Newport – Blondie Birdie

Good Afternoon and Happy Wednesday, everyone! I love these mid-week moments!

It’s a bit of a late posting day for me- since I’ve been in an absolute flurry at work since about 7 a.m. today- but I’ve just finished for the day and am getting ready to run a couple of heavily procrastinated errands I can’t put off any longer, prepare for dinner and to say farewell to my dearest friend’s apartment since he’ll be moving out of it this weekend. We’ve had so many wonderful memories there- and respects must be paid!

It’s blowing my mind that we’re nearly at August’s end- with September looming just ahead this coming Sunday. While I’m undoubtedly excited for the Fall and all the Autumnal activities there are to do here in the Pioneer Valley- I’m still very much in a Summer mood and am trying to spend as much time as possible in or around the water before it freezes over.

This past weekend, with the temperatures cooling comfortably and my Sunday freed up after my usual early morning laundry and coffee run- I opted to head down to Newport, Rhode Island for one final Summer weekend coast-side in a community I’ve grown to love dearly over the years. While there, I visited The Breakers- since it had been quite a few years since I marveled at the architecture, the artwork-adorned walls and ceilings- and the spectacular views of the Atlantic.

I took plenty of photos of the grounds and surrounding Cliff Walk- which you can make bigger by clicking below!

It was a beautiful day and a lovely way to sort of bid farewell to Summer- although the official goodbye comes when I head up to New Hampshire for the annual Seafood Festival in a couple of weeks! Can you tell I’m excited for crab cakes and discounted beach clothes?

Sorry. I’m getting ahead of myself here. On Friday, I’ll be talking about some of my favorite odds and ends from August- products, finds, buys, etc. There’s some real gems I discovered/stumbled across that I’m very much looking forward to talking about.

And then on Saturday- before I head to the Indie617 studio to host my show- I’ll be giving Summer 2019 a thorough review and the proper send-off it deserves.

Until then, enjoy your “Hump Day” and keep your heads up! Friday is nearly here!

– Ashley –

Good Morning and Happy “Hump Day,” everyone!

One of my favorite things to do during the Winter here in New England is visit some of our more popular seaside towns and attractions when they’re essentially empty/abandoned due to the cold weather. Places like Mystic, Hampton, and Newport- which are usually wall-to-wall with people during the warmer, Summer months- are just as beautiful and far more accessible from the late Fall through early Spring.

This past weekend, I opted to visit Newport, Rhode Island- which is presently hosting their 31st Winter Festival through the 24th of this month. I browsed some of the shops downtown, stopped by a couple of the local cafes and restaurants for lunch and my coffee fix- and took a stroll through the interior and the grounds of The Elms– which is one my favorite mansions in the area.

I had my camera with me, and managed to capture some of the most beautiful photos while the sun was setting. Click on any of the images below to enlarge them!

It was such a lovely afternoon and I’d love to visit again soon before the Spring/Summer gets here so that I can enjoy the peace and quiet for just a little while longer. If you find yourself in the area anytime soon- I recommend taking a day off to enjoy it!

The next couple of days are shaping up to be busy ones- with work, my part-time gigs, dinner plans and so on- but a little later on this week I’ll be sharing an accessory that was gifted to me by a friend earlier this month and which I’ve been really enjoying on the colder days before we break for the weekend and I prepare to wrap up February with a nice little bow!

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday! We’re almost to the weekend. Just hang in there a little longer!

– Ashley –

Tag: Newport

Summer with The Vanderbilts…

Weekend at The Elms…