Penny Time

Here's another photo from the archives. These vines grow (or grew) up the backsides of what used to be Madre's restaurant on Granite Park Place. I like the backsides of things. Don't take that the wrong way.

I don't know what it the building houses now. I haven't been getting out much lately. I could blame the economy (and I wouldn't be lying), but really it's because I've been obsessed with getting THE BOOK published. It's almost a full-time job.

However, I'll be getting out on January 12th and I hope you'll join me. We all talked about going to Penny For Your Thoughts together, a sort of PDP coffee outing. The owner, Millie, and I picked January 12th at 10:30 am. Come join us!

Penny For Your Thoughts is at 1365 N. Hill Avenue in Pasadena. There's plenty of parking in the rear. Bring extra money because besides coffee and pastries to enjoy while we're there, the store is full of treasures to take home.

Favorite

Yesterday we talked about light, and also about coffee shops. I got to thinking: if I had to choose, what would be my favorite coffee shop in Pasadena?

That's an easy one. I mean, if I had to choose, which I don't.

I love Penny For Your Thoughts for the beautiful clothes, unusual gifts (antique, handmade and/or new) and just plain wonderful atmosphere. It's also a sweet little coffee shop. Everyone who's ever been there loves the place. Yet it never feels crowded.

This photo shows the rear entrance from the parking lot, where there's plenty of room for our cars. We should meet there one of these days! You can get your Christmas shopping done in one fell swoop.

I should have saved this post because they're not open Sundays. Stop by and see Millie soon, but not today.

A Pretty Penny

Yesterday morning: a walk with a friend in Bungalow Heaven, followed by iced latte and a pastry at Penny For Your Thoughts.

Do you know of another place where you can buy an antique chair for your porch, vintage dishes for your kitchen, unique hand-made frames for your walls and a one-of-a-kind dress for your very own self, then sit down (at a table with a tablecloth) and have a cup of excellent coffee accompanied by a home-made cookie from the tiny, local, Apron Strings bakery?

There's no other place like it. It's not just the great stuff, it's also Millie's artful displays. It's my favorite shop in Pasadena and I don't get there often enough.

Stop by. Ooh and aah. While you're there, I've decided I want that bottle with the starfish on it.

Shiny Penny

Penny for Your Thoughts is my favorite shop in Pasadena. I've said it before: there's no other store like it. Vintage garden items, handmade clothes, old books, jewelry, china--plus coffee, food and free wifi--it's where you go to get a gift for someone who has everything, even if that someone is you.

When I stopped by the other day the store was in an uproar because they were getting new shelves. But I can always find a pretty vignette in this unusual shop. I'd blog about the place more often if I had more ready cash. I did spend some money this visit: got a couple of iron candle sconces for the garden. The thing I love about them besides their charm is that I'll be the only one in town who has them. You can't get anything like them at OSH.

Around the corner from Penny for Your Thoughts another delightful boutique was in a different kind of uproar. In fact, the shelves going into "Penny" came out of Motif, a beautiful gift store that's closing after several years of success. As she rang up my purchase, owner Stephanie Plumb Miller told me, "Nothing negative about this. It's all positive."

Penny for Your Thoughts is at 1365 N. Hill Ave., (626) 798-1631. Motif is at 1389 E. Washington Blvd. (The two stores share the parking lot behind.) Motif is selling off everything, including fixtures, at huge discounts. On September 3rd they had several items left, including Christmas decorations. Call first to see if they're still open, (626) 398-5038.

Update from Susan C, 9/7/10 3:25pm: "I drove by Motif today and the 'closed' sign is in the window."

Thanks, Susan.

Penny For Your Thoughts

I first posted about Penny For Your Thoughts on June 1st of 2008, when the City Daily Photo bloggers' theme day was favorite local shop. I adore this store; there's no other place like it.

Originally, the shop was run by two sisters. Now one has withdrawn and the other, Millie Wheatley, is the main operator. The store is loaded with eclectic vintage funk and locally-made products: beautiful and trendy hand-made clothes, gorgeous seashell mirrors, and imaginative jewelry by Zoe Kanemitsu, who was running things when I was there yesterday. I was happy to hear from Zoe that PFYT was busy last Christmas, when so many retail stores had their worst season in history. That's got to be due in part to the unusual stock and good prices, as well as the delightful people who run the place. It all makes for good atmosphere.

Making the place more unique than just the stuff, at Penny For Your Thoughts you can take a break from browsing and sit down to have a sandwich, a coffee or a locally-baked cookie, right in the middle of the store. The cookies are baked by Karen Hirsch of Apron Strings. I'm a big Karen fan; she walks her dog Gracie out at Hahamongna and she's fab. She also makes the adorable aprons they sell at PFYT. (Is there anything this woman can't do? Apparently not. She's going to be teaching a bread baking workshop at Penny For Your Thoughts on April 18th from noon to 3:30. You can either get over to the store and sign up now or wait until I post about it, but class size is limited so ya takes yer chances.)

I wasn't shopping yesterday, so I sipped a cup of coffee and sat in a comfy chair while reading my book. The music was quiet and the vibe was calm, oh yeah. Oh! Oh yeah! Hey! Next time I'll set up my laptop and work on a writing project, so I can properly report back as part of the Coffee Shop Quest!

I can already tell you PFYT is going to be the one to beat.

Theme Day: My Favorite Local Shop

The City Daily Photo blog community shares a theme day the first of each month. This month's theme asks, "What is your favorite corner store or local shop in your city?"

The first time I walked into Penny for Your Thoughts at 1365 N. Hill Avenue, it seemed someone had gone into my brain to find out what I liked, and put all those things into one store. Vintage books, cute fashions, unique gifts, unusual purses and shoes, antiques and classy junque are all so charmingly arranged I wanted to just sit and appreciate it. Which I did, while enjoying a cup of fresh-brewed coffee and a locally-baked gourmet cookie, at one of the shop's funky café tables.

This eclectic place came not from my brain but from that (those) of two sisters, Liz and Millie, who grew up in Pasadena and opened the store in November of 2003. They run the place with a staff member or two, and occasionally a bubbly baby to brighten the mix.

Coffee and free wifi with fun, fashion, funk and fabulousness. What could be better? I don't know another shop like it.

174 City Daily Photo blogs are participating in today's theme. Check them out here.