philadelphia

I'm back :)

After graduation, I just wanted to take a little time to decompress...plus we had a couple really busy weekends planned...so I took a little hiatus from blog-land. But I'm back at it to share some pictures from our mini trip to Philadelphia at the beginning of August. It's gonna be a long one folks...

Packed and ready to go with my new CalPak carry on!

Aaron was already in Philadelphia for work, and I flew out Friday morning to meet him.  After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, the first thing we did was grab lunch. We ate at a little hole-in-the-wall brewpub that he loves called Monk's Cafe. I had the Seitan Cheese Steak, which was basically a vegetarian version of a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. It was made with tons of mushrooms, onions, and nectarine cheese - delicious!

After lunch, we walked down to the historic part of Philly to do a little tourist-y stuff. There were so many pretty buildings and interesting statues. We thought about going in Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed), but the line was huge and you needed tickets...which were sold out. So we head over to see the Liberty Bell. It was fun doing some sight-seeing, but it was blistering hot, so we head back to the hotel for a bit.

Independence Hall

Liberty Bell

 We also found time to grab some ice cream, of course. There is an interesting little place called Sweet Charlie's over by the historic area. They have a unique way of making and packaging your order...it is all made to order and then combined on a super cold surface, then rolled into little spirals. Aaron loved his, I wasn't to keen on mine, but it might just have been the flavors I picked.

After a quick rest and outfit change, we head out for dinner - this time to a different part of the city. Aaron had heard good things about a brew cafe called Tired Hands in Ardmore, PA...and I am so glad we went. The food was amazing - my favorite meal of the trip! I had the grilled cheese with smoked cheddar on house-made bread, and vegan potato salad (to die for). Aaron also had the grilled cheese, but got spicy kimchi with his meal.

{PS. as you can probably tell, all diet related ongoing went out the window during this long weekend ha!}

   

Grilled cheese with dijon

House Fermented Kimchi and Vegan Potato Salad

Saturday morning started out with sleeping in... in a major way ;) We are usually woken up by the dogs bright and early - even on weekends - at home...so even though I really missed them, it was nice to just sleep to my heart's content. 

We head back downtown for some lunch around midday - this time to a little Mexican place called Lolita. Again, amazing food. If there is one thing I can say about Philadelphia, the food is awesome! I had fish tacos, a watermelon margarita, and Aaron and I split chips and salsa.

We head back to the hotel after lunch because it was SO DAMN HOT. I wanted to shower and have time to cool off before the Coldplay concert later that night. We took a nap (or at least I did lol - the heat makes me so tired!) and then got ready. I put a lot of effort into it...which was honestly all a waste of time haha. The heat and humidity were so nasty that all hairdos and makeup were sweated off in no time. 

Once we arrived at Lincoln Financial Field, none of it mattered though! The sun set, it cooled off (slightly) and Aaron and I - along with like 60,000 other people - got to see the most amazing band in the most amazing concert. The place was totally packed, I've never seen anything like it.

I cannot describe how incredible it was. I'm sure you all know, or can imagine, how it feels to see the one band/singer/songwriter you love the most perform live. Let's just put it this way, two of the songs for our wedding are Coldplay songs. I held it together and only cried once during "Fix You", which is our wedding processional song (happy overwhelmed tears haha!). 

Basically, they were amazing, their music is beyond - just the best, and every single person was happy, dancing, and singing along. The energy was indescribable. Such as perfect way to end the trip and my weekend in Philly! <3

Sweaty AF (Snapchat filters help ;)

packing for a weekend trip

Image via

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