Old Town Alexandria
While Lorelai and I were on vacation my little sister played tour guide and showed us around the DC/Virginia area. One of tour first stops (after a trip to see the cherry blossoms in the city) was Old Town Alexandria. Talk about a cute neighborhood! This beautifully preserved historic district (and George Washington's hometown) is filled to the brim with cute rowhouses to peruse, brick-lined streets overflowing with shops and sweet places to pop in for brunch. The dress-code is casual (J.Crew tee and denim jacket, Zara leather pants and my new Nikes) and the neighborhood is beautiful!
stroll:
King Street
Right on the Potomac River waterfront, this street is where it's all located... Do some shopping, eat a meal or browse the townhouses!
shop:
This shop was the highlight of my trip to OTA! Stocked with fun stationery (I picked up a tattly card for my pen pal), a super-cool children's section and quirky home goods, this store boasts the perfect balance of new and antique. My favorite finds included Sugar Paper prints, Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. syrups and the sweetest recipe box.
The perfect independent print shop and what my letterpress lovin' heart's dreams are made of!
These stores are mainstays in my usual day of shopping but it never hurts to pop in to a different location! We hit up Sur La Table for my burgeoning chef of a sister (so bummed we weren't able to fit in a class or two!) and Anthropologie because let's face it, I have an Anthro problem.
eat:
Who doesn't love a good cupcake? We wandered in to escape the cold and treated ourselves to the lemon lavender chiffon (definitely as good as it sounds!) and the triple belgian chocolate. If you're ever in the area, please make a stop here. The interior is adorable, the staff is super friendly and you won't be disappointed by the fabulous cupcakes.
This place is on the list solely because it's a giant note to self: GO HERE NEXT TIME! We ate brunch at a different restaurant and though eggs Benedict can never be bad, the food was less than desirable. Fontaine Cafe is a crepe and coffee joint... what's not to love?