get on my feet!

Boots, boots and more boots!  With a chill in the air and the return of well worn jeans, I dream of boots.  Sadly my favorite pair had a zipper mishap last winter and they were unable to be fixed.  I thought that I would score a great pair on sale in the Spring, but none caught my eye.  And then I was in shorts, tank tops and sandals, and all thoughts of closed-toed treads escaped me.  Until this week.  I can barely scrounge up enough money to buy myself a latte these days, but I see a pair of brown boots in my future, and I've been known to be somewhat clairvoyant...

Under normal circumstances, I am morally opposed to Uggs, but have you seen some of the new, very un-Ugg like styles they have this season?  Makes this girl want to join the Ugg party!

And last, but not least, Rag and Bone's Harlow boot that all the celebs seem to be rocking these days.  When they're right, they're right.

there's a geek in all of us

While I'm still considering an iPad, I seem to be more interested in an accessory for it than the actual device. While doing a bit of research, I realize that making my own sleeve would be the best option.  There are so many cool patterns, materials and colors to choose from and it's a pretty simple design.  Here are some of my favorites that I think would be possible to make.

Breagha Harris Tweed Sam iPad Sleeve

A Do-It-Yourself Sleeve

Another Do-It-Yourselfer

shop love ~ summer lovin'

I'm lusting after Anthropologie's Summer window displays.  Here are just a few!

A shop can't survive without creative merchandising.  It's one thing to be able to buy the right merchandise, but it won't matter if it isn't displayed properly.  It's a real art and I have been fortunate enough to work with some really great people who taught me a lot about their craft.  Not that this means I'm even on the same wavelength as the Anthropologie team, but a girl can always dream...

natural always feels better

One of a kind linen scarves made in the U.S.A.  Not inexpensive, but not your typical scarf.

Three women, Mary Ruth Hedstrom, Jane Ryan and Lynn Krauss, have shared their love of textiles, painting and things Japanese and Scandinavian for more than ten years.  A year ago they all fell in love with linen and now have this fantastic company, South Street Linen, based in Portland, ME.

shop love ~ macarons

Oh jeez, it's too cute not to share.  I don't know how shops survive on such a limited assortment, but maybe there's something to this idea of doing one thing REALLY well...

Do you know a shop, like this one in Amsterdam, that does an extraordinary job selling only one type of merchandise or one specialized treat?

etsy find ~ mom's day

This sidekick mug is so freakin' adorable.  I can't believe I haven't come across something like this before.  Besides being cute, it's extremely useful.  It's the perfect gift for Mom this year.

tea drinkers sidekick mug from angela ingram

shop love ~ not just for brewing

Percolator pendants made by Fix Studio in a super cute Portland coffee shop. 

skunkfunk

With a ridiculous name like Skunkfunk, it might be hard to imagine a beautiful, artistic clothing line, but stranger things have happened.  Check out these cute dresses from this unique line.

Skunkfunk

sweet tooth

Easter has come and gone and so has most of the chocolate from my basket, but this does not mean that my chocolate craving has been satisfied.  In fact, I think all that chocolate made my craving even worse!  Here are some sweet treats that I would have in my boutique:

Frans Chocolates Sea Salt Caramels

Vosges Haut Chocolate

Lagusta's Luscious Locavore Truffles 

in the trenches

I don't usually do this, but I'm throwing something into my boutique that I wouldn't ever dream of spending so much money on... unless I won the lottery!  I've been wishing for a cute coat for Spring.  This Burberry Prorsum trench with leather trim is so classic that I wouldn't be able to resist it.

Now if only someone would make a less expensive version...

Hello Ali-Ro Anorak!  Check out this awesome jacket at a smidgen of the price.  I'll be the first to admit that it is not the same jacket, but I almost think that I like this one better.  Score!

lighten up

April and May are all about finally putting away our sweaters and coats and making room for easier, lighter garb.  Hide all that black, gray and brown and bring on the pastels, the neons and the stripes!

Here are some favorites for our Spring closets:

Rag & Bone Parachute Skirt

There are buttons in this skirt that make it totally adjustable.  Want to show off your new booties?  Pull up your skirt.  Want to let your hem skim the ground?  Leave it loose.

I'm a total sucker for the neon-against-nude trend, and this maxi dress says it all.  It's carefree and easy, but it refuses to be ignored.

Haute Hippie Maxi Dress

I always like to throw something from Etsy on here when I can and this linen tunic jumped out at me.  I love wearing linen when it's warm out and there is such an interesting shape to this piece.  The artist makes them to order so jump on Etsy and give her your measurements. 

Babydoll Pleated Tunic from Shanghai

What items are on your list for Spring?

nest

There's something so sweet about a bowl nesting inside a bowl inside of another bowl.  And just in time for Easter, here are some of my favorites:

These scribble nesting bowls from PigeonToe Ceramics are at the top of my wish list.  They're a bit expensive, but truly heirloom quality.

These super functional mixing bowls from Architec live at my house, and even though we managed to misplace the medium sized bowl, we use them almost every day.

There's no better place than Etsy to find beautiful pottery at beautiful prices.  Check out this tangerine glazed set from EKD Pottery.

Happy Easter!

don't be a square

I love this cluster of geometric shapes from Gemma Redux!  I can just imagine it paired with a sharply tailored black dress or even balanced with a floaty Free People-type tunic.

My love affair with Gemma Redux began after they used Jessica Alba as their canvas with a layered mess of chains around her neck at the 2009 BET Awards.  Check out these other perfectly tangled pieces.

caffeine!!!

Do you ever think about a scenario in which you only have five minutes to grab your most beloved possessions from your house before everything is destroyed?  These thoughts run through my mind sometimes (it's always good to be prepared), and my espresso machine seems to pop up on that list every time.  Maybe it's an addiction, but I don't think I can live without my Francis Francis machine.  Is that bad?

velocipede gifts

Do you have a bike enthusiast in your life?  Check out these mugs from Magenta.  Each one has a bike image on the front and a cycle-worthy word on the back.  The shape is slightly organic and unfinished, making it even cooler.

ahhh eucalyptus

Although my love of candles has not been an inexpensive journey, I have been able to narrow down all of the choices to just my absolute favorites, and Archipelago's eucalyptus soy candle is VERY high on the list.

The eucalyptus scent has just the right amount of clean earthiness to satisfy even the pickiest of candle lovers.  When I worked in Cocoon, if I suggested this candle to a customer, they bought it and continued to come back for it time after time.  It feels good to spread a little knowledge.  It also helps that I've burned this candle during some of my happiest moments so that every time I have it lit, it takes me back to good music blasting out of my ipod while the needle on my sewing machine punches steadily through perfectly ironed fabric.  Imagine what memories will be summoned in the future by the candle you're burning right now.  

trendy vs. classic

To get this bag, you'll have to go to Urban Outfitters, but I would hunt down this Cooperative Mixed Media Bag to put in my boutique.

I love the trendy neon offset by sturdy, classic canvas.  The only problem is that it only comes in two colors and the other is not neon :(  What we need is a shocking pink and a bright orange...

another color conundrum

Every generation of Scandinavian Kids have worn Fjällräven's Kanken daypack since it debuted in 1978.  They make them for adults too!  So many colors to choose from!  In Imagined Boutique, all of the colors will be displayed against a brick wall as high up as possible so that it's one of the first things you see when you look up.  

I'll be wearing one in frost green when I ride my bike across town.  Where will you wear yours? 

double walled glass

Bodum makes the best double walled glasses.  They keep hot drinks hot longer and cold drinks cold.  Every morning I make myself a latte in a 12 oz Pavina glass and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Well... maybe for the world, but I certainly wouldn't trade it for any other glass!

bobble jug

Okay, let's get the kitchen section filled up in this "boutique".  I keep seeing this bobble jug filtration system in magazines and on other blogs.  It uses an activated carbon filter to hold 64 ounces of clean, purified drinking water and doesn't hog a bunch of space in your fridge.  So although I have not tried it, I'm including it because it's cute!

What color would you pick?

penny pinching princess

Yes, we could all feel ashamed of the amount of money that we've spent on clothing throughout our lives, but there are great affordable options out there that ease the pain a little bit.  Tulle is this great company that specializes in young contemporary pieces.  I first noticed them on www.modcloth.com (one of my favorite websites to browse through) with their fun, vintage-inspired dresses.

Believe it or not, this sweet little double cross strap dress retails for as little as $70.  Think of all the Summer parties this dress would work for.  Really you could throw any little strappy sandal or flip flop on as long as your manicure looks as cute as this dress!

D*S BS @ B&N

An obvious source of inspiration, but D*S has been part of my life for so long. Today I realized that I never bought Grace Bonney's book!  So I went to Barnes and Noble and found that they did have it in stock, but they were selling it on their website for $12 less...  With no price matching, I walked out empty handed.  I do love B&N, but they can't match their own online price?  That seems like an odd business practice.

TOMS!!!

TOMS

I know that they seem to be everywhere, but I can't get enough of these comfortable espadrilles.

I've been hooked on my red pair for the past couple of years, but this Spring will be the season for me to venture into the artist series.  Tyler Ramsey designs these killer, Jackson Pollack-ish versions that have me drooling a little.

Imagine these with the perfect pair of cropped boyfriend jeans and a graphic tee from Out of Print.

OUT OF PRINT

Thank god I don't work in a stuffy office environment so I can wear stuff like this every day!

premium denim

From a buyer's perspective, the choices of premium denim are endless.  How will I ever be able to choose?  Luckily, this is just an experiment, so even if I change my mind and decide to go with another brand, I won't lose any revenue.  After much research, I've decided to go with Citizens of Humanity.  I like their story and the lines that they refuse to cross in business and design, but mostly I love some of the easy styles that I've tried recently.

For Spring 2012, I'm all about cropped boyfriend and skinny jeans.  Paired with a sweet little flat, a graphic pair of Tom's or a simple black heel... the results are always a perfect mix of homemade tailoring (rolled cuff) and casual chic.  Actually, that gives me an idea...

keeping it clean

Tokyo Milk's woman with music soap.  Great product, perfect packaging and another item to add to the aroma of the shop.  But since I don't have an actual shop yet, in the meantime you can check it out at Tokyo Milk's website.

in the beginning...

Where to begin?

Let's begin with candles.  Every boutique needs a few collections of candles that enhance the atmosphere.  Candles and soap are what make customers say, "Oh, it smells sooo good in here."  In my opinion there is no better candle for the price than Votivo.  Every scent is uncomplicated and just fragrant enough to fill up a large room.  These little gems burn evenly with very little smoke every time.  Although there are always new scents added each season, some of the classics remain my favorite.  Black Ginger, Red Currant, Teak, Deep Clover Moroccan Fig, Honeysuckle...  The list goes on and on.

another saturday morning

Awoken by my usually lazy husband making breakfast and coffee, it occurs to me that he's motivated and excited about the day ahead of him, while I was dreaming of staying in bed to avoid the whole thing.  The early hours of a sunny day are my best.  I'm productive, relaxed and inspired, but something has been sucking the life out of me lately and I'm determined to turn things around.

My dream is to open up a small boutique filled with clothing and baubles of my choosing.  I want exposed brick walls and enormous windows filled with colored glass vases...

Hopefully this will be a blog that follows that dream.  So before I get started (and while I'm waiting for some magical lump sum of cash), I will build my dream boutique here.