We are over halfway through the year (crazy), and we like to do a check-in with ourselves, especially amongst all the summer chaos. Here is a list of things we like to do to treat ourselves during the summer months.
We spent the weekend exploring the Shenandoah Valley: Staunton, Augusta County, Waynesboro and the Beerwerks trail.
Last Friday, we traveled from Richmond to explore the Shenandoah Valley’s Beerwerks trail and had the BEST time. If you are looking for a day trip, one night trip or a full weekend, this is a great option. We’ll take you through all of the places we visited and guarantee that by the end you’ll be planning your next trip!
Basic City Beer, Waynesboro
“Basic City Beer Co draws a brand from the smolderings and lore of a ‘Lost Town’- Basic City, Virginia: Circa 1899- to reclaim the enduring American Spirit from this pre-prohibition, Industrial era & to Repurpose the Intoxicating Lure of the American Dream.”
We started off our trip at Basic City Beer after exploring downtown and seeing some of the gorgeous murals as a part of the Waynesboro Street Arts Trail Murals. We LOVED the vibe of Basic City, in its historical industrial warehouse and the beers were great, too. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating & pizzas, too! Bonus points if you can find the mural seen below!
When you visit Basic City for yourself, be sure to taste the Tart Up: Golden Blueberry beer. After trying our beer flights, we both decided that was our favorite!
Grab a Beerwerks Passport at any of the Shenandoah breweries and keep track of all the breweries you visit along the way.
Stable Craft Brewing, Augusta County
“Every detail has been meticulously preserved so that visitors to Hermitage Hill Farm and Stable Craft Brewing get the finest farm and brewery experience possible”
Stable Craft is a working horse farm (Hermitage Hill Farm) transformed into a brewery & restaurant with event space and suites on site where you can stay to get the full farm & brewery experience. Our experience was AMAZING, as was the food and the beer. We enjoyed some delish nachos along with our beer flights and it was the perfect combination. This brewery has stunning mountain views you won’t want to miss, it’s as if every moment was instagram worthy! It is definitely a must-do if you’re a beer lover visiting the area.
Blackburn Inn
“The Blackburn promises a distinct blend of timeless glamour, modern finishes, artful design, and superior hospitality.”
Newly opened in 2018, The Blackburn Inn is a a historic 49 room boutique hotel just outside of downtown Staunton. Originally designed by Thomas Jefferson’s protege Thomas Blackburn, the historic property is the perfect setting for a getaway in the Shenandoah Valley. With a full spa, conference center and 80 acres of gorgeous property, it doesn’t get much better!
We loved everything from the charming Queen Bed rooms, to our facials at the Spa. The location is great for being close enough to downtown to explore, but also far enough away to feel like you’re truly getting away from hustle and bustle.
BLU Point Seafood
“We’ve combined our explorations of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay with our love of the New England Shore to bring the freshest seafood available to the Shenandoah Valley “
BluPoint Seafood was an absolute treat. From the cocktails to dessert, we were consistently impressed. We split our two entrees – crab cakes & the shrimp seafood basket – and we were glad that we did because they were both equally amazing!
Does anybody else have the best kind of trouble ordering from a menu that looks too good? We also dabbled in fresh oysters, a cup of Lobster Bisque, and ended our meal with Donut Holes. Don’t think twice, order the Donut Holes.
One of our favorite parts of the trip was the people. We had so many heart warming conversations throughout our Shenandoah Valley experience and we will never forget that! When our conversation with our new friends in Staunton drifted to the subject of Reunion Bakery & Espresso, their eyes would light up with the suggestion of pastries!
We learned quickly that Reunion has quite the reputation for their delicious pastries and we have to agree. But make sure you get there early because they do sell out fast! From chocolate croissants to quiches, there is something on their menu for everyone. If you love a fancy latte, check out their lavender latte, YUM.
Latitudes Fair Trade is a store in downtown Staunton that specializes in handmade, artisanal goods from all over the world. We were drawn to the chic mugs handmade in Guatemala and the elevated journals handmade in India.
Not only does Latitudes prioritize helping developing nations but they also have a philosophy that encourages conscious consumerism and green shopping. They are a light in the world of shopping and we admire everything they are doing to improve the world around us.
Latitudes Fair Trade in Staunton is one of three locations. You can also visit them in Fredericksburg and Warrenton.
Skipping Rock Brewery, Augusta County
“Our beer is a reflection of place, as all beers should be, but they also speak to a more enlightened way of life; of worrying less and living more”
We ended our trip at Skipping Rock Brewery with our husbands, which was the icing on the cake of a perfect weekend. Skipping Rock prides themselves on creating quality beers, down to the last detail and you can tell. John and I have passed this brewery on our way to the Homestead countless times and always say we will stop in, but never have. This was the perfect opportunity to try it out and we’ve decided it will be a tradition from now on.
Our favorite beers were the Strawberry & Blackberry sours, but we liked everything we tried! They have an excellent food truck : German Bratwurst and we basically ordered one of everything on the menu. So good.
We truly had the best time exploring a mostly new part of our home state! If you’re looking to plan a trip, we reaaally suggest checking out the Shenandoah Valley. Our trip was inspired by the Travel the Beerwerks Trail Guide, which is a great resource for all sorts of weekend getaways: fishing, wineries, breweries and lesser known travel destinations. Shoot us a DM or leave a comment with any additional questions you might have about this trip!
Thanks so much to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley for setting up this trip for us & sponsoring our adventure.
Agent Nateur is a natural skincare brand that is made out of high quality ingredients from European Countries and holi (glow) eye serum is the product that got me addicted to this brand. You can purchase it on the Agent Nateur website or at Revolve, Net-a-Porter, Nordstrom, and Dermstore. (If you are in a hurry for your Agent Nateur products, I recommend getting it from Revolve for their free 2-day shipping practice!)
I have been using Agent Nateur products for over a year (see my first review of Agent Nateur here) and I am still impressed by this skincare brand, especially the multi-purpose eye serum called holi (glow). I love how luxurious my skincare routine feels as I dab this serum under and around the delicate skin of my eyes. The other night, I had finished my shower and night time skincare routine and my husband said “Wow, your skin looks amazing. You’re glowing!”
I say that this eye serum is multipurpose because it can be used on bare skin, during your skincare routine AND it can be used over makeup for a natural looking glow. Have you seen the Gucci Multi-Use Gel Gloss that is a clear serum-like makeup? Holi (glow) does provides this same glossy effect while also taking care of your skin.
The ingredients in Agent Nateur’s holi (glow) eye-serum are not something that should be overlooked. I know how carefully Jena Covello, the creator of Agent Nateur, sources her products and this eye-serum is no exception. Some of the ingredients in this eye serum are cucumber and lavender water, Sodium Hyaluronate, pitaya, and caffeine. Each of these have an active roll in decreasing age spots, dark circles, and puffiness.
If you are looking for a luxurious and effective way to elevate your skincare regimen, especially for your eye area, look no further than Agent Nateur’s holi (glow) eye serum. It rings in at just under $100!
XO, Cath
~ PIN TO SHOP LATER ~
This post originally appeared on Sartorial Meanderings in October 2019, but I have updated the links and my favorite designer pieces with more current photos!
OKAY GUYS, LET’S GET RIGHT TO IT.
I have been wanting to write this post for a while, especially because I see so many bloggers out there constantly posting about “dupes.”
When I say “Why I Invest in Luxury Fashion,” I don’t necessarily mean at designer prices. Lots of my designer pieces are consigned from The Real Real, Tradesy, Poshmark, eBay and my current favorite, Mercari. What I should really say is that I like to buy quality over quantity. I realized a few years ago that the number of pairs of shoes or bags that I bought was absurd in comparison to how long they lasted me. I was spending hundreds of dollars a year on pieces that simply wouldn’t last. I thought I was being savvy by shopping from fast fashion retailers, but in reality I was spending the same amount of money on all of these crappy items as I would on a few quality, designer pieces. So that’s when I bought my first used Louis Vuitton off of Tradesy and asked for Gucci Slides for my birthday. (pictured below)
You have heard us talk about our favorite NYM products here and on our personal blogs over the years, but we figured it was time for one comprehensive post here.
Not Your Mother’s makes cruelty- free salon quality products at affordable prices. You can find them at Ulta, Target and your favorite local pharmacies. NYM products are a part of our daily hair rotations and here are a few products that are in regular rotation:
Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray – Not Your Mother’s Sea Salt sprays are perfect for creating texturized beach waves. Spray on damp hair for beachy vibes year ’round.
Part Time Air Dry Accelerator – Speed up your air dry process after a shower before you style your hair!
Clean Freak Dry Shampoo – NYM has a variety of different dry shampoos to give your hair a few extra days in between washes and this one is my personal favorite!
All-in-1 Hair Perfector – This one does it all! This detangles, controls frizz, strengthens, adds body and more! This is a must have. (more…)
we wrote this blog post during quarantine last year, but the sentiment remains the same and we have updated it with current favorite picks.
Another thing that we learned in Quarantine is how to spend less, and on things we really want! As fashion bloggers, we are often buying things to try out so that we can spread the word to you guys about what we like and don’t like. We are also gifted products (usually beauty) to share with you as well. We try to share only things that we truly believe in, but often will link similar products as well.
Today, we are sharing a handful of things we purchased this month and really loved. These won’t break the bank and range from candles to earrings, to sunglasses and accessories. We are going to try and make these posts a regular thing here on the blog and hope you find them helpful and useful!
We are so excited to finally reveal our two container store projects with you guys here on the blog.
We were so excited to find out that The Container Store was coming to Short Pump, outside of Richmond, as we have both had goals for a while about getting more organized in our office / closet spaces. Catherine has only been in her house for about a year and a half, and even though I have been in mine for 5, it is still a work in progress. So we were even more thrilled when The Container Store wanted to collaborate with us around the launch of their new store.
When you think new closet, or new office, you think square room, full walls, etc. Well, neither of our spaces fit that criteria, so we all had to get creative. Catherine’s house is a cape, so her space has slanted ceilings, and mine is a loft which was even more complicated.
(more…)
move over denim, there’s a new shorts style trending this summer.
I have NEVER been a shorts girl. I have had my fair share of denim shorts over the years, some that I have liked okay. But, to me, they just are not comfortable. Even my favorite One Teaspoon pairs can get uncomfy after a few hours. I am alllll about comfort these days, especially after living in loungewear for a year, so when I started doing some shopping for new summer pieces, I was on the hunt for shorts that were chic, but comfortable. I hit the jackpot with these two pairs from ASOS and they have been on repeat now that the temps are warmer.
You’ve heard of Instagram stories, you’ve heard of Facebook stories, now we bring you a whole new brand of tappable stories: Google Web Stories.
Everyone loves to watch stories unfold, whether it is in a book or in a movie, and we are convinced thats why everyone is craving so many story like features on social media and the internet in general. Rebecca and I (Cathclaire) are super pumped to be working with Google on their launch o their very own story platform called Google Web Stories.
Are you a creator on the internet? Whether you are a blogger, freelance writer, or someone who loves to create content for fun – check out Google Web Stories as a place to share what you create! Rebecca is creating stories surrounding the category of fashion and my stories fall into the category of Beauty.
Follow along with us as we create new Google Web Stories for you weekly!
XO, The Crystal Press
I first posted here on the blog about gorjana last summer, and since then, my love affair with the brand has only grown deeper and my collection has grown to an almost absurd amount of pieces. I wear a combination of gorjana necklaces and earrings everyday and love changing up the different layers and earing combos to match my outfits and my moods. To get a feel for how I love to mix and match, check out this reel.