Monday, December 12, 2011

The Nutcracker Ballet

Our new holiday dresses!

We love Christmas, and even more we love celebrating it with fun and festivities! It's been quite sad with the lack of snow fall this year in Grand Rapids, but we aren't letting that affect our Christmas cheer. To enlighten our spirits, Lola and I decided to attend the Grand Rapids Ballet Company performance of the Nutcracker, at the Devos Performance Hall. We love watching the ballet dancer's sweep so elegantly across the stage. The other great thing about Christmas events is finding the perfect holiday outfit. Thankfully, Leigh's has such a great selection this year it was hard to leave with just one!

Santa's workshop and fun Christmas ornaments!

I decided to wear my new scarlet colored Tracy Reese dress. Its bow on the shoulder and cutout on the chest is fun and edgy, yet very comfortable! I chose to wear gold strappy heels from Lilly Pulitzer and a few chunky bracelets by Simon Sebbag. Lola looked very chic herself in her new holiday dress by Trina Turk. To add some sparkle she wore a bracelet from Kenneth Jay Lane and cute peep toe suede pumps by Cole Haan. It's always exciting for us to tell everyone we never have to leave Grand Rapids for our shopping. Leigh's has everything to meet our fashion needs!
 
Christmas carolers


After such a great performance, Lola and I now have cheerful Christmas hearts and spirits. The Devos Performance Hall had amazing Christmas displays, and also had personal carolers singing so merrily. The girls above asked if we were ballet dancers, and wanted to know if we would pose for a picture with them! We figured it was our slender figures and poise that gave them such an assumption, but rest assured, our grace is far from that of a ballet dancer. Of course, one thing we do love is Christmas shopping. If you have a few more things on your Christmas list to cross off, stop into Leigh's and you might just find what you are looking for!


Monday, November 21, 2011

We make Vampires & Werewolves look Fabulous!


Like many others on November 18, Eloise and I made sure we didn't miss the grand premier of the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. FYI, it was amazing! We were so excited; we waited in line starting at 9:30 p.m. for the midnight showing! Of course, our legs and backs were a little stiff after  the first few hours, but we bit the bullet and dealt with the pain! Any girl or women would, just to see the deliciousness of Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. Can you believe that stunning werewolf is a Grand Rapids native?!





We knew we could not show up to this premier looking anything less than our best, and like most of the crowd we did our best to dress the part! We must have nailed it too, why?, well people couldn't keep their hands off of us. I was concerned we were mistaken as Breaking Dawn characters ourselves. I can't say it's necessarily a bad thing; we love the attention and being in the spotlight.



Because we looked so fabulous we were asked as usual where we find such great style and pieces. Our one shop stop to the best place in town, Leigh's! We couldn't believe how many movie goers had never heard of our home away from home. Eloise and I both found ourselves new DL1961 legging jeans, newly in stock, and we can honestly say they might be the most comfortable pair we've worn. I paired my red ones with a Lafayette 148 blouse and a Zelda blazer, it looked very victorian yet polished! Eloise had a basic tee from Three Dots under a jacket from Bailey 148 and paired a chunky scarf that came from Chelsea by Joseph Scarf. With Christmas just around the corner, come into Leigh's! You might just find a few things to give and receive!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Gymnastics and... Fashion?!

In light of Eloise I've decided to make a trip for her and the little ones; Aerials and Baranis Gymnastics center, home of the Flying Tigers! After watching all of those children bounce around, it reminded me of my more flexible years, and every time a child jumped into the large scary foam pit butterflies fluttered in my stomach I also might have let out a few gasps. It's pure bravery the things those children do! Eloise and I both agreed we have hard enough time doing yoga in a still motion, there is no way we would have the ability to flip, twirl, and bounce like these young ones.

just watching made us queasy

that scary foam pit!

a room dedicated to the preschoolers


I suppose one of the things I enjoyed the most were all of the compliments we received from the mothers and grandmothers on our attire! We were more than happy to share with them our shopping secret; Leigh's at the Breton Village Mall! I think one thing they will be eager to find is a replica of my Rozae fur vest; I felt as if I were an animal the way I was being stroked! I complimented it well with my sheer top by Tracy Reese, a pair of gray Vince leggings, adding stylish flats from Cole Haan's Maria Sharapova collection. Eloise was receiving so many compliments as well, as she would,  she pulls off the working mom look well! Pairing her cardigan and skirt by Ellie Tahari she added a basic black Skinny Tee tank and Tory Burch's suede kitten heels.




they have their own shopping center too
There are so many different things you can do at Aerials & Baranis! They have the cutest room for the preschool age which I found to be the most appealing for my skill level. Six different trampolines to bounce on, which we were told if you touch the ceiling your name gets to go on the wall! They also have just like in the Olympics, bars, beams, rings, vault and a bouncy exercise floor! We realized what better way to strip children's energy than take them to a place as wonderful as this. We had so much fun meeting new people and spending time watching rather than participating, as we knew we would need a chiropractor if we decided to partake!

a fun new friend!

bravery, pure bravery


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Couture for a Cure

One event Lola and I just couldn't wait for this fall was Couture for a Cure. Why?! Well for one we get to wear some of the best cocktail dresses around, found only at Leigh's of course. Second, as much as we hate the attention being taken off of us, it's actually nice to spend time watching younger, gorgeous ladies like ourselves strut the catwalk! Oh, and lastly, who wouldn't want to spend their evening eyeing Douglas Hannant's Spring 2012 line?!
Douglas Hannant and a few pieces from his Spring line
Gorgeous!



fun and sophisticated
The VanAndel Institute did another magnificent job this year hosting Couture and what a turnout there was. With Leigh's 6th year active in Couture we expected nothing less! The runway was amazing and we felt like we were right back in New York for fashion week. They even had to extend it this year to accommodate the growing crowd. The themes this year were just as fun as the show: Paint it Black, I Was a Ye Ye Girl, Haute to Trot and Social Meaning! We cannot wait to go shopping at Leigh's again!
the new and improved catwalk


 The other great thing about fashion shows is all the preparation time an event like this takes. As we waited all day in anticipation, The Crown Jewel and Leigh's expert make-up artists were preparing the models for the big event! It's like playing dress up from when you were little all over again, except this time you get butterflies thinking about walking in front of over 300 people! Below we see all of Laura Mercier's make-up we used for the show!


how fun it would be to do your
 makeup with this everyday!

By the end of the night I was doing my best to keep up with Lola. After all it was a cocktail party and we know how Lola loves to linger toward the refreshment bar! Luckily, we were stunning yet comfortable in our RED Valentino dresses. Yes, oddly enough we picked the same designer. We couldn't help it, our tastes just coincided! Lola added a Pono black necklace to complete her look, as I completed my look with a leather jacket by Anthracite and pumps from Dani Black.



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

New Friends, Volleyball and Fashion

Remember when Eloise had mentioned we'd met some new friends last week at Robinette's? Well, I just couldn't wait to tell you more about them! Our intern and friend Lauren is much more than a fun fashionista, she also spends much of her time devoted to collegiate athletics as well! Eloise and I never would have guessed she was so athletic, but many of our new friends are a part of the Cornerstone University Women's Volleyball team! We felt overjoyed when they invited us to come and spend some time with them before one of their games!

beautiful girls with beautiful smiles!
Abby (left) & Ali (right) we believe they are trying to be as poised as we are!

the beautiful Jodi!

The thing I was most nervous about was trying to figure out what to wear!!! Eloise and I have not attended very many athletic events in the past, let alone a volleyball match. Patrick at Leigh's luckily came to our rescue! I decided to go with a comfortable Autumn Cashmere sweater with leopard imprinted leggings by Margaret M. To top it off, I added a silver bracelet and a pair of Stuart Weitzman boots! Eloise looked marvelous in her new outfit as well! She casually, yet elegantly wore a fur vest and striped sweater by Le Phare De La Baleine with a Michael Stars henley underneath. On bottom she chose flare jeans from 7 for all Mankind and some cute Cole Haan booties!


We were so impressed by what these girls could do. They jump, swing, squat, dive and roll like monkey's in a zoo! It never dawned on me how fast paced volleyball could be. Even with our flawless figures, Eloise and I gave these girls props for being so dedicated to such a competitive lifestyle. Now, I cannot speak for Eloise, but I instantly became frozen when they asked us if we wanted to play with them! I quickly declined as I knew it would be foolish of me to even try! Besides, after taking the time to get ready sweating was the last thing on my mind!


Lauren, Jodi & Heidi. They represented the Seniors for their last home game!


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery

As warm as it's been, Lola and I could not help but visit the popular talked about apple haus; Robinette's. It has such a variety of things to offer and is family friendly. This worked out great for my two, adorable I might add, children. We decided to go early in the evening so we could wear some more of our fall pieces, compliments of Leigh's! 

amazing fall weather



Little to my surprise, well anyone's for that matter, Lola lingered toward the winery before we could even begin our hayride and corn maze expedition. The children took a special liking to Robinette's new jumping pillow. It's like a giant inflatable blob used as a trampoline. It's also said to be a great way of exercising. If Lola and I weren't feeling so sore after the hayride we might have thought about joining in on the fun.

Instead, we thought it would be better to satisfy our taste buds with freshly made, warm, cinnamon sugar donuts and apple cider in the apple haus. We spent some time in and out of the gift shops and couldn't help but leave with some fun new things. Good thing we still have time before Halloween to carve our large pumpkins we picked out. I also thought it might be fun to try making homemade caramel apples. We decided we love fall food as much as fall clothing!

kids enjoying the play area in front of the Apple Haus

On our visit, Lola chose to wear a long sleeve Michael Stars shirt, with a Tribal black vest and very comfortable, black high rise skinny flares by J.Brand. I comfortably wore Christopher Blue brown corduroys, with a fun shirt from Aldo Martins and cotton, oatmeal blazer by Donna Degnan. We couldn't stop talking about what a great time we had at Robinette's! The girls below loved us, of course; they were so precious we've decided to spend some extra time with them. You'll never guess where they're from. I suppose you will just have to wait and see where we're spotted next!


two beautiful young women who loved our sense of style












Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Art Prize



Last weekend Eloise and I decided, since we live in the great city of Grand Rapids, it was time to expose ourselves to Art Prize. We had no idea so many people were going to be there! I normally, of course, love all the attention, but I'm pretty sure some spectators thought Eloise and I were an actual entry! We were so flattered. Even so we looked great in some of our new fall pieces! We are so lucky to have a place like Leigh's to shop!

Eloise (right) and I


A very friendly gentleman we met!
Eloise decided to wear a chunky new rust colored sweater from the contemporary collection at Leigh's by Vince with a Three Dots cotton shirt and paired it with a pair of DL1961 flare jeans. To complete her look, she added one of our great fall scarves by Theodora & Callum! I fell in love with my gray vest by Smitten and went with a turtleneck from Three Dots and loose blouse by Dolan. The weather was just a bit chilly even with the fall sun poking out from the clouds! Therefore, I chose to show off my legs with thick and warm Three Dot leggings. They are so versatile!


We loved how many different types of art was available to see downtown, and one of our favorite things was to watch the juggler above! Eloise's face went stiff when I told her I could move like him. Must be she didn't believe me! Our time at Art Prize was fascinating. We can't wait for the rest of our fall adventures!


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Fall & New York Fashion Week



Just like New York, we started off our week at Leigh's... there's no place like home, celebrating Grand Rapid's Fashion Night Out 2011! Lola quickly found the wine as I spent time at the cosmetic counters, watching all our visitors engage in the fun of getting their hair and makeup done.


We were so excited to spend time with the models Anna and Gloria (above), who look amazing I might add,  and dance to the amazing jams by D.J. Adrian Butler (below).

We loved his hair!

Fall may have just begun, but that didn’t stop Lola and me from visiting New York for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to see what trends are coming for Spring 2012. Good thing we didn’t leave without making sure we were fully fashionable with our new fall trends from Leigh’s! They’ve got the cutest new jeans, fur vests, boots and dresses for every occasion.


One thing we cannot get enough of during weeks like this are all the celebrities we get to see and talk to! I of course, as you know, am a big fan of Olivia Palermo, so when I had the opportunity to take a snapshot with her and the young and beautiful Emmy Rossum I couldn't help myself. They even complimented me on my Adrian Mattox cold shoulder sequenced dress.



We thought we'd had all the fun we could until the last day of the fashion show. We couldn't help but strut our wonderful, new Tory Burch apparel from Leigh's! And you'll never guess what we were asked to do?! That's right, express our style on the RUNWAY! Judging by our pictures, I'd say we are naturals!


We love New York, then again, who doesn't, but we decided it was time to settle back down in our hometown, Grand Rapids and spend time with our friends and familiar faces at Leigh's! Don't worry, as the leaves continue to fall, we won't be able to stay cooped up inside for long!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

New Intern Finds Missing Fashion Duo


Once again, Lola & Eloise had a difficult time parting with their new summer intern and stylish friend, Brittany. Who knew her leaving would lead to them leaving the entire country, nowhere to be found! They spent their entire August in Europe, perusing the finest boutiques, none of which compared to Leigh's, and restaurants getting them geared up for another change of Michigan’s weather and the idea of yet another friend and fall intern, Lauren, a Business Major from Cornerstone University. Lauren was a little nervous to meet such daring women when she heard of their adventurous vacation. She picked them up from the airport, and well, let's say they looked a bit under the weather.
Lola pictured in a leapord top by Monrow and,
 Eloise in a basic white tank by Three Dots and a casual scarf from Love Quotes
Lola, of course, had an excessive amount of wine on the plane home, and Eloise, right by her side giggling, says to Lauren, “Well look Lola, she’s cute and petite.” and Lola responds with,  “Yes, and there is hope for her since she is quite stylish.” Taking no offense, Lauren quickly learned she was going to stay busy hearing about their adventures in Europe. Lola and Eloise told Lauren about how they gallivanted from Paris, to Rome, and Milan, spent time at the pool, rode on their Vespa’s through the cities, made friends at the wineries, and battled their stress at the spa. 
A picture of the girls in the Swiss Alps:
Lola pairing a Maaschoni sweater with  J Brand black high rise skinny flares (black), and a Tracy Reece fur vest.
Eloise's ensemble consisted of J Brand slim boot leg jeans, Nally & Millie top, Etro Milano scarf,
 Robbi & Nikki sheepskin vest and Fashion Expression gloves.
On their ride home, Lauren was a bit curious to know what Eloise was thinking leaving her poor husband and children in Grand Rapids! Not to worry, while he was away for business and golf trips the kids were escorted between horseback riding camp, sports camps, and, of course, their grandparents. These two sure did seem to make the most of their journey, it seems they are already intrigued by their fun and spunky new intern, Lauren. Good thing  too, as they have many appearances to look forward to this fall! Keep an eye out on new posts for this upbeat fashionable duo! 

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

GRAM on the Green


Getting ready for the GRAM on the green was a little bit chaotic for Eloise as she was working right up until our ETA; awe the life of a driven advertising executive. Good thing I am a patient friend, and hired out her children to help dress her. They did a great job, with one minor detail missed…


           At the Grand Rapids Art Museum we set up base right along the entrance of the museum, from this prime location we could people watch the Rosa Parks circle Zumba class, the sketching pads, and the band playing; An Dro. It was so fun to watch all the Keith Urban fans walk around downtown in their boots and daisy dukes anxiously awaiting the concert.









            The more I people watched, the more I thought about starting a street fashion blog, and they are my favorite go-to fashion inspiration sites. For instance The Sartorialist and Street Peeper. At the GRAM the environment was just peaceful, a cohesive mix of all ages enjoying the weather and Celtic sounds of An Dro.

            We were comfortably casual. I wore a Michael Stars tank top, with a 3.1 Phillip Lim necklace, and J Brand jeans. Eloise was rocking a 3.1 Phillip Lim dress, elegantly understated; her kids really shined. I think they have a future as stylists. Thank you very much to Natalie Thomas for being such a great host and her right-hand woman Kristi.