Bell'occhio

My grandma's friend Connie has been telling me about Bell'occhio for two years now. Today I finally made it into the shop. (I have no excuse for not going sooner, sorry Connie!) Now that I've been in, I can't believe it took me so long and that I missed out on taking my mom there during any of her three visits here over the past two years. It's definitely going on my list of places to take her next time she comes in town. I've read about Bell'occhio on blogs and more recently in Victoria, but going in and seeing it for myself was the cherry on top, or I should say, in this case, the cute, tiny crown on top. What a wonderful shop! It feels like a woodland fairy tale where you see something lovely, unique and whimsical in every direction. Here are some pictures from Bell'occhio, which is not to be missed if you live in San Francisco! And if you don't, well, stroll in online--it's the next best thing. Click on the pictures to see them larger.

I love the chandelier when you first walk in. It's covered in leaves, fruit, flowers, ribbon and even a few pretzels (for the birds, I imagine)!

How amazing is this? A thatched roof awning over the door adorned with little birds, and a pretzel! And what a great door with mirrored panes.

I'm telling you, no detail is overlooked here--even the ceiling has its own decorative touch.

Is your curiosity piqued? With a little sign that reads, "open me" how could it not be? You'll find a number of fun and interesting things behind each door you pull.

Mmm, chocolate. I bought some delicious caramels that aren't shown here, but they are great.

A huge roll of red and white striped string--over 4,500 feet of it! And they have it in black and white as well.

Just thought this guy was cute.

They have an incredibly extensive selection of beautiful ribbon.

Would you like your very own Marie Antoinette? You can get one here.

How cool are these? Real wood gift tags. I bought some of the cherry ones.

Now, it's off to eat more caramels from Bell'occhio!