Front Row Charlotte's Fall 2013 Men's Show

The men’s show did not disappoint! I believe we (the bloggers, instagramers, and overall social media mavens) had the best seats in the house, right in front of the big red X where the men stopped to give us a chance to, uhm, gawk at them and their stylish clothes. It was about the fashion and the pups that were benefiting from the proceeds of the event.

As always, Erica looked stunning and Joey looked handsome. All the attendees looked amazing and most everyone wore black.

Centerstage was transformed into a picturesque space, worthy of NYFW. It’s the perfect location for such an event, divided into four parts: the welcome/entry area, the bar/mingle area, the shop area, and the runway itself.

photo by Green Valley Photography

I had a bit of a technical difficulty so I missed the first boutique so my apologies to Taylor Richards & Conger. Below are the rest of the videos of the runway show:

Abbeydale

Blank Canvas

Nordstrom Men

Silverfly

The real star of the night was Shae, a Shiba Inu. She walked the runway for Silverfly and was a big hit! She's also a sweetheart that I wanted to dognap and spoil rotten.

As for my outfit, it came with a little bit of drama… I had to sew myself into the dress to avoid an embarrassing fashion emergency. Thank goodness for that life skill!

Pictured here with Camile of life in mod, Katie of Honeystuck, and Jen of A Fashionable Affair.
(photo by Lindsay Wyanne Photography)

What I wore: BCGB Max Azria Runway Collection dress, Cole Haan Nike Air slingbacks, TJMaxx bag

What was your favorite look at the event?

{Queen City Events} Front Row Charlotte - Fall 2013 Show

Shhh… do you hear that? It’s the sound of the excitement building for the fall Front Row Charlotte show!! It’s also the sound of frustration when I realized that, once again, I have nothing to wear to the event.

There will be some similarities with the spring show… Every ticket holder will have a front row seat and receive an awesome swag bag, you will be able to shop the runway looks right after the show, and 100% of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Coalition to Unchain Dogs.

But here’s the fun part, the fall show is a men’s show! According Charlotte’s own fashion stylist extraordinaire, Erica Hanks, men are the new women when it comes to fashion.

So what can you expect from the show? A lot of good looking men strutting down the runway in fall fashions from Abbeydale, Blank Canvas, Nordstrom Men, Taylor Richards & Conger, and Silverfly. You will also get to shop Revolve Men's Consignment and Dilworth Eye Associates in addition to the local boutiques mentioned previously.

Maki Taco truck will be there to feed our hungry bellies while my personal favorite local brewery, NoDa Brewing, will be on site with their awesome brews (fingers crossed my “Passion Crush” will be there pouring the good stuff) as well as McCallan Whiskey (confession: I’m turning into a scotch whiskey drinker and this excites me beyond words).

The event will be held on Friday, September 6th at CenterStage@NoDa (the same venue where Mr. M and I got married!) and will begin promptly at 7:30pm!

The tickets for this event are $50 and include the awesome swag bag, a front row seat to delicious manly goodness… I mean, a front row seat to see the male models strut their stuff… I mean…you know what I mean… what was I talking about again? Oh yes, 100% of the tickets go to a good cause, there will be munchies, and a bunch of fabulous people.

The tickets will sell very quickly so don’t delay, buy yours today!

What: Front Row Charlotte: The Men's Show, presented by Scott Jaguar and sponsored by Janus Real Estate and Madison Capital Group
Who: Erica Hanks and Joey Hewell
Why: fashion, shopping, and a great cause
When: Friday, September 6th at 7:00pm
Where: CenterStage@NoDa
How: purchase your ticket at http://frontrowclt.eventbrite.com

Charlotte Shopping Tour

It’s been a month since the Charlotte Shopping Tour and I still can’t stop telling people about it.

On June 22nd, I got on a bus with fellow Charlottean fashion lovers and was chauffeured around to local boutiques, hydrated by champagne at every stop, and was provided awesome deals specific to those the tour.

I got on the bus at JT Posh and everyone was quite chatty for the drive to our first stop, Fifi’s at Lake Norman. I’ve always wanted to go there but it’s quite a bit out of the way from where I live. Now I know just how much the long drive is worth! Fifi’s is a consignment store and stocked full of designer things and caters to all shapes and sizes, there’s even a section for men! Their visual merchandizing is impressive and I took pictures for home décor inspiration…

We also got to pick up our swag bags at Fifi’s and they were fabulous!

The second stop on the tour was the Junior League of Charlotte Warehouse, another consignment shop I’ve been wanting to check out. There were treasures to be found! For example, a brand new pair of Tory Burch flats…hello!! Unfortunately, they were not my size. The JLC Warehouse also has a lot of trendy statement jewelry at great prices so it’s worth a trip there just for that!

We then made an unplanned stop at the Clearing House, a home goods consignment shop. So many goodies but not a lot of time. Definitely on a list of places to check out when I have more time.

Our third stop was at The Cheeky Bean. I LOVE the Cheeky Bean. It’s a 45 minute drive from my house but I do it all for the amazing collection of clothes (a SouthPark location is opening in August). It was also the only non-consignment stop on our tour.

This was also our lunch stop and we enjoyed amazing sandwiches from Sunflour Company. I had two, the tuna and the fig & brie. Nom nom!

The fourth stop on the tour was at Summerbird, a designer consignment shop in Dilworth. It was well edited and one lucky tour shopper scored a Louis Vuitton bag! How’d I miss it…!? We were treated to cupcakes and more bubbly as we swarmed the racks.

JT Posh was the final stop on the tour and by that point I was ready to drop! You see, I was on the verge of getting sick and totally pushed myself all day. I came home and literally dropped on the couch and stayed there for four days. Ah, the joys of the summertime flu…

I had such a blast on the tour, not only because we all scored something special and got awesome deals, but we also got to meet and make new friends. Honestly, I can’t wait till the next tour!

Gold & Feminine Leather

I met Victoria a long long time ago, in 2006, at a holiday party. She was thirteen and at the time starring on Zoey 101. I had heard of the show but Nickelodeon was not exactly in my channel flipping rotation. She was sweet as can be and I could tell that she had big star potential.

The other day I stumbled upon her new music video "Gold" and it's adorable and would totally be my favorite song... if I was 16. But regardless, it's fun, catchy, and I totally fell in love with the outfit below.

Photo via J-14

I've been slightly obsessed with leather lately. Especially for fall. And more specifically, leather worn in a feminine way. There's a reason why leather and lace are the perfect match.

I'm looking forward to wearing my leather mini that I picked up at the Green Jeans Sale this past spring with billowy tops and lace tights.

How do you rock your leather?

{Queen City Cause} MTJ Foundation's Catwalk for a Cause

There are some activities and events that require convincing in order for me to participate. Hot yoga. Camping. Tractor auction. But the moment you say the words Levine Children’s Hospital, I’m in. I don’t care what it is. So when I got an email from the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation to attend Catwalk for a Cause, I was in, all in.

My date that night was Michelle and we were one of the first people to arrive. We quickly found our way to the shrimp display and took the moment to take in the space. The runway was gorgeous and the silent auction tables were full of amazing items waiting on people to bid on them.

The big stars of the night were the children on the catwalk, each facing illness no child (or adult for that matter) should ever face. So brave and so inspiring.

The MTJ Foundation focuses on helping kids with serious and often life-threatening illnesses, a cause after my own heart. I look forward to participating in other events put on by the Foundation.

If you want to learn more about the event or the foundation, visit the MTJ Foundation website.

Green Jeans Consignment Sale & Contest

Monday night I received an email from Diana to see if I wanted to come out to the Green Jeans Consignment Sale on Tuesday night, style an outfit for a competition, and get the chance to shop the sale early. But of course!!

I have been curious about Green Jeans for a while now. A friend of mine introduced me to them about a year ago when we talked about cleaning out our closets and making some money on the things we no longer wear. Since I’ve never consigned or successfully sold anything on eBay, I was all ears. Months passed and the March SouthPark sale was announced. Unfortunately, I had too much going on to organize, tag, and drop off my racks of clothing at the sale. Also, I wanted to shop before I sold to make sure that is what I wanted to do next time.

The answer is now a definite yes!
(Is it August yet?!)

The space that GJC is using in the Lake Norman area is fantastic. Lots of windows and natural light, makes for a very pleasant shopping experience. The sale was PACKED with goodies, packed! So many amazing designer and name brand clothes for amazing prices.

For example, I fell in love with this Talbot’s silk dress (only $14!!):

And this gorgeous St. John skirt for $20 (sold by the one and only Dwell by Cheryl):

Unfortunately, neither one fit well and I’m in the same boat as Diana of The Chic Life. I want a more paired down wardrobe of things that I love, that are comfortable, and fit right. Just because it’s inexpensive doesn’t mean I have to buy it.

Thankfully, the GJC has fitting rooms, both private and communal, so that you can try things on to insure the perfect fit. And there’s no shortage of things to try on!

I walked away with a pair of designer jeans for $22, a leather Cato skirt that I used in my style challenge for $20, and an awesome snake belt for $14. Not bad! It was also charity night so proceeds from the sales were donated. Even better!

Now, the fun part! There were three local bloggers that participated in the Green Jeans Style Challenge, including me. I would love (love) LOVE if you would vote for my outfit, #3, on the Green Jeans’ Facebook page.

All you have to do is like Green Jeans Sale and then comment on the contest picture with #3.

I appreciate your vote and hope that you get the chance to come out this weekend to shop at the Green Jeans Sale in Lake Norman. You won’t be disappointed!

Cheers!

Front Row Charlotte

The invitation for Front Row Charlotte came late last year, to the attention of "in the Queen City." It made me giddy. February 28th couldn’t come fast enough! And then it did and I had nothing to wear.

This is when I asked you guys to help me decide what to wear to Front Row Charlotte. First, I want to thank all of you who voted and provided feedback. It was exciting to have that many people voice their opinions! It also got me excited about fashion for the first time in a very long time. You see, I used to obsess over fashion and then something happened and before I knew it I was wearing the same boring things week after week with little to no variation.

I have a closet full of nothing to wear.

Or do I?

Pulling the outfits together for the vote was fun and reminded me how much I like to play with clothes. I used to share my purchases and outfits on my LiveJournal ten years ago, when fashion blogs barely (if at all) existed. It’s a whole different world now.

I don’t foresee this blog turning into a full fledged fashion/style blog, however, I do see myself sharing not only the things I see and like but also outfits that I’m particularly proud of. It will also force me to realize that I do have a closet full clothes with lots to wear!

The real fun part came after you voiced your opinions and a winning outfit was selected… Accessorizing! I needed a theme and it came to me. Big flowers a la Carrie Bradshaw. There was not enough time to craft a large flower pin so I repurposed my wedding day fascinator.

Step two was the hair. After discovering that my hair is capable of holding curls with the right product mix, I curled my hair… for the first time ever… an hour before the event. Did I mention that I purchased my curling iron at lunch that day?!

5:45pm - selfie in the work bathroom.
OMG, what am I doing?!

After inhaling half a can of Chi’s Helmet Head, I rushed to Triple C Brewery where the event was held. I found parking on the corner of the street (literally) and prayed that I would not get towed. Spoiler alert: I did not get towed.

I rushed inside and was greeted by the Erica Hanks at the registration table to get my seating assignment. FYI – Erica is even more gorgeous in person than any picture I’ve seen of her.

A few hellos and hugs later, I found the ladies (Jen, Erin, and Michelle) and ordered a pint of the Triple C “FrontRow” Ale. Katie was running a little late and you can read all about her (almost) runway debut on her blog.

We mingled, took pictures, and then took our seats.

(photo via Fashionable Affair)

(photo by Thien La Photography)

There were two main things that made this fashion show stand out. First, it was for a good cause. Proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to Safe Alliance, an agency that provides shelter, advocacy, legal and counseling services to empower those struggling with domestic and sexual violence, child abuse and emotional trauma. Second, you could purchase all the runway looks in pop-up shops after the show, no need to wait till the “next season” to find the looks you loved!

Joey, Erica, and Effie welcoming us to the show

presentation of the check to Safe Alliance

I opted to Vine the looks since there were plenty of media, press, and bloggers taking pictures of the runway. If you’re not on Vine, you’re missing out! Download the app here and follow me (in the Queen City).

KK Bloom Boutique

Monkee's of Lake Norman

Olive Boutique

Lotus

the finale

with my friend Liz after the show

(photo via Sweet Tater Blog)

photobooth shenanigans

We were famished after the show, so after loading up on hors d'oeuvres provided by the Roots Farm food cart, we opted for a late dinner at The Liberty. Jen and I both ordered a burger that was the size of a baby. It was delicious. The burger, not the baby.

Painted Hill’s Natural “Crunch” Burger
pimento cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, stacked with house chips

Staying up past my bed time on a school night was well worth a fabulous night with fabulous people for a fantastic cause. I also want to thank Erica, not just for the invite but for helping reigniting my passion for fashion and making me step up my game. :)

{a closet full of nothing} #FrontRowCLT Edition, The Winning Outfit

The people have spoken and the outfit has been chosen for tonight!
Thank you all for your votes, comments and suggestions!

If all goes well, I will be channeling Carrie Bradshaw tonight with curly hair and a signature flower pin. If it doesn’t, I’m going to channel Charlotte York with a hair bun and pearls.

For those that are curious, below is the vote breakdown per outfit:

A – 35 votes
B – 0 votes (I have no clue how to wear that maxi skirt, help!)
C – 10 votes
D – 5 votes
C+D – 6 votes

See you all tonight!!

{a closet full of nothing} #FrontRowCLT Edition

Thursday night is the first ever Front Row Charlotte, a brain child of Erica Hanks, and I couldn't be more excited to attend. Except for one thing: I have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.

Correction, I have a whole room that has been converted into a closet plus three other closets in the house that I've made my own. (There's no doubt that my husband loves me.)

I also challenged myself to only shopping my closets and saving as much cash as possible for the pop-up shops at the show and help support the local economy.

Here are my first attempts at styling, with my husband as the iPhonographer:

A - Spring Stripes:
J Crew painter T + full skirt.
Jimmy Choo satin platform heels.

B - Angie's leg:
Calvin Klein tank, H&M maxi skirt from the Conscious collection.
H&M belt and Jimmy Choo satin platform heels.

C - Black and White:
H&M button up, pleather leggings.
Jimmy Choo satin platform heels.

D - Florals:
H&M fishtail top, H&M floral leggings.
Jimmy Choo satin platform heels.

E - none of the above
You won't hurt my feelings, promise!

Which one is your favorite? Would you mix and match any of these? Appreciate your feedback! :)

P.S. Are you going to Front Row Charlotte and if you are, who/what are you wearing?

Cheers!

Travel Tips: Packing Tips from DVF

There's no doubt in any ones mind that Diane von Furstenberg is a style icon! Her wrap dresses are legendary and I wish to one day have a closet full of every pattern ever made.

While I dream about the (almost) impossible, I leave you with Diane's Holiday Travel Tips:





1. mix primary colors
2. don't forget the big tote



3. roll up your basics and put them in stockings
4. jersey dresses are key



5. bring a "go anywhere" top



All images via DFV website.

Cole Haan Air Talia OTK Boots

This has been one hot and muggy summer and fall cannot come fast enough! While Mother Nature takes it's sweet time cooling off I've been taking steps in updating my wardrobe for the colder months.

My first stop was the Nordstrom semi-annual pre-season sale where I found the most amazing shoe: the Cole Haan Air Talia OTK boot.



(photo via Cole Haan)


Aren't they gorgeous? They're made out of soft suede and have Nike Air technology in them so they're uber comfortable. They're also very versatile and can go from office (scrunched)to night with one simple tug over the knee.


Have a lovely weekend (and think "cold" weather thoughts)!