Juvie

CPSIA: A Bad Law with Good Intentions

2009-01-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hey, parents. You want safe products for your kids, right? Nobody likes to worry that their kid's lunchbox contains lead, or that the water bottle that you pack in that lunchbox has phthalates that will leach into that water. And what about your baby's pacifier? Or that necklace your daughter is wearing? We all know that lead can be deadly if ingested, and that phthalates are toxic. Keep them away from my kids, I say.

After a rash of children's products were recalled in 2007 and 2008, Congress decided to do something to increase the safety of all children's products. It passed the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

The CPSIA stipulates a roll-out of more stringent standards for lead and phthalate content of all products intended for use by children up to the age of twelve. Yes, that's ALL PRODUCTS, even the hand-knit booties you bought at your local craft fair. And the Paul Frank 100% cotton t-shirt you got for your ten-year-old. And that Captain Underpants paperback.

The first date of enactment was in November of 2008. Starting then, all new children's products had to be certified as meeting current safety standards, with manufacturers required to produce a General Certificate of Compliance (GCC) for every single item that they produce if requested by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Starting on February 10, 2009, new, lower limits for lead and phthalates will go into effect, and all manufacturers will have to show proof of testing and provide a GCC for every item. In August, the limits will be lowered again, and manufacturers will no longer be able to test their products themselves, but will have to submit them to a third party for testing and certification.

On the face of it, not such a bad law, right? We all want safe products for our children, and the sooner the better.

However...

There are serious flaws with this law that will impact almost every business that deals in children's products, and every person who buys any children's product.

First, the law is retroactive for lead content. This means that all products currently on store shelves, even those manufactured prior to the law's passage, are required to be certified as meeting today's standard for lead content. This places an enormous burden on someone (we haven't figured out just who, yet), as testing every product, even those that obviously do not contain lead, is beyond the budgets of most businesses. Simply throwing away inventory that was ordered and paid for months before is also not in any business' budget.

Second, this law has been written in an overly broad manner, so that those obviously-don't-contain-lead products are not exempt. T-shirts, socks, leggings...heck, anything without a fastener of some sort, still must be tested. Books, bedding, organic cotton baby kimonos and plush toys? Those too. Even handmade items, like quilts and hairbows will have to be tested before they can be sold legally. And every single component on every single item, for every new batch that's manufactured, has to be tested.

I've seen cost estimates for third-party testing of a single multi-component item that were as high as $3,000 per item. For small companies that do limited runs, or mompreneurs selling their goods at craft fairs or on Etsy, this law is essentially a death knell for their businesses.

Larger companies might be able to manage the financing of the testing, but guess what? They certainly aren't going to absorb the cost into their bottom line. Some people are saying that prices of children's items will rise as much as 30%. Yes, that's consumer prices. Yikes.

Don't take my word on this...I'm not a lawyer, and while I have studied up somewhat on the regulations, I'm not the source. You can read more about this at www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.HTML.

And if you'd like to see some changes made to this law, please get in touch with your local Congressperson and Senator. You can also weigh in at Change.gov, where the issue is in the running to come up for consideration by the Obama administration.

Gift show news

2008-07-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

It was suddenly Christmas last Friday.

I spent the day at the Los Angeles Gift Show, scouting and ordering all the great stuff that kids might find under the tree on December 25.

First up was books. While everyone's positively apoplectic about the final book in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, I promise that there will be reading life beyond teen vampires. Danielle, my fun and smart sales representative, always does a great job of previewing titles for 7-12 year olds. Our running joke is that almost every title's summary starts with some dire, horrendous premise.

"When Bobby's mother died and he went to live with his alcoholic uncle in a trailer, he knew that life would never be the same..."

"Life for a gay high-schooler can be difficult. But when Jenny's father commits suicide, she decides that what the other kids think just doesn't matter..."

Oy.

Not going for the gloom and doom so much? Me either. Not to worry; we have lots of fun reads coming in over the next four months, so stay tuned. You can browse our current selection of books here.

I'll be posting more market reports this week. I'm super excited about a new line of Project Runway fashion and illustration sets.

Oh yeah...Breaking Dawn goes on sale at Juvie on August 8!

Who's Wearing IKKS from Juvie?

2008-07-16T13:18:00.001-07:00

At yesterday's premiere of the John C. Reilly & Will Farrell film Step Brothers, Lurie Posten, a handsome young actor who's in the film, was wearing an IKKS button-down from Juvie. Didn't he look great?

You can shop for IKKS for your young superstar right here.

Shanghai Lulu Exclusively at Juvie!

2008-07-08T11:26:00.001-07:00

"Classic," and "timeless," aren't adjectives one normally applies to kid's accessories, but Shanghai Lulu designer Lucy Young has created a line of headbands and belts for girls that are just that.

Fabric Belt with Coconut Shell Rings

Using fine materials and artisan production techniques, Shanghai Lulu's goodies give the girls plenty of wow-factor for today, and lasting good design for tomorrow.

Scarf Tie Headband

Next up in the line are bead necklaces made of jewel-toned fabric, which will be in any day.

These items are only produced in small batches at the moment, so we expect a quick sell-out. You can get your here while they last.

UPDATE: The bead necklaces are here and they're only $12.00. The girls are gonna flip!

Super Summer Kids Clothing Sale at Juvie

2008-07-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

It's time for Juvie's semi-annual sale, and the markdowns are huge. If you have big kids, tweens, or anyone 7-14 in your house (yup, those are all the same thing), now is the time to fill out their wardrobes with tees, shorts, pants, dresses and more.

Find big savings on girl's clothes and boy's clothes from your favorite designers like Wes and Willy, IKKS, Charlie Rocket, Jean Bourget, Malley Too, Poesia, Harajuku Lovers, Jade and more.

Shop items that are 30% to 50% off now, before the bargains are all gone!

June Mother Tongue Column

2008-06-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

California Children’s Rally In Sacramento to Protest State Education Budget Cuts
By Kristen Taylor

We had a little problem at the house the other day. The kitchen caught on fire. It was burning for a while before my husband came home from work. I said, “Honey, the kitchen’s on fire. What do you think we should do?”

“Easy,” he said. “Let’s throw some gasoline on it!”

This didn’t really happen. And that’s not an accurate representation of my husband’s problem-solving abilities, I swear. Jeesh, who do you think I married, Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Our public schools are in crisis. California ranks near the bottom for every National Assessment of Education Progress test given to our students—and because of No Child Left Behind, that’s a lot of tests. The state, however, is facing a budget shortage, and the Governor’s solution is to cut the very line item that’s already flailing from lack of money: K-12 education. His budget calls for $3 billion in cuts to schools, which will drop per-pupil spending in California to roughly 48th in the United States.

The state of California—the seventh largest economy in the world—has the sixth-worst performing students in the U.S., with nearly the lowest per-pupil budget and the governor’s solution is to spend even less? I think I need a 10th grade Political Science refresher, because I’m awfully confused.

So are a lot of other families, and they’re taking action. On June 17th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Capitol Building in Sacramento, the California Children’s Rally will celebrate our state’s resourceful, brilliant children and their families in a demonstration meant to protest these ludicrous cuts to education before the state legislators vote on the new budget. The rally is organized by writer and public school parent Sandra Tsing Loh and she and her cohorts have built in loads of educational and artistic activities for families. You can even camp at a farm in nearby Cool, CA.

Check it out here: www.californiachildrensrally.com, and make a commitment to tell our state government what every 5th grader with 32 students per teacher, no art class and constant standardized testing already knows: these cuts will make a bad situation much, much worse.

Free Shipping in June at Juvie!

2008-06-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

We're giving those stimulus checks a little boost:

You'll receive free ground shipping when your total order is $100 or more.

This is a great excuse to stock up for summer vacations, beach clothes, your kid's camp wardrobe, and all of those weddings.

Just enter the code JUNESHIP in the promo code box when you check out!

Emily Wagner Watercolor Portrait Workshop

2008-05-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

Emily Wagner graced us with her charming, talented self all day on May 3rd for a watercolor portrait workshop. Families booked with Emily and then sent her digital photos she could work from in advance, finishing the unique keepsake portraits (just right for Mother's Day and beyond) here in the store.

Emily's time with the families and kids was amazing. The kids got to see a talented artist in action, and were also able to contribute their own creative ideas for the portrait's colors and eventual background. It was so much fun!

Emily's time booked up the same day that we sent out the workshop announcement, so we knew right away that this is definitely a must-do-again event.

We're shaking it up this time for Father's Day, with a digital portrait session on June 1. Stay tuned for all the details...

Paul Frank for Tweens at Juvie

2008-05-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

Kids adore Paul Frank clothing, but until now it's only come in little kid and junior sizes. That's finally changed. Paul Frank for tweens is here at last. Now you can find your child's favorite tees, swimwear and accessories at Juvie in sizes 7-14. We have a great selection for spring, with more items coming in all the time.

Shop all Paul Frank for Tweens now....

Juvie on Daily Candy Kids Los Angeles

2008-05-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

Daily Candy featured the stationery, label and sticker sets by Naomi Jean & Co. on Monday. We love the sweet, sweet, Daily Candy attention!

April 28, 2008

Mine All Mine

Naomi Jean & Co. Stationery

She left her sweater at gymnastics. He forgot his sippy cup at school. What could be more fun than life’s impromptu scavenger hunts?

Naomi Jean & Co.’s custom label and stationery set.

The process is simple. Just give them your kids’ vitals and what makes them smile. They’ll come up with a design for your (and Junior’s) approval. Before you know it, in your mailbox will appear a variety pack of clothing labels, sticker labels, and calling cards all with your little darling’s info and charisma.

Making those glorious field trips to the lost and found a thing of the past.

Available at Juvie, 2395c Glendale Boulevard, at Brier Avenue, Silver Lake (323-667-0344 or juvieshop.com).

Big New Markdowns on Tween Girls Clothing

2008-04-23T13:32:00.001-07:00

We just marked down select Jade, Spitfire Girl tees, and Ella Moss 30%!

Shop all tween clothes that have been marked down 30%-50% at Juvieshop now...

Inky Dink Tees for Spring

2008-04-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

Inky Dink keeps it fresh with their styles for boys and girls. We think these bright, funky styles are their best ever. And the tees themselves? Softer and more comfy than ever too!

For Girls...

For Boys...

Check out all the new Inky Dink Tees for kids here.

Are You Ready for Web 2.0?

2008-04-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Here's the Mother Tongue column for April:

Are You Ready for Web 2.0?
My daughter is no longer my friend. She decided that it was weird being friends with her mom, so she dropped me. I was sad when I stopped getting her daily updates. When I tried to ask her something, I couldn’t communicate with her at all.

Not on Facebook, anyway. She had terminated our friend status.

Facebook is one of the fastest growing companies behind Web 2.0, the wave of websites designed to document and broadcast as much of your daily life, beliefs, and shopping habits as you deem fit. Sign up with Facebook, and within a few days you will be in easy contact with old friends, family, and local pals.

Anyone with a Facebook account can share as much information as they want, filling their page with personal photos, virtual cupcakes, political rants, or just a simple listing of vital stats. Privacy settings can prevent anyone but friends from seeing your page, but anyone can request to add you as friend, or view a list of who’s already “friended” you. Yes, “friend” is now a verb.
All of this sharing, coupled with accessibility, is a red flag for parents, who worry about predators and usually have a different notion of what should be private in the first place. Besides, Internet privacy is subjective. Just ask the Oregon mayor who was recalled over her saucy photos on MySpace. Her defense? “That's my space," she said. "That's why they call it MySpace.”

We may worry too much about our kids being victimized on social networking sites. A recent study in Pediatrics showed that children are more likely to be harassed via instant message than on social sites like Facebook. Banning IM or social networking may not work in your house, but staying on top of what’s happening in your kids’ world always will. Children who get into trouble online are often having difficulties offline as well.
Kids may be better at the ins and outs of these programs—my daughter has twice as many Facebook friends as I do—but in the end it’s parents who are responsible for seeing that they’re used safely.

There's More to Tweens than Miley Cyrus

2008-03-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

I get the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus phenomenon. I really do. The fictional story of a "regular" kid who is secretly a pop star is probably the apotheosis of daydream fulfillment for kids who at that time in their lives feel pretty "regular" and are starting to plot out elaborate plans for living big, big lives. A lot of young girls love the show, the concerts, the movie, the merchandise, the whole idea. But I'm afraid that Miley Cyrus has become almost the definition of this age range (roughly 7-12), to the exclusion of all the girls who might not be so into the Disney icon.

I have a Google Alert set to send me news stories, blog posts, and generally anything new that's posted on the web about tweens. It's a little disheartening to me that 95% of these alerts are somehow related to Miley Cyrus.

What else are tweens about, if not Hannah Montana idolatry? I love the PBS website for tween kids (boys and girls) called It's My Life. Their categories are Home, Family, Friends, School, Body, Emotions and Money. That's pretty all encompassing, isn't it? This community for children gets that older kids have a lot of questions and feelings around many of the same things adults think about every day. Material is presented in a way that's age-appropriate, but at the same time doesn't talk down. Brava!

There's a Celebs section on It's My Life, and guess what? Miley Cyrus is indeed interviewed. But so are lots of other tweens and teens, which gives kids a little credit for thinking beyond the Disney box.

Color Report for Spring 2008

2008-03-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

Now that everyone's busy establishing their spring and summer wardrobes, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at what the color masters at Pantone pegged as this season's top colors.

Here's what they said:

"Refreshing splashes of invigorating brights punctuate classic, versatile neutrals as designers offer a playful spring palette for endless exploration and creative combinations. Variations on popular colors such as energizing red, cool, waterborne blue and eco-friendly greens also play a key role this season."

I would say that they pegged it perfectly! Looking around our new merchandise from IKKS, Splendid, Jean Bourget, Miss Me, and Wati, these colors are very dominant. Following the Pantone color chart on the left, here are some examples:

The Mother Tongue now Family Matters

2008-03-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

My monthly parenting column has been picked up by the Los Feliz Ledger, the neighborhood newspaper for Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and the Hollywood Hills.

They'll be running it every month, but I'll be posting it here too for your review and comments.

There are a couple of things that are different from when the column ran on the family page of the Ventura County Star. First, that community is about sixty miles north of L.A., which means that my family was completely anonymous. No chance of running into my readers at school or while gassing up the car. With the Ledger, I'll know many of my readers well, considering that it lands on the doorsteps of 30,000 of our neighbors once a month. I've stopped using the kids' names, and I will probably have to leave out some of the juicier stories, what with their potential for embarrassment. Unless the subject is me, of course!

Second, this paper's format requires a shorter piece, so the length has been cut by about 1/3. Ouch. Writing something substantive in 300 words or less will be a challenge. Or impossible. So expect it to be pretty light, subject-wise. OK, here it is...

Driving Me Mad
By Kristen Taylor

My husband was the first to recognize that we’d entered the next stage of parenting.

I thought that maybe he had seen me pull off an impressive new mothering maneuver, but no. He said, “We’ve reached the driving stage.”

Chauffeuring may be a great profession, but I didn’t apply for this job, and in this case, it doesn’t pay.

Before entering this stage, I was super smug about how little I drove. When the insurance agent asked me my mileage I yelped, “Six thousand a year!” expecting a trophy, or at least some concern about why I didn’t get out more. Back then, our family was all about the three square miles around our house, which had everything we needed, including sneakers and frozen yogurt.

Our daughter was the first to leave the sanctuary when she won the Magnet school lottery. Then our son had the audacity to make friends with kids whose parents didn’t know about our proximity test: “In case of emergency, can you walk it?” We started racking up the miles.

This year, the girl goes to school in North Hollywood, swims in Pasadena, and has friends in Beverly Hills. The boy is younger, but his friends and activities still put me in neighborhoods I only know from the weather forecast. Even with carpools, driving them around is a massive time-eater, and an ecological guilt-inducer.

All this driving isn’t necessarily a solvable problem, though hiring a driver is a juicy daydream. And I know what the parents of teenagers are thinking: Just wait until they start driving themselves. I can hear the conversation with the insurance agent already, and I’m well aware that there won’t be any trophies.

Juvie's Been Very Busy

2008-03-01T14:40:00.001-08:00

Yikes, we haven't posted in ages. But it's not because we've been off at the beach sipping fruity drinks! It's been busy around here, what with all the new spring merchandise arriving every day via those nice men in brown.

We'll get to the clothes in another post, I promise. First, I want to tell everyone about my new favorite artist, Doug Wilson. Wilson is a collector of antique paper ephemera, and a graphic artist to boot. He combined these two passions for an unlimited run of letterpress on antique maps, and this is the gorgeous, inspirational result:

Every print is unique, owing to each being on a different map. Size is 11" X 17". You can purchase Douglas Wilson's Make Your Own Path Print here.

Jade for Girls is So Pretty for Spring

2008-02-12T14:36:00.001-08:00

Jade is just right this season! They've gone boho with a preppy edge, and we love it. Batik prints, crochet details, and Bermuda plaids make this collection stand out. We've got Jade in sizes 7-14, so get Jade for Tweens now at Juvieshop.com!

Smocked Top with Removable Straps

Short Sleeve Pullover Hoodie

Mid-Length Cuffed Plaid Bermuda Shorts

Batik Print Tie-Back Tunic Blouse

Racer-Back Tank Top with Built-In Shelf Liner

Wati for Tween Girls

2008-02-07T10:35:00.001-08:00

Tess Smocked Blouse

Katrina Long Dress

Suzanne Beach Dress

Wati Grossman is a designer working in Palo Alto, CA, and besides being a delightful person, she has a true talent for dressing girls. Her Spring 2008 line is my favorite yet, with easy styles that all have gorgeous details. These are the kinds of dresses, tops and skirts that even tomboys will wear because they are simple, bright, fresh and fun. You can see Juvie's Wati spring line for girls here.

New Line: One True Sun

2008-02-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

One True Sun Zip Front Jacket

One True Sun Oklahoma T-Shirt

One True Sun Lone Wolf T-Shirt

Is your son your One True Sun? We thought so! Echoing that sentiment is the new line for older boys that we are psyched to carry, 1 True Sun. Mixing retro styling with amazing embroidery, patches, and screen prints are this designer's strengths. The colors are masculine but fun, and the designs are young without being cutesy. Yeah! We expect to see these styles on celebrity "bad" boys any day now.

Us: "Is That A Shirt or a Dress?" Designer: "Both!"

2008-01-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

Jean Bourget Cotton Print Tunic

We've been fielding the same question a lot lately here in the store:

"Is that a shirt, or a dress?"

To which we reply, "Both!"

Ella Moss Tab Tunic Dress

Designers have seen the utility and fun of tunic dresses this year like never before. Knowing the way that tween girls dress, this does make the most sense. Pairing a fancy top over jeans looks fabulous and hip, and gives girls a level of comfort and coverage that works for busy days and cooler weather.

But we also love that the tunic dress can be worn by itself, or over tights and leggings, for a dressier look.

Ella Moss Mika Jumper with Metallic Stripe

Check out all of the tunic dresses for tweens options at Juvie today!

Harajuku Lovers for Tweens

2008-01-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers line is so adorable. Her collections usually feature some or all of the Harajuku girls, whose names are Love, Angel, Music and Baby (which spells L.A.M.B., the name of her adult clothing line). This year she's also doing some separates, and this madras plaid dress is capital-F Fun.

Madras Plaid Dress

Juvie also has a couple of new girls Harajuku Lovers T-shirts in sizes 7-14.

"Love" T-Shirt

Hot Dog T-Shirt

Stock is limited (and once they're gone they're never coming back), so go to juvieshop.com now for the best selection.

Big Markdowns on Tween Fashion at Juvie

2008-01-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

This is the big one, folks!

Juvie is featuring huge markdowns on tweens' favorite brands during the entire month of January. You'll find savings from 30% to 50% off on Charlie Rocket, Wes and Willy, Indigo Star, IKKS, Jean Bourget and others for boys. For girls, shopping is easy with 30% to 50% off select items from Wati, Poesia, Hannah Banana, Miss Me, Jean Bourget, IKKS, Jade, Sally Miller, and others.

Sizes are very limited, so shop early to find your perfect fit. And at prices this low, you can buy a size or two larger to grow into next fall.

What to get the tweens on your holiday gift list

2007-11-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

We know that not every gift can be an expensive electronic gadget. But other than a Nintendo Wii or iPod, boys and girls are notoriously difficult to shop for once they've outgrown mass-market toys. What then?????

We've got the answers. The kids' wish lists are full of hands-on activities, cool gear for their rooms, and fashionable clothing and accessories that will freshen up their wardrobes when the new school term begins. Here are Juvie’s top picks for older boys and girls:

Boys ages 6-10

Charlie Rocket lined zip-up windbreaker, $46.25

Micros screened and appliquéd long sleeved snap-up shirt, $32.50

Ick, The Game, $15.95

Boys ages 11-14

IKKS dual-fabric rock and roll polo shirt, $60.00

Plaid trousers by Micros, $40.00

Thames & Kosmos chemistry experiment kit, $32.00

Girls ages 6-10

Cotton bed canopy, $74.75

Ella Moss lurex stripe jumper, $86.00

Made U Look mermaid long sleeved T-shirt, $37.50

Girls ages 11-14

Stitch-it Kit embroidery set by Jenny Hart, $22.95

Splendid poppy foil print ballet wrap, $63.75

Sally Miller kimono style top, $46.25

Discovery Girls Magazine Features Juvie

2007-11-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

Discovery Girls, the national magazine for girls 8 and up that features fashion, friendship, and activities for the tween set, is full of Juvie this month. The winter fashion spread features several pieces from our Winter collection. You can purchase any of the featured items by clicking on the pictures below.

IKKS Denim Pinstriped Blazer

Wati Shirtdress

!iT Los Angeles Ruby Red Jeans

Jade Long Hoodie in Red or Navy