Chic Shopping Guide
- Mustard Seed Boutique gift card. Right now you can get a $50 gift certificate for $44 and a $100 card for $85.
- Travel Bag from Le Petite Cottage. Their stylish handbag can transform into a rolling carry-on with its hidden wheels and handle. These bags are perfectly sized to fit everything you need, including a laptop, but small enough to fit under an airplane seat.
- I love scrapbooking, but right now my craft supplies are a big pile of bags, boxes and Tupperware containers in the attic. We’re re-doing one of our bedrooms to be a hobby room, so I have my eye on this craft organizer
- Handlebar hammock: A great way to keep everything I need — energy bar, keys, iPod and, yes, my Blackberry — by my side for those long rides
- Stronger Woman Blue Babydoll Tee — I wear my heart on my sleeve, so with this fab Jewel-touting tee, I’ll wear my favorite singer on my whole shirt! It was a tough decision between that shirt and the
Of all the things that I’ve had my eye on over the past year, I’ve decided to narrow my list down to one niche: jewelry/accessories.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I’m the queen of accessories and costume jewelry. I’m not really a girly-girl and absolutely hate shopping, so for me, it’s a real treat to go rummaging for cheapo, trendy jewelry in the bargain baskets at Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Wet Seal, Hot Topic or street merchants in Soho and Chicago.
But since I always go to those places, it’d be nice for Santa to give me a shopping spree at any of the following local jewelers for more substantial, “adult” pieces for my collection:
The Little Mahatma — originally named Mahatma, and housed since 1989 in the Carew Tower, with a move to Main St. in 2007 — now finally finds its new home in The Gateway Quarter on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine.
Founder and current owner, Gloria McConnaghy, stocks the store with unique and gorgeous pieces and furnishings, she hand-picks from her travels around the world.
Another jeweler I have my eye on is Susie Brand. Brand’s influence comes from art history and the concept of “storty telling” through jewelry.
I particularly am in love with one of her many lines, called “Change,” which features various “spiked” pieces that are supposed to reflect the continuing phases of change that everyone goes through every day. My favorite pieces are the ones pictured. The line also will serve a better good, as a percentage of sales will be donated to a children’s charity, whose mission is to change the life of a child through better education.
If I had the opportunity to tell the world about some of my favorite things, I would have to say that I have found them since working for Cincy Chic!
I am privileged to meet many extraordinary women with talent. Of these, Darla Kirchner comes to mind. Kirchner makes these beautiful personalized pieces of potterey that are very special. I recently ordered both wedding and Christmas gifts from her. Each pottery piece is personalized to your liking!
I’m also enamored with two Cincy Chic jewelry vendors: Jari Smith, who makes unique pearl jewelry, and Ellen Norcott, who specializes in unique pieces stone pieces.
I would have to say that Mark Hegman’s Cincinnati to You is awesome!. You can order anything Cincincinnati-related everything from Skyline, to Graeters, to LaRosa’s, to pictures and much more. That’s a good thing when all the kids live out-of town!
With the amount of food consumed during the holiday season, what better gift idea than a gift card for a new pair of running shoes from Bob Roncker’s Running Spot? Each of the three Running Spot locations gives personal attention to measuring and fitting feet for the perfect pair running shoes. This is a great gift idea for avid runners or someone who wants to burn off those extra holiday cookies. As a runner needing a new pair of shoes, I am hoping to find a gift card to Bob Roncker’s Running Spot under my Christmas tree (hint, hint, Santa!)
Two words: Swedish massage. In my opinion, this is one of the best gifts for yourself or for one of your girlfriends. With stress from a hectic work schedule and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, nothing beats this ultimate relaxation gift from Salon Urbanity. Salon Urbanity offers all of the amenities of a salon, but its expert massage therapists will help you relax and take some time for yourself (who doesn’t need that?) Both a 30- and 60-minute massage is available.
Everyone has that one gift they most likely won’t get this holiday season, but a little wishful thinking never hurt anyone, right? The white J12 GMT Chanel watch has been on my wish list for as long as I can remember. It’s a 42 mm, automatic, ceramic watch that is sure to make anyone’s holiday season special (especially mine!) I know what you’re thinking, but a girl can dream, can’t she?
This is by far my favorite holiday gift. My family received a winemaking session at Tino Vino last holiday season and we made, bottled, corked and labeled 40 bottles of personalized wine! This is a great gift for anyone whether you have a winemaking party with your friends and family, create your own personalized bottles of wine to give as gifts or give a winemaking session as a gift itself. The entire experience of creating and bottling the wine with my family is one memory I will not forget!
According to the owners, “Whether you’re seeking the perfect personalized gift for co-workers, clients or friends, or just want a creative, fun, girls’ night out, Tino Vino offers many options.”
Monika Roberts (a.k.a. RedKat)
- Dior Addict 2, my signature scent.
- A pair of soft grey Frye riding boots
- A Mackage “Demie” detachable scarf winter coat.
- The Hungry Girl cookbook.
- Nordstroms — oh wait…this arrives in 2009!
- A great cashmere scarf at Macy’s in Kenwood, Tri-County, Anderson or Florence.
- David and Goliath PJ’s.
- A jewelry armoire either from Voltage or High Street.
- The Mod Hoop necklace from Kailo Chic.
- A 2009 Audi TT (hey, a girl can dream, right?)
If Santa were to bring me one thing, it would be classes at the Midwest Culinary Institute. They have classes on everything from vegetarian cooking to bread making to cake decorating, all for around $100 a class and class times both during the week and on the weekend. It’s great for someone who loves to cook, or who barely knows how to turn on the toaster. There’s something for everyone.
A really good date gift that keeps on giving is a membership to Enjoy the Arts A membership provides free and discounted tickets for two people to a wide range of concerts and theatre productions, invitations to member-exclusive events, discounted tickets for movies, the Cincinnati Zoo and Newport Aquarium, a weekly e-newsletter with tips on the arts happenings around town and other fun perks. For only $40, it’s a steal — even a single pair of tickets to a concert could easily cost that much — and the money goes to a good cause, supporting Cincinnati’s arts scene. Not only will your significant other appreciate the gift, but it ensures many 
exciting and interesting outings throughout the coming year!
This Christmas I’m giving the gift of fun and virtual athleticism to myself and my fiancè with the Nintendo Wii Fit game package.
I try to keep healthy and have been doing the treadmill thing for years and, well, it can get pretty boring after a while. So, this is a way to change things up, stay fit and have fun.
The Wii Fit comes with a balance board that lets you follow along with more than 40 exercises and games including yoga, aerobics and strength training. You can create your own profile, set fitness goals and keep track of your progress. Up to eight people can create a profile, so you can engage in a little friendly fitness competition.
I absolutely LOVE Bayer Essensce Soy Candles! My favorite is Creme Brulee — it beats out the popular brand’s buttercream scent any day! They are “100 percent soy and 100 percent essential and/or body safe oils” so no fake stuff there! They not only fill multiple rooms with their scrumptious aromas, but they also burn for a super long time and are clean so much so you can use the jar after its done with no scraping off leftover wax. Plus the awesome thing with these is you can dip your fingers in the melted wax while it’s burning (its completely cool to the touch) and rub it on your hands and skin for an extra soft touch and scent. I am hooked on these candles, I stock up when they come to the Victory of Light Festival!
A gift for someone else is the The Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide. This electronic toothbrush is my favorite “gadget,” if you will. I swear it is the next best thing to an actual dentist cleaning. You get multiple attachments to find every crevice and polish your pearly whites — much more than you can ever get with a store brand electronic brush. I’ve tried my regular brush instead of using this only to go right back around and brush all over again with the Oral-B. For all those clean teeth fanatics out there, this is the gift to get! I got mine at Dr. Gibberman’s office.
I’ll never get lost again if I get the TomTom One GPS Navigation System This GPS receiver combines ease of use, portability, touch-screen technology and elegant, sophisticated design. Navigator has pre-loaded maps of the US and Canada. Features include: audio and video driving aid, clear spoken instructions; speed limit alert, TomTom HOME and buddy finder, Bluetooth connectivity, route planning based on desired arrival time, itinerary planning, adjustable voice instructions volume, exit sign info is displayed in navigation mode, preloaded maps of all 50 US states and Canadian provinces/territories, downloadable points of interest, support for English, Spanish, French German and 32 other languages, large 3.5-inch LCD screen with 320×240 pixel resolution, anti-glare screen for an optimal view, crystal-clear 3-D and 2-D graphics and lightweight. I think those are enough features to keep my directionally challenged self on the right path!
I am the hottest gift idea, for yourself, or a loved one!
Starting December through January 31, I am offering Cincy Chic readers the “Success is mine in ’09!” package: A $100 gift certificate with the purchase of a 3-month fitness package, $200 with 6-month, $400 with one year (two-times or three-times per week packages only.)
Man, do I want this for Christmas. With almost 200,000 books available for download, the Amazon Kindle is the perfect present to spark interest in some new titles for a book lover, especially since it only weighs 10.3 pounds. But the best part is the Kindle uses “electronic paper,” which means that it reads as if you were reading from a regular paper from a book, rather than the glowing-white eye-killing harshness of a computer screen. Plus, with top magazines and newspapers (but not Cincy Chic, sadly) available to purchase, there will always be tons of things to buy that special someone in the future. Just check their Amazon Wish List.
PHOTO CREDITS
Photo: Neysa Ruhl Photography
Location: The McAlpin
Model: Katie Sayers
Makeup Artistry: Rebecca Long
Hairstyling: Shay Mendenhall, of Posh Salon, (513) 821-8999
