Rhode Island Recap

I've been trying to think about how I want to recap my trip on here... some of my favorite blog posts to write are travel recaps where I share the photos I took and the things I did while traveling, but that doesn't feel very appropriate right now. As I mentioned in this personal blog post a couple of weeks ago, this wasn't really a "vacation" just for fun. There was a lot of intention that went into it, and everything we did was really about spending quality time together as a family. However, I did take some cute photos along the way, and I feel like there is nothing wrong with sharing those along with the highlights of how we filled our days.

What I'm Packing for Rhode Island + The Hamptons

I leave Sunday morning for a two-week trip to see my extended family, and I am so excited to be back in Boston, Rhode Island, and the Hamptons for a little bit. I am so looking forward to seeing my dad and all of my family on his side, and I'm kind of excited about what I'm packing too, so I thought I'd share a peak into my suitcase!

I'm Off: NYC, Rhode Island + Maine

I couldn't be more excited for my departure today! I'm heading to New York for the weekend, Rhode Island for the beginning of next week, and Maine (which I've never visited before!) for the rest of next week and next weekend to celebrate my birthday on the 20th. The trip overall has been a long time coming, considering my boyfriend Jack flies out to meet me in New York on Sunday and my dad's graduation gift to me includes lots of back-to-school shopping in the city this weekend. I really can't wait to be reunited with my dad in my favorite cities like New York and Newport, but I'm also sad to say that this trip concludes my summer! It's been hard squeezing in all of my good-byes to my close friends and even my boss yesterday. It's been crazy to look back at graduation, my trip to Door County, my impromptu visit to Martha's Vineyard, even my quick stunt attempt at nannying, because this summer has been so jam packed and busy. I rarely had a "day-off" that meant no work, no plans, nothing to do, so I feel like even looking back I was so occupied that I'm not sure if I completed took in every last moment.

I return to Milwaukee next Sunday evening, and then I fly to school on Tuesday afternoon (the 23rd). Packing for school and unpacking from this big vacation is going to be a hot mess I'm sure, but the anticipation and excitement that will unveil afterward will all be worth it. For now I am just hoping to relax and enjoy my time out east with my brother, my dad, and Jack. I'm especially excited to turn 18 in less than 10 days, and to visit a new state!

Can you even believe this summer is coming to a close?

xoxo

Weekend Travel Recap: Part 2

Happy Monday! How crazy is it to think that it's already May?! This year has seriously flown by. And, to add to that, I already know this is going to be a crazy month with prom, graduation, graduation parties, and more things to celebrate along the way. I'm excited, but also a little anxious knowing that this is my last month of high school before I'm officially thrown into my final summer before college!

As per usual, I have dragged out my latest vacation longer than is good for me, so I want to tie up my trip today by recapping the events of the last few days of my long weekend out east. You can read part one here. I left off my last recap mentioning that I headed out the Hamptons on Saturday night where we celebrated my cousins birthday at dinner.

We went to a cute Italian place that I unfortunately can't remember the name of, and returned home for coffee and cake. Sunday we woke up, made a yummy breakfast, and relaxed before my dad and I drove my Grandpa back home to Brooklyn. 

When we dropped him off, we then got pizza at Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge, which was so good and totally worth the wait, and then walked over the bridge!

I had never done the Brooklyn Bridge before, so it was super fun to try out a little tourist attraction while I was in NYC. Sometimes I feel like I do the same things over and over again and it's fun to see the incredible things the city has to offer! We crossed the bridge into Manhattan and did a little more shopping around Tribeca and Soho before we decided to see a film since the Tribeca film festival was going on.

Unfortunately, we were too late in line for the movie we wanted to see and ended up exploring Chelsea before heading to dinner at my favorite restaurant, the Smith. My dad was definitely more bummed about the movie situation than I was, but I love the Smith more than anything, so that made up for it! We were closest to the location on Broadway in the Nomad district, which was actually the only Smith location I had never been to, so that made it even more exciting too. 

When we got there, I opted to order something different than my usual mac and cheese with a side of brussel sprouts. Ever since NOLA I have been a huge fan of grits and anything chipotle or jalapeño flavored, so when I saw the jalapeño cheddar grits on the menu, I knew I had to try them. This particular Smith also had kale sprouts on the menu instead of brussel sprouts, which I was intrigued by and ordered as well. Ohhh my gosh, you guys, this meal was outstanding. Seriously, more delicious than anything else I have ever eaten, probably ever. Did I mention for dessert we split the sticky toffee pudding? Dead.

We didn't head out of New York until 10:30/11 PM-ish, and then we had a two hour drive to Lehigh. We arrived at Lehigh around 1 AM, exhausted, ready for our 7 AM wake-up call because the admitted students day started on Monday at 8. I'll spare the educational details of the admitted students day for another post, but I just want to say the whole experience really couldn't have gone smoother! I am so excited for Lehigh, even more than before, which I didn't think was possible. It definitely feels like the perfect fit, and I can't wait to start in the fall!

After the admitted students day was over, my dad and I drove home to Rhode Island, and stopped in Greenwich, CT on the way for dinner. We went to the cutest place on Greenwich Ave, Meli-Melo, where we split a crepe and had salads. So delish, and so cute for a casual meal.

Tuesday was my last day of the trip, but definitely not the least exciting!! On the drive home from Greenwich, my friend Jenna snapchatted me and suggested we meet up for breakfast. I was super excited to actually meet Jenna for the first time in real life, so we made spontaneous plans to grab pancakes Tuesday morning in Newport. Jenna was so sweet and even invited me to the KJP factory after breakfast for a little tour, where I got to meet Sarah and Kiel!

The whole morning was so much fun and seriously so cool to actually see the factory and meet them in real life- they're two of the nicest people, too.

After leaving the factory, I walked around Brown University for a little bit just to explore before meeting my grandma, who lives in Providence, for lunch. My grandma is so cute and I loved spending time with her, even if it was just for a couple hours!

Following lunch, I drove back to my dad's where I packed up my suitcase and then we went on a little nature walk. Rhode Island is seriously a beautiful state and I love taking advantage of that whenever I go! Another thing to take advantage of (besides the lobster rolls, because I definitely had one of those for lunch), is the ice cream. My dad and I are the biggest fans of banana ice cream, so we always make sure to stop for a cone whenever I'm in Rhode Island. So, I finished off my trip with my favorite sweet treat and then left for the airport.

Overall, it was an incredibly fun weekend. I was all over the place, but it was such an exciting and eventful way to spend a few days hanging out with my dad, because I don't get to see him so often!

Have a great Monday!

xoxo

Weekend Photo Diary

This weekend was insane. Like, one of the best weekends I have probably ever had! I was in NYC from Friday to Sunday with a little detour to the Hamptons, then I visited Lehigh (in PA) on Monday, and finished off my trip on Tuesday in Rhode Island. I had an incredibly fun time with my dad, and I always cherish the time we get to spend together because ever since he moved to Rhode Island, I obviously don't get to see him as much.

 I will definitely do a full recap or two coming soon just like I did for my spring break trip, but today I wanted to similarly post a few extra pictures in advance just to highlight some of the fun things I did this weekend while the full details are still in progress.

xoxo

Rhode Island Instagram Recap

Hi everyone! I'm finally back after a two-week totally unplanned blogging hiatus. I ventured out to Rhode Island for a week, came back and had field hockey all last week, but now I'm seriously devoting a little more time to my little spot here in lieu of my last few days of free time before I'll be off exploring a few European countries for the next two weeks! Today I want to share a few snaps from my trip to Rhode Island given that it may or may not have been my most favorite vacation I've ever been on so far! Traveling with my two best friends made it even better and seriously so much fun. I'd give anything to be sipping iced coffee on the cliff walk again...

Um, okay. First of all, there is a brand new Lilly store on Thames Street in Newport and it's so freaking cute I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I walked in! Before, there was just a preppy store (which is still right next store) that sold Lilly, VV, KJP, Jack's, etc. but now there is an actual Lilly store in Newport! The selection isn't the best, probably just given that it's a little smaller and still pretty new, but it's still such a fun and bright store.

One of my favorite streets in Newport has and always will be Bellevue Avenue. Not only are the mansions all lined up against the cliffs before the water, but the other "regular" (still huge) homes are on the other side of the street making just the most gorgeous view for a morning or afternoon stroll. My friends and I actually did the cliff walk and then walked back on Bellevue for a change of scenery and our 3 hour and 9.5 mile walk was nothing short of gorgeous.

A view from the cliff walk looking at a gorgeous family home over the water.

One of my traditions every time I'm in Newport is to grab lobster mac n' cheese one night (or more, I don't limit myself...) for dinner. Mac and cheese and lobster are my two favorite foods, and this amazing dish is so darn delicious, especially in the summer where the best seafood is right at my fingertips! If you're ever in Newport, I've tried lobster mac at a few different places, but I would definitely recommend stopping at the Landing for a taste.

Another one of my Newport faves is Chace n' Lulu boutique. I've always though the store sums up Newport perfectly.. classic style but not "overly preppy" while still being super fun all around. Every time I go in I always have to control myself for fear I'll buy out the whole store.

What are you up to this week?

xoxo

Rhode Island Recap Part 2

Happy Friday! Today I'm sharing part 2 of my recap from my vacation to Rhode Island...

The shopping in Newport is amazing, so we went downtown on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to shop when it wasn't quite nice enough to head to the beach. I didn't pick up these shoes but I did try them on and omg, they're so cute.

I carried my Boat & Tote with me everywhere, and I snapped this picture at Bannister's Wharf after a little bit of shopping on Thames St.

The three days we spent in downtown Newport were perfect for shopping and seeing the mansions. The best thing I purchased on my trip? My friends and I got these cute spirit jerseys and sported them at the beach on Thursday!

The Breakers is probably the most famous of the mansions in Newport. We toured this on Tuesday because my friends had never seen it, but I had toured it before when I was younger. It's so interesting to see how decorating has really changed over the years and, let alone, tour a mansion!

Second Beach in Newport is one of the best. We went on Friday (I think... all the days are blurring together!) and the American flags on the lifeguard chairs killed me. I die for American pride, kids.

Just another hair pic... Surprised?

The Chanler Hotel at the Cliff Walk must be the most beautiful hotel I've ever seen! We did the Cliff Walk before lunch on Saturday and this picture does not do The Chanler justice. It's gorgeous!

Panini and salad to finish off the trip! I spent the rest of the day in Boston before flying home Sunday morning. The trip was amazing, and I am so blessed to have been able to take my friends along!

On another note, what are you doing this weekend? Anything exciting? Do share!

xoxo

Rhode Island Recap Part 1

My trip to Rhode Island was so much fun. Bringing along two friends was a blast, and I loved spending a week in my favorite place on earth. I was in Rhode Island for 8 days, and each day was so much fun. Like I said, I had a 12 day streak of eating ice cream and trying out new shops and flavors was one of the best parts about the vacation. The bad news, almost every good picture I took wound up on Instagram, so today I will be sharing a lot from my feed. The good news, there are a few surprises in here! 

I drove from NYC to Rhode Island Friday afternoon, so I stayed with my grandma at her house in Providence on Friday night. We went to get ice cream and the banana with sprinkles was amazing!

Everything about Rhode Island is cute. It's so quintessential New England, so going on a walk with my grandma on Saturday morning was so beautiful and scenic! Just walking down the street and having a view like this is a real seller in my book.

By Saturday afternoon I had arrived at my house and we had our traditional classic Acciardo family clambake on Saturday night. Lobsters are kind of my obsession and they're my favorite food so of course I wore my lobster tee to be twinning with the love of my life (ha, kidding).

My dad and I were fooling around with the lobsters before we threw them in the pot.

The weather on Sunday was perfect, so my friends and I went to the beach for the whole afternoon. Fun fact: I love boogie boarding and the waves in Rhode Island are wonderful. Jumping and riding the waves is probably one my favorite things to do during the summer.

This house down the street from mine was so beautiful I couldn't not take a picture of it. It's everything you imagine a New England house would be! I was actually on a run when I took this picture (I didn't work out at all for two weeks besides this one run... pray for me) so I probably looked like a fool stopping in the middle of the street and taking pictures of a house.

Lunch at the Black Pearl on Monday was so delicious on Monday. This is a snap of what downtown Bannister's Wharf looks like!

We snapped this picture before heading out of downtown Newport on Monday.

Have you gone on any fun vacations this summer? Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!

xoxo