• ABOUT
  • PODCAST
  • BLOG
    • MINIMALISM
    • HOME DESIGN AND RENOVATION
    • DIY
    • SEW
    • EAT
    • TRAVEL
  • BOOK
  • CONTACT
  • SUMMER CAMP
  • CREATIVE CAMP
  • NOVIOS RETREAT
  • <iframe frameborder="0" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?p=CTL9280674595&light=true" width="100%" height="482"></iframe>
  • ABOUT
  • PODCAST
  • BLOG
    • MINIMALISM
    • HOME DESIGN AND RENOVATION
    • DIY
    • SEW
    • EAT
    • TRAVEL
  • BOOK
  • CONTACT
  • SUMMER CAMP
  • CREATIVE CAMP
  • NOVIOS RETREAT
Thirty in the City: San Francisco Boutiques
September 9, 2010
We did as any fun group of girls would do: spent our entire weekend in San Francisco shopping and eating! Really. Very little of anything else, which is exactly as I planned it. If you’ll be in the area sometime soon, here are some of the shops we visited:
Bell’occhio
Oh the magic of this tiny, tucked away boutique. The store has been open for 22 years and it’s success is undoubtedly due to the owner’s “good eye”, which is also the translation of Bell’occhio (pronounced like Pinocchio, which means “pine eye”, in case you wondered.) The shop is filled with treasures from fine stationary to ceramic ware to vintage trims and jewelry to wooden handled brushes of every shape and size. One of our favorite items was the fringe scissors, pictured at top. The owner (I should have gotten her name!) took the time to demonstrate how to cut and roll two different types of tissue flowers with them, and since I’ve been home I’ve used them on paper without hitch. Though not on the beaten path, Bell’occhio is wonderful and not to be missed. 
Ribbonerie
Yes, as the name suggests, this is the place for ribbon, ribbon and more ribbon! I could have easily spent more than the forty minutes and forty dollars that I did in Ribbonerie. Without a doubt the finest and most complete collection of trim that I have ever encountered. Organized by color and type, every turn had me wishing I had a) a bunch of known projects requiring a ton of ribbon and b) at least a little girl to tie up in lots of bows. I settled on a few fun pieces for use on future baby girl gifts, and a length of vintage light green stripe velvet striped ribbon that will become the waistband of a new dress soon. Hopefully, soon. If you love beautiful things, you could use some ribbon from Ribbonerie.   
Nest
Vintage meets modern meets eclectic meets international. I could have swiped half the store to decorate my abode. Nest was a fun mix of really cool design with a real grown-up price tag, as well as some fun books, gifts and notions that didn’t make your heart drop. I loved the feel of the store and will definitely head back the next time I’m around.
Jonathan Adler
Thanks to my good friend Chelsea for introducing me to this remarkable designer. I am head over heels. Again, swipe me that leather rhino and lemon pillow, plop them into my 900 square feet and call me a happy woman. If only for inspiration (at this point in my financial life) I will go back. 
Zinc Details
Super cool store. Lots to look at and less to touch. The German paperbacks in frames were awesome and different. My thirty-year-old, twenty-weeks-pregnant sister fell in love, nay, became one with this womb chair, an original design by Eero Saarinen. The next time I awake with $5000 in my wallet for custom seating, I will know where to come.
Merch
We drove down Haight a number of times looking for Doe. Finally, we stopped and asked and discovered that Doe recently became an online only vender, though similar merchandise is now stocked by the new owner of the “brick and mortar” store, Merch. The unique onesies, funny letterpress cards, and tiny japanese bird crayons wooed me. And this shop has prices to sell. A fun little upbeat store in a funky, tattoo and medical cannabis neighborhood. 
Amoeba Music

If you love music (which I do,) and own a record player (which I don’t, but my sister does) you will love Amoeba Music. Piles and piles in row after row. You must have some idea of what you’re looking for…and chances are, you’ll find it.
Kid Robot

My first diaper bag was Kidrobot. I love the funky designs and infectious characters. Unfortunately, this store stocked more clothing and toys, and no bags. It was fun to hang with ‘stache Labbit for a little while, though. I almost got Milo a plush stack of pancakes, and thought “online store” at the last minute. Perhaps he’ll get to lay his head on the butter around Christmas? 
I had to save my trip pennies for the best shopping of all:
Alameda Flea Market

Think: every vintage thing I have ever thought was cool in one giant parking lot at once. Then think:  5:30 am wake up, 1 hour drive time, $15.00 entrance fee, loads of super creepy dolls to avoid. You will come to the same conclusion we did…totally worth it. There is a loose requirement that all items vended be 20 years or older. Most abide, but there were a few obvious exceptions (one in particular involving vinyl lettering…so not 80’s.)  We wandered up and down the isles for close to four hours and still did not see everything. I spent $50 and brought home (insert “vintage” before every item and it will sound as cool as it really is!!) three hats (one pictured above,) a copper cookie jar, a scarf, two yards of French fabric, six big plastic dinosaurs, two big loom spools, a bag of letterpress type and two comic books. Had time and space allowed, I could have acquired much more..including furniture…oh, the furniture! Maybe it’s lucky I was short on time and space. If you are going to be in or around San Francisco on the first Sunday of any month, you should go. Go early. 
Well, that concludes the shopping portion of the trip. Look forward to the eats, and the fun, still to come.
Share

TITC  / TRAVEL

  • ABOUT

    Welcome! I’m Miranda, the maker mama behind Live Free Creative Company.

  • More Than Enough Book


    Have you ever felt like you were running a race you couldn’t win in life? Like there was always something more to buy or to achieve in order for you to feel like you had “made it”?In this book, I share how my heart changed and I began to find real, lasting peace, abundance, and joy through focusing on what matters most and disregarding the rest.

    Find out more here.

  • ConvertKit Form

    Five Days to Freedom: Tips for Choosing Less Stuff and More Adventure in your Daily Life

    Five lessons with practical tips and exercises to help you feel more in control of your life!

    Success!

    There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

    We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
  • Recent on Instagram

    livefreemiranda

    The final episode this year of Live Free Creative The final episode this year of Live Free Creative Podcast dropped this morning: a look back at 2022 and an invitation to reflect. 

Often, it is in the remembering and retelling of our own stories where meaning is made. With a little distance, we can usually see more clearly how our experiences have changed us. This self-awareness is a beautiful place from where we can step into the future with added clarity and hopefully a measure of compassion and peace. 

Tune in on your favorite podcast app. 💛 #livefreecreativepodcast
    This last week of the year is talked about like a This last week of the year is talked about like a Bermuda Triangle of time warp— I think it is the *perfect* time for reflection. Not hustle, goal-setting, or even planning (though I love a good plan😉). 

This is the time to look back with clear and honest eyes on the challenges, joys, disappointments, and fulfillments of the last year and make some meaning of it all. Accepting who and where we are now with grace and love can help us proceed into the next right step with compassion and clarity. 

2022 was one of my personal toughest. It was simultaneously filled with light and laughter. A beautiful mess. 💛

What was one of your favorite moments of the last year? Feel free to share below. I’d love to hear!
    I’ve spent a long time curious about optimism- w I’ve spent a long time curious about optimism- what it really looks like and how it is evidenced in real life. 

Learning about explanatory styles helped clarify some of the nuances of optimistic people acknowledging and accepting negative events and emotions without being taken down by them. 

Optimism is not toxic positivity, it is the perspective that although negative things occur, they are usually temporary, impersonal and specific. 

These illustrations can help you clarify the difference between how an optimist and a pessimist may describe positive and negative events— and listening to episode 217 of Live Free Creative Podcast can help with some practical ideas for building your optimism muscle. 💪😃

#livefreecreativepodcast
    One semester down of the Master of Applied Positiv One semester down of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at @uofpenn 🙌. 

After over two decades of interest in and self-study of the ideas of happiness, progress, and what makes life worth living, it has been a dream come true to dive even deeper with the guidance of great professors, guest lecturers, and classmates. It is a ton of work, and also reminds me that most truly worthwhile things are. ❤️

Cheers to lifelong learning, growing, and flourishing! 🌱🌲 

(These are a small sample of the hundreds of pages of books, journal articles, and essays I’ve dug into this semester. All of these are easily accessible, and fun to read. Highly recommend!)

#positivepsychology #selfdevelopmentbooks
#pennpov
    Let’s talk about OPTIMISM! 😊 Many people (fa Let’s talk about OPTIMISM! 😊

Many people (falsely) assume that optimism means ignoring negative events or emotions. Instead, optimism is the perspective with which one views negative emotions and events: as temporary, changeable, and impersonal. 

For (very simple) example, when an optimistic person stubs her toe, she might think “Ouch! That hurts! That step came out of nowhere… I’ll look out for it next time.” 

In contrast, a pessimist might stub her toe and think “Ouch! That hurts! Why do I always get hurt? I’m such a klutz.”

Optimistic people tend to see negative events as occasional, and positive events as the norm. They tune their attention to things that do or could go right, rather than giving all the weight to things that do or could go wrong. 

Additionally, optimism can be LEARNED and PRACTICED, with amazing and beneficial outcomes on life satisfaction, relationships, and overall well-being. 

Do you consider yourself more of an optimist or a pessimist?

Listen to #livefreecreativepodcast this week for a deep dive into Optimism! 🌤️
    Paper Person for LIFE ✌️ I write plans, lists Paper Person for LIFE ✌️

I write plans, lists, to-do’s, outlines, notes, dreams, memories, and stories on good old fashioned paper (preferably 80# cotton mohawk paper with a .3 muji pen 😉).

Did you know research shows that writing by hand (versus typing) activates different parts of the brain and can increase understanding, perception, memory, motor skills, and even creativity? While typing and tech definitely have their benefits, writing by hand, on paper, is still an important, valid, and (in my personal experience) cathartic experience.

If you’ve been around a while, you know @golden.coil is my favorite, (sister-owned) customizable planner and notebook company. 📒

Who else has a paper brain like me? 🙋🏻‍♀️
    What expectations do you have for the holidays? Or What expectations do you have for the holidays? Or for the New Year?

I’d love to hear about them. And invite you to consider how developing appreciate (instead of/alongside) expectation can build your well-being and positive emotions. 

Listen to Episode 216 of #livefreecreativepodcast for a more in-depth discussion. 💚
    Expectations are normal— but are they helpful? Expectations are normal— but are they helpful?

Unmet expectations lead to disappointment on the one end of the spectrum and resentment or even anger on the other. 

In contrast, appreciation increases positivity, motivation, and resilience. 

Neither expectations nor appreciation cost us anything… so which do we want to intentionally invite into our lives? 💛

Listen to Episode 216 for more insights. #livefreecreativepodcast
    One wall, one quart of green paint, three hours of One wall, one quart of green paint, three hours of procrastinating folding laundry: a gorgeous new office space. 💚💁🏻‍♀️

Sometimes we need to JUST GO FOR IT when the urge to improve strikes, even if it doesn’t make sense. Pausing a hundred small to-do’s so you can accomplish one with long-lasting impact feels amazing. 

(I think picking up this incredible @thicketdesign serpent and butterfly painting from @frameofmindrva was the push I needed to make it happen. 😍) 

What small home project would make the biggest positive impact for you right now?

#livefreeabode
    The halls are decked, there’s a log on the fire, The halls are decked, there’s a log on the fire, and a cozy holiday playlist of podcast favorites for the season on the speaker. 🔥👉

Swipe for a list of Holiday Season episodes that will invite some intention, creativity, joy, and magic into your life this season. 🎙️🎁

Find a link to the full Spotify Playlist in the story highlight (after the last couple weeks I KNOW how many of you love Spotify 🤭)

What holiday-themed episode do you want to hear next? Drop ideas in the comments! 

#livefreecreativepodcast #livefreeabode
    Connection builds resilience, reduces stress, and Connection builds resilience, reduces stress, and makes us happier! ✨

While this last year (um…2-3 years? 🫠) has been difficult on many levels, it has also felt very connective. Weird how challenges can do that: build meaning and strengthen relationships. 

Our family has leaned on simple habits routines to deepen our connection: nightly family dinner, walking to school together, weekly dates for Dave and me, family vacation and weekend getaways to leave it all behind and simply have fun together! 

What are you doing to intentionally build/maintain your connection to those who matter most to you? 

(Thank you @mollyhunterphotography for capturing our family so beautifully!)
    Inviting the hygge of the season into this new hom Inviting the hygge of the season into this new home. 🎄

In a lot of ways, 2022 has been one of the toughest years we’ve experienced. From health challenges, family tragedies, and heartbreak to difficult personal growth, we have been just barely keeping our heads above water.

This Christmastime, I am grateful for the hope and peace of accepting and integrating what is, exercising non-judgement and optimism in the face of obstacles, and the power of close friendships and relationships to ease the load. 💛

Sending love and light to you this season, whether hope-filled or heart-wrenching or a little of both. ✨

#livefreeabode
    Load More... Follow @livefreemiranda on Instagram
  • FAVORITE CATEGORIES

    • DIY
    • SEW
    • DECORATE
    • EAT
    • LIFE
    • TRAVEL



© Copyright 2021 Live Free Creative Co | View our Privacy Policy