Friday, December 28, 2012

The Comfort of an Annie & Isabel Hospital Gown for Surgery


At the end of September,  we received an email from a customer wanting to purchase a gown for an upcoming surgery. The surgery was just a few days away and she knew she would need to be hospitalized for a few days and wanted something more comfortable and stylish to recover in after surgery. She chose to recover in our "Susan" gown.  



There are some customers that we just can't stop thinking about once we send out their gown and Estrellita was one of those customers. She told us in an email that her surgery would be more complicated because she has a severe allergy to anesthesia medications......not something you want to be allergic to when you  need surgery! We sent good thoughts her way on surgery day and followed up with an email to her about a week later.We couldn't help but worry when we didn't hear right back from her. She finally emailed us, a week later, with the great news that the surgery was a success and that she had just required a few more days to recover than expected!!! That is the kind of news we like to hear:-)


We hope you continue to feel great and enjoy those cute boys of yours Estrellita!!!  

Following is a nice testimonial that Estrellita sent to us:

"Customer service was amazing!! I was so touched by your kindness and your fast response. I received my gown quickly and it surpassed my expectations. My Annie and Isabel gown is beautiful, and it really lifted my spirits when I got to put it on after my surgery! My nurses LOVED the gown and said they noticed a spring to my step and lift in my energy when I put it on. I felt better when I LOOKED BETTER! =D Thank you so much! My friend will be having surgery soon, and I will be getting her a gown! In addition, it looks like there are more abdominal surgeries in my future, so I will have my cute gown to help me thru each time...Thank you for your advice, prayers, excellent customer service, and kindness!" ~ Estrellita



Saturday, November 24, 2012

Happy Birthday Grandma Elizabeth


Today is our grandmother, Elizabeth's, birthday.  It is a special day for our family history because she would have been 100 years old today! She would hate that we are telling you this because she never told ANYONE how old she was.  She would often "fudge" about her age and she would always get away with it because she looked so great! She was always beautiful and very stylish.

She was a gorgeous baby...



stunning woman....



beautiful mother.....


and loving grandmother.


Growing up, I always felt a special bond with my grandmother because our birthdays were only four days apart and always close or on Thanksgiving.  Each year we enjoyed celebrating our birthdays and sharing a birthday cake on Thanksgiving.....birthday memories I will always cherish.

We lost our beloved grandmother to breast cancer on November 6th, 1993...just before her 81st birthday.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer four years prior and succumbed to the cancer due to metastasis to her bones.  Our grandmother was so strong and tough during her battle with cancer and hardly complained throughout her journey.  We miss her dearly but our company has been a blessing for us because we are reminded of her strong spirit on a daily basis, especially when someone purchases the Elizabeth gown:-)  We always hope that her strength will transfer to all our Annie & Isabel warriors who wear her gown.



Happy Birthday Grandma.  I miss blowing out those candles with you but know you are always with us in spirit:-)

Love,
    Anna



Friday, November 2, 2012

Prayers Needed For Our Newest Feel Better Campaign Recipient



The beautiful couple pictured here is Heather and Sean Brown. They were excitedly expecting a new baby boy at the end of October but, on September 15th, 2012, things changed drastically for this family. Sean was serving our country in Afghanistan when his wife, who was 34 weeks pregnant at the time, began to experience back pain and a headache. She went to the hospital, started having seizures, and it was discovered that she had a massive brain bleed.

Heather's sweet baby boy was delivered via emergency c-section and now Heather is in the fight of her life. Heather is in a coma and needs as many thoughts and prayers as possible to help with her healing. Her loving husband, Sean, was able to make it back from Afghanistan and has been by Heather's side. This past week, Sean was able to finally re-unite Heather with their new son, John. In Sean's words, when baby John was placed on Heather's chest, "Heather instantaneously, as soon as she touched John, made a grimace on her face as if she was fixing to cry, like she knew." This has brought great hope for Heather's family as they continue to pray for continued progress in her recovery. 


We decided to make Heather our next "Feel Better Campaign" recipient and, at the request of her family, sent her the "Susan" gown. We hope this gown can provide some comfort and strength to Heather and her family:-)



WE NEED YOUR HELP TOO!! Please join us in sending healing thoughts and prayers to Heather and her family.

Please "LIKE" and "SHARE" our Facebook post to spread the word about her story.

A Facebook page was set up by a friend of the family to help support them and we would love if you would go and "LIKE" their page here -> "Bringing Home the Browns". They have already received a tremendous response on their Facebook page but the more people to support them with thoughts and prayers the better.

Thank you so much for always rallying behind our Annie & Isabel warriors!! We know it means the world to them.


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

"Just a Little Heart Attack" - MUST SEE VIDEO


Having a heart attack is no laughing matter, but this video from, Go Red For Women, raises awareness in a pretty hilarious way.

Elizabeth Banks has a heart attack for the #1 leading cause of death in women today. Please watch, pass on, and save someone's life.

love,
your nurses
Selena & Anna

Thursday, October 4, 2012

New Testimonial ~ Erica Welcomes Her Second Daughter!!


We absolutely LOVE when customers post pictures on our Annie & Isabel facebook wall or tweet pictures to us via twitter of themselves or their friends in their Annie & Isabel gowns.  It instantly makes our day!!! This testimonial came from new mom, Erica.  She recently posted the picture below with her new baby girl on our Facebook wall.  Erica is wearing our old Elizabeth gown and it looks great on her don't you think??


Here is what Erica said about wearing her Elizabeth gown:

"Loved my gown! It was so neat to wear something with color and it put me in a good mood just putting it on after the paper gown they gave me for the c-section"

Erica gave birth to her second daughter.  Big sister is already loving on her little baby sister and by the looks of this picture.....I think she is going to be a great helper for mommy and daddy:-)


Congratulations Erica.  You have a beautiful family!!!




Sunday, September 9, 2012

THANK YOU ~ The Magic of Facebook


We just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU....to our Facebook fans, Twitter followers, friends and customers.  You truly are the BEST fans and you motivate us to keep doing what we do every day. 

This last week we posted the story of Jen Roper, a young wife and mom of five beautiful children, who was undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous brain tumor.  We asked you to help us by sending her good thoughts and prayers and "liking" and "sharing" our Facebook post to rally even more thoughts, prayers, and loving comments from all over the country via Facebook.   When we post things like this we always keep our fingers crossed because we know in order for a post to have a chance of going "viral" our core Facebook fans must "like" and "share" it and  BOY DID YOU EVER!!!!  Here is the current status of this post:



The "likes" and comments keep coming in!!!!  Go to our FACEBOOK page now and you will see that there will be even more "likes" and comments.  In addition...this facebook post was shared by 129 people which also continues to grow.  The blog post we did about Jen has had thousands of views by people in over 10 countries!

This makes us so happy because anyone who has gone through a difficult time knows that having a tremendous amount of support, even from strangers, makes a big difference.  Jen has already expressed thanks for your support and as she recovers from this surgery and gears up for chemotherapy and radiation, to get rid of the small amount of her brain tumor that is left, we would love if you keep the thoughts and prayers coming her way.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  You have helped make a family feel loved and supported.....and that means a lot:-)  You can follow Jen's journey via her blog - The Roper's.



 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Mother of Five Undergoes Brain Surgery Today - Please Share & Help Us Surround Her With Good Thoughts

Today, on this early September morning, we need your help.

Meet Jen Roper. 

Gorgeous, right?!!!!

Mother of FIVE…four boys and one princess!

Wife.

Daughter.

Sister.

Friend.

and as of this afternoon… 

Jen will be a brain tumor survivor. 

photo courtesy of Maggie Holmes Design

Here is an excerpt from her blog  The Roper's  from August 13th and a little background that brought her to surgery today - 

"A tumor on my brain?

I immediately began to cry.  The lady doing my EEG began to cry.  Matt and the Neurologist barely held it together.  The questions began to flow....

What do you mean a tumor?

Do you mean cancer?

"We believe the tumor to be malignant."  

THIS could not be happening to me.  I am 33 years old.  I have 5 babies.  I run.  I exercise.  I eat right. I lost my mom when I was 16.  I do not deserve anymore big trials, my worst fear is to leave my babies behind.

MY WORST FEAR IS TO LEAVE MY BABIES BEHIND.  

In comes the neurosurgeon.

"The tumor is malignant, it is on your motor strip which means it is on the portion of your brain that controls the movement of your face, arms and legs.  It is on the right side of your brain.  If we are to surgically remove this tumor, there is a good chance you will lose function of the entire left side of your body and this could be permanent."

"THIS COULD BE PERMANENT."

That was all I could handle.  I lost it.  I screamed.  I cried.  I sobbed.  I held on to Matt for dear life.  This was the worst news ever.  My life would never be the same.

I called Jess.  I cried.  She cried.  Hard.  We sobbed, we screamed.  I did the same thing again with Julie and again with my dad and again with Matt.

Why?

Why is this happening to me?  I cannot leave my babies.  My babies have to have a mom.  They HAVE to have a mom.

Matt and I decided almost immediately that I would have to get the tumor removed regardless of the risk involved.  A mom is still a mom even if she is in a wheelchair.  

I'm strong.  I'm a fighter.  I do not do anything half way.  If there is a chance I could walk again, I will do it.  

I WILL DO IT."




Today, Jen is going into surgery at 7:30 am to have the tumor removed. 

Here is where we need your help

We know the power of our amazing Annie & Isabel army. 

We are asking you to surround Jen with LOVE today. We want Jen to wake up to hundreds of comments on our Facebook page. We asked Jen's permission to share her incredible journey and she said the more healing thoughts and prayers sent her way, the better!  

Last time we asked you for this, we had thousands of likes on FB, shares, stories, and messages for 16 year old Carly when she woke up from open heart surgery. It was so special for Carly to wake up to so many encouraging messages. She felt so loved and we thank you for making that happen. 

So, let's do this like we know how! LIKE this post on our Facebook page and leave some words of encouragement to show Jen, her husband, and their beautiful children that there are many people thinking and praying for her today.


Thank you to Jen's friends Drew and Stephanie, who bought her our Susan gown. This is Jen Pre-Op in her Susan gown this morning and she looks pretty stylish!! You can tell she has a great spirit with that beautiful smile!!

  
Hugs to you Jen.  Thinking good thoughts for you today!!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

The Answer Is.....Thyroid Cancer + An Update on My Journey with Cancer




Did you know that the month of September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month?  I'm guessing you probably don't know this, unless, like I, you have had thyroid cancer.  There is reason to give thyroid cancer some thought.  Did you know that thyroid cancer is the fastest increasing cancer in both men and women?  Since my diagnosis, I have met so many people that have had thyroid cancer and I find that alarming!!  The good news is that most types of thyroid cancer, while not an easy cancer to deal with, are very curable when found early, and especially when found in people under the age of 45 years.  I want to encourage you all to do your own "neck check" to look for unusual bumps or swelling in the area of your thyroid (which is just below your adams apple).  Here is a good process for doing your own neck check:



I feel lucky that one of my doctors noticed that my thyroid was enlarged over four years ago. At the time, I would have never thought to check my neck.  While it took four years to determine I had cancer, it appears that the cancer didn't spread anywhere and, since I am under the age of 45, I was considered to have stage one cancer. That brings me to how I am doing today.......

The last time I blogged about my thyroid cancer, I had just finished treatment and proclaimed that I had kicked cancer's butt.  Now, almost six months later, I still believe that I have kicked cancer's butt, however, it has not been the easiest of roads.  Like most thyroid cancer patients, I was initially told by my endocrinologist and surgeon that thyroid cancer is very curable and that I was lucky because it was caught early.  Those things were very true and wonderful but I translated that into thinking that I would get through my surgeries and treatment, be started on hormone replacement medication, start to feel normal again, and move on with my life with the exception of a lot more doctors appointments and tests in my future.  Over the last few months, I have realized that this is not the case.  The thing my doctors did not prepare me for was the tremendous impact that losing my thyroid would take on my body.  I did not realize that by taking synthetic thyroid hormones I would feel nothing like how I had felt when my own precious thyroid was working.  The thyroid gland controls our metabolism and is responsible for giving us the energy we need to function each day.....among a lot of other things.  The end result is that I am left with an increased amount of fatigue on an almost daily basis.  I am doing so much better than I was just a few months ago and, occasionally, I forget that I ever had cancer.  I still have a ways to go before I feel close to "normal".  I am learning to accept the "new" me and I still hope to feel even better in the next few months.  Sometimes, however, it is just hard and I find myself missing my "old" energetic self.

I would never choose to have cancer in a million years but I continue to be grateful for the lessons cancer has taught me:

Be Thankful For Each New Day 
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday......there is not a bad day of the week.  Each new day we have is a blessing and we should live it to the fullest.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
When I finished my cancer treatment and began to gain some energy, I could feel myself getting sucked right back into the daily grind of life.  It's kind of unavoidable when you have four boys to cart all over the place.  Cancer has kept me in check, though, because I say, "hey....I had cancer....this is not worth stressing over."Sometimes a little timeout in life can really help too:-)

My youngest experiencing timeout at OfficeMax:-)

Give to Others
I had so much support when I was going through treatment for my thyroid cancer and it reminded me of the importance of giving to others.  I feel blessed that I get to work in an Emergency Department because it gives me the opportunity to give to others every day that I work.  I don't take my role as a nurse for granted and I look for ways that I can make a difference in other's lives both inside and outside of work.  Cancer has given me a refreshed energy to be more compassionate and sympathetic to others.

Don't Take Anything for Granted
After realizing how much I took my healthy self for granted and the energy I used to have, I now see the importance of slowing down, enjoying my life, my family, my precious boys, and the beauty of the world around me.......and having a little fun while I'm at it!



Be a Good Friend to Someone
I have always valued my friendships but having cancer made me realize the importance of friendships.  I am blessed with some amazing friends and I want to remember to cherish these relationships.  A true friend is someone who is by your side in good times and bad.

True friends help even when it requires a little dirty work
Family is Important
Cancer didn't teach me this lesson because I've always known this and have been blessed to have an amazing family my whole life.  Cancer did make me realize, however, that having a close, loving family makes getting through tough times a whole lot easier.




I am still healing from this cancer and it has forever changed me, but in the long run.....I am going to be a better person for it.  At the end of this month,  I will have my first big tests to determine if this cancer is gone and then more tests will be done at the one year mark.  I would love it if you could send some good thoughts my way as I am a little anxious about this since thyroid cancer has a high recurrence rate but I'm thinking positive thoughts and looking forward to a healthy future!!!

So, for me........please check your necks!!


Saturday, August 18, 2012

NEW TESTIMONIAL :: Mom in Norway LOVED her Annie & Isabel Designer Hospital Gown!


We received this beautiful testimonial all the way from Norway! Thank you to new mama Kristin, who shared these adorable pictures from her daughter's birth and her experience in our Annie & Isabel Anita designer hospital gown! 




 "After giving birth to my beautiful princess Signe, I took a shower and put on my very special Annie & Isabel Anita gown from the US. I walked down the hall feeling fresh and beautiful only hours after giving birth. I used my gown as a night gown, which came in very hand when breastfeeding during the night. I got a lot of compiliments from the Norwegian nurses and all the other new mothers. They had never seen a gown like mine! Thank you so much!"

Kristin, Norway



Isn't she lovely?!!!! Congratulations Kristin and THANK YOU for sharing these precious first moments of Signe's life with us and our readers.

Did you wear and Annie & Isabel gown and want to share your testimonial with us? Please email us at wecare@annieandisabel.com or visit our website here http://www.annieandisabel.com/contact-us/

Happy Saturday!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

A Husband's Take on Wearing Annie & Isabel!!

We always think it is so adorable when a daddy-to-be buys his wife one or two of our designer hospital gowns for the birth of their child. Husbands can feel helpless in the delivery room and by giving the gift of comfort, dignity, and style for the big event…he will definitely be the talk of the labor and delivery ward! This testimonial is from a dear friend Tracy, who we met years ago as we were starting our business. She sent us this funny quote from her husband about his take on her experience wearing our Anita designer hospital gown for the birth of their second son Micah, 

"WOW! Of all the things nurses and your visitors would say to you while you are here at the hospital… every single one of them have commented on your hospital gown and how cute it is!"

Thank you Tracy for sharing these gorgeous photos with all of us. We are so happy you will get to experience the magic of brothers. It is something really special! 

Micah James
born 
May 29th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
7 pounds 4 oz ~ 19.5 in







Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Our Latest "Feel Better Campaign" Recipient Undergoes Open Heart Surgery Today....In Style

We are excited to introduce you all to our latest "Feel Better Campaign" recipient, Carly Smith.  More importantly, we would love it if you would keep Carly in your thoughts and prayers as she undergoes open heart surgery today.

Carly with her cute little cousin
Carly is 19 years old and was diagnosed with congenital heart disease when she was just three days old.  Her condition did not require surgery or treatment as a child but, more recently, Carly has developed symptoms of shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, and fatigue.  After undergoing several tests, her doctors discovered that she now has severe aortic stenosis and regurgitation which is causing her heart to enlarge and not function properly.  This condition is extremely dangerous and the reason she is now requiring open heart surgery.

Carly (pictured on the right) with her family
How did Carly find Annie & Isabel hospital gowns??  She hates standard hospital gowns so much that she was determined to find a better alternative and, well, SHE DID!!  Here is what she said in a recent email to us:

"I hate that hospital gowns give you no modesty or privacy. When in the hospital, you are already put into many uncomfortable situations, but the gown just adds to that because you feel like you are exposed to the whole world!"


Since Carly is having open heart surgery, we customized her designer gown to include a telemetry pocket so the hospital staff can continue to easily monitor her heart as she recovers. 




It is especially hard to see a young person deal with such a tough diagnosis and treatment, but unfortunately we have had many teenagers as our customers.  While we wish that we would have no young customers, we are happy that our gowns can be a source of happiness for their difficult days.  We hope that our "Annie" gown will provide Carly with some comfort, style, and dignity and will also bring a sweet smile to her face as she recovers from her surgery. 

To learn more about our "Feel Better Campaign" and read about past recipients click the link below:

FEEL BETTER CAMPAIGN

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

After A Tragic Loss Jami Welcomes Baby Shailo

We have been blessed with so many friendships created through our business. One friendship we cherish is with Jami of the blog Colour Her Hope. We first "met" her when she was pregnant with her second child Eisley. She blogged beautifully about her complicated pregnancy with Eisley and we, along with her many readers, friends, and family, stood by her side as Eisley went to be with Jesus on September 14th, 2010. Jami blogged through her most intimate feelings of sadness, grief, and healing truly capturing the hearts of so many. We kept her in our daily thoughts and prayers and she continues to amaze us with her strength and grace. 

We were so happy to hear that Jami was going to be blessed with another beautiful child after the loss of her baby girl Eisley. She blogged about her pregnancy again and told us she wanted to purchase an Annie & Isabel hospital gown. She couldn't decide on her favorite, so she enlisted the help of her readers in this post here. As you can see from the beautiful moments captured below, the Anita gown was the winner as she welcomed baby boy Shailo Valour on November 8, 2011!


                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                    "I felt so pretty in my Annie & Isabel hospital gown. And... oh my word did I receive so many comments about how beautiful and unique my gown was from family, friends, and nurses! One day I even had a nurse pull in a few more ladies just to show off my gown to them. Thank you so much for starting Annie & Isabel and blessing so many of us with your stunning designs."

-Jami of color her {hope}
























Thursday, June 14, 2012

Even in Death, This Woman's Spirit Shined Through to Many


One of the most rewarding things about having our company are the great relationships we are fortunate to develop with our customers.  When Barbara contacted us back in May of 2011, there was an instant connection.  She emailed us about her 79 year old mother, June, who had been in a bad car accident resulting in her being bed bound during her recovery.  Barbara wanted to order some Annie & Isabel gowns to help with her mother's recovery since her mother was not able wear normal clothing. Barbara felt our gowns could provide a more stylish, dress-like option that she hoped would lift her mother's spirits. Lift her spirits they did!!  After initially ordering three of our designer hospital gowns, Barbara ordered five more gowns a few weeks later stating:

"Few things bring my mom cheer these days; but, wearing your darling gowns do.  Your colorful gowns are a big hit with my mom and the staff at the facility where she is working on her recovery.  They launder, fit well, are easy to put on, yet give the look of normal dresses."

June with her sweet and loving husband

In September, Barbara called us again, as her mother had some complications with her recovery, and she wanted to order more of our gowns.  We had several conversations over the phone and Barbara explained what a strong woman her mother was.  June survived polio as a child, was in a previous serious auto accident in 1987 and had numerous other medical issues in her life.  Several of her doctors had told her that "she was the toughest woman they had ever met."  June had now lost use of her legs due to some spinal fractures but she still kept up her strong spirit.  Barbara ordered her two Susan gowns so she could go out in public in style and look "dressed". 



With all that June had been through in her life, we could see that she was a fighter, so it was with great sadness that we learned that June had passed away in October of 2011 due to further complications from her injuries.  Here is what Barbara said about her mother:

"Following a car accident 8 months prior, my mother died peacefully on October 16th, 2011, surrounded by family, wearing one of her dearly loved Annie & Isabel gowns.  These wonderful gowns gave my determined mother the look of "normal" dresses during her long recovery effort.  In fact, she owned nearly every style.  Unlike traditional "ugly" hospital gowns, her Annie & Isabel gowns were stylish, easy to put on, laundered and fit well, and were crowd pleasers. Whenever nurses, patients and visitors asked Mom where she got her fun gowns, she'd gladly tell them about Annie and Isabel - this wonderful company out in CA." 


Barbara also shared some of her mother's eulogy and we wanted to share one small part about the passing of her mother because it is so powerful and a true testament to June's character and the close knit relationship she had with her family.  In the words of her daughter Barbara:

"It was the consensus of all who had the experience of caring for Mama, that she would pick the time and details of her death.  She was famous for reminding her caregivers, "I'm in charge."  or, to me she would state "I'm the mother here."  Thus, we all felt, she might be with us for a few more days.  About 15 minutes later, she sighed, hesitated in her breathing, I motioned to Gale, but we didn't talk or touch her -- due to the fact we didn't want to pull her possible traveling soul back.  With my hand still resting on her bed, we could see she was trying to decide if she was going to go ahead and cross over to Heaven or not.  And then in an instant, she took a deep breath, as if jumping into a pool of water.  As she did this, I felt her soul (spirit), leaving her body and passing through mine.  There was an instant release of tension in her and the room. As I felt her spirit glow and expand through me, it hovered for a few seconds in the upper-back corner of the room, looked back and down on us and her body in amazement; and then with a poof of air, she was gone."

Barbara, thank you for sharing your mother's story and life with us.  We were impressed by not only your mother's strength and determination, but also with the attention and love that you gave to your mother.  You both have touched our lives deeply. We cherish the emails and phone conversations we had with you and will always keep your family in our hearts.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Jenn Sbranti, THE Hostess With The Mostess, Wears an Annie & Isabel Designer Hospital Gown



We were so thrilled to learn that Jenn Sbranti, founder and editor-in-chief of Hostess with the Mostess, welcomed her second daughter in our Anita designer hospital gown. We are huge fans of HWTM and the amazingly talented Jenn. Her website and blog are full of hip and modern party planning ideas, recipes, and inspiration. Here is what Jenn has to say about her experience wearing an Annie & Isabel gown,  



"A sweet friend of mine sent me a super colorful Annie & Isabel gown just a few days before my C-section - it was such a caring & thoughtful surprise to receive! I was so grateful to have such a "happy" and comfortable gown to recover in at the hospital for the next few days after surgery - and I have to say the gown was especially a hit with the nurses... every single one of them commented on it. :) I also love seeing the bright colors from the gown in the gazillion iPhone pictures I took of my brand new baby girl while she slept in my arms those first few days! Thanks to Annie & Isabel for adding a creative touch to those cherished photos!"


Jenn shared one of those adorable iPhone photos with us. Here is Jenn's sweet Rylie resting next to Mommy on her birthday. What a beautiful baby!   




For the few of you who don't already know about Hostess With The Mostess, you must check out her fabulous website! Below are some of our favorite ways we follow HWTM. 





Friday, May 25, 2012

From The Joy of a New Life to a Battle with Leukemia :: The Story of One Annie & Isabel Hospital Gown



Jill was my very first friend. Growing up, our houses shared a fence and we were constantly hopping over to one another's house to play. All of my favorite childhood memories included Jill and I cherish them dearly. We thought we were hilarious. We would spend our summer days making up dance routines in the pool, setting up lemonade and cookies stands in the neighborhood, and our afternoons watching the soap Days of Our Lives and eating popcorn. Long live Bo and Hope Brady. Are they still together? 

Jill has two beautiful daughters, Camryn and Sadie, and we were so happy that she was able to wear our Anita designer hospital gown for the birth of her second sweetheart Sadie. This is what Jill had to say about wearing an Annie & Isabel gown for her birth, 

"Wearing my gorgeous A& I hospital gown while delivering Sadie, truly made one of the best days of my life even more special". 


Jill, like many of our wonderful friends, has become an Annie & Isabel ambassador. She sings our praises to everyone she knows and we are so thankful. Jill was one of our first believers, not because she experienced wearing one of our gowns, but because she understands how a simple and beautiful hospital gown of your own, can change almost everything about being in the hospital.

Jill even wrote to The Ellen Show last year and told her all about Annie & Isabel and how she might like to have us on the show. We all thought Ellen would be calling us right away, especially because her mother is a breast cancer survivor and we donate a portion of our proceeds to support women who are newly diagnosed. CLEARLY, Ellen must have not received her letter! Ellen... are you out there??? We are still free for an interview ANY time that is convenient for you. K? Thanks.

Jill thinks of us. Always. She is an amazing friend. Even better, she has not let the legacy of her own Anita designer hospital gown end with Sadie's birth over two years ago.

Jill shared it with her friend Danni who had this to say,

"This picture is of my husband and me right before I delivered our son Benjamin. Thank goodness for epidurals, hence my smile...and my Annie & Isabel gown, which made me feel so cute and hip!"


Last week, I got a text from Jill that her good friend Patricia had been unexpectantly admitted to the hospital with acute leukemia. Patricia's spirits were low and Jill thought about Annie & Isabel once again and rushed over to the hospital with her gown in hand. She sent me the most adorable picture of Patrica and her sons shortly after, with big smiles on her faces.


Jill knew that Patricia would unfortunately be getting good use out of her borrowed Anita gown, so she surprised Patricia on Mother's Day with her own Annie & Isabel "Susan" designer hospital gown and posted this picture to our Facebook wall.


Here is what Jill said about gifting her our Susan designer hospital gown on Mother's Day,

"It was honestly amazing the difference in her spirit (and her smile) when she put her new A&I gown on today! It's been a very rough week and an especially tough Mother's Day, having to deal with more blood transfusions and a high fever. She is hanging in there and wearing her gown with pride and even showing it off! I LOVE how happy it makes her! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Patricia now has three Annie & Isabel gowns in her rotation and we are thinking about her daily as the Annie & Isabel warrior that she is. Please keep Patricia in your thoughts as she kicks cancer's butt!

Thank you Jill for keeping the dignity, comfort, and style alive with you Anita designer hospital gown!

Have you shared your Annie & Isabel with a friend? We'd love to hear the story of your gown!

~written by Jilly Bean's BFF Selena (co-owner of Annie & Isabel)