Styling w/ Ikea

In my past life I was an interior designer and merchandiser, so I am always impressed by what stylists can pull together. Creating stories with objects is still a favorite past time of mine, especially when it is using more inexpensive pieces to get a beautifully pulled together look. Check out all the amazing creations put together with Ikea merchandise. It looks so high end! I picked a few favorite images, but you can see more beautiful details right here.

The Bendy Street Emporium

I am so excited to share this little shop peek of The Bendy Street Emporium located in Canowindra NSW, Australia. The owner, Kate, recently placed an order with us and I was instantly impressed by the beautiful shots on her website and wanted to see more. Unfortunately with me being in California and Kate being in Australia, sadly I can't hop right over and peek around the shop myself, so I figured this would be the next best thing! If you are in the area be sure to stop by and visit Kate, you can also shop online where you will find all kinds of goodies for just about every room of your house! Thanks for sharing, Kate!

How long have you had the shop and what inspired you to open it?

I have had the shop open for 7 weeks now but have had it in my mind for the last 15 years after a visit to Scottsdale Arizona of all places. I was on my first honeymoon (Elizabeth Taylor would be proud, I am remarried to my second husband now - another story), a 7 week road trip through the States. We found this cookbook shop, only small, but crammed with great books and there was a fantastic smell coming from the back room. The food wasn't for sale but I was sold. The woman who owned it was so passionate about food, books and living a great lifestyle, it left an impression on me and I thought that one day I would have a similar shopping experience.

We went to NY, Colarado, San Fran and all over. Coming back to Australia, which I love, I found a hole in the market, we are not great at shopping experiences, wrapping, showing off. I got sick of hearing "Do you want a bag with that" If you buy something that you love, it should be wrapped up and lovingly presented not shoved in a plastic bag. So a long story short, I met my farmer husband and we moved to Canowindra, a quirky little country town of 2000 people in the heart of wine and food country. It is full of farmers, artists, winegrowers and foodies. Lots of creative people. I thought that just because we live in a country town doesn't mean we shouldn't have access to beautiful products from around the world. I am constantly trawling the web, Twitter, Etsy, magazines etc to find new designers doing something a bit different. The shop has something new every week and the website lets me keep the stock flowing so it is always fresh. That and I will probably send myself broke by just having to have things I see and love. I have had the shop open for 7 weeks now but have had it in my mind for the last 15 years after a visit to Scottsdale Arizona of all places. I was on my first honeymoon (Elizabeth Taylor would be proud, I am remarried to my second husband now - another story), a 7 week road trip through the States. We found this cookbook shop, only small, but crammed with great books and there was a fantastic smell coming from the back room. The food wasn't for sale but I was sold. The woman who owned it was so passionate about food, books and living a great lifestyle, it left an impression on me and I thought that one day I would have a similar shopping experience.

What is the most challenging part and your favorite part of being a store owner?

The biggest challenge of owning the shop is probably freight. The irony is that I can get things more easily from the US or Europe than I can from our own capital cities. The great thing about being a shop owner is seeing the reaction to the store. The town has adopted the shop and it has a nickname already. I have a vintage bike out the front which everyone loves and even the school kids are worried that it might be stolen one day. I love that it is a happy place to visit, not eliteist like some boutique shops can be, but a place for everyone to come. I have music playing that I love from all eras, probably not the taste of the very trendy, but if I feel like a bit of George Micheal then that is what we will all be subjected to.

What are your favorite products that you carry in the store right now?

My favourite product in store now would have to be Mr Darcy T-Towels from Brookish from the US. I found her on Etsy and love these towel printed with Mr Darcy's marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Predjudice. I love watching people read it then get to the end and swoon. From our Australian designers I am also loving baby bangles from Little Lamb Designs . They have lamb, fawn, elephant and bluebird charms and great hand knitted lambs included. So gorgeous.

Vintage Oil Cans

Searching for some "new" accessories for our humble abode. My mind keeps going back to this cool collection of vintage gas cans. Now where to put them....

Have a great weekend! Check back next week, we are excited to do a little feature on one of our newer retailers, The Bendy Street Emporium in Australia. What a a beautiful shop! Can't wait to share! xo

New House Sneak Preview

We are trying to get back in the swing of all things Branch- we are looking forward to creating some new designs, expanding the bedding line and we have a few more things up our sleeve! At the same time getting our new house fixed up is a major priority. I'm not ready to fully show off the interior yet (guest bedroom and dining room left to do...) but for now here is a sneak peek of the back of the house. I am absolutely in love with the lines of our Eichler. The colors are perfect, and I love the way its set against the back drop of the rolling hills.

Road Trip...

After a 5 day trip from NJ to CA, we have happily arrived and are getting settled into our new home. Our road trip was so much fun- just us and the two dogs. We did have a slight mishap, when the cars fuel pump went right outside of Albuquerque, NM- the funniest (and I will admit, I was a little nervous at first) part of the trip was seeing the dogs in the back of the car hoisted onto the flat bed of the tow truck as we were in the cab on the way to the dealer. They were a little afraid at first, but as soon as the truck got moving they were right back to sitting in the back and enjoying the ride! We took so many pictures and saw just about every climate and landscape in the US. Some of my favorite pictures are above including an old stop on Route 66, Tucumcari, NM filled with vintage motels and restaurants and old signs from the 1950's.

Shop Update

Hey Guys! Just wanted to give you a quick shop update... We've decided to put the etsy shop in vacation mode while we make our cross country trek, and so I can get some actual downtime to pack! We will be re-opening the shop Saturday 5/8, so check back then. In the meantime if you are looking to purchase any of our lovely items feel free to check out our stocklist, and contact a retailer near you. A selection of our bar towels and pillowcases are also available online through Fey Handmade

In other news, we will be offering a shopping discount to our loyal customers to celebrate our move, so if you aren't already be sure to sign up for our mailing list so that you get the discount code!

See you on the West Coast! xo

Branch is Moving!

Image via Casanova Wong

I may have been a very bad blogger lately, but I promise I have a good excuse! T and I plus the pups and Branch, of course, are picking up and moving back to California. We have been longing to return to the Bay Area for quite awhile now and the time has come to finally do it! The last few weeks have been a hectic time finding a new home, packing up the goods and keeping all our Branch customers happy! Since the dogs don't fly, we will be setting out on a cross country excursion making our way home, and we couldn't be more excited for the sights and the inspiration that will come and surely find themselves imbedded in the upcoming designs for Branch that we will be re- launching mid May.

Looking forward to sharing our new adventure with you including our new house tour (eek, an Eichler!), expanding on our bedding collection and much, much more!

xxoo

Brelli

With the down pouring of rain that has been happening here for the past few days one of these "Brelli's" definitely would have come in handy. The biodegradable Brelli is made from bamboo (a renewable resource) and features a canopy of clear biodegradable PVC. I tend to forgo an umbrella even in the most torrential downpours because I feel like I can't see and any gust of wind turns them into unusable trash pretty quickly. The Brelli has a wind vent system to allow it to withstand high wind, and I like that the top is clear so you can see when you are walking! According the manufacturer a discarded Brelli will completely biodegrade in less than 5 years, which is a fraction of the time it takes for traditional umbrellas to decompose. Check out the site here, they also make "sunBrellis" and ponchos.

Terrariums?

With Spring supposedly here, I definitely have gardening and plants on my mind. I'm happy to say that despite my sometimes not so green thumb our favorite plants have made it through the Winter, and they are very ready to get back outdoors. With the impending extra room that will be had when our enormous palm tree and lime tree make their way back to their rightful place on the deck, I am thinking about creating a terrarium to take their spot. I was perusing Terrain for inspiration and found so many goodies that I can't wait to get started!

Such a great gift idea, this Baking Dish Herb Garden, looks so organic and whimsical! I think I have few vintage dishes lying around, I'm excited to give this look a whirl!

This is gorgeous, but may be a bit ambitious for me. My track record with orchids is embarrassing, I think I will be sticking with succulents and moss, you know the stuff that can't be easily killed! I will keep you posted on my progress! xo

Royal Buffet

I am loving these sweet paper garlands and mobiles from Royal Buffet. They are so light and airy. Who doesn't want a collection of swinging butterflies made from vintage french magazine pages dancing in the corner of any room?

Faire Houre

I must admit I have always had a thing for clocks. It might have to do with the fact that I am a stickler when it comes to punctuality, or that I enjoy objects that are beautiful yet functional! Either way I love clocks- and the beauties at Faire Houre really caught my eye. One of a kind or limited editions, the clocks at Faire Houre are repurposed from china plates to create simple timepieces. I love the idea behind the product and also the fact that they can be modern or traditional depending on whatever gorgeous plate was used.

Snowed In..

Snowing, snowing all day! Yesterday, we were hit with a big 'ole snowstorm which meant lots of shoveling, hot tea and dogs playing in the snow.

Sweet Surprise

You know its going to be a good day when you find this on your front porch! My Mom has a habit of spoiling me with special goodies (I guess it has something to do with us living 3,000 miles apart), but yesterday I came out my front door to find a beautiful box filled with the biggest, most brightly colored cupcakes I have ever seen!

I am slowly working my way through these calorie laden baked goods, but thought they would make for an excellent Valentine's gift for a loved one! If they are anything like me and love a sweet surprise they won't be disappointed! You can make your own custom 6 pack with Crumbs' cool 6 pack customizer .

Thanks, Mom!

Have a sweet weekend!

xo

New Design Preview

Just wanted to preview some new designs we're working on. What can I say I am in love with the new owl design :)

You can purchase the towels below. Stay tuned for new clothing designs and more designs to come...xo

Owl Towels

Pistol Towel

Love Cards

I just realized that it is almost February! Ahh where did January go? As its almost February that means that Valentines Day will be quickly upon us- I am not one for chocolates or other Valentine's extravagances, but I do love a sweet, letterpress card anytime of the year! Here are some cute ones from some of my favorite designers

Tandem Bike Card from Letterpress

French Bulldog from Sycamore Street Press

Deerest Valentine from Shop Hearts and Anchors

"Calm and Cool"

So ready for winter to be gone... as soon as the holidays are over it seems that the cold weather just isn't as appealing! I am ready to open the windows and sit outside with the dogs and not feel like my fingers are going to fall off! The beautiful photo above by Alicia Bock is just what I need- fresh air, green grass and warm sunshine.

In Branch news, want to welcome and thank the following retailers for carrying our products:

Pink Pig Westport, NY USA

Aspasia's Boutique Jersey City, NJ. USA

Perch Osaka Japan

Have a lovely weekend! xo

Packaging Inspiration

T and I have been working on a little Branch re-brand, mainly re-doing our packaging. When we first created the packaging we currently have, a little over 2 years ago (whoa!), we were kind of rushed to get things done and we quickly turned it out. Its exciting now to take some time to create something a bit different. I have been checking out one of my fave sites for inspiration The Dieline and of course was immediately inspired by all the beautiful work.

Of course, I fell hard for the packaging created by Colorado based Moxie Sozo for soap line Leap Organics. The illustrations are so amazing- I think these would definately pop on store shelves. Gets ya thinkin'....

Created by Edmindson/Martin for a tropical fruit company. I am drawn to the bright, vibrant floral design and the way it wraps around the box. So fresh!

"Sweet" packaging by HartungKemp. I love the simple pastels and the way the stickers are placed. So much great inspiration!