Welcome to Babu's BaRn!
Babu was conceived especially for Cow Parade 2006 in Madison, WI USA.

Thanks to the gracious support of the WI Milk Marketing Board, Babu was born in the middle of a snowstorm, late in December 2005. Over 400 designs were submitted for the Madison Cow Parade and Babu was among the first twenty chosen. Her family is very proud of her!

Babu pays homage to my grandparents, immigrants of Polish and Czech heritage that came to Chicago in the early 1900's. My paternal grandmother left her family's dairy farm in Poland at only 15 years of age and arrived in Boston via steamship to work in the woolen mills. Her husband to be arrived from Poland a short time later. After a few years in Boston they headed to Chicago (the new Poland). My mother's side of the family, rich in the Czech genes and Bohemian spirit also made their home in Chicago. This side of the family is blessed with writers, actors and entrepreneurs. And to add more merry to the dairy theme, my maternal grandfather owned his own dairy delivery service while my grandmother ran a corner grocery...of course she sold icecream.

People ask me how I came up with the idea for Babu...because she isn't ordinary. Growing up my older sister and I were often seen wearing babushkas. We had everyday babushkas and ones that matched special dresses.They were a Fall and Spring wardrobe staple...and the neighbor girls wore them too!
Obviously due to my heritage I grew up learning how to dance the Polka. (Thanks to my older siblings I wasn't subjected to accordion lessons.) Polka dots are obviously a fun play on the word polka and who doesn't smile when they see polka dots, especially the big bright ones Babu is sporting? The actual name Babushka Marushka is all mom's idea which she willingly offered, knowing it fit so well. Babu is all about fun and I hope you enjoy her!