I went to St. John a couple of weeks ago & I am finally getting my photo diary together! I am a lover of all things beach, but I must say in terms of the tropical vacations, St. John takes the cake. Everything in St. John is breath taking: from the food, to the people, to the beaches. St. John is a small island & the closest airport is located on St. Thomas. Do not fret, St. John is just a ferry away. There are two ferry stations in St. Thomas but I recommend ferrying from Red Hook to get to St. John. Red Hook is a longer car ride from the St. Thomas Airport, but it is a much shorter ferry ride to get to St. John. If the weather permits, get a seat on the top deck of the ferry. It is such a treat to see these beautiful islands by boat.
I had the pleasure of traveling with 15 high schoolers, my fiance & our friend the Spanish teacher to the beautiful country of Guatemala. We explored the streets of Antigua during Semana Santa (Holy Week), climbed in an active volcano, worked with children in the tiny lake town of Tzununa and witnessed some of the most incredible views. Because I could only take a small suitcase & we would be hiking, hauling rocks & working my wardrobe options were extremely limited. However, I think I managed to make it work. Shoutout to the Gap for the perfect basics that kept me outfitted for 10 days! I put together this photo journal with some of my favorite views & outfit highlights of the trip
As I said in my last outfit post, I had the pleasure of jet setting to the West Coast to visit one of my BFFS, Tiona, recently. I’ve known about this trip for awhile but in true cathclaire fashion, I left all of the packing until the last minute. Thankfully, my travelers guardian angel reminded me to pack light and to bring a larger suitcase than necessary in anticipation of LA shopping. Here is what was in my over sized suitcase:
Truth be told, packing isn’t the only task I leave until the last minute. Everything is the only task I leave until the last minute. That being said, I scooted on over to Barnes & Noble with a specific airplane book in mind the night before my flight. Shopping for books is never more fun than when you are shopping for an airplane book if you ask me, but anyway… the book I had in mind was “I’ll Drink to That” by Betty Halbreich. I guess the early bird really does get the worm because this book was nowhere to be found except on the internet with a 2 day shipping timeline that I clearly didn’t have. What else did I have left to do except play the game called walk-down-the-fiction-isle-and-grab-the-first-book-that-speaks-to-you game invented by yours truly. The result? Valley of Dolls by Jaqueline Susann.
Valley of Dolls was published in the 1966 and was well ahead of its time. When I realized that it held world records and such, I dubbed the above mentioned game I played in Barnes & Noble successful. I’ve enjoyed the book in its entirety and found it especially interesting because the 70s sprung out of late 60s fashion, all of which is making a comeback in fashion today. Below are a few pics of Valley Of Doll’s experience throughout the trip.
Valley of Dolls in the ATL airport hanging out at PF Changs.
Valley of Dolls on the flight to California.
Valley of Dolls laying out in Cali.
Despite my last minute tendencies, I made it to the airport with enough time to read a significant amount of my airplane book and to enjoy an airport brew. Two things that saved me on this long a** flight: lululemon leggings & the delta app. The Delta app acted as a pseudo personal assistant for me because it updated constantly and left me a lot of flexibility to wander around the airport instead of my usual: to be glued to my gate when traveling by myself. What can I say, I tend to be a scaredy cat when it comes to the possibility of missing my flight.
Lululemon legging airport attire, check.
Fast forward traveling time and a 3 hour time difference, and I arrived in the City of Angels in one piece. After freshening up and getting into a more Southern California appropro outfit, Tiona and I headed to Hyde on Sunsent Blvd for Post Modern Jukebox Night. Not only did I enjoy the most delicious cocktail with fresh red pepper extract in it (The Love Unit) but I experienced the best live entertainment. Holy talent. Check out this video to see exactly why my first night in Cali at Hyde blew me away. Fun fact: Biebs made an appearance the week after I was there. Yes, I am 26 years old and yes, I care.
Hyde while waiting for the beginning of Post Modern Night
The time change was killing me the next morning- but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from exploring. I woke up, got some fuel at Le Pain in Brentwood & began my solo Cali day. What did I do you ask? Well, I spent the majority of my time at The Grove. Malls make me feel at home, especially outdoor ones that Cam Gigandet frequents with a baby strapped to his body. I was looking for something to the likes of this:
My treasure hunt may have not resulted in a Cam Gigandet sighting but I did get a blowout at the Nordstroms Blow bar (a special treat since RVA doesn’t have this luxury yet and only $35), some fun Forever 21 & Free People pieces, & a happy hour glass of Rosè at Morels Steak House.
Being in a family of 9 kids, I am not one to venture off to do anything by myself. Growing up, I always had someone to be my sidekick so I was proud of myself for chatting it up with strangers and exploring LA on my own. After my independence was established (lol), I met a friend for some Cali mexican. (I’m sure this comes as no surprise since we mentioned our love for mexican too many times in the travel NYC post.) I met her right across the street from The Grove at El Carmen Tequila & Taco Bar on 3rd for some catching up & guacamole. I was into the red lighting and the decor, check out El Carmen if you get out to Los Angeles and share my love of guac.
Later that night, Tiona & I made it out to Warwick for some dancing. This place was my jam because they played about 10 Drake songs in a row. If you like Drake and like to dance like moi, that is your place.
The next day, we went to the Chateau Marmont for lunch. Now we are to my favorite part of the whole trip. Once I got to our table on the patio, I loved it so much it was like I was physically glued to my seat and was never going to be willing to leave. My BFF and I drank yummy Rosè, chatted it up with Lenny Kravitz (jk but we did see him), and enjoyed our lunch in the most angelic scenery of all time. Life goal: to frequent the Chateau.
Besides being touristy and treasure hunting around The Grove, I also got a chance to go thrifting and to venture out to Malibu. My favorite second hand store that I visited was Wasteland. There are several locations of Wasteland but I’ve heard from valuable sources that the one on Melrose has the best pieces. I can personally attest to that advice because I scored the most beautiful leather jacket. Stay tuned for this beauty to show up in future outfit posts! As for Malibu, there are no words. Not only is Malibu absolutely gorgeous but the drive from LA to Malibu is absolutely breath taking.
Patio of Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, where we dined that evening.
Don’t you dare think that I was going to end this travel post without a brunch recommendation. Tiona took me to Tarte Restaurant on Fairfax Avenue right next to the Farmers Daughter Hotel. The brunch was delicious but my favorite part was the punch bowls. Yes, they are exactly what you think they are – a ginormous bowl of delicious tasting alcohol infused punch. We opted for the Blackberry flavored vodka bowl called “Blackballing Punch” and it was to die for. If you sit outside on the patio, they have a super fun and talented Bass player named Dream Upright who goes around to each table serenading you. Talk about service. Another fun aspect about Tarte? If you are feeling wild and in the mood for a free brunch, you can jump into the Farmers Daughter hotel pool fully clothed. We witnessed, and by witnessed I mean snap chatted, that plunge first hand and it was quite the cool experience!
I don’t have a single negative thing to say about Los Angeles except for that fact that my trip was too short, Reb & my bf Kevin couldn’t make it, and that Buddha the maltipoo didn’t get to experience the fun Cali vibes. I cannot wait to get back out to California with the whole crew for more explorations and you can bet your bottom dollar its gunna be soon!
PS Stay tuned for my next Cali outfit post and for my latest one here.
As we said in Part I of our NYC travel post, we got invited by Jenny Chase to attend her curated tradeshow with some amazing international designers – Formshow NYC. Not only were we wow-ed by the clothes and the atmosphere, but more importantly we learned how each designer is dedicated to their craft and to giving back.
There were 22 talented designers to attend the show, but we decided to highlight a few of our favorites!
Valigi – Valigi is an Italian line that had no problem catching our eye. In our opinion, Valigi is a combination of The Row & Theory, with a bit of a Tibi flare. Each piece had a modern but yet classic component that we were really drawn to aka we can’t wait to get our hands on our very own pieces. Valeria, the designer, was unbelievably sweet and we could truly see how proud she was of her designs!
Wylie Wilson – First and foremost, this lingerie is awesome & looks uber comfortable. For those of you that loathe wearing bras, these are the solution for you. Some of the Wylie Wilson bras can even function as swimwear as well! Wyle Wilson is owned and designed by Australian actress, Peta Wilson. Wylie is working with Pegasus, a program to liberate those in bondage in India & Nepal. We think what she is doing is amazing.
I-OWE YOU – I Owe You consists of authentic, unique, and fashionable pieces. You can track the journey of each handmade piece, bringing awareness to the artisans who create each garment. In purchasing a piece, “you are completing the story.” Kavita, the designer, told us. From the devoted IOU weavers to the designers, this is a truly a unique & inspiring experience.
Calleen Cordero – We are absolutely in love with these gorgeous American handmade shoes, belts & bags. They capture the cali-style perfectly and are made of the most amazing leather & stud detail. Totally lusting after the sandals in the Spring Collection. Nanette Lepore used Calleen Cordero shows in her latest runway show, see it here.
We had the best time walking around, holding pretty things, and talking to the utmost talented international designers. We really enjoyed how each designer had various ways of giving back to the community. Check out Harriet Selling and Parker Blue Collection if you are interested in other cool designers.
The Crystal Press was so excited to be invited up to The Big Apple to attend an international tradeshow called Formshow NYC. How can we say no to New York City when it involves fabulous fashion designers, one of a kind shopping, and a quick ride on Amtrak? If you are wondering why we are drinking Coronas in the dead of winter in the picture below, let’s just say we like to be reminded that warm weather still exists.
Speaking of weather, it was no surprise that it was snowing the moment we got out of Penn Station. We have had our fill of snow this winter in Richmond, and the weather man did not warn about this impending doom in NYC. That being said, the day we arrived was our designated shopping day, and we refused to let the snow wreak havoc on our big plans.
As soon as we got to the city, we checked into The Wyndham Garden Hotel in Chelsea. When we travel, we use Kayak for the best deals on quality hotels and that is exactly how we got lucky with The Wyndham. Kayak made sure we got all the accommodations we requested, including an early check in. Did we mention the Hotel was also 100% Green & Eco-Friendly?
Then it was time to hit the snowy streets! Our first stop was Free People.
Just recently, Richmond was blessed (cue Big Sean’s new song feat Drake) with a Free People store of our own. Talk about a Hallelujah. The Crystal Press loves the brand and the girls that work at our home store, and we were stoked when we saw that the FP 5th Avenue store was only blocks from our hotel. We walked out of that store ecstatic over new purchases, but not so much over our bank accounts. (this robe & bangles! this beanie!)
PS Don’t you dare think our shopaholic selves stopped there, we also scored some beautiful purchases at Zara, Nordstrom’s Rack (found these white boots!), and Steve Madden.
After our snowy shopping expedition and money very well spent, we felt obvious cause for celebration. Cheers to NYC, the new additions to our closets, and our room with a view (lol).
If you are the curious type, that teeny tiny bottle of mystery in the picture below is here.
After getting ready and pretending our fancy would last through the weather, Barrio Chino lured us back out into the snow. Let us be clear: not just any restaurant would get these two warm-weather-loving-ladies out into a snowy mess. Barrio Chino is a must see restaurant in NYC with a variety of awesome margaritas and the best guacamole in the Lower East Side. Yes, we ordered two helpings. If you get the opportunity to go to this hot spot, you must try the Habanero Grapefruit or Watermelon Margarita.
Remember how we mentioned that The Crystal Press loves warm weather and Coronas? Well, Sunday morning we hit Fonda in the East Village for some more guacamole and a bottomless brunch to meet friends. No, this is not a coincidence and yes, both mexi-meals were premeditated. Between the bottomless mimosas, bloody marys, and frozen hibiscus rosalitas (a must try), we had yet another delicious Mexican meal at Fonda. If you are a fan of traditional huevos rancheros, try the Huevos Divorciados for a twist on your favorite brunch experience.
Being Oscar weekend, we had made steadfast plans to be in front of a TV for the red carpet hour. After prancing around, thrifting, and exploring the city, we realized that it was getting dangerously close to that time. We didn’t want to miss a minute, but as we passed through Washington Square Park, Eataly was calling our name.Thankfully it was across the street from The Wyndham and we had time for a charcuterie plate and the most extraordinary glass of rose in La Piazza. (It was the 2013 Scalabrone Tenuta Guado al Tasso. Go there. Get a glass.)
One glass clearly wasn’t enough, so we opted for a bottle of 2013 Rosato di Refosco, Bastianich from the Eataly Wine Store in honor of the Oscars. Because, the Oscars. And it certainly did not disappoint.
Why are we in bed and not attending a fancy schmancy Oscar party? Why not take advantage of the glorious king bed. But really, the truth is we had to get our beauty sleep in anticipation of Formshow NYC the next day. Stay tuned for our next post about our time at the show & all of the fabulously inspiring designers we got to meet.
