Giveaway Time!

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Today I'm excited to share the latest MATINE giveaway! Head over to Vmac + Cheese for a chance to win $250 to spend in the shop! What would you choose?

xo
C

CAROLYNtraveling... for a bachelorette weekend!

It's hard to believe, but somehow my bachelorette party has snuck up already. Next weekend I'll be meeting up with some of my favorite people in Chicago for a weekend of dance parties, excellent food, drinks, probably some inappropriate girl talk and fun. I'm especially looking forward to this trip now that I'm living across the country from most of my besties. It will feel so luxurious to spend three solid days with them. But the question remains, what to pack? While I'm still sorting out the clothing options, I've already settled on (a bit of a haul of) MATINE bags to bring along for every occasion that a weekend with the girls may call for. Here's how I'll be using some of my favorite pieces from the spring collection for this weekend away:

On the plane... the Proper Tote makes an excellent carry on bag and bonus—I don't need to carry an extra purse when I use it.

For the party... I'll be using the Petite Odette kindle case as a clutch. It's big enough to hold essentials for a night out but small enough to feel low maintenance, and the hit of gold ensures extra sparkle for the party.

At the beach... if the weather cooperates, (fingers crossed!) I'll be throwing magazines, a towel, sunblock and my favorite water bottle into the Drew Ave. Shopper. It's roomy and durable (perfect for the beach) yet light (perfect for cramming into my undoubtedly overstuffed suitcase).

Out to dinner... the Proper Clutch is just right—I love it because it's ladylike but not too precious. (And most importantly it will suit just about any outfit I settle on!).

So what do you think? Do I have all my bases covered?  I can already tell this week is just going to drag by, too much excitement for this girl to handle!

Hope your Monday is off to an excellent start--

xo
C

CAROLYNcooking... wilted kale (and all kinds of other things)

My friend Brenna does the best things with kale. I was skeptical of these greens until I tried her super easy concoction of wilted kale and sweet potatoes. I have to say it is one of the easiest dishes ever, and it's tasty to boot. Add an egg on top and it's a whole meal. I made it for lunch today and decided the world couldn't go another minute without hearing about it. I took it to a new level by adding goat cheese. You could really just keep going that way, adding all kinds of nonsense and taking up to untold levels. First you add the egg and goat cheese. Then, who knows, maybe you add pine nuts. Or more root vegetables. Or put the whole mess on top of a pizza crust (!!!!).

But first, here's what you need to do:

1. Saute some diced onions and garlic for a bit.
2. Add a finely diced sweet potato, saute until you get that great crispy brown.
3. Throw in a big hunk of torn kale leaves and cover with a lid that's small enough to fit inside the pot and smash it all down. Let it wilt for a while.
4. Add salt, add a poached egg, add some goat cheese, add whatever your heart desires!

See what I mean? Enjoy!

CAROLYNshopping... in the kids section

Do you guys ever wander over to the kids section of your favorite shops? Once in a while I find myself browsing around Crewcuts (depending on the style, I can sometimes cram myself into a girls size 14), and today was one of those days. I scored one of these little numbers (is it a shirt? a caftan? a poncho? who knows!) for a whopping $39.50 (and free shipping!) that I hope to use as a beach coverup this summer. If it fits, that is... Can you just picture it with a margarita in hand? Exactly what the designer had in mind, I'm sure. All to say, if you haven't tried before, I highly recommend a trip through the kids section. (Or are you already wise to this trick?)

xo
C

CAROLYNthinking... about the daily break

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I read this article recently in Fast.Co which discusses the daily rituals of creative thinkers. Really interesting stuff, but what really caught my attention was the bit about Charles Dickens. Every single afternoon he took a break from work to take a long, long (several hours long) walk to recharge his thoughts. What a concept.

These daily brain breaks are something I've been mulling over a lot lately. Since I started working from home in January I've actually found it harder to step away from work and the computer during the day—even for simple lunch breaks. I'm constantly worrying that someone back in the office will need me for something urgent and what if I'm not immediately available? I've started (trying) to combat this tendency by forcing myself to leave the room entirely,—go sit in the kitchen or the deck if it's a nice day—pull out a book, chill out and consciously take a break, instead of just grabbing something to eat while glued to the computer. I'll admit it still doesn't feel that comfortable, but I have to remind myself that by giving myself permission to recharge the batteries that I'll actually be able to do better work and provide more value to my colleagues so many miles away in Minnesota.

I personally found it so much easier when I was actually in the office to get away and take a walk or get some coffee, which is surprising for some reason. What about you? Is this something you struggle with, whether at home or in the office? How do you take a break and recharge during the day?

xo
C

Exploring your city.

murad osmann

We've only lived in D.C. for a few months, but already we've got our routines down. We tend to stick to the same neighborhoods when going out and date nights seem to follow suit. So this weekend, M and I decided to venture outside our radius and explore a new neighborhood. We found ourselves across the river in Old Town Alexandria. It's a charming historic area and it was a perfect night to wander the quaint little streets (or, at times, maneuver through sidewalks crammed with people). We ate seafood by the water and stopped for coffee and tiramisu and tried to eavesdrop on a nearby table of German-speaking tourists. Even though it's just a few minutes away (and a little heavy on the tourists), it felt refreshing to venture out and get to know another piece of this place we now call home.

What about you? Do you find yourself sticking within the same few miles of home? Or do you make it a point to get out and explore?

CAROLYNtraveling... to South Africa!

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Tickets are booked! South Africa here we come (or rather, here we come, later this fall...). M and I haven't taken a real vacation since this one last February. I guess that's what crazy work schedules and cross-country moving will do to you? In any case, I couldn't be more excited and now it's time to hurry up and wait. But as we all know, the anticipation for vacation can be almost as delightful as the real trip, right? So I'll be spending the coming months devouring travel tips and ideas on South Africa. With that I'd love to hear, if you've ever been, what are your recommendations? (I personally can't wait to check out some penguins and swim with some sharks!)

Wedding Wednesday: thank you notes

With bridal showers and my bachelorette party on the horizon, it's time to start thinking thank you's. So far I've had a pretty good time trolling around for the perfect thank you notes and hostess gifts. I thought I'd share some of the darling stationery sets I've found on Etsy if you're in the market. (Disclaimer: Clearly letterpress and gold foil totally have my number right now.)

First Snow

LH Calligraphy

Kimberly FitzSimons

red bird ink

What do you think? Stationery can be so addicting, can't it? This is how I end up with an entire closet shelf full of cards...

Find of the Week

Sometimes you find something just too good to not share, right? 

For me, this week, it's this top and skirt set from Emerson Fry. They are both on sale right now, and I have to say that at first I was leery of the bra top (I mean really? A bustier? All I can imagine is J.Lo in the Selena movie), but in reality it's so so darling in this combo (and bonus, the skirt is obviously super versatile on its own). If you're looking for a summer ensemble that makes you look fresh and breezy, this is where you need to head:

p.s. The orange silk is perfection and makes me want to order every other orange silk item in the shop. 

p.p.s I plan to pair this look with my new favorite MATINE clutch and roll into my bridal shower this summer looking all effortless and rays of sunshine.

Going screen-free.

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The use and overuse of social media has been popping up in my newsfeed and conversations a lot recently. A while back I read as Jess took a breather from the social media overload, M gave up Facebook for a month and some work research led to this article which points out all the things we know about social media but love to overlook. Like 27-year-old women kids binging on Easter candy—we know it isn't good for us, and it's not really filling us up, but we really don't care.

Last night, completely by accident, I left my phone in my purse downstairs. I was working on a project right before bed and had zero inclination to go find it and drag it upstairs. I decided to leave it and what a refreshing experience it was. See, I'm the person who scrolls through email and Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest feeds before bed, and then again the second I'm awake in the morning before rolling out of bed. But without that little enabling iPhone by my bedside, I couldn't. And it was great. I didn't feel the compulsion to 'just check one more thing.' I could just kick back, focus on my project and relax before bed without wondering what's going on in the world.

So moving forward, I'm making a mini resolution to go screen-free more frequently. Leaving the phone at least slightly out of reach at night, and not panicking if it isn't on my person at all times seems like a good start.

What about you? Do you ever suffer from the connectivity overload? What have you done to step away?

canvas ceramics

This weekend while two of my best girls were in town for a visit, we found ourselves wandering around the gooooooorgeous Salt & Sundry (honestly, I would happily move right into the storefront) at Union Market. One of my favorite finds was a collection of sweet ceramics by canvas. The Abesses collection is perfect to me in all its minimalist glory, and a few pieces have already made their way onto our wedding registry. Take a peek:

Perfection, right? More right here.

Getting artsy.

I recently wrapped up an 8-week drawing class, which was not only a fun little stress reliever during the week, but also kick-started my plans to get back to my roots as an artist. For years I've been toying with the idea of opening an art shop, and I'm feeling that this may actually be the year!

Remember this little lady? She'll probably be back. Finally.

With this new spark of motivation I've also been revisiting some favorite pieces of art that have been hiding in storage on an old Pinterest board.

Katya Gridneva

Brigitte Groth

Daniel Egneus

Maggie Siner

Ahh, I could look through these portfolios all day.

xo
C