Absolute Living

Absolute Living

3 WAYS TO ELEVATE YOUR LIVING ENVIRONMENT

TRENDING FORWARD

ANNE WHITE, HOLLY KIRSH AND LISA BERRY OF AH COLLECTION

JULY 2019

3 DAYS OF FAMILY FUN ON THE MICHIGAN COAST

2727 East 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240 • Ironworks Building Sangioveseristorante.com • 317.757.5913

July/2019

Photography By Eduardo Peña

CONTENTS

12 26

SUNGLASSES

Stand out with these sizzling summer shades.

3 DAYS OF FAMILY FUN ON THE MICHIGAN COAST Run away and let your lakeshore dreams run free.

18

TRENDING FORWARD Anne White, Holly Kirsh and Lisa Berry of AH Collection

WAYS TO ELEVATE YOUR 34 3LIVING ENVIRONMENT

Summer design projects to spruce up your home, inside and out.

Volume 12. Issue 07. (#140

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Absolute Living

Publisher / Co-Founder JUSTYNA PEÑA

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By Matthew Hume | Photography By Eduardo Peña | Artwork By Ismael Peña

Trending Forward Anne White, Holly Kirsh and Lisa Berry of AH Collection

A

strange sense of cosmic déjà vu descended over me as I walked into AH Collection’s new location in the Northview Mall complex on 86th Street in Nora. Three years ago, I interviewed Lisa Berry in this very spot, although at the time, Lisa, who owned and ran Love Your Body Boutique out of this space, was operating out of less than half of the current square footage that it would come to inhabit in its brief but passionate and wildly successful brick-and-mortar lifetime. From behind the centrally located sales counter, a slender firecracker of a personality in leopard-print pants and an urbanized take on a cowboy hat welcomed me inside. This veritable font of positive energy was Anne White, co-owner with Holly Kirsh of AH Collection. Last month, Lisa joined Anne and Holly as senior style consultant, and with the collective creativity of these three highly successful fashionistas, the possibilities are limitless. I found myself surrounded by a superbly curated collection of trending couture and accessories, well-appointed mannequins, shabby chic counters and displays, and even a “living room” pad for guests to relax and gather themselves. Most of all, though, I sensed that I had stepped into a vortex of bright light and positive energy that came not from the merchandise, but from the very space itself—and grounded in the three women I was about to sit down with.

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25 YEARS AND GOING STRONG The AH Collection sprang humbly onto the Indianapolis area boutique scene in the mid1990s. Starting out of their homes to allow them the freedom to focus on their growing families, Anne and Holly began with a small line of makeup, which eventually evolved into their own line. “Then we added in just a little bit of jewelry,” Anne says. “And then a lot of jewelry. And then a few purses, and then a lot of purses… and a little bit of apparel… then…” Well, you get the idea. Holly adds, “We loved being able to work out of our homes because our kids were young, and we could really be present for them. But we also knew that we were better moms when we had something outside to dedicate ourselves to.

It was a perfect balance.”

In 2008, after almost 15 years of building a home boutique market out of their Carmel and Geist residences, in which they promoted both AH Collection and other local women-owned upstarts, the pair received an invitation from Simon Malls to bring the collection—and their network of business owners—to a holiday boutique at Clay Terrace. “We brought in five other women in business into one store up there,” Anne says. “And we never left!” Since then, the Clay Terrace location has remained AH Collection’s “flagship” store. A second location spent six years at Hamilton Town Centre before moving to the Fashion Mall—and as of now, that spot has relocated again to its new, fits-like-aglove home in Nora.

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN Be it known that this is no run-of-the-mill store relocation. In fact, one might even say that the stars aligned to bring AH Collection into this ideal space, both physically and karmically speaking, artfully built out by Lisa Berry for Love Your Body Boutique, which opened in 2015 and operated here until last month. “I was living my big bucket list dream, which was to own my own clothing boutique,” Lisa says. She describes the business as a baby that grew up really, really fast. “I had the baby, I nurtured it, and I sent it off to college in four years,” she

jokes. “It was all so wonderful.” But with three young children at home, Lisa found herself in the same boat Anne and Holly had so many years before. “It doesn’t matter what kind of business you’re in—business ownership is very time demanding,” she explains. “People who say you can do it all—you really can’t, I believe— and something had to give. I didn’t want it to be my time with my kids anymore.” So after a four-year run with her highly successful yoga and loungewear boutique that at one point had eight spin-off locations and still maintains a Love Your Body On-the-Go line at DL Lowry Hairspa Boutique (1300 E. 86th St.), Lisa wanted to find a way to stay in the business, but at the same time release the responsibilities of what had turned into a significant business enterprise. “I couldn’t just walk away completely because it wasn’t just a shopping experience,” she says.

“We had created a gathering spot, an open and nonexclusive social club where friends met friends. I didn’t want to lose that.”

As it seems, the universe already had a plan in mind, and as Anne firmly believes, “vibe attracts tribe.” Certainly, in the case of these three women, one would be hard pressed to argue otherwise. Anne and Holly first met Lisa more than 10 years ago, during an AH Collection fundraiser, long before Lisa found her heart’s route to health, wellness, and fashion in Love Your Body. “We reconnected when we started running into each other all the time on buying trips,” Anne says. “It was fun, especially as we came to realize how much alike we all were.”

And so, in early 2019, as her lease on the Love Your Body space was coming to an end, Lisa reached out to Anne and Holly. The timing couldn’t have been better, as Anne and Holly’s lease at the Fashion Mall was also nearly up. “I wanted them to take over this space,” Lisa says. “I knew they had a phenomenal following and incredible customer loyalty, and I knew that my customers would fall in love with them, too. I wanted to be able to pass my space on to these established business owners who would bring their beautiful energy into the space and keep that vibe going for my customers.”

“We had always had a good relationship with Lisa, and when she shared with us how much she loved her business, but how she wanted to spend more time with her family and pursue other vocational desires, we were on board almost immediately,” Holly says. “It was an easy choice because all three of us are relationship-driven

owners—we love to know our customers and to make them feel good about themselves. We’re not just selling an outfit—we’re there for bigger and deeper reasons.”

POSITIVITY CUBED If you’ve ever shopped at AH Collection or Love Your Body, you know that the experience goes beyond mere style. “We’re all about creating relationships with our guests,” Lisa says, “and fostering an atmosphere of positivity that leads people to come, yes, to shop, but to gather and to be empowered and walk out feeling like they’re on top of the world.” Anne goes on to say, “We want our guests to walk in and feel like this is a home away from home—a place of peace and harmony and love. It’s what all of us have been about from the start.”

By combining their shared vision of customer experience, Anne, Holly and Lisa are bringing the utmost in street chic style and holistic customer focus to AH Collection’s new Northview location. And for Anne and Holly, occupying this space has been something out of a dream. “We were able to walk in here, purchase every piece of furniture, every display, and just put our beautiful pieces in this store that was ready-made for us,” Anne says. Lisa couldn’t be happier either. “I think there has to be some divine providence in all of this,” she suggests.

“We were all at the perfect point to come into each other’s lives and didn’t even know it. And once we came together and lit that spark, we felt like we’d known each other our entire lives. We think the same, and we have the same vision, the same values.”

A NEW WAVE IN BUSINESS In their 25 years of business, Anne and Holly have rebranded their boutique’s offerings time and again in response to their customer’s needs. “We look at trends, but we also pay close attention to what our guests—of all ages—are wearing,” Anne says. “We’ve never focused in on one specific demographic… Instead, we meet our guests where they’re at and help them get to where they want to be.”

Similarly for Lisa, closing Love Your Body wasn’t so much an ending for her and her loyal customer base, but rather a transition into fresh, new ways of connection. In addition to her role as style consultant at AH Collection, she’s recently launched a new blog focused on simplification. “It’s about reducing the excess in our lives, starting with our closets,” she says. “No more wasted

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time, and no more wasted space with things that don’t serve us.” And although it may seem contradictory for Lisa to be working in a boutique while advocating a simplified wardrobe, Lisa explains that it’s about helping people to buy what they really love and promoting multifunctional pieces so that closets aren’t filled with seasonal trends and beautiful, but unmatchable, elements. (Check out Lisa’s blog at https://www. zerowastecloset.com.)

By coming together and supporting each other in business, Lisa, Anne and Holly embody what Lisa calls a “new wave” of collaboration and partnership, rather than competition, especially in women-owned business. “It’s not so much about winning and losing anymore,” she says, “but that we’re all in this together.” And by supporting each other’s passions in positive and life-giving ways, these three radiant women are not only serving themselves and their business, but are building up their clients to feel better about themselves and the choices they make.

“I had a long talk recently with one of our other stylists about whether our lives are making a meaningful contribution by working in fashion,” Lisa tells me. “We decided absolutely we were because we’re following our passion, and by being in your life’s happy place, you’re contributing light and positivity to everyone you meet. That is a contribution in and of itself.”

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“We were all at the perfect point to come into each other’s lives and didn’t even know it. And once we came together and lit that spark, we felt like we’d known each other our entire lives. We think the same, and we have the same vision, the same values.”

Three Days of Family Fun on the Michigan Coast With a shoreline comprising a massive 3,288 miles, one could spend a lifetime exploring Michigan’s coastal towns and destinations in search of every hidden gem. Planning a vacation on the Great Lakes doesn't mean you have to settle on one spot, though. With some careful planning, a family can experience a huge cross-section of Michigan lake life in just 3 days, a short-but-sweet vacation that can combine relaxing on the beach, adventuring in the wilds, and eating and drinking to their hearts' content. Here's an easy way to spend 72 hours on the Michigan coast, with a new location every day and a minimal amount of car time.

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Day 1: St. Ignace A gateway to the endless beauty of the Upper Peninsula, St. Ignace is located at the northern end of Mackinac Bridge and its jaw-dropping views, right at the merging point of lakes Michigan and Huron, so you’ll get two Great Lakes for the price of one (free, but you get the point). It’s a quaint, homey town with a wealth of bed & breakfasts, hotels, and opportunities to relax and take in the scenery.

The real beauty of this gorgeous lake town is that it serves as the perfect home base for further exploring the wilds of the UP in a very short time, with multiple must-see locales a short trip from the tree-lined downtown.

Actually, with a little effort, starting a coastal tour of Michigan in St. Ignace makes seeing three Great Lakes in one day simple. It’s just a short drive from Sault Ste. Marie, home of the legendary Soo Locks, where an endless stream of boats travel to and from Lake Superior.

The big lake can also be seen without the drive with a

hike up Castle Rock, a limestone stack that adventurers can climb for a glimpse of the surroundings if they don’t want to dip their toes in the frigid water.

St. Ignace is also a short ferry ride from the iconic, carless Mackinac Island. Seemingly preserved in time in the middle of the Straits of Mackinac, it’s an ideal place for families to explore natural rock arches or just eat fudge while riding bikes. To the north of St. Ignace is Tahquamenon Falls, the area’s answer to Niagara Falls. For the more adventurous types seeking a path less traveled, the steep and seemingly endless stairs underneath the Cut River Bridge—an unassuming highway bridge on US 2 hiding a 147-foot drop down to Lake Michigan below its surface—lead to a pristine, nearly untouched patch of sandy beach below.

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Day 2: Charlevoix A mere 90 minutes south of St. Ignace on Little Traverse Bay sits Charlevoix, a lake town like no other, notable for the dozen eye-catching Hobbit-style mushroom houses you’ll see, along with its welcoming beaches loaded with Petoskey stones. The city itself is a dream of Michigan lake life, and families could spend all day walking the piers out to the iconic lighthouse to watch boats pass under the drawbridge, where tiny Lake Charlevoix meets big ol' Lake Michigan.

Charlevoix is all but required to take one to Beaver Island.

Considered America’s Emerald Isle, it's Lake Michigan's largest island and a paradise for hikers and bicyclists. It includes two lighthouses, ample camping, and endless opportunities for curious explorers to find the perfect patch of untouched beach and lay claim for the day.

Charlevoix is a perfect place for low-impact outdoors enthusiasts, a spot where surfers flock for a more docile place to hang 10, ziplines dot the dense forests, and boat rentals open up an entire wealth of adventure on the not-quite-high seas. Speaking of boats, any visitor to

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Day 3: Traverse City and the Old Mission Peninsula There's a solid explanation for why Traverse City has become one of the best coastal vacation destinations in lower Michigan: Simply put, there is no other area on the lake that packs such a tremendous amount of adventure and culture into such a small space. It also doesn’t hurt to have one of the most stunning sunset views in America. For starters, it's cherry country. And it's one of the best small beer towns, a destination for fine-dining connoisseurs and pie-lovers alike, a cultural hub rich with museums, and a prime place to spend the day browsing shops and galleries.

But even if you strip all that away (not that we'd ever want to), Traverse City remains an outdoors lover's dream, with the tranquil waters of Grand Traverse Bay proving ideal for boaters ranging from lifelong sailors to kids renting kayaks for a day. The area is surrounded by sprawling sand dunes, and it's a short drive, or a 3-hour bike ride, to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the state's

biggest and most iconic pile of sand. Climbing it remains a rite of passage for basically half of Michigan. Indeed, Traverse City's beaches are among the sandiest, most relaxing, and accessible in the state.

The city is also attached to Old Mission Peninsula, a 22mile, narrow patch of land that juts into Grand Traverse Bay. Boasting a whopping 42 miles of shoreline ripe for exploration, Mission Point Lighthouse stands as the peninsula’s most iconic destination. Of course, all that beaching and exploring sure can work up a thirst. As luck would have it, Mission is the epicenter of Michigan's booming wine country, with myriad orchards open to the public and nearly a dozen wineries available for tours and tastings (including Chateau Chantal, Bonobo, and Brys Estate). All this makes Old Mission Peninsula the perfect place for a biking tour that combines high comfort and outdoor exploration. You've spent the past 72 hours adventuring with the family. You've earned it.

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Traverse City and the Old Mission Peninsula

Immersing yourself in wondrous Michigan is as easy as 1-2-3.

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3

Ways to Elevate Your Living Environment

The showrooms and professionals at the Indiana Design Center are abuzz with summer design projects ranging from quick design upgrades to outdoor living spaces, kitchen remodels and new home construction.

With 15 showrooms and nearly 20 design professionals under one roof, the design center is a one stop shop to start your home or office project. Ready for a revamp? Here are 3 ways to achieve it: go for an instant upgrade, create an outdoor oasis or embark on a technology tune-up.

New lighting available at the Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, suite 101.

Instant Upgrade One of the most effective and efficient ways to transform a space is to update the lighting. The Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting showroom has hundreds of styles on the showroom floor and stays on trend with its offerings. By playing with the finish color, shape and scale of a new fixture, the vibe of a space can move from dated to modern. Trending today, you’ll find lighting with distinct geometric patterns, mixed tones like black and gold and artistic details like strands of crystal, wood or pearlescent beads.

Brown Jordan outdoor fire pit available at Godby Hearth & Home, suite 113.

Outdoor Oasis Professionals like Randy Sorrell, owner of Surroundings by Natureworks+, make it their business to be in the know on the latest outdoor living products, design movements and techniques to create incredible outdoor living spaces. “We’ve listened closely to our clients over the years and have learned that most have similar goals for their outdoor living spaces, which are shade, privacy, style and low-maintenance living,” says Sorrell.

Sorrell wants to ensure that his clients spend more time enjoying their outdoor living spaces than tending to them.

Material selections, landscaping choices and design features help to achieve a low-maintenance space. Caryn O’Sullivan, owner of Drapery Street, promotes outdoor sun shades and bug screens that are highly functional design options. She says, “The benefits of bug screens are great, as they prevent the build-up of dust and pollen on furniture, block pesky bugs and shield against rain and wind.”

This open-air porch designed by Everything Home features outdoor drapery and a retractable bug screen from Drapery Street, suite 109, for added shade and protection when needed.

Sorrell also recommends incorporating the earth’s elements into an outdoor living space through a unique fire or water feature. The Godby Hearth & Home showroom carries an array of fire feature options for designers and homeowners.

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The Kohler Sensate faucet uses voice-activated technology and is available in unique finishes like ombre. Available at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, suite 101.

Tech Talk The Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery showroom manager, Natalie Gertiser, is eager for many new products to arrive on the showroom floor that have launched this year. Gertiser says that smart home technology is further making its way into the kitchen and bath through products like Kohler Sensate and DTV Prompt. “Our clients enjoy touch technology in the kitchen and Kohler Sensate takes that convenience to a whole new level with voiceactivated controls. Simply tell the faucet if you’d like it on or off and it will act without being touched,” says Gertiser. Beyond the technical perks, Kohler offers showstopping hues like rose gold in an ombre finish.

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Article Submitted By Indiana Design Center

Kohler’s DTV Prompt product eliminates the need for handle and knob controls along the shower wall or in a tub. Gertiser explains, “A wall-mounted digital touchscreen allows you to operate the shower and temperature from a sleek and intuitive touch panel. The interface is clean and functionality is precise.”

The Kohler DTV Prompt utilizes touch-screen controls to operate the shower system. Available at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, suite 101.

Curious to learn more? Visit the Indiana Design Center and talk to the experts within the showrooms who are in the know on the latest design movements and technologies that are right for your home. A design professional is also the key to helping you pull it all together to create the best space and experience possible. You can browse designer portfolios on the IDC website and learn more at www.indianadesigncenter.com.

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INDYINDIANS.COM/2019

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