Tutu Expensive

Window shopping online, I fell in love with a chocolate brown and pink tutu:

The Tutu

I cannot think of a more perfect Valentine's Day surprise for Chicky....but really, as cute as it may be, I will not cannot justify spending $60 on a Valentine's Day gift for my 4-year old. At the same time, when I come up with such a perfect idea, I have a really hard time letting go of it. I auto-pilot into a stream of self-justifying consciousness. It is completely irrational but seems to make such logical sense at the time.

Well, if I spend $60 on a tutu, she will have it forever, but if I spend $60 on, let's say, groceries, really, what do we have left at the end of the week besides wrappers...other trash....more recycling to do....fat cells....The kids never eat the food I cook anyway, in fact, they actually prefer pasta, which is also quicker to cook on a work night, leaving me more time to spend with them, which *is* what's most important after all...

After snapping out of my tirade, I decide to poke around the web to see if I can find anything. My discoveries are tutu fabulous (I'm overdoing this play on the word "tutu" thing, aren't I?). On Etsy.com I searched for the word "tutu" and found a wide range of styles and prices--some as cheap as $5, some as expensive as $100.

My favorite reasonably priced luxurious tutu finds include:

• Strawberry Dreams by Tiara's Boutique: $25 and comes with a free matching hair bow and free glitter or rhinestone embellishments. This tutu can be ordered in lengths of up to 20" (7" longer than my dream tutu) and is made from the perfect Valentine's Day colors.

• Secret Garden by Trinity's Tutus: $18.50 and comes with a free matching head band. This tutu can be ordered in lengths of up to 12". Not only is this tutu as plush as "the tutu," but it also captures the essence of the color tones with a chocolate brown pastel combo (this tutu uses shades of purples and yellow rather than pink).
  
  


• Roses are Red by Tiara's Boutique: $20 and comes with a free red rose wand. This tutu comes in lengths of up to 12" (fitting babies up to size 8 or 9 girls). It's a bit shorter than the others, but a rich red adorned with a big puffy rose--perfect for a Valentine photo shoot.

Now, if you are ambitious, I also found many sets of do-it-yourself tutu instructions. This style of tutu is made up of many strips of tulle. This look can be achieved using the following no sew technique:

No Sew Tutu Instructions

No Sew Tutu Video Demonstration

I would like to attempt to make this Valentine's Day gift for Chicky. You know, teach her about how gifts from the heart mean more and all that jazz. However, working full-time it can be difficult to find time for all the big ideas I come up with (for example, this blog). So, I will set forth with good intentions to make this homemade gift for my sweet little Valentine, but I'm going to keep that Etsy ace of spades in my back pocket.

These are a few of my favorite things...

...coincidentally (or not?) they are all shoes!

Top 10 Favorite Children's Shoes (in alphabetical order)

1. Angel Baby & L'Amour Shoes: A premium shoe value line offering many of the traditional staples (saddle shoes, classic baby shoes, mary janes, and more) with the added bonus of some fun designs.
   
   
   
2. Chamberi/PetitShoes: Chamberi is the baby line and PetitShoes is the toddler and bigger kid line of these Gorgeous Spanish leather shoes--my favorite makers of crib and traditional dress shoes. The Minis wear these shoes almost every holiday.
   
   


3. Chikitto: An up and coming Euro-inspired line that is hard to find, but as posh as they come.
   



4. Lelli Kelly: Super girly diva shoes and sneakers that are hardy and Chicky-tested.
   
   


5. Morgan & Milo: Very durable shoes and sneakers that come in a wide variety of fun styles.
   
   


6. Pazitos: My favorite shoe designers work at Pazitos, Inc. The sweet baby and swish toddler and kid styles keep me drooling.
   
   


7. Pipsqueaks/Rainbow Steps: Affordable and adorable squeaky baby shoes and non -squeaky older kid shoes.
   



8. Primigi: Raise your hand if you love Italian leather! Our favorite brand of play shoes is a staple at Nordstrom and at any high-end children's shoe boutique.
   
   


9. See Kai Run: Urban-inspired with a modern take on classic styles.
   
   


10. Umi: Right up there with Primigis, Umis offer style and durability, and my Minis have enjoyed dozens of pairs of these comfortable play shoes.
    
    
    A Mommy Fashionista Deal Alert: Click here for a detailed list including brand price ranges, available size, pros and cons, and most importantly, tips on how to find these designer brands for affordable prices!
    

Bienvenue from Mommy Fashionista & Meet the Minis

Hello and welcome! If you are here, you are probably one of my friends or family members who are already well aware of this little obsessive compulsive disorder of mine, where every milestone in my kids' lives makes for the perfect style pursuit.

The things I like to obsess over include (but are not limited to):

• holiday and special occasion outfits
• play-worthy apparel
• classic coats
• perfectly matching over-the-top hair doo dads
• Italian & Spanish footwear (and sometimes Californian, too--they have a knack for fun & funky styles on the West coast!)
• beach wear
• Halloween costumes

The list is really a lot longer than that, but this is just an introductory post, after all. So, I will stop boring you and introduce you to the characters that will from this point forward be collectively known as "The Minis."

Meet Chicky...

For a not so typically all that's pink and sparkly 4-year old girl, Chicky loves to get dressed up and has, since infancy, appreciated a gorgeous outfit (excluding debilitatingly itchy tights).

No princess costumes for Chick. For weeks she told every friend and stranger how she was going to be a "girl dragon" for Halloween. Then she saw this flamingo costume and honestly said "Oh, Mommy, that's the one!"

Chick is very lucky to have a Mimi and an Auntie that love shopping only second to spoiling her rotten. These shopping queens both have a love of classic coats, which is a win-win situation, as Chick much prefers the "straight jackets" (her words) over the puffy ones.

Meet Freshiola Freshington...

Maybe it's bitterness over all the short pant suits, but this little love gives us a real run for our money. When he's not coloring on our couch or trying to use the dog as a jump for his Matchbox cars, he enjoys showing off a sharp set of threads. Unlike big sis, Master Freshington has a fashion sense of his own and insists on having a say in his attire.

Well, apparently he didn't win this day... ;)

"Preppy tough guy"...this is more Freshy's look:

That's all for now folks.