A Fresh Perspective

With all of the fun spring merchandise coming in we decided that it was once again time for a FLOOR MOVE! Here are some pics (courtesy of Wendy & her fancy new camera) of some of our favorite spots in the store - Even our staple items are looking rather fabulous. Come in and check it out!

Lets hear it for the Boys!!

We are always criticized for having more cute girl stuff than boy stuff. Every time Wendy and I hear that from customers we get a good laugh, in reality our store is almost exactly 50/50 girl to boy ratio, it seems that people's eyes naturally go towards the pink and frilly.
Well, today's post is all about the boys...we just got in these ultra cool flatware sets...for only $11.00 they might just help get some of the boys noticed after all!! ~J

Friday Movie Review by Jamie

If you are looking for a feel-good movie to rent this weekend you should definitely consider "August Rush". We had a recommendation to watch this movie from a couple in our Adoption classes, they said it was very relevant to what we were learning and that we would probably love it. I had never heard about it and it was already on DVD so I was a little skeptical but with nothing to do one evening we decided to rent it. By the end of the movie I don't think there was a dry eye in our living room. It is a very inspirational movie about an amazingly talented little boy trying to find his birth parents. Robin Williams is in the movie playing a very different role from his usual movies, and to me it was kind of refreshing. Keri Russell (aka Felicity) is one of the main stars too, my pay-per-view didn't list her in the cast which I though was really odd. She does a good job. Anyways, I highly recommend the film...if you are looking for something to watch (PG rated)...it is worth the rental price!

I have a thing for Storks...

I have been collecting Storks for a while now (I think it started when Brian and I started trying to have kids) It seems like a silly collection now that we have been unsuccessful (baby-wise) although the adoption process is coming along nicely... more on that later.... Anyways, we received these baby pillows in the shop today that I AM IN LOVE WITH!!! Aren't they just the sweetest little gift? ~J

Let's Go Swimming

Not only do we have the cutest selection of spring clothing and shoes in the store right now, we just got in the sassiest swimsuits EVER! These are two piece sets that have the one piece look so they are sure to fit even the longest torsos. Our first shipment contained sizes 12m through 4T and they start at only $33. With polka dots, ruffles, and flowers she is sure to be the jewel of the pool!

Girly Girls

Spring merchandise is coming in by the box loads and today it was all about the Girls!! There seemed to be a theme....first we received these adorable books:
Then we got the most fabulous assortment of bows and headbands you could ever imagine! We have coordinating bows for any outfit a girl could have (no matter the age... itty bitty bows are back in stock!) Check out these ultra cool headbands: (modeled by my new little friend, Reagan)

Yes, I'll admit, I want one in every color combo! Lastly a box full of the cutest Baily Boys dresses, short sets and bubbles
Watch out Dads, having a girl can be dangerous! ~ J

Just honest to goodness Goodness

Too cute summer hats have just arrived!
Also, all Easter clothing and decor is 20% off

Bless this baby

The sweetest items just arrived in the store, perfect for a shower gift or baptism, they are Blessing Rings. How they work, you simply add all of the cards and well wishes that you receive to the ribbons on the rings by punching a hole in the upper left corner of each card and tying them on. Then place the Blessing Ring on a doorknob and continue to add your blessings over the years. What a cherished keepsake this will be!

It's Grandparents Day at POPIN

Are you (or someone you know) a seasoned or soon-to-be Grandparent? If so, today is your day at POPIN! The first Tuesday of every month is Grandparent discount day here at the shop, so if you have or will soon have grandkids that you simply must treat to something extra special, you will receive 10% off your entire purchase today!
On a not so entirely different note... Wendy has left me for sunny weather, tropical drinks and relaxation (she is on a week long luxury trip to Sandals for her 10th wedding anniversary) On her first flight down to Jamaica she had a pilot that also really respects Grandparents... you might recognize him from the Amazing Race... her pilot was Nick, the sweet guy who raced with his Grandpa and came in 3rd place last fall.
Since Wendy is a major Amazing Race fan, this started her trip out on a good note. Lucky girl.

I think it is supposed to pour down raining in Jacksonville today...I hope you guys bring your umbrellas up to see me ~J

We know you love a monogram!

We have found a new product that pretty much sums up us Southern Mommas:
Just Arrived at POPIN...Monogrammed sippy cups for your little one! Available with a straw top too.

The Presidents Day Sale Begins Today!

Today and Monday we are having a very Presidental Sale!

In honor of Presidents day, for every Grant ($50) you spend at POPIN we will give you a Lincoln ($5)

There is no limit to your amount of savings, and the sale is good on custom orders as well - how patriotic of us!

Beautiful Organization

If we had a nickel for every time we heard a Mom complaining about the clutter of bows that her little girl had we'd be rich women! So... that made us search high and low for a beautiful solution to the bow organization dilemma (hey, we're here to help)
Check out these fabulous hair bow holders that we just got in at POPIN. At 3 1/2 feet long, they are works of art by themselves but when you start adding your little ones hair bows to the ribbons on the skirt it turns into something magical (and helps organize those overflowing hair bow collections!) These would be perfect to hang in a bedroom, bathroom or closet. Available in multiple color combinations, stop in to pick one up, they are sure to go fast!

Happy Valentines Day, Come on in!

We didn't get you any roses or candy... but today's shipment of Spring clothing is so much sweeter than a box of chocolates! We just received a great selection of flirty halter dresses, bubbles, and a refill on our most popular flower tutus. A brand new line of mix and match casual wear for boys and girls arrived today too....
We hope you are enjoying this V-day with your special someone. Our families are having fondue together tonight, a night of cheese, chocolate, and family, what could be more romantic? ~J

Add Some Cuteness!

We are so excited about our new shoe line, why didn't someone think of this ingenious idea earlier?? Next week we will be getting in sandals and Mary Jane style shoes that you ADD A BOW to, how cool is that? This way you can buy a pair of the basic color shoes or sandals and add the color bow of your choice to match each of your little one's outfits. Each pair comes with a set of bows, but we will offer additional mix and match bow options too. We've never found a product that fits our Southern roots so well....
The shoes also have a squeaker in them (which can be removed) just the cutest thing to get her excited about starting to walk (not to mention the added benefit of Mom being able to hear where they might be walking to...)
The Mary Jane style will be available in black, pink and white and the sandals in white, sizes 4 - 8, $33. Call 904-886-3947 or email us today to get on the waiting list (it's already growing...everyone we tell about these shoes want them asap!!)
Don't worry, we're also getting in some cute ones for the boys, Squeaky leather sandals and Squeaky Camo tennis shoes too!

Sweet Valentine Swap

Wendy and I were involved in a Valentine Swap this year and this morning was the "opening" of the gifts. I am so excited to share this with you guys (it's not too late to organize your own swap with a group of girlfriends!) The rules of our swap were the following: You were to send your swap partner something that you love and something that they love. The items can be handmade or store bought, can have a theme or not, must be sent to your partner by February 8th. Each person in the swap was assigned a partner (you didn't exchange with the same person that had you)
Well... Jeanie, Wendy, and I met at Starbucks this morning to open our packages...here's how it went...
First was Wendy, Suzanne Duda was her partner... this alone made Wendy excited... we just LOVE Suzanne. Wendy received some of her favorite items. Things Wendy loves... The Eiffel Tower...and her signature Roses scrapbook paper. The "Cupcake Bella" also sent yummy cupcake mix, handtowels and a gorgeous handmade art hanging:

Second was Jeanie, her partner was Jenn Hayslip... which we could tell just by looking at the pink oozing out of the packaging. Jenn sent beautifully packaged goodies including lots of valentine candy, a beautiful pink pearl heart and one of her signature Sweet Eye Candy creations, a Valentine fluffy bunny!

I was last, Jeanie was my partner... and oh how I was sooooo spoiled! I hate to tell my hubby but Jeanie is the best Valentine I've ever had. First, something she loves (which of course means I do too) she made me a Valentine ribbon topiary similar to the ones we made at POPIN's MITI. Then, for what I love... I've shared with you guys before my love of artwork...well my special valentine commissioned a piece for my house...see the 3ft by 3ft topiary painting... it is TOOO MUCH...I've already hung it in my house, isn't it perfect???? ~J

Knucklehead

Want your child to dress like the children of the stars (think Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale and Brad & Angelina) then we just received the clothing for you! Knuckleheads clothing for boys is a must for your little Rockabilly Baby! We have mentioned before that we have a melting pot of customers, whose taste in children's clothing is as different night and day. We are happy to try to accommodate all with a little bit of everything!

This weekend we expanded our clothing section and moved things around a bit. Jamie and I just can't seem to stand still. We are getting in a twin size bed for the front of the store tomorrow so we'll be moving things around again tomorrow too. Stop in a check out all of the changes. We are expecting in more clothing for boys and girls, both traditional and funky in the next few weeks so stay tunned!

Things we can cross off our list today....

1. POPIN 2007 taxes filed (thank you Lord!!)

2. Awesome mention on the fabulous Jennifer Paganelli's blog, Sis Boom

3. Marriage proposal to Jamie from random stranger that walked by the shop (who swore that he would become a millionare if she would leave her husband for him, oh yeah he was about 20 years old and thought she was 23!!)

4. Wendy gets called "Hey Sexy" by a random bum on the sidewalk

5. Restocked on Wee Blockers, call us to reserve yours today!!

If you want something, go straight to the top!!

One of our goals at market this past weekend was to pick up a much requested line of layette for our store called Kissy Kissy. Mission Accomplished! Of course we at POPIN don't just go and meet with a sales rep to buy into the line, nope, we went straight to the OWNER OF THE COMPANY! We met with Luis (see him here with Wendy...) and he was so excited about our store and couldn't wait to get us as much Kissy Kissy as we could handle. If you're one of the two people in the world unfamiliar with Kissy Kissy, is it the sweetest, softest layette line around. 100% Pima cotton, handmade in Peru (where Luis and his wife visit at least once a month to oversee operations) According to Luis, Kissy Kissy is the nickname that he and his wife called their grandson, so when they started their company it was a natural fit... cute grandson/cute clothing...no brainer. We will let you guys know when we get our first shipment in, from the sounds of it it is going to go fast!

Our trip to market was so successful! You guys are just gonna flip when you see all of the cute fall clothing we ordered...unfortunately we will have to wait until at least August....but I'll just say it will be worth the wait!!

Wendy and I did have fun in Atlanta despite the small window that we had while we were there to even breathe... here is something that made us laugh on the way to our hotel (what's in your backyard?...)
And a pic of our hotel room....it seemed to us that they knew the POPIN girls would be there...our logo being a poppy and the only art hanging on the walls being a big poppy. (this was the case on our last market trip too, completely different hotel, I wish I would've snapped a pic....the coincidence is just overwhelming)

Glad to be back, we always miss you guys when we're gone! ~J

Off we go...back to market

The fun/crazy/exhausting part of keeping a store that carries gifts, furnishings, and clothing is the amount of times you have to go to Market on buying trips. Wendy & I just got back from Atlanta two weeks ago and we're headed back up this weekend, we drive each time (the 5 hour car ride gives us plenty of time to plan our infamous "next floor move") This weekend we will be there picking out the clothing our store will get in in the Fall of this year....so hard to think about since we are just starting to get in all of our cute Spring lines now!!! Ann will be working at the store on Saturday so come in and say hi (for those of you that don't know her yet, she's awesome, oh yeah...she's also our Mom!) ~J

Rock on!

At POPIN we have two distinct customer types. Being in the South, it is inevitable that we will have the very Traditional Moms who love smocking and monograms more than life itself... and then we have the Funky moms that wouldn't touch pastel gingham with a ten foot pole. These T's and onesies are for the latter and I must say... they totally ROCK! ~J

Bring on the Spring Showers!

We are ready to splash around in the rain that is looming around Florida now, we just received our shipment of swanky Mary Jane rainboots! We carry the white/black style and have toddler sizes 6-11 (man do I wish I could get a ladies 8.5!!)
It's been another crazy day of shipments at POPIN, Wendy has been working hard to update our website - sorry to all of you who were wondering what happened - she had to take it down for a week to work on it! We are trying desperately to keep things up to date on the site so keep checking for all of our fun new items coming in... if you see something you or your little one simply can not live without just give us a call 904-886-3947 and we'll ship ASAP! ~J

Something for everyone, even me!

I know it's been awhile since I've given any updates on the Walker family expansion plan...Brian and I are seriously considering adoption/foster parenting right now. It might be a long road ahead but you could imagine how excited I was when we got in these super cute baby books especially for Adopted babies. Each page makes it easy for the adopted parents to keep records that are special to their situation. It's nice to know that there is something for people like me! I'll keep you guys posted if/when we know anything but for now, if you would, just keep us in your prayers.
If you like the look of these albums we also have the traditional albums (they look the same on the outside, just different pages inside) in both pink and blue. They are 10"x11.5" (a nice substantial size) and cost just $40, call or email if you would like me to hold one for you ~J

Look away fire marshall!!!

We got back from market only a week ago but already the shipments have been rolling in!!! Our UPS guy is constantly giving us dirty looks and threatening to disown us if we keep this madness up. Wendy and I spent all day today unloading boxes and trying to tag and display this fun new merchandise...it is so crazy around here but cuteness is out of control!!!! Lots of new clothing... finally some newborn sizes...the cutest shoes ever should be here this week....stay tuned! ~J

bring on the paint

The Wall before:
The Wall After Tricia worked her magic:She did this in a day and a half!!! You have to come in to see the detail...including glitter. She is amazing and so reasonably priced. If you would like to set up an appointment with Tricia to paint your dream room (doesn't have to be a kid's room either), contact her at 904-612-9688.

Fun, Fun, Fun

We just got back from a whirlwind of a trip to Market to find great new goodies for the store and I think it was the best trip yet. We are so excited about all of the new things we found that will be arriving at the store in the weeks to come. One of POPIN's goals is to bring you the most unique products out there. I never understood a store owner who checks out what the other stores have just to copy them. When I go shopping, I want to go into a store who has their own style, not just one copied from another store. One item that has already arrived that we are so happy to have found (and be the only ones in Jacksonville to carry) are the Pregnancy Planners for the sophisticated new Mom! Check out these prints:They have a place for all of the important information inside: a section for your Dr. Appointments, Calenders, Pediatrician information, checklists and labor & delivery.
Also, another new item we have is the Wrap N Wear slings. What separates these slings from the other ones out there is that these slings 1) can be worn 12 different ways, including front, side and back 2) it comes with a DVD that shows you each way to wear your sling (and they show you using a real baby). This was really important to us because we have heard from Mom's that they were scared to try some of the slings out there because they weren't sure how to use them. If you want to check it out, we have the DVD playing in the store. They come in a variety of colors and can be monogrammed!
Valentines is quickly approaching and we have some special gifts that would be perfect for your little ones (or great for Teachers too).
Last, our new Spring clothing is arriving everyday. We started putting it on the floor yesterday and we are loving all of the spring colors! Stay tuned for pictures of a beautiful mural that is being painted in the store today...