KIM WHITE - VINTAGE AMERICA

Oh yes, another quality product by LA designer Kim White. These little gems are hand made in LA by Ms. White using surplus upholstery fabric from vintage American automobiles! It’s true, cars made in the states once had style and flair. Just look at some of those patterns and tell me life wouldn’t be just a bit happier if you could hop into a car that looked like that inside. That is unlikely to happen, unless you just scored your grandmas minty 64’ Nova that’s been garaged this whole time. For those of us who don’t have a stylish granny, don’t worry, there is still hope. Simply pick up one of these awesome cosmetic/travel bags of Kim’s and you can have a bit of US automotive history with you all the time. They are about 7” long and 4” high so they tuck into your purse really well. You could use them as a little clutch for evening too as they are the right size for cell phone, keys, ID, money and lip gloss.  And they are made from UPHOLSTERY so they are pretty much bullet-proof. And really cute.

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Available in various colors. $35 each.

TO ORDER call our Holiday Hotline 24 hours a day. 707.433.7033

CB Parfume: “SCENT IS LIFE”

And therefore we introduce CB Perfume, aka, I Hate Perfume. This is a line of unique yet familiar scents whose names alone will make you want to buy them. The creator of these specialty scents is Christopher Brosius, a perfumer who is at heart both a scientists and artist. I think he's been able to combine all of his talents in to one pretty neat little package, and a good smelling one at that. If you like scent, but are turned off by the predictable, trendy perfumes that overwhelm in a crowded restaurant or bar then CB perfume is for you. To quote him directly will give you a good idea of where he's coming from.

"Scent is Life. And so it is. We live because we breathe and with each breath, we smell. This is inevitable. The Sense of Smell is our first and most immediate link to the world around us. It reminds us of what (and who) we love. Smell is perhaps the most complex sense we possess and possibly this is why it is the least understood and most often taken for granted…"

I have been a fan of CB perfume for years and I use them in so many ways. They are great as a perfume (most are gender neutral), they also work splendidly as a mist for your sofa or furniture before guests arrive. Keep one in the bathroom as an air freshener that doesn't smell like a urinal cake. It's also nice to spray some on your hand towels or as a linen spray. The perfumes aren't full of icky alcohol and chemicals so it's safe just about anywhere.

If you're into original, affordable and beautiful things I highly recommend trying any of the CB collection scents. Here is a list of what we are currently stocking at Arboretum:

• Burning Leaves
• Winter 1972
• Violet Empire
• To See a Flower
• Mr. Hulot's Holiday
• Under the Arbor
• In the Summer Kitchen
• Just Breathe
• Cedar-wood Tea

Just give us a call if you want us to ship some to you. They cost $65. You won't regret it. ******* Available in 100 ml. glass spray bottles. $65.00 each TO ORDER call our Holiday Hotline 24 hours a day. 707.433.7033

 

 

 

JOSH PODOLL - Classic Stripes Keep You Warm!

This is one of our favorite pieces in the store. A super soft cashmere sweater by San Francisco designer Josh Podoll. Styled as an “Over-sized Boyfriend Sweater”, this is an instant cozy classic. Slight V-neck and a nice relaxed body looks great with jeans or a mini skirt and boots. Smart stripes become smaller as the sweater gets closer to the hips to create a “decreasing” illusion.

Josh also creates witty graphic shirts of 100% organic cotton and bamboo as well as beautifully tailored items for men and women.

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Available in sizes S-L $220.00

TO ORDER call our Holiday Hotline 24 hours a day. 707.433.7033

MELISSA SHOES!

Fuzzy, comfy, cute, affordable and eco-conscious. It can’t get much better than that, right ladies? Presenting Melissa shoes. While we have many styles available at any given time we have chosen these two festive little numbers just in time for the holidays. Don’t worry, they’re water proof too! How, you ask?

Answer: THEY’RE PLASTIC. If those two words conjure up images of discount shoe stores, think again. Brazilian-made Melissa shoes have been creating fashionable shoes for decades. Remember the original jelly shoes? Same company. Grendha, the parent company to Melissa has always been a socially responsible company that pays it’s employees above-average wages and provides health benefits. In addition to the social commitment, they have a pretty impressive stance on the environmental issues of manufacturing as well. The shoes themselves are made from recycled materials - even last years left overs are melted down to make new styles, and the factory recycles 99.9% of waste and water used in production.

So weather you like them because you’re green minded or fashion minded, you’ll be keeping plastic out of the landfill with Melissa Shoes. And you’ll be making a fashion statement as well.

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Available in wholes sizes 6 thru 10 $56 - $84

TO ORDER call our Holiday Hotline 24 hours a day. 707.433.7033

THANKS MICHELE!

So, I’ve never been on radio before. I usually can talk all day and feel pretty good about it, but when you have that big fuzzy microphone in your face, somehow things change. The words coming out of your mouth are foreign and the sound of your voice is muffled and sounds high pitch like an excited child. It is all sort of like a dream. You are there but not really in control. At least that’s what it felt like for me last night when I sat in on my first LIVE radio show with Pro Michele Anna Jordan on KRCB radio. Granted, Michele has been doing this for some time now, but no doubt she is a natural. We had a full room including Jil Hales from Barndiva and Studio Barndiva/Artists & Farmers, Lukka P. A. Feldman also of Barndiva and Bonnie Z of Dragonfly Farms and Floral.

Michele is the host of Mouthful, a food, wine and lifestyle show that airs live every Sunday from 7pm to 8pm. Most of the discussions that fill her hour long program include winemakers, farmers, food authors, writers, photographers, filmmakers, nutritionists, chefs, restaurateurs and environmentalists, to name a few. Given that, I felt very honored to be invited to a show that veered off her usual path and focused more on local businesses with a keen eye for eco-green-ethical-independent-organic-artistic practices. Michele is a long time advocate of the mantra “Shop Local”. She opened her show with an inspiring story of how demeaning and depressing the whole Box Store shopping experience can be. The idea is to feel happy and fulfilled at the end of your shopping day and that is exactly what local businesses like Arboretum and the ladies at Artists & Farmers can provide. So we teamed up and with the help of our lovely host were able to talk about all the positive aspects of retail that our stores offer.

If you missed the show last night show, fret not. You can get it for free this Wednesday, December 5th on iTunes.  Simply go to your iTunes store, click podcasts and search for “Mouthful”.  Subscribe and the world of Mouthful is yours for FREE!

THANK YOU MICHELE!

For more on Michele Anna Jordan check out this link: http://www.krcb.org/radio/hosts/mouthful.htm Once you are there you will find that she has her fingers in many pots. Michele has written several food books, has 3 columns in the Food & Wine section of the PD and contributes regularly to Savor Magazine.