The Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar.

I first heard of the Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar from my friend Chris. From his description of an intimate setting with kitsch decoration and sweets, I immediately knew this was somewhere I needed to check out. First, I visited with Erika about a week ago and I went again yesterday to grab drinks with Alex before she leaves for D.C.

The ambience of this wine bar is incredible. I almost feel transported to another time when I walk in, as if the entrance door were some kind of time portal. After speaking with the owners, I learned that they traveled around the country gathering inspiration from different wine bars along the way. They wanted to create a space that truly captured the essence of Troy and the city's history. As soon as you walk into the wine bar, you can tell these founders have refined taste and an impeccable aesthetic.

Anyone who's known me for a bit knows that I am a huge red wine fan and the glasses of red wine that I have tried thus far at this bar have been delicious. I can't wait to try one of the cheese platters! After all, wine and cheese goes down as one of the most perfect combinations in history.

Having grown up in Troy, I've always had a soft spot for the city. Troy has kind of held a rougher reputation in the past, but I feel that, as of late, certain parts of the city have really been bustling in a positive way, particularly in the Antique District and its surrounds. I have plans to spend more time in Troy and to visit the Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar again soon.

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xoxox

hudson with bear.

I have been incredibly fortunate over the past few weeks in that my best friend, Erika a.k.a Bear, has been home on break from grad school. We decided to take a little day-trip to Hudson to check out the vintage shops. The vintage stores have very odd and sparse hours and almost all of them were closed on the Wednesday we visited. However, we still made the most of our trip.

It was also incredibly cold outside that day. We decided we could not make the most of our day until we got a nice beverage in our systems, therefore we headed to Mexican Radio.

The decorations in Mexican Radio were so colorful and fun. Also, I will always advocate for string lights... anywhere.

earrings, Ann Taylor Loft.

After some yummy grub, we headed to the Spotty Dog, a cafe/art-shop/bar/bookstore. How could you resist?

  

Our last stop of the day was Swallow Coffee for a warm beverage before the long walk back to our parking spot. It can be difficult to find non-metered parking in Hudson and we ended up parking quite a distance from the main drag.

Once we read "coconut rooibos tea" on the menu, we had to give it a try. I honestly think it was the most delicious smelling tea I've ever had!

jacket, Urban Outfitters; scarf, Forever 21; hoodie, American Apparel; jeans, Ann Taylor Loft; black oxfords, Aldo; bag, Alexander Wang replica from this ebay seller.

We hope to go back again soon when the weather is better and when the majority of the vintage/consignment shops are open. It was still a very fun trip and I recommend it to anyone in the area!

xoxo

a weekend in brooklyn.

Last weekend, two of my great girlfriends and I reunited in Brooklyn, New York. I hadn't seen Ashley in months and Danielle in over a year because she was away on a Fullbright in South Korea. These girls became like my soulmates while studying abroad in the Netherlands. The fact that we are still such great friends after all of this time and distance still astounds me and I am truly grateful for our friendship. 

To be honest, I was also very much looking forward to the prospect of driving three hours in my car with no one to talk to and with Emotionalism by the Avett Brothers playing on loop through the speakers.

After a few hours belting acoustic love songs and admiring the golden and auburn landscapes along I-87 South, I found myself parallel parking on a Park Slope street, just off Prospect Park. I found Ashley and her roommate Anna in their gorgeous basement apartment.

After some catching up and a short nap, it was time to meet Danielle in St. Mark's Place for dinner, so we put on our fancy clothes. Later we headed to Williamsburg to go to the Levee and the Woods. The Woods was especially wonderful with its strung lights, outside patio, and mix of music.

Danielle works for the Obama campaign in New Jersey, so she works crazy hours right now and had to leave early to head back. When Ashley and I finally rolled out of her apartment, we walked around Park Slope, stopped at the Community Bookstore (where I found out that Zadie Smith apparently has a new novel out!), and grabbed a bite at Café Dada.

Brooklyn was beautiful and I was so happy to be reunited with Ashley and Danielle after all this time. I hope there will be more visits in the near future!

xoxoxoxo

Cara