blog reader discount!

in an effort to say thanks to the fabulous blog readers out there. Mountain Aven Baby will be giving a blog reader discount on any item in the shop from today until December 15th -- 15% off your order! all you need to do is enter the words "blog reader" in the comments section of your order at checkout (your discount will be refunded to you via paypal). happy holidays and many thanks!

p.s. if you're a local buyer (hooray for locals!) let me know and i'll refund your shipping as well, and you can either pick up or have your item delivered to you.

it's the economy, stupid.

yeah, how many times have you heard that over the last year right? well, apparently it rings true in several ways. not just in politics, but also small town art shows. *sigh* Art in the Afternoon was today and i am disappointed to admit that it really did not live up to expectations this year. every vendor i spoke with agreed that people just aren't spending the money like they have in years passed. and for artists and those who sell handmade goods, this is a big hit, as we can only lower prices so far to appeal to lack of consumer confidence.

for the record, it wasn't *that* bad really, just alot lower turnout (attendance wise) and my sales that were about the same as last year-- no growth. yet i had about four times as much merchandise! oy. luckily everything that was left over are things that sell well on etsy. so i'm not at a loss. but i would be lying if i said i wasn't really bummed that i didn't have alot more in sales. one thing is for sure-- i am SO glad i had all the scarves! they sold out fast and left me wishing i would've made twice as many! oh well, live and learn... and hope that online sales will save you! ha!

ah, saturday!

it's been a nice saturday morning around these parts! we had two seperate sets of visitors this morning, which meant alot of sitting around chatting, catching up, holding babies, and entertaining toddlers. luckily all of our friends are great about interacting with isa too, and not just oogling over the new baby. this is appreciated all around. speaking of which, you might be wondering what's that bright colored thing on isa's head? that's a tutu of course, compliments of isa's friend charlotte. not only is it her "dancing skirt" but it's also her favorite hat! thanks charlotte :-)

double flashback!

isa enjoying an outing at the park last winter.

sylvi cracking a smile on day one of her little life-- happy one week sylvi!

isa says:

bouncy chairs are not just for babies, ya know. they're also good for kicking back with your favorite snack and a catalogue.

the blanket

i've gotten countless comments on the beautiful blanket that miss sylvi is often pictured with. every nurse on the obstetrics floor came to love it and in the words one our favorite nurse Judy, "well, you can't NOT touch it!" and it's true. so i thought i'd give the now famous blanket it's own blog post. i purchased it on etsy a while before sylvi was born and i am happy to pass along a little shout out to the seller Bella Mia Baby. not only is the blanket itself fabulous, and already sylvi's favorite, but i highly recommend the seller as well. it was worth every penny!

since we love it so much already, and i just happen to have some minky swirl fabric left over from the scarf project, i have decided to make another one! so what print to use? while i am normally not one for animal prints, i come back to the brown zebra or the cow print every time. the giraffe seems to be working well for us, so why not carry on that theme right? oh the possibilities. stay tuned for more photos of the fabulous baby and her fabulous blanket(s) in the posts to come!

sister = presents

this is how isa has come to see her sister's arrival... presents all around! we've tried to make sure that isa doesn't feel left out in the all of this gifting, but at the same time we don't want her to think that every day means more gifts! we'll see how that works out in a few weeks. here is a funny video of isa opening one of these gifts from her grandparents. as you can see, she's pretty excited about her big girl sockmonkey sheets! enjoy!