Bargain Alert: The Baby Bunch Boys' Gift Set

I'm always on the lookout for bargain baby gifts at Amazon.com's baby outlet, and I just found a really good one: The Baby Bunch Large Bucket (Blue): 0 to 6 Months. A baby gift that is both beautifully presented and supremely practical, this gift set contains a bib, t-shirt, hat, leggings, onesie, and two pairs of socks, all made of soft 100% cotton and styled for a baby boy in various shades of blue and white. The clothes are all generously sized for infants up to six months (or 16 lbs, whichever comes first). What new mom wouldn't love this? And, the regular retail price is $54.95, but it's on sale at Amazon for just $27 (a savings of 51%). So you'll be giving a very nice gift without spending a fortune. Buy one (or two) now at Amazon.com for the next baby boy you'll need to spoil with a special gift.

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Limelight Redux

Hey everyone...I am about to leave for the holiday weekend (as I imagine many of you are, too). I will be posting again on Tuesday, July 6th. I hope you all have a fun and safe Fourth of July!

A while back I told you about Chelsea's new Limelight Marketplace, which used to be the famous Limelight nightclub from the disco era, which in turn used to be an Episcopal Church. The "new" Limelight is a funky shopping emporium which features upscale boutiques selling an eclectic mix of goods ranging from Hunter boots to red velvet cupcakes. I just got a chance to visit the marketplace myself; here is a little virtual tour for you.

Here is an outside view (sorry for the overexposure- camera difficulties):

And this is the chandelier that greets you when you enter. You know this is going to be a cool place.


And it is. First of all, the architecture is stunning. It is not hard to picture Andy Warhol and his coterie partying in this space a decade ago:




There are nooks and crannies and little staircases, and some reminders that this place used to be a church, after all:

The ground floor is for the foodies. Here is a view down the food aisle. Ever been to the Harrod's food aisles in London? This is like a teeny tiny version of it.


There's everything from sweets to savories, but the sweets seem to win out. Cupcake Stop, which touts itself as "New York City's First Mobile Gourmet Cupcake Shoppe", has a permanent shop at Limelight, so you can satisfy those cupcake cravings even if you're nowhere near their well-known wandering cupcake truck.


A customer favorite- red velvet cupcakes. Mmmm.


I forgot to take a picture of their actual product- delicious Whoopie Pies- but here is the packaging by Wanna Have a Cookie. Their bestseller? You guessed it- red velvet Whoopie Pies with vanilla filling.


It'Sugar has colorful candy displays. The1970's retro disco candy is a cute nod to the store's location.




And now onto gifts. If you need to pick up something for a new baby or big sib, you can snag some clever threads at Silly Souls. Or how about a super luxe gift basket from Book Smart?




The LE Sportsac boutique has fantastic new bags by artist Katharina Leuzinger; I love this "Snackville" pattern.


Limelight Marketplace also features the first stand-alone boutique for Hunter Boots:

And, now I've saved the best for last. At Limelight Marketplace, I discovered Brocade Home, which designs Hollywood-vibe furniture, bedding, and accessories. There's silk, mirrors, chandelier, and damasks aplenty. Love it. Even the signage leading to the boutique is wonderful:


They make beautiful bedding; shown here is the amethyst medallion duvet ($119-$159) and with silk damask shams ($14-$49)


My favorite item at Brocade Home? The ruffle-edge mirrors ($599); I love how they look lined up 3 in a row with moulure ledges ($79) underneath.


That's all for now. Hope you've enjoyed the tour and, if you're in NYC, you should definitely stop by there, too!

Limelight Marketplace is located at 6th Avenue and 20th Street in NYC, and is open Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, and Sunday 11am-8pm.

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Shop Report: Fill-R-Up in New York City

A dear friend whom I met through blogging, Issa Mas, invited me recently to a holiday gift preview she was hosting at Fill-R-Up, a beautiful boutique in my neighborhood. Win win for me! Fill-R-Up specializes in high-quality personalized gifts for just about anyone on your gift list, and welcomes shoppers both at its Upper East Side location and also from just about anywhere worldwide at its retail site online. Owner/mom Amanda Poses- who also maintains a Fill-R-Up outpost in the Hamptons- showed us some of the most popular gift selections.

Lots of savvy shoppers turn to Fill-R-Up for high-quality personalized baby gifts. You can customize a baby basket with a la carte items, or select a pre-made basket and add personalization. The set of 3 embroidered burpcloths in a basket ($43.25) in a basket is one of their most popular baby gifts. For older kids, check out this only-in-New York The personalized children's yoga mat ($52, top of photo) is another great straight-from-NY gift. Or how about a personalized hoodie ($39; sizes 12-18mos to 8)?


With the holidays around the corner, Amanda showed us some unique hostess gifts and teacher gifts at variour price points (Fill-R-Up can be a pricey store if you're not careful, but I've chosen some more affordable products to share with you). Can't-go-wrong choices include cosmetic bags (starting at $17.50) and personalized stationery gifts including monogrammed clipboards ($38) or sticky note cubes ($40).


Another classic Fill-R-Up gift is a personalized canvas tote ($40). Year-round, this gift works for just about anyone- and you can fill it with extra goodies from the store if you wish.


Now for the piece de resistance...we fell hook, line, and sinker for this "Santa Pants" wine bottle holder ($16). Yes, even the most been-there, done-that NYC bloggers thought this was the cutest holiday gift they'd seen all year. E-mail or call the store (1-866-fillrup) to order it pronto for a holiday gathering.


There's lots more to browse either at the store (197 East 76th Street, between Lexington and 3rd Avenues, NYC) or online. Obviously, shipping deadlines are an issue with personalized gifts, so call ahead (212-452-3026) if you're unsure; one of the benefits of shopping at Fill-R-Up is that Amanda and her team of experts will give you an unmatched level of customer service and help you choose just the right gifts in time (or you can always opt for a gift card if time is tight).

Many thanks to Issa Mas and Amanda Poses for including me at this holiday preview!

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