ellelauri: 2016

Holiday 2016

Tis the season! The holidays are officially upon us and we sat down with ellelauri founder, Liz Rymar, to discuss some of her favorite (and least favorite) holiday trends!

ellelauri: What are the biggest trends for holiday?

Liz: Velvet, winter white, and lace. Our Noel velvet dress is perfect for the holiday and right on trend.

ellelauri: Year after year, there are some things that are notorious with holiday fashion; what is your favorite and what is your least favorite?

Liz: My favorite is sparkle! I love wearing sequins or sparkle around the holidays. Sometimes it is a full sequin dress and other times I incorporate them more subtly such as pairing an outfit with a fun, sparkly shoe. My least favorite would be any time of ugly sweater. I think those are the worst.

ellelauri: Do you have any tips for transforming plain clothes into a festive holiday outfit?

Liz: Add a sparkly sequin blazer! Our Colette blazer is perfect! You can also add a red scarf, a metallic shoe, or sapphire jewels.

ellelauri: What is your favorite piece for holiday that is currently in the store?

Liz: It's so hard to choose just one! We have so many amazing pieces right now!

Check out ellelauri in Rittenhouse Square or Chestnut Hill for some great holiday pieces.

Paleo Pumpkin Bars

The holidays are fast approaching which means most of us will be eating our way through the next two months. Enjoying holiday treats doesn't mean we have to forego our healthy lifestyles. Here is a recipe for pumpkin bars that are not only healthy but paleo and vegan too!

Paleo Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:
¾ cup creamy almond butter
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 overripe medium banana
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
⅓ cup chocolate chips and/or walnuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8x8in square baking dish with cooking spray.
2) Place almond butter, pumpkin, banana, maple syrup, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir until well-combined.
3) Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring until smooth.
4) Pour into prepared baking dish, smoothing with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

These guilt-free treats take 15 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook. They are absolutely delicious!!

Chestnut Hill

ellelauri Chestnut Hill is officially open!

Founder, Liz Rymar, fell in love with the quaint neighborhood and decided it was the perfect spot for ellelauri's newest pop-up shop. Chestnut Hill is known for its beautiful homes as well as its charming downtown area. Here are some of our favorite businesses in Chestnut Hill.

Shopping
ellelauri of course!

Food
Cake is a cute bakery and bistro that serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch
Cin Cin has some of the best Chinese food we've ever had
Osaka is our go-to sushi spot
The Chestnut Hill Farmer's Market is great for fresh produce

Flowers
Robertson's makes the prettiest arrangements

Come visit ellelauri Chestnut Hill located at 8513 Germantown Ave.

Fall Activities

We can't get enough of fall; cozy sweaters, flannels, and a ton of fun activities. Here are some of our favorites:

Apple picking and Pumpkin carving

What to wear: a cute flannel and denim

Going out for some fall inspired cocktails

What to wear: a cozy sweater and leather leggings

Walking through the leaves

What to wear: Layer- start with a tank under a flannel and bring a sweater, this way you are prepared for all of fall's temperature changes throughout the day

Halloween

What to wear: A costume of course!

Falling For Fall

It's officially fall, which also means it's one of the best fashion seasons. We sat down with ellelauri founder/designer, Liz Rymar, to discuss her fall favorites.

ellelauri: What are this season's biggest trends?

Liz: The cold shoulder is still very in, along with velvet, leather, and over the knee boots.

ellelauri: What are your fall must-haves?

Liz: Flannels, leather leggings, distressed jeans, over the knee boots, cashmere sweaters, and a fur vest.

ellelauri: What are some of your favorite fall pieces currently in the store?

Liz: A 525 fur vest, Paige distressed jeans, and all of the 360 Cashmere sweaters.

ellelauri: What are the best transitional pieces since the days range from cold to hot back to cool again?

Liz: Definitely the flannel shirts from Rails. They can be worn open or closed and are great layering pieces. They're also super comfy! We also have a bunch of cute new scarves.

ellelauri: What is currently your favorite ellelauri piece?

Liz: A navy off the shoulder top.

2016 VMA's

The VMA's are known as the anti-Oscars when it comes to fashion. Celebrities tend to let loose and have some fun with their outfit choices.

We have picked some of our favorite looks as well as some that we think fell flat.

Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson

The Olympian and his fiancé were by far our favorite pick for best dressed couple.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West

Kimye always makes a statement, just not always a good one. Known for some outrageous fashion choices, we think Kim could have done much better with this one.

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys in Just Cavalli.

We love Alicia Keys' music but just didn't understand this dress, especially for the VMA's.

Britney Spears in a Julien Macdonald dress, H. Stern jewelry, and Christian Louboutin heels.

All we have to say is, Britney's back!

Hailee Steinfeld in Balmain

We love this dress on Hailee. It's fun and edgy; a perfect choice for the VMA's.

Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian, Laurie Hernandez, and Simone Biles.

The Final Five continue to sparkle even after the Olympics.

Hailey Baldwin in a Georges Chakra jumpsuit and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

Hailey Baldwin slayed the red carpet in this sexy black jumpsuit. She nailed it and is our pick for best dressed!

Beyoncé in a Francesco Scognamiglio Couture dress and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry with her daughter, Blue Ivy.

She will always be Queen Bee even if we don't love her outfit.

Summer Faves

We can't believe it's almost Labor Day! The summer flew by! When we think back on all of the fun we've had over the past couple of months we can't help but think about the outfits we have worn during these times. Here is a roundup of our favorite summer pieces.

We love this sleeveless button down from Rails. It is perfect to throw on over a bathing suit or pair with a skirt at night.

This summer sweater from 360 Sweater has been perfect for those chilly nights by the water. Since the summer has been a particularly hot one, we paired it with denim shorts from One Teaspoon.

We are seriously obsessed with this white tank from Cami NYC. It has lace detailing in the back and is the perfect top for summer date nights.

This long sleeve top from Rails is the perfect transitional piece from day to night. The lace up detailing in the front is super on trend.

Who can resist turquoise jewelry during the summer? We are in love with Joie DiGiovanni's leather, turquoise, and pearl pieces.

This dress is definitely one of our favorites! It is perfect for the beach or walking around town. The rope lace up front gives it a nautical vibe which we love.

Shorts have always been summer essentials and we lived in these cute cut-offs from One Teaspoon.

A cute coverup is a summer must. We love this one from For Love and Lemons.

We can't wait to wear our summer faves one more time before the fall!

Diner en Blanc

Diner en Blanc originated in France nearly 30 years ago and the tradition of high society picnics has traveled all the way from Paris to Philadelphia. Diner en Blanc takes place every summer in Philadelphia. The event channels the elegance and glamour of French society.

Here is how it works:

At the last minute, the secret location is revealed. Guests, dressed in white, travel to the public space to enjoy a night of friends, food, and fun. This includes a picnic, lighting sparklers, and dancing. Philadelphia provides a magical cityscape backdrop for the event.

Rules:

Guests must be members or sponsored by a member and there is a long waiting list to get in!

Participants arrive and depart by chartered transportation or organized public transportation.

Every group has a table leader and the groups are responsible for bringing their own tables, chairs, and food.

Guests must bring a table, chairs, white tablecloth, a picnic basket, food, cutlery, dishware, glassware, trash bags, and wine or champagne.

At the end of the night, participants take everything with them, including their trash, leaving their city’s public space clean and beautiful for the next day.

Participants must wear all white and be dressed elegantly.

This year’s Diner en Blanc will take place on August 18^th and since the event takes place during the summer, and the dress code is elegant, it is best if women wear white dresses. Our Rittenhouse boutique is filled with white dresses perfect for the event. One of our stylists will happily help you choose the perfect outfit for such a magical evening.

HOW TO BEAT THE HEAT DURING THE DNC

The Democratic National Convention is this week in Philadelphia and it has brought thousands of people to the city along with super hot temperatures. We have put together some outfits for you to beat the heat in while enjoying all of the DNC festivities going on around the city.

This is such an exciting week for both Philadelphians and visitors to the city of brotherly love, so we have decided to celebrate with some great #DNCdeals at our flagship boutique in Rittenhouse Square.

Be sure to visit us at 114 S 19th Street Philadelphia!

Beach House Decor

It's the first official day of summer which means it is time to escape the city and retreat to the beach! Here are some of our favorite beach house looks:

One of the most important rooms in any house is the kitchen. Kitchens are usually neutral shades, whether it be white, gray, tan, or brown. We love the bold use of color in these beach house kitchens.

When we think of summer, we think of white. We love these all white bedrooms.

Some of our favorite beach house living rooms are below.

Whether you incorporate the colors of the ocean or simply let the view speak for itself, these beach house bathrooms give us some serious bathroom envy.

And who could forget the most important room of them all... the closet!

Meet Our Summer Intern

Summer is the season for denim shorts, breezy dresses, and interns! Meet our new summer intern, Zoe.

ellelauri: Zoe, where are you from and where do you go to school?

Zoe: I am originally from Philly. I am going to be a junior at Philadelphia University and I am a fashion merchandising major.

ellelauri: Why did you want to intern with us?

Zoe: Initially, the amazing window displays! I always love the clothes in the window so that's what drew me in to inquire about an internship. When I learned more about the brand and how Liz designs her own clothes and manages the boutiques, I knew I wanted to intern for ellelauri. It is my first retail industry experience and I am so excited to learn the ins and outs of the business.

ellelauri: What are your favorite pieces in the store right now?

Zoe: I love the breezy summer tops and dresses from Feel The Piece and Bella Dahl. I also really love all of the jewelry, especially the statement necklaces.

ellelauri: How would you describe your personal style?

Zoe: Classic. A lot of black and neutral colors. I'm tall so I like pairing something loose-fitting with something tighter so there is a balance.

ellelauri: Who is your style icon?

Zoe: This New York based blogger named Nicole Alyse.

ellelauri: Who is your favorite high fashion designer?

Zoe: It's a tie between Etro and Prada.

ellelauri: What is your favorite piece in your closet?

Zoe: A black wool jacket I got at a thrift store. It's classic but a little edgy.

ellelauri: If you could add one thing to your closet, what would it be?

Zoe: A pair of Gucci slip on loafers; the ones with the fur inside.

ellelauri: What are you listening to right now?

Zoe: I really like Drake's new album.

ellelauri: When you are not at ellelauri, what are you doing?

Zoe: Either cooking or watching fashion shows on YouTube.