Fall is Just Around the Corner!

Summer is coming to an end and Eloise and I have been having a blast being with our fun, cute, adventurous selves thus far! Although, right around the corner is fall and I am more than excited to bring in the fall fashions. Of course, Eloise and I have to take a well-deserved trip to our favorite store Leigh’s to stock up on some must-haves for the fall season! I am dying to find out what kind of trends and fashion forward looks are going to be popping up in only a few short months! But, I am not only on the lookout for a wonderful cashmere sweater to add to my closet, but also the new intern I hear is at Leigh’s. Her name is Lauren and word around town is that she is a fun, outgoing little “fashionista.” I guess she goes to Grand Valley State University and is majoring in public relations and minoring in event planning. I cannot wait to meet this new little gem, and if she is anything like their last intern Casey, we are going to get along just great! I’m ready to put on my (of course glamorous) shopping shoes, grab my amazing best friend Eloise and take a nice trip to Leigh’s. Hopefully I will get to meet Lauren and have a little chit chat and become the best of friends I have a feeling we will be!

Our Birthday Month!

Like most best friends, Eloise and I had an instant bond. In fact, one of the first things we ever bonded over was the fact that our birthdays were merely two days apart! Can you believe that?! My birthday happens to fall on the thirteenth, while Eloise's is on the fifteenth! So naturally, ever since we met we decided that the month of August would be our birthday month, which would be filled with much pampering and even more best friend bonding. Each year we share a birthday party together, and contrary to our love for all things extravagant, we usually have a small get together at one or another's house where we drink a good glass of red wine and reminisce about the ghost of birthdays past. This year, however, word got out to our Leigh's family after a wonderful day of shopping, and the Leigh's intern and our great friend Casey thought that she would throw us a surprise party! She told us to put on our party pants and to get our butts over to her house, so unknowingly, off we went to a night filled with great friends and great fun!

Unlike Lola, I am a little bit more skeptical about people not telling me exactly where I'm going and why. So with a good pep talk from Lola, I put on my 7 For All Mankind kaki jeans (aka my party pants) paired with the most perfect Love Zoey dress, and a My Tribe coat to combat this chilly summer weather. I also decided to dress it up with some gorgeous Thela gold earrings. Lola, being as over the top as ever, she wore a stunning black and tan lace Nanette Lepore dress. She took after me and decided to pair it with a black My Tribe jacket and a pair of black and gold earrings by Thela. Like always, Leigh's always has the perfect thing to wear, no matter the occasion!

When we first arrived we walked into the most beautifully decorated sunroom complete with cupcakes and even a Shark Week inspired cake! We couldn't believe it, it was such a wonderful surprise! Casey really wanted an outdoor party but the weather just wouldn't allow it! But you know us, we still had a ball! She worked hard to personalize every aspect of our birthday extravaganza. From the bow party hats that matched our outfits, to the wine glasses that had our names on them! She even had some beautiful birthday presents from Leigh's waiting for the both of us. I swear that before we were even able to sit down Lola was begging to cut into the blue Coldstone Creamery cake, while I was dying to get my hands on some of the beautiful and delicious cupcakes that Casey had picked up from a local bakery called Sarah's Sweets!

Our cake is adorned with a lovely candle that says "Its all about me!"

Before we could dig in, Casey wanted us to open our gifts! She got me a pair of the most stunning Thela earrings, I instantly had to try them on! They were so perfect, she knows me so well! As for Eloise, Casey decided that a beautiful and practical cuff bracelet by Zenzii would be perfect, and indeed it was! Eloise loved it! I could just see it on her face.

 

 

After gift opening, it was time to dig into the cake and cupcakes, and let me tell you, that Sarah knows how to make a good cupcake! Casey put some beautiful gold candles into each of our cupcakes and sang us a very interesting rendition of Happy Birthday (she shouldn't quit her day job, that's for sure.) Even though she might not be the next Celine Dion, Eloise and I both had a wonderful time at the party, and are incredibly thankful for all of the wonderful people at Leigh's who always provide us with beautiful clothing and even more beautiful memories. Without them our lives would be nothing short of black and white, so thank you to all of those who are always on our sides giving us love and the best fashion advice I've personally ever experienced.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Lola & Eloise

Like always, all of our wonderful clothes and accessories are from Leigh's.
Visit us at 1942 Breton Rd SE  Grand Rapids, MI 49506.
And of course, don't forget to like us on Facebook!

Grizzly Girls!

Now, country music may not be our favorite genre of music, however, local band Gunnar and the Grizzly Boys had our hearts from the first time we heard them. This summer, the band has been traveling from Lansing, MI, to all the way down in Kearney, MO, so we quickly jumped on the opportunity to see them right here at The Intersection, in Grand Rapids. Eloise and I began shuffling through out closets, but nothing seemed to fit for the event, so off to Leigh's we went!

I (left) decided to go with a hot pink Elie Tahari top and some DL1961 printed jeans, and of course to top it off I went with a fabulous K&K Interiors beaded necklace. Eloise (right) picked out a fun Kate Spade top, with a pair of mint green Sanctuary shorts, and fittingly she decided to wear a Dorfman Pacific hat!

Hope you were hungry Eloise!

Pictured: Robby Mason, myself, Gunnar Nyblad, Eloise, Joe Rood, and Joe Connolly.

Robby was totally trying to make a move on me, but I stayed strong. Dating a rock star would just be too hard! I was definitely blushing, can you tell? Maybe next time he'll get up the courage to give me his number! And sorry to break your heart Joe, but Eloise is happily married, doesn't mean you still cant be friends though, right?

 



After hanging out with the guys it was show time! They were opened up by Timmy Lee & The Ten Cent Heroes, and Flashing Blue Lights, which really got Lola and I in the mood to rock! The mood quickly rose as the boys came out onto stage and everyone in the crowd began to dance and sing along.

 

We could tell that Gunnar and the Grizzly Boys have quite the avid following, and instead of fans, they seemed like family at a reunion singing along, arm and arm, to all their favorite songs. There were people of all ages there coming to see the favorite local band for the first and only time locally this summer.  Lola and I could tell that the guys in the band loved being on stage, and loved playing music, which was so wonderful and refreshing to watch! We decided to switch up our usual beverage of choice, for a nice cold beer! Nothing like dancing to a great band while refreshing with a nice cool one, right?! Eloise told me the next morning that I may have had one too many beers, and that I may have embarrassed myself out on the dance floor. Whoops! At least I had fun!

 

Gunnar holding up a guitar he had smashed in half!

 

Taking a bow!

Thank you so much Gunnar and the Grizzly boys for a great show and a great time. You'll see us back again. Eloise and I can say that we are now officially Grizzly Girls!



All of our beautiful clothes from Leigh's in Breton Village!
Follow Leigh's on Facebook, and of course follow us on Facebook!
"Like" Gunnar and the Grizzly Boys on Facebook.
Keep and eye out for all upcoming shows at The Intersection.

A Little More Wine than Canvas!

After taking a bit of a break from events, Eloise and I decided we needed a good old fashioned girls night out! As you all may know we're quite the adventurous duo, so we wanted to try something we hadn't done before. After briefly searching the web for events, we found Wine and Canvas! Anything has to be good if it has wine in the name, am I right? So we signed up and began choosing our outfits! I decided to go with a red and green Trina Turk top and a pair of hot pink J Brand jeans! So fab, am I right?! Lets not forget my beautiful Save the Queen necklace or Lordane bangles! Eloise decided to go with a Trina Turk top and matching J Brand jeans as well! So perfect! She paired the outfit with a Lordane necklace and Dimitradia bracelet. All of these pieces from our favorite store, of course! Leigh's!

While walking in I have to admit, I was pretty nervous, this is nothing like the finger panting I'm used to at home! However, Lola convinced me that I will do just fine. Of course as you may know, fashionably early is the new fashionably late, so we were the first ones there. As everyone shuffled in and the wine was served my nerves floated away, and before I knew it, it was time to start putting paint on that canvas! Luckily aprons were provided so I didn't have to run the risk of getting anything on my beautiful Trina Turk top, or J Brand Jeans!

Looks like we landed in Italy!

I had a right to be nervous! Look at this beautiful thing!

We began painting the background to our African Sunset and we quickly realized just how Zen painting could be! After a few drinks everyone seemed to loosen up and enjoy themselves. Everyone even started to belt out a Journey song together, even though I couldn't hear much over Eloise's off key voice. Just kidding! After completing the background of the painting we got to take a break while we let the paint dry, which meant more drinks, and even an appetizer! And honestly, ever since I stepped into Pietro's and smelled the fresh bread baking, I was pretty hungry. We decided to throw our diets out the window and order fried mozzarella, and to be honest I only have three words to describe it, TO DIE FOR! In fact, just thinking about it makes me want to hop in the car to scarf some down right now. Luckily my figure doesn't seem to grow or shrink much, it pretty much just stays the same no matter what I do, pretty lucky, huh?

After basically inhaling those fried mozzarellas it was time to get back to work! It was time to paint the tree. Step by step, the instructor worked us through the proportions. She did the measurements by fingers, so in some places it would be three fingers, and in others it would be two, although Lola and I stuck to four fingers when it came to measurements, because we have pretty stiff hands. In fact, I'm surprised we were even able to use those paint brushes! Either way, with the help of the instructor and the support of the new friends we met around us, we were able to make some pretty awesome paintings, if I do say so myself.

Our masterpieces!

Everyone rocked it out!

Us with the final product! Not too shabby, eh? The red in the painting goes perfect with my outfit! And the blue perfectly complement Eloise's Trina Turk top!
All of our beautiful clothes from Leigh's in Breton Village! http://www.leighsfashions.com/
If you want to take a painting class or just have a girls night out sign up with Wine and Canvas on their website at http://www.wineandcanvas.com/
And don't forget about that fried mozzarella! Try it for yourself at Pietro's!  http://www.rcfc.com/pietros/

Grand Rapids Ballet Company, Spring Gala

Lola and I were so excited to attend the Grand Rapids Ballet Spring Gala, An Evening in Verona. And was it ever an evening in Verona! The minute we arrived on the red carpet I felt like I had landed in Italy. This gala was the Grand Rapids Ballet’s annual fundraiser and we were honored to support such a fabulous company. It was an incredible evening of mingling, dinner, performance, and dancing!

Eloise's Kay Unger gown

When I saw that the gala was set to a Verona theme I immediately knew Leigh’s would have the perfect gown for the evening. So Lola and I headed to Leigh’s where we found marvelous Kay Unger dresses. Since this was a special evening, and I knew I had a few spring and summer weddings around the corner, I found an eye-catching statement necklace that would not only match beautifully with my dress, but also would compliment other pieces in my closet. My dress was a wonderful Kay Unger pink-multi colored gown; it matched the coral Verona theme wonderfully!

Lola's Kay Unger gown

Lola also wore a Kay Unger gown that matched the tablecloths perfectly! Of course she wasn’t really fazed by that because she only noticed the open bar and assortment of men in lovely black tie tuxedo's. Lola had a good time talking to the ballerinas that were mingling with us for a majority of the night, they were so sweet! Made me miss my kids at home.

Dancers at the Grand Rapids School of Ballet

After mingling we saw a special performance that showcased excerpts of the Company’s highly acclaimed, commissioned work, “Romeo & Juliet.” It was amazing to see the girls dance! After the performance we joined the dancers in the beautifully decorated studios for an authentic Italian dinner catered by Amore Trattoria Italiana.

Beautiful decorations that made us feel like we had entered Verona!

 

Following the wonderful meal, Lola and I enjoyed the rest of the evening with dancing and some desserts, although we were careful not to ruin our gowns! Of course, Lola enjoyed the cocktails while she did her best to dance the night away. Her ballerina skills really started to shine through as the night went on.

Our friend, Kim Waltman was dressed in Leigh's from head to toe! Love the Magaschoni wrap.

Spring Break and Trunk Shows

Can you feel spring in the air yet? Eloise and I were so happy to come back to the lovely (but wet) spring weather here in Michigan after our vacations. We were a little sad to see a light dusting of snow on the ground when we woke up, but we have faith that spring is well on its way.

We are sorry for the lack of communication the past week! Eloise was on vacation with her family in Florida and I was in the French Riviera by myself soaking up all the sun and good looking men. Can you tell by what Eloise and I are wearing that we still wish we were at our vacation destinations? Eloise looked too cute in her all Kate Spade outfit and Ralph Lauren sunglasses while I rocked it out in a Muse top, David Lerner leggings and a Rebecca Minkoff bag.

Eloise is so sunny in yellow!

Browsing the Teri Jon Rack at the Trunk Show.

The reason that Eloise and I had to stop into Leigh’s was not only to see all of our favorite friends, but also to check out the awesome trunk show that’s going on! Leigh’s has tons of events going on this month and into April so we will be making plenty of stops to see our favorite sales ladies!

 

Next week is another trunk show the 21^st-22^nd and the Leigh’s Spring Break Party on the 21^st. We can always use a little more spring break fun!

 

 

After we skimmed all the racks numerous times, it was time to get to work and find outfits to wear out this weekend for St.Patricks Day! Eloise and I are keeping it casual and just going to dinner with some friends (She is even setting me up with one of her co-workers! Fingers crossed). We chose to go with warm sweaters and basic bottoms so that we are comfortable all day long.

Eloise is wearing a lovely Elliott Lauren Sweater, Rich and Skinny Jeans and an Echo Scarf. She looks like she was pulled straight out of a magazine! I decided to go with a Kate Spade Bag as my splash of green with a Vince Top (Which is so softy and comfy) and another pair of David Lerner leggings. You can never have enough! And would you check out these funky Ralph Lauren glasses? How amazing are they?

Eloise looks so comfy casual.

I loved this Kate Spade bag and Ralph Lauren Sunglasses!

 

We hope everyone enjoyed their spring breaks! Or, if you are still in the process of planning yours, make sure you stop into Leigh’s to get all the spring fashions you will need!

Titanic: A Night To Remember

          Lola and I had the immense privilege of attending the Titanic: A Night to Remember event on Thursday at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. What an event! When we first arrived we were greeted by a “crew” who looked like they were straight off of the Titanic. Lola and I both got a ticket to board the ship which had a name on it with different details about that specific person. At the end of the evening we found out if we were passengers that sank with the ship or passengers that were lucky enough to survive.

        We walked the red carpet and stopped for a photo-op in front of a small Titanic replica. We then made our way to an oyster bar which exactly what they served on the Titanic! When the kind servers handed me an oyster I looked up to see if Lola got one also; turns out she had already made her way to the drinks.

          We did some mingling and munching around the socializing area and did some bidding on the silent auction items! Our intern, Abi, introduced us to some of the fellow Titanic dinner attendees and it was an honor to meet more fellow Grand Rapids citizens!

         We were standing near the “Gentlemen’s Club” section of the exhibit that resembled that of the ship waiting for a man to possibly notice Lola, how could you not in the fabulous Terani skirt that we both selected to wear that evening? While standing there, we posed for a quick picture with a couple that was accurately dressed in Titanic era clothing; mid-pose they ran away and told us to follow them quickly. We picked up our skirts and scurried to dance floor where the music was playing.

          To our surprise, there was a flash mob right in the middle of the dinner! A couple dozen people all put together a dance that was exactly how the passengers of the Titanic would have been dancing at their formal dinners. It was absolutely amazing how fast these dancers moved their feet all in harmony!

           With our Terani skirts, I wore a fabulous Foxcroft black and white printed blouse with a Jade Black cardigan to keep me warm. I wanted to incorporate the Titanic feeling with my outfit so I scored this darling Dorfman headband in black and Lola in purple. Lola was so in love with hers that she was having some of the men wear it so she could snap a picture.. embarrassing! On top, Lola work an Armani black cami that was very sleek and classy and covered up a bit, per my request, with a Cynthia Rose black scarf that I have had my eyes on at Leigh’s for quite some time. Love it!

         We then headed up to the second floor for some delicious dinner. I could not decide what I wanted with all of their Titanic replicate options, so I tried it all! I was so awestruck by the fabulous gowns the ladies were wearing that looked like they were walking right onto the Titanic (unfortunately, that’s a little impossible).

        It was a fabulous event and it was great to see some familiar faces and meet some new friends! I am taking the kids to see the exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum this week so they can get a taste of what it was like to be on the historic ship much like I did on Thursday.