DailyCandy San Francisco

Limited-Edition Jeffrey Campbell for Convert

2012-02-13T11:30:00Z

A Vegan Shoe Line from the Master Himself

We’ve bowed to the altar of Madonna for years, but sometimes even the best need a boost. (Case in point: calling in the young guns to put some pep in Madge’s step.)

The best way to express yourself? Don’t hate — collaborate.

In that vein, designer Jeffrey Campbell and eco boutique Convert team up to answer our footwear prayers with a fetching line of vegan shoes. Imagine Campbell’s playful silhouettes and prints in animal- and environment-friendly materials, then prepare for cruelty-free foot envy.

Though red hopi All Caps and Martini flats take you chicly through winter, our favorite styles are those bound for spring break holidays. The faux snakeskin Azores with braided jute begs for a jaunt to Baja. Feel the Miami heat in Glide’s chevron top and architecturally marvelous wood heel or cherish sweet Regina’s woven wedge en route to wine country.

It’s some fancy footwork.

Available at Convert, 1809 4th Street, between Hearst Avenue and Delaware Street, suite b (510-649-9759 or convertstyle.com), $107-$199.

Photo: Courtesy of Convert

Heart Parts Eating Utensils

2012-02-13T09:00:00Z

Sweet Tools Meant for Sharing

Dear Cupid,

My only complaint about my beau is that he hogs the grub when we go splitsville. How can I make sure I get my fair share of mac ’n’ cheese?

Yours,
Starving in SF

’Sup Starving,

The answer is simple: Become a heartbreaker with Heart Parts eating utensils.

The florescent, palm-size tools are meant to be cracked in half, then used to stab, scoop, or even cut your nosh of choice. Product designer Fatima Fazal created them to bring the love back to sharing a meal.

Heart Parts come in boxes of ten, so they’re great for parties. Because they’re dishwasher safe, made with 66 percent less plastic than similar wares, and are completely biodegradable, you can enjoy your supper without guilt.

Even if you’re fed up with him, at least you’ll be properly fed.

Xo,
The Guy with the Arrow

Available online at iheart-this.com, $10.

Photo: Courtesy of Heart Parts

Spring 2012 Hair Trends

2012-02-13T07:00:00Z

Spring 2012 Beauty Trends

2012-02-13T07:00:00Z

Jen Pearson's Firestarter Kit

2012-02-10T11:30:00Z

Lost Love Goes Up in Smoke

They say love is a burning flame. But love gone wrong can make you take a torch to someone’s you-know-what.

Opt for a controlled burn (and avoid a prison sentence) with industrial designer Jen Pearson’s firestarter kit.

Her efficient yet handsome home designs, including terrariums, a love letter kit (blasphemy), and popular apothecary matchstick bottle, smolder with recycled and sustainable materials.

The firestarter kit goes a step further, with harvested materials (locally gathered pine and needles, sap from Sonoma) and fifteen matches piled in a glass test tube. Mound each element as it appears in the bottle and light ’er up; just add the appropriate fuel (forlorn photos, letters, a lock of hair) and relish as lovesick mementos go up in smoke.

The quaint bottled kit is as appropriate on your mantel as in the back woods.

Pine no more.

Available at Rare Device, 1845 Market Street, at Guerrero Street (415-863-3969 or raredevice.net); Magpie & Rye, 262 Divisadero Street, between Haight and Page Streets (415-701-8701), $16. See more online at jenpearsondesigns.com.

Photo: Nathan Bluestone / Courtesy of Jen Pearson Designs


	Keep reading for more anti-Valentine’s Day essentials that put flowers to shame.

(Not So) Bitter, Party of One

2012-02-10T08:00:00Z

Spring 2012 Trends: Stripes

2012-02-10T07:00:00Z

The Weekend Guide

2012-02-09T11:30:00Z

San Francisco Events and Diversions

We ain’t nothin’ but mammals.

VISIT
“Animal Attraction” NightLife
What: Learn the real business behind the birds and the bees from an aquarium gallery the California Academy of Sciences has dedicated to the art of mating, including the science of the orgasm, the sex life of frogs, and vibrators past and present (courtesy of Good Vibrations).
Why: It’s sexy time.
When: Tonight, 6-10 p.m.
Where: 55 Music Concourse Dr., Golden Gate Park (415-379-8000). Tickets ($12) online at calacademy.org.

GROOVE
Hearts After Dark
What: Dance under the stars at AT&T Park with cocktails, ballpark-inspired hors d’oeuvres, and the deejaying chops of multitalented celebrity chef Hubert Keller.
Why: Proceeds support vital programs at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
When: Tonight, 7-10 p.m.
Where: 24 Willie Mays Plz., b/t 2nd & 3rd Sts. (415-972-1800). Tickets ($75) online at tickets.com.

PRIMP
Sex Kitten Makeup Class
What: Gussy yourself up with the lovely ladies of Fox & Doll, who show you the way to a classic cat eye and smooch-worthy red lip (just in time for date night), plus offer a how-to and product recommendations for re-creating the look at home.
Why: In addition to newfound skills, take away a makeup goodie bag (worth $25).
When: Tonight, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Where: Workshop, 1798 McAllister St., at Baker St. (415-874-9186). Tickets ($56) online at etix.com.

SHOP
Valentine’s Day Trunk Show at Rare Device
What: Three of our favorite locals — Sidesaddle Kitchen, Elizabeth Street Cosmetics, and Noteify — team up to give you a heart-filled evening.
Why: Vegan treats, lip service, and noteworthy gifts (respectively).
When: Sat., noon-3 p.m.
Where: 1845 Market St., at Guerrero St. (415-863-3969).

LISTEN
Under the Covers
What: Take a mix dedicated to the Under the Covers theme (in cassette, CD, or USB form) to the SF Mixtape Society’s Valentine’s party for the chance to win prize packages from SFMOMA, Matador Records, Four Barrel, and the like.
Why: Swap songs — and maybe a little spit.
When: Sun., 4-6 p.m.
Where: Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St., b/t Valencia & Mission Sts. (415-647-2888).

EAT
The Alps: Chamonix and Beyond
What: The Page and Fondue Cowboy join forces for unlimited helpings of fondues and French bière de garde at this innovative SF Beer Week event.
Why: Beer. Cheese. Heaven.
When: Mon., 6-8 p.m.
Where: The Page, 298 Divisadero St., at Page St. (415-255-6101). Tickets ($30) at The Page.

Photo: Courtesy of California Academy of Sciences

The Weekend Guide

2012-02-09T09:00:00Z

Online Finds, Fashions, and Fodder

V-Day isn’t just for lovers.

EAT
Cakeslider Creations
What: Redefined push-up pops ($22 for a basket of four) layered with cake and frosting. Treat yourself to inspired flavors (French toast, latte, Double Fudge Diamond) that arrive in festive packaging and allow you to (finally) eat cake hands free.
Why: They’re utterly moist. Yeah, we said it.
Where: Online at cakeslidercreations.com.

WEAR
Milly for Sperry
What: All aboard. The NY-based designer brings her colorful, playful prints to the famous Top-Sider brand ($90-$225).
Why: Vibrant patent leather yellow flats or navy wedges, as well as rose-print, laceless canvas sneakers.
Where: Online at sperrytopsider.com.

COLLECT
The Good Machinery Animal Figurines
What: We’re wild about the collectibles ($59-$69) painted by an Italian artist. Gift them to others or stash them in nooks and crannies for a splash of color.
Why: A howling silver wolf, hippo with fuchsia polka dots, and lion in magenta and gold are just part of the herd.
Where: Online at etsy.com.

SUPPORT
Spanx Lace Bra-llelujah
What: The best boulder holder ($68) in the world just got sexy. It smooths your back and lifts the ladies the same as before, but now with lace cups (in nude or black).
Why: The bra may have had a little work done; you’ll just look like you did.
Where: Online at spanx.com.

SWEAT
Electric Yoga Sportswear
What: French-born tanks, stretch pants, and zip-ups ($24-$198) from Bisou Bisou designer-turned-master yogi Michele Bohbot.
Why: Neon colors activate specified chakras. Light-as-air bubble coats pack down into mini carrying cases and use your own body heat to keep you toasty.
Where: Online at electric-yoga.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Cakeslider Creations

The Oyster Girls Deliver Little Shuckers

2012-02-08T11:30:00Z

Sisterhood of the Traveling Bivalve Bar

Just in time for an aphrodisiac-filled evening, we present The Oyster Girls.

Owners (and sisters) Aluxa and Jazmine Lalicker are the team behind the Tomales Bay-based bivalve bar on wheels.

They work directly with local oyster farmers to bring you shellfish harvested within 24 hours. Open wide for popular Miyagis or Golden Nuggets (their favorite), dubbed “designer oysters” for their deep cups and plump bodies.

Hire the little shuckers to set up a full bar at your next soiree. They provide tables, linens, even special sauces, and work in white coats (black-tie wedding) or festive garb (from bachelor parties to New Year’s, they’re game) depending on the party.

Dive in with the girls’ new beach social: Cruise through oyster beds on kayaks or paddleboards with 20 to 30 friends. Take your bounty ashore, then get your catch BBQed or on the rocks.

Or both — who gives a shuck?

The Oyster Girls (707-694-3755 or theoystergirls.com).

Photo: Courtesy of The Oyster Girls

New and Noteworthy: Reading Notes Book Inserts

2012-02-08T09:00:00Z

A Cure for Digital Fatigue

Patient Name: E. Post

Symptoms: Digital fatigue. Indecipherable shorthand. Attempts to touch-screen activate all shiny surfaces within reach.

Diagnosis: Pen-to-paper withdrawal.

Treatment: Reading Notes palm-size notebooks.

Modeled after old-fashioned library cards, the self-adhering pamphlets stick to the insides of book covers, ensuring they’ll never be lost, forgotten, or deleted in the wake of a Words with Friends bender. The mini journals can lend clarity to random margin scrawlings, gravity to tawdry beach reads, and relief to texting thumbs.

Front and back flaps cover the basics (where the book was read, a one-to-five-star rating system). Thirty-two tiny pages can be filled with any other ramblings, rants, or rave reviews that are too private to share on a Twitter feed, Tumblr post, or Facebook page.

Dosage: Whenever it feels novel.

Available online at pleasetakenotes.com, $16 for three.

Photo: Matthew Latkiewicz / Courtesy of Reading Notes

Spring 2012 Trends: Into the Ocean

2012-02-08T07:00:00Z

Spring 2012 Trends: Metallics

2012-02-08T07:00:00Z

2012 SF Valentine's Day Gift Guide

2012-02-07T11:30:00Z

Give Him/Her That Loving Feeling

Roses are red but so unoriginal.
Here are some gifts for those not so single.

Remède Spa’s candlelit massage with four hands, not two,
Is double the pleasure for you and your boo.

Pen sweet nothings on pooch-approved cards,
Or leave your heart in SF — it isn’t that hard.

She’s the sweetest, so gift her right,
With candy necklaces (nary a calorie in sight).

Give him your heart and let love grow,
Or wear it on a tote wherever you go.

Feel punch-drunk love with Leafcutter’s box.
Or fall head over heels at a cottage on the rocks.

If you’re sucking face one week from tonight,
Make sure you’re prepared with a kit from Type.lites.

We’ve also got options for folks going solo,
Like True Romance at Jasper’s for Monday night’s show.

Meet new friends at Archimedes Banya,
Coed bathing, scrub downs, and get whacked with some platza.

Demand affection with a case from a Dodo.
Or make a date with a yenta — you just never know.

Read on for more Valentine’s Day ideas that make us weak in the knees.

Photo: Courtesy of Fat Bunny Press

Valentine's Day Heart Stealers

2012-02-07T06:30:00Z

Argoz Socks Launches

2012-02-06T11:30:00Z

Get on the Good Foot

Argyle: no longer relegated to Grandpa, terrible pajamas, and baby sweater vests.

Argoz puts a sock in subtle with a newly launched line dedicated to dandifying your feet.

Punch up cropped trousers or add schoolgirl sass to skirts with calf- and knee-high styles made from comfy cotton and a healthy dose of stretch. Sixteen color combos beg for attention: Pastel Arthur pairs nicely with flats, go with bold SoMa and your skivvies, or tap into the tangerine trend with Tomato Bisque or Happy Hour’s dead-on hues.

Don’t be afraid to mix it up — in fact, disparity is encouraged by the company’s catchphrase “Rockin’ the Stevens,” heralding mismatched but coordinated socks. Pairs marked with an S reverse to a corresponding set with the opposite base and diamond colors for eccentric fashion only an ankle could pull off.

So shake a leg.

Available online at argoz.com, $15-$18.

Photo: Courtesy of Argoz

Painted Shoes with Sole

2012-02-06T09:00:00Z

The Office of Angela Scott Footwear

From the OkCupider who stood you up for bocce (classic body snatch) to your go-to brow lady (who’s also “kinda psychic”), everybody’s got a story.

A tale actually worth spreading? That of The Office of Angela Scott.

This week the designer launches an online boutique full of Italian-crafted shoes with personae as colorful as their painted uppers and soles.

Mrs. and Mr. Smith (her, a proper heel; him, a flat oxford) are a traditional-looking pair — until you read into their flaming pink stripes.

Prim Miss Wright lace-ups and Mrs. Seymour saddle shoes tell a saucier saga than their traditional counterparts, and Mr. Oliver equestrian boots are finished in quirky canvas. (Here’s hoping the red, white, and blue Americana edition becomes a permanent fixture.)

Whatever she’s selling, we’re buying.

Available online at theofficeofangelascott.com, $350-$825.

Photo: Jessica Watts / Courtesy of The Office of Angela Scott

Tamalpie Pizza Opens

2012-02-03T11:30:00Z

Neapolitan Pies in Mill Valley

After an ass-kicking hike up Mount Tamalpais, it’s time to rebalance (i.e., fill those rediscovered glutes with something cheesy).

Cruise down to Tamalpie Pizza, now open in Mill Valley.

Architect Cass Calder Smith played with modern rusticity in the flexible floor plan, where pops of red punctuate reclaimed wood, concrete, and steel. Valet your wheels (bike wheels, that is) come spring for a midbike slice at the stand-up tables; teak tabletops (reclaimed from the tsunami) slide on steel I beams for convertible grouping options. Cozy up to the fireside lounge with gelato pie.

Local produce dominates the menu, consulted on by Chez Panisse chef Luke Wetzel. Recall your workout with Neapolitan pizzas named after trailheads, like the Maytag (broccoli rabe, smoked mozzarella, chili oil) or Blithedale Canyon (prosciutto, mozzarella, Parmesan, arugula).

Three-day dough proofing keeps the crust crunchy, chewy, and flavorful.

Any less? Take a hike.

Tamalpie Pizza, 475 Miller Avenue, at Valley Circle (415-388-7437 or tamalpiepizza.com). Lunch only until February 8.

Photo: Schuyler Bailey / DailyCandy

Screen Play: February's Must-See Movies

2012-02-03T08:30:00Z

The Weekend Guide

2012-02-02T11:30:00Z

San Francisco Events and Diversions

Love bites.

ENGAGE
Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler: Why We Broke Up
What: The illustrator/author duo visit City Arts & Lectures to discuss their new illustrated novel about a teen romance gone sour.
Why: Divulge your own tragic, hilarious, or just plain scary breakup tale at The Why We Broke Up Project.
When: Tomorrow, 8 p.m.
Where: Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., at McAllister St. (415-621-6600). Tickets ($22-$27) online at cityboxoffice.com.

WATCH
The Dark Crystal 30th Anniversary Celebration
What: Revisit your childhood nightmares at a screening of Jim Henson’s early-’80s puppet masterpiece, plus a prescreening intro and behind-the-scenes tidbits from master puppeteer Dave Goelz.
Why: Face your demons (a.k.a. the Skeksis).
When: Sat., 11 a.m.
Where: The Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., b/t 17th & 18th Sts. (415-621-6120). Tickets ($10) online at ticketweb.com.

PARTY
11th Annual Wine and Wishes
What: Try samples from more than 50 restaurants (Trace, The Slanted Door) and wineries (Cakebread Cellars, Testarossa) at the food and wine tasting; or go big with the winemaker dinner of four courses from nine Bay Area chefs (Roland Passot of La Folie, Matt Masera of Wayfare Tavern), paired wines, and a live auction.
Why: Be a glutton for charity — proceeds benefit the Greater Bay Area Make-a-Wish Foundation.
When: Sat. Tasting, 5-7:30 p.m.; winemaker dinner, 7:30-11 p.m.
Where: City View at Metreon, 101 4th St., at Mission St. Info at 415-982-9474. Tickets ($150-$1,000) online at kintera.org.

CHEER
Kick-Off Party at Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen
What: Head downtown to cheer on your favorites with team-inspired cocktails (the New York and Foxboro sours), a tailgate-appropriate menu (pulled pork sliders, chicken wings, and mini corn dogs), four flat-screens, and prizes all game long.
Why: The first twenty people in the door have a chance to win big.
When: Sun., 2:30 p.m.
Where: 401 Taylor St., at O’Farrell St. (415-775-7979).

Game Day at Chaya Brasserie
What: Change up your Super Bowl routine with happy hour sushi (eel and cucumber roll, salmon skin roll for $5.50), small bites (meatloaf sliders, spiced lamb meatballs for $8), and drink specials ($3 beers, $5 margaritas).
Why: Plentiful big screens and giveaways (gift cards up to $100) every quarter.
When: Sun., 2:30 p.m.
Where: 132 The Embarcadero, b/t Mission & Howard Sts. (415-777-8688).

DRINK
Speed Tasting Hosted by Hip Tastes
What: Meet your match over a glass at this speed dating/wine tasting event. Ten strangers, five minutes each, five pours.
Why: At the very least, drink some decent vino.
When: Wed., 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Press Club, 20 Yerba Buena Ln., b/t Mission & Market Sts. (415-744-5000). Tickets ($50) online at eventbrite.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers