I have had the distinct pleasure of being friends with Lauren for 5+ years. A creative, down-for-whatever spirit, she never fails to boost my mood/outlook on life. Her studio in San Francisco is one of the most relaxing places, and such a fun place to hang out; various other artistic people are always stopping by to say what’s up. I just like to sit in the corner and chill!

 Her jewelry has such an organic.urban feel that I fell in love with it immediately. And I am so proud to write the product copy for her website! Thank you for stopping by Lauren

Where do you live?
San Francisco, California

Where are your favorite places to go in your city?
Saturday farmers market at the ferry building, Four Barrel Coffee, Conservatory of Flowers, and The Moma.

What can’t you leave home without?
My little red moleskin, and my iphone (sad but true).

What’s one thing about you that would surprise people?
I am a classically trained dancer.

Who are your favorite artists?
Alexander Calder, Jeremy Fish, Joseph Cornell, and Robert Frank

Favorite film?
Fantastic Planet

Fill in the Blank: I feel my best when I’m wearing _____:
My uniform- blue jeans, brushed cotton tees, colorful scarves, and wallabees.

Any guilty pleasures we should know about?
Antipast socks, dark chocolate, and handcrafted denim.

What’s sitting on your coffee table right now?
The Oxford Project, by Peter Feldstein

If you could choose any celebrity to wear your designs, who would it be?
Steven Patrick Morrissey

What motivates you?
Short deadlines, a desire for travel, and my coffee habit.

Hi Guys! I know this was supposed to go up 48 hours ago, but I’ve been working 13 hours a day, leaving not much time for the fun things.

The good news is that I did pick the winners on Friday night.

Drumroll please….

The winner of the bracelets is…..Katie!

And in the BONUS Giveaway, the winner is Gina! Gina, you get a custom cross stitch pillow, made by yours truly. Pick any phrase, color, and font from my book of fonts, and we’ll be on our way.

Winners, please contact me: katemfranc0 {at} gmail {dot} com for more info.

Thanks everyone for playing!

Announcing: Ginger & Jade Giveaway!

Remember Ginger & Jade from the ShopTalk series last week? I’m so EXCITED (eeee!) to be announcing a giveaway.

Details: Up for grabs…3 adorable beaded bracelets. 2 gold, and 1 silver. Elastic, so they’ll work for a lot of folks, and they look perfect stacked or paired with your watch. I was really impressed by the weight even though the size of the bracelets is delicate. This is an Undeniable Style EXCLUSIVE!! Retail value, $80.

How to Enter: Just leave a comment below telling me WHY you love Ginger & Jade!

Contest will run through next Friday, May 28th. I will pick a random winner to be announced on Tuesday, June 1st. Winner will be announced via blog post AND on twitter. {hint: follow me if you want a real time update!}

Welcome! The first interview of the NEW&IMPROVED shoptalk series is with Mendenhall Schroeder, the talented designer behind Ginger & Jade. Mendenhall has designed jewelry for over six years. Her mission is to share her passion for travel & new cultures through her jewelry & inspire others to reach outside their everyday world. Each necklace is one of a kind, handmade in her San Francisco studio.

 We had a chance to sit down and chat:

Where do you live?
Studio Apt in San Francisco

Where is your favorite place to go in your city?
Sundance Kabuki Theater   I love going to movies and they let you pick your seat from home and drink wine during the movie!

What can’t you leave home without?
Smith’s lip balm in minted rose – I’m addicted

What’s one thing about you that would surprise people?
I’m an opportunistic thrill seeker- I seem to fall into sky diving, bungee jumping & SCUBA diving!

Who are your favorite artists?
Patrick Mukabi, a Kenyan artist who paints African women in their everyday lives. I’m planning to buy one of his pieces (a non-naked one) when we go back to Kenya. I also want something by Will McCoy, a local artist who is a huge advocate of Burma. He prints his photos on large canvases stretched over wooden frames. And Michelle Mansour, also a local artist who helps run Root Division in SF. I have a piece from her 2008 collection.

Favorite film?
All versions of Pride & Prejudice and anything with Johnny Depp.

Fill in the Blank:
I feel my best when I’m wearing boots.

Any guilty pleasures we should know about?
I take a bath every morning before work!

What’s sitting on your coffee table right now? 
Molasses cookies & whole milk.

If you could choose any celebrity to wear your designs, who would it be?
Audrey Tautou- she can pull off both cute & sexy.

What motivates you?
Good food & compliments.

Coin a phrase to describe your style.
Drama student meets southern prep school.

Drama student meets southern prep school, love it…don’t you guys? Menden, thanks so much for stopping by! Stay tuned for an AWESOME giveaway next week, an exclusive from Ginger & Jade!

I was going to write about something cool today. I was really. And then I got caught up in my new blog feature and just decided I would go ahead and announce it because it’s got ALL of my attention right now and I just. can’t. wait……{drumroll, please}……

Yep, pretty much what it sounds like I can’t say it’s going to be every Thursday, but it will be on Thursdays in general so look for it! It’s based on a series of interviews I did a couple of years ago that were pretty popular.

It’s back…and it’s better than ever.