High Notes

Before we had the Mini Maven, we couldn't understand why anyone would splurge on fancy skin-care products for babies.

We all used Johnson & Johnson, and we turned out OK. And our Aveeno baby wash and lotion seem to be doing the trick.

But before MM's arrival, our friend gave us the Piccolo baby oil and powder from Portland's 2 Note Perfumery. Not only was it gorgeously packaged (in amber bottles to preserve the fragrance), the delicate scent — lavender and mandarin — was to die for. The products were so beautiful, we were almost afraid to use them, but the oil was perfect for a baby massage.

Musicians Carolyn Mix and Darcy Donager started 2 Note in 2006 — the name plays off the fact that both fragrance and music are measured in notes — and they craft everything by hand, using essential oils and natural ingredients, in small batches. With names such names as Vocalise, Canto and Duet (described as an aphrodisiac in a bottle), their offerings for grownups are equally impressive.
Their products have garnered national press, including mentions in Lucky and NYMag.com.

And after using the Piccolo baby oil on the tiny maven, we can understand why. These are some of the best compositions we've ever heard. We mean, smelled.

For more information about 2 Note Perfumery, click here.

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It's the Balm

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right?

Well, when life handed Lee Bodmer lemons (and beeswax), she made beauty products.

Her mom, Helen, was diagnosed with dementia, and Bodmer was consumed by worry. One stressed-out day, Bodmer was hanging out at home when she noticed a jar of natural beeswax that someone had given her. To distract herself, she whipped up a batch of lip balm.

"Life hands you little nuggets when you need them most and it's up to us to be present enough in the moment to recognize those gifts," says Bodmer, who lives in Gardiner.

Inspired by her mom's entrepreneurial spirit (Bodmer's brother now runs Helen's business), she has since turned this much-needed diversion into a business, Lulu's Garden. And these aren't your average minty-fresh lip slicks. Bodmer has been blending essential oils for years as natural remedies for her family, and she soon started whipping up dual-purpose balms. Sure, there are some that just taste good — like the chocolate mint and the grapefruit peppermint. But there are others that promise to avenge PMS, ease stress, beat the winter blues and bring you to your happy place.

Now that's what we call balm for the soul (and the lips, and the hands)...


For more information or to order, visit www.inlulusgarden.com or shop at Bodmer's Etsy shop.

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Lip Service

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but lipstick is — at the very least — a girl's good buddy.

Ladies, if you're anything like The Maven, you have dozens of glosses, balms and sticks hanging around the bottom of your purses, hiding in the pockets of your coats and melting in the glove box of your car. We get it. You can never have too many.

So when we saw the new lip shimmers from Mad Gab's of Westbrook, we needed to have them immediately. We're wild about Gabriella Melchionda's line of all-natural body-care products anyway (the Moose Smooch lip balm works like a charm, and when the weather gets cold and dry, nothing fixes cracked hands like the shea butter Lobster Balm). Melchionda started making lip balm in her mother's kitchen in 1991, when she was a student at the University of Massachusetts, "studying anthropology and flunking math," as she says. Today, her products are sold all over the U.S., Canada, Japan and United Kingdom, and the lip shimmers — made with a soothing blend of mango butter, shea butter and olive oil — are sure to be her latest success story.

Yes, they bear a striking resemblance to Burt's Bees lip shimmers, but having used both, we must say, the Mad Gab's are better. They go on smoother, they have just the right balance of tint and shimmer, and the colors complement any skin tone. We tried all three — a ballet pink (Monkey Shimmer), a deep plum (Moose Shimmer) and a medium rose (Bear Shimmer) — and love them all. Suffice it to say, one's already picking up lint at the bottom of The Maven's Angela Adams tote.

They're only $5, which means you can buy them all and still have money left over to splurge — perhaps on some diamonds? Or maybe on a girl's other best friend: shoes.

To order Mad Gab's lip shimmers or for a list of retailers, visit www.madgabs.com.

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Green Day

Ah, Earth Day. A time when men and women ride around the University of Maine campus (our alma mater and workplace) on bicycles, naked, bodies painted green, all for a good cause. We admire their commitment to the environment, because we're pretty sure it's ridiculously uncomfortable to ride a bike au naturel.

Here at The Maven, we're not going to do anything that extreme. For starters, nobody wants to see a seven-months-pregnant woman on a bicycle with clothes on, let alone body paint. And frankly, it's still a little cold up here for all that. But we can offer this: a roundup of some of our favorite "green" producers and products from Maine. There are way too many to list, so post a comment below with your favorites, too.

They're way more fun than riding a bike naked. At least, that's what we've heard...

Lisa Bess
This Portland-based jewelry designer doesn't solely use recycled materials, but when she does, the results are stunning. We should know, because we own about a million pieces she's made — everything from bottlecap necklaces to vintage-button earrings to bracelets made out of plumbing parts. And her stuff just couldn't be cuter. Click here to read more about her badge holders. Otherwise, visit her website.

Jessi Sader
Jessi is a local favorite — her designs are both amazing and wearable, and her whole foray into fashion design started with recycling. Today, she does custom dresses, vests and accessories made from vintage textiles, including century-old lace. Very cool. www.fxdressed.com

Love Bottles
We HATE drinking from plastic, and when our metal water bottles are in the dishwasher, we resort to toting around Mason jars full of water or iced coffee like hippies. There's a better way: Love Bottles, a stylish glass alternative to Nalgenes and Siggs, available for under $20 at The Cherished Home in Belfast. Read more here.

Quench Metalworks
If The Maven had a little extra money, she'd treat herself to a vintage button ring from Quench Metalworks, based in South China. Jeweler Jennifer Atkins Lisa has a way of turning something old into something fresh, new and absolutely gorgeous. The ultimate in upcycling. Learn more at the Quench website.

Meredith Alex/MadGirlWorld
In the world of eco-fashion, Meredith Alex is a superhero: MadGirl, to be exact. In her Portland studio, she creates sustainable new clothes under the SuperG line (the G spot thong is hilarious) and re-envisions older clothing. The results are fabulous. Down East named Meredith its eco-green wedding dress designer of the year in 2009, and with good reason.www.madgirlworld.com

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Rock-a-bye Baby

Pregnancy is a humbling experience. For starters, you have to excuse yourself to go to the bathroom every five minutes, which is awesome in the middle of a business meeting. After three or so months — the puffy times — people don't realize you're with child, they think you're with cheeseburger. And by the third trimester, you lose the ability to bend over and tie your shoes.

All of this is a little embarrassing, but the truly mind-bending thing about preparing for your first child — aside from the amazing fact that you've got a little person growing inside you — is that you have no idea what the hell you're doing. This will become exponentially more pressing once the little guy arrives, but for now, that translates as complete confusion while shopping. Given that The Maven wrote a shopping column for 10 years, this is especially disturbing.

Here at The Maven, we go into stores loaded with cribs and strollers and our eyes glaze over. There are too many choices, and they all seem wrong: do we get the super-deluxe car seat with the air-cushion padding or the basic model that's allegedly just as safe? Convertible crib or standard? Jogging stroller or old-school pram?

This is going to sound bizarre, since it's really not as big of a deal as, say, a stroller, but the thing we've had the hardest time choosing is a bassinet. With all of the lights, music and vibration, some of them seem like overkill. Others — like a Moses basket — seem a little too minimalist (baby in a basket? Really?). And then there are days that we don't think we need one at all.

But the Castine Cradle from Penobscot Bay Porch Swings might change our mind. We're pretty sure this isn't intended to replace, say, a Co-Sleeper. But it's a brilliant idea, nonetheless. The Brunswick-based company makes gorgeous swings from weather-resistant Sunbrella fabric. The grownup versions are inspired by the vintage canvas swings that were popular in Maine summer homes at the turn of the last century. For our summer baby, the miniature version — sort of like a structured hammock — might be just the thing.

It is designed to gently rock the baby, comes with a hardwood base and is completely portable for on-the-go parents. Plus, it's as cute as a button — just like the little guy is going to be.

We'd give you more information, but we've gotta run to the bathroom. Find out more online at Penobscot Bay Porch Swings.

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Love Bites

We're getting way ahead of ourselves here — the little guy still has four months left on his belly lease. And while we're not looking forward to teething, per se, we are looking forward to teething biscuits. Since her seven-years-younger sister was a toddler, The Maven has always had a soft spot for Zwieback Toast, but Belle's Biscuits promise to be even better.

They're the brainchild of Maine mom Sara Closson and her pharmacist husband, Andrew, who were tearing their hair out when their baby girl, Annabelle, became a teething terror. None of the conventional teething products took the edge off. Then mom and dad started making their own treats using simple ingredients, flavored with vanilla, Maine blueberries and maple syrup. The result? A happy mouth.

Because allergies run in the family, the Clossons' creation is dairy- soy- and wheat-free, and the maple syrup option is gluten-free, as well. And though they're a little too hard to call cookies, they're tasty enough for moms and dads to eat, as well.

They're just the thing when you want to take a bite out of crying.

Belle's Biscuits are available at www.bellesbiscuits.com. Maine Maven readers can take 15 percent off their order by typing in "BELLES15" at checkout.

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It's In The Cards

Roses are red, violets are blue, most Valentines are lame, what's a hipster to do?

Buy a card made by a Maine artist, of course. Here are a few that we totally heart:

Pinecone + Chickadee's silkscreened cards make us swoon. Husband and wife team Noah DeFelippis and Amy Teh design them, along with T-shirts and other too-cute goodies, in their Portland studio.
pineconeandchickadee.com

Your love is huge. So is the sentiment behind this adorable card from artist Andy West of Daytrip Society, a hip little shop in Kennebunkport. daytripsociety.com

Have a secret crush? Let her know — in no uncertain terms — with this card from Lisa Schilitz of Love Dog Card Co. in Lincolnville. If your heart was recently broken, the "Skelly heart" may be the way to go. Visit Love Dog's Etsy store.

Interested in a little monkey business? Try one of these from Sock Monkey Card Co. based in Cape Elizabeth. Check out the whole line on Etsy.

Susan Delsandro Hellier brings a childlike whimsy to her art, and this big-hearted Valentine is no exception. See it and the rest of her work on the Zaz and Moe Web site.

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Maine-Made Gift Guide: A Beautiful Partnership

Remember those Reese's Peanut Butter Cups ads with the slogan "two great tastes that taste great together"?

We've found the Maine-made equivalent, and we're not talking candy, though it's pretty sweet. At the very tip-top of The Maven's Christmas list is the Recycled Sail Collection bag by Angela Adams and Sea Bags.

This bag is truly a thing of beauty, combining Angela Adams' organic geometric designs with Sea Bags' gorgeous recycled-sail fabrication and hand-spliced rope handles.

Regular readers of this blog know that The Maven is a little obsessed with Angela Adams bags. And by "a little obsessed," we mean that Jason built a display rack for The Maven's collection in the foyer. Part of his motivation was the fact he wanted the bags to disappear from our kitchen counters. But really,  they're pretty enough to be hung like art.

This collaboration between two of our favorite Maine designers, however, deserves its own place: in a box, under the tree.

It's a match made in heaven. Or Portland, as the case may be.

For more information or to order, click here.

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Maine-Made Gift Guide: The Maine Lobster Kit

A few months ago, we were sitting around The Maven's sister's kitchen, waiting for a giant pot of lobsters to finish steaming.

Said sister and her husband had just moved in, and we were ready to raise a toast to their new home and their recent marriage. Everything was super-festive. But when we went to set the table, it was clear that we had at least one reason not to celebrate: they didn't have any lobster crackers.

Having no clue whether or not the lobsters were hard shell or soft shell, we set off to the nearest supermarket, a Shaw's that is bigger than some small towns in Maine. At this Shaw's, you can buy exotic orchids, decorative home goods and underwear. Yes, underwear. About the only thing the store doesn't carry is lobster crackers and picks. Awesome.

Everything turned out all right — messy, but tasty.

But when we saw this Maine Lobster Kit from Daytrip Society in Kennebunkport, we couldn't help but think it was the perfect gift for the newlyweds. This adorable wood-burned box holds four crackers and four sets of picks — enough to go around.

But the story gets even better. These kits are created by the Nezinscot Guild in Turner, which provides employment to area residents with developmental disabilities. Founded in 1979, Nezinscot Guild started by providing services to local wood turning mills. Soon, Nezinscot Guild found a niche creating quality wooden crates for Maine's specialty food industry.

This lovely little kit is claws, we mean, cause, for celebration. In more ways than one.

The Maine Lobster Kit is available at Daytrip Society or directly through Nezinscot Guild.

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Maine-Made Gift Guide: Quench Metalworks Jewelry

Editor's note: Want to win an L.L. Bean gift card? Click here for contest details.

It's an occupational hazard. Every once in a while, The Maven stumbles across something so cool, so lovely, she simply must have it. Immediately.

That's what happened the other day, when we came across some rings by Quench Metalworks at the Center for Maine Craft in Gardiner. Unfortunately, Ms. Maven has a no-gifts-for-self policy this time of year, but that doesn't stop the longing.

Jeweler Jennifer Atkins Lisa of South China creates gorgeous, sculptural pieces from precious metals and unusual findings. Our favorite, hands down, are Lisa's rings, in which vintage buttons — some colorful, some understated — are bezel-set like gems in silver. They're gorgeous, eye-catching and unique. Even better, they're very affordable — Lisa's jewelry, in general, starts around $40 and usually doesn't top $100.

Guess what we're buying with our Christmas money...

Quench Metalworks jewelry is available at the Center for Maine Craft in Gardiner, Roots & Tendrils in Belfast or through Lisa's Etsy store.

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Maine-Made Gift Guide: Portia Clark Freshwater Pearls

Editor's note: On Wednesday, Dec. 9, we'll reveal details of our L.L. Bean gift card giveaway — just in time for some last-minute shopping.

There are pearls (yawn) and then there are pearls.

Portia Clark, an assistant-fashion-editor-turned-designer who calls Portland home, creates the latter. It's her goal to make pearl jewelry that's decidedly un-stuffy and her freshwater pearls are, well, fresh.

She starts with nubby, funky pearls (rather than the smooth, perfectly round kind) and strings them on colorful silk thread or precious metal wire. The result is unique but still classic — wearable yet distinctive. We're particularly fond of the chocolate brown coin pearl necklace and the dangly cluster earrings. And we're not alone. Maine fashion queen Margaret Logan is a fan, as are Katie Couric and a handful of magazine editors.

Check out her Web site — we promise you'll be anything but bored.

Portia Clark jewelry is available at Helene M. in Portland (where Portia will have a trunk sale on Saturday) and Josephine in Camden.

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Maine-Made Gift Guide: Mia Kanazawa Puppets

Some of your friends are into felting, and when you see what they've made, you're like, WTF? Is it a potholder? Maybe a coaster? Perhaps a really small, completely disproportionate tea cozy?

When Mia Kanazawa of Harborside gets her hands on a little wool and some soapy water, the result is both whimsical and refined. Kanazawa was trained as a modern dancer, and she carries that sense of motion and grace to her handiwork.

For decades, she has collaborated with designers to create oversize puppets for such dance companies as Urban Bush Women, David Rousseve and Meredith Monk, along with HBO and Ben & Jerry’s. That's creativity on a giant scale. For the holidays, we have our eyes on something smaller, but no less impressive: Kanazawa's amazing hand and finger puppets.

We're partial to the monkey hand puppet and the pepper finger puppets, but let your imagination run wild. Mia Kanazawa does — and her felted puppets are absolutely adorable. Besides, you'll never mistake them for a tea cozy.

Mia Kanazawa puppets are available at Eli Phant in Portland and Aarhus Gallery in Belfast. For more information about Kanazawa and her work, visit her Web site.

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Maine-Made Gift Guide 2009: Holiday Cards

Editor's note: Our shopping has already begun, and we're guessing yours has, too. To help make things a little easier, we'll feature a Maine product each day in our holiday gift guide through Dec. 24 (and we're talking all holidays, kids). If you have any suggestions for local favorites, please post a comment or e-mail us at kristen@mainemaven.com.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and every year, we intend to send holiday cards. We've photographed our dogs in various stages of Christmasy cuteness. We've had custom photo cards printed up. We've even drawn little illustrations of our animals hanging out by the tree. But for whatever reason (procrastination, overambition, too little time), we never send them.

Maybe if we bought some of these, we would. Here's a round-up of our favorites for 2009. They're so good, nobody will mind if they arrive on Dec. 26. Or sometime in January.

• Margaret's Cards: The artist Margaret Fellows White of Verona Island trained with Frank Hamabe (and it shows). Though she passed away in 2002, her legacy lives on in this line of greeting cards created by Rebecca Berry of Berry Marketing Solutions in Bucksport. Though there's nothing particularly seasonal about them, coastal Mainers will love them, and the palette is red and green enough to get by. Click here to learn more and order.

• Pinecone + Chickadee cards: Sometimes, the holidays call for a cup — or five — of cheer. These great silkscreened cards from Pinecone + Chickadee of Portland, designed by husband-and-wife team Noah DeFilippis and Amy Teh, tell it like it is. Click here to order or for more information.

• Fern House Studio cards: These playful holiday cards by artist Christina Heiniger of Lamoine have been our favorites for a few years now. They remind us of Matisse and candy, all rolled into one. In other words, they're artsy and sweet. Click here to order or for more information.

• Love Dog Card Company: If you like Anne Taintor's vintage look and biting humor, you'll ADORE these fabulous cards designed by Liza Schilitz of Lincolnville. We love, love, love Love Dog. Click here to order or for more information.

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Maine Maven Gift Guide: Ferdinand

Editor's note: Our shopping has already begun, and we're guessing yours has, too. To help make things a little easier, we'll feature a Maine product each day in our holiday gift guide through Dec. 24 (and we're talking all holidays, kids). If you have any suggestions for local favorites, please post a comment or e-mail us at kristen@mainemaven.com.


Regular readers of this site know that we're wild about Ferdinand, the Portland-based shop owned by craftmaster Diane Toepfer. Her squirrel-playing-drums T-shirts are iconic. Her letterpress cards, which feature such phrases as, "WTF," "So f-----g PROUD of you" and "I love my baby mama" blow Hallmark out of the water.


But what we're really digging right now are her buttons — you know, the kind of buttons that you used to pile on to your jean jacket back in the day. The other day, we picked up a "Maine, I Love You" button at Roots and Tendrils in Belfast and immediately pinned it on an Angela bag. It couldn't be cooler. Nor could her "Awesome," and "friggin' love you" pins.

They're the perfect stocking stuffer for the hipster (or angsty teenager) on your list, and at 80 cents to a dollar each, they won't leave you saying, "WTF?"

Ferdinand is located at 243 Congress St. in Portland. To order online, visit www.ferdinandhomestore.com.

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Maine Maven Gift Guide: Long Winter Farm

Editor's note: Our shopping has already begun, and we're guessing yours has, too. To help make things a little easier, we'll feature a Maine product each day in our holiday gift guide through Dec. 24 (and we're talking all holidays, kids). If you have any suggestions for local favorites, please post a comment or e-mail us at kristen@mainemaven.com.

Mom (or was it Emily Post?) always said not to give someone a gift that suggests they need help: (i.e. a case of mouthwash for your Uncle Sal, whose breath could kill small children; an electrolysis gift certificate for your cousin Jenny, who has more scruff than McDreamy). But somehow, soap doesn't fall into that category.

Thank God for that. Because Long Winter Farm's soaps and personal care products are among the most gift-worthy we've seen. Amanda Nolan, "yurt-dwelling, soap-making mother of two," makes her entire line by hand in Alna (a tiny town in midcoast Maine), and they're absolutely scrumptious. And so is the spare, elegant packaging.

Long Winter Farm's Vanilla Chai Latte cold-process goat's milk soaps look good enough to eat. The super-smooth lip balms come in flavors such as champagne, pomegranate, pumpkin cheesecake or loganberry. LWF's hand and body cream, which moisturizes without irritation or greasiness, is heavenly — who wouldn't want to walk around smooth and smelling like blackberries and sage, lavender vanilla or blueberry tarragon?

Clearly, not your stinky aunt Lola. But to heck with her. Buy some for yourself.

Long Winter Farm products are available on Etsy. For more information, visit Amanda Nolan's highly entertaining blog.

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Game On

And now, for something totally random...

We were poking around on Etsy this morning, looking for a little Halloween inspiration, when we discovered this little gem: a handmade vampires vs. mummies checkerboard. Then we saw the zombies vs. townspeople version and we were hooked — The Maven is a closet video game addict, and she enjoys anything that involves shooting zombies, especially the "Resident Evil" series.
 

Designed by Bonnie Thomas, a Kennebunk-based author and therapist who likes to incorporate art into her work with children, they feature handpainted wooden "checkers" on a recycled wood board. And if checkers aren't your thing, try Bonnie's place card holders — choose from skeletons or ninjas and zombies.

They're just the thing for Halloween parties. And unlike "Resident Evil," these handmade wooden treasures are so cute, it's scary. 

To visit Bonnie Thomas' Etsy store, P's and Q's, click here.

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Quoddy Trail Moccasins

The gals from Sex and the City can have their Manolos and their Louboutins. We’re sticking to Quoddy Trail Moccasins, and we’re in good — and stylish — company. Supermodel and frequent Vogue cover girl Daria Werbowy discovered them on a trip to Maine and became a convert, they’ve graced the feet of Camilla Staerk’s models during Fashion Week, and they’re a favorite of GQ’s Sartorialist. We can see why. They’re super-comfortable, incredibly well made and gorgeously handcrafted in the Washington County town of Perry and a handsewing factory in Lewiston. Far from Fifth Avenue — and far from ordinary.

www.quoddy.com

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Sea Bags

Want to stand out in a sea of overdone Coach bags and Louis Vuitton knockoffs? Hannah Kubiak and Beth Shissler can help. Kubiak started creating totes out of recycled sails and hand-spliced rope a few years back, and when they took off, Shissler, a biz wiz, came aboard. The bags are gorgeous — one-of-a-kind, with loads character — and they've been featured in such publications as Vogue, Lucky and Elle. Come sail away...

www.seabags.com

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Naturally Bee-Ewe-Tiful

The Maven has dealt with dry skin and cracked cuticles for years, and despite trying almost every product on the market, she couldn't find a hand cream that worked — until she discovered Naturally Bee-Ewe-Tiful's Natural Baby Bum Balm. Handmade in Houlton by Sandra Hare-Estabrook, this thick, luxurious cream absorbs instantly and will leave your skin soft as a baby's bottom.

www.naturallybee-ewe-tiful.com

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Black Dinah Chocolate

There must be something about Maine islands — the dramatic cliffs that plunge into the ocean, perhaps, or maybe the isolation — that makes them a hotbed of creativity. Black Dinah Chocolatiers of Isle Au Haut is no exception. Here, Kate and Steve Shaffer create artisanal chocolates that look and taste like tiny works of art. We recommend the lavender or Earl Grey truffles and the salted caramels, but really, you can't go wrong with anything you order.

blackdinahchocolatiers.com

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