our summer sale is here. you do not want to miss it!

for a limited time only, items are 50% off! think of all the stylish gifts you can give and receive at an incredibly low price. tell your friends and family!

and the bgreen 2-1 reversible bib above is perfect for all sorts of messy meals in addition to being eco-friendly, machine washable, reversible and stylish!

now go shop!

ok so i designed the joyababy clutch (obviously) a few years ago when i was spending sleepless nights awake with my newborn son. you can read all about my design discovery here. and yet still to this day, when i see fresh clutches arrive from our manufacturer without the contents for changing baby, i am amazed that it all fits in there. part of the reason is that my baby is four years old and the last time he was in diapers was 2 years ago! i do carry a clutch daily with other toddler necessities like: epi-pen, hand wipes, sunblock, etc. (highly recommend)

this past week i received emails from happy happy customers and it was music to my ears! it made me also recall one of the first comments we received from a dad, who was gifted a joyababy clutch from a joyababy customer. she shared this with us. (see above)

so i decided last week, to get out some baby essentials and pack a joyababy clutch up. three newborn eco-friendly diapers and a small wipe pack that you can refill from your nursery supply. (reduce, reuse, recycle!)

i took some casual photos of the process and voila, it is here to share with you! so the verdict? IT REALLY DOES DEFY THE LAW OF PHYSICS, at least as we moms and dads know it! and you know what else… it’s so stylish that NO ONE, i mean no one will know what you have packed in there. and that my friends was my point many sleepless nights ago.. to actually function how we need it to, but look really really good while doing it!

i was a sleepless mom of two young boys under the age of three. i was starting to sew baby items at my kitchen table for family and friends. and i had just launched a simple website showcasing my collection. i *thought* about the idea of sending samples to press. i even went as far as typing out the letters to the editors on letterhead. but i decided that maybe it wasn’t the right time. so the letters took up a permanent spot on my dining room table.

a few weeks after that, i was awakened by my husband looking frantic and saying “SOMETHING is going on with your website! it’s so slow … you have like several thousand hits this morning and it’s only 7:30am. right now there are like 200 people looking at your website!!”

huh? i thought to myself, i didn’t send any letters out. they are still on the dining room table. i remember thinking maybe my husband did not look at the stats right. i went to my laptop… and as i was logging on to check the stats myself, my new emails popped up. i clicked on my weekly daily candy email, which i so loved and read as the bible of weekly fashion must haves (at the time there was only one kids version, once a week).  in shock and with my heart racing, this is what i read with my husband standing next to me and my children playing at my feet:

here is link on the daily candy website

one of the letters on the dining room table was addressed to the daily candy editor, never sent. it has been three years this month and i still think about that day: the irony, the connection, the excitement. i kept that letter to the editor and still look at it often. it is a great reminder to me of  what you ask for or tell yourself you want, often time finds you before you pursue it.

and yes, i am currently telling the universe what i would like to happen next! stay tuned.

it has been a few years since i have been pregnant and the styles are always changing and evolving as everything else does in fashion. what i love most about these finds for the mama to be are how classic they are and at the same time very stylish. i think classic is good-it stands firm in waves of trends that come and go. it is easier to invest your money into something classic from brands that offer quality, especially in 2010. when you pair that with a fresh color for spring or a new print or design, that is the true indulgence.

what better way to share your pregnancy news than with a letterpress baby bump announcement! i found this from duet letterpress and if you visit their blog be prepared to drool.

i say smythson you say classic, smythson classic. smythson classic! smythson of bond street is the epitome of quality and classic style. a fuschia notebook with title “Yummy Mummy!”for taking notes or making lists… need i say more?

with pregnancy comes body changes, with body changes comes the need for better fitting apparel. this even goes for intimate apparel. this is as sexy as it gets while still being a classy mama. and its nursing compatible. available at isabella oliver.

i love everything about the babybearshop. i stumbled upon the dreamy online store while googling “allergic baby” a few years ago… and voila i landed at the organic apothecary of diana stewart.  she incidentally became a welcomed adviser, now a friend, on raising a child with allergies. this is how she started creating the babybearshop collection.  every mama to be needs the mama belly oil. actually they also need my other favorite product, all the to better to kiss you with.  talk about buttery, soft skin and glorious ingredients.

pregnancy in and of itself  is making a statement. this is the era of showing the form the belly takes. so why not treat yourself to a stylish statement necklace to go with? this artistic gaia necklace by jane michael was created with unakite stones that are said to promote the health of the unborn child.

the glow of pregnancy is framed best with a dress from designer, more of me maternity. their spring 2010 collection is full of fresh prints and color, perfect for a fashion forward mom.

starting to read up before the arrival of baby? some of my favorite books are listed here. a few new ones as well.  i think you cannot go wrong with advice on breastfeeding from the womanly art of breastfeeding, a la leche league classic or my other favorite your baby & child. my mother had the same book in the 70’s by penelope leach. i think while knowledge and advice changes and develops over time, the roots are the same. and if you have a good author who stays current and up to date, but true to her roots, you can trust her knowledge in 1976 as much as in 2010. today i would also pick up raising baby green, by dr. greene and you, having a baby by drs oz and roizen.

taking a photograph is classic. and with a new modern camera like the kodak slice, you can capture all of pregnancy changes through images and video. this sleek new design allows you to store thousands of photographs and HD movies. then, at the touch of a finger using the memory capability, you can even sort images by face,  or in your case by belly!

its a modern day, a new century. i loved this fresh take on a pregnancy journal. its simple pages and artistic cover illustration by modern printed matter will flow nicely with baby’s room decor.  sit back, relax in your rocker and write about your forty weeks of expecting joy. yes i said write -not type-the written form is classic.

as the months progress, you will be anticipating the packing up of all things baby for the hospital. i purchased two lancel travel bags while pregnant with my first. they were classic tan and i didn’t know the gender of our baby. what i later realized: they are the perfect travel bags for the baby, then child and now children. definitely worth the investment in a quality brand. this one by lancel paris is classic in style and shape, while fun, fresh and gender neutral in orange. if you are thinking what i am thinking- the joyababy collection in tangerine isle would look fantastic packed in there!

and at the end the day, or end of a pregnancy, a little pick me up is what a girl needs! a chic and cozy pair of ugg slippers and a nice lip shine are perfect to use during the pregnancy and after.

Celebrating the impending birth of a baby is one of the joys of life! I also count it as a blessing to be able to share in another joy- motherhood, with my sisters and my mother. My younger sister and her husband are expecting their first baby and we threw a party to celebrate this past weekend! It feels like just yesterday we were playing house: four sisters with our pretend names and dolls. With miles separating all of us for planning the shower, we relied on everyone’s individual talents (and email) to pull this special day together.

The Baby Shower: The main inspiration for the shower was her nursery colors, shades of teal and green, and her stylish baby bedding called Rory from Serena & Lily. Modern and chic details included: an album, custom designed for guests to guess details of the birth and to write a personal note of well wishes or advice; tissue pom-pom flowers for a festive touch; Bellinis made with fresh peach puree and Prosecco served with personalized straws; bouquets of white and green flowers with a custom vase wrap; modern baby quiz with questions about the mama-to-be; homemade marshmallow peeps as sweet favors with custom gift tags; and a menu of the guest of honor’s favorites including tomato-basil soup and a club sandwich.

The Baby Shower Gift? joyababy of course! A must have for moms everywhere: the joyababy Clutch, Travel Bib and Lux Blanket. My sister was excited to be on the receiving end of a joyababy set in Tangerine Isle (finally!), perfect for waiting to find out if it’s a boy or girl. I added a footed white sleeper from Petit Bateau, one of my favorite brands for building a new baby’s layette. I also slipped in the new Kolo Essex, in the color lake to match. Its a wonderfully small travel book for jotting down notes at the pediatrician or stashing a few photos to brag.

Stay tuned as this beauty of a baby will likely grace the cover of joyababy.com in due time.

- Joya, Founder & Designer of joyababy

Resources: joyababy, Petit Bateau, Paper-Source, Kolo, Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, Serena & Lily, Twig & Thistle, Martha Stewart, to name a few.