sales

Art on display at the OMWB White Elephant Sale.

OMWB

Need to find a dining table, redecorate a room, or hell, furnish an apartment from top down? This is your weekend. Being the first Sunday of the month, of course you can head over to Alameda for the monthly flea. There's always plenty to discover, and now that the weather is (hopefully) giving us a few days of sunshine, it could be the perfect time to catch up on finds that may have eluded you during the copious downpours endured these past two months.

Vintage coffee mug set from Perch

Perch

When news first hit a few years ago of a new home design store opening on Chenery, we lived not so far away and anxiously awaited its opening. It finally did, and the charming collection of goods along with the friendly staff instantly stole our hearts, becoming a must-visit stop on any trip to Glen Park.

Jennifer Ouellette velvet and lace headband $26.13 (reg. $68), available at Barneys New York

Photography courtesy of Barneys New York

Christmas cash burning a hole in your handbag? Post-holiday sales are in full swing. A few on our radar this week:

Hayes Valley Chamber of Commerce

There's something particularly cosmopolitan about Hayes Valley. The not quite completely gentrified neighborhood is a balance grit and glamour: opera-goers, panhandlers, hipsters, and families mix, forming that vibrant diversity of social strata that makes city life so unique. A crisp, evening stroll in December can call to mind New York during the holidays–but thankfully about 30 degrees warmer.

Chronicle Books

There are some gifts that require planning, thoughtful care, and a big chunk of your sanity to get just right. Then there are others that are no-brainers (a marshmallow gun for my nephew? Absolutely).

Reusable wreath from Branch

Branch

A 4 AM wake-up call and bruises from battling bargain hunters is no way to follow up Thursday's fat-fest. Take a more civilized approach to Black Friday and hit the web in your pajamas, or head out to a few local spots for drinks, cookies and contests. Either way you'll still get the crazy-good deals, just minus the insanity.

In store:

Zinc Details

Nothing beats shopping while traveling. From the bargains on locally produced goods to the everyday items that, seen as an outsider, feel exotic and one-of-a-kind, there's always a lot to see (and buy). Of course we can't forever be gallivanting across the globe (tragically we're not all Keith Johnson), but that doesn't have to stop our hunt for fresh finds.