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!

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





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!

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!

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! 

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.

 

Lake Day

After John Shea’s jokes about getting outside more often, Eloise and I decided we would start working on our tan. Therefore, it was off to the Lake to visit Rebecca’s parents Gary and Peggy…oh and let’s not forget their adorable dog Wuufi! What a great place they have, the décor is so fun and is a beach house beauty. 

After being there for a couple hours and trying to jump-start our tan base by skipping the whole SPF application process, we left with our skin feeling like leather. At our age, I suppose we should know better! At the same time who doesn’t have a little childish-side to them.

 The scenery was amazing, and our clothes fit right in. I sported all Lilly Pulitzer; this label is just right for a great day at the beach or golfing. They use bright colors in such an endearing way, with floral prints or fun beading; their garments are a great pick for any summer activity. Lola strutted the beach in J Brand jeans and a Bailey 44 tank top. Also, another two labels that really picked up on the hyper color trend.

While enjoying the beach we couldn’t help but notice young architects at work, building delightful sand castles along the water’s edge. What a great day! Oh and by the way, I failed to have mentioned earlier that after bonding with Wuufi, Lola now wants a puppy. Who knows maybe she’s ready for this next step in life…what do you guys think?