The one with the beautiful jewelry for sale

I am so excited to say that my jewelry I picked out at the gift show is finally here! The first is from Mabel Chong https://mabelchong.com/home.swf . There is a ton of jewelry at the sf gift show. There must be 1-200 booths, I don't know. I was only drawn to walk in to 3 booths. Mabel was selling her own line, she was super proud, knowledgeable, and willing to make tiny changes I asked for. I make jewelry very similar to hers, but there was something in the delicate touches and in Mabels personality that made me want to sell it here. She also does jewelry parties, let me know if you are interested, I would love to have her come in for a fun ladies night. Teresa Goodall is another line I love. http://www.teresagoodall.net/bio.html Based in Minnesota. Everything she does looks so one of a kind and very unique. They’re dramatic and bold so they are a nice contrast compared with the daintiness of Mabel’s. Of course I still have my jewelry here too. Right now I have an excellent selection of vintage and antique pieces put on very unique chain. They are all one of a kind, so although you might walk in and see 3 or 4 customers wearing them, there is a different story and look to each one. You might have seen something similar in last months Country Living magazine (they must have copied me). I recently found some really cool medals and vintage chain. Some of my newest creations are here already, and I am constantly playing around at home with new things to make with them.

The one with the antiques from Texas

I have some more things in the shop from my shipment. Below is an amazing antique English pine linen press. While I was writing this it just sold. Went to a good home. This is my absolute favorite thing right now. I found it in Texas, last thing I bought, did not get a picture or even a good look at it. I just liked the shape and size. After my wood master got a hold of it, it emerged as a work of art. Someone in Mexico a very long time ago made this with a lot of love and craftsmanship. All mortise and tenon, mesquite, with delicate detailing on the front and back legs. Over time it was patched when it became damaged. These patches are so amazing, and add so much to the artfulness of the table. You just have to see and touch it to appreciate it. This is just a glimpse of the ships table I have. It's most like ly French, 1920's, and chestnut. It folds up on it's wrought iron legs, and has a lip all around. It would make a beautiful island, entrance table (if you have enough room, it is 8' long), or just an accent table, filled with stacks of books and artwork. This is the Texas Biedermeier desk I was so excited about. Isn't it cool? Circa 1850, made by Germans in Texas. Pine and oak, still has original paint, which I have had sealed. The center of the writing surface opens, and lots of storage up top. A very useful and beautiful piece of history. You know when the Catholics have a holiday and dress up their statues from the church and take them through the streets in a processional? This is what they would carry it on. It even has pads to cushion your shoulders, and a beautiful patina on the grey and gold paint. You could use this in your home to display any number of things, pottery, sculpture, or perhaps one of the antique santos I have here in the shop.

The one with the before and after of my shop

I get asked a lot about what this space looked like before I moved in. As some of you know, it was a "thrift store". When I first signed the lease, I had not seen the inside, because it was so full of stuff to the ceilings. I only had the shop next door (other half of this building) to give me an idea. It is a 100 year old building with 12' ceilings, so how could I go wrong? I have no idea what possesed them to paint the ronald mcdonald rastafari colors. All I know is that it took many coats of paint to cover. The final spray of white was done by a local painter, Bret Carlyle. I did the rest, myself, with a little help from Jove (thats him in the next picture, trying to be positive so I don't lose it) (update on jan 17, Jove helped A LOT)
There were 2 layers of the filthiest carpet you have ever seen. Never ever vacuumed, dead and alive animal traces all over it. Notice the wall on the right does not go all of the way up, a cost saving idea (drywall comes in 8' lengths)

Week 2. I can not believe the amount of work I did here, while working 2 jobs (bookkeeper at Petroglyph, also gaining great experience as a shopgirl at a local home furnishings store - they had no idea) The carpet is gone, again with some help from Jove. The drywall and new smooth plaster was hired out. See the next layer of floor - asbestos tiles.
Yes, the tiles were properly removed one at a time and properly disposed of. I have blocked this part out. I also pulled out about 1700 nails and screws from the walls and ceilings. Jove did the baseboards and trim, (update, he also replaced all of the bad plumber patch jobs with nice wood, helped me move a lot of furniture, hung the antique fretwork in front of store - not an easy task - we shared a ladder, and much much more. I blocked most of this out, kind of like childbirth I think, so I heard from him last night that he needs more kudos, well deserved). My good friend Brigit helped me paint the green walls.

I hired out the building of the back room, and the seagrass installation. Looking good! Jove did the finish work on the back room. I must say once again I don't know if I could have done this without his help and encouragement. Thanks so much, baby!

There are STILL things on my original punch list that I have not done. I don't know if I ever will. Thanks to all of you for not noticing.

The one with the big storm

Good afternoon. I hope everyone is staying safe today. I am at the shop, in case anyone wants to visit. The power just came on at 2, but I had half of the store moved around by then. I get in such a funk when I am not happy with how it looks in here. Add that to the other things that have been going on lately, and my ridiculously horrible cold (2 weeks but feeling somewhat better today), and I was in a serious funk. Much better now, thanks. The light is back on in me too.
I'll probably close a bit early, as the rest of the shops on Soquel closed up and went home before noon. Don't expect much of a rush :) I do have a few more hours of redecorating first. Happy Friday!

The one about my grandomother, Genevieve

Genevieve Henry

1917-2007

My grandmother left this earth on Christmas Day. She was at home, after just a few months of hospice care. Just a few months ago she was still having her gals over for weekly mah johngg and pinochle games.

I did not open the store today, no note on the door. I apologize. This has been a very tough year for me and my family. While saying this, I know I am so blessed and lucky in so many ways.

Moving on, I hope you and yours have a happy and wonderful New Year. Also, to all you kids out there, don't smoke! Emphysema is not a fun way to go.

The one where my shipment from Texas finally shows up

This was picture a few hours ago. My shipment showed up. Other than having to ask a very good customer to leave the store so I could meet them at my house (I am mortified and so sorry), everything turned out ok. This is not a great representation of the stuff, you see the front of the soon-to be-beautiful Texas Biedermeier desk, the front of the amazing Austrian slaughter table/desk. I had 1/4 of it brought here to the shop. I had to get it in my storage and run back here to open the shop, so I could not fully savor my goodies. Sunday I'll have a chance to look and enjoy. This is my new blue hand made very very old cabinet that now proudly holds my fabulous bath products and candles. The duck is for sale.
This is the english table that I thought was a dining table, and of course it certainly can be, but it's actually a library table, probably beechwood. Hey, it had a ton of stuff on it in the booth and it was 125 degrees in that tent. I love it. You could have a dance party on this table. Or a really nice dinner party with plenty of room for your centerpiece, platters, and whatever. Plus, it's got a drawer on both sides for storage. 72 x 41".Update Jan 2008 sold.

This is the unit that Cayce's (from littlest bird, I need to tell you about her great space here) husband Jeramiah built for me. My wonderful boyfriend Jove gave me the antique redwood he salvaged from a garage he just rebuilt. It's beautiful and perfect. My Juliska looks so amazing in it, as you can see. Jer can build things for you too. You have to see this in person, it looks like it has been here forever. Nine feet wide, seven feet tall. Not for sale. Never ever ever.
This is for sale. The color is not right in this picture, the wood and the wall color are much much better in person. This is an antique blanket chest. Pine, American, circa 1810. Fully functional with so much soul. Update Feb 2008 sold.
She is beautiful. 1880ish, from a San Francisco estate. Made of wood, plaster and paper mache. Her hands are a little creepy, mummyish, but the rest of her is so exquisite it does not matter. She is wonderful in my window (hence the refection). Come and visit her anytime.

The one about 1st Dibs

http://www.1stdibs.com/

If you have never been to first dibs, please make the effort. They make you sign up and get weekly updates, but it is totally worth it. This site has super fine antiques, midcentury modern, and wonderful new creations. All very high end and not your every day purchase, but so fun to look at and dream.

Today they have posted a ton of pictures of the store windows and decorated buildings in new york, along with top designers input. So beautiful. I can't copy any of the pics so you'll have to go look for yourself.

The one where I am still waiting on my shipment of antiques from Texas

ok, so my shipment from texas (I know, I'm sick of talking about it) was supposed to be here last Thursday (the 6th). The last time I spoke to Roll'en Hills (truckers) they were loading up, that was on the 3rd. So I sent out mailers letting everyone know. After that I could not get an answer or email response, and then.... 2 of the numbers I had for them were disconnected and the other rang forever. I did not freak out, I just got a little concerned.

So I emailed the Fayette county sheriff. He hung out with us a few times in Texas, and I figured he could help. He did! He found me some more numbers, and made a couple anonymous calls to the company to see what was going on. This a.m. I got an email and several phone calls telling me they are on the way. I forgot to ask if my stuff was actually on the truck this time, but I have faith. They say Friday is likely, I'll believe it when I see it. Only 5 weeks late, it's like Christmas coming early!

The one with the sideboards

It's that time of year when we think about entertaining, all of our pretty serving pieces and such, and where do you store all of that stuff? So I thought I would post some pictures of a few great sideboards and storage pieces to peruse.

Above is one of my all time favorite pieces. It's redwood, antique, handmade for someone's garage. I had the base put on the bottom, waxed it up, fixed the drawers and now it's such a beautiful thing. It's got so much soul, the wood is so warm and worn and beautiful. Update Jan 2008 sold.

This is a magnificent antique store counter I've had my eye on for quite a while. It now sits in the shop in all of it's well used glory. Redwood, again, with original paint. Mid 1800's. The drawers measure five feet wide, two feet deep, and almost 10" high. Can you imagine what you could fit in that? It would make an excellent kitchen island. Update - sold

Not a sideboard, but a fabulous antique french desk I bought from Blossom Home, in Los Gatos. See her blog at http://sosylvie.typepad.com/ It was child sized when I got it, and the wood was in very bad shape. A bit of time with my wood master, and look how pretty! It opens up and has a ton of room to hide just about anything. The weathered greyish pine color is one of my favorite things. Yes, that's a christmas tree peeking nearby. I couldn't help myself, I've got the music going too.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you have a glorious day, enjoy the beautiful weather and be ever so grateful.

The one where someone steals my geranium

I'd like to report a theft. Someone stole my white geranium right out of the ground in front of my shop. They also left a mess of dirt, shells, and leaves everywhere. Who does this? I am very saddened by the loss of my poor plant, who is now either lying dead somewhere, or tended to by a bad person. Bad juju on you, plant thief! Get your own!

The one where I go to the Diffa Dining by Design at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria

Last night I went to the Diffa dining by design event, hosted by Elle Decor and UCSF. It was very nice and I appreciate Savannah and Ed at Lee Jofa for inviting me to sit at their table, Piat at Kravet for hooking me up, and Jessie Kaminski Designs for buying all of that $500 a yard Lee Jofa embroidered silk through saff and gen. Pictures of most of the tables were published in Elle Decor a few months ago. http://www.diffa.org/events.asp gives all of the info. Above is the Elle Decor table, designed by Margaret Russell herself. It was much more fabulous in person.

Amazing screens with goldfish painted in 3d.
I loved the furry tablecloth with the natural textures. I HATE those chairs, though.
Yes, this bowl is made from plastic disposable knives.
Alice in wonderland table. All of the people at it were in costume. Very cute, and it looked like a good time. Those are vintage a.i.w books at each setting.

This was the Holly Hunt for Kneedler Fauchere table. I did not get a good look at the table, because the models would look at you and pose and yes, it made me uncomfortable. But it was something, that's for sure.

The one where I talk about whats coming in

It's about time, I just talked to the driver of the truck bearing my Texas goodies (antiques), it will be here tomorrow morning! I'm so excited! This week I'll be cleaning things up and bringing them in as they are ready. I promise to try and post them when I do.

Also coming in this week is Fragonard perfumes and bath products. I look forward to taking my fair share home to use. I love their new line called VRAI, which means pure. It has a subtle scent of the ingredients only. http://usa.fragonard.com/@en-us/shop/ to see more. I am also carrying the naturals perfume line. Very light and beautiful pure scents. If you've never heard of Fragonard, that's ok. They are very big in France, and every time someone visits they bring me back a bar of soap, so that's how I know of them. LOVE them.

Match pewter is also on the way. I love pewter so much. It has such a beautiful soft glow, and is timeless. I've got many great gifts from them coming in. http://www.match1995.com/pewter.html

Kenneth Turner room sprays and fragrances are already here. I am completely addicted to the original scent. It's clove-y and citrus-y but very clean at the same time. Kenneth Turner is a big wig florist in London. These scents are so unusual, not too perfumey at all, but super yummy.

The holidays are here, and I'm ready! Well, I will be next week for sure.

The one with the cowhide chair

I am bad for not showing you a picture of my newest cow hide chair. The back is waxed black linen, and it's fabulous.

The one with the creepy doll head

Happy Halloweeeeeeen!

The one with the cricket table that sold

This antique pine cricket table is so simple, but I saw it when I arrived on Saturday and had to visit it everyday until I just had to open the wallet and buy it. I can’t explain why, maybe the history of the wood spoke to me. I know someone will appreciate it as much as I do. Update Jan 2008 sold

The one with pictures of more things I bought in Texas

The dental cabinet is truly beautiful. It had beveled glass on the front and sides. The desk is “Texas biedermeier” , it’s pine, circa 1830. It’s in perfect condition, just needs some cleanup and waxing. I love the way the front legs flare out. It is so delicate. I can’t wait! The red things are just that. I saw them and fell in love with the color and had to have them. I figure they could be a plant stand or side table. When I got home I saw this picture and noticed the turquoise one right near them and I was so bummed. I can’t believe I missed it, it’s so pretty.

Notice the way these dealers set up their inventory. They actually looked better in person, but they pretty much just put the stuff out there. There were some who did amazing displays, but they were catering to the rich Dallas and Houston wives who arrived in limousines. Uber pricey.

The one with the pictures of stuff I bought in Texas, still in Texas

I thought I would finally post some pictures of stuff I found in Texas. I haven’t yet mostly because the majority of pieces need a bit of work, and because I took some horrible pictures. Things are really crammed into these spaces, so forgive me.

That’s a very cool old chopping block made of a whole tree stump. The blue cabinet is such a beautiful color, I could not resist. I don’t think it will look that great in my shop (because of the color) so first dibs can have it before it gets there. The desk is Austian. The dealer who I bought it from lives there and does this show only. It’s a work table that would have been in the out kitchen, for butchering and such. The base is curved and so beautifully unusual.

The one where Raya Carlisle took pictures of my shop

Raya Carlisle came in the other day with her mom, Katie (my fabulous seamstress). She is an amazing photographer with the best blog, http://www.paperpony.net/. She took some photos of my shop that make it look like it could be in a magazine! Of course it should be, and if anyone out there has an in at a magazine, I would appreciate a referral. :) There's one of the front of the store that I love so much! I've been trying forever to get a good one. Thank you, Raya!

The one where I am glad to be home again and stoked for my purchases

I'm back from Texas! I found so much great stuff I had to leave early because I knew I would not have enough space for it all between my store and my storage. Also, I was homesick. We are so lucky to live in California. As we flew over the vineyards of Paso Robles, the mountains and the ocean, I felt so happy to be home.

I am having most everything shipped, but I brought a lot of smalls with me. I've sold some already in the past hour, so hurry up and check it out! I have pictures of almost everything I bought, even though most of it needs at least a little work. I will be posting pictures and taking pre-orders for things before they get here. I found a ton of steel furniture. I love and it's really hot right now, because it can go in modern or country homes, and will never go out of style.

Before I even post a pic, I'll tell you I found 4 vintage steel hospital dressers and 4 vintage steel hospital nightstands, or bath stands. When I bring these into the shop they last oh, about 4 hours, so you may not have seen them after they have been stripped, polished and laquered. They are cool. Very cool. The drawers work great and they are the perfect anecdote to a room full of wood.

The one where I am headed off to Round Top for the 3rd time

I’m off to Round Top Antique Fair on Saturday, so I thought I would write a bit to keep you up to date. On September 15th I had my 2 year anniversary party and sale. It was very nice, customers only went through 3 bottles of champagne, but it was pretty early. I do still have some things marked at cost to make room for my new finds.

Also happening very soon is my new baby section. Everyone needs a baby gift at some point, and even I have trouble finding something special enough. Cayce Ellison, who owns Blue Apple Studios in Aptos, will be in charge of that section of the store. She had her own baby (cute as a button little Jack Henry) last year and has come up with a lot of very special things, including her own fabulous one of a kind artwork. If you need a baby gift, or want to decorate your child’s room in a very special way, this will be the place to come. I will let you know the moment we are ready.

I’m not sure if everyone knows you can also find a wonderful wedding gift here as well. I love love love the Juliska glassware. I can’t imagine anyone receiving it and not using it. It’s very durable, but looks so delicate. I also have a lot of more personal antiques that would be appreciated.

I have been super busy with interior design work. It has been a very fulfilling year for me. I am lucky to have the best clients who truly appreciate what I can do for them. I’m having a blast!

The week after I get back from Texas is Alameda, and then the country show in Los Altos. I’m so stoked for all of the cool stuff I will find!

And finally I have scheduled a craft night. We will be painting linen pillow shams, and you do not need to be an artist, I swear. Cost of the class is $45 for materials. October 11 at 7pm. This will fill up super quick so call or email as soon as you can. 831-462-4506. adults only, please.

The one with the architectural salvage birdhouses

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written. These really are the lazy days of summer. In case you have not been in lately, I wanted to show you these wonderful birdhouses, handmade locally with architectural salvage. They are totally functional, the birds will use them and you can clean them out, if you like. The guy who makes them is very passionate about them, and all of the little pieces of things he finds to put on them. They come in several sizes, these are smaller.
As much fun as it is buying for the store every weekend, it’s a lot of work too. If there are any local artists reading this that think their passion might work in my shop, please come on by. I would love to have more locally made items. Of course, you know I’m very picky about what I put in the shop, so rejection is a possibility. Sending pictures or a website to me is the best way to start.

The one with the 2 headed calf

I've been talking about all the cool things I found in Texas for almost 2 months now. I finally got a hold of the shipping company and got some news. Apparently, the warehouse that they rent to store everyone's purchases has gone into foreclosure. The gal was outside the courthouse when we spoke, waiting for an injunction from the judge so they could get all of the stuff out first. Pretty scary, kind of like the taxidermied 2 headed calf I did not buy, thank you very much.

I have put off my annual spring sale until the Texas shipment came, but I think I'll go ahead with it now. Looking at my calendar, I'm at the lake June 9-11, the next weekend y'all will probably be busy with graduations, after that vacations, hmmm. I will pick a date and let you know. My regular customers will get either a postcard or e-mail. This year I am having an as-is sale as well. I pick up a lot of great things that have potential, need a little work. I don't always have the time, so you will get lucky, you can do the work and save some money!

The one where I try to describe what I do

It's very hard for me to describe my decorating style, let alone what I sell, to people who have never been in. I have always, since about age 8, loved to find old things that were just interesting to me. I have always loved to find furniture and sand, paint, stain, whatever, to make it look better.

I do have new lines that I just love. I've got functional things like fabulous candles and bath products that are a treat to use. I also have Juliska, quality ceramics and glassware that will be heirlooms one day, and because they are a pleasure to use it is also a treat for you. They also make wonderful gifts for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries. I can't imagine anyone opening a Juliska gift and not loving it.I sell books, organic catnip toys, great writing tablets, local artist's cards and art. If I love it, it makes the very strict cut. I have a new baby gift section including Jellycat stuffed animals, the softest, cutest and very best I have found. Oh, and I have shells, so many shells, at great prices. If you are decorating a room with a beach theme (and who wouldn't) you need shells. I have a faux coral that looks so real, beautiful without the guilt of owning something illegally harvested. The most important thing to know is that you will most likely find something you or someone you love can't live without, and you will smile every time you see or use it. That keeps me going.