WOO HOO!

It's like a stay of execution! A "Stay of Enforcement of Certain Testing and Certification Requirements of CPSIA" was announced today, meaning we don't have to close our shop, not for another year at least. They will spend the time trying to make sense of this new law (that doesn't make any sense) and hopefully ammend it so that we can continue to sell our lead free items forever! Read more here.

Where's your shoe?!

So the other day we pulled into the driveway and my daughter started to try to take her shoes off. I told her to wait because we were about to get out of the car. She was kicking her legs really hard trying to get them off. I got out of the car and walked to the backseat to get her out of her carseat so we could go in the house. By the time I got to the backseat one of her shoes was off. I was lookng everywhere for it so we could take it in with us. After looking all around and questioning her I noticed it out of the corner of my eye. It was velcroed to the roof of the car! Just hanging there.

Etsy Feature: Bobs and Bits

I recently purchased a step stool for our guest bathroom so my daughter would be able to reach the sink. I wanted it to match the bathroom so I looked on Etsy for a store and luckily I found Bobs and Bits! It is a very cute store that carries not only step stools, but other hand painted furnishings. Since I was looking for a certain design, I sent some photos of my bathroom, explained what I wanted, and Wendy created the perfect step stool. It goes so well with our bathroom, and it was a super easy transaction with wonderful customer service. She kept me informed throughout the entire process and sent a photo when it was finished.My next purchase is going to be one of these great time out stools.And look at these cute potty chairs.Visit Bobs and Bits for custom art, hand painted furnishings, and unique decor for babies and children!

A MUST READ: Do you know about the CPSIA!?!?!?

Today bloggers are uniting to speak out about the CPSIA. Please read this post to learn more and to help save our shop and many like it from having to close our doors...

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:

Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:

Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:

Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:

Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:

Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:

Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:

Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:

Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:

Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Lawhttp://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Hot Shoe of the Week

This shoe is by Nina. It would looks so cute to dress up a black dress. It also come in other colors. The ivory would be great with a wedding dress. It is called Electra and you can find it on the Nina website for $82.95. It is also at Macy's for $89.

Giveaway Tuesday!

Here are this week's great giveaways to enter!

Win....

1. A pair of Itty Bitty Hedgehogs from Beneath the Rowan Tree.
   
2. Greeting cards, a print and buttons from JulieAnna.
   
3. A $25 item from Citrus Tree on Nature Manipulated.
   
4. A Violet Indigo Bracelet from D'Luxe Designs.


5. A keychain of your choice from Glass Identities.
   
6. A Valentine necklace from Galit Barak on Mrs. in May.
   
7. A crocheted hat from Adorkable Crochet on Periodic Elements of Style.
   
8. An Orange Parrot Appliqued Onesie from Blueberry Junkie.
   
9. Two Cat Notecards from Gallery Juana.

Another Satisfied (and Cute) Customer!

Look at this cutie striking a pose in a shirt with one of our iron on appliques on the front! Thanks to her mom for sending us this great photo! Our appliques can be made in all different sizes. We show many of them on onesies, but we can always make them larger or smaller. Just ask! You can see all of the Sweet 'n Sassy Baby iron on appliques here.

Product Recommendation: Sliding Door Locks

My daughter loves to open our sliding closet doors and pull everything out. It's not that I mind her doing that, but they are just not kid friendly. We have very little closet space or other storage space, so they are packed top to bottom with junk that could fall out and hurt her. My friend Jill of ZingoTots told me about these great child proof locks for sliding closet doors and sliding patio doors. You can find them at One Step Ahead. Now she used them on pocket doors and had some unfortunate yet comical experiences with them, which you can (and should) read about here. So, I would not advise using them on doors to rooms that you will be going in and out of, but for closets they are great!

Custom Birthday Hats!

Here are two of our recent birthday hats. I really enjoyed making these special order hats. The first was for a little boy who is having a Dr. Seuss birthday party.

For this hat, the customer was trying to decide which of our fabrics would best match her daughter's birthday outfit. She happened to have some extra fabric from the outfit so she mailed it to me and I used it to make the hat. Now it will match perfectly!

If you are looking for the perfect birthday hat, check out our shop, our birthday hat gallery, or email us at info@sweetnsassybaby.com if you don't see exactly what you want.

Hot Shoe of the Week

This is one hot shoe! It is a cool dark bronze color and reminds of something Rihanna would wear, and she's known as quite the fashionista, so it must be hot. It is by Guess and is called Delicacy. You can find it at Macy's for $99.

Giveaway Tuesday!

Here are this week's great giveaways to enter! (We try to list 10 each week, so if you have one for next Tuesday, just email it to us at sweetnsassybaby@hotmail.com on Monday.)

Win...

1. A Valentine package of handmade paper goodies from Kat's Kraft's.

2. Bath and body products in the Spoil Yourself Rotten Artfire Giveaway on Rebecca's Soap Deli News.

Valentine Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered our Valentine giveaway and visited our shop! The winner of 2 Sweet 'n Sassy Baby iron on Valentine appliques is.....

#27 Erin of Dinner Time Chimes on Etsy!

Here are your random numbers:27
Timestamp: 2009-01-19 19:00:31 UTC

Congratulations!

Feature: Freakin' Fabulous

Are you and your girlfriends freakin' fabulous?! Of course you are! So go and check out Freakin' Fabulous for all your party essentials! They carry wonderful items for a girls' night out, bachelorette parties, birthday parties, pajama parties and more. Their gift packages are the cutest. They have them for many occasions, or you can create your own. Having the girls over for an overnight party? Check out the Girl's Night In gift package.How about the Martini Girl gift package for your friend that loves to be the hostess...Do you need all the essentials for your friend's bachelorette party? Look no further. You will find all the accessories you need for freakin' fabulous good time!

Visit Freakin' Fabulous!

Yet Another CPSIA Post

Save Handmade! If you haven't heard, a new law goes into effect in February that could cause our store to have to close, as well as thousands and thousands of others. Here is a great video explaining it....

CPSC Will Kill Handmade

Sign the petition to ammend the law here.

Also, here is a treasury in which we are currently featured. It is a collection of items that may no longer be available after February 10th. Apparently overnight they will become dangerous lead- filled contraband!

Hot Shoe of the Week

This shoe is by Nine West and is call Jack. It comes in other colors and you can find it here for $89.

Giveaway Tuesday!

We are going to start featuring great giveaways every Tuesday! Here is a list of giveaways that are going on right now. The plan is to feature 10 every Tuesday. If you have a giveaway you'd like us to list, just send an email to sweetnsassybaby@hotmail.com with the name of the item, who makes it, and a link to the giveaway. We will only accept submissions on Mondays. The first 10 we receive will be the 10 we list the next day. Now go and and enter these great giveaways!

Win...

1. A beautiful print from fookaDesigns.

2. A purple cocktail ring by Blue Jam on Women-Prenuers Galore.

3. A scarf by Ladadajo on 10 One World Blog.

4. A lovely pendant on New York Memos.

5. A one-of-a-kind bracelet from Jenny Sue Jewelry.

Giveaway: Sweet 'n Sassy Baby Valentine Appliques

GIVEAWAY ENDED - Win any 2 of our Valentine Appliques! Winner gets to choose!

Here's how to enter...

GIVEAWAY ENDED! #27 Erin is the winner!

1. Visit our Etsy shop and pick your favorite Valentine iron on applique.

2. Come back here and make a comment on this post telling us your favorite Valentine applique. BE SURE TO LEAVE CONTACT INFO...an email address, your blog, or etsy shop name so we can contact you if you win!

3. On Monday, January 19th at 1 pm we will pick the winner using a random number generator. (Your number is the number of your comment.)

4. We will contact the winner for your mailing address and which 2 appliques you would like, and we will mail your appliques out within 2 days of receiving your info.

Good luck!

Trend Watch: Shades of Gray

Gray is all over this season, whether it is called dust, ash, stone, or slate, you will see some shade of it in clothing, accessories and home furnishings.

Indie Babies

I received an email yesterday that we were featured on Indie Babies Blog. I had never heard of this blog so I checked it out and it is a wonderful blog. They review and feature small independent businesses that make handmade baby items. You can find some wonderful stores by browsing through their blog. You can read our feature here. Thanks Indie Babies!

Hot Shoe of the Week

I love shoes! Since I can't possibly buy and wear all of the shoes I love, I am going to start featuring a great shoe each week. This week's shoe is by Steve Madden and is called DAANGER. It is $99.95 and you can find it here. Love it! Need it! Nowhere to wear it!

Winona Ryder Wannabe

Here is my daughter practicing her shoplifting skills. Awesome. She had about 8 things stuck down in her shirt when I pulled them all out. I better keep an eye on her on our next trip to Target.

*No, I don't condone shoplifting. If the checker accidentally puts an extra pack of gum in my bag, I feel the need to take it back.

Hello... Yellow

And the color of the year is.... Mimosa! Pantone "the global authority on color" has announced this warm yellow as the color of the year for 2009. When I drink a mimosa it's more of a peach color, but hey, they're the experts. It is the color of the flowers found on the Mimosa tree (had no idea there was a mimosa tree). It is considered an optimistic color and a very versatile color. You will see it in clothing, accessories and home furnishings. Read more here.

A Satisfied Customer!

Before....

After...
Wow, she sure makes this hat look a lot cuter!! That is one cute birthday girl! Her mom wrote about us on her blog. You can read it here. We hope she had a wonderful birthday!

Woo Hoo!