Thursday, May 13, 2010

Dragonfly Wands



We are enjoying the famous California sunshine here while we make our silk dragonfly wands. First, we dye the stuffed dragonflies in our own recipe of non-toxic turquoise dye. Then after they air dry, we spray them with emerald green to create their spots. The dragonflies are then attached to the wooden wand with a satin ribbon and ready to fly! They are perfect for flying through the sunlit spring days.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Happy Easter!



Here are some of the fun things we are up to for Easter. We've made a Nature Table, complete with fresh lilac branches, wooden bunnies, washi eggs, and of course, silks! And while we were dying our Easter eggs, we used the same food-safe dye to color some silk animals!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

What DO All Those Toys Do When the Owners are Away?

According to Timeless Toys in Chicago, it looks like they have a lot of fun without us!

Check out their clever video on their website - Timeless Toys

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

National Mom and Pop Day!


By Jay Jay
In honor of National Mom and Pop Day yesterday, we here are celebrating all week. Sarah's Silks has been a proud Mom and Pop operation for 15 years now. Sarah and Mike are here with us everyday, running the business and collaborating to make the best products possible.

Here an interview with one of our retailers run by mom Tracy Coe. Hazelnut Kids is a great online resource for natural toys of all kinds. What I love about them is that they provide so much information about the companies they represent. We are proud to be part of their business. Read on to learn more about Tracy and Hazelnut Kids.

Sarah's Silks: It’s obvious that you put a lot of effort into your business, how do you juggle being a mom and entrepreneur? Any tips for other working moms or small business owners out there?
Tracy: Work/Family balance is always a challenge. Some days work wins and some days family demands more attention. The home office (the dungeon, my family calls it) is where it gets tricky. I can't walk by the computer without checking email and then I get sucked right in and forget I was supposed to be finding clean socks for the kids! I hate giving advice to anyone, but something I do constantly is remind myself that my children will only be young once and I will have plenty of time to work when they no longer want me around.

Sarah's Silks: How did you get into the toy business?
Tracy: By accident, like most things in my life. When I was pregnant with my second child I began to read a lot about natural parenting and becoming more aware of the dangers of most children's toys, especially plastic ones. I was introduced to a wonderful lady named Sheri who created Hazelnut Kids just for parents like me who were looking for toys made of natural materials like wood, wool, organic cotton, and of course, silk. I was a loyal customer for four years and an advocate of safe, natural toys. So when Sheri decided to move on to other things my phone rang and here I am!

Sarah's Silks: What is the mission or philosophy behind Hazelnut Kids?
Tracy: HazelnutKids.com provides a place for parents, grandparents, and friends to shop for beautiful, natural toys that are safe and feed the imagination of children. We are huge supporters of land conservation and donate 1% of all sales to local land conservancies as well as have one tree planted for each toy sold.

Sarah's Silks: At Sarah’s Silks, we believe in the importance and the magic of imaginative play. What other toys do you sell that really inspire open-ended play?
Tracy: The first toys to come to mind are the playkitchens and playfoods because my children have spent hours role playing with them. They pretend they are at the farmer's market, they take turns playing waiters and cooks in a restaurant, and we've been able to make some great math lessons playing market.
I have great memories of Sarah's Silk's also. Simple playsilks have been capes, skirts, a leg cast, you name it! And just yesterday, my daughter rediscovered her silk streamers and took them outside because it was a lovely day.

Sarah's Silks: I really love all the creative projects you have on your blog. Can you point us toward one project that you might take on for Easter?
Tracy: Not so much a project, but we love your idea of using a lime green playsilk instead of messy grass for the kids' Easter baskets. I'll be snagging two of them today before I head home.

Visit Tracy's website at Hazelnut Kids and her blog here.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Waldorf Philosophy at Home


By Jay Jay
The first time I walked into a Waldorf preschool classroom, I wanted to cry. Truly, when you step into one of the classes, you can see what a nuturing, warm environment it would be for your child. I wish that I had had that experience in my youth at schools! Please take a minute to read this blog interview with Sarah Baldwin at Bella Luna Toys. She very eloquently gives the reader a great overview of Waldorf early education as well as some excellent ideas for incorporating some of the best of these philosophies into your every day life. Even if your child doesn't attend a Waldorf school, we can all benefit from some of the thoughtful advice she has. Please check out the blog right here.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Fairy Skirts at Play


By Jay Jay
Our fairy skirts are one of the most popular items here at Sarah's Silks. I think it's a combination of the beautiful colors and soft, sumptuous silk that is so appealing to girls who love to dress up. A customer bought our skirts to use as a costume for the children's play. Here are a few pictures of the woodland fairies. Thank you, Dee Dee, for sending us these pictures! We love seeing the silks in play...

Dee Dee bought her skirts at Bella Luna Toys, please visit them for a wonderful selection of Waldorf-inspired and natural toys.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

A Good Ol' Stick...


By Jay Jay
The Stick! Is this the first toy ever? I think it is probably a close runner-up at least, the only competition I can think of being 'the rock'. I still play with sticks. You can poke, hit, draw, prod, and who knows what more with a simple stick. Sticks have been the walls of forts and fairy homes, the posts of leaf flags, the makings of a raft, swords and other dangerous weapons for probably as long as there have been humans. Now, this toy is finally being recognized! The National Toy Hall of Fame has inducted this ubiquitous little object. I think we can consider the stick as the first open-ended imaginative toy! What an inspiration for us...