SAN FRANCISCO'S BEST OF THE BAY 2014

"Here," I said, as I passed Alexandra the mail on Saturday afternoon. See if you can find the shop in here. We might be in it. "

Whatever Alexandra said out loud was lost on me, because then she turned the magazine around and under the huge letters that spell STYLE is a full page photo of me in the gallery in a 1950s petticoat and my great aunt's stone martens next to mannequin legs in the gallery, my gallery. GASP!

It's a photo my dear friend Maddie of Eyes And Hart Photography took of me before the store officially opened. Maddie agreed to take photos of me and my "shop cat" who was so scared he never wanted to come back to the store (seriously) in the space with dresses and art, just for fun. One of me on the gallery became the homepage image, and one of my hands holding the coffee cup is now on the Coffee Project page. The photo wasn't properly attributed to her because of how I had poorly shared it in a gallery, sadly, especially because it's such a fantastic signature Maddie photo. So I'm letting Everyone know this work is Maddie's! MADDIE all. HART AND SOL.

Aside from this huge and amazing photo that I wasn't expecting to see, San Francisco Magazine wrote this gorgeous little writeup on the space:

CREATIVE CLUBHOUSE

CONCEPT SHOP Is Electric Blanket a vintage shop? A gallery? An antique store? A coffee cart? The brainchild of artist Jillian West, it's gleefully, defiantly all those things. West started with a honed collection of retro dresses, heels, and men's button-downs, then topped it off with flea market finds from her travels through Amsterdam, Berlin, and Paris, including hardcover books and antique glassware. She fabricated the shop's furniture herself, from the hairdresser's station turned coffee cart to the barn-wood table. The coffee, by L.A.'s Handsome Coffee, is both a pick-me-up and a social lure. "I wanted a reason for people to come hang out at the bar," West says. The attached gallery showcases her vintage-inspired collage art and crowdsourced installation pieces. This summer, Electric Blanket kicks off a performance series featuring readings, storytelling events, music, and film screenings. 

To say that I'm honored, or that I'm shocked we're here in the Best of the Bay issue of our city's magazine five months after opening - is a massive understatement. This is pretty much the highlight of this shopkeeper's career, and one I thought would take years to achieve, if ever. 

SO, YAY, and thanks San Francisco Magazine for noticing this colorful art project...

"...GLEEFULLY, DEFIANTLY ALL THOSE THINGS."