GenMarie

Not A Morning Person...

2009-11-13T08:16:00.002-05:00

Seems these days, thanks to the lovely time change, my wake up call is anywhere between 5 am - 6 am. So not good for me. A mandatory coffee increase has done nothing except make me crash an hour after I drink my last cup. This morning, I ran out of French Vanilla coffee creamer and had just enough Chocolate Mint Truffle to have my last cup. BTW~ this is the yummiest coffee creamer ever! It's a limited holiday item, and I found it at Target a week ago. It's like drinking a peppermint patty with your coffee, so good. Night seems to be when I have the most energy, and get the most work done. I love the quiet of the house, and the peace and calm I feel. I always get my best ideas after 10 pm.

How hot is this photo!? I can't believe New Moon is less than one week away! I am so excited! I have been waiting for this like the rest of you since I read the book. My bff Jen and I are making a night of it. Dinner together, then off to wait for at least an hour before it premiers to ensure we get a good seat. We have our tickets already, 12:05 am! Good thing Chris is off next week so I can sleep in the next morning, although I would have tortured myself anyway. ;) It will so be worth it! And of course I have to reread the book for the umpteenth time before then.

I really love this photo. Their faces are just precious. And those headbands are killer! Anthropologie...I should have known. Timi & I have something new and exciting planned for December. I can't tell you yet, but it is something we haven't done before. We're both really excited about it, and the rush of creating something new is always great. Plus this project will allow us to stretch creatively.

I am done with my morning ramblings. Hope you have a Happy Friday! Best day of the week!

More Pretties...

2009-11-12T09:27:00.001-05:00

We added some more photos to the site. Almost there! I am really happy with the collection. I think it is the best I have ever done. The colors, the style...it's all just so pretty!

On an aside, only 1 week till New Moon! So stinkin excited! Hope you are all enjoying your week!

We're Live!

2009-11-09T20:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Shopping! I hope you enjoy it as much as Timi and I do!

Today's the Day!

2009-11-09T16:49:00.003-05:00

In less than four hours, Hodgepodge hits the market! Are you excited?! I am! At 8 pm EST, the new site will be launched, and the collection revealed. A few things I have to mention first. We are missing a few photos, but I did not want to hold back anymore. We will put them up as they come in, I am hoping Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, this was out of our control. Of course, I will let you all know as soon as they are on, in fact I will give you at least an hour notice. In the meantime, you can shop to ensure you get what you would like, and then up until next Monday, we will combine any multiple orders and refund shipping differences. The reason for doing this, putting it up now, is this is a limited collection. If you see something you have to have, order it now, don't wait. Fabric was limited, and I want to make sure you get what you want. There will be about a 3 week wait time. Not ideal, I know, but with manufacturing in house, and expecting high volume, I didn't want to say it would be less time. But I promise, it will not be longer than 3 weeks. My partner in crime Timi, will be handling the shipping and customer service from here on out. Yes, this is the same Timi who wows us all with her graphic genius. A huge weight off my shoulders. I will be available to answer any and all questions before you make your purchase. Just shoot me an email or a message on Facebook.

Happy Shopping ladies!

11/9/09....

2009-11-05T09:46:00.002-05:00

is the date Hodgepodge launches! We needed a few extra days to get photos in, and the new site set up. Yes, I said NEW site! Wait till you see the genius of Timi. This is like nothing you have seen before. Hodgepodge was truly a collaboration between Timi and I. I have had the great joy of working with Timi now for years, and her friendship means so much to me. It was such a natural progression for us to combine our ideas and make this line. The clothing design is mine, and the visual concepts are hers. Not to mention the amazing, and I truly mean that, amazing photographers we have shooting for us this season! These women are so talented, if you live in their area, you have to schedule a shoot with them. I am half tempted to fly to them myself. Their talent and vision is truly art. Big thanks to Amelia and Kristen for their time and talent, you were a huge part of making my vision reality.

Hodgepodge was truly a labor of love, and a challenge for me. I wanted to give you new fresh designs that would be trendy, yet timeless. I carefully chose the most beautiful fabrics and the softest knits. I am so excited to offer it to you. Thank you to all of you who have stood by and supported GenMarie! It means so much.

It's Coming!

2009-10-28T22:38:00.000-04:00

Next week, Hodgepodge makes it's debut! I will let you know soon the exact day and time.

Makeover!

2009-10-09T07:18:00.001-04:00

Well, what do you think?! I am in love! The amazing and fabulous Timi has outdone herself! I love the new look of my blog. Timi is a sheer genius, and we have more in store soon. Seriously, I am so lucky to work with her.

Almost there on Hodgepodge! Pictures soon I promise. The resells were snatched up so quickly! Thanks so much ladies!

We celebrated my brother's 21st birthday Monday. Hard to believe he is legal finally. There is an 11 year age difference between us!

Ok, I am off. It is early here, and I have some refereeing to do. ;)

Resells...

2009-10-04T17:02:00.017-04:00

Yes, it's been awhile, and yes, I am sorry, but in fairness, I am keeping up with everyone on Facebook more these days. If you are on there, hop on over and add me as a friend. News first, Hodgepodge is taking longer than I expected, but it is almost ready. You have been so patient, and I so appreciate that. Revamping the way we do things, and being sick took it's toll time wise. I will post peeks as soon as I can, that I promise.

I cleaned out the girls' closets yesterday, and I have some resells for you. Some are from my etsy days, some from last Fall, all worn 1 or 2 times. All pieces are in like new condition. First claimed, first served. Shoot me an email as to which pieces you want at genmarie@verizon.net, and it will be yours. I will post when something is sold. Any questions, shoot me an email.

Size 6 $10 SOLD

Size 3 $20 SOLD

Size 4 $20 SOLD

Size 4 $20

Size 4 $10 SOLD

Size 6 $20 SOLD

Size 4 $20 SOLD

Dress Size 4 $20 SOLD

Pants size 6 NEW $20 SOLD

Dress size 4 $20 SOLD

Pants size 6 $10 SOLD

Size 4 $20 SOLD

Size 4(SOLD) & 6(SOLD) $20 each

Size 2 $20 SOLD

Size 6 NEW $22.50 SOLD

Little bits...

2009-09-04T10:16:00.005-04:00

I know, I know, you have been patiently, well some of you not so patiently waiting, lol, for peeks of Hodgpodge. We have something fun in store soon, but since I know the suspense is killing you, I'll give you something.

It's not a lot, but I did that on purpose. ;) All good things come to those who wait. Don't be too mad at me.

Have a Happy Friday ladies!

XOXO~ Christine

Finally!

2009-08-24T10:39:00.004-04:00

Sorry it took a bit longer, but the inventory is FINALLY counted and on the site. If you look under sale, you will find Autumn Sky and even a smidge of Holiday line from last year. Remember, all sale items are FINAL SALE, so please email me with any questions.

Been uber busy finishing up Hodgepodge....oh just you wait! So many new twists, it is fabulous, if I do say so myself!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Enjoy your day!

XOXO~ Christine

More Inventory....

2009-08-15T16:34:00.003-04:00

In order to make room for Hodgepodge, I need to get sell off our previous lines. I am recounting Autumn Sky and will be adding it to the site tomorrow. I have more than what is listed. Just like before, 50% off, final sale. Harmony is current, just fyi. ;)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, I promise to give you a better post this week. I have been super busy creating.

XOXO~ Christine

Miss Megan!!!!

2009-08-11T08:02:00.003-04:00

You are the winner of the free piece of Hodgepodge! Thanks for the comments ladies, and I will be taking them under advisement. This will be a short post today, I have so much to do!

A funny, but no so funny story...the other night, Chris and I went out to dinner for our anniversary which was a few weeks ago. We got to my favorite Italian restaurant. Dinner is great as always, and I am eating creme brulee, and I am thinking the sugar on top is awfully crunchy. I take the crunchy part out of my mouth. Chris looks down and says, "that is a piece of your tooth." And sure enough, it was. I don't know what it is with me and August and my teeth, but it's never good. I cracked the whole back of my tooth off. Thankfully, I already had a root canal on it, so off I go Thursday to get it crowned. At least it doesn't hurt.

I will be hunting around on Facebook for photos of little ones wearing GenMarie. You never know what I might do. :)

Have a great day ladies!

Big Surprises Are A Comin'....

2009-08-09T09:33:00.004-04:00

Yup, that's right! HUGE surprises are coming. I can't tell you anything yet, but you will see....

In the meantime, I recounted the stock, and it is all listed, and 50% off. FINAL sale. Hop on over, and check it out.

I finally succumbed to Facebook. I need friends, lol, so click here and add me, so I am not so lonely. You never know what I post there.

Now for some fun! I am beginning work on new pieces for you, and I want to know what you want to see. What styles are you looking for? Skirts, pants, tops? Leave me a comment, and on Tuesday, I will use a random number generator to choose one person to win a free piece from Hodgepodge.

And what's a blog post without some pictures...Amy sent me these adorable shots of her little dolls! They are just so sweet, I love them! Amy is pretty sweet too. ;) Thanks Amy for sending these to me, and for being such an amazing gal.

Look at those sweet legs! Gotta love baby chub...

Have a great Sunday ladies, and don't forget to leave me a comment!

XOXO~ Christine

Bonjour mes amis...

2009-08-07T10:48:00.008-04:00

I know, it seems to take me forever to get on here and blog...really I need to get better at it again. Summer is fleeting, and I can't believe school will be starting in a month. We had such weird weather here in July, that it hasn't felt much like summer until recently. I asked a friend lately who I hadn't seen how their summer has been, and they said, " busy with a whole lot of nothing." That sounds about right to me. But it is time to be busy with a purpose, so with that said...

I have dusted off my sewing machines, and removed the cobwebs from my creative brain. No matter what I do in life, I always come back to doing what I love best, making children's clothing. It has been the one constant in my life for years, and it still derives such pleasure for me. A lot of you have asked me if I was doing a Fall line, and the answer is yes, kind of...let me explain. I am redirecting GenMarie. Instead of making two big lines each year, I am going to do several smaller lines, to allow me to burn through my creativity and the mounds of fabric I have here. Seriously, you would die to see my garage and sewing room. My first new line will be an early Fall line entitled "Hodepodge". And just like the name implies, it will be a random collection of fabulous pieces to carry your little ones into Fall. There will be some new designs, along with some old favorites, and lots of color! Much of it will be limited in quantity, and only a handful of each piece will be made. So for those of you who thrive on unique, this is for you. The following line inspired by one of the most amazing cities around, NYC, will be enititled "LOFT". I will be burning the midnight oil for the next few weeks, and rather than manufacturing, the upcoming lines will be lovingly sewn by myself and a few fab seamstresses, which will make them even more special in my book. Like your treasured childhood sweaters knitted by your grandmother. I am really excited for you to see, and have a few amazing photogs line up. One being, the amazing lady, Felicia, of The Littlest Heroes Project. I am sure you recall me mentioning her before, as she is one of the most beautiful souls alive. She recently sent me these beautiful photos.

I love how she captured the playfulness and innocence of this sweet little doll. She is super cute! And congrats to Miss Felicia as she is shooting prospectively for The Children's Place. I encourage to check out her organization and read Felicia's story. She is truly inspirational.

I do want to take a moment to thank those of you who have emailed me with caring words to brighten my days, and shared your own personal stories with me. I have been really bad with email, but know that you kindness and love has touched me deeply.

Oh, and Harmony will be 50% off starting tomorrow. All items currently on the site will be final sale, so be sure to ask questions before you purchase. I will be adding more inventory this evening.

I will post some peeks as soon as I can for you. Until then...I leave you with this...

“The few wonders of the world only exist while there are those with the sight to see them.”
Charles de Lint

XOXO~ Christine

Crossroads....

2009-07-07T13:28:00.004-04:00

Ever since my miscarriage, it seems my life has been at a crossroads. I didn't think it was going to effect me as much as it did. I think what it is, is that this was my last chance to have a baby. My husband is dead set against having any more, and has scheduled his procedure. I am not fighting him on this, but I am not 100% happy either. I spent a lot of time the past weeks contemplating what I really want. I still don't know. But I guess marriage is about compromise, so I will give this time. I have been weighing all the pros and cons of adding to our family, and still am at a standstill. I am very happy with my two girls, and know I am truly blessed they are both healthy and happy. Somber is just the best way to describe how I feel.... kind of lost.

I apologize for not being around, but I am trying to get back into the swing of things. June was a crazy month here, end of school, and pretty much rained all month. That was a real pick me up. Check out the new songs I added to the playlist, they are very peaceful and pretty.

Harmony is now 40% off, and I still have some gifts to give with your orders. I am out of the size 2 gifts, and may try to find something to substitute. The website is working again properly, although it still needs to be updated a bit. I will work on that tonight. I have more than what is listed. My computer has been whonky, and my email just started to work this morning, I got almost 2,000 emails, and I am not exaggerating.

I hope you all are well, and enjoying your summer. Today was the first hot day, and I finally put the air on. Miss Em has lost both top teeth now, and I swear she aged 2 years on me. Here is one of my favorite pics of her missing one top tooth.

Best to all of you....Christine

It's Been Awhile...

2009-05-27T10:48:00.003-04:00

a little over a month actually. A lot has been happening here. We finally resided our house. It was the worst color of burnt pumpkin orange. They must have had a sale on siding when the builder chose it. Now it looks beautiful! It took my poor husband 10 days to do it himself, with some help from his Dad, and his brother. Take a look.

Look closely, and you'll see my Belly Bob, aka Coco...

And almost done! Yeah!!!!

Soooo.... you can now purchase Harmony on our website! I added it all last night, and Harmony is 20% off! Plus the first 20 orders will receive a surprise gift. :) So head on over and see what is left.

Last week I found out I was expecting, but a week later, it just wasn't meant to be. We weren't planning on any more, but I was pleasantly surprised. Who knows...maybe in the future. With all of this, I have decided I will be taking the summer off to spend with the girls. Ava goes to kindergarten next year, and it has been a busy year, and I need to slow down. I will probably post on my blog very infrequently, but I will still be around. I will more than likely come back in the Fall with some exclusive mini collections, and maybe a few art fair pieces.

I hope you are all well, and enjoying the end of spring!

XOXO~ Christine

Happy Birthday Babe!

2009-04-23T08:45:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday to the most beautiful, caring, loving, sincere man in the world. You are my everything....

Happy Wednesday!

2009-04-22T10:36:00.003-04:00

How does it get to be Wednesday so fast?! I swear, before I know it, it's here already. Week half over.

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! I have to say, it was the best birthday ever, ok, getting engaged for my 23rd Birthday topped this one, but it was a great one. Two of my best friends from middle school took me out to dinner in Manhattan. The weather was beautiful here in NY on Friday. That only added to the greatness. We ate at this adorable little Italian place, and were able to sit outside at the cute little tables on the sidewalk and enjoy the warm night air. The food was great, the wine, even better, and of course the company was the best.

Left to right, Aneida, Me, Jenn and Melissa

You might recognize Melissa and Jenn from previous blog posts. I have known these two lovely ladies since I was 12! Aneida is a good friend of Jenn's, and has become a great friend of mine. This photo was taken at a fun bar in the West Village near Melissa's apartment. We had a blast! I didn't get home until 5am...don't remember the last time I did that. I paid for that the next day, let me tell you, lol.

Saturday was Emma's first soccer game! It was so much fun to watch. This is the first year Emma is playing soccer. She did awesome! She took a hit to the mouth early on, and bled a little. I thought for sure, she was going to be done for the day at that point. But the little trouper got right back in there, scored her first two goals, and had some pretty dirty knees! She was a true soccer player, aggressive and unafraid. Her face when she scored her first goal was priceless! Take a look. She was so proud of herself.

Look at that face! She said to her coach, This is Fun!

On the sidelines, waiting her turn.

Ava not happy because she couldn't play. She starts next weekend.

My hubby even got to help out, which was right up his alley.

It was just the perfect weekend! It was warm again on Saturday, and we had our first firepit of the season. The kids made their versions of s'mores, and fell asleep on us while we were enjoying the fire. They had a busy day.

Check out these little cupcakes! They are so sweet, and I just love these photos! Thank you Erin for sharing them with me!

You'll notice some changes soon with GenMarie, and I think you will all be very happy...I will let you know when I can.

Have a great day!

2 Days...

2009-04-15T07:39:00.002-04:00

until my 32nd birthday. I have decided that this is the last year I am counting. I figure people tell me I look like I am 25, so I have at least 7 years to get away with saying I am 32. ;)

It has been a very stressful week and a half, and I so appreciate all of your emails. They certainly brightened my days. I believe that everyone is taken care of, and please, if you have any problems, contact me, so I can take care of it.

Creating has always relaxed me, and taken over my mind. I am working on some one of a kind pieces which I will put on my website. The website will be back up soon. Some totally cute items perfect for spring/summer. Soleil is up in the air right now, but I will keep you informed. I am trying really hard to bring it to you.

This venture of GenMarie has brought me many emotions, and a lot of challenges. I do not regret the decision to take GenMarie to this level. Sure, life would have been easier if I would have kept it small, but I wouldn't have been happy until I tried. I started this company three years ago, as a hobby, and it has brought me so much more. We will keep bringing you beautiful clothing, and work to overcome our challenges.

I will leave you with this photo of my Ava, half of the reason for GenMarie. She is the Marie in GenMarie. I hope when they are older, they will understand what Mommy tried to do for them.

Have a good day!

Hello Ladies...

2009-04-09T13:34:00.003-04:00

Ok, I know there is a lot of speculation as to what is going on with GenMarie. We are dealing with some issues, but we are working hard to resolve it. Everything should hopefully be situated shortly. So, just a heads up. I'm still here, everyone who has ordered has been taken care of. I will let you know once we are back to business as usual. Thank you for your patience, and your lovely emails.

Have a great Holiday Weekend!

Soleil Update....

2009-03-30T19:17:00.004-04:00

Boy, it's been a while, huh? Sorry about that. Crazy week last week. I am terribly sorry to say that we are going to have to delay the opening of Soleil a few weeks. It is a time manufacturing issue. But all good things come those who wait, right? I will let you know the date, the minute I know. We have a meeting this weekend about it. I do apologize, and no one is more disappointed than me at the delay.

Ok, so a few pics from the amazing Stacey.

And I just love this one...it evokes such emotion...

Now, I have to sidetrack for a minute. I spent time last week reading the Twilight series, and...ahhhhh..... if you haven't read the books, you simply have to! They are just beyond amazing, so capturing. If you are a romantic, then you will love these. You just can't put them down. I had the first book for a few weeks, and had no time to read it. Then of course, I saw it came out on DVD, and I couldn't wait to watch it. I was going to try to read the book first, but I just couldn't hold off. Ladies, watch this movie, by yourself! You will want to take it all in. Especially this. Swoon......

Seriously, who is that gorgeous? He is just breath taking. I stayed up late all week reading, until my eyes could no longer focus. Yes, it is that good, I promise. I am dying for the second movie to come out, and it won't until November! Ugh! Guess, I will just have to reread the books until then. The soundtrack rocks, btw, you can listen to it on my playlist. Check out the songs by Rob Pattinson, so good.

So I leave you with that image to ponder, lol. Maybe you are not as obsessed as me, but a girl can dream....

Have a good day ladies!

The Cuties and the Winners....

2009-03-17T19:31:00.005-04:00

Yes, Cara, I know you're dying. I usually post in the morning, but today I had to make sure you all got your back orders. I figured that was more important. ;) First, I am going to post one photo from each person, then draw the winner. Then I will follow with the rest of the adorable pictures! I wanted to be fair, and some of you mailed me so many gorgeous photos, that you might have won all three pieces. I know, you are thinking, if it was me who won, I wouldn't care, but play nice ladies...

Eight of you entered, EIGHT! What is up with that ladies?! You are slacking, and I say that lovingly.

Cutie #1 from Deidra

Cutie #2 from Ramona (two cuties!)

Cutie #3 from Nancy

Cutie #4 from Wendy

Cutie #5 from Bella's Mommy

Cutie #6 from Jennifer

Cutie #7 from Corina

And Cutie #8 from Cara

And the winners are..................Cara, Bella's Mommy, and Jennifer! Congratulations ladies! The random number generator chose you. You each receive one piece of your choice from Soleil! And just because, the other five ladies who entered, you get free shipping on your first order from Soleil. Just let your FC know.

Thank you to the EIGHT of you who played. I expect better participation next time ladies. Now, some more pictures from the Eight non-slackers, lol. You know I love you all, no matter what.

Our very own, Stacey Cordes shot these...

Give your little hams a hug for me for indulging us in their fashion show. I loved looking at all of your photos! The lucky ladies can email me at genmarie@verizon.net to discuss their prize.

Happy St. Patty's Day ladies! Hope you aren't too stuffed with corn beef and cabbage. ( I am)

Ok Corina....

2009-03-12T17:58:00.006-04:00

Thanks my dear, for pointing out that I needed to post more pics of Soleil. But, before I do, I have some fun in store for you. Those of you who already have purchased from Harmony, email me photos of your little loves, in their new GenMarie, and I will post them on my blog, in the order in which they are received. Then, on Tuesday morning, I will use a random number generator to choose three photos, and the people's whose photos are chosen, will win their choice of one piece from Soleil! So get to snapping, and email me at genmarie@verizon.net.

Ok, Corina, lol, and everyone else, here are some more pics.

And I did want to let you all know that all sale orders are shipped, and you should be receiving them shortly. I am truly sorry for the wait, and we are on top of everything now. The opening of the season demanding a ton of time, and we are in process of hiring more people. I do appreciate your patience and business tremendously.

Have a great day ladies!

I'm Back...

2009-03-09T08:16:00.011-04:00

And I have peeks to share with you! It was a fun but exhausting trip. We got hit with over a foot of snow before I left on Monday, which made getting any errands done impossible. So it was a mad dash on Tuesday to finish up what I needed to before I got on the plane at 6:30 pm. My husband was in charge of shipping when I left, and he got a bit confused, so if you are waiting for a sale item, never fear, I am taking care of it today. I apologize about that. There are just never enough hours in the day to get everything done.

These are some of my favorite shots of Soleil, available April 1st, and no, it isn't the whole line. These were just too good not to share with you. And I want you to know that I did not overwork the photos, the fabrics are really that rich and bright. So perfect for summer. Soleil is very much a tribute to one of my favorite fabric designers and friends, Jennifer Paganelli. Jennifer's fabrics have been inspiring me since I started out three years ago. She is one of the most talented woman around, and if you have the opportunity to meet her, you will see what an amazing and sweet person she is.

The mint green knits are in the photo above. I will be adding them to the site today hopefully. We had a great time. I had the challenge of shooting the line, and it was challenging, but very rewarding. Bet you didn't know I could do that. ;) Hope you all had a great week! I may post some more pics tomorrow for you. Until then...

Have a great day ladies!

Wow...

2009-02-23T21:25:00.006-05:00

I am so overwhelmed by the response to Harmony! It has been a fabulous start to the season, and I am so touched by all the wonderful comments. You all totally ROCK! I wanted to mention a few things that really make me happy. One, we have an amazing new manufacturer with tons of experience, so I am happy to say our sizing is worlds better than last season, and is very true to size. (Thank you, my love. ;)) This will make ordering so much easier. Two, we have a third party shipper shipping our items out, so our shipping time is down to one-two weeks. I know that has to make you happy, because it thrills me! And three, we have a brand new computer system which will make ordering so much smoother, and prevent lots of glitches. We really spent a lot of time during the break working out ways to improve your shopping experience with us. We want you to be beyond thrilled with not only your GenMarie goodies, but your overall experience. I have had questions about if Harmony is available online, and it is not, only through an FC. But the sale items will remain on the website. I have to say, I couldn't be more excited about everything this season. And I must thank my amazing FC's for always doing such an incredible job! You are such a huge part of not only GenMarie, but my life.

I wanted to share some sweet photos with you, since we can only put so many on our website.

Oh, and remember the amazing Felicia? She sent me over this adorable photo of this sweetie, taken through her organization, The Littlest Heroes Project. I just completely admire Felicia for all she does, and am so honored to be a part of her work.

One last thing to talk about , before I go back to work. I know many of you are eagerly awaiting Annie's dress. Here's the deal. We had to move it back to the summer collection, due out April 1st. I know, I know, please don't kill me. We tried really hard to get it just right but with the knits we had, it just wasn't working, and it has to be perfect. I just found what I wanted, and we will have Annie's gorgeous design in Soleil. I hope you aren't too disappointed, you know how much I hate that. I just couldn't put something out there that wouldn't be all you or Annie expected, but you only have to wait a few more weeks. I promise it will be worth it.

I am off to finish up Soleil, and I have to say, if you are loving Harmony, wait until you see Soleil!

Nighty night ladies!