Circle of Excellence

December 3, 2010 By Audrey Leave a Comment

We keep pretty busy around here…communicating with customers, sewing, filling, shipping orders. Not to mention working on new products and keeping the website up-to-date! It definitely takes the whole crew, and we’re always dancin’!

From time to time, we receive emails about this or that award, and they always bring a smile…but when a lovely crystal trophy shows up in the mail, now that gets some attention! It turns out we have been honored as one of 34 online retailers in Bizrate’s 2010 Platinum Circle of Excellence. When you figure how many thousands of online stores utilize Bizrate’s customer survey service, that’s amazing!

So we owe some big ‘thank you’s to Bizrate, to our wonderful crew, and most of all, to our fantastic, amazing customers. We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to be of service. And we look forward to many years of the same.

xoxo,
Audrey

Filed Under: behind the scenes, philosophy Tagged With: customer service

Allie Wade

June 22, 2009 By Audrey Leave a Comment

I spent an afternoon helping my mother and sisters clean out my parents’ basement last week. It’s always an adventure to sift through stacks of memorabilia…they bring so many reminders and smiles. When everyone was busy elsewhere, I took a moment to crack open some of my mother’s old journals. (shhh, don’t tell anyone I was slacking!) It was fun to read some of her thoughts and daily activities as a new wife, and later, as a mother running her own business. She’s an amazing woman, I’m so glad she took a few moments out of her day to record what was happening in her life.

Anyway, back to the purpose of this post, in the process of cleaning out, Mom found this photo and brought it to me, saying, “I didn’t know I had this picture! This is Allie Wade!” (Allie is in the center, surrounded by her four daughters, one of whom was my grandmother.) It was a treat for me to see…I never knew her, but in this photo, Allie looks just like I remember my grandma. I wonder how much they were alike.

I may not have known her, but Allie Wade has had a significant impact on my life, through my grandmother and my mother. Though she never knew it, she has been a part of special occasions for thousands of children all over the world–every garment we make leaves our facility bearing her name, and along with that name, a hope that her legacy of love will extend to all.

Filed Under: behind the scenes, family, philosophy Tagged With: allie wade christening

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

April 17, 2009 By Audrey Leave a Comment

Choosing an outfit for baby’s christening or blessing is different for everyone. Sometimes, you know the perfect gown or outfit when you see it and there are no questions. Then again, there are times you have so many options you just don’t know which way to turn!

We understand that it can be difficult to make such a big decision based on two-dimensional pictures…it’s important to be able to see and touch and compare in person. With that in mind, we gladly offer the option to purchase up to three styles (or sizes…if that baby is in-between) to review at your convenience.

Here’s how it works:

If you are unsure which christening gown/baptism outfit style or size you need, order up to 3 of your favorites. (You will pay for all items shipped at the time of your order, but no worries–our return process is easy!)
After you receive your order, make your choice in the comfort of your home.
When you’ve made your decision, simply return the unwanted items within 15 days of their arrival in your home. No need to expedite return shipping, just have them in the shipper’s hands within the 15 days. We recommend you use a trackable shipping service, so delivery can be verified.
Your card will be refunded when we recieve your return (please note: return transactions can take 7-10 days to appear on your bankcard statement).

Any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us!

Filed Under: philosophy, tips & trends Tagged With: baptism gowns, baptism outfits, blessing dresses, blessing outfits

About “A Child’s Blessing”

February 28, 2009 By Audrey Leave a Comment

My mother started this company on a shoestring twenty five years ago. I was a child then, but I can clearly remember her excitement over each new style, the love she put into her designs, how pleased she was to see children in her creations. I also remember her saying often that she wanted each dress to go out into the world with a blessing of peace and happiness for the child who wore it.

Several years later, she and I collaberated on the poem printed on the back of the hangtag attached to each dress or romper that leaves our facility. It is an expression of our sincere wish for every child to enjoy peace, joy, love, guidance and freedom in life.

Filed Under: behind the scenes, philosophy Tagged With: One Small Child

A Modest Perspective

February 16, 2009 By Audrey Leave a Comment

When I was a little girl, I distinctly remember my mother saying something along these lines in an overheard conversation: “If I dress my girls modestly when they’re young, perhaps they’ll feel uncomfortable in revealing clothing when they’re older.” By and large, she was right!

I don’t intend to argue about the issue of modesty (or lack thereof) in our society, but I’d like to think some of you would agree with me when I say that many clothing styles for young ladies today are certainly pushing them to dress much older than they are, and to bare a lot more than is necessary.

To me, special occasion dressing is just as important as (if not more important than) daily dressing…especially in a religious (First Communion, LDS Baptism) context: Do you really want your daughter to make deeply meaningful covenants with Deity in spaghetti straps? It’s true that what is in her heart is more important than what she wears, but it makes sense to me that what she wears is an outward sign of respect and devotion.

To that end, most of the First Communion dress styles you’ll find at One Small Child are all-over modest. You may see a bare arm here or there to accomodate customers looking for sleeveless styles, but you’ll never see a spaghetti strap or fully strapless gown in our boutique. It’s something we believe in.

Filed Under: first communion dresses, philosophy Tagged With: modest communion dresses, modest first communion dresses

A Child’s Blessing

January 28, 2009 By Audrey 1 Comment

May your life be blessed
with joy and love,
May angels guide you
from above.
May your heart be kind,
your spirit strong,
To see the good
and right some wrong.
May the world be
a better place
Because you came
and shared some space.

Filed Under: philosophy Tagged With: child's blessing, One Small Child

One Small Child Customer Reviews

June 23, 2008 By Audrey Leave a Comment

We’ve been selling dresses for a long time…twenty five years, in fact! Over the years, we’ve interacted with literally thousands of people. I’ve said it before, we love feedback, and it’s true. We have the best customers.

Of course we like the positive comments…you should see the bulletin board on the wall in our customer service department. It’s covered with photos and christening invitations and kind notes from thoughtful customers. In addition, we’ve devoted an entire page on OneSmallChild.com to customer comments. Ooooh. I love our customers.

Lest you think we only like the nice things people say, we actually really appreciate not-so-positive feedback as well. As hard as we work to get everything right, we’re human, Murphy’s Law kicks in every once in awhile, and we have a hiccup. Our philosophy is that the best way to get rid of our hiccups, is to respond to each issue as it arises, do our best to make it right and then implement strategies to eliminate future occurrences. So thank you for bringing areas in need of improvement to our attention!

Anyhoo…the point of this post is to let you know how much we appreciate comments…if you’d like to know how people feel about our company, you can view the results of our BizRate post-sale surveys here.

Filed Under: behind the scenes, philosophy Tagged With: customer reviews

International Shipping is Now Available at One Small Child!

June 18, 2008 By Audrey Leave a Comment

Finally. It’s been in the works for a long time, trying to figure out the best way to offer international shipping with the fastest/lowest cost delivery and safest payment options. We are so pleased to be able to offer service to our friends outside the United States. You can find all the details here. We’re excited to hear from you!

Filed Under: behind the scenes, frequently asked questions, philosophy Tagged With: international shipping, silk flower girl dresses

A Return Policy Like No Other

December 18, 2007 By Audrey Leave a Comment

Here at One Small Child, it is our desire to provide you with exquisite products and exceptional service. In order to assist you in making the all-important decision of what to have your child wear on his or her unforgettable day, we allow you to order up to three different styles/sizes of christening gowns or christening outfits, keep the pieces that best fit and return the unused garments. Here are answers to a few frequently asked questions regarding this policy:

Are there any re-stocking fees on returned items? No. Never. Please be aware, however, that if you selected our free shipping offer and your return causes the original order total to fall below $50, we do deduct $8.75 from your refund to cover the original shipping costs.
Do I pay for the items up front, or do you charge me after I return the unused items? At checkout, you pay for all items before they are shipped, and we cheerfully refund your card within one week upon receipt of your return.
Your return policy states that items must be returned within 15 days–is that from the date I order? No. the 15 day return period begins when you receive your order.
Does my return have to be in your facility within the 15 days? No. It just needs to be in the shipping system (postmarked). We do not expect you to spend exorbitant amounts on express shipping! Just be sure to select a shipping method that offers delivery confirmation.
Are made-to-order items returnable? Yes. Non-stock made-to-order items are constructed for you when we receive your order, but we do accept returns on them.

Filed Under: frequently asked questions, philosophy Tagged With: frequently asked questions, One Small Child

It’s Not Just a Job

December 17, 2007 By Audrey Leave a Comment

It’s not just a job. Really. Here at One Small Child, we’ve been designing and producing christening gowns for more than two decades. It’s in our blood! As a family owned and operated company, several members of our family are intimately involved in the day-to-day processes, and it’s common for impromptu executive meetings to bust out at family gatherings. (Apologies to those siblings & spouses employed elsewhere!)

We enjoy working together to develop new products, and we are excited to share the journey, the relationships, and the bits of information we gather along the way with you. We are committed to providing heirloom quality christening gowns and baptismal outfits as well as an unparalleled selection of christening accessories. And we’re getting pretty good at it…after all, we’ve been at it for a long time!