Reunited in RVA

A couple weekends ago I had the pleasure of co-hosting my best friend Jimmette's baby shower in Richmond, VA. It was perfect and she loved it! We did a black/white/gold brunch theme with MOMosas!  It was such a great time being able to reconnect with my best friends and shower the mommy-to-be with lots of love. It seemed like just yesterday I was watching her walk down the aisle. It's so exciting to watch my friends grow and transition into new phases of life. I can't wait until Baby Harrison arrives!

Of course while in Richmond, the foodie in me had to try a new restaurant. Janna and I decided to have brunch at Sweet Teas in Shockoe Bottom, and the food was great! I was so stuffed I had to take a nap before getting on the road lol!  Check out a few photos below from my weekend in RVA. 

xoxo

Victoria

Tonia, Jimmette, Janna and I #auntsquad #raisingHarrison

The parents-to-be: Jimmette and Michael

Lots of sweet treats for our mommy-to be!

Top: Vintage blouse (thrifted)

Jeans: Old Navy

Shoes: Shoedazzle

A little rain can't stop me. 

Vintage earrings "borrowed" from mom. :)

Check out more photos here from my RVA shoot with Deaudrea Rich.

Weekend Highlights

This past weekend I met up with sorors for a mini-reunion. Outside of homecoming and weddings, we don't see each other often. We had brunch at Tazza Kitchen Arlington Ridge and it was amazing! The food here is so good and we had a great server.  And no they don't have bottomless mimosas but I'll definitely be back when it gets warmer to sit out on the patio. Afterward we went skating and did a little shoe shopping. It was nice to catch up on life while passing around photos and videos of the new babies and new homes, which shows we've been binge watching, and if we've bought a dress for the next wedding. Lol!  There's always something new to celebrate and I can't wait until the next time we get together.

xoxo,

Victoria 

Holiday Cheer!

Holiday party season is in full effect! I must admit at first I wasn't really in the holiday spirit but the past couple of weeks have really boosted my holiday cheer. I've actually finished most of my holiday shopping before Christmas Eve, which is big for me! I'm always last minute trying to think of creative gifts, and I end up finding cute gifts for myself in the process. As much as I loathe running around the mall this time of year, I've gotten a lot better at gift-giving. 

I caught up with family and friends before the holidays via various happy hours and holiday gatherings. Sharing moments and laughs with loved ones is one of the best gifts. I tried a new restaurant, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, and the food and drinks are amazing! If you like oysters you will love this place. Please try the bacon-wrapped oysters. Trust me, everything is better with bacon.

To cap off this past wee, I went on a girls getaway to NYC to celebrate my friend Jasmine's birthday. We had so much fun prancing around the city in dresses and sequins as if we were Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. We started out with brunch at Friedman's and an early dinner at Room Service. If you love Thai food, Room Service is the place for you. The ambiance is perfect for a girls' night out on the town.  After dinner, I attended my first Broadway show, The Color Purple, and it was simply amazing. The lead actress, Cynthia Erivo's voice is breathtaking. Each character had such a beautiful voice, I didn't want them to stop singing. 

After the show we headed over to the Sugar Factory to indulge in 60 oz goblets of sugar and alcohol goodness. I opted out of the huge drink and had a margarita instead, accompanied by a huge ice cream sundae. 

We ended the weekend with Sunday brunch at Pampano and stuffed ourselves (again)  with bottomless small plates and sangria. If you couldn't tell before, we love to eat.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming holiday to create more memories. I'd like to wish all of you Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

Victoria

Ready for the Ugly Sweater Party!

Me and my cousin Penny

Bacon-wrapped oysters at Pearl's 

Holiday Party at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Happy Birthday Jasmine!

Waiting in line on Broadway for the Color Purple.

Sugar Factory 60 oz goblets

Love life!

Who's Up Next?

As you already know, wedding season is in full effect.  Another close friend of mine tied the knot this past weekend and I truly enjoyed being a part of her special day as a bridesmaid. I reunited with my best friends from high school for a day of pampering in preparation for the big day. The ceremony was beautiful and flowed smoothly, and we were on time surprisingly.  Then we headed to the reception located on the Rappahannock River waterfront and partied HARD! A great DJ and an open bar, with a crazy group of girlfriends are the makings for a great celebration. This was a weekend I won't forget. Now I'm wondering who's up next??

xoxo,

Victoria

Bachelorette Weekend Recap

I just completed another weekend full of wedding activities! This has been a busy wedding season. My friend Brittny is getting married in 4 weeks and we had her bachelorette party this weekend. It was so great to catch up with my friends from high school. I barely got any sleep but I loved every minute of it! We live in different areas and we don't see each other enough. But we always pick up right where we left off. The stay at the Wyndham Resort at the National Harbor was awesome! The suite had 4 bedrooms so it was a huge sleepover full of late night talks, scavenger hunts, cooking, and lots of rum. It was also a weekend of firsts! I tried pole dancing and rode a mechanical bull for the first time. It's not as easy as it looks! LOL The National Harbor has added a lot of new restaurants and shops since I've last visited. So it was nice to get away without having to leave too far from home. It was a great weekend full of laughs and memories.

Excited to be a bridesmaid!

Taking a break from a crazy night out.

The bride and her new "Mrs" Kate Spade earrings.

The bride and her bridesmaids.

Reunited and ready to party! 

We closed out the weekend walking around the National Harbor and went shopping at the Farmers' Market.

xoxo,

Victoria

Love Never Fails

I had an amazing weekend celebrating love and reuniting with my sisters and friends! I was happy I was able to witness the growth and union of such a beautiful couple. They remind me that true love never fails, and in all things glorify the Lord.

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Jerrell and Sam

Time Flies

The end of summer is near! Time flies when you're having fun! I know it's been a while since my last post. I've been lacking inspiration lately, but I've found a few things to make my heart sing lately. I'm sad to see the summer go but I am looking forward to my favorite season, autumn! Check out some of my end of the summer highlights.

I had a blast at my former boss's farewell party. She is such a great mentor and friend. I miss having her in the office, but she's only a phone call away :)

Celebrating babies and new journeys with my sisters.

Checked out the Pulitzer Prize Photography exhibit at the Newseum with my roomie. You have to check this out. I've been inspired to pick up my camera again and possibly a new one.

Celebrated my best friend's 25th birthday in NYC. I love this gal so much and I'm so blessed to have such a great friend  like her to share every milestone with. I think we've got this long distance thing worked out pretty well. ;)

Wedding Season

It's wedding season! I've been very grateful to share these special moments of love with friends. It's so weird because I always thought I would be married by 25, and now that I'm actually 25 that was such an unrealistic goal. Lol! But in due time that moment will come so for now I will celebrate these moments with my closest friends. Last weekend my friend Gina celebrated her union to her hubby. It was great catching up with my college friends, and I was finally reunited with my friend Treshona from LA! How many weddings are you attending this summer?

Me and Treshona

Joseph, Gina, and me

summa time.

So after I finally received some medicine to send my migraine away, I was finally able to have some fun in the sun! I went to a friend's pool party this past weekend and had a blast! The food was great, drinks were flowing, and we grooved to summer jams. The next day we had an awesome brunch at Beacon. The summer is finally kicking in!

kindred spirits

"This world is being made from our lives, our cries, our laughter, our bones." -Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D

I love this picture. I'm not sure what we were laughing about, but every time I look at it, I smile. We just recently met, but our connection was instant! We enjoy good burgers, SATC, and furry pink socks. Perfect, right? The world is being made from the stranger across the street that somehow became your friend/homegirl/soul-mate overnight.

Me and Jasmine at the Jefferson Memorial, DC