Winter Weekend Escape: Newport, Rhode Island
Happy Monday! (And happy March!) It’s hard to believe that we’re already a few months into 2015, isn’t it? It definitely doesn’t feel like March considering we spent yesterday afternoon battling a snow storm, but hey, at least we are getting closer and closer to spring!
How was your weekend? I went on a little girls getaway that was super short, but oh-so-sweet. Julia, Lauren, and I drove to Newport, Rhode Island on Friday night to meet Jess, Loren, and Marissa for a quick winter weekend escape.
I was in Newport this past July for a work trip and I’ve been dying to go back ever since. While it was much different in the winter, it was still so fun to have a change of scenery and be near the water. (Even if it was frozen!) I can’t wait to (hopefully) visit again when it’s warm this summer!
The six of us girls stayed at The Gatehouse at OceanCliff in Newport on Friday and Saturday night, and it was so relaxing. OceanCliff is a hotel on the island, but the Gatehouse is a private four-bedroom house on their property. So while we had access to the breakfast and amenities at the hotel, it felt like we had rented our own little cottage for the weekend! It was the best of both worlds. I can’t tell you how confused I was to come home on Saturday to find that my bed had been made… I’d totally forgotten that we were technically staying at a hotel, complete with a cleaning service. I knew it definitely wasn’t me who made the bed while on vacay!
We woke up on Saturday morning (not so bright-and-early because I slept like a baby..) to head to brunch at Diego’s. After brunch, we grabbed coffee at Empire Coffee before heading to East Greenwich to the Loren Hope Studios. Oh, and we hit up Raw Bob’s juicery on the way, too. — Highly recommend! #NeverNotConsumingCalories
Marissa, Loren, Julia, Lauren, me, Jess
The Loren Hope Studio was absolutely amazing! The most gorgeous space filled with heaps of natural light, stylish decor, and inspiring mantras. And, of course, the jewels. Oh, the jewelry! Loren is known for her gorgeous saturated stones and modern-meets-vintage designs that are all made right here in the USA. In fact, all of her jewelry is actually designed and manufactured right there in the studio we spent the afternoon in. Pretty impressive, huh?
Post playing with baubles, we went down to the frozen-over waterfront to snap some photos on the dock. Man, was it c-o-l-d! I borrowed Jess’ fur beanie and mirrored sunglasses for a few minutes to switch things up a bit… It’s getting to be that time of year where I am SO bored with styling new outfits. I’m beyond tired of all of my cold-weather gear! I’m sure you can relate, right? Let’s cross our fingers that warmer temps and brighter colors are just around the corner! And until then, borrowing some fun accessories from friends is a great way to get yourself out of a style rut.
We headed back to Newport just in time to catch the sunset and make a quick outfit change before dinner at The Mooring. Whenever you’re in Newport, you have to add this place to your must-eat list! Apparently there’s a gorgeous back deck on the water, but we had the best table in the house for this time of year — smack dab in front of the fireplace. So cozy! We shared a few apps — the bag of doughnuts (my mouth is watering just thinking about them), tuna tartare, and Walrus & Carpenter oysters. Getting hungry yet? From there, I feel like I ate the entire menu — Ahi Tuna, the Mooring Caesar, Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, and Cauliflower Au Gratin. (Which, by the way, tastes exactly like mac ‘n’ cheese. SO GOOD.) But OMG, the dessert had to be my favorite part. We got the Dark Chocolate Brownie with Pretzels and Peanut Butter Pudding and the Mooring Devil Dog with Espresso Gelato. You guys, the peanut butter pretzel brownie situation was probably the best dessert that I’ve had in the United States. Paris trumps all in the world of desserts, but this came in pretty close. I can’t put how good it was into words. Like, plan a trip to Newport just to eat that!
Post-dinner, I bet you can guess what we did… SLEEP. Food coma, y’all. I slept more than I have in weeks… 9 hours. I didn’t wake up until 9:45, which is pretty much unheard of lately. I don’t know if it was getting out of the city or the 5,000 calories I consumed, but I’ll take it!
Unfortunately we had to cut our Sunday short because of the snow. Once I had awoken from my slumber, we grabbed coffee and got on the road to try to beat the impeding snow storm! While I would have loved to have gone to brunch at Castle Hill, I’m glad we left when we did and didn’t have to drive through the snow.
Speaking of driving, Cadillac let us borrow an Escalade for our road trip. So fun! At first, I thought it was too big for the three of us, but after we packed in our luggage, I was glad we got the SUV! Plus, it was so nice for the six of us to ride around comfortably in one car throughout the weekend.
Bric’s Suitcase, Vera Bradley Duffel, LV Neverfull(s), MZ Wallace Metro Tote, LL Bean Tote, LL Bean Duck Boots
That pretty much sums it up! What are some of our favorite spots in Newport? I’ll add them to my list to check out over my next visit!
Outfit Details
Old Navy Plaid Vest (similar here)
525 America Sweater
J.Crew Turtleneck
DL1961 Jeans
J.Crew Socks (similar here)
Sperry Top-Sider Boots (similar here)
Loren Hope Bracelets — Sarra Cuffs, Alex Cuff, & Clara Mini Bracelets
Fox Fur Beanie (similar on sale!)
Elizabeth & James Mirrored Sunglasses
Outfit shots taken by Jess Kirby, the rest from my Instagram
