events & shop news

We’re still in this fight to save handmade goods for children. Now more than ever, we need your support and your VOTE! If you’ve already voted (thank you SO much), we need your vote again as we have now entered round two of voting at Change.org.

As you may know, the CPSIA passed the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act which goes into effect on February 10th (next month!) and will put many small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and craftsmen out of business.

Ironically, this law was passed in response to the many recalls in 2007 of products from China. But if this law is left as-is, toys from China will likely be the only products readily available to purchase. Small businesses and independent artists who create and sell handmade goods using natural materials, will not be able to comply with the $4000 price tag (per product) to test for chemicals that never existed in them in the first place. They will simply be forced out of business and what will remain are the large mass-manufacturing plants like those in China.

This law won’t just impact artists and craftsmen, it will also make the sale of secondhand clothing, toys and books for children illegal as well (think eBay, Goodwill, and every consignment store you know of).

Crazy, right? The law has good intentions. It just does not consider the broad impact to small business. And now, maybe more than ever, the government needs to preserve small business in America, not destroy it. Simple modifications can be made to the law that will still protect our children from chemicals without eliminating handmade goods and toys in the process. This is what we are fighting for.

The good news? We’re raising our voices and we need you! You can help! Vote for handmade goods! Voting will end on January 15, 2009. We have a very short window, so vote early and please spread the word!

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement! We couldn’t do this without you!

For more information on this cause and links to government websites that outline the full impact of this law, please read our previous post on the topic.

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing all of you full tummies and long naps this turkey day. My crew will be continuing to pound the pavements at Disney World. We’ve got reservations at a Pan-Asian restaurant for our Thanksgiving dinner (Yak & Yeti’s, for all you DW pros). Definitely not your typical Thanksgiving feast. Should be interesting. But I digress…

What YOU want to hear about is The Baby Gardner’s One-Day Sale right? It only happens one day a year and tomorrow’s the big day! Tomorrow only…

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28th — FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS!

Enter promotion code GOBBLE at checkout.

That’s right. No fine print. You want it? You got it. And shipping’s on us. You won’t see this offer any other time of year, so scoop up another helping of those candied yams (sweet potatoes, whatever) and then scoop up the savings tomorrow at The Baby Gardner!

Gobble! Gobble!

I’m sure a lot of us are probably grappling with the personal decision we’ll make in the November election … which got me thinking … why not have a little of our own election fun? The result may not be world peace, but maybe we can spread a few smiles, right?

We’re looking for a new design to include in our exclusive line of birth announcements and shower invitations at The Baby Gardner, and we quickly realized the best way to choose a design was to ask you! Please take a moment and cast a vote for your favorite. The winning design will be developed and adopted into our line! Won’t it be cool to see your votes turn into a real product in our shop? Kinda fun!

Voting will end on Election Day, November 4th, 2008! Thanks for voting!

**VOTING IS CLOSED. THANKS FOR YOUR VOTES! **

We’re pretty excited around here! It’s been an amazing first year! We’re still a ‘baby’ but first birthdays are a huge milestone for every proud parent and their little one. And we’re no exception. So we want to celebrate and thank YOU!

Here’s just a sampling of the festivities all month long…

MAKE A WISH
We’ve had wish requests for more boy items, toddler sizes, monkeys and more. Great news! Your wish has come true! We’ve got so many new items this month, we can’t feature just one! Be sure to check out all the great NEW PRODUCTS. In fact, we’ll be continuing to add new stuff throughout the month, so keep checking back!

PRESENTS GALORE
We’ve got presents! And they’re all for you! Every Friday throughout September we will be hosting FREE FRIDAY GIVEAWAYS right here on our blog! If you haven’t yet subscribed to our RSS feed, now’s a great time to get on the band wagon!

HAVE YOUR CAKE & EAT IT TOO
For all our wonderful e-mailing list subscribers, we’re also hosting a very special SECRET SALE this month! Doesn’t that make you want to rush over and join our super secret club? (*wink*wink*)

And finally, I just want to send a personal, heartfelt thank you to everyone I’ve had the pleasure to meet and work with over this past year. The shop has been a true labor of love and each of you have made it a wonderful experience! I’m looking forward to another awesomely fun year with all of you!

- d

Welcome! The Baby Gardner is privileged to host one of many silent auctions being held today in honor of Stephanie Nielson. We celebrate NieNie today. And our hope is to raise awareness and funds to alleviate some of the financial burden on this precious family — so they can focus solely on the recovery of NieNie and Christian (read our last blog post for more info). Won’t you please join us?

Check out all the silent auctions today and bid like crazy! All items have been donated and ALL proceeds will go directly into the Stephanie Nielson Fund via PayPal.

The Baby Gardner’s auction today includes a bushel of bluebirds for baby. This is ONE auction lot that includes all of the items described here:

1. Bluebird Buddies Crib Shoes: Hand-stitched wool felt crib shoes are loaded with personality with these adorable hand-embroidered baby bluebirds. One-of-a-kind and irresistible, they’ll be the topic of conversation wherever baby goes. (Size: Small; 0-3 months)
2. Bluebird’s Melody Vintage Tote: This is the perfect size tote for always keeping the essentials handy. Vintage embroidery, linens and crocheted trim all add to the charm. Baby bluebird plays a delightful melody on his violin. Turquoise gingham creates the tote straps and lines the interior. (Dimensions: 9”w x 9”h)
3. Bundle for Baby Layette Gown: This little gown is bundled and tied — ready for gift-giving!. Soft combed cotton gown has a charming vintage graphic in the center and crocheted trim. Tied with vintage-style ribbon. Gift card attached. 100% soft combed cotton. Heat-transferred graphic. Elasticized closure at bottom. Mitten cuffs. Machine wash cold, delicate cycle. Tumble dry low. (Size: one size fits most newborns)
4. Bluebird Greetings Note Cards: Set of 6 blank note cards with envelopes. Blank interior. Endless uses as thank-you notes, gift cards, etc. Heart above bluebird reads ‘Greetings’. (Dimensions: 5-1/2” x 4-1/4”)
5. Little Girl Silhouette Gift Tags: Set of 12 oval tags with lovely scalloped edging. The finishing touch for that special gift. This adorable vintage silhouette depicts a little girl playing with her doll.Blank back for your personal message. Cotton twine ties.
6. Momma Bluebird & Babies Burpcloth: 100% cotton feedsack-style burp cloth is oversized and ready for anything. It’s soft, lightweight cotton makes it handy and portable, soft on baby’s skin, and large enough to handle a multitude of spills. Heat-transferred graphic. Machine wash cold, delicate cycle. Tumble dry low.

RETAIL VALUE: $105.00

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BID:

• Please place your bid by leaving your 1) NAME, 2) EMAIL ADDRESS, and 3) BID AMOUNT in the Comments section for this post.
• Please be sure the bid amount you specify is larger than the most recent bid listed in the comments chain. This allows the current high bid to be easily viewed and identified at any time during the auction.
• Bidding will end this evening (Thursday 8/28/08) at 11:59pm GMT. Any bids placed after this deadline cannot be accepted.

IF YOU WIN THE AUCTION:

• Once we have contacted you and confirmed that you have won, please pay your high bid amount directly to the Stephanie Nielson Fund (via PayPal) by clicking the donation link on the sidebar. (Please reference ‘The Baby Gardner Silent Auction’ in the Notes area on PayPal.)
• Please forward the email receipt from PayPal to info [at] thebabygardner [dot] com along with your shipping address. We will then get your package shipped out to you.

GIVEAWAY ENTRY:

• As a small thank-you for participating in our auction, all bidders (even if you are not the high bidder) will automatically be entered in our drawing for a special giveaway gift.
• The winner will receive this White Doves Felt Hat for Baby created exclusively by The Baby Gardner. [Size: 3-12 months; hat circumference: 17"] Winner will be chosen at random. We will contact the winner via email for shipping information.

Thank you all for your generous and caring support of Nie and Christian and their family. We know this outpouring of love will be cherished always. If you have any questions about the auction details or the items in the auction, please feel free to contact us at info [at] thebabygardner [dot] com.

Nielson family photo courtesy of Blue Lily Photography

Stephanie Nielson (known as ‘NieNie’) is a very popular blogger who’s talent, faith and humor has drawn many to her little corner of the internet. I didn’t have the opportunity to know Nie before the accident, but I soon discovered if you don’t know Nie, you probably know someone who does. I can’t tell you how many blog friends I have who have shared stories about what an incredible person she is.

In case you don’t know, NieNie and her husband, Christian, were in a terrible airplane accident just last week. Both of them have severe injuries and will require extensive time to heal, but by the grace of God, they are still with us! They have four small children who are being cared for by family. Insurance will only go so far. Above all else, the family asks for prayer, but we also realize what a financial strain the family will be in.

All of us — those who know Nie and those of us who feel as if we do — want so much to help in whatever small way we can. This Thursday many artists and designers in the blogging community will be hosting silent auctions for Nie and her family. All proceeds from these auctions will go directly into the Stephanie Nielson Fund via PayPal.

Items from The Baby Gardner will be auctioned on our blog this Thursday in honor of NieNie. If you place a bid (whether or not you are the winning bidder), you will also be automatically entered to win a special giveaway from The Baby Gardner as a small thank-you. Winner will be chosen at random. All details for bidding will be posted at the time of auction. Bidding will begin Thursday at 7:00am PST and last until midnight.

Please join us in prayer for Nie and Christian and their family. If you are interested in helping in other ways, you can donate directly to the Stephanie Nielson fund by clicking the link to the right. You can also view a list of links to all the silent auctions by visiting Design Mom’s blog on Thursday.