skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I wish I could say that I am famous for just being me (roll out the red carpet)...but no. Unfortunately, just Shrimp and Grits Kids is (but since I work for them, doesn't that make me famous by second degree? I'm going with yes.)One of the perks of one of my best friends, Megan Chandler, being the Lifestyle editor of the Charleston Mercury is that I get sneak peeks of the new paper! (especially if one of us is in it!) I've only personally been featured in the paper twice (such a social butterfly) but Megan Hewitt (all the Megans can get confusing- I KNOW!) has had entire articles done on her. And why shouldn't she? She started this little "at-home" smocked clothing business in 2007 and now has over 72 representatives all over the southeast and a new store front...That's definitely more than I've done in the last five years...(unless you count graduating from college, moving to Charleston, going to graduate school, and working...but that's another story :))!When Megan first told me about opening the store, the first thing that came to my mind was "let's have an opening party!" (typical). Megan, knowing how much I love to plan a party, just smiled and said "go for it". So, we planned this party, got champagne, cupcakes, and guess what?...it had to be on a Tuesday night when I had CLASS! (it was a class learning about all the different mental illnesses and all I could think was that I was seasonally depressed because I wanted to be at the party :))!So, long story short, it was like rubbing salt into an open wound when my friend sent me the pdf of the Charleston Mercury and pictures from the party are front page :(! After I pouted about not being in the pictures for a bit, I got over myself and became thrilled for Megan! The store looks awesome, they look awesome...all in all, if I didn't absolutely love them- I'd hate them :)!
How awesome do they look...it's okay to be jealous...I won't tell! ;)
ATTENTION!
I have totally slacked off on the blog! Things are seriously CRAZY getting ready for trunk season! :)! I never like to break a promise...SOO to make it up to you: FACEBOOK CONTEST! Post a picture of your little one wearing your favorite Shrimp and Grits Kids outfit on our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Homewaters#!/pages/Shrimp-and-Grits-Kids/29490329062) and NEXT MONDAY we will randomly pick a picture and the winner gets a $25 gift certificate!!!
You only have a week so get posting! :)
(Starting tomorrow...I'll be BACK!)
It's that time of year again! TRUNK SEASON! The first shows start next week!!! We are so excited because it means that the Fall 2011 line is officially here!Do you want to go to a trunk show or even HOST a show (who doesn't need a little extra cash these days)...?To simply inquire about a rep near you email scheduling@shrimpandgritskids.com and Mary(our rep leader) will put you in touch with the closest rep! So simple!Interested in maybe hosting a show? (it's so simple AND you get free clothes!) First, email Mary at the same email above and she will put you in contact with the closest rep to get you set up! It really is so simple to host a show...all you have to have is a lot of friends that love smocked clothes!First- the rep will give you invitations and catalogs to send out to your friends and order forms to take ordersSecond- she will bring you the trunk so that all of your friends can see the clothes up close and personal! :)Third- HAVE A PARTY!!!! (the best part!) It can be as simple as just laying the clothes out or we've had people that have a full on casual cocktail party! (I'd definitely be more inclined to buy a bunch of clothes after a few cocktails....but that's just me :) Your friends tell you what they want, you write it down on the order forms, and the rep comes back to pick up the trunk and forms AND YOU'RE DONE!So I bet you're wondering what you get out of this (besides an excuse to have a party), right? Well you get 15% of your total sales in store credit! For example, if you sell $500, you would get $75 worth of free clothes. We take it directly off of your order from your show so it's never even charged to your card. ANDDD- at the end of each season we email all of the reps and hostesses a 40% off discount code to use for another order. That is a lot of FREE CLOTHES (my favorite kind!)The only requirements are to sell at least $500 worth of clothes and you have to place a personal order (but why wouldn't you want to?)!Thats the low down on hosting a show so now all you have to do is get on the computer and email scheduling@shrimpandgritskids.com to get set up :)!P.S.! Happy first day of summer! It's only 105 degrees here...
One of my favorite things about fall (okay, it may be THE favorite thing) is FOOTBALL SEASON!! I will be honest- I can't remember the last time I actually walked into a game so definitely don't peg me as that girl that dresses in a jersey and stays in the game for all four excruiating quarters. I much prefer wearing a cute dress and tailgating during the game. All of my friends made fun of me during college because I was definitely that girl who woke up at 8 a.m. ready to tailgate! Tailgating includes all of my favorite things: cute clothes, good food, friends, and drinks...i mean, what's not to love? I guess it depends on where you go to school...I graduated from Clemson University where tailgating was EVERYTHING! My parents also went to Clemson so I grew up going to games (and actually having to go in..yuck). Confession: I went through a tomboy stage...so don't judge my seven year old self, but I always wanted to wear a Clemson jersey to the games (my poor mother)! I am sure that my mother would have LOVED this line (even though I probably would not have worn it). If you're like me and love going to football games and tailgating, you know that it is tough finding a cute outfit that matches the team colors! USC girls have it easy (black!) but Clemson girls...orange?...it's a little tough to find! So, great news! With this line, you can spend less time on finding an outfit for your little ones and more time finding the perfect outfit for YOU! (definitely a win,win situation)
So obviously I'm a little biased towards Clemson, but I love all of the other team designs too! Not to worry- we didn't forget the boys! Every bishop has a matching longall!P.S. HAPPY FRIDAYYYYYY!!!!!
I am SO excited! A. It's Thursday (Thursdays are the best day next to Friday and Saturday!) B. One more day until I'm Beaufort bound C. We have an official proof of the Fall 2011 catalog...ANDDD I'm about to show you! (lucky ducks!).
It looks so AWESOME! Mike, our official photographer, puts together our catalog and I seriously think that this is the best one yet! It takes him so much time to photograph the kids (can you imagine over 20 children running around trying to get their pictures taken at the same time!?) and then he has to put the pictures in the best places and label each picture with the right name and product code. INTENSE.
I won't keep you waiting anymore! TA-DA
http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/54946/97801/pub/
Click on the link above to see the entire catalog! I will still feature products daily, but now you can go ahead and get out that pen and create a list of fall necessities!
You're Welcome! :)
So, I have good news and bad news! Good news: I am officially sitting at Pitt Street typing this! YAY for the store opening tomorrow! Bad news: our internet is shady at best. It keeps going in and out and we are working like crazy trying to fix it!I just don't feel right about rushing a preview! It just wouldn't be as fun! So, no preview today...but I will be back tomorrow starting HOLIDAY PREVIEWS! YAY!!!!See you tomorrow! :)
It is seriously 100 degrees outside...that is just too hot for comfort. It almost makes even walking outside miserable. Don't get me wrong- I love Summer weather. Nothing is better than a hot day on the beach or boat! BUT, nothing is worse than a hot day wearing work clothes and breaking into a sweat just walking to your car. Days like this make me almost long for snow. Every winter, I say the same exact thing: "I can't wait for it to be cold outside so I can light a fire and snuggle up with hot chocolate". Does that ever actually happen? No. A- I don't have a fire place and B- I don't even like hot chocolate! Sometimes I wonder about myself.Back to snow- the worst part about winter for me is the clothes. What do I wear that is cute without looking like a blimp because I have on so many layers? It's a lose, lose situation.... I can either dress cutely and freeze to death or look large and in charge. Decisions, decisions.. I can't really help YOU with this major issue :), but I can help you dress your child! Exhibit A:
Okay, so it may not be the most practical to prance around in the actual snow in the dress (go with the snow clothes), but this is PERFECT for those cold winter days. The best part is that it is corduroy! Corduroy is one of my favorite winter fabrics (besides Cashmere..but cashmere should probably be saved for those who don't change sizes twice a year :)! I also love the light blue- It's just perfect for Winter! This line has so many pieces that Kate Gosselin could probably find a different outfit for each of her 8 kids :)! If you love the traditional bishop style- this bishop is precious, but if you are more into pants and tops- I love the white bishop top and blue corduroy ruffle pants!Okay, don't get too excited but I am about to show you something that we've NEVER done! I get so many requests for something that tiny babies can wear. When I say tiny, I mean NEWBORNS. It makes sense- newborns are people too, right!? :) Who says that they shouldn't be able to match their big brothers and sisters? So...TA-DA!
How sweet is this little day gown? It's made for boys and girls and only comes in 3 and 6 month. NOW everyone can match. Perfect!Don't freak out- we didn't forget the boys! Their outfit is my favorite part (and I always like to save the best for last!)
How cute are these? They match perfectly with the girls' snowflakes, but are also "manly" with the deer! :)! So, if you have a newborn, girl, and boy...you are SET! All this Winter talk is making me want Winter...I just have to keep thinking about how fun the boat and beach are! I'm also heading to Beaufort, S.C. this weekend and will definitely be spending time on the boat so I suppose I should be brainstorming what bathing suit I should wear over what I want to purchase for the winter weather...but it's never too early to start planning, right?On another SUPER exciting note! Shrimp and Grits Kids is OFFICIALLY OPENING on Wednesday the 15th! We will be open from 10-5 so come see us!!!!! It looks so awesome in there...(you have no idea how much fun I had dressing the manikins..probably a little TOO much...)
Anyone that knows me knows that I absolutely LOVE birthdays! Seriously, if I could have my life any way I wanted it (even though it's pretty great the way it is) every day would be my birthday or at least a good friend's birthday! Birthdays are the ultimate reason for celebration- and the best part is that the celebration is all about YOU! That's the difference between a birthday and Christmas or Thanksgiving- they are all reasons to celebrate, but on your birthday everybody is celebrating YOU (and, seriously, how great is that!?) Growing up, it always seemed that my brother and I had joint birthday parties and I HATED IT! First of all, I always had to compromise so that it was something that we both wanted to do (for example- a pool party). No princess parties for me because "boys don't like princesses". Maybe that's why I'm so obsessed with my birthday now (thanks Mom :). Second, boys had to be there! From ages five through ten I was not the keenest on boys- I much prefered an all girls party (sometimes all girls parties are STILL the most fun!). Other than the joint parties- birthdays were always a HUGE deal in my house (I seriously think this is why I still make such a huge deal of them now)! The day would begin with "L" shaped pancakes and presents before school and continue on to a "special lunch" and cupcakes for my class at school and end with dinner wherever I wanted. Birthdays are just one of those days where you fall soundly asleep at night exhausted but with a content, happy smile.Other than the parties (MY FAVORITE), the cake, and the presents- the other most important thing is, obviously, the outfit. I seriously wonder what age it is that birthdays stop being so absolutely fabulous? My mom and dad always seem to hate their birthdays so I always thought that when you "grow up" birthdays just aren't as exciting, but if that is true- I must not be "all grown up" yet because I'm getting excited about my birthday already (and it's in October!)Back to the outfits- what girl doesn't look for the perfect outfit for her birthday. Seriously, starting in August, the sole purpose of my online shopping is a. for my birthday outfit or b. orange things to wear to Clemson games :)! Like I said previously, your birthday is all about you so it really is just not acceptable to not have on the perfect outfit whether you are three or twenty three years old!Unfortunately, I can't help you pick out your outfit if you are anywhere over 7, but I CAN help you find the perfect outfit for your child's birthday! If you are like my mom, you go a tinyyyy bit camera crazy on birthdays! Picture 10 years from now, do you really want your son or daughter looking through old pictures from birthdays and saying "EW..why did you let me dress like that on my birthday"!? I didn't think so...Not to worry, we have you covered! :)
How cute are they!? The girls smocked-inset dress is made from a light pink gingham with a hand-smocked cupcake in the center while the boy's shortall is a light green gingham with a hand-smocked alligator wearing a birthday hat and balloons in the center! You're welcome...Now you have more time to focus on what YOU will wear for the party (you know you'll be in the pictures too! :)!
What little girl does not dream about being a princess? Seriously, I haven't met one...whether it is Jasmine, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Mulan...WHOEVER...every little girl wants to be one! (My personal favorite was Jasmine). In fact, my favorite game when I was little was called Princess and the Servant. I was the princess (obviously), my dad was the prince, and my brother was the servant (it seems a bit sad looking back that he was the servant but that is what he always wanted to be- PROMISE!) We would pretend that the servant was coming after us and my dad and I would run away while my brother chased us all over the house. I seriously think we played this game every night until my brother finally decided that being the servant wasn't all that great :). The point is-for that one hour I really got to pretend to be a princess and I loved it. I mean, let's get real- I'm 23 and still woke up at 6 a.m. to obsess over Kate Middleton and the royal wedding (I guess some things never change!).
Great news for you (and the hubby)! Fortunately, you don't have to find someone to play servant and get chased all over the house to make your little girl feel like a princess...(unless you're into that kind of thing :). You can simply dress her in our PRINCESS line a.k.a. the fairy tale line (I prefer princess).
The best part is that you don't even have to have a favorite princess for this line! It includes three different princesses so everyone is happy :)! You can even take your pick of a traditional bishop dress, jumper, pant set, or bubble...so many choices that it almost gives me a little anxiety :).
Obviously, when we were brainstorming something to match for boys- we knew that'd we would have to get creative (thank goodness for Megan) because, honestly, princesses for boys probably wouldn't be the best seller. Ducks or princesses for little boys? I'm going with ducks! Not to worry though- Megan used her massive amount of talent/creativity and created the perfect matching design....
AIRPLANES! Now, I'm not a little boy, but I'm pretty sure all boys like airplanes! These outfits are the same light blue gingham as the fairy tale so they match perfectly (and he doesn't have to wear princesses!) I love the light blue and brown combination...I think it's so sweet (and manly at the same time:)!
On another note, we've been really moving into Pitt Street and it looks SO GOOD! We are hoping for an opening in the next few weeks...We will definitely keep everyone posted when we get an official date though!
I've always loved dogs. No offense to cats because I love them too, but dogs have something about them that just screams "play with me!". Now, don't get me wrong, I had a siamese cat growing up (her name was Sparkle Diamond Golden Shiver- don't judge...I was five!) and I loved her, but I also had two labs, Sara and Hallie, and my little mix, Jack, and they were definitely more fun to play with...although Hallie is quite overweight and not much of a player :) Then, as I moved onto Clemson University I lived with a great dane, Cooper, and a Bijon Frise, Max. So, obviously, I have lived with my fair share of dogs, but one thing that I did not know was the difference in "man dogs" and "girl dogs". When I say this, I don't mean whether the dog is a boy or girl, but what dogs are considered "girly dogs" and what dogs are considered "manly dogs". For example, Max the bijon frise is a considered a girly dog (even though he is a boy) and Sara the black lab is considered a manly dog (even though she is a girl)- weird, huh? When I asked one of my bosses, Pitts, why that was he responded that "the little dogs have no purpose! Man dogs are for hunting and fishing!"...does that mean that looking cute and snuggling are not purposes!? They are in my book! :)
Every fall, we try to do something with dogs. Last fall, we did chocolate labs that matched pink pigs for girls (it really was adorable)! This year, we've done something even better! I seriously cannot tell you how many emails I got last year with requests to make the lab longall BUT please use a black lab or yellow lab. So, we listened and this year we included ALL THREE!
Now, every one is happy! This brown gingham longall and bubble feature a smocking plate that includes a yellow, brown, and black lab! PERFECT!
Now that the boys are done, it's always a little tough figuring out what to do to match the girls. As I mentioned earlier- last year we did pink pigs, but we couldn't do the same thing again! So, as creative as Megan is, she came up with something that is seriously even cuter (I didn't even think it was possible)...
POODLES! Seriously, what dog is girlier than a poodle!? (maybe a bijon frise, but it's a tie..)
I absoutely love this line! To be honest, I have always had a little prejudice towards poodles. Growing up my aunt had a little black poodle named Fifi and she was so mean! (maybe it was because I was 5 years old and constantly messing with her..but I'm going with she was mean). I can't tell you how many times she snapped at me and, to be honest, that is the only real interaction I've ever had with poodles...until this dress! Once I saw the little pink poodles with the little puff-ball tail (it really is a 3-D puff!) on brown gingham, I knew I could quickly get over my bias. I think my favorite piece is the little romper! We don't have a picture, but it ties in the back with a hug pink gingham bow...so cute!
If you are a dog lover, this is the perfect line for you! Your little boy and hubby will love the "manly" labs while you and your little girl will love the pink "girly" poodles...Mid-July just can't come soon enough!
P.S.! Happy Wednesday! a.k.a-half-way to the weekend!!!
I bet some of you are thinking, "enough about girls! What about my little boy?" I definitely will admit that it is easy to get carried away in the pink, ruffles, and bows that make little girl's smocked clothing so adorable. BUT, little boys are people too and it's not really fair that all this attention goes toward girls clothes and the boys are just completely ignored, right!? :)I find that the reason that cute little boy clothing is hard to find is not because it's not there, but because we are so picky about what type of "cute" it is. Most people (especially dads) aren't too thrilled about their little boys wearing "girly" smocked clothing. They want their sons to be MANLY MEN with tractors and tools, right? I've definitely been privy to the "my son is NOT wearing that girly outfit" fight...and we have to wonder what they would prefer them to wear? Camoflauge? Jerseys?...No Thank you! In my opinion, camoflauge should be saved for the woods and jerseys saved for team sports (while actually playing only)! :)Not to worry, we have something that will make you AND your hubby happy! Believe it or not, half of the six people at Shrimp and Grits Kids are actually men and thanks to their manly influence (you're welcome boys:) we are constantly coming up with awesome ideas for boys smocking plates. (When I say "we"..I mean Megan..I would like to take credit but creativity isn't really my thing!)
Obviously, I'm no expert on manliness, but in my opinion these tan ducks look pretty manly! What's manlier than hunting, right!? (no offense to female hunters- I wish I had the patience to sit in a stand for hours..but, as we all know, I definitely DON'T). The best part is that it is still hand-smocked and sweet. The light tan corduroy is perfect for Fall, isn't it? Every season we try to do a line that is just for boys as well as one that is just for girls! Yesterday you saw the teapot collection and today the ducks! So, that's it! Everything else is all about matching! P.S. We officially starting moving things into Pitt Street today! WOOHOO!!!!
Happy Monday! I don't know about y'all, but every Monday I seem to have a little case of the Monday Blues. Maybe it's the stress of the upcoming week or just the thought of the so anticipated weekend ALREADY being over/ five days away. Honestly, if it was up to me, I would just have Mondays disappear. I would be just fine starting every week on a Tuesday! (Tuesday is just a happier sounding word, don't you think?:)Personally, I think that the best way to get over the blues is to plan or even just think about a PARTY! Anybody who knows me knows that I love to plan a party. I seriously find a reason to celebrate anything- birthday, half-birthday, going away, coming back, new haircut (kidding!)...but, in all seriousness, anything! Whereas some people find party planning stressful, I find it immensely exciting. It can be something as small as a dinner for four and I will strategically plan every single part from the original invitation (usually via evite) to the appetizers to where all four people will sit. In fact, I love to plan everything...which is why it makes perfect sense that one of my favorite things to do when I was little (besides watch the Wizard of Oz) was to have a TEA PARTY!Seriously, what little girl does not love a tea party? In fact, I STILL love a good tea party (it is just not as socially acceptable to have one with dolls/stuffed animals at age 23 as it was at age 3...you have to actually invite REAL people :)! At first, everybody (including my brother) patiently dealt with the tea parties. Eventually, everyone tired of drinking fake tea, nibbling on plastic scones, and wearing dress up clothes. It also may have been the fact that I wouldn't let anyone else plan the party (I was definitely that bossy little girl...whoops :)!. I then resorted to my dolls (the two million of them) and my extremely patient cousin (thanks Lawren!). Actually, if you can believe it, my favorite outfit was an "I'm a little teapot" SWEATSUIT that my aunt gave me. I am positive that my poor mother would have loved this line when I was little so that we didn't have to fight about me actually wanting to wear a sweatsuit in public...EVERY day :)!So, without further adieu, THE TEAPOT COLLECTION! Personally, I love how versatile this line is.
I love how you can dress a girl from age three months to eight using a variety of these because, seriously, do you ever get too old for a tea party? I think not! The bubble runs from sizes 3m-24m while the bishop runs from 6m-8. If your little girl is more of a pants/skirt and top girl-the pants, skirts, and shirts start at 2t. The jumper starts at size 12m AND you get two in one! As pictured above, the jumper is reversible. One side is a hot pink corduroy fabric while the other side is brown corduroy (the bird side goes with the three little bird/fishing lure line- see blog from original fall 2011 preview:)!I hope that this brightens up your Monday a bit! If not, just start planning your own grown-up tea party for Saturday ;)!
