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Cake Cosmopolitan Carryall for Mother's Day on TopButton

The adorable website TopButton.com came out with their picks for Mother's Day and among the fabulous gifts chosen was our client Petunia Pickle Bottom's Cake Cosmopolitan Carryall (shown here in Chocolate Cherry Cake). 

They write:

New Mom: If sleep was for sale, we know that's probably what any new mom would ask for as a gift, but since it's not available on shelves (and really, who is she kidding, she won't get a good 40 winks worth till the kid’s at least 18), the next best thing? Stylish mommy accessories! Diaper bags have certainly come a long way since the duckie/clown phase, but this takes the cake. Literally, the Cake line from Petunia Pickle Bottom (the diaper bag ELITE) are not only as gorgeous as a normal tote, they are also practical when not many great looking bags are. The must-have Cosmopolitan Carryall  has multiple pockets (outside and in) including one for a cell phone 4 bottle pockets, a zippered changing pad pocket, and an interior antique brass key clip. It’s not just a gift, it’s a necessity.

What Mom really wants - stress reduction!

Let's face it, being a mom is a lot of work.  Actually, just being alive is a lot of work...forget adding in the mom part.   Moms around the country will be waiting breathlessly next week as Mother's Day approaches for a little relief from their endless house cleaning, fixing and picking up of things, maintaining themselves (tweezing, exfoliating, masking, manicuring, ect), cooking, socializing, bill  paying, and all the other endless things that go into making up a life in this day and age. 

What moms, and all of us, need, is a consistent break from all this stuff we constantly need to do. The list never ends, but a daily vacation from all these demands can be made.   A lot of us take these little time-outs in the form of something not so productive.  My personal favorite is a cookie break in the afternoon - not great for the waistline, or any realistic stress busting benefit.  My other favorite, impulse buying isn't a good choice either. 

A better idea is a daily walk, as TV personality Sophia Dickens does for us here in these shots with our client Orbit Baby's Infant System. 

Unlike jogging (which can be rough on knees, and is a little more time consuming than a 20 minute stroll) walking can be worked into a busy schedule more readily and consistently.  The benefits are colossal, so this Mother's Day, think of giving the object of your gifting, or yourself, a personalized Walking Kit.   Here we've listed what we feel are the most important pieces - you could also include an iPod or even a personalized song list depending on your mom.

 

The Orbit Infant System shown above is $899 at most retailers, and is a great choice for navigating the streets with ease.

And if you're thinking of an exercise program for yourself, consider Lavilin all natural deodorant - use just once for up to 7 days of protection!  $15 at www.lavilin.com

Illume one of Metro 5

If you happen to live in the Twin Cities, be sure to pick up the current copy of Metro Magazine. 

In the Metro 5 Section of the February issue,  our client Illume's 65 Hours of Love Candle reigns supreme. 

The editors chose the famous candle for its all natural soy and beeswax blend.  That combined with the candle's addictive musk and vanilla infusion fragrance makes it a winner.

Check for the image on page 24!

This just in: NYT's Frank Bruni loves Illume's Balsam & Cedar

When New York Times Restaurant Critic Frank Bruni says he loves something it's a seminal moment.

Foodies throughout this country hang on every salacious vowel that he types out.

So when we read that he has a weakness for our client Illume Candle's Balsam & Cedar fragrance from the limited edition Winter Bliss Collection we were enthused to say the least.

As reported on Refinery 29 yesterday, and picked up by the Gothamist, Bruni says, "I've long been a sucker for overpriced candles, and I like Illume the best. This scent smells like the essence of Christmas. I bought it for the first time about a week ago and it hadn't been burning for an hour when I was back out the door to stock up on more. I'm always convinced that things I fall in love with will disappear when I least expect it. Better to stock up."

As soon as the "Hot For" story appeared, Bruni's loyal fans responded without delay.  "A  food critic loving scented candles??" they exclaimed.  Just goes with what we said in our post yesterday about the Winter Bliss Collection being the greatest for parties of all kinds.  How could you not love something that gives out the gentle aroma of a Heavenly Valley ski lodge at Christmas?

Head over to Illumecandles.com to check out the storied candles before they disappear - as Bruni laments, they are a seasonal blend.

Bruni joins a well rounded list of celebs who are addicted to the essential oils blends of Illume Candles custom scents.  Paris and Nicky Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, and even California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger love Illume!

Let the decorating begin with Illume

There’s nothing like candlelight to put guests at ease and really make a room festive.  By mingling great candle color and style with a rich, warm fragrance, party planners can create an atmosphere for their guests that would be very difficult to achieve with light bulbs alone.

Start by taking a page from top lighting designers and plan your candle scheme to illuminate each room on three levels…high, medium, and low. 

High candlelight can come from candelabras and sconces.  Be mindful that even a small candle flame can create heat and soot on surfaces that are just two or three feet directly above them – so make sure you hang these fixtures at least three feet below  ceilings or beams.  Antique stores are a mecca for gorgeous metal candelabras and sconces that can be used year round.   Lanterns are another unique pick, and can be easily hung for parties using an “O” hook screwed into the ceiling and a few feet of hardware chain or wire (again don’t use anything flammable).

Naturally fireplace mantles are a great place to set out a vignette of smaller candles with seasonal decorations.  Here, we’ve arranged a plaster snowman from Nicole Sayer with a metal dime-store tree.  Three votives from Illume in Vanilla Amberwood, Cranberry Kir, and Cedar & Balsam join our little snowman to create the perfect balance and provide a pop of warm light that will illuminate the room on mid-level. 

For lowlight, try placing a lantern or hurricane glass on a small stool to balance the look of a  smaller tree or tabletop display.  The lantern will cast a soft up-light which is flattering to everyone.

Fragrance can either be overwhelming or just the right accent.  Illume Candles' Winter Bliss Collection, created with natural essential oils and a soy/beeswax blend, give off a natural, sophisticated bouquet.  The Winter Bliss collection offers a subtle version of the classic holiday scents of evergreen, berries, and spices. Great party candles from the collection include frosted glass jars, votives, and pillars. 

Choose fragrances that will compliment the foods and beverages you’ll be serving.  For example, Vanilla Amberwood is an excellent compliment for sweets and eggnog.  Set a few votives on a silver footed platter near your desserts to give a lasting impression of comfort. 

In the bar area, where cranberry martinis and mixed drinks are on the agenda, choose Cranberry Kir Filled Glass Jars to spike the air with a warm berry scent.  The upbeat theme of these candles will coax guests into a playful party mood.

In the main room, set out a trio of Balsam & Cedar pillars to ramp up the smell of evergreens.  Set them on candleholders, or arrange them on a favorite platter with small glass ornaments and a small garnish of greenery.   Christmas trees often lose their scent too early, and these gorgeous green candles will help to revive that fresh fragrance.

Babble and the best holiday gifts: Petunia Pickle Bottom and Sakura Bloom are lux

They see them all...the gorgeous linens, adorable toys, and irresistible baby clothes.

So when the editors at Babble.com make their picks for the Best Holiday Gifts of 2007, you know that they know what they're talking about.

Tops on the List of Luxury Gifts is our client Petunia's amazing new Fawn Collection in Blooming Passion Flower.  Chosen for its fine embroidery, super soft blanket, and exquisitely decorated edges - the crib set is one of two recent roll outs from Petunia's Fawn Collection.  The other, the Imperial Fish set features bright goldfish set against chocolate linen. Gorgeous!

Also on the Babble Lux List is our client Sakura Bloom's amazing dupioni silk and linen  slings.  Sakura Bloom offers a range of slings from the ultra chic Luxe Collection which is handmade by Laotian workers to their recently introduced Hana Collection.  Chosen for its ease of use and durability, the Sakura Bloom collection is a stunner.

And in the category of Gifts for Expectant Parents, Petunia Pickle Bottom's dynamic new Scout Bag figures prominantly.  The Babble editors love all the details of the bag, along with it's sporty, sexy look. This is a brilliant bag that comes in either leather or heathered felt.   

Illume Candles one of Lisa Quinn's, St Louis Magazine's Favorite Things for the holidays

She's San Francisco Bay Area's House Doctor - dispensing tips for making homes gorgeous on ABC affiliate KGO (channel 7).

So when Lisa Quinn picked our client Illume Candles Winter Bliss Collection as one of her Favorite Things for the holidays we were very impressed. 

Quinn loves the fragrance of Illume's Balsam & Cedar candles in particular because they imbue the house with that woodsie fragrance that everyone loves.  She also loves the warm scent of Cranberry Kir Diffusers and Vanilla Amberwood for the table. 

Watch a clip of the show by visiting the KGO Video Player and head over to IllumeCandles.com before Friday November 30th to pick up some pillars which are 20% off.  

The Illume Winter Bliss Collection also scored big with the editors of St Louis Magazine.  Part of this month's collection of products they love, the Winter Bliss Bubble Tins burn brightly on their pages.  You can see the online version by visiting their website here.  Their fav?  Balsam & Cedar!    

Illume's Winter Bliss Reed Diffusers picked for USA Today Gift Guide

They're dramatic, yet affordable.  That's why they're USA Today's pick as a gift guide best for Mom today.

Our client Illume Candle's Winter Bliss Reed Diffusers come packed in a choice of three retro boxes.  The fragrances, Balsam & Cedar; Cranberry Kir; and Vanilla Amberwood are a gorgeous accent for the home throughout the winter. 

The fragrance wicks up the delicate reeds, and lasts for about 120 days!  At just $30 each they're a fantastic pick for gifting. 

For more, head to Illumecandles.com, and pick up a few pillars (which are 20% of through the end of the week) or other selections from the Winter Bliss Collection. 

On Treehugger.com - Orbit is a must for gifting new parents

It's probably the best researched and reported environmental news on the web.  So when treehugger.com serves up their Green Guide of Gifting in November each year environmentalists everywhere pay attention.

This year, we are pleased to announce that our client Orbit Baby was picked as a "dark green" must have in the New Parents category. 

Siting Orbit Baby's ingenious design which creates a complete baby travel system in just three parts, the Treehugger editors loved the fact that that’s all that's needed to go "from home to car to walk to car and back home again".

New parents should know that Orbit also has a environmental policy that's second to none.

The company is carbon neutral, purchasing carbon offsets that fund sustainable energy products. 

Orbit also practices environmentally conscious manufacturing practices by working with a  product producer that is RoHS compliant and recycles nearly all scrap aluminum, foam, paper, fabric, and powder coating materials.

Orbit Baby has also instituted a first of it's kind product recycling program.  Through this program, parents can recycle the pieces that their children outgrow.

Orbit Baby is also the first baby gear company to rid its supply chain of PVC, chrome plating, and oil based packaging inks, along with deletions or reductions in a host of other bad-for-us and bad-for-our-world chemicals and materials.

And if all that is not enough, they'll be launching their Green Edition Pram soon which features a non-treated Organic Wool lining, highly recyclable pieces, and funding for the Nature Conservancy among other things.

Holiday Decorating - dramatic and easy table top with Illume Candles

A dramatic table top for holiday dinners is a sure fire way to impress guests and set the mood. 

Giving the holiday table a custom look can be as easy as picking out a few color coordinated fruits and vegetables from the produce department and arranging them artfully around some gorgeous pillar candles.

Our client, Illume Candles, has a wonderful holiday collection available in stores and online.  The collection, WinterBliss, features classic fragrances that enhance and compliment the aroma of holiday dishes.

The arrangement shown here features a simple reclaimed board that was scrubbed and placed in the center of the table.  Gourds, red and green grape clusters, and a few handfuls of wheat are set around various sized pillars for a cornacopia style presentation.  This is dramatic, yet doesn't interfere with the sight lines of guests as they dine across from one another. 

Vanilla Amberwood from Winterbliss is an especially good pick for this - available in a variety of pillar sizes, the gentle fragrance and ivory colored natural wax warms the atmosphere.

Another great selection from Illume's catalog of products is their SimplyFall Collection.  Heirloom Pumpkin has a warm fragrance that will immediately put guests in a festive mood. 

All Illume candles are made of a 100% natural soy and beeswax blend and optimized wicks.   

Orbit on the USA Today Gift Guide - green is the new black

It's versatile, sleek and great for travel.  And now USA Today has included it on their Holiday Guide to Must Have Green Gifts. 

The Guide, which came out today, and can be viewed online at USAToday.com, sites Orbit Baby's stellar green business practices as one of the reasons for being chosen for the list. 

Orbit Baby will also introduce its gorgeous Green Edition Pram and Rocker next month which will feature organic wool lining, highly recyclable parts, and proceeds will benefit the Nature Conservancy.