Do you know about Zulily? It’s a daily deal site much like Gilt Groupe and others. But it’s all kids toys and fashion and some mom fashion thrown in to make things extra fun!

If you don’t already Zulily, here’s an invitation to join from me!

Typical “me” – here’s what caught my eye on Zulily today – smocked dresses, traditional gingham jumpers and funky kid art!

Rosalina smocked sundress, $29.99 (regularly $59.00)

Rosalina seersucker wrap dress, $27.99 (regularly $54.00)

Orange gingham jumper by Mondays Child, $22.99 (regularly $42.00)

Red gingham shortalls by Mondays Child, $24.99 (regularly $48.00)

Dimdat Loves Ice Cream robot print from Cici Art Factory, $16.99-$29.99 (regularly $30-$60) – available on canvas or paper

Bom Loves Hockey robot print from Cici Art Factory, $16.99-$29.99 (regularly $30-$60) – available on canvas or paper

Join Zulily’s mailing list today for daily offers like these!

I adore a beautifully hand-smocked little girl’s dress. Nothing sweeter.

For The Love of Smocking is a shop on Etsy that has some of the most classic smocked dressed I’ve seen in a long time. Nothing kitschy or theme-y. Just great fabric (lots of floral and calico), puff sleeves, peter pan collars and traditional smocking.

Behold:

There are quite a few more in the For The Love of Smocking shop right now – ranging from $25 to $70 (for sizes 3 mos. to 5 yrs.).

Another Etsy shop – Gumdrop Grove – has some gorgeous smocked dresses as well:

The one pictured here is listed at $58 – which is about the same ballpark for most of the dresses in this shop.

Are you a smocked dress fan? Do you know how to smock? Is my affection for smocking nostalgia or old-fashioned?

I have found myself gravitating towards black and white stripes for myself this spring. Am I the willing victim of solid fashion marketing? Maybe. Oh, well…as long as it’s cute, I guess I’ll take what the stores are subliminally spoon-feeding me!

And I’m loving the black and white striped options for little girls too! Though not classic “little girl” – no pastels, no flowers, no frills – there is something terribly sweet about a girl in stripes. Even black and white ones. Sweet and kinda punk rock at the same time. My kinda girl…

Black & White Stripes for Spring

Although it seems a bit contrary, a bit punk rock, black and white on a little girl can be quite sweet.

Girls’ Tees by Gap
Girls’ Sweaters by Pumpkin Patch

disclosure: I am a compensated ShopStyle affiliate.

We have sufficiently established that I love very classic little girls’ dresses and shoes. Ready for a few more?

Elephantito has some of the sweetest little girls’ dresses around. Very traditional, but not old-fashioned. (And don’t even get me started on how cute their mary janes are. The gold and silver ones? To die for.)

Corduroy jumpers (just like my mama used to make…), reg. price $50 (see sale info below)

Simple cotton tunic, reg. price $66

Holiday tweed dress, reg. price $68

And did I mention that right now (as of January 6, 2010), they’re offering 45% off clothes?! FORTY-FIVE PERCENT, PEOPLE! What are you waiting around here for?! (Use code HAPPY at checkout.)

My husband has always been a bit of a shopper. Until Harold’s closed last year, one of his favorite spots to shop was the clearance rack there. Always had a few XL gems for a good price.

And then he went through a little Nordstrom shirt-shopping phase too. A Von Maur opened near us, good shirts there as well. And good sales.

So, my husband’s shirt wardrobe rotates fairly regularly. In fact, he wanted to get rid of quite a few old button-downs last year. So many nice shirts that I couldn’t bear to just give them away (especially knowing what they had originally cost), so I sold about a dozen shirts on Ebay. That was a pain in the butt.

But take a look at this option for recycling Daddy’s old shirts. Lillipops Designs (a.k.a. Jayme Lillie, a clearly fabulous mom) will take a man’s old button-down, add some fun, patterned cotton and produce an absolutely darling dress for your little girl. Jayme will recycle a shirt chosen for you or she’ll use one that you send to her.

There are several different styles currently featured at the Lillipops Etsy shop, including some very cute flower girl dresses. I especially love this one:

$48, Lillipop Designs, custom-made sizes 6 mo. to 6x

Sophisticated but fun fabrics. Attention to detail like I’ve never seen. Meticulous contrasting linings, reverses and edging. Beautiful construction. All of these describe Hoot Baby’s lovely designs for little girls.

Dresses, tunics, skirts, bloomers – all of Hoot Baby’s pieces look delicious enough for a special occasion. And yet, they’re fun and not fancy, frilly or stuffy – so they’re equally up to the task for a playdate, I’m sure.

Take a peek at their website and at their etsy shop. And then I dare you not to buy something…

So…..I’m back. Took a little unexpected hiatus there for a week or so. Life. Kids. Whatnot. I’m sure you know how that goes.

Anyway. I’m back! While I was gone, I bought a new dress for myself. Had an outdoor fundraiser to attend. In late June. In Kansas. Holy humidity and heat…My choice was ultimately a patterned shift. Comfy and cool.

And a shift is comfy and cool for your little girls too. I’m loving these at kookie’s website. 100% cotton. And lined! Love the wide white collar…

Take a peek:

available at kookie, $52.

Remember back in the ’80′s when sweet calico and floral Laura Ashley dresses were all the rage? For little girls and not-so-little girls? Full skirts, shoulder poufs, sashes, peter pan and sailor collars? Jessica McClintock and Gunne Sax got into it too but the style was a little different. Laura Ashley was always fresh, clean and very classic.

The Laura Ashley stores are gone. The name is still licensed for little girls’ dresses and home goods (and maybe even women’s clothes?) but they’re carried in department stores and discount chains – certainly not the same caché as its heyday. When I stalked the eponymous store for sales, so that I too could have a Laura Ashley dress. (Wore one to my high school graduation. Yes, I’m that old. Shut up.)

To make a long story longer, I thought immediately of the old Laura Ashley lines when I spied these charmers on the Papo d’Anjo website:

Now, they ain’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination. But if you’ve got a special event or a fabulous family portrait planned, these may be just the ticket.  Available at Papo d’Anjo.

It does take something special, something new, something unique to make me “SQUEEEE!” Okay, maybe that doesn’t ring true when I do that all the time here.

But, people? I look at hundreds and hundreds of dresses, crib sets, rocking chairs, shoes, hair bows and the like. Only the ones that make me smile or coo or laugh make it here. And Aunt Bucky? She makes me smile.

If their website is to be believed (and I certainly have no reason to disbelieve), Aunt Bucky is actually a partnership between two sisters. And they make wonderfully vibrant and fun crib bedding, pillows and dresses. The fabrics are bright and retro and modern (is that an oxymoron?) and interesting and smile-inducing.

Check it:

All available at Aunt Bucky’s online shop. Have fun!

Tea Collection’s spring line is inspired by South America – Brazil, in particular. The fruits of this inspiration are delicious!

I adore this dress – it is so simple and bright and modern. But still perfect for a little girl who is not trying too hard to be a big girl yet.

And this polo is a sophisticated and fun retro print – but cheeky enough for a spunky little boy.

The dress is $75. And the shirt is $35. Both at Tea Collection Children's Clothing.