ann elliott: travel

Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

10/30/13

life lately

st. augustine / boating on lake glenville / with reagan at my swearing in ceremony
6 yr. anniversary dessert / learning croquet in north carolina / reunion with friends in the mountains
celebrating passing the bar in st. augustine / swearing in ceremony with dad / big fires on a cold mountain weekend
sip & see for baby lep / mac loves fall in the mountains / cheering on the gators in the swamp

Happy Halloween! Are you ready for trick-or-treaters tonight? I may or may not have consumed 4 bite size snicker bars during the creation of this post...details, details.

During my blogging hiatus this summer, I realized how much I miss having the highlights of each month documented. I did a quick recap of the excitement in August, and today I thought I would share the highlights from September AND October. It's hard to believe that November is upon us (cue the Christmas music!), but it's even harder to believe all of the fun that the past few months have delivered.

Enjoy your Halloween, and know that I won't judge you for playing your favorite Christmas carols starting tomorrow. I can already hear "O Holy Night" now...

xo,

DISCLAIMER: I do love Thanksgiving. I don't want anyone to accuse me of jumping ahead in my holidays, I just happen to really, really love Christmas music.

4/29/13

a weekend away

Hello! First of all, thank you for bearing with me during my week of radio silence. Exams are over, and now only one more paper stands between me and graduation. CRAZY!

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted that I was dreaming of vacation? Well, that very same day, Josh and I got a phone call offering us a weekend get-away in Charlottesville, Virginia. While the timing didn't seem ideal (it was the weekend before my two exams), it turned out to be the perfect pre-exams treat. The weekend was a mix of relaxation and activity, and I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful trip. As fair warning, there are LOTS of pictures in this post...the weekend had so many highlights and our hotel grounds were absolutely beautiful... I just couldn't help myself!

keswick hall

view from our room

rainy day by the pool

molton brown toiletries...my favorite!

Friday evening, Josh and I attended a dinner and program at Monticello. This was the primary reason for our last minute trip, and it was an incredible experience. After cocktails and dinner, with Monticello as our backdrop, we heard from John Meacham, the author of "The Art of Power," a new book about Thomas Jefferson. It was a beautiful evening and an experience that neither of us will soon forget.

monticello in the rain

in front of monticello in the rain...we were the ONLY people taking pictures, so I think the fact that we stood in the rain in black tie for a picture earned us a few raised eyebrows and chuckles.

tent on the lawn

centerpieces at dinner

placecard

beautiful water colored program cover

a quick shot inside monticello after dinner...little did we know there was an entire bus of people 40 years our senior waiting for us while we explored the house...oops!

Saturday, the rain storm passed, and Josh and I spent the day relaxing and exploring our hotel. Keswick Hall is an old manor home that has been converted into a hotel and club. The hotel keeps bikes for guests to use while exploring the hotel, and we made good use of this amenity. After a quick breakfast, Josh and I grabbed some bikes and went on what the hotel dubbed the "Ultimate Scenic Tour." While it was a little more strenuous than we anticipated (hello hills of Central Virginia), it was the perfect way to enjoy an absolutely beautiful morning.

bikes

view of keswick hall with momma duck and ducklings in the foreground

sampling of the beautiful flowers that were blooming EVERYWHERE

stopping for a quick rest

After our bike tour, we headed into Charlottesville to grab sandwiches at Josh's favorite...Bellaire Market. We ran into multiple friends (very randomly) while we were there so we felt like we had found the local "hot spot." We ate a very light lunch because as soon as we got back to the hotel, Josh humored me with afternoon tea. One of my very FAVORITE things about traveling in Europe is the tradition of having tea. When I found out Keswick Hall served an afternoon tea on Saturdays, we signed up immediately.

tea snacks

devonshire cream, jam, lemon curd for our tea snacks

tea time

josh REALLY humoring me here...tea time and photographic evidence!

After recovering from our food coma, we headed into downtown Charlottesville for dinner. Charlottesville has an area downtown called the Pedestrian Mall, and it was packed with people enjoying the relatively warm night, a concert, and a market of local artisans. We found a small restaurant called Bizou and completed our day of eating, eating and eating.

shrimp and grits

Sunday morning we met up with Josh's fraternity brother D.G. and his wife Chelsea. We grabbed bagels at Bodo's and enjoyed the chance to catch up. We hit the road early since I had finals looming, AND, I really wanted time to stop by the J Crew Clearance store in Lynchburg. I had only heard rumors of the store until last Sunday, and I am so glad we stopped to confirm them! The J Crew Clearance store is not a factory or an outlet store. It is one of a few places in the country that J Crew sends actual items and sells them at a deep discount. I'm talking skinny jeans for $35 plus an additional 35% off for the spring sale, and an extra 15% off with my student discount. If you are ever near Lynchburg, it is well worth the few minute drive off the highway to check this place out.

amazing

we found kelsey and edward there as well...AND, this picture should actually be titled 3L year- kelsey had an exam the next morning and mine was 36 hours later...our 1L selves would be so proud.

my loot...3 shirts, 2 colored denim pants, jewelry and 1 pair of blue suede shoes

While I must admit I was a little nervous to take this impromptu trip, being on the "other side" of those finals I can say I am so glad we did. We have lots of change and transitions coming up, along with lots more studying for the bar this summer, and this weekend away was the perfect re-charge.

Thanks for bearing with me through a long post and lots of catch ups. I hope you all had a wonderful week and a relaxing weekend!

xo,

4/17/13

dreaming of vacation

Good Morning! I'm taking a quick break from the wedding registry posts today, but not to worry- I should be back next week with more tips. In the meantime, I am studying away with one week left until my finals are over (hence the "should be" back next week- my last final is a week from today.)

While I have been sitting here reviewing all matters legal, I would be lying if I said I didn't occasionally slip into a daydream about taking a vacation. Lately, my dreams have focused on vacations of the beach variety. Tropical, European, or Caribbean...I'm not picky. Anywhere in particular you have been dreaming of visiting?

Greece

Brazil

Tahiti

Italy

Jamaica

Greece

All images via

xo,

12/24/12

christmas eve

Happy Christmas Eve! It is time to enjoy the hours of wrapping, baking, shopping, stuffing stockings, and making it all look easy :) Light your favorite Christmas candle, turn on some music, and enjoy time with your family and friends. Christmas only comes once a year...enjoy it!

xo,

12/19/12

being a house guest

Happy Wednesday! We are in the final count until Christmas and today I thought I would share a few of my tips about being a houseguest. Many people travel for the holiday, but even if you aren't traveling this Christmas, keep these ideas in mind for the next time you find yourself as a guest in someone else's home...

Bring a hostess gift. Your hostess has likely spent considerable time preparing for your visit. recognize her generosity by bringing a small, thoughtful gift. Check out a few of my favorite hostess gift picks for this holiday season here.

via

Be tidy. This means make your bed, hang your towels, and generally keep your items in your room not scattered throughout the house. On your last day, strip the bed sheets and pile your used towels so the hostess can easily determine what needs to be washed and refreshed.

via

Make yourself scarce for an hour or two each day. Go take a nap, read a book, take a walk, or do something that gives your host or hostess a chance to tend to things they cannot get to while they are entertaining.

via

Say thank you. I like to bring a note card and leave a thank you note on the bedside table for the hostess but it is perfectly acceptable to send one after you get home as well. Notice that the note should be written, not an email or e-card...these are not substitutes for a thoughtful, handwritten note... ever.

via

xo,

As a reminder, please consider "following" my blog by clicking the "join this site" button on the right.

Thanks!

12/13/12

christmas music and candles + outfit links

Good Morning! When I was thinking about today's post, coming up with things I am thankful for was easy. The hard part was narrowing it down! I think it has something to do with coming out of the fog of finals and enjoying all the little things in life I haven't been recognizing in the midst of papers and books. So, today, here are the two "little" things that are making me immensely thankful.

1. Listening to Christmas Music- with words! I have been listening to "Classical Christmas" on Pandora for weeks while I have been studying so actually hearing the words to my favorite songs is so fun. My all time favorite, Faith Hill's "O Holy Night" has been on repeat! Here are my picks of the season... do you have any favorites I should check out?

2. Burning my Frasier Fir candle- and not feeling out of season! This is my favorite smell and I literally burn it in my house year-round. BUT, for about 30 days of the year, burning it makes sense and we are smack dab in the middle of those days. Go pick up one (or three) today... I promise you'll love it and you might even burn it into the new year!

Finally, thank you so much for the great response to yesterday's post! I am glad so many of you enjoyed the outfit inspirations and by request I have included links to the items below. I would love to know your favorites and what you all decide on this season!