LilSugar

Supersize This: Cole Haan Loafers

babysugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:00:57 PDT

I recently ran into Cole Haan to pick up a pair of black patent wedges that were to become my Fall shoe of choice when the cutest lil thing caught my eye. In honor of their 80th anniversary, the company has come out with a line of crib shoe penny loafers ($50). The four designs are perfectly suited for prepsters in the making with classic black and brown versions, as well as red or brown suede ones too. Securing these as my new obsession are the soles of the shoes that are imprinted with "Pennies from Heaven."

We're in luck though - we don't just have to dream about the company supersizing these lil darlings, the crib shoe collection is a shrunken version of Cole Haan's classic shoes. So the originals are available in mommy sizes.

Tiny Breakdancer: Baby's Got Beat With Boom Box Goodies

Heather Maddan — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 02:00:18 PST

If you want your babe to be old-school cool, invest in some beat-bumping boom box products! From soft-soled shoes to crib bedding, you can find all kinds of retro-inspired goodies on the market. Check out five of my favorite finds for retro movers.

Your Prepregnancy Bucket List

LilSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:27:40 PDT

If you're starting to think about getting pregnant, you've probably heard plenty of advice on all of the things you should be doing: getting your finances in order, taking prenatal vitamins, learning your company's maternity leave policy . . . but what about the fun stuff? The trips you want to take, and the splurges you want to make? We've come up with the ultimate bucket list of all the purely selfish, indulgent things that you should enjoy before you become pregnant, because oh baby, is your life about to change!

The Trip of a Lifetime If there's a vacation destination that you and your significant other have always talked about traveling to, but deemed too expensive, far away, or impractical, now's a great time to splurge and go for it.
Adventures Always dreamed of skydiving, mountain climbing, or taking flying lessons? Take the plunge! Once women become mothers, their mindsets are apt to change, and a sense of responsibility often outweighs that of adventure.
Get in Your Girl Time While being a mom doesn't mean that you'll have to cut ties with your girlfriends, it sometimes does make fitting in plans (especially evening plans) a lot more challenging. Take advantage of this time, and enjoy going out with your girlfriends. Stay out an hour later than you'd planned, have another glass of wine, and enjoy their company.
Culture Vulture If you count leisurely afternoons perusing art galleries or scoring tickets to the hottest show in town as favorite pastimes, soak it up now (and continue to do so once you get pregnant!) Once "me time" means having to hire a babysitter, you may find yourself hesitant to devote three hours of your day to checking out an exhibition or show.
Spread Out Depending on where you live, your soon-to-be nursery space may be the only cherished "free space" in the house or apartment. If you're currently using it as a guest room, take advantage and invite out-of-town friends and family to come spend a weekend before that queen-size bed is replaced by a crib!
Indulge in Something You Deserve Whether it's a spa day, a pair of shoes, or a completely superfluous kitchen gadget, go for it now. Babies need lots of stuff . . . tons of it, in fact. And then there's college savings to start planning for. This may be your last time to spend on yourself without feeling guilty, so treat yourself - just this one time. We promise we won't tell!
Encourage Your Husband to be a Little Selfish as Well If you're thinking about a baby, you're probably not in this alone. The hypothetical little person that you can't stop thinking about is going to have a huge impact on both of you. So encourage your husband or partner to buy the new TV, join that basketball league he keeps talking about, or take a golfing trip with his buddies now.
Sleep Late It may not sound like a tremendous indulgence, but once you have a lil one to worry about, even the best laid plans for a great night's sleep are going to be put to rest. So if your weekend schedule allows it, go ahead, be lazy and love it.

David Netto Gives Parents What They Never Knew They Wanted in the Nursery

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 05:00:03 PST

It's been 10 years since David Netto shook up the world of nursery design with his modern, case-like cribs. Now, after selling his company to Maclaren, the interior and furniture designer is further expanding the stroller stalwart's home offerings with his first line of crib linens. The "serene designs, but very hot colors" are heavily influenced by the bold patterns of Marimekko and strong colors of Belgian Shoes, as well as the input of his two daughters – Kate, 9, and Madeline, 4, – who are "wild about color." The renowned designer answered a few of my questions as he showed off the four new designs.

LilSugar: What led you to do textiles at this point?
David Netto: I had always planned to. I had plans like that for a long time, but I really didn’t know how to enter that business intelligently. I had enough on my plate trying to make furniture work. To get committed to soft goods and table top . . . There’s a whole bunch of bags designed too that we just never figured out how to make with confidence.

LilSugar: What other influences came into play with the linen design?
David Netto: I wanted it to be the opposite of what the furniture was like. The white serenity and Scandinavian vibrations of all of our hardscapes have always been what we’ve set out to do, and they’re beautiful. But there’s a certain kind of friendliness that a nursery has to have, that comes from fuzzy stuff and things that aren’t sleek. So I wouldn’t have wanted to add to that since the whole premise of the furniture was if you do the architecture right, then you can have the big birds, and stuff, and it will never look that bad. Most people seem to really like bright colors. Nobody really seems to want to live in a disciplined, minimalist environment that’s top to bottom like that. I wanted them to be fun. I looked at all the things that Maclaren is already making and I thought what do I like about modern design when it’s handmade and eclectic and surprising.

I would be afraid to do something too plain. And also, that’s out there. There’s very beautiful Italian stuff, like linen with a scalloped pink edge, and stuff. I’m not going to teach anybody anything new with stuff like that.

There’s a decorating saying that I love that says, “Give them what they never knew they wanted.” Albert Hadley said that. So I’m always trying to get customers to like us who never thought they liked modernism. That’s what this is supposed to deliver as well.

Keep reading to see what the designer said about designing a stroller for Maclaren, and the next piece of furniture he wants to add to his collection.

Sugar Shout Out: Tips For Organizing Your Beauty Products

PopSugar — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:55:00 PDT

Sugar Shout Out: Which Glee Couples Are You Rooting For?

PopSugar — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 23:55:00 PDT