Common House is what we would call an inclusive – not exclusive – social club and a great place for creatives to commune, eat delicious food, do inspiring work, and drink amazing cocktails. I think it’s pretty obvious that The Crystal Press can’t wait to have Common House in Richmond, Va!
The two of us (in case you are new here, we are Cathclaire & Rebecca Piersol) had a girls day this weekend in Charlottesville with Common House and Need Supply. We have been cherishing these days as a twosome (lol, it’s like we are married or something) before Baby S arrives in Feb and when The Crystal Press got invited to check out Common House and the Need Supply Holiday pop up – we seized the opportunity!
For as comfortable as I have always been in front of the camera, and on stage, and just as a lover of attention – I am sometimes awkward when it comes to in person interactions. The majority of the time, my travel photos are taken by John (or Catherine if I’m with her) because it just seems easier, even if they are just on my iPhone or a point-and-shoot! BUT, I have decided that I want to make an effort when I travel to meet and work with local creatives, because it really enhances my travel experience and I realized that working with professional photographers really helps to get my creative juices flowing. My two experiences doing this were AWESOME and I am writing this here, to remind myself (and encourage you) to keep doing so!
Acacia Mid-town is one of our favorite dinner spots in Richmond, VA. From the up-scale ambiance to the ever changing/seasonal menu, we always leave with a fabulous dining experience. Located on Cary St and Robinson (near PBR and Vitality Float Spa), if you haven’t had the Acacia Midtown experience yet – we highly recommend you treat yourself to it ASAP. You’re guaranteed a delicious meal!
On Tuesdays, Acacia has half of bottles of wine. Um, yes, you read that right. Tuesdays are a very good day to treat yourself to a meal here and we do so whenever we can. If you are the early bird, you can experience their bar menu specials until 6:30 PM – even on Saturdays, which is rare around these parts!
until 6:30
Another great detail about Acacia is that it is a great place to rent out for events. Catherine had her rehearsal dinner here before her wedding and it was impeccable. You can’t beat the decor or the food or the service. If you are looking for a fabulous place to host your next event, look no further than Acacia Midtown.
Who is going with us for half off bottles of wine tonight? See ya there.
John and I had the pleasure of getting out of town for the weekend and staying at the Virginia Getaway House, a tiny house outpost near the Shenandoah National Park. Just an hour and a half away from Richmond, it was an easy trip, the last part of which was was beautiful back country roads. The check-in process was almost too easy, as they texted us the name of our cabin & the lock code on the day of and we could just pull right up and get in the tiny house with ease! We unpacked our cooler, brought our things inside and immediately got to some hard core relaxing.
As girls that love a taste of the finer things in life, we are a sucker for a good steak dinner! We were so excited when Flemings Steakhouse (located at our local favorite mall Stony Point Fashion Park) invited us to try out a few of their current specials.
The ever revolving options offered with their Chef Table selections are innovative and excellent. We started off our meal with the Caprese salad and it did not disappoint! We also got a chance to try one of the burgers from their summer special (details below), and that definitely lived up to expectations as well. Talk about an amazing burger!
We love when we get the opportunity to partner with local places, spaces & businesses, so when Creek’s Edge at Stony Point contacted us about coming to check out their apartments, it was a no-brainer. We are Stony Point girls through and through. We will only see movies at Cinebistro. We love happy hour at Brio & are suckers for a steak dinner at Flemings Steakhouse. Not to mention, of course, Cath used to work at Saks. So, we had driven past Creek’s Edge Apartments countless times and were excited to check out what they have to offer.
With the smell of Spring in the air and the days getting longer, it is hard NOT to crave a trip to a season-less destination where the Piña Colada’s (with extra coconut for me) are flowing and the chic warm weather fashion is all around. Whether that means the Almafi Coast, Miami, or a local beach for you – a flattering swimsuit is a must. With the beach on your mind, what better way to make room in your life for a vacation than to find the perfect swimmy? After all, the Universe sends you your desires when you hold a space for them.
Last week I was lucky enough to tag along with John on a trip to Austin, TX! He was attending SXSW EDU, and I have been wanting to visit Austin for quite a while so I jumped at the chance to join him. Ok, I was also easily convinced because he booked his stay at Four Seasons Austin and it’s impossible to say no to FS.
Unfortunately, we were there during the only days that the temp was in the 30s and 40s so lots of the recommendations we got were not ideal, but we still got to hit some really great spots! Aside from staying at the Four Seasons, the highlights of the trip were having lunch (twice) at Joann’s Fine Foods, shooting with Divina Stennfeld, having burgers at Dean’s One Trick Pony and catching up with a few friends that we have in Austin!
When John and I were in Austin, the weather wasn’t exaaaaaactly what we had imagined. When we booked our trip we were thinking we would be escaping to sunny Texas from cold Virginia, but we were oh so wrong!! The weather was exactly like at home, and every single person we talked to said “you know it’s never this cold here!” I even had to postpone my shoot with Divina, because we didn’t think that being out in the 30 degree weather would be fun for either of us. Luckily, it warmed up by our shoot on Wednesday but I was definitely glad that I packed layers!
*Most of my outfit is sold out now but I wanted to leave them linked so you could see the pieces up close. That being said, I have rounded up some similar pieces to recreate this look below:
My husband took me to Miami, Florida last year for a mini 30th birthday getaway. This trip couldn’t have come at a better time and I am so happy he did it before my actual birthday so that we could celebrate all that were my twenties with my favorite man!
We flew down on a Wednesday evening for a quick flight from Richmond and checked into the Four Seasons Hotel Miami. Kev and I were so excited to have touched down in Miami that instead of going straight to our room in the hotel, the concierge took our bags up while we checked out the restaurant off of the lobby called Edge Steakhouse. I ordered the Piscolada and as dramatic as this drink review sounds, I was immediately transported to heaven with the first sip. This cocktail consisted of a delicate mix of Pisco 100, lime juice, coconut syrup cream, and (wait for it…) ORANGE BLOSSOM WATER. If you are planning a trip to Miami, I highly recommend this cocktail. It is completely swoon worthy.
After a cocktail, our excitement didn’t wane one bit about our mini getaway so we wandered around the pool area to see what was in store for the next day. We both decided to be adults and call it an early night after that first cocktail and scoping out the pool because we wanted to feel sprightly for our first full day of vacay.
I woke up each day on this trip and worked out. There is an Equinox attached to Four Seasons Miami and it is a beautiful facility. Equipped with anything you could possibly need to workout, amazing group classes (including dance + meditation oriented ones), a spa, and a steam room. There is several other amenities but these are the ones that caught my attention!
For the first day of vacation, we sat our booties at the pool. Like I said in my honeymoon travel blogpost about the Four Seasons West Palm Beach, the Four Seasons knows how to do pool service.
From fresh pressed juices to Pina Coladas galore, we couldn’t find a single reason to leave. That is until Kevin decided that we should go to the Miami Heat game versus the 76ers.
The Heat was playing at home in the playoffs and while I was hesitant to agree to this event at first, I am really glad that we went. Kevin was like a kid in a candy shop and it was so cute! I played basketball for a long time and after the Heat game in Miami, I have come to the conclusion that it is my favorite sport to watch aside from tennis. Kevin and I had so much fun cheering on the Heat!
On Friday, Kev and I hung out at the pool and then ventured to Le Sirenuse Miami. This restaurant originated on the Almafi coast, is highly recommended by Goop, and is inside (yes, you guessed it..) the Four Seasons Surf Club. This is a relatively new Four Seasons property and let me tell you, it is breath taking. From the airy decor inside to the secluded beach views, you can’t go wrong! FYI the restaurant is formal so keep that in mind when dressing for a meal there!
The next day, we worked out, pooled it, and went shopping at Brickell City Centerto see what kind of pieces could feed Cathclaire’s shopaholic tendencies. Guess what folks? All I purchased were two pairs of earrings from Zara! My husband got more than I did and that, in the history of Kev and Cath, has never happened. After shopping around the City Center, we went to Marion Miami for dinner. This place was delicious and their patio was so cute. I ordered the tuna tostada and it was delish!
The next day, we had some time to kill before leaving for the airport for our flight home to Richmond. After our morning workout, we lounged…yep you guessed it…by the pool. The Four Seasons was so accommodating until it was time to leave for our flight. I swear everyone who works at the Four Seasons is my best friend…
Pisco 100, Lime Juice, Coconut Syrup Cream, Orange Blossom WaterUntil next time folks! <3
