White pomegranates

At this time of year I search at my local farmer’s market for white pomegranates.  They are pink, sweet, white skinned and  heavenly.   I first found them two years ago but last year I could not find any.   I bought white skinned ones and would open them up to scarlet seeds, but this year they have caught on.   I bought 10 at $.80 per pound and then in the stall next door I found huge pretty ones for $3 per pound.   I bought 3 there.  Yum ba.

crows and such

I have been trying to exercise every day before I approach the computer.   Twenty minutes is the minimum, it has been ok.   I am now at day 22, I have heard that it takes 21 times to make a habit, others say it is a habit when it is hard to quit.   Perhaps it is  not a habit yet because I can easily imagine not doing it.

I saw crows on my morning walk this morning sort of everywhere around this one house.   I only noticed because it is a particularly pretty house, midcentury modern, single story with a big flat roof.   Trees surround it, there must have been 15 swooping and standing on the house, sort of ominous but then one started to walk or waddle.  It immediately looked like a cartoon.

I keep having this vision where the tables are pushed back and a waltz begins to play and folks get up and dance, or if it was Heaven’s Gate roller skate.

Mourning doves

This morning I saw a cote of mourning doves, together their wings made a great sound when they took off as I approached.   I find them so pretty and not pigeon-ey  and the sense memory of that soulful sound they make has followed me my whole life.   It is somehow so comforting.   They are for the most part monogamous and the male searches for sticks and twigs for nest making and the female weaves the nest.

October yet again

When we write these newsletters we are careful to go over them to make sure we have not repeated ourselves or sent blurry pics. In the beginning of October we prematurely sent a newsletter that was not quite baked and ready to come out of the oven.  I  apologize for that.   Here is the real October newsletter in all its unfettered glory. The store is bursting at the seams right now.   Everything anyone would want gift wise is here now and it makes me proud.    New items…. A little toilet plunger to hold up your Iphone while you watch videos, a big blue mixing bowl or a Bodum glass tea cup (which is just about perfect in that it keeps your tea hot and is aesthetically pleasing)   This is a mobile but it is also a blank slate.   Almost anything light weight can hang off it.  We show leaves here but it can be your favorite toddler shots or pressed flowers from a walk in the woods or postcards from a romantic vacation.  They move in the wind and fascinate a little one.  One could hang light Christmas ornaments off them. A remake of the classic 60′s flat doll, Flatsy is a twist on the traditional doll.  Bend and pose her, dress and style her, Flatsy is both fun and funny in so many ways.   With Flatsy as your playmate you will never be bored, just stick her in your pocket and take her along for the ride. She’s flat and that’s that. This is a melamine plate, from a company called Jane Jenni.  Clever art work that also says clever things.   Cutie pie, little lamb, starving artist are some of the designs.   All are high heat resistant, shatterproof, dishwasher safe, but do not microwave.   One should never microwave any plastics or ceramics.   Just glass in the microwave is my rule of thumb. The tea room continues to develop.   I just sent a description to someone who is helping me with the interior.  Here is what I said: “My idea re: a tea room is to provide a SF neighborhood with a place for a sit down social meeting  spot without wi fi and without cell phones. A warm face to face place to meet friends or family.   A room that will hold 40 folks at tables and a back room that could seat 10 for a party. One can order tea and tea type sandwiches, scones, fruit etc. Elegant yet old fashioned: a speakeasy or an old saloon comes to mind  - no ruffles, no chintz, no sofas, no pettipont cushions.” Smile while you’re on the phone- it makes a difference and enjoy fall.  It truly is the best time of year. D Heartfelt 436 Cortland Ave. San Francisco, California 94110

 

 

September, fall and such

Fall, I could go on forever with what I like about fall.   I loved going back to school.  (I think it was the back to school shopping).  I would lay my first day outfit out on my bed and then change it and change it again.   Fall – a little bit crisp breezes, apples, pumpkins, Halloween, concord grapes, Japanese Maple leaves on my deck and that oh so crazy bright San Francisco light.  You have to be in the mood for that light it is so revealing. Ok I will stop. I am starting to sound like a Julie Andrews song The store has been bustling of late.   Piles of empty cardboard boxes show just how much inventory has come in.   Socks, arts and crafts stuff, Japanese pencil cases, diamond shaped  olive oil bottle,  bright shiny colanders and a bevy of newly published cookbooks.    We have to gear ourselves up for 4th quarter.  It requires a certain focus and organization that is satisfying and rewarding. Here are some of my favs.  Thanks so to all of you who write to me that you read our newsletter and enjoy hearing from us. New trays I use trays at home.  When I unload the dishwasher, if I make a lunch that is special or if we eat outside.   When Kris was little it was handy to put an art project on a tray.   I have been looking for a simple tray for the store and we came up with these.  They are a perfect size: 11.5 x 16.5 inches and come in an array of colors.  The price is $14 , just what I wanted you to pay. The Bling Ring Thing I cannot stop it.  We have a section that is all $3 rings.   I am proud.   They are pretty big and pretty crazy but they are the sort of thing you might purchase to match a nail polish color or if you have to go to Las Vegas for a weekend.     We sort and display them by color and spend a lot of time making them accessible.   I am always finding new sources for them and try and keep the selection changing and fresh.    How funny I take something so frivolous so seriously.   Check it out. Magnets are magnetic I sometimes do not buy many magnets for the store .   Maybe I associate them with over crowded refrigerators or car washes.   Sometimes I come across really pretty ones, though and our magnet door right now is full.   I personally use them if I am sending a recipe to a friend  or if I drop a note off at someone’s house. (you can always find a metal bit in front of a house) Olivia just said “I would frivolously spend money on magnets. So there you have it. More fun than any one place deserves.  We move ahead with kindness and community in mind.    We tweet at HFSF.   One can also like (there is no thumbs up on my keyboard at the present time) Heartfelt on Facebook. So from Leo the cat and the gang at HF – welcome fall and stop on by! d Heartfelt 436 Cortland Ave. San Francisco, California 94110

August -SF

Wow this summer -with all its fog and bluster really gets folks knickers in a twist. I like it, because when it is sunny I appreciate it more here and when I go east and roast…it is truly paradise to land back in fog.   September and October will be brilliant. I got some crazy hats in the other day….crazy inexpensive and crazy fun.   Here is our lovely Monique in one.   There are flying pigs, and sharks and funny hats with a posy and light up curly cue ones.    Last year we sold out before Halloween.  (I think Burning Man had something to do with that)    Come by and see, they are up high on the left hand side, on the toy side of the store. I have a friend with a store in Seattle called Gifted.   Amoret used to manage my store here and she is now always passing on good ideas re: product and life as well.   She recommended these nodding animals that are powered by the sun.  (no batteries!) The best part is watching folks watch them.  They have a tendency to imitate the movement.    All ages of folks stand by the window and put their arms out and sway. I have to reorder them.  I guess there is something about an object that is fun, solar powered and makes you move your hips. I sell a lot of Buddahs,Ganeshes and Guan Yins.   In the same little department there is Nag Champa,  sage to burn, incense matches and lovely incense burners.    This hippy department is popular and sort of magical.  I envision folks going home and making wishes or setting up an altar for a loved one or blessing a new home with a sweep of sage.  Heartfelt has always had this department and always will. May goodwill abound. I am in the process of embarking on a new business and it is at times overwhelmingly exciting and at other times very challenging.   I hope to keep plugging on until the vision is 3 dimensional and a reality.   Bureaucracy can make the simplest concept a tangled ball of yarn.   So imagine yourself with a hot pot of tea and a delicate edged tea cup on Cortland, it cannot hurt. Last but not least I have had the opportunity to sell some truly vintage California pottery.  I keep unearthing more pieces from my basement.  The colors and glazes are amazing and it is hard not to keep more than I could ever use or store. This is our current window over flowing with Bauer and Franciscan. By for now from this lovely enclave that is Bernal Heights. Best, d

Heartfelt 436 Cortland Ave. San Francisco, California

Tea room and tea pots and a space suit

There is a new flea/antiques market here in San Francisco.  It is located in the parking lot of Candlestick Park.   We went last Sunday- seemed like a lovely sunny day and then around noon the wind picked up and yikes.  Folks were hanging onto to their nice white tents and everywhere you heard the crash of glass breaking. That is a windy spot and I hope this is a successful market.   We did see a space suit for sale.Mark took a picture.

I am trying to open a tea room in Bernal Heights.  It is already a challenging process and I guess I just like to work.  I also like the idea of folks sitting down and connecting, celebrating and putting the challenge of our everyday lives aside.   I want to sell teapots at the tea house too.  Here are two Franciscan teapots.    

.    This one is called Fat Boy from the Tempo series.  

time and random thoughts

Time and money and my random thoughts

Yesterday I spent many hours on the phone with tech support for a couple of issues in my moderately low tech world.   I had to just get on the boat and float.   It was totally out of my control and somewhere I did not want to be but I succumbed and held and floated through it.  Funny it is still not resolved and I spent hours explaining my case to the two parties involved and kept getting referred from one to the other.   Sometimes I feel that there are meetings out there somewhere where suits say “Well, if we make it difficult enough ….they won’t call back.”   Just to be fair women wear  suits too.

This leads me to this random thought –as a card store owner,  I read and flip through thousands of cards a year.    I try to sell cards that are not mean spirited, but it is shocking how many cards available that trash men.  They are out right viscous.  Cards similar against women would be met with horror but I do not understand why it is ok to say really negative things about men’s body parts, minds etc as a joke.   I have pondered this for years (I have owned the store 13 years) and now you know the random spots my mind goes.

Back to the issue of time …….all the phrases we use to express our frustration come to mind……I do not have time, there is not enough time in the day, where does time go? I have a lot of sound bite interactions during the day with our neighborhood and the one I hear often is about how busy and time deficient we are.   At some point we have to give over that it is not all going to get done and we still go on living, loving and hopefully laughing.

“What there is time?  If  no one asks me I know what it is.  If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.”

Saint Augustine

“The past is solid, the future is liquid.”

J.L. Aubrey

I am in involved in a variety of neighborhood issues.  Sometimes I feel that there are 3 different made for TV movies going on at once that I am involved in and each person I run into are watching a different episode.   So I catch them up or they are ahead in the series and they catch me up.   It is immensely time consuming so if I seem in a rush please understand.   The one that is on hold for a moment or taking a summer break is the library mural issue.   We reached a consensus that we agreed to disagree and that we both had to give up painted surface and give back a more permanent representation of the original mural on not as much surface of the library.    A huge step forward and both sides gained respect for one another.     We have faltered or we are in a lull now.   We need new energy ( not of the truculent variety)   to move forward so email me if you have ideas.    Darcylee1@mac.com

Just like every other human being I just finished the “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.   It was a good summer read- really violent, though.

Enjoy our glorious enclave- and appreciate the fog as it rolls in – it is over 100 degrees across the country.   Remember to floss so that she or he doesn’t have to use that awful vibrate-y thing when they clean your teeth.

Xoxox d

Newsletter July

I am home from camp -a lull in one’s life is such a good thing but after a week I am itching to get back to work.  This oil spill has got me wanting to bike around the city more.   Sometimes the hills discourage me re: this but with the bike racks on the front of buses it should not stop me!   The other day I took my bike on Bart, on the ferry to Alameda and then on the bus up O’Shaughnessey.   How fun! While I was at camp I biked and used this little burlap bucket that we sell here.   It was so handy stuck on my handlebar!   It held apples to feed the mules and horses, my tea, my paperback-truly so handy and they come in 3 sizes.   I am constantly in the midst of handy-practical and lovely-tasteful at my job.   There is always a mix. Some of the new things we are featuring are potpourri  sacks (sachets) with initials on them,  Bobble-h20 bottles with a filter, plantable seed greeting cards, and a multitude of aprons, oh yes and the cookbook….”Easy as Pie”-76 recipes from America’s Golden Age of Baking. Lucha Libre mask coin banks – what a great gift for someone with a new home or someone trying to save dollars…….also just a clever object.   They are all different color and pattern wise. Tesoros Trading has them manufactured and they are the kings of fair trade in many different countries.  We are proud to carry these mask banks. Call us if you have questions re: size or if you need one shipped. I am into an application on my phone called Shake It.   It mimics a Poloroid camera. It is fun and I took these two pics of product with it. Check out these watches!   They come in a dozen colors and retail at $20!   I love them and do not often carry watches because we all use our phones. These are too cool to pass up and I want a green one or white. I garden and we always try and have a smattering of gardening stuff in the store. We just got these swan watering cans in.   Black or white -they are elegant yet practical and so reasonably priced.    I gave someone one stuffed with fresh picked flowers the other day and it was a big hit. Thanks for all your kind words of encouragement regarding the tea room. We are moving forward – ever so slowly but still I see forward motion. I am even going to an auction of vintage teapots this weekend. I thought it might be nice to sell teapots at the tea shop- makes sense, yes? Stop by and brighten our day at Heartfelt - D Heartfelt 436 Cortland Ave. San Francisco, California 94110

new window, new stuff

YIkes, it seems the store is bursting with great stuff right now.   Mark R. just did this window pictured here and it is so very Heartfelt.  Some of things found in the window are notecard boxed sets in the shape of castles, robots, houses and Russian dolls, a memo pad in the shape of an apple, a light powered by the sun and giant pens and pencils.

The dream of the tea shop is slowly taking shape.   I wonder when it will be born, there are so many details and big parts to start, go through and finish.     This takes discipline.