Monday, April 28, 2008

rainy day idea: jacksonpollock.org


We learned about www.jacksonpollock.org from the Elia Chair website (check out the chair in our online store). The best part about this site is that your littlest little ones will have no problem creating a colorful masterpiece. Just move the mouse and click to change colors.

Tip: take a screenshot, print, sign, and put it on the fridge! (screenshots for macs: control+shift+3)

Sunday, April 13, 2008

the Cookie that got away

One of my very favorite US parenting magazines is Cookie. I love the pictures, the originality and perspective of the articles and the travel section is unbelievable.

So imagine how thrilled we were when last fall Cookie came to town to take pics for an upcoming article on the Twin Cities as a family destination (I thought their first call to us was a prank until the photographer emailed me with a Cookie address). In December we were asked to ship a box full of our products for pictures to accompany the store pics. We learned at end February that the issue on the Twin Cities would be in the April issue. And when the second fact-checker called to confirm our address and some of our products, our move date was only two weeks away so I felt I had to speak up about our pending move. I pleaded that we were only moving a couple of miles, etc., but in the end our new location no longer fit the article.

So here we are, Cookieless. The article is a good one, though, and lists lots of great places to visit with your kids, so check it out at http://www.cookiemag.com/travel/cityguide/2008/03/minneapolis.

Open Studio!

We've asked Shay Lawrence, owner of Abrakadoodle Minneapolis to write a guest blog about Open Studio, a new collaborative offering from Abrakadoodle and kiddywampus.

Whoo hoo! Last week marked the launch of Open Studio and I couldn’t be more excited!

When we first started dreaming of Open Studio, we wanted to create a space where kids could paint, collage, stamp and create at their own pace as they developed the skills they would need to succeed in elementary school. It was so thrilling to see students proudly hanging their creations on our drying wall, figuring out that if you stamp on play doh with your shoe it makes a really cool design, and blending colors using Twistables. My favorite moment though was when a little girl ran up to me with a huge grin on her face and whispered, “did you know you can paint with crayons? This is so cool!” (She had discovered our watercolor crayons). She proudly offered to share her newfound knowledge with me through a demonstration.

It was pretty cool. I wonder what I’ll learn next week.

It's like a Real store!

Whew! Our new store has been open a month and recently celebrated a crowded and energetic grand opening. The action painting wall, which was looking much too white, now bears some serious splatters of paint. It’s beginning to feel like home.

I am personally moved, touched and inspired both by our customers’ responses. The customers who have been with us for some time are excited about the new space and what this growth means for us. We delight together over the dedicated art studio, expanded toystore and two bathrooms (!). Over and over again our regulars enthuse, “this is like a Real store!” We joke that we no longer have to leave breadcrumbs for our customers to find us.

We are still getting settled in our new space and (still!) waiting on lots of new inventory to arrive. We like hearing comments and feedback about our new space – please continue to let us know what you like and, even more importantly, what we can do to make it better.

To the loyal customers who have cheered us on and gotten us to this point, I give my unending gratitude. And to the new customers we’re meeting every day (we actually have walk-in traffic…imagine!), we are thrilled to meet you and hope to become a destination you enjoy visiting with your family.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Macy's Hallway Exhibit: kiddywampus-style


Macy turned her hallway experiment into a little display with the help of her mom, Tami, and Droog's Frame Tape. Art can be anywhere, and we love this example of elevating a child's creativity.