Apparently my niece isn't the only one who feels formal wear (a la Ariel and her ilk) is always apropos! In the new USWeekly (the July 14 issue), the back page Fashion Police "extra" (such a glee-providing guilty pleasure) is resplendent with regal mini-celebs decked out in all their finery.



From left to right, the above are Coco Arquette, Sam and Lola Sheen. (Don't you just love the variety of footwear choices?)

Little Leni (Heidi Klum's daughter) actually worked two flowy flouncers in the feature. This frilly violet number complete with long gloves...



and this aquatically themed tour de force.



Go pick up a copy of the issue and see which whimsical wee one shares your she-tot's taste. If you have a photo of your petite princess you'd like to share, by all means, do it! Pop over to our "Baby Fashion" forums and share the chic.

Awaiting the onset of "princess," I remain yours--
Allie

PS - The cover story of the issue is the split rumored between Madonna and one of our recently declared top celebrity pops, Guy Ritchie. What do you think?

Michael Stipe and Kate Pierson's harmonies aside, I don't know too many people who are truly happy when they are seriously shiny.

With a weekend of outdoor-heat, moisture-magnifying activities ahead, and the added necessity of toting voluminous supplies to maintain my munchkins on the go, what a find these M.A.C. blotting films are!

Compactly encased in a matte (the goal for my summer skin!) silver case that fits handily in the front pocket of my double duty diaper bag, discreetly daubing my sheen-sensitive zones has never been so easily achieved. 


Here's to keeping the glare coming from red rockets ONLY this Fourth!
--Allie

PS - Do you have a summer strategy item to make your life as a Mama more beautiful? Pop onto our forums and let us know!

Nightly neighborhood pram promenades with our pair don't typically merit dragging along the diaper bag. Yet whenever away from the comforts of home -- even if it's only a few yards -- maternal wisdom mandates having a few emergency items close at hand -- or as I've discovered, readily accessible when suspended fetchingly from my left wrist! (Of course if you are left-handed, you can suspend this li'l beaut just as easily from your right wrist!)

Moyna's florally patterned tote helps me feel one with the pretty paths we travel; and with their extensive collection available online, I anticipate a future as quite the bag lady!

And actually, I see myself finding gift items there, too...how's about this these beaded change purses for Syd?

Would opine longer, but think I'll go shop online a bit instead... 
If you take a peek at their offerings, chime in and tell me your fave finds!

Peace and purses--
--Allie

PS -- Have you visited our forums lately? More and more mamas are chiming in on the discussion...be one of them!

 

Oh, Summer Sun.

Giver of warmth. Lender of light. Endangerer of skin.

Our family, fair of complexion, and unfortunately aquainted with skin cancers, takes no chances with our dermis. Even though we are religious in our application of sunscreen (SPF 50, thank you), I've discovered even well-protected skin is often dried and weathered by the season's heat.

Prior to discovering this precious little present...



...my apres sun ritual simply consisted of a generous slathering of aloe. Now, shea butter and lotus milk moisturize my skin; and I since I refuse to acquire "color" from the sun's rays, a generous golden glow is imparted via Agent Provocateur's Midas-pleasing particles.

Shine on, sans damage!
--Allie

PS -- Speaking of summer "leisure," did you see Eliza's new find for Ben? Go check it out!

The arts and crafts movement. John Ruskin. Willliam Morris. The late 19th-early 20th century British (and global) response to industrialization wherein a renewed appreciation was bestowed to items handcrafted. Consumers sought handmade furnishings, books, objects of all kinds to support artists who endeavored to keep creativity humanized...not mechanized.

The 21st century is not devoid of handcrafting masters; nor consumers who appreciate their efforts and handiwork!

Behold the wallpaper wonderments hand-cut by Hugh Dunford Wood and printed for contemporary cottages...or modern mansions! Juxtapositions of bold color pairings -- fuschia and tangerine, for instance -- fill designs inspired by centuries gone by with titles like "Tudoroll" and "Cardoon." Love the look, but don't see a pattern that you're passionate about? Consider commissioning a look uniquely you.

Art history is being made daily. Be a part of it!

Now about my dining room....
---Allie

PS -- Have you found a lovely find that has you fired up? Share your secrets with other interested women on our Forums!

...deserves real rock.

All the rock talk this week has me contemplating the variety of contexts and meanings of the word. (Did you read this week's Dish?)

That said, have you discovered this source of genuine rock artifacts? No doubt your man has his own guitar hero. Possess a piece of the persona. Rock Star Guitars can make it happen.

Need to go search Keith Richards; after all, I need his (Mai and Ringo's daddy's) love to keep me happy---
--Allie

Angelina Jolie and I have more in common than twin offspring! Reading the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (upon which she is the stunning cover girl) this afternoon, I discovered her machine gun pendant is a gilded gift (commissioned by none other than her partner, Mr. Pitt) based upon a drawing by six-year-old Maddox! (As the aunt of a six-year-old boy, it seems weaponry is quite the common fixation.)

 No matter your feelings on firearms, the touching token looks lovely 'round her neck...

[The photo is from EW, taken by Vincent Peters]

Want to immortalize one of your little artist's masterworks? Check out my picks from earlier this year -- and scroll down to April 30th to learn how!

Best wishes to all for a Happy Father's Day!
-Allie

 PS - Do you have a tasty trinket you'd like to dish on? Pop over to our "Bejeweled and Bedecked" forum, and share!

...and he's requesting a new throne.

He's got a super-cushy, over-stuffed leather club chair in his manly mind; but really -- with my penchant for green -- how can I resist these?

The sleek design, the richly-toned rosewood, the fact that there's a companionate (and seemingly equal in stature) chair awaiting his "Queen" --
Sure, I'll seek out a Papa-pleasing option more congruent with his current mindset, but this mama may just purchase this set of seats as well! 

Sit on it, Popsie!
-Allie

PS - Did you see the top-notch timepiece Syd found? Go check it out! (And see if you can figure out that infernal riddle she closes with that has me baffled!)

Hole-y Happy Father's Day, Daddyman!

Perhaps Papa isn't quite pro-circuit caliber in his golfing capabilities, but who says he can't swing with the celebrities? The 28th Annual Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament is scheduled for Labor Day weekend -- the proceeds from which will benefit 18 children's charities.



Why not pre-register Duffer Daddy and tuck a note to that effect in a home-made, fingerpainted Father's Day card?

Branford Marsalis, Jay Bilas, Micky Dolenz, Alan Kalter (David Letterman's sardonic announcer, a personal fave of mine)...last year 's tournament boasted an extensive list of the fun and famous in attendance. This year's celebrity list (to be announced in July) will undoubtedly be even bigger.  If the benefit for kids wasn't incentive enough, the 2008 tourney will also be honoring Marine Corps Vets home from Iraq and 9-11-01 members of the FDNY. The symbolic "eagle" is not lost on me...

FORE!
-Allie

PS - By the way, did you read Michael Crider's "I Am Father, Hear Me Roar" piece on our site this week? Go read it now, and forward it to your preferred Pops of choice!

and that's my Fun Day!

It's no secret, I delight in my digit adornment. With summer around the corner, and all the hullabaloo about four film femmes and their indulgences, thought it was as good a time as any to dabble in a new pamper (of the non-diaper variety) for my pretty paws. Looking Londonward, whom did I discover? Coco Ribbon!  They too seem all a flutter with the return of the fab four. (True confessions: I never watched the show. Tried it once, liked the fashion and the actresses...the topics and tone, not so much.)

Regardless of my personal perceptions on the former small-screen show, now the film, and the current media frenzy -- the gals' style merits mimicking. As such, a tube of Coco Ribbon's signature "Heaven for Hands" is en route across the big pond...suppose that makes me a "Miranda."




Who knows, I may just have a Samantha side, too...Coco Ribbon's "Panty Postman" knickers delivery service certainly makes sassy sense!
---Allie

PS - Did you see the gadget that Sweet Syd swears by? Preggers? By all means, go check it out!

Flashback: My 8th Christmas.

Two wrapped boxes of the exact same size were strategically placed under our holiday tree. Most children would already be planning the desired item to purchase upon the replicated gift return; but oh no, not Little Miss Allie. I knew -- and was doubly happy about -- what was inside those weighty rectangular boxes. Lite Brite...times two.

Perhaps it was a portent of future double blessings; but in those school-free days of my 8th year winter break, our family's home was a miniature Las Vegas. Designs of all varieties kept our family TV off, and my creativity and passion for illuminated images ignited.

Imagine my glee when I received news of Mercy Hospital in Arkansas' new "Imagination Light Canvas." Sure, we've seen the Children's Museum body motion activated marble path and butterfly pattern walls, but this Tetris-esque limited geometric paintbrush format re-awakens that welcome design challenge created by Hasbro's beloved has-been. The power draw is minimal (that of a toaster? I'm betting my Lite Brite team pulled more!), and the larger-than-life scale, supremely statisfying.

Here's hoping Philips ponders private playroom installations!


Light up my life, Philips!
-Allie

PS - Tech has come a long way since Lite Brite. Have you taken the addicted-to-tech quiz on this week's PoshCravings home page? Put down your BlackBerry and do it!

Amidst the abundant gratitude we feel for those who gave so very much for our freedoms, between the BBQs, parades, parties and pool openings, each year I inevitably find my self cozying up on the couch Memorial Day Weekend. 'Fess up; I know many of you do, too! Why? TV shows that typically are a 30-60 minute "guilty pleasure" segue into hours upon hours of entertaining indulgence via  annual marathons.

CSI, Star Trek, Law & Order, Top Chef, America's Next Top Model (hmmm....whatcha doing right now, Eliza? ;) )...there's something to entice everyone into a lump-like state. As if the assorted series weren't seductive enough to get a gal sitting for extended periods of time, classic films -- especially those that venerate veterans and intensify our appreciation for America -- the channels are chock-full.

An in-the-know galpal emailed me late last week to let me know that my annual weekend movie-fest need not end following the Monday holiday; the programmers at Turner Classic Movies (consistently one of my "go-to" channels) are initiating TCM Essentials, Jr. On Sunday June 1st, the weekly showcase for family-friendly classic films kicks-off with the lovely little Liz Taylor in National Velvet.

 

The movies will be introduced/hosted by Abigail Breslin and Chris O'Donnell...and guess what's on deck for August 3rd? (A hint: Isabelle is recommending the DVD version in her Italianate "Mama Pick" this week...and a tot tee with the film's heroine is in this week's "Red Ribbon Picks!")

Let's plan some theme party/movie nights for some of these titles, Mamas! (I've got dibs on August 3rd.....)

Off to hang our flag on the door, and then watch some Top Chef while I make a batch of deviled eggs for the cookout---
See you all tonight!
--Allie

PS - Have you SEEN the phenomenal "Props to Pops" prize packages? Flip Video camcorders? Watches? A Mutsy stroller? A DVD burner? Go enter your deserving Daddy!  

Well, not the ceiling exactly, but I am smitten with the team from Crib Rock Couture's first foray into room decor. 
In our home, with double the blankies, burp cloths and various and sundry baby hangables en masse, these charming wall-mounted options make organization adorable. Celebs -- and we Posh Mamas -- have long been enamored of their trendy tees -- glad to see them "branching" out with these slightly curved (hence the "hooks") lead-free friends!

Mai and Ringo think theirs are out of this world!
 


Glow on, Gals!
---Allie

In our home, Mama isn't the only one passionate about her periodicals. Daddy's 'zines populate our mailbox with comparable frequency; and I often find myself skimming Esquire, perusing Details, flipping through Rolling Stone, but oh my sisters,  I read Radar cover-to-cover !

When the May/June issue arrived with this cover...

howls of laughter ensued!

The writing is ever-snarky, tongue-in-cheek (or perhaps more accurately, tongue stuck out), and in many/most instances, intellectually insightful. If hubby lets his subscription lapse, I'm ordering this one for myself!

Peace and Pop Cultural Punditry---
--Allie

PS - Have you hit our forums lately? We are pondering the panoply of scrumptious celebrity dads for our upcoming Father's Day issue...
Let us know the star daddy you admire!

No less than three friends have now snail-mailed me page 452 extracted from their April 2008 issue of InStyle.
Why? Because for years now my notes, cards and doodlings have been resplendently hued with LePens by Marvy (freshly declared an "Object of Desire" by the trend-conscious magazine). On more than one occasion I've purchased a vendor's entire stock...fearful that like lipcolors, my favorite shades will inevitably be discontinued.

Now that an online purveyor has made their presence known, real-world stationers and stockists no longer need invest in an entire new inventory following my departure!

Color my world, Marvy Mamas!
-Allie

PS - Have you seen Eliza's organic order-ables find? A rainbow of healthy consumables!