Archival

Archival: Crumbs & Whiskers

Caroline — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 17:47:31 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One

The following is an actual conversation that I had with my father:

Daddy D: I heard you went to the cat cafe! Did you take your new camera?

Me: Yup!

Daddy: You should blog about it! Maybe they’ll give you free…

Me (interjecting): CATS!?!?

Daddy D: Um… I was going to say coffee.

And now you know how my brain works. You’re welcome.

For those of you that live under a rock (or not in DC. or not on the internets), there is a magical place just walking distance from my apartment in Georgetown where you can order in from Olivia Macaron and lounge around with cats. It is called Crumbs & Whiskers.

I am so #blessed to have a roommate that loves cats as much as I do and who let me take pictures of her all weekend.

For a small fee of $15 that goes directly back into the care and upkeep of the cats + building, you can spend some time with some really amazing cats with a ton of purrsonality. Most of them (all of them?) are available for adoption. All adoptions are handled through Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. Adoptions are on a first come, first serve basis.

This little guy was hanging out by the treats, available for purchase if you want/ need to bribe the cats to hang out. Meghann and I did not.

As we nibbled on our macarons, we got to learn about each cat. Binx, above, kind of seems to be running the place, at least where treats are concerned. Topper likes to be up high where he can observe. Kippie is definitely a sassy madame… there were about 20 cats and I could likely tell you about all of them, but you should really go see them yourself!

The idea of having a cafe, albeit with a limited menu, where you can hang out with animals is awesome in and of itself, but the fact that the place actually contributes to finding these gorgeous creatures a home is just the catnip on the cake… or something.

Fluffball accidentally made me bleed while we were playing. But don’t you worry- I got her back by making her wear a festive hat.

Crumbs & Whiskers also has cool events such as Cat Yoga + kitten parties. Yes, they deliever kittens to you if you’re close enough. The kittens come with macarons. I’m not sure if I could even make this stuff up. The best way to stay in the loop is to either live with Meghann (seat’s taken. sorry) or follow along with them on all their social media: facebook/ twitter/ instagram.

I mean… does this not look like heaven? Let me know if you’ve been or if you’re planning to!

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Archival: Brunch @ NoPa Kitchen + Bar

Caroline — Sat, 24 Jun 2017 17:40:27 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One over 3 years ago (my first ever blog post!)

My first blog post would include a bottomless mimosa brunch.

Did you know in Portland, Oregon, they simply brunch with really awesome, organic everything food? I was shocked to hear that my co-worker, the birthday boy, had never heard of bottomless brunch until he moved here, and I was delighted that he wanted bottomless mimosas included in his birthday weekend.

Brunch is not only just an excuse to day drink, but also an excuse to day drink while dressing up for breakfast food. This combines at least three of my favorite things. It wasn’t unbearably cold in The District yesterday, so I could have a little bit more fun with my outfit.

With it being winter, I’m into layers. On top I wore a plain black long sleeve under a slouchy sweater from Loft (my staple store). The skirt is actually a child-sized Ralph Lauren (my staple brand). Boots are Etienne Aigner from Piperlime. I got them last year but it seems like the two-tone trend has hit BIG time in the city this year. I’ve become quite a fan of boot socks as well- I have about five different colors from Target. Threw on two long strands of mama’s pearls (a huge perk of living at home still is shopping in her closet) and moved all my essentials into my adorable new Kate Spade bag (guys- THERE ARE SPADES ON IT!) and I was ready to go.

NoPa is nestled in Chinatown a couple blocks from the Verizon center and right near the Spy Museum. I was the first one to get there and we had a private room, which was really nice as we were a big, loud group. Almost all of us ordered the mimosa brunch: “~~infinite~~” mimosas (which they cut off at three in the afternoon), and ~~two three~~ we’re not really sure how many courses since the waiter told us something different from the menu. The food was INCREDIBLE. I had the smoked salmon appetizer, the eggs Benedict, and the mulled cider dessert. All of it was fantastic. I will say, the boys on either side of me ordered pâté and it seemed weird it didn’t come with crackers or bread or anything. I don’t even eat the stuff and knew that was off. Our service was a little weird. The waiter asked the birthday boy to let him finish talking before he asked questions. Rude. My eggs Benedict came out wrong as did the girl’s down the table, so by the time we got our right order, everyone else was almost done. And don’t call your mimosas infinite if they are not. But all in all it was a good time and who doesn’t enjoy getting mimosa buzzed all Sunday? I’ll give them a 3 out of 5 and maybe try going back with a smaller group.

Snag the Look (more of a focus on the navy color)

Skirt -similar
Sweater -similar
Thigh Sock -similar
Purse
Boots

Add accessories liberally! Let your Blair Waldorf flag fly free!

x0x0 Caroline

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Archival: Watch me shimmer

Caroline — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 10:00:10 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One 1/19/16

The skirt from this post can now be found on ebay

Remember when I told you about my awesome Loft haul from their awesome sale? It turns out that only about half of it worked out- sizing issues. I’m a petite, through and through. The Petite Diamond Shimmer Skirt was definitely one of the items I kept. I just feel so happy + pretty in it. Isn’t that the point of dressing? Finding something that that makes you feel good?

The skirt kind of speaks for itself, so I didn’t want to do too much with the rest of the outfit. Enter trusty black OTK boots and a black shirt I’ve probably had since high school. The necklace is great though, isn’t it? I also caught that one major sale. I don’t think the Courtney Pearl Bib is available anymore, but the original Courtney can be found here.

My new wristlet will probably be making a lot of appearances. Unfortunately right before New Year’s Eve, I lost my entire wallet with license, house key, credit card, debit card, Metro card, JRINK frequent buyer card… EVERYTHING. I got everything replaced, but the wallet was so perfect that I was hard pressed to find another with the exact shape and functionality with brass hard-wear. Like, I got really weird about how specific I needed this wallet to be. I wanted it to unzip all the way around so I could swipe my Metro card easily. I ended up finding this new one at Target, of all places. This was after checking the usual suspects- Nordstrom, Macy’s, even Kate Spade.

I’m loving these little rooftop photo shoots… even if I do freeze.

OMG SUH COLD

photos c/0 Chipped Diamond Magazine

Petite Diamond Shimmer Skirt//Women’s Large Bow Cell Phone Case Wallet – Mossimo Supply Co.//Pearl Courtney Bib//Black t here, here, + here//OTK boots here, here, + here

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Archival: Color bar

Caroline — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 10:00:17 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One 2/17/16

This past weekend, I finally had a chance to play with the COLOR BAR at Kendra Scott in Bethesda. I was lucky enough to win a COLOR BAR party for a few friends and myself, and it was a great way to spend a Galentine’s Day! The staff at #KSBethesda is so friendly and hospitible while we hung out in the bright + warm store on such a miserably cold day.

Greeted with mimosas + cookies for days

The funny thing was, I went in thinking I knew what I wanted- a rose gold Rayne Necklace in Rose Quartz. But then I was tempted by all the bright, candy colors and my imagination ran away with me.

When you pick out your pieces, they make them right in store!

Basically, you create your design on a computer screen the size of a wall. All of the jewels are in coordinating drawers, and you get to see your piece being made from start to finish.

I didn’t even think I wanted a bracelet, but here we are.

I ended up with the Brynn– ready for spring! (plus a gift for an upcoming spring birthday) It was fun to see what my friends chose as well- a great way to spend a cold morning. I got my bracelet for free by winning the party, and my girls got 15% off their purchases. You can enter to win your own party by stopping in an filling out an entry card. Easy as pie!

Thank you #KSBethesda for having us and letting us all hang out with you!

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Archival: Pop art

Caroline — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 10:00:32 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One 2/24/16

This may be my favorite shoot of all time ever for several reasons. Firstly, Dani of Blonde in the District is a joy to work with and a total sweetie. She actually organized the brunch for a little group of us at Ambar– there were new bloggers and experienced bloggers and in betweens, like me. No judgment of anything that anyone was doing, just advice and problems we’ve all had and a great feeling of girl-power. I actually got some amazing advice from Alison of Wardrobe Oxygen. I’m going to paraphrase here but when I told her that recently I’d felt discouraged and even considered saying goodbye to LBC1, she told me to not give up on my blog, but since it’s mine all mine, mold it to be exactly what I want it to be. There is no right or wrong here.

Secondly, Dani picked this amazing spot for our shoot. The Fridge is a cool gallery down by Eastern Market, and apparently their mural outside changes all the time. I can’t wait to go back.

Thirdly, I was kinda diggin’ my outfit. It was actually decently warm on Saturday, and I was so happy to be without the bulky coat.I’ve been doing so much business casual on my blog that it was fun to break away from that. I’m also obsessed with my little milk purse. For whatever reason, I’ve wanted a milk carton purse for like a year. Kate Spade had one, Betsey Johnson had one, SkinnyDip London had one… and I wanted one, but didn’t want to spend a ton on a novelty bag. Hi Amazon.com for under $10

ok- so this is technically an outtake- but this may be my favorite

photos by Blonde in the District

Aerie poncho [last seen here]; similar here, here, here||almost identical Milk carton purse||Stack: Wanderer Cuff; Kendra Scott Colorbar bracelet; Mini Cone Stud Stretch Bracelet||ECENTRCQ sneakers||leather leggings here, here, here

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Archival: Weekend warrior

Caroline — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 10:00:29 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One 3/8/16

Remember last week or whenever how it got nice? And then it freaking SNOWED at the end of the week? And it wasn’t even nice snow it was gobs of slush. Gross. I was so ready for the week to end already and that was just the ice(ing) on the cake.

Anyway, I guessss it’s ok because it gave me a chance (maybe my last one of the season) to rock my Topshop from Nordstrom leopard fur coat (last seen here). I wanted to be both cozy and cute as I slid into the weekend and I think I got this.

Now, let’s talk weekend essentials. You know I love a good backpack, but the one I got last year was a little small. Hi gorgeous Eddie Borgo for Target Backpack in Thunder. The backpack so nice that my mom bought me the same one. And if you’re constantly on the go like me, you probably have a snack or two in your bag. When Myprotein asked if I could try some of their products, I jumped at the chance. I ordered Protein Cookies in white almond, Protein Chox in caramel nut, and their 100% peanuts peanut butter. I’ll be honest, the cookies were a little too almond-y for me, it was almost overpowering. And I could really taste whatever extra protein was in it. But the chox were great! They taste like a heartier snickers and are definitely better for your if you’re like me and have a 3:30 in the afternoon chocolate craving. The peanut butter? On apples, one of my favorite snacks/ deserts.

How do you get ready for the weekend?

Overlapped triangles earrings {courtesy of} ezra||Similar leopard coats here, here, here||Eddie Borgo for Target Backpack in Thunder||Similar knit scarves here, here, here||Similar raw quartz necklaces here, here, here||Wine sweaters here, here, here||Vegan Leather Tuxedo-Stripe Leggings (very similar)||OTK boots here, here, here

Thank you to Myprotein + ezra for the gifted goodies in the post. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you to my readers for supporting the businesses that support LBC1!

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Archival: Lucky Baby

Caroline — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 11:00:07 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One 3/24/16

I was born the day before St. Patrick’s Day, so I’ve combined the two holidays since I can remember. It started with green glittery sprinkled shamrock cookies for my birthday snack in grade school and evolved into (for the past couple of years) sharing a hat at The Madhatter with some close pals on the 17th. This year, I really did attempt to cancel my birthday, which is very unlike me, because I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. But I’m kind of surrounded by a ton of amazing people that wouldn’t let that happen. My parents, my friends- everyone I know has made this month special. I even got to see my favorite band and hang out with them for a bit after the show- that was a present to myself.

Parts of my look today were presents as well. The green dress is from my 21st birthday (edit: no it is not? I def got this dress for my 24th or 25th.) and has obviously become my St. Patrick’s Day dress. The jewelry set from Baublebar was a gift from two of my best friends and the tumbler was from my Little- one of my coworkers calls me kitten and I needed a new tumbler when the lid on my trusty giant mason jar broke. Perfect gift, perfect timing.

Anyway, it’s been a great March, and I’m feeling so lucky.

Phlox Drops-Pink||Phlox Collar-Pink||Dark denim jackets here, here, here||Green skater dresses here, here, here||Quilted mint purses here, here, here||Kendra Scott Color Bar bracelet||sip sip tumbler with straw – ticket stripe||Leopard loafers here, here, here

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Archival: Blushing hearts

Caroline — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 11:00:56 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One

I think the worst part of seasonal transitions (besides the allergies) is trying to figure out how the heck to dress. When I put this outfit on last week, it wasn’t because it was perfect planned. It was a happy accident after standing in front of my closet in silence for approximately 20 hours and trying on several million combinations or skirts and tops and tights and boots. That may be an exaggeration- but this was at least the third outfit that I attempted. I was pretty happy with it.

The coat actually made its debut last year, but I upgraded the buttons to a tortie/ gold combo and it just feels way more lush. If there has been an upside to this drawn-out winter, it’s that I’m actually getting to wear the coats that I couldn’t when, you know, it was 75 degrees on Christmas.

Pearl studs||Black pearl choker||Blush coats under $100 here, here, here||similar sweater here||similar skirts here, here||similar sunnies here||Oversized Fabric Bow Belt||Black booties here, here, here||Gia bag {courtesy of}

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Archival: Neutral animal

Caroline — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 11:00:30 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One 4/21/16

I think Spring has finally sprung in The District, you guys! The sun is shining and it’s warm enough I don’t need to layer if I don’t want to. It’s funny, until recently, I never would have thought put these pieces all together. I was kind of inspired by this look from Hallie to actually play with neutrals + grey. I ended up loving it! It felt fresh and light and amazingly easy. I’ve said it before how I rarely work grey at all before working at the firm, and I certainly never, ever thought I’d like it paired with khaki/ nude/beige/tan whatever. That was, ironically, a pretty big risk for me. I also love how the length of this denim skirt made it a-ok for work. And yessss my Gia bag did make another appearance, but I just love it so much!

Gia bag {courtesy of}||Charter Club White Denim Skirt||Holographic Leather Triple Wrap Tassel Bracelet||Chunky Pearl Necklace||Animal sweaters here [fox], here [giraffe], here [cat]||Nude mules here, here, here||Similar pink sunnies

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Archival: Sophisticated separates

Caroline — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 14:11:19 +0000

Originally posted on Little Bitty City One 4/28/16

As much as I love playing with color and fun accessories, I realized that my style has matured in the past year or so. Yes, I still love Loft, but recently, I’ve been all about Ann Taylor. They’ve had some killer sales and I see no problem paying for pieces that I know will hold up, both in quality and in style. I normally go with dresses, but having some great solid pieces that I can mix + match is important too. I’m kind of shocked at the fact that I just got the items in this post a couple weeks ago and they’re already gone from the Ann Taylor site, but I guess that’s just how retail is. I linked similar pieces below!

Pause for a sec- didn’t realize that you couldn’t tell the skirt I’m wearing is actually a great green. I’m still learning my camera, and my sweet boyfriend actually took these pictures for me. Lesson learned- use the flash? Or something. Blogging is a learning experience. Thank you Kendall for indulging me in taking these! x0x0

The bag was kind of a whole situation to get. I finally bit the bullet and ordered it, since I’d been eyeing a customized Roll-Up Bag for forever. There was a huge price drop, so I went for it! I figured since this was a company started in Georgetown, I should rep the city and designed my bad with a cherry blossom stamp. At the same time, I also ordered the Mini Wings Bag as presents for Kendall + my friend Tiffany. Everything came in looking wonderful, but my bag didn’t have the cherry blossom stamp. It had this other chevron-type pattern that I was way less excited about. None of the email addresses I had for the company worked, so I reached out to their (old) PR reps who put me in contact with the owners. I had my new bag within the week, and have been using it ever since. I don’t have to tell you the company that these bags remind me of, but I adore that my bag is personalized just for me.

Lace Yoke Top [Funny enough, this one is from Loft]||Roll-Up Bag||Lace pencil skirts here, here, here||Phlox Collar-Pink||Phlox Drops-Pink||Similar sandals here, here, here