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

DC Visit

I mentioned in my last post I was in DC, and I wanted to share with you all the things I did in my short time there. When I found out I had a work trip to Baltimore I was hoping to make a stop by DC to see a sweet friend of mine and visit my old home.

It was the first time I had been back since we moved. There were moments where it still felt like home, and then completely foreign a moment later. Just like any city the turnover of restaurants, coffee shops and activities is high. Many of the "new" spots that had opened as we were leaving had already been replaced, even our old neighborhood had changed so much!

So here's the breakdown of my 24 hours in the city!

I flew in Thursday morning at 7:30. I landed and jetted over to my friend's apartment with just enough time to change, hop in an Uber, and head over to the graduation. Just a little background for a minute, when I lived in DC along with working in the cardiac ICU I also taught clinicals for a nursing school. My students were graduating on Thursday, I was so happy the trip worked out and I got to see them graduate. It was such a proud moment for me, I felt like I was a (very) small part in their success- such a proud mama bear!

After the graduation I rushed back across the city to my friend's apartment again where I changed (lots of outfit changes occurred!) and we headed to the paddle boats on the Tidal Basin. Note to self, sundresses on a paddle boat are NOT a good idea! We even managed a few selfies and monument shots! :) 

Thanks to the infamous traffic we were rushing across town to the most fabulous lunch at Iron Gate, where we sat out on a beautiful patio. We were envisioning future parties there, maybe someone's 30th!;) The food was incredible, we went with some of the "small plates". The light wasn't perfect for photos, but it created a beautiful atmosphere for lunch!

When we finished lunch we headed for afternoon mani's. It was so lovely to sit back and get pampered a little after such a long day of travel! We headed back to AC's apartment for a little afternoon nap before our big night out.

Once we were finished primping we went to POV which is THE rooftop bar in DC for post work bevies. It has a view of the city that is unmatched! If I were smart I would have taken more pictures (total blogger fail) but I was far too busy catching up with some lovely ladies.

The much awaited dinner was amazing- we dined at Le Diplomate. I ate my weight in their cranberry bread and cheese plate. The food is amazing, a testiment to the high standard they have maintained is how difficult it is to get a reservation there. AC made them months in advance, and even then you don't have too many options for times.

We got up relatively early on Friday and grabbed some donuts from Astro Donuts and coffee from Baked and Wired because you can't just stop at one place for breakfast! We sat in Georgetown for a while watching the world go by and just catching up. The maple bacon donut from Astro's is something dreams are made of! If you live in DC or plan to visit it is an absolute must! Just as a side note, Astro's sells donuts & fried chicken, could you think of a more interesting combination?

P.S. how cute is little Jackson? He is the sweetest boy! He is one photogenic boy who has made an appearance in the Washingtonian- no big deal! ;)

As for Baked & Wired, lets get one thing straight. They are hands down the BEST cupcakes in the city. I know people talk about that other cupcake store you know the one with the TV show. I assure you if you go to B&W you will not be disappointed!

Shortly after breakfast I headed to Baltimore for the conference, which despite being super informative was tough to compete with my fabulous DC visit. You can't ask for much more than amazing food, the sweetest friend & hostess and endless laughter.

I've said it before but girls weekends are good for the soul! 

My very first blogpost!

 

      I have been wanting to start this blog for quite some time now, however there was always something holding me back. Would anyone read it? Would it be something I could maintain with a job, family and other life demands? I had so many reservations however the desire to start never wavered, so here I am writing my first post. I've decided to embark on this with no expectations for what it will be- just enjoy the ride and see where it takes me. This is something that will be a personal challenge as I tend to have incredibly high expectations for just about everything!

      A little bit about me: I was born and raised in the burbs of Boston with an enormous Italian family, everyone lives here, no one leaves, and Sunday's are sacred family days. I loved every minute of growing up with more cousins than I can count on both my hands and feet. There was always someone to play with and adventure to be had. Despite having an amazing childhood I looked to challenge myself and decided to head out of state for college. I studied to become a nurse, and graduated in 2010, but during all that studying I still found time to meet a guy who definitely was not from Boston! After college I traveled, got married, and moved to DC.  Our first two years of marriage there were amazing! We have recently moved back to Boston, and expanded our little family with the cutest Barbet puppy named Clovis! :)

      This blog is about all of the things I love about life; family, entertaining, fashion, decorating, and love...oh and of course my favorite beverage of all time, Bubbly!

I hope you enjoy reading about all of our adventures!

Kate
XO