Happy Monday & Thank You!

Thanks to all of you for the sweet birthday wishes yesterday! So appreciated and heartfelt! I was really touched.

It was a great day, starting with little Vito greeting me with his birthday hat. Then my husband had our traditional little birthday table with cards and gifts before he rushed off to work.

Went with the girls to see The King's Speech and so glad I did! What a great ending to a birthday-- cozying up at home and watching Colin Firth win his Oscar!

The rest of the show was a bit of a sleeper, my highlight being an appearance of Billy Crystal and the Bob Hope hologram.

What were your best and worst Oscar moments?

It's My Birthday...

...and I'll hide if I want to! ♬♩♪♬♪♪♯

No, actually going to see The King's Speech with my girlfriends, so at least I can see a couple of Oscar nominees before the big show tonight.

What was your favorite movie of the year?

Enjoy the Academy Awards if you're watching!

photo: twnklmoon

Whatever Your Plans Are...

Have a dreamy weekend!

image: Stephanie Rausser (Kiki & Coco)

The Glam Life ~ Behind the Scenes at PHB

I know a lot of you folks that deal with vintage/antique items can relate to people saying "Oh, your business is so glamorous." I need to tell you, it's really not! (see the big Alleve bottle on the desk?)

Take a look at Erin here. She's been packing boxes (with the help of Dianna and myself) for several days straight...

I think more of our time is spent emailing and packing/shipping, as opposed to travel and glamour. But, that's the nature of the biz. And I still love it.

Poor Vito spends his days sleeping as we do our thing...

And still, there is so much more to box, schlep and ship, so I better sign off!

Hope you're having a great week!

PHB Sale on One Kings Lane!

I'm honored (and so excited!) to be part of One Kings Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale beginning this evening. It's been in the works for a while now and I'm thrilled to finally share it with you!

If you're new to One Kings Lane, OKL partners with top brands and designers to give their members insider access to designer décor, fantastic gift selections, and exclusive tag sales curated by today's top tastemakers - at up to 70% off retail.

Paris Hotel Boutique will have major markdowns of items so please do check it out. This three day event starts tonight at 6pm PST / 9pm EST. You must be a member of One Kings Lane to access the sale. And...membership is free!

Click here to join One Kings Lane &

Click here to shop our sale!

Happy Monday!

Did you all have a great weekend? I sure hope so! Time to delve into a new week...Hope it's a great one!

image: lesliee!!

Happy Weekend!

If you're in cold temperatures like we are here in No. Calif., brrrr.... stay warm, snuggle up and relax!

Wishing you a magical weekend!

image from here

Incredible!

If you love vintage photos, you'll love this!

I am absolutely mesmerized by this photo series called "Back to the Future," by Buenos Aires based photographer, Irina Wering.

Irina takes the original subject and reenacts what they'd look like today---down to the smallest details. Look at the details...colors, clothing, etc. Amazing. This is not a Photoshop job either!

How did she find the exact shirt?

Note the little girl in the background, now grown up...

If you want to see the entire "Back to the Future" series, which is fabulous by the way, visit Irina's website here.

Cute or Mean?

I just spotted this photo on Pinterest and was ooihng and aahing, isn't this cute? Then I thought...perhaps the puppies aren't too happy. What do you think?

San Francisco Eats

I recently attended a wonderful exhibition called, "San Francisco Eats" right here at the San Francisco Public Library. The exhibition showcases San Francisco's food-obsessed culture dating back to the mid-19th century---something that 'yours truly' is fascinated by.

There is a huge wall collage of old black & white photos. I particularly like this one of an old bakery dating to the 1800's, once located right near the neighborhood I live in.

The exhibition includes menus by neighborhood, historical photographs, an array of food writers, cookbooks and culinary history, ephemera, and San Francisco food inventions, including gadgets and signature dishes.


The exhibition strives to highlight the major ethnic groups and food trends that led to the City’s recognition as the nation’s culinary pacesetter.


Senator Dianne Feinstein (once the Mayor of San Francisco), dining at the Fairmont Hotel.

A view of City Hall from the S.F. Public Library

If you're in the Bay Area and want to check out this wonderful exhibition, it runs through March 20th. Wonderful for food enthusiasts or anyone interested in old S.F. history.

San Francisco Public Library
Jewett Gallery
Main Library
100 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA

Happy Valentine's Day!

There is no remedy for love but to love more. -Henry David Thoreau

photo: Becktress

Inspiring Images...red

Ah, the color red...love, power, emotion. Valentine's Day is around the corner, so of course I had to share some favorite 'red' images with you!

yushimoto_02

Pastiche & Serendipity

bEbO

1bluecanoe

emilycm

Vicki Archer

Brian Burt Photo

The Cherry Blossom Girl

Louis Armstrong via Wabi Sabi


first photo, The Cherry Blossom Girl

Oooh, pretty red...

I'm signing off early, so happy weekend to you!

Look What I Found!

I was thrilled to acquire this c. 1960's African barbershop sign (above) at our antiques faire this past weekend. It is from the Ivory Coast of Africa. I just thought it was so unique and cool. After some research, I discovered just how collectible they are.

They are still being done in Africa, and are usually painted on plywood or masonite. The sign boards are painted by the barbers or hairdressers themselves, or possibly by paid artists. They are colorful and fun and reflect the ancient African tradition, as well as current influences such as celebrities.


They are intended both to identify the businesses and to advertise the services offered.

c. 1950's sign

By identifying the hair style, you can pretty much tell the time frame that they were painted. The very old signs have become almost folk art and high collectible.

Several museums have featured African Hair-dresser’s signs, including Crowning Achievements: African Arts of Dressing the Hair at the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at UCLA in 1995, and Hair in African Art and Culture at the Museum of African Art in New York in 2000.

There are even books on African barbershop signs such as these;

Joe's Hair That Talks: The Vibrant Sign Culture of Ghana

and

Hairdresser and Barbershop Signs in Africa, both for sale here.


So the question is, do I keep my sign or sell it?

sign photos & info from: arkitip, areyarey/flickr

New Arrivals at Paris Hotel Boutique!

We're all ready for Valentine's Day at Paris Hotel Boutique, with over 70 items being showcased today for the first time. Highlights include...

• Italian Murano Lighting & Decanters
  
  
• Vintage San Francisco Bus Signs
  
  
• Lady Oil Portrait Paintings
  
  
• Victorian Pendants & Rings
  
  
• Early Butterfly Wing Brooches
  
  
• Antique French Apothecary Jars & Pots
  
  
• Assorted Hotel Silver and much more!

Want to take a look?
Click here to see our latest additions...

Happy Monday + Heads Up!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend!

It reached a whopping 80 degrees here in San Francisco...something we rarely see any time during the year. Everyone here is in an unseasonably good mood, since we know it won't last too long before the cold returns.

Just a "heads up" to let you know that we're finishing up our final photographs and have oodles of new arrivals being showcased at Paris Hotel Boutique tomorrow! Be on the lookout tomorrow morning...

Wishing you a great week ahead!

image: Natalie Spencer Photography

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year to all who celebrate!

According to Chinese astrology, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit which is associated with good luck, longevity and the accumulation of wealth.

If you want to have some fun, click this link to find out what your Chinese Zodiac animal is and short explanation. I am the Year of the Rat. The Rat! One of the things it says about the Rat is "as soon as a rat earns money, he spends it." Well, they could be right!

Anyway, Gung Hay Fat Choy!

images: murpheyblue; Reuters