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Learning Express Names Beacon Street Girls Sleepover Bag “Best Toy for Tweens”

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 04:04:57 GMT

Learning Express Names Beacon Street Girls Sleepover Bag “Best Toy for Tweens”
Black Velvet Duffel Bag Helps Preteens Arrive at Sleepovers in Style

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At their annual convention, Learning Express franchise owners named B*tween Productions’ Beacon Street Girls (BSG) Sleepover Bag to its “Best Toys” list. The BSG Sleepover Bag won in the “Tween Toy” division.

The Beacon Street Girls books (http://www.beaconstreetgirls.com/books/) offer a multi-cultural and richly-detailed perspective on the often difficult preteen or “tween” years. BSG stories feature friendship, fun and socially responsible values in a contemporary setting. The black velvet barrel-shaped Sleepover Bag (http://www.bsgshop.com/sleepover.html), one of the company’s most popular products, is the perfect size for a preteen girl and is designed to carry everything necessary for a night over at a friend’s house.

The Beacon Street Girls, the five middle-schoolers whose adventures are chronicled in the book series, bonded at a sleepover in “The Tower,” the secret BSG clubhouse. “Sleepovers hold a special place in Beacon Street Girl mythology,” said Addie Swartz, the founder and CEO of B*tween Productions. “Our black velvet bag, with ‘sleepover’ spelled out in rhinestones, has been a huge hit for us. Girls love the look and feel of the bag, and parents appreciate the association with reading, positive role models and empowering messages.”

In addition to the Sleepover Bag, the Beacon Street Girls also offer a variety of coordinating products, including:

A mini-backpack-style purse with drawstring closure. The black velvet carry-all has pink straps, a rhinestone ring closure, is lined with pink BSG fabric and embroidered with the BSG medallion.
An accent pillow, trimmed with pink pom-poms and rhinestones.
A purse-shaped door pillow to “Let everyone know if you're in the mood for visitors.” The front greets guests with "Entrèz" while the other side simply says "Au Revoir."
The Sleepover Special – a gift pack for every young girl’s wish list. The package includes the Sleepover Bag, the chic velvet door pillow, a BSG journal, and a copy of Beacon Street Girls #1: Worst Enemies/Best Friends.
About B*tween Productions

B*tween Productions – home of the Beacon Street Girls – is dedicated to quality parent-approved literature, media and gifts for “tween” girls. Books and products are sold at major bookstores and independent gift shops everywhere. Visit online at http://www.beaconstreetgirls.com Artwork available.

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Schou USA To Show Outdoor Line In High Point And At Casual Show

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 02:34:47 GMT

Schou USA To Show Outdoor Line In High Point And At Casual Show

SCHOU USA, LLC, the newly-formed American subsidiary of the Danish commercial trader SCHOU Company, has officially announced its launch as a key U.S. supplier of Scandinavian home furnishings.

SCHOU USA抯 unique line of contemporary outdoor furniture will debut at The International Casual Outdoor Furniture & Accessories Market at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago September 13-16. SCHOU USA has also acquired approximately 3,000 square feet of permanent showroom space at the Market Square in High Point, N.C.

After researching the American home furnishings market for more than six months, SCHOU USA decided it was time to unleash its Danish product offering on U.S. soil. 揑 learned through countless trade shows, hours of investigation and after building a solid network throughout the industry, that outdoor furniture with a modern, contemporary feel is simply hard to find here,?said Chris Curran, president of the U.S. outfit.

Since its inception 43 years ago, the SCHOU Company has steadily grown into a global enterprise, housing operations throughout Scandinavia, Northern and Central Europe, South Africa and now China.

Given SCHOU抯 worldwide popularity and positive financial outlook, expanding to the United States was the logical next step in its growth process.

揟he outdoor furniture segment is one of the fastest-growing opportunities for American furniture retailers,?said Jorgen Schou, company owner. 揂dditionally, a significant percentage of American furniture consumers in recent years have begun to purchase items with a more upscale, simple yet elegant feel梬hich is exactly the look that our Danish team aims to deliver.?

The furniture抯憉pscale?feel doesn抰 necessarily translate into outrageous price tags, however, said Curran. 揟he mission for the entire SCHOU organization rests on offering customers value for their money. If a product can抰 deliver that, we won抰 sell it.?

In Chicago, SCHOU USA will introduce its outdoor furniture in a 1,600 square-foot space alongside 300 other vendors that represent the best in the casual furnishings industry. Thousands of retailers flock to the annual expos?to see the best product introductions in this furniture niche.

Back at home in High Point, N.C., the 揌ome Furnishings Capital of the World,?SCHOU USA will immediately begin preparing its showroom for the renowned International Home Furnishings Market held each October and April. This semi-annual event draws a crowd of 70,000 eager shoppers from the global furniture industry.

With the flurry of activity surrounding SCHOU USA抯 initial upstart, it has chosen to save incorporating its indoor home furnishings lines for a later date. Indoor furnishings account for two-thirds of the parent company抯 worldwide sales. 揊or now, it抯 best to start small and grow from there,?said Curran.

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Sofas stay practical, but feminine styling lends softer touch this fall

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 02:32:37 GMT

Sofas stay practical, but feminine styling lends softer touch this fall

HIGH POINT, N.C. — — Americans updating their living rooms this fall will find new sofas and chairs that have slimmed down and shaped up as distinctly feminine upholstery designs take the spotlight for the first time in several years.

Consumers can thank a handful of female designers for the curvaceous silhouettes that headed for retail stores at the end of the summer — just in time for the industry's peak fall selling season.

"Shoppers will see the feminine influence in soft curves and contours, in tufted backs and gracefully-shaped front rails, and in those artful upholstery treatments known as "dressmaker details,' " says Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

Simple, squared-off, Parson's-style shapes have dominated the spotlight for several seasons, as young, hip designers such as Jonathan Adler and Todd Oldham have entered the world of furniture design. Their influence has resulted in a plethora of sleek silhouettes in the marketplace. Sofas with straight backs, bench seats, and smartly tailored back cushions are everywhere — seen primarily in solids and graphic geometric prints.

Details are limited to the occasional contrasting welt or well-spaced button, and there's hardly a floral fabric in sight.

"In the home furnishings industry, it seems that every major style trend is eventually balanced by an equally strong counter-trend — and that's exactly what we saw happen in new upholstery collections introduced earlier this year," explains Hirschhaut.

Leading the charge was California designer Jessica McClintock, whose home upholstery collection for C.R. Laine reflects the sumptuous style and romantic details in her 22-room Victorian home in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood. The 24 frames include sofas, chairs, ottomans and settees, all available in 35 luxurious fabrics, including velvets, silks, jacquards and linens. Dressmaker details abound, from deep-button tufting and knife pleats to waterfall skirts and fringed pillows. Featured fabrics include both large and small scale florals as well as stripes and damasks.

Plenty of curves

Candice Olson, an interior designer and host of the TV series "Di-vine Design," offers a pared-back feminine influence in her new upholstered furniture collection for Norwalk Furniture. The line includes plenty of curves, but also offers several modern frames for contrast. "These pieces are all about my eclectic sensibility," Olson says. "I don't like pieces that match."

Other female designers emphasizing feminine styling for the fall include Mimi McMakin and Brooke Hutting, a Palm Beach duo whose collections for Laneventure encompass both indoor and outdoor furnishings. A highlight is their La Salona Accent Chair, a small-scale piece with all-over feminine detailing, from the fluted legs and scalloped skirt to the shirred border and button-tufted back.

Barbara Barry, whose collection for Henredon debuted in October 2005, has added the Ruby Sofa — a sumptuous, three-cushion piece in blush pink, a shade designed to flatter the skin of those sitting in the room. And, Laura Kirar, known for her residential and commercial designs in multiple product categories, interpreted late 19th-century and early 20th-century design for her first furniture collection, produced by Baker. Inspired by clean, simple shapes, uniformity and proportion, the pieces exude a distinct individual personality and also meld as a group.

The new direction in upholstery is not limited to these few designers, however. Throughout the marketplace, manufacturers are appealing to women by using curves, color and customized details. From voluptuous, overstuffed cushions and rolled arms, to slender, undulating camel backs, curves are the predominant design element in new upholstery arriving in retail stores into the fall.

Round and oval shapes dominate ottomans and accent chairs, and even show up frequently in new upholstery fabrics. From buttons to bolsters, upholstery accents are round, as well. Motion furniture is even going in circles this season, as a new crop of swivel chairs offer a smaller-scale alternative to the typically masculine recliner.

Neutral colors have moved in a sophisticated and feminine direction, with warm, cosmetic tones in the forefront. For eye-popping appeal, floral and botanical prints are back in a big way, bringing with them foliage greens and a lush bouquet of flowery shades. Classic black and white — nearly every woman's fashion staple — will be especially popular on modern designs this fall.

Indulge in chocolate

But a girl's favorite indulgence, chocolate, will continue to dominate the color palette for home textiles this fall. Whether paired artfully with robin's egg blue or blended with a rich array of Indian blanket shades, brown is the new comfort color.

Unlike the world of apparel, where women are limited to what's currently on the rack, the range of available colors and patterns in home furnishings is rarely restricted to what you see on the retail selling floor.

"Be inspired by the fresh array of fabrics arriving in your local stores this fall, but remember that custom upholstery is no longer a luxury reserved for those with designer tastes and designer pocketbooks," says Hirschhaut.

"Many stores today offer hundreds of fabric possibilities and dramatically reduced delivery times. So feel free to choose the color and pattern that reflect you and your family's lifestyle," she says.

In fact, "have it your way" may very well be the top selling point for the new sofa or chair you pick out this fall. Can't decide on a single fabric? Put together a "montage" look using a variety of fabrics. Have special needs? Outfit your chair with a lift mechanism or power recline. Limited by space constraints? Choose one of the new small scale sofas or sofa sleepers. Want home theater options? Add drink holders, storage compartments for remotes, even a built-in subwoofer.

"Whatever your taste, space or budget, there are upholstery manufacturers who stand ready to customize your sofa or chair selections to meet your needs," Hirschhaut says.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 02:03:30 GMT

Previous hosts offer Olympic tips

A three-day seminar currently being held in Beijing and the opening of a new representative office are giving the organizers of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games a chance to learn the experiences of the previous two hosts.

Led by Major General Sotirios Tsenes, a group of four security experts from Athens, the host city of the 2004 Games, came to meet officials of Beijing Olympic Security Co-ordination Group. At the same time, the representative office of the Sydney-Beijing Olympic Secretariat was inaugurated.

With the arrival of the Greek Olympic security experts, co-operation in Olympic security was officially launched between Beijing and Athens.

"The foundation of successful security work during the Olympic Games is to predict all the potential dangers and make advanced preparations," suggested Tsenes. "Strengthening international co-operation with experienced organizations is also important."

During the 2004 Games, Athens spent an unprecedented US$1.5 billion on security. It received regular security advice from several countries, including the United States and Britain

Besides the security issue, the Beijing organizers will get more support from Australian experts after the opening of a permanent China representative office of Sydney-Beijing Olympic Secretariat (SBOS) yesterday.

"Australian support for Beijing has a long history," said Sandy Hollway, senior adviser of SBOS and also the chief executive officer of the Sydney Olympics organizing committee.

"The work of SBOS since 2001 has been of great mutual benefit to Australia and to Beijing. Our office in China will be a continuous channel of communication and a continuous mechanism for co-operation between Australia and Beijing."

Sydney staged the Olympic Games in 2000. It was described as "the most successful Olympic Games ever" by Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee at the time.

(Source: China Daily)

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Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:09:19 GMT

Mexico to seek new deal with U.S. on agricultural products

Mexico will seek a new accord with the United States to protect part of its agricultural products from impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a presidential spokesman said on Monday.

Mexican Economy Minister Sergio Garcia de Alba and Agriculture Minister Francisco Mayorga Castaneda will fly to Washington next week to discuss the issue with U.S. officials beyond the framework of the trade agreement, spokesman Ruben Aguilar said.

The visit is made after Canada and the United States turned down Mexico's request to hold new negotiations about agricultural provisions of the free trade agreement, citing such talks were notnecessary.

Under the trade agreement, import tariffs on white corn and kidney beans will be removed beginning in 2008.

Amid fears that the opening-up of parts of Mexican agricultural market will block economic development in rural areas, Mexican agricultural groups have repeatedly asked the government to alter the provisions of the agreement.

Aguilar said Mexico hopes the new deal will shield four or five" sensitive" products, including sugar, white corns, milk and kidney beans.

He added Mexico talked with the United States first because thesales of the sensitive products to the country were enormous.

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Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:07:20 GMT

EADS head hails co-op with China¡¡¡¡

The technological cooperation between the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) and China is a win-win situation, the joint president of the EADS said on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference, Noel Forgeard brushed aside some European journalists' concerns over the EADS' transfer of its assembly line of the A320 airbus to China, saying such worries are "unnecessary."

"We should not be too conservative about our cooperation with China, " he said.

In December 2005, the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus won a record order from China, which signed for 150 of the company's mid-range A320 models in a deal worth about 9.7 billion U.S. dollars.

The deal also included the "possibility" of establishing an Airbus assembly plant in China that would turn out single-aisle planes like the A320.

The EADS, parent company of Airbus, is very clear about the importance of its technological cooperation with China, said Forgeard, citing China's strength in aviation technologies and the possibility for China to grow into the world's second largest aviation market.

Compared with Boeing's technological cooperation with Japan, the EADS' previous cooperation with China is far from enough, said Forgeard, adding he is confident that the cooperation between Europe and China on airbus technologies will prove win-win.

The EADS has attached great importance to its technological cooperation with China, and in the future, at least 5 percent of the A350 airbus planes will be manufactured in China, he said.

In that process, some technological transfers are reasonable and are in the needs of both sides, said Forgeard.

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Thursday, December 15, 2005

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 02:08:55 GMT

Internet hack accusation groundless: China

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua/China Daily)-- The Chinese government has always prohibited attacks on the Internet, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press conference Tuesday afternoon.

"Any work units and individuals are not permitted to use the internet to be engaged in illegal activities or commit crimes," Qin said.

Qin made the remarks when commenting on a recent report by a US research institute which says that the Chinese military is probably behind an organized hacker attack on US government computers.

It is illegal to assault the Internet, Qin said, adding that China currently has promulgated several laws on the protection of the internet security, and the relevant regulations are stipulated in the criminal law.

Qin said Chinese public security organs would make laws to deal with those who uses the Internet to commit crimes, including those who assault the Internet itself.

"What grounds does the U.S. have for this accusation," Qin queried,, asking the US side to present its proven evidence if it has any.

Alan Paller, the director of the SANS Institute, an education and research organization focusing on cybersecurity, claimed on Monday that the attacks have been traced to the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.

Paller said the techniques used made it appear unlikely to come from any other source than the Chinese military.

East Asian cooperation

China adheres to the principle of openness and transparency in the process of the Aast Asian cooperation, Qin Gang said.

"China holds that east Asian cooperation should be open and transparent, and it is in opposition to any exclusive regional cooperation targetting to any third party."

Qin made the remarks when commenting on the nonparticipation of the United States in the East Asian Summit.

He went on to say that east Asian cooperation should benefit the cooperation of the nations in the region, and help advance the common development of the region and other regions.

"In this regard, China respects the consensus reached by the ASEAN nations, and supports them to play a leading role in this process," the spokesman noted.

Doha round

China hopes WTO's Doha Round of free trade talks to solve the problems mostly concerned by developing countries, Qin Gang said.

It is essential to give necessary special and discriminatory treatment to them and "to reserve space for their strategic development," Qin said at the regular press conference.

Qin acknowledged the Doha round must be a round of development,and that development must be ensured as its theme.

The Doha round should make efforts to practically carry forward the process of trade liberalization and essentially increase the opportunity of market access for WTO developing members and take into consideration their problems in the process of trade liberalization.

China will play a positive role in bringing about a success to the Doha round and the Hong Kong Ministerial meeting, which is being held from December 13 to 18, the spokesman said.

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Thursday, December 15, 2005

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 02:07:29 GMT

Gold price surge triggers investment craze

Saleperson shows a gold gift for a customer at a store in Shanghai Dec. 13, 2005. (Photo: Xinhua)
BEIJING, Dec. 14 -- After international gold prices hit a 24 year high last week, jewellers in Shanghai have said they will once again raise the price of gold jewellery from this Tuesday - the last hike was just a few weeks ago. The sky high prices have triggered a gold fever in the city with more people buying gold bars and jewellery as investments.

Jewellers in Shanghai increased the price of gold products on Tuesday as a result of the global gold price shooting up to a 24-year high of 527 US dollars an ounce in New York last Friday, with a weekly growth rate of more than 10 per cent over the last three weeks.

Officials with the Shanghai Gold & Jewellery Trade Association didn't quantify the pending price increase, saying it all depends on market developments.

The local retail gold price now stands at 157 yuan, or 19.4 US dollars per gram, an increase of 2-yuan this week alone and the 16th rise this year.

A sales manager with Shanghai Laofengxiang company, a leading local jeweller, estimated the price could rise to 160 yuan per gram, referring to the market in Guangzhou, where the retail price has risen 6 yuan to 166 yuan per gram.

Retail prices also jumped in Beijing and Fuzhou. During the past weekend, daily turnover of the gold store has approached 800 thousand yuan, even higher than that during the "Golden Week" holidays.

The price of gold bars also rose by about 2 yuan last week, but despite the soaring cost gold still appears to be retaining its allure as a safe haven for investors.

Local banks have seen an increase in the number of customers and the turnover of gold has jumped as people expect the price to continue its upward spiral as the New Year and the traditional Spring Festival approach.

Other sectors of the gold trade also saw a bullish market. For example, a gold trading product "Jinhangjia" was launched this July which differs from paper trading and allows buyers to demand the physical delivery of gold. Over the past 3 months, the amount bought in this way almost tripled. And report says the overall trading volume has been holding steady at around 10 kilograms a day.

Evening trade in gold is also booming in Shanghai since local banks began night trading last month.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Shanghai Branch has traded 10 kilograms of gold since December 1st when it began trading between 9:15pm and 11:30pm Monday to Thursday.

The Bank of China Shanghai branch said in the evening market, its paper gold product called "Huangjinbao" accounted for 1 third of the whole day's sales, after it began to sell paper gold 24 hours a day in the middle of last month.

The bank said some people only have time to trade gold in the evening, so their evening trade volume is expected to account for 50 percent of daily sales.

The evening market is synchronized with the global market, because it coincides with the closing of the London exchange and New York's opening.

The price hike has been widely attributed to higher demand due to several reasons, including unstable international politics, high energy prices and the prospect of rising inflation.

(Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

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