{coffee date no. 7 | summer travel 2018}

What a whirlwind of a summer it's been! My suitcase has legit not been put back in my coat closet since I kicked off this summer of traveling over Memorial Day weekend. Trust me, I have no problem with that :) I've been able to see new places, see lots of friends, and make some awesome memories. From bachelorette parties to weddings to visiting Kyle I have had an amazing summer (I also finally got TSA pre-check because of my travels ha). The best part? I have SO much more traveling coming up!! I have one weekend scheduled in DC until mid-October haha - whoops?

I thought it would be fun to share some personal photos with y'all from my trips! Some you may recognize from my IG stories and others I haven't shared anywhere! So let's get started with the beginning of the summer...

Sonoma, CA // Bachelorette Party

One of my oldest friends, Andrea, loves wine (just as much as me - match made in heaven) and said her ideal trip was to wine country. I was practically booking my flight before she finished the sentence inviting me!! I went on a "wine train" with my family when I was little since my grandma lived in California and obviously I didn't get the full experience then haha. I have always wanted to get back out there and experience it first hand. It was AMAZING. Easily the best bach I have ever been on! We stayed in an amazing AirBNB (view of the pool pictured below), all had a king size bed, and we took a bus around to 4 different wineries. The whole trip was so great getting to know the other bridesmaids and Andrea's friends - we ate more cheese and drank more wine than I've ever had in 4 days. [side note: Andrea was my very first friend in 7th grade when I moved to Baltimore! So this trip was extra special to me.]

Shop my wine tasting look...

Seaside, FL // Bachelorette Party

Another bach party! This time for a close friend from Virginia Tech! Kaitlyn and I met because we were both "dreamgirls" for the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. So we bonded a lot over late nights with the brothers and formals and date parties. We've stayed close since graduating even though we live in different states. Seaside is absolutely stunning... the water is a dream! We spent Friday on the beach and had a spa night in - which was the most memorable part of the whole trip. Imagine a bunch of girls in matching pajamas, painting their nails, doing strange face masks, drinking prosecco, and then having the cops called on them because a Disney princess sing-a-long/power hour got out of hand. Hahaha yep!! Ironically, Saturday out on the town was a lot calmer! ;) I say this every vacation but I wish I could've had one more day there. I wanted to explore Rosemary Beach and see all the adorable, cookie cutter architecture! I'll definitely be planning a trip back sometime soon.

 Shop my beach outfit...

Shop my outfit...

Key West, FL // Visiting Kyle

This was the only unplanned trip of the summer :) I got a call from Kyle Saturday night, we booked my flights Monday morning, and Friday I took off! It's not easy dating someone in the military so getting this unexpected weekend together after 7 weeks apart was really something else. Don't worry - I won't get all mushy gushy hehe. Friday was spent down at Mallory Square watching the sunset and bar hopping (brought back college memories from spring break)! We went fishing and snorkeling Saturday and caught a bunch of Snapper and Lobster. We ended up staying in that night because a lot of summer storms came rolling through. The next day we took our catch to a restaurant, they cooked it for us, and then we ate it by the pool of our AirBNB. Can you say dream day? The rest of the weekend we hung out, explored, and rode bikes all over the island... take me back!

 Shop my outfit...

Hamptons, NYC // Girl's Weekend

This was my second trip to East Hampton with Kristyn, Allie, Dana, and Elle! The Hamptons are so gorgeous but sadly we had a monsoon all Saturday. It finally broke around dinner time and we had a beautiful sunset during a delicious dinner at Moby's. We drank tons of rose, talked about blogging (a lot, sorry Elle), and had some ridiculous dance parties! Turning blog friends into real friends has been one of the coolest parts of this little internet world. Getting to spend weekends together just solidifies how awesome these ladies are!

Shop my outfit...

 Shop my outfit...

Chicago, IL // Wedding

The summer came full circle when I visited Chicago for Andrea's wedding! My little sister (not my twin lol), Samantha, has lived in Chicago the past 3.5 years so anytime I can make a trip up there to visit her I jump on it! I flew up early Thursday morning and we spent the whole day together - exploring Chicago more, going on the Ferris Wheel in Navy Pier, and then hitting a dive bar with 70 cent wings that night. Friday afternoon I checked into the stunningggg Langham Hotel and began my bridesmaid duties for Andrea!! I'm still nuts over the green dress I wore Friday night and our floral bridesmaid dresses - so different than any other bridesmaid dress I've seen! The wedding was picture perfect, as was the bride and groom :) Fun fact, I've been Grant and Andrea's 3rd wheel a couple times before haha so it was only fitting that I said goodbye to the two of them over brunch on Sunday morning! After brunch, I met up with Samantha at the dog beach to play with her two dogs, Rufus and Griffy. That was a sight for sore eyes! Chicago easily has a piece of my heart - it's just such a cool city!

Shop my dress ($28) & outfit...

 Shop our pajamas...

Jenna, another friend from high school!

Samantha and Griffy playing in the water

So what's next on my crazy travel agenda?! I'm heading to visit Kyle again this weekend in Tampa, Florida!! My last trip visiting him was too short (it always is) so I'm going to be there through Monday and getting back to DC late that night! I'll see him a couple more times in September/October so that will make the goodbye easier [we all hope...]. Labor Day Weekend I'm headed to Baltimore to see my mom and best friends from high school - hello, pool time! Then I'll be in DC for a weekend and I'm excited because my college bestie who lives in NYC will be visiting for a wedding! After that my flight travel becomes comical :) I'm flying to Providence, RI 4 weekends in a row. Yes, you read that right!! Once to go to Nantucket with my Confidence Co girls (will do a post on that soon!) and then the last 3 times to visit Kyle - we're hoping to visit Block Island and Martha's Vineyard. I wrap up my travels mid-October [technically that is NOT summer I realize] with Kaitlyn's wedding in Virginia that I'm a bridesmaid in! Phew!!

I absolutely love traveling but I'm a little exhausted reading all that upcoming flight time! You can probably understand why I never put my suitcase away! My luggage has held up SO well and just proves that investing in a quality piece was worth it (I own the 28" and 21" carryon spinner)!

What's been your best trip this summer? Any fun Fall plans? Let me know below!

Love Always,

{weekend away at lansdowne resort}

I love the hustle and bustle of the city but sometimes you need an escape. Normally, my answer is to head out to a winery for the day or go on a hike but after a couple of stressful weeks at work some R&R was needed. So, Kyle and I packed our bags one sunny (but really, really windy) Saturday morning and headed out to Loudoun County to stay at Lansdowne Resort!

HOW TO GET THERE

I can't tell you how amazing it was to only have to drive 45 minutes to get there - our mini-vacation started so quickly! There were a couple of toll roads but you could easily go around them, it just may take a little longer. If you're flying in, the Dulles airport is only 15 minutes away.

THE ROOMS

Every single room has a view of the beautiful greenery that surrounds the hotel on every side! I love the simplicity of the beds and the lounge chair and bar cart sitting in front of the huge window. The desk area has a cute picture collage over it which makes it feel very home-y. The beds... oh boy y'all. They were like big pillows! Also, what is it about all white bedding that just makes it feel more cloud like?

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK

Kyle and I explored the entire hotel after checking in to really get a lay of the land since the sun was shining. After walking around for awhile and peeking in every room we grabbed a bottle of wine at the market (they sell wine from local vineyards) and decided to take happy hour in our room. We were so thrilled to have a cheese and charcuterie board delivered! It's not a true vacation if you don't have room service and eat it in bed, right?

My favorite thing about Lansdowne was that we didn't have to go far to find food or drink. There were tons of restaurant options and they all had a different feel to them! We ate at Coton & Rye Saturday night for dinner and really treated ourselves to a meal... pre-dinner cocktails, wine, appetizers, entrees, and dessert!! Everything was so delicious and it was an entirely new menu! They're constantly changing what is prepared so that seasonal items can be used and the chefs can stay sustainable. I absolutely loved sitting by the fire too - it just felt really romantic

The next morning, before our spa day, we had brunch at Riverside Hearth. I'm pretty sure a buffet brunch is the best thing ever... sweet and savory all on one plate (multiple plates, obviously). I didn't indulge in the mac&cheese and chicken tenders but I did have the most beautiful waffle made for me ever!

Be sure to check out the rest of Lansdowne's restaurants like Pub 46 for happy hour, Piedmont's Table for a fancy night out, and the new spots they have coming this summer! Guess that means I'll have to make a trip back ;)

WHAT TO DO & SEE

I was really shocked at all of the activities that Lansdowne hosts not only for the guests but for locals as well. Kyle and I were there during a really cold and windy weekend so we opted to stay inside for the majority of the weekend. We took part in a cooking class and learned how to make Irish Car Bomb bites (it was before St. Patrick's Day!) with one of the pastry chefs! She taught us lots of tips and tricks and we got to sample everything as it was made.

Before leaving we walked along the river and all through the golf course - even though it was cold everything was still really beautiful. I don't know how to golf but it is definitely a golfer's paradise and makes me want to learn (mainly because of the cute outfits, driving range, and the little food hut on the course haha).

In warmer weather there is an insane pool, hot tub, water slide, etc!! If I need a list of reasons to go back in warmer weather this is 100% on that list! There are also tennis courts on the property that are calling my name for summer ;)

The best part about Lansdowne, in my opinion, has to be the Spa! They offer everything from manicure/pedicure to facials to couples massages to hair styling. My massage was probably the highlight of my trip - it was incredibly relaxing and hanging out in the sauna and steam room after totally took away all of my Sunday scaries! I would recommend bringing a bathing suit and heading to the Spa early so that you can enjoy the hot tub with a glass of wine beforehand as well. There are showers with a Eucalyptus Steam that feel incredible after a nice massage and quiet time in the steam room! Just thinking about my time at the spa right now has me daydreaming

WHAT TO WEAR

The majority of the resort is pretty casual - I opted for blue jeans and boots on Saturday (post coming soon) and switched into heels and an off the shoulder sweater for dinner! All of the restaurants have their own vibe but you can dress however you want. Piedmont's is the only place where you really need to dress up and golf whites for the course obviously ;) The entire resort has a blend of fancy events and casual events so it's great to see that people are just comfortable and enjoying their vacations!

Has anyone been to Lansdowne before? Feel free to comment or email me if you have any questions!

**Thank you to Lansdowne Resort for sponsoring my stay! All thoughts and opinions are my own!**

Love Always,