Oh Baby!

The Madison Holiday Market is coming up next weekend, Nov 2–4. One cool retailer that’ll be there is Gaga Goods, a baby clothing and toy company based in Madison. Owner Kathryn Adler says that the company is neat for a couple of reasons: their apparel is one hundred percent cotton and made in the U.S.; they offer free gift card and packaging on all orders; and they donate five percent of sales to a children’s charity. The online business will be offering a few quick picks at the Holiday Market like the adorable holiday-themed onesies (shown), newborn baby sets and cool toys from eeBoo, North American Bear Co. and Crocodile Creek. Personally, she sold me on the cute onesies that the company designs ☺.
Adler’s website (gagagoods.com) is tailor-made for easy ordering and gift giving. You can shop by design, product, brand or use the “easy gift-giver.” The site also houses Adler’s blog, plus other helpful links for parents on, well, parenting.
Look for Gaga Goods next weekend at the Madison Holiday Market, Nov 2–4.

Madison Holiday Market, Nov 2, 10a–6p, Nov 3, 10a–6p, Nov 4, 10a–3p. Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way. $5. madisonballet.org

Cool Comfort

I attended a party for the brand Icebreaker at Opus Lounge on Tuesday. This line of pure merino wool clothing from New Zealand is outdoor/active gear and meant for layering in warm or cold weather. Items range from long-sleeve T-shirts and zip-up jackets to leggings, socks and more (shown is the men's "Sprint" zip, and the men’s Tech T Lite). Even better is that the line is sustainable; the product brochure notes that “Icebreaker fabrics use one-third the energy of polyester to manufacture, create virtually nil pollution and meet strict ISO4001 envinronmental standards.” Cool!
In 2008 customers will get even closer to their sheep friends who produce the merino wool in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. “Baacodes” are codes that match a batch of wool that the garment was produced from. That code will be printed inside Icebreaker garments so that wearers can trace back to one of the merino ranches that the garment came from. Molly King, marketing coordinator for the brand, says there will probably be another reason to look up your “baacode” online: customers could win a trip to New Zealand.
Icebreaker clothing sells very well at the following Madison stores: Rutabaga Paddle Sports, Budget Bicycle Center, A Stone’s Throw and Fontana.

A Stone’s Throw, 1925 Monroe St. 255-1925.
Budget Bicycle Center, 1230 Regent St. 251-8413
Fontana Sports Specialties, 251 State St. 257-5043; 7941 Tree Ln. 833-9191
Rutabaga Paddle Sports, 220 W. Broadway. 233-9300

Makeover Time

I recently received a press release from Century Furniture (not to be confused with Century House here in Madison) on their plans to release a black-and-white upholstered collection at the Fall 2007 International Home Furnishings Market. While I wasn’t familiar with the company or the market, the images that were sent along with the press release were stellar. Cool curvy ottomans, retro white armchairs with black and white scrollwork upholstery and the beautiful Tuxedo Wing Chair. The reason I mention my love of black and white furnishings is because I recently “made over” a chair I found on a curb near my apartment, if you can believe that. Hey, the price was right!
Originally a wood dining room chair with a bland mauve upholstered cushion, I decided to jazz it up with my vision: spray-paint the frame a glossy black and reupholster the cushion in a black and white brocade patterned fabric. Tres chic!
Not only did the chair turn out swimmingly (with the assistance of my mom—thanks mom!) but it was incredibly inexpensive to make over. And I can say I did it myself!

New Column

Read my November column on The Guild here.

Cool New Product Lines

Stepping into Indocara on West Washington always relaxes me. The serene interior combined with the wafting scent from the lovely aromatic diffuser calms my senses.
On my most recent visit, owner Natasha Vora had some new product lines to share with me. First were the delicious and soy-based Archipelago body lotions, candles and shower gels. Vora gave me two samples of the pomegranate hand cream and I have already used both of them up—it was that good. They’re definitely on my short list of gift ideas for the upcoming holiday season. The store already sells one pre-packaged set of Archipelago products and most likely, we’ll see more for the holidays. With prices ranging from $8–$34, this is an affordable, yet luxurious gift.
Vora is also carrying L.A. designer Nathan Anthony’s line of furniture. These made to order, upholstered pieces have a lifetime guarantee. Shoppers can go through Vora’s look book of options, pick out a fabric (I personally loved the funky mod sunburst print and the black and white brocade), send out the order and voila!—the item will be sent back made just for you in eight weeks. Fun fact: at least one of Anthony’s pieces has been spotted in episodes of Entourage.

Indocara, 540 W. Washington Ave. 251-7711. indocara.com

Food and Wine Extravaganza

As a booth judge for this weekend’s Madison Food and Wine Show, my job is pretty fun. I get to visit each booth at the show and rate the booth’s overall look and the helpfulness/friendliness of the booth workers. By and large everyone is excited to be at the show and many booths go all out trying to outdo the others in booth décor.
But did you know that the Food and Wine Show is a great opportunity to pick up Christmas gifts too? Many of the vendors sell their yummy specialty foods and beverages right at the show. Pick up your favorite bottle (or case) of wine at the wine cellar or some delicious gourmet mustard to pair with pretzels. The savory possibilities are endless.
See you at the Show!

Madison Food and Wine Show: Oct 19, 5–9p, Oct 20, 12–7p, Oct 21, 12–4p. Tickets: $30/35 DOS. Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way. 270-3632. madisonfoodandwineshow.com

Ice-T Would Approve

I wrote about Macha Teahouse + Art Gallery in our October issue. This imaginative gallery and teahouse features three different themed tearroms, cool art and a “wall of famous T’s”—complete with pics of the Ford Model-T, manatee and, well, Mr. T (what’s a wall of T’s without Mr. T??)
With the cool weather approaching (this week excluded, of course) it’s a good time to try Macha, grab a cup of tea and see what’s new. In addition to serving tea cookies and croissants, Macha now offers quiche and will add sandwiches and light lunch items in the near future. Also check out some of the events they’ll have going on, like different afternoon tea services and a jewelry and gift event for the holidays. Their website is updated, too, with information on tea and health, tea brewing instructions and “tea wisdom.”

Macha Teahouse + Art Gallery, 1934 Monroe St. 442-0500. machateahouse.com