Inspiration - window decals

I thought you might like to see these pictures. This is one of our local businesses here in Nelson that has recently applied these very cool, and very large, decals to all the windows of their building. I think they look great - the bright pink is a real show stopper don't you think?

Inspiration - wax cloth pillows

How can you not be inspired by the gorgeous patterns on these wax cloth pillows from Henry Road. These fabrics originate in Africa but this first pillow looks almost like it could be bark cloth from the 50s doesn't it? These patterns are hot hot hot at the moment - adding yet one more decorative layer to your modern, boho look. Lots to choose from and a great price - Henry Road.

(We are a little short on blog posts this week because we are working like little beavers to get the new Cartolina app ready for the end of this week - so, stand by - new Cartograms coming Friday if all goes as scheduled!)

Vintage inspired bottle openers.

I found this fun, nautical inspired bottle openers at Bodega Shoppe. Very fun vintage design. Great beach party hostess gift!

Inspiration - vintage flower buttons.

Cherry red, pressed celluloid flower buttons from the 30s. With a lovely hand carved look. Funny how some so small and simple and inspire a colour palette or a floral motif - it certainly has inspired me this morning . . . .

Vintage buttons from Surrender Dorothy.

Window Shopping - vintage finds at PB

Pottery Barn offers much cooler stuff online than in their stores - a way better selection of all the great stuff that we've alway loved about PB. Right now they have some very cool VINTAGE pieces including these train mirror/luggage racks, old sewing machines, cameras and giant apothecary jars. I really like that they include half a dozen shots of how to decorate using these great old pieces - nice job PB!

Urbanite Jewelry

I rather fancy these earrings. In fact I rather fancy a few things from Urbanite Jewelry. Their pieces are very inexpensive($12) and really unusual. I bought a cool paisley tunic from the John Robshaw collection at Lucky Brand when I was in SF last week. these black earrings would look very exotic with the indian motif on the fabric - I think I'll treat myself!

A perfect showcase

This display is actually outside, in a cabinet, next to an antique store in Carmel. The store is in a tiny courtyard with lots of pretty flowers and old benches - so charming, as is most of Carmel. The yellow wallpaper on the back of the 2 cabinets is quite jaw dropping (I'm sure that some of you would know the design and maker) and with the blue and white porcelain, well it's positively perfect.

All Saints

On Saturday we were having a wonderful wander around SF with our friends Martin and Cate from Blanket. It was the only wet day that we had on the trip so we spent a lot of time in shops, restaurants and wine bars! Cate and I squealed when we ran across All Saints (Cate used to live in London so she was very excited to see a familiar shop) So if you look carefully at these images you can see that every window of this tall storefront is filled with cast iron, victorian, sewing machines - seriously there are hundreds of them! This is so up my alley I couldn't wait to explore the interior. So I sent Doug on a photo shoot while Cate and I drooled over the bags, shoes and jewelry(not so much the clothes, that seemed to be a bit 'Goth' for us.)

Note the sewing machines in all the windows.

How cool is this traditional white and gold window decal?

Sewing machines, sewing machines, sewing machines . . . .

Can you see the wooden spools on the wall? - there are hundreds of them(below)

The retail space itself is so impressive with huge industrial fixtures, tables and signage.

All Saints, 140 Geary Street, San Francisco 94108

There's an Anthropologie hidden away in a lovely little shopping plaza in Carmel. My trusty photographer likes shooting in Anthro because everything is so beautifully styled. Often I am finished shopping and I have to wait for 20 minutes while he continues to photograph all the loveliness. I don't buy much at Anthro because much of what they sell is made in China. But I definitely appreciate their style. I really liked these cups and plates. The cups have tiny sailing ships like tattoos inside of them. And ancient looking red seals on the bottom/inside is very cool. Then, you flip them over and they have giant octopus tentacles wrapping around the rim. If you know me at all you know that I LOVE vintage engravings used in a contemporary application - so these are - simply - fab - fab - fab!

Another thing that caught my eye was this pillow cover which I think is quite superb. It's a contemporary illustration using a vintage style of no particular reference and it is quite brilliant. I hope these pictures do it justice because it's so very unusual and simply stunning up close. My trusty photographer assured me that the light was awful and this was the best he could do in the situation ;-)

La Sirena Antiques

Hello everyone! Thanks for tuning in while I'm on vacation!

I really wanted to interrupt my fun to tell you about this wonderful store I stumbled on yesterday - La Sirena Antiques in Davenport CA - which is just a few miles north of Santa Cruz on Highway 1 - right across from the ocean. Doug and I had a few days in San Francisco and then picked up a car yesterday morning and started our drive down to Carmel. We loved the first part of the trip from SF to Santa Cruz - really beautiful, narrow highway along the curvy ocean front. We stopped in Davenport to grab a snack and a coffee - there were only a couple of cafés and an antique store(which, of course, is good reason to stop anytime, anyplace!) It's funny because, as I walked into this wonderful store, it took me just a second to realize where I was - not sure how it all became so familiar, so quickly, but my intuition was right, and I found myself face to face with Kim Kempke, one of our Cartolina retailers who I happened to have spoken to on the phone a couple of times, amidst her amazing collection of treasures. It was a wonderful coincidence and a great opportunity to chat to a Cartolina buyer - and one with such good taste, no less! So Doug took some pictures and I drooled all over the vintage french fabulocity. Kim travels to France and brings back some very impressive pieces, everything from fine jewelry to brocante. And her store is so beautifully merchandised. Our Cartolina Cards looked so perfect amongst all the pretty vintage pieces. If you live in the Bay area or south towards Monterey I encourage you to take a short road trip to La Sirena Antiques. You will not be disappointed. And Kim, it was great to meet you - what lovely surprise!

La Sirena Antiques, 500 Highway one, Davenport, CA

http://www.lasirenaantiques.com