Delilah Soleil Salon open!

My sister, Alicia, dreamed of opening a Princess Themed Children's Nail Salon and now it is finally up and running! My daughter, Delilah Soleil Mercado was the inspiration for the salon's name and logo.  Alicia has taken Delilah to get her nails done since she was just under 3 years old.  Alicia searched out different salons in the area but none of them tailored to little children - hence the dream was born.

With a great support system, Alicia was able to have almost everything custom made for the salon.  Our father made the custom children sized thrones and tables.  He also made the custom reception area and custom window seating.  I upholstered the thrones and made the games and signs.  While our brother-in-law drew the Delilah Soleil Salon logo, which is based on a picture of my daughter painting her doll's nails.

The color scheme at Deliah Soleil Salon works so well and it stands out from any other "princess themed" shop you may have seen.  Gray isn't quickly associated with the word "princess" but at the Delilah Soleil Salon it is a shining example of unique and pretty.  The gray walls also serve as a functional purpose; as chalk board paint, all little princess guests are welcome to doodle and write their names on it.  But of course, you can't have anything princess without the color PINK!  Which is why among the various shades of grays, whites, cremes and golds, there are the brilliant splashes of pinks.  Pink pillows, rugs baskets and other decorations set the mood to any princesses delight.

We have been working  like crazy these past two months making sure everything was in place for the grand opening - and with plenty of eye candy to look at.   The merchandise, fabrics, art, flowers, pillows and games were carefully chosen or designed with the salon's brand in mind.  Heart shaped nail soaking bowls with sparkly smooth stones calm the little princess while she watches a movie or listens to a familiar princess tune.  Certain gifts and prizes are exclusive to Delilah Soleil Salon such as my Princess and Frog Prince Surprise Balls which will not be found anywhere else!

Princess dresses, wands and jewelry are available for purchase and playing dress up.  And with little ones in mind, the princess dresses are made to last through years of play and they are comfortable and washable!  Colorful, water-based, kid-friendly nail polish and nail polish remover is also offered for moms who are health conscious. 

With it's unique offerings and special events like puppet story readings and craft sessions, Delilah Soleil Salon  reminds me of The Shop Around the Corner in the movie You've Got Mail.  In it's cozy boutique setting, it is enchanting and it stands like "a lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly"* amidst the other "commercial" themed salons in the industry.  If you have a little princes in your life and you are in the Long Island, NY area please stop by Delilah Soleil Salon to experience it yourself.

For more information, visit DelilahSoleil.com

* In the film You've Got Mail, the main character, Kathleen owns a quaint little bookshop that has been in her family for years.  The survival of her store is threatened by the opening of a much larger chain bookstore.  Her boyfriend, Frank Navasky provides encouragement reminding her that her store is unique and special.
Frank Navasky: Kathleen, you are a lone reed. You are a lone... 
[sits down at his typewriter] 
Frank Navasky: [typing] "... reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce." 
[pulls the page out and hands it to Kathleen] 
Kathleen Kelly:  I am a lone reed. 
Frank Navasky: Lone reed. 

Vintage Surprise Ball

I've been on a shopping hunt for vintage surprise balls for quite sometime now.  I wanted to see how they were originally made and with what kind of toys included.  I finally found the perfect one (on Etsy) to splurge on. It is a Silver Swan Surprise Ball made by Charles Gregor and was sold through a department store in the 1950's.  I thought it was cool that it still has it's original $1.75 price tag on it; but I had to pay ALOT more than $1.75!  Since the Swan was so valuable and rare, I decided that when I got it I would save it for a special day.  When my customers purchase a Surprise Ball for themselves, I usually suggest that they save it and not open it until a rainy day.  A day that they are feeling really down in the dumps and need that quick pick-me-up happy feeling. Opening a surprise ball gives a small amount of energy boost and can restore your mood (if only for a little while).

I thought I would be staring at my unopened Charles Gregor surprise ball for at least a couple of months before I NEEDED to open it but, unfortunately, I only had it for two days when I needed my Surprise Ball fix.  I opened it on December 14th, 2012...the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

When I hear sad news on the radio, I'm sure I re-act like everyone else does - we shake our heads in despair and maybe say a quick prayer for those who are affected.  Then we go about our business as usual; maybe even forgetting about it until we hear about it in the news again.  But the Sandy Hook shooting was just too much for me.  I can't believe how much I cried for those poor babies and teachers.  Maybe it's because I also work in a school and because my children are not much younger than those who passed.  I wish I could send a million surprise balls to the survivors and friends and families of the victims, but I know even that can't heal the pain they are going through.

By removing a small cardboard disc underneath a couple of layers of paper, I was able to open the bottom of the swan without completely destroying it (which is something I intend to implement in some future designs of my own).  So I'm still able to enjoy the artistic effort that went into creating this beautiful swan.

Here are the small prizes that helped lift my spirits that day: a paper parachute jumper, an Italy eraser, a plastic swan, a whistle, a raffia-like lei, an hourglass (with wood shaving filling), a jumping bean, a pipe, a horse, a set of flowers, and a yo-yo.

Let me know if you would like a special surprise ball created just for you and you too can experience "Surprise Ball Therapy" (tee-hee, I just made that up...and I like it!)

Isabelle de Borchgrave in the USA

I was just going through my blog entries and realized that I never did share with you my visit to the Hillwood Estate Museum.  I really wanted to give everyone (especially those on the East Coast) the heads up that Isabelle de Borchgrave's amazing paper dresses were there on display!  The exhibit has sadly ended by now so I'm totally sorry for this late post.

Isabelle's work is really amazing in person and there were dozens of outfits to look at.  The Hillwood Estate Museum was an awesome sight in it's own right, but it took me over two hours just to examine all the art Isabelle had on display.  Here are a few pictures of my favorites.

You can still see information about the exhibit on Isabelle de Borchrave's website and the books featuring her work have excellent pictures with close up views on the details of the papers.

The museum also had a couple of pieces that once belonged to Marie Antoinette herself!  Here is a gilt wood and leather swivel chair would have facilitated the powdering of her royal hair.

Monster Surprise Balls

Rip them open 

the paper falls

treats and prizes

they're surprise balls!

New, cute and furry monster Surprise Balls in my Watermelon Party Shop.

Preschool Bullying?!

This topic is a bit out of the ordinary from my usual postings but it does include a craft project that may be helpful to other parents of young children who are experiencing bullying.

My daughter Delilah, started preschool this year and I am in shock at the degree of bullying in this day and age.  When I was growing up I was also a victim of bullying; but in preschool, the extent of it might have been just name calling like "stinky head" or "monkey brain" and other very silly things.  Needless to say, I was in utter shock when my mother (who drops off Delilah in the mornings) came home with a story about a bully in Delilah's class.  For the sake of anonymity, I will call the bully, Kim.

One morning, as I was getting Delilah dressed for school, she asked if she was wearing a dress.  When I told her yes, she got very excited and said "Yay! Kim is going to be so happy that I'm wearing a dress and she's going to be nice to me!  Kim only likes me when I'm wearing a dress." I almost lost it! so I calmed down and explained to her that it doesn't matter what Kim thinks and that people like Kim are called bullies and a bully is someone who isn't a true friend and... yada yada yada...

That same morning when my mom dropped Delilah off, she noticed that the first thing Delilah (and another girl does) is run to show Kim that they are wearing a dress.  So after looking Delilah up and down, Kim smugly says...(and here's the slap-in-the-face...) "you should have worn jeans".
So, now simple name calling has evolved into reverse-psychology bullying!

After a recent discussion with the teacher, it appears that Kim is actually notorious in the classroom for being a "mean girl".  Her mother is aware of the situation and is having a hard time teaching her manners and proper ways to behave.  I feel bad for Kim's mom as the thought of being the parent of a bully must be a tough position.  However, being the parent of a little girl who is being bullied isn't any better!  And the fear of what may come in the future is causing me to do everything in my power to prevent this situation from getting any worse.

With the help of my local librarian, I have found the following age appropriate books to be helpful in teaching my daughter the importance of anti-bullying, true friendship, kindness and self esteem.*

I used the book, Maisy Goes To Preschool to teach Delilah what should happen in school and what shouldn't - bullying.   I'm The Best, is good to teach that although it is great to like yourself for who you are, it is NOT good to brag about it.

Building self-esteem in my children through praise and commendation is important to me but I realize it is more important to teach them that TRUE self-confidence comes from honing their talents and learning things, not from being told that they're great just because they exist.  The first picture in this post is my children holding books that I had them make together.  I entitled the books, I Like You I Like Me.  Inside, they drew pictures of what they like about themselves and what they like about their friends, even Kim.


*The January 2013 Awake! magazine also has a helpful article called, Raising Considerate Children in a Me-First World

Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Beverley Collins, the 5th person to Like my page!  I am happy that Jane is going to a home of a long time fan of my work.

The winner was chosen using a random number generator as soon as I got to my "100 Likes" target.

It feels good to be able to give something to my fans at no cost; especially during this time when so many people spend huge amounts of money (that they don't have) on holiday shopping.  (On a side note, regarding holiday shopping:  I thought this article was so interesting.  How do you feel about it?  I personally think handmade gifts are obviously less expensive but much more meaningful).

Thanks so much to everyone who participated! My next giveaway (a secret surprise gift) will be given when I reach 150 Likes.

Art Doll Giveaway ~ Jane

To celebrate being published in the Art Doll Quarterly, Winter 2013 magazine, I have decided to offer an Art Doll giveaway!

The doll made for this event is Jane.  As you can see, Jane looks like she might have come right out of a Jane Austen novel, hence her name.  I love all of Austen's work and have long ago had the idea of making a doll inspired by one of her heroines.  Who do you think she could be?  Jane Austen herself?  Marianne Dashwood?  Emma Woodhouse? or maybe Fanny Price?...

Jane is dressed in a period appropriate (early 1800's) gown and hairdo.  Her body is made using paper mache and a paperclay overlay with several protective layers of Josefine varnish.  Her dress is also sealed with the amazingly flexible and soft extra matte varnish from Paverpol.  Her clothing and hair are made of the best papers I could find and they will withstand a lifetime when handled with care.  She comes complete with pantalet undergarments and blue "embroidered" shawl.   Except for the shawl, her clothing is irremovable. Jane can sit but she comes with a stand (not shown) for recommended posing on display (the alabaster vase shown is not included).

For a chance to win Jane, simply LIKE my M Ann M Creations page on Facebook.  Once I get to 100 likes, I will randomly choose a winner.  And if I should get more than 100 Likes, I will offer another prize! (I hope I haven't set my expectations too high -  but here's to wishing!).

 And here's the article from Art Doll Quarterly, Winter 2013.  Thanks for visiting!