By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Katie Reim/Cultivar

Cultivar hairpieces and bouquets are ideal for brides, bridal parties or the Main Line fashionista who wants to embrace her inner Coco Chanel. Photo courtesy of Mary Kate Timbers (kateslens.com)

Katie Reim came about the idea of using recyclable materials for hair pins and Victoriana headpieces in February 2009 while recovering from brain surgery. One year later, Reim has a clean bill of health and a successful Etsy shop. Reim is also a local artist with a line of perfectly charming illustrations of some of the Delaware Valley’s most beloved landmarks and events. I chose Cultivar, Reim’s booming accessory business on Etsy, as party of AML’s ongoing series, Etsy Phavorites. Her gorgeous clips, headbands and pins are irrestible and so SJP, I knew my AML gals will appreciate the selection!

Each piece of the Cultivar collection is constructed by hand using cleaned, recycled fabrics (mostly acquired at a Philadelphia Salvation Army) and buttons, in addition to new and reclaimed beads. Want to check out the designs in person? Look for Cultivar pieces at Manayunk’s new chic boutique, The Little Apple. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Shop photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography
Cupcakes Gourmet photo courtesy of Cupcakes Gourmet

Whinos in Wayne is almost here! What to expect? An amazing night of networking at Beethoven Wraps with prizes, fab food and new friends, great shopping and tons of fun!

Wednesday Night Whinos, AML’s official Main Line ladies social club, is hosting its second event in downtown Wayne! Whinos’ April 14th evening of fun and networking will be at the popular Wayne boutique, Beethoven Wraps. For more than a decade, Wraps owner Donna Martella has offered Main Liners unique gifts and distinctive, customized gift baskets for some of the region’s most prestigious corporations. Martella’s shop is named after a beloved stuffed animal her son, Artie, now sixteen, carried around as a toddler—during the time of the popular children’s movie Beethoven.

The shop carries select table top gifts and dinnerware ideal for hostess, welcome and wedding gifts. Several popular lines include Lilly Pulitzer stationery, candles and accessories; elegant stainless serveware and flatware by Mariposa; Thymes bath, body and home products; Spartina handbags; Robeez children’s shoes and more. In addition, Beethoven Wraps has an extensive selection of gourmet foods and Souderton’s Asher’s chocolates. “I think we have something for everyone in here. We can really help our customers find a great gift for a hostess or birthday party and then customize it in a fun way with our wrapping. Every gift should have a personal touch—so we always work with that customer to find creative ways to put a present together. For my corporate clients and their gift baskets, we are really an extension of that company’s marketing and image. Presentation is really important. So, we will work with them to make the basket a collaboration of their ideas and logo and something remembered,” explained Martella. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of High Street Market

Fly Like an Eagle
From Robson’s personal collection, an extra large 48" vintage cast metal wall eagle, $125

Interior designer Kelly Galvin Robson has a love of everything vintage. Her prolific Etsy site is brimming with irresistibly preppy, distinguished home accents-from an old set of German framed bird prints to cocktail glasses, Vera linens, milk glass, a vintage large brass horse head door knocker, McCoy pottery and more. If you are a fan of the AMC series Mad Men (the Golden-Globe winning series which depicts the lives of a group of Madison Avenue advertising executives in the ‘60s) then you will fall in love with High Street Market’s uber-chic retro collection. “I love the Philadelphia area, and I just love the creativity here among the design community. When I worked for a very high profile interior design firm in L.A., our clients always challenged us to find these amazing, one-of-a-kind pieces. They were not interested in hiring us for a living room that ended up filled with mass produced items. Every day there was the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of discovering special items for their home,” explained Robson.

But, Robson, an Orange County native, found the scarce amount of L.A. flea markets impossible to source regularly for those perfect vintage treasures. So when she and her husband moved to Bucks County a little over a year ago, she was thrilled. “I love how easily I can go to a bunch of flea markets and antique stores in one afternoon here. It was not that convenient in L.A., they were not that prolific and just working through the traffic was nuts! The Philadelphia suburbs are a treasure trove for me as a designer.”
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By AML Publisher
Photos by Jubilee Photography

“My life is full; full of interests, friends, and family. But, I hope to add a special someone to share the laughter and experiences of life with,” said Bowersox.

Toni Bowersox is a self-proclaimed tomboy. And, for the 53-year-old, Wilmington native she would not have it any other way. The AML sensational single, with an adorable pixie cut and personality to match, always found playing with the neighborhood boys growing up more intriguing than hanging with the girls. And, that playfulness and outgoing part of her rings true today. “I’ve always been on the periphery – not a follower, nor a trendsetter, but someone who is comfortable in her own skin being unique, following my own style. As a young girl, I climbed trees with the neighborhood boys—pretty much a tomboy, but yet held on to my feminine charm and character. To this day I am very at ease with men and attribute this to being a part of their play from an early age,” explained Bowersox.

The mother of one whose daughter, Taylor, is a nineteen-year old with special needs and whom Bowersox calls her “greatest teacher,” Toni was married for over twenty years before divorcing in 2008. Bowersox comes from a childhood where her own parents divorced when she was eight-but family ties remained important. “As a young girl, many of my weekends were spent at the homes of my Italian relatives playing with my many cousins. I have fond memories of Saturday dinners followed by games with cousins, aunts, and uncles. And on the Polish side, we gathered as a family on Sundays at my maternal grandmother’s home. This was a much more sedate gathering, but none the less fostered that love of family, tradition, and closeness,” said Toni.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Amy Wren

The Big Deal Casino Night-Unmask the Possibilities is the Philadelphia Junior League’s fourth annual gala.

When you think of Philadelphia’s most esteemed service organizations, undoubtedly the Junior League comes to mind. For almost a century, the Junior League has been making a positive impact in the Greater Philadelphia area. Over 950 volunteers have contributed more than 75,000 service hours annually.

To celebrate this female organization’s commitment to promoting voluntarism, the League is gearing up for its fourth annual winter gala. This year’s theme is The Big Deal Casino Night—Unmask the Possibilities. The evening is black tie optional, and the hundreds of anticipated party-goers are encouraged to accessorize in keeping with the Mardi Gras theme.
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By AML Publisher
Photos by Belle Vie Photography

Chef and ‘Mommy Martini Night’ hostess Olga Sorzano is available for private parties and functions around the Main Line and Delaware Valley.

Chester County chef Olga Sorzano wants her clients to consider her “a party chef, not just another caterer. I am bringing the experience of a gourmet restaurant and my love of people into your home,” insisted the former personal chef and house manager to a prominent Chester County family. Sorzano, mother to daughters Tessa, 15 months, and Kira, 2 months, left quite an impression on AML staff photographer Heather Berkenstock recently when the two met up in the checkout line at the Downingtown Wegman’s. With a shopping cart brimming with gourmet food (enough to feed dozens), a curious Berkenstock struck up a conversation with the 33-year-old statuesque blond. Turns out, Sorzano was preparing for a private holiday party she had been hired to cater in December. A brief business card exchange and a follow up email from Sorzano and AML had happened upon one great connection.

Sorzano, who grew up in Siberia, has been a successful figure in the local restaurant scene for years. She is a graduate of The Restaurant School of Walnut Hill College and studied in Italy, Thailand and Switzerland. Most notably, Olga trained with renowned Chef Jim Coleman of Normandy Farm in Blue Bell. She continues to work with Chef Coleman with television appearances and occasional cooking classes at the Dilworthtown Inn.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Meridith’s in Berwyn, one of the Main Line’s finest restaurants, was the perfect setting for AML’s January 11th business networking event.

Berwyn’s popular Meridith’s American Bistro was the perfect setting for AroundMainLine.com’s first ‘Monday Night Meetup,’ a new free business networking series for Main Liners to meet, make great connections and new friends. Over 70 attendees, 80% of whom were AML Facebook fans, enjoyed fine food and company on the evening of January 11th. “It was really a great group to network with, we were very pleased with the turnout” enthused owner Meridith McLoughlin.

As Philadelphia’s first emagazine, AML has established a very strong, loyal local following with over 1,000 Facebook fans and 1,600 followers on Twitter. Our successful night of networking was exclusively marketed via these social media channels. The vast majority of our attendees told us they had seen the event via our Facebook fan page or via a tweet/retweet from our Twitter account!
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Fallen Hearts

In the upcoming New Moon movie, Jacob Black gives Bella Swan a dream catcher for her birthday. Fallen Hearts’ pewter pendant with turquoise colored enamel accents, $24.

If you have not been privy to the media buzz surrounding this Friday’s release of New Moon, the second installment of the Twilight saga, then well, you must be living in a cave. Although considering New Moon’s storyline is based on a troubled vampire, perhaps a cave is a good place to emerge from just in time for the November 20th theater debut. The highly anticipated flick is based on author Stephenie Meyer’s four book blockbuster—of which 70 million copies have been sold and subsequently translated into 45 languages across the globe. Last November’s Twilight earned $70 million in its first three days and has since grossed close to $400 million worldwide.

With her Twilight-inspired Etsy store Fallen Hearts, West Philly jewelry designer Desiree ReDavid (pronounced Ree’-David) has tapped into the tens of millions of Twilight fans, known collectively as a Twilighters. Starting her sensationally successful jewelry line was, as ReDavid explained, “a happy accident.”
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Jason Varney

In addition to their current workshops, Beautiful Blooms’ Northern Liberties shop can be rented out for bridal and baby showers and private parties.

Donna O’Brien of Northern Liberties’ based Beautiful Blooms is not one to rest on her laurels. Her successful floral design business keeps her busy year round with Philly and Main Line brides, batmizvahs, galas, and more. In addition, O’Brien has established quite a business with her friend, event aficionado Kendall Brown of Eclatante Designs. Together, O’Brien and Brown are known in social circles as the ‘A Team’ of Philly party planning.

So, it seemed natural for O’Brien to share that wealth of knowledge, design expertise and love of beautiful floral arrangements (that have wowed thousands across the region) with a fun series of fall workshops. Main Liners can do their best ‘Martha’ imitation this holiday season with the hands-on advice and expert guidance O’Brien offers. “The workshops are going so well, we have had the best time with our groups! We have such a great variety of different workshops to offer everyone, many of our early students have already signed up for their second or third class. And, what we really want everyone to walk away with is the skill and enthusiasm to design beautiful centerpieces from flowers they pick up at their local market or grocery store. Certainly they can purchase flowers from Beautiful Blooms but it’s really about empowering and teaching great floral design for the holiday season,” explained O’ Brien.
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By AML Publisher
Photos by Jubilee Photography

Pell Gardens is a popular setting for brides and grooms to hold an intimate outdoor wedding ceremony.

Chesapeake City is one of the Main Line’s best kept daycation secrets. Just over an hour from downtown Wayne (with no traffic on 95), this quaint slice of Cecil County, Maryland is a seaside getaway not to miss. My family has dined many a Mother’s Day at the wonderful Bayard House Restaurant—delighting in their award-winning crab soup, tournedos Baltimore and a most delicious Bloody Mary…or two. The Bayard House looks out onto the famous Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D Canal), one of only two vital sea-level canals in the United States. The C&D Canal is an international waterway and the third busiest canal in the world!

Travel & Leisure Magazine named Chesapeake City “A Top 10 crowd-free weekend getaway near America’s largest cities.” The town was formerly known as “The Village of Bohemia,” since Chesapeake City was a dream of Augustine Herman. The First Lord of Bohemia Manor, Herman (1621-1686) was a Czech explorer, merchant, and cartographer who lived in New Amsterdam and Cecil County. In 1764 a canal route was marked and the actual project started in 1824.
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