Harbor East Fifth Annual FashionEASTa Fashion Show

Harbor East celebrates five years of bringing fashion to the streets of downtown Baltimore at the Fifth Annual FashionEASTa: The Fashion Show, taking place Saturday, April 30 on Aliceanna Street in Harbor East and supporting Dress for Success Baltimore. The city’s hottest shopping destination takes center stage at this festival-like event, showcasing the fashions of some of its most notable retailers including Anthropologie, Free People, South Moon Under and many more. Throughout the day guests can shop in-store sales and style events, groove to live entertainment, and enjoy cocktails and light fare from Harbor East restaurants. The festivities culminate with a showcase of the best of spring fashion as the hottest looks hit the runway for the FashionEasta Fashion Show, sponsored by Baltimore magazine.

Over the last several years Harbor East has emerged as Baltimore’s go-to shopping destination, attracting renowned national labels as well as the best of local boutiques and fashion-forward brands. 2016 is proving to be no different as the neighborhood welcomes Brooks Brothers and Warby Parker, with both retailers slated to open in the weeks leading up to FashionEASTa.

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Arrive fashionably early (festivities kick off at 1PM) to take advantage of shopping events, live music by 3AM Tokyo, and street-side offerings from The Oceanaire, Apropoe’s, Lebanese Taverna, Taco Fiesta and more. The FashionEASTa Fashion Show begins at 3:30PM hosted by Baltimore magazine Style Editor Lauren Bell, bringing audiences a high-energy runway production highlighting spring styles from cocktail attire to festival wear and athleisure. The best part? All of the show’s apparel and accessories come straight from Harbor East retailers, so guests can shop the looks “haute” off the runway.

Participating retailers include: Amaryllis, Anthropologie, Blanca Flor Silver Jewelry, Free People, Handbags in the City, lululemon athletica, Madewell, Sassanova, South Moon Under, Under Armour Brand House, White House/Black Market and more to be announced! Makeup provided by the artists at MAC Cosmetics.

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“We look forward to FashionEASTa year after year,” stated Molly Gunion, Marketing & Events Coordinator for South Moon Under. “The event is a great way to connect with our customers and the community in a fun and engaging way, and to celebrate how far Harbor East, and Baltimore, has evolved as a style destination. FashionEASTa is like no other fashion event in the city – we are so thrilled to be involved since the beginning and to celebrate its fifth year!”

FashionEASTa: The Fashion Show is FREE and open to all. Serious fashionEASTas will want to reserve their spot on the Guest List for an even more fabulous experience. VIP Guest List tickets are $35 and include: reserved seating for the FashionEASTa Fashion Show (standing room only otherwise), discounted food & drink vouchers good for street-side offerings from 1-6PM, an exclusive FashionEASTa shopping tote, and daily garage parking in Harbor East. Tickets must be purchased in advance. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Dress for Success Baltimore.

Harbor East’s FashionEASTa promises to be the chicest fashion event of the year, brought to you by Harbor East and sponsored by Baltimore magazine, with styling provided by STEPHANIE BRADSHAW. FashionEASTa is proud to support Dress for Success Baltimore for the third consecutive year.

For more information, updates and to purchase Guest List tickets visit: http://www.harboreast.com/events/fashioneasta-2016/

#FASHIONEASTA. Click to Tweet!

About Harbor East

Harbor East is home to some of Baltimore’s best shopping, dining, entertainment, hotels and residences. Among its many eclectic attractions are fine dining restaurants, vibrant and unique shops, a world-class fitness center, seven-screen art house theatre, and the luxury Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore. Harbor East is also an inspiring place for business, providing a contemporary setting for world-class offices. Welcome to Harbor East – 12 square blocks of restaurants, boutiques, hotels, and harbor-side amazing. www.harboreast.com

BJs Wholesale Club – Holiday Destination and Lifestyle Segment

The numbers are in. The National Retail Federation expects a solid 3.7 percent increase in 2015 holiday buying amounting to $630.5 billion – an astonishing total for just two months of sales.  However, they are tempering their glee noting that “…Americans remain somewhat torn between their desire and their ability to spend; the fact remains consumers still have the weight of the economy on their minds” and  “expect families to spend prudently and deliberately.”  The NRF also expects online holiday sales to increase between 6 and 8 percent this year, adding up to $105 billion.

What does this mean to the holiday shopper?  It means that consumers will be shopping where they know they will get the most gift-giving bang for their bucks.  And that’s where wholesale clubs like BJs step up with a tried and true value proposition. Not just in-club either. The online deals at BJs.com also fill the void of many Johnny-come-latelys to subscription online buying, because BJs has the power of expertise to seek out and offer exclusive deals on the most popular items this holiday season.

The experts at Selling Christmas have identified some of the  biggest trends this year, and for both online and in store gift buying, BJs members will see 2015 holiday favorites, such as:

 

Precious Metallics at Non-Precious Prices:

Straight from the pages of Elle Magazine: “Iridescent fabrics are the stuff dreams are made of. Seriously, try and look at them without being mesmerized. We predict that these fabrics will be a major street style staple. “

Glimmering metallic from copper to silver to gold can make any room or person look and feel glamorous.

·         Satina 8-Premium Cosmetic Brush Set with Travel Case – Get the look professionals create to achieve pro-perfect application of face and eye makeup with various brushes including an angled foundation brush, large eye shadow brush, smudge brush and more.   $19.99 In-Club Only

  • Moscow Mules Mugs – Set of two traditional stainless steel mugs with a long-lasting shiny copper finish and brass handle. The perfect drinking companion for cool, refreshing drinks year round. $17.99 In-Club & BJs.com
  • Crystal Bead Love Knot Stud Earrings – Pair these gorgeous round earrings with any look, day or night. Packed with dozens of round crystals, each 12mm earring possesses a startling amount of sparkle and shine. The base is not without its own elegance, combining the smooth cool of sterling silver with the warm richness of 14K yellow gold in a swirling design. IGI Appraisal Value $135 At BJ’s: $89.99 In-Club & BJs.com
  • Berkley Jensen 100 Sq. Ft. Gift Wrap Ensemble – Five rolls of premium wrap, gift tags and coordinating bows and ribbons in a variety of metallic hues for the holiday season. $14.99 In-Club Only

Winter White:
Even if snow doesn’t touch down, incorporating winter white is still a popular way for getting into the holiday spirit. Adding classic white ware pieces will elegantly contrast with reds, greens and metallics.

·         Berkley Jensen Write-and-Wipe Menu Board and Place Card Set – Let your dinner guests know what’s on the menu with this write & wipe ceramic menu board and six place cards. Use the included dry erase marker to write entertaining dinner highlights, a special dessert menu or messages of congratulations. The place cards can be used for table settings or labeling different dishes. This set is easily washable to reuse again and again. BJ’s Exclusive $14.99 In-Club & BJs.com

·         Berkley Jensen Swirl Chip and Dip DishConstructed of super-white porcelain, the attractive Berkley Jensen Swirl Chip and Dip Dish is the perfect vessel for favorite party snacks. The bright white color makes a nice background for special occasion fare, allowing the cuisine to take center stage. Dish has an 11.8″ diameter with built-in well for dip, olives and other snacks. BJs Exclusive $11.99 In-Club & BJs.com.

·         Berkley Jensen 5-Tier Buffet ServerMake the food table a display with this 3- or 5-tier buffet server from Berkley Jensen. Five stoneware trays can be used individually or as a unit, and the wire stand makes all dishes easy to reach. The trays are microwave-safe for convenient reheating and dishwasher-safe for easy clean-up. BJs Exclusive $29.99 In-Club & BJs.com

·         Berkley Jensen 3-Piece Graduated Porcelain Trays with Handles Berkley Jensen Porcelain Platters are a sleek and modern way to serve food. With pierced handles for easy handling and three different sizes, you will host and serve with ease. Comes with a small (8″x7 5/8″x1 1/8″), medium (10″x9.5″x1 38″) and large platter (12″x11 3/8″x1 3/4″). $14.99 In-Club & BJs.com

LED Lights to Light up Your Life:
Think light emitting diodes (LEDs) are just for flashlights and cell phone displays? Think again as new products are helping to bring more seasonal glitter to homes.

  • Sylvania Color-Changing LED Garland  – Nine feet of color-changing LED bulbs intricately woven through garland is a perfect holiday accent to mantles, doorways or stair railings. Choose between steady warm white lights, steady multi-colored lights or continuously changing white to multicolored lights. The timer feature means the lights will only be on when you want them to be on without worrying about turning a switch on and off..$34.99 In-Club & BJs.com
  • 24″ Berkley Jensen Oversized Pre-Lit Gold or Red Ornament with LED Lights – Brighten up any front lawn with these festive oversized ornaments.

48″ Berkley Jensen Stacking Snowmen with LED LightsColorful and festive stacking snowmen bring a sense of joy to holiday decorations. The bright LED lights are both cool white and multicolor and the included timer function allows for energy-saving convenience. BJs Exclusive $149.99 In-Club or $179.99 (Delivered) BJs.com

Chalkboards

For a rustic and classic theme, chalkboards continue to be a stylish way to create conversation starters when entertaining.

  • Slate Wine and Spirit Notes, 3-Piece – These slate notes in assorted seasonal designs is such a unique way to label a gift for a wine bottle or to help label holiday cocktail fusions. $9.99 In-Club Only
  • Slate and Wood Paddle Serving Set, 13-Piece – Serve a variety of cheeses in an elegant manner with this 13-piece wood and slate cheese board. With black slate markers and white slate pencils, your guests will know exactly what they are sampling. Includes antique brown wooden tray with leather rope, black slate board, 3 stainless steel cheese tools, 4 black slate cheese markers and 3 white slate pencils $17.99 In-Club & BJs.com

Enjoy photos from the holiday Lifestyle Segment at WBAL News.  The serving platters, recipe, and ingredients used for the Cranberries Holiday Cooking Demo are compliments of BJs Wholesale Club:

Cranberry-Orange Chutney

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. Cape Cod Fresh Cranberries
  • 2 Tropicana Navel Oranges
  • 2 cups Domino Pure Cane Sugar
  • 1 cup chopped, toasted Wellsley Farms Walnuts

 

Directions

Pour cranberries into a food processor bowl. Cover and pulse in 2-second bursts, scraping down bowl with a rubber spatula, until the berries are coarsely chopped. Do not over-process. Transfer cranberries

to a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

 

Quarter unpeeled oranges and place in the processor bowl. Pulse until just coarsely chopped.

 

Combine oranges with cranberries in mixing bowl. Stir in 1½ cups of sugar and chopped walnuts (if using). Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary by adding more

sugar a little at a time.

 Pecan and Cranberry Crusted Salmon with Cran-apple drizzle

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Tablespoon Butter, melted
  • 2 Tablespoon Wellsley Farms Organic Honey
  • 1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped pecans
  • 1/4 Cup Dried cranberries, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoon Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 4 6oz. Salmon filets
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Cooking spray

Drizzle

  • 1 Cup Fresh cranberry sauce (prepared according to package directions)
  • 1/2 Cup Apple juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add fresh cranberry sauce, apple juice and vinegar in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for five minutes stirring often. Remove from heat. Set aside.

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National Coffee Month Lifestyle Segment – WBAL TV Baltimore

August was National Coffee Month and people everywhere celebrated this delicious beverage.  I’m an avid coffee drinker and brew a pot daily.  Some people like to enjoy a cup of tea but there’s a few tricks to brewing coffee at home.

Kimberly West

I like to use filtered water for the best results; add hazelnut (or vanilla) syrup along with creamer and sugar.  If you’re monitoring your sugar intake, substitute with a sweetener.  Take your coffee up a notch by adding whipped cream and cinnamon.  As a hobby, my mom and I like to purchase flavored coffee beans such French Roast, Pumpkin, or Caramel Pecan.  It’s fun to taste the various spices and scents!

Also, the best place to store a bag of coffee is in a cool, airtight container to ensure the flavor’s not lost.  Last Sunday, I had the chance to share coffee, espresso, and tea brewing products on WBAL TV Baltimore.  I am always enthusiastic about discussing fashion, parent, or home products.

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IMUSA Electric Espresso Maker | IMUSA Espresso Set | KRUPS Savoy Machine

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Krups Burr Grinder | Ten Thousand Villages Mugs | T-Fal Electric Kettle

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Chatting with Jennifer Franciotti

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Smiling with Miri Marshall, Meteorologist

I had a great time visiting WBAL – TV Baltimore and hope the items (shown) will encourage my audience to enjoy brewing products at home.

FashionEasta 2015 – Harbor East Fashion Show Recap

Harbor East hosted it’s annual show titled FashionEasta on Saturday, April 25th, 2015.  The purpose of the event was to showcase local boutiques, cuisine, and cocktails.   There was live music by Full Tilt, Jon Boesche, and Super Bueno; guests also had the opportunity to partake in a photo booth from Baltimore Magazine.

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Styling for the FashionEasta Show was provided by Stephanie Bradshaw, Inc. and retailers included Free People, Under Armour Brand House, White House Black Market, Christopher Schafer Clothier, Lululemon Athletica, Handbags in the City, Amaryllis Handcrafted Jewelry, City Sports, Sassanova, Under Armour Brand House, and South Moon Under.  Featured Models where Justin Tucker from The Baltimore Ravens, Sharon Gibala with CBS Baltimore, Emily Gracey with Fox 45, George Lettis with WBAL TV, and Michael Owen with Baltimore Love Project.

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Street – Side Harbor East Restaurants included Apropores, Gordon Biersch, Lebanese Taverna, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Taco Fiesta.   

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I enjoyed attending FashionEasta 2015; the music was upbeat, models entertaining, and love my FashionEasta shopping tote.  I also noticed a few items from the show that I’m interested in purchasing!  How could I forget that Preakness and Black Eyed Susan Day’s coming up soon.

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Hair provided by Haute Blow Dry Bar | Makeup provided by Jen Padro, LLC

Lifestyle Segments and Products with Style + Life + Fashion

The month of March has been very busy for Style + Life + Fashion.  Aside from sharing great information for readers, I have hosted three lifestyle segments on WBAFF Fox 45 News Station.

The segment topics were: Ultimate Sick Day Survival Kit, St. Patrick’s Day Green Kitchen Products, and Easter Brunch Quick Recipes.  I always enjoy hosting lifestyle segments because it allows me to share new products and information with viewers in the Baltimore area.

Most importantly, Style + Life + Fashion’s an extension of me but the (primary) focus is my audience!

 

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Taking a backstage selfie


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Sick day survival products

 

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Helping others stay healthy

 

 Ultimate Sick Day Survival Kit – Rowenta Humidifer, Cold – EEZE Cold & Flu, Carrington Organics Tea

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Fun green colored kitchen products

 

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My mom made this necklace set for me

 

Green Kitchen Products – TFal Cookware, IMUSA Juicer, Cookina Cooking Sheets, GAEA Olive Oil

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Stella & Dot necklace

 

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Smiling with morning show producer and fellow Junior Leaguer
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Easter brunch recipe ideas and products

 

Easter Brunch Quick Recipes – Carrington Farms Coconut Oil and Milled Flax Seed, Gaea Olive Oil, Coleman’s Prepared Mustard

Catch me next month on (again) Fox 45 News sharing a round up of monthly subscription boxes and WBAL TV discussing trends for the home and housewares.

 

NBC WBAL-TV Segment with CureDiva.com

I was asked to visit NBC’s WBAL to talk about the lifestyle brand CureDiva.com This project was close to my heart because of the number of women (we know and love) who have had to undergo cancer.  Often times when they’re in this situation, they are facing several physical battles such as hot flashes, weakening nails, or hair loss.  CureDiva.com is platform for women to not only wear fashionable accessories before, during, and after their treatment but it’s also a community for women to discuss issues that are centered around the illness.

The products I featured where the Acquarella Nail System, Travel Purse with Ice Pack, and a Fancy Hands Fan.  Each product serves a purpose, for example the Travel Purse Ice Pack helps women with hot flashes (as a mini cooler.)

In addition to sharing the products with local viewers, I decided to wear the color pink to support the brand.

Kim West WBAL TV 11

Kimberly West Curediva2