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Tis the Season to Win 12 Days of Giveaways

      This holiday season, SixDoors is giving back in a big way. We’re thrilled to be partnering with local bloggers for our first annual 12 Days of Gifting campaign to support #ShopLocalSF. For 12 days, we’re hosting 12 giveaways across 12 San Francisco tastemakers’ blogs where you can win up to $1200 in prizes to use on SixDoors.

Starting today, head to a different blog each weekday through December 16th and follow the prompts to enter the giveaway. Each blogger will feature her favorite local shops and curated selection of gift items to make your holiday shopping that much easier. Each giveaway is good for $100 shopping credit on the SixDoors app for access to great items from dozens of local stores. You can increase your chances of winning by entering each and every giveaway.

Visit these blogs on the following days and enter to win! Good luck and don’t forget to #ShopLocalSF!

12 Days of Gifting Calendar

Day 1 - GIFTS TO PAMPER A FRIEND

Visit Victoria of SF Girl By Bay on Friday, 11/29 to find perfect gifts for pampering.

Day 2 - GIFTS FOR THE TRENDSETTER

Visit Kelli of Leopard and Lavender on Monday, 12/2 to find stylish, of-the-moment gift ideas.

Day 3 - GIFTS FOR CITY KIDS

Visit Kate of Style Smaller on Tuesday, 12/3 to discover picks for the little ones in your life.

Day 4 - GIFTS FOR THE NEWLYWEDS

Visit Allison of Engaged and Inspired on Wednesday, 12/4 to find gift ideas for your favorite new couple.

Day 5 - HANDMADE GIFTS

Visit Natalie of Coquette on Thursday, 12/5 to find items made lovingly by hand.

Day 6 - GIFTS FOR SAVVY HOSTESS

Visit Melissa of Savvy in San Francisco on Friday, 12/6 to find gems for your favorite in-the-know gal pal.

Day 7 - HOSTESS GIFTS WITH A TWIST

Visit Paul of Urbanite Suburbanite on Monday, 12/9 to find a little something unique for your holiday hostess.

Day 8 - GIFTS FOR THE FOLKSY FOODIE

Visit Ana of Fluxi on Tour on Tuesday, 12/10 for yummy, giftable treats.

Day 9 - GIFTS FOR STYLE SAVVY FAMILIES

Visit Janette of Fashion Loves People on Wednesday, 12/11 for unique gifts for parents and kids.

Day 10 - GIFTS FOR THE FRENCHIE FOODIE

Visit Andi of Misadventures with Andi on Thursday, 12/12 to find great gifts for the Francophile in your life.

Day 11 - GIFTS FOR THE STYLISH GOURMAND

Visit Marcia and Tablehopper’s The Sugar Mama on Friday, 12/13 to find great gifts for your favorite foodie.

Day 12 - GIFTS FOR THE FASHIONISTA

Visit Adelle of Fashionista Lab on Monday, 12/16 to find high style items for you or your favorite fashionista.

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Community Spotlight: San Francisco Modernism and Bay Area Bloggers Happy Hour

We kicked off November with a couple fun and community focused events.

Last Friday, we welcomed North Beach First Fridays with open arms as we co-hosted San Francisco Modernism: Architecture & Design with Michael Murphy at the beautiful JEFF boutique. Friends and neighbors dropped in for wine, cheese and charcuterie from local cheese shop, La Fromagerie while browsing the the unique furniture, textiles, clothing and accessories designed by owners Jeff Oakes and Jeff Gard.

The highlight of the night was an intimate chat led by local artist Michael Murphy on “Forgotten Modernism.” Revelers had an opportunity to view the collection on display in the store and learn about Murphy’s inspiration for the wonderful Modernistic San Francisco pieces.

Earlier this week, we sponsored a Bay Area bloggers happy hour hosted at uber chic coworking space, Makeshift Society. Local bloggers had an opportunity to step out from behind their smartphones and computers to mingle and share ideas. The creative energy was electric as folks got to know one another and traded blogging tips. We were happy to fuel the productivity with wine, decadent macarons from Chantal Guillon and gourmet cheese and charcuterie from La Fromagerie. 

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SixDoors App Update: Birthday Reminder, Easier Navigations and More

After listening to your feedback, we have decided to make things even easier for you all on the SixDoors App.

Here are some of the changes that the latest version will bring you:

Birthday Reminder for those who registered using Facebook

Birthdays are great occasions for you to buy something nice from one of our store partners. If you registered on SixDoors using Facebook connect, you can see the birthdays of all your friends in San Francisco. When their birthday comes, you can get a push notification and choose something nice for our ever changing Birthday Collection or pick something else that would suit her better from the rest of the app! 

Easier navigations with Sub Categories

Now when you tap on a category (say "Thinking of You"), you can see the sub categories and immediately browse items just within this sub category.

If you love browsing long lists of products, you can still find the whole category feed at the bottom .

Improved Search

Search is now more prominent on the top right corner of the app, and allows you to search for specific products, but also categories or sub categories, tags, occasions, etc... making it easier for you to find what you are looking for.

Schedule your delivery when you want in the coming month

Sometimes, you find something you love for somebody, and you would like to deliver later in the month when it's a better time. You can do it!

Buy something today and get it delivered anytime in the next 30 days at the time slot of your choosing. 

You can order something so that next Monday when you are a bit tired after your big presentation, fresh treats arrive at your door to greet you!

Check the new version out here!

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INTERVIEW WITH JANELL PEKKAIN STORE OWNER AT OLIVE THIS OLIVE THAT (IN NOE VALLEY)

What was the inspiration behind opening Olive This Olive That?  It all started with a love of olive oil! We love the history and mythology behind it, and of course we love food. The inspiration for the store design comes from Southern France and Italy at the open markets - fresh, beautiful foods, produce, fresh cut flowers, everyone with their baskets... I wanted a shop that represented that rusticness. A place that’s warm, cozy, neighborly, and like a French market where people want to gather.

Describe a memorable moment you've shared with a customer.  A Japanese-American woman came into the store looking to buy omiyage, gifts for family and friends, to bring with her to Japan. I asked her where she was staying because I lived there for 10 years and I have a friend who has a really cool restaurant in Tokyo. My customer ended up going to my friend’s restaurant, who called me a month or so later telling me that the customer gave my friend olive oil from my store as omiyage. I hadn’t even had a chance to send my Japanese friend my olive oil!

What's your personal favorite item in the store? (current or past)  Before we opened, we did a lot of traveling, tasting, and talking. Mary and I have friends who own a B&B in Arnold, CA, and they introduced us to these local olive oil farmers outside of Jackson. We tasted their olive oils and our jaws dropped - it was so good. We’ve got their olive oil on the shelf and we’re the only people that sell it. Our favorite items have to be the robust Manzanilla and flavorful Frantoio from them.

If you could give one item in your store to someone famous, who would it be and what would you give them?  I’d give the Favalosa to Athena. Zeus asked the gods to present him the most beautiful, special gift and Athena won by creating the olive tree. The Favalosa isn’t planted very often here in California, it’s a very unusual varietal. I hope that she would be proud of us!

What Bay Area icon best describes your shop?  Coit Tower - it’s small, mighty, and significant. It’s a symbol to firefighters (and Mary is a firefighter), it’s in North Beach, and thus has ties to Italy. Symbolically, it’s an original icon of San Francisco, like our store! And it’s on top of Telegraph Hill which used to be the highest (populated) point in San Francisco, so you could see the mail boats coming in the golden gate bay (pre-bridge!), which was key for communication.

If tax dollars from your store could go to one thing in the community, what would it be?  Education and helping high-risk youth. Through The Art of Yoga Project, I used to teach yoga to girls in the California juvenile justice system, and I strongly support the Old Skool Cafe for helping high-risk youth. I know Mary would also love to contribute to the elderly.

Bonus Question: If I gave you an elephant what would you do with it?  I’d paint a big, beautiful Olive This Olive That logo on both sides of his belly, dress myself up in a beautiful costume with a huge headdress, and roam around town sending people to my shop!

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Community Spotlight: Urban Air Market and SF FallFest

It was a chilly weekend but we had a great time at two local events last Saturday.

At the Urban Air Market on Lower Haight, we rubbed shoulders with local designers and hobnobbed with talented artisans selling their chic wares. Rings and rubber duckies were flying as attendees took a stab at the ring toss and pluck a duck carnival games at the SixDoors table. We were thrilled to give away so many prizes! If you missed out, you’re in luck since all the prizes are available on the SixDoors app.

Across town, temperatures were a little warmer at San Francisco Magazine’s FallFest 2013 at Justin Herman Plaza. The best local restaurateurs, winemakers and mixologists came out for the premiere food and drink event of the season celebrating local and sustainable markets. The SixDoors table showcased various gifts available on the app and also became the place to take a breather from the generous tastings. Guests took turns spinning the SixDoors prize wheel and playing the Price is Right. People were given the opportunity to win the FallFest gift by guessing the total value of the basket. With items like a type.lites candle, Moleskin notebook and basil garlic pappardelle, this one was coveted prize pack!

One lucky local, Jessica Roth, won the entire FallFest gift basket with her winning entry of $111 (total value was $113.) Congratulations, Jessica!

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"San Francisco itself is art, above all literary art. Every block is a short story, every hill a novel." - William Saroyan

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SixDoors on every corner this weekend

This Saturday SixDoors will be at not one, but two of the biggest events happening in San Francisco to signify the end of summer and our transition to fall.

Joining hundreds of local designers and artisans, we'll have a booth in Lower Haight at the Urban Air Market. Surrounded by amazing goods for sale, you'll have a chance to shop till you drop, then save what's left in your wallet by entering for FREE to win great items from SF's best local stores.

Join us for Ring Toss and Pluck a Duck, two world-famous carnival games. Try your luck to win Retro Game Case for iPhones or the Insulated Brown Paper Bag, perfect for the last of our Indian summer days.

But for those of you who prefer to spend your Saturdays being classy, you can also join us at the San Francisco Magazine Fall Fest. Held outside at Justin Hermin Plaza, Fall Fest is the premier event where restaurateurs, winemakers, mixologists, and epicurean artisans join together for an inspiring day of premier wine and food tasting, chef demonstrations, a DIY cocktail station, and panel discussions, highlighting our greatest local purveyors. 

  We're excited to join the local artisans and makers at each of these events, and we hope to see you all there to support our community and the creative individuals who inspire us all.

  We'll see you out there, enjoying this beautiful city we all call home.

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Six Great Wineries To Hang Out in Napa

With this hot weekend coming up and the new Bay Bridge to cross and discover, Napa is on our mind this week.

As we are often asked what are the nice wineries to visit by our friends, here are the six we love. I am not sure the wine is the best, but if you care about the atmosphere, the view and the architecture then go visit them.

SixDoors will soon enough carry good wines anyway ;-)

After one hour drive from San Francisco, Domaine Carneros, in the south, is a good first stop for the Champagne and great view.

Not far away from Domaine Carneros, Artesa has our favorite 360 views of Napa. Our founder likes it so much that he has a gigantic photo of the view in his apartment.

  Up north on the main highway (29) in Rutherford, Alpha Omega is a great place to hang out outside in their lounge area. Some good wines (we like the white there), and a very relaxing setting.

Not far away, stop at Merryvale Winery: they have a gorgeous cask room, and a cute little shop.

Not too far from Merryvale, on Silverado Trail is Duckhorn with great (yet expensive) wine, and an amazing feeling, walking outside among the grapes.

On the way back to the city, for the Architecture Digest fans, Paraduxx blends well modern architecture and fine woods and marks our last stop of the day.

      Have a safe trip!

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New Bay Bridge: a piece of beauty

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Interview with Laura James, Store Owner at Ruby (in the Mission)

What was the inspiration behind opening Ruby?  I opened Ruby because I’m a crafty person, a maker of small things. I wanted to sell my own stuff, and I had a lot of friends in the same boat. I wanted to make it a local artist’s store. We believe in brick and mortar. We believe in artists being able to make a living in San Francisco. That’s what drives us.

What’s your personal favorite item in the store? (current or past)  Maude O was a line of clothing and accessories that had the cutest embroidery on them. [The gal who ran it] also immortalized my pug, Ruby (the inspiration of the store name) on a purse. There were only a few made and the people who got them were absurdly happy about it.

People may be surprised to know that...  I’m something of a drink geek. I concoct all kind of cocktail mixers, syrups, bitters... anything you can use to make a drink. I have pots and bottles infusing and steeping all over my studio apartment. I’m coming out with my own line of kits for making shrubs and bitters and the like soon.

What’s your favorite secret spot in SF?  Picking blackberries in Crocker Amazon park.

Describe a memorable moment you’ve shared with a customer.  Opening the store in the evening so a guy could come by after work to pick out an engagement ring for his girlfriend.

Favorite _____ in SF  Sight: every morning I walk outside to see what Sutro Tower looks like that day Smell: bacon wrapped hot dogs on Mission Street Sound: the monthly Critical Mass ride - it’s a great cacophony of music and bicycle bells Touch: a coffee in one hand, a Dynamo Donut in the other 

Insider Tip: Check out Laura’s blog at www.culturedsf.com

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SixDoors In Store Events : Let The Music Play

SixDoors is all about helping you discover interesting products and people in your San Francisco Community.  After launching our first of a series of in-store events at our store partner A&G Merch in the Castro yesterday, we are heading towards the Mission and the Valencia Corridor next Tuesday at Dijitalfix. 

Of course... you are invited!

If you love music and always wanted to try being a DJ, Tuesday is your day. Mix up your week and experience something new. Come learn all about basic mixing techniques and the ins and outs of being a DJ from professional DJ Nancy Liaw.

As you enjoy the music, meet locals with shared interests and browse DijitalFix’s uber cool selection of turntables and other merchandise. Light snacks and beverages will be provided. Don’t forget to stop in at DijitalFix’s custom built photobooth---free when you download the SixDoors app.

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SixDoors and Urban Air Market: Carnival Games at Patricia’s Green in Hayes Valley

While the weather outside is still fantastic, we’ve decided to partner with Urban Air Market for their Hayes Valley Market day this Sunday, September 15th from 11am-5pm.

The Urban Air Market is a carnival of an event, with hundreds of designers selling wares ranging from handmade jewelry to clothes and accessories. In the air of supporting local, we at SixDoors are joining the fun, but since we’re not makers in our own right, we’re bringing you a chance to play some games and win awesome products if you need a break from serious shopping.

Join us in Hayes Valley Park for the SixDoors Local Fare Carnival. Toss the ring on the bottle or choose matching duckies to win prizes from our local store partners. The more you show your support for SixDoors and local stores, the more chances you have to win!

  URBAN AIR MARKET is a curated marketplace for sustainable design featuring 150 independent designers of men’s, women’s, and kid’s clothing, accessories, jewelry and home décor. Participating designers are selected based on their quality, originality, cleverness, and method of sustainability in design.

Want to find us? SixDoors will be here:

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SixDoors Latest Version: A New Way to Discover Unique Items In Your City

It’s already been one month since we launched SixDoors to the public. Since then, you've provided us with a huge amount of feedback about how to improve the app so you can find the best local items that are relevant to you. A new update to the SixDoors App was released yesterday with two major improvements that we think you'll love.

First, our item categories are now at the top of the feed, making navigation easier so you can find items you care about faster.

Most exciting though, we'd like to introduce to you the SixDoors Collections. Collections give you sets of items that fit within a theme so you can browse great items that are more relevant to what you need. Soon our collections will be even more special because we'll have featured collections with only six items each, curated with the help of our professional design and fashion experts.

If you have any comments or things you would like, share them here or email us at contact at sixdoors.com. Thank you again!

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Store Spotlight: Viracocha

We sat down with Viracocha's owner, Jonathan Siegel, to learn about his inspiration behind opening the store, his personal favorite item, and what one album would capture the essence of the store. As it turns out, love and good intention outweigh the importance of cash flow in this capital of art and creativity.

What was the inspiration behind opening Viracocha?

In a very small nutshell, the inspiration was other’s people’s talents and feeling like they should have a home. It all started with a SkyMall magazine one day. Out of all of the things in this catalog there were like 2 items I thought were interesting. The same thing would happen when I’d walk around New York City and I thought it’d be cool to create a boutique and highlight the “best of” of all the things that I found. After moving to San Francisco to explore photography, someone suggested I open a gallery but the pretentious white-walled thing never appealed to me. Taking the boutique idea and blending it with the gallery idea was the genesis for what this place is. Through meeting poets, musicians, jewelry designers, painters, sculptors, and other artistic types, I wanted to create a space where we could all get together and showcase not only what we do in the artistic performance world, but also showcase our goods that we make. If we all work together maybe we won’t have to focus on working for someone else in the 9-5 job.

Describe a memorable moment you’ve shared with a customer.

The most moving moments are the ones that who are affected by the space itself and who visit often. The ones who stop by weekly, who always return with a friend or visiting family member, the ones who view the store as more than just a place of commerce, but of wonder and escape.

What’s your personal favorite item in the store? (current or past) 

I was 11 years old when I purchased my first antique art piece. It was a painted wood carving with a Japanese garden scene of a woman and her daughter, made in 1932. I was always fascinated with Japanese culture and I held onto it for my entire life. I had it on the wall of the store mainly because we didn’t have enough to fill the space when we first got here, but my theory was always “everything is for sale, there’s nothing that’s off-limits”. This was more of an experiment for me than a business. It was a way to dispense with sentimentality and to release a connection with physical objects. None of this stuff really means anything to me; what matters most to me is connections with people that I love and friends and sharing that time. It was a significant piece to let go of, but like all things here, all this stuff is just luxury items.

If you could give one item in your store to someone famous, which item would it be and who would you give it to?

The photograph that we have upstairs by a friend of ours, Steven Grey, it’s the juxtaposition of the word “fame” spray painted above a “No Parking” sign. I would give it to Andy Warhol because I feel like he might have gotten a kick out of it.

If you could capture the essence of your store to someone through music alone, what one album would you play them?

The Glittersnatch Live Album. It was recorded here. 3 of the most fantastic women I have ever known. The beauty of their voices are beyond description. The sincerity of their songwriting, impeccable instrumentation, overlaying harmonies... intricate and arrestingly powerful. It was a memorable night of celebration: friends, family, laughter, tears, birthday wishes, musical dedications, hugs and goodbyes. It all made sense that night.

If tax dollars from your store could go to one thing in the community, what would it be? 

Education is the main thing. If you give everyone the ability to learn, they learn how to talk to themselves. I think that’s the problem with most of the violence that happens. If you can’t even talk to yourself, if you have no vocabulary to express yourself or what you’re going through, the frustration and anger that builds up creates the disharmony you have with others, and then you end up turning to your fists as opposed to turning to your voice. If we can teach children to talk to each other, that would alleviate a lot of other problems down the road.

[6D editor’s note: They have a book lending program called Ourshelves. Participate, volunteer, or learn more at ourshelves.org/blog.]

Bonus Question: If I gave you an elephant what would you do with it?

Take it to city hall, because there’s always an elephant in the room that never gets expressed. By physically putting one in their face, it’s there, it’s undeniable, they’ll have to face it.

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It's an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city and possess all the attractions of the next world.

Oscar Wilde

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Reason #1 to Shop Local: Support Community

Stacy Mitchell is a researcher and writer at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). Mitchell’s research has demonstrated that we’re seven times more likely to have a conversation at a farmer’s market than at a big box store. Communities that have a lot of locally owned businesses have stronger social networks, and these networks in turn give them an edge when it comes to problem solving and innovating. It is very much possible to bring the small town approach to a big city, and it starts with where you shop.

For every $100 you spend at a locally owned business, $68 stays in the community. With a big box chain store, this number drops to $43. And out-of-state online sellers who don't collect sales tax are virtually a total drain on the local economy. SFLOMA, the San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance, found that “a 10% shift in consumer spending from chains and Internet to locally owned retail, would create nearly 1300 new jobs and over $190 million in increased economic output for San Francisco.” In addition, local business owners are more prone to invest in the community, because they’re more likely to stick around for the long haul. When you’re invested in your community, you start to see others less like strangers and more like family.

So spend your hard-earned money here because it will stay here, supporting locally owned businesses, city neighborhoods and services, and enhancing the quality of life in San Francisco.

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Neighborhood Spotlight: Hayes Valley

History

Believe it or not, Hayes Valley was once home to the Ohlone Indians and Hayes Creek. Many years later it had a freeway overpass running through it which, thankfully, in 2005 became transformed into tree-lined Octavia Boulevard. There you'll find Patricia's Green, named for Patricia Walkup, a local activist who fought against neighborhood crime and was a big part of the reason that ugly freeway came down.

An education and research project with a focus on urban agriculture, Hayes Valley Farm was an interim-use agreement with the city that allowed organizers to temporarily use the land to build community and raise awareness about growing local food. In June 2013, Hayes Valley Farm hit their deadline and was forced to shut down to make way for a construction project in the works: 182 units of semi-luxury condos. Sad though it may seem, the more housing we have in San Francisco the better as demand seems to outweigh supply. But tree huggers don't fret! The organizers have moved many components of the farm - the bees, the little red schoolhouse, the greenhouse- to another interim-use location: The Bee Farm (3299 San Bruno Ave) near Candlestick Park.

Our Favorite Store

We couldn't choose between our two favorite stores: Fiddlesticks and Azil Boutique. (Both of which happen to be our store partners! Ok, clearly we're a little biased here...) 

Left: Fiddlesticks | 540 Hayes Street | Category: Kids 

Right: Azil Boutique | 451 Hayes Street | Category: Jewelry & Accessories

Our Favorite Place to Read, Write, and Catch Up with Friends

Arlequin Cafe | 384 Hayes Street | Coffee, House Made Pastries, Sandwiches, Salads, Soups, & Sides. We'd recommend trying one of the Seasonal Brioche Donuts if you're in the mood for sweet, and the Baked Mac 'n' Cheese if you're looking for savory. The back patio is spectacular on a sunny day!