East Hampton Getaway

I'm having a bit of déjà vu as I write this post and can hear the rain falling outside my window…earlier this fall, a few friends and I had decided a trip was in order mid-October, and the morning we left it was raining, and continued straight through mid-afternoon! We'd been thinking about heading upstate, since I've enjoyed all the trips I've taken somewhere up there each fall so far, but after our Saturday in beautiful Montauk (during which we discovered it is 100% legal to have a bonfire on the beach!) we opted for a cabin the Hamptons instead.

The rain definitely tried to put a damper on Saturday, but we opted to get set up at our cute little cabin then walk into town for a long (late-ish) brunch after we got settled. We were just there for two days and I had to head straight to my office on Sunday, so I packed very light—a few sweaters and a tee for layering, sweats to sleep in and my new favorite slip-on sneakers, since I knew we'd be walking around a lot. By the time we wrapped brunch, the rain had stopped, so we strolled around town and popped in a few shops, eventually making our way down to the beach to scope out a set-up for our beach bonfire.

We headed back to town to pick up wine ahem, supplies and snacks and got back to the beach around sunset, getting set up and our fire going right before sundown. Thanks to the drearier afternoon, there wasn't much of a show, but we lucked out and got two of a different kind a little bit later. We started toasting s'mores and I put on Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue...moments later, we noticed fireworks down the coast near Montauk! If you haven't listened to it, Rhapsody in Blue is nearly 17 minutes long—the fireworks lasted the entire song and then some. As if the night couldn't get any more spectacular, as we burned the last of our firewood and scoped out the night sky for constellations, a huge blood moon rose to the east.

Sunday morning, we rose to a clear, crisp and beautiful day. I rarely get an opportunity to cook for a crowd, so I whipped up Challah French Toast and scrambled eggs, accompanied by copious amounts of coffee on the porch to counteract the previous night's wine. I was sad to see the weekend come to an end so quickly, but we're already itching for another trip back next summer!

525 America Sweater c/o Zappos || Rag & Bone Dre Jeans || Schutz Rosa Slip-Ons c/o Zappos

Vince Camuto earrings c/o Zappos || Diamond Palm Tree necklace (similar)

Life, Lately | Looking Ahead

Ahh, fall, the season of sweaters and Pinterest-inspired cozy fashion, long walks through the fallen leaves and pumpkin spice…just kidding, because first and foremost, pumpkin isn't even a spice! Fall has never really been my thing, because let's be honest, people, there are only a handful of days peppered between late September and early November where it's not freezing, or pouring rain, or moody and cloudy and most of us are stuck in an office on those beautiful days, and once that passes us by as fast as it can, we're stuck with several months of winter. This year has been a year of yes for me, though, so I am taking advantage of the slight Indian Summer we've been having for as long as possible, because come winter, I somewhat proudly retain hermit status and curl up in my apartment with books, magazines, TV and lots of wine til it gets warm enough I want to venture out again (besides work, that is). 

As soon as the cold weather dissipated in late spring, I started to pack my social calendar with as many chances to get out and about, from trips to the park to rooftop drinks, beach days, brunches galore and exploring the city, peppered with trips to somewhere, anywhere I could go whether for a day or an entire weekend. Something about fall kicks my itch to get away for the weekend into even higher gear than summer. I think it's the chance to escape somewhere and enjoy the crisp, sharper air while the temps are still bearable to be outside, curling up and unwinding from the always-long workweek. 

This coming Sunday marks three (!) years in NYC for me and I'll be marking it with what has become something of an annual trip. My first year, I took the train out to Rockaways (weird, I know) about two weeks after moving and spent the entire day by the ocean—it was so new to me to be so near the ocean all the time! The next year, a friend and I took the train up to Cold Spring for a weekend shortly before Thanksgiving where we stayed in a beautiful old inn on the river, hiked up about 1,000 feet in the nearby Hudson Highlands and moseyed around the town for food and antique shopping. Last year,I seized the chance to rent a car for a day and drive up to Storm King art center in mid-October...the foliage was breathtaking on the drive up and wandering the grounds was exactly what my mental health needed.

This weekend, my friends & I had been thinking about a trip upstate, but after a gorgeous Saturday a girlfriend and I spent in Montauk late last month (more on that to come!) we decided to head out east...especially after we discovered beach bonfires are totally legal in the Hamptons! So, we've rented a cabin and are hoping on the LIRR bright & early Saturday morning. I'm sure I'll be sharing photos from our trip here, but to follow along in semi-real time, head over to instagram! 

Reminiscing on summer has me wanting to ditch my date with my couch & DVR tonight and plan more trips with friends. Do you get the urge to travel more come fall, too? What's on your agenda before winter?

all images via my instagram