J. Crew Archives - Northern California Style

Happy Friday! We are having some crazy weather here in California. It’s raining in June! I’m loving it, but I feel for all the graduates today and the end of year picnics that were planned. I honestly can count on one hand all the times it rained in summer as a lifelong Californian. I remember one time my mom let us run outside in our bathing suits during a July rain. This is very unusual though for us and reminds me of the summer of 1973 when I spent time in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin with my favorite auntie and cousins.

So after the last post about less shopping, here I am talking about shopping again! However these are ideas for summer events and gifts one might need to get. Everyone seems to be in the summer mood here already. Many friends have already taken off on vacations while others are hosting grad parties. or invited to them. There are a few good things I stumbled across in the last week or so I thought I’d share…

Cost Plus is hitting it out of the park nowadays with so much of their merchandise. I went for potato chips (I didn’t need those either), and came home with two blouses, a scarf and some other goodies.

I cannot resist a feminine cotton blouse for summer, and I find them much more flattering and cool than any t-shirt. I’ve been coveting the whole Chloe collection, but unless I come into some money, I won’t be spending that kind of money on a summer blouse, so enter Cost Plus!

The racks of pretty cover-ups, caftans and blouses had me as soon as I walked into my local store. I zeroed in on the white blouses and the quality was quite nice. I also found a scarf in aqua and a packable hat for travel. If you cannot get to your local one they have most of the styles online here too.

Here I am with one of them on. (Look away from the cat beds and terrible carpet please.)

I really like the quality and look of this Lila top. There are also dresses, wraps and ponchos. Most of these are around the $30ish price range which seems fair and adds a bit of Bohemian vibe to the summer closet!

Are you going to any grad parties or summer gatherings? I love these special edition bottles of Chandon for gifts. Super cute even just to have on your summer bar counter! I think it’s only in stores, so grab some before they are out. I bought a few to bring to barbecues.

You can pair a bottle with one of these darling tea towels that are summer-themed…

I bought the popsicle one, but thought these posh pup version, below are adorable too.

Just some of the tea towels at Cost Plus below. Many have that Anthropologie vibe at half or less of the cost. Just saying..

I like their new woven placemats and napkins and table linens for summertime.

If you are giving a gift card or money this season, I love these little raffia wallets from J Crew to tuck them into. I bought a pineapple and a flamingo one for some gift cards. There are also striped ones and colorful leather ones that hook on a bag.

Are you a house guest at someone’s home this summer? The Picnic is a lovely idea for a hostess gift. It’s beautifully illustrated and full of great ideas for picnics and makeshift summer feasts. There are games, recipes and cool things to try plus the book is just so pretty and makes me dream about picnics, which is almost as good as the real thing. It would also make a sweet engagement present.

Love this book!!

We are fortunate to be invited to two weddings this year and the wedding gift can be tricky. However, my new favorite store Hudson Grace in Palo Alto at Town & Country Shopping Center is just the place to go for this. They sell the most basic and beautiful housewares and also a few luxuries. I bought one of their perfect white round bowls, which I am using for salads and everything. I’m obsessed with it.

I like to keep it on the counter with citrus or other fruits.

I also am in love with their Tart Kumquat dish soap which smells divine.

Hudson Grace was started by two friends. He was in design at Gap and she for Williams-Sonoma. Their collection is the practical yet beautiful pieces you want in your home- gorgeous white dishes and serveware, luxe linen napkins, big wooden bowls, beeswax candles and rustic serving planks. It’s just what you would imagine a California home to have -unfussy modern things. It’s a great store to choose a wedding gift. I’d love to collect these well designed pieces like this and purge the rest of the jumble I own someday.

There are other Hudson Grace stores in Montecito, Marin, San Francisco and Brentwood. You can read more about the founders, Monelle Totah and Gary McNatton and their own homes and style here.

Happy weekend to you all!

Kim

Lovely October is here and it’s feeling little cooler here in Northern California!! I have actually begun thinking about fall clothing and shopping.

I have a weakness for tweed jackets and distressed jeans and this combo at J.Crew got me excited! I bought both since they were my style and I know I’ll wear them for years. Jacket is no longer online, but you can catch it in stores on sale now I believe.

These necklaces were lovely and on sale.

I am also crazy about these these D’Orsay suede flats in this grey taupe. I could see them going with almost everything and dressed up or down. I’m hoping to add them to my fall shoes this year.

However, I swore to not add a single thing until I went through the old closet. That means trying on pants, skirts, and everything again. Looking over what was worn or not in the past year, seeing what could be revived, and also pitching what was just done. Ugh a lot of work, but so worth doing. This prevents you from buying the same things again you already have and helps you find what you may have forgotten about!

After purging and making a list of what I could add, I purposely rearranged the closet to seem more like a boutique.

First, you’ll notice this closet TINY. It’s not a big walk-in like most Californians have. When we moved closer to town, we gave up our big master bedroom for this older ranch home and now have a small master. This closer was nicely done with a organizer, so I made it work and downsized what I owned which was actually a good thing.

Now I try to treat it like a small jewel box and have all my prettiest things out where I can see them and wear them. I added a few photos, jewelry, some good smelling lavender sachets from France and even a fun rug. You can do the same and it will inspire you to keep the closet neater as well.

On top I have my blouses, which are some of my best pieces (yes I do like prints), and those are all on wood hangers. I try to organize by tones- navy, blues, pinks, blacks, browns and warmer colors. It’s nice having your newest pieces out in front so you will see them.

Right now I have just put away many of my sandals and have my fall and winter shoes out.

I used some of my birthday money to buy this amazingly soft sweater and Toile sweatpants. I put them out on a shelf, so I can see them and think about ways to wear them.

Being a Californian, jeans are what I wear the most and they take up less space folded. I have two stacks- light and dark. This little bowl with a few green bracelets reminds me to wear them and the dog holds some of my other favorite pieces. I always love the pretty bowls Anthro has for bracelets and odd bits.

Then I have fall dresses and sweaters and jackets.

This bottom row hold casual tops like denim, button-ups and Ts.

A little tray is a nice touch to hold special pieces you wear daily. I LOVE this Liberty hankie from my friend Jeanne and it makes me happy to see it there.

Other shelves hold my lace tops that are too old and fragile to hang, more handbags (I keep them forever) and my treasured Panama hat from Montecristi Hat Company. I did find this fun Garcons-Filles sweater at Madewell on sale. Super cute and soft.

Coats and Jackets are up higher and in front now that it’s getting cooler.

It looks like I have a lot of clothes, but I honestly have a lot I have saved over the years. I try my best to buy quality things and love nothing better than taking old pieces out and wearing them in new ways. Some of my things are 30 years old! I keep though only things I do wear. If I don’t wear it, it goes no matter how nice it is, or how much it cost originally. I just don’t want an archive, nor do I have the space.

I still had a a plethora of scarves collected over many years as well as jewelry and so I decided to use our armoire that previously held a television. It also has had incarnations as a chest for my linens.

I added a small cork board to the back to make an inspiration board for the season. I thought it might be fun to see and get ideas when getting dressed. I tore some of my favorites I saved.

Hmm, looking at this I’m all over the place, but basically I was going for a hippie bohemian feel with a little Ralph Lauren thrown in. That sounds contradictory, but what can I say? It’s me and I’m eclectic? 😀

Scarves I folded on the top by color. I used some of my favorite trays from around the house to put the things I’m wearing currently and that work for fall. I also put a Volcano candle from Anthropologie in there. The smell is divine and you needn’t ever light it. A few of my favorite clutches I added as well.

I used an old glass pedestal dish for my wood and leather pieces. That turtle I treasure. I bought it on the street in Fiji almost 20 years ago and wear it on a cord.

I’m also wearing a lot of bangles in gold right now. There’s a very old Dior piece, Alex and Ani bangles from a dear friend, and collected bits from here and there. These earrings were also a gift and my favorites as well as the tennis pendant, Harlow star necklace and the gold J. Crew necklace -a recent find on sale here. I thought the warm chestnut color of the alternating stones would be a good compliment to my new jacket and other autumn shades.

This old silver candy dish of my grandmother’s holds my silver bits. In here is a glass cameo from another grandmother that I treasure. I like the tarnish on this dish and do not polish it.

Scarves are so addicting!! I need to see what I have so I do not buy more!

This little carved dog was found at my grandmother’s house as a little girl. I believe it’s from a trip to Japan that my grandfather took. As a child it was my Barbie’s dog. I love having it around for sentimental reasons so stuck in in my armoire. Adding bits like this make it a joyful and personal space.

It takes some time to make your closet pretty, but once you start treating it like a boutique you will look forward to shopping your closet each morning. Some people even have the space to paper their walls and add chandeliers! How lovely would that be?

One thing that I did not mention is that my husband does not occupy this space. When I saw how tiny this was, I kicked him out to another closet in our spare room and he was kind enough to acquiesce. If your are able to do so, it’s nice to have your own little world in some part of the home. I live with three men, so this is my little luxury since they take over the rest of the home!

I know Jenna Lyons and many others even have turned rooms into closets…(Hey a good thing about empty nesting?!) Pottery Barn knew this and now sells the goods to create such a fabulous space! Ahh, a girl can dream!!

With wardrobes in mind, I’ve gotta share my latest read, I’ll Drink to That, a wonderful bio of 86 year old Betty Halbreich, Bergdorf Goodmans’ personal shopper for 40 years. It takes you from her meticulous childhood closets filled with stacks of ribbon tied, fresh white nightgowns, to her life’s therapy -creating wardrobes for the famous and often crazy clients. Loads of fun and it gets you thinking about clothing and how what you choose to wear changes your outlook on life and so much else.