Tuesday, September 30, 2014

When South Went North.

So...

Maine was perfect.

Everything about this past weekend was truly special, amazing and relaxed.

I cannot tell you how nice it was to reconnect with our dear friends Stephanie and Justin, and finally meet their new little peanut, Gray. And boy was I was smitten with Gray from the moment I slid in to the car next to him. If you follow along on insta, I would assume you already knew that last tidbit of info.

Our hosts were amazing and gave us the perfect Maine adventure. In fact, to me the highlight of the trip was that there was no pressure and no judgment. No pressure to be anywhere at a certain time or to put an outfit on. No judgement when we came home and immediately put pjs on or accidentally drank two bottles of wine. I owe this highlight to the great friendship that lives between us and our gracious hosts. I was over the moon excited to spend some time with my old roomy and so tickled to see our husbands reunite. For a better insight on our star crossed past, check out Steph's post from yesterday....

Ok, and who knew Maine was this beautiful? not that this girl!

 I was just so not prepared for the colors this state has to offer this time of year. The leaves are the most vibrant reds, golds, and oranges you have ever seen. And the sky...it is an indescribable color of blue. It honestly puts a Carolina blue sky to absolute shame. Oh, and the weather, it was perfect, and at moments quite warm. We simply could not have asked for anything better.

oh gosh....the food was also amazing. Stephanie stole my heart away upon arrival when we were immediately whisked away to the most divine hole in the wall named the Eagles Nest. Lobster rolls with glorious butter and fried fish sandwiches drenched in malt vinegar completely hit the spot after a morning of travel. It did not stop there as the rest of the weekend was filled with even more no judgment foods consisting of wings, pizza, more fried food and one more stop at the Eagles Nest for a lobster omelet.

I took sooo many photos and had such a hard time choosing my favs to share. I guess that's what happens with you put two friends/bloggers together for the weekend.

Grab a coffee and settle in for what's about to happen.


















And just in case you were wondering what happens when two bloggers go up a mountain together?
This pic of Stephanie pretty much sums it up.

We hold canned mimosas in one hand and our big DSLR cameras in the other. We take too many pictures of each other because normally the only other people around are our husbands, and we all know how they feel about taking pics for the blog. And maybe we wear outfits that are so not suitable for mountain climbing. About 2.5 seconds after this pic was taken, I saw a snake and ran across this mountain top shrieking like a little girl. true story. 

We truly had a magnificent time with this little family and feel so blessed to have traveled way up North to see them and get some good Gray snuggles in.

till next time loves!

xoxo,

CAD

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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Monday

Monday is here yet again and sure did came all too fast.

We made it back from Maine in one piece and real life is already in full swing. Tomorrow I am off to be a guest judge for Fredericksburg's Parade of Homes and as much fun as that sounds, I have a feeling I will be wishing to be back here....

Maine was simply amazing and I cannot wait to share our grand adventure tomorrow on the blog. I started my recap post tonight, but I took too many pictures to get through tonight.

Make sure to follow along on insta today becuase I am bound to see some pretty exciting stuff. Parade of Homes never let's me down!


xoxo,

CAD

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Thursday, September 25, 2014

Fall Fashion Essentials

I just love fall. 

It has got to be my most favorite time of year.  

This week the weather in Richmond was divine. The slight crisp in the air and chilly mornings was just the perfect reminder to unpack my winter clothes, dust off the Frye boots and dig my favorite pair of leggins out of my dresser.  Let's not forget to mention that Reid and I are headed WAY up North tomorrow, to Maine.....and I don't think Jack Rogers will fair well up in the 30 and 40 degree nights. 

Enter my fall essentials. 
Fall Essentials




{Pants} 

So, I really don't like to wear pants...well jeans specifically. I really prefer leggins or tights with a comfy dress and boots. But some activities just call for a causal look....  please let me introduce you to my new friend Paige. These jeans are a new obsession of mine because they feel like heaven. I know, they are pricey, but these classics will treat you right for a long time. This particular pair is great! Since they are ankle length skinnies, they are perfect for flats or boots. Plus, they make your butt look amazing. Oh, if you are in need of a good pair of fair priced leggins that promise not to be see through when you bend over...check these ladies out. 
ps...is anyone else loving the Lou & Grey collection from Loft? Everything is so soft and perfect for the colder temps! 

{Shoes}

Still super in love with my Tieks. In fact, I am about to invest in another pair - any color recommendations? This camel color has been fantastic. It is dark enough to wear with blacks or browns. So versatile!  Also, I need a good pair of camel booties. I really am loving this pair from Sole Society. Never ordered from them but hear great reviews from other bloggers. 

{Layers}

It's all about the layers, and boy do I love pack them on. This was Stephanie's advice for dressing in Maine this weekend. I am super cold by nature so I always have a vest, scarf or over-sized sweater laying around. I am loving my Barbour vest and find it so surprising warm and just perfect for fall weather. Pair that with a classic button down shirt and a tank top and you are ready for anything. 

{Accessories}

I just like to keep it simple. With so many articles of clothing to keep up with in the fall (vest, scarf, sweater etc), who has time to keep up with jewelry too? I opt for a great pair of timeless posts and a simple bracelet, something small, that is easy to slip under your sweater as you pull it on and off. If you want to add a pop of color or spice to your outfit, add a fabulous scarf! It will serve double duty and you will not have to waste time finding that perfect statement necklace. 

There you have it folks, my fall fashion essentials. Some of these are wish list items, some I own and some I own multiples of. Versions of these also happen to be what is currently packed in my suitcase for our early early flight to Bangor, Maine. The only reason to wake up at 4am is to be traveling somewhere fantastic, and we are pretty excited about this trip. 

Make sure to follow along with us as we venture up North today! 

Love y'all!

xoxo,

CAD


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Monday, September 22, 2014

Last Weekending: DC

Oh Hey Monday! 

 So last week sorta sucked. I had this grand plan to tell you all about our weekend in DC, share my new obsession with fall clothes and then...... the my allergies exploded. Thus causing the ever annoying congestion and sinus pressure that is still lingering around. It really needs to get gone because we are soo excited to be heading up to Maine on Thursday to see this girl, her hubby and their precious little Gray!

Since all I did this past weekend was work, watch Clemson's epic fail against FSU and sleep, I decided I would finally share our super fun, quick trip to Washington, DC last weekend. 

 Reid's sister Kristen was in from Dallas on a work trip, and brought her sweet boyfriend Josh, his brother Tony and girlfriend Marissa along for the ride. Since Josh, Tony and Marissa had never been to DC before, Reid and I just tagged along and happily played tourists. We had the best time with this group and just loved getting to spend some great quality time with family. 

Here's a play by play of our trip. The weather on Saturday was icky, so I had to leave the big camera at the hotel.....all photos are curiously of my fab iphone. 
Don't judge me too much. 

Our trip started with a ride on the Metro. I only had the pleasure of riding on this railway system once before and memory served me correctly ...it is still the best place for people watching. It is quite convenient, quite old and thankfully Kristen is freakishly good at navigating the system. 

First stop, a stroll past the White House. 
And look who we found sitting outside.... I absolutely love this picture by the way. 

Next stop was brunch. 
I owe a big thank you to Cait because she recommended this place and boy did it deliver! I had the best quiche with goat cheese and Reid had bacon wrapped french toast....amazing! 

Then, we were off to the National Spy Museum
I think this was the highlight of the trip for Reid. He is a HUGE James Bond fanatic and the entire downstairs was dedicated to 50 years of James Bond Villains. Just take a look at that face below!
When we finished at the Spy museum, it was pouring out, so we cabbed it to the Smithsonian of American History.  This was the highlight of my weekend. What amazing sight to see the Star Spangled Banner on the actual 200th anniversary of the writing of our National Anthem. I tired to take a picture of it for y'all, but got yelled out....you're welcome! 

I did get this picture of Reid and Josh in front of a rather large train. 

After a quick trip back to the hotel and a quick power nap for me, we were headed out once again for a night on the town. 

After a ton of walking around, we landed at this cool book shop slash cafe for a small bit to eat. Kramerbooks has a really unique vibe and even more unique items to buy. Check out these coloring books I spotted. 



Since Tony and Marissa had never had a HOT Krispy Kreme donut and we just happened upon one, we had to stop for an after dinner treat. 


While walking to to our final destination of the evening, we came across this beauty and just had to take a group shot. Yes, it was just that kind of evening! 

Our final stop was another favorite. If the Boardroom was a Richmond bar, I feel it is safe to say that we would frequent there most weekends. What a concept, you basically have this really casual yet fun bar that has beau-coups of board games to rent. Clearly we choose our fav, Cards Against Humanity, to play until 1am. 


I think you can tell we had a fantastic weekend visiting with family. I have also concluded that we have completely taken DC for granted all these years. It has a wonderful nightlife, tons of activities and so many great places to eat. We shall return soon!

Check y'all later!

xoxo,

CAD 

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Drugstore Beauty Haul

Hey y'all! Ashley here today, and I just wanted to let y'all know that I sure have missed you!! I know it has been a while since I've talked with y'all, but life has been crazy to say the least! So, I have been trying to watch my spending lately, but there are a few items I just couldn't resist from buying! These are all from the drugstore, so that definitely makes my wallet happy! I have recently picked these items up in the past few weeks, and have had a chance to try them all.


Drugstore Beauty Haul





Milani Bella Eyeshadows
I have three of these. I have Bella Sand, Bella Cappuccino and Bella Espresso. I really enjoy using these! They are the perfect shades to create a soft smokey eye. Perfect for daytime! They are very blendable and there isn't too much fall out, which I usually find in cheap eyeshadows. They are defintely worth the $3.99 price tag. 

Physicians Formula Mascara
This is a great drugstore mascara. It doesn't make your eyelashes "crunchy," but does volumize them. I didn't notice that my eyelashes are a longer, but definitely thicker. I would probably not repurchase this again, but again, for the price, great deal! 

Pixi Eyeliner
The first time I used this, I didn't love it. I saved the box and receipt in hopes that I would actually return it to Target. However, I gave it one last try and I really loved it. Isn't that so strange how makeup can be so different from day to day? It's like good mascara. It's never great the first or second time you use it, but give it a few days and it's fab! Same thing with this. I can't put it down now, even over my Urban Decay 24/7 and my beloved Nars Larger Than Life.

L'oreal Nail Color Riche in After Hours
I was actually a little disappointed in this. I was really hoping that this would be a go-to nail polish for me this fall. I liked the color as just one coat, but two coats was almost black. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to black polish, but this wasn't what I was thinking it was going to be. I have black polishes, so I was hoping for more of a navy blue. Because I added my favorite top coat, Seche Vite, it didn't chip for almost 7 days. By day 7, I was ready for a change, so I took it off. It was very hard to remove, and I had blue/black stains around my nails for 1-2 days.

Seche Vite Top Coat
I have been using this top coat for years, and I can't stop talking about it! I recently picked up a new bottle and realized that I will NEVER use another top coat. I do my own manicures, typically every Sunday night. This top coat has made my process SO quick and easy. If I am ever in a hurry, my nail polish doesn't go on that smooth. However, this always smooths out the polish and makes it so shiny! It dries within 3-5 minutes which is amazing! Hands down, best top coat ever! 

Nail Polish Remover Dispenser
Y'all, I love this! I was able to fit about 1/2-3/4 a bottle of nail polish remover into this dispenser. It is so easy to use and makes taking my nail polish off so much easier!

Freeman's Face Mask
I'm obsessed! I think I have 4 different Freeman's masks in my drawer at the moment including Chocolate and Strawberries, Pineapple, Cucumber Peel off and one more that I can't think of at the moment. These are the bests masks that I have found that are affordable. You just can't beat $3.99 for such a large bottle! I use a mask about 3 times a week, and I can tell a noticeable difference in my skin. Definitely worth the buy! 

 Yes to Coconut Wipes
I am a huge fan of makeup wipes! I will forever love my Clarisonic, but I always use a makeup wipe prior to washing my face with my Clarisonic. I love the smell of anything coconut, so these wipes were right up my alley! They do a great job of getting all of my makeup off, especially my mascara.

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refresh Gel Cream
I bought this several weeks ago and have almost used up the entire bottle! I grab for it every day and can't imagine my skincare routine without it! It is nice and cool-like as it's a gel. Although it is oil-free, it does a great job of hydrating my skin without making it oily. 

Jergen's BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream
I bought this in the darker skin tone. Although I am losing my summer tan, I had read reviews to go up a shade. This does a great job at smoothing out my legs (hello cellulite!) and does a nice job of maintaining my summer tan. Love this! 

Loreal Colour Riche Lip Balm in Heavenly Berry
This is fabulous! It is definitely a balm as it hydrates my lips, but adds so much pigment like a lipstick. My lips have been extremely chapped lately, so this has been great to throw in my purse to apply throughout the day. I need to buy this in more colors! 

I am so glad I got to chat with y'all today. Happy Hump Day and talk with you soon! 
xoxo, 
Ashley
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