Spotlight on Rockabye Baby

Emma Parkes-McQueen, designer and founder of children's wear line Rockabye Baby has a background as an art director, working in London and Amsterdam for 8 years. Emma worked on everything from New Product Development, Direct Mail, Marketing and Advertising before deciding to do something that she could manage around her little girl, Scarlet. Emma found that although she was working in a creative industry the work was very uncreative and hated not having the satisfaction of making something.

Mum Dad Tatoo Rompers

Emma says, "I think being creative is a really basic instinct that we all have, for example, the joy in a child's face when they bring home a toilet roll tube and cornflake box robot and can say ' I made that' is an emotion that all of us feel but most of us grow out of as adults".

the face of Rockabye Baby

Emma's daughter Scarlet, now almost 5 years old, has been her muse and her model, she set up Rockabye Baby when her little girl was only 10 months old and she has become the face of Rockabye Baby. Emma has kept it real with all of Scarlet's friends being photographed in the fashion shots for the website and catalogues and as she has grown, so too has Rockabye. Even more so now with the recent arrival of Scarlet's little brother Frederick Elvis McQueen, aged 13 weeks and no doubt a future (super cute) face of Rockabye Baby.

pop beads dresses (also available as tees)

All of Emma's clothing come in a free 10" record sleeve - cool huh?

Tie & sunglasses dresses (also available as tees)

In the last 4 years Emma has been busy selling Rockabye within the UK, Dubai, the USA, Scandanavia, all over Europe and even to Harrods.

pop drum and guitar tees

Rockabye Baby Accessories

Emma played a big part in bringing us 'More than a Mama's' together and all this after only having lived in Berkhamsted for a year and a half, looking after her business and juggling her 4 year old and new born baby. Emma says, " The thing I love about living here is the sense of community - you definitely know your neighbours here and people help each other out. Most of us, if not all of us, were working before we had children and although we love being mums we still have the passion and drive to do something else. We stop to speak to each other on the High Street and conversations turn into things. We look after each others kids to get work done and are generally there to bounce ideas off and share skills. Admittedly juggling is hard. Maybe we were born to work as well as bring up kids - or the idea that someday we will have businesses that we can leave to our kids or get them involved in when they are teenagers. But this close network really helps, I'm not sure I would have met so many talented people living in London. Not that they aren't talented people, just that people don't speak to each other as much as they do here."

this kid rocks tee

Emma's clothes are all 100% luxury cotton, with non PVC inks and 'sweatshop' free. Be inspired not to give into mainstream cute, Rockabye Baby clothing is perfect for a little star you know so come and visit Emma's stall at the Bumps, Babes & Beyond Fayre at the Town Hall this Friday, 12th June, from 9.30am until midday.

Love from

MTAM

x

Spotlight on Sharon Herholdt - VIE at home consultant

Sharon Herholdt is our resident beauty therapist, she lives in Berkhamsted with her husband Jason and their two boys, aged 5 and nearly 2.

Sharon has been working from home as a beauty therapist since having her lovely boys, but she previously had her own Hertfordshire salon, and in December last year she was invited to her first Virgin Vie at home party. At the party she thought… "wow these products are amazing" and had a really fun evening. Sharon came away thinking this is something she could do.

Capsule Colour Collection and Sunshine Nail (set of 3)

Sharon became a Vie consultant in January of this year and hasn’t looked back. With 25 years experience as a beauty therapist and being passionate about great products with good natural ingredients at very reasonable prices, Virgin Vie was perfect for her.

Supershine Lip Gloss and Watercolour Eyes

Sharon says, "I am very excited to be offering mini pamper treatments on 12th June at our fayre and to offering everyone an opportunity to try some of our award winning products. I truly do feel we have it all!".

View the A-Z of skin care catalogue online here.

Come and visit Sharon at the fayre for a consultation, try out the products, have a mini pamper treatment (subject to availability), book a Vie at home party or find out about becoming a consultant yourself.

This week is our countdown to the fayre THIS friday. Us mamas are very excited and are looking forward to seeing you there! Look out for us along the High Street this week with our flyers and raffle tickets (proceeds go to the Pepper Foundation).

Love
MTAM
x

Spotlight on Coup de Chocolat

Who doesn't like chocolates? Well that's what Olivia Bertham, founder of Coup de Chocolat, thought when trying to decide on a suitable home based business. Olivia's background is as a corporate responsibility consultant working for a large professional services firm in London and providing consulting services to FTSE100 companies. She's since swapped the corporate world for time with her two children, aged 1 and 3, and the challenges of running her own business as a chocolatier, whilst also being a busy mum.

Olivia applies the basic culinary rule of good quality ingredients to her chocolates, which sets these aside from many other chocolates you may have tasted. She only uses Fair trade organic chocolate and the highest quality cream and butter wherever possible. She also chooses local ingredients where available and her impact on the environment is carefully considered, only using compostable packaging and wind energy in the production of her delicious chocolates.


A selection of Coup de Chocolat delights

Olivia makes a range of fresh cream chocolates including 'Atlantic salted caramels', 'dark chocolate ganache double dipped in white chocolate and cognac'. Other unique flavour combinations include 'white chocolate, lemon, apple and pecan and roasted macadamia dipped in milk chocolate and toasted coconut'.

Olivia's chocolates are freshly made to order and they make ideal gifts and treats for all occasions and celebrations. Fantastic for a choccie loving daddy on father's day. They are also great for weddings and celebration dinners, birthday parties and many other events. Labels can be personalised with a guest's name or even a birthday message for large enough orders.

Of combining her home-run business with two small children Olivia says, ''Thanks to the child proof locks, the children are still completely unaware of the chocolate delights hiding away in the kitchen cupboards, although chocolate was one of the first words from my youngest.''

Come and meet Olivia and the other mumpreneurs at Berkhamsted Town Hall on Friday 12th June from 9.30am till midday. You can even try some chocolate tasters, how could anyone resist?.

Love from
MTAM
xx

Spotlight on the Mamas - Stealing Candy

To give you a taste of what to expect at the Bumps, Babes & Beyond Fayre we will be spotlighting all the members of More Than a Mama along with their products, as well as our other fabulous sellers, in the run up to the fayre.

Our first product spotlight is on ....Stealing Candy ........



(baby shoes from Toby Tiger)
Jo Esson, the founder of Stealing Candy, has been running her wonderful website, selling baby clothes, toys and accessories for ages 0-4 and has sourced a range of fun and funky fabulous fashions, a bright explosion of colour and cool, with many items made from organic cotton.

(Rainbow stripe baby clothes from Toby Tiger)

Babies definitely stand out from the crowd in these super stripy sleep suits and dresses from Toby Tiger, made from 100% super soft organic cotton.

(Organics range - items sold separately)
Fancy going all dotty instead? This Organics range offers super soft sleep suits, bandana bibs, hats and blankets. Also available in pink dots.

(Elephants by Toby Tiger / Pelicans (or Storks as we like to call them) by ej sikke lej).
Or if animals are your thing, look at this elephantastic sleep suit and the ever popular 'stork' pattern.

Stealing Candy also offers soft toys that are so incredibly cute, it's hard to choose which ones to show you. These are from the Kathe Kruse range, horse and monster rattles and soft duck and giraffe. Irresistibly sweet.

Stealing Candy offers free gift wrapping on all online orders and free delivery on orders over £40. Orders taken at the fayre will receive free postage. Be sure to check out Jo's SALE basket too, plenty of bargains to be had.

We leave you with these luscious fairy tutu's. They have petals inside them...wow...I think we'd all have liked one of these when we were little.

Jo has been instrumental in making The Bumps, Babes & Beyond Fayre a reality and brought us 'More Than a Mama' mamas altogether for our first meeting at her home earlier in the year. All this whilst running her own business and being a full-time mama to her wonderful children, William, aged 5, and Martha, aged 4.

Check back soon for our next More Than A Mama product spotlight......and don't forget, you can check out the sellers websites in the meantime, just click on their logos on the right of this page.

See you soon!

MTAM x