Cincinnati Prep

Monday, January 21, 2013

Outfit of the Day

Sunday, January 20, 2013

This past Friday I celebrated my 20th Birthday! It really was such a great day, starting with a surprise visitor at the fraternity house on my way to my internship with doughnuts. At work I had a great day, including cake and pastries from The Bon Bonerie and lunch with my mom at Skyline. After work I stopped back at my fraternity house to visit with all of my friends. I meet my parents for dinner and then home for a quiet evening. It really and truly was such a great birthday. I enjoyed receiving birthday wishes from my closest friends and family.

It was a birthday full of books! As I am sure many readers know, I always love a good design book. It was such a treat to open beautiful and large coffee table books one after the other. I recommend all of them!

1. Apple iPad 2. The American Style 3. The Royal Palaces of London 4. English Country House Interiors 5. Pets at the White House 6. The Finest Rooms in America 7. A Gentleman Walks Down the Aisle (Completing My Brooks Brothers Gentleman Set) 8. Parisian Interiors 9. L.L. Bean Boots

Of course I am in need of an iPad case. This is the design I have styled for a needlepoint case I am working on. Hopefully I can crank this piece out quickly!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Spring Refresh

Even though it may only be January, Spring has sprung in the design community. It is time to start the new year fresh with a new feeling in your home. Whether you completely redo your entire home or just rearrange furniture or an easy coat of paint, you will feel a difference. I wanted to freshen up my room at the fraternity house. Here are two projects I have been working on, photos of the entire space to come soon.

One of my favorite things to do is go antiquing. I love the hunt for something special. I love mixing antiques with bright colors and patterns for a fun, preppy look. I purchased this nightstand for a steal, $45. It was in decent shape, there were scratches and definitely some wear and tear but that is what I love. I cleaned and waxed it to make it to get rid of any old dirt and dust. For something fun I took a piece of thick wrapping paper that looks like a map from local home furnishing and accessories boutique, Quince & Quinn, in Oakley for drawer liners. It adds a fun, unexpected quality to the piece.

The second project is lacquering a bamboo chippendale chair for my desk. I purchased the chair from the Ballard Design Outlet in West Chester, Ohio. This is a great place to hunt for great deals on damaged merchandise. I purchased this chair that was in rough shape about four years ago for around $60. It needed a coat of paint and some repair of the bamboo. I have kept it white up until now. I was tired of the white against my white desk at school. I was ready for a new change for the new year. I decided upon yellow. It was an easy change but has made such a great difference in the space. This is a fun and easy way to update or slightly change just about any piece of furniture. In the future maybe I will paint the nightstand from above for a new look. Paint is the easiest way to really get a whole new look in a space.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Farewell to Rugby Ralph Lauren

It is with much sadness that Ralph Lauren announced the closing of the Rugby brand. Rugby was introduced in 2004 as a younger, edgier version of the classic Polo Ralph Lauren. Designed for the collegiate and post-grad, it featured classic pieces done in a fresh way. I adore Rugby because the pieces are special. It was a small enough brand that you could have pieces as statement pieces that would not be seen everywhere you went on everyone.

While I was in Chicago last weekend, I made a stop at the Lincoln Park location of Ruby. I was going to say my final good byes and stock up on clearance merchandise. Much to my disappointment, they were completely sold out of men's items. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the beautifully done store and was sure to check out the deals on Rugby.com. For a tour of the Rugby store, click here.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Downton Returns

To say I am excited about the return of Downton Abbey would be an understatement! I can hardly wait for the start of season three tonight. I even re-watched seasons one and two to refresh myself and get ready for the fun! I highly recommend this show!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year!

Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 in Review!

It truly has been yet another amazing year! I have been so fortunate this year and hope that this continues in years to come! I put together a quick snapshot of my 2012! Here is to a great 2013!