Archive for Clothing
Joy at Gioia in San Anselmo
Posted by: | CommentsA fun thing to do in the Bay Area is to go boutique shopping. There are many clothing boutiques around the Bay Area full of original and unique clothing. One of my favorite clothing shops is Gioia in San Anselmo. Actually, I’m not the only one who likes to shop at Gioia. Patricia mentioned Gioia in her interview. Besides the great clothing you can find at Gioia it is also fun to shop there because the owner Joy and the people who work with her make the shopping experience fun!
I recently asked Joy Sasson, owner of Gioia clothing boutique in San Anselmo, CA what she loved most about the Bay Area. Here is her response:
What I love mostly about the Bay Area is the diversity and culture…whether it’s the arts, foods, nature, etc…we have it all! Also one can’t beat the Mediterranean climate here…
When I’m not working in my store, Gioia, I love to ride my mountain bike everywhere I can! I love the access to the trails. I can ride out my back door and get into nature easily and find my center and peace of mind…away from the multitudes of peeps!
I love the local restaurants here in Marin, with no need to go to San Francisco at all! There is so much choice, with the only problem of early closing. Marin shuts down pretty early and in the summer, I can finish a ride at 9:00 PM!
So, other than all that, I work in my cute little boutique in San Anselmo, which is fun fun fun!
Gioia has eclectic and exciting clothes for all women…if they are not conservative, and yet, conservative ladies have found something of wonder in my shop!
Come in and see me or one of my girlfriends who are helping me run the show!
Thanks Joy!
Become of fan of Gioia on Facebook!
Read more about Gioia at BrandHabit and on Yelp!
Mention Sally Around The Bay next time you visit Gioia and receive a 10% discount on any purchase over $100 between now until 9/30/09.
Jobs Around The Bay
Posted by: | CommentsSince looking for a job is on many people’s minds these days, I thought it would be fun to interview Jane Groner. Jane specializes in helping people find jobs. Jane Groner is the CEO of Pacific Placement Group, Inc located in San Francisco.
What exactly do you do?
I am the CEO of Pacific Placement Group, a full service boutique staffing agency in San Francisco. We have been in business since 1982 and place both Temporary and direct–hire administrative staffing at all levels. We strive to counsel people, help them with resumes and work with top companies. Many are venture capital firms, private equity firms, technology and biotech industries. We feel we provide an invaluable service to our clients as we screen and test our candidates and try to find people that will be good fits for the corporate culture of their company and who will add value. We are a “woman certified” company and represent companies in the Bay Area with most clients being in SF or the Peninsula. My staff is extremely professional and I have a Master’s Degree in Counseling, which has come in handy in helping applicants find jobs thru our services or on their own.
What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
Aqua in San Francisco.
Where is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
The Little Black Dress in Tiburon…have great unusual things and Caroline the owner is great at helping one dress. Must go by appointment as Caroline keeps the door locked… strange but has wonderful things… from head to toe
What do you love most about the Bay Area?
I love the beautiful outdoors..live for good weather and being able to bike and hike
Favorite place to hike or bike? Hike Mt Tam and bike a lot to Tiburon, sometimes, Mill Valley to Corte Madera, to Larkspur and back thru Tiburon..all road biking
Favorite place to take your dog?
I take my dog Harry on hikes all over Marin..he loves it..but gets pretty covered with leaves and dirt..as he is a white cotton and his coat is like Velcro.
Favorite independent bookstore in the Bay Area?
Book Passage
Best place for coffee?
Tully’s but often go to Starbucks as it is close by.
Anything else you would like to share with our readers?
We are a very privileged group of people to live in Paradise, have beauty surrounding us everywhere we go and we must take care of ourselves and our environment and vow to make this a kinder world for all.
Thanks Jane!
Jane’s story about her dog Harry reminded me of one of my favorite children’s books Harry the Dirty Dog. 
Going Green in San Francisco
Posted by: | CommentsWe all know that going green is probably the right thing to do, something we should do but don’t always know how to do. Thanks to Ideal Bite we now have a resource to help us be more green. Ideal Bite shares fun and convenient ideas, tips and advice on how to live more green. I contacted Hanah Snavely, the Ideal Bite San Francisco editor and asked her if she’d be willing to share some of her favorite places and things to do around the Bay Area.
What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
Bar Jules, hands down. Not only is it a block away from my house (I can basically roll there), but the menu changes daily based on what’s in season and available, and the cute, bistro-like atmosphere is always what I’m in the mood for.
Where is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
Crossroads Trading Company on Market Street – whenever the contents of my closet begin to depress me (which happens way more frequently than it should), I gather up the lot and trade it in at CTC for new and previously owned threads, totally guilt free. If I’m feeling a bit more spendy, I hit up Azalea.
Any tips for someone who wants to be eco friendly while visiting the Bay Area?
Don’t be afraid to use our public transportation. While far from perfect, you can absolutely get where you need to go on our trains, buses, and bikes for rent – plus, the experience of the journey will more than likely end up as one of the best stories you tell when you get back home.
San Francisco Muni Bus/Rail. One-way, with a 2-hour transfer: $2.00 – accepts dollar bill and coins; exact change only. Three-day Visitor Passport for Muni bus, rail, and cable car, $18. Where to buy.
First, fuel up on organic coffee at the Blue Bottle alley-kiosk (a must for caffeine junkies) on Linden St., then pop by Azalea to browse organic skincare, tees, jeans, and other edgy, modern threads and Ver Unica for spendy-but-worth-it vintage garb. Lunch at Bar Jules (menu changes daily but all local, sustainable, and delicious), then walk up to Alamo Square Park at Hayes/Steiner St. to snap shots of colorful Victorian homes (the Painted Ladies).
You’re Here, Now What?
Arriving from SFO:
Here, three ways to offset post-jet set without opting for a car rental (which, trust us, you won’t need or want in the city).
Green: Green Cab to downtown, $35-$40.
Greener: Door-to-Door Super Shuttle, $17.
Greenest: BART to downtown SF, up to $5.35 to downtown.
Getting Around the City:
San Francisco Muni Bus/Rail. One-way, with a 2-hour transfer: $2.00 – accepts dollar bill and coins; exact change only. Three-day Visitor Passport for Muni bus, rail, and cable car, $18. Where to buy.
Hanah Snavely’s Bio
Hanah (who feels uncomfortable referring to herself in the third-person) landed a job at Ideal Bite after returning from a self-indulgent post-graduation trip through Central America. Last summer, the timing was right to offset that self-indulgence with a green job at Ideal Bite. After getting her BA in Urban Planning and working for a couple of SF nonprofits, Hanah, who never thought she would get paid to write, loves being able to say, “I get paid to write.” As for her free time, as part of her Biter hazing, Hanah tried yoga, and she found she enjoys it. She also enjoys the word “sustainabling” and talking incessantly about how any day now she’s going to get herself a too-cool fixie to race Toshio to work on.http://www.idealbite.com/about-us/meet-the-team/Hanah-Snavely
Good Indian Food & Great Shopping Deals in San Francisco
Posted by: | CommentsA few weeks ago, Andrea and I went to San Francisco and wandered around the Inner Sunset, my old stomping grounds. I used to live at Irving and 4th (ah the good old days). The neighborhood has changed quite a bit. It has a lot more stores and restaurants. We happened upon an Indian Pakastani restaurant called Naan ‘N’ Curry.
It’s the kind of casual place where you order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. Instead of them handing you a number to take to your table they send you to a numbered table. We went to our assigned table and waited for our food to be delivered. Once the food was delivered we discovered it’s a serve yourself plates and silverware kind of place too. However, I couldn’t find the plates and silverware so I had to ask. They sent me to a little room that looked like a room for employees and told me to get my own plate and silverware, so I did.
Despite the eccentricities of this Naan ‘N’ Curry restaurant, the food was delicious!!! We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Naan, Samosa and I had a Mango Lassi to drink. The Naan (a leavened, falt bread) was fresh and fantastic.
I can’t remember the price right now but I do remember it was very reasonably priced.
After lunch, we walked around a bit and decided to check out some stores. We scored at Crossroads Trading Co. Crossroads sells high quality, hip recycled fashion and some new stuff. I found a great brand new Marc Jacobs wallet for only $15 and Andrea got some cool new clothes. You can find really good deals at Crossroads.
Naan ‘N’ Curry
642 Irving Street
San Francisco, CA
They have three more locations in San Francisco and one in Berkeley.
Crossroads
630 Iriving Street
San Francisco, CA
415.681.0100
Crossroads has many locations in the Bay Area and throughout California. They also have locations in Chicago, Seattle and Portland.
Photo from Naan 'N' Curry Website
Be Glam on a Budget
Posted by: | Comments
Spring cleaning at Diva Eve. Suzanne wearing swapped knit poncho. Photo by Javier Padilla
‘Tis the season for bargain shopping and budgets. With the economy in the state that it is many of us are on tight budgets. However, being on a tight budget doesn’t mean you can’t have cool new clothes! Thanks to Suzanne Agasi of Clothing Swap, Inc. you can get a whole new hip and fashionable wardrobe that fits in your budget.
Click here to find out how clothing swaps work: www.clothingswaps.com/how-it-works
On July 22nd, Suzanne is organizing the big Swap America Tour kick off right here in San Francisco at the Paradise Lounge!
How cool is that?!
“Get rewarded with complimentary Spa Treats, goodie bags and free clothing just for cleaning out your closet.”
All unclaimed items will be donated directly to less fortunate women in need in our community.
Suzanne Agasi says, “Our vision is to spread our message of ‘Fun, Fashion and Philanthropy’ throughout the world. ‘Be good. Be green. Be GLAM!’”
Authors Around the Bay: Patricia Volonakis Davis
Posted by: | CommentsMany authors live in the Bay Area and thanks to all the wonderful local book stores we often get to see authors speak and to meet them in person. Sally Around The Bay is going to start a series of local author interviews to find out their favorite spots in the Bay Area. Our first interview is with Patricia Volonakis Davis (whose book I just finished reading). Patricia wrote the memoir Harlot’s Sauce. It’s a great book about her life in Greece. I got nostalgic while reading the book and pulled out my photo album from my trip to Greece 10 years ago. Greece is such an amazing and beautiful country.
Thanks Patricia for taking the time to answer my questions!
Author Name: Patricia Volonakis Davis
Book: Harlot’s Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greece
What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
Well, since my background is Italian, I’m always looking for good Italian restaurants, and I have to say that there are two that I really love- one is Arriverderci’s in San Rafael, though it’s more Italian-American food than strictly Italian. Nonetheless, every item I’ve ever tried on their menu is excellent, they cook everything as you like, even let me trade my potato side for an extra vegetable side. I also LOVE the waitstaff, (Hello, Glenn, Hello, Danny!) because they are all in some way involved in the arts, and they come over to our table and chat with me about my writing, and so we feel like we’re going to see close friends whenever we eat there. But if you want genuine Italian pizza, the kind with the really thin crust, and all the fresh ingredients on top, you need to go to Benissimo’s in Corte Madera. My husband calls it “Benny and Mo’s”, but he’s a poker player, not an Italian.
Where is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
That is the easiest question to answer- hands down it’s Gioia in downtown San Anselmo. The prices are reasonable, the clothes are different, but trendy/chic, not too way out there, and I love all the shoes!
What do you love most about the Bay Area?
Another easy question. The people. The people make the Bay Area. I think it’s because they genuinely appreciate how stunningly beautiful the area is. And they feel blessed to live here and show it, by hiking in the area, bicycling here, eating here, shopping in the area, and most of all, doing their best to keep it ‘eco-friendly’
Favorite independent bookstores in the Bay Area?
Naturally, I’ll say Book Passage first. That’s because they have been so supportive of me and my writing. They have asked me to do workshops there and they went out of their way to make my book launch wildly successful. I love that they have great conferences and all kinds of artistic events, too. In fact, I’m organizing one really fabulous event for the California Writers Club Marin Branch that’s being held there in October. Some amazing literary names are taking part in that! They are truly a local landmark. I also love Book Depot in Mill Valley, And Booksmith in San Anselmo. In fact, Book Depot in Mill Valley was the first local bookshop I discovered when I moved here. They’ve got a great selection of books for such a small shop. Booksmith’s is one I pass almost every time I’m in downtown San Anselmo, and the owner is so gracious and accommodating.
Do you belong to any local clubs?
I belong to the California Writers Club, both the Marin Branch and the Redwood Branch, and I also belong to the Fairfax Health Club. I get my best writing inspiration from all my friends there, and the trainers are great, too!
Do you have any upcoming events related to Harlot’s Sauce?
Yes- lots! I’m speaking in front of the San Diego Feminist Book Group on July 7, for an event called “Harlots and Feminists”, there is the Instock Conference on July 18, in the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco, where I’ll be hosting a panel, The CWC Marin Centennial Event at Book Passage, The Redwood Writers Conference, and lots more appearances at independent bookshops throughout the state. You can check for updates on my Harlot’s Sauce Fan Page on Facebook, www.booktour.com or on my website at: www.patriciaVdavis.com.
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If you are a local author and would like to be featured on Sally Around The Bay please contact me.
Boutique Shopping Around The Bay
Posted by: | CommentsToday I went shopping and interviewed Joy Sassoon, owner of Gioia’s Boutique. Gioia’s Boutique is located in the charming downtown neighborhood of San Anselmo, CA on the west end of San Anselmo Avenue. Downtown San Anselmo is a friendly, cute, little, tree lined street filled with independently owned shops, restaurants and cafes.
Joy worked in retail for many years and discovered she really liked playing dress up with people and giving fashion advice. Seven years ago she decided to go in to business for herself and opened Gioia. She loves the social aspect of running a boutique. She enjoys meeting people and helping them make the right fashion choices. In fact, today she helped me pick out a new pair of jeans. She knew how to pick the right jeans to fit my body type. I now own a pair of jeans cool enough for my avatar to wear.
Gioia’s Boutique is an eclectic store for women; loved by teenagers all the way to grandmothers. She has something for everyone. (Well according to Joy, “for everyone that doesn’t want dress in cookie cutter fashion”.) Gioia’s Boutique is for the adventurous, individualist, fun, artistic, playful and elegant type of women. Joy describes some of her fashion styles as “simple elegance”. She offers everything from head to toe; semi-formal to jeans, shirts, blouses, pants, shorts, boots, handbags, sandals, jewelry, skirts, dresses and so much more. Many of the items are locally made. The store is decorated with beautiful paintings created by Joy.
Joy loves it when her shop is full of people. She is an extrovert and loves to socialize! She loves helping people put outfits together.
Since San Ansemlo is a small town and Marin County is a fairly small county Joy offers a special service. For all big events in the area (prom, winter formal, fund raising events, etc) she keeps a list of dresses sold for the particular events and only sells one dress style per event. For example, if she sells a prom dress to a girl going to the Drake High School prom she will make note and not sell the same dress to anyone else going to the same Drake High School prom. By doing this she helps to reduce the chance of someone else wearing your dress to the prom. How cool is that?!
Gioia’s store has a mixed price point, she has something for everyone’s taste and budget.
Become a fan of Gioia’s on Facebook to find out about specials and events.
Read more about Joy at Brandhabit.
Yelp reviews about Gioia.
Gioia Boutique
706 San Anselmo Ave
San Anselmo, CA
415-454-7874
