Beautiful Bamboo

Have you heard about the beauty of bamboo? Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world, and for that reason makes a great building material because it renews itself at such a fast rate. Some species can grow as much as three to four feet a day or one to two inches an hour! This is due to a unique rhizome-dependent system, but growth is highly dependent on local soil and climate conditions.

Now you can buy "green" by purchasing furniture made of bamboo. We are fortunate to offer two pieces made of handcrafted bamboo we think you'll love: the unique chair and ottoman reminiscent of Charles and Ray Eames of the 1940's, or our spiffy end table.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

You Can Stay in Style

LeeQuen Lounge - Designed by award-winning

San Francisco industrial and furniture designer Rick Lee and

his wife, nationally-renowned couturière Colleen Quen.

We've stayed at the Kensington Park Hotel in San Francisco several times now. Its location is ideal for our needs, but we've always had a yen to try out some of the other Personality Hotels. Hotel Diva, is one of the more flamboyant, artsy members of the San Francisco boutique hotel company Personality Hotels.

Personality Hotels’ President and CEO Yvonne Lembi-Detert recently hand-selected four top San Francisco designers and asked them to create their own unique vision of a great lounge. “When Hotel Diva opened in 1985, it broke the mold for hotel design, and after two decades it is still at the creative forefront,” says Lembi-Detert. “I personally chose designers that I trusted to further the innovative expression of the hotel, while continuing to offer the warmth and hospitable comfort our guests expect.”

From skateboards lining the walls to a couture dress suspended from the ceiling, each lounge has its own unique style and personality. All of the lounges are open 24-hours a day and offer complimentary use of iMac computers. These perfect little spots offer Hotel Diva guests an inspirational space for brainstorming, meeting with a friend or colleague, checking emails or simply unwinding after a long day.

Award-winning San Francisco industrial and furniture designer Rick Lee and his wife, nationally-renowned couturière Colleen Quen, combined their talents to create the LeeQuen Lounge on the 5th Floor. Quen's signature Madame Butterfly gown can be seen cascading from the ceiling as a light fixture creating a surreal glow over the strikingly whimsical design pieces placed below. The LeeQuen lounge celebrates the fusion of nature, fashion and design, reflecting both designers’ avant-garde sophistication. To find out how you can stay at one of these beautiful hotels with personality check out their website.--Ruth Mitchell

Feeling Creative?

Are you feeling creative? Let the juices flow and design a t-shirt for the J.Jill Nature of Compassion Design Contest. Details may be found here.