Like many others I love the lore and images of Coney Island past. The park’s heyday is generally considered to have been from the 1890’s to the early 1900’s during the run of it’s most famous attractions Luna Park (1903-1946), Dreamland (1904-1911) and Steeplechase Park (1897-1907, 1908-1964). There are continually waves of discussion about redevelopment and revival which (fingers crossed) will actually pan out one of these days. But the idealized loop that runs in my head continues to feature salt water taffy, the magic of early electric lights, amusement rides, bathing suits that cover everything from the knees up and fantastic old signage hawking everything from side shows to hot dogs.

New kids shop on the web Silly Wagon carries these great tees and dresses (along with allot of other ridiculouly cute stuff!) featuring distressed graphics that look like they could have been lifted off the now fading and peeling marquees and billboards of Coney Island present. Vintage photos and postcards are from the Coney Island Pages, an online resource with more extensive history and images than I’m able to cover here.

And what’s this? A giveaway?!

The fine folks over at Silly Wagon are offering up a couple of their generously sized, handmade cotton canvas totes (see below) for hauling around all of your carnival prizes and souvenirs. Actually, they’re a great substitute for plastic grocery bags and are heavy duty enough to withstand countless trips to the library!

Simply comment on this blog post by midnight on this Wednesday August 8th and I’ll randomly draw two winners to be announced on Thursday. Easy right?

There is a great little Scottish shop that I love called Papa Stour. They specifically feature the handcrafted work of Scottish artisans and while not specifically a children’s store there are a number of things that would look fantastic in a nursery or would make really lovely shower gifts. It’s a very manageable site and as such I haven’t listed individual links for all of the many products featured below.  However, a few of the highlights are the gorgeous blankets by Kate Samphier knit from Geelong Lambswool, the terrifically simple and elegant hangings created from beach nuts and limpet shells strung on hemp - an option to the traditional mobile, and the adorable handmade cards of Claire Nicolson.

Do you consider your umbrella as a part of your wardrobe? I was in a little conundrum as to which merit badge category this post should fall into. Categorizing dilemmas aside, I am thrilled to share what I believe to be the cutest umbrellas ever! A bold declaration, but look at these examples from the French company Vilac and disagree with me. Can’t do it, can you? Top contenders for my favorite are the little pig with a sailor cap, the duck with the funnel shaped bill and the red burro/donkey/horse with the floppy ears. And remarkably these are just a sampling of the many designs available that will have your kiddo hoping for summer showers. Click here to see a list of online shops that carry Vilac products.

Argyle. It’s one of those classic pattern motifs that’s recycled and reinvented every few years. Like everyone in the 80s, I had my fair share of argyle sweaters and matching socks. And while I admit to having little if any argyle in my home at the moment, Los Angeles designer Robyn Murgio is giving us all a reason to reconsider this predicament. Murge Designs has recently made a foray into children’s design including a trio of charming argyle colorways applied to everything from bedding to bibs to diaper bags. Pay a visit to the Murge Designs website to see their full product range and list of retailers.

Step aside Robin, move over Jimmy Olsen and make way for my favorite new sidekick Wonderboy. One of the reasons I’m lovin’ this fella is because he’s hung up his cape and tights and is sporting beautifully patterned button-ups, slim-fit jeans and really groovy belts.

Actually Wonderboy is one of the smartest lines of clothing I’ve come across which has been designed exclusively for boys (infant to boy 10). There is no end to cute little girl clothes, but well designed stuff for guys is surprisingly hard to come by. The company’s tag line is great, “Modern Dads are envious Moms are relieved.” And you know what? It’s true. I’m finding myself oddly fixated on finding an adult version of their patterned Western style button-ups or the chocolate brown shirt with the retro tux ruffle. Ahhh, to be a Wonderboy.

Find this great line at some of my favorite online shops such as smallconcept.com and modernseed.com or find a brick and mortar shop near you in their retailers section.

It appears that Mother Goose is not just rhyming these days, she’s rockin’. Based upon his stage play “Musical Mother Goose,” writer/director Richard Snee has created the world of Mother Goose Rocks! With an entire cast of make-believe musicians, MGR parodies a wide range contemporary pop rock in their series of five cds and dvd compilation of animated videos - like the one below. Madonna’s Ray of Light meet Mad’Donna’s Wheels on the Bus.

And if you find Junior enjoys rockin’ out to Camptown Races and O Susanna you may consider adding groupie/roadie wear to his wardrobe. Crib Rock has combined the quintessential concert tee and the greatest hits of classic nursery rhymes. Whether a Little Bo Peep groupie on her White as Snow Tour or a fan of everyone’s favorite boy band Three Blind Mice and their Carving Knife Tour, Crib Rock has onesies and tees to fit infants, toddlers, big kids and tweens.

2007 marks the 80th Scripps National Spelling Bee and at the end of this month 286 boys and girls will descend upon Washington D.C. to vie for the position of Spelling Champ. I’ve always had an affinity for big words and while weary of onesies with witty sayings the whoppers on these SATees brought a smile to my face.

1. gregarious / gre·gar·i·ous, adjective, fond of the company of others; sociable.
2. loquacious / lo·qua·cious, adjective, talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling.
3. blithesome / blithe·some, adjective, lighthearted; merry; cheerful.
4. dilatory / dil·a·to·ry, adjective, tending to cause delay.
5. puerile / pu·er·ile, adjective, childishly foolish; immature.
6. taciturn / tac·i·turn, adjective, inclined to silence; reserved in speech.
7. indefatigable / in·de·fat·i·ga·ble, adjective, incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.
8. pulchritudinous / adjective, pul·chri·tu·di·nous, physically beautiful; comely.

Feeling astute? Ready for more? Exercise your smarts with these family-friendly ‘bee movies’: Akeelah and the Bee and Spellbound.

I’ve long been a fan of Threadless for big kids. And while they’ve always made a few of their designs available in littler sizes, they’ve recently taken the plunge and launched Threadless Kids!

Given that my sense of humor is a little off and considering my general aversion to big brand logos on clothing I’m really pleased that there are alternatives like Threadless in the marketplace that don’t create walking billboards of our kiddos. And what bumps these designs up a notch in my mind is the fact that they’re vetted by the masses. Hundreds and hundreds of artists and designers submit illustrations to Threadless annually, which are then voted in or out by the public. Only those with the highest levels of popularity actually make it to print, making it an ongoing design competition. Brilliant.

You’ll find most of the kid’s designs are available on onesies from 3 to 24 months and on tees sizes 4 to 12. New deigns made available every week. Unisex tees are $17. and onesies are $20. Following are a few of my current favorites (read from top to bottom).

Biblical Disaster;

Lil’ Soap;

Eclipse!;

Calling Home;

The Optical Illusion Kid;

Loch Ness Imposter.

Ahhh, April showers. And who knows rainy weather better than the Pacific Northwest? The Washington Shoe Company was founded in 1891, making it one of the Seattle area’s oldest companies. They began their business by selling rugged work boots to the thousands of men trying to make their fortunes in the harsh conditions of the Alaska Gold Rush. 100+ years later they’re still designing and manufacturing boots and shoes for adults with the addition of a children’s line called Western Chief Kids with shoes, accessories and some really fantastic rain boots.

Junior’s going to stomp in those rain puddles whether you want him to or not. Save yourself the trouble of yelling out the kitchen window every five minutes and let him pick out a pair of 100% waterproof natural rubber boots. They feature deluxe non slip soles, pull handles for easy on and off and for most styles there are coordinating raincoats, hats and umbrellas. Best part? Each pair is less than $25.

Ok, the following are not meant to be waterproof but I couldn’t help including Western Chief’s suede character shoes. I so need an adult size pair of those monster mocs!

Contemporary charm bracelets by designer Jodi Bloom have me wishing that my niece was of a jewelry wearing age (she’s only one), but for now they’re waiting high on the wish list. What I love about these beauties is the manner in which they’re created to tell a story, often referencing classic children’s literature and films. A self-identified compulsive collector Jodi’s bracelets are absolutely packed with amazing vintage and contemporary baubles and sterling silver hardware. View the entire collection at So Charmed and learn more about the artist in her StyleMaven interview.

Listen to NPR’s interview History on a Wrist with charm bracelet designer Tracey Zabar, author of the book ‘Charmed Bracelets’. Zabar provides a history of charm bracelets and “famous charmers” (Jackie-O, Duchess of Windsor) along with a primer on assembling the perfect charm bracelet. Gorgeous photographic illustrations throughout