Magpie has been selling kids clothes and toys next door to Tougo Coffee for several weeks, and they are now ready for their grand opening.

They are holding a celebration November 19 from 1-4 p.m. at the store on 18th Ave just north of Union.

The shop, which is located in a space formerly used by Tougo, sells used clothes as well as clothes and accessories designed and made by shop owner Malia Keene right in the back room of the shop. Keene (who also happens to be my landlord) studied apparel design at Seattle Central and worked many years in bridal, including 12 years at Cicada Bridal in downtown Seattle. But she has always wanted to design clothes for children.

Keene is working to find more good looking clothes for children from birth to eight years old. While finding interesting clothes for girls is not too hard, she also wants good items for boys.

“It’s harder to find things that are more stylish or a little more interesting,” she said of boys clothes. Often clothes for boys past a certain age are either plain or are t-shirts with graphics on them. She trades kids clothes for store credit and urges people to bring bags of clothes by the shop. However, there is limited rack space and little storage, so she may be a bit picky.

Aside from clothes, Keene said she has been selling a lot of toys. The shop focuses on toys that teach some kind of skill, she said. They have kits for sewing, crafting and baking projects, for example, and they have been selling well.

“I want to encourage that kind of creativity,” she said. “A lot of these things I loved when I was little.” They are practical items meant to “last longer and do more things,” she said. Most of all, the items are cute and stylish.

“Both the kid and parent should want to wear it, use it and have it in the house,” she said. Therefore, she does not sell annoying battery-powered toys.

Keene is interested in selling locally-made wooden toys or other kids items. If you are interesting in making products for Magpie, stop by during business hours (Tuesday-Saturday from 10-5).