So Sumi!

I've been aching to talk about this morsel of goodness for a while now.  So here it is!

If you live anywhere near or around Silverlake, CA and you have an ounce of style coursing through your veins, then you probably know about Sumi's.  For those of you a bit farther away, new to the area or that just plain haven't noticed all the goodness hidden between large corner fix-it garages and the few but oversized vanity boutiques that run the area {I almost can't blame you - almost}, it's time to get less "Sandra Dee" and more "Electrifyin'". 

*note: Grease ref. No love lost on the actual Sandra Dee ♥

Sumi, herself, is a total gem.  Every time I'm in, she manages to effortlessly tend to every customer with individual attention while running the shop single-handedly.  Between the sweet smile that frequently sweeps across her face, the lightness about her manner and the surrounding stage of deliciously delicate baubles she handpicks to sell, Sumi quintessentially is Mary Poppins for the grown-up girl.  I've often suspected that upon closer inspection one would find she naturally emits the scent of morning-dew jasmine and that her feet don't actually touch the ground.

Sumi's is home to some darn smart gifts for any girl.  One of my favorites is the collection of purses, handbags, clutches and jewelry/makeup pouches handmade by Sumi's own mother in Finland.  The line is called Carita Viola Designs.  Her dear mum is good friends with many Helsinki shop owners, design haus and textile factory owners who often invite her to select through their vintage dead-stock.  How fantastic is that!  

I personally had to break up a fight between two clutches only yesterday, one with the strong suit of a delectable vintage button and the other {the winner} showcasing the last of a never-to-be-made-again French art deco pattern. 

It should be noted that Sumi helped promote and sell the line for her mother long before the store-front was even a seed in the ground -- probably the reason she knows her target customer so well!

Other sunshiny trinkets include these porcelain milk carton casts.  


Used as a T-light or flower vase, they warm up any room.

Sumi's is also home to a bevy of notebooks, sketchbooks and local artist works.  Always a fan of things-not-cumbersome {i.e. clutches vs shoulder-bags} and ALWAYS a note-taker on things that interest or inspire me, I adore these recycled paper-back minis to tote around:

Last, but most certainly not least is the ginormous {it's a word} array of vintage-like and hippie-chic jewelry.  This visit, there were icy-blue cocktail rings and rock-candy beads galore.   

Last year, Sumi began designing her own line of sparkling accessories, which only means I had to linger in the shop an hour longer than usual while struggling to decide what constitutes a reasonable purchase this close to Valentine's Day -- and a birthday and an anniversary, both not far behind.

 

Finally, I pranced out carrying a small brown bag filled with my coveted one-off clutch, a lavender and white lace pouch, a new recycled-paper journal AND - thanks to Sumi's genius - a business card with my wishlist name attached to hand over to D upon arriving home.

Did I mention that buying gifts for oneself is totally très chic?

xoxo