San Fran Maps

Can't stop smiling over these 3D maps of San Francisco by artist Chloe Fleury (via Vidafine)!
Gotta love those pesky rain clouds.

Wednesday Hump: Ferdinand de Saussure

These "ideographic" chairs inspired by Ferdinand de Saussure provide you ways to see your office chair in a new light!

Su Blackwell

Dreamy, fairy tale book sculptures by artist Su Blackwell. Just precious!

Valerie Hammond

It would be an understatement to say we love paper creations at the studio. These works just make me drool. Gorgeous, gorgeous paper dresses by artist Valerie Hammond.

Midweek Hump

Anyone having one of these weeks...running around like mad but can't seem to make heads or tails of what was exactly finished? I bookmarked this beautiful installation by Tim Knowles and Catherine Morland for just such a week. Willows with pens, writing in serenity of their own time and accord! A nice visual for the weekday hump...

Remembering September 11

I remember when 9/11 hit, I was speechless and could only sit with friends and family and watch the news all night and day. Weeks later, as I was trying to make sense of it all like everyone else, I felt the only way to even begin was to paint, sketch, build anything to try and express the sense of indescribable loss. Nevertheless, seeing other interpretations of that day has always been comforting.

above: Stoneware vase.

above: Treated Scrabble Tile.

above: "From Silver Lake" etching.

above: Polaroid manipulation.

above: Poster. Close-up shows the drawn name of each lost victim of 9/11.

Shop Friend: Hilary Williams

These screen prints by San Francisco artist, Hilary Williams truly capture the city in its special light don't they? They remind me of the muted colors you might catch while riding home on the Muni from work or walking the hills as the fog eats up the last bits of sunlight.

The Littles in London

I saw this in Rita Konig's blog via Domino and squealed with delight. All of us at the studio are obsessed with anything miniature. And street artist Slinkachu has captured the urban, London life of "Little People" in a book called Treasure Hunt. He describes them as "Little Handpainted People Left in London to fend for themselves". So awesome!

Ami Kroon

I haphazardly bumped into my cousin Patti last night as we were picking up our respective takeout and somehow in between the turkey burgers and pad thai, we found ourselves staring at the floral paintings hanging at (of all places) Polkers. I immediately thought of Ami Kroon for her space whose florals and portraits have such a modern Gustav Klimt vibe.


above: This particular painting seemed to inspire a girls' night out ensemble. Dress by Phillip Lim. Stella clutch. Marc by Marc Jacobs booties.

Studio Sketch: Happy Cupcake Friday

We had six, perfect little cupcakes and then without warning or snapping our usual photo..we devoured them whole, like prehistoric sugar reptiles. So here's a little sketch I did instead...

Have an awesome weekend everyone!

Mt. Holly at Machine Project

I thought this was so fascinating and a true testament to Holly Vesecky's
sculptural eye for florals. Here is an installation she created suitably named "Mt. Holly" for the gallery Machine Project.



above: the Mt. Holly floral volcano was an installation within with a hot chocolate lava center, seismic rumbles and eruptions of flower petals!

Jellyfish for the Wall

And to conclude, these prints by Amy Walsh are one of my favorite incorporations of the jellyfish...


above: printed on pages from an 1887 botanical book. Available through Wonder Cabinet at Etsy.

Lace Jellyfish

Here are two more posts today to round up my jellyfish crush!



These Lacy Jellyfish frames by Elide Endreson are both whimsical and chic. Available at Red Cake Gallery here in SF.

Studio Sketch: Darling Darjeeling

We just got these Darjeeling mugs and expresso cups into the boutique and I love the colorful patterns on them. They would make wonderful table decor for your Moroccan themed bridal showers and parties!

above: I salvaged an unfinished sketch I started during the overcast winter that seems to fit Springtime and our Darjeeling motifs to a tee!

Glass Act: Dale Chihuly

It is always mesmerizing to see world renowned artist Dale Chihuly create personal, autobiographical works through such large scale glass installations. But I also have a fondness for his sketches and drawings that precede or are inspired by those works.

above clockwise: Seaforms Drawing by Dale Chihuly. I LOVE his delicate/frenetic hand! Zoe & Morgan skull opal earrings. Hand painted Matthew Williamson gown. Jimmy Choo snakeskin heels.

Above: Perhaps the one that many of you have encountered is his Fiori di Como installation at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas. The floating, ethereal installation defies its weight of over 40,000 pounds!

Monday Run

Like many of us, I run to leave the stress behind and to connect with the intangibles. And even though it's Monday, I'm still enjoying some of the endorphins from being out and about over the weekend. I almost never think about wardrobe and prefer just the basic necessities: shorts, wicking shirt, Nano and my pair of Brooks. But I've been seeing some pretty fabulous workout getups on my customers lately...one of them was wearing what I thought was a chic, knit sweatshirt and I was floored to hear it was from the Hearts collection designed by Scarlett Joahnsson for Reebok.

With the abundance of top designers and celebrities designing athletic wear, there are no more excuses for you fashionistas out there to hit the gym! above: Stella McCartney's modern, wearable workout wear for Adidas.

above clockwise: Some fashionable motivations for you to get out there and lose some of that winter weight or tone up for your wedding: Scarlett "Hearts" Reebok knit warmup sweater. Serena Nike tennis dress. Stella for Adidas running shorts and dance top. Scarlett Retro sneakers for Reebok.

above: A sketch of my quiet weekend run path to the ocean.

ShopFriend: I Dream of Cake cont'd...

As promised, here are some more photos from my visit to Shinmin's I Dream of Cake gallery/studio. And since it's Valentine's Day, what could be more appropriate than presenting such sweet and heartfelt creations?


Above: mod and luxe...these were taken from Shinmin's studio where the gorgeous cakes sit in gallery displays for customers to preview and dream over.



above: Aren't these woodland flora themed cakes exquisite? Shinmin has a background in graphic design and it truly informs her vision. She is inspired by print, pattern and artwork and I was so delighted to hear that she's a stationery fiend as well!

Her space is truly inspiring. It is no surprise to hear that her space has recently received an AIA Award. I felt like I was walking into a gallery and found myself taking the time to admire each one of her pieces. The only giveaway was the scent of something sugary in the air!

ShopFriend: I Dream of Cake

I had the most wonderful time meeting with Shinmin Li of I Dream of Cake. She is crazy talented and her dedication to detail leaves me speechless. We happen to share mutual clients who had always wanted us to meet and we finally made that happen. Lucky for me, I got to see her amazing studio...or should I say "gallery" in the heart of North Beach where she both showcases and creates her edible works of art. I couldn't resist taking pictures of her studio and her cakes (which I will post up later) but first, I just had to show all of you some cakes from her Haute Couture line. And YES, those really are CAKES ladies and gentlemen...




Jaw dropping right? Stay tuned for more...

new year, new you: Chris Benz

We are getting lots of fun Spring items in at the boutique. Why not start the new year with a new you...even if it means a tweak here and there, or an addition...like a new designer or label that you've never tried before? I am in love with new designer Chris Benz and his Spring 08 collection which has been getting raves for its "reverent and ecclectic" take on American sportswear.

above: I love the pairing of these olive/chartreuse pieces. Fresh with a little vintage styling AND you can wear it to work!

The 25 year old designer is from Seattle and considers the "Great Gatsby" and "Addams Family" as inspiration.

studio sketch: I saw his one-shoulder silk charmeuse dress in Neiman's spring book and started to drool as I sketched it. If there is one new piece that you want to try this season, purchase an asymmetrical/one-shoulder dress...so elegant and fluid on the eyes!