Around Town

(f)unemployment

And so my (f)unemployment continues!

I’ve been dying to try my hand at embroidery (and no, I’m not 87), but I’ve been intrigued by it since it’s all the rage in fashion this year. My friend and I had a little Sunday Funday action with Craft Habit Raleigh at The Edge of Urge to benefit The Beehive Collective.  Embroidery and bottomless mimosas?! Sign me up!

Upon walking into The Edge of Urge I was enamored with the entire store.  Not only do they carry Capri Blue candles, but they sell unique jewelry, amazingly creative cards and so much more.  Looking back, I wish I had taken photos of the store… but I was too transfixed on the mimosas and wanting to learn how to embroider.  In the two-hour time frame I learned the basics of embroidery and I was hooked.

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As the class wrapped up we weren’t quite ready to head home so we trotted next door to Wine Authorities.  HELLO, new favorite place!  I love the idea of having a Wine Authorities card where you can put money on it and serve yourself at the wine tap.  Can someone please install a wine tap at my house?  And because I’m obsessed with cheese plates/ cheese boards we totally ordered one. #cheeseaddict

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In case you were wondering, I finished my work of art! I stayed up late Wednesday night so I could finish it and I’m pretty sure I found my new hobby.  Perhaps I’ll open an Etsy shop if I don’t find a new job.

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Around Town

Laughter IS the Best Medicine

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Most of March has had me stressed out and anxiety-ridden.  Not knowing where you’ll land next in your career is scary, especially when you have a mortgage to pay and Boo Radley is too busy sleeping to get a job.

With that being said, a few weekends ago I took some time to push my worry/ stress aside for an evening of fun. + laughter.  My friend and I were BEYOND excited to see Chris D’Elia at Goodnights Raleigh.  But first things, first… dinner at Cantina 18!  Sangria + queso is ALWAYS a good idea.

Upon arriving to Goodnights, it was clear the show was sold-out and most of the people in line were college kids.  I was basically right about my theory. When I got to the bathroom the first thing I saw was some girl’s ID, credit card + 2 airplane bottles. #blessherheart. Luckily for her she was still outside the bathroom when I exited and basically jumped me when I returned her belongings.  She also begged me to take a shot from the airplane bottle. After declining her requests, I knew she wouldn’t let it go so down the hatchet it went.  The funny part of it all was that she was 23… I’m 35.  I’m pretty sure she thought we were the same age.

I got back just in time for the opening act, Michael Lenoci. He was a pretty funny dude, so no complaints here.

No spoilers here, but Chris D’Elia was H-I-L-arious! I haven’t laughed that much in quite awhile (especially since my job was recently eliminated).  I had never seen Chris D’Elia’s stand-up before, but his Vine videos (back when Vine was relevant) and Instagram posts made me laugh.  When it was announced he was coming to Raleigh, it was a given that we HAD to go see him.  We might have splurged on VIP tickets and got to meet him.
P.S. he’s a tall MF!

If you want to laugh your face off, go see him if he’s performing in your city.  In the meantime, I’ve got to find myself a job.

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Meet Me at The Crossroads

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They say when one door closes, another opens.  In my case the door was slammed and the other door won’t seem to open.  So now I’m at a crossroads.  Do I continue with the profession I’ve been in for over 10 years or do I make a career change?  Do I pursue my passions or do I stick with something safe and less stressful?  Do I do things that scare me?  I figured now is the time to pull the trigger on a new chapter and a new adventure.  Whatever my next act entails, I hope it’s a good one.

My Bucket List of Bands

Pack Yourself a Toothbrush Dear

Yes, I realize the date is November 4th + The Lumineers show was on September 15th. Better late than never!

I had tickets to their last show three years ago, but due to a family emergency I wasn’t able to go. Each year that went by without another album, so I patiently waited. Thank goodness they FINALLY released their newest album- Cleopatra.  All I had to do was wait to announce when their show would be + when they did it was a major Debbie Downer. Their show was the same night as the annual fashion show I usually work.  The good news:  my boss knew I was a bit of a concert fiend + was cool about it… I GOT A HALL PASS!!  This girl celebrated by purchasing PIT TIX!

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Being the great height of five feet tall, I had a fantastic view of the show. They opened the show to Sleep on the Floor and I was officially in my happy place.  I’m not going to lie, I totally peeked out when they covered Credence Clearwater Revival’s, Have you Ever Seen the Rain- goosebumps. My dad introduced me to CCR + when I heard them cover their song, I was grinning from ear to ear.

Set List:

  1. Sleep on the Floor
  2. Ophelia
  3. Ho Hey
  4. Cleopatra
  5. Dead Sea
  6. Charlie Boy
  7. Where the Skies Are Blue
  8. Classy Girls
  9. Slow It Down
  10. Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bob Dylan cover)
  11. Gun Song
  12. Angela
  13. My Eyes
  14. Patience
  15. Long Way From Home
  16. Flapper Girl
  17. In the Light
  18. Stubborn Love
My Bucket List of Bands

I Got Hot Sauce in My Bag

Let’s get in formation.

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I was BEYOND stoked to see Queen Bey at Carter Finely on May 3rd… I just wish I had dressed more appropriately for the weather.  Note to self: don’t wear a long dress + suede boots even if there’s a chance for rain.

En route to Carter Finley the bottom fell out- rain, thunder, lightning + hail. Fun stuff, y’all.  The best part was we didn’t have to pay for parking due to the storm- woot, woot!! After tailgating in the parking lot for awhile we decided to make our way in so we could see DJ Khaled.  We got there in time to see the tail end of his performance.  It never fails: I will forever laugh every time I hear him say, “DJ KHALED!”

Beyonce opened to Formation, which was lit and the rest of the show followed suit.  When she opened to Formation she wore a victorian inspired look by DSquared2.  Other notable designers she rocked during her performances included Balmain, Roberto CavalliAtsuko KudoGucci.  To see her complete looks check out Fashionista. During the middle of the concert the bottom fell out again and we had to evacuate Carter-Finley to either the PNC Arena or the NC State Indoor Practice Field.  We chose the indoor football field, because we wanted to see what it looked like. It was nice + still smelled brand new, or maybe that was the fake turf. It wasn’t until close to 11PM that we were allowed back into the stadium.  Like I mentioned before, I wore the wrong outfit- my long Pink Stitch dress + Dolce Vita Grayden boots which were covered in mud.

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By the time the show started back up again about 25% of the crowd had left.  We were bound + determined to stay for the entire show even though I knew my tail would be dragging next day at work.

Beyonce’s show was absolutely PHENOMENAL! My favorite performances of hers was Formation, Run the World,  Ring the Alarm + Freedom.  She performed Freedom in a pool of water + it was sick!  A bittersweet moment is when the screen went purple and they played Purple Rain by Prince. It gave me chills.

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Setlist from the show:

  1. Formation
  2. Sorry 
  3. Bow Down
  4. Run the World
  5. Mine
  6. Baby Boy
  7. Hold Up
  8. Countdown
  9. Me, Myself + I
  10. Runnin’ (Lose it All)- Naughty Boy Cover
  11. All Night
  12. 6 Inch | I Care | Ghost
  13. Don’t Hurt Yourself
  14. Ring the Alarm
  15. Diva
  16. Flawless
  17. Feeling Myself (Nicki Minaj cover)
  18. Yonce
  19. Drunk in Love
  20. Daddy Lessons
  21. 1+1
  22. Purple Rain (Prince tribute)
  23. Crazy in LoveBootylicious
  24. Naughty Girl
  25. Blow
  26. Die With You | Blue
  27. Freedom
  28. Survivor
  29. End of Time
  30. Halo

I didn’t get home until after 1AM, but that didn’t mean I crashed immediately. I had to shower after being covered in rain/ mud and then I spent about a good 30 minutes working on rescuing my boots.  The good news is they survived the Formation Tour! 

Travels

Jessica Jet Sets to Cali: Part V

Well I never thought this day would come… the conclusion to my California trip.  I know, it seems like it’s been since 1987 since I went on the trip, but instead was just a few months ago.

So on our last day it was all about biking to wineries in Sonoma.  I’m not going to lie, I had a little bit of anxiety because I haven’t been on a bike in years and I’m talking about a stationary bike at the gym.  Would I remember how NOT to fall off? Would they have a bike for someone who isn’t the tallest, but isn’t a child’s bike? Only time would tell.

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Meet my bike from Napa Valley Bike Tours. It came with a built in fanny pack for all my things!

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The good news: I remembered how to get on the bike and pedal!
The bad news: the bike was still too big for me. #shortgirlprobz

I’m not going to lie, I was a hot mess express the whole day so I honestly couldn’t give a proper recap on the day except for the following:

  • I was not made to ride bikes. I looked like t-rex trying to ride a bike. It wasn’t pretty.
  • For someone who hadn’t hopped on a bike in about ten years, I managed to bike a little over 13 miles (even if some of that time was spent “walking my bike”)
  • I’d never been so excited to reach each winery so I could sit + numb the pain with wine.
  • I also threatened to call Uber on multiple occasions because I literally thought I was going to pass out in the middle of nowhere.

The 3 wineries that we biked to were Gundach Bundschu WineryBuena Vista Winery + Sebastiani Vineyards.

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Despite thinking I was going to die biking around Sonoma, it was absolutely gorgeous.  It was a perfect ending to a fun + memorable trip with some of the greatest friends.

Travels

Jessica Jet Sets to Cali: Part IV

One day I will finish my trip recap, dammit! With that being said… here goes!

Saturday was our day for wine tastings.  Sam from Honey Tour Company came to pick us up to take us on our wine tasting adventures and be our DD of course!  He even had a spread of crackers + cheese that we could munch on between stops.  It was like he was trying to steal my heart with the Havarti cheese (my fav).

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Winery #1: Beaulieu Vineyard
My main goal for the wineries to become a red wine drinker.  By far out of all of the wineries we went to on Saturday, my favorite red was the Reserve Carneros from Beaulieu Vineyard.  I really wish I had bought a few bottles- it was so good!  We had a private tour + tasting at Beaulieu Vineyard which was intimate + fun for our group.  In a perfect world I would get a large wine barrel installed in my house so I could get wine out whenever I wanted to.  Maybe I should just move into a winery…

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Winery #2: Provenance Vineyards
Provenance Vineyards was intimate + quaint, which was nice.  After sampling some delicious wine as well as getting a sample straight from the barrel, Sam made us lunch outside while we enjoyed the sun rays and played Jenga. It was extremely relaxing there. They had ample outdoor seating from picnic tables to open seating as well as covered tables to hide in the shade.

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Winery #3: Frog’s Leap Winery
This winery by far was one of my favorites of our trip.  Not only was the wine on point, but the view was to die for.  I literally could have just moved in there.  It would be the perfect the location for a engagement photos or even a wedding.  They encourage you to to pick the fruit off the trees + try it, which was fantastic.  The grounds were covered in vast array of mustard, which really made the property pop with color.  Part of me wanted to just run in the mustard + twirl around in circles like the scene from The Sound of Music, which I totally did even though the mustard was above my waist.  When I emerged I was covered in yellow, but it was well worth it.  I would definitely go back to Frog’s Leap Winery again… it was heaven on earth there.

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Winery #4: Tres Sabores Winery
Our last stop of the day was Tres Sabores Winery! Upon arriving we were greeted by an adorable golden retriever and some sheep.  Yes, sheep.  We received a tour around the grounds, went into the cave where they keep their wine and watched the process of bottling the wines.  Afterwards we all gathered at a long table outside for our wine tasting.  (P.S. If you ask for some cheese + crackers, they will bring it out).  I might have been a little hungry at the time when I asked.  My friends thanked me later for that snack!  It was extremely relaxing + breathtaking at Tres Sabores Winery and being the animal lover I am, I loved the various animals on the property.  I even was able to get my photo with one of the sheep, and by photo I mean I stood a good length away from it in case it got frisky.

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Hiring a tour company is the only way to really experience Napa Valley.  Everyone was able to let loose + not have to worry about having a DD, we had a professional tour guide who took us to some notable wineries that were each different and it was a day I’ll never forget.  Had I not gone on this trip, I would have had some serious FOMO.

 

Travels

Jessica Jet Sets to Cali: Part III

I swear, it’s going to take me a year to do the entire recap from my California trip… but I’m going to finish it!!

On day two we spent the better part of the morning continuing our “tour of San Francisco.”

First Stop: The Full House house.  Y’all, I can’t even tell you how excited I was about seeing this.  I grew up on Full House and have probably watched all the episodes multiple times (it ranks up there with Saved By The Bell, the original 90210 series, Law + Order: SVU + FRIENDS episodes that I could binge watch repeatedly). We totally nerded out on the way to see the house by listening to the Full House theme song.  I have no shame in admitting that.  Not to mention, Fuller House was about to be released on Netflix so it was perfect timing.

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Second Stop: Mrs. Doubtfire house.  While I was excited to see the Mrs. Doubtfire house, it didn’t compare to seeing the Full House house. #sorrynotsorry

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Third Stop: Lombard Street.  Thank god we did not attempt to drive the suburban on Lombard Street.  Just watching the people drive down it gave me anxiety.  To the people who live on Lombard Street: bless your hearts for putting up with all the tourists and having the patience to live on that street.

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Fourth Stop: The Golden Gate Bridge.  Is it always that windy by the bridge? I’m not going to lie, I didn’t get many good photos of myself there due to the wind. Major buzzkill.  I was hoping I’d get a good one for my Bumble profile.  Oh well! We probably spent 30 minutes getting a really good blowout with major tangles on a dreary day.

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While we made our way out of San Francisco we made a pit stop in Sausalito for lunch at Copita.  They had a drink on the menu called ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and wish I had ordered it in honor of my man, David Bowie. If I ever come across another Ziggy Stardust, you better believe I’m going to order it.  After lunch we loaded up the suburban to head to our house in Napa Valley, but we had one more pitstop to make- go to Lagunitas Brewery!

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The rest of the day was chill- we had to get settled in our house and rest up for our big WINERY tour.  Let’s hope my recap from the winery tour won’t be next month. I’m going to try to finish up my California recap before I go to Blowing Rock for a girl’s weekend.