Allow me to explain...

  
   I think it's time we take a break. As you may have noticed, the blog has been on a bit of a hiatus. After much contemplation, I have decided to carry out this hiatus until further notice....which makes me a little sad. This feels kind of like a mini break-up. My goal for the blog was to have a different perspective, with various perspectives (not just that of my own) and this direction unfortunately  fizzled. While I thoroughly enjoy writing, and fashion, and thus wiriting about fashion, I kind of have this love/hate relationship with the idea of blogs. I feel like the main purpose of a blog is to share a totally new perspective....meaning, going outside of the box and showing readers something new, fresh, and completely creative. The total opposite of this is when people blog about obvious finds, from obvious stores, and then put.this.on.repeat.  It kinda makes me cringe and I kinda don't wanna be that person (at all). So, once my short-lived crew of various contributers began to fade, it came down to just me. I decided I did not want this to just be about me (I'm definitely not that cool and won't pretend to be so)....and sooo the hiatus came about.

 We need to move forward with our separate lives. At the moment,  I have some cool things going on right now that I am putting all of my love into, and hopefully one of these things may allow for a blog to be involved ;) Until then, however, brighteyed and I are taking some time apart but will hopefully be reunited at some point in the future. It's been real. All my love!  -Andrea

OTR Captured & Washington Park Love

    While enjoying our city's lovely new park last night, I spotted this ADORABLE girl with her dad and had to get their picture. She was the coolest little hipster I have ever seen...Seriously, how cute is she?! And her dad is obviously equally as hip- must be where she gets it from ;)

   If you have not yet checked out Washington Park be sure to do so- it is truly amazing. It's one of those things you have to see & experience to fully appreciate. Last night the weather was perfect and the park was filled with people. Here's what I saw as I took it all in: park benches filled with people lining the bandstand as the pleasant tunes of the night's concert enchanted all; blankets casing the green revealing quaint picnic spreads; children everywhere: laughing, running, playing and taking sheer delight in the fountain's unpredictable spouts; friends seeing old friends, meeting their friends, making new friends; faces filled with joy, reflecting a great sense of appreciation & pride...as when you look around it completely sets in: this amazing park is ours...in our revitalized, rising, cool city.

***the City Flea is at the park this Saturday which I am totally excited for. So much happening in OTR, love. Come share in the experience!

OTR Street Style

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July whether it was total relaxation mode OR action-packed. Our OTR rooftop has a pretty badass view of the fireworks so that was pretty cool to take in both nights. Speaking of OTR..... I am working on a cool project & event with some super talented people that will be revealed in a couple weeks or so. In preparation for this, we are doing a piece called "OTR Captured" in which we {photo} capture fashion-forward individuals in OTR. There is an insane amount of eclectic style in our neighborhood...from the residents, individuals who work at the local hot spots, and those who frequent OTR. It is just oh-so-good style watching {much like people watching but with a STRONG focus on clothing + accessories}. I'll be posting each of these pictures on the blog, so be sure to check in as often as your free time {or escaping-from-job time} allows....these style highlights from OTR will surely grab your attention.

For more glimpses into what's in store for this event along with our amazing city-themed graphics (as seen above), follow Cincinnatus Kidd on Facebook.

First up, is this freakin' ADORABLE gal spotted in OTR's Sloane Boutique....seriously, how cool is her look?

trend up the tech

 

     After dropping my iphone this morning and turning it over to find a lovely crack down to back of it... I decided a new case is in order. And probably sooner than later would be best, given my apparent fumbling tendencies. The case I had been sporting was removed last week when my phone shut down out of the blue and I thus embarked on a great attempt of trying to disassemble my iphone. *note: there are very, very tiny screws on the bottom that are nearly impossible to remove AND even once these teeny tiny screws have been successfully removed, nothing then loosens up as a result. In short, don't try this at home-especially since your phone may just magically turn back on just moments after going through all this trouble*
    Point being here, I don't think that case wants to go back on after I nearly tore it off, and I was kind of bored of it anyway.  As phones are now our forever sidekicks, they present themselves with a great opportunity to be a cool acessory that is constantly on display.
So, today I set out on a search for a new accessory for my sidekick, and here are some eye-catchers I found (second note: some of these, such as the fur-ball-esque cover, I would probably pass up on!)

SHOP THE LARGE COLLECTION OF SOCIETY 6 CASES HERE



SHOP THESE BAD BOYS HERE

stars and stripes

    Whirlwind Summer is in full effect. The 4th of July is quickly approaching and it makes me wonder-seriously, what happened to the entire month of June?? July is filled with lots of fun happenings however so I'm welcoming this month with wide, open arms. While the upcoming holiday definitely encourages me to sport some stars & stripes, I would undoubtedly wear any of these pieces I have selected at any time of the year...the American flag can never go out of style or be out of season, right?! Love each of these patriotic picks...now, which to choose??





Happy Friday lovely readers <if this Friday finds you plan-less, come check out Final Friday in OTR- some gooood sales goin' on at Sloane >

Wildfox cropped tank, Dannijo bib necklace || BUY HERE ||

Blue Life tee, Americana moto jacket {Nasty Gal},Wildfox cropped sweater, Starshine tee {Nasty Gal}
SHOP REVOLVECLOTHING
SHOP NASTY GAL

 

.... much love, dre

through my lens

       While this is not my typical fashion-oriented post, I do feel that fashion is inspired by and captured greatly by day-to-day sights & moments..... witnessing the various shades of a gorgeous sunset, seeing colors contrast amongst our environment, a flicker of light that catches your eye, a bundle of flowers giving off bright, radiant colors that just seem to somehow compliment each other to perfection...art, nature, beauty, photgraphy, fashion- to me, it's all interrelated. As you all know by now, I have been completely captivated by photography recently. While on vacation, I tried to capture each and every beautiful moment I laid eyes on.

Hope you find as much delight & inspiration in these photos as I did Y A

wonder if this umbrella-lost-at-sea found its way back to shore......

 

Dear inner bohemian

... let's play together more often. I had been "saving" this outfit for quite some time, as I too often do for no apparent reason, and felt that Florida was the most perfect place to wear it. It has a very bohemian/beachy vibe that made me gravitate right to it. In my opinion you can never, ever go wrong with anything Free People, which is who the crochet top is by.  I wore this look on a date night out with my handsome fiance (see picture below, yeah, he's all mine) as we went for dinner in downtown Naples. While it was really tempting to jump in this fountain and splash around, I resisted....although I know right where to find it should this urge return!

Hope this weekend meets everyone with fun plans and good times..the weather in Cincy is supposed to be gorgeous! 

Free People top /  Willow & Clay maxi skirt / Purse from VogueVert / Sam Edelman sandals

#luckygirl

ON THE CATWALK

fashion + art + music...  this is an obvious MUST ATTEND EVENT.....for reals. I would be there front row & center but I have a wedding to celebrate that night! Events like this are a great way of supporting and appreciating our ever-so up and coming city plus it's an amazing opportunity to experience the artisitic side of Cincinnati. Let's just face it... our city has become straight-up cool/hip/whatever your choice of description and it's time to start hitting up these events to fully embrace this. Below is an overview of this amazing event...... Saturday, 6.23.12...be there.

p.s. Looking for an outfit to wear to the event? Purchase your tickets at Sloane and receive 25% off your entire purchase... now THAT is a deal.


** On June 23rd, parProjects joins forces with Sloane Boutique + Jonathan Mezibov, ARTAYA, NVISION, as well as musicians from The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and "concert:nova" to bring a unique Fashion Show experience to Cincinnati!!

Event will be held in a 10,000 square foot space otherwise known as 'the electric warehouse' on Blue Rock Street in Northside.

A fine art exhibition featuring Billy Colbert, Susan Byrnes and Rob Wolpert will also round out the experience.

$75 will get you VIP/early admission with complimentary dinner-by-the-bite will be provided by Take The Cake + Drinks
General Admission: $50

tickets available online at http://SymphonicStylings.com/ + http://parProjects.com/ **

...possible looks to be seen on the runway c/o SLOANE...

Sunshine Renewal

    Well, I am finally back from a 12 day vacation spent in Naples, Florida... and oh was it nice. More to come on this later in the week as I continue what I have been referring to as a bit of a  "personal transformation" (sometimes you just need to get a way and take a closer look at things).... a lot of reflecting and renewing occured during my trip which I think comes naturally with the sound of the ocean, the viewing of a sunet, and some time spent alone with my lovely fiance & inspiring mom.  I am attempting to carry this process on through this week to continue to clear my mind although this week's process includes a 3 day juice fast/cleanse which I am learning is quite challenging the first time...1 1/2 days down - just waiting for the "boost of energy" they claim kicks in with a cleanse!  I felt a detox was much needed in my life though and I'll be sure to give an overview once I am finished- a tip I learned first hand today: do NOT watch the Food Network while attempting one of these, its a real slap across the face...

     While I didn't do too much during my trip (and loved it), there were a couple  nights of going out to great dinners with my fiance for the first half of the trip. These outfit pictures were based  around all of the loooovely VogueVert pieces that I am wearing....I cannot get enough of these eco-friendly items. If you haven't done so already, be sure to head over to VV here and check out the amazing collections!

So happy to be back to blogging ...I didn't have much internet access on my trip which turned out to be a good thing :)  .....happy Tuesday!!!

NECKLACE, BRACELETS, & PURSE AVAILABLE AT VOGUEVERT.COM
JOIE DRESS
RING AVAILABLE AT SLOANE

   

Southern Colors from PR Blonde

      One of the greatest things about fashion is it’s trickle effect. How people translate runway into every day is part of what discerns trend setter from a follower. Trends can vary. You can go from southern bold brights to a northern clean chic, city style or to a country ethereal. Being from Texas you would thing we would celebrate with cowboy boots and ten gallon hats, but I live in the fashion capital of the south in the very cosmopolitan city of Dallas. Founding city of Neiman Marcus and high profile Stanley Korshak and Highland Park Village, style isn’t lost in the south nor are the trendsthat have made it through that trickle effect. Everyday is a fashion show in Dallas and

though the hair may have gotten a little smaller the blondes are just as bright.

  

    I was so excited when Andrea asked me to write this post. As the editor of a fashion/lifestyle blog based in Dallas, she asked me to talk about my favorite trends – the ones hot in Dallas right now! So check out my Top 3. Though I may not consider myself a trend setter that takes major fashion risks I am a trend worshiper that tries to celebrate what trends I can and merge them with my life. I think what you can make work for you and how you can help others mix and match for their style is just as important – I guess you could call me a true “personal stylist.”

Florals – Spring has sprung and so have the flowers. It’s possible that I still have a few dresses from my middle school days that are arguably a floral print that came to die at the 8^th grade dance. Florals seem like an easy thing to pull off – I think it’s one of the hardest trends to balance while looking sophisticated and chic all at the same time. Print is too big and you will look big with it. Too small, and its too busy – you turn into a walking circus. Dallas loves color and a great way to incorporate that is with florals. Check out some of my recommendations for how to style florals in your everyday look.

Neon – I think we took a breif trip back to the 80’s grabbed a few color swatches and came into the 21^st century. Someone decided to turn on the Guetta and we created a new Neon movement rooted in striking brights. Though this trend is hitting everything from accessories, to bags, to shoes its also a breeding ground for clashing and turning you into the latest victim of an EDC rave. One thing I love about Dallas style is its secrecy for color – letting the trends like neon creep up in a daintier fashion. Check out some of my favorite neon accents to incorporate into your daily style,

Tribal – Another great source of color penetrating southern Dallas fashion is tribal prints. This like floral can be a whole host of messy if merged with too many other patterns – particularly stay away from any animal print “accents.” 9 times out of 10 tribal prints are enough on their own and the classiest of outfits bring in staple neutrals to help enhance the color and the wow factor. Check out my dos and don’ts for tribal prints and one of my favorite accent pieces for summer.

Make sure to check out PRBlonde.com for more outfit ideas!

Xoxo,

Lauren