We all have our go-to polishes that we fancy when indulging in a mani + pedi. Some of the names we know by heart while others we just, well, like what we see. My paws (or nails) like my closet, change with the seasons. Summer & Spring months call for shades of pink.
Fall and Winter generally bring shades of purples, browns and reds.
Alas, here are my top picks by Essie and OPI for this fall.
P.S. While I do love a good manicure, I wish I could be more like my little sister, Megan, and paint my own nails just as good. I know my friend Nichole of Vanilla Extract feels my pain, ha!
For those of you who haven’t noticed, I love to plan. Dinners, events, trips, you name it. I guess this goes hand-in-hand with “hosting”.
One of the great things about the fall season is that there are so many “activities”; from apple picking to pumpkin patches, Halloween festivities, Thanksgiving and everything else in between, there is always something to plan and do! And with that, a journey to a pumpkin patch and vineyard are totally necessary.
Below is how I spent my weekend and a guide to planning the perfect fall outing.
1. Indulge in brunch (read: mimosas).
Whether you decide to host a brunch (I did this last year) or make reservations for one, make sure everyone is well fed before venturing out for the day. We all did breakfast on our own and then enjoyed mimosas (as seen below) at my house. Nothing like a little Florida OJ and Schramsberg bubbly to get the day started!
The most important part of the trip is finding the perfect pumpkin patch. I have visited Great Country Farms in Bluemont, Virginia the past two years. It is the perfect spot just outside of DC and there is so much to do, see and purchase! My girlfriends and I loved their country store, hayrides to the patches, giant apple dumplings and kettlecorn for the ride home. I walked away with two bags full of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes to cover our front steps and windowsills.
If you don’t live near a farm pumpkin patch, this is more of an excuse to get creative (hello, I went to church/school parking lots in Florida growing up for pumpkins). One idea would be to purchase pumpkins and host a carving + decorating party. Hopsy from Monograms and Manicures has an adorable tutorial on glitter pumpkins that I love!
Found my pumpkin!
3. Spend the afternoon wine tasting.
To end our day, we concluded with wine tasting at Bluemont Vineyard. Bluemont is located just across the street from Great Country Farms and its views are beautiful. In fact, it’s hard to believe it’s only an hour outside of DC!
We reserved a table on the top deck overlooking the gorgeous Virginia landscape and popped open a few bottles of Rose after enjoying a complimentary tasting (included in the farm entry free). There’s no shortage of food at Bluemont either, charcuterie and cheese boards, bruschetta, hummus, truffled parmesan white bean dip (#bestthingever), baguettes galore and gluten free crackers (for yours truly). They have it all and so did we.
After sipping, we walked the grounds and enjoyed live music before heading back to city life.
Have you bought your pumpkins yet? What do you do to kickoff fall? Let me know!
The petite designer is not only talented but also one of the sweetest ladies I know. We have worked together on a few projects and I die for her handbags. If you haven’t checked out her line, you’re missing out! I have a weakness for cognac leather and the quality of leather in her bags is superb.
Blair and I also enjoy catching up over nutella lattes and strawberry mojitos and since she just moved from DC, you know I am missing those dates.
Her motto is Simplistic – Functional – Luxury. What better words to make.my.monday?
And SURPRISE! This week only, Hosting & Toasting readers get 15% OFF with special promo code: HOSTING15
Here are some of my picks for fall:
1. KANTNER – perfect crossybody bag and all Blair’s tassels are removable and interchangeable so you can mix up the colors or go without.
2. GOING TO MARKET TOTE – I mean, isn’t this the cutest thing in the world? I love my GTM tote and use it at the pool, for flowers, traveling and yes, even the market. Every time I wear it I get asked about it!
3. LULU FOLDOVER – I also love this bag and own it in cognac. It is the perfect clutch to tote year round. I take mine out on the town and also throw it in a larger purse or tote during the week. It fits everything you need and even has a small handle to clutch onto on the back.
4. BELT BAG – So Blair is hip, way hipper than me and she wears this bag so well! When she first told me about this design coming out, I had no idea I would love it so much. The lock and details are impeccable and it’s perfect for running around, a night out, concert or just running errands. Look how great she looks in it HERE.
Take advantage of the 15% OFF (HOSTING15) this week and don’t forget to keep up to date with Blair on instagram!
We all get 10101 emails in our inbox from our favorite stores so in case you missed these 2 amazing sales, just a friendly reminder they are ending soon so hurry and shop now!
1. J.CREW – Sweaters Sale = 25% OFF Sweaters with Promo Code: SWEATERS. Ends TONIGHT, Sunday, October 6th.
Even though it feels much like summer in DC this weekend (90 degrees, what?), that won’t stop me from heading out to Virginia for pumpkin patches and wine tasting!
Be sure to check back next week for what we find & follow along on instagram!
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