Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Stash Style Pop-Up Shoppe

I told you I'd post again soon! In addition to Small Business Saturday this weekend, there is a great trunk show happening at Beachcliff in Rocky River. Last spring I wrote about Stash Style, my favorite boutique in Chagrin Falls. Since then, the Chagrin location has closed, but the owner has set up various pop-up shops selling goods all around town. Lucky for us, one of these very pop-ups is happening all weekend long!

The Stash Style blog has been full of photos of all kinds of great items available this weekend. So far it seems there will be plenty of holiday goodies, as well as everyday finds perfect for gifts. Last Christmastime I bought an adorable yellow and white mini tree knick-knack and a sparkly silver vintage ornament (among many other things). They promise to have loads of vintage ornaments this year, all for just $1 a piece!

I'm hoping to get some Christmas shopping done there this weekend, so I may not be posting everything I buy - it would ruin the surprise if any recipients were reading! Hope to see you all there this weekend, I promise it will be worth it!

Stash Style Pop-Up Shoppe
Beachcliff Market Square in Rocky River
Fri,  Nov. 25: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 26: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sun, Nov. 27: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Small Business Saturday

Dredgers Union on E. 4th
It's been a little while since I've posted here on good ol' Crooked River Couture. As many of you can probably relate to, life gets busy and crazy sometimes, and I found myself in a bit of a funk. What better way to bring myself back to life than with some Cleveland fashion blogging! One thing I have been doing is writing some pieces for Examiner focusing on, what else, Cleveland fashion. I've written two pieces so far and hope to do more, so be sure to keep up on them!


As for my trusty blog here, it's been a bit of a struggle coming up with ideas for posts. I think I need to be a little less picky and a little more open to any kind of Cleveland style topics. I would also like to keep up a little bit more on fashionable events going on around town. So I think that's how I'll start!





Vanity Lab
This Saturday, November 26 is Small Business Saturday. This is the second year for this great nation-wide event that promotes local independently owned businesses. It's kind of the local version of Black Friday, which we all know is the biggest shopping day of the year. After you've had your fix of name brand products for a fraction of the price at malls and shopping centers, think about heading out for Small Business Saturday to help out your local businesses and boutiques!

This blog has been dedicated to all the great shops around town. Here's a link to some I have covered. Think about heading to one (or all) of these places, and more!

- Lion and Blue in Lakewood
- Vanity Lab in Westlake
- One World Shop (Ten Thousand Villages) in Rocky River
- City Buddha in Cleveland Hts. (Coventry)
- Flower Child in Cleveland (Clifton)
- Salty Not Sweet in Ohio City
- Room Service in Ohio City
- Dredgers Union, Downtown (E. 4th)*


I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, a greater Black Friday and the best Small Business Saturday! Check back soon for some more updates, I hope to be churning them out faster than I have been lately!



(*Note: CLE Clothing Co. will be opening up a shop on E. 4th this weekend! Make sure you hit that up on Saturday too!!!)

Friday, September 23, 2011

Ingenuing above the Cuyahoga

Ingenuity: the power of creative imagination.

Woah. That's quite a definition, thanks to my Dictionary app. In my honest opinion, this very power is one of the most powerful powers one can possess. And it perfectly describes what I witnessed on the lower, old streetcar deck of the Detroit-Superior Bridge last Saturday night. It's Cleveland's coolest kids' favorite weekend of the year, the Ingenuity Fest! Where else can you soak up art, music, drama, science and technology all in one place? Actually, if you look hard enough you could find quite a few of those things in several places around town. BUT when else can you do it UNDER A BRIDGE?!? I simply adore the Ingenuity Fest and wish my life was a little more like it every day. I would totally become a troll (not the interwebs kind, the real kind) if it meant I could live under that bridge. And, of course, if it was constantly filled with such ingenious awesomeness.

When I was telling people that I was going to or had gone to the Ingenuity Fest the question that usually follows is "Oh yeah. What is that again?" To which I am dumbfounded. I probably should be able to describe my favorite Cleveland festival a little better than by saying, "Um there's like art and stuff and it's like, ingenious?" But it really is something you can't understand unless you've experienced it.

The best way to do it however, is through photos, which is what I plan on doing in this here blog post with the goal of luring you to the festival next year.

I know what you're thinking. What does this have to do with fashion? Well, people were selling fashionable things there (very fashionable things in fact) and it's art and fashion is the most commonly experienced form of art and stop yelling at me! Oh you weren't? My bad. Anyways YES there seemed to be more selling of fun and funky artifacts this year than I remember from last year. The first stand I came about was a new Cleveland Tshirt company I have not had the pleasure of coming across yet, I Love CLE. I loved their Ohio shaped Cleveland design, which really sets them apart from other C-town shirt sellers.







You may recall my gold triangle ring I bought from Salty Not Sweet this past spring. We were browsing a jewelry table and saw that very ring! Bestie and I felt really super cool when we asked, "Do you sell your stuff at Salty?" Even though we already knew the answer. Otherwise there was a serious case of gold triangle ring copycatting going on. But yes was the answer and I am so glad they were selling their goods! My favorite items had to be a pair of gold zig zag earrings and a pair that were zebra striped. As I love my animal prints I picked them up to discover they were actually cut up credit cards. Upon further observation though I realized they were H&M gift cards! SUCH a great idea! I've always had really chicly designed gift cards which are always sad to part with. I could keep them, but then again what would I do with an empty gift card, no matter how cute it is? Um, duh make earrings out of them, hello! The power of creative imagination at its best, people. They also had some unique long necklaces  adorned with gold feathers and tiny bird cages. Sadly, when we made the rounds and headed back to where the tables were set up the happy jewelry people had fled. I'll definitely have to hit up Salty again to get more of their info!





Recently I have noticed an increase in Cleveland art and prints. One vendor had some great photos of our fair city for fairly reasonable prices. I have seen so many great artists and photographers with Cleveland-inspired art I can't decide on one to actually add to my collection! I think when the day comes that I have my own place I'll finally make my decision. I loved the street name prints I saw at Made in the 216 event at the Dredgers Union in July, but some of these were fantastic as well.










This particular signage isn't even art, it's an actual street sign harking back to the day when this lower deck of the bridge was used for streetcars. I absolutely loved it and my little iPhone took a pretty legit photo, thanks to Ingenuity Fest lighting. I might have to take this and turn it into art myself. Somehow…










Perhaps the most literal cross between art and fashion was the table of tiny hats. And no, Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig were not selling them. Bestie and I could not get enough of these funky tiny hat and hair clips in just about any and every shape and size you could imagine, and even some you couldn't. For example, Bestie could not pass up the head topper with her boyfriend, Optimus Prime on it. I mean come on, how awesome is that?!? She wore it the rest of the night and received several compliments.




The rest of my photos aren't fashion per say, but could definitely serve as some kind of artistic inspiration. And what did we say about art and fashion? FASHION = ART. Boom. So I thought I'd add a gallery of the rest of my photos which include glamour shots of the bridge and a few of my favorite artists' installations at the Fest.





I had an amazing time at this year's Ingenuity Fest. Like I said before, I really wish the bridge were that awesome all the time. I wonder who I can talk to about making it a permanent market, kind of like the open air markets in Charleston, SC and other cities. Because come on, how GREAT would that be? So here's to the power of creative imagination, and hoping we get a little bit of that action every single day.

Friday, September 9, 2011

"Cock your hat, angles are attitudes."



As I tweeted last week, I got to go shopping the past two weekends! A rarity these days, on account of my shallow bank... account. But I had some spare change and thought I'd have a little me time at Great Northern Mall and Crocker Park. I even got into a kind of "what the hell, I'll buy it!" kind of mood. Don't worry I didn't go too crazy, just crazy enough. And by crazy enough I mean crazy enough to buy THIS hat!


Ohhh yeah. Here's the story... Remember when I went to LA last month? My friend and I did a little shopping in Old Town Pasadena and took a pit stop at H&M. There was this GREAT maroon fedora kind of hat with a black band and feathers on the side. It looked fun so I put it on and kept it on for the remainder of our browsing. When it was time to leave, bestie said to me, "aren't you getting that?" I told her I didn't think so, it was $17 and I didn't really need it. Turns out it didn't matter that I didn't need it because I totally bought it when I saw it here back home. I wore it the rest of the day at the mall and I felt so baller. It fits so nicely and honestly feels down right lovely on my head! I have thusly dubbed it my new fall hat and will be really mad at myself if I do not wear this thing OUT. I hope to be known as the maroon hat girl all around Northeast Ohio.




Speaking of hats, I also bought a new straw hat at Kohl's. It's replacing one I got there a few years ago that was actually from Guinness and had a fun shamrocky patterned band around it. But due to excessive wear and tear, my good ol' chapeau has just about run its course and it was time for a new one. This one is a bit more structured and has a very nautical red and navy band. I've already worn it on a few bad hair days this week!




Back at H&M, I also bought a great new bag. Remember my white lace bag I bought on eBay? Don't get me wrong, I love that purse but it's a bit small and honestly a little too springy/summery, so when I saw this Givenchy look-a-like in a nice rose tan I had to snag it. 


The other thing I fawned over at the Pasadena H&M was this feather-patterned scarf. The past two autumns I've bought a new scarf there and I absolutely love them. I usually get a really fun and colorful one, big and comfy that I can throw on with any outfit between now and March! Keeping with this tradition when I saw the feather scarf I did not buy in Pasadena I, you guessed it, bought it here. Can't wait when it gets really fall-y and I can wear it with my trench coat and drink pumpkin spice lattes. And wear my maroon hat, of course.











Skip a week to a quick outing at Crocker Park. I hadn't been in the new Anthropologie yet, which is probably a good thing because that place is down right dangerous. I want EVERYTHING but can afford NOTHING, with one wonderful exception - SALE ITEMS! This blue striped dolman sleeved top was marked down twice - from $78 (ridiculous) to $39 (obnoxious) to $19.99 (fairly reasonable). And now it's mine!  It's kinda funky but also kinda awesome and I can't wait to wear it.






I hope I didn't bore you with my shopping sagas. I just really haven't really been for a while. And honestly, even if I hadn't bought anything it would have been fun. Just being around fashion when I haven't for so long was plenty to tide me over! So here's to retail therapy, or, giving that whole "I'll go window shopping without my wallet" thing a go :)




*Title quote by Frank Sinatra

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Just do it (yourself)!

I’m baaack! I know it’s been a while since my last post, and trust me it’s been killing me. On my time off however I did take a fun little trip to Los Angeles. I had a blast and even as you know I love the Cleve, it was good to get away. (And the weather was beautiful!)

So between the trip and work I’ve had limited time to get my blog on! But fortunately I had some recent inspiration for a post and I’m bringing it to you right now.

I’ve noticed lately that DIY projects are becoming really big. It’s always cool to answer the question “where did you get that?” with “I made it myself!” Whether it’s an expertly crafted silver ring or just a scarf made from some fabric you found lying around the house. That particular joy, plus the usually cheaper cost, makes DIY the perfect way to add new items to your collection.

This personal DIY revolution of mine started this spring when I saw something online about making old t-shirts into scarves. I have so many old tees that, for some reason, I refuse to get rid of. (Never know when you might need that holey graphic tee from Target that never fit…right?) I figured that making things I hoard into things I’ll actually use was a pretty good idea.  I preferred the simple t-shirt scarf to the fringe one. It’s so easy, just cut a straight line across the tee right under the armholes so it’s just a rectangle (or square) shaped. Throw it over your neck and voilà!  I made a few scarves, but seeing as how it was late April I didn’t have a ton of time to wear them. Looking forward to the fall for that!

I kind of went scarf crazy and cut up a ton of my old shirts. Some were kind of small and weren’t going to make great scarves. So I got creative and made headbands out of them. Especially in the summer I wear a lot of cloth headbands to keep the hair out of my face. My favorite one that I made was this one, constructed out of a shirt printed with a plethora of peace signs. It was always so cute, but just not as a tight fitting t-shirt. I didn’t have to do much after I cut it for the scarf, again just straight across under the armholes. Then all I do when I want to wear it is twist it around, double it up, and stretch it around my head!  I usually twist it twice, it makes a nice knot on the bottom and looks a lot better. When I’m feeling particularly funky I sometimes put the knot on top instead of under my hair. Either way, so cute, so simple and so cheap!



A little while later I took a trip to Pat Catan’s, also known as the World’s Greatest Craft store. Look it up. Seriously, Catan’s is one of the greatest Cleveland institutions, far superior to national craft supply chains. I had been noticing that feathers were very in but I could never find any feather accessories I was crazy about, although I liked the idea. I thought I would see if they had any fun feathers at Catan’s to maybe make something out of. You know how sometimes you have a shopping mission that comes up short? Well this surely was not one of those times. I found a four pack of tan and black feather bunches that were so perfect. All I had to do was wrap the tips with wire and slip on an earring hook and I got these great new feather earrings! A very legitimate alternative to feather hair extensions.



With this DIY kick still going, I found myself in Urban Outfitters at Crocker Park one lovely spring day and happened across this great book on their book table. It’s called P.S. – I Made This… and it is choc full of fun and easy DIY fashion projects. Instead of paying $20 I figured I’d see if the library had a copy. Lucky me! Found one at the Lakewood Library for, oh what? FREE. There are so many great ideas in this book, I highly recommend checking it out.









So far I’ve only done one project but I definitely plan on doing more. The second I turned the page to see this ring necklace I knew I had to do it. I have so many rings I never wear and, as the book describes, not enough fingers for! From class rings, to a bent Claddagh, heirlooms from my mom and grandmas and cheap ones from mall stores, I had plenty to go around. All I had to do was round them all up, buy some strong cord and slide them on! I twisted the cord to create a braided effect and to make it extra strong. I just did this one the other day so I haven’t worn it yet but I am so excited to. It is sure to be a huge conversation piece!




I hope this will inspire you go out there and make some of your own fashions! Not only does it keep you from spending money you don’t have, it really is fun and makes each item more meaningful.  And, coming from someone who can’t sew to save her life, it’s easy to find ideas for any skill level. Have fun!










Sunday, August 14, 2011

Sorry for my absinthe...

...er, absence.  I took a little mini vaca to the Golden State last week! Had such a great time in beautiful sunny LA, but I'm glad to be back in the CLE! I'll definitely be getting some new posts going soon. Bought a few cute things in Cali to show off as well as some stuff I've picked up here and there this summer back in the 216.

And watch out kids, fall is right around the corner! I received one of my September magazine issues already and I'll know when my September Vogue comes when I see the forklift hauling it down the street.

So I'm hoping I'll take my Nikon out to snap some fashionable pics for you, my stylish Cleveland blogosphere, and have something to write about! Stay tuned, and stay cool :)

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Weekend Style Winning

So I wanted to post this before it fleeted from my mind. As you may have read in my previous entry, I attended the Metromix fashion show at the Arcade downtown last night. All the proceeds benefitted the APL and the designs were from students at Virginia Marti College. The show was great (what I could see of it, I was holding down ticket duty throughout most of the show) and the designs I saw were fantastic.

But as I was taking tickets at the door, I saw more fashion from the attendees than the models on the runway. Much of the show goers were dressed to the nines, and I loved seeing Cleveland going fashion forward. But I have to say there was one individual I saw whose ensemble and style took the cake.

I follow a few fashion blogs on Tumblr, many of them focusing on vintage and somewhat indie style. I swear this girl at the show last night was right off of my Tumblr dashboard. She looked so put together and incredibly legit. Fresh in my mind this morning, I thought I'd create a replica Polyvore set of her outfit.

Arcade Fashion Show Winner

Creepy? Maybe. Only because I couldn't take her photo. She totally reaffirmed that the fashions you see on blogs or in magazines are totally doable in real life - and in Cleveland! So here's to never thinking you can't pull something off or that you would never wear something you want to around here. Never second guess anything. If you love it, wear it and wear it out!



Here's a list of some of the fashion blogs I follow!
http://fashionfever.tumblr.com/
http://calivintage.tumblr.com/
http://loveforfashion.tumblr.com/
http://www.keikolynn.com/
http://ulrikahblog.blogspot.com/




.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Weekend full of fashion fun!

So there are quite a few stylish happenings going on around town this weekend. I'm going to try to check out as many of these that I can, and you should definitely do the same.

The first is Friday's Stash Style sale in Rocky River. As you may remember I posted about Stash Style a few months ago. It used to be a permanent shop in Chagrin Falls, but is now a travelling pop up shop that happens to be having an event at Beachcliff this weekend! According to the Facebook event page it runs Friday from 5-8 p.m. although on their blog it says Saturday as well. I posted on their page to ask about Saturday, so I'll post whatever I hear about that. Stash Style has such unique stuff I really hope I am able to hit this one up - and I'm thankful it's much closer to my house than C-Falls.

Another great event going on that I am for sure attending is the APL Metromix Fashion Show on Saturday downtown at the Arcade. I have actually never been to a real fashion show before and I am so amped for this one. It does cost money to get in and you can snag tix at the door or for $6 cheaper in advanced (check out Metromix's event page for ticket details). The proceeds will go to benefit the APL, and who wouldn't want to check out a totally awesome fashion show to help out local puppies and kitties? I'll be there taking tickets make sure to stop and say hey. Doors open at 6:30!

And thirdly Saturday is also Walk All Over Waterloo in Collinwood from 4-7 p.m. There are so many great shops out there on Waterloo and a lot of them are partaking in Saturday's neighborhood event and offering deals. It's a great chance to check out some of these fantastic local spots all on the same day!

I know it's going to be a hot weekend here in the CLE but why not take a break from the pool and the AC and get your local fashion on! There are plenty of opportunities to do so, and I for one am pretty excited myself! Hopefully I'll get to post about some of these events next week. Stay cool!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Dredging down East 4th

Last week I posted event info for the Made in the 216 and Dredgers Union grand opening event that took place on Friday night (and all weekend!) If you didn't have a chance to hit it up, you missed a great event for Cleveland fashion. It was so great to see so many people downtown, and even though I know some of the crowd was from the Tribe game, I know a lot of people were there for this event! Even Channel 3 was live from E. 4th during their 7 p.m. news!

Unfortunately we didn't get there until later, but I'm so glad we got to stop by. The Dredgers Union store is located on the east side of the street right across from the Greenhouse Tavern. The set up of the store is really cool. There was a very Anthropologie vibe. I was expecting more of a boutique, which is more common for locally owned shops. But I can definitely see the Dredgers Union becoming a national chain! Not that it ever would or would ever want to but it had that type of vibe, like you could plop it in any mall in America.


Of course me being me, the first thing that caught my eye when I walked in was this navy blue tote bag with a vintage map of Cleveland on it. It was just $20 and I just might have to go back and snag one!


A lot of the apparel was on the higher price end (again, like Anthropologie) but they were really chic and unique.  There was everything from shorts to tops, dresses and more. On the upper level stage area were all home wares. Each little area was like a separate room in someone's house. There were some really great shower curtains that my friends and I wanted in our future apartment! I also loved some of the cups, bowls and plates around. As I've always said I'm a sucker for interesting set ups inside stores and the housewares area had a really cool set up. I wish I could live there!



Now the real party was hopping down stairs in the basement level. That's where the Made in the 216 event was going on. It was like a mini craft fair with racks and racks of Cleveland T-shirts (including some from my favorite CLE Clothing Co. and their new summer tanks), tables of accessories and Cleveland-themed art on the walls.












We were really feeling the jewelry pinned up on this bulletin board. A lot of them were made from old watches and clocks from Aviaire and were so unique.

I, personally was totally into the Cleveland art up everywhere. My favorite would have to be the black and white text prints by Arterx with street names from various neighborhoods. I loved the Lakewood one featuring "Warren," "Bunts," "Detroit," and "Riverside" as well as the Ohio City and Tremont ones. Another adorable print I loved was by Rachael Novak reading "Lake Erie Love."




Even though I didn't buy anything I'm really glad I went. Like I said in my preview post it's so good to see some retail coming to downtown! Even though a lot of the Dredgers Union stuff was a little expensive for my kind of income, I can't wait to do a little East 4th shopping once I get a little dough (whenever that might be!) I would definitely suggest checking it out, and maybe to give Made in the 216 a follow on Twitter to keep up with their pop up events. And of course, one of the best things about both Made in the 216 and the Dredgers Union they are dedicated to locally produced items - spreading the CLE love one shopping spree at a time!



***Check out the links on this page to see the web sites for some of the items I saw at the event!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Dredgers Union grand opening event

You simply cannot talk about Cleveland fashion & boutiques without talking about Danielle DeBoe and her many successful endeavors. With Room Service and Made in the 216 insanely popular and under her belt, her new shop, the Dredgers Union is having its grand opening party this Friday, July 8.

I've always said that they key to downtown's inevitable and unquestionable success is RETAIL. There are so many great places to eat and hang out (bars, music venues etc) but there really is no shopping downtown. You could include Tower City, but let's face it that's no where near where it used to be or could be.

Why am I mentioning downtown shopping? Because the Dredgers Union is smack dab in the middle of Cleveland's hottest avenue - East 4th! I was so excited to hear this. There are such great boutiques in the surrounding neighborhoods, but to have a local shop right downtown will be huge for the city.

I'm so excited for the Dredgers Union to open! And lucky us, all weekend the new spot is celebrating it's new home on East 4th. The big party starts on Friday at 4 p.m. with drinks and a live DJ. The best part (other than the awesome shopping) starts at 8 p.m. when live bands will play to the street from Greenhouse Tavern's rooftop. There will also be a rocking after party at the Corner Alley.

I personally cannot wait for this event on Friday! It will definitely be one C-Town shopping event not to miss!
Made in the 216 + Dredgers Union Grand Opening
4 p.m. Friday, July 8
2043 East 4th St. 

Monday, July 4, 2011

Living the fourth

As I tweeted a few hours ago, patriotic Polyvore sets kept popping up on my Tumblr dashboard and it inspired me to make one myself during my down time this lovely 4th of July afternoon. The 4th is definitely one of my favorite holidays in Cleveland.

Polyvore.com

I usually start it out with the Lakewood parade, followed by my street's own mini parade and mini block party. My dad and I totally rocked the water balloon toss and we got pretty far considering I had my dog's leash around my arm. Even though I got minorly soaked, it didn't ruin my adorably American dress I bought for this very holiday at H&M at Crocker Park.

Growing up I always planned my red, white and blue wardrobe for this day full of festivities including some kick-butt stars and striped shorts.* This year I thought I'd share my ensemble with the blogosphere before I head out to catch some lakefront fireworks.

One thing that they didn't have on Polyvore (also known as internet fashion porn, in case you're not familiar) was my Lakewood map necklace (which I will surely feature on le blog someday soon).

Hope you get some freedom inspired fashion for the day!

*One year I even dressed up as Bonnie Blair

Monday, June 27, 2011

New school iconic

It may be debatable whether Jay-Z made the Yankees hat more famous than the Yankees can, but Kid Cudi recently claimed he made the Cleveland fitted more famous than the Indians. And speaking of Cleveland's most famous indie rapper, when I went to see him perform at last summer's Ohio Homecoming, I couldn't help but notice how many people were rocking this particular Tribe cap.  As the organization seems to be weening off the arguably racist Chief Wahoo, they're putting more emphasis on the new block letter "C" logo.

Originally derived from the design used in blue and white from 1910-1932, the block "C" seems to have caught on, offering a simplistic, vintage feel for the younger generation. And as a part of that younger generation that grew up with the Indians of the '90s, we so want, nay need something to cling to when it comes to pro baseball in C-Town.

So why am I explaining all of this? Because I bought one of course! I was rather anti-baseball cap for a while but with my current outdoor employment combined with the sheer awesomeness of these hats, I knew I had to have one. I was expecting to pay a lot more than I did when I walked into the Indians Team Shop during last week's Pirates game at the Jake. The intention was to buy my mother a Jack Hannahan jersey (and yes they do exist) but I had to take a look at the hat wall. I picked up the adjustable navy blue number, saw that it was just $20, checked myself out in the mirror and the decision was made!

I really feel that my immense Cleveland pride just wasn't complete without one. Throw it on with a CLE Clothing Co. tee and I am ready to spread the CLE love everywhere I go. In fact, I'm wearing it right now awaiting Lonnie Chisenhall's Indians debut tonight!

Monday, June 20, 2011

It's called a satchel

So I thought I'd kick off this new chapter of the blog with this quick post featuring a new bag a just ordered. I have been wanting a white leather satchel able to seamlessly transfer from elbow to shoulder to cross body. Versatility is key people! I was merely browsing the interwebs today when I came across this guy on ebay! Exactly what I was looking for with a little added flavor with that lacy, doily looking pattern on the front. I can't wait till the man in the brown suit drops it off on my front porch!

Jannel Fashion
P.S. - What do we think of the new layout? I sure had some fun making it :)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Blog tweakin'

So yet again it's been a few weeks since I've posted. I'm still mulling over what direction I want to take the blog in. I am really dedicated to all the amazing boutiques and shops in Cleveland. But I also want to make this blog interesting for everyone and be able to do up to a few posts per week. So I think I've decided to branch out a bit and blog about fashion in general. My twist however will obviously be that I live in Cleveland and the blog will be centered around Cleveland. Growing up and living here and being, at times, a very fashion obsessed person, it has always been somewhat difficult for me to connect the pictures I see in my monthly Vogue to normal life, especially in Ohio. By now I think I have a pretty firm grasp on it, but I'm always learning. That's where the blog comes in. I'm going to try to be that connection between high end fashion and current trends and what is available for the average Clevelander. I will still be writing about locally owned and indie boutiques in the area. This is still one of my favorite things about Cleveland and so many of these great places need to be known by everyone!
So the new direction of the blog will *hopefully* be starting as soon as possible! Summer is such a great time in C-Town and I'm really excited for all the fun and fashion I have to share with the blogosphere! Thanks to all my readers and I'm pumped for this new chapter in the blog :)

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Cavs "What's Not To Like" T-shirt

So in "honor" of the first game of the NBA playoffs tonight, I had to post this awesome new tshirt available at the Cavaliers Team Shop. You might not get it if you didn't watch the NBA draft lottery. Hopefully though as a true blue Clevelander you did hear about the Cavs grabbing the first and fourth pick in the upcoming NBA lottery.

Photo courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers Team Shop
But an almost even bigger story at the lottery was owner Dan Gilbert's 14-year-old son Nick serving as the representative for the team. When interviewed by the host of the lottery, Nick dropped his now-infamous phrase, "what's not to like?"

Since then, the city has embraced Nick Gilbert and his phrase as a pride-filled C-Town battle cry. The Cavs jumped right on this bandwagon quickly and came out with these "What's Not to Like" t-shirts. The best part about them is that 100% of the proceeds go to the Children's Tumor Foundation to help find a cure for neurofibromatosis, the tumor disorder Nick Gilbert currently suffers from.

So to take your mind of that team from Florida competing for the NBA championship this week, order one of these tees and get psyched for a fresh new Cavs season!




Related Links: The Original Snarky Cleveland T-shirt Company



-

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Salty, sweet and in between

Last week I posted info about Salty Not Sweet's grand reopening event in Ohio City. It sounded so nice I had to check it out for myself, and I am so glad I did. This adorably funky boutique features handmade items from local and national artists picked from the owner at various craft shows.

The first thing that caught my eye when I walked in was the wall full of tote bags. Many of them were Ohio themed (which I love) but I couldn't help myself when I saw this bag with one of my favorite movie quotes on it. I love all of Paul Rudd's mega awkward phrases from I Love You Man. I say "totes ma gotes" all the time like it's nobody's business.








Intermixed with the tote bags were rows of glass magnets. They were really neat, many with photos of celebs like Zooey Deschanel and Alec Baldwin and patterns from zebra to polka dots. I bought this one with a couple of my favorite TV characters. However I might give it to a friend as a gift, thus the pixelated faces.

As we made our way towards the back we had to check out the tshirt shelves. There were a lot of really cute prints including one with a painterly looking pair of seahorses my friend bought and a really cute long, bright orange tee with cut off sleeves that would look super chic belted with leggings. The shirt I bought however I knew I had to have. I cannot wait to wear this out!











The jewelry at Salty Not Sweet is a whole adventure in and of itself. Really unique pieces included earrings made of recycled bottle caps and vinyl records, necklaces with birdcage and scooter charms and metal crafted rings. I also loved the line of pins, hair clips and necklaces with tiny city maps on them. (By the way, I LOVE MAPS). I had been looking for a new ring and I really liked a two finger studded ring but I decided to buy this gold triangle one. It's really different from anything I've seen, and it was just eight bucks!


Salty Not Sweet is more than just tshirts and trinkets. The locally made candles and soaps they sell smelled so good I wish I could fill my whole house with them! And as you know I love unique displays in stores and the in-house greeting card prints were displayed in an old card catalogue cabinet. We spent so much time reading these clever cards, some of which were hilariously snarky.

As it was their grand opening party, they had delicious cupcakes provided by the Cleveland Cupcake Company as well as other snacks and refreshments. I have to say the dark chocolate bacon cupcake I had was to die for.


When we finished our shopping and browsing, we headed up to the counter to make our purchases. Candra, the owner, was so sweet and funny. She genuinely loved everything in her place and everything I bought, she had one of her own! (And she also shared my love of vintage keys that were scattered around the shop ;) We also got to go home with our own little plants Candra said she had been growing in cups in her kitchen for weeks. My friend chose some herbs and I, who would have no use for such things, picked a lavender and a snapdragon. Such a cute idea!

I had an amazing time at Salty Not Sweet's opening on Saturday. I cannot wait until summer when I have some more dough and I can really go on a shopping spree there! Ohio City has always been one of my favorite Cleveland neighborhoods and it is really blossoming. This new boutique addition, as well as its neighbor Room Service, are making the area even better.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Salty Not Sweet grand reopening 5/21

If you're looking for something to do on Saturday (especially if you just found out the Indians game is sold out) never fear! I have another great fashion event for you to check out.

Salty Not Sweet is celebrating the opening of its new location in Ohio City with a fabulous grand reopening party this Saturday, May 21 from 6-11 p.m. Located on W. 25th just south of Lorain Ave., this unique boutique is bringing its homemade merch and vintage wares to the west side. 

I never got to visit the Waterloo Rd. location, but I am excited to hit up its new home in one of my favorite C-Town neighborhoods. The party will feature shopping (of course) and refreshments including yummy cupcakes from the Cleveland Cupcake Company

Salty Not Sweet
2074 W. 25 St.
Cleveland, OH 44113

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Hot at Beachcliff event

If you follow this blog on Twitter, you may have read my tweet mentioning that I wanted to change it up a bit.  I still want to focus on Cleveland fashion and exploring all the great independent, classic boutiques and shops around town, but I thought I'd try a little diversifying.  Having said that, I'd like to introduce a new facet of the blog, giving you a heads up on fashion related events going on around town.

Beachcliff Market Square is the once old school movie theater turned mini mall and now turned bar and shopping center right on Detroit Rd. in Rocky River. Living close by, I was a bit skeptical when this transition occurred a few short years ago but it really has become a nice low key plaza versus the nearby shopping circus that is Westgate.

A day spent at the Beachcliff plaza might start with a tasty breakfast at First Watch, browsing the fabulously adorable threads and accessories at Francesca's, coffee within the fresh atmosphere at Erie Island Coffee Co., a mani/pedi at the Brown Aveda Institute, dinner at the area favorite Pearl of the Orient and a beer at the Pub.
Phew! Sounds like a pretty full and fun day all within a few steps from each other and your parking spot.

If you haven't hung around much at Beachcliff or want to really see all it has to offer, now's your time. Tomorrow, Thursday May 19 they are holding a "Hot at Beachcliff" event from 5-9:30 p.m. (a la TV Land's hit show "Hot in Cleveland").

This "night of fun and fashion" will feature a valet red carpet entrance for all attendees, refreshment tables, appearances by a Betty White impersonator and Andrea Vecchio from Channel 3's morning show "Good Company," and info tables focusing on fashion, hair and skin care. Fellow area blogger OhioFashionista.com will MC a fashion show previewing new summer styles in clothes and hair.

The entire night will be full of specials, sales and more plus a chance to win a $500 Beachcliff shopping spree so you can come back and get your summer fashion on!

I'm hoping to check out the event myself and it sounds like a great one to get you in a summery mood, despite the recent crummy weather. Hope to see you there!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

New post preview: Beaded Flower Ring

Yet again, I know it's been a while since I've blogged. I'm in the process of tweaking the format of the site a bit. But while I do that, I thought I'd do a few preview posts before I explore my next Cleveland boutique.

I bought this ring at this shop's old location on W. 25th. I miss that old place but the Coventry Rd. spot is just as nice (only a bit farther away!) Stay tuned for more previews and the full post!

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Flower Child Experience

I have always considered myself an old soul, obsessed with the past and everything non-contemporary. You can imagine my glee when vintage shops started sprouting up around Cleveland, especially since my mother saved nothing for me from growing up in the 60s. There are some really great vintage shops around town but the first (and still favorite) one I ever went to Flower Child on Clifton.

The first few times I went to Flower Child, I didn't even buy anything. It's really an experience in and of itself. There is so much to look at and play with I could spend all day in there. When you first walk in you are greeted by so many visual stimulants it's hard to take it all in. The front room is full of vintage jewelry, from tasteful to gaudy and everything in between.

Like I mentioned in my post exploring Lion and Blue, many of my friends have been the benefit of gifts from Flower Child, and a lot of it has been jewelry. One of my favorite gifts I bought at Flower Child was a pair of cameo earrings. Something I've bought myself from this front room full of bling was a large ceramic red and white flower pin. I bought it around Christmastime so I took it as a poinsettia but it's so fun and bright I've worn it all year round.

The rest of the top floor is mostly full of housewares. I can only dream of having my entire future home furnished with the shag rugs, funky lamps and brightly colored couches you can find there. One cool item I bought as a gift was a vinyl record bowl. There are also always great cups, glasses and bowls as well as vintage mini bars that are sometimes discretely hidden for 50s housewives.


Once you get your fill of the first floor, take a trip down to the basement. There you'll find rooms and rooms and more rooms full of clothes, bags, accessories and more. As I said before, you could literally spend an entire day at Flower Child and most of it would be rifling through all those racks. From retro tshirts to sequined jump suits there is something to tickle everyone's fancy. One great find I bought was this kimono-style robe. I was casually looking for a light robe to wear around the house and I instantly fell in love with this leaf-motif number. Sometimes I wear it over lounge wear or take one of my sashes or scarves to cinch it closed.


Possibly my favorite Flower Child purchase is this vintage Pan Am bag. As I mentioned in my preview post featuring this classic bag, I had wanted a Pan Am bag since I saw Catch Me If You Can. That bright royal blue and instantly recognizable logo is so classically 60s. I was pretty close to buying a Marc Jacobs Pan Am bag on eBay but I knew I'd appreciate it more if I found an authentic one. I was in one of Flower Child's basement rooms when I saw it sitting on a chair around other random items. I could not believe it and once I saw the $20 price tag I knew I had to have it. If there's any doubt that it isn't an authentic 1960s bag, I can tell you the janky zipper and adjustable strap is definitely at least 40 years old. But regardless, this bag is great and I've used it a lot, especially since the recent cross-body bag trend.

I can only describe Flower Child in so many words, you really have to experience it for yourself, and it is quite an experience. One cool thing they do is indicate on much of their merch what decade or year they are from. There is also a good chance you can find some fancy vintage designer items. And although I am always for promoting local businesses, you can very easily spend a great afternoon soaking up all the vintage awesomeness without spending a dime. But if you do have a dime or two to spend you can definitely find a lot of great items that won't break the bank. And the best part is that every time you go, it's almost like a completely different place, they are always getting in new items and donations.




Post Preview: Red and White Flower Pin

As a result of two crazy weeks and the holiday weekend I have yet to put together a full post. But wait no longer, I'm working on a new entry at this very moment! I will definitely, DEFINITELY post it later tonight. So I thought I'd throw up this quick preview (in addition to my last preview) to tease tonight's full post!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Post Preview: Vintage Pan Am Bag

I haven't blogged in a few days so I thought I'd show a little preview of my next post. I had wanted a Pan Am bag since I saw Catch Me If You Can. So classically 60s. I was pretty close to buying a Marc Jacobs Pan Am bag on eBay but I knew I'd appreciate it more if I found an authentic one. Well lucky me because I found this bag at a certain popular Cleveland vintage store last year.  Stay tuned for my full post covering one of my favorite places in the city!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Festivus III Event at Vanity Lab

When I found out Vanity Lab was hosting this unique event, I knew I had to be there. Between Vanity Lab and the Gathering Place in Westlake, over 40 local artists and businesses were in attendance sharing their wares to promote shopping locally and raise some money for the Gathering Place. Seeing how local boutiques and such are the main focus of this here blog I'd thought I'd share a little from it. 

We were only there for a short while but let me just say more things like this event need to happen around town! Similar to my feeling after I went to the Ingenuity Fest in the fall, so many great, fun and cool things go on in Cleveland, and we can never have too many! I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to Vanity Lab on Saturday night. Sad to say I have never been before, but my friend gets her hair done there a lot and has bought me a few fun gifts from there as well.

If you don't know about Vanity Lab, it's a salon/spa/boutique in Westlake. For their Festivus event they had a whole bunch of tables set up in the front shop part. We were immediately drawn to the City Buddha display. The flower design of these bracelets also came in necklace, ring and earring form. They were just too precious to handle. City Buddha also had some great stretchy beaded belts with wooden clasps that I might just have to go back and buy soon.


Another display that was right up front was Sparkle, which is always offered at Vanity Lab. I am such a sucker for aesthetically pleasing displays and when I saw their long necklaces hanging from an open suitcase trunk I about died.













As we made our way back to the salon, the hallway was full of people, but more importantly some great photo prints, many of them of Cleveland. Someday my future home will be full of Cleveland-centric artwork, it will be impossible not to know where I hail from. In the back among Vanity Lab's salon chairs, sinks and hair dryers were tables of raffle baskets as well as local artists individually selling their fabulous goods. There were some really beautiful necklaces, one in particular I could have added to my always-growing Celtic knot jewelry collection. Another vendor had this great gold bracelet with postage-stamp sized and shaped plates with different Parisian landmarks.




Unfortunately we couldn't stay long and couldn't make it to the second stop of the event at the Gathering Place. But I must say it was a great event to at least be a part of if only for a little while. As I said before, I only hope that more locally centered events like this continue to sprout up. They always make me #HappyinCLE (as do the fab stuff we snagged!)



(Techie comment: The photos on here should be clickable if you want to see any of the items up close!)