J o e y & A l e e t h e a

President Obama Fills New CPSC Posts

Read it here: President Obama Fills New CPSC Posts 

CPSIA Rally on Capitol Hill

Are you watching the CPSIA RALLY on Capitol Hill? Watch it streaming LIVE, right now, 4/1/09. Because as you know, it's no joke! Stay informed. Help amend the CPSIA! (update: stay tuned for video footage)

moving day and new Ankle Biters!

The movers will be here in 6 hours!! Joey has had lots of fun climbing on boxes:

 

He's wearing one of my newest designs. These are his "Road Trip Ankle Biters", a fab pair of very cool lounge pants with olive and blue argyle trim and a super cute coordinating shirt. Doesn't he look so adorable?!

Lily has a matching onesie, of course. :)

They'll wear their outfits when we drive to NC tomorrow.

Just in case you're new here, I am not Julie Wilson. But I am moving! And it kinda feels like Pleasantville already. haha. So I'm thinking this set of moving cards will be a good idea.

As you can see, I am trying not to focus on the actual moving day, but instead I look forward to the road trip to NC and also to the days ahead when we are settled into our new home so that I can actually sit down and address some cards.

Because that means I will have already unpacked my fabric, and my sewing machine...and can get to sewing more Ankle Biters!

 

CPSIA updates

I now interrupt your regularly scheduled blogreading with these important CPSIA updates.

This is the latest information and CPSIA guidelines, posted today in Etsy's Storque: CPSIA: It's February 10th, So Now What?

Wait til you read what the CPSIA is doing to vintage books. Here's an example of what's going on. You will not believe it. But it's true. The below quote is from the forum thread discussing vintage children's books:

"opalessence says:
I just came back from my local thrift store with tears in my eyes! I watched as boxes and boxes of childrens books were thrown into the garbage! Today was the deadline and I just cant believe it! Every book they had on the shelves peior to 1985 was destroyed! I managed to grab a 1967 edition of "The Outsiders" from the top of the box, but so many! It makes me sad:( "
Posted at 12:30 pm, February 10 2009 EST

And this is a must read. If you haven't already read this, be sure to go read up on the effects of the CPSIA on the retail and apparel industry here, at the National Bankruptcy Day blog.

So keep fighting...keep blogging...keep writing...keep talking.

Because it ain't over yet.

what is the CPSC saying about the CPSIA suspension?

So there's only a half hour left til the Super Bowl when the Pittsburgh Steelers will kick some serious butt. And amidst all the excitement, here I am, updating you, on what I found re: CPSIA. haha. Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in! hehe.

So now that the CPSIA has issued a "stay" a.k.a. a suspension of the 2/10/09 deadline and made it a 2/10/10 deadline instead, there's lots of buzz going around about the suspension, and everyone has begun to weigh in on what they think about it, and have begun to interpret the law, and what it means to all of us, and also the reasoning behind the CPSIA stay. And from the eMails I'm getting from you guys, I know that you're just not 100% sure if this stay is a good thing...a bad thing...or a misleading thing.

All of it is actually fascinating stuff. Why else would I be here on Super Bowl Sunday blogging about it?? :)

Yes, I've seen the opinions and advice and swarms of info from all over the web - and I think it's all wonderful, as long as it's true and factual might I add. 

But are you also wondering what the CPSC thinks of their own CPSIA suspension?

I was wondering that too. So be sure to read the suspension order document in full. Because at the bottom of that document contains a link to another document from Judge Moore. Lots of good stuff in there. But, let me say this. After you read my post here, be sure to go ahead and click on the link to read the entire document in its entirety. Because I'm only posting excepts. Why? Because for God sakes, the Super Bowl starts in 25 minutes!! Go Steelers!! OK, where was I...

So from the CPSC website, The Honorable Thomas H. Moore issued a statement which started with this:

"The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) embodies a bold and, for some,
painful shift in how product safety is assured in this country."

Painful shift? You can say that again, brother! I mean, um, your Honor Brother.

So I kept reading. A few paragraphs later he continued with this:

"The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) safety requirements have always      
applied to all manufacturers of children’s products, even the small crafter who makes products at 
home. But until the enactment of the CPSIA, the government had not required all manufacturers
to affirmatively prove that their products complied with those requirements by having them      
tested. From the outpouring of letters, emails and phone calls to the agency, it is clear that many
smaller manufacturers did not know that there were any federal standards that applied to their products, had no idea how to have their products tested and may never have heard of the CPSC,  
or if they had, did not think this agency had any relevance to their business. Their reaction made a number of things clear:

• That the new electronic media channels, particularly the blogs, are tremendously  
useful tools for disseminating important information to small businesses, but that      
they can also be a channel for spreading confusing misinformation,    

• That the Commission has not done enough to make the home crafters and other      
smaller businesses aware of their pre-existing obligations under the law,      

• That the new law (CPSIA) has done what the Commission had not been able to      
do, get the attention of many, many of these smaller manufacturers with respect to      
their responsibility to assure the safety of their products, and      

• That the vast majority of these smaller businesses, while they may not know the      
specific rules that apply to their products, are likely making safe products, or they      
would have come to our attention."  - This one's my favorite. :)

And two pages later he said this:

"...If there is one message a small manufacturer should take from the Commission’s action today it is this: If you have been making products without receiving any safety-related complaints, you should go on making and selling your products. You should, however, begin to look for and demand that the components you buy are certified as not containing lead or banned phthalates, as your demands can help to bring the component market into compliance. You also must familiarize yourself with all of your obligations under the various laws this agency administers. It is my hope that during this stay our agency will provide detailed guidance, particularly for the home-based manufacturers, on how to comply with requirements of the law."

And also this:

"Small businesses also need more guidance from the Commission. We are working on
filling that need, but the additional time that this stay will provide will enable us to give common
sense information to help the small crafters feel comfortable in making and marketing their
products without fear of violating the law."

The above information is excepts from this document:

STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE THOMAS H. MOORE
ON THE STAY OF ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN OF THE TESTING AND
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2008
January 30, 2009

And you can read the full document at the below link. Read it. It's not a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo, on the contrary it is actually written in nice, plain, good old English.

And it's what you need to know:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115moore.pdf

I would love to hear what you think about all of this. Because it's not over. It's just been suspended.

So don't look away...keep your eyes on the ball!

CPSIA Law SUSPENDED for 1 year!

Breaking News: The CPSIA Mandatory Testing & Certification Proposed 1 Year Suspension!

Read about it on Etsy via the above link, and here is the link to CPSC website:

CPSC Grants One Year Stay of Testing and Certification Requirements for Certain Products

"The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA."

Yes, we did. :)

CPSIA Blog-IN

(1/30/09: After you read this post below, be sure to see the updated info here.)

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all. Here's the article from the American Library Association: http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that children's item you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind item you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So those awesome handmade presents you bought your kiddos this past holiday season won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake. Here's the article in Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

Did you know about all of this? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Download Etsy's CPSIA Action Kit here:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/cpsia-action-kit-and-community-chat-3321/

bloggers unite! CPSIA Blog-IN

Wednesday January 28th has been declared CPSIA Blog-IN day.

Bloggers everywhere will be blogging about the CPSIA, writing with strength in numbers.

See this thread in the Etsy forums to sign-up for the CPSIA Blog-IN!

There are only 3 days left until the CPSIA Blog-IN...and only 16 days left until CPSIA day!! Keep fighting!!

Presidential monsters!

Here's my super awesome kiddo Joey at the park rockin' a few of my handmade designs...a monster hoody and his new "Presidential Monsterlicious" jeans! Obama's on the left, and Biden's on the right. :D

What was Joey wearing underneath that monster hoody?

What else but a monster shirt!! :D

CPSIA Exemptions: CPSC Panel Exempts Some Products

1/15/09: Please see update at the end of this post.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I Tweeted this CPSIA news on Wednesday night and wanted to be sure you've seen it too:

Bloomberg reported that the CPSC "Panel Exempts Some Products From U.S. Lead Rules".
You can read the CPSIA article on Bloomberg's website here.

What did the CPSC specifically exempt?

"The CPSC exempted wool, cotton, silk, gemstones and pearls in its proposal today. "

Cotton = Fabric.

Woohoo!

But wait...before I get all kookily excited about this...tell me...what's your first reaction to that information?

Are you skeptical?

If you've been keeping up with the whole CPSIA fiasco, you're most likely skeptical. You've become little Miss Negative Nelly. And understandably so. Because over the course of the past month or two, there hasn't been much good news regarding the CPSIA. On the contrary, it's been pretty darn bad...whoa has it been bad. And if there was any tiny glimmer or word of good news...it was usually then clarified and followed-up with exceptions...and bad news. It's been an interesting roller-coaster, yes?

So you've learned to take any good news about the CPSIA with a grain of salt.

Well, I think now I can say that I finally see the some light at the end of this tunnel.

Why? Because the news about these exemptions came from Bloomberg. And I'm not a Financial Analyst or anything, I simply worked in the Financial Sector in NYC for seven years, so I'm familiar with them.

Personally, I've never known Bloomberg to not be accurate about their reporting.

In the event you're not familiar with Bloomberg, they are a "real-time financial information network" which pretty much means that I've known them to be a go-to source for the public and private sector, financial companies and investors alike.

For example, here are Bloomberg's current Consumer Market headlines from the Industries section of their website:

**********************************

Macy's May Speed Downward Spiral by Writing Down $3 Billion in Goodwill Macy’s Inc. investors are waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it isn’t a Manolo Blahnik.

Best Buy December Sales Drop 6.5% as Discounts Fail to Attract Shoppers Best Buy Co., the largest U.S. electronics chain, said December sales dropped after holiday discounts failed to draw shoppers.

Coach Shares Drop After Profit, Sales Miss Estimates as Consumers Retrench Coach Inc., the largest U.S. maker of luxury leather handbags, fell 8.8 percent in early U.S. trading after saying profit and sales dropped because of “depressed” store traffic and discounting by rivals.

Circuit City Seeks Bankruptcy Court Permission to Hold Auction Next Week Circuit City Stores Inc., the bankrupt consumer-electronics retailer, said it’s in talks with two potential bidders and wants to hold an auction next week to sell the company.

German Retail Sales Rise More Than Economists Expected as Oil Prices Drop Retail sales in Germany, the euro area’s largest economy, rose more than economists expected in November as lower oil prices and slowing inflation helped consumer confidence.

Obama Era Gives Consumer Activists Chance to `Play Offense' on Legislation Consumer advocates say the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama and a new Congress may be their best chance in years to pursue reforms from credit cards to health care.

European Retail Sales Decline for a Sixth Month as Confidence Collapses European retail sales declined for a sixth month in November as consumer confidence collapsed.

Nestle Is Cut at JPMorgan on Risk to Sales Goal From Worldwide Recession Nestle SA, the world’s largest food company, was cut to “underweight” by JPMorgan Chase & Co. analyst Pablo Zuanic, who said he expects the maker of Nespresso coffee to miss this year’s sales target as economies slow.

Japan's Asahi Sees Rising Beer Sales This Year in Face of `Severe Market' Asahi Breweries Ltd., Japan’s top- selling beermaker, said sales by volume of beer and beer-like beverages will probably increase 0.8 percent this year.

**********************************

And of course..."Even though these exemptions have been announced, the CPSC is open to more comments. The deadline is now January 30th. Visit www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.HTML for more info."

So today's Friday. What will you do today, and this weekend?

Will you worry about the CPSIA? Or will you consider possibly having some FUN??

I know what I'm gonna do.

Have an awesome weekend!!!!!!! WOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!

:D

UPDATE: "The exemptions are for unprocessed goods only. Iow, if it's painted, dyed, screenprinted, embroidered, appliqued...forget it. No exemption." from commenter Kathleen Fasanella, founder of Fashion Incubator and National Bankruptcy Day.

Please see more comments to this post. Thank you to each of you who continually help clarify the CPSIA, and to everyone who keeps up the fight to save children's items!!