So I Fell in Love With Oregon

How do people choose where they ultimately want to settle down? Do they just get tired and say, "here's good"? Because I'm starting to wonder... or perhaps it's more like me, where the thought of packing up my stuff to move cross country is just too exhausting. I wasn't prepared to love Oregon as much as I did. But... damn.

We maaaaaay have half-jokingly changed our Criaglist searches to the opposite coast. We didn't. But...

Anyway. Earlier this month, after a week in LA for a work trip, I flew up to Portland to meet up with Chris and my brother for a few days of hiking and staring at trees with my mouth open. Upon arrival, we promptly left Portland and drove West to Zig Zag/Government Camp, where we stayed for a couple nights.

Things I fell in love with in Zig Zag and Government Camp:

1. The Zig Zag Cafe. One part diner, one part gift shop, one part thrift store. With a dash of convenience store thrown in. It was disorganized and weird, which is how I would describe 98% of my favorite places and people. Also, the biscuits. Solid.

2. Government Camp. The name and the amount of crows that lived there. Like, so many crows you guys, it was great. Also the historical society is worth your time. Chris and I had a much needed dinner or German sausage/schnitzel in Gov't Camp and it was spectacular.

3. The Timberline lodge. My brother runs a portion of the grooming operations at Timberline and took us up in the snowcat on Saturday night. Which was a trip. But before that we took a walk around Timberline lodge, which is a historical landmark and rightly so. It's insanely gorgeous.

4. Little Hawaii, a waterfall hike near Zig Zag and the initial source of staring at trees, mouth agape. A good spot to get good and muddy. 

After spending Saturday exploring the woods and marveling at the transition from rainforest to snowscape that transpires when you drive up to Gov't Camp from Zig Zag, drove to the coast on Sunday so we could see the other part of Oregon (or at least, another part). We originally only had about 72 hours in the state, we wanted to make the most of every last one. And you guys. The OCEAN. Or rather, THE FOREST BY THE OCEAN. On Sunday at approximately 1 o'clock in the afternoon is when we fell for this state, as we gazed up at the sheer mass of trees surrounding us (mouths agape yet again). As I said, and as several other people told me funnily enough, Oregon is like Maine on steroids. Insane insane insane. But after spending time in the forest and by the coast... I'm not sure I'd want to live in Portland. The city was lovely, but my ideal Oregon life would be van life I think, so I could be as close to all that natural beauty as possible.

That night we met up with a close friend of ours in the city and headed back to our hotel on the earlier side to prep for our AM flight... which turned out to be unnecessary because our flight ended up being delayed and then rebooked for the following day. Surprise! This could have been awful, but we decided to make the most of things and booked a second night in Portland. For two people who are maybe the world's worst when it comes to vacationing, I feel like perhaps we're getting better? Or at least more flexible when plans change. Here's to more adventures and definitely more Oregon.

Exploring St. Louis with Explore St. Louis

I'm a firm believer in the power of exploration. Years ago, when I was an admissions counselor for a small fine arts college, my assigned territory would land me in cities and towns scattered around the US, cities and towns that just weren't on my radar until I was driving past a "Welcome To..." sign. Along with hundreds of small towns, I had the opportunity to visit and subsequently fall in love with: Detroit, Memphis, Nashville, Austin, Seattle, Milwaukee, Dallas... and all the others I'm surely drawing a blank on. Not to mention the places I discovered while getting lost along the way! (So, so lost) The experience made its mark on me and all these years later, I jump at pretty much any opportunity to explore someplace new. So when the chance arose to explore St. Louis with Explore St. Louis and the Alive Influencer Network, of course I jumped...

Truth be told, I've seen this city before, but not nearly enough of it. It's been three years since I last visited St. Louis... which is about three years too long if you ask me. I was last in town for St. Louis Fashion Week, and while the experience was fantastic, it left me wishing I had had more time to see the city. There was so much more to St. Louis than I was able to see in those busy few days, so this time around I knew I wanted to experience as much as possible. Luckily I had the perfect traveling companion - Jen! She's always up for adventure, so we were able to see a lot of the city in our free time.

I flew in on Thursday night after work and met everyone at Start Bar for drinks and arcade games before retreating to The Cheshire Inn for the night. I stayed at The Cheshire the last time I was in town and was completely won over by the sorta-kitsch-extremely-rad-definitely-luxe English literature-inspired vibe. I mean, there's a huge stuffed bear in the lobby and a dizzying variety of art on the walls. It's perfect and everything is insanely comfortable. So much better than any kind of chain! We had a busy weekend ahead of us, with Murmuration Festival and Strangefolk Festival and everything in between, and The Cheshire was the perfect cozy home base while we explored.

The wonderful thing about St. Louis as a destination is that it's so easy to get to, and once you're there, everything is easily within reach. Cultural attractions are free or cheap, people are incredibly friendly (confusingly so for this staunch New Englander), and the food is delicious. If you're planning to visit or thinking about it, read on for my picks for what to do with a few free days in St. Louis.

Where to Stay in St. Louis:

The Cheshire: A cozy inn that's centrally located and within walking distance of Forest Park. Three restaurants and a Starbucks onsite means you'll have plenty of options if you get back late and forgot to eat dinner - or just need a caffeine boost. If and when i go back to St. Louis - I'll absolutely be staying here again.

Where to Eat in St. Louis:

Winslow's Home: Honestly I could have eaten breakfast here every single day, and I think Jen would agree. A pretty cafe that also carries local goods and a host of curated gifts, Winslow's Home offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with a variety of offerings. Seriously, the food is so good, we ate here twice.

Pi Pizzeria: I'm not a huge pizza person but when in Rome... and what's good enough for the President is good enough for me. Apparently Pi Pizzeria is President Obama's favorite pizza, and it was easy to see why - it's so good! We stopped here for cocktails and a few slices on our second day in town before walking up the street to Living Collective, the food was great, the people were friendly. That's all you need, isn't it?

Taste Bar: Grab drinks and dessert at this craft cocktail bar - you won't be disappointed. We headed here a little later, after Pi Pizza, for dessert and drinks, and let me tell you - dessert! I think I tasted some of the best treats I've ever had on this trip.

The Preston: This freshly remodeled eatery in Chase Park Plaza is the perfect venue for a special night out. We enjoyed a family-style meal and some of the best cocktails and wine I've ever had here.

Where to Shop in St. Louis:

Erin, Jen and I

Living Collective & The Vino Gallery: It was so fun to walk into this curated boutique and see Salem, MA-based Hauswitch and Philly-based Nightwatch - and then be greeted by my friend's sister! This little store is packed with gorgeous finds and wine too, thanks to The Vino Gallery, which is right next door.

Fauxgerty: St. Louis-based designer Chrissy Fogerty creates gorgeous, modern pieces from sustainable, vegan materials. If you've been on the market for a "leather" jacket, Fauxgerty is it. We stopped by the storefront after the first day of Murmuration to view the latest collection and to listen to a live performance by the artist Bloom.

What to Do in St. Louis:

City Museum: By far the most fun I've had in a long, long time, City Museum was the most surprising (confusing?) part of our trip. Open late on the weekends, Jen and I went on a Saturday night with about two hours to spare - and I wish we had more time! So many people recommended City Museum to us (all of our Uber drivers!), I'm so glad we went. One part art installation, one part warehouse-sized jungle gym... you sort of just have to see it.

St. Louis Art Museum & Forest Park: Don't let the free admission fool you, SLAM has an incredible collection of art that can keep you occupied on a too-hot or rainy day (in our case, way too hot). Afterwards, take a stroll through Forest Park and maybe pop into one of the many other cultural institutions that also boast free admission (donations accepted, though).

The St. Louis Zoo: I'm not a huge zoo-goer for a variety of reasons, but the St. Louis Zoo was a great experience. Recognized as a leader in animal management, research, conservation and education (there's an on-site pre-school, how cool is that?), SLZ is comparable to the San Diego Zoo in its high quality (and also free).

Projects+Gallery: Close to Pi Pizza and Living Collective, this sizable gallery hosts a rotating roster of exhibitions. We visited to see the work of Charlie le Mindu, a former hairdresser who's worked with the likes of Lady Gaga who now uses human hair as a medium.

Murmuration Festival: It's not everyday you get the chance to attend the inaugural year of a brand new music festival. Being this close to Deerhoof and Tycho? Incredible. A blend of music and tech, Murmuration will surely be a must on the festival circuit next year.

Jen, Nikisha, Lilas Mia, Kassala, and I

Strangefolk Festival: St. Louis' #1 craft festival, Strangefolk features over 200 vendors - including the always babely Creature Type! And The Daily Disco! - Strangefolk is a one-stop-shop for unique and handmade wares, delicious food, and great music. We stopped by the booths of Philomena + Ruth and The Golden Gems, and wandered a little before sucumbing to the incredible heat.

Chandra, Jen and I

A huge THANK YOU to Explore St. Louis and Alive Influencer Network for hosting us and to Elizabeth Wiseman and Megan Magray for being our photographers for the weekend. Some of the photos above were taken by these two talented ladies. And thank you to Lindsay, Laura, Abigail and Daniel for everything you planned for us. XO<3 p="">

Spring Getaways with ASOS: My Favorite Spots in Philly

When we moved to Philly last summer, I arrived in our new city with the intention of doing things differently. Hindsight is 20/20 and looking back, there were so many ways in which we failed ourselves in acclimating during our first move. We held back, allowed ourselves to be intimidated by a new place... Not so with Philadelphia. It certainly helped that we moved to one of the most walkable cities in the country -- and at the beginning of summer, no less -- and that for the first month we lived smack in the center of the city, in Rittenhouse Square. We spent almost every weekend last summer wandering, looking for 'For Rent' signs, sneaking down alleyways, and challenging ourselves to find one more mural, one more hole-in-the-wall cafe.

Eventually we found the perfect little place in South Philly, in a neighborhood filled with cute families and punk rockers, young professionals and retirees who have lived here for 30+ years. It's a funny and confounding and diverse mix of people (and their dogs) and I wouldn't want it any other way. We spent most of the winter hibernating, but now that the weather is warm again and Philly is in full bloom, we've been back to wandering. And let me tell you, Philadelphia in spring is pretty glorious. My evening runs are that much longer because I literally stop and smell the roses every two or three blocks.

We're not in a place right now where we can do much traveling, but that's not stopping us from exploring in and around our new town and taking 'day-cations' when we can. It helps that it's so easy to get around here, the train is right down the street, but even without it, it's pretty much possible to get anywhere you need to on foot. We've discovered some favorites over the past few months, so when ASOS contacted me about styling a couple of looks around a spring getaway, I knew I wanted to talk about two of our favorite Philly neighborhoods: Our own (Pennsport) and Fishtown. While a tropical vacation sounds nice, there's a magic in exploring your own back yard and discovering things you didn't even know were there.

South Philly:

If you're thinking of visiting Philadelphia this spring, do yourself a favor and escape Center City for a day and come down to South Philly. There is so much personality in this part of town, and tucked between row homes and brownstones, you'll discover the reasons why we love it here. 9th street is great and Passyunk is cute, but there's a lot more to this area than what the guidebooks will tell you (most... ok, all of it is food-related):

Grindcore House Coffee: Our neighborhood coffee shop that also happens to be completely vegan (and completely amazing). Good tunes are always playing, the almond milk lattes are phenomenal, and my meat-eating, butcher husband has nothing bad to say about the vegan donuts (I'm an omnivore too, but a little more veg-leaning).

Federal Donuts: More donuts. Don't hate. Federal Donuts is pretty much a Philly institution and you'd be doing yourself a serious disservice if you didn't eat at least one during your visit. Be sure to ask for them fresh from the fryer, and you'll be taken straight to heaven. They have fancy varieties -- the grapefruit brulee is incredible -- but my favorites are the more basic, classic flavors.

Termini Bros.: The first time Chris and I wandered in here there was a man playing accordion in the corner. This is basically on-par with Mike's Pastryin the North End, without the lines. There's a location in Reading Terminal Market, but I prefer the original location. Mostly for the old guys and accordions. Grab a pastry or five, hit up Grindcore House for a coffee, and spend some of your Sunday morning browsing the farmers' market in Dickenson Square Park.

Get the look: ASOS denim jumper, Madewell boots, vintage hat, vintage rings.

Fishtown:

One of our first Saturdays as Philadelphia transplants was spent exploring Fishtown. Two of our good friends from New Hampshire used to live in this energetic neighborhood and we were eager to check it out ourselves. We find ourselves here almost evey weekend as several of my friends live in this area and it's full of amazing food:

Fishtown Tavern: A favorite spot since that first weekend in town, Fishtown Tavern is my favorite place to day drink on the weekends. Also the hummus plate is pretty solid and the bartenders are friendly.

Loco Pez: If you're broke, Loco Pez will make you feel less broke. $20 will get one person a couple of drinks and plenty of tacos, and even better, the tacos are good. This might be our favorite place to eat in Philadelphia. We really like affordable tacos.

Johnny Brenda's: Great bands play here. More importantly, the burger is really good.

Jinxed: All locations of Jinxed are fantastic, but I consistently find amazing things at the Fishtown location. Go here for vintage and antique furniture, jewelry, and basically anything else you could imagine. Follow them on Instagram to get first dibs.

Those are just a few of my favorite spots here in this new town of ours, obviously there's a lot more to explore. I'd love to know your recommendations!

Get the look: ASOS crop top & jeans, Schott jacket, FP bracelet, vintage necklace, FP sunglasses.