Thanks so much to everyone who submitted a comment and/or photograph for our Valentine’s Day Giveaway. One thing is certain – there is LOVE in the air when it comes to our feathered friends! We thought we’d put together a collage of some of the photos and comments (in no particular order) for everyone to enjoy. Happy Valentine’s Day!

My Pi thinks is way cool to do the ‘mating dance’ at me when I’m exercising. Apparently waving around a pink Pilates ball=mating dance. :/

My Indian Ringneck, Gucci, has learned to whisper “I love you” when it’s bed time.  If I ever have my Lori on my shoulder, he will stand up as high as he can and scream “Peek-A-boo!” to try and scare him away. So cute!

Phobos is turning a year this month and loves to dance with me. Whenever he’s with me, he just sits on my shoulder and rubs his beak together. But if I leave the room and let him sit with my roommate, he lets out a disapproving PEEP! and flies after me! He’s my sweetie.

Elton is a big baby, as you can see in the photo, he gives me his love by snuggling in my arms (upside down) and making cooing sounds. Then he will get up and come up and give me “hugs” by snuggling into the nape of neck and giving me kisses with a kissing sound. He just gives me so much joy and happiness every day we’re together.

Flightsuits allow my Blue & Gold macaw, Dude to sleep with me. No matter how much I toss and turn, Dude always tries to make sure that we’re holding “hands” while we sleep. He loves to hang out with me while I get ready to go out, luckily Dude usually whispers “Hurry up” just in time to keep me from being late! (flightsuits allow Dude the freedom to go where ever I go)

My female Ringneck dove, Charlotte, shows the love by simply putting up with her mate, Edgar’s antics! Here she is sharing the nest with him despite his poor nest etiquette. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is!

They don’t show love to ME…. They were supposed to be my birds and instantly bonded to my husband. The one preens and grooms him impeccably…..He also has a special greeting call just for Rusty when rusty gets home or comes into the room. It’s a really excited, great to see you, glad you’re hear type call.

Buddy, my Goffin Cockatoo, shows me so much love by just being there and knowing how I feel! If I am hurting, he wants to cuddle. If I am happy, he wants to play fetch and he talks to me! He is so handsome and gentle. He is everything I want and need! With the flight suits I am able to take him alot of places, such as the fair and trail rides. I know when he is getting nervous and never put him in a situation that he doesn’t like. He really enjoys going out for walks and is now calling the dogs and says hello when people stop us. I have an Aussie and a Jack Russell and he calls out their name, and tells them to slow down or sit when we are on walks.

Mal likes to preen my hair and undo my barrettes. He also gives kisses.

One of my citron cockatoos, Pan, will hold one of my fingers in one of her feet. It is so special to me, and I think to her as well.

Pinot, my little Sun Conure loves me so much, he even tries to regurgitate his dinner for me.

Aura loves to preen us, and its almost always the first thing she does when we pick her up. Always so tidy! Though she babbles more than she actually talks (but don’t tell her that!) she can whisper the word “kisses” and gives a little nibble to our noses while we smooch her. By far her favorite way to show us the love is to talk… and talk… and talk! With Aura around my boyfriend and I are never lonely.

When my partner walked in on Christmas morning with a baby cockatiel in a cage for me, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with her. She was wild and untamed, and drew blood biting my finger on more than one occasion. It was not long before she settled down and began to trust, and I fell in love with her. Now we spend every possible minute together, she sits on my shoulder and nibbles my earring and lovingly butts her head against mine. In the evening she climbs up on me, tucks her little head under her wing and goes to sleep:) I couldn’t imagine my life without my Ki Ki!:)

Charmin, my U2, is a big kisser. Whether we are cuddling under the covers or out-n-about, he is always very affectionate. Even if he is upset with me for preventing him from being a naughty bird he will gladly give me a kiss (as a form of bribery, of course). He’s also a little jealous birdie and will kiss me in front of “unwanted” (in his opinion:) ) guests. I LOVE my Charmin!

Oh Sunny needs a LoveSuit! She will be 1 year old on Valentine’s Day 2012! She loves to give kisses and snuggle!

My too and I have evening conversations in our night time quiet time voices . Soooo adorable!

 NOTE: If we missed a name or made an error, just drop us a line and we will be happy to make the correction.

Here’s a quick look back at Avian Fashions and how it all began!

Every bird owner knows it — poop happens. It’s this well-known fact plus a brilliant idea that has made the FlightSuit such a success – a product that is sold throughout the U.S. and internationally, with distributors in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Israel.

The story began over 15 years ago as Mark & Lorraine Moore, both Naval officers and graduates of Old Dominion University, sought to solve the poop problem. Lorraine recalls, “I had a passion for birds and Mark had a passion against cleaning up after them.”

So, after a great deal of trial and error, Lorraine developed the first FlightSuit prototype with friend and seamstress, Cely Giron. Lorraine’s goal: keep her birds out of their cages more without sacrificing the furniture, and give them some freedom in the car during a cross country military move. So, with FlightSuits in hand, the Moores embarked on a 14 state trip from San Diego to Watkins Glen, New York.

“People saw our birds with red FlightSuits on and thought they were red-breasted, Lorraine said, “others thought they were fake, like they were from Disneyland or something. We generated lots of excitement and got interesting reactions – it was like one big focus group.” Mark recalls, “the light bulb that started in San Diego just got brighter and brighter. By the time we unpacked in New York, we had started the patent process.”

However, the idea of a bird diaper wasn’t without its skeptics. Mark recalls, “When we started in 1997, it was heresy to put a diaper on a bird. Our families thought we were crazy.” But the Moores were convinced that the idea would fly, mostly because it had improved their own lives so much. Lorraine adds, “we thought maybe we should just keep this for our own birds. But I knew it was about educating people.”

The idea was born and the internet allowed the Moores to reach fellow bird lovers around the country. Initially, they operated Avian Fashions from their 1,100 square foot apartment on the Quantico Marine Base. Then, in 2002, they relocated to a home in nearby Stafford, VA in their roomy basement, enlivened by the chatter of pet birds.

Next, they branched out into harnesses and leashes. “What we found is that people liked the idea of the diapers, but once they were taking birds out, they needed a leash to keep them from flying away.” Then, as more and more people started taking their birds out and about with them, they wanted to get the birds gussied up—thus Avian Fashions expanded their line to include bird costumes such as tuxedos, Santa “claws” and even an Easter outfit complete with bunny ears.

The media has found the concept of FlightSuits very amusing – Avian Fashions has appeared in newspapers, magazines and T.V. programs such as Animal Planet, National Geographic, Good Morning America and a segment on the Comedy Channel’s ”The Daily Show.”

Ducks are birds too! About the same time that Avian Fashions received more and more diaper requests for ducks, they met fellow inventors Alan and Nancy Townsend. The couple had invented a duck diaper harness so they immediately felt a connection. Soon after, Avian Fashions began selling the Duck Diapers on-line with orders filled by the Townsends. They expanded their products from Diapers/Harnesses to Skirts, Bows, Dishes and Carriers. Sadly, Nancy lost her battle with cancer several years ago, but Alan continues to promote his passion and love for ducks as wonderful pets. He is a great addition to the Avian Fashions family.

One of Avian Fashion’s most recent bird products has answered a very serious need – helping birds that pick, chew or mutilate their feathers. The Feather Protectors cover vulnerable areas until new feathers emerge or wounds heal. The Protectors have received rave reviews not only from customers but also from a growing list of avian veterinarians.

2011 marked fifteen years for Avian Fashions and this bird business shows no sign of slowing down. Lorraine, along with her staff, continue to create beautiful fashions for the smallest parakeets to the largest macaws – and every bird in between!

It’s that time of year when red and pink hearts can be seen everywhere. So, we thought Valentine’s  Day would be a great opportunity to “Share the Love” with rescued birds and ducks around the country and even in Canada. We asked our Facebook followers for their input and they provided us with an awesome list of 12 bird rescue organizations (see below)!

Between now and the end of February, with each and every purchase of one of our LoveSuits for just $16.99, $10.00 will be set aside in our “Share the Love” fund. All money in the fund will be divided equally and sent to each organization to help offset expenses for the wonderful work they do to care for rescued birds and find new forever homes.

Our LoveSuits come in all sizes (Petite through Colossal) and in three color choices: White with a red applique heart, red with a white applique heart and gray with a purple applique heart. The LoveSuits would also look great with a red, white or gray leash/lanyard/anchorline! Remember, with each LoveSuit purchase (only $16.99), $10.00 will be donated to bird rescue organizations!

A special thanks to our Facebook followers for submitting the following bird and duck organziations. We invite you to click on the links to discover ways each organization is making a difference in the lives of our feathered friends:

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Utah   http://www.bestfriends.org

Butler Parrots, Pennsylvania   http://butlerparrots.org

C.A.R.E!, Wisconsin    http://www.centerforavianrehab.org/

Feathered Friends Forever, Georgia    http://www.featheredfriendsforever.org

Feathered Friends Sanctuary & Rescue, Wisconsin   http://www.feathered-friends.com/

Florida Parrot Rescue, Florida    http://www.floridaparrotrescue.com

Foster Parrots, Rhode Island   http://www.fosterparrots.com

Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary, Canada   http://www.greyhaven.bc.ca

Mt. Holly Duck Sanctuary, Ohio    http://mthollyducksanctuary.com/

Phoenix Landing, Virginia   http://www.phoenixlanding.org

St Louis Avian Rescue, Missouri   http://www.staravian.org/

Wilton Parrot Rescue, Connecticut   https://www.facebook.com/Wilton-Parrot-Rescue

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday; we are looking forward to a great new year at Avian Fashions! To start the year off, our Monday Madness this month features a beautiful“Vivacious Violet” FlightSuit. Made of a soft purple velour fabric with fun tiger stripes, this FlightSuit will look great AND keep your bird warm & cozy this winter. Available in all sizes (except for SMALL), you can purchase it  for 45% off – that’s just $10.99. Come Monday, just click on the MONDAY MADNESS graphic at the top left of our home page to take advantage of this special price!

A fun moment with Lorraine and two of her favorite birds & models, Mattie & Rainbow, sporting their new Vivacious Violet FlightSuits!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best to you and your feathered friend in the New Year! (photo from left to right – Avian Fashions’ hardworking elves: Roxanne, Pam, Lorraine, Angela, Jessie and Stacy)

NOTE: Avian Fashions will be closed from December 21 – January 3rd. The on-line shop will remain open and we will begin shipping out orders on January 4th.