Leola,

You will be hatching soon and realize there are so many interesting things to see and do other than interrupting your Mom’s blood flow all day. In the spirit of my Reverse Christmas Wish List, here is my Reverse Baby Shower Wish List for you!

Aside from the boring essentials such as Ultimate Crib Sheets and sleep sacks (the kind that completely close at the bottom, otherwise they ride up)....

If I had unlimited funds – and your parents had unlimited space – here are the myriad things I’d be getting you:

1.  First, a GeoGreeting spelling out "Welcome to the world, Leola!" that we can print out and hang up in your room.  I think your Dad would go for this, too.  It's better than stuffed wildcats, believe me.

2.  You won't be able to wear these for a few years, maybe your Mom can find a place in your room for these adorable felt bird pins by Dandy Brand.

3.  For cuddling, a lovely windsee made from vintage fabric scraps by OneGirl.

4.  Nursery décor is a such a personal decision that I’ve decided to present you with a gift card (presented in a Bundled Baby Card), though I can recommend wall decals - a tree silhouette with wallpaper leaves from Enfant Terrible and for your bathroom, some cute blue elephant decals from Bored Inc.:

as well as a fabulous design from Jen Skelley (perhaps for one wall of your room?):

5.  Moving on to your wardrobe... for hanging around the house being a snuggle bunny: the Honey Bunny onesie from Harrilu.

6.  It’s best to learn early on that you can never have too many shoes – here are two adorable pairs from For Evelyn to get you started!

7.  The essential white kimono - makes it so easy for your Mom to dress and undress you during your tiny floppy stage. And as long as we’re daydreaming here, I’d make the time to figure out how to add some fun iron-ons like this Love Bird design!

8.  And you will want a dressier kimono outfit for church, tea parties, and skipping out to get the mail. It doesn’t bunch up like two-piece outfits, it’s super comfortable, and it’s brown, not pink.

9.  And to protect these adorable outfits, I offer a cute vintage-style bib by ElephantEars.

10.  Finally, I would wrap all your gifts in kimono and patchwork wrapping paper from Petra Boase:

I know you're shocked that no books are included on this list - that's because I'm giving you a few in real life.  I'll be telling you more about them later, after your Mom has opened them.  But I am sticking in these excellent animal book dividers - because with me in your life, you'll need them!

"The Goops are a study
of people kind and good.

But though they can be charming,
each has a behavior that is alarming.

Each name reflects the trait
that seals each Goops fate."

Goops are wonderful turn-of-the-century characters and each has a story to tell. Each simple black-and-white character illustration corresponds with a clever rhyme that describes him/her.

These delightful little characters (and you know I have a thing for delightful little characters) were popular with children over a hundred years ago and have been revived today at GoopWorld!  As a Mom of twin toddlers, I find this duo partularly amusing:

If you’d like a chance to win a goody bag of items (journal, magnet, and a large mug - $30 value) featuring your choice of Goop, check out GoopWorld – read about the characters - and find which cute item you’d like to give or receive...  then leave a comment below with the link to your chosen item!  (U.S. shipping addresses only, please)  I’ll randomly choose a winner on Sunday 3/9 and contact them via email!

Updated 3/9:  Congratulations to Jen, the winner of the Goop GiveAway!

Vintage valentines from Interesting.com.

While only a few cards are specifically valentines, the entire Someecards site is amusing - even the About page!

A selection of valentine v-cards from MetaCafe (and you can submit your own!).

The National Museums Liverpool‘s valentine collection includes a sweetheart brooch sent by a soldier on duty to his lover back home, a cupid sculpture, and even a romantic bedspread!

Well-designed and colorful, the valentines from Ojolie have an Asian feel.

More vintage from CardCow.

You could also create your own e-card with the following works of art from the Museum of Modern Art:  Heart to Heart Chain, Klee's Queen of Hearts, and de Kooning's Valentine.

The image is above is a playing card from the Mexican Loteria game - see more cards here.