This post was promoted by Bud Light Lime. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
Reb is getting married in July, so a bachelorette party has been on our horizon for quite some time. The party finally came to fruition when we hopped on the Palmetto Amtrak to Charleston, SC (aka Chucktown) over a long weekend. Our destination was a beautiful condo in Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms that fit 8 girls and lots of suitcases comfortably, emphasis on the lots of suitcases.
Upon arrival to the island to kick start the party, Reb greeted her bridesmaids with a casual welcome party — including appetizers & adult beverages. After a long day on the train, Reb wanted a no hassle, refreshing solution, so Bud Light Lime® was the drink of choice. Because, who has time to make a margarita after a long train ride when you can just pop open a Bud Light Lime®? In any case, Cath knew this was a sure sign of a promising bachelorette weekend ahead.
Okay – immediate disclaimer – this “top” is totally a nightgown. As part of my bachelorette party I had a lingerie shower (yes, basic I know) and got some bomb ass things. I am a bralette & nightgown girl and my bridesmaids totally nailed it (shoutout to all of you). This amazing in bloom nightgown was from my sister / maid of honor and I am totally in love with it. I have to admit that when I first opened it I knew I could totally rock it outside of my bedroom / living room. I am all for wearing things in a totally different context than what they were designed for, so thanks for perpetuating my habit sis! Also along similar lines (breaking all fashion rules) – I am always wearing black & brown together so these Frye booties were the perfect compliment to the slip.
Ever since I can remember, I was an avid journal-er. Keyword: was.
Since my graduation from Virginia Tech, I have journaled consistently only when I am wading through a hard time. Other than those oh-so-wonderful-hard-times, I have allowed myself to digress into a sporadic journal-er post college graduation. I hadn’t even noticed I’d put my hobby on the back-burner until I came across the TIME article that we mentioned in our Weekly Roundup yesterday here.
Needles to say, this article has made a mark on my lazy brain because I have been carrying my journal around with me everywhere since it came into my life. There is something to be said about writing about…nothing. Maybe most of my sentences aren’t complete, I use too many abbreviations, and reference too many pop songs – but I feel saner & I know my future self will thank me for it. Plus, we all know reading old entries and getting insight or a belly laugh is the best part.
This week has been a serious scorcher in Richmond, but luckily we found several distractions from the heat. We have made some fantastic discoveries, hit some excellent happy hours, & explored new parts of our city.
>> We are obsessed with the Tarte LipSurgence Matte Lip tintand have been rocking it in our latest posts! Our favorite colors are Lively & Hope.
>> We had an excellent happy hour experience at Wild Ginger in Midlothian complete with sushi, dumplings & of course, Kirin Ichiban.
>> We fell in love with Parachute bedding. So long college bedding, hello Cloud of Comfort! (their words, our thoughts exactly)
>> There is endless reading to do these days about blogging, branding, and making a presence for yourself etc and we are trying our best to keep up! Right now we have our nose in Leave Your Mark,by Aliza Licht. She kicks some serious butt on so many levels. The best quote worthy advice we’ve read in the book so far is: “If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. Be an educated risk-taker.” Well said, #DKNYPRGIRL.
>> We have been jamming out to the new Hilary Duff album,”Breathe In. Breathe Out” with absolute zero shame.
P.S Check out her acoustic version of “Tattoo” from her album on NYLON’s website here if you want to be left with “major feels.”
>> Speaking of major feels, we have gotten back into journaling. We don’t consider ourselves writers per say but we couldn’t resist reimplementing the habit when we came across this article in TIME magazine by Eric Barker titled “This One Simple Thing Can Make Your Life Much Better.“ Check out Eric’s take on journaling to see how writing can improve…just about everything in life. Here are a couple of our favorite journals: 1 / 2 / 3 and if you want to splurge, 4.
I had a serious revelation while perusing the Bahama Shop in Virginia Beach: *CHAN LUU MAKES CLOTHES* (!!!) They have already conquered the beaded necklaces (one in this post) and wrap bracelets and now they also make gorgeous blouses and dresses? Jackpot.
I also have credit the absolutely perfect windy day on the boardwalk for making the blouse look even more stellar. There is truly something to be said about the location and your surroundings that really improve the aura of an outfit. Sure, these perfectly ripped Paige Jeans & Chan Luu Blouse are the perfect combo for a spring afternoon, but the beach front vibes add an ethereal quality to the look.
Despite my attempts to be/think like a more interesting woman, I continue to wake up loving T Swift & the latest trends in just about everything. Before your mind starts firing off thoughts of basic this, basic that – hold your horses because I have an exception up my sleeve. I originally titled this post “50 shades of blue” but felt inclined to delete the 50 because, that’s right, I have not touched a book in the Shades of Grey series or seen more than 1/4 of the preview for the movie. I may not be the most interesting women in the world, but I am pretty stoked to have some proof that I don’t do everyyyyything the masses do.
P.S I feel inclined to reveal that (to my not-so-pleasant surprise) these J Brand jeans are meant to be……….capris. Yes, they look like perfectly hemmed denim skinnies on this short-legged-lady but I’ll tell you what, Cath is not complaining. What better than being able to throw on a pair of jeans, without a care in the world aka sans alterations? If you have short legs or are in need of a pair of capris, head to Bahama Shop or find the link below.
When I laid eyes on this Free People tunic in Bahama Shop after pinning it months ago, I knew I had to wear it. Despite my growing collection of all things white since being engaged, I knew there had to be some of wedding event aka an excuse to buy this puppy. Is this tunic too much for a casual 8:30 am wedding day breakfast? Jw.
We had such fun spending the day in Virginia Beach: walking the boardwalk, getting in the way of bike lanes, and stopping by our favorite hotel on the Oceanftont: The Hilton! After a delish lunch & pina coladas at the hotel’s restaurant, Catch 31, we ventured to this balcony to soak it all in.
I’ve always been confused by the concept of a summer sweater until this Bailey 44 white cage number came into my life. I can think of a million things I want to wear this sweater with and I am so thankful for Bahama Shop in Virginia Beach for allowing TCP to style looks with their amazing pieces! It was so fun getting to spend the day with them and play with all of their beautiful things!
If you make it to VB this summer, I highly suggest you pop into Bahama Shop which is just a couple of blocks from the ocean front to take a peek. What can be better than a trip to visit the ocean and a perfectly curated boutique moments away? Stay tuned for the next few looks on TCP to see what Bahama Shop is made of!
Beware: you can spend hours pining over all of the denim, flowy tops, & killer shoes at the shop. Plan your beach day accordingly.
I think its safe to say that my wardrobe has a serious black-and-white-plus-red-lip thing going on. Technically these jeans are just really really light denim, but for the purpose of this outfit, lets just say they are white. They have been my go-to for years now and give any outfit a little edge. The dazed-floral print on the tunic and the geometric pattern on the shoes are the perfect compliment to each other because of the black-and-white thing and really take this outfit to the next “matchy-matchy” level (imho). *Cue dancing in the streets & feeling like a flower child in platform mules*
When we discovered that CCH Collection’s Flagship store was right down the street from where we live, we were immediately enthralled. We spent a lovely afternoon in the store trying on basically everything, talking with the collection’s designer, Carter Johnson, and picking out a few pieces to show off on the blog. (It was so hard to choose – everything is so versatile!!) Carter designs the pieces, they are made in NYC and her sister, Alston, works in New York with the sales and production aspect. We love the modern twist on gorgeous, classic pieces and when we asked Carter a few questions, her answers sum up the Collection perfectly. (See Catherine in the Pop Top here!) The Crystal Press: What Inspires You? Carter Johnston: I’m inspired every day by what I see around me… People Walking down the street, themes I see on the runway, pictures I see on Instagram… sometimes even a color story in graffiti on a wall can spark an entire collection!
TCP: What drives you? CJ: I love to create clothing that makes women feel comfortable and stylish at the same time. I always find that when I want to look put together I often cannot find something comfortable enough to wear all day long – or – if it is comfortable, it does not look stylish and sophisticated. Many times pieces I design come from the desire to fill a void in my own wardrobe and I think I represent a lot of working women out there that have children or busy work schedules, where they need to be able to translate what they have on at work or running errands into what they wear to dinner or drinks with friends. I hope that their CCH pieces will fill that niche!!
TCP: How did you know it was time to start your own line? Fears you had to overcome? CJ: I have always collected pieces that I have come across through the years – whether it was a discontinued sample from work that needed a fit revision, vintage pieces found from all over, amazing pieces from my mother or pictures of my Grandmother – I have quietly been creating my collection since as early as I can remember. I usually have the silhouette in my mind and then try to find an amazing fabric to make it in. I have these shapes floating around in my head and once I find the fabric, they come to life!!
TCP: Out of all the cities for CCH to pop up in – why Richmond? CJ: I am from Richmond and have always thought this would be the perfect location for a CCH Store because what we offer suits the lifestyle of many of the women here. Richmond is a stylish city and the women are sophisticated. They want to look put together and effortlessly chic. They do not crave trend… they want to look timeless and elegant!!
[ we could not agree more!! well said! ]
TCP: Who is your muse? CJ: The line is named for my Grandmother as many of the first silhouettes were based on either pieces she wore or a look that she embodied. There are many “vintage” elements in the collection (high waisted pants, feminine blouses etc) but I like to make the silhouettes feel current by tweaking their fit and making them up in fabrics that are conducive to the lifestyle of busy women today.
and a few fun ones to end on —
TCP: What is your favorite song?
CJ: I love “No One’s Gonna Love You More (Than I do)” by Band of Horses
TCP: What is your favorite quote?
CJ: “Fashion must be the most intoxicating release from the banality of the world” – Diana Vreeland
Love the wall of printed instagrams!
They have a variety of pumps to try on with the clothes, in case you are like us and never come prepared!
Make sure you go stop by the Flagship Store on Grove Avenue if you’re local. It is so beautifully curated and Carter is extremely fun, knowledgeable and talented! [ shop online here if you aren’t! ]
I had a serious revelation while perusing the Bahama Shop in Virginia Beach: *CHAN LUU MAKES CLOTHES* (!!!) They have already conquered the beaded necklaces (one in this post) and wrap bracelets and now they also make gorgeous blouses and dresses? Jackpot.
When I laid eyes on this Free People tunic in 
The Crystal Press: What Inspires You? 
