Cincinnista-Over 50 and Fabulous in Cincinnati

Get Fab for Fall Fashion Show Huge Success!

Trying my best to showcase this amazing dress by Bling!

Jill Haney actively describing our outfits and the fall trends.

image2-3 — Loving this clutch by Black and Brindle.

I can’t believe it’s been over a week since the big night September 1st, but the Get Fab for Fall was not just fun, it’s was successful! The weather was prime and the turnout heavy. hosted at one of my favorite wine bars, Unwind in Hyde Park, the staff welcomed us on to their beautiful patio for the Co-Op, Black and Brindle and Erin Wachs Jewelry to display their beautiful products. In addition, Kenzie’s Closet was on hand to accept clothing donations. Such a worthwhile cause!

To backtrack, this Cincinnista, had the honor of modeling some of these beautiful wares. My evening started out Blown salon in Kenwood for both a complimentary make-up and hair styling. The salon is beautiful (yes…I am a picky interior designer, too!) and the ladies that work there are as talented as they are nice. Once done there I trotted back to Hyde Park to a packed patio of fellow Cincinnista’s ready to get their Fall Style on! After busy shopping and complimentary wine, the fashion show began with 6 of us ladies strutting our stuff down the hip outdoor runway! (Kind of kidding here). I of course ended up buying at least two of the items I wore during the show…great stuff!

Hard to look good net to the age less Gina Elliott!

Unwind was the perfect venue for the show as always for a lovely glass of wine.

With one of my fellow Cincinnista’s and good friend Amy Barkett.

The ladies from Channel 9 are as nice as they are beautiful!

Blown in Kenwood did an amazing job on my hair and make-up. I can’t wait to go again before my next big event!

Erin Wachs Jewelry has both creative an classy pieces from anything from your ears to your neck. Check them out at Erin’s beautiful boutique in Mariemont!

Me and the lovely ladies behind the show!

Beautiful, creative pieces from Erin Wachs Jewelry.

I look forward to this becoming an annual event and for a good cause! Check out my photos from the night and Cheers!

The Count Down to “Get Fab for the Fall” Fashion Show

Well, as an honorary Cincinnista modeling in this show, part of my duty was the outfit selection. I visited my dear friend Rachel Hamilton today at the Co-Op on Camargo and, my, was I impressed. She first dressed my in a classy, textured grey wrap dress along with hip pumps by Jill Haney to start. Then we moved on to more a more casual outfit comprised of a elegant print blouse and contrasting, distressed, demin jeans. I will be topped off on Thursday with jewelry by Erin Wachs!

If you haven’t visited the Co-Op on Camargo you are missing out. The quaint boutique is conveniently location on Camargo Road in Madeira. Not to mention, the clothing, jewelry and shoes are to die for. What not to die over? Crazy high prices!

Love the flattering clean lines of this wrap dress. The perfect fabric weight for fall. Perfect for a day at work of night out!

Love the pattern and rich colors of this fun and sexy outfit.

The always beautiful Rachel Hamilton at work!

Great selection of fun, inexpensive jewelry.

Get Fab for FALL Fashion Show!

Yes, the temps are high again, but at least the kids are finally back in school! Phew! Regardless, it is still time for fall fashion. Sooooo, please join me at the The Get Fab for FALL Fashion Show next Thursday, September 1st, from 6-9 at Unwind in Hyde Park. Sponsored by The Co-Op on Camargo, Erin Wachs Jewelry and BLOWN Studio, the fashion show will highlight what’s in from these top Cincinnati Boutiques. Beautiful apparel, shoes, accessories and jewelry will be for sale, and with a donation to Kenzie’s Closet, you will receive 20% off your purchase! This Cincinnista has the honor of modeling in the show as well, so if you want to witness my rusty catwalk skills, the more the merrier! And for those of you unfamiliar with Unwind, the upscale wine bar boasts a hip atmosphere with great wine and lite bites. See you there!

What’s New for Fall!

Ok, I know we are finally getting back from summer vacations and the kids back to school (thank God right?), but fall is right around the corner. With a beautiful day this Monday in the high 70’s, I actually broke out a jacket and am inspired to talk about fall fashions! So here we go:

-Glossy and leather pants and leggings: Man, I am so glad I invested in my black Alice and Olivia leggings 3 years ago because they are still so in style! Not cheap, but a definite investment. What’s really new? The glossy part. Shine, shine, shine fellow Cincinnista’s and get those legs super toned!

-Chunky healed booties: Back to the nineties except these booties are in with skirts as well as skinny jeans. I think it took me a bit to get used to this look as I was so invested in tall boots, but hey, let’s vary it up. Not to mention the booties with studs are edgy and stylish as well.

-The colors Camel and Poppy: Yes, still again, I am in love with that rich caramel color. Great for both summer and fall. In addition, red is my favorite color, especially the orangy red version, so I am excited to pair it with those darks of fall… adds a pop to any outfit.

-Bell sleeves. Elegant yet hip in dresses, blouses and sweaters. I love this retro look and style paired with a simple bodice.

-Yes, once again, cold shoulders. We’re in about a year and a half on this trend and it’s not going away any time soon! From sweaters, to dresses and blouses this look is everywhere. Fellow Cincinnista’s…time to hit the weight room and get those sexy shoulders!

Screen Shot 2016-08-22 at 4.24.26 PM — Amazing bell sleeve dress by Milly. Also available in other colors. Just love the more progressive direction Milly has taken on stylistically.

NMX38G6_mu — Camel suede bootie by Rag and Bone. The ankle tie gives it added interest.

NMTCXL9_mu — Cold shoulder embellished and ruffled blouse by up and coming designer Kobi Halpein.

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.

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!

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!

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.