did you see our window?

I'm not sure if any of you have had a chance to see our window, but if so, WOW! right? It's absolutely amazing and beautiful. Andy, my partner in life/husband/artist in residence, made the sweetest silhouettes, each the size of a standard piece of paper, framing each of our picture windows. If you haven't seen them, you should. especially at night all lit up, they really are stunning. We will be crafting a little this Friday if anyone is interested in stopping by. We will be open until 8pm. Come see us.

First Friday Craftastic

You heard it here folks. Blackbird Kid Shop will be hosting a First Friday evening of crafting. Bring yer wee ones, and we will provide the rest. We will be decorating shoe boxes to be used as pretty little gift boxes designed by you and your kid/s. Cookies and cocoa on hand if you dare. We really need to recycle some shoe boxes so PLEASE come join in the cheer. Hope to see you tomorrow evening. Oh, and it's all going down from 5pm-8pm. Cheers~!

Craftin'

So we've been doing some major crafting around these parts as of late. Yesterday we made: Raggedy Ann or Muppet depending on when you ask Asa, and Christmas cards out of recycled stuff. Last week I completed my first knitting project, a lovely blue hat for Axel. He looks really good in blue. And, perhaps most exciting for me are the elf slippers I made out of an old felted wool sweater. Seriously cute, warm, and CHEAP! It takes awhile so I won't be able to crank out as many as I'd like, but still. What does any of this have to do with Blackbird Kid Shop. Well, let me tell you. Lately, I have been a bit disgruntled about leaving home to come to the shop. It requires a lot of packing for two kids, plus it's colder now and home is just nice and comfy, and we have been having sooooo much fun crafting..... So, I decided to bring that same goodness to the store. We are gonna craft away here too!! What does this mean for you, the customer??? You can come down to the shop and craft with us!! I'm gonna start a weekly crafting thing here at the store. I'll keep you all posted on dates, after Thanksgiving. And, on that note, all of you have a lovely Thanksgiving!

today is our birthday...

Wow. Two years ago today Blackbird opened it's doors. Seems like a decade ago in some ways. I was six months pregnant with Axel. Asa was only 2 1/2, Silas was barely a year old, just babes. Kia and I decided to open this sweet little store because we didn't want to be away from our children. We wanted to be able to work, and hopefully make an income, with our kids by our side. In frustrating moments I have to remind myself of this. I am so lucky to be able to have my kids there, even when they are screaming at customers, tearing clothing off of the hangers, or spilling food on the carpet for the tenth time that day. I get to be with them, which was all I really wanted. It's still all I want. Happy Birthday Blackbird Kid Shop. You make Missoula a little bit more awesome with your presence.

I can be your cowboy...

Axel is wearing a Cowboy Shirt by Kate Quinn Organics. It is oh so comfy and only $24!! The back is yoked, as you mayb or may not be able to see in this very blurry picture. Sorry 'bout that. I should mention he is playing with our Feeleez game in this picture. Locally made here in Missoula, Feeleez is a game that helps develop emotional intelligence. For more information visit www.feeleez.com.

Our kids come to the shop with us each and every day that we are here. You would think that they would get soooooo bored. And, sometimes they do, but most of the time they keep themselves pretty well entertained. For intance, today Asa built a river scene out of stuff he found laying around the store. The white paper Blackbird sticker backings are the water/river, the boat that the little guy is on is actually a foam pad off of our hat rack, and the blue and yellow blocks are mountains off in the distance. See how much fun we have! Now come down here and visit us!!!

Livie and Luca shoes are in. Probably THE cutest shoes I have ever laid eyes on. for real. Just look at them! These are called the Woodland Boot. Sorry for the semi blurry photo, but you get the picture. We so many more adorable styles in a variety of sizes. These shoes are especially great for the toddlers. They are awesome shoes for the beginning walker. The soles are flexible and they run a little bit wide for chubby little baby feet. I can't get enough of them!

Peace sweaters by Kiwi Industries

Stripes!!

Girl Tunic Style, and Sleepy boy style with elbow patches!!

Oh so long ago....

Back in my personal dark ages, I didn't understand the power and impact of technology. I didn't understand the importance of connecting with my customers through blogging. I didn't realize that even if our customers weren't actually in our shop, I could still communicate with them. I can show them glorious pictures of our beautiful new clothes, shoes, and accessories. So, loyal friends/customers, I pledge to update you regularly on this blog with what is new in Blackbird land. Here are some pics for your delight.