On October 8, 2015, Salon Thalia
, one of Philly’s high-profile salon drew a buzzing crowd of for their
grand re-opening party hosted by owners . The sophisticated space
located 1520 Locust St., was renovated and renewed after a flood
destroyed their salon earlier in the year.

 After being at the Curtis Center building on the north side of Washington Square Park for over 9 years, an opportunity sprung up to re-locate the salon to the trendy Rittenhouse Area of Center City and after working out a few kinks, this location has been up and running since the beginning of 2013.
The salon has a luminous, ethereal look with luxurious details, Michael told me that after the flood,  they did change a few of the stations around to make the salon’s flow much more fluid while moving customers from one service to another, but it still retains the friendly service feel that they want customers to feel. We’re a family, and our clients are extended family.

Support a great cause and look fabulous, too! From October 24th through the 31st we will donate 10% of all sales to The Eileen Stein Jacoby Fund at Fox Chase Cancer Center in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Book your appointment today at (215) 790-0200 #BCAM

Salon Thalia

Southern lady Paula Deen is making a comeback, kicking up her heels on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars (I blush with some of her crazy antics on that show.), she has a new book out and she keeps commitments. This past weekend she flew into Philly to attend a meet and greet with fans at Valley Forge Casino’s The Venue. It was scheduled before it was announced that she’d be on Dancing With The Stars, so I was impressed that she didn’t cancel since the show is so intense. In fact she told me it was the hardest thing she had ever done.

Met this kid at age 19 who had a vision, talent and a drive. Fast forward a few years and he’s hosting events, where Actress Alysia Reiner, her husband, David Alan Basche, and her producing partner, Sarah Megan Thomas attended. The three are currently wrapping up the movie “Equity” which they filmed here this past summer. (Out and About)

 

Hotel Palomar has once again teamed up with local lifestyle and fashion expert Ian Michael Crumm for his unique,  insider perspective on Philadelphia’s shopping scene. Crumm, an Instagram maven named one of “11 Philadelphia   Instagrams to Follow” by Philadelphia Style magazine, is a noted lifestyle blogger who also lends his prowess as a   contributing columnist to EDGE, Philly.com and the Details network. The Shop Like A Local Guide, Vol. II features   looks curated and styled by Crumm, stylish pairings he hand-selected from local retailers, salons, and boutiques.   Hotel Palomar’s art deco  design direction.

 “When travelers stay with us, they are usually only here for a short period of time so we really want for them to   experience the best of what the city has to offer during their visit,” said Mark Hayes, General Manager of Hotel   Palomar Philadelphia. “Kimpton Hotels are recognized for their true local know-how, and our Shop Like A Local   Guide delivers on again, from one of the most trusted local sources in fashion and style.” All of the featured stores  are realistically located within walking distance of the hotel, making the guide not only beautiful but also useful   and accessible.”

 Aside from offering styling suggestions in the Shop Like A Local Guide,
guests are also being encouraged to tweet style questions to Ian. Book a
hotel room and get a complimentary digital styling session via Twitter
and the Shop Like A Local Guide.

Some of Ian’s picks for shopping like a local” ellelauri for “Philadelphia-Designed, New York-Made Casul Wear”, Distanté for “Tailored Shirting,  Men’s Accessories and Custom Clothing,” and Duross & Langel for “Product Masters Open Full Service Salon”  

 Philadelphia’s style elite were there to
support. Jessica Green, Assistant Editor at Philadelphia Style Magazine,
brought her friend Dani Lessman to the event.

Congrats and Happy Birthday Ian on all your success. This was one of the first shots I took of Ian; it was Philadelphia Phasion Phest in Sept 2013 at Shops of Liberty Place. No wonder he’s so stylish, check out his mom in this photo with him. Follow Ian on his instagram to check out the latest in styles and buys he recommends 

Yesterday I did a fun piece on Philly Mag about Whoopi Goldberg and Raven-Symone at Valley Forge Casino Music Fair on Saturday Night

Here’s a few more interesting tidbits. On Saturday night Whoopi met fans backstage before she hit the stage. Many of the fans brought gifts, and this young man, Quintin Mayfield, brought a story. He told Whoopi that they had met 10 years ago, at a the show “Wake Up With Whoopi” She was his “Make a Wish” as he was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Whoopi spent a lot of time with him and she signed the back of his photo for him. It was super sweet to witness this interaction.

Then I went all crazy girl fan on Whoopi. I watch her nearly everyday, and really appreciate her contributions to society. I’ve photographed her many times in NYC when I was a working celebrity photographer. She was always super sweet. Sad she’s had such a difficult year with deaths of great friends and mentors like Robin Williams and Mike Nichols. Then her mother and brother died within a few years of each other.

Whoopi started out her act relating her brother’s death. Now you wouldn’t think that was funny, except how she was told and by who. It was her brother’s girlfriend, who was hysterical and seemed to be making a lot of familial decisions until Whoopi found out they were only dating for one month. It was a great delivery. Reminds me of the episode on Good Wife when Will dies, and Diane confronts an intern who’s been there for a week, crying hysterical. Diane fires her on the spot, less funny, but same principle.

Then there was a period, no pun intended, where Whoopi talked about menopause, vagina’s and dicks. That was less funny to me, but the crowd laughed uncomfortably, hysterically with husbands pointing at wives.

 Then she tackled current affairs starting with Ben Carson, then Donald Trump, lots of laughs, even though the audience was split GOP/DEM. You’d be surprised how many Republican’s like Whoopi’s sense of humor.

 At one point in the show, Whoopi stopped and pointed to an audience member and said “Lady stop recording the show. Put down your phone. This show is for you, it’s intimate, personal and it’s happening right now. Don’t spoil it by watching it through a view finder.” And that was that, everyone seemed to put away their phones and enjoyed watching Whoopi in real time. After the stand up routine Whoopi took questions from the audience for about 35 minutes. It was great. She advised people on life, love and even adoption. Stressing to one gay couple that it would be great if they adopted an older child around 5 – 7, those kids are the ones that need the most love.

She was propositioned over and over for appearances on the View but stressed she had no pull in getting people scheduled. She spoke of her co-workers and said there is no stress with them. “We all have co-workers, and it’s a normal workplace. Sometimes you get along, sometimes you’re at each other, but for the most part it’s a normal day.” She loves her job and says she’s not going anywhere, anytime soon. She wakes up every morning, looks around at her digs and says, wow I live like a queen. To maintain that lifestyle, she has to have a job that can afford that.