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5 Holiday Things To Do in Baltimore

 Sweater | Denim | Hijab | Bag | Boots | Scarf | Lipstick

'Tis the season!! All of the holiday lights are up, the trees are lit, and there are a ton of activities going on in Charm City! Today I'm rounding my favorite events and things to do in Baltimore during the month of December!

1. German Christmas Village //until December 24

The German Christmas Village is located at Inner Harbor. The Christmas Village is a combination of an indoor and outdoor holiday market. There is food, shopping, entertainment, and so much to do!! My favorite thing is the hot cocoa and German pretzels! Be sure to check the hours and visit the village before it closes on Christmas Eve!

2. Pandora's Ice Rink // until January 15

The Ice Rink is located at Inner Harbor. I'm not a Olympic figure skater but I can manage to ice skate once a year during the holidays! It's on elf my favorite winter activities. I live so close to Inner Harbor that I can walk by and see the rink every night. It's open late and will be on display well into the New Year!

3. Dollar Days // December 9 & 10

Dollar Days weekend is when Baltimore attractions open their doors for free or $1 admission. This includes my personal favorites National Aquarium, American Visionary Art Museum, Christmas Village, Top of the World, and many more! See the full list here. 

4. The Miracle on 34th Street Light Display // until New Year's Day

This beautiful light display is located in Hampden. If you are into festive holiday lights - who isn't - be sure to make your way out to Hampden on 34th Street (between Keswick Road and Chestnut Avenue) to see the marvelous light display! You have the option of driving by or walking the block to take in all the festive holiday lights.

5. Monument Lighting // Thursday December 7 from 5pm to 8pm

This event takes place in Mount Vernon. At the event there is food, music, holiday activities, and fireworks. The lighting of the Monument is followed by spectacular fireworks display. I mostly go for all the yummy food from local vendors!!! Be sure to bring cash as many of the booths only take cash and not credit card! This event will be in 2 days so mark your calendars and don't miss out!

VOLEZ, VOGUEZ, VOYAGEZ | Louis Vuitton Exhibition NYC

This past weekend while I was in NYC I made it out to the Financial District to visit the Louis Vuitton Exhibition Volez, Voguez, Voyagez. The exhibit traces the history of LV from 1854 to present. I was blown away by the detail and scale of the exhibition.

The exhibit provides complimentary audio guides. The LV journey is divided into ten chapters. The tour opens with the most symbolic object of the House: the trunk, "a model fashioned with contemporary flair, embodying the iconic hallmarks and bold spirit of Louis Vuitton." There are several rooms to snap the perfect photo so be sure to bring your camera along for the adventure.

The exhibit is on display until January 7, 2018 and free to the public! Tickets can be reserved ahead of time online, here. I highly recommend all my fashion lovers to visit the exhibition while you are in NYC!

Top 5 Travel Accessories

I love traveling! Whether it's a weekend trip to NYC or a long weekend in Michigan or even overseas I have packing for a trip down to a science. There are a few travel necessities that I never leave home without. I get so many questions about my top 5 favorite items and must haves while traveling so today I'm sharing all the details since I'm packing up and heading to Canada this weekend!

Luggage Set 
Just do it. I highly recommend taking the time and money to invest in a good luggage set! I purchased the DVF set through Gilt for only $200! The luggage is lightweight and extremely durable, I personally recommend a hard case suitcase as opposed to cloth. A hard case suitcase is extremely durable and long lasting. I was worried about the white color but I've checked in it on my last 3 trips and haven't had any issues. I also recommend Away, Raden, Tumi and Steamline for luggage sets.

Neck Pillow 

I never travel without a neck pillow! I even take it on the bus when I'm going to NYC. It really helps supports your neck and allows you to rest comfortably throughout your travels. I've also read a lot about Ostrich Pillow and have been wanting to try it out. It looks amazing but I still haven't gotten over wearing it in public on an actual plane! Has anyone tried it?!

Travel Steamer
A friend of mine introduced me to the mini travel steamer back in 2013 and I have never traveled without it since. I can't tell you how many times I've burnt or ruined something on a trip by using the hotel iron. This travel steamer is a game changer and barely takes up any space! You can throw it in your carry on or checked bag and never have to worry about wrinkles on a your trip!

Portable Charger
Game changer. Who wants to be glued to a wall charging their phone? Or making the tough decision of preserving your battery for maps instead of taking photo - no one. This charger is relatively lightweight and charges devices quickly. I got this one over Black Friday two years ago and it's still going strong. I always pack this portable charger when I'm in NYC because I'm constantly on my phone but never have to worry about being left without battery.

Noise Cancelling Headphones
My siblings got me these headphones as a birthday gift and every time I travel I thank them for it. I have so much trouble sleeping on airplanes due to noise, chatter, crying babies, and people eating. These headphones drown out all the noise and allow me to relax.

Hope this list helped! Let me know if you want more travel tip posts!

What are your top travel items?!

ARTECHOUSE | Spirit of Autumn

I enjoy visiting interactive art exhibits because I find them truly fascinating. This past weekend I was invited to visit ARTECHOUSE Spirit of Autumn exhibit in D.C. and I was blown away with the exhibit. The exhibit is a seasonal interactive exhibit on display until November 5. It is perfect for adults and kids! My favorite part of the exhibit was designing (coloring) my own Spirit of Autumn Leaf and having the artwork scanned and displayed at the exhibit while I was there - mind blowing! The exhibit has a daytime and evening exhibit which allows visitors different experiences, I visited during the daytime and hope to get a chance to go back again for an evening visit.

Be sure to get your tickets and plan a visit the Spirit of Autumn before November 5!

Fall in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor is home for me. I was born and raised there and it's a place I would move back to instantly if I found the right job. Fall in A2 is one of my favorite seasons, all the pretty red, gold, orange leaves and crisp mornings, is what I live for. My mom planned a quick weekend trip to A2 and my sister and I decided to tag along. I got in a day earlier and had the chance to explore the city and check out a few new spots that were on my list.

Downtown Ann Arbor is one of my favorite places to visit. The University and the city are intertwined and I love walking around and exploring. There is no shortage of fall foliage downtown. A few of my favorite spots are visiting the University of Michigan Law School (aka Law Quad), The Diag, Nicholas Arboretum to name a few. I started my morning off with a delicious latte at Lab Cafe Ann Arbor. I wish this place was around when I was living in A2! It's such a cute spot with delicious drinks and yummy treats (the almond croissant was amazing!) and very IG worthy.

My next stop was Literati bookstore. I bookmarked this place for a while and have been wanting to visit this cute independent bookstore to pick up a few books for my little nephew. The staff is so friendly and they have an array of books. I spent so much time in the children's section picking out books for my nephew. I can't wait to bring him here one day!

For lunch I was eager to try Fred's. I was tempted to get their Avocado Toast but opted for the Ahi Tuna Poke - which was delicious. This spot could easily be a trendy lunch joint in NYC. I definitely will be going back to try the entire menu!

Jacket (old, similar) | Top | Denim | Booties | Bag c/o | Scarf | Sunnies

After a full day of exploring I met up with my high school friends and we had dinner at Melange in downtown Ann Arbor. I was tempted to order the entire left side of the menu but instead I went with their delicious sushi! I wish I had more time to explore my hometown but I'm grateful for the short weekend trip!

If you ever find yourself in A2 and need recommendations feel free to reach out! I have a ton of places to recommend!

|| Outfit Photos by Dane of Dane Hillard Photography ||

New Orleans Travel Diary | Garden District

A visit to New Orleans is not complete without venturing out to the charming Garden District. The streets are line with pretty trees and beautiful historic mansions. The easiest way to get to this area is by taking the St. Charles streetcar, strolling down Magazine St, or a quick uber. I put together a self guided walking tour for my sister and I to explore the Garden District. Feel free to see the Map of the walking tour. We started our tour at Lafayette Cemetery and ended at Commander's Palace. Thanks to google and wiki I was able to pull information on these historic mansions and put together this tour from my sister. I found this guide really helpful in putting together our route.

1400 Washington Ave., Lafayette Cemetery || Established in 1833, this city of the dead is one of New Orleans’s oldest cemeteries. It has examples of all the classic above-ground, multiple-burial techniques. These tombs typically house numerous corpses from an extended family.

2727 Prytania St., The Garden District Book Shop || A stellar collection of national and regional titles, with many signed editions, makes this bookshop an appropriate kickoff for a Garden District tour. The historic property was built in 1884 as the Crescent City Skating Rink, and subsequently acted as a livery stable, mortuary, grocery store, and gas station. Today “the Rink” also offers a coffee shop, restrooms, and air-conditioning during those hot NOLA days.

1448 Fourth St., Colonel Short’s Villa || This house was built by architect Henry Howard for Kentucky Colonel Robert Short. The story goes that Short’s wife missed the cornfields in her native Iowa, so he bought her the cornstalk fence. But a revised explanation has the wife requesting it because it was the most expensive, showy fence in the building catalog. Second Civil War occupational governor Nathaniel Banks was quartered here. 

2605 Prytania St., Briggs-Staub House || This is the Garden District’s only example of Gothic Revival architecture, unpopular among Protestant Americans because it reminded them of their Roman Catholic Creole antagonists. Original owner Charles Briggs built the relatively large adjacent servant quarters for his Irish slaves. Irish immigrants were starting to create the nearby Irish Channel neighborhood across Magazine Street from the Garden District. 

2523 Prytania St., Our Mother of Perpetual Help || Once an active Catholic chapel, this site was one of several in the area owned by Anne Rice and the setting for her novel Violin. The author’s childhood home is down the street at 2301 St. Charles Ave. 

2504 Prytania St., Women’s Opera Guild Home || Some of the Garden District’s most memorable homes incorporate more than one style. Designed by William Freret in 1858, this one combines Greek revival and Queen Anne styles. It’s now owned by the Women’s Opera Guild. 

2340 Prytania St., Toby’s Corner || The Garden District’s oldest known home was built in 1838 for Philadelphia wheelwright Thomas Toby in the then-popular Greek revival style. The non-Creole style still followed Creole building techniques, such as raising the house up on brick piers to combat flooding and encourage air circulation. 

2343 Prytania St., Bradish Johnson House & Louise S. McGehee School || Paris-trained architect James Freret designed this French Second Empire–style mansion for sugar factor Bradish Johnson in 1872 at a cost of $100,000 ($1.6-plus million today). Contrast the house’s awesome detail with the stark classical simplicity of Toby’s Corner across the street,it illustrates the effect that one generation of outrageous fortune had on Garden District architecture. Since 1929 it has been the private Louise S. McGehee School for girls. 

1410 Jackson Ave., Buckner Mansion || This 20,000-square-foot, 1853 mansion is haunted by Miss Josephine, a dedicated slave who stayed on even after the Civil War ended. In fact, she was so devoted that she remains long after her death, still taking care of the house. Her broom is heard sweeping and her lemon scent can be detected all over the mansion. Her apparition has been seen on the stairs as well as other places, and her presence has been reported to cause lights to turn on and off, doors to open and close by themselves, and the chandeliers to swing for over an hour. This house has another claim to fame: It was used as a setting in Season 3 of American Horror Story.

2329–2305 Coliseum St., The Seven Sisters || This row of houses gets its nickname as Seven Sisters or Brides Row (though there are eight houses). These houses get their name thanks to a local legend about a generous father who built the homes for his daughters, giving each one as a wedding gift. It's a nice story, even if it's not true. The relatively small shotguns are popular throughout much of Orleans, but rare along the imposing Garden District streets. 

1407 First St., Pritchard-Pigott House || This grand, Greek revival double galleried townhouse shows how, as fortunes grew, so did Garden District home sizes. 

1331 First St., Morris-Israel House || As time passed, the trend toward the formal Greek revival style took a playful turn. By the 1860s, Italianate was popular, as seen in this (reputedly haunted) double galleried townhouse. Architect Samuel Jamison designed this house and the Carroll-Crawford House on the next corner (1315 First St.); note the identical ornate cast-iron galleries.

1239 First St., Brevard-Mahat-Rice House || This 1857 Greek Revival townhouse was later augmented with an Italianate bay, in a fine example of “transitional” architecture. The fence’s rosettes begat the house’s name, “Rosegate,” and its woven diamond pattern is said to be the precursor to the chain-link fence. This was novelist Anne Rice’s home and a setting in her Witching Hour novels. 

1134 First St., Payne-Strachan House || As the stone marker out front notes, Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, died in this classic Greek Revival antebellum home, that of his friend Judge Charles Fenner. The sky-blue ceiling of the gallery is believed to keep winged insects from nesting there and to ward off evil spirits. Many local homes adhere to this tradition. 

1137 Second St. || This house exemplifies the Victorian architecture popularized in uptown New Orleans toward the end of the 19th century. Many who built such homes were from the Northeast and left New Orleans in the summer; otherwise, it would be odd to see this claustrophobic, “cool climate”–style house. Note the exquisite stained glass and rounded railing on the gallery. 

2425 Coliseum St., Joseph Merrick Jones House || When previous owner Trent Reznor of the band Nine Inch Nails moved in, new anti-noise ordinances were introduced at city council. His next-door neighbor was Councilwoman Peggy Wilson. 

1331 Third St., Musson-Bell House || This is the 1853 home of Michel Musson, one of the few French Creoles then living in the Garden District and the uncle of artist Edgar Degas, who lived with Musson on Esplanade Avenue during a visit to New Orleans. On the Coliseum Street side of the house is the foundation of a cistern. These once-common water tanks were mostly destroyed at the turn of the 20th century when mosquitoes, which breed in standing water, were found to be carriers of yellow fever. Yellow-fever epidemics infamously killed 41,000 New Orleaneans between 1817 and 1905. 

1415 Third St., Robinson House || This striking home was built between 1859 and 1865 by architect Henry Howard for tobacco grower and merchant Walter Robinson. Walk past the house to appreciate its scale—the outbuildings, visible from the front, are actually connected to the side of the main house. The entire roof is a large vat that once collected water. Add gravity and water pressure: thus begat the Garden District’s earliest indoor plumbing. 

2627 Coliseum St., Koch-Mays House || This picturesque chalet-style dollhouse was built in 1876 by noted architect William Freret for James Eustis, a U.S. senator and ambassador to France. It and four other spec homes he built on the block were referred to as Freret’s Folly. No detail was left unfilled, from the ironwork to the gables and finials. 

2707 Coliseum St., Benjamin Button House || This 8,000 square-footer is best known as the title character’s home in the film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Ergo Brad Pitt slept here, fictionally. The house was owned by the same family from 1870 until its 2009 sale. Thus when the “Button” location scouts came calling they dealt with the family’s 90-year-old matriarch, who had raised seven kids under this roof. Or roofs, perhaps, since it’s actually two houses combined: the original 1832 cottage sits atop a columned, 1908 Colonial number. 

1403 Washington Ave., Commander’s Palace || Established in 1883 by Emile Commander, this turreted Victorian structure is now the pride of the Brennan family, the most respected and successful restaurateurs in New Orleans. Commander’s Palace has long reigned as one of the city’s top restaurants.

To see my full New Orleans itinerary see this blog post and for a full food list see this post!!

 I really enjoyed exploring New Orleans for a few days, although it was a bit hot, I will most definitely be returning during cooler temps to explore some more!