Anchors Away~A Spring Trend We Love…It’s Time To Get Nautical!

The nautical look is one of those ageless trends that comes back into fashion each spring. And with good reason! The look is classic and fresh; it’s all about adding flair to your personal style. Caution: Don’t go overboard ~ choose one item or trend to keep your look chic. Our friends at Toss Designs, Francesca’s and Athleta tell us what they have on board for the season. 

Toss Designs’ Jennifer Hogan, says they love adding a pop of orange to the traditional nautical mix of navy and white. An orange cashmere poncho adds a big wow over a striped maxi skirt or dress from the Regatta collection. Grab and go ~ A nautical-themed bag is an easy way to make a big impact and the perfect accessory to stash everything from your workout gear to your beach supplies. The Nautical Necessities collection includes canvas totes with lobster, seahorse and anchor images. 

Cashmere Pullover Poncho

Marina Maxi Dress

Nautical Necessities Boat Bag

Nautical is making a splash at Francesca's this spring says Store Manager, Lisa Ybarra. The trends include the traditional red, white and blue which pair swimmingly with all-things sea life; shells, starfish and anchor adorned jewelry. Coral is an inspirational color as well as a feature design item in the jewelry collection. And turquoise and sea foam green paired with whites inspire images of the ocean and sand.

The colors of Spring

Molokini Coral Statement Necklace

Bridgeport Anchor Watch

Athleta presents "Radical Nautical" for spring- the brand's take on classic nautical styling that has just swept in and is offered in electrifying colors like bright blue and yellow combinations. Don't have your sea legs? Then it's smooth sailing with cool coral pieces paired with grey combinations. According to Athleta Store Manager, Veronica de la Mora, the "fitness meets fashion" cross-over pieces traditionally worn as active wear are now the hot street style and can be worn everywhere. 

Electrifying colors take nautical to a bold new place

Coral chic

Comfort Shoes-Not Just For Grandma Any Longer.

The Walking Company. Just by the name alone, you might think that this store serves only people who like to walk. But oh, you’d be way off. This establishment is so much more. The Walking Company has been around for 20 years and is 300 stores strong. But walking is just one of their specialties. The Walking Company is really about helping you live your most comfortable life from the feet up, whether you’re interested in bopping around town doing your errands, walking during your travel excursions, needing shoes for sports, shoes for work, shoes that take you from the office to a night out on the town or shoes that encourage you just to put your feet up.

If you’ve walked by the window of The Walking Company at Town & Country Village, you’ve probably been surprised by the sheer breadth of comfort shoes. Right? The Walking Company is the largest carrier of Dansko in the United States. Of course, they carry everyone’s fave go-to shoe, Ugg, including those pink Uggs that help support breast cancer research. And they are one of only two carriers of Abeo, the flip flop with B.I.O., built in orthotics, just to name a few brands.

The largest provider of Dansko footwear with exclusive styles found only at TWC!

On a local note, Abeo has come out with the Smart System. This technology is developed by Stanford University and designed for those of us who are in the 50+ active category with knee problems. This shoe is designed to help shift where your weight is placed to relieve strain on knees. The patent is pending but shoes are in store now. Female styles include sneakers, Mary Jane’s and slip-on loafers, designed specifically to relieve bunion stress. For the guys, there’s hikers/walking shoes, sneakers and business casual styles.

Available only at TWC, Abeo helps support overall wellness. 

 So you think you know the type who buys comfort shoes? Guess again. Would you be surprised to learn that some of their youngest customers are in their mid to late teens? That’s right. High school students working their first jobs in food service and retail are frequent customers of TWC. But every age range is accounted for when it comes to the comfort of feet.

Robert, Manager at TWC, is a perfect example of this. In his mid 20s now, he’s been working retail since age 19—and would you believe only at shoe stores? So he knows a little something about your kickers. He emphasizes that overall wellness begins at your feet. Think about it. What’s the first thing you want to do when you’re tired? Take your shoes off! Right? And when your feet feel good, Robert believes it directly affects your mood and how you interact with the world. Wise beyond his years, Robert isn’t a “salesman.” He’s a problem solver. And when you take the “sale” out of the equation, he and his customer become a team aligned on a mission to find a solution. This same belief is instilled with everyone who works at TWC.

Robert has been with The Walking Company for over a year now and says he sees a trend consistent through all age groups as health and well-being continue to be the priority in shoe purchases. He enthusiastically reports that comfort shoes continue to evolve into fashion as well as function. Okay, let’s be honest here. They’ll probably never look like a pair of Jimmy Choo’s. Just saying we need to have realistic expectations here.

Robert and his crew of problem solvers will fit you using a digital foot scanner that reads your arch type and foot type after a series of pressure points are applied. From there, they can recommend the proper shoe type for you or even recommend custom orthotics that will support and align your body.

TWC always starts with a digital foot analysis to determine foot type and size.

So next time you think of comfort shoes, don’t scoff. Grandma may have been on to something. Have your feet take you to The Walking Company. You know they’ll thank you.

What's In Your Nest?

Just the right touch to welcome guests.

In human females, the nesting instinct often occurs around the fifth month of pregnancy and is commonly characterized by a strong urge to clean and organize one's home.

However, one doesn’t have to be pregnant to nest. For Heather Bruchs, owner of The Urban Nest, pregnancy wasn’t the cause and it wasn’t about cleaning and organizing, it was about setting up and creating a warm and inviting space and surrounding herself in an environment that made her happy.

Growing up in Monterey before she moved to San Francisco, her friends would ask her to pull outfits together for them or hang their art on the walls and move their furniture around to make their living space more beautiful. And who wouldn’t want a friend like that?

Heather had a good eye. And she found that after setting up and nesting in several houses of her own in The City, she’d be ready to do it all over again. Tired of house hopping, her husband finally said no more moving. So, what’s a girl to do? You guessed it. Open shop. And The Urban Nest was hatched in Noe Valley--also known as baby stroller alley--the perfect locale for her clientele’s nesting instincts. Eventually, when Heather did move again, this time to Woodside, (you knew she wouldn’t be able to help herself), she packed up her SF store and brought it down to the Peninsula.

Something snuggly for baby.

Sweet as a little lamb.

 The Urban Nest at Town & Country Village is a cozy nest that draws you in at the turn of the door knob. At T&C, Heather has worked her magic, again, creating a space that is visually captivating. There are so many interesting vignettes that you won’t want to rush through the store but slow down and take your time to take it all in. She carries an array of items you’d love to have in your home, or in your closet, including clever but practical dishes, stationery, containers, jewelry, snuggly robes and PJ’s, reusable totes, great hostess gifts, a very successful baby line and oh, the list goes on. If it isn’t already, this will be one of your go-to stores. There’s no website. No on-line ordering. They do have a Facebook page. However, this is a space that is created for and best experienced with your senses.  

Perfect hostess gifts.

If you ever wondered, now you know.

Fun in the kitchen with whimsical tea pots, pitchers, dish towels and more.

Wood'nt you love to serve hors d' oeuvres on these?

Or sip tea with the girls?

Put A Monogram On It!

Monograms are making a come back. Look around and you’ll see them on stationery, adorning luggage, embroidered on clothing and on bedding, linens, pillows and even yoga mats.

Monograms have actually been around forever. In fact, they first appeared on coins as early as 350BC. Since then, they’ve been used as signatures by artists on paintings, sculptures, furniture and of course, more in the mainstream, they’re in use--you’d easily recognize the SF monogram as the one and only San Francisco Giants baseball team, right?

Now then, sometimes you need that special something that gives an item that personal touch. And that’s what owners and friends Abby and Molly were looking for when they conceptualized Bespoke Home. Having lived in New York and London, the friends since 1999, found that there wasn’t a store in Silicon Valley that catered to the niche of high-end gift giving for wedding, babies, house warming, graduations and other special occasions. Opening its doors in October of 2011, Bespoke Home has become the epitome of monogrammed gift giving, and oh, if you’re lucky enough, monogrammed gift receiving.

Baby Bloomers

Fouta Herringbone Guest Towels, Set of 2

Bespoke Home is a treasure trove of luxe soft good items that are within everyone’s reach. And although the store was created with gifting in mind, there’s no rule saying you can’t treat yourself. Monogramming is a wonderful way to make your very own home even more special. If you don’t have a family or house monogram, Bespoke Home will help design one. And then as the years go by you can continue to add layers and build on your style. For instance, you may start with hand towels in the guest bath then expand into pool towels. For birthdays, consider hooded towels for the kids. Who wouldn’t want to snuggle up with a personalized throw on a chilly afternoon…or slip into 300+ thread count sheets each night with your initials adorning the edge of the flat sheet? Maybe you’ve got a cook in the family, go for the unexpected, a monogrammed cutting board or a BBQ tool set. Oh the fun you can have! Monogramming doesn’t have to be stuffy or stiff, it can be chic and casual.

Letterpress Coasters - Custom

Nautical Cutting Board

If you’re looking to make an impression with your next purchase, stop by Bespoke Home and you’ll be amazed at the array of possibilities available to you. But beware: you may start receiving a lot of announcements in your mailbox! Want to do some after hours shopping? Check out their new website: bespokehomeshop.com to get up-to-speed in the art of gifting.

Throw Pillow - Libeco Ligae Napoli Vintage Linen