hi there!

this is giselle, back again to blog about the renegade craft fair.

i recently spent an afternoon with kati, penelope and sabine at the renegade holiday fair at fort mason. we were all very excited to go. so many amazing artists and crafters under one roof!

our first stop of the day was at buttercupbloom’s booth. kati instantly gravitated towards the reclaimed cashmere owls. How could you not? Not only are they super cute, they are soft and cozy too. in fact, she was so taken with that she made a return trip to renegade the following morning to grab one (along with other a few other goodies) for herself. rumor has it that doe was able to score these owls and that they are available at the shop now. what are you waiting for? hurry over!

next to the owls were these wonderful urban legends prints by whimsy. My favorite is this one featuring 4 san francisco neighborhoods, each represented by a different creature.

i was also happy to see the very talented jill bliss’ booth since I have been a fan for years. I quickly snagged the 2010 jill bliss and saelee oh calendar, while kati fell in love with this bear print. jill and kati have not seen each other for years and their reunion was a joy to watch!

while making a quick pit stop to calm our growling stomachs, i couldn’t help but take pictures of these festive cupcakes. ho ho ho, happy holidays!

after grabbing some grub, we headed over to mis nopales art’s booth. I love the whimsical nature of artist jose pulido’s illustrations. they’re all hand-drawn and printed by jose himself.

kati spotted survive design’s booth like a hawk. these bags are so pretty and practical and are made from organic cotton! not wanting to pass this up, kati bought several bags on the spot and took them straight to doe after the fair. my favorite is bunny vision in black, white and yellow. There are still a few bags available at doe so head there quickly before we run out!

paper scroundels’s booth was also a must see. i was very taken by his cards with clever illustrations. i especially love the christmas tree that eats presents. the horror!

we also stopped at the rebe booth to admire their frolicky, dream-like dresses. Kati convinced penelope to buy her a dress for christmas, how can the girl say no?

our final stop of the day was verameat’s booth. her jewelry has a sculptural aspect. she tried very hard but kati could not resist the copper goat necklace, while I immediately grabbed a very dainty copper rose ring.

the 2 kiddos were zonked out in the car on our drive home. after we dropped of the goodies at doe, kati and I went our separate ways to admire our loot. check out Kati’s tweets for her take on the renegade holiday fair. happy holidays to all! see you in the new year.

hello friends!

as the days get colder and the holidays approach, we are here to offer some suggestion for last minute gifts and treats to keep you warm, cozy, and looking your best.

it’s been a while since we’ve restocked our apothecary offerings, but we have fully restocked our web and brick-and-mortar with both old favorites and fresh products.

first off, we’re trilled to introduce a new line of products and fragrances from san francisco based elizabeth w. placing on emphasis on quality and beauty, elizabethW strives to source locally, bringing us hand-crafted gifts for the bath, body, and home. their unique scents speak to the individual and their recyclable packaging encourages sustainability.

so take a break from all the mayhem, and indulge in some much needed r&r with nourishing bath salts, fizz tablets, and bath gel.

create a fragrant home sanctuary with the gentle glow of soy candles.

elizabeth w fragrances use traditional methods to create sophisticated, alluring scents to satisfy all moods.

also back in stock is a full selection of kai fragrances.

still need a last minute gift? or maybe the perfect accessory to accompany your new holiday dress? our store is full of glittery jewels, at every price point, from doe-favorite zoe chicco. note, only a select few are available for purchase online, so stop by our haight street location to check out our dazzling array of goods.

meanwhile, here’s a peak:

and who can forget the kiddies? if they’ve been good, treat them to some eco-friendly trinkets from plan toys (available in-store only)

lastly, our shop hours for the holidays are as follows:

tuesday, december 22 : noon to seven
wednesday, december 23 : noon to seven
thursday, december 24 (xmas eve!) : eleven to five

remember, you can always reach us by phone at 415-558-8588. hope to see and/or hear from you soon!

stay warm, and have a happy holiday from the doe girls!

the holiday season is upon us and what better way to get into the spirit of giving than to help out some awesome charities?

doe girls think that there is only one: shopping!

we’re coordinating some very important charity efforts that you should know about:

this wednesday, 16 December, from 7 to 9 pm, doe will be hosting a trunk-show for hot jewelry designers stella & dot to benefit the princess project.

for those who don’t know about the princess project: the princess project promotes self-confidence and individual beauty by providing free prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them.

the pp has been going strong since 2002 and now doe is in the mix helping people to unleash their inner princess!

next up: the christmas coat drive!!!

during the month of december bring a clean, gently worn or new, wearable coat to donate to someone in need and choose either a limited edition doe belt buckle (a value of $22) or 10% off of your total purchase. what a deal!

stay tuned, as there will be more holiday updates this week. in the meantime we hope to see you all at the stella & dot trunk show on wednesday night!

subtitle: the twelve gifts of doe-mas

heyo-doe blog readers! this is kate kotler – honorary doe girl – no, not kati kim or katie king or even kelly kate – another new double k name to confuse you all this holiday season!

i am also known as the diy diva on broke-ass stuart’s goddamn website… maybe you’ve seen my crafting column?

kati kim asked me if i’d like to guest star on the doe blog this week and share with you all my very own “broke hipster x-mas wish list.”

um, hi – yeah, totally!

item number one on my list: the coveted 4fifteen I HELLA heart SF tote bag!

i know for a fact that they have these in stock at the doe brick and mortar at 659a haight. how do i know this? well, i have procured one for myself and been rockin’ it all around the bay area. though i do get some dirty looks when i’m in the east bay, leading me to…

the second item on my wish list:

at $113 it’s not exactly an item for someone who is broke. however, i think about the mad love that buying these items shows local artists and designers in the bay area and it’s worth the price to me.

while working at doe this holiday season i’ve actually created a list of items i reallyreallyREALLYreallyreally want out of kati’s coffer of cool that are a bit beyond my current means.

like item number three:

and, item number four: the super awesome maya brenner california necklaces

kati wanted me to make sure to tell everyone that the california necklaces come in yellow, rose and white gold. plus, we still have the style that has a small diamond at the bay area in stock (in yellow and rose gold only).

for more reasonably priced gifties, doe has the motherload at the moment…

i’m really wanting item number five on my list: the sleepictures owl pendant necklace

we got a score from teresa flowers down in la! belt buckles, cute necklaces, hair pins and broaches all done with her sleepictures line as the graphic. these aren’t even available on the doe website yet, so you’ll have to come into the store to pick one up! (again, that address is 659a haight.)

i just purchased item number six for my mommaship: the roost origami reindeer ornament

item number seven: bath and body products by elizabethW

i would love some gorgeous smelling elizabethW as a gift this year. their lavender scent is so yummy and dreamy i would love to just swim in a bath of it. which is fortunate for me, as doe is fully stocked with the whole line! including some holiday bath fizz and lip balms and other goodies under $10 for the broke-est of broke-asses!

item number eight: super-cute japanese imports!

hey guess what, you’ve read this far and now you’re going to get a secret treat!! i know for a fact that soon-to-be doe owner, yong, just got in a huge order of the coveted, sought after and very exclusive kai perfume! i’m headed down there this afternoon to grab some before it’s all gone, you should too!

in fact, kai perfume is item number nine on my wish list.

item number ten: clothes

kati has a metric ton of really cute things in the store right now! dresses by she-bible, dema, dear creatures, prairie underground… the coveted prairie hoodies! they still have full size runs of the hoodies!!! madness, i say!

item number eleven: fiesty elle daliah earrings

and, finally, item number twelve:

i have it on good authority that ms. kim, in packing up her house for her move to portland, has decided to depart with many of her designer goodies she’s accumulated over the year. if you hit up doe this weekend you’re likely to find marc jacobs, balenciaga, louboutin, chloe, celine — bags, shoes — the whole gamut.

point being: you should stop in and check out what’s new at doe this weekend because kati has lots of great stuff in stock. and, if you cannot make it to the brick and mortar store, you can always shop online, i know that a lot of the goods i’ve mentioned are listed or about to be listed on the doe website! if something that is listed here is not on the website, the doe girls are happy to take an order over the phone, too: 415.588.8588

and, if you’re shopping for me… you can hit me up via my website to find out where to ship presents to… hahaha… kidding! or am i?

take it easy, fo’ sheezy! i now return you to your regularly scheduled programming…

kati kim here.

i’ve been online house hunting ever since deciding to move the family & business up to portland.

criteria for our new home: cheap, cute, airy with open corridors, a nice kitchen, plenty of space for my kids to grow, access to decent public schools, and enough room to house doe headquarters. (fyi – doe currently occupies: my kitchen, a few shelves in the garage, and the 500 square foot brick & mortar retail space at 629a haight street.)

the first home to spark my interest was this mid century wonder by architect frank shell:

built in 1960 as his personal home, frank shell’s design features a series of open corridors and glass atrium:

this home was the last on the first leg of our portland home tour. unfortunately, by the time we arrived, it was dusk and the home’s electricity and heat had been shut off. the corridors were wild with overgrowth, and no light meant we couldn’t appreciate the glass atrium.

i’m sure that, on a warm spring day, there is nothing more magnificent than basking in the cheery glory of a sunlit atrium. i imagine myself sprawled out on a re-covered velvet chaise lounge, twittering about new shop offerings or perusing the next seasons line sheets.

speaking of line sheets, this trip up north afforded me the opportunity to finally view the prairie underground spring collection in person. i’d been home with a sick baby during the last major sf tradeshow (cala – at the st. francis in union square.) missing that tradeshow was a major disappointment, as i’d promised new shop owner yong cho that i’d accompany her and help write spring orders. luckily for me, our friend tracey of true collaborative fashion showroom, which represents store favorite prairie underground, was kind enough to invite us into her portland-based home & showroom for an after-hours peek at her spring collections.

i tried on all the prairie styles, and added quite a few pieces to our spring collection. i also ordered a few pieces by organic line clary sage, designed and produced in san francisco. tracey showed me samples from the frei line, which yong will carry at the haight street shop in spring, and which we’ll also carry on the doe-sf website.

the kids proved to be excellent advisers on the home tour, and patiently played through my meeting with tracey. so, when they requested a ride on the portland air tram the following morning, it was impossible to say no.

the aerial tram station is located on the banks of willamette, which is lined with brand spanking new condominium towers. beautiful, contemporary, shiny glass condominium towers. the idea of living in a sleek new structure with loft ceilings, heated floors and sweeping views of the city is not unappealing.

children’s appetites for aerial adventures sated, and with little time to waste, we commenced day two of our portland home tour. grace and her husband seth accompanied us.

here grace is pictured in a prairie hoodie out front of a barn-inspired home described in the mls listings as a “mt. tabor charmer:”

grace is a mushroom expert. she’s studied them for years and goes on excursions to find edible varieties on the weekends. she invited the girls and i on a chanterelle hunting adventure, but, alas, we were short on time. she did find plenty of time to teach the kids about different mushroom varieties spotted on the home tour:

two last homes and we had to hit the road. the final leg of our home tour took us to the outskirts of portland, to the suburban village of beaverton, oregon. the first home was huge, un-renovated, and highly inspiring. large enough for 6 children and at least one set of grandparents, the house featured a downstairs game room, including a shuffleboard floor, oven from the 50’s, and tons of shag carpet. best part of the house, however, was the enormous backyard. my crazy imagination envisioned the yard outfitted with a glass conservatory with hanging orchids, a swimming pool, and a hot tub. (and a disco ball – all that’s missing is a disco ball and flashing lights!)

the last home on our tour was a touch less inspirational. architecturally intriguing, the home decor (the home is still inhabited) was all kinds of country – the way i’d picture a midwest home in the 80’s. (apologies to the owner of this home. the nachos looked amazing and the stew smelled wonderful.)

the sun would begin to set soon, and the girls and i intended to reach gold hill in time for dinner with grace’s parents. grace’s mom tempted us with a home-cooked turkey meal, including all the fixings.

we arrived well after nightfall and were greeted with open arms and a hot meal – the first of many celebratory meals of the season.

the next morning, after a hearty pancake breakfast, it was time to head back home to northern california. the drive was peaceful and uneventful (other than the fact that i stopped at nearly every rest station in order to delay the return to reality.)

portland calls.

in the meantime, doe-sf is showing mad love for the bay area. expect lots of goods from local artists & designers. yong, the new shop owner at 629a haight street, promises to keep the tradition to alive. we’re working together to ensure a smooth transition of the physical retail space from my hands to hers through the holiday season and beyond.

xo,
kati

part two of our house hunt led us straight to portland, oregon – home to numerous bridges and countless rainbows.

wasting no time, penelope, sabine, and i made a beeline to the very stylish residence of our real estate agent, heather, where we rested up a bit and explored the many rooms in her bi-level home. we also marveled at the enormity of her backyard, which contains a mini airstream trailer and a geodesic dome large enough to host a small rave.

we then set off on our well-plotted (thanks, heather!) adventure. i was thrilled to ride passenger for the duration of our tour. every few blocks i’d ask our guide to pull over so i could roll down my window and snap pictures of rainbows.

“welcome to rainbow land!” she said.

heather is a friend from many years back. in fact, she was friends with my husband before i met either of them. for the past couple of months, heather’s been sending me home listings matching my requested criteria. I get an e-mail from her every couple of days, and i’ve been pouring over listings daily since our very first correspondence.

i have a pretty good idea of what type of home will best suit our family. i’ve promised the girls they can each have their own room (though they are so attached they often sleep together on the couch instead of in their own beds). since i’ll be running the doe-sf website from home, i’ll need a studio with decent natural lighting (natural light nearly always trumps artificial), and ample storage space for web stock. a nice deep bathtub and a well-lit kitchen would also be pretty awesome. oh, and i’m gonna need space for my treasured exercise equipment (though i’ve yet to use it regularly, i’m still very attached to the idea!)

the mid century modern styles we viewed best fit our practical needs and aesthetic inclinations.

below, the mid century home all 3 of us agreed would be a perfect fit:

even the current owner’s artwork was similar to our own. pretty sure i recognize a few of these prints:

i was also quite taken with the green water tower located next to the property. i have thing for cranes and towers and other industrial structures. the bulbous green water tower on the adjacent lot was a definite bonus.

much as we loved the orange-doored home, there were others that struck our fancy – nearly all of them built in the mid century modern style. the home pictured below was a bit more rustic than the first, and outfitted with many of its original details – including reverse grain cedar walls, cork window shades with metallic silver variegation, and mid century lighting fixtures. not to mention the row of mature conifers out front!

next: the end of our portland home tour, the girls’ newfound love of mushrooms, and the long, scenic trip back to the bay area….

kati kim here.

so happy to blog for ya’ll again!

as many of our beloved doe customers and friends know, i’ve long considered moving our sweet little lower haight shop up north to oregon, from whence i came when i moved to san francisco 12 years ago.

with this decision came much protest from our loyal customers, most notably from neighborhood locals, who’ve come to rely on our miniature mercantile as a one-stop-shop for everything from dresses and cards to candles, baby gifts, and botanical delights plucked straight from the nurseries of half moon bay.

instead of shuttering our doors for good, i made the decision to transfer ownership of our brick & mortar and keep the web shop alive and running from my family’s new home in the pacific northwest.

doe-sf will still exist. i’m keeping the name, the logo, the web shop, and the brands.

yong, the new owner of 629a haight street, has every intention of keeping the shop exactly as it has been these past 5 1/2 years. she even chose an unbearably cute name, which i’ll wait for her to disclose, so as not to spoil the surprise.

my family won’t be leaving town until after penelope, my oldest child, finishes out the school year at her much-loved japanese school. this means we’re sticking ’round til the end of june.

until that time i’ll be working very closely with the new owner to ensure a smooth transition and to make sure that loyal custies continue to receive the same quality of goods and services. who knows – the shop may be even _more_ awesome than ever before! i look forward to working with the new owner.

last week the children and i took a spur-of-the moment house hunting trip to oregon. i’d considered portland our only option until i spied a japanese-style home via the mls listings provided by my portland-based real estate agent.

images from our journey:

after breakfast with our good friend debra (who also happened to be penelope’s preschool teacher back in the day!), it was straight to eugene, oregon, to check out the house in question.

gorgeous as it was, the japanese house was clearly not intended for us. the bedrooms were a bit too small (my king size bed wouldn’t even fit in the master bedroom, and there is no way i’m giving that sucker up!), the kitchen counters a bit too low, and the price a smidgen too high.

the home was custom built and i believe the former owners were using it as a grow house for orchids and ferns. one of the secondary rooms was equipped with two small sinks and i noticed a series of water mark stains from potted plants on many of the room’s wooden surfaces. also, the backyard had what looked to have been a hastily disassembled covered porch with screens for protecting new growth plants. surely these plants were intended for commercial purposes. i’d never seen a home so clearly set up as a plant nursery.

the next stop on our eugene home tour took us outside the city limits, down a long and winding country road. lovely as the woods were, i couldn’t imagine driving the children to school in snowy weather, and the idea of not having neighbors within shouting distance was equally daunting.

the home, however, was breathtaking. upon pulling up front, we were greeted by a family of three deer – mom, dad, and baby doe. a sweet omen. but, still not ideal for a family of three girls to be living out in the woods all by ourselves. i like to fancy myself a pioneer, but i’ll take the safety and comforts of civilization any ol’ day.

before heading up to portland for the second leg of our home tour, the girls and i stopped to rest for the night with my good friend grace and her husband seth. i’ve known grace for nearly 15 years. little about her has changed since i first met the bright-orange lipstick wearing girl of 18. she is steadfast in her love of insects, mushrooms, and psychedelic trance. the only thing that’s really changed about her is that she no longer wears fluorescent orange lipstick.

next: rainbows, mushrooms, and mid century modern homes in portland, oregon…

hey there-

the past few months have been a whirlwind of change and it’s been a long time since we last posted.

there’s been a lot of going-ons here at doe – both at our brick and mortar and web shop. so here’s a little news update to keep you in the loop as to what we’ve been up to and what’s to come.

first off, our new shop hours through the holidays are:

wednesday through saturday : noon to 7
sunday : noon to 5

in the past few weeks, we finished up a huge clearance sale to make room for a bunch of locally-designed goods that will keep our store stocked throughout the holiday season.

currently, our lower haight boutique is full with adorable baby clothes by new skool, amazing scarves by venn, delicate earrings by rebecca throne, and more. beginning next week, these goods will be available for purchase via our e-commerce site. and, for our web customers ONLY, be on the lookout as we bring in a brand new assortment of orla kiely holiday styles including adorable dresses and warm thermal tees.

in other news, our garage sale was a huge success! a huge thanks to all that came and showed us love. we sold a wide selection of gently-used designer goods like burberry, marc jacobs, goldenbleu, etc., and had customers coming back daily to ask, “anything new at the garage sale?” in fact, it was such a huge hit, we decided to keep a “gently used” section in the shop. be sure to come by and ask, “what’s new?”

lastly, after a brief hiatus, we took a long-awaited trip to the nursery in half moon bay to spruce up the shop with some new greenery. we loaded up with gorgeous christmas cacti, amaryllis bulbs, and paperwhites.

so don’t be shy. stop by, say hello and stay awhile.

amber here!

amber? yes, amber. i wanted to introduce myself to the greater doe public so we can get to the nitty gritty of the great things that are going on at doe! while annie is starting out on her great adventure to sweden i am sticking over here to help make the next chapter in doe as exciting as the last!

a little bit about me… i’m an independent designer born and raised in san francisco with my studio across the bay in oakland. after graduating from the california college of the arts and crafts i started working for several sustainable clothing companies. you can see some of what i have been up to with my company doedel. i’m interested in creating clothing for women who believe that being sexy doesn’t mean having to sacrifice being capable. comfortable stretch cashmeres layered with well-loomed twills and denims are staples in the lines i create. always interested in locally produced goods i strive to never go outside of california for the fabrics, findings, and labor for my designs.

doedel designs by amber clisura

kati and i met years ago and share this passion for locally produced goods, sustainability, and well thought out design. together we started working months ago behind the scenes getting doe ready to make an exciting change. what is that change? well how about i give you a little peak into the behind the scenes action!

first and foremost we are in a massive liquidation sale! this doesn’t mean we’re going away, quite the opposite really. we are clearing out the racks to make room for what we have in store for the holidays. remember, there are special in-store only gifts by decole and other fabulous closeouts. so remember to stop by on your way home from work to get the best of the best before everything is gone.

once we have made room on our racks we’re going to be closing the store at the end of october. we’re sprucing up the store and making room for our holiday pop-ups. what’s a pop-up? we’re going to be limiting our hours and making the store available to seasonal trunk shows, local artists, and special one on ones with designers. add some wine and some cheese and we’re talking a party. special home goods, baby products, and new designers all through the holidays. make sure you are on the cusp of our great changes by following us on twitter and facebook.

over the next two months kati is going to be working side by side with the new owner of 629A to insure that while doe transitions into being a web-only designer store the physical store will continue to carry the goods that the neighborhood has grown so accustomed to purchasing – high quality, sustainable, and local will still be the focus. we will be making an effort to get all your online information correct so when we make our formal transition into a web only designer store you won’t be left behind!

anne kimball's manzanita top - $240

and to remind you of the great things still in doe i wanted to show you one of my favorite tops right now. anne kimball’s manzanita top is a great rustic, ruddy, red that starts the welcoming of fall like no other color can. make of 100% vintage wool this is a limited produced item that is great paired with a pair of grey skinny jeans or a nice slim skirt. feeling daring? then pair this with some leggings and great short boots. the square neckline is flattering on a variety of shapes and the short sleeves still allow for those warm days that always seem to creep into fall.

annie here.

as an avid tea drinker and bento-eater (not to mention, lover of cute things), my favorite items at doe have always been the various japanese housewares. luckily, a shipment of favorites from decole, cram cream, and prime nakamura arrived just in time.

just in time, because in a few short days i will be departing the sunny shores of california and moving to sweden to attend the university of gothenburg, school of design and crafts. i’m ecstatic, not only be earning my masters degree, but also to be reunited with my boyfriend, jay, who’s been there for the past month and a half.

and finally, available in-store only (at 40% off retail), here’s a pictorial journal of some of our newest *last* arrivals:

quantities are extremely limited so make sure to snatch them up before they’re gone!

also, i’ll be posting about my adventures abroad via the doe blog. so till next time, adieu~