February Feature: Jack & Jill Children's Shoppe in Indiana

Welcome to our first fabulous feature! Our products are sold in hundreds of stores across the country, and we wanted to share with you one selected store per month so that you could get to know them as well as we do!

Our first feature is Jack & Jill Children's Shoppe-- a super special company with 2 locations and a fantastic website!

Their stores:
5 North Jackson
Frankfort, IN 46041
(765) 654-4660

33 E. Pine Street
Zionsville, IN 46077
(317) 873-9100

Visit them on facebook & check out their website!

Now, let the learning and loving begin! Meet Carol, the superstar owner of Jack & Jill Children's Shoppe.

How long have you been in business? How did you get into this business?

     I opened my 1st store in Frankfort, Indiana, in May 2005.  At the time I had 2 small grandchildren and could not find "cute or unique" clothes for them.  I found most of the apparel I liked in small boutiques that were not close to our home.  There was an empty building for sale in the downtown area of Frankfort so I bought it, gave it a name, and started my business.  At that time I knew nothing about retail, I just knew what I wanted in my store.  Boy, did I learn fast.  I recruited my daughter, gave her the title of co-owner and we went forward, somewhat like two lost sheep..   Bob Detty was one of the first reps we worked with and I am not sure how Beth (my daughter) came to find him, but thank heavens she did. 

     I opened my 2nd store in Zionsville, IN out of desperation.  A year after I opened in Frankfort they tore up the main street in downtown causing my store to become part of an obstacle course.  Six years later I continue to have a nice little business in this family oriented village. Lots of grandmas and believers in supporting the local businesses.

     On to my next venture - a new store (should be ready for occupancy in March) in a new area of one of the most affluent areas of Indianapolis.

 

What are your favorite color combinations for this Spring?

      Of course pink has to be my #1 choice - what little girl doesn't want pink!  Actually I am rather tired of it but I have no choice.  For spring it is always the cool sherbert colors.  My walls in the new store are going to be hot pink and lime and a little silver glitter.

What is your favorite style trend for this Spring?

      I can tell you what I don't like more than I can pick out something I do like.  The rompers for bigger girls is definitely not a favorite of mine.  Tunics & leggings are always good and popular.  Dresses that twirl - gotta have those.

What do you most attribute your store’s success to?

      Great window displays attract people as much as anything.  I had a gal stop in the Frankfort store today just to tell us that she loved our windows.  It always makes you feel good that they get noticed.  We offer great customer service which is a must.  Customers expect more than a clerk at the cash register - we are not Macy's and don't want to be.   We have a wonderful and expansive inventory - something for everyone and it does not go without comments - lots of oohs & aahs!

What 3 items could you not live without?

     Hair bows, Little Giraffe blankets & anything Mud Pie.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

     I loved paper dolls and designing clothes - didn't turn out to be a designer.  I was a high school librarian (media specialist and computer coordinator) for 28 1/2 years.  I really wished I had gotten involved in this industry earlier.  The downside of this is the investment to get a truly great business going and keeping it going.

What do you think is the most over hyped trend in parenting/children’s wear?

      Dressing little girls like adults or movie stars!

What is your favorite kids book or series and why?

     I love Nancy Drew!  A fashion conscious young girl who had an exciting life.  Good clean reading material.

We asked Carol to share a recipe with us (we are always looking for something new-- Pinterest anyone?) and she sent us this delightful recipe for a simple and fantastic appetizer! I made some the other night-- and I highly recommend them. They were creamy, tangy, cheesy and gooey! And they made the house smell delicious! 

Carol's Appetizer

Mix:    1 cup mayo

            4 strips of crisp bacon crumbled

            1/2 - 2 oz of sliced black olives

            1/4 cup grated onion

            1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place a teaspoon of mixture on top of a piece of party rye or pumpernickel bread

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes - until they are a little bubbly on top.

 

Let us know how you like them!

Above: A picture of my finished product. I went wild with the olives (LOVE them!) and I used whole wheat bread. I used a mix of cheddar cheese and Monterrey Jack, too! - Holly

 

A little lesson

We recently asked our Facebook fans to tell us what they thought the difference between Peaches 'n Cream and Molly & Millie was. We got some very good answers, but here is a little bit more information to help you understand our brands!

Peaches 'n Cream is our oldest and original brand, and is turning 65 in March of 2011! The Peaches 'n Cream brand has been in the same family for all of those years--- under a couple of different corporations. Back when the Peaches 'n Cream trademark was owned by May Apparel, John May formed his own corporation with partners in Mexico, who could do the manufacturing. Together they started a line called "Kidz Cloz", which was the beginnings of what we now call Molly & Millie / Wally & Willie today. The look of the line as well as the name changed over the next few years, but always with the intent of designing and manufacturing a toddler/preschool playwear collection with bright knits and with appliques for interest. We own all of these brands, they are all manufactured at the same facility, and all of the fabrics for Molly & Millie and Mallory May are manufactured in the US, keeping our quality high at a great price!

 Some of the major points for all of our 3 brands:

Peaches 'n Cream

• Special occasion and dresswear
• Made of knit and woven materials
• Sometimes includes appliques
• Includes a portrait collection, coats in the fall, and updated dress collection for older girls
• Comes in all sizes- 0-3 Months to size 14!
• Boy's collection is called Boys 'n Berries and goes up to toddler sizes
• Oldest brand- almost 65 years old
• Most all outfits are sold as sets- excluding single dresses for the older girls
• Some outfits are reversible as well as monogrammable

Some examples of Peaches 'n Cream styles:

Molly & Millie

• Playwear
• Made of 100% cotton or 92% cotton / 8% spandex knits
• All pieces have embroidered appliques
• Comes in limited size ranges- 0-3 Months to 6X
• Boy's collection is called Wally & Willie and goes up to toddler sizes
• Often referred to as a "brother-sister" brand
• Second oldest brand- 10 years old
• All outfits are sold as sets excluding single piece boy's onesies

Some examples of Molly & Millie / Wally & Willie styles:

 Mallory May

• Coordinating knit separates line
• Made of 100% cotton or 92% cotton / 8% spandex knits 
• Comes in 4-6X and 7-10
• Designed for the older girl, as a "sister" line for Molly & Millie
• No boy's collection
• Youngest brand- 2 years old
• Pieces are sold separately but are designed to match as outfits

Some examples of Mallory May styles:

Which line is YOUR favorite?

A little bit of history...

As you may or may not be aware, the Peaches 'n Cream brand has been around for more than 60 years, making it one of the oldest childrens wear brands in the United States. We often hear stories about how mothers and grandmothers used to wear or buy Peaches 'n Cream when they were young and are now buying it for their children or grandkids, too! We love that we are able to be a part of so many lives and generations, and that shopping for our clothing can be a family tradition of sorts.

Our company is also a bit of a family tradition as well. Originally part of May Apparel of Mebane NC, the Peaches 'n Cream trademark was one of 3 divisions, including a home-selling line called Fast Friends. May Apparel was owned by John May Sr., and his 3 sons ran the divisions. May Apparel went out of business in the late 1980's and shortly thereafter John May Jr. formed his own business with a manufacturer in Mexico and they purchased the Peaches 'n Cream trademark. He hired many of the people that worked for May Apparel, including the current Peaches 'n Cream designer, Cherie Martin, and the former designer for Fast Friends and current designer of Molly & Millie and Mallory May-- Darden Coe. Both Cherie and Darden have been working with these products for well over 15 years... and their expertise shines through in our products. As the team has grown, we still strive to provide updated as well as traditional looks for our customers. We consider ourselves to be very lucky to have lasted this long and continued to prosper through some of the most taxing economic times we have ever seen.

Stay tuned as we plan to have a photo submission contest for anyone who wore Peaches 'n Cream when they were little.. as well as some bios on people in our company- so that you can get to know us better. After all, you've let us be a part of your family's lives for many years. Here's to many more!

Featured Style- Green Daisy Babydoll Tunic with Striped Capri

This week's featured style is our top seller for Mallory May Spring 2010. The sleeveless babydoll tunic is an adorable and very cheery lime green and white daisy print with pink and white striped binding at the neck and armholes. The capris are super soft and stretchy cotton with a light pink and white stripe and elastic waist. Sold separately, they coordinate into a great outfit! Comes in sizes 2T-10!

Featured Style- Red Swing Tunic with Plaid Shorts

Click to view on our website

Molly & Millie's best selling style is our featured style of the week. This cheery red swing tunic features a green polka dot ruffle at the hem, 2 appliques on the front, and buttons in the back. The applique on the chest is of a flower with a small ladybug and the applique at the side of the hem is 3 larger flowers and 2 ladybugs. The shorts are a red diagonal plaid print and are 92% cotton/ 8% spandex with an elastic waist. It is machine washable. Check with your local retailer to see if they carry it, and if they don't, tell them to special order it from us!

This outfit comes in sizes 12M, 18M, 24M, 2T, 3T, 4T.
Sku: 70-1614, 70-2614

Adorable Trumpette Socks Make for a Great Baby Shower Gift

Looking for a unique and adorable baby shower gift? Well look no further than Trumpette's fantastic offering of socks and tights. Our personal favorites are the ballerina baby socks and the jenny boot socks.

$26.50 for a box of 6 pairs

http://www.trumpette.com/ballerina.html 

$26.50 for a box of 6

 http://www.trumpette.com/jennys.html

Featured Style of the Week- 5/3/10

Every Monday we will be posting a featured style of the week from our current collections. This week we have selected this adorable watermelon shift dress. This sweet summer style reminds us of hot days spent devouring juicy watermelon beside the pool. The dress is fully lined and zips up in the back. There are 3 rows of bright green ric-rac at the neck and at the hem. The front is embroidered with black "seeds". Don't you just want to eat it up!?