Sip in Style: In Connections We Trust - of Wine, Style, and Real People

Warning, folks, this is a DC-centric post. But here’s hoping that other locales can take inspiration from what is a marvelous concept and recreate it in the style of your own town (wine and mushrooms, Kennett Square? scarves, boots, and gluhwein, Chicago?)

First off, if the rest of DC Wine Week events are as delightful as last night’s Red Plum and Burgundy evening of fashion and wine, get thee to one of the remaining events this week. Now. Really.

(There are loads more events on the schedule for the rest of the week, over here.)

Blogger friends Emily Kate Hargrove of Capital Style (in her deliciously flirty yet work-appropriate plaid mix), yours truly (in my NoLita-purchased pinkyotto frock), and Alison Gary of Wardrobe Oxygen, (in her MICHAEL by Michael Kors leopard dress and Stella and Dot fringe necklace)

Last night was a rare opportunity for me (inherently a Myers-Briggs "I") to have quiet - but lively - intimate conversation with new, style-minded friends and “old” blogger buddies. It was a night on which the introductions often went:

“Hi, I’m Alison.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Sally.”

Minorly blank stare.

“DC Celine.”

“Oh! I follow you on twitter/your blog/Instagram!”

We made connections in real life, which is always lovely. It’s the power of social media, when you can translate those electronic connections to face-to-face. Congratulations, DC Wine Week, for doing something you may not have set out to do - and you did it so well!

On to the event itself...the brainchild of Lisa Byrne and Vanessa French, the week of wine education events is in its second year. Designed to expand our fine city's wine education opportunities, from my perspective, it does a remarkably fine job of just that in a pleasantly understated way. The events connect different segments of our city’s social scene: the fashionistas, the social media folks, the dining gurus, the art scene, and finally the wine lovers who already know how to pronounce “sangiovese,” as yesterday’s guest blogger quipped, with any place or venue you might encounter wine: a winery, a wine shop, a bar, or a restaurant.

Last night, for example, by pairing 2 delightfully engaging small business owners with a dramatically comfortable ambiance at Lost Society (H and I will be returning - soon), style blogger María José Ovalle of Very Busy Mamá offered a red and a white. Simple, accessible wine offerings opening the doors to chat and explore.

What I expored? Layered, cashmere knits I might just be obsessing over, an embellished jumpsuit that just adds to my intense need to add the garment probably best associated with the Studio 54 era to my closet, and a mix of chunky, powerful stones with flowing metals and delicately cut filigree.

Allie toys with a perfectly chunky piece that reminds her of a necklace her mom won't give up - yet. It's a Laboradite stone, which helps steady a girl through significant transitions. (Maybe I need one, too?)

I’m a stickler for knowing where my purchases come from (when I’m not indulging in “fast fashion” at the Target down the street from my office), so I had lovely conversations with Zina Boutique owner Valeria Medrano and Stella and Dot-stylist-to-the-shows Kristin Biggs. I came away from both knowing I can trust them to buy pieces I’d want to wear - and do want to wear.

I suppose that’s what it all comes down to, in this rambling non-review of a DC event. When you’re spending your money and time on something, you want to know you can trust its source. So again, congratulations to Maria, Vanessa, Lisa, Valeria, Kristin, and the lovely Lost Society staff: well done.

You’ve made me want to come back for more.

PS - Speaking of connections, a huge thank you to Allie for letting me "borrow" images from her Instagram feed. The social-media-dependent blogger's nightmare happened last night: my cameraphone died. Somewhere on my SD card I have a lone image of my ensemble, but the poor phone is tired of Too Many Shots, so I have to give it some TLC before I get anything more out of it.

Favorite Post: Once a FallGirl, Always a Fall Girl

Still behind on posts. So either to joyfully relish the fall with you - or to torture you, if you're one of those summer types - I thought I'd re-share some of my happy autumnal and wintery posts and Pinterest boards.

Yes, I like the chill in the air.

Here is a post I wrote a little more than a year ago. I bought the turtlenck poncho. It didn't fit. It looked terrible. And I never returned it (much to H's chagrin). Turns out? It's perfect now! Cannot wait to don its glorious coziness.

I love fall (have I mentioned that?), so tweeds and velvets make me happy. See?

My velvet Daslu boots still make me crazy happy. I've already worn them once this year.

Then there's my Winter Girl Pinterest board, which is also good for fall. Or try my Weekends Around Town board, which, right now, seems to have lots o' autumnal inspiration. Then there's my boot obsession showing up on Bells on My Toes.

What I Didn't Buy

If you were following me on twitter yesterday, you saw my morning speed-lap through Tyson's. In between dropping my car for major repairs (getting rear-ended is not fun) and a lunch date at noon, I had just over an hour. In that hour, I needed to find a new work bag. I headed to the "old" Tyson's, where I'd have more selection - in my price range of under $200 - in a smaller area.

When I want to, I can be a Shopping Master. I parked and entered at Bloomingdale's. Direct to the bags. Too many at just too high a price point to really be worth my while. Out I went to find the map. I'd done some online research the night before and found that Banana Republic might be my best bet for a bag that could handle a laptop and still meet my style requirements.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the path to Banana was long. I stopped at L.L. Bean. While they have many more stylish options and less lumberjack than you'd think, there was nothing I wanted. Except for two dresses I picked up - and then put down. They were great, different, and easily winter-to-spring-skip-summer-then-back-to-fall. But I put them back on the rack, remembering that I'm embarking on a "get healthy" plan, well, now, pretty much. Then and there, I resolved to buy no new clothes (note that accessories and shoes do not fall into this vow) until I'm healthy again.*

I stopped in Michael Kors. The nice boy there showed me some totes, and I fell in love. But as he didn't really seem to hear that, oh, I need a computer to fit in here, and yes, while I adore the vanilla colored leather, it's not really the best choice when you have two small children. As I described The Beans, his partner in crime asked sweetly, "So which of them is your favorite?" She was talking about my children. She was 22.

Though I had to sidestep the "Designer Handbags" pit of Fendi, Gucci, and Marc Jacobs (sigh), Nordstrom offered the usual broad selection, with a couple of possibilities. Since I wasn't sold, I wandered out to find Banana.

Sure enough, I ended up with a lovely grey bag, elegant and slim. It's even billed as a laptop bag - which I didn't really want to start. Practically speaking, I do need to wait to remove the tags until I confirm the laptop I'll get at my new gig (I start Tuesday - eep!) fits nicely inside. I am excited about how small the bag is. I'm hoping its slender height will keep me - and my poor neck and shoulders - from schlepping around the sun and the moon. In my laptop bag, anyway.

My Style To-Do List

Instead of reading a Government draft RFP or preparing something horrendous like a compliance matrix like a responsible adult - or even instead of sleeping, which my body desperately needed to do - I used the 2 flights here to Lawton, OK, to read the entire October issue of American Vogue. Cover to cover. I devoured both the inane (Hamish Bowles does X Factor) and the intelligent (Hamish Bowles does X Factor), marked pages, and then borrowed a pen from a nice gentlemen across the aisle and scribbled a list of everything that had popped into my head while reading.

• Does it count that I "followed" Vogue Germany and British Vogue on twitter? Order multiple Vogue subscriptions
• design and order calling cards
• buy very-nice-but-ok-to-lose pens
• get new, impossibly hip glasses and/or
• get lasik appointment
• change all future vacation references to "holiday"
• figure out how to collaborate on a style post about warheads (Scott, if you've read this far, I'm sure I can find a prize for you of some kind)
• Listen to Robin Givhan NPR archive broadcast (thanks, Wardrobe Oxygen!)
• Check! Headed up August 3-5! Plan trip with Mommy & The Bean (the 2 Elsas) to see Schiaparelli/Prada exhibit at the Met
• Gonna cross this one off, given that I just found some lovely eyes at Bobbi Brown!
• Check! Finally!, a whole year later, I found TWO (Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood and Hollywood Red)find a red lipstick
• Check! started on pinterest - Style Tomes and Style Reading List.
• Uncheck! Never happened. find nail salon in Lawton
• She did it on her own, and did beautifully! Bad friend. plan Old Town Boutique District vintage scour for friend who wants a vintage-y party dress for weddings this fall
• Check! start a Christmas list (for the first time in, oh, 25 years)
• It's just not worth it. Too many good, cheaper things out there. look into La Mer
• Check! On it's way! With the new bug repellent! order Skincando Miracle Cream
• Check! #healthyme is in full swing! Sort-of check. I did it once. Skipped DRESSED viewing Thursday for yoga class - do yoga and/or calissthenics tomorrow (each day will be a new resolution for the next)
• Check! Classic Crane's at The Dandelion Patch - buy new letter-writing (as opposed to card-writing) stationery
• Check! It was part of me "get ready for cool new job" stuff. buy new not-to-lose pen
• Check! Addicted. get pinning - seriously
• Check! December 2-4, with The Bean in tow! plan NYC trip (including Daphne Guinness exhibit)
• Check! Had an amazing weekend just the two of us down tha shore in March. plan girl time with childhood BFF
• Check! Nope. Happy with my Nook (Christmas gift from H) and laptop (PC, people, PC). figure out if i want an iPad
• Check! Russel + Hazel "chicklets" (love, love, love the name!), of course, bought at The Container Store. Now, I have to use them. find pretty little post-it notes for marking up magazines and maybe books
• Check! 678 Colorful Skinny Jean on order from The Limited. investigate skinny jeans
• Check! See above. investigate colored jeans
• Check! Going for my second appointment today! brows with Adrian at Nectar Skin Bar
• Silly me - no massages (hint, hint, add them!) massage at Nectar Skin Bar
• Check! Adrian is a brow and skin god. Put yourself in his hands. anything at Nectar Skin Bar
order Vogue subscription (in multiple languages?)Really, it's sitting in my car in the box. Take it to the store already! return Michael (Kors) turtleneck ponchoRosa and I never made it - visit Michael Reinhardt at Neiman Marcus Chevy Chase to buy new La Metier de Beaute eyesmake list of fahion/style/art books to read

Style Certitude: Cozy + Turtleneck + Easy (or, When a Marketing Email Works Perfectly)

I think I'm signed up for every brand email list in existence. They all seemed like a good idea at the time, but truth is, I rarely read them. That being said, this was the image in my inbox this morning.

It's everything I love about autumn. Cowl necks, tailored slouch, camel, and statement jewelry. When you're wearing a substantial sweater, you just can't make do with a teensy little charm bracelet.

So what did I do when I saw the email?

After I said "I want!" to myself? And "It's perfect! I want!"

Why, I clicked on the email, of course, and it took me to Michael's jewelry page (because, you know, he and I are on a first name basis. We should be, at any rate, given his designs, quite frankly, are the inspiration for this blog.)

Then I clicked on "Tops," hoping to track down the gorgeous camelness for my closet.

Instead, I found this. Also in camel (I might have to just fill up my closet with the luscious color. It's a staple, a neutral, right, so it warrants the dough spent on "forever pieces." Right?), I'm in love with this terribly impractical for a mama (the cream color, that is) supple, cozy, delicious poncho. While I haven't figured out what the poncho aspect is (looks like it has sleeves? Michael? Other views of items on your site, please?), I don't really care. This sweater/poncho is absolutely perfect for those crisp autumnal days - or the dreary ones - on which I'm strolling through the city with my Beans in tow, or taking in the sights at my hometown's community fair. It'll hold me over all the way through winter. It's layerable, pairs with just about anything (jeans, fall's colored jeans, cargos, skirts, sneakers, heels, boots, tights, you name it).

Not that I wouldn't have gone to your stuff for fall anyway, but nice marketing, Michael. It pulled me to a design aesthetic and silhouette that's part of the reason I fell for you in the first place.

This one (and perhaps the one in the email) will certainly be in my closet tout suite.