Think Bright Thoughts: Week 30

via

The "It" List-July 30th

Hooray for Friday! The "it" list is back with a great round up of all sorts of goodies on the web... be sure to visit all these lovelies blogs for tons of inspiration this weekend!

• sweetie pie pumpkin noodle visits some of THE most fabulous boutiques and shops in Mill Valley and takes us along for the ride. She also hunts down amazing chandeliers along her way. Don't miss this goodness!
• merci blah blah rounds up tons of gorgeous drape-style dresses from all over the interwebs. And not just once... but twice. Um, I'll take one of each!
• good life for less gives us the highlights of her recent trip to Forever 21... these shoes were definitely a great find!
• a spot of whimsy forks over a delicious dose of Mad Men style and photos. I swoon, just swoon for that show!
• penguins gift is giving away a Stella & Dot bracelet for the little ladies in your life. So cute!
• style your life puts together a casual outfit featuring an unexpected item - a pencil skirt. I just love this look - so chic!
• spry on the wall gives us a practical and affordable version of this amazing outfit from Isaac Mizrahi's Spring 2010 line.
• the hillside home just bought a new house and is planning, planning, planning. SO FUN! Join her as they start picking out colors, finishes, etc. I just love the adventure of a new house!
• john's journal outlines a simple but fantastic looking diy roman shade project. You will absolutely want to try this. It turned out amazing!
• elena's custom designs makes a custom pillow out of a scarf/handkerchief. I just LOVE this idea!
• really cute stuff is featuring their "family style" notecards... a great gift for friends or teachers or just to have for yourself for thank you notes or notes to teachers. I love these ideas!
• good look for less is offering wardrobe consults at half price through the end of today... hurry and snag yours before they go back to full price for fall!

Have a great weekend... interested in learning more about the "it" list? Email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com.  Make sure to stop by Monday when I will have another "If These Walls Could Talk" home tour!

California Dreaming: Mill Valley Shopping

Okay ladies and gents, better buckle your seatbelts for this one because I am about to take you on one wild tour of my favorite Mill Valley shops.  Mill Valley is a quaint little town nestled at the base of Mt. Tamalpais, a mere 4 miles away from the Golden Gate Bridge.  But there is no need to head into the city when you can spend a day milling about this town.  Literally shop after shop of amazing goods, and yummy eats. It was very hard to narrow it down, but I've picked four shops to highlight here: Maison Reve, Tyler Florence, Summer House, and the last I shamefully can't remember the name. Boo.  Here we go kids:

First stop: Maison Reve.  I swear to you I did not color coordinate my outfit, it was just a freakish coincidence.  I took it as a sign that my soul belongs here.  

Maison Reve means "dream home" in French, and features an "urban farmhouse" style to it's offerings.  The owner Yasmine has gotten tons of press, including a feature in the book The Find-in fact it is one of her vignettes on the cover.

Come on in with me...

Love the light and bright feeling of the store and of course what really gets me going are all the little vignettes within the store:

The store has a mixture of new and vintage items, many coming from France, local artists, estate sales and antique fairs.  I loved this vintage Coca Cola cooler, and perfectly weathered patio umbrella.

I liked these twists on two popular items-an ottoman upholstered in a vintage railway sign and a patchwork cowhide rug-makes it less "I just skinned a cow and threw it on my floor" and more "Look at my pretty, visually dynamic rug."

Here is a pic of the colored pencil holder I mentioned the other day in my organization post.  It's ridiculous how bad I want this thing.

A great little green chair and something I am totes going to DIY: hand stamped clothespins.

More little scenes around Maison Reve.

I didn't really want to leave, but the show had to go on...

We rounded a corner and feasted our eyes on this:

Tyler Florence Mill Valley.  Yes please.

Amen! Love chalkboard messages-they speak such wisdom.

Here is what you get a load of when you walk in:

And this was only one half of the store, if you can believe it.

Okay, hold on to your hats because I'd like to introduce you to a new feature here on the blog- the SPPN Chandy Cam:

You know I love chandys.  And as I was going through all my pics I noticed I took a ton of chandeliers, so a new star is born here on the blog.  Would you get a load of that one?  Pretty glam for a cooking shop, no?

There was a full-size kitchen set up in the back, where they do cooking demonstrations.  It was pimp status.

This framed pic of Mick Jagger paired with the black tiles brought a fun, edgy vibe to the kitchen.  I love a good element of the unexpected.

There were tons of kitchen storage containers-these were my faves. Very "under the big top".

At the back of the store was a super cool library filled to the brim with cook books.  I didn't get my own pics because there were people lounging around, so I snatched these from his website:

Oh man, I'm getting pooped and need to recharge.  Time for a Bloody Mary break!!

This is one of the spiciest Bloody Mary's I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Moving right along...

This was a doozy: Summer House @57.

Behold.

Give me this little daybed now and nobody gets hurt.

SPPN Chandy Cam alert!

She's a looker.

I thoroughly enjoyed this framed vintage drawing of hand reflexology.  Or maybe it's fortune telling, hand line reading shiz-that actually makes more sense.  It was BIG.

This sofa was so super cool because of the size-it was extra long and had wider than average arms and a ledge along the back.  I picture a ton of peeps fitting on this sofa-some sitting where tradition dictates, while others lean oh-so casually along the back and sides while sipping on cocktails.  Great pillow too.

Nice mirror.

Pretty pouf & rug-love the color combo of lavender and coral.

You tired of this shop yet?

Bam! John Derian trays.

Bam! Chandy Cam!

Alright, lets move on to the shop with no name...

It was a shop full of garden delights.

These were outside.  But for $65?  Not so much.  Totally DIY-able.

I love the mossy-green painted interior.  Good earthy vibes here.

The bird is the word.

My home needs a wall of ornately framed mirrors.  Yes.

Thats actually all I have from that shop.  It was small, but good.

Wait a minute, I feel one last Chandy Cam coming on...

This is my all-time favorite chandelier: The Alice.  And if it wasn't over $3000 I would have it hanging in my house right this second.  This photo actually comes from another great shop in Mill Valley: Ruby Living Design.  They had every piece of popular design merch imaginable.  Tons of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams sofas, Oly Studio accents, Thomas Paul pillows, etc, etc.

If you are still with me I crown you Queen of SPPN Readers.

It is safe to say I am in love with Mill Valley.  And guess what? I'm going back!  In two weeks to celebrate the anniversary with the hubs.  8 years married!  Let me know if there is something in particular you want to see or hear about.  Because there was a TON more amazing shops I could have featured.  There will more than likely be a Part II after my next visit.  Oh, and I forgot to mention I was like two feet away from Dana Carvey while outside a little restaurant called Toast.  We're Not Worthy!  I was too chicken to get a pic though.  Maybe next time.

The end.  

Currently Coveting: Summer Isn't Over Yet!

I'm already getting "Back to School" catalogs in the mail.  People, it's still July.  Don't do this to me.  Just let me enjoy the last month of summer while I can, okay?  I know many are getting that itch for fall, and as you all know it is my favorite season...but time is just going by too fast for my liking.  If we rush fall, then all of a sudden it's Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Years, and then all of a sudden I have a 5 year olds birthday to plan.  (wait a minute, am I using the right then? than? whats right-never mind-it's summer I don't really care)  So lets just hold off on this welcome fall party for a while, k? Thanks.  So right now I am coveting a few things to continue the summer party, but for those of you on the fall bandwagon, will carry us right into the season well.

Shorts by Motel
Sandals by Proenza Schouler

Ya feel me?

SPPN Top 10: Table Lamps

I have a bit of a table lamp obsession.  So much so that I have several tucked away in closets because I don't have enough table top space for all of them!  But it's nice to be able to switch them out every now and then to get a different look.  My favorite places to by lamps are Target, Ikea, Home Goods, TJ Maxx and Marshalls.  They have great selections at unbeatable prices.  Here are my favorite table lamp styles:

Table Lamps by Crate & Barrel
Table Lamps by Ikea

{click on product for info}

I love a clear glass lamp base, as seen in the first three above.  White is always right, and a silver base adds a dose of glam to a room that I always appreciate.

Table Lamps by Pottery Barn
Table Lamps at Macy's

{click on product for info}

A colored, gourd shaped base has always caught my eye, as seen in the first two.  I also like the skinnier version of the gourd, like the black lamp on the end.  A cascading capiz shell lamp has a soft spot in my heart, and looks great in a coastal cottage style home.  Lastly, I love the pharmacy style table lamps that come in a variety of finishes, shown here in an antique brass finish. 

You can usually find similar styles of these lamps at all of the stores I mentioned previously.  Of course another favorite source is thrift and antique stores for one-of-a-kind finds and lamps that you can spiff up with spray paint or a fabric covered shade.  What are your favorite lamp sources?