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Girl’s San Francisco Getaway Shopping Trip

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By Janine Waite ·
Affiliate Disclosure: This Post May Contain Affiliate Links.

welcome, and thanks so much for taking a moment to visit my blog. i hope your winter is off to a good start, and i hope some of you are surviving some of the nasty winter storms that are hitting parts of our nation. so, for spring inspiration i thought i would write a post for a girl’s getaway in san francisco. if you aren’t able to hop a plane and make the trip, i hope you can enjoy my post and virtually travel through my photos and my descriptions. since, moving to san francisco about five years ago, i love exploring all the nooks and crannies of this wonderful city by the bay. i’m amazed that i continue to find new neighborhoods, restaurants, and shops that are all so unique and cool. as predicted i have fallen in love with this wonderful city and now, i truly understand that sappy saying, “i left my heart in san francisco!”

i recently found a partner in crime for my little excursions into the city, and her name is marci. she shares my obsession and love for san francisco! so, once a month, while our kiddos are in school, we sneak away to the city. we decide on a neighborhood that we want to explore, and wander to our hearts content. so, today i’m sharing with you one of our little adventures that would make a wonderful girl’s getaway.

~ a funny note about the nester ~
i am the youngest in a family of five kids, my mother was a kind of harried parent. so, one summer vacation when i was about 10 years old, she made me pack my clothes for our trip. well, let’s just say i wasn’t quite ready for this responsibility, and i packed all warm climate clothes. on the second day of our vacation, we had to stop and buy me some summer clothes! this traumatic event, has stayed with me into adulthood and is now manifested in a slight compensation of over packing for trips!

ok, let’s get started on this san francisco’s girl’s trip!

first stop…

california flower market
640 brannan street
san francisco, california
415-392-7944
website link

 

the san francisco california flower market appears to be an endless row of warehouses that sells every kind of flower you can think of. upon arrival, you can’t help but notice the signs that mention you must have a flower market badge to enter. being the model citizen (my husband calls me this nickname) i was a little concerned, but we had no problem entering and buying flowers. a little side note, some only accept cash while other growers did take our credit cards.

 

for this post, we visited the flower market in the fall, and so they had all these gorgeous wreaths for sale. of course, it didn’t take much coercing for both marci and me to buy wreaths for our front doors. the wreaths as you can see are so beautiful and both of ours dried quite nicely. recently, i went back to the market and thought maybe they would still have these wreaths, but it appears that it is a seasonal item… bummer.
the market has two rows of buildings, and one side has stores with window fronts, you’ll find a couple shops selling every type of orchid you can dream of.
i just swooned over these metal vases! i wanted to buy a few of them, but we couldn’t find anyone tending this booth. hmm, maybe next trip.
next stop…
the butler and the chef
155 south park street
san francisco, california 94107
415-896-2075
website link
after perusing the incredible flower market, you’ll be so happy to eat at this cute french cafe. ok, what are the chances that i would get a photo with the french chef, and let’s say the guy to the left is the butler! hehehe!

 

if you just plopped me into this cafe, i would think i was in paris! it is so bright and festive and the air is filled with such amazing aromas.
if you happen to visit the butler and the chef, you must order the croque monsieur… it is somewhat comparable to our grilled cheese sandwich, but exceeds it in a gourmet taste. as some of you probably know, the croque monsieur has another layer of ham in between the cheese and the top layer of the sandwich is coated in a rich layer creme fraiche cheese that is toasted to perfection. this is a lovely, cafe and you really feel like you have been whisked away to france, it is a must see.
next stop… just around the corner
miette
449 octavia street
san francisco, california  94102
415-626-6221
website link
the marvelous miette bakery is a san francisco gem of a shop! can you see a theme happening here? french food, now french dessert… well, this bakery and candy shop is over the top gorgeous! they have another shop in the ferry building in san francisco, but this is a bigger location. from the outside to the inside, your senses will be hit with pink and delectable sweets! marci and i just gasped and waited to enter the shop, we wanted to take it all in… yes, we are happy nerds in a big way!

 

oh my, the colors are just gorgeous eye candy!
one of everything, pleeeease…
it is a somewhat petite shop, but every inch of the shop is decorated in a delightful style that tempts you to buy all these delicious sweets! martha stewart, move over.
next stop…
lavish

508 hayes street
san francisco, california
415-565-0540
website link

ok, now for a little retail therapy! you’ve gotta love the front window of this shop. you’ll find that it is a small store, but happily packed with wonderful stationary, gifts, books and small home decor. they carry a lot of rifle paper products and even their store bags are specially printed by rifle. i asked the clerk about their beautifully printed bags and she mentioned that they were one of the first shops to carry rifle paper, so they receive special treatment from this popular and growing company! i would say that it is well deserved, since this a very special shop!

 

 

well, i hope you have enjoyed this little excursion and this ends our tour. if you do travel to the bay area, make sure to visit a few of these little gems that are off the beaten path. i’m certain you won’t be disappointed.
i would like to share with you, that my goal for this year, is to make this a monthly habit. so you will see more posts of our san francisco shannigans. so make sure you return for another fun trip to some pretty special places.
cheers,
Janine Waite
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Comments

  1. Lisa @ Texas Decor

    So fun to travel vicariously through you! All these shops look amazing and the food pics are making me hungry! 🙂 I would have a ball browsing the flower market. I bet y'all had a fabulous time!

    Reply

    • Janine Waite

      Hi Lisa,
      Oh boy, I'm glad you enjoyed the post! SF is so easy to write about and all the photos turn out so vibrant and pretty! Yes, we always have such a fabulous time, we feel like kids in a candy store! I hope you have a wonderful day and week! Thanks, my sweet friend!

  2. Daidri Smythe

    I loved this little virtual getaway and now have some new places I must visit when in the city! The photo you got of the chef sitting outside The Butler and The Chef is fantastic… way to go!! I'm already looking forward to your future San Francisco shannigans. I'm sure they'll be a habit I won't want to break. 🙂

    Reply

    • Janine Waite

      Thanks Daidri! I love San Francisco, and you can't go wrong with all the interesting things to share! You'll have to join us one of these trips, we have way too much fun! And yes, it is way too funny that I got a photo with the chef sitting outside. Of course, he was speaking French on his phone! Thanks so much for your lovely comment and the visit.

  3. Shelley Wetton

    Oh, I just loved this virtual tour! I felt like I was right there beside you. Your pictures were stunning! I've always wanted to visit the flower market – now I have a much better idea of what I would expect. I hope you do more shop tours! I loved your conversational style, too! ~ Shelley

    Reply

    • Janine Waite

      Thanks so much for the visit, Shelley! I'm glad you liked my little SF tour. I'm hoping to make it a monthly thing, I just love to write these types of posts. I'm glad you are now inspired to visit the Flower Market, it is so heavenly with all the beautiful flowers! Thanks again and have a great day!

  4. Marci

    I love this post!!! Your photos turned out lovely, you have a great eye for all of the best parts. I don't know which part I loved the most, they were all so fabulous. Let's definitely go to the flower market soon. I would love some spring flowers. I've been excited about all of your "spring feeling" posts lately too. Oooh la la!

    Reply

    • Janine Waite

      Marci,I have you to thank for this post! I'm so very lucky to have you as a friend and a fellow adventurer! I'm looking through the photos, and I really can't remember which ones I took and which ones are yours! And yes, let's squeeze the flower market in on one of our trips! Hello, San Francisco! Til our next trip!!! Thanks, girlfriend!

  5. Amy Romero

    I love it all!! Thank you for sharing these wonderful places to visit!! Your pictures are beautiful, and really enticing! I see a trip to SF in the near future!

    Reply

    • Janine Waite

      Hi Amy~
      Thanks so much for the visit and comment! So, happy you stopped by! I hope you make a trip into SF and have as much fun as I have!

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