by | Sep 23, 2013 | Blogging / Technology, Fashion |
What a night on the rooftop of the 360 Restaurant in the Hilton at the Ballpark in Downtown St. Louis.
Hostesses and some of the STLFW Award winners
The event was packed and everyone was having a lot of fun.
360 Rooftop Hilton Downtown hotel
Sara Stallmann of Alive Magazine said,
From Alive.com
The blog nominees and a guest were given comp tickets to the event. Of course, I invited my hubby to attend with me and we had a good time.
-Bubbling With Elegance and Grace won two awards in the People’s Choice Category:
Best Newcomer Award Winner
Best Personal Style Award Winner
*The Official winners were selected by the 7 panel judges.
The People’s Choice Award winners received flowers and some of the official award winners received a bottle of Skinny Girl. 360 was serving hor doeurves and cocktails, I didn’t drink any alcohol at this event because personally I don’t drink so water and lemon for me.
Anyhoo, I am so excited!
JT accepting STLFW People’s Choice Blogger award for Best Personal Style
The night was grand and I am extremely honored. I accepted my awards in a dress my Madisonleigh, Black Shirt Jacket by Anne Klein, and black platform wedges by Vince Camuto. I so really heart the floral pattern with the black borders of the dress, one of my favorites. My jewelry is 100% Natural wood handmade earrings, R.J Graziano bracelets, turquoise ring by Carolyn Pollack, and Isaac Mizrahi ceramic pink watch. My handbag is my Kathy Van Zeeland.
The rooftop restaurant had a cool breeze and was a really awesome spot, high above the Saint Louis skyline. You can watch the Cardinals play in the stadium from the 26th floor.
Here’s another view.
After the event my hubby went downstairs to get my bag.
The bag is great for groceries. Some complimentary flip flops, Bronx notepad, coaster, a $25 gift card from Bronx shoes, and a catalog. I will have to take a look at the bronx shoes catalog.
And like a princess, my husband open the door to our carriage ( Jeep door) and we rode off into the sunset after the event giggling and celebrating the whole way.
I personally would like to thank everyone from the depths of my heart who voted for me. I am so joyful and overabundance of blessings to all!
JT with her eyes closed.
This post is linked up with Visible Monday!
by | Sep 21, 2013 | Fashion, Travels |
JT at the Art Institute of Chicago
September is a special month for me. I married my sweetheart fourteen years ago on September 11 and it is also my hubby’s birthday on September 24th!
For our anniversary, My hubby surprised me with a road trip to Chicago. I did not know if we were doing something special in town or traveling out of town. It was such a treat because we went to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the “Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity,” Exhibition. As a part of the press, Art Institute provided me with a press pass for the exhibition admission. The Exhibition is well done and closes Sunday, September 29, 2013. The Art Institute of Chicago is the final of three stops for this phenomenal exhibition.
Sponsors of the Exhibit
Major funding for Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago has been generously provided by Alexandra and John Nichols.
Chase and J.P. Morgan are the Corporate Sponsors of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The press release provided by the Art Institute stated, “this is a groundbreaking and critically acclaimed exhibition. Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity, which opened in Paris in October 2012, lands at the Art Institute this summer as the final stop on its world tour.Organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Muséed’Orsay, Paris, the exhibition broke attendance records in Paris and has been lauded by international and national critics alike. Roberta Smith of the New York Times called the New York presentation a “thrilling, erudite show” with “visual fireworks, historical clarity, and pitch-perfect contextualizing.” Vogue proclaimed the show “breathtaking” for its portrayal of “art’s passionate love affair with fashion in the boulevards and salons of late 19th-century France.” And now audiences in Chicago will be able to spend the summer with the first exhibition to explore the role of fashion in the revolutionary Impressionist movement.”
I totally agree that the paintings are amazing and I am truly fortunate to be able to see these paintings, garments and related objects exhibited in the United States. It was so thought provoking to see the painting with a lady in a particular dress and then turn around and see either an interpretation or the exact same dress in the case. I am enjoying every minute of it!
This portrait below is one of my favorites and my hubby really liked it too.
Jean Béraud. A Ball, 1878. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, RF 1994 15.
In the portrait, look at all men in their tuxedo tails, with gloves and top hats. Look at the ladies in their corset-fitted dresses and the oh so feminine fans. What do you think they are celebrating? Everyone is so involved in their conversations. Wouldn’t it be such a pleasure to be a fly on the wall? The red curtains in the background are so striking that it adds even more depth to the portrait.
The portrait, “In The Conservatory,” below is of the artist’s wife. She passed away shortly after this portrait was painted. The artist (husband) preserved the dress and never painted again after his wife’s death.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
I had to share this image of her because she looks beautiful. Look at the detail in the dress. Do you see the dots, stripes, pleating and the layering of the hem? I also see her gold jewelry.
Albert Bartholomé. In the Conservatory, c. 1881. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, gift of the Société des Amis du Musée d’Orsay, 1990, RF 1990 26.
Below is the exact same dress that was painted in the portrait above, not a replica. Let me say that again, that this is the exact same dress. It brings the painting to life to see this dress.
Summer dress worn by Madame Bartholomé in the painting In the Conservatory, French, 1880. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, gift of the gallery Charles and André Bailly, 1991, ODO 1991 1.
The bustle dresses were fitted in the waist, flows along the hips and sat high up in the back and often accentuated with draping, bows or some sort of ornamentation. I could only imagine how uncomfortable these dresses were with fitted corsets underneath. The dresses are beautiful and are draped so well that I can understand why women wore the corset. Kind of like wearing 6 inch stiletto heels? Women do it to be fashionable, on trend, in style and to look taller and slimmer.
This Exhibition brings out so many discussions regarding fashion and society. The exhibit is open until Sunday, September 29th so if you are in Chicago please go see this captivating exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Stay tuned for more of my favorites from the Exhibition: Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity.
* All photos courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
by | Sep 10, 2013 | Accessories, Fashion |
Yes, you can wear white after Labor day, even if it’s in a print.
JT in black and white dress
My white patent wedges are illuminating and I don’t think it was a really sunny day. The handbag I have is by Sharif and the leather tassel just takes this handbag to another level. Also the sewn on jewels on the handbag adds an exotic touch.
JT in Gucci sunglasses.
I really accentuated my look with my gifted Gucci sunglasses. I really like the wide frames and how light they are, My 14Kt earrings work well with the sunglasses and my Italian Lire bracelet simply rocks.
JT
Not wearing white after Labor Day is a myth. Wear white all year long and wear it proud.
by | Sep 2, 2013 | Accessories |
JT
I really enjoy wearing sunglasses all year long, not only in the summer time. Have to protect those eyes!
Smartbuyglasses.com contacted me to try a pair of its sunglasses. I jumped to the occasion because I really wanted to try a pair and give my honest review. I had a $150.00 limit to pick any pair from its website. I perused through the pages and came upon a really chic and elegant pair from Gucci. I picked those and could not wait until they arrived.
My hubby opened the package for me while I took some pictures. The sunglasses were bubble wrapped and my package include a eyeglass kit. The kit includes eyeglass spray, a cloth, and a screwdriver to tighten the glasses. I can also use the screwdriver on my prescription lenses if the frames are loose.
The Gucci sunglasses I picked from smartbuyglasses.com were packed very well and they are as beautiful as I thought they would be.
So what’s a girl to do now? Style them of course. The frames are a large aviator style, but not heavy on my nose. Sometimes it can be up in the air when it comes to large frames and their weight; but theses sunglasses are very comfortable and oh so chic. The glasses have UV protection and are made in Italy.
JT in Gucci sunglasses
The side view is slick and streamlined. Normally I would go for thicker sides to protect my eyes from the sun. However, the sides of these frames are not thin at all. I really like the level of thickness on the sides.
Gucci sunglasses side view
I give Smartbuyglasses.com two thumbs up because these sunglasses arrived in good timing, the packaging was well done and the sunglasses are so cool.
JT
Smartbuyglasses.com carries designer eyewear from Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana to Coach. Please take a look at its site when you get a chance. After reviewing the site I found that you can purchase sunglasses and prescription glasses and the return policies are really great as well.
Thank you Smartbuyglasses.com for giving me the oppurtunity to try these ultra chic Gucci sunglasses.
Totally fabulous!
by | Sep 2, 2013 | Travels |
Good Day Elegant Readers,
Hope you are having a great holiday weekend of rest and relaxation.
A few months ago I was contacted to take an Xperience Days activity experience. Xperience Days offers 1,000 of activity experience gifts in the US and UK from cooking classes to dinner cruises. My hubby and I choose a diner jazz cruise in Memphis operated by Memphis Riverboats Inc. I had to make a change to our original cruise date because a friend of ours had passed way and we wanted to attend the memorial service. Our representative and his supervisor from Xperience and the people at Memphis Riverboats were so accommodating and understanding. We were able to arrange another date with no problem.
We arrived at the registration center by 7:00pm so we could set sail at 7:30pm.
We arrived at the small parking lot, expecting to pay five or ten dollars. Thankfully, it was free, so awesome. My recommendation is to arrive early because by the time arrived, only a few parking spaces were left. The lot attendant asked two people to move their cars because they were not going on the cruise. The attendant asked ask if we were here for the cruise. We let him that we were. He said enjoy your cruise and we said we will. It was great to know that the lot was reserved for only people traveling on the dinner cruises.
The parking space was near at the ticket building entrance. We came up to the counter, gave them our registration certificate and they knew who we were. The process was so easy and quick. We got our tickets and went outside and waited to get on the boat.
The view was beautiful and serene as the sun was setting over the river.
My hubby looks so relaxed.
We were suppose to leave on the Island Queen boat at 7:30pm but we actually boarded at that time. The boat arrived late in the harbor.
We waited in this area for the boat to arrive. Everyone was really nice. Families were going on the cruise together, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and there was even a wedding party.
Great view of the Island Queen boat.
We boarded at 7:30pm and starting cruising at 7:45pm. When we first got on, I was about to find an open table to sit down; however, we had a sitting chart. We sat to the left of the band, at the first table. The dinner featured traditional Memphis BBQ fixings: maple-smoked baked beans, pulled pork, grilled marinated chicken, corn, cole slaw and a chocolate Oreo dessert. The food was served buffet style and you were called by rows to come to the buffet. The beverages was at the other end of the room.
As we were eating the band was playing some good old school jazz.
The food was good and my favorite was the baked beans with brown sugar flavoring. The band serenaded us while we ate.
The band
A kind fellow cruiser took a picture for us. So nice.
The cruise lasted about 2 hours and 15 minutes. My hubby and I enjoyed every minute of it.
If you get a chance to visit Memphis you have to take a dinner cruise from Xperience days.
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