Meet our Fabulous Team, {Part I}

Led by designer Liz Rymar, ellelauri is backed by a great team of women who are passionate about making women look and feel their best, in designer fashions all made in the USA at an attainable price point. 

Below meet two of our style mavens who are a part of the amazing ellelauri team. 

 Lindsay 

Style icon: Jackie Kennedy Onassis, hands down. I also look to my mom, cousins, and best friends for style advice and inspiration. They all have great closets to shop in, as well!

Favorite designer (besides ellelauri!!!): I was born to wear Lilly Pulitzer shifts, but I'm really loving Tory Burch's new fall line, especially her neutral-colored totes, right now.

Favorite ellelauri piece: The Farrah dress!

Song you have been listening to all summer: Since it first played on my "Top Hits" Pandora, I haven't been able to stop listening to "Shower" by Becky G. It's so catchy!

Fav color: Pink!! 

Your fav quality trait in yourself & in others: I pride myself on being a loyal friend and girlfriend. I think loyalty is an honorable trait that falls by the wayside nowadays. Also, I am very dedicated. I throw 110% of myself into everything I do and appreciate when others do the same. 

Dreams: One of my biggest dreams is to visit all 50 states, as well as China, Iceland, and Russia.

Favorite piece of jewelry: When I turned eight, my aunt gifted me a bracelet in the shape of the island of Martha's Vineyard. It's a nylon bracelet with a silver island and I could not live without it. I wear it every day and remember how special the island is. 

Biggest passion: I love to travel. I studied abroad in high school and college and absolutely fell in love with Europe. I think traveling is the most eye-opening, inspirational, and educational experience for a person. 

Happiest when: That's a hard one!  I love sitting in the sun with a good book, but I am also very content having a comfy night in, watching a good movie. Also, I am pretty happy when I shop!

Dislikes: I very much dislike closed-minded people. There is so much to learn and experience once you open your mind to differences in the world. 

Food you can’t live without: When I became a vegan two years ago, my eyes were opened to an entirely new world of food. I love vegan cheese and vegan desserts. Also, I also keep my favorite candy stashed at home: watermelon gummies. 

Ice cream flavor: Vegan chocolate chip cookie dough! I eat out the dough bites. 

Go-to drink: Water! It's so good for you! I love adding Crystal Lite to make water a bit more flavorful. 

Favorite vacation spot: Martha's Vineyard, for sure. I've been summering there my entire life. It's the best place to unwind and relax with family and friends. 

Four legged friend: I have a five year old cockapoo (cocker spaniel and poodle mix) named Lilly.  We named her after Lilly Pulitzer, of course!

Hometown: I was born in Colorado, but mostly grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts. Currently, my family lives in Bucks County.

Schooling: I received my Bachelor of Arts in International Area Studies and Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Organizational Leadership from Drexel University in Philadelphia.  I loved my time there and was so sad to graduate!

Career before ellelauri: I worked at J Crew and a Lilly Pulitzer via store located on Martha's Vineyard, In The Pink.  However, my favorite position was working in the Drexel Athletic Department as an Academic Mentor for a basketball player from West Africa. He and I became close over the year we worked together.  We still talk all the time. He's like part of my family now!

Fun fact: I speak French fluently! It comes in handy when traveling. 

Vacation plans: My boyfriend and I spent a week on Martha's Vineyard and are hoping to return later in the summer and/or for some holidays at the end of this year.

Brandie

Your style: Girly + Boho + Edgy

Style Icon: Sincerely Jules & Ashley Benson

Favorite designer (besides ellelauri!!!): For Love and Lemons and Wildfox

Favorite ellelauri piece: Holly Dress!!

Closet Staple item: A good pair of jeans or a LBD

Favorite piece of jewelry: My gold karma necklace

Fav color: Black

Fav quality trait in yourself & in others: Loyalty

Song you have been listening to all summer: Can’t Get Enough by J. Cole

Dreams: To move to Australia

Biggest passion: Clothes

Happiest when: I’m at the beach

Dislikes: That chocolate chip cookies do not have the nutritional value of spinach

Food you can’t live without: Bacon

Ice cream flavor: Phish Food

Go-to drink: Kombucha or Starbuck’s Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

Favorite vacation spot: Italy

Four-legged friend (any pets?): My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Lexi!

Hometown: Ambler, PA

Schooling: Washington College for Business, Semester at Sea, and currently at The Art Institute of Philadelphia for Fashion Marketing

ellelauri spends Midnight in Paris

Philadelphia Style: Celebrating 10 years

Philadelphia Style always throws a memorable bash, and for their 10th Anniversary they invoked the charm, passion, and style that Paris is known for. ellelauri founder and designer, Liz Rymar, pictured below, attended with some of her ellelauri girls. 

Pictured above, Lindsay Connors, Liz Rymar, and Amanda Campfield, l to r.  

Above, Liz Rymar, right, finds some party guests wearing ellelauri.  

It's just not Paris without twin Eiffel towers. Amanda, left, wearing the Milly dress.

 These lovely Borgata showgirls sure know how to get noticed in a crowd!

 The Kimmel Center was packed with plenty of Style. 

A beautiful night in Paris without leaving Philadelphia.

ellelauri Warby pantsuit black silk, Milly beige print

Phladelphia Style http://phillystylemag.com/

Hanging out with Rosemary and Ginger

Rosemary Ginger Lemonade (+cocktail recipe)

Let’s switch it up this summer and combat the heat with this refreshing Rosemary Ginger Lemonade and a Rosemary Ginger Cocktail. I know some of us can be dependent on our iced coffees, but what about something even more energizing and delicious? A cool, refreshing drink that will jump start our energy levels and contains more nutritional benefits than our old cup of joe.

This Rosemary Ginger Lemonade will pick us up, cool us down and will leave us feeling stable throughout the day without the crash (will also help flush out those nasty toxins we build up over time)  Try this simple recipe below, your taste buds and body will be so very grateful! Scroll to the end of this blog for the cocktail version.

Rosemary Ginger Lemonade

Ingredients
7 cups water
3 rosemary sprigs
1 8-10 inch ginger hand, peeled and diced
1 cup honey/agave
1.5 cups fresh juice from lemons

Directions
Simple syrup: Place 1 cup water in sauce pan with ginger. Bring to a boil add agave and rosemary sprigs and return to boil. Remove from heat and let cool.

Lemonade:
Mix remaining 6 cups water, lemon juice and cooled simple syrup. Keep in pitcher refrigerated. Feel free to add more agave or honey for desired sweetness.

Health Benefits

Rosemary in this refreshing, detoxifying elixir has loads of health benefits. Rosemary will help jump start our bodies in the morning with its powers to increase blood flow. Getting that blood pumping throughout the body is exactly what our body needs to get itself moving and gain natural energy (great for mid-day slumps too).  Everyone needs a little immune booster , no matter what season it is  - and rosemary will do just the trick. Rosemary also has many anti-inflammatory properties. And get this:  during a long workday (when your brain is feeling a bit fried)  rosemary can be your life saver with its memory boosting abilities. Rosemary also has the perk of reducing severity of asthma attacks, help cure congestion and allergies – who knew?!

Ginger is the perfect pick me up because it helps jump start your metabolism and awakens your body and mind – preparing you for the busy day ahead. Along with rosemary, ginger is an anti-inflammatory and a great immune booster. For those readers that get motion sickness, ginger can ease that stomach pain and it is also great for seasickness for you adventurous ocean goers. Ginger can help fight and cure infections like athletes foot and nail infections with its anti-fungal properties. Lastly, ginger is great for digestion and helps absorb essential nutrients consumed throughout the day, don’t let them go to waste! Get your ginger in.

Lemons are made up of citric acid that allows the breakdown of bile and dissolves any other toxins in the body. Lemon also helps flush out the kidneys and colon of toxic that tends to build up, the perfect detox! Remember, our goal is to achieve balance in the body, and lemon is a great way to balance the pH levels. Lemons are packed with Vitamin C, which helps neutralize free radicals in the body and also boosts the immune system!

Cocktail Recipe

The Rosemary Ginger Lemonade can be very versatile. Had enough detoxifying and energy boosting? Need to do a little more winding down and  some re-toxing? ;)

It’s so easy to transform this elixir into a fun summer cocktail – perfect for those warm summer evenings. Just pour 1 cup of the Rosemary Ginger Lemonade in a shaker with ice, add 1 oz vodka, gin or tequila and give it a good shake. Serve in a martini glass with a sprig of rosemary for garnish. Like your drinks on the rocks? Just pour lemonade over ice in a tumbler, top with our choice of liquor and garnish with rosemary, lemon slice or candied ginger.

Relax, cool down and feel better about indulging in a cocktail (or two) with the added health benefits of this light, refreshing libation.   Enjoy!

Filed under: natural remedies, nourish + nosh, Nutritional Benefits, Recipe, The Galley, Uncategorized Tagged: cocktail, detox, drink, healthy, herbal remedies, immune system, summer, vitamins

Find more delicious and healthy recipes by nourish + nosh with Laura Ferro here.

Classical fun in a Little Black Dress

Salut Salon classy, fun, and funny in a LBD

http://www.salut-salon.com/fileadmin/media/galerie/pix/galerie_2013-6.jpg

Playing classical music isn't always associated with playfulness and funny antics. But the results are fabulous when classical music, three sexy ladies in little black dresses, and a lot of fun take the stage in the form of Salut Salon.

Their video is a must-see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKezUd_xw20 

The group, from Hamburg, Germany, started when best friends Iris Siegfried and Anne-Monika von Twardowski realized they had a special knack for entertaining with classical music in a nontraditional way. The group says the name Salut Salon translated means something like "Hello! Living Room." The name is a throwback to where they got their first start as a group of musicians meeting each month in an apartment to play. 

Other group members are Sonja Lene Schmid and Angelika Bachmann. The group also appears with their "friend"Oskar, a puppet who is a musician too. 

http://www.salut-salon.com/en/home/

The next time you're a part of a girl's night out, whether playing in a quartet or having cocktails, check out ellelauri's LBD collection in our online shop. 

June Birthstones: 3 precious gems

3 great reasons to celebrate in the 6th month

June ladies have their choice of three different birthstones: Pearl, Moonstone, or Alexandrite. Pearl and Moonstone have been designated to June since 1912; Alexandrite was added in 2013, by the National Association of Jewelers. Wearing your birthstone is thought to bring you good luck.

 

Unlike many other precious stones, pearls are created by a living organism. When a small piece of foreign material gets inside an oyster or clam, the animal creates a protective layer for itself which becomes the pearl -- a lustrous gemstone usually white. They can also develop in other colors black, cream, gray, blue, yellow, green, or purple. Wearing a strand of pearls is an elegant and time-honored way to dress up any outfit.

 

Moonstone is the state gem of Florida, though it's not naturally found in Florida. While commercially the gem is mostly from Sri Lanka, it's also found in Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico, Tanzania, and the United States. Its luminosity made it a favorite with glass designer Rene Lalique. This captivating gem creates its own fun as light seems to be captured inside making it a lively stone with an inner glow. Usually a blue or silver, it also can be brown, yellow or orange.

 

 

 

Alexandrite has chameleon properties. Green in daylight (or flourescent) and red in incandescent light, it's a stunning stone that is relatively new -- first found in 1830 in Russia. Today it comes from Sri Lanka, East Africa, and Brazil. Deep toned natural Alexandrite gems are especially pricey as those produce the most dramatic color change.

Extraordinary Design: CFDA Awards

CFDA Fashion Awards

The 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards were held at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City last night. Among the designers and members of the CFDA were also A-list singers, actors and models. Rihanna stunned in a head scarf and show stopping dress, while Blake Lively dazzled in a sequin mini, retro waves and a bronze glow. They were our two favorites! Below is a list of the designer winners and some of our other best look picks.

Favorites:

Fashion Icon recipient Rihanna wore a flapper-esque, Great Gatsby inspired custom made sheer sparkly Adam Selman gown. 

Blake Lively stunned in Micheal Kors leaf and blush floral sequin mini dress from his resort 2015 collection. She even managed to make a head band look oh so chic. 

Here is the list of all the winners.

• WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Joseph Altuzarra
• MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Dao-Yi Chow & Maxwell Osborne, Public School
• ACCESSORIES DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Ashley Olsen & Mary-Kate Olsen, The Row
• SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR WOMENSWEAR: Shane Gabier & Christopher Peters, Creatures of the Wind
• SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR MENSWEAR: Tim Coppens
• SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR ACCESSORIES: Irene Neuwirth
• THE FOUNDER’S AWARD IN HONOR OF ELEANOR LAMBERT: Bethann Hardison
• BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ TRIBUTE: Ruth Finley
• GEOFFREY BEENE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Tom Ford
• INTERNATIONAL AWARD: Raf Simons for Dior
• THE MEDIA AWARD IN HONOR OF EUGENIA SHEPPARD: Paul Cavaco

Other Best looks from the CFDA Awards

Alessandra Ambrosio in Nonoo

 Solange Knowles in Calvin Klien Collection 

Dree Hemingway in Diane Von Furstenberg

Jessica Stam in Giulietta

Jaime King in Calvin Klein Collection

Anja Rubik in Stella McCartney 

Olivia Wilde in Decades LA

Hilary Rhoda in J. Mendel

Lupita Nyong'o in Suno

Marion Cotillard in Dior

Joan Smalls in Prabal Gurung

Summertime, just in time

Just in time for summer, meet ellelauri's Jules, Darby, Coco, and Milly. With summer's kick-off on Memorial Day, now's the time to add some pieces to your summer wardrobe. ellelauri will keep you dressed perfectly for all that summer brings: hot days, warm nights, sunny poolsides, and seaside excursions. Happy Memorial Day!

Jules Romper

Planning an action packed summer road trip weekend? The Jules Romper is sporty enough to keep up with your carefree travels.

 Jules Romper

Darby Dress

With a nautical flair the Darby dress is perfect for a day at sea or a trip to the seaside.

Coco Dress 

Versatile. The Coco Dress can take you from work paired with a cardigan to playful summer nights with its open lattice back.

 Coco Dress

Milly Dress 

What to wear to a garden party? In the Milly Dress paired with a sun hat you will be sure to outshine even the garden blooms. 

ellelauri's Avalon, NJ boutique opens for the season Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 23rd. Or you can shop with us at anytime at www.ellelauri.com