Hello everyone! I want to start off by extending a warm merci to all of you that responded and emailed regarding my previous post. Julie really has put together an amazing week in Provence and as all of the money raised by Passports with Purpose is going to Water.org, whether you win it or not, well, you are already a winner in my eyes just for having donated. And if you are waffling or just plain forgot to bid, please hurry as the fundraiser is finished on December 11th, just four more days away! So far, they have reached $35,000 of their $100,000 goal. Can you imagine what a phenomenal Holiday surprise it would be to offer your loved one any of the amazing prizes on offer?
Speaking of wonderful gifts, I have been looking forward to sharing a happiness-inducing store that I came across during my visit to the States. One of the many things that was so phenomenal about my trip was the timing. Not only did I get to have a perfect Thanksgiving (more about that soon) and delight in my Sister’s rocking birthday party (literally) but I got just the perfect dose of holiday buzz, minus the mania.
And no one did it better than Found in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown District. Having grown up in a family who worked in retail (you can partially blame my Dad for Abercrombie & Fitch’s transformation from stolid safari to adolescent dreamland), I will admit to being ever so slightly a snob when it comes to a stores presentation. The lights are always too bright, everything can be taken in with a blink and there is little in the way of experience–no matter how earnestly the employees at Banana Republic try to make it otherwise.
Not so at Found, which is clearly curated with love by owner Mary Cambruzzi. I could have spent hours in there and would have if I were alone. As it was, I was a wild snapper with my camera, trying to capture as much of the ambiance as I could to share with you, so much so that one of the fellow shoppers asked exactly what was I doing with a suspiciously raised eyebrow! Does it sound odd that I would put a collective aesthetic on your tastes? But something tells me that if you are here, you love patina and the tiny details as much as I do. If so, then Found is very Lost in Arles!
The evening I was there was part of a special event and there was nary a space to stand. The line for the register stretched to the rear of the store and so with promises that I would return, I regretfully took my leave. Alas, my visits to the States are often a rambunctious run and I did not get the opportunity this time…
…and how would I have fit this 1930’s doll-house in my carry-on?
All of these candles are Made In Michigan…
…and the vintage finds are Made with Time!
Here in Arles, the Christmas lights have just popped on below my window, reminding me that it is the moment to extend the holiday spirit to my life in France! I have pulled down the boxes of decorations from the attic and will now wonder what to do with them this year…Are you in the same mood or not quite yet…? Found certainly has sparked plenty of ideas…
Found
407 N. Fifth Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
foundgallery.com
Tel.: (1) 734-302-3060
While the gallery is a big believer in “Shopping Local” they ship internationally and there is currently free shipping for all orders in the US that are over $100. They don’t have much of these holiday items on their website but everyone was so nice that if there is something that you love here, I bet they will be able to help you out. And no, this isn’t a “Sponsored Post” (I wish I was at that point! ;), I just like what they do.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend…it’s time to break out the vin chaud!…brrr…
Oh hooray! Thank you Mary for the compliments and I am glad that you enjoyed the post. Good Luck with this final run up to Christmas and I certainly will introduce myself on my next trip to Ann Arbor. Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season!
Oh, Heather, thank you for the lovely post! It's been such a busy time that I've just now had a moment to look closely. And to see the wonderful photos of your home and simple christmas branch tree with lights and adornments. I hope to meet you when you're back in Ann Arbor again. Warm Regards, Mary from FOUND
I haven't written about my Dad, TG. He was a brilliant man. When he would speak at conferences, he was called "Doctor Retail"!
And thank you for the reminder that I need to put up more twinkle lights…today! Alas, I have no Baliey or Shrimp to wrap them around but a mottled Nap III mirror will fit the bill!!! 🙂
You know that it works for the French, D! Then why not for you? I think "aller au Puces/brocante" is the third favored pastime here. Truly, it is one of my very, very favorite things in the world–whether I buy something or not. Who doesn't love a treasure hunt, as you said?
Curious about the throwaway remark about your dad and A&F retail transformation……….have you written about this elsewhere? Quelle fab lineage!
Ah yes. We adore a great emporium of treasures and that one in MI looks especially so.
Waving by the twinkle lights in le apartment a soho!
tg x