All posts tagged: shopping

shops of DC.

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DC adventures continue with shopping! Union Kitchen My favorite souvenir shopping happens at local markets. I love finding the “made in [insert place of vacay here] items.” Union Kitchen is a boutique market that carries lots of locally produced goodies, most of which unfortunately I could not bring home this time around (luggage constraints) but look! Stuffed bagel holes! Pickled jalapeños! National Museum of Women in the Arts We didn’t have time to visit National Museum of Women in the Arts, but we did have time to visit the museum shop! I think it gave us major FOMO though. A collection of women empowerment, women made, and inspo… Salt & Sundry Salt & Sundry is a cute gift shop in the Logan neighborhood. Soft light, home goods, jewelry…. It was less easy to find the made in DC items (or maybe there just wasn’t a lot of them), but I did score some made in DC chocolate bars! Little Leaf Little Leaf is a sister store of Salt & Sundry. It. Is. So. Lush. The …

shopping culture.

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The shopping culture in Japan is like whoa. Gifting and packaging play a key role. Shops often provide additional bags and tissues for gift giving. And if you’re lucky, your items will be wrapped with pretty paper and you won’t want to open them because the wrapping will be too lovely to mess up. Everywhere you go – a shopping plaza! Train stations had stories of shopping, too. In Toyko, the Ginza shopping district has big brand shops. It also has Itoya, an eight-story categorized shopping experience. It was on my must-see list. A floor for planners, a floor with cards, a floor dedicated to craft and one for fine papers… I visited an origami shop. Calligraphy and paper stores were also popular – I loved stumbling across these shops; the workers were always so friendly and curious where I was visiting from. My favorite crafty shop find: Wrapple Wrapping & DIY Cafe, a small boutique DIY bar and cafe with co-working space filled with washi and paper and decor items. We also visited the …

good goods.

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Small batch artisan goods?! I’m on it! My friend brought me to the Epicurian Trader because she thought I’d appreciate it. Beautifully packaged goods all sorted nicely…dreamy. She knows me so well! This is a great place for finding a special gift (the stuff is basically already gift wrapped!). Chocolates, spirits, wines, cheese, baked goods, snacks, hot sauces! They had it all. Who is the curator? I must meet them. Also, I want a whiskey wall. Market hop much? Share your fave boutique markets below!

yay friends.

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When in New York, you must go shopping in the middle of the night! I was impressed and also confused that so many people were out shopping so late. It must be all the Times Square bright lights keeping us awake. One of the stores I visited was Line Friends which is kind of like Sanrio. My friend and I didn’t quite understand it, but we knew it was super cute and we needed to go. We had a seen a few people walking around town with their adorable bags, so when we found out it was close by, we immediately put it on our list of places to visit. When you walk into the store, there is a giant bear named Brown who you can pose with. You know those giant Costco bears; this is way more giant and way more awesome. He was also dressed up for Halloween. Like Sanrio, there are characters and they come in plush form… And in all the merchandise you can dream up. Like headbands… Also, backbacks, phone cases, …

backyard boutique.

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My friend invited me to Archangel Boutique, a shopping event to benefit Child Advocates of Silicon Valley. The boutique raised funds to support local foster children and aimed to spread awareness of the need for more volunteer mentors. This was a shopping event with heart. The event was held in someone’s backyard! What a fun venue. I arrived with just ten minutes to shop but it was plenty of time to make some purchases. Here’s a quick look around: This holiday season, let us be thoughtful about our purchases and let us give back to our communities.

shop feature: station one farmhouse. 

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A lovely shop tucked away in Point Richmond, Station One Farmhouse boasts an array of repurposed and handmade items. On my visit, shop gal Christine was busy painting furniture to be sold in store. They finish a lot of the pieces in shop – talk about locally made! They’ve got soaps, candles, housewares, and decor items. Hubs and I picked up a jar of Jack Rabbit Farms’ roasted tomatoes and bell peppers. Yum! You’ll find a lot of unique finds at Station One. I’m excited to visit again to see new furniture and painting projects! Where have you shopped local lately? Share below!

my comic con.

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I attended my first Scrapbook Expo earlier this month and it was pretty awesome. After my favorite scrapbook store shut it’s doors my paper stash has been looking pretty sad. I have yet to find another paper supplier for the everyday so when I heard the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo was coming to town I marked my calendar right away. There were a variety of vendors selling all the scrapbook and stamping supplies. Some of my favorite paper companies — Echo Park and Authentique — were there, plus vendors who sold more of my favorite papers. I was in good company for sure. There were also lots of demos and make and take stations. I discovered and admired new-to-me techniques and crafts. We impressed ourselves with this easy make and take! It was like magic. There were also on-going workshops and a large open crafting space deemed the “Olympics.” Check out my stash! Best deal of the day: 54 sheets of 12×12 paper for $15! Plus, my friend Joy scored big with washi tape! Me thinks the …

fleas!

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On my last visit home my parents and I explored the Pasadena Flea Market. Held every first Sunday of the month, the market boasts an interesting mix of collections. I’m always impressed, and slightly concerned, about where people store all of their goods. So. Many. Things. My favorite things to spot at these types of events include Pyrex mixing/serving bowls circa 1970, teak dishware, milk glass, and functional typewriters. Sewing machines that come with matching tables are an added bonus. Since in the summertime it gets hot early, we decided to spend an hour perusing in the AM. It was enough time to explore one side of the market. (There may have been another side that we completely skipped….) We left with some summer fruit nail art pieces and baby succulents. Oh, and this lovely photo. Fleas! One person’s junk is another person’s treasure. What’s been your best flea market, garage/yard sale, thrift store, etc find? Share below!

brilliant!

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Today is our wedding day! Yup, Feyoncé and I are tying the knot. Oh you bet I can’t wait to share all the details with you. But for now, I’m sharing our wedding ring shopping experience and revealing the bling that made the cut! We decided our 8th love anniversary would be a perfect day for ring shopping. I had my heart set on matching rose gold bands. We chose to shop at Brilliant Earth because they have a large assortment of rose gold options, ethically source their stones, and use only reclaimed metals – love it! Lucky for us, there is a Brilliant Earth show room nearby and we got to shop in person. Making the appointment was simple and despite the pressure to pick rings to last a lifetime, our ring guide and the overall comfortable spa like atmosphere in the show room made ring shopping so much more enjoyable. We tried on a number of styles and our ring guide was able to offer suggestions. All of their rings were made to order and customizable. If …

90210. 

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Shopping for a wedding dress is an interesting activity. Lucky for me, my first dress experience was at BHLDN in Beverly Hills with my stylist, Jessica. She’s way too cool and made the appointment run smoothly, kept me focused on deciding what I like, and gave great suggestions on how to best accessorize (or not accessorize). I felt totally comfortable and have decided I love being dressed. Can someone help me put my clothes on and tie my ribbons everyday? Thanks. I can’t show you any photos of me in dresses for obvious reasons, but here are some other pretty (and silly!) things I saw. Who gets to curate this shop? And, how do I get in on that? I could spend all day in this store. Anyone else inspired to decorate your home or throw a fancy party after perusing these goods? Share your fabulousness below.