OUTFIT AND OCCASION

Outfit:

Hand-me-down skirt and top!

This sheer maxi skirt allowed my legs to breathe on the most beautiful, breezy day while being girly and flowing.  Jess, are you sure you meant to throw this number to the curb??

Occasion:

Festival of Fools and The Avett Brothers!

The Avett Brother’s concert was at the Shelburne Museum about 20 mins from Burlington.  It is my favorite venue because the sun sets behind the stage and the setting is just magnificent.  Not to mention, there is always a ben and jerry’s truck with FREE scoops all night!!  The Avett Brothers were so much fun and are eclectic.  They mentioned Brooklyn (Wanda’s birthplace), Poughkeepsie (Mark’s hometown), and lots of Vermont praising.  Something for everyone and relaxing time with the fam.

We ate sandwiches from The Red Onion.  They have the biggest sandwiches loaded with deliciousness. 

Not to mention it was Festival of Fools all weekend in Burlington.  Church street was filled with street performers from around the world!  We saw magic acts, clowns, and beautiful musical performances from the famous Kat Wright (she is now featured on The Point!) and Francesca Blanchard, a french girl with an amazing voice!  Here’s a picture of Wanda and I on the decorated streets.  p.s. the shirt was a Shalom Shuk find!

Overall, awesome weekend!  Other highlights are dinner at Church and Main  with Tom’s family, Bolton Potholes, breakfast at Penny Cluse (a must) and Parkside Kitchen (in Richmond), and walking by the Burlington Waterfront!

 

Outfit and Occasion

MONTREAL!

Outfit:

Kate Spade Eyelit Dress (Richmond Thrift Store, VT), $6.50, Clutch (Richmond Thrift Store, VT), $9.00

Found this dress online at Zappos for $400.  For some odd reason my new fav thrift shop was willing to part with it for under $10.  Luckily it was in my size!  Total scoreeee

Occasion:

Montreal for Laughs Festival 🙂

Place d’Armes

Old Montreal

It’s crazy to think that Montreal is only 2 short hours from Burlington and it is a) another country! b) a French/English speaking melting pot c) SO beautiful and fun and rich in culture.  Old Montreal is gorgeous with cobblestone streets and awesome galleries/tourist shops.  We walked on the pier and saw a 37 million dollar yacht (we looked up the price later) and all sorts of boating on the most beautiful day!

Tom and I went for the “Just For Laughs” festival to see Graham Clark, Tom’s favorite comedy podcast host.  His performance was based on the intricacies of the phone book and it was HILarious!

While we were there, of course we explored the food options!  Pictured below was the best Indian food I’ve ever had at Darbar.  Tasty tandoori chicken took me to another world of happiness.  We had fresh mango mojitos to accompany our eclectic meal.  We must go back!  Tomorrow, perhaps???  We also had a Polish and an Venezuelan meal.  One worldly day of delicacies!

Darbar

A week in the states and then back through the border for my birthday in Quebec!  Stay tuned!

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Topshop Sequined Daisy Crop Top (hand-me-down), Tank Dress (LF, NYC), $?

One person’s trash is another’s treasure.  My sister, Jessica, is definitely stocked with treasures that she graciously passes on to me and become personal favorites!  This crop top is decorated with sequin daisy’s and is perfect for summertime!

Occasion:

Vermont Brewer’s Festival

Let me explain the VT Brewfest craze.  Months ago, tickets became available online for 4 separate Brewfest events in Burlington by the waterfront, each with about a 1,000 person capacity.  Within 4 minutes, at 4pm on a weekday, tickets were sold out!  I was one of the lucky ones who registered fast enough and reserved a spot at this coveted extravaganza.

There were 45 Vermont brewery’s at the event!  You get a 6oz glass with 12 tickets, typically one drink per ticket, but some neglected to ask for a ticket (more for me!).  I tried craft beer that ranged from hoppy to pale to citrus to elderberry.  There was even a key lime pie flavored beer with graham cracker hints.  SO GOOD.   4 straight hours of eclectic flavors saturating my tongue!  What a day!  The weather was warm with a cool breeze.  And lets just say, my friends and I were feelin silly.

Pictured above was a special treat.  Worthy Burger is an hour and a half away in South Royalton and renown as the best burgers in VT. They graced the Brewfest with their presence!! Juicy, tasty, melts in my mouth!  Great interim meal to soak up the alcohol and make me the happiest girl in the world!

Already looking forward to next year!

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Strappy Back Yoga Romper (Forever21 online), $18.00, Joe Shorts (hand-me-down), Sandals (Sevilla, Spain), $8.00, Clutch (Richmond Thrift Store, VT), $9.00, Jewelry (gifted – earrings made by cousin Sam Chalfin), Geometric Print Towel (Forever21 online), $10.00

This black strappy thing is actually a leotard romper that is excellent for my sass-filled Zumba nights, but it works well as a top too!  Adds a little spice to a plain black/white ensemble and allows this fun clutch I found at my new FAVORITE thrift shop to really pop!  (Not pictured together, but you get the gist).

Occasion:

Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival

This weekend was beautiful and HOT.  Tom and I saw the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival in Stowe!  So cool!  So many adorable little ones and people watching and, of course, the ginormous dozen or so balloons that filled the sky right in front of us!  We had an awesome soft pretzel and camped out as each balloon inflated and took off!

We also went to an arts festival in Waterbury that had beautiful jewelry, paintings, postcards, and beyond, and I ate homemade pasta with fresh pesto and local sausage…yum!

And we went to the bolton potholes to chill.  This is a natural swimming hole that is in the mountain and has layers of pools to relax in and spots to jump from.  It looks like this…

To top it all off, we went cruising in Amanda (Tom’s sister’s) boat with their little boy, Will!  Maximizing breeze and cool water to beat the humidity.  Love the sun, but definitely have had my fair share for the week!

Outfit and Occasion

 

Missoni Tank (Shalom Shuk, Burlington), $2.00, Reiker Sandals (Salvation Army, Burlington), $2.00, Paige Shorts (TJ Maxx, Burlington), $10.00, Necklace (gifted), Earrings (Siren, Mamaroneck NY), $12.00

Missoni is known for its rayon fabric that is hard to see from a picture, but is shimmery and silky and very signature of this colorful, Italian designer brand.  This particular shirt it Missoni Sport which was discontinued in 2002.  I found a similar tank on Etsy for $328.00.  Quite a difference from the $2.00 I spent at good ole Shalom Shuk!

Occasion:

Mirabelle’s is a breakfast/lunch spot in Burlington that has awesome pastries and is quite charming.  Their brunch wait is always shorter than Penny Cluse, my ultimate favorite, but this Egg Tostada is a close second.  Plus the hash browns are to die for.  Delicious start to the day!

Happy July 4th!

I saw the fireworks from a friend’s private beach on Lake Champlain and it was magical!  My favorite fireworks were the ones shaped like smiley faces 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Vintage skort (Battery Street Jeans, Burlington), $6.00, Crop top (Charlotte Russe, Burlington), $8.00, “Abby” necklace (gifted)

This skort has a happy pattern AND I never have to worry about it riding up too high – hurray for the skort!

Occasion:

Burlington Jazz Fest

Every year, for a week in June, Burlington is graced with wonderful tunes for the annual Jazz Fest.  You walk down Church Street and there are awesome bands at restaurants, under tents, and on the street.  Tom and I ate outside at Asiana Noodle Shop so that we can enjoy the perfect weather, listen in on some sweet funk, and eat a deliciously refreshing meal!

Asiana Noodle House has a great mix of sushi, noodles, and broths. It is a little pricey, but I am always full and happy when I leave 🙂

Salmon, squid, shrimp, mussels, and scallops in this light yet filling seafood salad!  Delicious gingery dressing.  Def coming back for more!

Pork Gyoza – just the right about of doughy-ness

This “Holy Duck” appetizer is out of this world!!!   It is a tower of delight with yummy duck and an overall sushi flavor.

Ginormous berry beverage with pomegranate seeds!  A bit like kool-aid, but kool-er…

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

H&M shirt (Shalom Shuk, Burlington), $3.00, Floral pants (Old Navy, Williston), $8.99 on sale, H&M pleather bag (Shalom Shuk, Burlington), $2.00, Pleather jacket (Forever21, White Plains), around $20.00

I wear these new, blue floral pants practically every day because they are fun and most importantly, stretchy!  I also love that they were $9!  The brightness of this yellow shirt creates one sun-shiny outfit (contrasting cloudy, ominous  San Fran skies)

Occasion:

SAN FRANSISCO – Visiting my best friend, Julia, attending an employment conference, and visiting my cousin, Amanda!!

Attractions 

Botanical Gardens

             

I was literally in heaven wandering around this HUGE, jungle-like garden.  Tons of rustic paths and benches to reflect as you pass through flowers, plants, and trees from around the world.  My new favorite place!

Haight Ashbury

Here’s an extreme example of what Haight Ashbury/hippie-central has to offer.  I was in heaven in this area with tons of vintage, thrift, and funky shops!

The Mission

This area is known for it’s graffiti and here are just a few examples.  Had fun scanning the beauty and the progressive messages!

Ferry Building

Awesome indoor market with wonderfully delicious speciality shops that all have SAMPLES!  My favorites were Cowgirl Creamery, a cheese shop and Dandelion, a famous chocolate shop.

Fishermans Wharf

Touristy area that is reminiscent of Disney Land, but the best part was seeing the sealions on the pier – hundreds just chillen.

Painted Ladies (“Full House”)

Where all the Tanner family fun took place!!

Food

Home Skillet by Civic Center

I waited for just a bit too long on a line out the door, but this breakfast sandwich with turkey, egg, pesto, and everything nice on brioche was UNREAL.  The latte was also one of the best I’ve ever had.

Bi-Rite Creamery

   

This ice cream is rated as one of the best food attractions in San Fransisco.  I got the roasted banana flavor in a salted peanut butter cookie.  YUM!

Burritos in The Mission

Gotta get a ginormous burrito when you’re in The Mission area.  This area has so many cute shops as well!

Home made caprese

 

Whole Foods – if only we had you in Burlington!  This light meal was so so fresh and an amazing taste sensation!

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

J. Crew Skirt (Shalom Shuk, Burlington), $3.00, H & M shirt/dress (H & M, Spain), $5.00, Rieker Sandals (Salvation Army, Burlington), $2.00 on sale, Forever 21 necklace (forever21.com), $8.00

Love my genuine leather two dollar shoes I just picked up!

Every Friday night I join Tom’s family in their traditional pizza night!  Nice weather means shifting from gathering in Milton at Tom’s sisters house to the family “camp” in Colchester.  Camp is code for summer house down by the lake.  The setting is unbelievably pretty and we snuck away for a quick photo sesh on the rocks by the beach.  Cool breeze without a tinge of chilly.  PERFECTION.  Next Friday will be a different scene as we’ll be at the hospital meeting Amanda’s baby girl/Tom’s new niece!  YAY!

Occasion:

Daily Planet, Burlington

 

Daily Planet has a charming atmosphere and is tucked away between two side streets off of Church. For me, it started off as a great place to get awesome cocktails with friends, and turned into a culinary top runner.  It is a spot locals have known about for years and is gaining more recognition, especially for it’s taco tuesdays that is always a bit of a surprise (generally, they rock!).  It is fine dining without ridiculous prices.  I was greatly pleased with the filling sliders and banana, peanut butter, candied bacon, caramelized sugar creme brûlée on a date with a friend.  In the past I’ve had the duck confit poutine which is a must try for those looking to indulge!  Some have said that the cuisine has declined since getting a new chef, but I think there is something on the menu for everyone!  Worth a try to find your personal favorites 🙂

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Maxi Skirt (TJ Maxx, Burlington), $15.00, Crop Top (Forever21, Denver CO), $6.00, Hat (Forever21, Denver CO), $13.00

This perfect weather we’ve been having in Burlington calls for a fun & trendy outfit.  I can always count on Forever21 to find something along those lines…ironically, stopping at the graveyard for a pic, I feel I’m in Burlington heaven!

Occasion:

The Scuffer

Nothing beats sitting outside on Church Street eating delicious food on a beautiful day!  The Scuffer (a pub with big, yummy burgers) surprised me with a touch of class.  An ahi tuna sandwich with wasabi aioli and ginger.  It was so refreshing and definitely hit the spot!  Swap fries for salad and you have a healthy and satisfying meal!

Perfect weather – keep on coming, please!!

 

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Zara white blouse (hand-me-down), Black and white pants (Gap, Burlington), $17.00 on sale

Occasion:

Montpelier!

Basking in the sun on a glorious day at the State Capital.  Tons of happy kiddies playing on the green and cute puppies to watch!  Nice day to stroll around and pop in to thrift shops and book stores!

Birchgrove Bakery, Montpelier

Birchgrove Bakery is THE most exceptional coffee/baked goods shop around!  The latte is almost creamy with a heavenly aroma and strong taste.  It really rocks my world.  I can’t resist a cookie when I stop in, with tons of melty chocolate chips and substantial in size.  This place alone is worth a 45 minute trip to Montpelier from Burlington…seriously.