Notions

Inspirational Thought

2008-10-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them. - Charles D. Gill

Spring/Summer 2009 Collection

2008-10-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Visit us at AmericasMart October 11-14th to view our Spring/Summer 2009 Limited Edition Ready-Made Collection.
Hand Picked Pumpkin
Mama Mia Showroom
250 Spring Street Building 3 -13E109A
Atlanta, GA 30303

Lots of baking to be done

2008-10-06T14:05:00.003-05:00

We made our way to Jonamac Farms in DeKalb, Illinois this weekend for our fall family tradition of apple picking (just like their tagline LOL!). Because we always pick more apples than we can eat, we also make it a tradition to try new recipes that involve apples in the weeks that follow. Here's one we plan to make this evening for Dutch Apple Cake from allrecipes.com.

Inspirational Thought

2008-10-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

I found this interesting quote on my Starbucks coffee cup this week.
"Mother-love is not inevitable. The good mother is a great artist, ever creating beauty out of chaos." - Alice Randall

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito

2008-10-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

A serious believer in at least one treat a day (I'm eating chocolate covered raisins as I type this post!), I am very excited to try Chef Stephanie Ito's, The Very Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookies. Here's what she has to share:

I really do try to exert some control over my sweet tooth. I have learned that a cut-up banana on my morning bowl of (whole grain) cereal means that I don’t have to pour sugar on my cornflakes or eat Apple Jacks. I know a lot of sugar isn’t good for me. But, it is the rare evening that I don’t indulge in dessert. Usually it’s a scoop or two of ice cream or an ice cream bar. You have to have a little treat every day in order not to feel deprived.

This week I HAD to have chocolate chip cookies. There is a recipe I discovered earlier this year that I have made way too many times for my own good since then. These are seriously the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had.

Since I didn’t want to eat all 24 of them, I took most of them to book club this week to foist on my friends. One of my friends from culinary school is in the book club, and when she e-mailed me after our meeting to tell me that the cookies were “a religious experience” I knew what the best thing I had made this month was.

Before I give you the recipe, I want to tell you the four things that I consider to be the secret to this recipe:
1. The pecans (or walnuts if you prefer) MUST be toasted and chopped up nice and fine. I put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven when I turn it on to preheat. They’re generally nice and toasty by the time I am ready to stir them into the batter.
2. This is a dough you don’t want to work too much. Don’t beat the butter and sugars “until light and fluffy” – just stir them together until they are combined. This goes for when you add the flour too – just beat the dough until it comes together, no more.
3. BUTTER – never shortening, never margarine.
4. Don’t over bake the cookies. The edges should be just starting to brown and the middle should still be a little soft.

So, here you go. Enjoy! (And don’t eat them all in one day – you will be tempted.)

The Very Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick/115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (130 grams) pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped

Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300˚F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butter together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches apart on each of the baking sheets.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

October Pumpkin of the Month!

2008-10-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here's Augie, our newest pumpkin of the month! His mom Kacy added this note:

I absolutely LOVE Augie's western overalls and shirt. I find having two boys, it is hard to find clothes that don't make them look like they are 10 when they are only 10 months and 3 1/2. Augie actually looks like a baby and adorable! The fabrics are so soft and wash nicely. I am also a big western print fan
and I love the fabric choices. Thanks for making such a great product!!

Congratulations Augie and Kacy on receiving a $50 hpp gift certificate!

Connections: TJ-Designs

2008-09-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since we featured a Connection! Today's featured Connection is Tiffany Kuelthau and TJ-Designs. I met Tiffany almost one year ago and am so happy to see her take her idea to market! Here's what Tiffany has to share about her new business.

Describe your product/service?
TJ Designs is a boutique specializing in custom-made accessories for children. Currently we are focused in the hair accessories area, but will soon be expanding our product lines to include items for boys and babies. Our niche is to provide our customers with all the trendy and traditional colors, patterns and styles, and allow them to “build” the accessory they desire, as opposed to having only ready-made options available to them.

Why did you create it?
I created this company for a few reasons. First, I was always looking for something a little different and unique for my daughter, from the standard bows and headbands I was seeing in the marketplace. So, I simply started making all kinds of hair accessories for her on my own, and that ultimately led to opening my own boutique! The second reason I started this business, was my drive to do something entrepreneurial, while still being a stay-at-home mom. One of my dreams is to build a business from home that is fulfilling to me personally, and that will always allow me the option to stay at home with my two children, Taylor & Jack.

Why do you produce locally? (made in the USA)
Right now, I’m a small shop. Yes, it’s just me! I love to take the time to make something beautiful by hand. Quality is extremely important to me, and I make every accessory as if I were making it for my own daughter to wear.

What are you most proud of?
Of course, I’ll always be most proud of my family, and the life we have together. Outside of that, I’m most proud of actually taking a leap of faith and giving this a true shot. As my family and many friends will tell you, I’m always full of entrepreneurial ideas, yet nothing materializes! So, after a long process of debating whether or not to open a boutique or just keep this as a hobby for my daughter and some of her friends, I thought it seemed like the right time for me to try something, so I did it! It was a lot more work than I ever imagined, so I’m equally proud of the dedication it took to get this done, all the while being a full-time mom to a three year old and two year old!

What is your big thought (next bit step) for your company?
There are two things that I would consider “next big steps”. The first is aligning myself with some boutiques, allowing me the opportunity to introduce not only my hair accessories to a wider audience, but my new product lines as well. I can see partnering with different boutiques to create coordinating accessories to come out with new seasonal lines. The second “big step” is that I would like to expand my product lines, and introduce some boys accessories to start with (can’t forget about my little Jack, and all the other boys out there…) When your two year old son requests a headband every time your daughter wears one, you know you better get cracking!

New wovens now available!

2008-09-29T11:16:00.004-05:00

Outline stripe chocolate and fandango stripe cocoa have been retired and replaced with two new fun prints, tie and jump rope. Be one of the first to design-it-yourself with one (or both) of them!

Inspirational Thought

2008-09-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. - Robert Collier

Blog Talk Radio

2008-09-25T11:15:00.002-05:00

I had a great time chatting with Laura and Amy of Mums The Wurd last Sunday evening. If you click on their Blog Talk Radio Page you can hear us chat about Halloween, costumes, allergies and all things moms talk about.

Shop hpp at our retailers: The Good Life, Burmingham, Alabama

2008-09-16T11:12:00.002-05:00

Please join us in welcoming The Good Life in Burmingham, Alabama as one of our newest brick and morter retailers. At their shop you'll find a collection of lap tees, drawstring pants, flare pants, hoodies, and playsuits.

Inspiration

2008-09-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

We are at the center of a circle whose circumfrance is determined by our own self-imposed limitations. -Gandhi

Shop hpp at our retailers: The Dreamwear Shoppe, Gevena, Illinois

2008-09-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Please join us in welcoming The Dreamwear Shoppe in Geneva, IL as one of our newest brick and morter retailers. At their shop you'll find a collection of lap tees, crew tees, drawstring pants, flare pants, hoodies, shirt dresses, and our pocket tee and bloomers gift sets.

Shirt Dress now available on-line in 2T, 3T and 4T

2008-09-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hand Picked Pumpkin is turning 2-years-old this month! So what a perfect time to announce the arrival of our toddler sizes! Due to so many requests for bigger sizes we are now offering our very popular shirt dress in 2T, 3T and 4T. Be one of the first to design-it-yourself!

September Pumpkin of the Month

2008-09-09T13:50:00.003-05:00

Here's Max our newest Pumpkin of the Month! His mom Emily added this note:

"In his "ride 'em cowboy" overalls from HPP, Max is the wildest buckaroo this side of the Mississippi. And, as a mama equally allergic to sports-themed and heavy equipment-themed baby boy clothes, I'm especially appreciative of the fabulous, gender-neutral fabrics and styles HPP brings to the table."

Congratulations Emily and Max on receiving a $50 HPP gift certificate!

Inspirational thought

2008-09-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. – Rumi

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito

2008-09-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito has gifted us with another wonderful treat, Height-of-Summer Gazpacho. Here's what she has to share:

With just a little bit of summer remaining and heirloom tomatoes still flooding the farmer’s markets, at least in my neck of the woods here in Chicago, I am excited to share my best discovery of the month with you. I am calling it Height-of-Summer Gazpacho, because I discovered it at the height of summer. Like last month, I have already made this dish three times in the last few weeks, and am planning on having it for lunch again today. It has quickly become my favorite lunch – a big bowl of flavorful gazpacho with a piece of whole grain toast slathered with cream cheese. I can hardly wait the three hours until lunchtime.
My husband doesn’t eat cucumbers, so I have never really found a gazpacho recipe that we can both get behind. This one uses zucchini in place of the cucumber, so it has a less pronounced flavor and really lets the tomato and avocado shine through. There is a hearty amount of red wine vinegar in this dish too – it might sound like a lot, but it adds a tremendous amount to the flavor – with its tartness it brings out the sweetness and flavor of the heirloom tomatoes I have been getting at the Evanston Farmer’s Market.
The original recipe that I adapted this from called for a bunch more ingredients – olive oil, feta cheese, basil, pine nuts, cumin seeds – but with produce at the peak of its season I don’t think you need all those other things. If you are feeling inspired, feel free to garnish the gazpacho with cheese, nuts, herbs, etc. as you desire. But, rest assured, it will be delicious in its unadorned state.
Bon appétit!

Height-of-Summer Gazpacho
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

3 large heirloom tomatoes
1 yellow pepper
1 large zucchini
1 ripe avocado
1 large shallot
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper

Coarsely chop all the vegetables and puree them all together in a food processor, or in batches in a blender. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill four hours or until cold. Couldn’t be easier!

Apparel Feature in Baby & Children's Product News

2008-09-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Baby & Children's Product News for our Apparel Feature, Hand Picked Pumpkin offers retro fabrics.

Shop hpp at our retailers: Jillian Maddie, Farmington, NM

2008-09-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Please join us in welcoming Jillian Maddie in Farmington, NM as one of our newest brick and morter retailers. At their shop you'll find a collection of lap tees, crew tees, drawstring pants, flare pants, hoodies, shirt dresses, crew bodysuits, hats, yoga pants, pocket tee and bloomers, blankets and burps.

Inspirational thought

2008-08-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. - Stephen Leacock

Shop hpp at our retailers: Choices, Sudbury, MA

2008-08-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Please join us in welcoming Choices in Sudbury, MA as one of our newest brick and morter retailers. At their shop you'll find a collection of our pocket tee and bloomer sets, crew playsuits and hoodies.

Shop hpp at our retailers: Winkie's, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

2008-08-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Please join us in welcoming Winkie's in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin as one of our newest brick and morter retailers. At their shop you'll find a collection of our long sleeve pocket tees, long sleeve crew bodysuits, hoodies, blankets and burp cloths.

Between The Shows By Tina Barry

2008-08-26T11:01:00.006-05:00

Many thanks to Tina Barry for featuring Hand Picked Pumpkin in her new article, Between the Shows.

HAND PICKED PUMPKIN

Homebase: Oak Park, Illinois

DESIGNER: Allison Case

Sizes: 3 months to 4T

Allison Case launched Hand Picked Pumpkin, a wholesale and retail collection in 2006, to offer discerning buyers "stylish, comfy clothing proudly manufactured in the USA." Each item is crafted from durable cotton interlock for ease of movement. They're simple, comfortable and modern.

Hot pick: To her girls' collection for Fall 2008, Case is adding the Audrey Shirt Dress (up to 4T). "This great bridge dress is made of 100 percent cotton interlock knit and is trimmed with woven accents at the collar and chest. It's terrific worn alone or paired with flared pant," she says.

Tel: 708-524-1812

www.handpickedpumpkin.com

Many thanks to Hot Moms Club: Beautiful Clothing!

2008-08-25T19:32:00.004-05:00

Many thanks to Natalie Klein of Hot Moms Club for this review of Hand Picked Pumpkin.

How often do you get to design your children’s clothing? Here’s a company that lets you do just that! Well, sort of. Hand Picked Pumpkin lets you choose the colors and designs from a variety of different outfits, hats, blankets, shorts, skirts, hoodies...You’ll feel as if you’re designing the clothing yourself. They’ve got a great online tool at Hand Picked Pumpkin that lets you point and click your choices and see what your clothes will look like. The knit fabrics are comfy and with my son now crawling, he needs the roomy fit and comfort of these clothes to get around.

Many thanks to LilSugar

2008-08-13T16:25:00.002-05:00

Many thanks to LilSugar for this review posted last week:

Undoubtedly a staple in every person's wardrobe, hoodies say a lot about those who wear them. Now you can customize one to fit your child's fashion needs at Handpicked Pumpkin. The reversible sweatshirts ($64), available for tots sized 3-24 months, allow mamas to choose the inside and outside knits as well as interlock woven accent fabrics. From retro designs like Farm Kids and Rodeo Music Blue to mod swatches of Jim Dandy Orange and Floral Fusion, the finished garments have the "wow" factor and are machine-washable.