Daisy Baby Today

I asked Dana, mom of three and our favorite baby boutique proprietor, where her store is now, and where she's wanting to go. This was her response:

When we first opened we had 2000 square feet of really big wonderful store. Now, post 2009, we're a little smaller. Our store is just under 1000 square feet, and we make every square foot work. Now, we're more about services, and we focus on three main things: Design, Registry, and Gift Giving. We're offering service, really customized bedding, design, every single aspect of that room. Carpet, paint, lighting, window treatments. We provide very personal service and we're there for you every step of the way.

On the floor - beyond the white crib!

Where we really want to go now is to have Daisy Baby be a hub of the baby community in Bethesda. We'd like to have talks in the store, bringing in community members to talk about things that women are facing while they're pregnant. We want to be that resource, get that Daisy Baby Moms Group going. Yes, you can give your money to Amazon or Buy Buy Baby, but when you register locally, you are giving your money back into your own community. You're getting not only a completely different level of service, you're getting a business that has a stake in the community you live in - 6 years down the road we're donating to your child's school auction. We're that place you can hold an event, where you can find other moms in the community and just a great place for networking.

I want to keep getting my hands on every product I could possibly sell and find that perfect mix for the store. One of my primary goals right now is getting that well-edited list of all the things that I think a growing family should have. Our next piece will be going online. I'm hoping in the next month and a half to open our new high-functioning website. Not to get sales in Texas, but since this is how many women shop these days, they want to do their research online and I want to be that resource for them. I want that there for the community.

A client's nursery, after going through that journey together!

Daisy Baby will always be a community store. In this new realm of bringing the cities back to being walkable, bringing small business and service oriented business and great products, we want to be competitive. We need to let people know what we really do well, being that live review, that service-oriented shop that is there for you for whatever you need for your baby.

The History of Daisy Baby

We've been very busy lately! So why not a bit of history to kick off the month of June? Here's a great interview with Dana, the mind behind the duck, for your information and entertainment! Without further ado, everything you ever wanted to know about the history of Daisy Baby.

Why has Dana been busy? This is Ford, her third little wonder.

Who started Daisy Baby and Kids?
Daisy Baby and Kids is truly the brainchild of Andrea Paro. One day when she was pregnant with her daughter Tallulah, she said she envisioned a yellow duck on top of a white box with a ribbon, and from that vision Daisy Baby was born. The simplicity with a little pop of sweetness is where we were and where we are. 

When did it start?
It started during that boom of the baby industry which I think really began when Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter Apple was born in 2004. It was the first time we saw publicity shots of a baby's room being featured as much as someone's home, and it was the first time we saw a modern nursery like that. That's when you saw the design of nursery pushing the boundaries beyond a Winnie the Pooh theme. 

What were your first lines back then?
One of the first lines we saw was Serena and Lily back when it was really just Serena and Lily. And that's when we started 10 years ago, making the nursery put the mark of you on it, starting to make sure it reflected you and your home and the celebration of your child. Also at the very cusp of this business was Bugaboo. When they entered this marketplace, strollers didn't look like they do today. We take it for granted now that they have these beautiful strollers that are just lovely and functional and have a bassinet that looks like a pram and the design and innovation in this industry is just beautiful. Every time I see a man hunched over an umbrella stroller and pushing it up the hill it looks like it's more trouble to have it than it would be without it! The way strollers have changed is phenomenal.

Bugaboo Donkey

What do you think is special about Daisy Baby?
It's about the babies, and everyone loves the babies really, but we're also all about mom. What about mom? How is she doing? How is she feeling? How is she handling this time in her life? We kiss the babies and talk about sleep and breastfeeding and all of that. We follow that journey with the mom, from the first time she comes in the store and doesn't really know what she's wanting and we talk about it, research it, figure out her style and what she's after. We go through that process with her, ordering and it coming in and getting it installed and all of that, it's so special and neat.

What's a really special experience that comes from being part of Daisy Baby?
We had a baby come in the other day, about 9 years old. It just blows me away. Seeing that baby whose nursery we designed, and having that connection with the store and these parents still. The real babies, the Daisy Babies. All these little babies, I've watched these moms from being pregnant and through the birth and I love hearing the birth stories. I love listening about their water breaking to the moment they crowned all the way up until they come in here and bring the babies and I can say, "Sit down, have a seat and nurse here and chat with us." When the little ones come back and I watch them grow and maybe they think my name is Daisy instead of Dana, I'm the lady with the candy jar. I'm not a millionaire yet but my millions are counted in the babies I get to see grow up and all of the joy I get from having this little boutique in Bethesda. 

What's changed about the boutique world in the past 10 years since you started?
When I found out about the boutique movement I was just leaving Los Angeles and it was really col to know abuot these small businesses who were finding interesting lines, not everything being so cookie cutter. I'm really proud to be a part of this movement. Ten years later though, I feel like there's barely any boutiques left at all. Everything is all internet and big box stores. I think about this side of Bethesda and I think in another 10 years there will be no boutiques left, just restaurants and chains.

What is the most important part of having a storefront? Why not an internet retailer?
When I think about my store, I'm proud of every single piece in here. It's like curating a museum, when you walk in, what do you smell? What do you see? What do your eyes light on? It takes focus and creativity and a certain gift and I love the fact that I can give that out and I appreciate that. I feel like it's important in the world - it's a unique piece of why a boutique is important and I'm glad I exist in that realm. I love when people come in here and they can touch and feel the things they see online. You can read fifty reviews but Dana is a review and I have used all of this and all my moms come and tell me how it is and this is what I live and breathe and sleep, this is what I DO.

What's unique about the baby industry?
Every day women come into our store and I love it, they're just shocked at how much has changed since they had a baby - 25 years ago, 10 years ago, 6 months ago. "This didn't exist when I had my baby!" That is one of the neat parts about this industry, those changes. When I think about Chewbeads, a woman invented a necklace babies can pull on and chew on. It's not trying to get kids to pull on your necklace, but babies will be pulling and chewing on our  necklaces or hair so why not give them something safe to do that with? 

Chewbeads

A friend of mine, Riche Holmes, started a business here in Bethesda - Bambini Wear. Now she's working with Martha Stewart and it's this whole big thing. Moms inventing things, products that people live in. People designing products that weren't there before, modern cribs and carriers that are ergonomically correct and better for bonding and baby and mom. And at the end of the day it's about making everything cute and fun and just reflecting your personality. 

Bambini Wear

One last quick question - how many Daisy babies' lives have you been a part of?
This computer program has only been with us since 2009, so it's missing some of the early years. But I've got almost 6000 clients that have come through this door since then. I've recorded 3000 orders. I don't know how many little babies that is, but for a little store like this, it's great seeing all those children come through here and grow up and it's just wonderful.

Just a pic of why Christina's been busy - I moved to Hawaii!

Bethesda Preppy Nurseries

When Dana first got to Bethesda, she was a bit confused... seersucker everywhere, madras print, college girls wearing Lilly Pulitzer and big bows in their hair. Was this some sort of ironic statement? Or was this for real? It didn't take her long to not only realize that Bethesda takes their preppy seriously, but to jump on the bandwagon... and it shows in Daisy Baby! Some of our favorite vendors (Annette Tatum, Doodlefish, Wiggle & Scoot) carry very preppy lines. If you're looking for fun, preppy nursery pieces, come on in! (But first, check out the pics below - some inspiration, a few of our fabrics, and some fun preppiness!)

Brighton by Annette Tatum - seersucker collection

Sausalito by Annette Tatum - Seersucker collection

Lime Chevron rug by Doodlefish

Girly seersucker fabrics from Doodlefish with bows

More Girly Seersucker fabrics

Boyish preppy - from Wiggle & Scoot, plus a bow tie!

Boyish preppy fabrics from Doodlefish

Monogrammed A Soft Idea blanket

Monogrammed bumper

Personalized Macbeth Bin

This post dedicated to Rachel - see the bow?

Planning a Nursery - The Daisy Baby Experience

Planning a nursery can be extremely overwhelming! What do you need? What is safe? How long does it take to get what you want? And in the smaller homes in the DC area... where will everything fit!? There are some great articles out there on planning a nursery (this one from Pottery Barn comes to mind) but they tend to be about basic considerations of safety and logical placement. Which is really useful, of course! But it doesn't tell you what you'll really need for your situation, and when you'll need to get it. Daisy Baby and Kids wants to make planning your nursery easy and fun for you - we're here to help! So, read on for a basic Daisy Baby Timeline... what to do, and when!

 Remember that most pregnancies last about 41 weeks... but anything after 37 weeks is considered within the realm of normal and full-term. So you probably want your nursery ready by 36-37 weeks, just in case. That's how this guide is set - so your nursery is ready at 35 weeks. If you're running late, no worries! Just come on in and we'll see what we can work out for you!

The shop - friendly and bright! Come visit!

Week 21 - Set up an appointment to look at furniture. Bring the measurements of your room, color swatches of anything already in it, and ideas! **Note: this is a good time to decide on and register for your childbirth class as well. Sometimes they fill up fast, and classes like Bradley can take 12 weeks to complete! Also, this is a good time to find a doula - she can help you through the following weeks! (Birth Options Alliance is a really good tool here!)

Newport Cottages cribs are made in the US - if it's not modern, give it some time to be built!

Week 23 - Finalize the furniture order. If you want something custom, or something from a company that hand-makes their furniture, it will take 8-10 weeks. Start looking at bedding! (Of course, you can start this earlier, but this is a good point - you'll know what style you're leaning toward by the furniture you've chosen.) **Note: This is a good time to make sure your room is set up safely, and to paint it in your chosen color!

Bright modern bedding - pick your colors and patterns, we'll make sure it's just what you want!

Week 25 - Finalize your bedding order - again, custom orders can take up to 8-10 weeks.**Note: if you haven't already, make sure you have sorted out your childcare for postpartum, and definitely make sure you've found your pediatrician!

Week 27 - Set up your registry. Most baby showers are between 30-35 weeks, so this is a good time to have that set! We'll help you decide what you need for your situation, so come on in and let's talk about it. We can make recommendations and help you sort through all the baby items to decide which really are "must haves"! Remember that we can put some of your furniture or bedding on the registry, even if it's a custom order. **Note: check out infant and child CPR and First Aid classes - this is a good time to learn those skills!

Want an awesome stroller? Put it on your registry!

Week 35 - relax! Receive all your fantastic baby items, and bask in them... you'll be using them soon! **Note: You may want to cook and freeze meals for after delivery at this point, or look into something like Momme Meals. This is also a good time to look into a postpartum doula, make sure you know a good IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Counselor), or check out The Breastfeeding Center!

After the baby is born - come on in if you need anything or have any questions. We'll be happy to help you sort out how to use your sling, your stroller, your belly bandit. Be sure to bring your little bundle because we love babies. That's in italics because we really, really do. So show off that cute button nose! Hang out in our comfy chair, nurse the babe, let us know how it's going - and just how much you love your nursery!

Even the Baby K'Tan has a learning curve - if you're struggling, we'll help!

Nursery Decorating for Small Spaces

Living in the DC area, we're used to smaller homes. This isn't a big deal for singles, or even a married couple... but what do you do when you add a baby into the mix? Dana knows all about this - their second child is due in a few short months, and they'll be staying in their small condo. Why? And How? Let's ask...

Why is it important to you to live in Downtown Bethesda?  I love being able to walk to work. I love bumping into neighbors and clients, people I know whenever I walk out the door. I feel like a part of the community here – it’s a city environment but it has such a small-town community vibe. It’s just a great place to live. 

Are you making sacrifices to live here in the middle of the city? Well, yes, definitely. We live in a 700 square foot condo –it’s real urban living, using a small space to its maximum potential.

Patterson Comfort Sleeper Sofa by American Leather

700 square feet? How are you making that work with two adults and two small children? We’re setting it up kind of like a studio apartment, actually. It’s a good floor plan, so we’re making it work. It’s hard to have babies in small spaces – but that’s something that’s really important to know how to do in this area, and so we’re doing it. We’ll be putting a sofa sleeper in the living room for the master bed. We’ll actually move the glider into the bedroom (it’s been in the living room) and some of the furniture will do double duty (like the sofa bed). 

What about the bedroom? The girls will share the bedroom – Ever will be moving to a big girl bed from Monte with a trundle beneath, and the new baby will have her Stokke crib in the middle of the room. We’ll set it up to be a pretty girly space, with two little girls – a chandelier from Empress Arts. Hot pink, gray, aqua. We’re taking what we used with Ever and updating it for the new baby, making it new and fun. 

Monte Upholstered Dorma twin bed with trundle

I don’t suppose you have details like fabrics yet…? No, not yet. But definitely check back later, I’ll share the whole process!

Do you live in a small space with a baby or two? How do you do it?