Foodie Paradise: Portland, ME

I loved visiting Portland so much I needed to give it the credit it was due in it's own post! I  mentioned before on here that we were in Maine for a little getaway for Oliver's birthday.

I managed to surprise him which is a big deal, only because I am notorious for not being able to keep surprises actually as a surprise. I have given him just about every gift for every occasion except his wedding gift, beforehand. I also love to figure out surprises myself, so really there is minimal surprise all around!

So Portland...we stayed at an amazing hotel in the heart of the town called, Portland Regency Hotel & Spa. I was fortunate enough to find a Groupon so it was super cheap, but not lacking in luxury! The photo of the hotel is from their site, I wasn't able to get a great picture & wanted to do it justice!

My only misstep in preparation was I forgot to pack bathing suits for the hot tub & sauna. To be fair I was packing in secret and I did not have the slightest clue where Oliver put his suits! So unfortunately we skipped the hot tub and hit up some pre-dinner cocktails instead!

The North Point is where we kicked off our night. We literally stepped out the front door of the hotel and were right there. I loved the dim lights & decor so we headed in for drinks & the best cheese and charcuterie plate around! If you saw my Instagram I posted a photo of our drinks!

Oliver was super happy because they had loads of cider on tap, I went for the Ginger St. Germain- it was amazing! I snapped a little photo of the description hoping I can recreate it at home!

After our pre-dinner snack we took a little stroll around the neighborhood, I loved the quaintness of the town which is very much still a working port!

Dinner was at Street & Co and it was simply delicious! I have to be honest we were pretty full after our cheese & meat plate, but I am so glad we didn't skip dinner. I had clams that were to die for, Oliver went for Arctic Char which I had several tastings of! What I also loved about this place was the decor, it was a stone building with rustic decor & loads of candles, perfect date night spot!

While we were eating it felt like the temperature dropped 15 degrees so we practically ran back to the hotel and snuggled up in our Spa robes & called it a night!

The next morning, waking super refreshed we went to a bakery Oliver follows on Instagram called Scratch Baking Co. He hopes to someday open a bakery/cafe with some sort of cycling component to it so he is always checking out places that inspire him. The bakery was really cute & trendy, we were quite obviously not regulars, but they were welcoming nonetheless.

We went for a quick, and I do mean quick, stroll on the beach by the Birthday Boy's request! You can tell how windy it was by both of our hair, it was also absolutely freezing!!

















After the beach we headed South to our sweet boy Clovis who I think had been waiting for us by the window! My Mom sent us this picture while we were away, talk about tugging on heartstrings! 

If you haven't been to Portland I highly suggest making plans to go soon! If you have been what are some of your favorite places? Have you been to any of the restaurants we went to?

Gift ideas for the 'Hostess with the Mostess'

With the Holiday season rolling in I thought I would share with you some of my favorite ideas for hostess gifts! When I am going to be a guest in someone's home I always try to think of a thoughtful gift they will enjoy receiving. I tend to politely decline when guests offer to bring a dish or dessert to my home. I have many reasons for this but mainly I want my guests to enjoy their time and relax instead of stressing over what they are going to make or bring. I do have an exception to this rule and that is my Aunt who makes a mean butternut squash dish! She makes it every year for Thanksgiving so instead of attempting to recreate it I gladly took her up on her offer to make it for me!

With all that being said, my Mom always taught me you never go anywhere empty handed so I have cultivated a list of staple items I bring to someone's home to thank them for having me!

1. A bottle of their favorite drink- whether it be an aged scotch, or bottle of bubbly I feel it is important to bring something that the Host/ Hostess will enjoy. If they so choose to open said bottle with you it would be lovely, but the intent is that it is primarily something for them to enjoy! Speaking of favorite drinks how cute are this seasonal Chandon bottles?

2. Flowers- know your host on this one, I would never bring flowers to my Mother, she hates them and would likely forget to water them. A dear friend of mine however loves fresh blooms so for her I would certainly find this an appropriate gift. I like to go to Whole Foods or Trader Joes' and pick up some of their loose blooms and arrange them myself. If you want to bring flowers make sure they are already arranged, if you did them yourself or purchased them that way and they are display ready upon arrival.

3. I saw this idea on Pinterest a while back but I absolutely love it! A "Next Morning" box, complete with breakfast items, such as coffee, tea, scones, tea towels & jam.  You could also make a batch of your favorite cookie dough and gift it with instructions for cooking so the hostess can make it on her own time as a little treat! We had a very sweet friend do this for us and I loved the idea! As someone who hosts quite frequently (& loves every minute) waking up the next morning to a messy kitchen is stress inducing, but a beautiful breakfast basket would be the perfect pick me up!

4. A personalized item is always a hit- Etsy is a perfect place for something like this! I received a return address stamp from a friend as a housewarming gift and I love it! Whether it be a cutting board, ornament for their tree or stationary, something with a personal touch shows you planned ahead & thought of the Host!

Regardless of what route you choose to go make sure to drop a "thank you" note in the mail when you leave. Snail mail is a lost art, but is far more meaningful than the "thank you text", which I have without a doubt been guilty of, however I am trying to make a more concerted effort to fix!

Happy Holiday Season!

Girls Weekend Plus Husbands- Round Two!

After our big move I vowed to maintain friendships I had made in DC, I made some of the best friends I could have asked for and I feel incredibly grateful for that! In August we had a "girls weekend plus husbands"- it was pretty amazing! The boys hung out, talked sports & exchanged stories about their "kids"- all of which are four legged; it was super cute!

Us three girls took too long to get ready, drank several bottles of Veuve and laughed non-stop! Before the weekend had even ended we planned our Girls Weekend Plus Husbands round two. I have been looking forward to this weekend since before our August weekend ended!

Our friends came up on Friday, we had a ladies lunch & manicure date what a perfect way to unwind and get the weekend started! After that we lounged and had some cocktails at home we had Moscow Mules in my favorite copper mugs! After that we got dolled up and braved the weather for a great dinner at Hillstone right near Faneuil Hall. Dinner was delicious, very chic ambiance and of course the company was amazing!

Saturday was the day we had planned this trip around for our Southern friends- they have never experienced a true New England Fall & we were hoping to grab some photos!

Last year I had taken photos for both couples with their pups which they used for Christmas cards and home decorations, so this year we decided a repeat was needed!

We drank champagne, got blowouts by my favorite girl Marina! The pups had been groomed & husbands fed, dressed and then Mother Nature spoke Her peace...it was not pretty! We are talking horizontal rain, huge gusts of wind leading to- frizzy hair, uncooperative dogs & soaking wet subjects.




However I think we managed to snap at least a few quality shots- all you really need is one right? One of these may be making its way onto our Christmas card! :)

After the photos we poured back into our cars, drove straight back to the house and warmed up with food, bevies & a dance party or two! 

We feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends in our lives! :)