Dwelling on Dwell

Kids Gifts.

I don't know about you guys, but when I buys toys for my nieces and nephews or my friends' kids, I am struck at how ugly a lot of them can be. Once you become a parent are you destined to have a load of loud, primary-colored plastic strewn all over your home? Not so fast. There is Dwell Studio.



I love Dwell Studio for everything from furniture, to throw pillows, to bedding. And they have the most chic baby/kids gifts on the market. Each piece is so thoughtfully designed. I've attached some of my favorites - beautiful blocks, shape puzzles, and reusable placemats for coloring. But you really need to check out their site, because there is SO much more.

Psychobaby

Baby Gifts.

Not every future parent is all into cotton candy pink and baby blue. Some are a little bit more Rock 'n' Roll. For those parents, you should most definitely check out Psychobaby.

Amidst some great boutiques on Damen Avenue in Chicago, Psychobaby elicited more squeals of delight from yours truly than a killer sale on a Helmut Lang jacket across the street. And that's saying a lot.

Here are some of my favorite items that are all available on their very user-friendly website:

Single Uncle Onsie
Personalize this for your future niece or nephew, and you have an instant wingman!



AC/DC inspired pacifier
Because you don't want your baby screaming like lead singer, Brian Johnson.



Rockabye Baby CD
Soft lullaby versions of your favorite tunes. My friends like the Nirvana version the best...




Johnny Case Onesie
Who doesn't love the Man in Black??

A Clear Winner?

Baby Stuff.

I have to say that a lot of the newer furniture and product design in the baby world give me hope that I won't totally have to throw my modernist style out the window when we finally decide to add a tot to our clan. But the Hollis crib below had me saying "what the what?"



Named after a pioneer in acrylic furniture, George Hollis, the Hollis Crib is made from non-toxic and recyclable lucite and can be adjusted to 3 different mattress heights. As for stability, I have no fear of acrylic furntiture being flimsy as I proudly own and use several Louis Ghost chairs...and I'm fairly certain I weigh more than a baby.

But what do you all think of having your baby "floating" in this $3000 clear crib?

Baby Booty

Etsy Baby Gift.

Rainy dreary weekends in the Summer have one benefit. They allow me to slow down and get caught up on things that I need to do around the apartment. At least that what I should be doing. In reality, I spent my most recent rain day scouring Etsy for fun finds. It might not have gotten my bathroom clean, but I think it was just as productive because I found Pretty Little.

I am always on the lookout for unique, cute, and uncomplicated baby gifts for the boom of babies that my friends have been having recently. And this is the jackpot! Pretty Little makes the most adorable baby booties that you have ever seen! Each piece is made to order so you can customize size, color, and bootie style to your liking. Here are some of my favorites:

Cuddly Teddy Bear Booties


Bunnies...so cute!

And for the future Rock Star babies, these Pirate Booties!

Fun Onesies

Baby Gifts.

For baby showers, I always buy at least one practical thing from the registry (and it's usually something that I have no earthly idea how it works because apparently I was raised in the dark ages of baby contraptions). But I always add a fun little onesie to the mix too. So in another installment of baby gifts that don't confuse Amber, I bring you two of my new favorite lines of onesies.

Urban Tots

These organic cotton onesies just make me smile. I love the simple yet bold fruit graphics and the cute and appropriate little phrases that accompany it. And the fact that Urban Tots packages these organic bundles of joy in berry baskets sends me over the edge in love.

Wry Baby

Speaking of love, any company that's motto is "raise funny people" is alright with me. There are so many clever ideas on this site that I had a really difficult time deciding which to share. One of my faves is Mysterio predicts, which is a little tee packaged in a coordinating bag that predicts your child's hilarious destiny. A close second is the "I'm not a boy" onesie, because strapping those tight headbands on your baby girl because she wasn't born with flowing locks is painful. And the Super Suit onesie with attached cape is just plain awesome.

Imaginative Illustrations

Baby Gift/Decor.

Have you ever noticed that things happen in multiples? One of your friends will get engaged, and then all of a sudden 2 others will too. Well, I'm in the middle of a baby boom right now with my family and friends. And what is stressful to me is that I'm learning that I know very little about babies. I spent a good hour looking at one baby registry the other night and I didn't know what half of the "equipment" (for lack of a better term) was.

So I quickly clicked off of that registry and sought sanity from Etsy. And I ran across the most amazing illustration work by Belle & Boo. All of her prints have a wonderful charm and whimsy about them...perfect for a baby's/child's bedroom. And it hit me! I may not know the last thing about diaper jeanies, strollers, and Baby Einstein but I do know great design when I see it. And I know that our pals are probably stressing about making their first nursery look as adorable as it possibly can. So maybe I'll have our friends choose a couple of prints that they love and Auntie Amber can start the baby's first original art collection! C'est magnifique! --a