A Seasonably Chic Gift Guide

 

On Nov. 2, Cincy Chic hosted its fifth-annual Seasonably Chic Showcase. Guests were given the opportunity to visit 40+ local boutiques and vendors to check off a few gifts from their holiday shopping lists. If you missed it, don’t worry, not only does Cincy Chic have another holiday shopping event on Dec. 6, but we also compiled this “editor’s choice” list of Seasonably Chic Showcase vendors who will make the seasons a little brighter for everyone on your “nice” list.

 

Nest Gifts 
Nest Gifts is nestled on the quaint street of Michigan Avenue on Hyde Park Square. The store opened in 1999 and has the concept of a retail boutique born out of Heather Schmidt’s love of all things beautiful. Schmidt comes from a fine art background and in the gift business as a partner at Studio Vertu.

The Over-the-Rhine based Studio Vertu makes and sells artistic decorative tiles to boutiques all over the world, including Nest Gifts as one of their retailers.

 

“Nest Gifts has evolved quite a bit in the last 13 years,” says Schmidt. “In the beginning I offered interior design service and custom furniture in addition to gifts for the home.”

 

Nest Gifts has super cute and unique items  for everyone on your holiday gift list.

After opening Nest Gifts in 1999, she opened an annex called “Heaven” in 2004. It was a beautiful little shop, Schmidt says, that offered designer jewelry and women’s accessories. In 2007, she consolidated the two boutiques and eliminated the furniture to make room for more jewelry and gifts.

 

“For many of my customers, Nest is a special place there they can get their ‘dose’ of aesthetic surroundings,” says Schmidt. “It is a relaxing and comforting place. It isn’t unusual to have customers come for retail therapy.”

 

Nest always offers complimentary gift wrap and caters to customers with special custom orders. Schmidt shops for products in all major wholesale markets including New York, Atlanta, Dallas and Las Vegas. “I also travel overseas to find items that no other shops have,” she says. “My last buying trip was to Paris and Nest definitely has an eclectic Parisian vibe for the holidays.”

 

Customers rely on Nest for special gifts and unique accessories for their homes as well as one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories, Schmidt says.

 

Learn more at www.nestgifts.com or on Facebook.

 

Churchill’s Fine Teas 
Kathleen Kern opened Churchill’s Fine Teas because she was having trouble finding good loose leaf teas in Cincinnati and in most of the country. “I was ordering tea from overseas,” she explains. “The tea that was available here in the United States was the fanning of tea – or the pieces that fall off during the drying process.”

 

It’s the fanning of tea that gives you the flash of color but not the flavor you’re looking for, so Kern decided to do something about it. Churchill’s Fine Teas now has the largest selection of loose tea in the Midwest with 265 varieties and a unique wall display so customers can open and investigate the ingredients and aroma before choosing what they’d like to purchase.

 

“Many choose to browse a specific category of tea or all of the teas for extended periods of time,” Kern shares. “Some like to have a recommendation. We cater to all choices because the focus is finding a tea you will love or a gift your recipient will love.”

 

When Churchill’s Fine Teas opened, they had a team room for serving tea and the little delectables that come with the ceremony of Afternoon Tea. There were also events designed and created by Kern and her team that included a tea theme. They were also part of a tour group and Kern would offer an exhibit of all her Princess Diana memorabilia and talk about her. She even had Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother for Afternoon Tea where he spoke about continuing the work of Diana.

 

In 2009, the Kerns moved their location from 4th St. downtown to Findlay Market. Then, in May 2013, Churchill’s Fine Teas announced the opening of a second location after outgrowing its space in Findlay Market.

 

Now that Churchill’s Fine Teas has established itself as everything tea, the business has evolved other aspects of itself into a separate business called Design-Bazaar.com. “This business is all about event design, tabletop, decor, jewelry items and of course anything related to a tea party,” says Kern. “Molly Rowland runs the daily operations of this business for me.”

 

Design-Bazaar.com specializes in antique and vintage items from Europe, which is a big passion for Kern. “I visit Europe a few times a year and continue to establish sources for product,” she says. You can get free delivery of anything you order from the website for free within 25 miles of downtown Cincinnati.

 

As we move into the new year, Churchill’s Fine Teas will offer a series of interactive education classes about tea, blending it and the various health benefits. “We’ve seen a dramatic increase int he consumer interest in a more holistic approach to their health and the powerful benefits of combining tea with fruit, herbs, spices and botanicals,” explains Kern.

 

You can learn more about Churchill’s Fine Teas by visiting their website for tea information, products and to sign up for the newsletter that brings information about the education classes. To see the latest shipment of items available and information about design, visit Design-Bazaar.com. In fact, they’re offering a special discount (18% off!) for Cincy Chic readers on Design-Bazaar.com. Just use the code cincychic at check-out to redeem your discounted pricing. Plus, click here to learn about Churchill’s Fine Teas new Themed Tea Gift Sets now available!

 

Dia Rose, who owns the local European Wax Center stores in Crestview Hills, Ky., and Hyde Park.

European Wax Center
If you want a place that specializes in hair removal and “revealing beautiful skin,” then the European Wax Center is the place for you. This franchise is founded and based in Aventura, Fla., and is the world’s largest wax center with more than 300 locations across the country.

 

“I bought this franchise because I love businesses that empower women,” explains Dia Rose, who owns the local European Wax Center stores. “European Wax Centers reveal beautiful skin, helping out guests feel sexy and confident!”

 

She says when many clients leave, their confidence goes through the roof and they feel great about themselves.

 

Rose opened her European Wax Center location in Crestview Hills, Ky., in April 2013 and another in Hyde Park in March 2013. She’ll soon be opening two more in Clifton and Anderson.

 

What makes European Wax Center so unique is that the wax comes from Paris. “It is proprietary and no one else in the world has our specific wax formula,” Rose explains. The wax is also alcohol free so when it’s applied it only adheres to the hair rather than the skin, making it a cleaner and less painful process.

 

Not only is European Wax Center reasonably priced, first-time guests get to choose from a free select service such as eyebrow, underarm or bikini line. “Many of our services are half the price that high-end salons charge,” says Rose. “For example, our Brazilian Wax Service is only $42 and takes just 15 minutes rather than the 50 minutes you’ll likely spend somewhere else.”

 

Rose says that when the Crestview Hills location opened, it had the highest guest count in the first month of any European Wax Center in the franchise’s history. Guests are continually coming back again and again, making it easy for Rose and her team to create relationships with clients and make it a comfortable, fun and trusting environment.

 

Rose says it makes for a great gift idea because groups often come in together for a “girls night in” to get primped and pampered before a big event such as a wedding, gala, holiday party, or just because. They offer gift cards, which can be purchased in any amount between $10 and $2,000. Plus, they never expire and aren’t subject to any fees.

 

To learn more about European Wax Center, visit www.waxcenter.com.

 

Tote bag from the Orginal Depler line

Original Depler 
The story of Original Depler goes back to the 1950s when Constance Depler Coleman’s father’s close friend introduced her to her first drink – a White Russian. From there, she found the inspiration to sit in bars and become the pet portrait artist she is today. She began sketching people as various breeds of dogs that she found within each individual’s unique personality.

 

Amanda Voss, the president of Original Depler, is the daughter of Constance Depler Coleman. The business launched two years ago and offers customers a great selection of items featuring four-legged fun.

 

Voss says she was always surrounding by artwork portraying dogs drinking or playing cards while growing up and wanted to share their mother’s images, designs and paintings in a unique and usable product line.

 

Through Original Depler, Voss wants to bring smiles to our customers and remind them that life should be about fun and full of laughter, especially during the holidays. “We’re currently working on our holiday line for next year,” she says. They also plan to offer ice buckets, which will spice up any party and will be ready in winter 2014.

 

Learn more about Original Depler by visiting www.originaldepler.com.

 

Catherine Seifert launched Car Cache to help women stay safe while driving.

Car Cache
Catherine Seifert launched the Car Cache website and Facebook Page on June 3, 2013 with a Fox19 News appearance with Tracey Johnson. “Tracy used the Car Cache and said, ‘I love it!,’ and asked when I wanted to launch it on her show,” Seifert explains.

 

She officially launched the business at the end of September and started getting orders from all over the United States. Even Amazing Headquarters in Seattle contacted her to find out if they could set up a store on their site for her.

 

Seifert has had her purse stepped on, sliding out of the way so she can’t reach it and in the way of passengers. In order to solve her purse dilemma, she founded Car Cache.

 

Car Cache is a way to keep your purse out of your way while driving, yet safely within reach so you aren’t reaching down to grab it or trying to pull it back toward you after it slides away.

 

“Women feel less stressed while driving when using the Car Cache because the amount of distracted driving that comes with your purse being loose in the car is greatly reduced,” Seifert says when asked about the uniqueness of her product. “It eliminates the need to stretch to grab your purse off the floor, the far side of the passenger seat or deal with spilled contents.”

 

Most importantly, Seifert explains, the Car Cache provides easy access to your purse’s contents without ever having to take your eyes off the road.

 

The Car Cache Facebook page has reached more than 500 likes and the orders are currently on target for projects. “The business now has a sound foundation for it to grow quickly upon,” she explains.

 

Seifert says Car Cache is starting to provide embroidery for groups such as schools, organizations and companies to display their logos and names. “We’re also about to launch a beautiful black faux leather Car Cache that is soft, water resistant and durable,” says Seifert.

 

You can learn more about Car Cache by visiting the company’s website www.getcarcache.com, purchasing on Amazon, liking their Facebook Page, or watching the video below to see how it works.