Montclair Estates Made Me Take A Second Look

The other day I was walking down Mountain Blvd. in Montclair Village when a piece of stain glass made me stop and take a look. By the front door there were several pieces of stained glass leaning against the crowded counter. As I walked through the shop, I realized that there were some cool finds mixed among the clutter. What I like about this place, besides it being close to home in Oakland, is it is a consignment shop. Here you can sell your old treasures in the store or they can help you sell your belongs on Ebay. You can email photos and descriptions of your sellables for a free evaluation. (montclair-estates@pacbell.net).

The next time I am looking for a "new" vessel, I think I will stop by Montclair Estates for a piece of vintage silver.

Here is the beautiful stained glass doorway of a home in North Berkeley. This house is a Victorian on Oxford Street and it recently sold. I took these snapshots on Broker's Tour.

Pieces of Stained Glass in Montclair Estates. This piece reminded me of the stained glass pictured above.

Montclair Estates - 2017 Mountain Blvd. Montclair Village, Oakland, CA.

Global Couture in Berkeley

For nine years I worked at Neiman Marcus in Union Square. During those years I worked gown shows featuring Pamela Dennis and Oscar De La Renta and met designers such as John Hardy and Melissa Jo Manning. When I started working at Neiman's I was a young woman in my early twenties and I hadn't noticed supreme quality until then. Now I am cursed, I look for original design with impeccable craftsmanship. One of my favorite women's boutique in the East Bay is RedBird in Berkeley. Here proprietor Karen Park,(who use to work at Neiman Marcus San Francisco while I worked there) travels the world to bring global couture. From hand crafted precious jewelry from India, to European clothes and shoes, RedBird has clothes and accessories that are one of a kind. (or almost) RedBird is pricey, but if you are looking for extraordinary treasures give RedBird a visit. Recently I visited RedBird Outlet which is around the corner form RedBird, behind Peet's coffee. I was amazed to see really good items deeply discounted. Red Bird, 2938 Domingo Ave., Berkeley, (510) 644-0294, open daily; Red Bird Outlet, 2918 Domingo Ave., Berkeley, (510) 848-5530, open Thu.–Sun.

The Art of Home Accessories and Ice Cream in Berkeley

There is new life on the corner of College and Ashby in Berkeley. LolaHome at 2950 College Avenue is a global home store that will inspire you. From one of a kind, handmade tables to original art to letterpress stationary, everything in here is unique and full of texture. It is hard to browse at this store, as an item or two will scream at you, "buy me"! www.LolaHome.com

Next door is Ici, a boutique ice cream store created by a Chez Panise alum, Mary Canales. This is the Candyland for adults, housemade candies, cookies, and micro-crafted ice cream and sorbets. Come for free samples, REAL flavor, real toppings and bio-degradable bowls and spoons. Ici is located at 2948 College Avenue. Try the brown sugar granola on top of a scoop of sorbet and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. www.ici-icecream.com

P.S. My kids love the ice cream too!

Ohmega Salvage, Berkeley Lighting and Cafe Fanny...

Where can I put this fantastic counter top? Ohmega Salvage located at 2407 San Pablo Avenue www.OhmegaSalvage.com

Cafe Fanny 1603 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley.www.CafeFanny.com

One of the many tasks that I take on as your Oakland and Berkeley Realtor is shopping! Maybe it is picking up paint at Kelly Moore or selecting light fixtures at Berkeley Lighting, or looking for vintage towel racks at Ohmega Salvage, this is all part of my full service. (By the way several businesses give me a discount, which I pass on to my clients!) My job is to help my clients spend the least amount of money possible, while giving their house the WOW factor. (...and aesthetically keeping with the period of the house.) Last week I was helping two of my clients select various finishes for their homes. As I was driving up to Berkeley Lighting on San Pablo, I decided to make a pit stop at Cafe Fanny. Cafe Fanny is an Alice Waters of Chez Pannise creation, a place to sit and have a latte and poached eggs, or grab a cookie and go. As soon as I popped in, I saw a Salty Chocolate cookie! No need to read the menu, that was what I needed to get me through the afternoon. I am crazy about salt and sweet combinations, especially in chocolate. If I would have had the time, I would have enjoyed a freshly brewed latte served in a latte bowl, but I settled for artisan water.

Whether you are looking for inspiration for your home, or have a project, San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley is a great resource. Don't miss Baldwin Brass at 2119 San Pablo Ave., Ohmega Too at 2204 San Pablo Ave and East Bay Nursery at 2332 San Pablo Ave.

Photo of Countertop from OhmegaSalvage.com, photo of Berkeley Lighting store front from ShopinBerkeley.com, and photo of Cafe Fanny window from CafeFanny.com.

Silky, Creamy, House made Ice Cream in Berkeley

It has been a while since I stepped foot into Sketch Ice Cream on Fourth Street in Berkeley. Yesterday I had a craving for a fish taco at Tacubaya and I took a few moments to give Sketch a visit. Being a soft-serve ice cream junkie, I was ecstatic to see that their house made seasonal ice cream is now dispensed out of soft serve machines. Yesterday, I experienced lemon verbena and vanilla bean soft serve. While I was devouring my delicious dessert I had a chance to chit chat with the owners Ruthie and Eric who are friendly, foodies, and extremely conscientious. As we were talking Ruthie was simmering a pot of pear sorbet and Eric was available to help customers. If you have not been in Sketch for a while, this boutique ice cream store has a new look and now serves their ice cream in biodegradable cups.

Sketch Ice Cream is for people who enjoy flavor and quality and local ingredients. Be prepared for small full flavor portions, and tell Ruthie and Eric hello.

On the ninth and tenth day of Christmas...

Go to Vessel and Susan Gildea's Personalized Stationary on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley near the Claremont Hotel. At Vessel you can find hand crafted uber-luxe jewelry, original art, home accessories and more. Tell owner Lonnie Lee, hello!

At Susan Gildea you can order personalized stationary, labels, stickers, notepads, jewelery and more. Susan is super friendly and you will be surprised how affordable personalized stationary can be.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas....

Maribel is a great new and gently used clothing and accessories boutique on Lakeshore Avenue. Owner, Ann brings in great contemporary finds from designer jeans and shoes to hats and jewelry. Ann sells Viv and Ingrid Jewelry, fun jewelry created by two local girls who met at Cal and started a highly success jewelry business.

Visit Maribel at 3251 Lakeshore Ave and mention Oakland Realtor Deidre Joyner to receive 10% off your jewelry purchase!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

Cracker Jacks is a fabulous resale and new clothing store for kids. Owner Elizabeth Helm has created a hip store full of carefully selected new and gently used toys, clothes and shoes for children. For the baby or toddler pick one of Crackerjack's cool tee shirts. Mention Oakland Realtor, Deidre Joyner and receive 10% off! Visit Elizabeth at 14 Glen Street off of Piedmont Avenue and tell her Deidre said hello. CrackerJacksKids.com

On the Fifth Day of Christmas....

Here is a great Christmas tip! Philippa Roberts on Piedmont Avenue is a wonderful newly added boutique. Here you can buy jewelry by several artists (including Philippa), candles, home accessories and more. Mention me, (Oakland Realtor, Deidre Joyner) and receive 10% off your purchase! Go out and support our local businesses in Oakland while buying great gifts! The earrings pictured above are a Philippa Roberts design! Visit Philippa's website, www.philipparoberts.com

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

This is the perfect gift to give a couple or a baby. Seriously, a baby does NOT need another stuffed animal or piggie bank! Give a gift certificate for Oakland photographer, Karlya Benjamin. A $100 gift certificate gets a mini photo session in the Oakland area, 20 custom-made notecards and a life long memory. Karlya specializes in capturing special moments in a natural setting. I have had photos taken in the Redwoods up at Roberts Park and Lake Merritt. Call Karlya at 510-388-2945 or visit her website, www.Karlya.com.

My children Nia and Miles photoed by Karlya above.

On the Third Day of Christmas...

Do you have someone on your list who has everything? Buy them a GuavaPeel candle by Bluewick. The smell is heavenly! (I burn them at my open houses and in my house.) Rockridge Home on College Avenue sells these amazing candles and if you mention me, you will receive 20% off!!!

On the Second Day of Christmas...

My tip for today is: Stop by Mignonne Decor and enjoy 15% off an item when mentioning me! Mignonne Decor is an urban chic French inspired store in Old Oakland. I absolutely loved the Pamplemousse french liquid handsoap that I purchased there. Hint! I would prefer it over a bottle of vino.

Tell the owners Kim and Johnelle that I said hello! Go Oakland!

Oakland Artist on Recchiuti Chocolates

Michele Carlson is an Oakland-based artist whose ink drawings and collages investigate the intersections of history, memory and popular culture. Her work adorns 8 pieces of Burnt Caramel chocolate and is the latest addition to the ongoing Artisan Series. To learn more about the artist, visit www.MicheleCarlson.com.

The Paper Source on Fourth Street Offers Classes

One of Berkeley's most popular shopping districts is Fourth Street. On Fourth Street in Berkeley you will find many independent stores, chain stores such as Restoration Hardware and Sur La Table, and a good mix of restaurants. The Paper Source, on the corner of Hearst and Fourth Street is an incredible store for cards, wrapping supplies and crafts. They also offer craft classes in the store. For more info, click here.

October 24th 6-9 pm

Impress your friends and yourself by learning how to make a traditional drop spine box. You'll learn to craft a box from scratch using archival bookboard and then cover it with precut decorative papers and bookcloth. By the end of this workshop, you'll have a multipurpose 5" x 7" box, perfect for photos, recipes & more.

Prior experience with basic tools such as a cutting knife and ruler is desirable.

Instructor - PS Staff

Location - Berkeley

This image represents samples made in this workshop conducted around the country. Please visit your local store for current class samples.

The progression of Whole foods in Oakland

It is true, a picture is worth a thousand words. Click here to see the construction of the new Whole Foods Oakland.

Will the New Whole Foods in Oakland Affect Oakland's Real Estate Market?

Once the Bill Cox Cadillac Dealership- Now the New Whole Foods

For the last two years I have been patiently waiting for Whole Foods Oakland...and drum roll please, it has arrived! Last Sunday morning I headed over for the grand tour.

I skipped the downstairs parking lot and parked in the upstairs lot where I immediately found a great park and stepped in to heaven. (If you didn't know, I am a big foodie, I graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco)

This is the best looking Whole Foods I've seen. It mimics a French marketplace with many specialty shops within the grocery store; cheese, meat, seafood, produce, chocolate, coffee and espresso, extensive beauty products, gelato, hot prepared foods and a Bistro.

So the bottom line is this, Whole Foods Oakland will increase the value of residential property surrounding it. Now all of the homes below Piedmont Avenue and around Lake Merritt will have a full service grocery store within walking distance. Prior to Whole Foods Oakland, homeowners had to drive to the Grand Ave. Safeway,(a store that borders the City of Piedmont) or the Safeway on 51st Street in Oakland for the closest stores. One of the biggest draws of living by Lake Merritt is the its easy access to downtown, BART and transportation. Now homeowners can actually live car-free.

My hope is that Whole Foods Oakland will be a huge economic success, enticing other big businesses to follow suit and set up shop here in Oakland.

With all of the residential and condo growth, Oakland needs the retail presence to balance.

Shop in a spacious and clean store

Bring home hot and healthy prepared foods

Don't forget dessert.

Cafe Allegro

Extensive meat department, featuring beef from "green" ranchers

Handmade Chocolates both local and imported

Irresistible

La Farine and Peet's Cofffee on Fruitvale Avenue

Two Doors down from La Farine is a sparkling clean, extra large Peet's Coffee

Visit La Farine Bakery at 3411 Fruitvale Avenue

La Farine, a staple in the Rockridge District of Oakland for 25 years, now has a second location on Fruitvale Avenue.

Fortunately (and unfortunately for my hips), La Farine and Peet's Coffee neighbor each other on Fruitvale Avenue. With a quick five minute drive I can step into LaFarine Bakery, a Bay Area staple known for fresh french pastries, desserts and breads. You must try the Swiss Twinkie or the Morning Bun, they are perfect! La Farine never sells their products to grocery or specialty shops, so to sample their highly acclaimed morsels you must visit their locations on College Ave. or Fruitvale Ave. La Farine also donates there leftover product to local organizations that feed people in need.

For many of us Bay Area residents there is no place like Peet's. Forty years ago, Alfred Peet started the very first Peet's Coffee in North Berkeley on Vine Street. The Peet's on Fruitvale is clean, large and has a friendly staff, and currently it is less crowded than the Lakeshore and Montclair locations.

The New Old Oakland! - Thursday Night Out

Drift Denim, a hip place to find denim for all occasions  –  People dining outdoors at Levende East

B Restaurant, Fresh Food, featuring a wood burning oven!  –  Jesso's Seafood, try the fried prawns and enjoy the live music

Air Lounge, the place to go for drinks and music. (I love the exposed brick walls.)

Last night the proprietors of Tamarindo, B Restaurant, Air, Jessos, Levande East, Drift, Mignonne closed the streets between 8th and 10th on Washington. They celebrated the NEW Old Oakland! This area is now becoming the second "Gourmet Ghetto" of Oakland. As a foodie and Oakland girl I am thrilled to see quality restaurants and shops take root. Last night folks came to honor the neighborhood, enjoy food, drinks and live Cuban music.

• Levende East
• Jessos
• B Restaurant
• Air Lounge
• Tamarindo Restaurant
• Drift (Denim)
• Mignonne Home Decor

20% off at Mignonne Decor, Oakland

Mignonne Oakland is having a Labor Day Sale!

The entire inventory is 20% off until September 8th! Shop Oakland!

1000 Jefferson Street

Oakland CA 94607

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mignonnedecor.com