The Bib Shoppe - Your Online Boutique! Bibs, Blankets, and More!

2012-01-19T16:36:00.000-06:00

Caldecott Medal Winners - TheLast 25 Years!

Award-Winning Picture Books
www.bibshoppe.com

TheCaldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustratorRandolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for LibraryService to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to theartist of the most distinguished American picture book forchildren.

- ALA, AmericanLibrary Association

Youcan tell a Caldecott Medal Winner when you see the Caldecott symbol stamped orembossed on the front of a book.

Top three ‘Bib Shoppe’ recommendations – See asterisks

*2011: A Sick Day forAmos McGee illustrated by Erin E.Stead, written by Philip C. Stead (Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook Press, animprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group)

2010: The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown and Company)

2009: The House inthe Night illustrated by BethKrommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Company)

2008: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Scholastic Press, an imprintof Scholastic)

2007: Flotsam by David Wiesner (Clarion)

2006: The Hello, Goodbye Window Illustrated by Chris Raschka, written by NortonJuster (Michael di Capua/Hyperion)

2005: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (GreenwillowBooks/HarperCollinsPublishers)

2004: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein (Roaring Brook Press/Millbrook Press)

2003: My Friend Rabbit byEric Rohmann (Roaring Brook Press/Millbrook Press)

2002: The Three Pigs byDavid Wiesner (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin)

2001: So You Want to Be President? Illustrated by David Small; text by Judith St.George (Philomel Books)

2000: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (Viking)

1999: Snowflake Bentley, Illustrated by Mary Azarian; text by Jacqueline Briggs Martin (Houghton)

1998: Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky (Dutton)

1997: Golem by David Wisniewski (Clarion)

1996: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (Putnam)

1995: Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz; text:Eve Bunting (Harcourt)

*1994: Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say; text: edited by Walter Lorraine(Houghton)

1993: Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully (Putnam)

1992: Tuesday by David Wiesner (Clarion Books)

1991: Black and White byDavid Macaulay (Houghton)

1990: Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young (Philomel)

1989: Song and Dance Man, illustrated by StephenGammell; text: Karen Ackerman (Knopf)

1988: Owl Moon, illustrated by John Schoenherr;text: Jane Yolen (Philomel)

1987: Hey, Al, illustrated by Richard Egielski;text: Arthur Yorinks (Farrar)

*1986: The PolarExpress by Chris Van Allsburg(Houghton)

Other Caldecott Medal Winners recommended by ‘The Bib Shoppe’

1980: Ox-Cart Man, illustrated by Barbara Cooney; text:Donald Hall (Viking)

1978: Noah's Ark by Peter Spier (Doubleday)

1976: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears , illustratedby Leo & Diane Dillon; text: retold by Verna Aardema (Dial)

1968: Drummer Hoff, illustrated by Ed Emberley; text:adapted by Barbara Emberley (Prentice-Hall)

1964: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak(Harper)

1963: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Viking)

1956: Frog Went A-Courtin', illustrated by FeodorRojankovsky; text: retold by John Langstaff) (Harcourt)

1955: Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper,illustrated by Marcia Brown; text: translated from Charles Perrault by MarciaBrown (Scribner)

1948: White Snow, Bright Snow, illustrated by RogerDuvoisin; text: Alvin Tresselt (Lothrop)

1945: Prayer for a Child, illustrated by Elizabeth OrtonJones; text: Rachel Field (Macmillan)

1944: Many Moons, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; text:James Thurber (Harcourt)

1942: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (Viking)

1938: Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book, illustratedby Dorothy P. Lathrop; text: selected by Helen Dean Fish

Compiled by Patti Greene, Co-Owner of ‘TheBib Shoppe’– Small Business Owner, Librarian, Teacher

Autism

2011-09-12T21:06:00.014-05:00

Many parents wonder if their child could have autism. They wonder if their child is growing both physically, mentally, and socially at the “correct pace.”

In addition, many parents, when they discuss their concerns with their pediatrician, are told to just wait and see what happens. But, many experts believe that if you have a suspicion that something might be wrong that you should have them checked out through tests and screenings. If a child is screened by a specialist and they find no justifiable concerns, then parents can rest at ease knowing that their child is developing at an appropriate pace. If there is a detectable concern, parents are able to find out early enough to get early intervention and the proper care for their child.

Mayo Clinic’s health information states, “Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas of development — social interaction, language and behavior. But because autism symptoms vary greatly, two children with the same diagnosis may act quite differently and have strikingly different skills. In most cases, though, severe autism is marked by a complete inability to communicate or interact with other people.

Some children show signs of autism in early infancy. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life but then suddenly become withdrawn, become aggressive or lose language skills they've already acquired. Though each child with autism is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior, these are some common autism symptoms.”

The Mayo Clinic continues to clarify the symptoms of autism as follows:

Social skills
Fails to respond to his or her name
Has poor eye contact
Appears not to hear you at times
Resists cuddling and holding
Appears unaware of others' feelings
Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her "own world"

Language
Starts talking later than age 2, and has other developmental delays by 30 months
Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences
Doesn't make eye contact when making requests
Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
Can't start a conversation or keep one going
May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them

Behavior
Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping
Develops specific routines or rituals
Becomes disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals
Moves constantly
May be fascinated by parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car
May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch and yet oblivious to pain

With all these symptoms, it is important to understand that some of them may be seen in children whose development is normal.

Nancy D. Wiseman, founder and President of First Signs, discusses why early detection matters and why helping your child early in life can produce better results long term for a child. In her book, Could it be Autism?, Wiseman provides checklists and the steps you can take to either “confirm or rule out a developmental delay or disorder.”

If you are concerned about autism in someone you know, there is a lot of excellent reading material available to you. Please check these resources to help you or someone you love in their journey to make sense out of autism.

Brill, Marlene. Autism. New York : Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2008.

“Autism.” Mayo Clinic. Website.

Teitelbaum, Osnat and Philip Teitelbaum. Does your Baby have Autism? Garden City Park, NJ: Square One, 2008.

Veague, Heather. Autism. New York : Chelsea House, 2010.

Wiseman, Nancy. Could it be Autism? New York:Broadway Books, 2006.

Click here - Fall Bazaar Dates and More!

2011-08-17T20:13:00.004-05:00

Check out our 10% discount for all in-stock purchases bought at our FALL FAIRS! We have lots of new items coming out soon. Also, plan ahead and purchase a minky blanket for that new baby, a toddler, a high school student, a college student, an adult, and for good 'ol grandma. All orders for Christmas must be in by November 6, 2011.

Consumerism and Grandkids

2011-07-16T22:03:00.020-05:00

I have to admit I love my three grandchildren. So of course, when my daughter asked if my husband and I would watch the two boys, ages 1 and 2, for five days, we said, “Yes.”

In preparation for the boys, I bought two little backyard swimming pools at Toys ‘R Us; I ordered one of the famous Little Tikes green turtle sandboxes online and bought 4 bags of sand for it; I bought some new needed toys to keep at Grandma’s house – a Disney character figure set from the Disney Store; a basketball and a shiny red tricycle from Wal-Mart, a dump truck, pails, shovels, crayons, and bubbles from the Dollar Store; and a Fisher Price block set. Oh, I almost forgot the cute little Sesame Street potty I bought at Wal-Mart. What a hit that turned out to be!

Of course, I had to prepare the house for their coming. The sheets were washed; the bathrooms cleaned; the carpets were vacuumed; the floors were washed; and the bathroom was stocked with new soap, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner from Walgreens.

A trip to Kroger was necessary in our preparation stage. I bought orange juice, milk, wipes, diapers, popsicles, yogurt, juice boxes, cheese strings, grapes, raisins, tomatoes, animal crackers, Pop Tarts, and even bread to feed the ducks.

It was time to change my hat to event planner! I scheduled what we would do each day. I decided that every evening after dinner we would go to the park and feed the ducks; then travel to McDonald’s for ice-cream and playtime; then go swimming in our new Toys ‘R Us pools. Day trips would include the Katy Mills Mall to ride the train; Memorial City Mall to ride the Carousel with their cousin and see Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather; the Dollar Store to buy more snacks; Kohl’s to buy a toy, and a trip to the Houston Zoo to see the cows, giraffes, monkeys, lions, tigers, and bears.

Then, the big day arrived. The boys showed up and the fun began. We ate, we laughed, we tickled, we read, we played, we splashed, we kicked, we fell, we walked, we swam, we cuddled, we bathed, we cried, we slept; and we got tired. And, oh did we get tired! Maybe tired isn’t the word – utterly exhausted was more like it.

But, the days flew by. We discovered the boys’ favorite feat was feeding the ducks every night. What started as an activity that scared the boys, they left Grammi’s with no fear of ducks. They also left Grammi and Grandpa’s house with a newfound love for orange popsicles; a deeper attachment to Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Daisy, and Donald Duck; and love for Grammi’s story telling.

Pictures tell a thousand words. And pictures were snapped right and left.
With a little planning; a little spending; and a whole lot of loving, we had the best four days of the year.

Well, our time was up and we kissed the boys goodbye. But we couldn’t forget the good times we had. And, thanks to Shutterfly, Grammi made picture books to remind them of their 2011 vacation.

While I acknowledge that LOVE is the most important thing, I would also like to give thanks to all the retail stores and establishments that helped to create these wonderful memories, and to all reading this blog – GOODNIGHT, Grammi is exhausted!

Looking for the PERFECT BLANKET

2011-06-11T09:32:00.046-05:00

Scattered throughout this article are some blanket fabrics available from The Bib Shoppe. Have some fun, and see if you can fit these into categories for infants, preschoolers, elementary age children, middle school students, or high school age children.

Yikes, choosing a blanket is difficult. NOT! Read on.

If you have ever walked down the toy section of a store, you will be overwhelmed with the bright colors of all the toys and books. That is because manufacturers have discovered the psychology of colors. Colors are used as marketing tools, but they can also be used as educational tools. If you take a look at preschool and grade school workbooks, you will notice many bright colors in the pages to attract young children. Colors help them learn.

But, what about choosing a blanket color for your loved ones? The tip of the day is: Consider age! Colors are universal and everywhere. But, they do mean different things in different settings and at different ages of life.

According to a 2005 research article published by the BBC, “children can see and even appreciate colors as early as four months old. At that age, however, their eyes may not yet be sufficiently developed to recognize various shades of color or differentiate dull colors like grey and brown. According to the article, researchers showed babies various shades of blue in sequence on a computer screen, and the babies' attention began to drift. When the color changed to green, the babies were once again attracted to the screen. The researchers concluded that babies are unable to distinguish variations in color, which reinforces the notion that babies can only see bright, fully saturated colors.”

Parents and/or grandparents usually like the soft pastels for newborn gifts. However, studies have shown that Infants and preschoolers usually prefer warm, bright colors, while elementary school aged children are attracted to pastels and tinted colors. Middle school students usually prefer the greens and blues, while high school students are attracted to darker colors, such as, dark green, gray, navy, burgundy, etc. Of course, most high school students enjoy receiving a blanket in their school colors whether they particularly like the colors or not.

In an informal survey on colors by The Bib Shoppe, I discovered that most people think preschoolers are attracted to bright colors because they associate bright colors with happiness. However, some feel that we bombard kids with bright colors so much and it is the object that is more important than its color. Purple was the overwhelming color of choice in the survey for what color participants believed most children from birth to 18 like the best. But, when those surveyed asked what their favorite color growing up was, they said blue, and still say that blue is their favorite color today.

Along with color though, consider the child’s likes and dislikes. If your child is afraid of dogs, you might want to avoid a dog printed blanket. But, if your child likes strawberries, you might want to consider a strawberry print. If you are trying to teach colors through your blanket, choose a blanket design with multiple colors. If you are trying to teach counting through your blanket, choose a blanket with objects to count.

Recently, my 2 year old grandson wanted a new blanket. He chose the blue owl print that we carry at The Bib Shoppe. He knows his colors, and he was adamant that he did not want the green print. Once, the blanket was made, I observed him interacting with his blanket. He was not only involved with the color, but the print. The blue owl print contains multiple different designed owls. He had already decided that his loved ones represented particular owls. I asked him, “Where is Mimi?” and he would point to a particular owl. I would say, “Show me Grandpa,” and he would point to a different owl. It was amazing to see learning going on within a blanket choice.

So, when choosing fabric colors for a blanket gift, you may also want to consider any learning that you might want to take place with your choice of blanket.

The Bib Shoppe sells custom handmade blankets for all ages and "ready to buy" blankets. Visit The Bib Shoppe!

Patti Greene, Author and Co-owner of The Bib Shoppe

To read more on colors and children, read the articles below. To access the articles, just go to Google, type the title in quotes, and click!

How Do Bright Colors Appeal to Kids?
Colour and children
Homeschool View - What Colors Help Children Learn?

Memorial Day+ Baby Bibs & Adult Bibs Sale

2011-05-29T18:13:00.012-05:00

The Bib Shoppe's "Stock Up" Memorial Day Sale!
Sunday, May 29 - Sunday, June 5th or until GONE! As we honor our Veterans and those who have served around the world, The Bib Shoppe is offering 25% off on our already low priced, quality baby bibs, soft Gerber burp cloths, bib and burp sets, and adult bibs. Website prices are marked to sell.

Go to www.bibshoppe.com
Then, Click on...
Baby Bibs, Burp Clothes, Bib & Burp Sets, and/or Adult Bibs

$7.12 - Baby Bib designs include:Cupcakes, Football, Monkeys, Candyland, Ladybugs, Basketball, Diggers and Dozers, Blue Sock Monkeys, Red Sock Monkeys, Dinosaurs, Pink Flowers, Black Swinging Monkeys, Yellow Swinging Monkeys, Baby Pink Minky, Baby Blue Minky,

$7.12 - Burp Cloth designs include:Cupcakes, Bugs & Butterflies, Haul It Trucks, Green Chirp, Purple Swirls, Ladybugs, Peace, Hope, Love, Leopard, John Deere

$14.25 - Bib and Burp set designs include:Baby Blue Minky, Baby Pink Minky, Cupcakes, Noah's Ark (Two by Two), Rainbow, Camo, Purple Swirls

$12.00 - 13.50 - Adult Bib designs include:Red Hat, Coffee Cups, Blue Plaid, Pears & Apples, Blue Daisies, Red Checkered, Praise the Lord, Hot Air Balloons, Green Flowers, Yellow Recipe, Moose, Sailboats, Hope, Faith, & Joy

15 Common "Old Age" Illnesses www.bibshoppe.com

2011-05-10T20:59:00.010-05:00

Alzheimer Disease - A degenerative brain disorder characterized by premature senility and dementia.

Arthritis - A medical condition characterized by inflammation of the joints, which results in pain and difficulty moving.

Blood Pressure - The pulsating pressure of blood flow through an artery. (Blood pressure can be high or low.)

Cancer - any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream.

Diabetes – [Also called diabetes mellitus] often simply referred to as diabetes—is a condition in which a person has a high blood sugar (glucose) level as a result of the body either not producing enough insulin, or because body cells do not properly respond to the insulin that is produced.

Eye Disease - any disease of the eye.

Heart Attack - a sudden severe instance of abnormal heart function

Heart Problems - Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of different diseases affecting the heart.

Kidney Disease - Any one of several chronic conditions that are caused by damage to the cells of the kidney.

Mental Illness - A health condition that changes a person's thinking, feelings, or behavior (or all three) and that causes the person distress and difficulty in functioning.

Osteoporosis - a condition whereby the bones lose some of their mineral content and become less dense. Bones that are osteoporotic are more at risk for fractures.

Prostate Enlargement - A non-cancerous condition that affects many men past 50 years of age, enlarged prostate makes urinating more difficult by narrowing the urethra, a tube running from the bladder through the prostate gland.

Skin Disease - a disease affecting the skin

Stroke - a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain.

Tuberculosis - a highly contagious infection that attacks the lungs and other parts of the body.

Add more by posting to this list. We would love to get a complete list going.

“Google Define Search Feature.” Google, 10 May, 2011. Web. 10 May, 2011.

Definitions were taken from Google’s Define Search feature. Multiple different sources were used in the definitions.

Hanging Kitchen Towels, also known as OVEN DOOR DRESSES!

2011-05-08T20:05:00.012-05:00

So you want to add some charm to your kitchen, but you don’t want to spend big bucks to do it. Here is one idea you can use to update your kitchen with a minimum expense of only $16.50. An oven door dishtowel dress from The Bib Shoppe will add a special touch of country charm to either a plain kitchen or to one that has been updated with expensive stone counters and/or fancy floors.

The Bib Shoppe’s oven door dress dishtowels are made with a 100% cotton yoke and matching toweling. Other specifications consist of…
•Side ties
•Approximately 13 1/2" from neckline to hemline
•Coordinated yoke and towel
•Easy to wash in cold water; tumble dry

These dishtowels are one of the newest kitchen decor pieces available on the market. They make great gifts for housewarming parties, Mother's Day, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and more.

An alternative use is to hang one of these hand-towels over a bathroom towel rack for a lovely, one-of-a-kind look.

Designed by and for The Bib Shoppe.
www.bibshoppe.com

Baby Shower Games

2011-04-17T19:14:00.011-05:00

So, you are the lucky one giving your friend or friends their baby shower. Below you will find a compilation of some of the best baby shower games we found. So, if you are wondering what games are out there, enjoy browsing these "baby shower" game sites. There will be at least one that is perfect for your party.

14 Festive Baby Shower Games from Parents Magazine

Appropriate Office Baby Shower Games

Baby Shower Game for Twins

Baby Shower Game Idea for Twins by ehow.com

Baby Shower Games - To Purchase

Baby Shower Games by Baby Names

Beaucoup - Unique Baby Shower Games to Buy

Coed Baby Showers by Baby Center - Scroll down for games for men

Cool Baby Shower Games

Fun Biblical Christian Baby Shower Games

List of Baby Shower Games for Couples by ehow.com

Personalized Twin Baby Bingo - To Purchase

And now that you have looked through some of these sites, shoot me back a reply and let me know what your favorite game is! And, if you have actually used one of these game ideas, let us know how it went over! And, if you need a quick gift for a baby shower, check out THE BIB SHOPPE!

Welcome to The Bib Shoppe's re-designed website! www.bibshoppe.com

2011-03-21T22:17:00.020-05:00

Well, we have finally done it. The Bib Shoppe has a newly designed website that is more user-friendly for both you and us! It all started a year ago when we realized we needed better customer service and a website with more features that we could access ourselves for the right price. First, we needed a logo. A great, reasonable logo company was recommended to us, and we first got our logo made to our satisfaction within days. Next came the year long search for a web-designer. We knew our limitations and realized we needed help to create the design we wanted. We shared our ideas and colors with our designer and the company “tolerated” all our emails and changes with a wonderful, patient attitude. Once the design was made, we moved to a technical expert that helped with all the ins and outs of the backside of a website. Again, we found the most knowledgeable and patient person to help us reach our goal. Yes, it all took time – we had to retake all our pictures again, re-stock our products, and input the information into our new site. But, now we are ready to unveil our baby using our same web-address at www.bibshoppe.com.

Browse our new selections of adult bibs, towel bibs, baby bibs, burp cloths, toddler dress bibs, custom minky (minkee) blankets, ready-made minky blankets, inspirational items, and special occasion bears.

Notable enhancements to our new website that will make your searching and shopping easier and your overall experience more user-friendly include:
- New products
- Link to Twitter Facebook, and The Bib Shoppe Blog at the top of each page
- Search bar
- Custom, monogrammed minky (minkee) blanket orders can be placed online with close to 200 fabrics to choose from
- Newsletter signup
- Portfolio category to view a photo gallery of our happy customers. (Send us your pictures with you or your loved one using a Bib Shoppe product.)
- Online Wholesale Request form. (We are currently selling minky blankets and sets wholesale to business establishments.)

Use coupon code: redribbon to receive 10% off on all Visa, Mastercard, and/or PayPal online orders through April 15, 2011.

So, now pour yourself a cup of tea, sit back, and take a moment to leisurely look through our new site. If you like what you see, please leave us a comment, forward our site to your friends and/or family, join one of our ‘Social Media’ sites (Twitter, Facebook, or Blog) to keep informed of all sales and new products, and don’t forget to bookmark us or add us to your favorites. As always, if you have any questions, just email us at bibshoppe@gmail.com.

Patti and Evelyn

We want to thank all the companies that made this journey with us. We couldn’t have done it without you. THANKS SO MUCH!

http://thelogocompany.net – Our Logo Designer
www.inkprince.com – Our creative, artistic Web Designer
www.readysetshoppe.com – Our small business Website Support

Also, so many books were read along the way that I can’t credit all of them, but here are a few that really benefited The Bib Shoppe on our journey. To the authors -THANKS SO MUCH!

Antion, Tom. How to Pick a Shopping Cart that Makes You Money. 2009.

Emerson, Melinda. Become your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works. Avon, MA: Adams Business, 2010.

Halligan, Brian and Dharmesh Shah. Inbound Marketing: Get found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley, 2010.

Shaeffer, Claire. Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide. Cincinnati: Krause, 2008.

Penny Pinching Mama Event! Feb. 24-26, 2011

2011-02-19T14:13:00.011-06:00

Register to win one of these blankets when you stop by The Bib Shoppe! Good luck!

What is the Penny Pinching Mama’s Event? It is a place to buy quality children's and maternity clothing, toys and baby equipment. It is also a place to buy new items for gifts or you. Many vendors, including The Bib Shoppe, will be there.

What will be for sale at The Bib Shoppe? New baby bibs, burp cloths, Toddler dress bibs, minky (minkee) security and baby blankets, and an opportunity to special order a personal and/or monogrammed blanket for any age choosing from 200 different print and solid fabrics. There are many Robert Kaufmann designer fabrics to choose from.

Why should I stop at The Bib Shoppe vendor table? Besides the fact that the people who are working the table are super nice, you can register to win a free minky baby blanket. It may be your lucky day!

When is the event?
Thursday, February 24 – Presale: Presale is reserved for parents who are pregnant with their first child or have their first child under one year of age. This presale also includes first time grandparents, adoptive/foster parents, teachers, home-school parents and military families; 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm. You must have a pre-sale pass to attend this event. Email Lori at Lori@pennypinchingmamastx.com, with your email address, and she will email you back a pass to attend this event.

Friday, February 25 – Public Sale Opens; 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 pm.

Saturday, February 26 – Public Sale; 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 pm.

Where: The Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress, Cypress, TX 77433
Let us know if we will see you there

What color is best for your baby?

2011-02-08T17:31:00.004-06:00

Most new parents want to do everything right for their newborn – decorate the room perfectly; buy the safest crib; buy the most durable toys; buy the prettiest or most handsome clothing, amongst other things. But all the safety and durability doesn’t give a parent-to-be a clue about what colors are best for their new little one.

And, how can one know what colors are best for their baby? Knowing “baby colors” may make a difference in how to decorate a baby’s room, what color bedding and blankets to buy, or what color mobiles to install.

Unfortunately, studies vary in what their research tells us. The Bornstein study stated infants prefer looking longer into reds and blues and less at green colors. The Zemach study said that babies prefer blues and purples while the yellows, greens and red are less liked. Genius Babies say infants do not see the colors blue and green as much as the contrasts of red, white, and black. All about Vision say newborns can see black and white and shades of gray only. But, they believe that infants can see red, orange, yellow and green a week after birth. So, what’s a new parent-to-be believe?

All of the various studies out there about colors may be coming up with different results because they are measuring different entities, such as:

- Hues of a color
- Saturation level of a color
- Brightness of a color and/or,
- Baby’s brain hemisphere usage

So, when deciding whether a new parent wants to surround their child with soothing pastel colors or invigorating contrasting and bold colors, a parent is well-capable of making those decisions themselves. In the long run, you are the ones who will be living with the color scheme for a long time, so why not choose what you like? Also, think about what items will be around a long time, and how will you feel about that color scheme in 1 year, 2 years, or even 3 years. For example, if you are choosing a paint color for a room, and you have no intentions of a new paint job every year, will you be happy with a baby blue or baby pink or bright red for the next 5 years or more?

I know it may seem that every decision is absolutely the most important decision ever, but really, the most important thing your baby needs is a loving environment he or she feels safe and nurtured in. And with all those kisses and hugs you give them, they will be happy even in a red room with a purple blanket wrapped around them!

Patti Greene
The Bib Shoppe: Your Online Boutique for "Bibs, Blankets, and More!"
www.bibshoppe.com

Phishing

2011-01-29T19:45:00.008-06:00

It almost happened to me! I feel so foolish that I almost fell for a phishing scam that I can’t even write about the experience, but I do want you to know more about phishing so you won't fall prey to this type of vicious identity theft!

Basically, phishing is when criminals use electronic sources (phones, email, or any online sources) to trick individuals into sharing personal information. Phishing is a crime, but these criminals are rarely caught. They try to get your passwords, social security numbers, credit card information, your driver’s license number, and even your mother’s maiden name among other things. Sometimes a phishing incident involves sending emails posing as banks or credit card companies. The problem is that these emails look so close to the legitimate company that many fall for it.

Everyone must be diligent and on the alert so as not to be caught in these phishing scams. We can do this by heeding the following advice:

1. Don’t give anyone your private information, i.e. usernames, passwords, driver’s license numbers, social security numbers, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, account numbers, and more.

2. Be aware of urgency on the part of people involved in a phishing fraud attack.

3. Any email that seems questionable or suspicious, delete immediately. Do not open it.

4. Avoid hyperlinks.

5. Change your computer passwords frequently.

6. Remember that legitimate companies will never ask you to update or confirm information.

7. Use Internet firewalls and be sure to update them regularly.

8. Turn off your computer when you are not using it.

Yes, phishing could happen to you. Be alert and be sure to report any incident you have encountered to the Federal Trade Commission.

And guess what? I haven’t even touched on vishing. You may have to research that one yourself!

Gifts for Seniors

2011-01-08T20:14:00.004-06:00

Christmas is over. Lots of money was spent on gifts, gifts, and more gifts. So, two days after Christmas, my 83 year old father made the profound statement that the best gift he received in the past few years was a round, rubber jar opener given to him from his 23 year old grandson. I don’t know how much my son paid for the jar opener, but they can be purchased for as little as 99 cents. There were two reasons my dad said he liked the gift so much – it was practical and he uses it, and he enjoyed seeing his grandson participate in the ‘gift of giving.”

It is hard in today’s world to define the words used to represent our ageing society. Should we call people seniors, senior citizens, or the elderly? The reason it is hard to define is because these terms mean different things in different societies. In some societies, “old age” is considered those who have retired; in other societies they represent grandparents; and in others it represents those unable to care for themselves.

No matter what definition you might choose to use, all “seniors” enjoy gifts from their loved ones. But, depending on their individual stage in life or age, gifts may vary.

So, in no particular order other than alphabetically, you might be able to find a gift idea for your 50 year old AARP aged friend or your assisted-living family member. Good luck!

1. A reader – Nook or Kindle
2. Adult Bib
3. Arm rest organizer
4. Bed rail
5. Bird feeder
6. Blanket for their bed
7. Board games
8. Books about hobbies
9. Calendar with birthdays and special family occasions listed
10. Cell phone
11. Cologne/Perfume
12. Computer
13. Computer printer
14. Conventional photo album
15. Correspondence box including special occasion cards; stamped of course!
16. Deck of cards
17. Dice
18. Digital frame, preloaded
19. Dominoes
20. Eye glass holder
21. Folding cane
22. Foot bath
23. Golf putter set
24. Hair rollers
25. Hair cut/dye appointment
26. Hair styler
27. Home alarm system
28. iPAD
29. Keepsake box
30. Lap blankets
31. Lap desk
32. Large numerical telephone
33. Lighted cane
34. Long length brush
35. Lotions
36. Magnifying glass
37. Medical alert jewelry
38. Medical books
39. Milk carton holder
40. Music (check what kind of player they have)
41. Pedicure set
42. Pen and pencil cushion
43. Photo book
44. Playing cards, large print
45. Reacher with rotating claw
46. Recliner
47. Restaurant gift cards
48. Robe
49. Rubber jar opener
50. Scarves and gloves
51. Slippers
52. Sport seat
53. Subscription to favorite newspaper or magazine
54. Tabletop card holder
55. Walker
56. Walker bag
57. Walker basket
58. Wallet, for walker, wheelchair, or pocket
59. Wheelchair
60. Wheelchair cup holder

30 Products New Moms Want!

2011-01-01T19:32:00.008-06:00

While in reality, new babies don’t need much the first few weeks of life, there have been many articles written about what new moms need and/or want to have available for their newborn when they return home from the hospital. Obviously, a layette, diapers, baby-care products, and feeding necessities are absolutely necessary.

But, this list has compiled the top 30 products most new mothers would like to have available when they bring their baby home - these are not necessities, but part of a new mom's wish list for that new bundle of joy!

1. Activity gym
2. Baby bibs
3. Baby monitor
4. Bath kit
5. Bedding
6. Blankets
7. Bottles
8. Bouncer
9. Breast pump
10. Burp cloths
11. Camera
12. Car seat
13. Changing table
14. Crib, bassinet, or cradle
15. Diaper bag
16. Diaper pail
17. Diapers and baby wipes
18. Jumper
19. Lullaby CDs
20. Meals
21. Medical supplies
22. Nursing cover-up
23. Nursing Pillow
24. Sleepers
25. Pacifiers
26. Rocking chair
27. Sling or front carrier
28. Starter library
29. Stroller
30. Swing

Please comment if you see items missing from this list:)

Harvest Gift Market - Cinco Ranch HS - Oct. 30th

2010-10-26T16:23:00.006-05:00

Come prepared to shop at the Harvest Gift Market at Cinco Ranch High School on Oct. 30th, 2010 in Katy, Texas. This is the last chance to order a custom minky/minkee blanket for your kids, hubby, parents, and/or grandparents guaranteed to be here for Christmas. Blanket ideas - sports blankets, high school blankets, college colors, toddler blanket sets, baby blanket sets. Also, check out our newest design - a toddler bib that looks just like a little dress. See you there at CRHS this Saturday. If you can't be there, check out www.bibshoppe.com. Email bibshoppe@gmail.com if you have any questions.

"Babson College" Blanket - www.bibshoppe.com

2010-09-16T21:53:00.015-05:00

As owner of The Bib Shoppe, my son (Babson graduate), wanted a Babson blanket, so I put this blanket together for him and he loves it. I thought maybe you would too!

This blanket is 100% polyester, made with luxurious dotted minky on both sides, for the softest blanket you will ever own. It also washes beautifully.

These blankets are perfect for...

- Cuddling up in the Commons area!
- Bringing to the lacrosse games!
- Studying in the Horn Library!
- Packing for the ski lodge!

Order by November 6th to have one of these gorgeous blankets arrive by Christmas, 2010. Email me at bibshoppe@gmail.com, and I will work up the total pricing for you.

Security Blanket - 14" x 16" - $16.00
Baby Blanket - 28-29" x 36" - $30.00
Baby Blanket and Security Blanket Gift Set - $39.00
Baby Blanket and Sham – 28-29” x 36” - $36.00
Baby Blanket, Security Blanket, and Sham Gift Set - $49.00
Baby Blanket, Toddler Blanket, and Security Blanket Gift Set - $86.00
Baby Blanket, Toddler Blanket, Security Blanket, and Sham Gift Set -$93.00
Toddler/travel blanket - 36" x 42" - $48.00
Toddler Blanket and Pillow Sham Gift Set - $58.00
Toddler Blanket and Security Blanket Gift Set - $58.00
Toddler Blanket, Security Blanket, and Sham Gift Set - $65.00
Adult Small/travel blanket - 42" x 52" - $64.00
Adult Small Blanket and Sham Gift Set - $74.00
Adult Medium - 54" x 60" - $74.00
Adult Medium Blanket and Sham Gift Set - $84.00
Adult Large - 58" x 70" - $84.00
Adult Large Blanket with Sham Gift Set - $94.00
Sham - 12" x 16" - $21.00
Sham with Pillow - 12" x 16" - $26.00
Sham Pillow - $5.00
Monogramming available - Prices vary. Any saying or quote can be monogrammed on the blankets, i.e. "Future Beaver", "Babson Football", "Babson College - 2011 Graduate".

FYI - I am a Babson Mom who learned so much about how to run a business from my own Babson son! Yup, he even taught me about SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING!

Grandma Blankets-The Best Gift Ever!

2010-08-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

Many times when looking for a gift for a new grandma, it is near impossible to find something they don't have. So, think about ordering a "Grandma" blanket for "Grandma" to keep at their own home to use when the babies and kids come to visit. Monogram their special name on it too! Blankets come in 6 different sizes. Email bibshoppe@gmail.com for more information. To see samples, visit www.bibshoppe.com. And grandmas, if you don't get one from a loved one, just order one for yourself. That is what these giddy grandmas in the picture did!

Fashion Trends for 2010 and 2011

2010-08-09T14:41:00.002-05:00

You want to be stylish – You want to give the trendiest gifts – And you want your family and loved ones to have the most fashionable apparel and accessories - right?

You probably already know that most people crave luxury fabrics, excellence in manufacturing, and aesthetic excitement in their homes and fashion life. But, do you know “what’s in” right now in colors and themes? If not, pour yourself a cup of tea (or whatever suits your fancy), sit back, and see how to be in the know about the most trendy fabric colors and themes.

Pantone, LCC, “the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries,” reported the top ten colors for women in their Fashion Color Report Fall 2010.

These colors are:

1. Endive – a yellow-green
2. Golden Glow – An earthy, deep shade of yellow
3. Living Coral – a soft orange with a hint of pink
4. Lipstick Red – a sensual red
5. Purple Orchid – a purple that leans to fuchsia
6. Chocolate Truffle – a rich brown with plum overtones
7. Lagoon – a tropical turquoise
8. Woodbine – a neutral green
9. Oyster gray – a lighter gray than the standard gray
10. Rose dust – a romantic beige.

Some exciting color combination Pantone mentions are purple orchid, chocolate truffle, and woodbine; lagoon and lipstick red; golden glow with purple orchid and/or woodbine; living coral and lagoon; endive, chocolate truffle, and purple orchid.

Now, have you ever heard the expression,“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”? Well, that is not quite true about China. The China Textile Information Center and the National Product Development Center in conjunction with China Fashion Color Association has announced textile trends for the spring of 2011. They state that the
fabric themes coming in 2011 are pure, convergence, trace, and fantasy.

Purity will be shown through eco-conscious organic fabrics. Blues and greens will be very popular.

Convergence is characterized as a “focused mashup and collage.” (Not exactly sure what that means, but I think I will know it when I see it!) There will also be a lot of geometric patterns and ethnic and folk prints.

Beverly Maniago, author of 2011 Fashion Trends for Children’s Clothing, says “Japanese and Korean fashion [is] in the forefront of kid’s clothing and adult clothing fashion trends.”

Colors that reflect traces of what’s left will be popular, i.e. rust, sands, neutral blends.

And fourth, fantasy will reflect both bright colored fabrics and fabrics with a soft light texture and feel.

So, when all is said and done, my research leads me to believe that in 2010 and 2011 people will be looking for fashion and accessories that make them feel like a luxurious (but practical) fun person! And, you know what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that:)

Patti Greene

The Bib Shoppe – Bibs, Blankets, and More
1795 N. Fry Road #448
Katy, Texas 77449
www.bibshoppe.com
bibshoppe@gmail.com

To read more, go to:
“2011 Four Popular Fabric Themes”. www.fabricword.com.
Maniago, Beverly. “2011 Fashion Trends for Children’s Clothing”. http://ezinearticles.com.
"Pantone Unveils Fashion Color Report for fall 2011". www.pantone.com.

Cute kitchen dishtowels - Brand new designs

2010-07-29T11:25:00.024-05:00

The Bib Shoppe has been using the term "oven door dresses" and we are always asked what they are. So, after continually answering the question, we have decided to call them kitchen dishtowels "that adorn your oven door." We know - it's not much better, so if you have any better suggestions, let us know!!!

These cute kitchen dishtowels are made to hang over your oven door handle. They create a conversational piece around the kitchen table, and you wash them just like you would other dishtowels.

These dishtowels can also beautify a guest bathroom as a unique guest towel - especially at Christmas time.

One of our recent customers mentioned that she loves hers. Her toddler was always pulling the towel off the oven door and now she doesn't have to continually pick up the dishtowel off the floor, thus "saving my back" she states!

To purchase one of these KITCHEN DISHTOWELS, go to The Bib Shoppe at www.bibshoppe.com. As always, if you have any questions about our products, please email us from the Contact Link.

Have a great day!

Note: If you are purchasing one as a gift, be sure to check if the person has a handle. Some of the newer ovens don't.

Choosing Colors

2010-06-29T21:03:00.015-05:00

There is so much to learn about choosing colors and mixing colors together. This could range from painting your house to choosing what colors you might like in a blanket.

When looking at a color wheel, there are three common approaches to decide on what colors look best together:

1. A MONOCROMATIC approach allows you to choose between hues of the same color, i.e. use a light blue with a dark blue.

2. A COMPLEMENTARY approach allows you to choose colors that are opposite one another on the color wheel, i.e. use a blue and a yellow together.

3. An ANALOGOUS approach allows you to choose adjacent colors, i.e. Use a blue and a blue- green together or a red and a red-orange together.

While color wheels are very helpful as far as learning about colors go, it isn’t the only method used for choosing colors for homes, sewing, and/or other craft items. Other considerations to ask are:

a. Do you like how something looks?
Not everyone sees colors exactly the same way as other people.

b. What surrounding colors are going to be around the object(s) you are considering purchasing or making?
For example, if you are making a white blanket to go on your couch which is up against a bright white wall, will the white you are choosing look chalky and dull next to the wall?

c. What is the lighting like where you will be placing the object you are purchasing and/or making?
Colors will look different under different lights. If choosing fabric, place the fabric where it will be on bright days, dreary days, mornings, and evenings before purchasing a large quantity to see if you are happy with its appearance under the various lighting situations.

In addition, remember that choosing colors are a reflection of your personality.
- Yellows are considered cheerful and bright.
- Reds are passionate and aggressive.
- Blues are calm and cool.
- Purples are regal and reflect royalty.
- Oranges are warm and cozy.
- Greens can be cool or vibrant depending on whether they are more yellow-tinted or blue-tinted.

Many mothers spend hours contemplating what colors to use for a baby nursery.

Reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges are warm colors, and these colors tend to be fabulous for larger baby nurseries. They give a feeling of coziness and are very inviting colors.

Blues and some greens are cool colors. They tend to have a calming effect on people making them excellent choices for baby rooms small in size.

Browns, beiges, creams, whites, and grays are considered neutral colors. They give a baby room a feeling of space. They can be used to tone down robust color schemes or be used as the staple color for any room.

Whatever your reason for choosing colors, enjoy mixing and matching colors until you find something that you LOVE! That's the BOTTOM LINE!

Minky "Dog Blankets"

2010-06-18T07:29:00.014-05:00

Warm minky dog blankets are the newest trend for keeping your dog comfortable, cozy, and warm.

Why do dog lovers want a dog blanket for their beloved dogs? They...

- Provide security and comfort for lining a dog crate or carrier
- Provide warmth and familiarity over their dog bedding
- Provide comfort during their long or short car rides
- Collect dog hair and dirt keeping your car nice and clean
- Are easy to wash and interchange wherever you go with your dog
- Can match your decor by creating a coordinated home interior

Email bibshoppe@gmail.com with your address and we will send you a brochure complete with over 150 fabric choices or call 281-647-6877 for a personal consult to find the most perfect dog blankets for your family.

The Bib Shoppe Exhibits - Fall, 2010

2010-05-29T10:21:00.008-05:00

Mark your calendars. The Bib Shoppe will have craft fair exhibits at the following locations in the fall of 2010. We are excited about our upcoming new products that will be debuting there. We will post our booth numbers as soon as we are notified. We are still looking for two more fairs to participate in, so if you have any suggestions, let us know.

Saturday, September 10
Copperfield Women’s Club – “Shop Til You Drop Marketplace”
The Berry Center
8877 Barker Cypress
Cypress, Texas
9:00 – 6:00

Saturday, October 16
St. Peter’s United Methodist Women – “Pick-A-Dilly”
20775 Kingsland Blvd.
Katy, Texas 77450
9:00 – 4:00

Saturday, October 23
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton – “Knights of Columbus #8096 Ladies Auxillary”
6646 Addicks Satsuma Road
Houston, Texas 77084
9:00 – 4:00

Saturday October 30
Cinco Ranch High School - "Harvest Gift Market"
23440 Cinco Ranch Boulevard
Katy, Texas 77494
10:00 - 6:00

Saturday, November 13
Holy Covenant United Methodist Church – “A Heartwarming Christmas”
22111 Morton Ranch Road
Katy, Texas 77449
9:00 – 4:00

Saturday, December 4
Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church – “Frostyfest”
1530 Norwalk Drive
Katy, Texas 77450
9:00 – 4:00

There will be an opportunity to order personalized MINKY blankets complete with monogramming if desired up until November 6th if you want them for Christmas. They make gorgeous gifts for "the young and young at heart!"

Join our blog for continuous updates. We would love to have you.

Reversible Football Blankets

2010-05-22T15:17:00.003-05:00

Order a super soft minky blanket for all the sports fans in your family and beyond. These blankets can be monogrammed for that special custom touch. Football season will be here before you know it and what better way to wrap up while watching your favorite football team. Email bibshoppe@gmail.com for ordering information. There are six different sizes and tons of colors to choose from!

Welcome to Katy Budget Books - Reading Blankets

2010-05-18T19:35:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Katy Budget Books! KBB is now carrying Bib Shoppe "reading blanket." Check out the blanket display next time you go in there. "Reading blankets" are blankets with reading quips and/or phrases on them.

Welcome Katy Budget Books & Reading Blankets

2010-05-18T17:12:00.002-05:00

Minky Fabric - New Blanket Combinations

2010-04-17T13:02:00.006-05:00

Unique Graduation Gifts with Photos! "Katy ISD" Samples

2010-04-11T18:19:00.011-05:00

Graduation season is upon us. There are so many kinds of graduations – Kindergarten, Elementary School, Junior High School, High School, College, Police Academy, Cosmetology Graduation, and more. And, there are so many wonderful gifts one can get for the “perfect graduation” present. Some will get a funny graduation t-shirt, a keepsake box, a photo album, jewelry, or even a cookbook for the new apartment. All those gifts are wonderful ideas.

But, if you want to give a unique gift to your graduate this year, how about a gorgeous minky blanket with colors of the next school your child may be attending - Junior High, High School, or College, etc? For example, if your child is going to be a 9th grader at Katy High School in Katy, Texas next year, why not get them a red, white and black dotted MINKY FABRIC blanket? If your child is going to LSU next year, how about a purple and gold blanket monogrammed with their name so they won’t lose it in college.

A personalized keepsake blanket can travel with them in the years to come and keep them warm and cozy as they face the challenges and good times ahead. (And, all high school and college students need a soft, comfy blanket for football season!)

Check out the photos of minky blankets from Katy ISD in Katy, Texas. You can choose your own colors, monogramming, and size. Sizes come in a travel companion size; a medium adult size; and a large adult. All sizes can be accompanied by a matching pillow sham. Plan ahead and give the best gift ever. Custom blankets take 3-4 weeks to arrive. The Bib Shoppe will make school blankets for any school in the entire country! Just tell us the colors and we can do it.

If you know of any graduate or parent of any graduate who is interested, please share this information with by sharing/forwarding this to them.

For more information, email the bibshoppe@gmail.com, call 281-647-6877 or 281-463-0758, or just leave a call back email or message off this site. We will help you choose the exact custom blanket for your child.

• Custom Travel Blanket - 36" x 42" - $48.00
• Custom Adult Medium - 42" x 52" - $64.00
• Custom Adult Large - 58" x 70" - $82.00
• Highest quality minky (more luxurious than most store-bought brands)
• Monogramming is extra! Anything you want your monogramming to say can be done!
• Various fonts available.
• We also have security blankets and baby blankets sizes available.

The Bib Shoppe has 140 different fabrics to choose from in smooth or dotted MINKY FABRIC. These fabrics come in solids and trendy prints.

New Burp Cloths - Coming Soon!

2010-03-27T16:59:00.012-05:00

New Burp Cloths will be arriving at THE BIB SHOPPE soon! Check out the fab fabrics.

Camo, Cupcake, and Inspirational Baby Bibs

2010-03-27T09:32:00.009-05:00

Make your baby the best looking baby around!

- A macho camo baby with a green camo bib
- A birthday baby with a darling yellow Robert Kaufman cupcake bib
- An angelic baby with a cute purple inspirational bib

All bibs have a coordinating burp cloth making a set the cutest baby gift around.

Check out www.bibshoppe.com for more beautiful creations.

Unique Kitchen Decor - Oven Door Dresses

2010-03-27T09:21:00.008-05:00

Do you want something unique for your kitchen - Something your friends and family will talk about? Then, check out our new oven door dresses. They stay securely on your oven door handle, are easy to wash, and are so different that all your friends will want one too.

Minky Blankets

2010-03-22T21:48:00.034-05:00

WE ARE SO EXCITED! The Bib Shoppe has a new line of "minky blankets" that we are offering at wonderful and competitive prices. There are over 140 fabrics you can choose from. You won't want to shop anywhere else when you feel the luxurious and velvety feel of this wonderful fabric. We are still working on our website regarding ordering from the web, but we will get there shortly.

Gorgeous Blanket Samples already bought by our Customers

Newest Fabrics - Hot off the Press this week!

AND MORE.....

These soft and cuddly blankets are for the "young" and "young at heart!" They make the most beautiful baby gifts, wedding gifts, and "just because" gifts. Seniors will love the warmth and coziness of these minky blankets. High School and College students will love a blanket with their school colors. They are the gift all will love. Monogramming available.

Just email bibshoppe@gmail.com or click the CONTACT button above and request a complete minky packet consisting of a price sheet, an order form, and minky fabric choices. The packet will be emailed to you today. If you live in the Katy or Houston area, we can show you the fabric swatches so you can design your perfect blanket.

Katy ISD Blanket Samples - Blankets can be made with any high school or college colors. These are great to welcome your child to high school or college. They can be completed with the monogramming of your choice.

Custom Security Blanket - 14" x 16" - $16.00
Custom Baby Blanket - 28-29" x 36" - $26.00
Custom Toddler Blanket - 36" x 42" - $48.00
Custom Adult Medium - 42" x 52" - $64.00
Custom Adult Large - 58" x 70" - $82.00
Highest quality minky (more luxurious than most store-bought brands)

Other combinations are available along with the monogramming. Electronic packets are available upon request.

Fabrics Available

Minky Dot
Minky Smooth
Minky Animal Print
Minky Camouflage
Minky Checker
Minky Polka Dots
Minky Paisley
Minky Stripe
Minky Swirl
Robert Kaufman Prints - darling monkey fabrics!

The Bib Shoppe 1795 N. Fry Road #448 Katy, Texas 77449 bibshoppe@gmail.com

281-463-0758 or 281-647-6877

Three Crosses!

2010-02-20T22:44:00.024-06:00

It has been said it’s always good to try new things. So, The Bib Shoppe made a trek to the Treemont Retirement Community in Houston, Texas today.

Evelyn took the first shift and I (Patti) took the second shift.

When I arrived, Evelyn was so excited about watching the folks and chatting with the folks, but I just wanted to sell our wares, make some money, and go home. Little did I know that something else was in store for me today.

I observed the people coming in and out of the lobby. I watched the families coming to visit their relatives, I watched people wander in and out of the dining hall with their walkers. Some stopped to talk to me at the display - others ignored me.

While at the center I listed to a lady from the Philippines tell me how in her country they wear stoles around themselves and wanted me to make her one. Oh, how happy she was when I told her I could make her a zebra and purple stole instead of the purple and zebra striped blanket I had.

I listened to a lovely lady admire our "oven door dresses." She bought them with love for her daughters. I would be amiss if I didn't tell you she got a bargain out of me.

I overheard a 95 year old lady telling her friend to "forward" her the email about getting money back from the state because she purchased her handicapped sticker during a certain time period.

But then there was Clem - Clem had talked to Evelyn earlier in the day. Clem hung around after lunch - he introduced me to his daughter Debbie who also lived there at the retirement community - Clem told me about all the colleges he had attended - he told me about his wife - he told me about his wood collection. Clem looked at our guitar bib. He told me his wife played the guitar and he wanted to get it for her. But he didn't --- at least not right away. A little while later, Clem came back to "make a deal." He had 3 wooden crosses that he had made in his room. He wanted to know if I would make him a deal and let him buy the bib for $10.00 ($8.00 less than the retail price) and he would let me choose a cross he had made to make up the difference. Of course, I did. Then, Clem went to his room to bring down two of the favorite pieces from his woodwork to show me. He was so proud of his tiger - as he should have been. It was beautiful. Clem left again while I chatted with his daughter. He then returned for the 3rd or 4th time with a small wooden cross to give me. I knew then why I was wearing my gold chain today without any charm on it. I immediately took my gold necklace off and threaded the red cross through the chain, clasped it in the back, and smiled so big. Then, I knew why we were there today - sometimes it takes a wake-up call to get us to focus on the real importance of life. And, there I was - I walked in with one cross around my neck on my second chain, but I was leaving with three now!

God has a way of making us remember what is important. The signs and promptings aren’t always as EXTREME as someone giving you two crosses within a 60 minute time period to show you where to keep your heart.

Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in wanting to make money that we forget what is really important. Today, I was reminded I can't always be on the computer; I can't always be figuring out how to optimize our webpage; and I can't always be busy, busy, busy. Sometimes, we all just need to stop and “smell the roses!”

Bibs - Baby Bibs - Adult Bibs - and more!

2009-12-06T07:45:00.010-06:00

In 2010, our goal is to expand and sell wholesale to stores along with selling from our website store. If you own a shop, are involved with eldercare, seniors, nursing homes, baby stores, or Christian shops, let us know if we can help you. Our items are unique, fun, and make special gifts for all. Our manufacturer is local, and we will be able to handle large orders in a short turn-around time.

The Bib Shoppe had a wonderful fall season selling our wares at craft fairs. We love meeting all our new and returning customers at these craft fairs. It is our opportunity to hear what you like, what you don't like, and how we can improve our manufacturing.

Our newest items are our heirloom "Jesus loves Me" bibs. They are great for churches to have in stock for hospital visits and/or gifts for baptisms, dedications, and more.

We want to thank you being our customer, looking at our blog, checking out our website, recommending our website and even reading this blog.

Patti and Evelyn
The Bib Shoppe
1795 N. Fry Road #448
Katy, Texas 77449
www.bibshoppe.com
bibshoppe@gmail.com

Ribbon Blankets-CLEARANCE Price of $9.99

2009-11-28T19:18:00.007-06:00

Check out our website to see the LOWEST prices ever on our "Sweetie" ribbon blankets.

www.bibshoppe.com

Doggie Sweetie
our price: $9.99

Duck Sweetie
our price: $9.99

Jungle Babies Sweetie
our price: $9.99

Ladybug Sweetie
our price: $9.99

Numbers Sweetie
our price: $9.99

John Deere Sweetie
our price: $9.99

Katy, Texas Craft Fairs - www.bibshoppe.com

2009-10-30T08:15:00.024-05:00

Saturday, November 14, 2009 - Holy Covenant Methodist Church, Katy, Texas

Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, Katy, Texas

We can't believe our craft fair season is almost over. The Bib Shoppe has already been part of 5 craft fairs this 2009 fall season, and we love it. We get to hear what people love; we get ideas from our customers; and we get to see all the other wonderful crafts other people sell. We specialize in adult bibs and baby bibs!

Baby Bibs

Matching Baby Bib and Burp Cloth sets

John Greene - customer checking out The Bib Shoppe

This season we have two more craft fairs, and we want to be sure you mark your calendars for them (see dates above.) All our items are discounted at these fairs. We look forward to seeing you there!

St. Peter's United Methodist Church, Katy, Texas Craft Fair

Have a great holiday season.

Patti and Evelyn
The Bib Shoppe

How to Have a Successful Craft Fair

2009-09-13T16:15:00.015-05:00

Before the Craft Fair

Make your craft fair reservations and pay your dues in a timely manner.
(There is nothing worse than having a craft fair only to realize you signed up too late to get a decent location.)

Order all the materials you need ahead of time to make your products.

Have your products made and ready to go at least a week before the craft fair.
(There is nothing worse than having a customer’s hand encounter your wet glue!)

Ask questions if needed of the craft fair sponsor so there is no misunderstandings of what to expect.

Know what you are doing for lunch before arriving at the fair.
(Can you purchase a lunch there or do you need to buy one?)

Know the tax base of the area of your craft fair. Charge appropriately.

Only bring items to sell that have been approved by the sponsoring organization.
(Many craft fairs are careful to only admit a certain amount of vendors selling the same product.)

Before leaving home on the day of the Craft Fair

Have the directions of the fair and a phone number with you as you drive to the fair.
(You never know if you will encounter traffic or another problem making you late to the event.) If that occurs, call the person in charge of the fair to notify them. Not only will they appreciate the call, but if you can’t get there, some organizations may have vendors on a waiting list to take your spot.

Have supplies accessible for the fair, i.e. invoices, pens, pencils, tape, business cards, signs, banners, ribbon, scissors, enough money for your cash drawer, stapler, tables, chairs, display stands, tablecloths, décor for setup, credit card machine or information, bank stamp for back of checks, cell phone, bank bag, markers, rolling carts/dollies, plastic bags, calculators, laptops, sale bags, etc.

Be on time for set up.

Bring a notebook to take notes of ideas you think of during the fair, ideas from customers, etc.

Leave your young children at home unless they are truly a help to you and won’t disrupt any other vendors at the fair.
(Follow the rules of the fair regarding children.)

Remember what Paris Hilton’s quote in the latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations says, "Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in."

Arriving at the Craft Fair

Follow correct procedures for parking and entering the craft fair.

At the Craft Fair

At check in, introduce yourself to the personnel in charge of the craft fair.

Learn where the bathrooms and concession areas are as soon as you arrive for set up.

Never leave your booth unattended.

Introduce yourself and be pleasant to the vendors on each side of you.

If a silent auction or donation is required, give an item that meets the requested amount.

Be friendly with your customers. Ask them if you can help them find something, but don’t be overly pushy.(Don’t sit at your booth looking uninterested in making a sale.)

Get appropriate information from customers writing checks or charging on a credit card.

Have your business cards available for everyone at the craft fair not just for your buying customers.(You never know when a call might come requesting thousands of dollars worth of your inventory!)

Follow all the rules established by the craft fair sponsor, i.e. if they don’t want tape on their walls, don’t put tape on their walls.

Never talk disrespectfully about other vendors or the sponsoring organization.

Fill out any surveys from the sponsoring organization. Your ideas will help them plan their next fair.

Never leave the craft fair early even if you aren’t selling anything. You promised to be there, so keep your word and reputation.

Packing up

Don’t start packing up your area before the designated time.

Clean up your area totally when leaving.

After the Craft Fair

Go to the bank immediately and deposit your money!

If the fair was a good one for you, sign up early for the following year.

Pictures taken at The Copperfield Women's "Shop 'Til You Drop" Craft Fair at the Berry Center, Cypress, Texas - September 12, 2009

Quick and Easy Items to Make for Craft Fairs

2009-08-02T22:29:00.002-05:00

Everyone loves craft fairs - families love to go shopping together - Women love to have a girls' day out and find the best holidays gifts for the family.

But, what if you are a vendor with little time to make some products for your next bazaar?

Here are some quick and easy ideas for what you can make in a hurry. With just a little thought, a little work, and a little creative thinking, these crafts can be on your display table making people smile within days!

1. Homemade Christmas bags

2. Christmas ornaments

3. Stamped Christmas shirts

4. Painted flower pots topped off with a nice poinsettia plant

5. Decorative wooden garden tote filled with assorted gardening tools

6. Painted mugs

7. Wall decorations using precut wooden pieces

8. Homemade decorative note card sets with envelopes

9. Festive holiday basket; filled with pine cones, berries, decorated with ribbons

10. Toy or Tote bags (using pillowcases are great for these)

So, if you didn't have time this year to start planning for your next craft fair, ponder these ideas and you can be can be making money in no time at all.

Patti Greene

The Bib Shoppe - specializing in baby bibs, burp cloths, adult bibs, and oven door dresses

www.bibshoppe.com - bibshoppe.blogspot.com

Baby Burp Cloths: Babies, Disabled, Elderly - So many uses!

2009-07-27T18:33:00.029-05:00

Do you know a spitter-upper?

Regarding babies, most babies up to 4 months or beyond, do spit up. Many moms have burp cloth in every room, in the diaper bag, at Grandma's house, in the bathroom, on the couch, at the babysitter's house, and in the car. Burp Cloths can be used to clean up babies and/or as a lap pad. They soak up drool and spit, but they can be cute. Here are some of the new burp cloths made by THE BIB SHOPPE. They are packaged in a strong vinyl snap bag that can be thrown in a diaper bag to keep it nice and clean for your darling baby. Some of the prints come with coordinated baby bibs.

To check out The Bib Shoppe, go to www.bibshoppe.com.

Nicely packaged for cleanliness!

Sorry sideways - Just wouldn't go the right way no matter what I did!

Upcoming Prints for Bibs and Burp Cloths!

Copperfield Women's Club Craft Fair @ The Berry Center

2009-07-27T09:17:00.013-05:00

Come and visit The Bib Shoppe at the following Craft Fairs. Lots of "cool" items to keep you and your loved ones clean!

Recently added Craft Fair
Saturday, September 12, 2009 - The Berry Center, Cypress, Texas (Copperfield Women's Club)

Sunday, October 11, 2009 - St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Houston, Texas

Saturday, October 17, 2009 - St. Peter's United Methodist Church, Katy, Texas

Saturday, October 24, 2009 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Houston, Texas

Saturday, November 14, 2009 - Holy Covenant Methodist Church, Katy, Texas

Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, Katy, Texas

Keeping Clean - Adult Bibs, Burp Cloths, Oven Door Dresses, and More!

2009-07-21T09:13:00.034-05:00

Dear Friends,

We hope you are enjoying your summer.

The Bib Shoppe has been busy this summer - getting new ideas and producing new items to keep you and your family clean! To see these items, just scroll down this page.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these items, they can be found at www.bibshoppe.com. We take PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard for your convenience.

The Bib Shoppe will be at the following craft fairs this fall. We hope you will join us at these fairs as they are excellent fairs to get unique and fun Christmas gifts.

Sunday, October 11, 2009 - St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Houston, Texas
Saturday, October 17, 2009 - St. Peter's United Methodist Church, Katy, Texas
Saturday, October 24, 2009 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Houston, Texas
Saturday, November 14, 2009 - Holy Covenant Methodist Church, Katy, Texas
Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, Katy, Texas

As always if you have any questions, please email us at bibshoppe@gmail.com.

Patti and Evelyn

If you would like to unsubscribe to mailings from The Bib Shoppe, please reply with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Why use baby bibs?

2009-07-14T18:51:00.006-05:00

Why use baby bibs?
1. Because they are cute!
2. Because they catch messes!
3. Because parents like to take pictures of their children eating and a cute bib helps the picture turn out better!
4. Because the babies like to pull on them!
5. Because it is an acceptable thing to use! Remember etiquette!
6. Because "bib pictures" are good pictures to include in baby books!

Here are some cute pictures of some new bibs by The Bib Shoppe. There are also matching burp cloths to go with these bibs.

Just check out www.bibshoppe.com!

We love babies, but we also love the elderly, so you can check out our adult bibs too!

Patti @ The Bib Shoppe

Starting a business!

2009-05-17T16:55:00.022-05:00

Hi All,

Do you remember about 20 years back (if you are that old), your kids were sitting in the back seat while traveling saying, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" What memories!

Well, here at The Bib Shoppe, we have been saying, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" And, each time, it seemed like we were one step closer to being there, then we experienced two or three steps backward. The road to making The Bib Shoppe an online reality has now become an "honest to gosh" fact.

WE ARE THERE. WE ARE ONLINE AND READY TO TAKE ONLINE ORDERS! Some of the highlights of our journey include...

1.Setting up a name with Go Daddy - Deciding on a name was very interesting. You wouldn't believe some of the name possibilities we came up with, i.e. Sunset Bibs, Les Bibs.

2.Going to the courthouse to become official in July, 2008.

3.Setting up a bank account and being asked when we expect to be on the stock exchange.

4.Signing up for a Post Office Box - #448!

5.Finding and using home sewers. Bless their hearts. They were what kept us going in our beginning stages.

6.The many trips to fabric stores and the joy of finding the perfect fabric.

7.Being a vendor at 5 craft shows. There we learned even more - about our customers and our products. We have also met some wonderful friends through the process.

8.The MANY hours researching online - packaging companies - label companies - binding companies - printing companies - fabric companies - ribbon companies - bag companies - towel companies - Senior citizen groups - and the list could go on and on.

9.Discovering that we were using the wrong zipcode on everything (UPS error - not ours!) We had to get new business cards made up along with contacting EVERYONE to tell them the correct zipcode.

10.Choosing Microsoft as our web hosting service and Store Manager as our Shopping Cart.

11.Deciding to make our own website. (We wanted to know all the ins and outs of it ourselves.) Many times, it was so difficult, we questioned our sanity, but we really learned a lot by challenging ourselves to grow and learn.

12.Finding a sewing manufacturer to do our sewing. (We still do all the designing and pattern making.)

13.Learning how to do taxes and keep records.

14.The disappointment to find out Microsoft was no longer going to support Store Manager right at the time we were about to launch our new website.

15.HR 4040!

16.Starting all over with Zoovy as our new web hosting service and shopping cart.

17.Getting set up with authorize.net for our payments.

18.The joy of realizing on Sunday, May 17, 2009, that our website is set up and ready to take Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. Yes, we know it really works. We did test runs!!!Yes, that is TODAY!

The journey has been interesting to say the least. We have done a lot in 10 months. Now, we are ready to really sell and grow The Bib Shoppe..

We started out 10 months ago with the idea we would sell only adult bibs, but have expanded now to include adult bibs, towel bibs, baby bibs, button bibs, decorative burp cloths, sweeties, and oven door dresses.

We want to give a special thanks to all who have helped up get this far - especially our husbands who have supported us through this entire process. You are the reason we have reached the milestone we have reached today. We cannot thank you enough.

To all - Keep in touch. We love comments from both established and new friends. If you found our blog or website, please let us know how you found us. We are curious as to how we are being located!

Patti and Evelyn
1795 N. Fry Road #448
Katy, Texas 77449
bibshoppe@gmail.com
www.bibshoppe.com
bibshoppe.blogspot.com

Great New Inventory! Great Mother's Day Gifts!

2009-05-03T21:23:00.016-05:00

Hi All,

We are so excited. We have some great new inventory for you. We hope you will find something exciting for you, your parents, your little grandchildren, or children! As you can see, The Bib Shoppe has something for everyone in the family.

I do want to share some information about our website. We were all ready to press the "GO" button on our website, but then we found out that Microsoft was no longer supporting Store Manager. So, we had to make the switch from Store Front to Zoovy. All this has pushed back our grand online opening a few months. We are still working with Zoovy on a few things - trying to set up the configurations between Zoovy and Pay Pal; Getting up the website just like we want it; and trying to understand processing orders. It has been a long hard road for us - probably the most challenging aspect of starting a new business. We are hoping with a little more basic help from Zoovy we will be able to feel comfortable with our site in a few more weeks.

In the meantime, we want to let all of our blog followers know that we are online now, but still not quite where we want to be. So, if you have any questions about our site at this point, please call us at 281-647-6877. Don't stress if the website doesn't look perfect. We are stressing out enough for all of you!

Here are some of our new products. Check the website for prices at www.bibshoppe.com.

We also have oven door dresses (cute, cute, cute) and some new adult bibs which we will post in our next blog.

As always, if you want any of these items or you want to find out more information, either call us or check our website.

Patti and Evelyn
The Bib Shoppe

Cimarron Craft Fair - March 7, 2009

2009-03-07T19:45:00.015-06:00

It was a great day to show off our wares. The best selling item was our ribbon blankets that The Bib Shoppe calls "Sweeties." Sweeties are those perfect little blankies for infants and toddlers that can hook onto a stroller, a car seat or high chair. The little ones love to play with the secure ribbons attached all the way around. A perfect way to occupy their little minds.

Our next best seller was our towel bibs. One young man bought a towel coverup bib as a housewarming gift for his girlfriend - perfect!

One of the reasons Craft Fairs are so fun is that you never know what will sell. Our customers give us so many ideas of how they can use our products.

We thank Cimarron Elementary in Katy ISD for a great day. We hope their fundraising efforts were a great success.

BIG NEWS

The Bib Shoppe will be online for business by the end of March, 2009!

Bookmark our website and you will be all ready to

browse and find the perfect gift for

Mother's Day!

www.bibshoppe.com

Cimarron Carnival and Craft Show 3-7-09

2009-02-27T22:08:00.022-06:00

The Bib Shoppe will be there...

Mark your Calendars
The Cimarron Spring Carnival and Craft Show on Saturday,
March 7, 2009!
10:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Cimarron Elementary School
1100 S. Peek Rd., Katy, Texas 77450

"I am looking forward to seeing you there. Bibs and Sweeties will be there."
Camren

Red Hat Society Bib, Website, and more...

2009-01-17T22:25:00.015-06:00

Blog by Patti
The Bib Shoppe - 1795 N. Fry Road PMB #448, Katy, Texas 77450
bibshoppe@gmail.com
bibshoppe.blogspot.com

One of our new Red Hat Bibs...more coming in our upcoming website!

The Bib Shoppe has been awfully busy lately. We have been working around the clock trying to get a website up and running. After much research, we decided to design and make our own website. We felt that if we designed and made our own website we would understand the ins and outs of it. Thus, we would be able to update it, and know what was going on. We researched and have decided to use Microsoft Office Live as our business website. We have been working with Pay Pal as our payment link to Office Live. It has been a very interesting and learning experience for us. In our spare time, we are trying to sew what we can. So, in response to so many customers, we will soon be able to take your credit cards. We will also be posting our items on e-bay. We are so excited that soon our customers will have an easier access to our products. But, in the meantime, if you would like to purchase a boutique bib, towel bib, or a ribbon sweetie (baby blankets with ribbons around it), just email us at bibshoppe@gmail.com, and we will get back to you.

We have been invited to a senior citizens home to show our bibs. We have been told that the women in the home have seen our bibs, and really want us to come so they can buy one. What fun we will have next week seeing these dear women and men decide on what design they want.

Regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, we are keeping up with the latest news hoping that the law will be changed and clarified. Here is a link to this law for those who are interested. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

Below are two of our packaged Ribbon Sweeties made with 100% preshrunk cotton on the front and dotted minky on the back side.

Look for more posts. We are hoping to have our website up and running sometime in March. We will notify you of our web address at that time.

Patti and Evelyn
The Bib Shoppe

Customers enjoy their holiday gifts from "The Bib Shoppe!"

2008-12-27T07:54:00.021-06:00

The Bib Sisters

The Bib Shoppe, 1795 N. Fry Road #448, Katy, Texas 77450 (UPS Post Office Box)

bibshoppe@gmail.com - email

The Bib Shoppe enjoys receiving and taking pics of people using their bibs (or whatever you want to call them). Below you will find a few pictures we have received from our customers and friends.

Sometimes, the word "bib" get a bad rap, but we have been totally awed by the many uses our customers are finding for our bibs, i.e. a wildlife preservationist loves the towel bibs with pockets to store her feeding equipment when she feeds her rabbits; a knitter stores her yarn in her boutique bib while knitting (picture below); a college student dons his Texas Tech "bib" in his fraternity house while eating his chips and salsa! A mother loves to wear her bib when cleaning up after a meal. So whether you call our bibs a clothing protector, a food vest, an apron, or any other name that comes to mind, we would love to hear about how you are using your bib. Send pics if possible to bibshoppe@gmail.com too!

For those of you who don't know, we also sell "Sweeties" - those adorable little baby blankets with tags on them. We use dotted minky on one side and a stylish print on the other surrounded by beautiful coordinating ribbon.

Our big news is that we are working on a website to make purchasing easier for our customers. We will notify you through this blog when we are up and running.

We want to wish all our customers a very happy New Year! All comments and suggestions for our products are taken seriously, so keep them coming. Our products are customer driven, so we are depending on you in 2009!

Patti & Evelyn

P.S. One of our satisfied customers told me that she is going to wear her boutique bib when she is painting with her Kindergarten students. The pockets will be great for holding the paint brushes. And she will be stylish too in her "Letters and Numbers" print bib.

St. Epiphany Frosty Fest Craft Fair 2008

2008-12-11T22:34:00.008-06:00

Frosty Fest

Epiphany Catholic Church

December 6th

Our last craft show for 2008 was successful and fun. We always enjoy meeting and talking to the shoppers, getting to know the other vendors and shopping ourselves. As always we had a super person to share our area with. Thanks Sarah for being such a great booth partner.

We are looking forward to 2009. We are finding wonderful new fabrics and have all sorts of ideas for expanding The Bib Shoppe. We hope to have a website soon.

As always, we love to hear from you!

We wish all our customers, friends, and loved ones a wonderful holiday and all the blessings of the season.

Patti and Evelyn

Holy Covenant Methodist Church Craft Fair! Coming December 6th:Epiphany Catholic Church Craft Fair!

2008-11-08T14:27:00.017-06:00

Blog by Patti
The Bib Shoppe, 1795 N. Fry Road #448, Katy, Texas 77450
bibshoppe@gmail.com - email
bibshoppe.blogspot.com - blog

COMING SOON....

The Bib Shoppe will be at the Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church on Saturday, December 6, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for the Epiphany Frosty Craftfest. The church address is 1530 Norwalk Drive, Katy, Texas 77450.

Holy Covenant United Methodist Church: A Heartwarming Christmas - November 8, 2008

We love our customers.

Thanks for stopping by to check out our bibs, aprons, and sweeties at the Holy Covenant Methodist Church Heartwarming Christmas Craft Fair!

It was a great day at the Holy Covenant Methodist Craft Fair in Katy, Texas. The Bib Shoppe had a wonderful day. Sales were great, and I want to commend the church on a job well done. Some of the nicities we noticed were...

1. Free shopping bags for the craft fair shoppers;

2. Free coffee and donuts for the vendors;

3. Homemade sandwich lunch provided for the vendors (for a very reasonable price);

4. Church members were always available to make us feel at home and to see if they could help us all throughout the day;

5. Smiles were plentiful!

Many bought our line of towel bibs. They were bought for a variety of reasons from buying for one's mother in a nursing home to using while baking for the holidays!

One of the HOT sellers were our "Sweeties." These fun baby blankies are perfect to attach to a child's highchair, stroller, and/or car seat. Preschoolers and toddlers love playing with the ribbons and cuddling up to the soft, minky material on the back. It seemed like our ladybug prints were really in demand.

Then, our boutique bibs were selling like hotcakes too. We have had lots of requests for camo bibs/aprons for our men, so we will definitely be adding those to our inventory soon. If you need a Christmas bib/apron for yourself or to give as a host gift for Christmas dinner, you can email us at bibshoppe@blogspot.com or come to the Epiphany Craftfest on December 6, 2008!
Below are a couple of our newest boutique bibs.

Stop by at our blog another day! We love comments, so feel free to let us know what you would like to see in our inventory!

Merry Christmas!

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church Craft Fair - October 25, 2008

2008-10-25T18:55:00.020-05:00

Blog from Patti

The Bib Shoppe, 1795 N. Fry Road #448, Katy, Texas 77450; bibshoppe@gmail.com

IN TWO WEEKS - On Saturday, November 8th, The Bib Shoppe will be at Holy Covenant Methodist Church, 22111 Morton Ranch Road, in Katy, Texas from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Directions: From I-10 going west, take the Mason Road exit; turn right onto Mason Road; turn left onto Morton Ranch Ranch Road. Holy Covenant UMC's 19th Annual Craft Fair is on the left. Hope to see you there!

The Bib Shoppe had a wonderful day at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church today. The Craft Fair was top-notch. The people who worked from the church were so helpful and kind. This fair was a winner for sure.

The best part was meeting some wonderful people and getting to chat with some new friends (vendors and customers!)

Vickie, with VS Designs, and The Bib Shoppe shared a booth. VS Designs sell darling, little holders for taking hot items out of the microwave. It was a pleasure being "partners" with Vickie.

Part of being involved in a craft fair is learning what our customers want. We learned we need more purple, sports, camo, and fiesta type bibs. Many people loved the idea of "adult bibs." So many woman proclaimed how their husbands really need a bib. But, the best part was seeing men try on the bibs they wanted to buy for themselves. Now, those are real men - they admitted they were SERIAL SPILLERS - and were doing something about it. Our boutique bibs really were a hit.

Another great thing that happened was learning more reasons why someone would want to purchase our bibs. One lovely lady said she was a wildlife rehabilitationist, and she bought 4 towel bibs to keep her clean as she works with her animals.

We want to thank all the folks who made this fair so fabulous, especially my parents who showed up to support The Bib Shoppe endeavors. "Dad" even helped to model our bibs, while my mother watched in the background. My husband John also modeled. They were great.

Oh, and the moms who stopped to check out our Sweeties were great. Sweeties are like "Taggies" - they are the little baby blankies that can be attached to a child's car seat, stroller, or high chair, or just used by themselves to allow your child to have that cuddly, lovely feeling. We saw the cutest babies at this fair too!

If you have any special requests for bibs, please let us know. We can make them in quantites for events, i.e. Bridge groups; Red Hat Societies; Bible Study Groups; and more. We can be reached at bibshoppe@gmail.com.

New "Sweeties" Coming to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Craft Fair - Oct. 25, 2008

2008-10-23T20:05:00.017-05:00

Blog from Patti

1795 North Fry Road, #448, Katy, Texas 77450; bibshoppe.blogspot.com

This weekend The Bib Shoppe will be at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's Catholic Church for their fall craft fair at 6646 Addicks Satsuma, Houston, Texas 77084 (Bear Creek Sub-division off Hwy. 6) from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. We will have big "bibs/aprons" for all occasions; towel bibs; Sweeties; and button bibs!

Here is a sampling of some of the "Sweeties" that will be available at the fair. Sweeties are little reversible blankets made with soft minky on one side and designer cotton on the other. They are complete with ribbon made especially for toddlers to play and cuddle with. Sweeties are $15.00 with a $3.00 S&H if needed. If you would like to purchase one from us, contact The Bib Shoppe at bibshoppe@gmail.com

St. Peter's UMC Church Pick-A-Dilly Craft Fair

2008-10-18T22:00:00.012-05:00

Post from Patti

The Bib Shoppe, 1795 N. Fry Road, Katy, Texas 77450, bibshoppe.blogspot.com

Today we had a Craft Fair at St. Peter's United Methodist Church in Katy, Texas (across from Taylor High School) - It was an awesome fair! We had fun, and we talked to many wonderful people. Sales were good too! We really hope that the people who purchased our products get a lot of pleasure using them and/or enjoy giving them as gifts.

We will be at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Houston next Saturday. We hope you come out to visit the fair as many great booths will be there.

Enjoy our pictures. See if you can see the boutique bib/aprons; towel bib/apron; Sweeties (aka as Taggies); and button napkins.

More new items will be at our upcoming fair on October 25th, 2008! Look for us, and we'll look for you.

New Fall Craft Fair Venues -The Bib Shoppe

2008-10-08T21:01:00.016-05:00

Post from Patti!

The Bib Shoppe, 1795 N. Fry Road, Katy, Texas 77450; bibshoppe@gmail.com

E-mail the above address to purchase a bib or sweetie! $20.00 for big bibs; $12.00 for towel bibs; $2.50 for napkin bibs and $15.00 for sweeties, plus $3.00 S&H in the U.S.!

Well, Hurricane Ike has changed our Craft Fair venue, so I wanted to post our new Craft Fairs.

Look for The Bib Shoppe at the following events:

Big Bibs for all Occasions will be available along with ....

1. "Sweeties"
You might ask, what is a “Sweetie”? It is a little blanket that is perfect to bring along when you don’t won’t to drag around a big blanket. Babies love these blankets for snuggling and playing with the ribbon loops. This reversible blanket is made with a stylish designer cotton on one side and soft minky on the other side.Clip the attached link to a car seat, stroller, your child’s favorite teether, or toy.Size is approximately 13 inches x 13 inches.Machine wash cold with like colors. Tumble dry low. Ironing optional.Ribbons may vary slightly. These “Sweeties” make great baby gifts.They are called “Sweeties” because your sweet little one will love you for providing a cozy little blanket for him or her to cuddle and play with.

2. Towel bibs - it's a towel with fabric on top. It makes an absorbent bib and is easy to wash.

3. Napkin bibs - Your napkin will stay put because you can button it to your shirt! Excellent stocking stuffer.

and, of course, big bibs of all colors and fabrics!!!

Saturday, October 18th
St. Peter's United Methodist Church - Pick-A-Dilly Craft Fair
20775 Kingsland Blvd.
Katy, Texas 77450
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 25th
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
6646 Addicks Satsuma
Houston, Texas 77084
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 8th
Holy Covenant United Methodist Church - A Heartwarming Christmas
22111 Morton Ranch Road
Katy, Texas 77449
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

See you there!

Upcoming Craft Fairs & Cotton!

2008-09-29T22:40:00.030-05:00

The Bib Shoppe - Bibs for all Ages!
1795 N. Fry Road #448, Katy, Texas 77450

bibshoppe@gmail.com

"Mom, I love this bib!"

Here at The Bib Shoppe, we choose boutique cotton fabrics when ordering our fabric. Cotton is the world's most used fiber, and it is the number one fiber used for apparel in the United States. The United States grows the majority of the world's cotton. There are many different types of cotton. They range from low to medium grade (cotton blends) cotton to better grades of cotton ( Egyptian cotton.) Cotton is known for its aesthetics, comfort, appearance, and care.

At The Bib Shoppe, great care is taken in choosing the best grade for the products made. We care about our products and their comfort, appearance, and whether they are easy to care for.
Please visit us at these upcoming Craft Fairs this month.
Saturday, October 11th - Cancelled
Crossbridge Christian Church
15415 West Road
Houston, Texas 77095
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

CROSSBRIDGE CRAFT FAIR CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE IKE FACTORS.

MORE FAIRS ARE IN THE WORKS. CHECK BACK ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8th FOR NEW CRAFT FAIR LISTINGS.

Saturday, October 25th -Still on...
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
6646 Addicks Satsuma
Houston, Texas 77084
9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.

See you there...

Cotton Information
"Fabric Properties and Distinctions" by Textile Fabric Consultants, Inc.

Welcome to the Bib Shoppe

2008-09-19T20:29:00.002-05:00

Welcome to The Bib Shoppe.

We hope you enjoy browsing our shop. We enjoy all comments, so feel free to comment with your ideas and suggestions.

Patti Greene & Evelyn Mann
Owners

2008-08-23T19:36:00.006-05:00

The Bib Shoppe

1795 N. Fry Road #448

Katy, Texas 77450

bibshoppe@gmail.com

Email with questions regarding purchasing these bibs! $20.00 plus S&H

Checks only! We are new.

We love fabric!!!!!

Blog from Evelyn

One of the most fun parts of making and selling bibs is selecting the fabric. Patti and I love to find beautiful fabrics that we feel will be special for our customers.

We are careful to pick fabrics that are soft but durable enough to be washed repeatedly.

Since our bibs can be worn on either side we are careful to be sure that the two sides compliment each other and that they are equally pretty. One side is usually what we consider the dominant side (more interesting, thematic, or busy) and the other side is usually a bit more subdued.

We feel that the fabric is what makes them such beautiful gifts for loved ones. These are not just bibs to protect clothing (although they certainly do that). They are meant to tell those we care for that they are loved. Wearing a cheerful and personal bib is "fun". It's a treat!

Check out some of our newest fabric that will be on sale at the craft shows or can be ordered by emailing us. Time to start thinking about those special people for the holidays!

Fall fabrics - beautiful autumn colors, leaves, corn, pumpkins, turkeys!!

Holiday fabrics - poinsettias, Christmas trees, holly and even holiday kittens!

Craft Fairs coming up & New pics!

2008-08-14T15:58:00.026-05:00

BLOG FROM PATTI
The Bib Shoppe
1795 N. Fry Road #448
Katy, Texas 77450
bibshoppe@gmail.com
Email with questions regarding purchasing these bibs! $20.00 plus S&H - Checks only! We are new.

Upcoming Craft Fairs - The Bib Shoppe will be there!

Saturday, October 11, 2008
Crossbridge Christian Church
15415 West Road
Houston, Texas 77095
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

CANCELLED BY CROSSBRIDGE DUE TO HURRICANE IKE REASONS!

MORE COMING THOUGH. CHECK THE BLOG AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8th FOR NEW CRAFT FAIR LISTINGS.

Saturday, October 25th, 2008
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
6646 Addicks Satsuma Road
Houston, Texas 77084
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Perfect Bib for those who grew up in the 60's!!!

This square edged bottom makes this bib great as a bibapkin
- my new word for combining a bib and a napkin in the same garment! Do you think Webster's will pick it up? What name do you think is best - bibapkin or bibkin! Let me know in our comment section.

I learned a new word today (besides the one I just made up!) It is the word "bibble-babble." If one bibble babbles, they chatter and babble. I was intrigued with the word since it had the word bib in it, but I promise you, I am not going to be a bibble-babble blogger in this blog. I just want to post a few of The Bib Shoppe's new bibs so you can see what will be available at The Crossbridge Church Craft Fair on Saturday, October 11th!

Bibs are great to wear when you are sitting and eating in your favorite chair! No more hot sauce dripping on your shirt and pants!

Get your Christmas COOK something special to show her/him how much you appreciate all the work they have done in preparing such wonderful food.

So, you know someone in a nursing home, and you don't know what to get them for the holiday season. This is perfect! It will make them feel SO special!

Butterfly Bib - For the person who has everything!

Got any ideas for our bibs. Please comment. We love comments!

2008-08-08T21:55:00.012-05:00

BLOG FROM PATTI

The Bib Shoppe

1795 N. Fry Road #448

Katy, Texas 77450

bibshoppe@gmail.com

Email with questions regarding purchasing bibs or any questions you may have.

These YOUNG ADULTS (A Corporate Executive and A High School MathTeacher) are totally sold on bibs from The Bib Shoppe. Stains have ended and dry cleaning bills have been reduced.

Upcoming Craft Fairs - The Bib Shoppe will be there!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Crossbridge Christian Church

15415 West Road

Houston, Texas 77095

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church

6646 Addicks Satsuma Road

Houston, Texas 77084

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

We (meaning The Bib Shoppe Owners) are having people from all walks of life discover awesome uses for our bibs. You see, while they are great for "adults" to wear while eating, there are many other ways these bibs can be worn.

1. Wear one when applying your makeup!

2. Wear one when feeding a baby! So, if that cute little baby decides he or she can't keep their food down, you are protected.

3. Wear one when eating and drinking in the car, especially on your way to work. Those coffee stains aren't easy to get out, and you want to look good when you get to work!

4. Wear one when cooking. They aren't as confining as an apron, and you can sit right down to eat with your bib on when you are finished cooking.

More bibs from The Bib Shoppe...

Talking to the world

2008-07-28T21:09:00.005-05:00

Owner Evelyn with DBA (Doing Business As)

Posted by Evelyn

This is my first experience blogging. It seems strange just talking to anyone or everyone! Hello out there!

Patti is on vacation this week so I am taking care of the "shoppe". We are beginning to get ourselves set up for craft shows and events this fall. If any of you out there in the blogger world know of a good show that we might be part of, let us know. We will keep you posted as to where we will be when.

I have come to realize that the pictures that Dave (my supportive husband) and I took of the bibs (in last weeks blog) look a little short. We purposely folded them so that we could get close enough to show the designs on the fabric. We thought that was a brilliant idea but it makes the bibs look short and they are actually quite long. So we will be retaking pics this week.

I have been having a great time making mommy/baby bibs for two friends. Right now I am working on a really colorful set. I have matching fabrics for the front and back of the mommy bib. Then I will make two baby bibs. The baby bibs will have the fabrics of the mommy bib on the front and a bright chenille for the backing (baby will need a little more absorbency). That way, mommy, daddy, granny, friend or neighbor can wear a bib to protect clothing when feeding the baby. And the bib will match baby's bib. That is not the focus of our business but it sure is fun.

Have to run upstairs and sew. Have a good week!

2008-07-23T22:03:00.017-05:00

BLOG FROM PATTI

Model wearing a new bib from The Bib Shoppe

The bib business is going great! The Bib Shoppe is adding to their inventory each day! We have some beautiful "Praise the Lord" bibs that we added to our collection yesterday. They are so lovely! Sorry, I don't have a picture.

Our new bib models!

I want to use this blog to thank my son Jimmy for being such an encouragement as we have started our business. Jimmy just graduated from Babson College in the Boston area. Babson is known nationwide as the #1 Entrepreneurial college in the nation - no lie, that is what U.S. News & Reports states! Every class taken at Babson College incorporates a tinge of Entrepreneurship in their instruction. Of course, Jimmy was entrepreneurial before he went to Babson - that is why he decided to go there - Okay, the scholarship didn't hurt! But, Jimmy is the guy I go to with questions about running a business. He started his own video business while still in high school. Okay, I sound like a proud mom (which I am), so I will stop.

Jimmy - the day after his graduation from Babson College - May, 2008

I want to share with you how Evelyn and I came up with the name of our company. We had been writing down name after name of company name possibilities. Then, one day, I made "an appointment" with Jimmy to sit down with Evelyn and myself to go over the name possibilities. He opened up the computer to Go Daddy, and he plugged in name after name that we told him, to see if the names were available. Some of the names we had were corny - some were funny - some were just plain 'ol weird.

Here are some examples of what we came up with...

- Twilight Bibs

- Bibs Because

- Sunset Bibs

- Beaucoup de Bibs

- Bibs are Cool

- Geriatric Bibs

- Spill Catchers Bibs

- Absolutely Awesome Bibs

- Bibs Galore

- Catch a Crumb Bibs

- Bibs Forever, and many more...

Then, Jimmy said, "What is the main focus of your business?" We said, "bibs." So, we said, "How about "The Bib Shop." Jimmy typed it in Go Daddy, and it was taken. So, we said, "What about "The Bib Shoppe?" And low and behold, it was available. Actually, we were so shocked it was available, and we just decided to go for it! We liked the ring - sort of like The Vitamin Shoppe! Jimmy agreed that The Bib Shoppe was the best name too. Jimmy registered 3 domain names for us...and the birth of The Bib Shoppe began.

So, the next day, we went to the courthouse, registered and got our DBA (Doing Business As), and that is the story of how our name started.

Owner-Patti just received the DBA for The Bib Shoppe!

Oh, Jimmy accepted his first "after college" job. Yeah! It is in San Antonio, and he has to wear professional dress to work.

Jimmy recently Instant Messaged me. This is what he had to say about his first week at work...

"I want one [bib] because I have had juice from my apple spill on my tie and I spilled coffee on a shirt too all in the first week!"

Keep checking this blog. Soon, I will show Jim wearing his special Bib Shoppe bib.

These bibs are great for young professionals to wear in their car back and forth from work, especially while eating and drinking like they all do!

Patti

An exciting week!

2008-07-18T17:30:00.012-05:00

Blog from Evelyn!

What fun to start a new business. Lots of work but there is a real feeling of accomplishment. We now have an email address (bibshoppe@gmail.com), a post office address (1795 N. Fry Road #448), a bank account (with a little money), a DBA, an EIN, a sales tax ID #, three domain names and who knows what else. We have a beautiful brochure, two wonderful sewers (Carol and Martha), and have sold ONE (have to start somewhere) bib. The gift shop at Christus St. Catherine on Fry is displaying two of our bibs and our brochure.

Here are some of our fun and practical bibs! They are folded (they are much longer) so you can see the fabric better. Check them out!

golfer, fiesta, Praise the Lord, coffee cups

The Bib Shoppe

2008-07-11T23:07:00.023-05:00

Blog from Patti!

Hi Everyone in the Blog Community,

Evelyn (my friend) and I have just started a new company called "The Bib Shoppe." Our goal is to design, manufacture, and sell bibs that are fun and functional. As we start the company, our initial focus is on making bibs that are fun to wear and easy to use for senior citizens. (And that is anyone over 55!) However, our bibs can be used by everyone. We feel strongly about breaking down what I will call the "bib barrier." Bibs can be fun, useful, and a topic of conversation.
This company originated when I bought a new sewing machine in January, 2008. My mother (82 years old) kept asking me to make a bib for my father that covered him up more than a normal bib would. So, I did. The first one I made for him was a plain white bib. He liked it so much that he wanted more. He now has a white bib, a book-lovers bib, a spaghetti bib, a political party bib, and his favorite is his special blue bib. The bib covers his upper body and lap, and because it is so long, it doubles as a napkin for him - no more napkins falling to the ground.

When I told Evelyn about the bibs I was making, a thought had already been stirring in her mind about making fun hospital gowns. We collaborated and made a ton of practice bibs. And just this week, we actually registered our company as "The Bib Shoppe."

We will be adding more bibs to this site as we make them.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the best part. We are in the process of test marketing the bibs. There are 8 women in a bridge group (ages 75-85) that will receive a free bib. They will wear their bibs for a week at each meal, wash and dry the bib, and then fill out a survey with questions and comments about the bibs. We are anxiously awaiting to see what their comments are so we can adjust our bibs to the customers' satisfaction.

Check back later to read our posts and see what develops.

We are a small start up company, so be patient with us. We will keep you up to date on our progress and when you will be able to purchase our bibs. We want to get them perfected for our treasured customers.

Patti & Evelyn
The Bib Shoppe Owners

2008-07-11T22:40:00.000-05:00

Welcome to "The Bib Shoppe" - a new store specializing in bibs for the elderly, hospitalized, home-bound, or just anyone who wants a bib to protect their clothing while eating!!! They are awesome - what more can I say!