Patio umbrellas tend to come in your standard colors and styles, but to designer and owner of WW & Co., Alison Childress, patio umbrellas don't have to all look the same and can be fun, vibrant and unique. If you like to entertain or just enjoy your own tranquil outdoor living space, give it some flare with a uniquely designed umbrella. You can be festive with "Flamenco" or classic with "Lattice." I personally love the Gerber umbrella, which according to Cottage Living is WW& Co's best seller.

WW & Co. produces  high  quality  outdoor  cushions,  market  umbrellas,  and  other outdoor  fabric accessories by  combining  great  design,  unique fabrics,  and  superior  components  with  the  highest  quality  construction  techniques.

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Over the years, I have created somewhat of a organizational system that has helped me keep track of projects, drafts, paper work, clippings, labels and so on. I have come to cherish a set of vinyl clear folios I have had for years. Since they are transparent, they are great for easily identifying what's inside and easy access. The ones I have are sturdy and have stood the test of lots of travel in my laptop bag, suitcase, etc., unlike the standard file folders that bend and tear with a lot of use.

Recently, I have been searching to find more of these folios as I have added on and need more to organize and file. I have had no luck until I came across a great boutique, MaiDo on Santana Row.

MaiDo is perfect for people who love art supplies and cool paper products. They have everything from pineapple-scented erasers to high-end albums drafting kits, portfolio supplies and every type of fun, whimsical, artistic and structural binder/folder product you can imagine. I was in "organizational heaven."

Taking in everything they had, not only did I find single pocket and muli-tabbed folios, I found them in every color, pattern and style I could think of.

Unfortunately, MaiDo does not have their own website, but if you are in the Bay Area, you can find them on Santana Row in San Jose or San Francisco on Market at the San Francisco Center.

MaiDo imports and carries a wide array of products from Japan, from fine stationery, gift boxes made from beautiful, traditional Japanese washi paper, high-quality paper notebooks, as well as an extensive selection of writing utensils. Some of their products are even one-of-a-kind or rare items that are difficult or impossible to find anywhere outside of Japan. MaiDo is quite...extraordinique!

 

I was drawn to these sweet-smelling and sophisticated soy-based candles at my favorite store, Anthropologie. I stood before a wall of beautifully presented candles searching to buy an "E" for Extraordinique, which is infused with Eucalyptus & Sweet Basil. Unfortunately, they were out of the E, but I bought the L for the sweet smell alone -- made up of lemon verbena and lavender. From A-Z, each of these candles are aromatic and burn cleanly. It's sophisticated packaging and design goes well in any powder room or living space. I think I'll have to try every one of them in the alphabet! I think they make great personalized monogrammed gifts for any occasion as well!

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With such a diverse collection of beautifully hand-crafted glass jewelry made by the most skilled glass artisans of Italy, Yummi Glass is yummy indeed!

I would love nothing more than to do this entire post in pictures to show you some of my favorite rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and cuff links.

I would describe many of these pieces as exquisite, classic, sophisticated and fun. And, oh yeah, extraordinique!

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I feel like I've been on a never ending quest to find a shampoo and conditioner that keeps my hair and scalp healthy. We live in an area that has hard water, so a good shampoo and conditioner are often essential, especially for my color-treated hair.

Getting ready for my day this morning, I thought, I must really, really love Terax. I have 5 bottles of it in my shower from their classic Delicato Shampoo for daily use and Bosco Shampoo, which I use once a week for my scalp. I have one and a half bottles of the Crema Conditioner and I just started to use the Hydrate Botanica, which is a leave in conditioner as well.

Looking on the counter, I realized I also have the Finishing Spray (which I actually don't recommend - it's an aerosol and has a very strong smell). I won't purchase it again until it goes in to a spray pump and they diffuse the smell. It's really very strong.

Acknowledging that I had all of these Terax products, I realize that I really have an affinity for these products. I'm the type to try, test and explore anything in the salon or beauty store, so to have consistently bought so many of one brand of hair care products, means I'm hooked.

If you give Terax a try, let me know what you think. I'm hooked.

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There are some exceptional beauty products emerging on the market now that take preserving our environment seriously. One eco-friendly line, Eco Tools caught my eye for their earth-friendly beauty tools and bathing products. The Eco Tools make-up brushes, for example, are made from all natural and recycled materials. Their BAMBOO brush collection is made from soft, synthetic taklon bristles, which are 100% cruelty free. The brushes' handles are made from bamboo - a low impact, natural resource, which is considered highly sustainable. Even the Ferrule is made from recycled aluminum cans. Eco Tools has a 5-piece brush set that is packaged in a cosmetic case made from natural cotton and hemp.

Eco Tools standard packaging is reusable and the insert cards are printed on recyclable paper printed with plant-based ink.

Extraordinique!

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A world-renowned asian art glass studio has opened its first gallery store in the United States, Liuligongfang in San Francisco, right off Union Square. Artist, Loretta Hui-Shan Yang is internationally recognized for perfecting and reviving the ancient Chinese art glass technique called Liuli (literally "beautiful glass").  She has devoted the last 20 years of her life to Liuli and seeks harmony between art and life with every art glass piece she creates. Yang compiles each Liuli collection to reflect the beauty of life and nature, "revealing both authentic and modern expressions of Chinese culture."

Yang has expressed her artistic talents in Liuli and in acting. Yang, was a critically acclaimed and award-winning Taiwanese film star in the 1970s, but left the movie industry in 1987, at the height of her career, to pursue "enlightenment." While studying the French glass-making process pate-de verre, which translates to paste of glass, Yang learned that the art form had actually originated in China and could be traced back 3,000 years to the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Yang and former film director, and now husband, Yi Chang became determined to resurrect the ancient art of Liuli and return it to the forefront of the art world.

Art for Yang, is "an evocative manifestation of love, life and spirituality." Her work, for example, includes these beautiful glass bowls she created as a set called, Tranquility of Heaven and Earth. Her collections also include jewelry and other collectibles for the home.

Liuligongfang is a 3,100 square-foot gallery store that showcases the amazing beauty of their creations and invites you to sip tea at their glass bar. While at the bar, you can enjoy tea served from Liuli teapots in Liuli cups and learn about pate-de-verre casting techniques and the Liuli story.

Extraordinque!

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