nos petite aventure!

things we are already enjoying while wandering the west coast!


1. the adorable cottage of Miss Mancha and especially the cozy rooms she prepared for us and our fun dinner party!
2. fabulous lunch in romantic North Beach, our climb to Coit Tower and the AMAZING views ...
3. laughing our way through things lost in translation...
4. saving the precious bottle of wine and jars of foie gras from US immigration.
5. appreciating the Portland architecture differences now that we've landed here...
6. everyone's wonderful hospitality


more to come from the Bohemian Vagabonds... :P

lovely time in Arcachon!

we just got back from a very relaxing week-end at the Bassin d'Arcachon ... gearing up for our trip to the states and then an inspired reopening! lot's of ideas for new things in store when we get back ... depends on the success of our visit and what we come up with.

Kicking back near the coast was just what we needed ... nothing big, just cooking together...hanging out ... relaxation & "chill"! I wish I would have grabbed a few things from our new selection of Terre Rouge and la Fiancée du Mekong ... just the thing for looking chic for a summer getaway. oh well, tant pis! next time... :P

Off to the states and then off to the races!

We have a lovely new organic soap line, Paris Market ... featuring big fat loaves of gorgeous soaps with essential oils, herbs, flowers ... you'll find Fig, Champ de Lavande, Verbena and ... With this line we also have soothing bath salts and some lovely room misters. All handcrafted with organic ingredients and therapeutic properties.


We are also offering some kitchen textiles by Appetite. This is another artisanal, handmade line by Portland artist Erin Albin. Erin creates the artwork, screens the fabrics and then each item is handsewn. We've got her 2010 line of kitchen towels, hot pads and other goodies for the table.






In addition to the beautiful la Fiancée du Mekong women's clothing line ... we're bringing in Terre Rouge, another colorful line of women's spring and summer wear in light cottons and linens ... perfect for summer holidays.




We've been stocking up on new lovelies for our season's reopening ... new jewelry, some great new vintage collections and, of course, some new furniture pieces that have been refurbished and are ready to add character and pizzazz to your home...

We're off to the states end of April ... we're establishing a new offering of vintage women's clothing items and we'll be on a search to stock our vintage corner in time for our reopening... speaking of which ...

We'll be celebrating our grand RE-opening the last week of May ... be sure to stop by and see our new treasures....we'll have more in store by then ... and an even bigger surprise is coming by July so stay tuned!

spring fever ... literally!

well, yes we have spring fever this week as the sun peeks out a bit more strongly every day ... unfortunately, I have been battling fever off and on as well ... struck with one of those end of season bugs you just can't seem to get rid of.

but ... we're assembling some lovely things for our spring reopening ... new kitchen textiles ... a line of artisanal soaps and body treats which are completely organic and scented with essential oils ... a new line of women's wear in summer drenched colors to get your spirits lifted and beach imaginations flowing ... and other little items here and there.

now, if I can just kick this bug so I can get cracking on the furniture pieces, we just might be set for April!

à bientôt, and more details to come as the goodies arrive!

Hannah Stouffer @ The Bohemians

As part of our new spring offering, we will be featuring a variety of items (women's tops, art prints for framing, cards) with images created by Los Angeles based artist and illustrator ~ Hannah Stouffer.

Hannah's work and inspiration is described below ...

The contrary notions of darkness and light and the ever-present existence of the two drives Los Angeles based illustrator, Hannah Stouffer, to explore the greatest struggle that we endure, our own imminent contrasts. Facing the inevitable oppositions between love, lust and gore, decadence, wrath and fate, Stouffer’s work is an opulent, elegant and beautifully intricate mixture of decoration, nostalgic animalia and emotion. Her densely packed compositions consciously recall classical and current attractions, creating cohesively opposing arrays of imagery and embellishment. She focuses on the contrasts that exist and occur within each destined plan, and merges them together with a high regard for balance and rich, repetitive adornment.

Hannah is a friend and supporter of our Berkeley boutique, Mignonne Décor. We have been lucky to feature custom designed images for Mignonne in the past ... and are thrilled to offer a sampling of her work here at our Brantôme location.

Check out more of Hannah's personal and commercial work here at her site, grandarray.com ... or stop by in March to get a peek at what's in store at The Bohemians!

Pantone has nothing on Paris!

So, as reported earlier, Pantone announced a certain shade of turquoise as "the" color of 2010.

While strolling the Sentier quartier in Paris recently (the garment & design district), what should I spy but this amazing and antique doorway ...

Apparently that certain shade of turquoise has been "the" color for sometime...

but then, what else would one expect from Paris but fashion forward?

à bientôt!

Parisian wonders ...

As I was strolling the Sentier, soaking up the scenes, I passed this wondrous little window filled with children's mannequins from eras gone by.

I've more pics to share (alas, just phone snaps) of the covered lanes that (maybe only in my imagination) housed some of the original dressmakers and designers of the day. Mostly Jewish (in the past, evidenced by the remnants of old signs from the past), these covered alleys must have bustled in their day.

Now, it was kind of sad ... as many appeared abandoned, dusty, unused. There was a kosher restaurant ... sort of lunch counter... still soldiering on and it was filled. But there was a sense of a spot time has forgotten.

Anyway, enough rambling...cool window, non?