2014 has been a good year for babies so far! Several close pals of mine welcomed little sweeties in the last few months and I’ve been enjoying getting to know each of them, near and far.  All these newbies means I’ve also been spending lots of time searching for the perfect gift to welcome each one home. Being that I was [gratefully] raised by design, I usually leave the nipple creams to Aunt Phyllis and try to hunt down a cool piece of original art or handmade heirloom toy on Etsy.  If you’re not using Etsy yet…get there. It’s an easy way to support the artist community AND give an awesome/original/handmade piece made by someone who gives a hoot. I like to think handmade gifts come with a little extra soul that will rub off on the little guys somewhere down the line. Here are just a few picks that I’m in like with:

1. It’s never too early to introduce Baby to one of the greatest American illustrators of our time. Becky and Lisa of Organic Quilt Company totally get that and they use high quality organic cotton for all of their receiving blankets, burpers, bibs and hats. Plus, the cheeky label on their burping cloths reads, “Spit Happens”, so I automatically love them. Organic Quilt Company’s CHARLEY HARPER Collection Organic Burp Cloths, $19.50
2. What if Baby’s Dad owns a set of turntables and his Mom is an awesome snowboarder? Well, in that case you can check out the original watercolors by Kara at GeometricInk for Baby Badass. There are so many beautiful options to choose from and each will be hand painted and signed. GeometricInk’s Geometric Bear Original Watercolor, starting at $20.00 
3. Don’t you want to be the one that gives Baby that one stuffed animal that gets dragged everywhere until it’s covered in dirt? Me too. I’m pretty sure ViolaStudio’s Animal Woolies, hand sewn from super-soft wool sweaters, would be a serious contender for the title of “1st Chair Stuffed Animal”. Viola Studio’s Handmade Hippo Woolie, $45.00
4. My engineer husband always approves of a good set of building blocks, but you don’t have to be an engineer to fall in love with this gorgeous set. Justin and Kathleen of Smiling Tree Toys craft sustainable wooden heirloom toys in their workshop in Minnesota. They even hand press the seeds of camellia flowers grown on their family’s land to make the all-natural finish. AND if you didn’t think they could make you feel any better about yourself for buying something, they also donate a portion of all profits to The Peace Corps. Smiling Tree Toys’ 20 Piece Hardwood Building Block Set, $40.00 
5. My closest pals know I’m crazy about animals of all kinds. In the nerdy, wildlife biologist way. Not just puppies and kittens, but sea creatures, backyard friends and especially birds! Italian watercolorist Irene paints the sweetest mini renditions of animals in her shop DIMDImini. It’s so fun to put together a group of Mini’s (3.5″ x 2.5″) as a set for Baby – and you can shop by horizontal and vertical orientation to make framing your group easy as pie. DIMDImini’s Puffin ACEO print, $5.00 
6. There’s no shortage of great artwork options out there for Baby’s new digs. I love the work of sketch artist Tommy Kane, one of the founding members of Urban Sketchers. His prints are full of [real] life and vibrant color – grit and fribble. So many of our friends are bringing Baby home to a 4th floor walkup and I like the idea of celebrating the urban nursery with one of these awesome pride of place prints. Tommy Kane’s Williamsburg Bodega, $35.00 

Happy Shopping! Loveyoubye, Maggie

PS – Nobody paid me to say any of this stuff. I’m just sharing the love!