When Deanna Inniss moved to Milwaukee three years ago, she fell in love with the Third Ward and felt energized by its potential. After living in Manhattan for 10 years and working for The Gap and Baby Gap, Inniss moved here to work for Kohl's Department Store, but eventually decided she wanted to give business ownership a whirl.

"I had been collecting baby clothes and other children's items for several years -- great way to get rid of a boyfriend, by the way -- and saw a need for this type of store here in Milwaukee," she says.

Inniss opened Freckle Face Boutique, 407 E. Buffalo St., this summer. The shop specializes in clothing -- mostly funky, high-end lines and small emerging designers -- specialty gifts for kids, a fantastic selection of books, bedding and footwear. According to Inniss, 85 percent of the stock is not sold in other Brew City boutiques.

"If I didn't name the shop 'Freckle Face,' I would have called it 'No Ducks,'" says Inniss, referencing the lack of children's clothing styles in most department and box stores.

Indeed, you will find unique threads for kids, especially for little boys who are usually destined to dress in truck or sports get-ups. However, Freckle Face features shirts embossed with old school bicycles, funky trees and outfits hip enough for dads to wear. The little girls' stuff is equally interesting and fun.

Specifically, the sophisticated-meets-retro shop features items by Judith Lacroix, Mr. Tiny, Lucy Sykes Baby, Fora and Henri, Dagmar Daly, Bluebird, Quincy and more. They also sell locally-made diaper clutches by Papage and funky bibs by Sheriff Peanut.

"We'll continue to expand the local consignment items as we find the right products that are a good fit for Freckle Face," says Inniss, who studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and received an associate degree in fashion merchandising and management and a bachelor's in fabric styling.

Aside from selling cool stuff for kids, Inniss focuses on creating a homey, "real life" feel in her boutique. There's a comfy couch for relaxing, a dressing room with a diaper-changing table and a counter with stools. She also dishes up animal crackers, free for the asking.

"The ease of shopping is very important to me. You'll never see shelves of folded up T-shirts that customers have to rummage through to find their size," she says.

Freckle Face's hours are Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. Call (414) 298 -1488 to find out more about a new Wednesday night knitting group for women.