packing for a weekend trip

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On the first leg of my recent trip to Vermont, I flew into New York. Because of this, I had to be conscious of what I packed, even though Aaron and I planned to drive back. I didn't want to check a bag, because I didn't want to waste any more time than was necessary once arriving (since we had a 3-hour car ride after I landed in NY). 

Since you are only allowed two carry on bags - I decided to go with a weekender bag for my clothes, shoes, and toiletries. I am not sure what brand my weekender bag is, because it was a gift (and I never checked), but this one is a great option. I also really like this, even though it is a bit pricey.  I am typically one of those people that packs way to much (so I have options, right?)...but that wasn't even possible in this situation, so I really had to be smart about what I decided to take. 

In my weekender bag I packed...
- 2 outfits
- 2 pajama sets
- 1 workout outfit (& sneakers)
- Small cross body purse
- 1 lightweight jacket
- Socks, underwear, etc.
- Conical Wand
- Jewelry
- 1 pair of nice shoes

My tote bag is from Target (old), but this one is quite similar. This is my dream travel tote though!

In my tote bag I packed...
- 2 books (this and this)
- iPhone charger and headphones
- Cosmetics bags (see below)
- Wallet
- Notepad and pen
-  Keys and iPhone

The part that got really tricky, though, was beauty products...due to all the TSA rules and regulations, especially when it comes to "liquids". Here are the contents of my acceptable 1-quart liquids bag. Good thing we were only gone for a couple days - or this wouldn't have been nearly enough products! ;)

Body lotion // Lip gloss // Perfume Roller // Eye Primer // Mascara // Various liners // Concealer

Makeup Wipes // Deodorant // Contacts (and Solution) // Face Lotion // Face Wash // Foundation // Hairspray

Makeup and brushes came along in two more zipper pouches  - the white Estee Lauder pouch had powder makeup items (eye shadow palettes, brow powder, bronzer, highlighter, etc) and the striped Sephora pouch was for makeup tools / brushes.

 I am pretty proud of how much I was able to cut things down and pack only necessities ;)
What types of things are on your "must have" list for a quick weekend trip?? xx

burlington, vt

As I mentioned in my last post, Aaron and I just got back from a little weekend trip to Burlington, VT. It is part of his territory for work, and he has always wanted me to visit with him - he fell in love with this town the first time he went, and now, I have too! Burlington is adorable - clean, interesting, artsy...and right on the amazing Lake Champlain, with a gorgeous mountain backdrop.

Friday //

I was up at 4:00 am to catch my 5:50 am flight {least favorite part of the trip lol}

Amazingly enough though, I was able to get my makeup on before heading out the door - which I wasn't sure would happen!  

My travel outfit consisted of a striped tee from Target / Old Navy leggings / H&M jean jacket / Chooka wellies / and an oversized purse from Target (old). This was so comfortable, I honestly just ended up keeping it on all day.

I had a 3 hour layover in Baltimore from 7 - 10 am...and thank goodness their airport is awesome, because I would have been so bored! It was basically like a miniature mall with tons of shops and restaurants (all open that early!) ...so I did some shopping and picked up a couple things from The Body Shop before grabbing a light breakfast.

When I arrived in Albany (NY), Aaron picked me up and we had a 3 hour drive up to Burlington. We stopped along the way at a local brewery (Fiddlehead Brewing) for lunch. Aaron loves craft beer (me, not so much)...but we both love pizza! 

After lunch, we made it to the hotel - which was gorgeous. He had specifically booked a room with an awesome view of the lake {second picture below}!

We dropped off our bags and quickly made our way out into the city. First stop was a walk along the lake. It was gorgeous - crystal clear water, and you can see right across to the mountains, which are actually part of New York! I also loved that the lake was lined with flowers and tons of adorable porch swings for anyone to sit and rock on.

 

After some exploring of the lake and downtown area, we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Aaron had a specific place he wanted to take me, The Farmhouse Tap & Grill. It was delicious! We started with soup - cheddar ale {him} and carrot ginger {me}. For entrees, Aaron had the fish & chips and I had the  kale & arugula salad. Add in a couple of IPAs for him, and Moscow mules for me...and it was a pretty perfect meal!

Still rocking my airport outfit - even to dinner ;)

Sunset from our hotel room

Saturday //

We were up early on Saturday to get in line for breakfast at a cute little place called Penny Cluse Cafe. They opened at 8:00 am, and we were there by 7:50 am...and there was already a huge line to get in! You know that always means good food ;)

Our breakfast was delicious - neither of us could finish though, so much food! Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel and Aaron took off to work for a couple hours. While he was gone I head to the hotel gym and then got ready for the day. By the time he was back, it was about lunch time.

Makeup of the day - Saturday

Aaron hates getting his picture taken, but I made him do a selfie by the window. The hotel lighting was just too good to pass up! ;)

 

We checked out of the hotel and decided to walk around a bit before heading out...and I'm so glad we did! There was some sort of town festival going on with tons of tents set up around town square full of interesting art, crafts, and food. We picked up some new hot sauce, Vermont maple syrup (and maple candies), Vermont cheddar cheese...and an unconventional lunch ;)

Coffee Praline ice cream for lunch!

After our walk around we needed to head out. We planned to drive home since Aaron had his work truck with him. BUT, since it is an 11+ hour drive from Vermont -- Columbus, we decided to split it in half between Saturday and Sunday.

We drove for a little over 5 hours into Rochester, NY and decided to stop for the night. We grabbed dinner at a little local place called John's Tex Mex. Aaron got a burrito bowl and I opted for a cheese quesedilla with beans & rice. They had home-made chips (hot out the oven) and guacamole that were awesome! 

Sunday //

We were up early again, and this day was dedicated to driving home. Even though it was a long drive, I have to say...the views were amazing and made it a lot more enjoyable!

And the one bonus of a long drive...time to catch up on reading! I was able start and finish "The Girl on the Train" on Sunday. Good thing I had all that time, because it was so good, I couldn't put it down! Can't wait to see the movie now!

We had an amazing time in Burlington - just wish we were able to spend a bit more time there! But, since it is in Aaron's work territory, I'm sure we will be back sometime soon. It is definitely a place I would recommend visiting for a long weekend trip! xx

things that have made me happy this week

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I saw a post like this on Cider with Rosie the other day, and I though it was such a great, positive way to take a look back at the week! So, I thought I would give it a shot ;)

1 // Our little weekend trip to Burlington, VT. Aaron was working there this past week/weekend, so we thought it would be fun if I flew up on Friday morning to meet him, and we would spend some time exploring. I have never been to Vermont, and he just loves it every time he works there, so it was fun visiting together! I will do a whole post on the trip, but you can get a sneak peek via my Instagram (@emiliestorey)

2 // A break from school. We just wrapped up the end of the spring semester, and got almost 2 weeks off before summer semester started. That means I was able to get to the gym every day after work and spend every evening at home, instead of sitting in class! But we are back at it this Wednesday...but only for 12 more weeks - then I am done forever!

3 // Re-discovering Nashville. Do any of you watch this show? I'm not even a country music fan, but I really like this show. I watched the first season last year, and have just recently gotten back into watching it again on Hulu - almost made it to the end of season 2.

4 // Finally getting some sun after a couple of dreary weeks.

5 // Aubrey's dress for the wedding arriving in the mail - and it's absolutely gorgeous! She loves it, and it fits perfectly. 

6 // My dad getting a new job after learning on Monday that he was getting laid off after nearly 20 years with a company. He is laid off as of Friday and will start his new job the following Monday - what a blessing!! 

7 // TV in the evenings with each of my pups snuggled up - one on either side of me <3  

8 // Watermelons are back in the grocery store!  

9 // Watching so many Car Karaoke videos (side note - I <3 James Corden)

10 // Finding the perfect dress for our engagement photos this weekend -- now just need to pull one more outfit together in like 3 days! xx 

midweek musings

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 Just stopping by to share some things that have caught my eye this week...

 // This dress from Love Winnie James that was featured on the gorgeous Aubrey Kinch's blog

// Wish I could get my hands on this new issue of British Vogue!

// Taking a little trip up to Vermont this weekend means looking to posts like this one for help with carry-on organization! 

I always love finding new blogger to follow - and here are two great ones that I stumbled upon this week!

// Lauren at Love Lola, whom I found through one of my favorite blogs, Olive & Tate

// Rosie at Cider with Rosie, whom I found through a random recommendation on Bloglovin!

weekending // 4.30

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I'm sure I sound like a broken record by now, but can we believe it is already May?! Half of the year is nearly gone - crazy! We spend the last weekend of April down in Cincinnati for one of Aubrey's soccer tournaments. Luckily, my parents live in Newport, Kentucky which was only about 30 mins from the soccer complex, so we ended up staying with them Friday and Saturday.

Soccer went well - Aubrey's team lost their last game, so they didn't get to play in the championship, but overall they played great and had fun, which is all that matters. The dogs stayed up in Columbus with one of our fabulous dog-sitters and she sent me tons of updates on them over the 48 hours we were gone (I miss them when we are away!) Here is my favorite one...

No concept of personal space - haha!

We did go see a movie during some of our free time on Saturday. We chose The Jungle Book, and it was AMAZING. Truly. The imagery and graphics were outstanding and I loved the sense of nostalgia I felt while watching it - and remembering how it was to watch the animated version when I was younger. I loved that they kept the famous songs in the film, it wouldn't have been the same without it. And it was fun trying to guess who all the famous character voices were (because I didn't know the cast before hand). Definitely recommend this one!

When we got home on Sunday, we got a little bit of work done around the house and yard. I worked on cleaning up the front flower beds - and getting my lavender patch under control - it's growing like crazy and smells amazing!

Sunday (May 1st) was also my sweetie Deedee's 3rd birthday! We celebrated with an extra long walk, special dinner/treats, and lots of cuddles! I hate that she is getting older so fast... it seems like she was a puppy just yesterday...but we are so blessed to have her in our family and I can't imagine life without this goofy girl!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend - and a great start to your week! xx