Vintage, Thrifted and why I’m keeping my f*cking skinny jeans

Yesterday I had to take my laptop in for repair so I was left with a full day of being untethered to work since there isn’t much I can do on my iPad that I can do with my laptop (except for writing this blog it appears). So of course I did what any normal person in my generation would do and I scrolled Tik Tok. I am not sure why I keep getting ads for shoelaces and hair growth oil but part of me is annoyed and the other is offended.

Anyway, I stumbled upon this guy who is called “the best dressed guy on Tik Tok” named Wisdom Kaye and he just presents the most INSANELY fire fits that I have ever seen. Every single outfit is immaculate. He’s a style icon and did a few videos stitching together people on the street or recording their own videos of things they hate like flannels, skinny jeans etc.

The initial emotion as a millennial when these gen z kids dressed like me and my friends in middle school after a trip to Limited Too told ME I couldn’t wear SKINNY JEANS anymore was rage. Just pure, unbridled rage for the youth.

However, Wisdom Kaye did his amazing thing and destroyed everyone by styling skinny jeans into the most ridiculously FIRE outfits that I’ve ever seen. It was actually a comment by another user that brought me the epiphany:

The comment read “All the people hating on skinny jeans are gonna be the first to jump on them as soon as they’re trendy again.” And this made me realize something….

Everyone who hates on past trends are typically guilty of just following the new trends and that place of insecurity is what makes them feel like they’re Anna Wintour and they can judge anyone else on what they’re wearing. It’s lazy. It’s the fucking ratatouille of style. You’re not thinking for yourself or using any real talent, skill or individual taste to put something together, you’re just following what the rat inside your white baseball cap tells you to do.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that crocs and cargo pants are the worst. But that is also because I’m too lazy to figure out how to style them. Crocs came full circle into being trendy again because a select few people figured out that similar to Balenciaga, you can take something that is clearly a joke and make it haute couture easily if you have the right attitude. Isn’t that what fashion is, anyway?

I am by no means a style icon. I’m writing this article wearing cheetah print pajamas and an oversized sweatshirt from a friends travel company with her logo splayed in large pointy letters across the front of my torso. Most days I opt for jeans and a sweater in the winter or jeans and a simple tank in the summer. I have done lazy style my entire life and relied on my décolleté and “fake it til you make it” attitude to put an outfit together rather than the random assortment of various costume jewelry that sits, longingly on my dresser waiting for the day that I have a change of heart and throw it on out of pity or irony.

But I also had a weird individual sense of style ever since I was a kid, part out of creativity but mostly out of necessity. When your parents are below the middle class line, you have to make due with what you’ve got and creativity is born out of desperation and lack of options. I had a better sense of style when I owned 3 t-shirts and one set of Tommy Hilfiger overalls that I would repeatedly wear every day to middle school until my bully called me out in front of everyone while we waited for class to begin. (I’m totally over that incident and don’t hold any resentment at all over that, don’t worry)

Of course life and accessibility wore me down over time. There is an interesting thing that happens when you start to make your own money and can afford some of the things you want but not quite the level that you’d like.

For example, if I had an unlimited budget, I would style myself in Zimmerman and Dolce & Gabana for every trip. I would have a classic black quilted Chanel bag gracing my shoulder on a daily coffee run.

Because I don’t have an unlimited budget, I find myself investing in pieces that have meaning to me. When I travel and when I’m with friends or family, that’s when I invest in pieces. I love occasionally perusing a thrift store, donating a bag and picking up a new bag to make up for the tiny amount of space I just built myself in my closet.

I also understand that other than the very obvious moral implications of shopping fast fashion like Amazon and Shein, I feel like shit when I get a very cheaply made piece of sweaty polyester that was assembled poorly and makes me look like the $10 I paid for it.

Thrifting is fun for me. The thrill of the hunt has always been in my blood. Growing up my dad would take me to the flea market every weekend and I found joy and stimulation for my undiagnosed ADHD while browsing the stalls, observing people haggle and pay, looking at the possessions that people laid out before them to make some extra cash and the way the object became a treasure in a cheap takeout bag in the hands of a new owner.

This is a very easy segue into the evils of capitalism and how it’s ruining our mental health, relationships and country. But I also think that it’s just a machine that works if we keep pressing the buttons and lubricating the gears.

Buying secondhand clothing seemed dirty to me for a long time. Even though I obtained so much joy from those trips to the flea markets with my dad, it also built an associated memory of shame because I wasn’t doing it by choice, I was doing it out of necessity. It’s a part of my wounding I haven’t quite healed yet but I believe the only way out of that shameful wounding is directly through it by embracing my flaws, my gritty origin story, my creativity and my belief in myself that anything is possible.

So for now, I’ll be holding onto my skinny jeans and figuring out how to style them in a way that makes me feel good, regardless of what the youths are saying.

I still refuse to give cargo pants their day but maybe that will be the next epiphany.

Life lately

I’ll be honest. I all but forgot about this personal blog of mine for the past 3 years until I stumbled upon an article on Apartment Therapy about my living room redesign in Charlottesville.

Since that article, I bought a house, moved an hour away to Richmond, had major business changes and have traveled more than half of the year every year since then (that cabin fever really did a toll on me, I guess)

I started this blog post and many other creative endeavors in 2020 when the reality of the world was too much to bear and I went inwards to create peace for myself. Of course, I also had significantly more time on my hands to build this blog and this life and by default was intentional with everything that I did because…well…there wasn’t much else going on.

Afterwards, of course, I found myself in a whirlwind of wedding postponements (I’m a professional wedding planner for anyone new reading this) back to back crazy busy weekends and driving 2-3 hours north to DC and Loudoun County every weekend with an occasional hotel stay in between. I also dissolved my relationship with my partner at the time and found myself slowly checking out of my life, my business and my social circle as the overwhelm for what my Covid and post-COVID world looked like.

I’ve been reflecting back on many things over the past few months as I’ve found myself in a relationship with a person who makes every day feel like a fairytale and who I’m confident I’ll grow alongside in this life.

I’ve had major setbacks, betrayals, overwhelm and feelings of being so low and helpless that many days when I was home were spent laying on the couch looking at memes until meetings or dinner time and just going through the motions.

Living with undiagnosed depression and fighting with everything I have against taking medication because I was raised to believe it was evil and couldn’t help me has taken a toll on who I am as a person, my life in general and the relationships that I value so much.

So I’m coming back to this place to write, to share, to document the things in my life that bring me so much joy but seem so ephemeral without further reflection. I’ll be sharing bits and pieces of this, more so as a personal diary that I can go back to and relive the life that I’ve built so one day when I’m old and grey I can reminisce on things that I did when I had zest for life.

I know that being open and vulnerable is something I’ve prevented myself from doing over the last few years because it felt like sharing my weaknesses would be like pointing out the holes and soft spots in my suit of armor. But I’m realizing that opening myself up is the only way for me to dig myself out of this insurmountable well of seclusion I’ve built around myself.

I know the world is large and full of life, love and friendships that I haven’t even begun. I know there is also heartache and trauma, devastation and difficulty when you open yourself up to the beauty. But I’m willing to put in the work and try every day, won’t you join me?

New Orleans Day 3 - Breakfast of Champions

Saturday AM I had a scheduled client call so we walked over to Drip Affogato Bar for our am caffeine. It’s a quaint little spot on Carondolet that offers 2 of the best things in the world: espresso & ice cream. While traditionally I would opt for a latte, I couldn’t resist an 8am affogato so I opted for the “classique” which had the traditional vanilla scoop with espresso but with the addition of crushed pistchios, maldon sea salt and a stroopwaffel. I ordered it to go so I could make it back in time for my call and they gave me the very cold ice cream & toppings in a biodegradable to go container and a hot shot of espresso so I could DIY. I'll admit, not the best portable food but I somehow managed to finish the whole thing the couple block walk back to our apartment without spilling any on the very bright white outfit I had chosen that morning.

After my call and Adrians quick trip to Nesbits for more supplies. We decided on breakfast and what turned out to be my absolute favorite meal on the trip thus far! Willa Jean was on my list of places to go but closed at 3pm everyday for limited covid hours and I missed it the first 2 days. Today however, was a fateful day.

Have you ever had a meal so good you go from dancing in your seat to crying actual tears of joy? It’s a rare occasion for me but it does happen and when it goes it’s because of a complete standout meal better than the rest. This was absolutely Willa Jean. If you’re stopping in just for coffee, I highly recommend the milk money latte, at $6 it’s the most expensive coffee drink on their menu and just only rivals that of a traditional Starbucks drink price but it’s sweet simplicity makes it all worth it. Think: what you expect a great vanilla latte to taste like in your dreams. That’s the milk money latte. No frills, just a great quality and not too sweet latte.

On our first trip (I say first trip because we went back the next day it was so good) I got the Big Easy Bucha in “jazz juice tea” flavor. Basically New Orleans local kombucha with beautiful branding that made it hard to let go of the bottle. We then proceeded to order 3 things from the breakfast menu. Between 2 people this is the perfect amount to split! We got the shrimp & Grits bowl (with the freshest, tastiest shrimp I’ve come across. A fried chicken biscuit with tobasco honey (perfectly fried chicken) and veggies and grains bowl (hello crispy toasted garlic). It was hard to pick a favorite between the three so definitely just order a medley from their menu and eat your way through the morning. You won’t regret it.

In fact, it was so great. that we went back the next morning when our alternate option was closed due to Covid. We got the fried chicken sandwich, the hangover bowl and the loaded avocado toast. It was all just as satisfying as our first trip1

After breakfast, we headed down on the streetcar to the french market and walked along the water. We wanted to go to the spanish plaza for a visit to see the Pontevedra tile and see the fountains but it was closed due to Covid. We did end up strolling back through the riverwalk outlets for it’s refreshing AC and popped into a couple stores that were open, including a cute little pet store where I got Bear a lobster tug toy. If you find yourself needing to walk back west of the city towards the lower garden district or warehouse district, it’s actually a way to keep cool and pace yourself out of the heat. The outlet mall ends at the convention center at Julia st which is conveniently located on the street our apartment is just a few blocks down.

As became our ritual, we walked back to the apartment to rest for a bit during the peak heat hours of the city, shower, take a quick nap and regroup. I’m telling you that heat and humidity will wear you out if you’re not careful so this routine saved us from possible heat stroke on many a day!

I booked us a ghost tour that night that was history-based. Meaning no cheesy gimmicks and it was actually guided by someone who has their degree in history and/or teaches history at a local school. It was much more fascinating to me to learn a bit more about the folklore and it’s origins than a cheap scare that you might get from some guy dressed up like a pirate (although to each their own!!)

On the way the way there we actually caught up with a “Take Em Down New Orleans” march against police brutality and for the removal of confederate statues and joined for as many blocks as we could.

When we reached our location across from Jackson Square, we had a few minutes to kill so we ran next door to Kilwins for ice cream. Although I’m always a fan of local, there is a certain comfort in the reliability of the chain of Kilwins! This time I mixed it up a bit and got Kilwins mud & my traditional mint chocolate chip.

Our tour guide took us along the french quarter to talk about haunted bars & superstitions, to a practicing voodoo temple and discussed the history and origin, one of the original structures in New Orleans that hosted nuns and what townspeople thought were vampires. We also saw the Lalaurie Mansion as seen on American Horror Story as well as another building the show was actually filmed in.

After the ghost tour we headed off to Bourbon St, we snagged a hurricane and an Abita Amber ale at Lafittes and made our way to a little outdoor courtyard bar/club that was playing raggaeton. We danced for a bit until it started to get crowded. We stopped into Willys fried chicken on Canal and rode the trolley home, half in the bag and full of chicken. It was a great night!

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Since you might find yourself out drinking late on Bourbon St, you’ll probably want some hearty breakfast options to take the edge off the next day or perhaps a little hair of the dog to keep things going. While there are a ton of fabulous spots, here are a few favorites and/or places we didn’t get to check out due to Covid that might be open when you come to visit!

The Vintage - Garden District

One of the cutest, most instagrammable spots for a quick spot of espresso is The Vintage. Set right on Magazine St (where a ton of cute boutiques & restaurants are in the garden district- more on that in next weeks blog) and is only 5 blocks away from the St Charles & 8th street stop on the green line trolley. I urge you to take the trolley and then walk down 8th st to see the beautiful homes (protip, I won’t give you the address but if you go one block up to Harmony, you’ll walk by one of Beyonces houses!!!) The Vintage has all the traditional bar & cafe favorites including beignets and “fancy” beignets that I didn’t get but from the looks in the case appear to have some fun topping options other than powdered sugar. As you can see the below their traditional beignets are pretty large so you’ll have to share or opt for the beignet bites which are the same serving but feel smaller and therefore like you’re eating less. Memorable mentions - iced chai latte for those hot days and if you can bear the heat sitting out front under their pergola where the hanging plants create a little oasis against the sizzle of the pavement surrounding.

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Brennans - French Quarter

Brennans is a cajun classic, opened in New Orleans in 1946 and the original home of the bananas foster (with kind of a fun back story)! Brennans is a fabulous spot for not only breakfast/brunch/lunch but also lunch and dinner on the weekends. It’s a slightly more elevated spot providing a white tablecloth service in a Wes Anderson-esque atmosphere.

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The Cafe Du Monde - French Quarter

A classic spot that some may consider a tourist trap, Cafe Du Monde is the quintessential chicory coffee & beignet spot. Similar to the Eiffel Tower, even though it’s basically the most touristy thing you can do in New Orleans it’s a must-see at least for the sake of saying you’ve gone. The OG location is on Decatur street across from Jackson Square in the French Quarter. Be prepared to wait in line for a bit before you enter and make sure you bring cash (it’s cash only!!) If you aren’t prepared or the line is too long, you can stroll and peruse the french market shops nearby (or pop up the street to visit some of the more eclectic voodoo/vintage/wiccan shops and grab some cash at an atm. If you still don’t care to wait in the hot summer sun, consider visiting the location at city park, they have another lovely outdoor covered terrace and is a great place to stop after a surrey ride around the park.

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Stanley

Just down the street from Cafe Du Monde, is Stanley, a fabulous little lunch spot with a great hurricane and an even better chicken sandwich & breaux bridge benedict with seared boudin patties. Sit outside if it’s not too hot so you can get some epic people watching in and enjoy music from one of the multiple street performers out on a sunny day.

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District | Donuts | Sliders | Brew

If you find yourself craving a donut, as I oftentimes find myself doing, District is the place to be. It’s located in the garden district smack dab on Magazine street. I highly recommend one of their hot, fluffy donuts or if you’re looking for something a bit more filling, the Hot Chicken & Honey Butter French Toast Biscuit will NOT disappoint.

Galician Empanada Recipe

You asked and I’m finally delivering. During quarantine I’ll admit I’ve been eating exceptionally well because Adrian has been cooking everything that I or he could dream up. The biggest daunting factor was I am not a photographer and I also don’t have a ton of spaces that are good for photographing the process of cooking food. Fortunately, we figured out a solution (more on that later) so now I’m officially bringing you the good stuff! The recipes!

I’m not going to launch into the awul back story of our lives like you see in most food blog recipes so we can get to it! Just know that Adrian is from Galicia, Spain where this is a specialty! Also, keep in mind you can use any protein you like! We used beef but the traditional uses canned tuna (great for all that apocalypse-prep canned food you stocked up on back in March). You can also used pork, shredded chicken or whatever weird stuff you have lurking in your fridge.

Here we go!

Step Uno - Gather all your stuff, julienne the onions and red pepper (you can also dice but it doesn’t matter too much since it’s all getting cooked down into a beautiful mash of flavorful goodness). Put a dough hook on a stand mixer and dump all of your flour and 1 tbsp of salt into the mixer.

Add your water/yeast combo and 2 eggs. Knead this on medium and add your 3/4 of your stick of butter 1 tbsp at a time until it is fully incorporated. Let your mixer work the dough for about 12 minutes or until the surface is smooth and it looks like a dough ball!

Once the dough looks like dough, oil a large bowl, take it out of the mixer and set it aside in the bowl on your countertop. Next onto the filling!

Heat a large pot on medium and add 1 tbsp of oil and your last tbsp of butter. Let it start to melt down and when it just so ever slightly gives off that beautiful sizzle sound that could and should be the best wake up alarm ever, add your ground beef and cook on medium until browned.

Now for what is for some reason my favorite part, dump all your onions…

Then all your peppers…

Then mix it all up, lower the heat and let it simmer until the veggies have released their water, about 5 minutes. See below:

My favorite part about this is that you let this cook down for about 20-30 minutes, the veggies and ground beef melding together as they cook into a beautiful golden brown filling full of flavor. Also the fact that you can leave this for a while to let your dough rise and filling cook. It’s like a set it and forget meal.

After your brief hiatus from the kitchen, turn off the stove, remove from the heat and add your saffron some salt and pepper to taste. Stir and set aside to cool. Whip out your dough ball and divide that bad boy into 2 even halves. You’re going to roll out each half to the size and shape of a jellyroll pan/cookie sheet. The dough will be about 1/4 inch thick.

Preheat your oven to 370 and place a piece of parchment paper on your pan. Lay your first half of dough out on this and spoon the filling evenly across the surface. If your filling is super dry or dense, you can take a small spatula or the back of a spoon and spread it out until it reaches all the edges.

Take your other dough sheet and cover the bottom half. You can crimp your edges however you like, get creative with it, this is your empanada and there is no wrong way to design your edges!

After you’ve crimped all your edges, stab or pinch a little hole in the top center of the empanada so it vents while cooking. Also brush some egg wash all over the top of it.

Place in your preheated oven and let cook for about 15-20 minutes until it’s golden brown and your house smells happy and all the hungry people are magnetically pulled from their rooms to ask when the food is ready.

When you pull it out of the oven, it will be very tempting to dive in right away but don’t do this! Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes and then slice it up into pieces and serve !

It’s a hearty meal that seems complex but really is so easy and delicious! Bonus points, this makes enough to feed several people for a few meals so you can wrap up half of this after cutting and save in the fridge or freezer for the next time you don’t feel like cooking, which will probably be like tomorrow.

Galician Empanada

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of flour

• 1 cup of warmish hot tap water

• 1 packet of yeast (in water)

• 2 eggs

• 1 stick of butter (room temperature)

• 2 yellow onions

• 2 red peppers

• 2 packs of saffron (or a pinch of the real deal if you can get it!)

• 1 tbsp of salt

Recipe

1. Gather all your shit, julienne the onions and red pepper (you can also dice but it doesn’t matter too much since it’s all getting cooked down into a beautiful mash of flavorful goodness)

2. attach a dough hook to your stand mixer and plug it in (very important)

3. Put all the flour & salt in the bowl of the stand mixer

4. add 2 eggs & water with yeast

5. Mix! Turn on medium speed and start to mix, once it starts to incorporate, add your 3/4 o fa stick of your butter (or 3 oz) 1 tbsp at a time. Then you’ll let it mix for about 12 minutes or until the surface is smooth and there isn’t a any flour not incorporated.

6. Take the dough out and put it in an oiled bowl and set aside, covered and as long as your house isn’t 50 degrees just set it to the side on your counter.

7. Take a large stockpot and heat up 1 tbsp of oil and your remaining tbsp of butter. Heat it up to medium and then add your ground beef. Cook the ground beef until it’s browned

8. Toss in all of your onion & red pepper, mix it up with a wooden spoon you got in Bali and didn’t want to use for cooking, only salads, but it became the cooking spoon anyway and cover it and let it cook down for about 5-10 minutes until the veggies have released their water (see picture above) then turn the heat down to low, go play a fifa game, answer some emails, or have a drink and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes. *If you don’t cook a lot and aren’t familiar with your oven, be sure to check back every 5-10 minutes to make sure the bottom isn’t burning in case your burners are more intense than you thought!

9. Once it’s cooked down, turn the heat off and add your saffron and mix it up again with your beloved wooden spoon. Set aside (or leave it on a burner on your oven that isn’t turned on).

10. Take your lovely dough ball that has risen, punch it down if you’re still really angry about the state of the world, then divide into 2 balls.

11. Roll out both dough balls into 2 rectangles about 1/4 inch thick.

12. Take a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan, line it with parchment paper or grease it up with some oil if you don’t have any parchment paper.

13. Preheat your oven to 370 degrees fahrenheit, contemplate the celsius scale, ensure no sheet pans or dutch ovens that live in the oven are currently in their residence.

14. Take one of your dough rectangles and place it on the pan allowing it to hang over the edge a smidge (you’ll use the extra on the sides to crimp this baby shut

15. Spoon that beautiful filling evenly across the top, don’t push it against the sides of the pan, just spread it out like one of those nutella ads where the white mom is putting in on a piece of bread for her kid)

16. Preheat your oven to 370 degrees fahrenheit, contemplate the celsius scale, ensure no sheet pans or dutch ovens that live in the oven are currently in their residence.

17. Take your other dough rectangle and place it on top. This is where any pie-baking experience comes in! If you are Snow White and have only ever had forest birds crimp & cut your pie crusts, I suggest googling a video or looking at the photos above which you should have done already anyway and should also use to follow along because this took a long time to edit and post. Crimp closed those edges with any method of crimping & closing that you prefer.

18. Brush the whole empanada with egg-wash and slice a little hole in the top so it vents and doesn’t go BOOM in your oven.

19. Bake for about 18 minutes (again check your oven temp!) Check on it after 10 to see if it’s baking unevenly and needs to be rotated or if it’s too hot and you might need to lower it 10 degrees.

20. Take it out, let it cool, slice it up and serve it to your family who is now responsible for dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

21. Que Aproveche!

Southern Supper Club!

Halloween of 2017 I was planning a night in with wine and creepy makeovers with 2 of my favorite spooky chicks, Kir and Cece. We ended up inviting a few other gals we knew and loved and decided to decorate and order in some pizza while watching scary movies. Still to date one of my favorite supper clubs since I made the girls watch The Exorcism of Jane Doe and nothing quite fills my heart with wicked joy like scaring the people I love.

Fast forward almost a year and supper club had become a regular occurence. We began to meet up once a month where I would host and decorate and everyone would bring a dish to share. While the group itself has evolved over the months, the same general concept of gathering for drinks and light hors d’oeuvres/snacks, followed by dinner and then some sort of activity which often includes a movie, card game or sometimes just drinking.

One of my favorite supper clubs to date was our Southern Comfort theme which was inspired by the heat and humidity of August as well as a fabulous English china set I found at a thrift store. It was a lovely mix of vintage pieces, new and a few heirlooms. My grandmothers butter dish and my mothers silverware also made a debut and seemed to be a fitting part of the overall cozy, warm, welcoming nostalgic ambience.

Krysta photographed everything beautifully, of course, and captured all of the special little details. We had a spectacular menu put together by the girls, kicking thing off with Amanda, who has, of course been crowned our salad queen.

~Menu~

Amanda - Watermelon-Feta Salad

Cece- Mac n Cheesies & Hand lettering place cards

Krysta - Fried Pickles & photos!

Soleil - Cornbread & Collard Greens

Rachel - Sauteed balsamic Green Beans -

Janessa - Fried Chicken & buttermilk biscuits

Soleil - Apple Crisp & Vanilla Ice Cream with homemade caramel sauce -

Alex - brownies

Sarah Pete - Mint Juleps & Jam+moonshine favors

I decorated in true southern style with some magnolia blooms from the backyard and trimmed some of the limelight hydrangea which nestled perfectly in their wicker basket as the centerpiece to the table. For cocktail hour we mixed in more fab sunflowers that Janessa picked up!

Cece of course hand-lettered our place cards which tucked in between the seagrass chargers and the blue & white china I snagged from Homegoods with a few sprigs of Magnolia leaves to tie it together.

Candlelight was necessary when the sun went down and we enjoyed it’s warm flickering from a few tapers and pillars scattered across the table. Sarah Pete also brought everyone a mini jam and moonshine jar for each persons place setting and as a favor! It was a perfect way to spend a hot August day with some of my favorite people.

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New Orleans - Day 2 self care & lunch in the french quarter

Day 2 is usually my ritual day. Whenever/wherever I land if it’s too late the first day on the second day I schedule some sort of self care. A massage is my go to especially after being tense from a long, dehydrating flight. But with regulations in the city places were slow to open so I opted for a pedi! Across the street from our apt is a spot called Nail Bar Nola and I called the night before to schedule an appt at 10 am when they opened. I opted for the opulence pedicure that included a signature essential oils scent.

Before my pedicure we walked down the street to Congregation Coffee Roasters for a couple quick iced lattes. It’s a scarcely decorated space (mostly due to Covid) that has a short but sweet menu offering. A great quick pick me up on your way throughout the day.

Around noon we decided to try our luck walking to the french quarter. Now distance wise this isn’t a problem but just after lunch it gets HOT and humid. This was before we got our rta app and rode the trolley everywhere (more on that on the next post!) We walked past Lafayette park and the shops on Canal street and I stopped into a place called “Hippie Gypsy” there was a LOT of hemp and tye dye, which aren’t exactly my jam but they had 2 things I loved. This cute little yellow shorts jumper and palo santo. The dress I was wearing was a bit heavy and dark for the heat and humidity that day so I literally bought and ware the jumper out of the store. It was a good call.

Strolling through the french quarter was quite leisurely. Adrian had never had a hurricane before so of course stopped at the famous Lafittes Blacksmith Shop for a hurricane to go. These are dangerous because they just taste like juice and 10 minutes later you’re hammered on Bourbon street so proceed with caution!

We strolled around for a bit and realized we shouldn’t be drinking in 100 degree heat with no other substance so we headed over to Stanley for lunch. Stanley sits right next to the St Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square so if you can bear the heat the patio seating offers excellent people watching and snippets of both jazz on the corner of Decatur and music from whoever may be performing outside of the cathedral.

I got the breaux bridge benedict & Adrian got the fried chicken sandwich and a second hurricane. Everything was delicious and our server was lovely! I’ll admit though, after a few more sips of the hurricane, heading upstairs to the restroom was slightly precarious, but I survived and we continued our walk.

Last time I was in NOLA I stumbled upon a vintage shop with Mia that also carried modern art, prints & photographs and I finally found it again after some instagram archive sleuthing. Secondline Arts & Antiques not only has a cool little courtyard with tons of architectural & scrap art pieces but also has lots of stalls from local artists selling their prints, attire, stationery & more. It also hosts a stall from one of my favorite artists, Leroy’s Place, who I got my Dolly and Dali earrings and several of their Monster prints that hang happily in my home. They even had 2 guillotines for sale at Secondline, which we did not take home and are most likely still there for anyone who might be interested.

At this point it was 4pm and peak heat and humidity around 93 with a feels like temp of 103. Mix that with the hurricanes and the sun beating down on the pavement for 10 hours now and it was time to head home. I really recommend taking a break between activities if you’re coming in the summer and having planned downtime/rest/reshowering around 2-5pm when the city is absolutely at it’s hottest and there are way too many people out and about anyway. We headed back to the apartment and made dinner plans!

That evening, I made reservations at Herbsaint which is also a short walk away from our apartment. Immediately upon arriving we knew we made a great choice, I truly feel the design of a space says a lot about the quality of the restaurant and I personally feel like if you feel a little sketched out, check out the restrooms, if they’re clean, shiny and designed well you can bet the back of house and overall culinary team probably matches. The bread was fresh baked and fabulous and the menu was chock full of amazing options. I ended up getting the filet au poivre that came with french fries with a great chipotle aioli and Adrian got the grilled chicken which was cooked to perfection. We also started with the cremini mushrooms which had star anise that I’m not a huge fan of but overall was a light, interesting choice! I was bummed not to get a cocktail because there were some awesome ones on the list but my stomach was a bit upset and I wanted to invest in some kombucha first to make sure I felt better before drinking. It was a fabulous endcap to day 2 of our trip and I highly recommend making a resy for either indoors or patio seating (judge the temp when you arrive, it was still in the upper 80s for our resy at 9pm and I opted for inside instead).

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I’m sure you’ve seen a million recommendations for cocktails in Nola (hello Sazerac!!) and rightfully so! But did you know there are a ton of really incredible, and beautifully designed coffee shops and breakfast spots? Here are 10 of my favorites! Also, please keep in mind these were only the ones that were open during the Covid shutdown so there are even more great options out there that will hopefully be available again soon!

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1 Stumptown

As you might already know, Stumptown is the other coffee chain to come out of the pacific northwest. It is a lot smaller of a boutique coffee roaster but personally one of my favorites. They only have a handful of spots, mostly in Oregon, a few in NYC and this one in NOLA! Stop in for a great cold brew, latte or any other traditional espresso or coffee drink! It’s attached to my previously mentioned Ace Hotel so if you’re staying there or nearby you can walk over for a perfect cuppa. Also, they have the most wonderfully designed tumblers and other coffee accessories if you’re trying to cut down on plastic & single use!

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2 Drip Affogato Bar

Affogatos are one of the most beautiful yet underrated inventions ever. If you’ve never had an affogato, it’s traditionally a scoop of vanilla gelato “drowned” in a shot of espresso. You get the marriage of two of the best inventions on earth together in a single cup. It introduces the soft, buttery sweetness of the gelato to the piping hot acidity of the espresso and creates a perfect little pick me up. Thus why Drip Affogato makes the list early on as a must-go. Drip offers the traditional ice cream by the scoop, all your favorite espresso based barista made drinks as well as a variety of different types of affogato like the Cookie Monster which is chocolate drizzle, cookie crumbles, whip cream and a hot chocolate drip. No matter your affogato style or craving, you definitely have to stop in to indulge!

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3 Mammoth Coffee Roasters

We swung into Mammoth coffee roasters right before stocking up on boxes of Aunt Sally’s Pralines right around the corner. They are a smaller boutique coffee. shop with a cute cozy modern aesthetic and pretty decent coffee! Social distancing was in place so technically they didn’t have any dine in but there were a couple cafe tables outside we sat in to sip our coffee. It’s past Julia St. on Baronne and is a don’t miss if you’re in need of a quick hit of espresso!

3 Cafe Bon Ami

Cafe Bon Ami is located just behind Poydras St behind Le Pavillon hotel. It’s a small, unassuming spot in a row of architecturally beautiful rows of buildings with lovely filigree accents. Another mini spot, there are a few hightop options and a short but sweet menu. It was a great stop along our way to the jazz museum before the rain started and because it’s off the beaten path we had it practically all to ourselves the entire time!

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5 Sacred Grinds

Sacred Grinds is a fun and funky mid city spot located adjacent to it’s sister company The Herb Import and is a brightly painted building across the street from the hurricane katrina memorial and most notably smack dab in between 2 historic cemeteries. You can even enjoy a fabulous vegan donut while sitting on their off street lounge that, in their words “features a great view of our quiet neighbors.”

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6 PJ’s Coffee

PJs coffee is a New Orleans chain but totally worth an honorable mention

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7 French Truck Coffee

Another great chain worth mentioning! The most popular one is located in the french quarter but there are actually 3 locations all along the Magazine st Corridor (and one just a block away on Poydras). They have fun yellow branding and have a variety of bean options - my personal favorite is the sumatran blend!

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Living Room: Before & After ***Featured on Apartment Therapy!

What you might not know about my current place is that I almost signed a lease elsewhere before begrudgingly deciding it was worth my effort to visit this place even if it was 99% probably not where I wanted to live based off of the photos online.

What happened when I walked in, however, was the old world charm and the exact location - steps from the downtown walking mall - all reeled me in immediately and I said to the property manager as i walked through the yellow walls “I think this is the place”.

When I signed the lease I didn’t end up moving for another 2+ weeks but as soon as I did I immediately painted as many of the rooms I was immediately using in Valspars creme fraiche to freshen things up a bit but keep that warmth and coziness. I knew the living room was going to be the place I spent most of my time between working from the couch, entertaining friends or watching netflix.

After painting everything white, I changed out the light fixture which was an old ceiling fan from the 90s and installed a fun one I picked up at Lowes. I wanted to get settled quickly so while I typically love the thrill of hunting for things slowly and intentionally, because I had a specific vision I found most of the initial items from Ikea (glass shelves, pink couch, storage boxes). Then I found some other accessories and things like pillow covers, rugs etc from a mixture of things I had an online.

Removing Chalk Paint

Years ago, a hot new interior decor trend took the market by storm. Chalk paint seemed to be a cure all for all of our drab, outdated furniture pieces and made even the most inexperienced home DIYer feel like they were worthy of their own HGTV show.

I have to admit that I was one of those people and when I initially picked up this beautiful vintage piece from Goodwill for $70. I decided the best way to fix it up, get rid of the smoky odor and cover up the slight blemishes without completely sanding down and refinishing was, you betcha: chalk paint.

Also like a lot of people, I realized soon after that I strongly disliked the finish but the thought of stripping, sanding and refinishing the piece was too daunting for me to do anything about. Until today when I had a random burst of energy and ended up finishing half the project in less than an hour. That wasn’t so hard, was it??

This brings me to my next point and what I really brought you here to talk about, do you know what else I was guilty of not knowing much about and largely ignoring because I thought it was way too hard for me to do anything about?

Systemic racism.

If you’re like me, you may have not been aware just how bad racism has been in America for our entire lives. Slavery ended, people marched on Washington for civil rights, MLK is a household name. But there has been a lot of media fanfare around ending racism without a whole lot of actual action and black and brown people still suffer each and every day.

I thought for the longest time in my life that just being “not racist” was enough. But in the fight for equality, you’re either for or against, there is no neutral party.

Essentially, if you take WWII & the Holocaust as a similar metaphor, you couldn’t just “not be a nazi” or “not like Hitler” if you were living in Germany or any of the surrounding countries that the nazis had invaded and held power over. if you weren’t actively resisting the nazis, you were complicit with the atrocities that were committed, plain and simple.

Thus, when we talk about modern day racism, police brutality and straight up murder of black and brown people by the hands of the police, complacency is just about as guilty as being on the side of the oppressor. You may have heard the term “white silence=violence” and that’s because when non-black people stand by and watch things happen but say “that’s not my fight” or “oh how awful” but don’t decry it publicly or take action against it, it is this “neutrality” that is actually a form of racism in and of itself.

Now, if you are reading this, you can no longer feign ignorance to the plight of black and brown people in America. You can no longer stand idly by while people are dying and suffering at the hands of people put in charge of a system that was formed out of racist leaders and policymakers and continues to be managed by them.

Here are some great resources for you to read to find out more about what people are doing in response to the recent murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the countless black lives lost at the hands of police:

How to be an ally to the BLM movement

When Silence equals violence

BLM White People Toolkit

White Activists Can Change Culture

If you’re afraid of Covid-19, or you can’t march or physically make a change, here is an extensive list of places you can donate. I know you got a stimulus check and you’ve been ordering things on Amazon that you don’t really need so what better way to help the cause by setting up a recurring monthly donation or even a one time donation. Even $5 helps, so if you can buy things on Amazon that make Jeff Bezos become an actual trillionaire, you can divert. those funds to people who actually deserve it.

115 Ways to donate & support people of color

Lastly, money TALKS. Marching and conversations with your sphere of influence as well as your government representatives and policymakers is priceless. However, we all know that in our capitalist society it’s that paper that does the most. I’ll be posting about some amazing black owned businesses with CUTE AF stuff in the near future so look out for that!

Now that you’re done signing petitions, making donations, marching and having those tough conversations, I’ll give you a little breakdown of what I did for this piece!

Literally picked up a can of paint stripper at Lowes (which btw. has a black CEO and is 1000x better than Home Depot so shop accordingly!). I grabbed a brush I use for paint that I already had and poured a little bit directly onto the drawers. This stuff is THICK. With the consistency of shampoo so I didn’t worry about spills. Either way I took these outside and did them on the concrete slab. I highly recommend putting a plastic tarp down and having a plastic bag or disposable cup to toss the scrapings into afterwards.

The can says to wait 15 minutes after applying the stripper but literally as I was painting with the brush it started to come up. So after just a few minutes i took my scraper and began scraping off the paint along the wood grain. It’s very important to go along the grain and not against so you don’t scratch the piece or chip it.

After I removed it all I wiped off the excess with a damp, soapy cloth. Now if you remember, the pieces still smelled smoky from previous owners and the smell definitely started to come back with the wood exposed. So I sanded them all down, wiped with a damp cloth and then used my UV light for 30 minutes (locked in the bathroom with no houseplants or living creatures around).

Afterwards I took my magical furniture polish/restorer and just wiped those babies down until they were deep and shiny. A lot of times the pieces I pick up look old and sad because they need some love. It’s amazing what you can do with a quick cleaning and a little moisture for some vintage wood pieces!

I also found the very same dresser being sold online for $1500 which is one of my favorite bits of information when researching a piece I thrifted!

I realize I still have to do the the legs of the piece but that will be another day. I also took this opportunity to go through the drawers and organize/throw out anything that I didn’t need.

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New Orleans Day 1 - Where To Stay & What to do

I went to NOLA for the first time 2 years ago in January for a conference and absolutely fell in love! It has the charm and character and diversity of my home city of Baltimore but PLUS Jazz, cajun food and a touch more spookiness.

Adrian surprised me with a birthday trip here and we left Thursday morning and landed Thursday afternoon.

Where to Stay - Sonder

Both this time and the last time I came, I stayed with a rental company called Sonder. It’s very similar to Airbnb except sort of like airbnb+ options with thoughtfully styled spaces that are rental only and not someones home they are renting out like what you sometimes get with Airbnb. It’s the perfect mix between the charm of an airbnb with more of the features/clean feeling of a boutique hotel.

The first time, Mia and I stayed in a Sonder that was one of the apartments divided up in an old Synagogue with a gargoyle out front. in fact if you google map search “gargoyle New Orleans” you’ll find the building we stayed in! Last time we stayed in the Lower Garden District, a beautifully quaint, quiet neighborhood area with only a few cafes/shops nearby but a 10 minute walk to Magazine st.

This time we stayed in Marigny and the gallery/warehouse district. In fact in the block of buildings we are attached to there are 3 art. galleries alone and we are surrounded by many more all full of incredibly talented artists just from the looks of the window browsing I did.

If you’re wanting to stay somewhere within the heart of the city and live like a local, I definitely recommend Sonder. All of the apartments I have stayed in have maintained the beautiful historical charm of the building (which is super important to me) while adding thoughtful touches and updates throughout. They each have a kitchenette area equipped with coffee/tea & maker, stove & oven, microwave, dishwasher and ours even has a washer/dryer which will help tremendously since we are here for an entire week and I love nothing more than to travel back with clean clothes (although I usually still end up washing them again because I’m a germaphobe). Keep in mind there is usually no laundry detergent so you’d be wise in picking up one of the tide travel packs or your own mini detergent if you plan to clean some clothes! Other pros: there is a keypad to get into the building and then a lockbox & key to get into the apartment so it feels extra safe and secure

The first stop we made after dropping our stuff off was to the local organic convenience/grocery, Nesbits for some water & general provisions. Immediately upon arriving, get water. June in NOLA is no joke and you’ll need a stocked fridge of water for each time you walk outside. Nesbits is a fabulous little spot that seems to somehow have a curated list of everything. We got snacks including 2 of my new favorites I’ll be stocking up on and taking back home with me as well as some laundry detergent and kombucha a couple days later when my stomach was still off.

En route to get provisions we stopped at an italian place called Sofias for cocktails to go, because when in NOLA, you always get a cocktail to go. Adrian got the sangria which he said was great (and he’s from Spain so i value his judgement on that) and I got a drink called the San Bartolomeo which is basically their version of an Old Fashioned with a beautiful stamped whiskey ice cube.

I have to admit, walking down the street drinking an old fashioned definitely felt wrong, especially because I declined the typical lid & straw and decided to sip mine the “old fashioned” way. But it’s just one of the many things I love about this city!

Dining - Cochon

After we got back to the apartment, we rested for a little bit, showered and then I made a reservation at a place a couple blocks away called Cochon. We planned on venturing out and really diving deep into the food scene later in our trip but I always like to start convenient and close the first day especially because you inadvertently find some amazing spots in being a little more uninhibited with your plans!

At Cochon we ordered the oysters & fried alligator. The fried alligator was great! I was a little put off by the oysters because they were served not on the shell and our uber driver informed us that when it rains a lot, the city floods and when they open the dams it makes the oysters easier to catch but mostly because they die or get sick from the flood water. Thus why places smother them in sauce so you can’t tell they’re bad. I don’t think these were necessarily bad, but it only takes a teensy bit of convincing for the hypochondriac in me to fear the worst.

Adrian ordered the red fish and I got the pork belly. Both were good, however, the knives were basically like from a 1990s cheapo Ikea playset and could not cut through the crispy crackling of the pork belly. I tried, defeated, and traded dishes with Adrian and watched him struggle through the meal with something that wouldn’t even cut it as a prison shiv.

Afterwards we ordered the blueberry buckle with vanilla ice cream. Even though a pastry chef was listed, it was a bit below expectations, even for me and my unsophisticated taste buds. The waiter did however recommend a good bourbon and the service was absolutely impeccable which made up for a slightly lackluster meal.

That night we walked home past the art galleries and peered in the windows to see beautiful vibrant paintings, black and white photographs and mixed media from some of the finest artists in the world. Exhausted, we went back to the apt and slept off our meal and prepared for the next day!

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Other Where to Stay Options

Here are a few other favorite honorable mentions! Keep in mind there are tons of hotel options but while I love the sterile reliability of places like the Intercontinental and JW Marriott, I prefer spots that have a little bit more soul of the city or unique digs that make you feel like a local. I also am selecting spots that are mostly walkable or you can access the city via tram but are not located directly in the french quarter where it can be kind of loud and crazy all throughout the night!

Ace Hotel

Just down the street from us towards Canal street and around the corner from Lafayette Park sits The Ace Hotel. A stylishly moody 4 star hotel that is *ahem* doggo friendly and also has a rooftop pool! Rates vary greatly depending upon the time of year so book wisely. The style of this place is hollywood regency meets mid-century vintage. Each room feels like what I imagine how a young Stevie Nicks would decorate a NYC loft. If you can swing it, book the 750 sq ft 2 level Ace Suite that comes equipped with a bar, outdoor terrace, turntable &

Domio

Another stylishly chic, pet friendly option that blurs the line between hotel and airbnb is Domio! Also set in the warehouse district, Domio boasts itself as an “apartment hotel” where you have options like a more traditional hotel studio all the way up to a 4 bedroom suite with a full kitchen. You have 24/7 check in and traditional hotel amenities like a pool, gym etc but you’re essentially renting a hotel room that is built & designed like an apartment! what sets it apart from Airbnb/VRBO/Homeaway is that instead of a broad marketplace anyone can join, Domio is particular in curating their apartments so you know there are beautifully appointed spaces that are well taken care of (and don’t have to feel weird putting your bag in the bathroom cabinet next to someones q-tips & makeup stash). In this sense, it’s very similar to Sonder!

Airbnb+ 2 BR Shotgun House in the Garden District

The garden district is one of the most tranquil, beautiful neighborhood in New Orleans. With gorgeous traditional architecture, sprawling gardens and cute little corner cafes & boutiques, it’s a favorite of mine! There are tons of gigantic mansions but my personal favorites are the quaint little shotgun houses that truly make you feel like a local being immersed in the traditional style of home and surrounded by artwork hand selected by a NOLA native. This one got my attention because after all I am a millenial and those plants are drool worthy!

Sonder - great for multiple guests!

If I’ve sold you on Sonder and you’re coming down with a group, this sonder option also located in the Central Business District is a perfect place for a get-together with friends & family that wants to stay closer than hotel rooms but not too close. With 5 bedrooms, in house washer/dryer and a full kitchen and a lobby, it’s basically like staying at a friends cute, clean city apartment!

Maison De La Luz - french fancy

If you want a slightly more posh aesthetic (think the interior spaces of the Greenbrier) and want to really embrace the french side of NOLA, Maison De La Luz is the spot. The entire hotel reads like an issue of Vogue magazine and magically blends the finer points of southern living with the high end detail of french design and that little touch of funky that New Orleans is known for. The design firm on this project has an impressive portfolio spanning most of California and has a thoughtful, luxurious approach to all their design. If you want an experience slightly more elevated but still distinctly unique, this is the hotel for you.

Front Porch Refresh

I moved into this house in September but between the time spent out of the country traveling and in DC for work, it wasn’t until about February that I even spent an entire straight week here.

That left plenty of projects, unpacking, cleaning and organizing in limbo and I yearned for some time to really work on this space and make it my own.

Obviously with the current Coovid-19 situation, I’ve had a lot of forced time at home to put some creative energy into making this space my own!

It had always been a dream of mine to live in a little old house walkable to my favorite places in Charlottesville and when I saw this was available to rent I jumped on it. This house was built in 1925 so it’s just shy of it’s 100 year birthday. I’m 2 blocks away from the walking mall, 3 blocks from my favorite taco spot and a short drive to plenty of dog parks and all of my favorite wineries!

The front porch quickly became one of my favorite spots. A perfect place to sip my morning coffee, read a book or just decompress and see the people and their dogs walk by from the front porch swing.

The porch faces south which makes it perpetually sunny and in the summertime that means bright and hot. I’ve always loved the look of outdoor curtains and knew they would be a perfect aesthetic fit but would also help make the porch usable even on the hotter days. I wanted something in a pinch while I was back and forth so much so I initially took some old sheers I had and perched them up precariously on some wonky indoor curtain rods. They looked fine but definitely didn’t do anything to block the sun. See exhibit A of my poor, sweet, pale friend Alex wrapping herself in them to protect herself from the sun:

It was actually mid October and event then it was in the 60s but still felt scorching there. Also explains the blood-stained pillow (halloween decorations).

You can also see how barren the porch looked then and again in December where my little reindeer was sunning himself waiting for Santa.

Because the house is a lot smaller than my last house, I knew extending the living space to the outdoors would make it feel so much larger and expand my actual living space by a ton for 3/4 of the year.

The porch decor technically started with this blush pink velvet chair I spotted at a thrift store for $10. It initially went out on the front porch to dry after I had thoroughly cleaned it but I found that I liked having 2 options to sit outside and having purchased furniture that just exactly fit inside the house, soon realized there was no room for it inside.

I realized it actually fit perfectly into the space next to the front door on the opposite end of the porch where it was basically just wasted space. I eventually added the white garden stool you see above, (you can find it through my amazon affiliate link here!) and hung the ferns to give it some privacy and add a little touch of nature to what felt like a barren space. I also had the “fresh cut flower market” sign from before that never quite made sense inside the house but was perfect for the front porch (alternate options that don’t blow away in the wind can be found here , here and here).

I wanted curtains that were heavy enough to block out heat but still enough to keep things relatively sunny on the front porch. I also have a beautiful dogwood tree in the front yard and wanted to take full advantage of it’s beautiful bloom so I didn’t want anything to block that. I also took a few cuttings from the dogwood so I could enjoy them inside also!

I went with these cloud grey ones here that also come in taupe, winter white, and vanilla.

I also needed heavier duty outdoor curtain rod that wouldn’t rust and would withstand the daily tug and pull of the breeze on the curtains so I dropped 3 of these guys in my cart too. 2 Shorter ones for the 2 ends of the porch and the longer one for the front. Pro-tip. If you have super old hardwood porch beams like I do, the screws that come with any mountain bracket just won’t do, I always recommend having a box of sturdy wood screws around just in case anyway!

The final pieces I added were some comfy cozy pillows and a cozy throw to cover up the old, ugly yellow & green flower print of the cushion. It’s a much less expensive way to update a piece like this without having to buy a whole new cushion or cushion cover which I was having difficulty finding one I liked anyway!

Here are my absolute favorites on Amazon:

Similar Outdoor Throw (also great for a picnic!)

Adorable outdoor pillows (would also totally put these on my indoor sofa or a little kitchen banquette!)

And of course the piece I wanted more than anything, a cute little foldable plant stand that now hosts a variety of flowers and lettuce that’s growing happily on the front porch. It’s also a really great indoor option if you want to start a little potted vegetable or herb garden of your own, or just want to give your plants a little condo treatment. I purchased this one and love its warm wood tones for my space but can also be painted any color you want if you decide it doesn’t match your decor!

I’ve also been looking for a cut outdoor flag for the front of the house, something that just shouted cozy and was a little bit more modern and summery than the other floral-heavy ones I found. I ended up with this cute striped “Hello Sunshine” house flag which now blows beautifully in the breeze on those perfect spring days!

I also picked up a few fun spring flowers to have the perfect balance between outside and in and to add pops of bright, happy colors!

Lastly I moved my large white outdoor rug from the front porch to the back deck because it was too large and overwhelmed the space, so I snagged this lovely natural jute rug for $32. If you need a larger option, I’m obsessed with this one! Also please note, these jute rugs work best for indoors! I don’t get any moisture up on the porch so my jute rug is fine but if you live in a rainer area and/or don’t have a covering over your space, I recommend going with an actual outdoor rug like this one that I have on my back deck!

There you have it! My front porch refresh for next to nothing that has expanded my reading, relaxing and drinking area and is the perfect spot to get some fresh air and vitamin D. Especially now, having a little retreat you can go to that isn’t just in your house is so necessary. Sometimes when I sit out there and see people walking their dogs I can almost forget about this whole pandemic garbage and just listen to the birds chirping and my wind chimes and take some deep breaths and another sip of my moscow mule.

*Disclaimer - all of the links are things I have purchased on my own from Amazon but am sharing with you now as an Amazon affiliate so if you do purchase them you’re helping me out big time! Please use the links to purchase anything you find and love so I can buy more cookies for this goober:

If you do your own little outdoor space refresh or reno I would love to see it!! Share on Instagram and tag me so I can see your fab spaces and get inspired to do even more outdoor living spaces in the future!

Covid Carb-Loading: Rosemary Focaccia with roasted onion & tomatoes

If you’ve already stress-eaten all your muffins and your body is still craving the sweet release of death or the next 5 lbs of bread. This ones for you.

To be completely honest, Focaccia is legit one of my favorite breads in the world. It’s so versatile! You can make it with almost any kind of topping, you can slice it in half and make it into a sandwich, you can wrap it up and eat it along your journey as you walk along the barren streets like Will Smith in “I Am Legend”. It’s honestly simple, delicious, beautiful and fits any season and any flavor profile.

The first round of focaccia that Adrian made was a delicious rosemary infused, roasted tomato & onion topped magical concoction during the peak of the frenzy that Covid-19 had brought. I was heavily self-medicated and frantically trying to work through emails from panicked clients and vendors to coordinate new dates for their weddings.

Recipe

2 1/2 cups bread flour

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup warm (not hot) water

3 tsp dry yeast (or 1.5 packets)

1/2 tsp sugar

3 cloves garlic

2 tbsps chopped rosemary

Topping

1/2 vidalia onion, sliced into thin strips

handful of cherry tomatoes

Instructions

1. Put yeast & sugar in cup of warm water, mix thoroughly. Wait until foaming

2. In a mixer wit ha hook attachment or a large bowl place your flour, salt & pepper and start mixing, add half yeast mixture after it is thoroughly combined add the other half. Let it knead for 10-12 minutes until surface is shiny & smooth.

3. While that is kneading, in a small pan heated over medium, chop your garlic and cook in 1/4 cup of your oil until it is golden and fragrant. Add your rosemary until fragrant. Set aside.

4. After the garlic/rosemary oil is cool, add to the dough mixture in your mixer and let incorporate fully.

5. Take another 1/4 cup of oil and coat a large bowl. Place dough in the bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, place in a warm spot and every 20 minutes fold the dough back in on itself with the oil. Repeat this 3-4 times.

6. Take a square jellyroll pan or baking sheet and take 1/4 cup of EVOO and cover your baking sheet & sides. Stretch your dough out with your hands until all the air is out until it’s about 1/3 inch tall. Let proof for 25-30 minutes.

7. Preheat your oven to 475. Place your tomatoes & 2 tbsps oil on a baking sheet or in a packet made of tin foil to roast 15-20 minutes.

8. When tomatoes are roasted down, remove from oven and let cool. Take your fingers and poke the focaccia down to create lots of little craters typical of focaccia.

9. Take your roasted tomatoes and onion slices and cover your focaccia evenly. Place in your oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. Checking on it around 15 minutes because every oven is different!

10. Take that beautiful sheet of bread out, let cool until warm and slice it up

Variations

Sandwich

This focaccia recipe has beautiful Italian flavors and is delicious on its own and works incredibly well as a sandwich. The next day for lunch we added fresh mozzarella & Prosciutto and the following we did fresh mozzarella and salami and it was chef kiss perfect.

Parmesan Zucchini

swap your rosemary for thyme and roast as normal with your garlic. For the topping, swap out onion & roasted tomatoes for sliced zucchini & squash then sprinkle with grated parmesan. Bake as normal!

Rosemary Olive

Swap your tomatoes with sliced green olives and keep everything else the same

Mushroom & Cheese

Swap your rosemary for thyme again. Add portabella & crimini mushrooms with crumbled goat cheese on top.

Covid Carb-loading: Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Muffins

I don’t have to tell you what’s going on here. You’ve already seen the movie, either the original 1980s Mel Gibson classic or the 2015 version with Tom Hardy, Road Warrior/Mad Max seems to be life imitating art. It appears the post-apocalyptic dystopia is coming and it’s time for all of us to brace ourselves with the only thing that can possibly contradict the misery of what we are about to experience:

Muffins.

If Mad Max, burning metal and fight scenes are at one end of the existence spectrum, full blown battle-hardened dystopia. Fresh-baked muffins, warm out of the oven and wafting through the air are at the opposite, wholesome, Disney-Movie utopian end. Minus the evil witches (although I don’t know your life)

I know it’s not pumpkin season, but canned pumpkin lasts apparently a million years and is good to bust out when you have a chilly, rainy, cloudy spring in addition to the impending end of the world.

I first had my first incredible chocolate chunk pumpkin muffin years ago from a little spot called The Breadery, tucked away in Oella, MD. A tiny town adjacent to already tiny historic Ellicott City. From that point forward it had remained the holy grail, something I sought out at every single bakery I entered, seeking, hungrily like a fiend for their next fix.

So here I am to share with you this incredibly delicious, apocalypse proof, carb-heavy beauty chock-full of dark chocolate chunks with slight hints of those delicious, cozy fall pumpkin pie flavors.

P.S. These freeze incredibly well! Because this recipe makes about 10 large muffins or 18 standard size muffins., if you’re a solo person you probably shouldn’t eat all of them in one sitting (I’m not saying you can’t). Once they have cooled completely, wrap each tightly in saran wrap, then in tin foil and pop them in the freezer individually or in a ziploc back, pop one out and heat in a muffin tin for about 5 minutes at 275.

P.S. I didn’t do a photoshoot of my muffins because #1 I ate them all too fast, #2 I’m lazy and fat from all the carbs I ate #3 people have to pay good money to see my muffins, CashApp or Venmo only (this is a joke please don’t dm me).

RECIPE

3/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups of pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3 tsps vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups AP flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, ginger, cloves)

1 tsp salt

1 bag of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 semi-sweet chocolate baking bar

Instructions

1. Wash your hands

2. Preheat your oven to 425. Line your muffin tins then sit that on your counter, next to your stockpile of toilet paper.

3. in a mixer or a large bowl, mix your pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until completely blended and no lumpy bumps.

4. In another medium sized bowl, mix your flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk together until completely blended.

5. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ones until completely blended with a rubber spatula or your whisk.

6. With a serrated knife, chop the baking bar into various sized chunks, smaller than a quarter.

7. Add half the baking bar chocolate and 3/4 of the bag of chips to the pumpkin mixture. Mix together with your whisk or rubber spatula.

8. Drop batter into muffin tins 2/3 of the way to the top. Top with the remaining chopped chocolate and chocolate chips. Eat a few just to make sure they aren’t poison.

9. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 425. Then turn the pan to cook evenly, lower the heat to 350 and bake for another 16 minutes. The trick to a great muffin, just like with a great cupcake is to slightly undercook it by like 1 minute. If you’re afraid of salmonella from the eggs or something else, you’re obviously not aware of the world around us and I would rather die by muffin than respiratory failure.

10. Wait for them to cool then enjoy with coffee, tea and the end of humanity as we know it.

Canmore & Banff

I recently took a trip with Alex out to the West Coast of Canada to a magical little town called Canmore to scope out and plan her wedding! Canmore is about 45 minutes south of Banff National Park and is smack dab in the middle of the Canadian rockies. If you’re looking for a cute little town with coffee shops a plenty and the most majestic mountain views everywhere you look, Canmore is your town. 

In late May when we went, it was a gloriously refreshing 70 degrees during the day but dropped into the lower 50s at night. For this reason I highly encourage you to pack multiple layers. I have a handy dandy medium weight down jacket I bought on Amazon that fits conveniently into the rolled/squished up bag the size of a banh mi sandwich.  

Our first trip welcomed us with open arms in the best possible way. Upon pulling into our Airbnb neighborhood, the Mystic Springs Chalets & Hot Pools, we were greeted by bunnies of all shapes, sizes and colors just hopping around the grass in the fading sunlight, chasing each other and elevating Canmore from a beautiful small town to a straight up Disney kingdom. 

We got in at the sweet spot of the day where we had enough time to stop in for Happy Hour and grab some drinks and food! Our airbnb is within walking distance of Blake and a few favorite other spots but if you are looking to go into town more frequently, you might want to stay across the tracks. You’ll need to rent a car regardless because the drive from Calgary airport is just over an hour long. I recommend Enterprise and getting a free luxury upgrade. It’s tops. 

We went to Blake for happy hour and seeing that everything on the menu looked incredible, we proceeded to order almost one of everything. Highlights included the crispy beets, pork kimchi dumpling, falafel burger & terimayo bao. Also, be sure not to miss out on the crack fries!  

I started with the umami caesar. A deliciously savory drink that hit the spot and  promptly ordered another one. Our server, Trevor, is an absolute angel so make sure to request him when you go and tip well! 

Upon leaving Blake we were greeted outside by the Canadian welcome team, or a small family of large Elk enjoying their own happy hour of fresh grass next to the road. We walked by feet from them as they finished their meal. I also recommended they pop into Blake and try the Umami Ceasar. 

The next day we walked over to Blondies, am adorable little cafe decked out in bright teal Adirondack chairs, signage and pillows. You’re greeted at the door by a life-size yeti in a neon green tank top. Your drink comes in a fab little teal campfire mug and the ambience urges you to stay for a chat, work from your laptop or just eat your cowboy breakfast wrap in silence with Sasquatch. 

Being the brilliant minds that we are, Alex and I booked massage appointments at Wildflower Massage & Esthetics. I tried cupping for the first time which is where they take silicone cups that apply steady suction/pressure to certain parts of your back for a prolonged period of time. I don’t know if it was the cupping, the massage in general or that fresh Canadian air but I did feel pretty incredible the rest of the trip with none of my typical back pain. I also had a woman who’s dog I was petting compliment me on my cupping marks the next day, which resemble a lost fight with an octopus. 

We strolled along 8 St. Which is sort of the unofficial Main Street of Canmore. Popped into Rocky Mountain Soap Co. and snagged a few travel size wellness balms. One of my fave things to keep in my carry on when I need to destress, breathe or just cover up the smell of someones gyro that they inexplicably brought onto the cabin of a plane. 

We found ourselves at Mountain Juice cafe and sat outside in the sun with smoothies taking it all in. Afterwards we walked over to the Bow River Bridge, which was the plan A for Alex and Ricks wedding ceremony. The Bow River is basically a canvas where Bob Ross would paint happy little trees onto while encouraging you to believe in yourself, forgive yourself for mistakes and then hand you a baby bunny. We walked the path for a bit and ended up on the opposite side of the bridge, down on the waterfront where a bend in the river exposed lots of beautiful colored smooth river stones. Alex and I plopped ourselves down in the sun and picked our favorites to take home while I built rock towers and the river rushed by us. 

We decided to drive up to Banff and stopped into Park Distillery for dinner and drinks. We sat at a communal table next to an older couple who take llamas (LLAMAS!) up one of the mountains to haul their camping gear where they camp…with their llamas. 

After having our fill of a fabulous meal, we drove to Banff National Park and hiked along the white water rapids. In several places, the bridges and pathways that jut out over the water some 50 feet up in places, were missing tiles or small sections of footpath adding to the already intense level of anxiety I have from my terrible fear of heights. But to be honest, the sheer beauty, intensity of the rushing water and magic of it all kept me propelled forward. 

We got closer to the sound of a small waterfall and snuck through a tiny, dark, slippery entrance that opened up to a little cave that offered front seat view and experience of the intensity of the falls. If you’ve never been up close to a waterfall, it’s hard to explain the sheer power of it, even a small one. Alex and I were yelling at each other standing right next to each other over the incredible roar. Even though we were still probably 20 feet away, we were very quickly covered in a  cool layer of mist. We exited the cave wet and laughing just in time to get home and for me to run out and feed a bunny a carrot in someones front yard. 

Charlottesville - Round 1

Here’s the thing, well, several things really…

So many people have asked me to write a blog post on Charlottesville and countless more have asked my opinion and suggestions on things there. A few people even asked if I lived there.

This blog post/series is a long time coming. Of all the places I’ve traveled, Cville is one of my absolute favorites. It’s a beautiful, creative, grounding, real city set in the most magical backdrop. I feel so at peace and at home when I’m in Cville that I just feel like it’s a city I live in already. It’s also only a short hour and a half drive from where we live in Gainesville so the convenience factor of not having to board a plane is incredible.

Now to be clear, there are SO many more things about Cville that are perfect and wonderful that I probably am not even aware of and that’s one of the best things about this city. I can visit a million times and still discover something new.

So for this first roundup, I’m going to go through a few key things for anyone to experience for a quick 1-2 day trip to Cville. Including my favorite places to stay and things to do near the Belmont neighborhood. Because there are to many of each of these categories I’ll have to break this up into a series. But if you’re heading down and desperate for a few top picks, here you go!

Where to Stay

I have a few favorite Airbnbs and a few favorite hotels. Because I think the historic buildings in Cville are part of it’s magical charm, I would start with an Airbnb!

Elegant Downtown Belmont Apartment

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images from Airbnb

One of my favorite spots is in the Belmont neighborhood. Belmont is a beautiful little spot located about 15 minutes from the downtown walking mall. The neighborhood features a few of my fave restaurants (The Local, Mas) and a fabulous place coined Belmont mansion that houses my favorite airbnb spots!

It has a private outdoor walkup entrance that overlooks the owners beautiful vegetable and flower garden. This rental also has as fabulous little cafe table and chairs on the private deck where you can enjoy a glass of wine while watching the finches bounce around and pick at the sunflowers

What I love about this Airbnb is it is stylishly appointed, so even though it has the cozy comfort of your own personal apartment, it’s modern and up to date like a chic boutique hotel. I’ve mentioned this in past blogs, but my absolute favorite moment when I travel is waking up in the morning at my airbnb, brewing coffee and sitting and watching the sun rise & the day begin. The cutest little kitchenette is perfect for this. The luxe french blue velvet sofa is dying to be sat on so while most of my trip there was for work (I essentially slept there, showered there and did my morning coffee routine) I did purchase a magazine and sat on that sofa with a glass of wine and a snack (there’s a great little quick-e-mart literal steps away) and just enjoyed the coziness of the exposed brick and that beautiful blue softness.

There is typically ample street parking directly in front of the mansion but depending upon how many apartments are booked, and what time of day it is, it might get busy. I have yet to park more than 20 yards away from the apartment though!

On a nice day, it’s perfect to walk to the Walking Mall for lunch/drinks/dinner etc. But there are several options nearby! Which brings me to my next point…

Where to Eat

Again, there are only about a bajillion options, I’m gonna start with a few to give you a range but I encourage everyone to explore as the food scene in Cville is great and ever growing!

Mariebette & Petite Mariebette

Breakfast

last 3 photos from Mariebette website

Petite Mariebette is a “petite” cafe version of Mariebette but located within a 15 minute walk from the airbnb in Belmont right off the downtown walking mall, perfect for a stop for breakfast followed by a little perusing of the shops. They offer some great coffee options, spectacular pastries and fab breakfast sandwiches. Mariebette is known for their beautiful art made with flour on top of their delectably crusty bread, like the GOT themed bread shown above! It has a chic atmosphere and a great playlist so it’s perfect to pop in and share breakfast or do a little blogging by the front window.

O’Suzannah

shopping-gifts

After breakfast, you’ll want to walk off the heaviness of The Luchador and if you’re lucky enough to be there on the weekend you can hit up the farmers market in the parking lot across the street for some more local fare. If you’re looking for some great shopping though, look no farther than O’Suzannah on 2nd street. O’Suzannah is chock full of all those adorable little things you find in the home section of Anthropologie or Paper Source but expanded into an entire store. Paper goods, incredible gifts, cards, housewares, bath bombs, you name it, all categorized in an insta-worthy way by color. My favorite lotion, bourbon vanilla from Soap &Paper Factory is there amongst the shelves of Rifle Paper Co and funny greeting cards. I also picked up my favorite notebook, an olive green paperback engraved with a gold “Business Bullshit” from The Mincing Mockingbird. I’ve also purchased some of the most incredible bath bombs (Sorry, Lush) and sweetest gifts here for friends. Definitely a must-see!

The Impeccable Pig

shopping-clothing

Just across the street from O’Suzannah is one of my favorite boutiques. Fun, summery vibes abound at The Impeccable Pig with cute tops, skirts, dresses and jewelry! In fact, one of my favorite pairs of jeans and marble necklaces is from Impeccable Pig! If you’re looking for something bright and cheery to welcome summer in, Impeccable Pig is a must stop! It’s also right next to Rock, Paper Scissors so if you didn’t manage to find that perfectly funny greeting card at O’Suzannah you’re guaranteed to find it there!

Pippin Hill Farm

wine lunch

Pippin Hill isn’t just a fabulous wedding venue and great winery, it’s absolutely my favorite lunch spot in Virginia. With bucolic views of the rolling hills of North Garden & Crozet, you can grab a seat on the covered veranda or on the tasting room, each with their own special sense of charm. The menu is tapas style with a multitude of seasonal options raging from the PHC board to share, scallops in spring to my personal fave the short rib in the fall. There is always something incredible on the menu and the view overlooks their kitchen garden where many of the herbs and edible flowers are sourced from. Pippin Hill is also doggo friendly so it’s a great place to be if you’d like to pet some floofs on a sunny afternoon.

The Local

Dinner

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images from The Local website

Let’s start with a restaurant that is not only great as a wedding caterer, but also is directly behind the Airbnb. Talk about walkability. The Local is a beautiful brick facade building that is one of the first places to greet you on Hinton ave as it transitions into Monticello. The inside spaces are all either very cozy, turn of the century brick and beam exposed industrial goodness, or a festive open air feel with the upstairs bistro lighting and glass walls. But my personal favorite spot to dine is out on the balcony or smack dab outside the front door on the small covered patio. Oftentimes I’m alone when I travel to Cville and nothing entices me more than a good book, a good meal and people watching as guests from graduations, birthdays, rehearsal dinners etc come and go.

The menu is pretty traditional American flare but with the slightly hipster/foodie vibe that’s perfect to fill a square on Insta and that hunger void. My personal faves are the Caromont goat cheese salad and the steak frites. They have some really fun cocktails but I typically go for the $8 glass of Rioja.

Mas Tapas

Dinner

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photos from Mas Instagram & Facebook

First of all is there anyone reading this that isn’t a fan of tapas? Because if so, you’ll want to excuse yourself from all future posts. Tapas are my JAM! What’s better than a million little places of all the choices instead of one big heavy meal? I wish I could figure out how to eat nothing but tapas and small plates the rest of my life.

Mas is a spot that you can also see from the balcony of your airbnb but a little bit farther down Monticello. Maybe more of a 5 minute walk instead of 2. Mas, if you could tell, is a tapas spot that offers an expansive wine selection from Spain (mi favrito) and a strong menu of a variety of different tapas ranging in safe for the beginner to more on the foodie level. You order tapas by checking them off on a paper sheet much like at a sushi restaurant. Mas is always packed after 6pm and they don’t take reservations other than Graduation weekend (which is busy af) so try to get there early and scope a nice spot. Again the interior of Mas, while smaller than The Local, has a fun industrial/hip vibe, I still prefer the patio that sits at the corner of Monticello & Carlton where all the action is driving or walking by.

My favorites are all of their on-site hearth baked bread and variety of Spanish cheeses, Jamon Iberico (anything that makes me feel like I’m back in Spain). I also love their Mejillones, broccolini, coloflor and the Empanadas!

Solo Paris - or - how to attempt to blend in while being a dumb American

I have to say, despite the number of basic white girl memes about Paris, it really is a magical place. Last year I went again with a small group of girls to be photographed by The Alicia Bruce and afterwards was “stuck” in between that leg of my trip and a mediterranean cruise with Shaun from Barcelona.

Despite how much fun it would be to make 2 back to back transatlantic flights, I decided the best option was to spend my week solo in Paris, discovering the city and in the process, myself.

The move happened the day after the girls left. I remained at Hotel Henriette for a full day, the first part of which I laid in bed, staring out the window, contemplating how scary it would be to look like an asshole with my limited french to a bunch of busy Parisians who have better things to do than to help some idiot American stumble through her french phrase book.

Seriously, when people talk about social anxiety, the best way to put things in perspective is to drop yourself in a bustling foreign city and only know basic greetings and the words for phallic vegetables. I was TERRIFIED. As someone who gets along pretty well and actually LOVES being alone in a city back in the states, the thought of fitting into a lazy, entitled American stereotype terrified me.

That and getting hit by a rogue vespa.

And yet, got myself out of bed, put on my shoes and ventured out into Paris by myself, trusty little french phrase book by my side.

If you put headphones in and walk through the city, Paris is just like any other metropolitan area in the world. The signs may be in a different language, but crosswalks and sidewalks and pigeon poop is all pretty much the same (except they coo in french, obviously). It also, in my opinion, makes you look like you can’t be bothered by anyone, which also totally fits within the french aesthetic.

So I popped in my headphones and sauntered (just kidding I hobbled like Frodo and the gang through part 2 of their journey to Mordor) up to the 5th arrondissement. Secretly hoping everyone assumed I was a local. I went past the coffee shops and scarf boutique and just kept walking until I found a suitable spot for a late lunch.

If I could remember the name, I would absolutely tell you but I don’t remember. All I can tell you is I stood in the square sweating nervously looking at all the different equally french, equally magnificent options and selected the one with the quietest corner and most handsome waiters.

I truly just wanted an espresso but I felt like an authentic french person would get some baguette and cheese. And frankly, I’m always down for a baguette and cheese. So I ordered the cheese plate, a decanter of water and an espresso.

Just as I started to meander through my french book and realized my energy just wasn’t focused well enough on learning it, a few musicians began setting up their instruments in the square. I sat there on this breezy April afternoon in one of the many magical Paris squares, eating the best cheese & baguette, simple arugula salad with balsamic and sipping an espresso. It was delightful.

After I felt I had spent enough time lingering at the cafe, I paid my tab and headed across the square to the little ice cream shop. The sound of the street band sang me over and little Parisian children played tag and made makeshift backup percussions with the lamp posts while giggling and chattering in the sweetest little french accents. I snagged a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of pistachio (classic, always) and sat on a little concrete stoop and watched the band perform.

With a belly full of dairy products and a heart full of jazzy local Paris music, I proudly walked the blocks back to Hotel Henriette while only barely using Citymapper to navigate.

En route I popped into a little boutique and picked up some loafers and a mustard yellow purse. The shop girl being so lovely and sweet, it made me glad to stop.

When I arrived back to my hotel, I realized how far away I had actually traveled as the sun was beginning to set. The bread, cheese and fig jam had long since worn off at this point so I was ready for my first official solo dinner in Paris.

I google a ton of walkable places, but walking in a pair to a local dive bar is incrementally less frightening than walking solo so I opted for the closest thing open on a Monday night.

I stepped into the little restaurant down the street, still armed with my french book. The middle aged gentleman behind the counter loudly and warmly laughed with some patrons who were obvious regulars if not even family. He gestured for me to sit wherever and I slid onto the end of a bench at a little cafe table.

As I went to sit down, I realized the large black mass on the bench was an old black cat. I pet him gently to see if he would stir. Apparently old, fat black french cats also cannot be bothered. So I slid him gently a few inches to my left and squeezed in next to him, again to which he seemed not to even recognize he was displaced.

I sat down and tried my best terrible french, the owner/server/chef/bartender was very understanding and as he was weaving in and out of tables came over took my order and suggested a wine pairing.

I sat there waiting for my meal, feeling silly reading my french book in a french restaurant next to a french cat so I put it down and switched over to my phone to check Facebook or Instagram or some other soul-sucking task. The owner stopped at my table and in a brilliant broken english said carefully, “The world can wait, enjoy this life.” Which basically isa proverb I’m going to get tattooed on my body. Not one to disobey the wise old teachings of a 21st century Sam Malone, I nodded, sat my phone down next to me looking for Tache (the fat black cat) who had seemed to wander off, searching for the guest who just received the tenderloin in hopes they were in a sharing mood.

I ate my dinner quietly, observing the few other tables around me, catching a glimpse of Tache every now and then, polished off my wine and requested the check. The french Sam Malone sent me off into the night with a flyer for a local art exhibit. He offered no further prolific anecdotes, but I’m certain he’s still dishing out some haricots verts, pouring great cheap french wine and laughing boisterously with the guests.

The following morning I was a bit more adventurous. After having touched base with the local RTS chapter, I made plans to grab coffee with a girl named Keemia, a health & wellness guru ex-pat from California. I caught an UBER to the 4th, just above Notre Dame in the Marais and stood on the bridge watching the boats, businessmen and joggers pass by.

I headed to Le Peleton Cafe and was greeted by the fabulously stylish Keemia in her parisian striped pants at the equally as stylish grey, white and yellow cafe. I ordered a dirty chai and we sat outside getting to know each other.

We perused Le Marais a bit and decided to take a little stroll along the Seine as the sun had come out and was beaming down happily on the stone warming everything. Keemia taught me a little bit about the french history she knew around us and explained the architecture, lore and history of the buildings.

We went further in Le Marais and made a stop at L’as Du Fallafel. An apparently famous fallafel place I had walked by several times previously and never stopped. We each ordered falafel and indulged and walked to place des vosges to continue basking in the warm sunny day and observing all the people bobbing around looking like they were straight of a Georges Seurat painting. We chatted and people watched until it got too hot then walked over to Amorino for ice cream.

I informed Keemia, who now felt like an old friend for having spent the day with me, that I had to check out of my hotel and transplant myself somehow to the 11th and my pied a terre. Being the angel she is, she volunteered to come with me and even helped me load up my gigantic heavy suitcase into the UBER.

This apartment was a bit interesting, my instructions were to head to the cafe/bar on the corner and ask the bartender for the keys that Marie left for me. Sheepishly, I asked the handsome, busy bartender for the keys and we made our way around the building to the entrance. After searching fruitlessly for the elevator we realized that my apartment was up 5 flights of stairs on the 6th floor and I would have to haul half my body weight up the spiraling staircase that seemed to go on forever if I planned on sleeping in a bed and not the cold tile lobby floor. Of course, sweet, wonderful Keemia who weighs almost as much as my suitcase helped me lug the monstrosity of clothes and shoes up the stairs, stopping at every landing to catch our breath. We made it to the top and I found myself in a little piece of heaven. Next time on the blog.

Southern Supper Club

Halloween of 2017 I was planning a night in with wine and creepy makeovers with 2 of my favorite spooky chicks, Kir and Cece. We ended up inviting a few other gals we knew and loved and decided to decorate and order in some pizza while watching scary movies. Still to date one of my favorite supper clubs since I made the girls watch The Exorcism of Jane Doe and nothing quite fills my heart with wicked joy like scaring the people I love.

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Fast forward almost a year and supper club had become a regular occurence. We began to meet up once a month where I would host and decorate and everyone would bring a dish to share. While the group itself has evolved over the months, the same general concept of gathering for drinks and light hors d’oeuvres/snacks, followed by dinner and then some sort of activity which often includes a movie, card game or sometimes just drinking.

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One of my favorite supper clubs to date was our Southern Comfort theme which was inspired by the heat and humidity of August as well as a fabulous English china set I found at a thrift store. It was a lovely mix of vintage pieces, new and a few heirlooms. My grandmothers butter dish and my mothers silverware also made a debut and seemed to be a fitting part of the overall cozy, warm, welcoming nostalgic ambience.

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Krysta photographed everything beautifully, of course, and captured all of the special little details. We had a spectacular menu put together by the girls, kicking thing off with Amanda, who has, of course been crowned our salad queen.

~Menu~

Amanda - Watermelon-Feta Salad

Cece- Mac n Cheesies & Hand lettering place cards

Krysta - Fried Pickles & photos!

Soleil - Cornbread & Collard Greens

Rachel - Sauteed balsamic Green Beans -

Janessa - Fried Chicken & buttermilk biscuits

Soleil - Apple Crisp & Vanilla Ice Cream with homemade caramel sauce -

Alex - brownies

Sarah Pete - Mint Juleps & Jam+moonshine favors

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I decorated in true southern style with some magnolia blooms from the backyard and trimmed some of the limelight hydrangea which nestled perfectly in their wicker basket as the centerpiece to the table. For cocktail hour we mixed in more fab sunflowers that Janessa picked up!

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Cece of course hand-lettered our place cards which tucked in between the seagrass chargers and the blue & white china I snagged from Homegoods with a few sprigs of Magnolia leaves to tie it together.

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Candlelight was necessary when the sun went down and we enjoyed it’s warm flickering from a few tapers and pillars scattered across the table. Sarah Pete also brought everyone a mini jam and moonshine jar for each persons place setting and as a favor!

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A few of my favorite bts iphone snaps!

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Rincon & San Juan

I woke up early again, and headed to my recurring work spot, one of the hammocks on the front porch, to get as close to inbox zero as I could before we headed off again. Once the girls were awake we swung by Jakes Java again for our morning fill-up and eventually made our way to my favorite beach in Rincon so far. Corcega beach sits just past the downtown area of Rincon down a few side streets lies the most peaceful, serene beach in Rincon. The waves lap gently against the shore and a small wooden swing is suspended between the ocean and a little bog from a tall palm tree. By this point I had almost finished my morning g&t so the liquid courage and soft demeanor of the ocean invited me in, Cece leading the way. I dove, headfirst into the ocean, for the first time in 2 years since the last time I almost died while attempting to swim on a beach that was clearly more for surfing near Cabo. After diving in, the exhilarating rush of being in the ocean and not drowning and/or getting eaten by a sea serpent kept me (literally & figuratively) afloat until it was time to head back to land. Danielle created another epic sand castle (she is after all, the newly annointed sand castle queen).

We headed back while stopping off at Playa Bowls for acai bowls. That night we drank and partied and decorated the house for Ceces birthday, even featuring the “IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY” banner from The Office.

Our last day in Rincon was spent similar to the first few, lounging by the pool, soaking up rays by the ocean and another epic sand castle by Danielle. That night, however, we met up with Peter and watched the sunset from the top of Domes beach. We then headed to La Estacion pub with $1.50 Medallas and the most delicious little taco stand out front. It was early so the taco stand was busier than the pub, but totally worth the wait. The girls fried up our tortillas with cheese on the grill before filling with the most delicious fillings I had tried thus far.

We ended the evening back at the house with more drinks and a rousing game of “keep the balloon off the floor” with some of Ceces leftover birthday decorations. It was actually the perfect ending to the trip, I polished off the bottle of Rioja I had snagged on our grocery store run and slept off the sun.

The next day we drove East back to San Juan and explored old San Juan, it’s brilliantly colored buildings, fun art installations and rum houses for a bit before taking Danielle to the airport. We then headed to a bubble tea spot, followed by empanadas and medallas at Pa’pical, a little spot near the beach before we dropped off the rental car and began our journey home.

I didn’t know what to expect from Puerto Rico but I can tell you at least partially overcoming my fear of the ocean and savoring those warm sandy beaches and tropical water made me feel like maybe, in fact, I might be a beach person.

Rincon, Puerto Rico

Song: Miguel - Waves (Tame Impala Mix)

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

Recently took a trip to Puerto Rico for Ceces birthday and judging by how sleepy and done with everyones shit I am today, I either contracted zika or the beautiful beaches and tropical sun are calling me back and I’m dreading the grey, cold soupy weather that Virginia greeted me with.

On Saturday we flew into San Juan and picked up the rental car followed by some incredible alcapurrias and coconut soda at a spot called Donde Olga recommended to us by our rental car driver.

We swung back to the airport to pickup our compatriot, Danielle, who after many mimosas and a go pro strapped to her chest made several friends on her flight over. We began the 2.5 hour trek from San Juan airport to Rincon.

I remarked several times on how much Puerto Rico reminded me of LA, what with it’s feast of open air brick and tiled buildings, shops and markets also littered with Burger Kings and Taco Bells.

The drive was smooth enough and we arrived just after sunset. Upon checking in our airbnb wasn’t ready so we showered quickly in the scalding hot water and walked across the street for drinks and dinner at Tamboo.

Tamboo is a great open air bar/restaurant that sits on the beach overlooking the surf with a second story rooftop deck. Which Danielle lovingly referred to as Shamu, since it reminded her of the name (PS Fuck Seaworld, amirite?). We ordered grilled mahi tacos and steak kabob and I had an emotional experience because they were so good. Danielle did as well since she ordered the kabobs about 4 more times in subsequent days and shared them with almost everyone living person in Rincon.

Around 10:30 a dj began a great set and a little dancing happened while we chatted up our neighbors in the airbnb who were set to leave back home to San Juan the next day. A great band began to play in between sets of the dj and after a bit, the g&ts peacefully resting alongside the tacos in my stomach began to lull me into a post-travel day sleepiness so I headed back to the Airbnb to rest up for our bright and early start on Sunday.

We began at Jakes Java, a brightly colored open air coffee stand about 1/4 mile from our airbnb. We sipped our mama javas en route to the supermarket to pick up supplies and then headed to the beach across the street.

For how beautiful the day was, there were few other people on the beach, giving us almost an entirely private experience, aside from a few random body surfers and families taking photos on rocks. We lulled around on the beach for a bit before heading back to make our way to Domes beach for a surf competition.

Our beach (sandy beach) had some pretty tumultuous waves but nothing like Domes. The surf competition had brought a little festival of vendors, setting up shop along the perimeter of jungle and sand. Starting at one end with a little boutique on wheels, The Bikini Bus, a soft pink school bus painted with tropical leaves including rows upon rows of beachy boho attire. We made our way through tents selling all things from handmade goods to sponsored/logo products. A band on a stage played a variety of reggae and chill rock as we made our way to a sandy spot near the announcers stage where judges watched tanned bodies some riding, and sometimes crashing into the shore. This was also

There were good vibes all around and we finished our drinks and laid out watching what I can only assume was what Pac Sun used as their inspiration commiserating all around us. We made friends with the group next to us and took shelter under their umbrella as the rain set in.

Behind us was a tent offering facials on the beach. $20 for 20 minutes. SOLD. I took shelter under the tent and struck up a conversation with Annette, the owner and a local who had moved here with his wife from LA before laying on the table and beginning the best 20 minutes of my life. Annette had this energy that somehow was a culmination of the laidback surfer lifestyle, a comforting abuela and mother earth herself all at once. I was immediately at peace as she gently told me we were about to begin. I laid there as the last drops of rain pattered gently on the tent. Music floated down from the band and in between the waves created a gentle rhythm. Feral, curly blonde haired children squealed with glee on the skate ramp behind me and somewhere above it all the surf announcers rattled off scores in english and Spanish. I could hear the light, playful barks of the dogs that had been let off-leash and danced around between groups of people playing and wrestling in the sand. Annette applied all of her organic products with the most caring and skilled hands and I was tempted to ask if I could double my money and time and how much it would be if I just stayed there all night.

Soon enough it was time to go so we packed into the car and drove back to the airbnb to catch the last few rays of sun from the pool. I worked on emails from the comfort of the little bistro table set below the thatched tiki umbrella next to the house. While Cece napped, Danielle and I went on a mission to Jakes Java for more coffee but by that time it was closed so we settled on Monster energy drinks from the little beach shop/convenience store down the street.

That night we made our way to Big Kahuna Burger Bar/Casa Verde Bar & Grill. I’m still not 100% sure what the actual name was since both signs adorn the building, but after a few drinks it didn’t really matter anyway. Our bartender, Jared, was from Baltimore and provided us some spectacular entertainment in the form of a magic show (illusionist if Gob has anything to say about it). We drank the night away and I headed back and tried my best to chug the gallon of water I had by my bed.