Twig Blog | toy with nature

Color Drop

2015-05-18T17:04:00.003-06:00

Color fell in the shop this past weekend…including some of our most requested colors! Available now in the shop.

Introducing…Paint Your Own Pixie

2015-05-18T17:03:00.000-06:00

Introducing…The paint your own pixie. Unpainted cameras for your mini-Monet. Available now in our shop!

Easter

2015-04-01T16:32:00.000-06:00

Easter easter! A few goodies that our girlies will find from the easter bunny this weekend. Trying to focus more on things to love rather than things to eat and we're feeling lucky that our girls still beg for one of our cameras when we release new colors. What is the easter bunny bringing to your home?

Annual Cozy Gift Guide 2014

2014-11-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

It's time for our annual cozy gift guide! We're stoked about the shops included because we admire each of them for their creativity, work ethic, good design, and function. We've chosen a good mix of items for the kiddos + dad + mom.

Scroll down or click below to visit each individual shop and see how we like to use their product in our daily life. Also, notice Black Friday Deals the shops have shared!

1 Flat Out Frankie
2 Archie's Press
3 Snap Bibs
4 Hoodie Love
5 Handmade La Conner
6 Medium Control
7 Tree Hut
8 Cardtorial

Flat Out Frankie

2014-11-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Flat Out Frankie
Instagram @flatoutfrankie
Facebook Flat Out Frankie

Visit Little Modern on Black Friday for...

30% off Little Kitchens

30% off Princess Castles

Free shipping on all orders over $75

Promo code - BLACKFRIDAY

Flat Out Frankie makes unique & inventive cardboard creations that allow children to construct, play, and imagine. You already know that we're all for anything that promotes imagination, but what we love most about Flat Out Frankie products is not only the simple beauty but also that each piece is basic enough for our four year old to look at the package instructions and figure out how to piece together the toy. It brings her a satisfaction and greater enjoyment than regular old toys do. It's exciting to watch the toy and her anticipation come to life and the toys are so well designed, we actually want them on display in our home. We love finding them in various nooks from room to room where they have been played with and kept. We also love the thought of gifting such a unique item and changing up the mundane gifting scene. Now if we can only get our little girl to agree, we'll use the unicorn head someday as a cool art piece in her room as well. Thanks Flat Out Frankie!

Seen here- The Little Unicorn Head & The Stack Up Dolls

Archie's Press

2014-11-25T07:08:00.001-07:00

Archies' Press
Instagram @archiespress
Facebook Archie's Press

We were fellow vendors with Archie's Press at Renegade Craft Fair this year and spent a good amount of time admiring their work. The idea to break down a place into smaller & smaller units and execute it so artfully is genius in our book. Their prints are interesting and beautiful and we like to think, a great conversation starter. This is definitely one of those unique pieces you can be proud to hang in your home that will be sure to be admired by all who enter. Now if we can just get them to put Salt Lake City on their to make list! Thanks Archie's Press!

*All images via Archie's Press

Snap Bibs

2014-11-25T07:07:00.001-07:00

Snap Bibs
Instagram @snapbibs
Facebook Snap Bibs

Is it odd to say that I've become a bit of a bib snob? When you spend most of your day taking a bib on & off and then cleaning up such bib and surrounding area, you get picky! Not to mention, it's nearly impossible to find plain old beautiful children's wear in your local grocery store/market. So cue Snap Bibs! The color range will have you at hello but then you experience the simplicity of clean up and you're sold. A quick wipe down and you're done. I love that I want to photograph my child in her highchair with her bib on and that the bib actually compliments the picture! You then move onto older children who don't want to/shouldn't wear a bib anymore and yet they've still got you covered, matching and equally durable place mats. And possibly the best part, you can roll up your placemat, you can roll up your bib, and take them on the go! But wait, the best part for my little girl is actually the sample pack of bibs that they offer, just in case you can't decide on a color, which you probably won't be able to. After we looked at all of the pretty colors, she quickly deemed them as her newest barbie doll accessory. Thanks Snap Bibs!

Hoodie Love by Jann Marie

2014-11-25T07:06:00.001-07:00

Hoodie Love
Instagram @hoodielove
Facebook Hoodie Love By Jann Marie

I can't quite get over how appropriate the name Hoodie Love is for this hoodie, it is SO lovable! You will think that you love it simply by looking at it - the well thought out design, the classic fabrics & patterns, the thumb hole, the large pockets, the perfect hood, BUT, you won't know love until you feel it. The softness of this fabric cannot be described, it is so luxurious you will wear it for 2 days straight like I did. The other thing to love about this hoodie is that it is complimenting for our varied body types. I love that it is roomy without being frumpy and it is long making sure to cover all that you want covered but still not too long on my short frame. The only thing that can compare is wrapping one of their equally wonderful scarves around your neck -- that I would never take off. Thanks Hoodie Love!

Handmade La Conner

2014-11-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

Handmade La Conner
Facebook Handmade La Conner
Twitter @handmade_LC

Several years ago we decided to learn more about natural products and how to simplify the numerous ingredients in various things we use. Some of those things were our facial products and home cleaning supplies. It's incredible the beautiful and delicious resources we have and how beneficial they can be to our health and use. However, we didn't want to make them on our own and that's why we love Handmade La Conner. The ingredients are in regular size print because they are so few and might I add, recognizable, the packaging is simple & beautiful, and the aroma of each product is absolutely delightful. We love that their products are soothing enough before bedtime and yet refreshing in the morning as well but most importantly great for use on mom, dad, and child. Thanks Handmade La Conner!

Medium Control

2014-11-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Medium Control
Instagram @mediumcontrol
Facebook The Medium Control

Medium Control is joining us for a second year here in our gift guide because they are hands down our favorite t-shirt company! I've never been much of a t-shirt wearer but their t-shirts get worn weekly around here because the fit is spot on, the fabric is soft & durable and well the part that gets us every time, the design. Not too busy, not too crazy, just completely creative, unique, and perfect for design loving people like us. Also, they come in sizes for the whole family. Thanks Medium Control!

Tree Hut

2014-11-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Tree Hut

It can be extremely hard to find a well designed, naturalistic watch for a decent price. We love that tree hut offers everything above and we especially love the story behind their beginnings. The combination of the wood & leather is a classic and beautiful pairing, the red stitching adds just that bit of flair needed and the blank face tops it off for us. We think it's quite perfect and it will be even more perfect with that favorite lumber jack look this winter season! Thanks Tree Hut!

Cardtorial

2014-11-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

Cardtorial
Instagram @cardtorial
Facebook Cardtorial

Cardtorial was also a fellow vendor with us at Renegade Craft Fair this year and well, if something is made out of wood, it's going to catch our attention! We're also suckers for good design so Cardtorial basically had our hearts immediately. I love that these cards have that good humor and cleverness that we expect out of a card but also that the material and design are so beautiful, they become a keepsake. I would hang any one of these on my wall. Now here's to gracing those gifts with something a little more eye catching & unique or making this a gift in itself. Thanks Cardtorial!

A few of our favorites- Happy Anniversary, Happy Holidays, Wild and Free

*All images via Cardtorial

Renegade San Francisco

2014-11-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

We completed our last business goal for 2014 by attending The Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco this last weekend. It's been years since we participated in a market of this sort and let me tell you we felt it! By the time the fair actually arrived we were exhausted, however the constant flow of people at the market kept our spirits up. We packed in as much sightseeing as we could in the few hours of off time and enjoyed a gorgeous weekend there. We loved meeting what felt like old friends when told that our product had been seen on various sites or that they follow us on instagram and so many new friends including the highlight that was Bobbi who actually had us autograph her camera! The lowlight may have been when a dog drank from our boat display but all in all everyone was so gracious, the venue was amazing, and we were grateful for the experience.

We must also give a huge shout out to Lately Lily who collaborated with us on our display. It paired perfectly with our new pantone cameras and was the hit of the show. We lucked out with an amazing booth spot directly at the front and it caught everyone's attention right off. I think it was actually more popular than us; we lost count of how many people asked to take pictures of it!

Business cards by @engrave.jet

Float Our Boat Invites

2014-11-15T16:55:00.001-07:00

For our Float Our Boat event last month, we sent out quite appropriate invites if we should say so ourselves, the boat design that inspired our new Knotical Nesting Boat, a paper origami boat. We couldn't wait for invitees to open their envelope and unwrap the kid friendly surprise. It was a good little hint towards our new product too!

Float Our Boat

2014-10-28T14:31:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday we hosted a product release event in collaboration with Jane Rhodes and her FEED Supper. For October 25th, we completely lucked out on the weather, it feeling more like a summer day. We thought what better way to introduce our new origami nesting boat The Knotical and our new line of pantone colored pixie cameras, than to let our favorite kiddos play with them. And play they did! The afternoon involved swimming, pumpkin tic-tac-toe, paper boat making, chalkboard pumpkin coloring, a smore's bar, and fire grilled pizza + mend juice. It was an absolute beautiful day and we're so grateful for all the positive feedback on our new products!

A special thanks to:
Jane Rhodes for providing her beautiful home & friendship [read more about the FEED project here]
Callie Hobbs Photography for photographing the entire event
Mend Juice for giving us the tastiest refreshment
Marta Dansie for designing event signs

All photos courtesy of Callie Hobbs Photography @calliehobbsphotography

Bed 02

2014-08-20T23:05:00.000-06:00

It all started with this bed and it's just gotten better from there. Thanks to good people who appreciate design and the craftsmanship of handmade, we've had the opportunity to create more beds in this style. The latest allowed us to take the original frame but add sleeker legs, a cherry wood, and a cork housed blue tooth speaker. With the good tunes playing we could have hung out all day. Nothing better than a happy recipient.

A Walk in the Park // Shabby Apple + Callie Hobbs Photography

2014-05-15T22:16:00.000-06:00

The idea of me being a fashion blogger is somewhat humorous, knowing that I can practice all the poses I want in the mirror but when in front of the camera those poses turn into awkward stances. However, dressing in a couple of pieces from Shabby Apple and spending the evening with Callie Hobbs Photography was the perfect combination to make me feel comfortable enough to be myself in front of that lens.

It makes all the difference to team up with brands you love doesn't it? Shabby Apple is a company I've watched over the years. Unique designs + quality product + superior customer service. Callie from Callie Hobbs Photography has built her portfolio in wedding + portrait photography and had me laughing throughout and excited over the beautiful shots she captured.

I love the versatility of the Papaya Perfection Dress. It fits my casual cute style and can easily be dressed up with a jacket for a night out or simply worn to the park with sandals for an afternoon play date. The Edgecliff Skirt gives a dressier look but I quickly suited it to my taste and paired it with a chambray for that going out but not too fancy look.

Not only do I appreciate the softness and quality of the fabrics used in Shabby Apple products, but I love that I don't have to worry about this or that showing. Their designs cover in the right places and make it easy for a girl to feel beautiful and comfortable.

It's always a good day when new favorite items join my closet and I'm so happy to have such beautiful images of a great night.

Thanks to Shabby Apple @shabbyapple and Callie Hobbs @calliehobbsphotography.

PLAY // Product Launch & Event

2014-03-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we launched our new product line with an event for the whole family. PLAY.
Our goal was to not only share our updated pixie camera [fresh colors, new view finder] and the new instamatic camera [inspired by the 60's classic kodak camera] but to share why we started TWIG in the first place. That reason being, we wanted to create something that would inspire our children to get out from behind a screen and be active; mentally, physically, and socially.

Just when we think we've mastered our toy cameras, we get inspired by surroundings, your requests, and old classics. So, we worked really hard to take all suggestions and improve our pixie camera as well as put out something new. Adding a view finder has been a frequent request and the rotating eye hole on the new pixie and the colored filters on the instamatic camera seem to accomplish that want.

Our event took place at the Startup Building and was the perfect backdrop for our woodsy theme. Four stations were set up for families to rotate amongst and join in various activities. A reading nook and photo booth were ready for the kiddos in between projects, not to mention drinks and cupcakes provided by One Sweet Slice. The first and messiest station was ours, raw cameras lined up and ready to be painted in any way the littles desired. The best part was watching mom's cringe as their children gooped blobs of paint onto the beautiful wood! They all turned out awesome and allowing the kids creative freedom was our hope for the entire day. The three other stations were provided by Merrilee of Mer Mag who supplied custom stamp art, Lisa of Light & Ink who supplied tree stump rubbings, and Alma, Mike, & Melanie of The Caravan Shoppe who supplied colorable and foldable paper cameras. Every station was a huge and complete hit! We can't thank these talented people who we admire enough, they put thought and heart into their stations and it showed.

The best part of the day was hearing and seeing a bunch of kids enjoying themselves, smiling the biggest smiles, and doing something interactive and out of the norm with their families. It was a day to remember and the best beginning to a new year of TWIG.

Special thanks to Becky Kimball for documenting the day and Marta of Marta Writes for providing signage for the event.

*Feel free to snag and share photos but please credit Becky Kimball Photography.

Year Two & Even Better // Alt Summit

2014-02-18T22:11:00.004-07:00

The last few months of 2013 and going on into this year have been a time of meeting for me. I've met so many of the people who I've admired & followed for years and years, never actually thinking I would have the opportunity to talk in person. It's an awesome feeling. Attending Alt Summit last month, for my second year continued that trail of meeting.

A favorite photo of hallway chat with some of my favorite ladies

Alt last year was a whirlwind and was more about soaking everything up whereas this year, it was all about connecting and networking. This year's experience was definitely more enjoyable than last. I was more calm and confident, our business has expanded and I feel more experienced, and I had a good circle of friends to enjoy it with. I was happy to lead a round table with the topic "how to utilize the blogging community to grow your shop." There was a great little small business community in attendance and I loved sharing our business experiences as well as learning from so many of them. I left my round table each day feeling inspired and enthused about this crazy small business life we lead!

There is an exciting vibe at Alt, you leave a panel, you walk out into the hallway and you are hit with a rush of happy stylish people, talking, enveloped in social media while walking, and visiting sponsors and booths along the way. I found myself walking in and out of various panels, catching bits & pieces but more so wanting to chat and connect with people. That's most possibly the best part about Alt, you not only get to rub shoulders with so many talented and knowledgable people, but you realize that you are in a room full of your kind. Everyone is hooked to their phones, multi-tasking while listening and taking notes, answering emails, tweeting, instagramming, etc. No one is offended, everyone understands how we do, and why we do. You realize that we're all running off of ideas and creativity and making a unique life from it. You realize that some have celebrity crushes and you have blogger crushes. But that also, those blog crushes are actually just like you.

I feel so spoiled attending Alt, the mingling with creatives, the amazing food, the constant swag and gifts, the photo booths, the parties, and the overall happiness. It always takes a couple of days to get over the high of Alt and realize that real life can be just as exciting *wink.

Pictures say it best, but a few highlights included cooking with Kelsey, meeting Danyelle & Randi, meeting the ladies of Umba, whom we've recently worked with and who so kindly featured our product in their most recent publication, attending mini-parties put together by friends, snapping a pic with Ben Silbermann of Pinterest, and bringing the little one for an afternoon and passing her around so that everyone could get their baby fix.

Hundreds of pictures with more detail of this year's Alt can be seen on the Alt Summit Flickr account. Besides the few phone photos I share here, photo credit goes to Justin Hackworth, and Brooke Dennis.

Hope to see you next year Alt!

A Bed for her Birthday

2014-01-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Our little girl turned four years old this last week and knowing her birthday was upcoming, we realized it was time for her to graduate from her toddler bed to a twin bed. Steve assured me he would make a bed for her but knowing how busy he was already, I said I could find one. I spent day after day searching online but I couldn't ever quite find the style we were going for not to mention the most important aspect, something that would grow with her. So, I gave up for a while…and good thing I did because her birthday week arrived and somehow Steve miraculously had a bed to show for it.

This my friends is what our sweet little four year old received. I mean…it's better than our bed!

The cherry wood, rounded legs, simplicity, and leather book slots absolutely blew me away. It is beautiful and unique and perfect for not only a four year old, but a fourteen year old, or even a twenty four year old. I love that our daughter not only has the functional item she needed but that she is exposed to good design and something with a story behind it; something her daddy made.

Cozy Gift Guide // Swankaroo

2013-12-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of our Cozy Gift Guide favorites and we've got a good one for you!

Swankaroo.

These little packs are one of a kind. As we all know, it's quite difficult to find children's products, especially things like bags and backpacks that aren't covered in cartoons or obnoxious colors/patterns. We love that these backpacks are the perfect blend of child + sophistication. The combination of leather & designer fabric is just darling. I actually really wish they came in my size. You can definitely tell how cute they are from visiting Swankaroo [not to mention so many adorable designs frequently added] but I must mention that once you have one in your hands, you recognize the attention to craftsmanship and detail. We not only love the quality of the bag but the attention to the overall design including the unique clasp and drawstring. This little bag will be perfect for saturday outings, dance class, and neighborhood craft time. Thank you Swankaroo!

Paint My Pixie

2013-12-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

You've sent us custom camera requests and now we're leaving it up to you to show us what you want! We've teamed up with Ashley of Ashmae.com and Brickyard Buffalo to bring you the Paint My Pixie coloring contest.

Here are the details //

1- Right click & save the above printable and print out.

2- Color the camera in a shade that you would like to see in the new year. If including pattern, color blocking preferred.

3- Take a picture of your finished drawing and share it on Instagram tagging us [@twig_creative] and using the hashtag #paintmypixie.

4- The contest closes the night of Wednesday December 11th and the winning design will be sold limited edition on Brickyard Buffalo in 2014!

*winning design will be something that Twig deems reasonable & executable.

**Special thanks to Ashley of Ashmae.com for creating the rad printable for us. We recommend that you go buy any of her new books. We did and they're absolutely beautiful!

Cozy Gift Guide // Whistle & Flute

2013-12-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the Thanksgiving sales have passed, we can get back to our Cozy Gift Guide.

Our second to last sharing of our favorite cozy product is Whistle & Flute.

The thing that drew us to Whistle and Flute is that the designs are cool enough for dad, mom, toddler, and baby. Their couldn't be anything better than having a piece of clothing that is that go to item that not only screams comfort, but that is stylish, and best of all, unisex. Plus, it's pretty fun playing matchy matchy right? Our little girl loves to dress up and sharing a similar outfit with her is really cute.

We love the simple yet bold pieces, the classic black, white, grey, and of course the quality and softness of each piece. With our first snowfall here, we'll be nice and cozy in our new pullovers ---maybe more often than we should... Thanks to you Whistle and Flute!

Black Friday // Rockin' Holiday

2013-11-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

B L A C K +++++ F R I D A Y !

Today is big. We're ecstatic to not only share our black friday deal with you but to release our newest product, designed in collaboration with one of our style icons, Jennifer from A Merry Mishap.

We may be bias but these new rockers turned out absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention the brass lining on our new matte black or gray cameras.

So, happy black friday, take 20% off any camera in our shop using the code "rockinholiday" and visit our [@twig_creative] + AMM's [@amerrymishap] instagram feed for an amazing #rockinholiday giveaway.

[All images by Jennifer of AMM]

Cozy Gift Guide // Medium Control

2013-11-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Next up in our sharing of favorite product from our Cozy Gift Guide is Medium Control.

Several years ago I thought and thought and thought and finally came up with the perfect anniversary gift for the hubs...but only two days before the actual day I needed it. It was a messenger bag from Medium Control and you know what, they got it to me within those two days, right in time for our anniversary. The other gift I had ordered at least a month earlier didn't even arrive until a month after our anniversary...ironic and a bit humorous. So, to say the least, we've been big fans of Medium Control for years now and we're so excited to see that they have grown from their Etsy shop to their own brick and mortar store.

It made our day to open up a little package with these three rad shirts that fit right in with our camera fixation. They're the type of shirts you want to wear everyday, original designs + so so comfortable + the perfect fit. It's going to be difficult for us to not walk out in the morning all wearing our shirts because I already want to wear mine everyday. Thank you Medium Control!