Happy {Belated} National Nurses Week!

Our Mother Susan ~ The Namesake of Our Susan Gown & Inspiration to Follow Our Dreams of Becoming Nurses.

Happy National Nurses Week - {last week} - We were SO busy working that we did not get a chance to post this!

We are feeling nostalgic as we write our second National Nurses Week post here on our Annie & Isabel blog! One year ago we had just launched our business providing a direct to consumer hospital gown alternative and were so excited to share our designer hospital gowns with the world.... and that we have! With over 50,000 visits to our website, and hundreds of gowns sold, we have been overcome with joy as we help women feel comfortable, dignified and, of course, stylish in the hospital.

If you've followed along in our first year, you know that we are sisters, wives, mothers to 6 energetic boys between the two of us, and LOVE our "real jobs" as RNs working in the hospital. We feel very honored to be in a profession that is so rewarding and feel good knowing that we can make a difference providing the care that comes from our hearts to our patients on a daily basis.

We, as nurses, feel so much gratitude in having the opportunity to touch the lives of our patients in some of the happiest and also the saddest moments in their lives. Nurses have a great impact of everything about your hospital stay. We are the eyes and ears of the hospital. We are your advocate and your voice.

In honor of National Nurses Week {last week}.... Thank you to all of our co-workers who support us and teach us something every day. We don't know what we would do without you!

We also want to give a big thank you to all of you who have supported Annie & Isabel with comments on our posts, "likes" on Facebook, and thinking of us as your "go-to baby present" and gift for friends that have unwanted hospital stays. We have been overwhelmed with the love out there for our baby girls "Annie & Isabel"... if you don't know the story... click here!

Oh... we almost forgot! Our post last year "Why Did You Become a Nurse and Not a Doctor?" had so many hits from people who Googled "Should I become a nurse?" which we thought was so neat! If you found our blog and are thinking of a career in nursing... it is a true calling and an amazing career! There are so many things you can do with a nursing degree. You can work in a hospital as we do, but you can also find just about anything that might fit your interests! If you ever want to ask us anything more about why we love being nurses, please don't hesitate to email us ~

wecare@annieandisabel.com

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Meredith Wears Her "Susan" Annie & Isabel Designer Gown & It's A Hit With The Hospital Staff!

We are so happy to post this beautiful testimonial from Meredith, of San Francisco, in her Susan designer hospital gown as she welcomed her son Andrew into the world! Thank you Meredith for your kind words and we are so happy you loved wearing you OWN hospital gown for Andrew's debut!

"I knew I wanted to wear and Annie and Isabel gown for my second child's birth. I selected the Susan months before our baby was born and knew it would be just right for making me feel great during labor and delivery. When I checked into triage and asked my husband to help me put the gown on, the nurse came in and said, "Oh my goodness, that's the cutest gown I've ever seen. Where did you get it?" She proceeded to call in 3 other nurses and they all gushed about it. A few hours later, when the anesthesiologist arrived he said, "Did I miss the room where they're handing out the cool gowns today? Where did you get that?" Everyone who came into my room absolutely raved about the gown, and when I told them where I got the gown, they all said you should sell them at CPMC. Aside from everyone around loving it, I loved it. I knew I had washed my own gown, and that I could snuggle my newborn baby with a clean mommy hug. The nurses tried everything to keep it clean during delivery, and it was actually pretty clean even at the end. I love the photos from our son's birth and feel like I look so beautiful and happy in my gown. My dad is a doctor, and when he showed his colleagues the photos of our son's birthday, once again, all the doctors and nurses said, "Where did your daughter get that awesome gown?" Keep it up. You are making such a difference in making women feel comfortable and beautiful."

Just Precious!

A Sweet Mother's Day Gift

We wanted to wish all mothers and moms-to-be a very happy Mother's Day today!! We, as mothers, know how blessed we are to have the beautiful families that we have and to also have the privilege of mothering our children with the hopes that they remain healthy, well-rounded children. Mother's Day is a nice time to reflect on our families and the blessings we have.

Some mothers are getting an extra special present this Mother's Day....the gift of a new baby. The new mother below, Hilary, is one such mom!!

Hilary celebrated the birth of her third child just three days ago. What is even more exciting to us is that this is the second birth in which she has worn her Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown. Hilary was one of the first mothers to ever wear an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown and now she is one of the first to wear it for a 2nd birth!!! She first wore her Annie & Isabel gown when she gave birth to Raven which you can read about HERE. Scroll near the bottom to see her testimonial:-)

Proud New Mama!!

She delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl. How sweet is she?

This is what Hilary said about wearing her Annie & Isabel hospital gown for the second time which we thought was so neat:

"I was so excited to be able to wear my gown again....it held such good memories from Raven's birth and now it will hold memories from Azri's birth!"

Congratulations Hilary and a special Happy Mother's Day to you!!!

Don't forget that we are still offering free shipping on orders through today with code "Mothers". Last chance to order your gown with an $8 savings on shipping.

With 2 Girls and Her Pink Annie Designer Hospital Gown, Mindy & AJ left the gender of the 3rd Baby as a Surprise!! It's A...

In honor of Mother's Day, this upcoming Sunday, we are so happy to share with you a testimonial of a special friend and mother! My sister and business partner, Anna, was at her son's baseball game last spring and was sitting next to Kelli Wheeler, author of "Momservations - The Fine Print of Parenting". They were talking about their businesses when Kelli realized she had a friend who would be delivering her 3rd child that very week via C-section. She asked Anna if she could buy an Annie & Isabel hospital gown that day (our gowns are especially nice for extended stays like C-sections). Anna called me {Selena} and I ran over our "Annie" gown to the baseball diamond. The next week we were so surprised to find out that the "Annie" gown went to a college friend and neighbor of Selena's husband, Mindy! Mindy and her husband AJ went to Santa Clara with Selena's husband and we were so excited Mindy welcomed her son Joey into this world in one of our hospital gowns (which we got to see pics on Facebook... love that!) Mindy is a beautiful person inside and out and a wonderful mother to her 3 children. Here is what Mindy said about wearing her very own designer hospital gown,

"Wow, what a difference a cute hospital gown makes! My third (and final) baby was born on May 26, 2010. Due to my previous c-sections, we knew when baby #3 would arrive, but we did not know if we were having a boy or girl! Our first two children are girls. Secretly we hoped for a boy, but another girl would have been great too. So, needless to say, when my husband joyfully announced in the operating room, "It's a BOY!" we were thrilled! I spent four days in the hospital recovering from my c-section and bonding with baby Joey. Baby Joey and I had several visitors during those days. I could not have been more grateful to be wearing my cute Annie and Isabel designer hospital gown. Our friends and family all commented on the gown. Just about all the moms said, "I wish I had a pretty gown when my babies were born!" Thanks to Kelli for the thoughtful gift! And, thanks to Annie and Isabel for making my baby boy's arrival even more memorable!"

- Mindy

Congratulations Mindy & AJ. You have a beautiful family and thank you for sharing!

Follow Kelli Wheeler of Momservations

{ Twitter }

{ Website }

{ Buy her book... A GREAT Mother's Day Present! }

For Mother's Day we are offering free shipping in the United States by using the code "Mothers" at checkout now through Mother's Day. If you order by May 4th, we guarantee your hospital gown will be delivered in time for Mother's Day. Annie & Isabel designer hospital gowns are the perfect gift for the expecting mother in your life.

Because of Facebook Karen Welcomes Daughter In The Annie Designer Hospital Gown!

We received this lovely testimonial from Karen. Karen wore the Annie gown while she was recovering in the hospital after the birth of her daughter. We think that Karen picked the perfect gown to welcome her sweet little girl! Congratulations Karen and thank you so much for sharing your experience in an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown!

"Thankfully I follow Annie & Isabel on my Facebook, because I was reminded about their delivery gowns close to my due date with my daughter. I ordered my Annie gown almost immediately after on Oct 13^th and received my gown on Oct 14^th. Talk about efficiency!! I washed and packed my gown weeks before my due date and was getting more excited about having my baby girl, probably because I was getting excited to wear my Annie gown! Then, on the day of my delivery, I didn’t wear my gown right away because I didn’t want it to get soiled! Luckily, I got to wear it during the rest of my stay and got so many compliments from family and UCSF doctors and nurses. I was surprised they had never seen or heard of Annie & Isabel since one of the founders is a nurse at UCSF. Anyone who has to spend time in a hospital deserves to look cute and stylish in an Annie & Isabel gown. Get yours today!"

-Karen

A New Baby and a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

We received a beautiful testimonial from Anne that we feel honored to share with you today. In the picture below, Anne is getting ready to celebrate the birth of her 3rd son. She looks radiant in her Anita designer hospital gown and you can see the joy and excitement in her face as she anticipates the arrival of another blessing to her family. You would never know by the picture below that Anne had been diagnosed with breast cancer just two weeks prior to this day.

We found out about Anne through friends who wanted to buy her some Annie & Isabel hospital gowns for the birth of her son and for her upcoming breast cancer surgery. Anne was given four Annie & Isabel hospital gowns by different people which we knew was a true testament to the type of person Anne is. We were so touched to read an excerpt from a blog that Anne's husband started in order to keep family and friends updated on her progress. Here is what he wrote:

"As you know, my beautiful wife and best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer on Friday 11/12/10. We were shocked to hear this unfortunate news. After we had time to process the facts, one of the things we quickly realized was how much love and support there was around us. I am at a loss for words. I do not quite know how to thank all of you for your kind thoughts, prayers, messages and gestures. You have truly touched both of our hearts. Anne is an amazing person as many of you know. This fact is evidenced in part by the wonderful friends and family who surround her. Thanks again to all for their continued support and a special thank you to our families for all the love and assistance they have given already."

"To my wife:

You are such a unique and extraordinary individual, mother, wife and friend. To know you is truly to love you. You are the bright light in our family and you make me and the boys happier than I can articulate. I love you to pieces and will always be here for you no matter what comes our way. Stay strong and I know you will prevail."

Prevail she has. Anne had her first surgery to remove the breast cancer only 4 days after giving birth to her son. You can tell she was ready to fight in her sassy "Susan" hospital gown!!

She had a second and final surgery for her breast cancer and sported the "Elizabeth" hospital gown.

Here is what Anne said about wearing her Annie & Isabel hospital gowns:

"I want to sincerely thank you again for your gorgeous gowns. I have to tell you, when I was pregnant with my third son, I was hoping to get one after seeing the beautiful photos that Brenda Bisharat took of glowing mommies. I got my wish and then some. I was gifted two gowns at my baby shower. I felt so special as everyone at the shower admired their beauty. I wore the Anita at the birth of my third son Markos. I can't tell you how much it meant to me to feel so pretty in my designer gown because days later I knew I would be facing my greatest challenge."

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30 years old, 8 months pregnant, with my son. My doctor induced me at 36 weeks pregnant and four days later I was back in the hospital getting a mastectomy. After my diagnosis, my sister Audrey gave me the Susan gown and I also got the Elizabeth (breast cancer gown) from some dear friends. I wore the Susan gown for my mastectomy because I wanted to feel sassy and put up a good fight! It put a smile on my doctors face and after seeing it he got me a stuffed dog with similar print to carry so I would remember to not lift or use that arm. After that surgery, I found out that the cancer did not spread and I can happily call myself a survivor!"

"Last but not least, I wore the Elizabeth gown in February for my last surgery. I had so many compliments from nurses and doctors. My doctors first response was how nice the gown was but then he was even more impressed when he realized how easy it was to access my bandages. It was so comfortable and I felt "safe" to walk the halls knowing I wasn't going to give anyone a peep show."

In addition to taking care of herself, being a wife and loving on her three boys, Anne started a wonderful blog called "Livin the Green" and, in her words, this blog is about "cleaning out the old self to become a healthier, wiser, greener, and more organic person." If you want to follow along in this journey and change your old ways too then you should follow along!!

Annie & Isabel Celebrates One Year Anniversary & Introduces the "Feel Better Campaign"

Annie & Isabel just celebrated its one year anniversary and, when we think about what we have accomplished over this last year, it really excites us. We received our first batch of gowns on April 9th, 2010 and haven't looked back since. We have been so humbled by the number of companies, mom bloggers, and Annie & Isabel fans who have wanted to spread the news about our company to others. We thank every single one of you because you have helped make us who we are and you have also helped countless women have a much more stylish, comfortable and dignified hospital stay!!

As a one year anniversary present to ourselves, we have given Annie & Isabel a website makeover and are excited to share it with you now here:

ANNIE & ISABEL

We really love it and hope you do too. We want to thank Foss Marketing Group for helping us build a website that we absolutely love! While browsing around the website make sure you scroll over the pics on the homepage and the pics in the shop area. Check back often, too, as we will be continuing to add testimonials to the testimonial section.

We also want to take this time to announce a new and exciting program we are going to launch. This program is extremely important to us because a part of our mission has always been to give back to the community. We have done this from the beginning with our Elizabeth gown by giving back to breast cancer patients. You can read about that HERE.

Our new program is called the "Feel Better Campaign". We have always known that our hospital gowns make wonderful gifts for people who are sick in the hospital. What we didn't realize when starting this business was how hard it would be to not just GIVE people our gowns. Through twitter and facebook we have "met" some wonderful and brave people dealing with difficult diagnoses. Deep down we would love to just give each and every one of these people one of our hospital gowns because we know our hospital gowns provide dignity, comfort and a small sense of control during a time when people feel most vulnerable. We are also both nurses and our instinct is to always help people in need and so when we find out about someone who has to be in the hospital we want so much for them to have one of our hospital gowns because we know it will brighten their stay!!

We have already seen how the gift of one of our hospital gowns to an ill person can bring a smile to a person's face during a difficult time. You can see that here from Kristin, Katie and Beth!! We have always said when you look great, you feel better!! The problem is that if we gave gowns to everyone ill in the hospital then we would quickly be out of business:)

Only days after suffering a cardiac arrest

Hours after open heart surgery

Days after receiving a lung transplant

Annie & Isabel's the "Feel Better Campaign" is a program in which we will give away an Annie & Isabel hospital gown to one deserving person on a semi-annual basis. We want you, our fans, to be involved too!!! We want nominations from people on twitter, facebook and , YOU, our fans!! You just need to email us at wecare@annieandisabel.com and tell us about the person you are nominating and why you think they would love to have one of our hospital gowns.

While we are just announcing this program now, we have already been giving back in this way and we would like to introduce you to the first recipients of Annie & Isabel's the "Feel Better Campaign". The first recipient was Noelle, who is now a breast cancer survivor. She was the first to wear our Elizabeth gown and you can read her story HERE.

Lauren was our second recipient. Lauren is a teenager who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in April of 2010 and is now cancer free. She wore the Isabel designer hospital gown during her treatments. You can read about her HERE.

Beth Peters, who has cystic fibrosis, was our third recipient. We "met" Beth through twitter and, at the time we met her, she was on the transplant list to receive new lungs. When we found out through twitter that she had been called to the hospital for a possible match, we knew we needed to send her our gowns. We couldn't imagine her having to spend so much time in the hospital with those yucky gowns. Beth's sister picked out her Annie & Isabel hospital gowns. She picked the Elizabeth since that is her sister's name and the Annie. She told us she liked the Annie because of the fact that our great-grandmother lived to be 98 years old and she wished that for her sister. How wonderful is that??!! We hope that for Beth too. Beth is doing well with her new lungs and she recently wrote a very nice blog post about us HERE.

Happy anniversary to Annie & Isabel!! We look forward to many more years of providing patients with more stylish, dignified and comfortable hospital stays. We want to thank all our fans as you have greatly helped us to be where we are today and we don't take that for granted. We appreciate each and every one of you!!!!