Bell'occhio

The first official LASS outing took place at the lovely boutique of Bell'occhio in San Francisco. Lass L had come across their website in one of her wanderings, and once it was noted they were local to us, it was quickly decided by the LASS founders that we had to go there in person.

The shop is full of all sorts of wonderful things for "the person who has everything." However, it is particularly suited for "the crafter who has everything," due their carefully edited collection of ribbons, particolored twines, gorgeous scissors, and adorable collection of tiny note cards and interesting envelopes.

Beyond the craft, they have some jewelery pieces, oversize, fuzzy boxes shaped like various fruits, and random other pieces of whimsy like mouches and crowns for bees.

Lass K quickly spotted a basket of interesting little pins, and as if clandestine, there were three, amazing scissor and tape measure pins which the three of us scooped up without hesitation.

Now, I wish that I could share more photos of the inside of the shop, which had a lovely "shabby chic," by way of dilapidated french look, but the quirky lady behind the counter politely turned down my request to photograph the shop. Apparently there was a concern of people copying their interior, which is sad, but I'm sure a reality. Anyhow, there is an old photo here on yelp, that can give one the idea of the shop. It doesn't really do it justice though, as the current shop has much more merchandise and has been changed about a bit, to be a touch more appealing.

One thing I found shocking about the shop, was that it wasn't really that expensive. Sure there were a couple of pieces that would make your pocket book wince, several I had to pass on due to their unpractical nature, but there were plenty of items that were appropriately priced, giving one only a slight pause before deciding to buy.

I picked up six uniquely shaped envelopes for 99cents, and had a brief conversation with the shop keeper about how they were purchased in New York, on their travels, and that they were sad, that this was the last of them. It's those kinds of notes that make the item that much more cool, and remind you why funny boutiques often cost a wee bit more.

Lass L picked up a lovely pair of drop pearl earrings for her mother (lucky...) and was delighted to see the shop lived up to their advertisement that "nary a parcel leaves the shop without our snappy signature gift wrapping."

It was like a ritual, watching them write the pretty receipt with a bit of a flourish, placing a custom sticker on the box, carefully tying the red bow, and slipping it into a neat little white bag. You know when you hear "it's all in the details?" Well, that is certainly true here, and I personally would say that if you're a crafter, or a lover of teeny, cute boutiques, that you shouldn't hesitate to stop by. Being that the store is just a hop and a skip from Flax anyway, you're probably in the neighborhood!