The Bellini Buzz is a blog dedicated to all things baby. From nursery design and fashion, to motherly advice and celebrity babies we have it all. Our fabulous cast of contributors are hand picked industry insiders with all the latest scoop expecting parents and moms and dads will want to read about. Visit us for great sales, new product finds, important safety information and of course some inspirational design ideas. We’re so glad you stopped by!
The Buzz is brought to you by one of the most respected names in the baby business, Bellini Baby & Teen Furniture.
Contributors
Michelle Freedberg has been in the heart of the baby business for over 10 years. Owning her own Bellini store in Stamford, CT and high-end online baby boutique, the bean’s closet, Michelle has her finger on the pulse of what’s hot in the world of baby fashion, gear and nursery design. In her spare time (that’s definitely a joke). She is also one of the contributors on Project Nursery. Michelle is a family therapist in Bergen County, NJ, where she also resides. She is mom to her two little beans, Stella Chase and Nate Cooper and of course her ever-loyal soft coated Wheaton Terrier, Eloise.
Lyss Stern is the founder and president of Divalysscious Moms, www.divamoms.com the premier network and event company for the New York area’s well heeled and fabulous moms. She was recently tapped the editor-in-chief of The New York Observer’s new family publication, Observer Playground—the glossy, high-end parenting magazine that launched in September 2009 featuring Mary Louise Parker on its cover. Lyss is also the co-author of IF YOU GIVE A MOM A MARTINI….100 ways to find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself…supermodel and super mom Christie Brinkley wrote the foreword.
Nava Writz is an icon in the baby bedding and nursery accessory industry, offering clients the ultimate in luxurious, detailed and finely crafted baby bedding for over 25 years. Writz’s company, Nava’s Designs, is the gold standard in baby nursery design with a list of celebrity clients longer than the spools of finely woven fabric that line her Los Angeles warehouse.Nava’s Designs has numerous television and print media credits including Good Morning America, Child Magazine, People Magazine, In Touch Weekly, Southern Living Magazine, TLC’s Make Room for Multiples, ongoing appearances on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and most recently, Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Some of Nava’s celebrity clients through the years have included Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Sir Paul McCartney, The Obama Family, The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice, Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, Usher, Slash, Joan Lunden, Melanie Griffith, Richard Dreyfuss, Eddie Murphy and Bette Midler to name just a few.
Aiko Decelles began designing for dan dan in 2007 after her niece grew out of her “very favorite dress”. She left a career on Wall Street to pursue her passion for creativity in design. She traces her passion to her grandparents who designed kimono fabric and traditional dolls in Japan. She lives in New York City with her husband Dan.
Sam Simon is a NYC artist and designer. He creates beautiful murals
and paintings on canvas for homes, and businesses. As a child, Sam loved animated films, especially the fanciful background illustrations and how they transported the characters to magical places. Early in his career, Sam realized to achieve his dreams of being an artist and creator he would have to start something from the ground up. So that’s where he started – on the ground, or the sidewalks rather. Sam created larger than life chalk drawings on the fashionable shopping streets of Boston and handed out his number to anyone who would stop and talk. Lots of people did just that. Sam started to create beautiful murals and hand painted children’s rooms. Sam has built a wonderful following and his artwork has become a treasured part of many peoples’ homes. He currently lives in Manhattan with Tarzan his cat- they both like to listen to rock and roll music and hang out with friends on rooftops.
Patty Shaw has worked in baby retail and studied popular children’s fashion for years. For the past six years she has been the editor of Baby Chic 101 (www.babychic101.com), a baby blog dedicated to fashion, gear and the latest in what celebrity are buying got their babies.
Work In Progress, Inc. (www.chucksoldano.com) is the creation of Philadelphia-based interior designer Chuck Soldano. Chuck’s unique design vision and his outgoing personality make every project fun. Chuck is best described as an artist, consummate collector, and above all, possessing an innate design skill. His ability to bring style to even the smallest project makes him an invaluable resource to his clients.He has appeared as a designer on HGTV and his work has been featured in various design magazines. He recently designed the apartment and nursery for Bethenny Frankel and her new family and his design (and art) work can be seen weekly on “Bethenny Getting Married?”.
Christine Fox is Everyday Mama to two and a San Diego-based freelance writer. She loves everything that has to do with shopping and being the talk of the playgroup when she finds the perfect shirt and diaper bag. Her fashion philosophy is simple: that being a mom does not mean that you should sacrifice style. You can be a mom and stylish! When she’s not shopping or writing about shopping, she can be found playing with her two kids at the park. Her favorite stores are Target, Nordstrom and Anthropologie but when it comes to finding the perfect pair of jeans, no store is off limits. Currently she is a style contributor for StyleBakeryMom.com and has her own daily blog at EverydayMama.com. For more mom finds, you can also follow her on Twitter @Everydaymama and @Stylebakerymom.
Lynette Damir, RN, Lynette founded SwaddleDesigns in 2002 after visiting families with new babies in their homes and she noticed they struggled with swaddling for two reasons. First the blankets they were using were too small or too thick, and second, they could not remember how to make a good, secure swaddle. The parents consistently asked her to show them how to swaddle. Lynette used her medical background and design education from the Art Institute of Seattle to develop the award winning Ultimate Receiving Blanket® – large and square with swaddling instructions sewn to the edge of the blanket so parents have an effective technique at their finger tips. Lynette believes it is very important for parents to have accurate, evidence-based scientific information for their decision making processes. Lynette strives to design with baby’s best interest in mind and with parents’ style at heart. She believes the things you use everyday should be beautiful and enjoyable as well as functional. Lynette is a featured entrepreneur of the 2009 Inc 500. She speaks at educator and entrepreneurial conferences and was featured on the Emmy award winning informative show, The Doctors. SwaddleDesigns is focused on stylish, innovative and quality baby products that help new parents comfort and care for their baby. Over the past several years, she has expanded the SwaddleDesigns product line to include the award-winning Marquisette Swaddling Blanket® and zzZipMe Sack™ wearable blanket, Baby Lovie® security blanket, hooded towels, and many attractive layette essentials. Lynette lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and two young children. Please visit Swaddle Designs.
Deborah Acquino has worked for over 10 years designing and creating products in the children’s décor industry for other companies. Being an artist and designer, she had always dreamt of pursuing her passion and creating a company of her own. She started her company, LotAspots, three years ago and introduced her products on Etsy, a site which connects unique artists with buyers. Etsy has changed the way buyers find new and exciting handmade products online. Before she knew it, Deborah’s line was sought out by moms who recognized a need for a new style of items personalized just for themselves and their children. The name of her Etsy store came from her desire to turn LotAspots into a family business and include her two daughters Candice and Katie, who continue to inspire her every day. From a young age Deborah always had a knack for coordinating and combining colors, patterns and designs. She really enjoys staying in the loop of new companies and designers in the business. Her products reflect her passion for keeping up with the latest trends in children’s décor and applying her personalized talent to meet her client’s needs.
She has been featured on numerous blogs and her line of products can be found in stores throughout the country and Dubai. Follow Deborah on Facebook , Twitter and her blog as well. Deborah has 3 children and currently resides outside of Charleston, S.C. with her husband Chris and her 2 dogs, Simon and Skippy.
Andrea Totten, designer of furniture, bedding and upholstery for nursery, children and teen rooms made her debut 39 years ago. Totten founded Rags to Riches/Sweetpea of California in 1971 manufacturing custom bedding. She produced a few quilts, bought a booth at the Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena and the dream was born. That initial investment grew into a large factory with up to 50 employees after adding upholstery and hand painted furniture divisions. All designs and styling had the Totten Touch.A year ago Totten decided to sell her business to her vice president and retire. But after a few days realized this lifestyle was not for her, not yet anyway. Re-inventing herself and using the skills and experience from many years in the industry, Totten is pleased to announce she is available for in-home or in-store designing of nurseries and children’s rooms. “Creating a nursery for that most wonderful new addition to a family is still a thrill for me. The furnishings become a part of a family’s heirlooms to be saved and handed down to future generations,” she adds. “We have designed nurseries for Moms and Dads who themselves started life with a Sweetpea quilt!”Now a proud grandmother of an 8 year old, she spends much of her spare time with her grandson, Max. It’s the best!
