i will be in paris two weeks from today!! it just hit me. i haven’t really had time to think about all i want to see and do. however, this shop caught my eye and i cannot wait!! it is a concept store will all sorts of goodies like books, housewares, clothing and more. why don’t we have these types of shops in san francisco?

merci

(image from merci)
check out more photos on decor8

I happened to stumble across the cute lotions and sprays by Kimono Rose. I was first drawn to the packaging and after some googling discovered that Kimono Rose is the name of just one of the many collections by Thymes. Check them out at thymes.com.

ps– wordpress for iPhone: why don’t you let me add hyperlinks??

I’m a little obsessed (ok, a lot obsessed) with Ingrid Michaelson. There’s something so timeless about this particular song, I can just see Ruby & Caroline listening to this tune in their room, ages ago on an old radio. Isn’t it dreamy?

Artnlight is an inspired blog we came across about a year ago, and it’s run by the lovely and talented Vineeta. An art director in India, Vineeta started posting about the gorgeous trays that had captured her heart and interest. And then more recently, she post a whole series of them that she’s selling locally. We’re super bummed we can’t get our mits on one of them stateside, but we’re happy to share the awesome eyecandy that Vineeta has posted on her own blog in the mean time.

With azure tones and a mediterrean feel, here is the dreamy Blue Plate Tray:

Here is the Abundance Tray:

And lastly, Vineeta’s favorite, the very gorgeous Mauve Spring Tray:

If you haven’t read Vineeta’s blog, head over to artnlight You’ll love it!

yesterday while avoiding work, i came across art wall on natalie jost’s cute blog.

i guess it really isn’t a “shop” but more of a gallery showcasing the work of various independent artists. the gallery is set up like a little house that has different rooms and on the walls of each of these rooms are photos of artwork which link to the artist’s online shop.

there are only three rooms set up right now but it looks like there are more on the way:

you can submit your artwork here and check out the blog here.

(images via artwallonline.com)

We’ve heard through our friends over at A Five Oh Four Uplifting that there’s a little boy in Michigan who is in the final stages of Neuroblastoma Cancer. His name is Noah, and he’s 5 years old. Because his family is unsure of what the future will bring, they are celebrating Christmas today.

Noah’s one wish is that he and his family receive a lot of Christmas cards. Can you please help by sending a card to him? This evening his mother said on the news that if you’ll send a dollar in your card, she will use it to help create a fund in Noah’s name, as well as helping to support Make A Wish.

We’re dropping a card into the mail for Noah and sending hugs and lots of love his way, and hope you’ll join us in letting this sweet child know how much he is loved.

Here is his address*

Noah Biorkman
1141 Fountain Viewcircle
South Lyon, MI 48178

To see more, there are a couple of local news stories about Noah and his visit from Santa.

*his family has asked that no one call or stop by, as it is a difficult time for them.

I’ve got one eye on HGTV and another on some gorgeous blogs. Let’s just say my attention was stolen, very quickly, by these dreamy images from Gabriel Ryan Photography.

These are from the baby shower thrown for Gabriel and Carlie, soon to be parents, and the photography team behind Gabriel Ryan Photography. Regardez the invitations that mom to be Carlie created herself:

And then, check these amazing desserts that were placed out for the guests by Melody at Sweet and Saucy Shop:

Don’t you just want to jump into these pictures and live for a few minutes?

Yesterday I was out and about and visiting Alameda. For readers outside the Bay Area, Alameda an island near Oakland. Even though I’ve lived in the Bay Area for quite awhile, I hadn’t spent much time in Alameda until a couple of years ago. It’s really a delightful city.

One of the treats is Park Street – lots of cute shops, great ice cream and good food. I wandered in to Daisy on Park, and was delighted by what I found. The store is well merchandised and has a lot of French and Cottage / Country home items. They also carry stationery, and some sweet seasonal decorative pieces. Barbara, the owner is wonderful, helpful, and clearly loves her store.

Here’s a quick view of some of the bedding, along with a fellow shopper:

Inside Daisy

They also had this amazing calendar on a back wall. I was struck by how fun and easy this would be to reproduce at home on a cork board.  By just covering the board with fabric, adding a few ribbons to create boxes for each day, some quick days of the week printed on your printer and a set of numbers, you’d have a custom calendar in your office or den!

And what did I buy? Well, I splurged on a new rug for the kitchen, and a tiny “raspberry basket.” Once I brought them home, I was moved to clean the kitchen… which included moving everything off of the counters so I could redo how everything was displayed.  Here’s how it looks:

What shopping finds have you made recently?

Filling the void left by Domino, Blueprint, and Cottage Living is the new Lonny magazine. Specifically tailored to be published online, the first installment is live and ready for you to view at Lonnymag.com. It’s got a lot of style, furnishings, and gorgeous ideas.

One of the founders of Lonny (and former Domino alum), Michelle Adams has a lot of previews and info on her blog, M.A. Belle.  Michelle and Pat came up with the idea for the magazine in June in a Chili’s restaurant, After spreading the word about their vision, they were able to get film, writing, everything, donated for this first issue. What an inspiration! It really shows what you can do when you’ve put your mind to it.

In Lonny’s own words:  “OUR MISSION is to reopen the doors of accessible design. By embracing an online platform we provide inspiration at the click of a finger, directly connecting our readers to their favorite products and resources. Our freedom from page limits means that we can share more content in each issue, delivering an intimate look into the way people really live.
At Lonny, we value independent thinking and believe not in following trends but rather in making choices that lead to happiness. We believe that good design and affordable design can coexist and that true inspiration can be found in the teeniest of homes or in the grandest of spaces.”

Congratulations to the folks at Lonny for a beautiful first issue!

Over the last week, I had the luck of going to New Orleans for a quick vacation. One of my stops was in the Garden District, at perch. A shop full of amazing ideas for great interiors, it blends retro and modern, beachy with country in a way that’s truly inventive.

Here are a few of the inspiring interiors I came across – first, a lovely venetian glass chandelier graces the ceiling of a gorgeous white room with a lovely modern branch-like mirror in a similar color. What an impact in combining the romantic with the organic:

A more dramatic room, with a black chandelier, damask print couch, and a punch of red to add drama:

And, lastly, take a look at this simple but lovely idea on a lamp. A simple pencil starfish and some rafia adds an instant bit of seashore to a lamp. Placed on a slightly distressed side table, and paired with orange accents this feels modern, casual and breezy:

What inspiring combinations have you seen lately? Please share!