Saturdays in Fredericksburg

Happy Monday friends! I know the first day of the week is hard to get through but if you’re like me you’ve already had a few cups of coffee so it’s slowly getting better. Embrace the warm deliciousness of it! Check your email and Facebook feed while dipping that wonderful biscotti in your coffee. Isn’t it the best?

This past weekend my family and I took a little day trip to Fredericksburg, VA. It was really nice to get away from the ol’ hometown for a few hours and enjoy all the history that Fredericksburg has to offer. The reason we went in the first place was for my dad. There was a local gun expo in town and he loves that sort of thing. He’s an avid target shooter and enjoys talking about his hobby with other people that share the interest. While he was doing that, my mom, sister, and I went to get cupcakes and see the Civil War battlefield.

Afterwards, we shopped around in the downtown area of old Fredericksburg. We went in some antique shops, checked out an Irish shop where we bought candy for the road, and I went in a high-end thrift store looking for Lilly Pulitzer. No luck. I ended up not buying a thing, which is weird for me! I fell in love with all the quaint little stores and adorable old houses that lined the streets. I saw this one, “The Pinkadilly Tea” and just had to take a photo. Pink doors are my love!

The rest of our day was spent in a new love of mine- Hobby Lobby. I had never been to this store but had heard it had cool stuff. The whole family went in and marveled at the aisles of things we didn’t need but so desperately wanted. Even my dad, who’s no fan of shopping, spent a few minutes exploring the massive store.

Our weekend was lovely and I’d like to go back and raid a few more high-end thrift stores. Let me know what you did in a comment below!

New Year’s Eve Excursion

Good morning friends! As I promised in yesterday’s post, I’d tell you about my New Year’s Eve excursion to New York City. I’m going to get this out of the way before I go any further- it was COLD. I’ve never been in pain from the cold but my muscles and face hurt like crazy from trying to stay warm. I’ve never experienced cold quite like this. Besides the temperature, it was a wonderful trip!

Getting to the city was a 5 hour bus trip from Washington, D.C. I left at 7:30am and we were in the city by 11:30am. The early afternoon was spent exploring Times Square and Central Park. At about 1pm people started seriously lining up in Times Square to watch the ball drop at midnight. Police officers told us that at 3pm the people in the blocked off areas near the square would start to be confined by “pens” in that area until midnight. The kicker was that if they got out of their “pen” then they couldn’t get back in and forfeited their spot. We met a few people who said they had stood in their confined area for 12 hours having only a few snacks and drinks. According to them, the family next to them all had diapers on in case they had to go to the bathroom. I guess some people really are crazy.

Central Park was a lovely walk and a much needed break from constant people. There were a few street performers that had me laughing with their jokes and stunts. Squirrels roamed the park and had quite the attitude when it came to food. I strolled through the park with some warm, sugar-roasted almonds that really hit the spot. My fingers were so cold that I had a hard time eating them!

After Central Park it was about 3pm so we went for a pizza at an Italian restaurant. The mozzarella was so fresh! The crust and the pizza sauce were excellent too. It was so nice to just sit there and take everything in while reflecting on events earlier in the day. When we left the restaurant, 5th avenue was conveniently located a short walk away. I headed straight for a legendary New York City store- TIffany’s! After watching Audrey Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s I became obsessed with the store. Walking into the big, beautiful building almost scared me. My dreams were standing right in front of me and I wasn’t sure if they would live up to my expectations… but they did! We browsed through the store a bit and then met the elevator operator at the elevators and he took us up to the 2nd floor where engagement rings were located. Did I mention he was wearing a Tiffany blue tie? He looked amazing! Couples everywhere were sitting with consultants trying on rings and drinking champagne. I was in heaven. I also found on the 4th floor my favorite TIffany mug! Too bad it was in a set of 2 and $80.

After shopping up and down 5th avenue, we went to get a drink and cheers to the new year before heading out to the street to freeze with everyone else. While in a quaint bar and grill we met a few couples from South Africa who traveled to NYC for the new year. After sharing casual conversation with them we paid our bill and headed out into the cold where we were greeted by Taylor Swift’s voice coming from just down the street. Yes, I heard Miss Swift singing “Shake it Off”. I also got to hear “Rude” by Magic.

Waiting for the ball to drop seemed like a never ending event. Everyone was cold and tired. However, it was still one, big party for most people. The real magic happened when the countdown began. That unmistakable energy filled the air and gave meaning and purpose to our crazy idea of spending New Year’s Eve in Times Square. The funny part was after the clock struck midnight everyone bolted for the taxi cabs waiting down the street. We caught our bus at 1:30am near the docks. We quickly fell asleep upon leaving the city and slept most of the way home. 

As I write this I can assure you that my feet still hurt from walking and I detest the cold more than ever before. However, spending New Year’s Eve in New York was on my bucket list and the memories were worth every shiver.

Tell me about your New Year’s celebration in a comment below!