Outfit of the day: Annie edition

I know I don't have the same fashion sense as Hope, but I made an effort to feel somewhat fashionable and comfortable during my recent trip to LA. As with the planning of the trip, I took cues from Instagram, using Oh Joy! and Design Love Fest as inspiration.

LA by annie-perri-cole featuring white low top sneakers

Good Eats: LA, Republique

 One of the worst things about my trip to LA is that I only had one meal at Republique! Ben and I ate breakfast on our final day there, but I would have loved to eat lunch and dinner there, too! 

I actually chose to try out Republique because of Instagram. I follow a few California-based Instagrammers and I kept seeing this beautiful space on my feed over and over. I knew I had to try it out! And it lived up to the photos! 

The space was just gorgeous, with so much natural light. From what I understand the main dining space used to be the courtyard. The building has a rich history. It was built in 1929 and Charlie Chaplin had offices there! I just loved everything about the style. I loved the rustic touches, the tiled floor and most of all the fact that it let so much California sun in.

And then there was the food! OMG. What a breakfast! Ben and I each chose eggs, the Regular Breakfast (eggs, bacon steak, fingerling potatoes and warm baguette) with a fresh squeezed orange juice for me and Ben had the BLT Toast (fried egg, bacon, arugula, tomato and gryure), It was so much food, and well worth the $12/each price. If I wasn't so full I would have tried one of the amazing pastries that greeted me at the door. Again, I'll just have to come back one day and eat so much more! 

Republique

624 South La Brea Avenue

Los Angeles, California

(310) 362-6115

Exploring: Los Angeles

I am so excited that Hope is letting me share my recent trips with you! It's been a good Summer and Fall for travel in my family. First the Jersey Shore, then Connecticut and most recently, Los Angeles.

My husband Ben and I took our first trip without our new baby, Jack. It was a sort of anniversary trip, because our wedding anniversary was the next week, but most of all it was to see our favorite funny man, Craig Ferguson! We were only gone for two nights, but we packed a lot in!

We arrived in LA from Pittsburgh after one layover quite tired and low on cell phone battery (we later found the usb charger in the glove box of our rental car). So we decided to just head straight for our hotel, The Ace Hotel in Downtown LA. It is one of the coolest hotels I have ever stayed in and probably will ever stay in! It was hip beyond belief, with local artists work on the walls, a photo booth in the lobby and so many fashionable people in every space! Our medium sized room was laid out unlike any hotel room I've known. I loved the use of space and the attention to detail. All of the normal hotel appliances, like the hair dryer, iron, etc. were in matching canvas bags, the mini bar had local and artisanal snacks and drinks, and the TV was interactive. That night we also ate at the hotel's restaurant, LA Chapter. We started our meal with homemade ricotta and figs and that set the tone of the meal...everything delicious. After a filling meal we headed back to our room for some shut eye to prepare for a busy day of exploring LA.

On tap for the day was the Original LA Flower Market, a lovely way to spend $4 and browse isles and isles of flowers, then the Grand Central Market for breakfast, more on that to come! Then we left Downtown LA and headed to museum row on the Miracle Mile. We spent time exploring the outside of the LA County Museum of Art, which has some fabulous modern art outside of the actual building. Then we walked around the famous Tar Pits, followed by a quick lunch of tacos from a food truck!

It was nice to explore a bit of LA before standing in line for hours at the CBS Studios to see Craig Ferguson. But it was well worth it! We were in the front row and got to see not only Craig, but Scary Spice, Ben Schwartz and Sir Ben-freaking Kingsley! We could not have gone for better guests! Our last stop for the day was Santa Monica Pier for a dinner of tacos, yes more tacos. I couldn't get enough! This time we had fish tacos and they were so. so. good.

For our final day in LA I really wanted it to be relaxing. We took our time enjoying the last bit of the hotel and sleeping in our own bed, without a baby. Then we had one of my favorite meals of the trip at Republique! I am dying to go back there for pastries, lunch and dinner! We spend about 30 minutes at the (busy and crowded) Chinese Theater and Walk of Fame so that we could say we saw it, and then since it was Ben's first time in California I wanted to take him for a drive on Highway 1. We drove to Malibu and stopped at the beach so he could dip his toes in the Pacific Ocean! It was nice to not have a destination, but we ended up with more time than we expected, so on our way to the airport we made a last stop at Venice Beach to watch the sun start to set. From there we hopped on a late flight home and were in Pittsburgh by noon the next day.

I can't believe how much we packed into a two day trip, but I honestly didn't feel rushed at all! It was definitely helpful to have planned so much of it beforehand and it was just a matter of plugging the addresses into googlemaps. Speaking of technology, a huge component of my planning for this trip was Instagram, I started following several LA-based Instagrammers/bloggers who geotag a lot of their photos. It was as though I had a local telling me personally where to eat and what to visit! Definitely an invaluable travel resource that I will absolutely use again! I can't wait to return to the Golden State...maybe a drive from Big Sur to San Francisco next time!

Stay tuned for posts about where I ate in LA!  

Exploring: Connecticut

You might remember a couple months ago I was planning a trip to visit college friends in Connecticut. Well, Hope is having me back to share a bit about my weekend trip!

We traveled by car to Hartford, the state capital. From Pittsburgh it took us about eight hours or so. It was a pretty drive, and I imagine it would be even more beautiful in the fall as the leaves start to change colors.

On our first full day there we visited the Connecticut Science Center, located in Downtown Hartford. The building is just beautiful, and LEED-certified. We had a blast there, and I'm not just talking about Jack...we all did! We spent a lot of time exploring each floor, starting with the rooftop garden. The space was lovely, with quite a view of the city! My favorite part was a touch garden, where Jack got to feel the plants. He loved the soft leaves.

Each floor was very interactive, with many games and puzzles. It's good to know that since the next several years of my life will be spent in these types of places that I can still have fun as an adult!

The next part of our day was spent in West Hartford, which is not part of the capital. It became it's own town in 1854. The area has been ranked on many "Best City" lists. And I can see why! There are so many cute shops, hip cafes and high-end restaurants. But my favorite part of the town, by far, is Elizabeth Park.

The park has been open to the public since 1897 and covers over 100 acres. The gardens

throughout the park are just breathtaking. The rose garden is actually the oldest public rose garden in the country. There are over 15,000 rose bushes and arches! We took more pictures than I know what to do with. It was pretty magical...and we weren't even there during the peak season! It's no surprise that it is a major destination for wedding photos! I wish I could redo my wedding pictures there! At some point we lost count of how many bridal parties we saw. It was so special to watch all of the couples smiling on their big day in this beautiful park!

 

Continuing our tour of West Hartford, we went to dinner in the popular Blue Back Square. We ate at Rizzutos, an Italian restaurant. It was fabulous to sit outside on the patio and enjoy a huge Italian meal. I was thrilled to see on the wine menu a wine from Montepulciano, where Hope and I took a day trip when I visited her a few years ago. The meal was awesome and we had perfect service. I can't recommend it enough! 

The next day we decided to drive to the town of Mystic, CT, about an hour southeast. Our plan was to check out the popular aquarium, but the parking lot was SO pack we figured we'd save it for another trip. And it's a good thing too, because we need as much time as possible to explore the Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea! 

The museum preserves the nation's maritime history. It's site was the leading area for shipbuilding, started in the 1600s. And believe it or not they are still building ships on-site! In the Henry duPont Preservation Shipyard we got to see the carpenter shops where they are still building wooden ships in the historic way, by hand! It was so incredible to walk through the shipyard...definitely a highlight of the day! 

The seaport also has a recreated 19th century village. We hand-dipped our own wax candles, and even Jack got in on the action! We ate fish sandwiches in the cafeteria, while Jack sucked on ice cubes (it was a very hot day)! I kept thinking about how much fun it will be to take Jack to things like this when he is older and understands it more. This trip made me realize how much fun traveling will be with a child...not the normal sentiment, I hear. 

After spending most of the day at the seaport, we drove around the town of Mystic. We searched for a place to eat dinner and actually were seated at an outdoor restaurant when it started to pour down rain. So after a quick bit of searching we found a cute pizza place...so fitting that we ate pizza in Mystic, but it wasn't THE Mystic Pizza. The place wasn't crowded and we got to really talk the night away and catch up. Our trip ended the next morning after a quick breakfast of crepes at Cafe Sofia in West Hartford. It was tough to say goodbye, but know that we'll return soon to be with friends and explore more of the beautiful state of Connecticut! 

I'll leave you with my favorite photos of Jack from the trip! He took his first boat ride and his little expressions were adorable! 

Exploring: Connecticut

(photos via CT Science Center, Elizabeth Park, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Mystic, CT.)

Hi, it's Annie, again! Changing leaves, a chill in the air, apple cider (or wine)...I am beyond excited for Autumn. Don't get me wrong, this summer has been great (with vacations to the Jersey Shore and Rehobeth Beach, DE, all while exploring more of Pittsburgh). But I love the Fall and all that comes with it, including more traveling. OK so I've never been to New England in the Fall, but it just feels like the perfect time to visit! Which is exactly what I'll be doing during the unofficial start to the season, Labor Day. 

My little family, plus a friend from college, will be traveling to Hartford, CT to visit our dear friend Eric. We all attended Point Park University together in Pittsburgh five years ago (!), but this is the first visit up North. It will be a great time to catch up and give us a chance to explore more of this beautiful country. 

The plan is to relax, but also see as much as possible. Luckily, we have a long weekend to do it. We're looking forward to spending an afternoon in West Hartford at Elizabeth Park, which looks just beautiful! From the pictures online it almost reminds me of Regent's Park in London, where my friends, including Eric, and I studied abroad during college! Also in Hartford is the Science Center. I'm excited to take Jack there! It's apparently one of the best places in Connecticut to take kids! Eric also wants to take us to Mystic, CT. We'll probably check out the Aquarium and Seaport. I'm also looking forward to exploring the town and eating at one of their many great restaurants! And as long as there's time, we plan to do a wine tour at one of the local wineries! 

So without wishing away the summer, I'm going to soak up the last bit of the warm sun,  and know that I have a fantastic weekend planned to welcome a new season! I'll share more about my trip in September! And then I'll be off to LA! 

Jersey Shore Trip

Hi again! It's Annie, Hope's sister, here to share my recent beach vacation with you! It was the first trip for my little family consisting of me, my husband Ben, and our son Jack. We traveled to the Jersey shore for a short weekend getaway. 

We left right after work on Friday night, mostly so that we didn't have to take time off work, but it's actually best to leave close to a baby's bedtime when taking a road trip, so it worked out. Jack slept most of the car ride. We stopped about every 90 minutes to stretch our legs, change the diaper and give a feeding, if needed. We also had lots of soft toys for Jack to play with in the car to keep him occupied and a mirror so that we could check on him from the front seats. I was really nervous about the six hour drive, but it turned out to actually be pleasant!

We stayed with a friend from college in Bayside, New Jersey. It was a really cute town, but we spent our short trip mostly at the beach. We spent Saturday at the Island Beach State Park on the Barnegat Peninsula. I was surprised to learn that most beaches in New Jersey charge admission. We payed $10 since our friend Dave is a resident of New Jersey, otherwise it would have been $20 per car. The beach was crowded, but not too crowded in my opinion. It was perfect for people watching and laying out in the sun listening to someone else's radio playing a local pop station.

Jack didn't particularly love the beach. Everytime the sand touched his feet he screamed. He did love the water, though (as expected because bathtime is his favourite!). We sat right at the shoreline and let the water hit us every couple waves. We forgot an umbrella so for our next trip to the ocean we got two! It would certainly have made it easier with a baby. I lathered sunblock on Jack about once every 30 minutes. He got a bit fussy but eventually settled down for a nap in his stroller with a big sunshade. 

After a long day at the beach we had dinner at Harpoon Willy's because Ben had been craving their crab cakes since the last time he was there, several years ago! It was a cute, historical restaurant situated right on the Manasquan River. It was built in 1792 and is one of the oldest buildings in the community of Wall, NJ. Their crab cakes did not disappoint Ben, and I enjoyed a lobster fennel salad with brie (OMG, so good).

No trip to the shore is complete without a trip to the boardwalk so later in the evening that's right where we headed. We decided to skip the Seaside Heights Boardwalk (of MTV's Jersey Shore) in favor of the more family friendly Jenkinson's Boardwalk in Point Pleasant, NJ. Not that we didn't expect this but parking was expensive and it was really crowded. We spent only about an hour there because Jack started to get really cranky and tired...OK, the adults too! Maybe in the future we can take advantage of the carnival rides and games and the aquarium. 

Dave wouldn't let us leave New Jersey without trying pork roll, or Taylor Ham. I learned that people in New Jersey love their pork roll. It's just a processed ham that's pan fried, but it's origins go back to 1856! Apparently there's a lot of history with this meat. It was good. I'd have it again with my breakfast. I can't remember the name of the diner we ate breakfast at, but Dave assured us that pork roll is pretty good at most places in the Jersey shore. 

After breakfast we loaded the car and headed home. It was a bit harder this time because Jack was very awake. We took turns sitting in the back with him. We sang songs, gave baby massages, and tried to keep him laughing. Since it was our first family trip I was pretty emotional. It's amazing to think about all the adventures Jack will have in life and this was his first one out of state! I hope he has the opportunity and drive to travel all over the world just like his Zia Hope! Thanks for letting me share!