Cuyana- fewer better things

I briefly mentioned in girls trip post about a new bag I bought while visiting DC. It was too good so I had to do a full post all about it. My friend had mentioned she visited the pop up shop at the start of the summer and was so happy with her purchase. We didn't have much time (like almost missed my flight) but we made a quick stop in the shop. It was probably a good thing I didn't have too much time to browse because I could have easily spent M's college fund (just kidding, I would have actually done that..I don't think ;) )

Cuyana is a SF based brand who had a pop up shop in DC which was intended to be a few weeks but with the huge success they had the company decided to spend the summer in Georgetown and boy am I glad they did!

Here's a little bit about their company, "Fewer, better is the foundation of everything we do. Product-wise, we design essential pieces for the modern woman with the most premium materials and finest craftsmanship. Lifestyle-wise, we strive to create a content destination on intentional living and elegant simplicity across all categories."


 I particularly love their commitment to giving back,  "With every Cuyana purchase where you select "lean shipping" at checkout, we will send you a reusable bag to fill up with items that aren't helping you live your most beautiful life. You mail the bag back to us (with the included shipping label) and through our non-profit partner, H.E.A.R.T., your donated clothing will be given directly to women who will be able to gain fresh starts through your generosity. As an added bonus, for every donation you make, you will receive a $10 credit towards your next Cuyana purchase. It's about doing more with less in our closets — and doing more for others who are in need.

 I loved that they had in store monogramming which took 5 minutes! I literally watched the saleswoman monogram my bag while I checked my flight status. You have a 3 letter monogramming option or the star, heart or clover. I went with a classic three letter and absolutely LOVE it :)

 The bag is beautiful, supple leather, and super versatile. I have been wearing it non-stop since my purchase. Stay tuned for how I styled my bag in an upcoming post!

Girls Trip

The past few weekends have been super busy and filled with lots of firsts. One of which was my first night away from M for my Sister's bachelorette party. The following weekend was my first flight without her. Luckily both were super fun, I could (almost) totally relax knowing M was with her Dad who is easily the better parent ;)

How cute is this new shirt? Check out my upcoming Stitch Fix review for details.

I headed to DC early Saturday morning with my girlfriend to celebrate our dear friends 30th birthday. Her husband was so sweet to email us back in April so we had plenty of time to plan our stay. We arrived early and headed for our hotel. I snapped a few pictures of our room - I loved the shower and dark floors (mental note for future home!) 

We then went over to Le Diplomate for brunch. I adore this place! The food is phenomenal, the decor is perfection, which all comes together to create the most perfect ambiance. 

We then headed back for some relaxation and girl time before heading to the new (to me)  Dry Bar location in Dupont. With great hair and relaxed moods we headed back to the hotel for bubbles and the finishing touches.

The party was at Maple so we popped in earlier for dinner and drinks before heading upstairs to the party. It was such a fun night! There was an awesome  rosé bar, amazing gold flecked jewel treats, cake & apps. 

On Sunday I got to visit some old favorites, Bethesda Bagels, Baked and Wired, and visit some friends from our time in DC. I also popped into a shop and picked up a gorgeous new bag, but more on that in a separate post! 

It was a fabulous 36 hour trip, short & sweet but worth every minute! Happy 30th to my sweet friend! I hope this year brings you so much happiness, puppy snuggles & many more trips together!

 XO

Date night, parent style

Last week we had a little "date night," M was with my parents so Oliver and I had the night to do anything we wanted...and we went to IKEA! We had needed a few things and always found an excuse not to go over the weekend, I mean have you ever been on a Saturday? It's torture! So we headed to pick up a few things, explore and have dinner. Full disclosure- Oliver is OBSESSED with the Swedish Meatball dinner.

The soft serve is so yummy! It's funny because it reminds me of soft serve ice cream you get in England. It just tastes different than most of what you buy here. Anyone with me!?

We came for frames and left with many other things!

I couldn't help myself with these adorable toys! We will save them for when M is older but I loved the bright colors! Also we use trays made specifically for freezing baby food to make M's food, but when I saw these ice cube trays they are the perfect size and 1/3 of the price! We also picked up some new spoons to try out. 

Back to our initial reason for going... I started my gallery wall a while back and used a variety of these IKEA frames. I wanted to add some new pictures from M's newborn shoot and family photos. We also wanted frames for Oliver's diplomas. I am currently helping him to design/decorate his new work office! We are SO proud of him! He will be starting his first tenure track job in September :) 

Recent purchases

On Sunday we were in need of a little family time, but it was far too hot to be outside, so we headed to the mall. I wanted to shop around the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, so we made our way there first. I wasn't looking for anything in particular but wanted a little refresh for my wardrobe. Unfortunately I didn't find anything for myself clothing wise- I was trying not to spend too much time looking so M didn't get impatient. M was totally fine but I suffer from first time mom worry ;)

Anyway I did end up finding a cute pair of shoes (not part of the sale of course!) I can't wait to pair these with boyfriend jeans and a tee this fall! They come in several colors, including a blush but I saw the Hunter green and couldn't help myself!

I had bought Oliver these Smartcare Shirts for our wedding day and he has loved them ever since. They are SO easy to care for, hence the name, and they also have a great fit. I really love the white one because it has a subtle herringbone pattern that gives it some texture. I also love the plaid - you can't really go wrong with that!

The last thing I have yet to purchase, but really think I need, is this bag. I love it in black and then I saw the red... It is a little edgier than I would normally go for, but I think that's why I love it!

What are your thoughts? Yay or Nay?

#nsale for the little ones

The Nordstrom anniversary sale upon us, they have some pretty fabulous things for the whole family. I spotted a few things for myself but realistically I spend most of my time shopping for M. Here are a few things we have and LOVE. 

I have a chew beads necklace and absolutely love it! It is so cute and M loves soothing her gums by chomping on it! :)

I bought M the cutest Babiators. They are adorable and super durable, they also come with a lifetime warranty! 

The Beaba food processor is absolutely amazing! I make all of Maggie's food with this and it has been such a good purchase. Stay tuned for some of my baby food recipes on the blog soon :)

This skip hop play may is awesome! We started using it very early on for tummy time and it has continued to be a staple toy for M. I love that you can change around the toys to keep it exciting and fun!

Summer reading list

My love for a good summer read stems from my childhood. I remember getting that reading list on the last day of school, color coding it (my need for organizing runs deep!), and heading for the library raring to go.

In my teens I lost touch with how much I enjoyed a good book, distracted by the usual demands for a teenage girls attention (glad this phase with M is still a few years away!). However, I have since rekindled my lost passion, and hope to pass that along to M. After dinner Oliver and I make a conscious effort to turn off the TV and phones and read, with a cocktail in hand of course! :)

Here are the books on my list this summer!

 Oh and how could I forget this one... 

We started reading it to M before bed at Oliver's request. It is one of his favorite childhood books, and he couldn't wait to start sharing it with Maggie! This little family of mine makes my heart so full! 

Summertime cocktail

After our trip to the UK I rediscovered my love for a Pimms cocktail, and have been making them more regularly ever since. Here is my recipe for the perfect summer cocktail-

Pimms Cocktail:
2 oz of Pimms
Lemonade
Garnish with fresh mint, strawberries, cucumber, lemon, lime.
ENJOY :)

Here's a snap from our trip- this was taken while visiting Oliver's family home in the South coast of England, which is hands down my favorite place when we are back.