I spent the first weekend of this year at the Brunch and Style Party at Style Room 326. Style Room 326 is the first of its kind members only wholesale, retail fashion showroom for women. Owner Teresa Wilkes Washington hosted a group of fashionable, professional women for an afternoon of brunch, mimosas and fashion conversation. It was an awesome experience.
Teresa Wilkes Washington, Owner Style Room 326
Each participant was asked to bring an item of clothing that they had not worn. Teresa and the other women in attendance provided excellent fashion advice on how to style the pieces and offered suggestions on how and where to best wear the selected items. It was like having a group of your closest best friends in your closet helping you pull outfits together. Did I mention that there was also endless mimosas?
In addition to talk about fashion and proper foundational garments (all of us women need that conversation at least once or twice in our lives), there was a makeup artist on hand to assist us in trying out different looks with our makeup. Honestly, no matter how old you are what women doesn’t enjoy playing or experimenting in makeup from time to time. Remember the mimosas?
All of us let the event with wonderful parting gifts which included a membership to the showroom. I will definitely be using my membership this year. There are some excellent options and the opportunity to shop in an environment where there are no crowds or overbearing sales people makes the shopping experience more enjoyable for me. If that is your type of shopping I recommend that you stop by Style Room 326. I cannot guarantee that there will be mimosas, but there were mimosas at the Brunch and Style Event.
Gifts for attendees
Attendee gift bags
If you have never been to Style Room 326, I suggest you go by, take a look at the amazing fashion they have and sign up for your membership. The membership is affordable, so don’t worry about breaking the bank. If you follow Teresa or the showroom on social media you will always see Teresa modeling pieces that are available in the showroom, pieces that you will not see on everyone.
Style Room 326 offers many benefits to its members. The ability to gain first access to exclusive fashion shows, shopping for classic, timeless pieces for your wardrobe and the ability to do so in an environment that evokes fabulous is what Style Room 326 offers. Teresa has done an amazing job of curating a fashion experience, that will have you coming back for more and waiting for the hottest new arrivals. If you have a passion for fashion, then Style Room 326 should be at the top of your shopping list.
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to #BrunchwithBMOA at the new McDonald’s Headquarters in Chicago’s West Loop area. It was a great behind the scenes tour which included an opportunity for me to work in their test kitchen! Not only were we able to experience the behind the scenes, we were also able to find out more about the work that #BMOA does in the Chicagoland community. Just let me say that they do some amazing work. That was an experience I will never forget.
The workspace is an awesome concept with no offices and a variety of different configurations and locations throughout the building for your to work. What an awesome opportunity to have so many options when it comes to where you want to work when you want to. There were lockers located throughout the building (for those who were wondering where you placed personal items). There are 9 floors in the building including a rooftop bar, so there are a great deal of options available for where you can work. For more about the workspace see the blog McDonalds Relocates their Headquarters.
Quiet Room
Workspace
Test Kitchen
The day started with food. Of course it’s McDonald’s. There were a variety of options available, from a concept sandwich sold in the UK with hash browns, bacon, egg and sausage on a tortilla, to yogurt parfaits and create your own McMuffins. There was also juice and water. Coffee was available at one of several drink stations located throughout the building. Needless to say we ate well. But that wasn’t it.
Another part of our tour was a meeting with one of the chef’s in the test kitchen. We were able to see the layout of the McDonalds’s kitchen and then we were able to create a concept sandwich that is still in the development phase. So technically we were product testers for a potential new menu item that may be in restaurants soon.
There were so many artifacts and memorabilia to see from the Happy Meal wall, which showcased every toy that was ever available in a Happy Meal, to the interactive displays. There was also a historical area where we were able to experience some of McDonald’s first such as the First African American Owner/Operator, Herman Petty. There is a McDonald’s restaurant on the first floor of the building which showcases global offerings on their menu. The menu offerings change every three months. This location also as a small private room for rent.
The tour was an exciting experience. To go behind the scenes in one of the most recognized restaurants in the world was a pleasure. I am thankful to the Black McDonald’s Owners Association for the opportunity as well as the swag. More importantly for the ability to have the VIP behind the scenes experience. Now to go back and try some of the items on the global menu.
Now in the next post I will share something I learned while on the tour. How you can eat three meals at McDonald’s and remain under 1500 calories for the day. Yes you can have McDonald’s all day and maybe not gain any weight.
This Single Sole 