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Color Story: Newport Polo

July 30, 2024 by Emily Leave a Comment

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The Daytrip Diaries: Newport, Rhode Island

March 17, 2020 by Emily Leave a Comment

I say this in full recognition of my privilege AND knowing this could change at any ~~moment~~ millisecond, but as we speak, my day-to-day has been relatively unaffected by the C word.

My job has been remote for nearly two years, we’re already big fans of takeout, and ever since a certain spawn arrived, we’ve become experts at various forms of social distancing. We LOVE ~~showing her off~~ visitors, but after the holidays were very much looking forward to some just-us-three time. Often cozied up at home, but I did take the liberty of dragging us out for a few weekend adventures (and now very grateful I did!!).

Last month we did a little Newport RI winter day trip, complete with creeping through not one but TWO hotel properties in search of lighthouses. Being February in a summer haven, it was near-deserted and PURE bliss, though enough stays open to make a day—or even weekend—trip more than worth it.

Like, I am not exaggerating when I say you will creep through hotel properties should you too want to do some Newport lighthouse exploring.

Castle Hill Lighthouse | I’d like to put out there that had it not been for my fear of a 7-month-old’s meltdown, I would have happily ~~dined~~ drank at Castle Hill Inn. Alas, I chose the hard way. If you direct yourself to the inn, you’ll come across a mini marina parking lot just before you get to the hotel. Cross Ocean Ave onto the grassy area and you’ll meet up with a path that will lead you directly to the lighthouse. The private property signs mean you’re going the right way.

Newport Harbor Lighthouse (Goat Island Light) | Like does Gurney’s Newport own this? IDK, but I definitely walked through their lobby to get to it. Here I did in fact pay my way via a mocha from their For Five Coffee cafe, which I subsequently spilled four minutes later.

It’s worth noting for winter 2021 that Gurney’s does have some adorbs winter activities open to the public, including but not limited to ice skating and ~~influencer bait~~ various themed heated igloos just made for your next ‘gram.

I know we’re coming up on the end of coat season (WHEW!), but everything at J.Crew is currently 40% off, meaning you can basically rob them of their beautiful already-marked down coats and be ready for next year. This Cinderella blue jacket was one of my better purchases of 2017 sadly, but I’ve included some other candy-colored coat options at the bottom of this post.

Two more lighthouses checked off my Rhode Island list, next stop: ~~Quarantine~~ Warwick!

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The Daytrip Diaries: Watch Hill, Rhode Island

September 10, 2018 by Emily 3 Comments

It’s been a minute since I’ve added a chapter to the Daytrip Diaries! We’ve been spoiled the past couple summers, sneaking away for a night or two on most occasions. But we were feeling nostalgic for our Zipcar days. So with no plans and no more money in the travel budget, we forwent our gift of an actual day spent at home—God forbid—and took to the road for a Watch Hill, RI day trip over Labor Day weekend.

While I would have loved to ~~blow $700~~ spend a night at the Ocean House hotel and make a weekend out of this place, one day was plenty to soak in the sweet little Ocean State town. We, like peasants, ended up spending a few hours on the Ocean House property anyway, ~~stalking weddings~~ indulging in the restaurants open to the public and ~~creeping on first looks~~ wandering the pretty grounds.

Here’s my Watch Hill RI day trip guide, with some eats, sweets, and other to-do’s if you’re planning on spending a few hours in this Rhode Island gem:

Breakfast & Caffeine // Sift Bake Shop
Crazy creative lattes, baked breakfast treats, macarons, and cookies the size of your face. If we’re day tripping, we know we have a lot of ~~drinking~~ eating to squeeze in, so we try to start conservatively with a café breakfast, but if you’re in need of some two-eggs-any-style-with-extra-crispy-bason, get yourself to The Cooked Goose instead.

Lunch // The Verandah
A raw bar with other summery fare overlooking Ocean House’s croquet court. I would cry right now if someone offered me another bite of their braised short rib sandwich, and that day’s oyster offerings might have been my favorite of the entire summer.

Happy Hour // Secret Garden
A Veuve Clicquot-sponsored champagne bar located on a sneaky little terrace and accessible only through the Ocean House. Slightly ashamed to say this, but it is well worth the $32 glass of champagne for the view AND complimentary truffle popcorn.

Dinner // Olympia Tea Room
T-b-perfectly-h we didn’t stay for dinner. Some homemade goodness was waiting for us back on the other side of the border. But based on some trustworthy anecdotal evidence, I feel confident as ever recommending this Italian-meets-the-sea bistro in town.

Sweets // St. Clair Annex
If you’re going to spend calories on ice cream, it better be here. Hop on the Flying Horse Carousel post-cone to remind you that your body doesn’t process sugar & cream like it used to!

Beach //
East Hill beach is public, with the exception of a section reserved for ~~the upper class~~ hotel guests. Watch Hill Beach is right behind town, but requires a $9 day pass. First world problems.

Stroll //
The walk from town to the Watch Hill Lighthouse was ~~sweaty~~ stunning, with views of ~~Taylor Swift’s house~~ both East and Watch Hill Beaches on either side.

Lilly Pulitzer Stuffed Shells Mila Dress | Similar J. McLaughlin Wicker Purse {more straw bag options here} | Bow Sunhat | Jack Rogers Lauren Slides

And you gotta gotta gotta visit the Lilly Pulitzer Watch Hill store! Maybe the cutest of all, and that’s coming from a girl who has worked in seven of them around New England.

WHICH brings me to the most fantastic opportunity to remind you that today is the start of the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale 2018. Here’s last year’s prep post for all you newbs. LMK how it goes for ya.

Its one downfall? Watch Hill parking is a royal b*tch. Even if you find a street spot, it’s not worth the ~~wrath of the parking attendant~~ pricey ticket risk unless you’re positive you won’t overstay your 2-hour welcome. Your best bet is a $5/half hour lot on Larkin Road between the Ocean House and town.

Other than that, and Taylor Swift’s underutilized mansion, Watch Hill is bliss!

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Spring in New England: A Wicked Good Time

May 11, 2018 by Emily 2 Comments

Every year, after seven months of ~~torture~~ winter, spring {supposedly} arrives in New England for the long haul. And all hell breaks lose.

People claim that Bostonians don’t know how to drive in the rain, but I claim they don’t know how to function in the warmth. The T breaks. The turkeys come out. The Bruins lick opponents. The Barking Crab resembles the Hunger Games. And girls will quite literally fight each other to get the perfect Instagram of millennium pink blossoms. I sh*t you not there was a line of women with iPhones standing under a tree on my commute home last week. Hope they don’t have the same followers.

But, it’s all worth it. I learned that ten years ago when I first moved to Boston. That first day when it’s warm enough to don ~~Forever 21 daisy dukes~~ a sundress in the Common…everyone may lose their mind a little bit, but our spirits sure are lifted.

ANYWAY the point of this all is there’s a lot of good around here in the springtime, namely a lot of ~~Instagram heavens~~ New England flower farms. We scooted down to Johnston, Rhode Island last weekend for a couple hours at Wicked Tulips Flower Farm. A couple minutes in I ~~almost~~ forgot about the photo ops. The U-Pick part is just half the fun, if it weren’t for the 63 family photo sessions going on I would have wanted to park in the fields all day.

Gal Meets Glam Courtney Dress | Navy Bow Sun Hat | Wicker Purse | Jack Rogers Hampton Sandal

Like the aforementioned brains of all New Englanders, Wicked Tulips Flower Farm gets NUTS. You would have thought we were in Disney World. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time, and I cringe for every person who drove in a single file line down that dirt road without knowing this. They sell out days in advance for the weekend.

If you’re planning for next season, hold off until week 2-3 when the fields are more filled in. Don’t wait too long or you’ll look like a basic b*tch following the crowd.

Until next year!

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Vitamin Sea

May 6, 2016 by Emily 4 Comments

After a week of freezing, cliche April showers, we caught a break in the eye of the storm and spent a weekend down in lil’ Rhode Island. Thanks to a 1:30 ferry time, we had a morning to ourselves to explore the southeastern tip of the state, featuring–duh–Point Judith Lighthouse and Del’s. What more do you really need in a daytrip?

I’ll tell ya a little more about this jaunt away next week, but because you asked(?), my ferry outfit::

I feel like every year I continue to find a spring transition jacket I love more than the last, and this FatFace UK raincoat takes the trophy for 2016. The sun may have come out of hiding for a couple days, but we’re still costing with a toasty high of 52°, and this fun navy toggle coat gets the job done.

Face Face Roseanne Navy Toggle Coat & Pembroke Pointelle Jumper & Denim Boyfriend Shorts c/o | Tortoise Sunglasses | Madewell Glasgow Satchel [similar] | ALDO Brogues [similar]

I like to think the pasty pale legs add to the cool English chick look I’m going for, in case anyone’s asking.

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The Daytrip Diaries: Little Compton

August 26, 2015 by Emily

For the last eight years, probably more, I haven’t dreamed of living anywhere besides Massachusetts.

~~Maybe with the exception of London 🙂~~

But a few trips to Rhode Island this summer have put me in near danger of having an affair with the Ocean State. We had the best day in the sweet town of Little Compton a few weeks ago, driving around the harbor, visiting a local farmers’ market, and stumbling onto a vineyard. I wouldn’t say it’s walking town–very few shops and restaurants in a confined area–but if you have a car, it’s the best mix of rural and seaside.

Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard was the highlight of the day. We drove by a sign and figured we’d check it out, assuming we’d run into a small tasting room and wine shop and maybe a daily tour or two.

False. This place was bumpin’. We drove up to live jazz music on the lawn, picnic lunches and wine flowing. Didn’t even bother with a tasting because we had so much fun wandering the grounds and lounging in the sun with glasses of their Sacred Rosé and Rhode Island Red. Next time we’re definitely bringing some cheese & blankets and buying a bottle.

Their summer concert series is drool-worthy; check out the calendar here.

[ travel summary ]
who:: You’re all invited on my next trip to Sakonnet Vineyard at least. That place is just screaming for a rosé-by-day party.
what:: Despite its tiny size, I could have driven circles around this gorgeous area for hours. Visit on a sunny day, and get out of the car whenever possible. And drink wine, did I mention that? [Just assign a designated driver!! #thankshubs]
when:: I’ve been gushing about how much I love this state to just about ever RI resident I’ve met recently, and the unanimous response they have given is, “yeah, it’s really great this time of year.” So I’m going to go ahead and guess they suggest summer too.
where:: Coffee + art at the incredible little tucked-away Art Cafe. Sit-down lunch at The Commons Lunch or sandwiches and Del’s to go at Wilma’s at Walkers. Wine, music, and food at Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard. We didn’t make it there, but have heard nothing but good things about Sakonnet Garden as well.
wear::
Seersucker Dress, Lilly Pulitzer [similar] | Toucan Wide Bow Sunhat, Tuckernuck | Tortoise Sunglasses, Target | Lemon Bag, Kate Spade [similar] | Navy Espadrille Wedges, J.Crew [another]

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The Daytrip Diaries: Newport, Rhode Island

August 12, 2013 by Emily 17 Comments

I didn’t even realize how ridiculously delayed this photo diary was, until I remembered we took a drive down to Newport right after the Fourth of July. Yet here we are almost in the middle of August! But it has allowed me to revisit a perfect summer day we spent visiting one of my best friends in Rhode Island, and wandering around the charming and perfectly nautical town of Newport.

Dress, Olive & Oak [similar 1; 2] | Clutch, Lilly Pulitzer [similar] | Ring, Pink Pineapple Shop | Bracelets, KJP; Oh Buoy Boston | Wedges, LAUREN Ralph Lauren [similar]

psst! My dress is from the adorable Slip Seventy Seven in Martha’s Vineyard. If you’re ever on the island, you MUST check out this adorable boutique in Oak Bluffs!

Style Crush: Sarah and Sadie of KJP

July 26, 2013 by Emily 12 Comments

For today’s Friday’s Fancies, we’re talking style crushes! I have not one, but a pair at the moment… two lovely ladies behind the Kiel James Patrick brand: Sarah Vickers and Sadie Zucchi. How fun is their sweet and preppy summer style? You must be able to tell now where I get so much of my own style inspiration…!

Image via ClassyGirlsWearPearls.com

What to borrow their outfits as much as I do? Here are some similar key pieces:

Sarah’s Look

[ Stripe Button-Down Shirt, J.Crew Factory, $49.50 ]
[ Intarsia Charley Sweater in Anchor, J.Crew Factory, $68 ]
[ Daisy Details Shorts, ModCloth, $27 ]
[ Otterneck Worth Bracelet, Kiel James Patrick, $40 ]
[ Cecilia Wedges, LAUREN Ralph Lauren, $55 ]

Sadie’s Look

[ Boatneck Dress, J.Crew Factory, $54.50 ]
[ Isley Seaglass Bracelet, Kiel James Patrick, $58 ]
[ H-L Lighthouse Hat, Harding Lane, $30 ]
[ Resort Chic Wedge, Lilly Pulitzer, $218 ]

And while we’re on the subject of KJP, can we discuss how much I’m lusting over the new Starboard Collection of anchor belts? Swoon!

Happy weekend friends! xo

post script: Today is the last day to vote for [shell chic’d] as Best Fashion Blog in the Boston A-List! It takes approximately seven seconds, won’t you cast your vote? 🙂

Color Story: Newport Polo

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The Daytrip Diaries: Newport, Rhode Island

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The Daytrip Diaries: Watch Hill, Rhode Island

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Spring in New England: A Wicked Good Time

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Vitamin Sea

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The Daytrip Diaries: Little Compton

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The Daytrip Diaries: Newport, Rhode Island

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Style Crush: Sarah and Sadie of KJP

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