AmyYoungblood

Oui Oui! Montreal….

So as I left off…this Cincinnista had an amazing wedding…and now off to the honeymoon. After two well needed days to re-cooperate, Tom and I headed to a well needed 5 day get away in Montreal.

Despite flying international, the flight was pretty easy. Our first bit of fun was being on the entire two flights with the FC Cincinnati soccer team and their coaches. As my kids are huge fans, of course my motherly duty was to get as many autographs as possible along with their head coach, John Harkes. I was so impressed with their professional, nice demeanor not to mention…they are pretty cute!

Once we arrived in Montreal at the Hotel Intercontinental, we laid low our first night at the in-house bar called Sarah B. Known as an historical absinthe bar…which is banned in the U.S. now by the way….we ate fabulous calamari along with wine and cocktails.

Speaking of food, Montreal lives up to its reputation of amazing food! From the Boris Bistro with it’s amazing risotto, to the french XO Le Restaurant’s delicious filet mignon, to Notkin’s Oyster Bar, I was never starved for flavorful cuisine. The only thing that helped stave off a few calories was the tons of walking we did exploring different parts of the city. My only complaint dining wise was that as California chardonnay kind of girl, the french whites were tough on my palette. I know…boo hoo, right?! We did stumble in to an American style Bistro called Houston’s one happy hour, and I got my American Chardonnay fix!

Beyond food and drink, the biggest thing Montreal offers is an amazing mix of culture. As many people know, it is a French speaking city with all types of cultures and nationalities. Luckily, this Cincinnista took 4 years of french in high school only to really get by with “bonjour” and “merci” with a bit of a french accent… but hey, A for effort right? Tom and I loved the powerful Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Pompeii exhibits at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts not to mention our last day find: the L Hotel in Old Montreal. The L Hotel first grabbed us when we walked by on day one accidentally to later find that it’s owner, George Marciano, the founder of Guess Jeans, houses a world class art collection of contemporary art. From a Marciano portrait by Andy Warhol, to Jean Miro to Sam Francis, prints and originals by some of the top early 1900 artist’s can be found. And the service while having drinks while looking at beautiful art and interior design….Merci Beaucoup!

That’s it for now. Back to reality. Fall is around the corner and stay stunned for the late fashion and style news there! Cheers!

At Laguardia airport with FC Cincinnati Head Coach John Harkes and star player Sean Okoli

The outside of the restrooms at Notkin’s Oyster Bar. Who would have guessed?

Every big city has to have a piece of the Berlin Wall..Oui? Outside of our hotel.

IMG_7989 (1) — Loving the practical yet creative sculpture.

A classic Dale Chihuly outside The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Outside of the L Hotel. Who can miss the classic contemporary Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture?

One of my favorite originals by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec at The Montreal of Fine Arts.

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Hitched and Happy!

So exactly 2 weeks from my last post, I am happy to report my wedding was wonderful and went off without a hitch! The day was beautiful and the fun and love in the air were contagious. I started my day off getting my hair done with my daughter, Elle, then on to the outdoor ceremony in our lovely, flower-filled courtyard with running fountain. Our condo finally was decorated thoroughly and the flowers by Del Apgar were beautiful. In addition, the food by Beth O’Leary and Dutch’s was fabulous (although we had way too much left!) not to mention the custom cookies by Courtney Talty. A word about the cookies….it was so cool to have a theme of all each of our names on a different cookie.. a symbol of our blended family.

After the outdoor ceremony, our reception was filled with more fun, cocktails and laughter. Both Tom and I are lucky to have wonderful family and friends from our pasts that traveled hours to join us on our special day. Not to mention, our local friends that have so dearly supported our relationship over the past two years.

Our courtyard was picture perfect for the ceremony. I loved the Milly dress I wrote about earlier

FullSizeRender — Flowers by Del Apgar and Cookies by Courtney Talty with my, Tom, Nolan and Elle’s name on them!

Nolan and his two buddies Scott and Nic to keep him busy.

FullSizeRender 13 — Elle and her friend Syd. These two are trouble!

FullSizeRender 11 — My beautiful mother and two of my best friends from DePauw, Kersten and Kristin.

Just got back from our honeymoon from Montreal last Sunday. More on that to come!

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Diary of a Middle Aged Bride!

Well, this Cincinnista is done for a while with the local fashion and local beauty posts, as I count down to 6 days until my wedding!

I am lucky enough to have found the man of my dreams, especially the second time around…so big check off on that item!

The follow items continue:

With my second (and last) wedding, we didn’t want to make it a big complicated affair but still, yes, a nice, intimate event. Our ceremony is basically a total of 8 people in our lovely, landscaped fountain courtyard. However, after that, we have nearly 50 in attendance at our reception.

The fact remains, whether you event is 50 people or 500, many details have to be addressed. From your attire to the food and drink, to the flowers and furnishings….myself as an aesthetically perfectionistic Cincinnista wants everything to be…well…Perfect!

A few notes:

-Dress and shoes taken care of months ago: White Milly cocktail dress from Neiman Marcus and much used and loved shoes by Jimmy Choo,

-Food: Beth O’Leary Catering out of Newton for the buffet dinner and appetizers. As usual, Dutch’s for an amazing cheese and meat plate to add to the dining palate.

-Flowers by Del Apgar: A mix of colored arrangements with white palettes to go with our color scheme. Del is always a master of talent and creativity. And yes, my daughter Elle and I have matching white bouquets!

-Server and bartender: My old friend Lou Mann and Ray. Been with me for years with parties and can never go wrong with their hard work and amazing personalities!

-Valet service: Prestige Valet. Used then over the years for parties at the office and have never gone wrong!

That’s it for now. This Cincinnista is extremely busy between work, kids and an upcoming wedding. Stay tuned for the final pics and updates.

Cheers!

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Cropped Demin: The Perfect Item to Buy Right Now!

As we quickly shift in to late summer, the summer sales are now blazing hot, but the near off temperatures soon to dip. To be honest, this Cincinnista is a self proclaimed “dress girl” in the mid summer. I simply find the 90’s too hot to be wearing anything but short shorts and dresses…especially love dresses for work. However, If you want to enjoy flip flops or heels with a cooler take on denim, now is the time to buy. I love the look of denim, but again, too hot for full length jeans right now…unless you get un unusually cool, low humidity night in Cincinnati. Yeah right…really?!

Cropped denim is the way to go. Especially with the wide leg silhouettes of the 70’s majorly in style, much of the cropped denim is more relaxed at the base, hence a cooler. more comfortable feel. Take the faded, “released hem” of these Seven jeans…a bit “hippy” and more open at the cuff. Either way, both skinny and wider styles prevail. A great transition in to the fall with a rich colored, heavier top. And don’t forget the lace-up or strappy heals!

Screen Shot 2016-07-10 at 5.20.33 PM — These lighter wash cropped jeans by Seven are casual, yet stylish. Love the released hem which adds comfort yet interest.

Screen Shot 2016-07-10 at 5.19.25 PM — Just bought these Hudson jeans at Nordstrom on sale. The back pockets are a different take for them and the white is perfect for summer/fall.

Screen Shot 2016-07-10 at 5.18.27 PM — I’ve had these Hudson cuffed capri’s for years. Love the dark wash as it allows for both dressing up and down.

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Nailtique: My favorite Get Away in Mount Lookout!

For those of us Cincinnista’s living in the Hyde Park/Mount Lookout area, a fixture of the area is my favorite nail salon, Nailtique. Conveniently located a half a block away from Amy Youngblood Interiors headquarters, Nailtique is my place to go for my regular gel manicures and not often enough pedicures.

In business for now 10 years, the nail salon offers a top quality product at prices more competitive than other fancier spas/salons. For example, a gel manicure/signature pedicure (my favorite)is $69 plus tip. I especially love their signature pedicure with the additional sugar foot scrub and nice and long foot/leg massage. Much more enjoyable than pricier salons I’ve been too!

Owner Kelly Hang bought the salon about a year ago after working there for 6 six years. Kelly, her husband, and her staff do a great job making their clients feel comfortable with their friendly demeanor yet attention to getting you in and out as quickly as possible. However, word to the wise, Nailtique is almost always busy especially during these summer months, so I highly recommend an appointment!

Visit Nailtique today!

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June: The Time of the Summer Sale!

Ok ladies, according to my research there is no Cincinnati Boutique Sale yet this summer. Bummer! However, while I hate to search outside of Cincinnati for products, the time to grab the best sale merchandise is now. High end department stores are offering even bigger discounts on already sale merchandise to make way for fall. For example, check out Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus…both offering deep discounts. The other plus? Both stores have no locations in Ohio…so tax free shopping! Other deals? I just returned from Chicago for business (with a little time for shopping:) and even high end boutiques such as Prada and Gucci are offering up to 50% off on select items. Check them out but hurry! The good stuff goes fast!

NMTB914_mu — Love this Alice and Olivia dress I ordered online from Neiman Marcus. Comfy yet sexy at the same time. Got for 70% off!

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Why I Love Camel

No, I’m not referring to our furry humped friend, I mean the color camel….or should I say “carmel” to really give you the taste?

With the Bohemian Chic look in right now, camel, rich tan….whatever you want to call it….speaks to a casual elegance that is hard to describe. I love the fact that is can go from summer to winter, unlike it’s friend, light tan. Whether, it’s in furniture, handbags, or shoes, camel is a great way to casualize your wardrobe in a hip way. Whether you do it with fringe, studs, or clean lines the richness or camel is timeless. Cheers!

_12518392 — These comfy Jimmy Choo’s go with way more than I expected. Love the studs. Just leave out the studded handbag!

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Peek of Chic: Stylish Meets Elegant

So In my quest for the perfect outfit on my wedding day, I had to find a pair of “wow” earrings right? My dress is very simple and off the shoulder, hence I’ve decided to wear some large scale dangling earrings to work with my hair styled upward. After many unsuccessful trips to other stores, I just couldn’t find the creative, yet elegant look I wanted. So…this Cincinnista popped in to Peek of Chic on Hyde Park Square.

I found several beautiful options and settled on a tiered long set of mother of pearls encrusted in gold and black crystals: quite the statement. I can even wear them after the wedding! Imagine that?:)

Peek of Chic has been a destination jewelry and accessory store in Hyde Park Square for over 3 1/2 years and been around even longer. Founded by Kerry Mock, the store focuses on women who want higher end, unique jewelry and home accessories with a flair. They even now carry amazing shoes! Check them out during your next trip to the square….I’m certainly glad I did!

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