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! 

Weekend Recap & the cutest J. Crew sweater!

Happy Monday! This Monday feels a bit worse than usual, maybe because it's the first full week after all of the Holiday celebrations? I need an extra shot in my latte today!

My weekend was the perfect mix of relaxation & celebration! I have been battling an awful cold, I got it just after Christmas and I thought I was turning the bend but it hit me again last Tuesday pretty hard, which also happened to be the day Oliver left for Australia for two whole weeks! I am warning you now please excuse the "bathroom selfies" I am seriously missing my photographer/husband..subtle hint for him to come home early ;)

After generous doses of NyQuil/DayQuil I finally felt better so Saturday I had a lunch date planned with an old friend. I hadn't seen her in so long so it was amazing to catch up on life, love & real life jobs! We went to The Local which I know I have mentioned before it is one of my absolute favorites in the area!

Saturday night I headed over to my cousins house for drinks (my cousin is one hell of a bartender as well) &

appetizers. We had an absolute blast hanging out and catching up! My cousin and her partner just bought an amazing apartment in Boston- I have serious real estate envy every time I walk in the door!

Case in point, that fireplace and woodwork is original to the house and we are talking over 100 years old...amazing!!

For a hostess gift I spiced up the usual bottle of wine gift with this awesome bottle coozie and corkscrew. I found these at J.Crew Factory just after the holidays and bought several. I loved the Polka Dot & Chevron mix and so they did they!














On the topic of J. Crew we can talk about my outfit, it is pretty much head to toe J. Crew! I got this sweater for Christmas and I absolutely love it. I like the fit, it isn't super fitted but it is short enough that I think the boxy look is really flattering! I also love the little sparkle along the neckline. The pants I have raved about before, they are the Winnie Pant and I am absolutely obsessed with them! You can get both of these items on sale for an extra 40% off with the code EXTRA40!

The flats are old from Gap, I love them at really like the pointy toe. Here are a few other similiar styles: Gilt: Elyse Pointed Toe flat, Steve Madden: Elusionl  use code SMFREE50 for free shipping!

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! :)