Okay, there are just some days that, more so than others, have me feeling like I am a complete and total mess. A walking disaster of epic proportions. This is one of those days. Because I can’t find my camera. And I am seriously bummed. It’s gone. Vanished. All I can muster up is the thought that I somehow, unknowingly, tossed it out with the trash. It was rather small. But it took the most fantastic pictures. And so it hurts even more, because this is a day that I really need to post some pictures of my girls in their Peacock Republic outfits.

Erin is someone whom I refer to as my “surreal” friend. We don’t actually know each other, well, not in person. We’ve emailed back and forth for quite a while, though. And she has a shop called Peacock Republic. A few months ago, I wrote about her fantastic line of organic soaps, how they’d be the perfect housewarming gift; a brilliant hostess gift, remember? Well, she mentioned to me not that long ago that she was branching out into children’s clothing. And so I knew, judging by the design of her website and her gorgeous soap packaging, that the clothing was going to be amazing.

I was so right. She has fantastic taste and a great eye. Everything in the petite boutique is spot on. Just exactly what I would dress my kids in. In fact, I was dressing my kids in it – before I even knew it was Peacock Republic’s own line. Over the summer, I found an adorable top, the Burton Indigo Shirt, for Coco that she’s been getting a lot of wear out of. So you can imagine the giggle that Erin and I had over that coincidence. What are the odds? That I, unbeknownst to either of us, already owned something from her line? And that it happens to be one of our favorites?

The clothing is handmade, mostly from up-cycled fabrics, which is very cool. We have several pieces from the line, and they are just so chic on the little ones. I love Coco in the Hendley Denim Cuff Pant – an adorable alternative to the more traditional blue jeans. The oversized cuff detail on the bottom hem is my favorite. I love interesting and unique clothing, for grown-ups and kids, and the Peacock Republic line is just that. Very sharp, very stylish but not in a trendy or cutesy way. The quality is great, the items are washed over and over during the course of a week in our home, and they are soft and just as vibrant as ever.

The line is growing, so keep checking back. I’ve seen other pieces that are not up on the site just yet, and I mean it when I say, “wish they made that in my size.”

I love supporting small businesses. And I am fanatical about handmade. And there seems to be a huge trend these days, moving back to the fine art of crafting. Knitting. Sewing. I love that. It makes me think of days long gone by. The little poodle blanket that my daughter’s wrap their dolls up in that was crocheted by my aunt Pinoli when I was just days old. Or the little hand-knit rugs in Pea’s dollhouse with the “lovingly made by Aunt Gertrude” tags sewn on the undersides. Or the wooden wagon that has “reach for a star” etched along the side that the girls drag around with them, loaded up with dolls, that my husband’s grandfather handcrafted for him when he was barely one-year old. We still have those things. We use them, we care for them and then we will pass them along. It’s old-fashioned, it’s tradition, it’s memories and it makes me feel good knowing that long after we’re gone, there will be little bits of us, of our lives, that remain: a baby sweater, a wooden toy; something too special to just toss out with the year-end donations.

And so, I love the idea that Peacock Republic, with such a passion for dressing little kids, is lovingly designing patterns and thoughtfully choosing fabrics and then bringing it all together. By hand. I have such an appreciation for that gift, and it makes me feel good when I look at my girls in their adorable little outfits and think about the path that the blue jeans or the shirt took to get to our home. And I know that long after Pea and Coco have outgrown these things, my friend’s baby girl will be wearing them. And when she outgrows those things, her mom will pass them along to another friend with a little girl. It’s a nice path for a special item of clothing to walk. There’s really something to be said for handmade, for well-made. It stands the test of time. And honestly, now, more than ever, that is so important.

Buy handmade, support real people making really beautiful things. It’s good for everyone. It’s good for everything.