What's Fun For the Holidays

I'm having a hard time believing we are gearing up for the holiday season already. I just closed the Halloween box here at Giggle Bug Boutique, and now I'm getting the holiday pettiskirts and tutus ready for their jingle bell display!

All of the Giggle Bug tutus are designed and created by me. I have really been playing with some fun and funky design techniques this year. My "That's Punked Up" tutu has been my biggest seller over the past few months. My customer chooses the colors while I punk it all sorts of crazy. I've been playing with different ribbons and materials to add into the tutu as well, to make them extra punk and certainly rock star funky!

Our designer of the pettiskirts is already running on a 3-4 week delay for holiday pettis. It can get up to 6 weeks, so get your order in now. She is well worth the wait, but we don't want to disappoint in divas come Christmas morning. She has so many fun designs with an option to create your own pettiskirt.

Don't forget your four legged friends. They need to be hip for the holidays too. We have a great line of punk pet couture as well as a super fun line of pet tutus in any color.

New this year at Giggle Bug Boutique...we are printing our own t-shirts. In the past, we were designing them and sending them out for print. We have started to print our own for a significant cost savings and will be passing that price to our customers. Look for a lot of new and upcoming designs for t-shirts for all ages.

(Due to CPSIA legislations, Giggle Bug will not be designing shirts intended for anyone under the age of 12. All infant t-shirts you find in our store from other designers have been tested and abide by the new CPSIA ruling.)

We are ready to hit the holiday with a running start. Please stop in and see us or shoot us an email at customerservice@gigglebugboutique.com. Always love to hear from our people! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Peace and Much Love!

Visit us at http://www.gigglebugboutique.com/

Giggle Bug Punk Rock Princess Photo Shoot

This year Giggle Bug Boutique themed our fall photo shoot "Punk Rock Princess." There are so many cool tutus out there, but we happen to think our tutus have a little more funk to them. We can make any kind of tutu, but the punk and funky kind are our favorite. Pair a rockin' tutu with a hip t-shirt and you are ready for a rock concert or just a fun time with girls. All girls have a little rock star budding inside, just dying to get out and show some serious attitude.

We took our models to a tiny dot on the map called Edgerton, KS. Edgerton is a small and quaint little town that reminds me a lot of where I grew up in Hope, IN. Full of charm and gorgeous scenery, our photographer, Jaime, of Jaime Powell Photography, knows exactly how to capture an amazing picture. She knows Giggle Bug Boutique's style and funkiness. She works so incredibly with our models of all ages. And when our pictures came back, a small tear came to my eye. Thank you Jaime Powell Photography! You are simply the best of the best!

There is something to be said for a girl's spirit when she puts on a tutu and poses in front of the camera. The main reason I love what I do is because of the girls I do it for. Their faces light up and they are all of a sudden a rock star. I am so fortunate to have so many beautiful models of all ages to work with. I don't design tutus for one certain girl. I design tutus for each girl as an individual. Every girl deserves to show her inner diva, and there is no better way to express that kind of sass like wearing a tutu.

Giggle Bug Boutique wants to thank all the parents who allowed us to use their precious divas in our photo shoot. We also want to thank the divas themselves: Liv, Misty, Sage, Dighton, Eire, Stephanie, Monica, Kennedy, Ashlynn, Hannah, Rachel and a special thanks to Bonham, our K9 model.

Please come see us at our next event, Divas Dancing for Divas, a breast cancer fund raiser. It will be held at Harrah's Grand Ballroom on October 17th in Kansas City. We will be showcasing all of our newest tutu designs along with Giggle Bug's new t-shirt prints.

Happy Fall everyone!

Wild Spirit ~ Wild Heart

Kids are back in school and that can only mean one thing: HALLOWEEN IS COMING!!!! As I look around my studio and try to make some sense of these heaping piles of costumes and tutus, I realize that Halloween is my favorite holiday. It always has been from my earliest memories. It's not only that one day each year my tricky mind tells me it's ok to eat chocolate, (which is by far my favorite poison), it's also that one day your imagination is free to run as completely wild as your spirit. It's the one day, that no matter who you are, you only have to dream it, and you can be something or someone completely different.

I love the way the kids' faces light up as they run to our door to trick or treat us all dressed in their favorite costumes. My husband loves to put on his costume and act silly at the door so the kiddos can laugh and make fun of him. Last year was Tate's, our now 3 year old, first year of trick or treating. He loved the whole dress up part because he was way too excited to be a dinosaur, however, he grew tired of the process about 8 houses down our street. He trooped on though once he realized how much candy was filling his bag. This year, his costume of choice is a pirate. But not just any pirate. He will be sporting the Captain Jack Pirate Costume. He has been practicing his "argh" face and snarl for the last couple of weeks. You start early when your mom owns a boutique filled with costumes like: The Sock Monkey, Frankenstein, Spiderman, and the Dragon. Luckily, he doesn't have rule out all of the super cool girl costumes like: Batarina Ballerina, the Ruby Queen, Deluxe Witch, or the Lil' Love Bug.

But Halloween costumes are not just for the kiddos. Though my mermaid costume for girls was by far the most popular one last year, running a close 2nd was my catsuit by Leg Avenue for women. We will have those as stocked as we can this year to prepare for the kitty rush. However, loving Halloween as much as I do, I have decided to expand our costume department this year and really just go all out. If you are looking for a Halloween costume that you don't see in our online boutique, email me at nicki@gigglebugboutiqe.com. I will do my absolute best to find it for you.

Let's not forget Halloween costumes for pets. One of our most popular pieces all year round is our Top Hat for dogs. This year, the pet costumes have been expanded, and we have a ton more to offer. So, if you have a four legged friend that loves to express their personality by way of funky pet clothes, send them our way. Be sure to check out our Zelda Bee, Zelda Pirate and my favorite the Zelda Devil.

So, what will the husband and I be this year? I know you're dying to know. Besides dressing for the trick or treat event, we will be in attendance at the Baron MINI Cooper Halloween Bash. It gets bigger and better every year, and we always have such a blast. Last year, I drug my husband kicking and screaming as he was dressed as Pamela Anderson, and I was his (her) date as Tomm Lee. I thought it was genius, but he was not comfortable in his heals and short denim skirt. Everyone else thought he was the belle of the ball! So, this year, I'm letting him choose. So, at the moment it seems to be a toss up between Beetlejuice and "A Very Special Gift." I'll let you go see that one in the store if your inquiring mind must know. It's pretty funny made famous by Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live, if you can imagine.

I, on the other hand , am thinking this must be the year for wings. I have so many beautiful wings this year, and I can't wait to try them all on. I love the idea of being a fairy with sparkles and a tiara, but I think the only way to do that in a true"Nicki" fashion is to FUNK her up a bit. I'm thinking a dark, punk, rock, hip and haute fairy! It wasn't easy trying to choose between a Race Car Driver, a Mischevious Pirate or a Sexy Bumble Bee.

Many people are trying to save money this year, so we'll continue shopping for the best value Halloween costumes to bring you the best collection we can get our funky little fingers on. And of course, we'll keep blogging as we get closer to the big day. From all of us here at Giggle Bug Boutique, cheers to those who celebrate the wild side of their imagination and make no apologies for it!

Peace!

The New Face of Giggle Bug Boutique

Just a quick blog to introduce the new face of Giggle Bug Boutique, Liv! She's a vibrant and hip 9 year old. I am blessed to have beautiful friends with beautiful children.

Liv's mom, Stacie, told me that Liv loves to pick out funky outfits for herself. She knows how to accessorize and has a natural flair for funky fashion. I wanted to design a tutu for Liv that would bring out that funky side of her personality, yet be fashionable and cute when she wanted it too. I designed the "Funk Rock Princess Tutu" with her in mind. It has hundreds of yards of Hot Pink, Black, Silver and hints of Apple Green Tulle. We went a little longer on this one at a portrait length of 22 inches long. The waistband is wrapped witha funky gray and black ribbon that ties in a bow that can be worn at any angle to change the look of the tutu.

My best friend and photographer extraordinare, Jaime Powell, shot these photos for us at Baron BMW of Kansas City. They have two great buildings for BMW and Mini Cooper. Both buildings are awesomely designed with fun angles and great floors. Jaime is an amazing photographer. She does a lot of work for us at Giggle Bug as well as my family photos. She's the only one that has ever been able to get good pictures of my toddler. If you're looking for someone in the Kansas City area, click Jaime Powell to be directed to her website.

When we arrived at shoot, Liv was ready with some of her own funky accessories for the shoot. She's a natural beauty with a smile that lights up so much you barely need a flash for the camera. Her personality couldn't be more fun to work with. She worked the camera at every angle. The camera loves her! She can be cute in one shot, funky in the next, and simply darling in all the in betweens. I don't think we got a bad picture the entire night. I was so happy with the way the tutu looked on her, I seriously teared up a couple of times. It was a very proud moment for me in so many ways. It was a magical moment having so many that are dear to me be apart of something I love so much!

I've always been proud of Giggle Bug, and as we grow, I become deeper in love with what I do. When we received some of the pictures back from Jaime, I realized that Liv was what I imagined Giggle Bug Boutique would be when I began to create this store. Our motto has always been "where funky meets fashion." And there she was, standing right in front of me wearing my tutu inspired by her... being photographed by my best friend in the world, Jaime Powell. It was a mushy moment...the Funk Rock Princess of Giggle Bug has arrived!

Thank you to Don Lindsey for letting us use the building to shoot the amazing pictures. And thank you to Don and Stacie Lindsey for letting us use their amazingly beautiful daughter, Liv. And of course, a huge thank you to Jaime Powell Photography for being an amazing artist behind the camera as well as the best friend a girl could ask for!

Come check out all of our tutus at Giggle Bug Boutique. I love custom orders, so if you don't see what you want, I will go to the ends of the earth for you to make it happen! And of course, we make tutus for any size...a girl can never have too many tutus!!!!

Giggle Bug Rocks A Celebrity Favorite

It sersiously is no wonder why celebrities like Gwen Stefani, Brooke Burke, Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie and Courtney Cox love Rockin' Baby Slings. They are cool, hip, comfortable and definitely functionable.

Rockin' Baby Slings was started in 2002 by two moms, Lisa McDaniel and Natasha Stanton. The carriers that were available then, did not live up to their fashionista standards. They wanted to create a sling that allowed parents to do their thing without having to compromise their sense of style. And did they ever succeed!

As Rockin’ Baby grew over the years they have found that the most important aspect of making baby slings and pouches is quality. For that reason they do everything here in Los Angeles where we can be sure of quality control. They make sure that all of the fabrics are made of natural fibers, breathable and of high-quality. They are all pre-washed in natural salt water to set the colors, prevent shrinkage, and soften the fabric. All edges on the slings and pouches are overlocked then seamed twice to ensure no tearing or fraying at the edges. They also use 40 lb weight thread as it increases the strength of the Rockin’ Baby Sling and Pouch. The reversible slings are made with 5 yards of fabric. Rockin' Baby pouches are fully adjustable and reversible with zippers, and are made with 3 yards of fabric. They also have slings and pouches out of 100% organic cotton sateen and poplin, using low impact dyes, in their own exclusive Rockin’ Baby prints.

The Rockin' Baby Sling

Rockin’ Baby Slings are reversible ring slings that can be adjusted while on. They are one long piece of fabric that you loop through rings at one end. You can adjust the sling while you are wearing it by pulling on the tail or sides of the tail. You also have the tail to shade baby from the sun or use as a cover while nursing. The sling is a good choice if you plan to share it with loved ones of a number of different sizes because it has such a wide range of adjustment. Rockin’ Baby Slings can be worn in 5 different carrying positions, to match baby’s mood and development, from birth to around 3 years of age or 40 lbs. They come in the original size which fits most body shapes and sizes and in xs for those who are especially petite.

The Rockin' Baby Pouch
Rockin’ Baby Pouches are a single loop of fabric that you put over your head. They are fully adjustable and reversible. They can be adjusted to four different sizes via hidden zippers before they are put on and usually reverse from a print pattern side to a very dad-friendly, solid color. The pouch is a good choice if you would like to put it at a setting, leave it, and go. All of our pouches have a pocket with a Velcro closure in the zipper cover. They come in xs, s/m and m/l sizes. Because each size fits such a wide range of body shapes and types, most couples can share the same pouch. As with the slings, the pouches can be worn in 5 different carrying positions, from nursing to sitting, up to 40 lbs or around 3 years of age.

I don't love them because celebrities love them, but we must not deny the cool factor behind that. I love Rockin' Baby Slings because they are made by moms for moms. And not just for any moms...moms who love to rock their style while carrying around their most precious of possessions.

You can find a full line of Rockin' Baby Slings and Pouches, both original and organic at Giggle Bug Boutique.

Peace~

It's Teeny Weeny Bikini Time

If you shopped for swimwear with us last year, you're familiar with our Lil' Bettie line. They are absolutely fabulous swimsuits for infants, girls, and tweens up to size 16 in some styles. I fell in love with this line last year when we were looking for swimwear that was fun, fashionable, and oh so very hip. I know, that's a common theme at Giggle Bug Boutique, but that's who we are!

Lil' Bettie is a division of Seasise Brands in partnership with Yellow Bug Brazil. They have only been around since 2007. They are always a topic of conversation with our Giggle Bug customers. Why??? Well, you'll have to take a look for yourself, but if I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with the personality and funky attitude they put into each design. These swimsuits are so well made and delicious, I wish I had a little girl to parade at the pool in one. It would be too hard to choose only one. They have bikinis, tankinis and one-piece swimsuits. And for an added bonus, you can also grab a Rash Guard or a cover up skirt or sundress.

To give you a little glimpse of where these stylyes stem from, Lil' Bettie is an offspring of Poko Pano, a designer swim brand based out of Sao Paulo, Brazil that has been in the United States market since 2005. The brand's fun, fashion forward and unique designs have caught the eye of swimwear lovers everywhere; including celebrities like Angie Harmon, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Elle McPherson, Mischa Barton, and Bridget from "The Girls Next Door". And now your little diva can sport hers too!

The 2009 collection of Lil' Bettie is now available at Giggle Bug Boutique. What's left of the 2008 collection is still available, as well, and most have been discounted. Come on in and check out the new line. They are simply fabulous!

Mommy- The Sexiest Name I've Ever Been Called

Just because you have kids does not mean that you have to turn in your sex appeal for long, flannel pajamas. But being sexy does not mean being uncomfortable. It also doesn't mean that you have to walk around the house in short shorts or 4 inch pumps. With a little imagination and confidence you can be a sexy mom.

The first step to being a sexy mom is realizing how wonderful it is to be able to play various roles such as mom, wife, employee, or whatever it is that make you the person you are. When you have confidence in yourself and your life you tend to exude that confidence and that helps keep you sexy.

The second step is to look for your best attributes. If you have great eyes you will want to play them up. If you have nice hair, you want to make sure that you spend your money on a nice haircut with nice highlights. Play up your best features. You don't have to pay a lot of money or spend a lot of time. You just need to be aware of those things in order to pay attention to them.

The third step is your wardrobe. I realize how easy it is to fall ito wardrobe ruts when you have kids that are spitting up on you or when you are constantly cleaning the house. But that doesn't mean that you have to leave the house with a dumpy look. Cute tshirts can be very versatile in comfort and style and most times you can wear many types of clothes inside the house as well as outside. With the change of shoes and a little makeup, you can easily transform a tshirt/capri outfit from inside wear to outside wear. Buy clothes that are comfortable as well as stylish as well as a few pairs of flat shoes and wedge shoes. I shop for T-shirts for Giggle Bug Boutique with many amazing designers. I look for quality at affordable pricing. And I love the t-shirt because you can dress it up for an evening out, or throw iton with a pair of your favorite jeans and call it a day.

A little makeup and cologne can go a long way. It's not about spending a lot of time making yourself up. It's about a few things that you can do to spruce yourself so that when you leave the house you feel great about yourself. Only a few things are necessary such as a little foundation, blush, mascara and a lip pencil. Four basic items can take as little as a minute to put on and really does wonders for your sex appeal.

Get rid of that dumpy old robe, worn out underwear and stretched bra because those do nothing for your new sexy attitude. Instead opt for a cute silky robe, sexy underwear , and a nice well fitting bra. It is amazing what a few wardrobe staples do for your overall confidence. Don't be afraid of the babydolls, ladies! We're still women underneath all that rugged mommy exterior.

Many of us moms tend to think that we have to stop being sexy when we have kids, and that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, having kids should be a celebration of your life and accomplishments. Don't allow yourself to be put on the backburner because you belong in the front just like the rest of your family. "Mommy" is the sexiest name I've ever been called.

I work in a studio in my basement literally 7 days a week. My toddler and my two dogs are the only living creatures I see most days besides UPS and Fed Ex. Not very long ago, I looked at my husband and asked "do you miss seeing me in make up every day?" Being the great husband and best friend that he is, he replied, "no honey, your natural beauty is breathtaking!" I giggled! It's always nice to hear that, but it's also fun to see his eyes light up when he sees you dolled up after being at work all day.

And of course, you can find many funky and hip and sexy items at Giggle Bug Boutique. Our lingerie department is new to us, and we're loving the energy.

Peace~