Filed In: travel
wine tasting in the shenandoah valley
A few weeks ago while I was in DC, we rented a car and early one Saturday morning set off toward the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was warm and beautiful and no complaints here. The autumn colors were just barely starting to tip some of the trees. We made stops at Breaux Vineyards, 868 Estate, the Barns at Hamilton Station and Doukenie Winery. We wrapped up the day at Bluemont Vineyards sipping rosé, devouring fresh-baked baguettes and creamy mozzarella and watching the sun set off the terrace. I wish every Saturday could be like this.
photo credit kate zitzer
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It’s hard to beat early autumn in DC and I’m sure you can see why. It was quiet there, no long lines or crowds and the warm sun was a nice break from the cooling Chicago temps. I got to see many, many monuments, museums and memorials, eat at some amazing restaurants, meet up with my sister and her fiancé, wander around the Botanic Garden (twice!), take a boat ride down the Potomac River with Marc and even got a little work done. Here are a few favorites:
Matchbox (casual pizza place)
Oyamel (tacos + ceviche)
La Tasca (tapas + sangria)
Portrait Gallery (meandering for hours)
HomeRule (goods for the kitchen, bar, bath, home and body)
Miss Pixie’s (reasonably priced vintage home furnishings)
Good Wood (apothecary, homegoods, jewelry, etc.)
The best thing to do in DC is walk. Start at the Capital, walk toward the Lincoln Memorial and admire all the beautiful monuments and museums along the way.
photo credit kate zitzer
weekly wander 03 | shopping in berlin
I mentioned in this post that Berlin had the most amazing shopping! We stayed in Mitte – a funky gritty little neighborhood located in the center of Berlin filled to the brim with cool boutiques and one-of-a-kind restaurants and cafes. It was full of young people with incredible style so it was a great place for people watching. Every wall, stairwell and garbage can was covered in graffiti – I took way too many photos of it because it was all so good. In the shops there were so many beautiful things, random things, treasures big and small. It was in Mitte that I decided if I ever opened my own boutique, I would come to Berlin for inspiration. Let’s shop –
R.S.V.P. is a wonderfully well curated stationery shop supplying fine paper and writing materials from all over the world. Here you will find classic writing paper, notebooks and calendars as well an assortment of small scale series by international artists and designers.
Silo is bringing the best of Spain to Berlin. Run by three Spanish women and based in the neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg, Silo is a concept store inspired by design and quality, love for raw materials, timeless elegance of traditional products and the singular beauty of handmade objects. 
marron HAY has so much beauty in such a little store. I wanted to buy everything. Their products range from furniture and textiles to stationery to accessories and decorative homewares. My interest in interior design and love for all things Scandinavian came together here.
Located on Neue Schönhauser Strasse a street lined with small independent boutiques selling Berlin-designed fashions and accessories, & Other Stories offers women a wide selection of clothing, shoes, bags, accessories and beauty products. All of their collections are diverse ranging from masculine tailoring to feminine chic and are designed to provide endless styling choices.
Do You Read Me?! is a wonderful little gem in Berlin. Books and magazine lovers will most likely fall in love with it just as much as I did. In this shop, you will find hundreds of magazines, journals and books from over 20 countries covering topics from art, fashion, photography, design and architecture, to culture, literature, music and society.
Schönhauser Design has been stocking furniture, tables, lamps, chairs and home accessories since 1977, all in a modern and trendy style. It also offers a great selection of unique souvenirs and is definitely worth a stop if you’re in need of a gift.
photo source ilenia martini
diamond lake
A few photos from the long holiday weekend at the lake. We stayed with my family in the same cozy little cottage we rent every year. We took long boat rides and walks along the water. We lounged on the porch, stayed up late playing card games and made s’mores around the bonfire. There were slow mornings and impromptu trips to the icecream shop in the evenings. I realized getting away was exactly what we needed and it was tough returning to a messy house, and a long list of to do’s!
photo credit kate zitzer
weekly wander 02 | insta-travel
One of the greatest things about Instagram is not only the ability to share your own perspective with the world, but the ability to discover new things too. Before our European adventure, I did a little searching and stumbled across some really inspiring Instagram accounts, and now when I scroll through my feed it majorly fuels my wanderlust! I can’t stop day dreaming about Paris, mosaic tiles, lavender fields and day trips to the beach. Here are a few favorites –
top paloma parrot | second carin olsson | third olivia thébaut | bottom lauren davison
