Get Punked

We doubt our mater knows the word "punk." If it is in her vocabulary, it surely appears only when preceded by the words "some little neighborhood." Rarely would she think to couple it with "rock" or "music." And in her tapered jeans and layered hair, she would never apply that adjective to herself. In fact, our ma is one of the ones who would have looked askance at Jessica Seymour, had she shown up at our playgroup.

But it probably wouldn't be the first time Seymour got a double take as another mom noticed her babies, Alexander and Violet, and her tattoos and piercings. But having kids (or experiencing the questioning glances of more traditional-looking moms) didn't dissuade Seymour from her rock-and-roll point of view. Because she believed that there must be others out there with solid parenting values who looked and lived "alternative" like she did, she started Punkymoms.com, a Web site that has evolved into a directory of resources geared towards rockin' 'rents and supporting small, often work-at-home-mom-owned businesses. Products include one-of-a-kind diaper bags, baby blankets and fun kids' clothing, including the Bottle Rockets line, designed by Seymour's husband, Joey Seeman.

And as a natural extension of the online biz, this weekend Punkymoms presents the Second Annual Punkymoms Christmas Bazaar. Sadly, while you won't find any wooden country geese or "Home Sweet Home" plaques, you are invited to peruse the merchandise of Kustom Cool Cats, Dark Candles, AnkleBiters, Baby Scotch, Slinky Mink's Body Care, Baby Bear wear and many others. To further the cool mom theme, all-mom garage rock band Frump will perform on Saturday night. And once you start thinking about the suffocating crowds and mass-produced merchandise at the mall this holiday season, we think you'll be glad to come down to Sons of Hermann Hall and get craftily punked.