BIRTHDAYS: April Eighth, which is why my new kid’s music project is called “April Eight.” There is no doubt that I am an Aries Aries Aries for better and for worse.

WORK: I write songs and I sing them– it is pure joy and I have finally allowed myself to commit fully to doing it. My harmony music project with Laurie Burnham and my brother James Combs is called Honneycombs. My song “Little Moon” was placed on HBO’s True Blood last summer.

HOME: Columbia-Tusculum.

MOTIVATION: The word motivation for me feels like pushing a boulder of projects up a gigantic hill.  I worked so hard for so long pushing that boulder that now the mere thought of it makes me want to take a nap. Now the only way I can move forward on anything is to feel completely 100% compelled to do it — like a wild horse couldn’t stop the flow of inspiration spurting out of me.

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION: Well, I’d really rather not do without my spectacular husband, Michael Mann, and my sweet girls, Lyla and Mia. Nama Rococo Wallpaper. Eames Design: The Work of the Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Pintrest.com. Cream Puffs from Take the Cake. Gina Weathersby photography — Kiwi Street Studios.

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACTS: Most people in Cincinnati have no idea that Michael and I used to be in a raucous alt-rock band, Arson Garden, back in the last 80’s/early 90s. We toured all over the US and Europe, record at Prince’s Paisley Park, John Mellencamp’s Belmont Mall and at Pachyderm, where Nirvana made their last album. We also did a Peel Session for the legendary John Peel on BBC Radio 1, were on MTV and played Lalapalooza. It was seriously FUN!

MY HIGHSTREET: Is it too cheesy to say that HighStreet makes me feel like I’m still part of the rest of the world? The aesthetic is so smart and so gorgeous.  I’m always surprised, delighted and amazed when I walk through the doors. And the wondrous book section — thank God for the book section! Having done the International Contemporary Furniture shows in NYC with my sister Karen, I am pretty up on “Design”. HighStreet makes it all fresh and relevant to the Cincinnati home. I don’t know how they do it, but I love that they do and that they do it right here in Cincinnati, Ohio. We are so lucky to have them!

NAMES: Jeffrey van Sluys and S. Watts Taylor

BIRTHDAYS: Jeffrey (July 15th), Watts (December 23rd). We are both cardinal zodiac signs.

WORK:
Jeffrey: Senior Stylist at Salon Urbanity, painter and fashionista.
Watts: LSS Black Belt, author, miniaturist, activist and indefatigable gadfly.

HOME: Clifton

MOTIVATION:
Jeffrey: My need to create and to reinvent something that has been tried before.
Watts: My fear of being boring plus my teeny-tiny bladder.

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION: Our pets, our homes and our art, the art we make and the art we collect.

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACTS: Watts had an ancestor who was cannibalized in the Transvaal. Jeffrey learned traditional Japanese dancing as a child in Djakarta and painted the jacket cover for Watts’ novel Tarnish.

OUR HIGHSTREET:
Jeffrey: All of the cool decorating products, fabrics, furniture and lighting. I love that the store is never tired, the merchandise is always fresh.
Watts: The books, the White Russians on Black Friday and the chair that only Jason knows about.

NAME: Stacy Sims

BIRTHDAY: January 23rd (Aquarius)

HOME: Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio.

WORK: Playwright, novelist, activist, mover.

MOTIVATION: Making up for lost time (aka the 80s).

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION: Words. Good deeds. Collaborating with smart people. Movement. Breath. Nick Sharp. An attractive view. A home cooked meal. Skinny jeans. Frye boots. My turquoise earrings.

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACT: “I kissed Bono of U2. Twice.”

STACY’S HIGHSTREET: “I am not kidding, my entire apartment is Highstreet. I used to live above Leah’s first store. In those days, I could have taken a test on the inventory and scored 100%. I used to know the minute I walked in the door if there was a new piece of merchandise. More often than was advisable, I bought. In fact, I just counted 34 things in three rooms that I bought from Highstreet over the years.”

NAME: Maggie Smith

BIRTHDAY: August 12 (Leo)

HOME: Hyde Park. Cincinnati. Ohio.

WORK: Velvet Antler jewelry. Owner. Designer.

MOTIVATION: “I need constant visual stimulation– stirring images of people and objects. I can’t turn it off, whether I’m awake or asleep.”

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION: Oil painting. Working with cardboard. My huge “hunting horn” chandelier made of antique brass horns that took me years to collect. The Lower East Side of Manhattan. Vivienne Westwood. Dries van Noten. Martin Margiela. People with attitude and big hearts. Animals, both live and stuffed. Found objects for my jewelry and sculptures. Good whiskey, vodka, and dark chocolate. Ned Stern– my love and creativity in life. My sons Eben, Ethan, and Noah. My jewelry — since I could not find anything that felt right on me. My closet. My hair. Myself.

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACT: “I used to illustrate children’s books for major publishing companies. My eldest son Eben has a few tattoos of the illustrations. They suit him well.”

MAGGIE’S HIGHSTREET: “I do own many things from HighStreet and am highly respectful of my treasures. However, when I walk into the store I’m overwhelmed with ideas and want to walk out wearing everything. A skirt made of John Derian decoupaged plates wired together , the Future Retrieval porcelain rat and rooster figures perched on my shoulders, and the oversized orange Designers Guild blanket wrapped around me to keep the sun from searing my skin. Just a little glimpse of HighStreet through my eyes.”

NAME: Mike Uhlenhake

BIRTHDAY: July 13 (Cancer)

HOME: Over the Rhine. Cincinnati. Ohio.

WORK: Architect. Principal at Michael Uhlenhake, Architect.

MOTIVATION: “Being fully engaged in the act of living.”

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION: The Earth and exploring it with my bicycle. Mountains. Swimmin’ holes. Laughing with friends. Thanksgiving. Inventiveness. Cohesiveness. Pragmatism. Chocolate milk. Bringing like-minded people together for a fun time. My vintage lederhosen. Fish frys in basements of really old Catholic churches in Dayton. My hickory hardwood floors. Well scripted film. Caprese salad in the summer. When waitresses call me ‘hun’ or ‘sweetie.’ Camping. Hiking. Being adventurous. Spring Grove Cemetery. Individual expression. When people make an effort.

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACT: “I have the largest collection of original Farrah Fawcett photos in the tri-state which I started collecting in the sixth grade.”

MIKE’S HIGHSTREET: “Wandering around, studying, observing, and envisioning. Getting inspired by the different vignettes and displays– the owners have a good eye. I like the staff and the variety of goods. I am quite pleased with the Gus sectional sofa I purchased from HighStreet.”

NAME: Kathy Wilson

BIRTHDAY: April 26 (Taurus)

HOME: Walnut Hills. Cincinnati. Ohio.

WORK: Contributing Senior Editor at Cincinnati Magazine. Teacher of Journalism & Women’s Studies at UC.

MOTIVATION: “I have a profound fear of disappointing my dead mother.”

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION: The totality of my art collection. Good Chicken Pad Thai. Knowing I can go to Amsterdam at any time. Receiving checks in the mail. Sneakers. Phone calls from my three year old niece Koah who calls to tell me she loves me. My gut instinct. Watching the sun set from my fire escape. My gaggle of friends.

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACT: “I was a timid girl when I was a kid– really afraid of everything. Now I really like the pain of tattoos.”

KATHY’S HIGHSTREET: “I love HighStreet because every customer that walks through the door is treated the same. It doesn’t matter whether you are just browsing and pipe dreaming or ready to spend thousands on new furniture for your living room, the customer service is nothing like I’ve experienced in this city. The soulful, organic, styled ambiance that HighStreet has created makes me feel like the choices I’ve made in my own home are right. My favorite section is the book section. Each title has been flawlessly chosen.”

NAME: Jil & Jimmy Baker

BIRTHDAY: Jil — August 8 (Leo)   Jimmy — August 2 (Leo)

HOME: Northside. Cincinnati. Ohio.

WORK: Jimmy — Independent artist, represented by Foxy Production (New York), Roberts and Tilton (Los Angeles), and New Galerie de France (Paris). Adjunct professor at The Art Academy of Cincinnati. Jil — Architectural Designer for Michael Schuster Associates.

MOTIVATION: “What motivates us? A good stiff challenge.”

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION: Toy fox terriers. Plywood. Mechanical pencils. the iPhone. Oil enamel paint. Scarves. Chuck Taylors. Fort Ancient. Her — Gin martinis. Him — Woodford Reserve.

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACT: Jimmy — “I am secretly a jock at heart.” Jil — “I am secretly good at sports. And we are both natural redheads.”

JIMMY & JIL’S HIGHSTREET: “When we shop, we buy specific objects, not just decorative pieces. Your selection reflects the kind of objects we have in our own home. We like that you carry specific designers that produce unique work. HighStreet is actually the only place we go in Cincinnati to buy things for our house. We like to hunt for exciting things.”

NAME: Steve Weinstein

BIRTHDAY: June 12th (Gemini)

HOME: Blue Ash. Ohio.

WORK: Envoi Design. Owner. Partner. V.P. of Design. Illustrator. Product & Package Designer specialized in the Toy Industry.

MOTIVATION: “I love the quote, ‘We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams,’ by Willy Wonka in the original movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. My motto is simply, ‘do what you say you’re going to do.’ I hold people to that and try to live up to it myself.”

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION: My family. Blowing glass. Olives of any kind. My iPod Touch. Quiet evenings at our lake house. Crown Royal. A close game of racquetball. Gucci Eyewear. Movies.

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACT: “I had an elephant at my fifth birthday party. Actually, I had a chimpanzee and an elephant in my backyard.”

STEVE’S HIGHSTREET: “It’s very diversified. I can find an inexpensive gift, a cool artsy book, or furniture for my whole house. I can even have you come and design the whole house.”

NAME:  Tanya Hoggard

BIRTHDAY:  March 31st  (Aries)

HOME: Oakley. Cincinnati. Ohio

WORK: Delta Airlines. Flight Attendant. Photographer. Adventurer. Product Designer. Curator.

MOTIVATION: “Sadness”  I know it sounds kinda crazy but  I’m motivated by the things that make you sad.  I’m apt to take a nasty, terrible situation and try to give it –whatever it might be, something in return that is thought provoking and positive. I like the flip side of things and find it fascinating to see things differently through the enlightenment that comes from adversity.

OBJECTS  OF AFFECTION: My cat TYKE.  Freedom — particularly to travel at will. Trader Joe’s lip balm.   My Holga camera. Film– not digital. Absolut Pear Vodka. Gap Outlet shoping. Good health. BORN Boots. Strong people. Strong colors

OTHERWISE OBSCURED FACT: I used to be a hellion — I “borrowed” my Grandmothers’ yellow Toyota when I was eight years old.

TANYA’S  HIGHSTREET: The Highstreet gang is always there to help me see things in a different way — personally and aesthetically.

Name: Brent Miller

Birthday:  Feb. 12, Aquarius.

Where is Home?  Gateway Quarter, Over-The-Rhine. Cincinnati

Where he works. What he does:  Procter & Gamble Beauty. External Relations. Social & Media Networker. World Traveler.

His Motivation? “Everyday is an adventure and you have to find excitement from the trivial to the interesting.”

Objects of Affection: Recovered objects as art. Obscure cultural references to things only someone a generation older should know. Female singers (Neko Case. Brandi Carlile. Patty Griffin, etc.).  My passport. Alexander McQueen. Enlightening conversation. Rose Kennedy (vodka, soda, slight hint of cranberry with a lemon).  My niece and nephew.

Otherwise Obscured Fact: “ On my first day of work in the Clinton White House, I managed to fall down the grand staircase and land in front of the China Room as the Secretary of State walked by. Although she did not help me up, she did observe that the fall was likely painful.  I am still unsure if it was a reference to a physical injury or my dignity.”

Brent’s HighStreet:  As a design client, he loved HighStreet’s “ability to take new concepts and tailor them to fit his style.”  HighStreet created a montage featuring twenty-one vintage license plates he inherited from his grandfather. “Not only do I love the way they look, but they are even better because of the personal association with my grandpa.”