What better way to officially kick off the Summer then with a FREE TeenyB bikini!

That’s right, due to the overwhelming support of our last Ditch the Diaper event, we have decided to host it again. Just doing our part to rid the world of large diaper-like bikinis. And we are not the only ones who agree!

Sofia Vergara says it herself, “I was like, ‘What is that?’ It’s like a diaper. It’s terrible,” she tells the April 2012 issue of Esquire about first seeing American bathing suits. “Who can look good in that?” Maybe she checked out our video too???

Well there are no excuses now. If you live in the Tampa area and want to party on Memorial Day weekend with us, now’s the chance!!!!

I don’t want to be totally negative about aspiring photographers. In fact, every one of us has started out as an amateur at some point or another. Nowadays with all of the semi-professional camera equipment people can own it is a great stepping stool to get started.

But WHO would want to look at my photography?? Well, it all depends on your subject matter really, but at TeenyB we are always encouraging people to be creative AND have fun. Our Contributors.TeenyB.com Section is a great way to get some practice in AND earn a gift certificate for TeenyB. A true win-win situation!

Lately I have really been enjoying reviewing and accepting the newest contributors. Each of these girls earned not only a $50 gift certificate towards their next TeenyB purchase, but they also had fun doing it. Check out the website to see the rules today.

Here is a photo I just love. Great background and lovely pose. I always love seeing fresh new ideas for shooting. This is a great backdrop that is really unexpected for bikinis!

There is plenty more bikini photos and updates of real girls rocking TeenyB’s so if you have never visited Contributors.TeenyB.com before, be sure to do it today!!!

Now that the weather is officially warmer in most places, (Florida has definitely been ready for Summer for like the past 2 months) clubs are starting to open their doors on the weekend with special events. Last weekend was the kick-off season for a place in Tampa called South Beach Sundays. A good friend of mine asked if we would like to participate in the event by suiting up the girls working the promo.

Naturally because it is a outdoor pool club, much like the ones you see in Vegas (only a lot smaller) all the girls would be wearing bikinis. I was excited that I was approached about this idea because we have actually been doing our research and working away trying to find the next great place to do a Ditch the Diaper event.
Our Ditch the Diaper event went over so well last year (check out the link above if you have never seen OR heard of it) that we knew we had to bring it back. I will give more information about this too…but definitely in a different post. Let’s stay focused!

While I had never attended South Beach Sunday’s I had heard about it from several friends of mine so was anxious to go and check it out.
Here are a few photos from the event, but you can see a LOT more on their Facebook page – southbeachsundays.

All of these photos are courtesy of Ready2Rage the promotions company we worked with. You can visit their Facebook page – OfficialReady2Rage

When I left on before our trip, a lot of the clothes being offered in boutiques were still Winter stuff. BORING. I have always hated Winter fashion because I don’t like wearing a lot of clothes. (Might have sounded bad). Its because I am short, and lots of big bulky sweaters never looks good on a short girl.

So I was very pleased upon returning to my favorite local boutique to see bright colors for Spring!

It is a shame that I do not utilize all of the wonderful resources the internet has to offer to shopping, blogging and “pinning” your favorite new items. But when I do sit down and take the time to start reading blogs, or clicking on cute outfits the time completely flies by!!!

Today I was pleased to waste that time because I saw a really great post about – what other then OUR company!!!!

The website is called Law of Fashion and she pretty much covers the gambit of everything girls love about clothes and shopping….so really it is no wonder why we are on there. *wink!*

www.Law-of-Fashion.com

What a great way to jump back into the swing of things. And welcome SPRING, and hello BRIGHT COLORS!!!!!
It makes me excited that Bright Colors are in because we really ran that direction with our 2012 Spring Line. We have some more fun Summer additions for the future, but for now we are relishing in our colorblocks and new underwire tops!

Inevitably, when you take trips you are always having to purchase some sort of souvenir for yourself, for your friends or family, whatever. It has been close to 2 months traveling and I have been searching for something to get my nieces and nephews, and of course ourself.
I am not the person to just buy something because I have to. If I end up not finding anything I like, I will simply not make a purchase. Luckily my family has been conditioned not to always receive presents because I have gone somewhere. However since this is my first time in South America I really wanted to find something. While I know it will not be my last, my family may never have the pleasure of traveling down here. Needless to say, a few rules I like to have when looking for a souvenir purchase.

Something handmade. Something local or reflective of the native culture. Quality so it will last.
When visiting markets in the local cities, we are always on the lookout. I would be lying if I didn’t say that most of the stuff looks eerily similar to the last, and I am not sure if it is from Ecquador or Chile. (Chile is where we have spent the bulk of our time.). I have a feeling I will not be making too many more purchases in Chile because what I have seen is no different then the next, and doesn’t meet my high quality standards. Luckily, I did recognize this when in Ecquador and made some ample purchases then. Though in reflection I wish I would have bought more as I clearly passed up the most interesting stuff with thoughts there would be plenty more in the remaining 6 weeks of travel. That is of course the risk you take.
Luckily for modern day Internet shopping, you can do a lot of your research simultaneously, and no pass up opportunities because you do not know what is around the corner. It gets me to thinking about bikinis (of course) because it is what I do. I remember when I was younger and wanted to buy a sexy thong bikini to sunbathe in. I had gone to the coast and visited all of the local shops. Finally settling on one, determined to not walk away empty handed, I made my purchase of a not so flattering, much more expensive then I had ever purchased before bikini and wore it that day. It’s shelf life was very short for good reason. When going thru an old bag years later I stumbled upon it and was horrified that I would have even made that purchase. It makes me think of what a waste of money it was.

Now a days, I am much more aware of value. I will make splurge purchases that may seem way to expensive for some, but know that I will get years of use out of it, and it will still look as great as when I first bought it. Even more present is my “value radar” when the economy is weak.

Every once in a while we will receive emails from customers, or potential consumers posing some form of this same concern.
Why, they ask, would I pay so much for your bikini when there are plenty of others that sell for much cheaper.

I do not want to waste the time to answer such a question for you, but all I can say is the people who do make the purchase are simply looking for something MORE. Something better. Something that will last them longer then a season, that will look better than any other swimsuit and will ultimately cost them less then a different suit based on the sustained value and use it provides. Plus, sometimes you just have to purchase what you like.
A recent customer understood it and considerately wrote a letter expressing her excitement.

“I just received my suits in the mail, and from the adorable packaging to the perfect fit, I am IN LOVE! I will never buy a swimsuit anywhere else from now on. While this is the most I’ve ever spent on a suit, I can say I’m glad I took the plunge because with TeenyB you really pay for what you get. The fabric is luxurious, and the cut and fit of the Brazilian full pucker bottom is exactly what I was looking for. I will definitely be back for more! Thanks -Nikki”

I appreciate these letters because for every negative letter we receive, a good one comes in and replenishes my faith in our product and pricing.

That is what I look for in most every purchase I make. That is what I am looking on our trip for gifts, and that is what I look for in clothes that I buy.

Being in the middle of our trip to South America when the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition magazine dropped, I knew that we would certainly have a few copies of the magazine bought for us to view when we get home..but knowing that I still have another 4 weeks to go until that happens, I cannot help but search for it every time I pass a magazine kiosk.

While we will be switching to a different city in a short few days, I am surprised and saddened that Valpariso, Chile does not have ANY Sports Illustrated to be found.

Again it is a first of many stops for us so I am still holding out hope.

Recently we spent a wonderful afternoon touring the Casablanca valley known for their vineyards and lovely landscapes. It was very beautiful indeed and you can see that the development is well on its way. On our way home we tracked over to the sea had a lovely lunch at a local village. There was a beach and you could see people playing in the water. While it IS considered Summertime here in Chile, it can be deceiving because the water is still very cold. Sure, people come to the beach, but not a lot of them are getting in the water, and the ones that do tend to be wearing wetsuits. I am ever on the lookout for what swimwear styles the locals are wearing though… I just cannot help myself.

We will soon hit Vina Del Mar where I hope to see a lot more bikinis.
Keeping my eyes peeled for a LOT of things these days!

Really this is probably too much of an open ended question and the reality is, the answer is both.

One should always be striving to make products better, more efficient and creative while also preserving the things that make it great in the first place.

This really is not my point, so let me change gears for a moment. While traveling (especially with a young child) it is important to try and preserve some recognizable patterns for your kid so that he can transition better into his new environment. True, some children adapt better then others, but there are ways to make it easier for anyone.

As adults most of us probably are excited to get a total change of scenery and it is easy for us to abandon all of the good habits we cherish at home normally. However, it IS still important to keep your health up. While I am not saying, stick to a diet if you are on one…I am the first one to say do everything in moderation. When you come to a new culture, it is essential to immerse yourself in it. Try the local cuisine and indulge in their delicacies. That is certainly what I cherish. I would much rather walk 10 miles a day so I can eat the specially baked breads in the morning and the local cheeses and wines then forgo them all together.

Working out for me is the big key in retaining my “good habits” while of course creating new bad ones. I know that they are only temporary and will cease as I remove myself from the local surroundings. Chile has proven very challenging for me to workout. It is not to say it is HARD to find a place to workout, quite the contrary with its vertical terrain one cannot help but get aerobic activity simply walking to the supermarket. This is a good change of pace for me because living in Florida there ARE no hills. I get plenty of exercise but it does not mix it up like trying to run up a hill at a 18% incline.

Needless to say, as I sit here taking a rest trying to gear myself up for a quick afternoon run around the neighborhood I cannot help but think of two things; learning my surroundings and neighbors that much better as they cheer Maria and I on to make it up that final hill, and just how sore my calves actually are.

Here’s to creating a challenge for yourself no matter where you are!

We are so proud to announce that TeenyB swimwear is officially represented in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition magazine. (We are also featured in their online website) and there are several photos and bikinis if you are dying to see gorgeous bikini models in your favorite swimwear.

Click here to see more photos in this bikini. Or better yet, if you want to purchase this bikini on our website, click here to purchase this bikini.

Click here to view more photos of this set online.
If you are dying to get this bikini, check out the link below.
To view this bikini on our storefront click here.

We were excited last year to be able to be participate in the gift bags for all of the models, they must have insisted they shoot this year in our bikinis because they loved them so much!!

If you would like to check out more photos of our swimwear in Sports Illustrated pick up the magazine today, or check them out online. (They have some great video too!!!)

I recently had a bit of a revelation while on a trip. In fact, it has taken me a long 2 weeks just to really start to unwind and feel like I am ready for a vacation.

I recognize that not a lot of people have the luxury to take long vacations (2 weeks is certainly one of them) much less something even longer…like 8 weeks…but I would also beg to argue that in the past 5 years my “vacations” were never really vacations at all. When you are building a business, you are living and breathing it. There may be a few brief moments when you take a breath and clear your mind…but it is only to quickly fill it once again with ideas for your next step.

But that is really the way I like it. I love this work. I love this job, being able to create and see progress. Having a direct hand in how the company is formed, who we hire to be on our team…I wouldn’t have it any other way. Just as true though, it IS important to be able to decompress. This past year has been very challenging for me in lots of ways but most importantly was the addition to our family. As a new mother I have been allocating my time very wisely trying to still grow the company and grow my family and that tends to leave very little time for me to work on “myself.” Before the days of babies I would frolic around in my TeenyB and lay in the sun. I would plan fun parties and do arts and crafts projects because I had the extra time. I would read 5 times as many books as I do now, and spend a LOT more time developing and retaining my existing friendships. Now, I am sad to admit most, if not all of that has gone to the wayside and I have put my priorities elsewhere. All of which is necessary and totally healthy, but at some point it is also important for a woman to begin to integrate them back into her world….something I had simply not done.

This trip is coming at a great time for me because I am ready to start handling more of a workload. I feel comfortable with the baby, and the growth of the company is good and steady. We have implemented a lot of new and exciting features for the site and have much more to do in the years to come. But I need some time for me. But how does one pick up where they left off 2 years ago? How do I just get back into all of that? How do I feel effortlessly sexy again when I haven’t kept up with it in so long???? I was at am impasse. I knew what I wanted to do, who I wanted to be again. I wanted to be that free spirited, fun loving, stress free person who glowed with light and happiness…

It hadn’t dawned on me that the quickest way to get there was to go back to the basics. Put on that Micro Thong or that Whaletail Thong (my 2 personal favorite styles) and soak up a few moments of sunlight. I am not talking hours and hours, but 10 minutes. How could I not even have thought of that??? I will tell you why….because after having a kid, it can be a daunting thing to get back into a tiny bikini. Especially when I have a LOT of other styles introduced into the line that are larger and cover more. But that is the thing…that is NOT MY STYLE. The more fabric that covers MY body, the more I am worried about how my body is sitting in it. The LESS I have covering me, the more free I feel. The less I worry about if the suit is hitting my belly, etc. Wearing that Micro thong laying out, made me realize…I never lost myself…I just wasn’t letting her be free.

So for those of you out there who want to make a change, want to put on another hat and let your inner self out I challenge you to lose the extra pieces that are covering you.

As if we weren’t busy enough…

We get approached a lot to participate in different events, but every once in a while, something catches our attention and we KNOW we have to get involved. This Friday, TeenyB will join forces with The Gentlemen’s Society benefiting the Children’s Dream Fund for a fun filled night of fashion extravaganza.

What better way to get a party started then with a bikini fashion show?

If you are local to the Tampa area and would like to support the Children’s Dream Fun, be sure to join us.

If you’d like to know more about the Event itself or The Gentlemen’s Society, be sure to check them out at their facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/TheGentlemensSocietyTampa

With an unseasonably warm Winter this year, we decided to get the Spring party started a little early. And what better time to fall in love with our newest bikini prints (& styles) than with 2 special bikini prints for Valentine’s day.

If you have always loved Valentine’s day, but are sick of the “traditional” old boring lingere gifts, step out of the box and get something you can enjoy BEYOND the bedroom! Trust me, your husband or boyfriend will like the idea he gets to enjoy seeing this sexy suit on you a LOT more often!!

(Click on this image to get full size downloadable wall paper!)

Our red hearts print comes in a favorite, and Classic Triangle Top, as seen above.
It also comes in a brand new style. This Style #770 – or Demi Scrunch top is the first of 3 underwire bikini tops exclusively created by TeenyB for you! Our Demi Scrunch is a unique top that is sporty, snug and supportive all with minimal coverage and maximum style. This bikini top WILL make your boobs look a little smaller in size, it has a unique fitting shape that looks a little “old school 40′s” pin-up style. The more you scrunch the top together, the more your boobs will fill the lower cup. While it is not for everyone, it is a very sexy and stylish way to mix up your wardrobe. Samantha models this top below and looks terrific, try yours today and see what YOU think!

Our second print is an adorable Pink Polka Dots on a black suit, with Bubble Gum Pink binding. It is flirty, girly and fun.
Available in our Classic and Enhanced Cut Triangle Top with 3 bottom choices. Our #220 – Teeny Thong for the aggressive flirt, a #311 – Whaletail Thong for the sporty siren, and our #415 – Brazilian Half Pucker (Our most popular bottom bikini style) for a Demure Diva.

(Click on this image to get full size downloadable wall paper!)

Check our these adorable Valentine’s bikini directly at our site now.

(Limited Edition – Misc. Prints Bikinis)

Once in a while, a distinguished company gets the pleasure of viewing some of the work a photographer is able to create with their products. I was very happy to hear the news that Leica had contacted Robert Turi to do an interview with him based on his experiences as a photographer and user of their products, Leica cameras.

This is not only a great tribute to a personal friend and confidant, but also a member of the TeenyB team so we are excited to see this. Take a moment to read these 2 terrific posts.

http://blog.leica-camera.com/photographers/interviews/robert-turi-combining-passion-and-spontaneity-part-one/

And of course the follow-up to the article.

Part Two

My only real complaint is that there are NO photos in bikinis here

Congratulations Bobby, it was a pleasure reading this article, and I wish you only the greatest things in your carer to come!

Okay it is safe to say this year is already starting to blow by. After our successful Spring Line shoot, I took a much deserved break from my computer and working. We spend post Christmas and New Years in New Orleans which was very pleasant. The weather was moderately warm, especially for NOLA so it was great to walk the streets of the city.

After about the 3rd day of lounging and playing Words With Friends I begun to second guess my choice NOT to bring my computer with me. While I knew I would not have any of the edited content from our trip, I certainly had a lot of OTHER tasks I could have been working on in the meantime.

Every year we try and make some tweaks to the website. All with the idea of making the shopping and browsing experience better for the customer. When having our discussions as to what can be improved upon, one universal request is to make our photos larger. We spend a LOT of time shooting and honing in our photography style, so when we really do not get a chance to show it off, it does become frustrating. In just a few short weeks you will begin to see some of these changes on the site. Specifically with our SEPARATES section. Now, when you come to view a separate you will not only have a product photo, but also a larger photo showing the model with both the top and bottom. (Very similar to how we present our SETS.)

I digress, my point to this detail was not to bore you with work related updates, but to explain why, when I finally DID get back after the new year, I hit the ground sprinting, and I have not turned back once.

Going thru the very extensive list of Separates that we offer on the website in all of our departments is amazing to think just how many styles and colors of bikinis we actually sell! For someone to come to this website and say there is not enough choice, is, to me unthinkable. If you do not find something on TeenyB that you do NOT like, then, well you just don’t like super sexy perfectly tailored luxury Brazilian bikinis! (And to each his own.)

So needless to say, lots of changes to the website coming as we speak…(have you noticed our new interface?)

Now you have the ability to shop by color and bikini category as well as our traditional Departments Section. It is just scratching the surface of all the great additions we will have on our site this year…not to mention the awesome new styles and colors for Spring 2012!!

Well, I am sure you are all wondering, now that the shoot is over – when do we get to SEE it online?

Unfortunately we still have a lot of work to do after the fact, and this is the earliest we have ever shot our catalog, so I cannot imagine any of our newest stuff is going to be showing up on the website until February. (But I will not count out a special Newsletter Sneak Peak Preview and possible PRE-SALE).

If you haven’t visited our website lately, there IS some new and exciting things up already.

We are always adding new prints, no matter WHAT the time of year, so visit our Limited Edition Prints section to see the newest.

Our most popular department B.Couture – Oasis has NEW 2-Strand Trims. They are twice as sexy as the original single strand (still for sale on the website). Our new 2-strand Oasis comes in 4 color options; White (Lined), Yellow (limited release), New Blu and Coral Mania.

Wow, that went by really fast.

It is amazing how much time and effort goes into planning the catalog shoots, but how quickly they seem to go by.
It is no doubt that in the middle of it (long days, short nights) it feels like it is never going to end, but all the days seem to just blend together and the next thing you know it’s over.

It is always the few days after the shoots that really get to me. I am so focused on shooting, planning, organizing, etc. that I really have no time for anything else. I do not watch television, read any blogs or internet news stories, so when I try to assimilate myself back into regular life, I am out of the loop….to say the least.

Another interesting thing to note with regards to our photo shoots is the comradery it builds. Shooting on location in the same house makes it feel like a small reality show (for lack of a better description). Really it is like being on set shooting a movie. You are working with each other and being creative. Many times “acting” of sorts, or definitely stepping outside of yourself. And then of course you are eating dinner together, relaxing; basically spending every waking moment together. Over the course of the week, it becomes second nature. Knowing how close we will be working, I go to great lengths to always choose very particular people who we work with. While one bad apple will not necessarily spoil the bunch, it will definitely make a sour pie. But at the end of the week, when the work is done and the bags are once again packed up, one cannot feel a small twinge of sadness that it went by all so fast.

One of my favorite things to do post catalog shoot is go thru all of the behind the scenes photos. This is the stuff I really feel I miss out on, because I am so focused on work. I love going thru it day by day. Seeing the photo shoot in the eyes of someone else. I love seeing the smiles, the silly photos taken, and the memories built.

Thank you too everyone who participated in this years Catalog shoot, both models and staff alike. While it will not be the last, it certainly was a very memorable one.

And for those of you who think there is no possible way you could be a TeenyB model keep this in mind.

This year we had 2 BRAND NEW MODELS who have little to NO experience in front of the camera. Yep, we do not discriminate because you have no experience, we can spot potential from a mile away. So if you have always wanted to be a model, send in a photo, or submit a few you have taken to our Contributors section… you never know where it might lead you!!!

Emily (below) is one of our 2 beauties. Hard to believe she is a newbie huh?? Looking forward to shooting her again very soon.

Getting ready to head to New Orleans tomorrow. Of course we are looking forward to it, because it is a second home to us.
Eating great food, walking the beautiful city and most importantly Monday Night Football!!

Everyone knows I love football, and the Saints and we are looking forward to stomping the Giants on Monday.

After a short week of fun we will be heading back home and working hard getting ready for our catalog shoot in December.
We have pulled the jewelry and are laying out the newest bikinis as they come in! This year is going to be a very exciting year for TeenyB because we have a lot of new products to introduce.

Just last week we launched our newest bikini bottom – The Rio Pucker!
It is a new take on our very popular Brazilian Pucker line, but with slightly more coverage in key areas.

To describe who’s body type this Rio pucker fits best would be doing a disservice to how many body types can actually wear this.
If you want to check out the NEW RIO Pucker on our website click here!

We also have 3 new Underwire Bikini Top styles for our Spring Collection!!! More to come on that next week.

Enjoy your Holiday weekend and Go Saints!

We are all grateful to the many people who helped transform swimwear into the modern day bikini. But if you ask most people who or when it was invented, I would bet most people couldn’t begin to tell you.

(Just a fun fact though: – The modern bikini was invented by French engineer Louis Réard in 1946. He named it after Bikini Atoll in the Pacific) Though bikinis themselves date back much further then that (think athletic wear for athletes in the times of ancient Greece, 1400 BC).

I digress. If you ALSO asked most people the most popular bikini song around, I think it would be safe to say that people would immediately start singing:

“She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini….”

I certainly know I would.

That song was written by Lee Pockriss and sadly, he passed away this week at the age of 87.
Thank you Lee for loving bikinis, and giving us such a great song to hum away too!

If you would like to read more about Lee Pockriss’s other great songs and career,

check out this link.

LOTS and lots of stuff going on these days. This time of the year always seems to fly by.

We have officially planned our new 2012 line and are receiving some new prints every week. It always feels like Christmas when we get samples in. We get to pick thru them, see which ones we like, if the colors work. Of course the true test is when we actually get them on the models and shoot them. There have been many times when we aren’t sure of a print before we shoot it, but in looking at the photos we love it!!

While all of our samples get the opportunity to be shot, not all of them make the cut for the product line.
What do we do with these lonely samples you may ask???

The thing is, even if they do not make the cut for the product line, does not mean they aren’t adorable. A lot of times, we chose not to produce it, because it does not mesh well with the other colors we have, or perhaps we have another product that looks too similar. For whatever reason, these bikinis always end up finding a nice home.

We have a few new styles coming out for next season as well as some really fun prints and colors. More to come….