Our smiley face onesie has always been a big seller for us.  Babies put a smile on your face just by their very essence, dressed in this little number makes for twice the fun.  We think this smiley face beautifully tie-dyed onesie gives you a double reason to smile. 

It’s the only face we have offered for years.  But, it’s no longer on its own - a solo act.  We have added two more faces.  Babies are cute when they are awake but adorably angelic-looking when they are sleep.  That’s why we created our sleeping face onesie.  You see it and we think it makes you go “ohhh, how sweet.” 

A winking baby?  We’ve yet to see one but can imagine how cute it would be in a charming kind of way. So we decided to create this little number.  We think you would be hard pressed to find this tie-dyed trio in the marketplace.

Just think how fun and unique it would be to gift one of these little-faced onesies to that sweet baby on its way or one that has just arrived.  We also offer these great designs on our lush, cotton tee-shits as well.

 In an effort to test out the retail waters, we have added a few of these onesies to our website at www.tiedyebabyclothes.net at our wholesale prices! Please click on the above image to enlarge it to get a better look.

You might be asking yourself why this is such a big and wonderful event for us.  Up to this point, we have been unable to offer our tie dye to the marketplace due to the cost effectiveness of the tie dye process. Back in the day, we would build up inventory by dying up a particular color (say for example, our ever-popular fuchsia heart design) so that we would have goods available for immediate delivery. However, we found that if stores did not order that color our profit was sitting right there on our warehouse floor.  Not only that, the white garments that we used to dye that color were now no longer available to dye the colors that people were interested in.  It was a lose/lose situation all the way around.  

So we had a collective meeting of our tie dye minds and decided that the only way we could make this work was to apply minimum orders to those stores who ordered from us.  Our tie dye artists decided that 12 was the magical number - the number of garments needed to dye up a single dye lot.  And so that became and continues to be the norm with our wholesale business.  The retail buying public does not buy in groups of 12.  Therefore, we were unable to offer our ever-so-popular tie dye on a retail basis.

But we found a way to do so. We were taking a look at our inventory and discovered what we like to call “a treasure trove of tie-dyed garments” . . . . . . dyed garments that had been made as extras for orders, samples of brand new colors we offer and tie-dyed garments that happen to be among our best sellers.  And then it hit us, why not offer these beautiful, often one-of-a-kind gems, to the retail public.  But wait, it gets better.  With further thought, we decided to offer these overstocked treasures at our WHOLESALE PRICES!  We think it is a win/win situation for all of us.  The consumer gets a lovely treasure at a truly wonderful price and we get the great opportunity to offer our tie-dyed garments to the public. 

We have designed this site to be your “go to website” when you are looking for that unique and original and really cool gift as well as finding a little something, something for your own sweet baby.We will continue to stock it with one-of-a-kind treasures as they become available.  You will find tie-dyed outfits that you will not find in the stores anywhere.  That’s a promise!

This is where you will see our creative energies blossom into full swing.   This is our tie-dye artists’ haven. Come visit us and see what we are talking about.  Our web address is www.tiedyebabyclothes.net.  We welcome any comments or suggestions you might have on our new site.          

We love babies . . . . all babies so much so that our wonderful design staff, headed by Karen Jacobson, created an applique awarding every brand new bundle as the “Best 2008 Baby.”  

Because we wanted this applique to be perfect (just like those precious babies wearing it), much thought and time was invested in this project of love.We think of babies as being soft and sweet. So we thought we would use a soft felt fabric for the applique in those ever-so-lovely and traditional shades of pastel blue and pastel pink. We wanted to add a bit of shine to the award, so we selected the subtle brilliance of a blue and a pink faceted-metallic rhine stud which we think nicely frames the beautifully embroidered “2008″ in the center of the applique.

And we opted for the shape of an award-winning ribbon minus the ribbon part, mostly to prevent fraying of the ribbon and to keep the integrity of the applique after several washings.”Best 2008 Baby” is substantial in that it is constructed out of two pieces of nice, thick felt finely stitched together with a running stitch. Why you can even say it is 3 dimensional in that the rhine studs are raised ever-so-slightly from the applique.

We are very proud of this finely constructed, well-thought-out unique applique that, up to this point, has not be found in the marketplace.We envision this to be our signature applique. Not only does this little treasure mark the year of sweet baby’s birth, but it is meant to be kept as a keepsake to be placed amongst the collection of precious things to be appreciated and remembered for all time. 

We would love to hear your comments, input or opinions on our new “Best 2008 Baby” applique.  Would you please share your thoughts with us? 

To view a larger image of the above photos, simply click on them.Thank you.

I remember meeting with a graphic artist some 11 years ago when I first started Tiny Bundles.  It had taken a while for me to come up with our name.  My first inclination was to call our company Tiny Bundles of Joy. Way too long.  So I shortened it to be just “Tiny Bundles.”  Sure from time to time people get confused and call me tiny bubbles (a tribute to Don Ho, I suspect), but I think the name works.

“Tiny Bundles,” well what images come to your mind when you hear these words?  A tiny bundle of cash, perhaps. Or something small that needs special attention and protection. I have always intended our company to be associated with love, somehow, someway.  I explained to this young graphic artist that I wanted my image to impart love - the love between a parent and a child.  And this is what she created:  This logo carried us from 1996 until 2005.

Then when we hired Avant Studios to create a wholesale site for us, we found out that they also created corporate identities.  Right then I said to myself, “hmm, maybe it is time for an update, a new look.”

In speaking to Stuart and Spencer Smith of Avant, the image I had for Tiny Bundles remained the same.  

Recently, I visited Avant Studios’ website at: www.avantstudios.com.  I clicked on their “portfolio“ link and that link took me to their “corporate identity“ link.  I selected the icon for my logo and proceeded to read what exactly went into the development and creation of the logo that I love and even more so now that I know what went on in bringing it to life.  I want to share their words with you.

    tinybundles logomark 

LOVE.

Such an ethereal and broad concept is difficult to communicate without using a commonplace or overused icon like a heart.  So our focus turned towards outward demonstrations of love - a hug, an embrace, a gaze.

MEANING

The tiny bundles mark represents the unity (oneness) of parent and child.  the bond of love, a simple embrace, an intimate interaction, a glance. Other interpretations of the form could be a child within the womb, or a rattle.

FORM

The form is one continuous line, but creates two distinct circular forms.  This simple elegant stroke is “loose” and freefrom, which makes it playful. Yet the thickness of the line makes the form strong and stable, keeping the logo from feeling like it will blow away.  Wit and playfulness balanced with strength and stability are two essential qualities in both a logo and the company it represents.

QUALITIES

This form is simple and easily identifiable.  The repetition and interplay of circular forms make the mark both interesting to look at and memorable.  The abstract qualities will let people create their own interpretations, and will keep them guessing. Because of its simplicity, it will be easy to apply to almost anything, including the smallest of clothing tags.  All these contribute to the timelessness and flexibility of the Tiny bundles logo.

For corporate identity, you can’t do any better than these two talented young men at Avant Studios. Our logo - it says it all and for that we are thankful.                                                  
 

AvaBaby’s Preemie Wear –  A valued Client

I had received an e-mail from Rebecca of AvaBaby’s. She was requesting information about our Tiny Bundles’ preemie clothing.

She had mentioned in her e-mail that she was the grandmother of a granddaughter that had been born at 26 1/2 weeks.

I had walked the walk of having a preemie baby, but had not walked the walk Rebecca had.  As I came to learn about Rebecca’s experience, I realized that she had walked a very different walk than I had.

First of all, my stay in the hospital was 4 days.  My baby came home with me in my arms.  She weighed all of 4 pounds, 4 ounces.  She was tiny.  And her arrival time was 5 weeks early.

Rebecca’s granddaughter, Ava, weighed 1 pound, 15 ounces and measured 13 inches in length and her first 3 months were spent in the NICU, a very different walk indeed.

“The arrival of a micro preemie and the NICU experience is entirely out of the ordinary and understood only by those who have been there,” says Rebecca.

One of the first pleasures the family had was being able to dress sweet baby Ava.  The difficulty in finding clothing for micro preemies during this most trying period, left Rebecca with the feeling that she would like to offer these hard-to-find items to other families in this same situation.

What really sealed this desire was the birth of Ava’s brother, Cash.  Also a preemie, he stayed put a bit longer.  His arrival was 7 weeks early and although he weighed 5 pounds and 6 ounces, he had a short stay in the NICU as well.  Even at this weight, it was still hard to find clothing that would fit him at the local mall.

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Rebecca while delivering her Tiny Bundles’ order.  She had shared with me one of their experiences while in the NICU.  She said that she and her husband were able to bond with Ava by placing one hand on top of Ava’s head and the other hand at her feet.  They were able to cradle her with love this way and bond in this special way that no one else could.  How that touches my heart.

Rebecca has scoured the world to find clothing designed to fit the tiniest of preemies ranging from 1 to 6 pounds.  After visiting her website at www.avababys.com, I think you will agree that she has done a fine job of securing clothing and accessories for micro preemies.  Her Internet retail website is nicely designed with the use of calm, tranquil colors.  You want to stay and visit a while.  Make sure you take a look at the image of baby Ava while still in the NICU.

 Our hat is off to you Rebecca for not only seeing the need but filling the need for those families with very early arrivals.

My retail site had been established for well over a year with next to no activity. I had asked my guys at Avant about referring someone who could optimize the search engines for my retail web site. They were reluctant to give me any, as they were unsure of how they performed. Then back in November, the guys finally gave me the name of a person that they heard I could trust.

This is where Brian McCullough comes into play. I called him and explained my plight. He told me he would visit my web site and then put a proposal together of various options that would be available to me.

True to his word, Brian sent me a proposal that contained four different options. As I read through the categories of each option, some I was familiar with, most I was not, like social networking marketing, Facebook, Pay-Pre-Click management, blog campaign and solidifying external web content, it was like trying to read Greek. Sure, I am bilingual, but Greek isn’t one of the languages I speak.

The last time I had to think about search engine optimization was way back in 1997 with the development of my first “retail only” web site. The competition for businesses selling preemie clothing way back in the day was not like it is today. The only thing I really remember about utilizing a service for search engine optimization was that I paid Yahoo a certain dollar amount to appear in their first few pages.

After trying to make heads or tails of these presented options, I had the good fortune to meet Brian face-to-face at a local Starbucks.

In walked this confident, nice young man. I enjoyed meeting him from the moment I saw him. Enthusiasm and passion is what I saw on his face as he explained his business to me. I thought, “here is a man who is on top of his game and he has got it really going on.” Boy was I impressed. I had many questions to ask him about the categories I knew nothing about. As he started to explain the categories, I think I kind of zoned out for a moment because a lot of what he said was simply flying over my head. I started to feel like an old cassette in a new CD world.

His patience in answering all of my questions, helped me understand the categories that up to this point had only been mere concepts, if that.And he did so with kindness and communicated to me without making me feel like a fool.

That is when he asked me if I would be interested in setting up a blog. I was embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even know what one was. He told me that it was basically a journal where I could write whatever I wanted to about my company. He told me to take a look at other people’s blogs to get a better feel of what blogging is all about.

Brian is a firm believer in the power of the blog. He explained to me that many of his clients had blogs and that he would network all of us together. He mentioned that blogging could also optimize my search engine ratings. I decided to have him set up my blog at www.tinytinyblog.com.  By the way, tinytinyblog is the wonderful name he came up with.

And can I tell you that I just love my blog. I am having the time of my life with it. I hold my blog dear to me as it gives my business a voice, people can see what Tiny Bundles is all about. I think that is cool, very cool.

With the combination of Brian’s optimization program and creation of the blog, I can tell you that I have seen the traffic to my tinytinyclothing double and on its way to tripling its figures. All this happened in a few short months. But even more important than this, the site has started to generate sales. My site had remained dormant for so long, that it was nice to have some orders to make sure everything on my site was working properly. I am so grateful to Brian and the results I have seen that I will always sing his praises.

I had asked him about his company, Interloop Media, yesterday and he explained it to me in a way that made sense. He said that his business does not replace anyone. He optimizes the marketing dollars used by a company on a project, say like a press release that may only be read once and then kind of disappears, maybe even forgotten, and archives it through all sorts of media - hence the name Interloop - looping the media - presenting it to many medias. He is basically helping companies get the best bang for their buck. And who doesn’t want that?

If you are looking for an Internet Consultant, Brian McCullough is whom you want on your team. He is a key player on ours and he should be on yours too.

After accessing how much work would be involved in incorporating all of our new colors plus adding new collections, it was suggested by one of my web masters that I might want to consider learning how to create my own web gallery.  If I did this, he would be able to link it to my web site.  This would give us a quick fix and I could continue to add new items along the way so that my web site would always be current.  This made a lot of sense to me.  But would I have the time to learn how to do this?  

Spencer Smith, one of my web site gurus at Avant Studios, said that I would have to set up a .mac account and purchase some software from Apple.  The cost was pretty minimal.After setting up my .mac account and purchasing some software, I decided to take a free class at the Apple store to learn how to use the tools in iPhoto to create good photos for the web gallery.  

So I walk into the Apple Store.  I must admit, it can be quite an intimidating experience if you haven’t been in this store before.  Definitely, not your traditional store, at least not for me.  You walk into this store where there appears to be a million people milling around looking at and trying out all of these state-of-the-art techno gadgets.  And you see all of these blue-shirted people with their head gear on ready to help you. These would be their sales associates.  And they are all very friendly and willing to help you.  But trying to figure out how to navigate the store is quite different.  I wasn’t too sure if that counter located against the back wall of the store was where you pay for things or ask for service or bring in a computer?  Well, I have been there a number of times since then and I am now comfortable with the lay out and I don’t have that “Oh, my gosh, I feel so old like I don’t-know-what-I-am-doing feeling.”   

When you take a free class, you sit with a number of other customers with one trainer.  People ask questions and answers are given.  But one hours worth of time split up between 4 to 5 people can leave little time for each person to get all their answers to all of their questions.  During this one-hour lesson, one of the customers had asked me if I had heard about Apple’s one-on-one personal classes.  She said it was their best kept secret and that I should try to sign up for this service.Well, I did not hesitate.  I signed up right then and there.  

Do you know that for a mere $99.00 a year you can get 52 hours of personal one-on-one training.  That breaks down to about $1.90 a session.  To date, I have utilized at least 15 of those hours.  I schedule weekly one-on-one classes. I have had the good fortune of having one of the same two trainers I have worked with since I started taking classes.

I invite you to take a look at the web gallery that I learned to create with the help of my personal trainers.  My web gallery is located on www.tinybundles.com.  Once you happen upon my home page, click on the red text that reads, “Our 2008 collection gallery is on line.  You can view it by clicking here.”  Once you arrive on our web gallery, at the top of the page you will see the names of our six collections.  Click on any one of those collection names to view the collection.  I am proud to say that not only did I take the photos, I also learned how to cut out the background of the photo with a tool I learned how to use in iPages.  

Last week we placed a counter on each page so that I can track how much traffic is visiting our galleries.How excited I am not to be at the mercy of anyone else to keep my site current.  

Cain and Anna, have also taught me how to create my own postcard.  I use the postcards to send to my wholesale customers.  They showcase our new items.  Right now I am learning how to create a six-panel front and back wholesale price sheet.  Currently, because I have six different collections, I have six separate wholesale price sheets.  Not a very effective way to impart information and a waste of a lot of trees.  

Further down the road, I will learn how to send out an e-mail blast.The control and freedom these personal one-on-one classes have given me is priceless. 

Every business owner needs to know about this service and the effective software available.  You can learn to be the ruler of your own domain. I should say not only every business owner but every body should know about this service. You can take in any Apple product and they will teach you how to use it.  Whether it is your iPod Nano or iPhone or whatever wonderful product they offer, they are there to help you.

Did I mention that since the time I have started taking these classes we have purchased a 20-inch screen 2.4GHz iMac computer.  After I learn all that I need to learn from a business standpoint, I will learn how to customize my new computer and figure out how to use all of the features of my iPod Nano to its fullest.  And I will forever sing Apple’s praises.

Cain told me that the store where he works opened about 5 1/2 years ago and that when they opened their doors they had about 50 employees. They now have 150 employees in the same store.  I was told that Apple makes more money per square inch then some of the big department stores.  With service like theirs, I can see why.  So people, have your Apple a day.  It’s a good thing, a very good thing.    

I should have internalized those words a little more - “flight times between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. guaranteed same day arrival.” Wow, I was getting such a deal, round trip airfare from San Diego to Seattle, a two-night stay at a reasonable, well-known hotel, plus a two-day car rental all for about $400.00. Boy, oh boy, what a deal! How bad could it be, I thought as I submitted my request knowing that flight time and all pertinent information was not to be given until I had committed to the purchase. With a click of the mouse, I had done it. I had really done it. No turning back now.

The moment I had read the flight information, I could have kicked myself all the way to the airport and then back again. Under normal circumstances, a flight from San Diego to Seattle should have taken about two hours. Not this flight, not this time. Nine hours of travel was my gift for choosing to save money and to get that DEAL!

I started my travels from San Diego at 4:55 p.m. We then flew to Denver. There we had a about a 2-hour layover. After this layover, we were ready to travel to Seattle. We arrived in Seattle at about 11:40 p.m. But it gets worse.

I did not realize at the time that I booked this trip, that the car I had rented was not going to be waiting for me at the airport. Cold and tired and with luggage in hand, I had to wait for a shuttle to take me to the car rental agency. After waiting in line there, I was finally given a little car.

I didn’t even know that cars were manufactured with a crank-up knob (you know what I am talking about, the kind of manual hand crank handle you use to use to raise and lower windows before they became automatic) underneath the seat to adjust the height of the seat. As I tried to figure out this contraption, in the rain, I might add, I tried to adjust the side mirror by moving this knob and as I was making the adjustment, the knob came off in my hand.

Okay. Not real familiar with Seattle. Now, the task of finding my way from the airport to the hotel was at hand. People, I get lost in San Diego. And here I am driving this little hunk without a navigation system. I finally arrived at the hotel. By the time I walked through the threshold of my room, it was 1:45 a.m.

Great, I thought. I have to be up in about 5 hours to attend a trade show. How was I going to be perky and fresh and ready to greet the day and meet my sales reps. My trip home was no picnic either. But this time it only took me 5 hours instead of 9 hours to arrive at my destination point.

So, I basically had Friday as a full travel day and I paid for a hotel room for two nights even though I didn’t arrive to the hotel until 1:45 in the morning not to mention that I was totally exhausted from my travels and not exactly at my best for my day at the Seattle Gift Show. If you decide to use a dot com travel service, make sure you read between the lines.

At the end of my travels, I decided that I would have gladly paid double the price I paid to have arrived early, enjoyed the sights a bit, and gotten a good night’s rest. Sure, I saved a few dollars. But was it really worth it? I think NOT! All I have to say is Buyer Beware!

I chose Tehnorati on the suggestion of my web guru Brian McCullough. He turned me on to blogging and is a firm believer in the whole blogging process. I must admit, now that I have a blog, I really, really enjoy it. It brings life to what I do and validates my company’s existence. Not a bad thing at all.

And while I am at it, I get to have my customers know me more than just a company name. I can add my own flair and style and create the kind of image I want to impart and the best thing about it, is that I realize that I really like to write. Which is a good things since I aspire to write at least once a week.

And so the story goes, a blog a day keeps the customers at bay. Thanks for laying your eyes on our words and we hope that we can keep you coming back.Technorati Profile

I  met her at the Los Angeles Textile Show in 2004.  She was a referral from my sister.  

So when I entered her booth, I found a competent and friendly sales rep that willingly listened to my needs and addressed them by patiently pulling out book after book of possible appliques.  Her excellent service did not stop there.  She meticulously noted which appliques I was interested in and had the company send me each applique beautifully presented and encased in plastic, which was used to keep the appliques in place.  Her attention to detail is impressive.  Little did I know then that . . . . 

Fast forward to 2007.  Okay.  I was looking to really beef up our applique collection.  Up to this point, I had been purchasing appliques that everyone else could purchase from several different trim companies.  Time to kick it up a notch and start to create our own look and our own image in the industry. 

I remembered the easy chemistry I shared with Karen Jacobson and I knew that when the time came for me to call her, I would be received with a welcoming voice.  And that is just what happened.  

I told Karen what my plans were.  I learned during our conversation that Karen had earned degrees from Pratt and Otis.  I also learned that Karen has 7 years of experience as a textile designer, showroom assistant and trim specialist and sales rep.  She knows the business well. 

What I really like about Karen is that she knows how to watch the bottom line.  If I want a certain look, she gives me several different options to achieve that look without breaking the bank.  And that’s what every business owner wants. 

Since that time, we have had the good fortune of welcoming Karen Jacobson, sales rep turned designer, to our design staff.  She takes our concepts and turns them into reality, a finished product, and does so with her own special flair.  We get all of this and have fun in the process. 

At the beginning of this New Year, we have had the wonderful pleasure of presenting 3 new exciting and exclusive collections to the Tiny Bundles’ line of quality baby clothing.  We have added a Custom Patch Collection, which features a few of the most popular nursery rhymes, a Double Patch Collection, layering of fun fabrics topped off with a fashion forward, cutting edge applique and an Animal Felties Collection, sweet felt animals and their associated food items.  Think dog, think bone.  Think elephant, think peanut, etc.  Each collection is unique in style and attracts a different audience.  

You can find all of these collections on our brand new web gallery located on our Tiny Bundles’ website at www.tinybundles.com. Come and see what we are talking about and why we are so excited and we invite you to visit often as we will continue to add fun new appliques to our newly established collections.   

With Karen a major player on our design staff, the future couldn’t be brighter.