Christmas in July... or is it back to school?

Just got our first internet order for Christmas dresses. Love, love, love the Christmas playdate fabric, and this mom put it in two ringlet dresses (sleeves on Christmas dresses rock in this part of the country) for her two girls. I'm just hoping she's taking Christmas pictures in July and that she will be sending me a copy soon.

I'm not thinking much about Christmas, but it is only July 2nd, and I have to admit that I bought Maggie and Henry's back to school bags already. Laney and Charley in IL just got out of school a few weeks ago, but we have been out in SD since May 21 and the kids go back on August 20. Henry starts kindergarten; so, I had to find the right backpack for him and lunch box - he is allergic to wheat so I pack lunch every day.

Maggie, also known as the girl who will no longer wear dresses (thank goodness we make skirts), had to have a messenger bag this year - ditching the backpack must be a right of passage for third graders.

Okay, so I also bought three shirts with Maggie's messnger bag. Have you seen the super cute Junk Food shirts at the Gap? Had to order a couple Star Wars ones for Henry and a Snoopy one for Maggie. There was one with Smurfette on it, and I pointed at it and said, "Have you ever seen this show - 'The Smurfs?'" She looked at me and said, "No. And, I hope I never do."

She's smurfing out on something ... isn't she?

adorable NC maggie delaney fans

So fun! I got an email from a Jennifer, a customer in NC with pictures of her two adorable girls in their maggie delaneys. Jennifer explained, "There is a large age difference between my two girls. They enjoy dressing alike, but I struggled to find matching items in both age groups. Thank goodness we found Maggie Delaney. These custom made pieces allow my girls to match with styles appropriate to their ages. Thank you Maggie Delaney for giving my girls the opportunity to have the matching dresses that they dreamed of wearing."

Jennifer's older daughter, 9 year old Jillian, told us, "I always wanted to dress like my little sister, but if I got a dress just like hers I felt like a little baby. When mom showed me the Maggie Delaney dresses I was so excited. Now we can have matching dresses and I can look my age and she can still look like a baby."

I totally agree. Jillian looks like her 9 year old self in the zebra skirt, featuring lace candy aqua, copley aqua, and swirly flowers cocoa, and Lainie, age 2, looks like a 2 year old should, in her monarch dress (I'm betting she likes twirling in it, too), featuring the same fabrics. Jennifer was kind enough to send me three pictures to choose from. I chose this one because I love the smiles on their faces. I'm guessing Jillian is not only a great fashion designer, but also a wonderful big sister.





If you have a photo of your girl(s) in their maggie delaneys that you would like to post on the blog, please send them to me at: erin@maggiedelaney.com Include a quote, if you feel inspired!

Forgive the infomercial

On Monday night I was on my way to my Ladies Who Launch Incubator Intensive, and I stopped at Old Orchard Mall. I was walking by a kiosk and a guy started talking to me about my nails. I tried to escape . . . I really hate it when they attack with fragrances, etc. It is an outdoor mall, though and it was so nice outside. I was more open to listening. Anyway, this guy showed me this amazing nail stuff from Dead Sea Skin Care and Spa Products. It is a buffer thing that make your nails glossy (they look as if they have a shiny clear coat of nail polish on) and cuticle oil that really works. Please forgive the infomercial. It is so cool, though. After a crazy fun, but busy weekend at Wells St. Art Fair, it was nice to treat myself.

Perfect Summer Night

Last night, Rob and I took the kids to our friends' new home to help them unpack a bit and have a glass of wine or two. We planned to leave by 10:00 to get the kids to bed. We left at 12:45 am. What a fun night of conversation and laughter. The kids had a blast - running around inside and outside, playing in boxes and playing with glo sticks (the Halloween kind, which were unraveled in the unpacking). The adults got to have adult conversations and solve the world's problems. When we went downstairs to carry the kids to the car (thinking they were surely asleep) after realizing how late it was, only the two youngest were asleep. The others were fighting off sleep and wondering, with that bewildered, "Can you believe our parents let us stay up this late?" look, what we could possibly be thinking. It's 9:26 am, and the dog and I are the only ones awake in this house. Good thing church doesn't start until noon!

Summer Girl

Tomorrow is Charlotte's last day of school.  (Okay, so I have to admit, I haven't bought the teachers' gifts yet . . . that'll keep my busy tomorrow morning.  If you have any great ideas for what I can run out and get, please post!)  When our photographer extraordinaire, Heidi, took this picture Charlotte was nursing a broken nose.  Heidi somehow got her to smile. 

Charlotte is my side-kick, and is turning 5 this summer.  She's going to have another year of pre-school.  I wish Charlotte was "ready" for kindergarten, but I am lucky to keep her as my partner in crime for one more year.  Summer is here, Charley girl!

Anyone know Senator Obama?

The South Dakota presidential primary is Tuesday, June 3 (Henry's birthday). We thought it would be meaningless since it's on the last possible day - but it turns out we are getting more presidential political attention than ever. Hillary Clinton was in Aberdeen 2 weeks ago. Barack Obama was here yesterday, and Bill Clinton is coming on Tuesday. Kel and I actually saw Bill Clinton speak back when we were still students at G'town (President Clinton actually went to G'town).

Kel is obsessed with us getting a zebra skirt and a monarch dress to Senator Obama's two girls. I have them in my possession. I just need to figure out how to get them to his people. Our angle is his discussion of small business yesterday, and our best possible connection is Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin - who also went to G'town and graduated a year behind us (and is a superdelegate in favor of Obama). Steph lived in the Fishbowl with us for a week or so during her sophomore year when she broke her ankle. I'm charged with heading to her local office here tomorrow to see if I can get these red white and blue maggie delaneys into Senator Obama's hands.

The dress looks a lot like the one in this picture - only we don't have holly berry (the red in this one anymore) - so we used new snow red.

That's our however many degrees of separation to Senator Obama. Seems like Kel should have a more direct link, she is afterall, in Chi-town...

Here's to small business

South Dakota has its primary on Tuesday. Senator Obama passed through Aberdeen on Saturday. Erin and her family attended a town hall meeting . . . I have yet to hear what she thought. I did, however, find a little You-tube clip from yesterday's event with his thoughts on small business.