J. Crew and the Liquor Store

I was excited to read MA Belle's post about the J. Crew men's shop in New York City. J. Crew's first menswear-only boutique takes the place of the former Liquor Store Bar in Tribeca. The store was designed by Andy Spade and his business partner, Anthony Sperduti.

The vintage decor looks phenomenal with its dark paneling and antique displays, leather club chairs, old books and more. They even carry a new line of Red Wing boots, so worn that they look like you've worn them for a lifetime. Old school pieces such as vintage Timex watches add a touch of vintage. It's refreshing that they didn't "modernize" it and kept all the original fixtures such as the bar and fireplace. Now this looks like a fun place to shop!

I love the black and white theme with the old liquor signs...so chic!

What a great idea to use the bar rail to display ties. The hatstands are great!

Such a great juxtoposition of style. Love the old fireplace and lady portrait above it!

Andy Spade's advice for cultivating personal style; "Go back to your history and where you came from. Research things that are special to you and not available to everyone."

All photos courtesy of J. Crew and Brian Berman

Vintage Bus Signs

Vintage Bus Signs from parishotelboutique.com

I just adore vintage bus signs! The provenance combined with the old typography makes them extra special. And, they are great pieces of art. I have one in my dining room and people seem to be intrigued by it. It's sort of one of those quirky, unexpected pieces that add a spark to a room.

Vintage Trolley Sign from parishotelboutique.com

I currently have some for sale on my website. This extra special trolley bus sign (above) is from Bournemouth, a large coastal resort town on the south coast of England. Cricket, Tennis, Circus, Carnival, Pageant...it doesn't get better than that! I've never seen a sign like this before. The town of Bournemouth hosted many events of the Festival, hence all the activities on the sign would make sense. Upon research, Bournemouth sounds like a great tourist town with lots of history, great beaches, culture and a professional football club, too!

Bus Roll Sign Photo from Desire to Inspire

Bus Roll Sign Photo from Desire to Inspire

I love these photos from Desire to Inspire's blog. They add that perfect touch of whimsy!

Mom & Pops

Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season. Please support your local shops and boutiques. During these tough economic times, they need our support. And, if you're like me, I much prefer the experience of shopping charming, unique shops, as opposed to large chains.

Mouche Packets from bellocchio

Today I'm off to one of my favorite little shops, Bell'occhio, here in San Francisco. It's a charming shop, full of curiosities. The owner Claudia has a keen eye. Each purchase is beautifully gift-wrapped and I never walk out empty-handed. After that, I'll mosey over to North Beach and visit some of my favorite boutiques. Tomorrow I'll head over to the San Francisco Antique & Design Mall to look for some one-of-a-kind items. It's much more fun than fighting crowds of shoppers downtown, and a way to find something unique for that special person.

Chocolate bars from bellocchio

Paris Map boxes from bellocchio

Happy Thanksgiving!

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, 1937, Pinocchio floating through Times Square with his 44-foot nose (photo from flickr)

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Creative Gift Wrap

A vintage music-lesson card strikes a personal note paired with a costume jewelry brooch and a bright blue ribbon.

It's so much fun using vintage finds to dress up a package. And... it is a great way to recycle. Aren't these fun?

Recycle vintage boxes and tins, such as these French pastel chalk boxes, to hold gift cards, spa certificates, or concert tickets. Silk ribbon and tiny ornaments add festive flair.

Images from Country Home Magazine - December 2008

Holiday Cheer at PRIZE

I wanted to share some fun photos of my friend Jen's store, PRIZE, in Ashland, Oregon. All decorated for the holidays, PRIZE celebrates in style!

A "PRIZE" ribboned Christmas tree and cement reindeer dress up the store window

Fun ornaments to decorate your tree!

Charming vignette of framed vintage paintings

Vintage jewelry for some holiday "glitz"

John Derian decoupage

If you're visiting southern Oregon be sure and stop by PRIZE:

PRIZE
264 East Main Street
Ashland, Oregon 97520
(541) 482-0345

Dessert Bar Delight!

Now this brightens up my day! I just stumbled upon the website of event planner, Amy Atlas. Located in New York City, Amy specializes in high end dessert tables. She treats each endeavor as a unique, art project and designs each dessert table to fit the client. The photos of her work are mouth-watering. Take a look and check out her website here. Time to plan a party!!

Candy Shop Dessert Table filled with nostalgic candy, old-fashioned taffy, barber poles, Sweet Tarts and rock candy. {My favorite... I want to have a party now!!}

Birthday Dessert Table --{love the packaging}!

Bridal Brunch Dessert Table --all white with torrone nougat, coconut macaroons, and dusted truffles

Bridal Brunch Dessert Table --all white with torrone nougat, coconut macaroons, and dusted truffles. White lemonade with hand calligraphed "Best Wishes" {Oh my...this is lovely}

Mod Dessert Table with a graphic cake, custom yellow and black chocolates, licorice mints and lemon cupcakes. {So Hollywood Regency}!

Wedding Dessert Table. Fuschia cherry blossom tree cake inspired by the wedding invitation. Custom lollipop trees, raspberry truffles, chocolate and mini cupcakes.

Mother's Day Dessert Table with a cone-patterned cake, petit fours and macaroons. {Beautiful color, isn't it?}

Mother's Day Dessert Kid Table with Jordan almonds, malt balls, taffy and jelly beans, for the kids!

All photos courtesy of amyatlas.com {visit her site!!}