softly as she goes

seriously, is there a general style these types of pictures fall under? is it the film? is it photoshopped? what is it? i'm going to have to play around with my photoshop ...

pictures from this french journalist (found via {frolic!})

treasure trunk

i have a thing for leather handles and i've been looking everywhere for a pair so i can swap out the drawer pulls on my desk. but i haven't been having any luck. BUT! i have found a few nightstand options that would look lovely next to my desk once it's fitted with the proper leather handles.

the intrecciato leather top night table by bottega veneta with matte gunmetal trim. not exactly an easily accessible option at $9600, but oh so lovely, especially in the pergamena leather.

the steamer trunk end table from sundance catalog is another nice choice with riveted oak banding and canvas-lined drawers. and a comparable steal at only $1295.

but i think i might just go with a simple cedar cube from the trunk outlet which has the leather handle, clean lines and sturdy wood construction. i figure the assembly of the cube looks simple enough, so if i want to dis-assemble and re-cover it in heavy canvas or leather, it doesn't look too difficult. no drawers on this but at only $120, i think i can live with that.
initially spotted a larger version of the trunk in rebecca thuss' portfolio but couldn't make out the words, but finally tracked it down after many searchword iterations on decor8

in a little cottage cozy the world seems rosy

stumbled across this supercute cluster of storybook tudor revival homes while looking for parking in burlingame. so cute! here's a quick little tour ...

first spotted the half-timbering, steep roof and brick chimney of this home on the corner of willborough pl and neuchatel ave ...

then, ran a quick loop around the tiny block which holds only twelve of these little tudor cottages. plus another five or so on willborough rd to round out the circle.

check out google maps' street view ... it's too adorable to be missed. too bad the LOUD caltrain tracks are just a block away and that each little cottage is in the $1m range. yea, too bad. otherwise, i'd be ready to move in and hide a garden gnome or two in my front lawn. and park a little smart car out front.

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shopping: jackson square

since i wrote about a couple shops in jackson square a while back, i figured i'd expand and cover a few more. so here's a quick walking tour of the quiet jackson square area, which is a quick walk from the ferry building (to the east), north beach (to the northwest), chinatown (to the west) and union square (to the southwest). here, you'll fine antiques shops (which i'm not so into, so i'm not listing those), designer showrooms and a few cute retail shops.

A: eden & eden (560 jackson st) - very cute and uniquely curated collection of housewares, jewelry, clothing and gift items (much of which is imported from the UK) ... my latest fun find there are fine cashmere/silk sweaters by antoni & alison, in lovely pastel tones but unfortunately didn't quite fit right

B: glamour closet (114 columbus ave) - browse through wedding gowns, overstock and sample items direct from designers, retail stores and boutiques, at 25% to 75% off retail ... it was cute, the last time i passed by, there was a bride-to-be standing outside with a few magazine tearouts, going over her gameplan with her friends

C: urban burp (170 columbus ave, ste 110) - "rare vintage fabrics, home decor & upholstery"

D: vitra (557 pacific ave) - a narrow hall of a showroom, but they have a cute collection of vitra miniatures to view along the wall on the left in quiet (since this is not really a retail shop, don't worry about getting approached by pushy salespeople)

E: thos e cara (517 pacific ave) - a shop specializing in pretty espresso machines ... i've never actually walked in since i'm not a coffee-drinker, but i still peek in from time to time since it looks like a little espresso museum

F: kartell (501 pacific ave) - another not-really-retail showroom, meaning they typically cater to large call-in orders and act more as a showroom. but they definitely have items in stock and you can walk out with single pieces if you're in a rush ... i actually got a mademoiselle armchair recently at a great price since it was a discontinued floor sample

G: artemide (855 montgomery st) - showroom of modern lighting, a bit cramped though since it's a small space with tons of lighting packed in

H: carrots (843 montgomery st) - a spacious store carrying contemporary designer ready-to-wear lines for women and men, as well as some jewelry and home items ... the clothing isn't a huge departure from the contemporary dept at neiman or barneys (but definitely more convenient if you need a party dress in a pinch after leaving from your office in the transamerica building late), but it's worth a walk-through to check out the well-designed interior

I: william stout architectural books (804 montgomery st) - "over 20,000 titles on two floors in the fields of architecture, art, urban planning, graphic and industrial design, furniture and interior design, and landscape architecture" ... and they're not kidding about that, definitely a great source for design-y books and don't be shy about spending all day among the stacks

J: design within reach (455 jackson st) - like any other dwr location, i suppose, but the folks there are super-friendly

K: area san francisco (540 jackson st) - fun collection of housewares, accessories and garden goodies ... more info here

pictures from: store websites, flickr, AT:SF, flickr, flickr, or my own

sam taylor-wood: bottega veneta

the fendi shoot reminded me a lot of bottega veneta's spring/summer 2008 catalog and advertising campaign, shot by sam taylor-wood, also in november 2007. the muted tones, soft lighting, wood plank floors and prominent window panes. ok, i swear that's the last of the picture series ... for now.

mark seliger: fendi

here are a few more from his portfolio: fendi shoot for vogue italia march 2008 (shot in november 2007) ... now it's getting quite obvious, i just like all the muted tones and soft lines.

chelsea fuss / cameron browne

here are another couple photos that i think have a similar feel to those in the previous post, but with food in place of people ... in this case though, i think it's more the styling than the photography that i like since i don't see other shoots with the same feel from the photographer's portfolio. photos by cameron browne. styling by chelsea fuss, who by the way writes one of my favorite blogs, {frolic!}. i think i read through a whole year of her posts over the 4th of july weekend. which is how i came across these photos (and here) in the first place.

mark seliger

read about vanity fair's bright young hollywood feature a little bit ago, but didn't actually check out the web slideshow until just now. and wow, the pictures!
photos by mark seliger (check out his portfolio)




i wonder if there's an equivalent photographer in the non-editorial world.

playing hooky (for an hour)

two fun finds yesterday ...
adam spring 2008 top ... m missoni rainbow striped dress

source & source

all a-twitter

i've never been inclined to start a twitter account nor have i read anyone's twitter, so i could be missing the actual way it works. but if there were any day i would have looked into it, today would have been the day. and my day would have gone something like this ...

8:50:: running late by 5 minutes now, hate this. and now i'm stuck at the end of a long security line 8:55:: through security. and checked in. 8:57:: finally(!) found a comfy seat between two professional clean-looking people 8:58:: time for my yogurt and granola bar breakfast 9:06:: just started "watching" a jury service info video. more like listening. there's a big head in my way. 9:17:: "each person's opinion can be voiced" ... i would pity anyone stuck on a jury with [certain girl i know] 9:20:: 15-minute video just finished ... more orientation! 9:22:: ugh! there's wireless here. i so should have brought my laptop. 9:35:: they just started calling names for the first juror group ... yes! not called. the whole row in front of me cleared though. 9:44:: ummm ... why are we all taking an oath? 9:46:: crap ... we've all just been selected to be selected for a 5-week trial 9:58:: i don't meet any of the hardships ... time to fill out the questionnaire 10:20:: done and i'm out of here ... more tomorrow ... whee!

renegade craft fair: san francisco

made a few rounds at the renegade craft fair this weekend. saw some things that i recognized and discovered some new fun stuff too. here were a handful of the vendors that stood out to me.

"greetings from san francisco" postcard by hearts & anchors (and her blog) seahorse love card by hello! lucky which we bought for an upcoming seaside wedding (they also have a blog) "waterlilies limited edition print" by satsuma press (etsy shop and blog) "love" cd sleeves by lizard press which i might go back and get once i figure out a use for them (and their blog) walnut earrings by orange slice which i'll probably use as something other than earrings (etsy shop) blue bubbles handkerchief by miss natalie (and her blog)

side note: i noticed both hearts & anchors and lizard press use the same font in their logo, or at least very similar. i like it and i'm going to hunt it down.