So, it looks like the worst of Hurricane Sandy has finally left NYC. I want to thank everyone who has reached out with their love and concern during this challenging time. Today I had the chance to check up on my older friends in the city, and I'm glad to report that they are all safe and sound. I'm looking forward to resuming my usual posts as soon as things return to normal here. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who have been affected by this terrible event.
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In celebration of Halloween, I give you:

The Big D!


Go save the world, Big D.  From the looks of the political climate, someone needs to.  You can do it.  PaPa will help.


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I liked the couple below.  They were from S. California and were touring the wine country.  I crossed paths with them at a few different winery's.  So, I finally asked to take their photo.

They were most gracious.

Meet Brian and Hannah!


I noticed Hannah trying to get a photo of the two of them together by placing her camera on the hood of their car and tripping the time released shutter.  I thought I could do a bit nicer job for them


Thanks Brian and Hannah!
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Richard Cramer and his stylish admirers
Carol Markel's vintage gloves and hot pink nails
Debra Rapoport and Carol Markel comparing polish colors

Last week Carol, Richard, Debra, Maryann, and I headed to MAD to check out the Doris Duke Shangri La exhibit. One of the great benefits of having such creative friends, is that they keep me abreast of all the cultural happenings around town. I like to  frequent the many museums around New York City not only to see the latest exhibitions, but to admire the crowds of stylish folks coming in and out of the entrance doors.

When I first started Advanced Style I was working full time at the New Museum bookstore. While working on this post I noticed that each person in the photos above, is someone that I met while working at bookstore counter. My boss, Daniel,  was kind enough to let me sneak away from the register from time to time, to photograph the stylish visitors I kept spying from my desk. So much has happened over the last three years and many of the people I have photographed have become great friends. I found the first photos that I ever took of Carol, Maryann, and Debra below!!!! Check them out and let me know what you think.

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Meet Mo!


She was helping this wine newbie at one of the wineries.   I really liked her smile.  And, she was delightfully funny.  Nice hat!

Thanks Mo!
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Meet Natalie!


She was very busy helping other customers.  But, as they wrapped up, she took a few minutes to visit.  She was charming and delightful.   She loves wine (DUH!) and miniature daschunds!

She was a wonderful compliment to Sally.   They got along very well together! 

Thanks Natalie!
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The young lady below was VERY funny.  She was the face of the vineyard for our tasting.  And, she did a wonderful job.
 
Meet Sally!?
 

When I asked what I could say about her in the blog, she said, "that I am a liar and practical joker."  From what I had observed, she was right about that!  She also said she has wonderful friends. 

From my point of view, she had a very healthy attitude towards life and seemed to be doing very well.

Thanks Sally!  I got quite a chuckle over our conversation!
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One of my style secrets is to mix patterns and prints that wouldn't otherwise go together. When paired in a thoughtful way mixing patterns can create a layered and artful blend of color and textures. The woman above uses black as a base and layers prints on top. I love her pattern on pattern look.
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After a day or so of tasting wine, I must admit it was difficult to differentiate between the different grapes and processing methods (3 months oak vs 9 months oak, or oak that was formally used in whiskey barrels vs new oak, etc). 

So, it was with some relief, I found olive oil tasting!

Meet Kelly!


She was gracious enough to let me taste several different flavors.  Yes..that's right...olive oil infused with different flavors.  MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

She gets back to work as a cheer leading coach after the wine season!


Thanks Kelly!

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Iris Apfel - Sneak Peek from The Avant/Garde Diaries on Vimeo.
Check out this amazing teaser for an interview I worked on with Iris Apfel for The Avant/Garde Diaries. The full interview, which launches in November, will feature insight into Iris' life, love, and incredible career. Check out The Avant/Garde Diaries for more inspired conversation HERE.
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The group below was sitting outside the tasting room, relaxing in the warm sun.  I didn't realize they were there until they came in for another bottle. 

I had to butt in and introduce myself.

Meet....ALL OF THEM!  Left to right we have:  Alex, Helen, Scott, Ronald, Terri, and Baby (he's the four legged one!).   They were most gracious to let me intrude and get a photo.


I thought Baby deserved his own photo.


My sincere thanks to you all!
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Ruth with her new friend Henry

One of our favorite centenarians, Ruth, just celebrated her 101st birthday. This past weekend I stopped by her apartment to wish her a very happy birthday and gave her a copy of Pilates Style magazine featuring photos of her stretching and lifting weights. Ruth believes that as long as you can move, you can do some form of exercise. She is a great inspiration to us all!
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If you have seen the movie "Sideways", and if you were paying attention, you have met the gentleman below.

Meet Chris!


I don't believe you see his face in the movie.  But, you will see his hat!  He is the lyrical contributor to a CD called "Let the Dog Decide".

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The Advanced Style Ladies are taking the fashion world by storm. First it was Iris Apfel on the cover of Dazed and Confused. Now, Beatrix Ost is featured in an incredible spread in November's Harper's Bazaar, shot by Terry Richardson. I can't wait to see who will be next...
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Traveling along the wine route, I found a very quiet, but beautiful winery.

Meet Penny!

Knowledgeable and very helpful to a newbie, like me!

Thanks Penny!
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Debra Rapoport, Jane Folds, Ilona Royce Smithkin, and Joyce Carpati
The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas and Debra Rapoport are rarely seen without hats.
It's always so wonderful to have an excuse to party with the Advanced Style Ladies. This weekend LIM College invited me to speak on a panel about fashion blogging. After the panel we celebrated with a wonderful book signing party hosted by LIM. I usually have my big camera on me, but I decided to capture the evening's style and conversation through my Instagram account.( For more photos on Instagram check out  my account @advancedstyle).

This Friday at 2pm I will be doing an informal signing of the Advanced Style Book at Strand Books near Union Square. Some of the ladies will be there too! Let me know if you can make it!!!
My Style Icon, Richard Cramer
Debra and Ilona enjoying a laugh!
Elke Kuhn in a design of her own
Christina Viera and Debra Rapoport
Aren't Carol Markel's gloves dreamy?
New Friends!
Christina and Valerie
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The couple below were at a winery when I walked in.  They were relaxing and enjoying the view, the wine, and each others company. 

Meet Greg and Kelly!


They were celebrating their 17th anniversary with a trip to a few winery's.  They had originally lived in Pittsburgh but moved to California about 9 years ago.  No kids.  Well, no kids that they talked about!  But, they do have a 150 lb dog (I believe it was a Weimaraner) named Grey Goose. And, one of the mother-in-laws flies all the way from Pittsburgh to visit the dog! 

Thanks Greg and Kelly!
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The gentleman below was sitting alone at a tasting table at a winery.   We started chatting and he told me about his new business idea.
 
Meet Michael!?
 

He is an engineer in CA and has a passion for cheese.  He wants to be known as "the Cheese Guy" around the S California area.  He was visiting winery's and was selling them on his knowledge of pairing of cheeses with certain wines.   His business is just getting started.  And, at present, if I recall, he is getting is name and business idea out there and is offering is expertise.

Thanks Michael!
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The second winery I visited was crowded!  A "wine" bus had arrived just at opening and the tasting table was so crowded it was easier to just wait for them to leave.

Finally, this gentleman below was able to visit.

Meet David!

 
 
He was just back to work after being gone for 2 months.  He is a retired elementary school teacher and loves visiting with folks about the wine and the grapes, etc.  When I asked what he wanted me to say about him, he said, "I miss my dog."  I was a bit worried that his dog had succumbed to illness or old age.
 
But, he had been home with Moose for the last two months.  Today, Moose was just fine at home.  David just missed him!  Everyone misses a golden retriever.  They do love you back.
 
Thanks David!
 
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Yesterday was a very exciting day in the world of Advanced Style! I was invited to The Today Show to talk about my book and the work I have been doing over the last four years. Iris Apfel, Ilona Royce Smithkin, and Lynn Dell joined me for a great interview with Matt Lauer. Check out the full segment below and some behind the scenes photos from my instagram account above.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
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At the first winery, I followed the normal process of asking to take a person's photo for the blog. 

Meet Nan!


When she heard about my blog, she was very pleased to talk about her own blog:  GrandmaGrape!

She was both delightful and hilarious!  To say she was passionate about wine was an understatment!

Thanks Nan!  BTW, cute grandchild, too!


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On a recent trip, I had the opportunity to visit a few winery's.  I haven't been on formal wine tasting excursions before.  So, I was grateful to tag along with friends to see the process.

Meet Megan:

Megan was the first person I met at the first winery.  She kindly walked me through the process.  Take $10 from everyone who wants to participate in the tasting.  Give them a glass.  Pour about 1 oz in the glass.  Talk about the wine......repeat for another 5-6 bottles.

The wine was excellent. And her knowledge about the entire process was impressive. 

She was most gracious and helpful. 

Thanks Megan!
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A few weeks back my dear friend Iris Apfel told me about a shoot she was doing for Dazed & Confused Magazine.  Here is a preview of the cover shot and an incredible behind the scenes video. I can't wait to get my hands on the November issue out today. Iris and I will be on The Today Show tomorrow morning talking about life and style. I'll let everyone know what time it airs as soon as I find out! Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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When traveling, I like to wander around the location a bit to get a feel for the people, the culture, the heritage.  The local park can be a very insightful place.

Meet Hans Christian Andersen:


Hans was born in 1805 and by his late 20's was already well known around Denmark as a wonderful writer of childrens stories and poems.  This little Danish town has great respect for him.

 
My thanks to the citizens for remembering their roots.

I am curious whether anyone knows where this might be!  Shall we have a contest?
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Two of my favorite bloggers,  The Style Crone and Forest City Fashionista came into town for the wonderful Manhattan Vintage Show. Debra Rapoport and The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas joined us for a lovely lunch before we headed on to our vintage treasure hunt. It seems that most blogs are tailored towards a younger audience, but there are a lot of mature ladies and gentleman creating inspiring posts every week. Check out The Citizen Rosebud's comprehensive list of bloggers over the age of 40 HERE and let me know your favorites!!!

On another note, I will be a guest on tomorrow's segment of Jane Pauley's AARP internet radio program Ask Jane. The link to show is www.aarp.org/jane and you can listen in there by selecting the button"Listen to AARP radio"--The show airs at 10 am ET. If you would like to call in and ask Jane or any of the other guests questions and be a part of the program dial 1-855-444-JANE (5263). I hope to hear from some of you tomorrow!
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I travel a bit for business.  That will most probably pick up in the next few months.  I have found that it takes me about 30 minutes to pack for a trip.  That includes clothing and all the required personal items as well as the computer, various power cords, etc.

I usually forget something.  But, I have discovered that there are stores just about everywhere you go and I can purchase that forgotten item if necessary. 

On a recent trip, I forgot my sun glasses. 

Meet Katherine!


She was working in a store that specialized in selling hats.  Since I do tend to like hats, I wandered in to find a wonderful selection.  And, they had sun glasses!

Katherine graciously weighed in and helped me make the best selection.  I am quite certain that without her input, I would have ended up with pink, winged sun glasses with unicorns on them. 

Thanks Katherine!  And, nice hat!

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I took this woman's photo at the Glyndebourne Festival when I was in London earlier this year. When I asked what her style advice is she announced, "Wear your clothes with joy."
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But, I did!


It helps a lot when it is cooler.  He stayed pretty still and let me get within 3-4" of him.  Does this count as a portrait?
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I just got back from Italy where I met up with my favorite stylish gentleman, Wanny Di Filippo. My dad just gave me a new small video recorder, so expect better videos coming your way!!! Check my YouTube page Here for all my Advanced Style videos and for a translation of what Wanny is saying check below:
  
"My name is Wanny Di Filippo, and this is my store in via del Parione, in Florence.I have been working here for 42 years and I think that my style is my own style. I do what I do because I am this way. I couldn't work otherwise. I bring true colours, I love colours, though I see that you love colours too, that's great."
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At the end of a day a few weeks ago, I got sight of a honey bee working through the flowers.   I really wanted a face shot (think portrait!).  But, I couldn't get a clean one. 
 
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It was, however, amazing watching him use his front legs to pull himself further into the flower and hold himself in position. 


I took about 25 photos.  These were the best.  I had to be fast!
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