“Peapod & Nate speaks to the stages of my personal life,” said Lindsey Berlin of the small shop. “An active little lady who loves colors and dresses, and a squishy little toddler who still loves snuggling up on one of his Peapod & Nate sheets.” Based in Boulder, Colorado, Peapod & Nate uses 100% cotton materials to handcraft bedding and apparel for littles. “I believe kids should be kids. When you grow up, it’s not as easy to wear the brightest color in the crayon box or a bold pattern, right?” Berlin mused. “Kids love color and fun patterns, so I do my best to find prints and patterns that fall into those categories.”

Other than the vibrant color options, small shoppers have also been attracted to the shop’s monochrome cactus print.  “Every time I think the interest is slowing down, it surprises me and picks right back up! It’s natural, boho and perfectly gender neutral, a trend that continues to be strong.” Berlin’s favorite bedding design, however, is one that is particularly close to her heart. “We kept my son’s gender a surprise, so I wanted to get creative and do something out of the box for a nursery theme. We went with a farmer’s market theme and I found the most gorgeous modern, lemon print fabric,” she shared. “It was bright and super soft organic. I never actually sold that print in my shop, funny enough.”

Berlin opened up shop in 2016. “I was a new mama and new to staying at home. I needed a creative outlet, so I took a beginners quilt making class. Prior to that, I had never touched a needle and thread,” recalled Berlin. “I was immediately hooked and decided to make the bedding for my second child’s nursery. Slowly, people started asking me to make bedding for them, and I quickly realized this could turn into a business.” She began sewing crib sheets in colorful designs. “I offered variations of that, be it mini sheets, travel sheets and changing pad covers,” Berlin explained. “Since the beginning, I told myself I was going to let this brand grow in the way that it naturally evolves. And while the shop started in the nursery, Peapod & Nate shortly expanded into the wardrobe. “As my kids grew and my daughter’s love of twirl dresses grew, I extended the brand to include dresses and apparel. Sometimes I question whether it needs to be two brands…one for bedding and one for dresses. But, honestly, I like that my customers have ways to stay with me longer.” Berlin selected a shop name that incorporated both of her kiddos. “Nate is my son’s name and Peapod has been my daughter’s nickname from the time she was just an itty bitty…well, peapod,” she laughed.

Early on, Berlin tailored the shop to appeal to consumers looking for one of a kind design. “I feel like we are living in this season of quantity over quality, which has created a culture of disposable apparel. I love that I get to create pieces that moms, dads and even the kiddos who use them think of as that one special piece. The dress that is going to be the ‘saved’ dress and worn for a special occasion,” she exclaimed. “Or the dress that is so comfy, that they want to wear it over and over and over again, no matter how stinky and dirty it gets. I love seeing the newborn photos where they babe is resting so peacefully on my bedding or that little lady who twirls hear heart out in one of my dresses. It is so rewarding!” Berlin also emphasized to me the importance of high-level customer service. “As I sat down and started to think through what my brand was going to be, I thought about the brands that have personally meant the most to me,” she said. “A common thread with all of them was the brands and shops that always went above and beyond and really truly took an interest in me as their customer. I truly appreciate each and every customer who takes the time to stop by my shop.”

Take some time and shop over at Peapod & Nate. The bedding and twirl dresses make excellent coordinating baby and big sister gifts. “Coming soon are gorgeous saturated colors and a few new prints for baby bedding!” Check out all the designs on the Peapod & Nate website and on Facebook here.

Jessica Fish is trying to fill a void in the small shop marketplace. “I love bringing out fun colors and graphics to my designs,” she explained. “So many shops I have seen these days – and this is by no means a bad thing, I order many items from different shops – are only one color. With Sassy Magnolia, there are plenty of different designs and lots of color!”

Launched recently in September 2019, the California-based Sassy Magnolia features contemporary graphic t-shirts in adult and kiddo sizes. “I had all these different ideas that I have not necessarily seen in other shops. They are things that I would like to see on shirts, as well as other things I would hope others would like. Throw in a little sass, and it makes it extra fun,” Fish exclaimed. Determined to show off her creativity through graphic design, Fish quickly landed on the shop name Sassy Magnolia. “Sassy Magnolia is a mix of a few things. I have always been told I have a bit of a sassy side, so I knew the name of this business needed to have a mix of that in it,” she laughed. “The magnolia has many different meanings, but the one that stood out to me was ‘joy.’ I want to bring some sassy joy to my customers with the designs I make.” Fish’s favorite design to date is the mom-centric “Chaotic Masterpiece,” which comes in a few different styles, but she prefers the flowy t-shirt. “I just enjoy playing with different colors and fonts. The font all depends on what the design is going to say. Sometimes I like to add a graphic in to add a little pop. I am always open to creating new designs that the customers might ask for.”

Fish is also a military wife and committed to supporting other similarly situated spouses. “I love to make new and fun designs that are catered to military wives and kids,” she said. “As military families, we tend to look for other military spouses that are selling certain goods before we look to larger companies. We are this small community. We understand the struggles there might be to move around every few years and want to support each other in our endeavors.” For now, Fish is ready to see where Sassy Magnolia takes her. “I hope to see us evolve into a brand that is well known and loved by many customers. I constantly have new ideas popping into my head for new designs, and I can’t help not adding them to the shop,” she exclaimed. “We already have a number of different items in the shop and I can’t wait to start working on new designs too! You can definitely count on them to be sassy and fun, and definitely have lots of color.”

Support the new Sassy Magnolia shop by liking its Facebook page here and check out current designs on Fish’s shop site. 

“When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the stars.” –Aquarius, Hair

Ancient civilizations used crystals as protective talismans, peace offerings and wore them as jewelry. Many believe that the semi-precious stones have healing properties. They are often recommended to clear mental and emotional blockages, emit positive vibes, alleviate stress and improve sleep patterns. Tiffany Willardo is harnessing the energy of these shimmering stones in her small shop, Designs by Tiffany W. The shop sells, among other things, hanging crescent moons constructed from colored wire, glass prism chandelier beads and iridescent beads of various shapes and sizes. “My designs are not only decorative, but they also serve a function if the buyer chooses to hang the crystals and radiate their energy in different parts of the home,” she explained. “For my entire life, I have always been into astrology and the moon. I had some crystals and thought to myself how lovely they would look hanging in parts of my home on a moon because I regularly cleanse and charge them during the new moon and full moon every month.”

Willardo opened up shop about four years ago. “I was making wreaths and many people were interested. I recently started making the moons and I am obsessed,” she exclaimed. “I love the colors of each one and the glass iridescent beads I attach. The beads make the prisms of light glimmer and sparkle when any light hits it. They look fabulous near a window catching natural light or outside under the moonlight.” I asked Willardo to pick a favorite design, but none of the moons “eclipsed” the others for her. “I love them all,” she laughed. “The copper colored ones seem to be most popular and I am personally drawn to blues.” Each lunar display is custom made to order and they generally range in size from six to twelve inches.

Although her crystals may help Willardo set intentions and improve concentration, the artist usually finds her design inspiration in the great outdoors. “I am influenced by everything around me, but especially now because I live close to the water, which is where I feel I need to be,” said Willardo. “There is magic and beauty all around me everyday.”

Elevate your sacred space and bring home a little metaphysical energy from Designs by Tiffany W. Willardo is currently working on hand painted crescent moon wall hangings, which she plans to release before year end. View images of her eclectic works in the Designs by Tiffany W. Etsy shop and follow the shop on Instagram for some celestial inspiration. 

It seems appropriate that an eco-friendly small shop – that initially specialized in cloth diapers – launched on Earth Day this year. “We originally started as Dapper Flats Diaper Co. and aimed to sell mainly cloth diapers and accessories. However, we quickly switched to custom clothing and very recently changed our business name to Dapper Flats Clothing,” explained Cassie Jahn. “We have come a long, long way and we have learned so much on the journey!”

Dapper Flats now offers small shoppers customized apparel for kiddos. “We are a fully custom shop. We make all of our clothing to order and offer a ton of different high quality fabrics that are not available everywhere. This means you can truly get a one of a kind piece,” she shared. “Also, my wife and I run the shop, so we try to be extra inclusive and offer regular discounts to the LGBTQAI+ population.” The Dapper Flats joggers and tie overalls have trended well with small shoppers. “They are so stinking cute,” said Jahn of the joggers pattern. “I love the fall colors and black and white stripes. We also have had some different rainbow fabrics that have been super popular.” For Jahn, her favorite part of the design process is “seeing people’s ideas come to life. They tell me their thoughts on what they hope to see and it is so exciting when they get their piece and it is exactly what they were dreaming of – or better!”

And, although Jahn has since shifted her focus from diapers to dapper apparel, her inspiration remains the same. “I find design inspiration all over, from the grocery store to different groups on Facebook dedicated to patterns,” she said. “But my biggest inspiration is my son. I use a lot of what I love to see him dressed to inspire me. We love to keep it stylish and comfy! Plus, he’s my world.” Jahn also credits the support of the Dapper Flats fans. “We have an amazing group in our Dapper Flats Chat & BST group on Facebook and they are so supportive and always trying to help us find new ways and new items to offer,” she exclaimed. “We also have a great group of brand reps supporting our business, spreading the word about Dapper Flats, and helping us to select and create new items. Ultimately, the last four months have been a crazy learning experience, but so much fun and we can’t wait to see what will come next!”

You won’t have to wait long for the shop’s next offerings. “We are in the process of adding in some new items, like cozy rib knit and french terry items, joggers, lounge sweaters, and so much more. We are also releasing a new not so basic mystery box. I’m sure winter will bring tons of even cozier items to share!” Find something warm this season on the Dapper Flats Facebook page and follow the shop on Instagram for pre-orders and new releases.

“Sleepyhead, close your eyes. Mother’s right here beside you.” – Lullaby and Goodnight (Brahms’ Lullaby)

The dozing eyes of each Wee Little Wild Ones lovey suggest long days of imaginative playing. “The closed eyes started because I was looking for a dreamy look for our lovies,” explained maker Sherry O’Neill. “I liked the look, so I have done them all that way.” I like anything that encourages my kiddos to nap.

Based in Minnesota, Wee Little Wild Ones focuses exclusively on plush loveys and stuffed animals. “The bunnies are one of my favorites. They have such a sweet look and are fun with their long ears,” O’Neill said. “I think the mouse mini stuffy was really popular. In fact, all the woodland creatures of our recent Forest Friends drop sold out pretty fast!” Each plush friend is constructed from high quality, silky soft materials and most of them measure approximately 16” in length. And, the Wee Little Wild Ones eyes are not their only distinctive feature. “All of our creations have a heart sewn on their butts. This is something we started in honor of my little niece who was born with a severe heart defect and spent almost seven months in the NICU. We almost lost her but thankfully she is home now,” O’Neill shared. “Our hope is to find an organization that helps heart babies and make donations or do auctions to help them as their expenses are so great.”

O’Neill opened up shop this past summer. “I have been making stuffies and lovies for years for my own kids, grandkids and friends. Everyone kept telling me I should open a shop, so finally I did,” she recalled. “I love to create things that kids can play with and take on adventures. My kids and my grandkids draw different designs and then I create them in stuffie or lovie form.” The Wee Little shop name was also inspired by O’Neill’s wild littles. “The shop name is something we thought was cute. It can mean animals, monsters or any creature we can imagine!”

As a fledgling shop, O’Neill is learning the ropes of the small shop community. “I have learned so much even though I have only had a few drops so far. People should not underestimate how much work goes into the whole process. Every maker works very hard, much harder than I realized,” she said. O’Neill herself is hard at work on new holiday releases. “I am super excited because my grandkids have some fun drawings I plan to make, including several monsters. I can just let my imagination go with those. One will be making its debut in stuffy form soon!”

Pick out your own snuggly lovey from the Wee Little Wild Ones website and join the shop’s VIP Facebook group for details on other upcoming drops.

Linus from Snoopy famously lugged around his blanket and I bet your kids have one too. Elizabeth Richardson of Libby Ann Quilts has been sewing security blankets since 2017. “Picking a favorite is hard because every time I design something new, it becomes a favorite,” she laughed. “My kids are really into dinosaurs and I adore the ‘Dino Letters’ blanket we have. I am very partial to watercolor drawn floral prints. I have a ton in my shop and they are some of my favorite fabrics to sew.”

Richardson stands proudly behind the high quality of her minky creations. “Libby Ann Quilts offers premium blankets made from a traditionally-trained quilter. We only use luxury fabrics from top designers,” she shared. “We want your child to fall in love with his or her quilt and use it—a lot! With a lot of use comes the need to wash it frequently, which can be hard on fabric. Not with a Libby Ann Quilt! We only purchase the best premium minky, satin and thread so that your child’s special blanket will wash beautifully for years to come.” Beyond durability, every blanket is personalized for its recipient. “Each letter is meticulously cut out and sewn on.  We do this all by hand, making each blanket a truly unique heirloom quality gift. It’s what makes it a Libby Ann blanket!”

Based in Iowa, Richardson named the shop after a childhood nickname (“because it is personal and unique”). “We had recently moved due to my husband’s job and I finally decided it was time to take that big leap and open my own shop,” she recalled. After some trial and error, Richardson discovered the snuggle was real. “I started with traditionally pieced baby blankets, but quickly realized that the business model of selling unique, one of a kind pieces online was not going to be a great fit for me. Finding a way to make unique, fun and reproducible blankets was the way to go,” she said. “This is when I started working with satin and minky. They are the fabrics my own kids were always drawn to and their favorites to snuggle with. It took about six months to master my personalization techniques before introducing them as an option for the shop.” Richardson also built up one of her greatest resources – a strong mom sounding board. “We have an awesome tribe of moms in our Libby Ann Snuggle Club on Facebook. When we are ready to add new designs to the shop, they are always there helping give me opinions and ideas of themes their kids are looking for. I love the interaction in the group,” she exclaimed. “I also love Pinterest and spend a lot of time on there following nursery trends. Our brand does not shy away from color!”

The Libby Ann Quilts blankets make terrific baby shower and birthday gifts. “The shop gets really busy starting in October for holiday gifts too!” Pick out a minky print on the new Libby Ann Quilts website and join in the mom group in the shop’s Snuggle Club here.

Fall, in all other parts of the country outside of Florida, means falling leaves, pumpkin-spiced everything, crisp, cool weather and hoodies. This is a particularly busy season for small shop BamBam Threads. “Our hoodies are very popular, especially the color-blocked hoodies,” Shalena Janis explained. “The most popular is my ‘Huckleberry’ style. It is a fun pattern with a lot of options.”

BamBam Threads, which describes itself as “tough for boys and precious for girls,” was started by fellow boy mom Janis in 2013. “I started under a different shop name six years ago while I was on bedrest at week 27 of my pregnancy. It was just bibs, burp cloths and a few blankets and just for a few mom friends from a group for August 2014 babies,” she recalled. Janis quickly grew bored making only shower gift items and looked for a new challenge. “I tried making a shirt after I had my son, Liam. After a few successful, functioning shirts, I moved to pants and a few different shirt styles, but this was a slow process with a preemie newborn.” Liam actually inspired the shop name. “My mom gave him the nickname ‘BamBam.’ He has bright blonde hair, only wanted to wear a diaper and banged on everything,” she laughed.

The small shop now offers custom raglan tops and tanks, dresses, coordinating short and jogger sets, and, of course, hoodies for kiddos. “Kids are so fun, adventurous and imaginative. I love taking something a kid or family loves and creating an item or outfit for them. It adds such a fun element to designing a hoodie or shirt knowing a mom is a huge Disney fan or dad has a huge love for a fandom or a toddler loves dragons and unicorns,” said Janis. “Most of my items are one of a kind. I rarely have an item recreated as the same, which is my personality. I am very spontaneous. I don’t conform to routines and I thrive with change.” Janis also finds design inspiration spontaneously. “Usually comes from a fabric sitting on my shelf for months. Out of nowhere, a new coordinate comes in and it is a match made in heaven. Or, I see a pattern for the first time and see how amazing a print will look.” Bam!

Janis credits her “amazing customers” for the shop’s success. “So many of them challenge us to design items I wouldn’t without them,” she explained. Janis is currently working on a new release of hoodies for autumn. “I’m adding two new styles this fall. Well, more like one new and bringing back an old one from two years ago. I have some fun inspired prints ready to launch!” Grab a new hoodie in time for the next hayride or football game through the BamBam Threads website and join the shop’s VIP Facebook group here.

“While slaving away as day job zombies, my husband and I dreamed of opening a little online shop where we could mix our love for all things geeky with our maker skills,” recalled Kelly Messer. “For years, it was just a dream, but in March 2017, that all changed.” Messer gifted a set of Poppets – her crocheted stuffed toys (also known as amigurumi) – to Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, better known as “Jay and Silent Bob.” “We gave them the Poppets after attending their live podcast of Jay & Silent Bob Get Old. Kevin Smith shared a picture of the two of them with their Poppets, and suddenly, I was getting DMs on Instagram with requests for other characters.” From these unexpected beginnings, Freak + Pocky was born. I asked Messer to speak geek with me about the small shop.

Freak + Pocky specializes in the Poppets, both original (7”) and mini-size (5”), as well as crocheted ornaments, decals and t-shirts. “You want to hear something funny? My original plan didn’t even involve Poppets at all, but now it has become my favorite thing to make,” Messer exclaimed. “People really seem to love the little chubby bellies, short legs that turn in, and the chibi style of each character.” (“chibi” is Japanese slang for “small” or “short”). Many of the Freak + Pocky designs are influenced by the Poppet Master’s love of movies and video games. In fact, the shop name itself is derived from Messer and her husband’s gamer tags, Freak4Geek and Apockylypse. “Yet another way to add our geeky ways into what we do,” she joked. “We have always been focused on bringing our favorite fandoms to life. I try to find the one thing about a movie or game character that really makes them memorable and exaggerate it, like Yoda’s ears or a mermaid’s long hair. It is wild how that one little thing can add so much personality to a Poppet!” Some of Messer’s favorites include the Baby Demogorgon from Stranger Things, Harry Potter’s Dobby the Sock Elf, and Gir the Mongoose Dog from Invader Zim. “Not only are these inspired by some of my favorite fandoms, but I think these little guys have so much personality in the designs,” she said. “Our geek gang has a few favorites, too. Right now, the Louise mini Poppet and Baby Demogorgon have been getting the most love from our friends.” Freak + Pocky will also customize Poppets for small shoppers. “I have turned a few friends into Poppets and they have been a big hit. When anyone makes a custom request, I usually send a rough sketch of the design before starting the project – but one added feature is that people can now watch their custom Poppets come to life in real time on my Twitch channel, Apockylypse.”

Working with yarn allows Messer to “sculpt” the Poppets into different shapes. “I enjoy how relaxing it can be, especially after a long, stressful day at work.” And, while crocheting can be time consuming, Messer measures the time spent on a project in the number of episodes of Supernatural she can watch while working. “I catch up on a lot of my fandoms during my crocheting. Most of my ornaments can be done during one episode of Supernatural, but the more detailed ornaments take between two and three episodes.”

Poppets make perfect holiday gifts for video gamers of all ages. Check out the new cute and creepy Poppets inspired by some favorite scary shows and movies, plus a new pocket-sized Poppet hitting the shop soon. “The more ways to geek out together, the better! For those geeky crocheters, we are going to be adding our very first pattern. Stay tuned for a few more secrets we have up our sleeves,” Messer teased. All of the current Poppet Posse designs are available on the Freak + Pocky website and in the shop’s VIP Facebook group here.

Getting littles to keep their shoes on is no easy “feat.” “Kids don’t lie. If they don’t like something, they will tell you. If they hate the shoes, they won’t wear them,” said Cassie Zakurdayev. “It makes me happy to come across picture and stories of my shoes being worn to everyday things. When the kiddos love the product as much as the parents, it makes life easier.”

Zakurdayev is the Cassie of Classy Cassie Collection, the small shop known for its handmade leather footwear. Classy Cassie’s most popular style is the shop’s soft sole foldover boots with laces and a snap at the top. It takes Zakurdayev about three hours to complete each pair. “I think the classic style fits the needs of most kiddos. It is the easiest to put on and has a versatile look.” Like many designers, Zakurdayev draws inspiration from all over. “Sometimes it is a fabric I love. Sometimes it is a need to be filled. Sometimes it is the way something makes me feel. Sometimes it is a color I see in nature,” she shared. “My biggest challenge is finding the balance between functional and fun. There are several elements in shoe making that can’t be altered too much or it takes away from functionality.”

The leather designer actually found her start making scarves. “When my son Vincent was a couple months old, I was trying to navigate what I was going to do for work now that I was a mother. I knew I wanted to stay home with my son, but transitioning from two full time incomes to one was a big change. I wanted to find a way to help contribute to my family financially and also find something for myself,” Zakurdayev recalled. “Motherhood is hard and there are many sacrifices, but it is important to keep some of ourselves present.” The crafty mom conferred with friends and decided to take a leap. “I started my business with $70 worth of fabric from fabric.com and a simple infinity scarf pattern. I vividly remember sitting on my living room floor, at 11 at night, watching Glee and cutting fabric after I put my son to sleep.” Vincent, now 5 (and his sister Olivia, 1 ½), influenced Zakurdayev’s move into footwear. “A couple months went by and I kept finding myself struggling to find shoes that fit my chubby footed baby. My husband didn’t like the look of the popular leather moccs and most of the cool shoes we both liked were based outside the U.S. This sparked the idea of making a shoe that was chubby foot friendly, stayed on and was husband-approved. So far, I think we are nailing all three.”

After five years, Zakurdayev still considers her original designs and use of high quality materials to be paramount to the small shop’s success. “Every pair is handmade by me, designed and developed from scratch. I want my shoes to last, be desired from a design standpoint and function as they should, i.e., stay on,” she exclaimed. “I am still a one woman show. I have had five years of practice and fine-tuning. I am no longer in the beginning stages, but I am always trying to find ways to make my products better. Not only are they made well, they are made with quality materials that are CPSC compliant. You know Classy Cassie Collection shoes when you see them.”

Soon, you are going to see Zakurdayev’s footwear shipped even more quickly. “I recently made the decision to transition to ready to ship and while we are switching over, I’ll be adding several new colors and even a new shoe style!” Shop for a new pair of leather sneakers on the Classy Cassie Collection website here and join Zakurdayev’s Insiders Facebook group to stay on top of upcoming releases.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual health campaign to increase awareness of the disease and the importance of early detection. Even as we say goodbye to October, the small shop community is continuing to do its part to support one of our own who is battling breast cancer.

Kirsten Orcutt Johnson is a mother of three who is diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer. Over the last three years, she has bravely gone through a variety of chemotherapies and radiation treatments, each more devastating to her body than the last.

While we continue to hope for miracles, in October 2019, Kirsten’s medical team at Huntsman Cancer Institute indicated that the tumors in her brain are no longer responding to the treatments and that there are no viable treatment options remaining. The news is devastating to her family. Kirsten’s three boys (ages 5, 9 and 12) deserve a lifetime with their mother; absent the ability to give them that we would like to give them the gift of quality time.

Hänni Baatz, “Chief Childhood Magic Maker” behind small shop Wolfe and Scamp, along with many other generous small shops, has organized a charity auction this weekend for Kirsten and her family through the Facebook group Dinos Doing Good.

100% of the proceeds of this small shop auction will go to cover day-to-day living expenses, so Kirsten and her husband Andrew can focus their energy and efforts on each other and their boys during this time.

The auction opens today and runs through November 3, 2019. If you would like to donate a small shop item to the auction, please sign up here. You can also donate directly to the Johnson family through Paypal or Venmo. For more information about Kirsten’s fight, please visit her website. As always, thank you for your support and generosity.