Cuti Patooti, a kids boutique in Mesa, (2837 N. Power Road Suite 111, www.cutipatooti.com) offers clothing lines EXCLUSIVE to tweens! Owner Heather Maldonado opened the store seven months ago to fill a void in the Mesa-area. “I like to go shopping for unique clothes for my kids, fun and different things,” she said. Maldonado likes to use local designers and shops in L.A. to create a blend of products including baby (her best-selling area!), toddler, kid and tween clothes.

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Today marks the debut of a new feature on Tweenish, exploring boutiques and shops for the tween who wants to make a major fashion statement. Do you have a favorite locally-owned store you think is cool? E-mail me at jzolondz@evtrib.com!

Garage, a kids’ boutique in the Mix Shops in Scottsdale (7107 E Stetson Dr.), oozes fun in every corner. Where else can you find a candy bar, designer duds and a walk-up ice cream window? Owner Katie Wilson reigns over a fabulous space where kids can have fun, parents can splurge and everyone can indulge in a hostess cupcake ($1… preferably outside on the patio.) 

“I didn’t have the right space to fulfill my vision,” Wilson said of her former location at Scottsdale’s Borgata shopping plaza. “It wasn’t drawing the right demo.”  She says the new location, tucked into the second level next to the Estate House, gets “better and better. It’s a hidden gem.”

There’s an awesome event at the store tomorrow! From 10am to 3pm, Friday March 7, grab your mom (or dad!) and  for a trunk show with face painting, snacks and a dj! Read the rest of this entry »