I think it would look so dang cute with a pair of Lil Levi’s and Converse.

Score this retro sporty wonder from Etsy seller OhSydney.

Connect the dots time! We begin with a sweet little A-line jumper…add an adorable blue and white spotted pattern….add two darling lil buttons on top….a set of pleats on the front…now all we need is YOUR CUTE KIDDO wearing this thing!!


Grab this sweet dressie from little veggie vintage.

Imagine me and you, I do
I think about you day and night, it’s only right
To think about this CRAZY LITTLE SUIT you love and hold it tight
So happy together….I can’t see me lovin’ nobody but you…

Inspired by The Turtles. Available at Etsy seller PoppyandBean.

Ahhhhhhh! By the powers of Strawberry Shortcake and all that is wholesome, I give you this berry berry cool jacket. It’s more 80s than 70s, but I swear if they made it any bigger I’d be wearing it myself. And you can bet your bottom dollar I’d be storing my Dr. Pepper chapstick in that big strawberry pocket!!

Like wow. Make it yours with Ebay Seller Obsessed with Vintage.

This next lot is totally rad. I’m only showing you two pieces, because really….two is all you need to sell you on this collection of cute. Green polka dot jumpsuit? Oh yeah. There’s also two smocked pieces, a sailor suit and a little red shift with elephant trim—SEVEN pieces total. The starting bid? $9.99. Uh yeah…ain’t e-thriftin’ grand??


Get your hands on this yummy lot via Ebay seller Charm City Cache

Hee hee. I love a good 70s applique…and this one is no exception. I mean, what’s better? The fact that the crazy fish is drinking or the fact that he’s drinking out of a ginormous straw?? Either way, this is pint sized 70s goodness. I believe it’s for a boy, but would be just as cute on a girl.


Swim on over to Etsy seller OhSydney for this one.

Great groovy go-go boots, this little hotpants summer romper is adorable. I can see it with some cute pigtails and lil sneaks (maybe even tights??). The built in belt is always a winner…

Watusi your way over to Etsy seller The Last Hurrah.

This rad little jumpsuit is totally like the kid brother of Rainbow Brite.  It’s got color. It’s got the applique. It’s got magic JUMPSUIT action!

Get this awesomeness from our favorite little Pippi’s mama over at 3 Ring Circus vintage.

And finally, the Piece de résistance. The ultimate in 70s cool….the Mickey Mouse Roller Boogie Rollerskates. Oh yeah people. Suddenly that song I made you play at the start of this lil shopping jaunt makes a lot more sense, huh.

Shoot the duck over to Etsy seller hippiejo74.

Yup. I think it’s going to be a good week people. Oh and say, if you make a purchase be sure to tell those sellers you got the Hot Tip from Modern Kiddo! (we don’t get a kick back or anything, just tryin’ to spread the luv!)