I'm in search of... New Luggage!

Question for you preppy travelin' ladies out there... what type of luggage do you have? Would you recommend it? I have a Vera garment bag (black with pink and green flowers tied with breast cancer pink ribbon pattern from a couple of years ago) that I adore but my set of rolling suitcases is getting very ratty-looking, almost to the point of embarrassment. I have a bunch of weekend trips planned this spring along with a bunch of weddings this summer so I'm looking to upgrade in the very near future. Any suggestions?

Happy New Year!

Hello blog friends and Happy 2009 to all. After a very busy Christmas season I'm looking forward to unwinding a bit in January and catching up on my blogging. This weekend was a good start to what I hope will be a more relaxing 2009. Mr. Prepster and I spent New Year's Eve and the weekend here, and it was just lovely! We were lucky enough to be upgraded to a room with a fireplace... so cozy. We played Scrabble, watched movies, went to a very cool restaurant for NYE dinner and then another very yummy restaurant later in the weekend and generally just spent a couple of days just being together without distractions or interruptions. This is the first year we haven't done a big NYE reunion with friends from out of town, but honestly (and not that we don't love seeing our friends), I don't think we missed anything. I'm pretty confident we'll all see each other plenty with the multiple weddings that are scheduled for this summer and fall. Oooh, and I wore one of my favorite Christmas gifts, my new pink Victoria Ruffle Cami, on NYE. Those who have been following this blog know that I've been coveting this top forever... And I'm happy to report it is even cuter than it looked online!

Preppy PJs

Like so many others, Mr. Prepster and I are going away this Thanksgiving. While it would be fun to host someday, we are still at an age where it is nice to relax at his parents' house for 4 days rather than having to worry about putting on the whole shebang ourselves. Here's the thing though... Mr. Prepster's family tends to like to "get comfy" shortly after dinner and so everyone puts on sweats/pjs/robes, etc. and hangs out in them for the rest of the night. As you can imagine, I suffered through a couple of awkward holidays there in the last several years with my really inappropriate and/or uncute sleeping garmets on full display for my new family. Luckily I remembered this "tradition" in time to get some cute new PJs to take with me this year. I found these preppy, comfy pants from Old Navy and this cami and henley from Gap for ridiculously cheap, and now I'm all set for comfy family time this Thanksgiving!

Eating our way through NOLA!

Wow, is this city fabulous for those who enjoy all things rich, fried and generally delicious! I have a feeling I'm going to want to step up the workout routine when I get back, but boy is it worth it since I get to enjoy all of the delightful cuisine here. Tonight we had the pleasure of dining in a New Orleans landmark, Galatoire's, and I have to admit, it lived up to its rep. With the whole old-fashioned "jackets required" rule, the dining room made me feel like I was in another era! Everyone was dressed up and it was tremendously southern. I'd definitely recommend it if you are looking for a fancy, memorable date night. Tomorrow morning we're getting up early to venture to the famed Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter for coffee and beignets (French doughnuts) before work. If only all work travel could be this much fun.

Blogging from the Big Easy

Sorry for the lack of updates these past couple of days. Everything seems to happen all at once for me lately. After the busiest week at work I've had in a year(!), I had a weekend that included a baby shower, a housewarming party, a birthday party, a baptism and a flight to New Orleans! That's right, I'm coming to you live from this lovely French Quarter hotel where I'll be spending the rest of the week. I'm here on a business trip, but should have time for some sightseeing, shopping and dining, so any recommendations from those familiar with this town would be much appreciated. I have to say New Orleans has made a great first impression so far. When I arrived at my hotel a little while ago I was greeted with a "bedtime snack" in the lobby that included a PB&J bar, milk and a hot chocolate bar (with whipped cream and marshmallows). Yummy.

Back from Cali

I'm back. California was wonderful. We cruised in a convertible, tasted lots of wine, enjoyed the fresh air, attended a beautiful wedding where we ate dinner in a wine cave(!) and visited with friends in San Fran. Other than some travel snafus on the way out there, the trip was a great success. A longer update will come once I've gotten back in the swing of things here at work. I'm loving October so far (today is a sweater day on the east coast) and excited for more playoff baseball in Philly later this week!

Off to Wine Land

This afternoon we're headed to sunny California to attend a wedding of my good friend in the Napa Valley. I've only been to wine country once, and only for a day that time, so I am definitely psyched to take in all the scenery and taste lots of yummy vino. Does anyone have suggestions for a must see place or a must taste wine? The wedding is going to be at Hans Fahden Vineyard in Calistoga, which from the website and the picture (left) looks absolutely gorgeous. Let's hope for a sunny, clear day for the bride and groom! I hope to keep you posted on our adventures over the course of the weekend...

Late Summer Fling in Charlottesville

My fondess for Charlottesville grows heaps every time I visit. How cute is the downtown pedestrian mall pictured below? Yes, I am quite biased. After all, I did meet the man of my dreams here, get engaged here and get married here (and am here celebrating our anniversary now). But still, what's not to love about this place? The countryside surrounding the town is stunning and filled with vineyards, it has great weather most of the year, there are a ridiculous amount of delicious restaurants, especially for such a small area, several absolutely picturesque hotels (see here, here and here) and even more great shops. It has the perfect combination of southerness, sophistication and charm. My kind of place indeed. Check it out sometime when you want to be south, but not too far south, and when you want to eat or shop your way through an all in all cool, preppy locale. You might just fall in love...

Preppy in St. Michaels

If you live within driving distance of the lovely Chesapeake region, a day or weekend trip to St. Michaels, Maryland is definitely an order. This seaside town has a nice relaxed pace, loads of charm, a number of quaint little shops to browse (if you appreciate Italian art and cuisine, check out my favorite shop, Simpatico) and last but not least, gorgeous views to take in while you dine or have afternoon tea or cocktails.

We are kicking off our first wedding anniversary trip in St. Michaels this year. If you have a special occasion coming up or if a bit of a "splurge" is in your budget, the Inn at Perry Cabin is pure, heavenly relaxation. I'm off to the pool. Ahhh, vacation...

Labor Day Weekend Love

Labor Day has always been my favorite "long weekend". Even though this time of year is no longer filled with the excitement of going back to school (think about how amazing that first week of high school, college or grad school was each September... old friends, new supplies, new outfits... pure bliss if you ask me), Labor Day weekend will always be significant in my life because it marks our wedding anniversary. Our first one is fast approaching and all week I've been trying to mentally relive all the excitement that came with Labor Day weekend 2007 in Charlottesville. Random memory from the Thursday before Labor Day, one year ago... our two families met up and worked together, for about 6 hours mind you, to assemble well over 100 of hotel welcome bags for our guests (even though they didn't exactly match our wedding theme colors, I adore the striped canvas bags). Believe it or not, this activity was super fun because it meant the wedding weekend was finally here.

But more wedding memories and pics another day. Right now, I'm anxiously trying to decide what to pack for our anniversary trip back to Charlottesville, with a little detour to St. Michaels, Maryland on the way. Here's what I came up with:

If only I actually had all of these items... Happy almost Labor Day Weekend!