The greatest thing about releasing The Advanced Style Book  has been receiving all of the wonderful responses from everyone. I started the project in the spirit of my wonderful grandmothers. I am so happy that the Advanced Style Ladies can inspire us all to live life to the fullest.

This Sunday I am leaving for London for a book signing tour. The House of Fraser has kindly invited me to sign copies of the Advanced Style book in the Mary Portas Shop of two of their London locations. I can't wait to see all the ladies I have photographed in London and meet some wonderful new ones. Check out my European book tour below. Hope to see you there!

Book Signing Schedule
London

Thursday 7th June, 5pm, Mary's Shop at House of Fraser, 318 Oxford Street, W1
Saturday 9th June, 2pm, Mary's Shop at House of  Fraser, Westfield London, W7

Paris
June 13- To be announced

Amsterdam
I will be speaking and signing books at The American Book Center Treehouse
June 14 19:30 CLICK HERE for tickets.


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Now and then an interesting background catches my eye.  I seem to be drawn to the texture and colors.  Here are a couple that I have taken recently.

The first is the external wall of a building.  The blue is a rain gutter.   The stark blue color contrast and the vertical line caught my eye.



The second is the internal wall of a wine store in Kirkwood, not far from Kaldi's.  Tomorrow I will post a few photos of the wine bottles in the racks.  The owners were very kind to let me wander about the store taking photos. This darker wall had been reclaimed from behind sheetrock and plaster.  It definately added to the ambiance of the store.

Does anyone like these?  Or, am I just getting weird in my old age?  I guess those are not mutually exclusive categories, are they!
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I was leaving St. Louis the next morning. And, it had been more than a bit of a stressful day. The sun was shining. It was 78 and almost no wind.

At 4:00 I drove to Bar Louie and decided to unwind and enjoy my last afternoon before the drive home.

As I sat down and ordered wine, I kept looking around the various groups of people looking for someone to photograph. I kept coming back to this woman. I couldn't figure out what it was that caught my eye.

Finally it hit me! She was totally relaxed, reading, studying (I think), and having a martini. I liked it. I may need to take up studying with martini's!

Meet Alison.


It turns out that she is a music teacher and had just finished classes for the summer.  She was waiting for her husband to join her. 

Thanks Alison and have a wonderful, relaxing summer! 

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After three years of filming the Advanced Style Ladies, Lina Plioplyte and I are now in the post production stage of our film. In order to complete our film we need your help and support. Please visit  the Kickstarter Page for the Advanced Style Film http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/292182391/advanced-style-film and donate to the project if you can. We have 24 days left to raise the funds needed in order to complete the film. You can also click on the image below to visit the Kickstarter page. Lina just put together a brand new trailer for the film, which you can see above. Let's work together to bring these amazing ladies to a theater near you. Thanks for your support!!!
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As I was leaving the Ren Festival in St. Louis, I noticed a potter.  This was old school.  She was turning the wheel with her feet.

I didn't catch her name.  But, it was quite amazing to get close and watch her bring form, shape, and purpose to a lump of clay.  She mentioned her hands were in terrible shape after years of doing this.





It isn't unlike what you do with kids. You mold and shape them.  The process leaves you older and often exhausted.  But, you have created....something precious.

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I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Thanks for all of your support sharing and donating to our Kickstarter. We have reached 17% of our goal and have 25 days to go! On another note I  love receiving all your photos and responses to my book on Twitter and Facebook-keep them coming!!! I am in the middle of planning some book signings in Europe and will post the dates and locations this week.

It looks like Summer has officially hit New York so this may be the cool weather post to hit the blog until next year.If you would like to keep up with all AS updates check me out on 
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/AriSethCohen  and join the Advanced Style Facebook Page








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With deepest respect.
 With deepest admiration

Thank you.

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It was also good to see so many knights and damsels and....horses.



This last warrior had quite a crowd.     I hate when someone shows up to a party wearing the same thing I am wearing.
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It was good to know they had drug stores at the Ren Fair.

And, pharmacists.

And doctors to prescribe the medicine for scurvy.
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This guy had flair (and a Casio watch)


This guy walked around all day looking like that!

This guy was trolling...and he was having some luck!  The Bad Boy look seems to work!


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Lina and I launched the official Kickstarter for our Advanced Style Film today. We can't wait to see the response. After filming these incredible ladies for over two years we are ready to wrap up the production of our film by the end of Summer. Check out the video and our Kickstarter link http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/292182391/advanced-style-film  .We only have a month to reach our goal and we would be so grateful if you could share the link to our project with friends and family . We would love to see  the Advanced Style ladies on the big screen and with your support we can make this a reality!!!!You can join the Facebook for the film Here and once again the link to Kickstarter  HERE. Thank you so much for your help and support!!!
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While traveling, I am beginning to check for local camera clubs.  This provides me the chance to meet new people with common interests as well as see new venues.  I had the chance to meet a few photographers and attend the local Renaissance Festival on the last trip to St. Louis.

I asked everyone for permission to take their photos.  But in this case, I didn't get their names.  You, as readers, will just need to enjoy!

I saw the sign "SHEEP TOSS" and started to chuckle and knew I had to see what this was about.  This gentleman did not appear to be having a lot of fun managing the sheep...or the kids throwing stuffed sheep for distance! 


This young lady was sitting in the window of her shop listening to a hammer dulcimer. 

And, this sign just cracked me up.  I guess I just liked the idea of the mighty war horse giving pony rides. 

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We celebrated the launch of my book last night at the New Museum with all of the Advanced Style Ladies. Click Here to see some great images  from the party and I'll try to post some soon as well. For everyone who had ordered the book on Amazon, thanks for all of the wonderful reviews. On another note my dear friend Ilona Royce Smithkin is heading to the coast to spend the summer in Provincetown. I will miss her dearly, but hope to make a visit to her studio by the sea sometime in July.










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Because Kaldi's has a large outdoor area in the front, it is quite pet friendly.  I often see dogs sleeping under the tables guarding their humans while they eat and converse with one another.

Meet Charlie!


And meet He'd.  I need to explain this.  ?I feel terrible.  But, when I asked He'ds human what his name was, she told me and I fat fingered into my phone.  As I got ready to post this and looked at my notes, I saw, "He'd".  I KNOW that isn't right.  Fred?  Nope.   Bartholomew?   Nope.  Buddy?   I can't remember!
If the person that He'd (or Fred or whatever) guards would contact me, I will ensure his real name is corrected!

Meet He'd. 



Thank you, Charlie and He'd!

LATE BREAKING NEWS!

The correct name of He'd has been supplied by the person whom He'd guards dutifully day and night.  It is HEF!    NOW I remember!

Thank you, Hef!!





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Wanny Di Filippo�s Florence on Nowness.com.
Today is a very busy day for Advanced Style. My book is finally released and can be purchased in bookstores worldwide!!!!! My parents came in town to celebrate a great event that I am putting on with NOWNESS.com tonight to celebrate. I also had the wonderful opportunity to interview one of my favorite style icons, Wanny Di Filippo for NOWNESS. Check out the video above and the full interview HERE. I'm about to head to a TV studio to film a special interview with two of Advanced Style's favorite ladies(more about this later) then off to celebrate with mom and dad. Check out what my mom had written on her nails below!!!!
 [Mom's Nails done by Nancy Losek at Pizazz Salon in San Diego]
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Sitting alone at a table behind Joe was this gentleman.  A few people stopped and chatted with him.  But, two things struck me with him.

First, he was happy.  He was smiling and seemed to have a kind word for everyone. 
Second, he had a red stud in his ear.  So, I needed a closer look!

Meet Bill.   I asked him about the red stud and he laughed and said, "When I got to be xx years old, I decided I could do what I want."  Fair enough! 




Thanks Bill!?





?

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My book is finally is coming out tomorrow and my family and friends have come to New York to celebrate. On the way to the theater with my parents, my dad spotted this gorgeous lady across the street. All the Cohen's have become great style scouts. Mrs Heidi Roberts above is not only super fashionable, but she is also the president and founder of a charity which raises money in support of endangered species. To check out her website CLICK HERE.
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Kaldi's is a great place to hang out and meet people.  Saturday morning was CROWDED!   I managed to grab a table outside as another party was leaving and Joe was just a step behind me.

So, we shared a table until another opened up.

Meet Joe.
He was trying to get a table to hold 3 of his friends and fortunately, a table opened up next to where we were sitting.  He was gracious enough to continue to include me in the conversation.  He is in shape.  He will soon be riding a bicycle across Missouri for fun and is always looking for a good marathon someplace.  When he learned where I was from, he smiled and said, "Grandma's!".

A small band was setting up to play in the courtyard in front of Kaldi's. And, I heard some very nice guitar licks drifting in over the conversation. 

The gentleman below is one half of the Maple Jam Band!   ?  I had to leave before they started performing; but, the warmup was fantastic.

Meet Gus!


Thanks Joe and Gus!
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After coming to St. Louis for so long, it is nice to feel as if I know my way around.  But even here, it is easy to get into a rut and not try something new.

I traveled to Cafe Pomme recently.  They offer great food and wine with a friendly and helpful staff!.  For more information, see here

Meet Max!   He had some excellent wine and food recommendations and my glass was never empty!



And, meet Abby!   She was BUSY.  She was helping the rest of the staff with both inside and outside customers. 


Thanks Max and Abby for the wonderful service and being willing to be photographed! 


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The Eagles!

This male was just standing there taking in the sites.


This female likes her bath.  She played in the water for over 30 minutes. 

 Yes indeed..those talons mean business.  Careful Fluffy.

The blue is a her eye lid.  She closes it when she dunks her head under the water.  This was really fun to watch.  And, I was very impressed with the layering of her feathers on the wings. 

I discovered an eagles nest with eaglets about 4 miles from my home.  I may need to invest in a bigger lens!   After all, I did have some lens envy at this event.
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 I met Maureen Gumbe over Facebook a few weeks ago and was so excited to finally meet her in person in Geneva.She has a great eye for color and a spirit to match. I told Maureen to come visit New York, so we can go hat shopping and shoot some great new shots.


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I didn't feel I could ignore the the birds.  

First: the magnificent Great Horned Owl.  When I was younger and guiding canoe trips in the wilderness, I had a favorite spot on a rather desolate lake where a Great Horned Owl nested.  I loved laying on the rocks at night and listening to it.  I am still mesmerized with them.  Because of their feather structure, they are one of the most silent birds in flight.  Deadly.  But, from what I understand, dumb as a door knob. 
I wanted to name my son "Bubo Virginianus" after this owl.  Needless to say, I was overruled.   Great minds always suffer like this.  


My neck used to be able to do this.  But, that was after an unfortunate accident! 


This is a Saw-whet owl.  This little guy was VERY shy and I never got a good photo of him.


Finally, I really like the Barn Owl.  I have never seen one before.   So, I need to let him grace this blog once more.

Next post:  Eagles!
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