Author: jackietara

Thrifty

My friend Sarah and I celebrated National Thrift Shop Day by visiting the Buffalo Exchange shop on 14th Street, D.C. I was in heaven, looking through racks upon racks of lightly worn trendy clothes. With so many retail options, it’s easy to forget that there are some really great shops dedicated to recycling clothing at reasonable prices. Buffalo Exchange, in particular, boasts an eco-friendly approach with bag-less shopping and targets local customers. It also has a flair for vintage, which is right up my alley.

After trying on about 20 pieces, I landed on a versatile polka dot dress, a retro striped sweater, and the best find ever: a perfect pair of pink suede pumps with a heel low enough to wear all day. You know how much I love a pop of color, and comfiness is just gravy.

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Photography by Sarah Stuart Walters

Dara’s Baby Shower

My dear friend and colleague, Jen, asked me to photograph her best friend Dara’s baby shower at the end of August. I have been welcoming every opportunity to work on my photography skills , so I was incredibly excited to capture the sweet details of this jungle-themed shower and portraits of the mom-to-be, her friends, and family.

Summer Nights

It’s official. B and I are roomies. Not the college dorm forced-to-live-with-each-other kind or the I-can’t-afford-to-live-by-myself type of flat mate, but true bonafide roomies, happy in our new apartment in Del Ray, Alexandria. I know, it’s a shock: I am no longer a D.C. resident. I really didn’t think that day would come, but here I am, happily back in Virginia. There have been a lot of changes in the last couple of weeks. A big move, and an intense shift in weather and mood. It seems like everyone is pushing for fall to come faster, and I am all aboard that train. I have loved these last few summer nights, but I can definitely use the slower pace and cooler days of September. Hello fall!

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ModCloth Top
Vintage Pleated Skirt
Stella & Dot Slim City Clutch

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Photography by Paul B. Jones

California

A few months ago, my best group of friends and I headed out west to California for a wedding. Along the way we explored the boardwalks of Santa Cruz and the giant trees of the Redwood forest, experienced the most breathtaking views in Yosemite, and ate the freshest squid in San Francisco. Ever since, we have been trying to figure out when and how we can go back.

Black and White Birthday

Last weekend was my birthday – the big 2-7. It’s not the most exciting age of them all, but it does deserve a little recognition. I feel like big things are going to happen this year… big things I tell ya. To start my self-proclaimed “big year”, I decided to take the day off. B took the day as well, so we could both do a few things that we have been wanting to do, but just haven’t quite had the time or energy for, like getting a manicure/pedicure at my all-time favorite salon. I don’t know about you, but a nice mani/pedi changes my life. I could be spiraling down a deep dark hole of stress and anxiety and, an hour of pampering, a nice chat with my technician, and 20 misty nails later, emerge as an entirely new person. It’s magical.

With my fresh nails and perspective on life, B and I spent the afternoon visiting a couple of our favorite D.C. spots. We had a little oyster action at Rappahannock Oyster Company in Union Market and then took a stroll around Eastern Market. It was really nice just to be able to enjoy being outside, and each other. Not a bad way to start the year.

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ModCloth Dress
Stella & Dot Plume Necklace
Stella & Dot Pearl Spike Ring
Stella & Dot Ally Double Wrap Bracelet

DIY Hangover Boxes

I discovered last week that it is incredibly easy and fun to create the sweetest little bachelorette party hangover boxes. Marci, the MOH for Chelsea’s September wedding, and I wanted to collaborate on decorating and filling simple white take-away boxes for each bachelorette party attendee to have during our weekend in Charleston, SC. I am not a professional calligrapher by any means, but I am pretty darn good at replicating, it seems.

After studying the work of a few pro’s, I mustered enough courage to put my pretty gold pen to paper. I wrote everyone’s name in my “faux calligraphy” and then jazzed up the boxes a little bit more with some delicate pink and purple watercolor flowers. Marci took care of the excellent – and much needed – fillings with mini Advil packs, mints, granola, and snacks to help revive us the morning after a lively night out. It was the perfect combination of cures to have on-hand!

A couple of my current calligraphy crushes:
Host and Toast: custom signs
Splotch and Line: lettering and art
Flora Waycott: illustrations and designs
Poppy and Scooter: calligraphy and stationery

Xo,
Jackietara

Staying Cool with Dolcezza

Jackietara blog - Staying Cool with Dolcezza

I hope everyone enjoyed National Ice Cream Day as much as I did on Sunday! The roomies and I decided there wasn’t a better way to celebrate than to beat the heat with ice cream at Union Market. Dolcezza has several locations throughout the DMV, but we are lucky enough to have the factory in our neighborhood.

Dolcezza offers delicious gelato and sorbetto that is freshly spun with fresh and local ingredients and produced that very day, in addition to espresso and coffee. The combination of espresso and gelato is one of my all-time favorites, also known as the affogato. If you’ve never tried it, put it at the top of your list.

On Sunday I opted for one of Dolcezza’s sorbetto push pops. The lemon basil flavor was incredibly fresh and delicious, and – most importantly – cold.

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ModCloth Dress | similar on sale!
Stella & Dot City Slim Clutch | in new patterns!
Stella & Dot Jewelry:
Rebel Pendant
Rebel Ring
On The Mark Necklace
Voyager Cuff

Photography by Sarah Stuart Walters

Tribal

I’ve had this Cynthia Rowley dress for like ever – it’s the perfect “I don’t know what to wear, so I’m going to throw on this simple and comfy dress” dress that I will probably never get rid of. I managed to find it at TJ Maxx one day on a lunch-time shopping trip, and felt like the luckiest girl in the world when I did. I’ve been asked things like, “oh, are you a dancer?” when I wear this dress, and I’m not one to carelessly toss a feel-good (albeit generous) compliment. I am not a dancer, but I’m going to toot my own horn and admit that I’ve been working out a hell of a lot. Thank you, The Bar Method.

B and I escaped my workout (and work) routine a few weekends ago to visit my dad in Maryland. On this occasion, I chose this dress to allow me to comfortably eat a 2-pound lobster, and then some, but it also didn’t hurt that I could prance around in it on a gorgeous day and pair it with my new Tribal Scarf from Stella & Dot. You may be thinking, “isn’t it a bit warm to wear scarves in July?”, but you can’t really blame a girl for wanting to wear an oh-so-soft goes-with-anything scarf, can you? If so, please excuse me on this one. I’ll be wearing this thing all summer.

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Cynthia Rowley Dress
Stella & Dot Tribal Scarf
Stella & Dot Pave Chevron Ring
Stella & Dot Pave Triangle Ear Jackets
Stella & Dot Pave Chevron Necklace
Joe’s Betty Pumps | similar

Morocco Part Five: Merzouga

Our second to last stop on our trip was the desert. We arrived in Merzouga in the evening and caught the last few moments of a golden sunset. We stayed in a beautiful auberge with cozy rooms and beautiful views, but the highlight of Merzouga was our early morning camel ride along the sandy dunes.

Red, White & Chambray

I look forward to this holiday weekend every year, partially because it offers a little relief from a particularly busy time at work. B and I took advantage of the day off yesterday and took a walk around our neighborhood. The roads seemed more sleepy than normal, so I assumed that everyone was relaxing at home or preparing for their backyard barbeques and parties. We have a backyard party of our own that we are attending today – I can’t wait for burgers, sprinklers, and later – sparklers! Happy 4th of July!

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Madewell Chambray | similar
Gap Dress | similar on sale!
Ray-Ban Sunglasses | similar
Stella & Dot Gold Sutton Necklace
Steve Madden Flats
Coach Clutch | similar

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