Sponsor Giveaway: Simply Silhouettes

OK—have you noticed the wonderful return of Silhouettes?

What is it about those simple, black side views that are so deeply moving.  A silhouette is a declaration of love.  Love for the giver and the receiver.  I remember my mother sat for one a long time ago—oh how I wish I had it today.  Purchasing a silhouette portrait is an investment in a family heirloom.  I plan on getting one done of the Peach and I plan on doing it through Simply Silhouettes.

Angela and her sweetie, the dyanamic duo behind Simply Silhouettes, create a beautiful basic portrait and turn it into something even more delicious, such as jewelry, stunning stationary, wall art and a host of other amazing things that will be the perfect present for Father’s Day as well as gifts for yourself.

Mr. Dottie, turn your head away…  you have to admit that these cuff-links would be an AMAZING Father’s Day present.

And those bottom cuffl-inks—you can change out the silhouette as your child gets older. Genius. Nay. Super Genius.

Simply Silhouette takes this Victorian art form and gives it some very charming twists—such as doing portraits in wonderful different colors like green or a very sophisticated gray.  And Angela takes it out of the frame and into things you use very day—like these adorable trays!

Get a load of this slice of awesome—putting a silhouette on a background of glorious chevrons for the most marvelous iPhone skins.

You must check out their Website and terrific blog which tracks silhouette trends! They are popping up in the most fun places.

Who says it has to be just about the kids?

Hurrah hurrah! Our friends at Simply Silhouettes are doing a great giveaway with us—offering a $50 gift certificate for any products on their wonderful online store!

Also, you can score a 15 percent discount now through June 20th if you mention Modern Kiddo when making your purchase—and you’ll receive a re bate in 24 hours. Woohoo!!!

If you are going to do this before Father’s Day, I suggest you get your order in early as these customized beauties can take roughly 3-4 weeks to create.  And they give great tips on how to take that perfect silhouette photo they need to create a kiddo masterpiece to boot!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment! For a BONUS ENTRY, simply add us to your reader (that little area on our sidebar) or add us to your Twitter feed! We’re @modernkiddo. If you are already a kiddo fan, then RT the contest and you’ll get a bonus entry for that too! (And leave a comment letting us know you did so, please!) Easy peasy!

Contest ends Thursday, May 27th at 11:00PM.

Friday, May 28, 2010

***UPDATE: Winner is Burlap & Blue! Thanks for playing y’all and please enter our next giveaway which will be up next Tuesday!***

Vintage Childhood :: The Muppet Show Tonight!

It’s time to play the music…

It’s time to light the lights…

It’s time to meet the Muppets on The Muppet Show tonight.

I know you know the rest of the song.

1976 might be known as the bicentennial year in US, but I will always think of it as the year the Muppet Show debuted.

I would patiently wait through my father’s mandatory viewing of the CBS Evening News for The Muppet Show.  From the first viewing, I knew this was something different.  This was the sophisticated older cousin to the innocence of Sesame Street. This was the Big Time.

This was what we  call the MUPPET SHOW!!!!!

Has any show been as beloved by the Muppet Show? And every one had their favorite muppet, right?

Like Gonzo?  Man, I loved him.

I’m still not sure exactly what he was, but he was a legend with the ladies. Lady chickens, that is.

You just had to love Fozzy, right? Kermits best bud and although his jokes were at times a touch, er. old, his deliver and smile made it all worthwhile.

Is it wrong to love Fozzy and also love his hardest critics, Statler and Waldorf–those curmudgeons in the balcony that had delighted in nothing more than heckling our hard working comics.

I always had a soft spot for Rowlf. Something about being that piano man/bartender vibe about him that was so comforting. And when he and Fozzy teamed up to sing, well, it was something real special.

And for those who always fall for the nerd, here is your prototype–the precurser to the gents on Big Bang Theory–Munson B. Honeydew was your man. With his hilariously tongue tied helper, Beeker.

And the sketches were actually quite genius. Who didn’t chuckle out loud after Pigs In Space? It did also launch the career of the stunning Miss Piggy, who is not only famous for her black belt in karate, her  wonderful fashion (lavender elbow length gloves–IN!) , and of course her clever yet simple diet tip that helped her keep her girlish figure…”Never eat more than you can lift.”

And you work that career! I wonder what her booking fee is nowadays?

Images via: MentalFloss, TV Acres, Lastfm

And then there was the really edgy rock band, Electric Mayhem, led by the funtastic spider with the gold tooth, Dr. Teeth and his band of misfits, like the wonderous Animal that probably inspired many a drummer who is on the charts today,  as well as Zoot, St. Floyd Pepper and Janice, everyone’s favorite straight haired hippy member of the band.

And they backed up some amazing guest stars!

Like Elton John!

Christopher Reeves!

Harry Belefonte!

Luke Skywalker & CP30!

Don Knotts!

Rita Moreno!

And MUMMENSCHANZ!!!!

Oh, what wonderful chaos.  And all of it managed with utter charm and love by Kermit the Frog. He was the hardest working frog in show business. And with such grace–with a freak out ever so often.

Image via: Halloween Swim Team

Kermit just radiated the sweetness of Jim Henson. Thanks for the amazing childhood memories, Mr. Henson.

Oh Muppets, you’ve been through it all. Movies to fashion. Lunchboxes to live music. You will always be loved.

And Muppet Show is available via Netflix for an easy afternoon of watching. And feel free to dance to the songs with your kids. Because I know I did!  Talk to them about their favorite characters and who the special guest star is.  Remember kiddos have fun when you have fun.  That is half the battle!

What is your favorite Muppet character? What was your favorite sketch?

Have a muppetsational Monday, ya’ll!

PS: Most of the photos are from MuppetWikia. Warning: if you visit that link, I cannot be held responsible for the three hours of lost time you’ll spend on the site.

PPS: This post is dedicated to Muppetgirl.

Vintage Kiddo Mondays: Retro Round Up

Yee haw, it’s Monday lil buckaroos. Let’s take a stroll down the e-thrift shopping aisles. We love vintage because its affordable, it’s eco-friendly (reduce-reuse!) and of course it’s always, always unique and one-of-kind! Shall we get to it friends? C’mon….let’s go!

This sweet play dress has that classic blossom pink and grass green preppy combo that I lerrrrve. It’s like a lil’Lily Pulizer. Love it soooo much. By the way, it would go PERRRRFECTLY with these Miss Trish of Capri sandals from target. And yes, they come in lady sizes and HAIL YES i bought me a pair!!


From our girl Heather at ThreeRingCircus

Hee hee, this Tutti Frutti Cutie is perfect for your Carmen Miranda in Training. So excellent. You can add a little shirt underneath if its cool out, but it’s also just the perfect little summer romper.

From those scounrdrals over at PiratesB00ty!

Look how sweet this little coat is….while it looks a tad fancy, like it went with a matching dress at one time, i think this would look smashing dressed down. Truly, pair it with some jeans or leggings and your girl can race around but still look sassy. The pretty yellow makes me feel like singing “Build me up, buttercup!” except…you know….those are daisies. But you get the jist.

From groovy seller nannasattic

This is the perfect vintage dressie: peter pan collar, puffy sleeves, cute trim and awesome color combos. Dresser up or dresser down!

From ebay seller Casamrin

The only word that’s cooler than SPORK is the SKORT! This skirt/short combo is a sassy as it is practical. Supah! (Hmmm, maybe spork is still a little cooler than skort….what do you guys think?)

Score this from the treasure chest over at PiratesB00ty

Oh man, this is maybe my fave pick today. The shape of the dress is awesome but the Winnie the Pooh fabric is THEE BEST!!!!

From our fave gal LishyLoo Vintage

This pinafore reminds me of something Raggedy Ann would wear to the 6th grade dance!

From the adorable Three Ring Circus. What can I say….the girl has boatloads of cuteness in stock today.

Aww, this red shirt with a pair of Levi’s would make your little man look like the most stylin’ kid on the block.

Grab this cutie from (who else?) 3 Ring Circus.

I love the classic vintage stripey shirt with these cute primary colors….but hellllllo, sassy octopus with the wee sailor hat? Insert hornpipe jig music here (which is me doing the happy dance of glee….).

From those crazy kids at PiratesB00ty

The littlest cowboy shirt for the littlest of sweeties…..luv the lil red contrast buttons and plaid accents.

Score this lil guy over at Baby Come Back

Speaking of plaid, yer fancy little lad will look like Prince Charming in this sweet number:

Grab this lil romper from Piratesb00ty

Aww, it’s a teensy weensy Bobby Brady shirt! You really can’t go wrong with stripes.

From sassy pants Baby Hank.

Well, there’s another bunch of fun vintage goodies. Even if you don’t find something you love here, I hope you’re inspired to go on your own Etsy or eBay e-thrift treasure hunt!

Meet Gia! Our awesome


This is little Gia. Except she’s not so little anymore! She’s a rockin’ seven year old with a great sense of style. While technically we’ve never met, I’ve “known” Gia since she was a really cute lil sprout. When her awesome mama Tammy sent me these pictures I was stunned—WHO IS THIS LITTLE LADY???? Gia has the raddest personality which you can see in all these photos. I should have called this post, “The Many Magnificent Faces of the Lady Gigi”. This kiddo is so expressive, creative and fun. Miss Gia, we luv ya! On with the show….

+ Denim skirt, Gap Kids
+ Pink hoodie sweater, Gap Kids
+ Stripey socks from Mini Boden
+ Converse One Stars, Target

+ Black leggings, Target
+ Blue graphic top, Target
+ Flamenco dance shoes, Hissyfits
Ahhhhhhh! Those polka dot Flamenco shoes? Yeah. I die. Is it wrong to covet a 7 year olds footwear??


+ Baby Blue flower dress, Naartje
+ Sassy sneaks, J.Pierce


+ Dressie, TJ Maxx
+ Denim Capris, TJ Maxx
+ Pink Sweater from The Gap
+ Silver flats, Hannah Montana

+ Black and White Girlie Dress, Polly & Friends (via TJ Maxx)
+ Yes, the dollie’s dress matches. I would have KILLLLLLED for this when I was a little girl!

And then because they were so fabulous, I just had to see those polka dot Flamenco shoes again:


How cute is this girl??? I love how one minute she looks all girlie girl gorgeous and the next she is ready to hop on a Vespa and head over to band practice with her papa!  (as lead singer, of course!) Her mama tells us that Gia loves music, dancing, singing, and acting. She loves playing dress-up and it should come as no surprise that she is a huge Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson fan! Little Gigi also likes playing tennis, playing “school” and hanging out with her dog and her friends. Her favorite TV shows are iCarly and America’s Funniest Home Videos. When Gia grows up, she wants to be a teacher, a mommy and have her own TV show. Hmmm, why do I think this is all probably going to happen?? Thanks Tammy and Molo for sharing your adorable little girl with us!

OH, and pssst! Wanna score those crazy cool Flamenco shoes? Head over to Flamenco Export.

Special note: If you have submitted photos and are thinking, “Lawdy, when is MY cool kiddo going to be featured?” Do not fret, my pet! We have had an *overwhelmingly positive* response to this feature (YAY!) and we’ll for sure get to you! We try to feature kiddo’s in the order submitted, however I reserve the right to mix it up so we don’t have, say a month of only girls or all toddlers etc etc. It keeps things fresh! And for those of you who haven’t submitted, whatch waiting for?? Send us those shots!

Kiddo Bedrooms: Wolfie’s Artfully Hip Space.

Happpppy Thursday friends! So I thought it would be fun to share with you guys Wolfie’s room. It’s definitely evolved slowly but surely from a baby nursery to a big boy room.

When I found out I was pregnant with a little boy I knew I wanted his room to be a little different. Soothing enough that it felt like a sweet nursery, but fun enough to reflect Greg and my love of color. Inspired by a vintage pillow I saw in a shop, we decided to paint the walls a bright robin’s egg-with-a-splash-of-turquoise blue and add some fun poppy orange and white accents.

As Wolfie grew, the room had to evolve. We kept the paint job, but the crib was replaced by an Ikea Big Boy bed (aw, such a rite of passage) and the changing table was swapped for a dresser. This is what it looks like now:

The lamp is a vintage Verner Panton flowerpot lamp we scored at an awesome sale. The dresser is a vintage piece as well. The teensy drawers proved perfect for his little tees and undies, but now that wolfie is bigger, his clothes are bigger too and I think we might need to upgrade to something with bigger drawers!

This little corner was where Wolfie’s crib used to be. The chair is a vintage jobbie and made of a nauga type vinyl (it has a cool atomic pattern on it and is surprisingly comfy!). The lamp is vintage too but I have to tell you the shade is on its last legs. Very sad. The little ottoman dealie was from Target. Greg found that Calder-style mobile—I’m not sure where he got it.

The egg chair below was an IKEA goodie. Kid’s love it, I tell ya! Toy bins from Target.

That horsie is one of my pride and joys. It was a birthday present I gave to greg when I was preggo—it’s a one-of-a-kind piece. Some daddy back in the 50s or 60s took his old Eames chair and fashioned it into a horse for his child. I love it! I’ve been known to sit on the thang too….this is actually an older photo and you can see that we had more toys than books on the shelf. Today, the book shelf is overflowing:

This is a fraction of the books we have. There is a whole bottom row,but I conveniently cropped out the huge pile on the floor that won’t fit on the shelves (yep, sneaky blogger tricks to make you think my house is tidy and not an episode of Hoarders Lite). We love going to book stores and somehow we always end up walking out with one. These are mostly modern books, but I have a really huge collection of vintage kid’s books as well. Actually the bottom right corner are all my old Pop Up Books from the 70s. They’re really fun!

One of my very favorite things about Wolfie’s room is the artwork we have on the walls. I love vintage stuff, so you’ll see a lot of that in there. But Greg is a huge fan of supporting new and emerging artists, so we have some cool modern stuff too. I think there are all kinds of creative ways to decorate a kid’s room.

That kitty is one of my faves, made of thread. The giraffe piece is all mosaic and weighs a ton….but I love how they look together!

Greg bough these. The two on the left are SO COOL. They’re by artist Megan Whitmarsh who is really cool (click that link later to see more of her rad designs). They are teensy small little needlepoints, but the subjects are always cool stuff like breakdancers and bigfoot or darth vader playing guitar. Hee. The dude on the right is by an awesomely talented feller named Marco Cibola.

I found some really cool vintage classroom signage that has “Rules” for little ones to remember. This one always cracked me up. Was showing off in auditorium really a big problem?

The photo above the book case (as well as the photo above the green chair of the little kid playing football) are also vintage. But they’re actually printed on cardboard and, I think, were intended as classroom decorations too. They have photos on both sides (i got them on ebay). I stuck them in some cheap frames from IKEA and people always think they’re some fancy art.

What you aren’t seeing, of course, are the stacks of toys in the closet and a huge train table that now plays home to a monstrous Playmobile Knights and Dragons Castle. You can see the corner of it peeking out below. Hee. See? Sneaky blogger tricks.

So that’s the little man’s room! It’s cozy, bright and fun…..just like mah sweet Wolfie.

Have a great day pals. And for heavens sake, don’t be showin’ off in the auditorium, ok??