D E C E M B E R

T H E   E D I T

For a very long time, I worked at a job with a uniform.  This can be a blessing, because it makes shopping and getting ready quite efficient.  However, my sense of style really started to disintegrate.  On top of that, I feel like the last few years have had some really rough trends (why so many crop tops? Are we really doing snake skin again? Tiny sunglasses???).  So it has taken me awhile to find my personal style again. I firmly believe in sticking to classic pieces and avoiding trends.  I live in a neutral color palette where everything matches.  I also really research things I buy and make sure I want things for a long time.  Sometimes, my patience is rewarded and I can get things on sale.   I also have started going to vintage shops to incorporate more unique things into my repertoire.  Here a few things I picked up recently.  

To get through winter, I also ordered a sampler pack from Jao.  I’ve heard a lot of rave reviews of the geo oil and hope it can help save my skin this winter, which is already starting to turn to a crocodile-like texture.  

For my upcoming trip to France, I wanted a small crossbody bag that would fit my Sony A600 Camera.  I love this simple bag from Madewell, which comfortably fits a ton of stuff, despite how small it looks.  I like sticking to a small bag, because it forces me to only carry what is important.  I also got this olive sweater, which has a nice relaxed fit and is very warm. 

After wanting them for a very long time, I finally ordered a pair of Frye boots.  Right now, at Nordstrom, they are on sale about 40 percent off, which is really rare.  I also got a great discount on this coat from J Crew. 

B O O K   C L U B 

F I E L D   T R I P

Washington, DC


Rob and I took a weekend trip to DC this month, somewhere we really love to visit.  The nice thing about going to DC is that it is only a few hours away by car, so it makes the trip easy.  We went to see two live Podcasts.  Between shows, we walked all over the city, visiting museums, monuments, shops and restaurants.  Here were some of the highlights: 
 

Visit

Georgetown Shops 

I loved bumming around Georgetown because there is a great shopping selection.  We didn’t buy anything, but just enjoyed bopping in and out of stores and and enjoying the street.  The buildings are all old and quaint, giving everything extra charm.  

Museums

Probably the best part about DC is that there are tons of free museums.  I love that you can pop in and just look at one thing and leave (for example, I wanted to see the diamonds at the Natural History Museum, but skipped all the taxidermy - not my thing).  I think for me the highlight was seeing the new Obama portrait.  It really is better in person.  It looks so vibrant among all the other presidential portraits.  I think next time I go, I just want to do art museums.  There is so much to see that you really can’t do it all in one weekend.  
 

Eat

Baked and Wired 

We went a little crazy and ordered four cupcakes from Baked and Wired and slowly ate them during the week after we returned home, and they were all exceptional.  I also recommend their nitro cold brew.  

Bluestone Lane Cafe 

Maybe the cutest coffee chain?  The food was simple but leaned healthy.  It was a little pricey, but overall I enjoyed it.  We don’t have this coffee shop in Pittsburgh, but they have outposts on both coasts. 

Oyamel 

Wow, Oyamel was so good.  The menu features elevated Mexican food, lots of vegetables, and one of the best margaritas I’ve ever had.  

Obelisk 

We ate here the last time we visited, and it was an extremely special experience.  The restaurant is in a renovated row house, so it really feels like you are eating in someone’s home.  They serve a 5 course Italian tasting menu with a wine pairing, and the food was exceptional.  
 

Stay

We have visited DC before, and honestly the hotel we stayed at the first time was better than where we stayed this time.  The Mayflower Hotel is very comfortable and walkable to everything, and it has a very fun lobby bar.  

In The Kitchen

Chocolate Pecan Pie 

I have barely been cooking because I get breakfast and lunch at work.  Usually we make one meal on the weekends and eat the leftovers and then we might go out to eat once.  But the cold weather has definitely put me in the mood to bake.  For Thanksgiving, I made David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Pecan Pie, and I would definitely make this again.  It is very indulgent, definitely fit for the holidays. 

The recipe can be found here.