The Midlife Fashionista: style shoot

The cashmere poncho

Tuesday, February 23, 2016
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The Merchant Hotel

I recently saw a photo of The Merchant Hotel (Salem, MA) and knew instantly that it would be the perfect place for a Midlife Fashionista shoot.

My photographer, Emily O'Brien, and I arrived at the hotel yesterday with all our gear.

The stately brick inn was built in the 1700's and stands regally on a hill.

But once we got in the door, we were totally blown away by the spectacular decor.

The hotel is funky, modern, and has pizzaz.

Emily and I were shown to our rooms (yes we spent the night woohoo!)

The toughest part of doing a photo shoot is packing and unpacking all the clothes.

But my room was generous, giving me lots of space to spread out.

The innkeeper Jennifer gave us a tour---Emily and I were drooling. Each room is simply gorgeous and so unique!

There's the George Washington room...appropriately named since Washington himself slept there!

I love the starry ceiling.

And the Washington silouette on the bed.

I also found George hanging out in the hallway.

Here's another room--check out the striking foil wallpaper!

We were told that the interior design is the work of Rachel Reider. Such talent!

Emily and I unpacked and got right to work...we wanted to capture every ounce of daylight before the sun went down.

The inn offers so many special places to curl up and relax.

There were vibrant pops of color everywhere!

We shot several outfits then headed down to the lounge to capture some evening looks.

Emily got her lighting set up. We snapped a few photos then....

The power went out!

What could we possibly do since we couldn't shoot? The next best thing...we popped a bottle of wine of course! After the power was restored it was too late to take any more photos, so we had dinner across the street at the fabulous Adriatic Restaurant and headed back to our rooms for some shut-eye.

I threw on my cozy robe and curled up by the fire.

Can you hear my sigh of contentment? Ahhhhh......

The next morning we woke up refreshed and ready to start shooting again. We had an amazing night's sleep on the most comfortable soft and cushy bedding. All in all, we shot eight outfits which you will see over the next several weeks. Prepare for some gorgeous backgrounds!

I can't say enough nice things about this hotel and the staff. On the way out we had a chance to hang with Leah who was just the sweetest. The staff can't do enough for you...they make you feel welcome and at home. Lark Hotels manages The Merchant as well as many other boutique hotels in New England. From what Jennifer and Leah told me, they are all unique and equally amazing.

I've been trying to put into words how to describe The Merchant. It's warm and inviting...there's nothing stuffy or conservative about it. It's old but modern, sophisticated yet down to earth. I found a review online from The Boston Globe which sums it up perfectly.

"History served with a shot of spice" Boston Globe

Stay tuned for my looks at The Merchant...I can't wait to show you!

Wednesday, February 17, 2016
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