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Category Archives: Travel
The Homestead Recap: Fall Dinner Attire
This week I’m sharing part two of my Homestead fall trip with the girls plus a new fall outfit post! If you missed part one last week, catch up on it here.
Since we had planned on being outdoors for shooting on Sunday, the first half of our trip was far more relaxing. After dining at Jefferson’s on Friday evening, we woke up early to have breakfast in the Main Dining Room and then headed to the spa for a day of much-needed relaxation.
My girlfriends and I enjoyed the Homestead’s Spa Garden and Aqua Thermal Suite. I was booked for a mini massage and facial. Truth be told, I don’t often book massages because I usually end up feeling light-headed and dizzy after (poor me, I know). However, the Initial Touch massage was absolutely perfect, not too intense and a great way to relax my way into the Purifying Facial. The facial left me with a glow all weekend and the smoothest skin (take a look at all their spa treatments here).
The staff at the spa could not of been more accommodating, welcoming and professional. They gave us individual tours of the space and made sure we had lockers, over-sized comfy robes and slippers.
We first headed out to the Spa Garden which includes private cabanas, a firepit, historic hot springs, the River Reflexology Walk (my fave), whirlpools and a regular pool plus plenty of comfortable lounging furniture and fountains. It was seriously a little slice of heaven tucked into the mountains surrounded by beautiful fall trees. I stood on the balcony off the relaxation room (aka where you relax with tea before appointments) that overlooks the spa garden and took it all in. It’s safe to say I considered myself to be extremely #blessed that weekend.
After treating ourselves to some time in the garden, we headed inside to the Aqua Thermal Suite for some more R&R. The what? Ha! The suite is complete with experimental showers (Arctic Mist, Atlantic Storm or a Caribbean Storm to be specific). You seriously feel like you’re in the midst of one of those storms once inside. There is also an herbal cocoon room that is exactly what is sounds like – you can post up in a steamroom-like atmosphere into a little cocoon space and relax your muscles. With that being said, there is also a aromatic steam room, a room called the chill and last but not least, the thermal heated loungers. These lounge chairs are heated and designed to help you relax while enjoying scenic visuals. We posted up there for quite a bit before heading to our appointments and the showers to get ready for dinner.
After getting ready, we enjoyed a bottle of bubbly and wine on the front porch. I paired my new fall Sail to Sable silk dress with a leopard belt (#printsonprints), one of my favorite Blair Ritchey clutches and Hunter boots (it was a rainy weekend). I changed into flats before we headed off to dine. Perfect ending to a wonderful stay at The Homestead!
Dress: Sail to Sable c/o // Shoes: Hunter Boots & Off Broadway c/o // Clutch: Blair Ritchey c/o (ON SALE) // Belt: Target (similar here) // Coat: Burberry (similar here) // Earrings: Kendra Scott c/o // Bracelets: Kendra Scott c/o, J.Crew & J.Crew (similar here) // Sunnies: Karen Walker // Lips: Beautycounter Lip Sheer in Plum c/o
{Special thank you to The Omni Homestead for graciously hosting us. Dining, spa services and activities were also c/o*}
Stay tuned for a fall brunch post + I’m headed to Boston with Carly soon! RSVP for the Meet & Greet at Tucker Blair here!
Boston Meet & Greet with The College Prepster
Exciting NEWS!
I am headed to Boston next weekend to host a Meet & Greet with my good friend Carly of the College Prepster. We have both been tweeting about this event lately so I’m excited to finally share the details with you!
As many of you might know, Carly and I both grew up in Tampa and met once in DC while she was at Georgetown. We always make time for NYC brunches, Tampa lattes (preferably nutella) and Drybar blowout dates. She has been such a great support to H&T over the past year as well.
Earlier this year, I also hosted a DC Meet & Greet in Georgetown and we had such a great time that we wanted to do it again – in another city. If you missed that event – be sure to check out my DC recap and hers here to get an idea of what it’s like.
This will also mark my first official trip to Boston – I have planned many events there and worked with vendors but never made the trip myself. Thus, I am equally excited to explore the city with Carly and some of my faves.
We will be hosting at the Tucker Blair Showroom and I don’t think it could be a more perfect space. RSVP below to join us for treats & shopping. I look forward to meeting y’all!
P.S. Have any local spots you love? Send my way! AND if you can’t attend in Boston – be sure to follow us along on insta (@bannc + @carly)!
Stay tuned for the second part of my Homestead trip too!
- 2 Comments posted in Events, Hosting, Travel
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The Homestead Recap: Fall Shooting Attire
This past weekend I went on another road trip (courtesy of GM) with some of my girl friends. We left DC early on Friday afternoon for a 4 hour trip through the mountains to the gorgeous Omni Homestead Resort & Spa in Hot Springs, Virginia (#BACxHTTravels). Today is the first in a two part series of my trip recap complete with an outfit post for each.
For those of you that haven’t been to The Homestead before, it is truly a special place and one of my favorite getaways near the DC area. It dates back to 1766 and its history is rich and full of presidential stays and campfire tales (I took the history tour, duh). Having also gone to school in Virginia, it was always a popular vacation spot among my friends and their families.
I love how close it is still to DC but you feel like you’re lifetimes away tucked into a small town that revolves around the resort. (With lots of winding roads to get there, trust me!) Before last weekend, I had only visited in the summer months but it is most certainly a four season resort with a newly renovated spa (more on that in part 2), pools, shops, restaurants and just about every outdoor and indoor activity that you can imagine.
From the moment we arrived, southern hospitality was at its all-time finest. Darien, the most southern speaking bellman I have ever met, greeted us with a smile and helped us settle into our room with our dozens of totes and bags. They were also gracious enough to host the girls and I in a lovely premier room with a view of the picturesque iconic front lawn. We dined each morning in the Main Dining Room for breakfast – piling our plates just a tad too high (I think I lived off cheese grits that weekend). We indulged in fine dining and specialty cocktails (Virginia Julep for me – whoops! #toasting) at Jefferson’s restaurant for dinner, which was also newly renovated from my last stay.
I am going a little backward today and recapping our spa day tomorrow but we also had skeet shooting set up for us on Sunday. Unfortunately, mother nature had other plans (rain, rain go away) but we still were able to head up to the world famous Gun Club and meet the staff and give them a laugh (or two) with our photo shoot.
I am pretty much obsessed with puffer vests this and every season so this gingham one is no different. Since I was dressed for shooting, it was also helpful to have a little bit of padding (I normally bruise – epp!). It was super chilly in the mountains and this cashmere sweater was the perfect piece to pair under my vest complete with comfortable jeans and my new booties. I added the earrings for a pop of color and kept other jewelry to a minimum. (I was supposed to be shooting afterall – oh and don’t mind my sunnies – I wasn’t about to let the rain ruin our party even with umbrella in hand). This outfit would also be perfect for a fall party, BBQ and the like.
Puffer Vest: J.Crew Factory // Sweater: Two Bees Cashmere c/o (also at Tuckernuck) // Jeans: James Jeans c/o // Earrings: Kendra Scott c/o // Necklaces: Kendra Scott & Gorjana c/o // Bracelet: T. Audrey c/o // Booties: Off Broadway c/o // Sunnies: Karen Walker // Lips: Beautycounter Lip Sheer in Plum c/o
Shop my look below!
P. S. That last shot with the hands on hip was a blooper but I kept it anyway! Thank you to my sweet friend Brie for the photos!
Stay tuned for another trip post and outfit!
- 5 Comments posted in Fashion, Travel
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Life Lately – H&T Updates
Things have be a little quiet this past week on H&T so I wanted to do a quick post today to check in and let you know what I’ve been up to! I don’t often reveal too much of my life here on H&T outside the “hosting and toasting” but I think a little glimpse from time to time is needed. First & foremost, I’ve hired a new fall H&T intern – Ashley is the greatest and a tremendous help!
Some more BAC updates?
I just got back from Florida last week after a quick visit to see my family and attend an engagement dinner party that was hosted for my sister. If you followed along on instagram, you know that this past weekend was spent in the DC area with friends – brunching, sailing and celebrating.
On the events front, I am working on some exciting collaborations and events soon with some of my favorite brands and bloggers (more deets to come). AND in just a few short weeks, I will be a presenter at DC’s Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show! Don’t forget to get your tickets and come and see one of my Holiday Tips & Tricks workshops the weekend of Nov 8th-9th (Bobby Flay is also a good reason to come!). I’m so excited to share with you how I host & toast in person and meet everyone!
On the fitness front, I have been on a non-stop barre class plan at Barre Tech (4-5x a week) and am determined to have Jennifer Aniston’s arms by the time my sister’s wedding comes along, ha! If you haven’t tried a class, you’re missing out! There will be a special promo code for H&T readers who purchase classes so stay tuned. I’m working on styling some of my favorite Barre Tech gear this week for my first ever workout outfit post too.
On the beauty front, I have also been following a strict skincare routine with the help of Reagan and Beautycounter and OMG – my skin is absolutely radiant! I’m also excited to try their new lip colors soon in an outfit post. Shop my picks here and click on “Hosting & Toasting Social” for more.
On the hosting front – next weekend, I will be hosting a small fall-themed brunch for a group of friends (spoiler: pumpkin pancakes will be involved) with my good friend, Cori Sue of Bitches Who Brunch.
On the fashion front, the H&T Shop has been updated for Fall – and check out some of my staples in my latest post too. I have a slight obsession with vests and leopard as evident by my picks and new outfit posts are also coming next week (see below).
And finally, if you liked my Labor Day weekend recap post series – stay tuned next week for a fall trip recap. This weekend I am headed to The Omni Homestead for a girls weekend full of wine, dining, spa days and skeet shooting. I have partnered with GM again on this road trip and The Homestead has been so gracious to host us – it’s one of my favorite spots and just a few hours from DC. Much needed R&R!
I have a few more trips lined up this fall and am headed up to NYC soon too – cannot wait! Carly and I have already made some fun plans and I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends up there.
On top of all that, I have been feeling a little under the weather this week (#seasonsarechanging) and there seems to never be enough hours in the day as I also work full time as an event planner. Who else can relate to this? So thank you for baring with me as I took a little blog break to catch up on emails and light a few pumpkin candles.
Up next? Stay tuned this week as I share some of my “Fall” tips & tricks to get your house ready and check out my pumpkin patch post from last year & fall drink recipes in case you need some inspiration early!
Phew! Happy Tuesday!
Labor Day Weekend Recap: So Long Summer
Today marks the last in my Labor Day recap series and I’m sailing out of the season with one of my favorites – Sail to Sable! I don’t think that any other tunic could scream SUMMER more than this one with its bright print and white details. I paired it with white jeans (naturally) for what I would call a classic summer look.
(Be sure to catch up on my packing list, sailing adventures, brunch, PJ party, vineyards and white on white posts in Newport with BFF, Cori Sue.)
On our last morning in Newport, my friend Brie and I (who was also so kind to take all our photos that weekend) woke up early and snuck out on the deck to drink our morning coffees at OceanCliff. I snapped last minute photos from the cliff and enjoyed making good use of my new mint Vanesa Rey travel phone case. How perfect is it? It was a beautiful Labor Day and we certainly did not want to leave the welcoming resort staff nor the gorgeous state of Rhode Island.
We packed up our weekender bags and headed to Flo’s Clam Shack for one last seafood meal before hitting the road back to DC.
Tunic: Sail to Sable c/o (on sale here too) // Jeans: Ann Taylor Loft (similar here) // Sunnies: Karen Walker // Sandals: Jack Rogers // Necklace: Kendra Scott c/o // Earrings: Kendra Scott c/o // Bracelet: Kendra Scott c/o // Rings: Kendra Scott c/o // Phone Case: Vanesa Rey c/o // Lips: Maybelline Vivids – Fuchsia Flash // Weekender: Sweet Tea Monograms c/o
Shop my post below!
If you enjoyed this trip recap – (spoiler alert) – Cori Sue and I are planning a Fall retreat soon (Fall is my second favorite season!).
So long outdoor cocktails, long days, pink paws and white pants every day- I will miss this season we call summer. This past one that was filled with so many travels and fun memories with friends and family.
For all the latest on H&T, be sure to follow along on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest. Oh yes and there’s an exciting giveaway coming your way later this week!
