Jessica Welcomes Georgia Jane in The Anita Hospital Gown

This is Jessica with her beautiful baby girl Georgia Jane in the Anita designer hospital gown. Jessica is a local Sacramento mother who was able to take advantage of our partnership with Brenda Bisharat Photography... as you can see by these beautiful pictures of Jessica and Georgia just days after her arrival! If you are local to the Sacramento area and haven't heard about this amazing opportunity with award winning Bisharat Photography, please read HERE.

Here is what Jessica had to say about her experience wearing a custom Annie & Isabel hospital gown for her birth and recovery,

"I was five months pregnant with my second child and was scratching my head trying to find a really unique and fun baby shower gift for one of my best friends having her first baby. Of course, gifts for the baby are so much fun, but special gifts for the mommy are just as cherished. 


I remembered when I had my son Jackson, almost two years ago, how dingy I felt in those worn out hospital gowns. At the most beautiful time in your life, you want to look and feel as great as you can... you know those pictures will make their way around! I remembered hearing about Annie & Isabel hospital gowns and thought, that's perfect!! Who wouldn't love and appreciate that?!


Sure enough, at the baby shower the hospital gown was a huge hit! All the mothers repeatedly said, as the box was passed around, "why didn't they have these when we had our babies?!" The best thing about it, was the darling packaging and keepsake fabric. 


So, naturally I had to buy one for the birth of my daughter, Georgia Jane in April. The Anita gown was so comfortable fitting and looked great in pictures!"


~Jessica, Sacramento, CA

Such a special photograph ~ 4 generations

Jessica and her mother Janie are about to embark on a very exciting adventure. Tomorrow, September 1st, will be the grand opening of Puddles... a children's boutique in Lyon Village on the corner of Fair Oaks Blvd and Munroe in Sacramento. Click on their name to check out their site and learn more!

Survival ~ A Cancer Warrior's Lessons Through Poetry

Survival

The meaning of survival

may be different than you've heard.

It doesn't mean you're cancer free.

It doesn't mean you're cured.

It doesn't mean you're through with treatment,

or that your hair is growing back.

It doesn't mean your scars have healed.

No, it doesn't mean any of that.

Survival means that you've decided

to live each moment of your life,

and to never let the sun go down

on anger, hate or strife.

Survival means you seize each day

and live your joy out loud,

and you look for silver linings

behind each and every cloud.

Survival is not a timeline

and it's not just a prognosis.

It's the way you decide to live your life

after diagnosis.

You can count days on a calendar

but there's a better way.

Survival is not measured in tomorrows

but in the value of today.

© Molly Shoemaker Schaechtele

Have you ever met someone briefly, by chance, that left an unforgettable imprint on your life??  That is how I feel about Molly Schaechtele, the woman who wrote the above poem.  Molly has been fighting cancer for twenty two years.  She was diagnosed in 1989 with colon cancer and again in 1990.  She enjoyed being cancer free until she was diagnosed in 2006 with breast cancer and, with further testing, due to this second diagnosis, also discovered she had stage IV colon cancer that is considered incurable.  While most people would throw in the towel, and feel a lot of self pity and possibly give up the good fight, Molly has not. She has a heart of gold and truly does see the "silver lining behind each and every cloud." She lives life to the fullest and appreciates and savors each and every day she has.  She has a lot of life lessons to teach and I wanted to share her story because I think we can all learn from her.

I was introduced to Molly when she contacted us recently after we were featured in a local magazine "Inside East Sacramento".  She had just been discharged from the hospital (the third hospital stay in only a couple of months) and she thought an Annie & Isabel hospital gown might be just the thing she needed to cheer herself up in the event that she had to return to the hospital.

Molly purchased the Anita and Evelyn hospital gowns.....so perfect for her bright and cheery personality, don't you think?!

She, however, gave me a bigger gift.....two books of poems that she has written and published about her journey with cancer and the life lessons it has taught her.  Each book is small and includes poems that will make you smile, a couple that might make you cry, and most that will make you realize that even if you are fighting a beast like cancer, there is so much more life to live and treasure!!

If you want to be inspired or help inspire someone going through difficult times then this book might be just the perfect gift! 

I leave you with one last poem from Molly that demonstrates so well her undefeatable spirit!!!

It's A Matter of Scheduling

You tell me that I'm going to die,

that I should put my affairs in order.

'Tis easier said than done, my friend-

Quite frankly,I'm a hoarder.

You tell me that I'm going to die

and soon will be departed.

but there are projects I must finish

that are only half-way started.

You tell me that I'm going to die

but how can that be true?

I must update my will and trust,

and my life insurance too.

You tell me that I'm going to die

but I still have rooms to paint

and curtains to hang and trim to fix

before my house is truly quaint.

You tell me that I'm going to die

and the thought just makes me dizzy.

so if you don't mind, I just won't die...

Quite frankly, I'm too busy!


© Molly Shoemaker Schaechtele

Thank you Molly for reaching out to us.  You are a true inspiration and I feel blessed to have been touched by your outlook and love of life. 

Molly's Schaechtele's books can be purchased through ebay here:

Tickle Me Pink

Dad-2-Be Joe Goes Shopping For The Perfect Annie & Isabel Hospital Gown

It is always fun when a husband purchases an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown for his wife.  When we first met Joe, we were displaying our hospital gowns at Sacramento Magazine's,  the "Best of Sacramento" event. We were thrilled to be chosen by this popular local magazine as the "The Best Gift for the Expectant Mom".

Joe's wife, Becky, is the Marketing Director for Sacramento Magazine and was one of the main coordinators of the "Best of Sacramento Magazine" event.  She also happened to be pregnant!  She made sure to bring her husband by our booth and subtly let him know which Annie & Isabel hospital gown was her favorite. 

A few weeks later, we were in contact with Joe as he wanted to surprise his wife with an Annie & Isabel hospital gown for Christmas.  He came over to our office and what a joy it was to meet him.  This was their first child and you could see the excitement in his eyes and the love he has for his wife...which was so sweet to see!

We received lovely testimonials from both Joe & Becki and they were also fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of the partnership we have with Brenda Bisharat Photography who took some amazing pictures of their new family in the hospital.

Here is what Joe had to say about his experience purchasing an Annie & Isabel hospital gown:

"After seeing the Annie and Isabel gowns at Best of Sacramento, my wife had implied as to which one she would like if we were to get one for our daughter's delivery.  (We were 4 months pregnant at the time) I purchased the gown as one of my wife's Christmas presents.  Upon opening it Christmas morning, my wife said "look baby girl, now I'm ready for delivery."


I worked with Anna and Selena from the company and they helped me to pick the right size and confirmed that I had ordered the right print.


Enclosed was an offer for Brenda Bisharat Photography to come to the hospital and do a free photo shoot with our newborn.  She was so amazing and was able to capture many amazing photos.  We wound up buying quite a few pictures from her because we liked so many but it was definitely difficult to narrow our selection down!"

Here is what Becky shared about her experience with her "Evelyn" Annie & Isabel hospital gown:

"We found out we were expecting about the same time I first learned about Annie and Isabel gowns.  A few months later, I saw them in person and my husband and I loved them.  I quickly decided which one I wanted to wear when I delivered our daughter.

One of the gifts I opened on Christmas morning was the Annie & Isabel gown.  I was so excited that I tried it on right away and "modeled" it for my husband.  As we neared out due date, it was one of the first things I packed to bring to the hospital.

When I went into active labor, I decided I'd save the gown for after the delivery.  It was so nice to shower and put on my beautiful gown that smelled fresh out of the dryer and hold our daughter, Cleo.  It was so soft and comfortable, as well.  I recommend your gowns to everyone!"

"My husband called Brenda Bisharat Photography to arrange for her to come to the hospital and take pictures.  I am so glad we took advantage of this wonderful opportunity.  We wouldn't have these first photos as a family and Brenda captured moments that would otherwise just be a memory.  The complimetary 5x7 is beautiful and there were so many great images, we ordered several more.  We even used these for the birth announcement (which I'll hopefully have mailed out before Cleo is in Kindergarten).

Thanks again!!"

~Becki, Sacramento, CA

Chris Welcomes Daughter in Her Annie & Isabel Designer Hospital Gown

 

This is Chris who recently welcomed her second daughter Olivia. Thank you Chris for sharing all these wonderful pictures of your delivery day wearing the Annie gown! You look gorgeous and we are so happy you enjoyed celebrating another baby girl with our pink designer hospital gown!

Here is what Chris had to say about her experience wearing an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown,

"My girlfriend was my labor and delivery nurse and when she first came into the room she immediately commented on how cute my "Annie" gown was and then made me promise that when she has a baby... I'll get her one!! The delivery of my second child was filled with excitement and challenges. My delivery was less than 2 hours, but my recovery was over 10. Due to the circumstances, I was unable to shower until after 9pm. Throughout that time, I was happily wearing my Annie & Isabel gown. While I hated not being able to clean up, I loved that I was in something that was mine. I was able to be comfortable moving between rooms, between care takers, and unexpected visitors because I had full coverage! I loved that I could breastfeed without problems and that I had a bit of fashion while waiting to clean up! I hope I don't have to use my hospital gown for medical purposes in the future, but I'm appreciative to know that if I was ever to be admitted to the hospital, I'd have my own comfortable, back covering, super cute gown to bring with me. Thank you so much for designing such a wonderful product." 

 

Christine Welcomes Another Precious Boy to Her Bunch in The Susan Designer Hospital Gown

Christine recently wore our Susan designer hospital gown for the birth of her 3rd boy! We love that she chose to celebrate the occasion in our wildly chic Susan gown, because.. well... as fellow mom's to ALL BOYS...it seemed to fit the occasion perfectly. Christine is a friend of ours and a wonderful mother to her precious boys. She took advantage, being a local Sacramento client, of the partnership we have with Bisharat Photography... as you can see by these beautiful moments captured in these photographs! If you are local to the Sacramento area, read about our partnership HERE. The gift of an Annie & Isabel hospital gown to a mom-2-be in Sacramento, is more than making the mother look and feel fabulous... it is about gifting them the opportunity of lasting memories to cherish with a complimentary hospital session from Bisharat Photography.

Here is what Christine said about her experience wearing the Susan hospital gown for the birth of her son,

"When I found out I was pregnant for the third time, I knew I needed an Annie & Isabel hospital gown. Being able to put on my own gown, that no one else had worn before made me feel so beautiful and special. When I arrived at the hospital I was already in labor so as soon as my third son Ayden was born, I went to clean up and put on my "Susan" gown. When I came out of the bathroom the nurses and midwife all asked me where I got such a beautiful gown and I told them about Annie & Isabel. One nurse mentioned that she had another mother who also wore one a few months back! They all thought it was such a great idea and I completely agree. Being able to unbutton both sleeves for skin to skin contact and breast feed without having to take off the whole gown completely was worth it. I hope my next designer hospital gown is a shade of pink!"

 

 

 

 Boys.... Boys.... Boys...so fun!

 

Brittany Welcomes Second Daughter In The Anita Designer Hospital Gown

Brittany is one of many lucky women who have been gifted an Annie & Isabel from one of our loyal customers Marie. Marie has gifted over a dozen of our hospital gowns to her girlfriends for their special delivery days! Brittany welcomed her second daughter recently wearing her "Anita" Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown and here is what she had to say about her experience...

"I received my Anita gown as a gift ~ it was even more adorable than I had expected! I washed it and had it packed and ready to go to the hospital with us. We checked in around lunchtime with strong contractions and Lily Finch was born that evening at 6:58 ~ a health 9 lb., 8 oz girl! It was wonderful to have something clean and cute to put on after labor and delivery. And I got so many compliments from the nurses. My older daughter, Madeline, who prides herself on being fancy was so happy to see me in it and not just a plain green gown. Thank you for making an already wonderfully happy day even better ~ what a treat the gown was to have. Thank you!"

~Brittany

Thank you Marie for you continued support and thank you Brittany for sharing your beautiful family with us. 

Lessons in Life....From a Breast Cancer Survivor

An unforeseen gift that we have been given in starting our business, Annie & Isabel, is being touched by so many strong, inspirational women who are fighting courageous battles with cancer and other chronic illnesses.  We have found that most of these women, once they have completed treatments, and even sometimes when there is not a cure for their cancer, often talk about the blessings of their cancer experience. They talk about having fuller lives, filled with a joy, and a zest for living life to the fullest. They talk about living in a way that they will leave no regrets. They talk about really connecting to other people. They talk about seeing what is important and not sweating the small stuff. They talk about never taking things for granted, being grateful and feeling loved.  While we would never wish to go through a cancer diagnosis, it makes us almost envious, in a way, listening to these women because they seem to have been given the gift of discernment. They seem to have everything right.   I think, only until you are faced with a life battle can you understand this.  We, therefore, try to learn from these amazing women and change our lives to enjoy as much as possible and to remember to look out for opportunities to love others whenever we can. We feel so honored to count these women as our friends. Annie and Isabel brought us together and their collective life wisdom is the gift that we have been given by being touched by women.

Recently, through twitter, we got the following tweets:

After reading these tweets we were so excited to be contacted by a happy customer. It gives us such great joy when we get feedback from those that have worn an Annie & Isabel hospital gown.  We went on to read Sharon's blog, Shae's Window To The Soul, and found that she received her hospital gown after being diagnosed with breast cancer.  We were so touched by reading Sharon's journey in overcoming breast cancer on her blog.  You see, her journey started well before she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Breast cancer has ravaged her family.  We invite you to read her blog post written in October 2010 called, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, written only months before her own diagnosis.

Sharon's blog posts are honest and sometimes heart wrenching stories of what it has been  like for her to live with breast cancer in her family, be diagnosed with breast cancer herself, go through surgery and breast cancer treatments, and finally, to begin the journey of moving forward with life after treatments.

Sharon is a gifted writer and an obviously strong woman and someone we can all learn from.   Her blog posts are like reading short novels.  They bring you in and make you want to keep reading the next blog post.  Sharon is a reminder to remember what the important things in life are, to appreciate every day........and don't sweat the small stuff!

As Sharon mentioned above, she wore the "Elizabeth" Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown.

Here is what she had to say about her experience wearing her Elizabeth designer hospital gown:

"I received the Elizabeth gown from my cousin and his wife after I had described a moment pre-surgery stating I could fit another person in my choir-robe style hospital gown.  Knowing I would have radiation treatment, they sent me one of your beautiful gowns.  

Not only are the Annie & Isabel gowns well made and durable, they are stylish.  The Elizabeth gown is bright and colorful, which is a nice break from the standard, faded, monotone hospital gowns.  As women, we know all too well how the right outfit, accessory or shoe can be a pick-me-up, and my designer gown fit that role during my treatment.

during my 7 weeks of treatment, I saw many ladies who could have used a gift like an Annie & Isabel gown.  Attitude is everything when you are in the battle of your life and cancer treatments can often strip a woman of her femininity.  When a woman is battling cancer, a fresh, fashionable, feminine gown can be a real boost to how she feels as she endures weeks or months of treatment.

Each time I wore my gown, I felt the love and prayers of the people who gave me such a creative and stylish gift!"

Sharon ~ Houston, Texas