perfect + southern.

I'm joining in the Instagram fun with Ashley at a {little} dash of ash again this week!
This is a pretty packed post, but bear with me--there's lots of goodness for everyone ;)

Thursday night: {cv} and I flew into Raleigh to visit my longtime bff {kj} and her boyfriend {pw} in Durham. She just started business school at Duke and I am SO proud of her :) it was wonderful to get a peek into her fabulous new life in North Carolina! Later that night, we enjoyed a true Southern feast at 

The Q Shack. Since {cv} and I move north, we always seek out great BBQ...

and The Q Shack definitely delivered!

Friday: We set out to explore Durham, starting with a yummy breakfast at a super cute store called Parker & Otis--I couldn't get enough of all their fun paper goods or lovely kitchen goodies. From there, we visited the Duke campus to get a better taste of {kj}'s new digs. We then made the short drive to Chapel Hill to meet up with my sweet friend {ca} for lunch at Milltown in Carrboro--where I enjoyed

a killer avocado grilled cheese {yum!!!}. While {kj} wrapped up her classes for the day, {cv} and I 

then stopped by to see my dear friend {ac} at Bull City Burger and Brewery...another great stop 

on our tour of the Triangle.

Friday night: {kj} embarked upon her first campout for Duke tickets--an annual rite of passage for any Duke student, so we dropped her off so she could get acclimated before we met up with her after a few drinks at Alivia's Durham Bistro with three lovely ladies: {es} from All You Need Is Love and {jm} from Seashells + Southern Belles, and {ca}--who now really wants to start a blog ;) Again, my love of the blogging community was affirmed after meeting these two gals, who are as sweet {and Southern} as I imagined they would be. After we left Alivia's, we headed back to Duke to spend a few hours with {kj} at the campout, which turned into a rainy {yet massively fun!} evening. I love any time I can get with my best girl friends, so even though I'm not a Duke fan, I got to enjoy to hype with her!

Saturday: Our day began all too early with an 8:00am flight up to the DC area, but the upside was getting more time in one of my all-time favorite cities, Alexandria. I lived there from 2008 to 2009 and was excited to explore Old Town again. We stayed at the Hotel Monaco, a Kimpton hotel with lots of eclectic charm. After we got settled, {cv} and I took a stroll, stopping by the brand new paper goods shop, Fifteen Eleven--an impeccably designed storefront which is an absolute must-see for any paper lover. We then bopped in Olio Tasting Room, where we sampled tasty olive oil and balsamic vinegar to our hearts' content. {cv} and I enjoyed some tasty pizzas at Pizzeria Paradiso at their newest outpost in Old Town. We've long been fans of their Georgetown location, so it was exciting to get a taste of it in Alexandria. Before getting gussied up for the wedding, we had a quick cocktail with two of my DC pals, {ms} and {mr} at Jackson 20. It was good to catch up and live vicariously through their DC lives!

Saturday night: {vp}--now {vl} :) married the love of her life, {kl}, in a stunning ceremony and reception at The Carlyle Club. {She's the beauty behind The Wired Bride and now Life as a San Franciscan, who you may have seen on Style Me Pretty and in this past post!} Her wedding was planned to the nth degree and we were so so honored to be guests! {vl} looked stunning {as always!} and they couldn't be a more perfect match. From the mashed potato bar to the flip-flops, I was in heaven. Their celebration was joyous and lively, just like the two of them! {For the wedding, I sported another Rent the Runway ensemble and loved every minute!}

Sunday: After a festive night of dancing and happiness, we woke up to meet my dear friend 

{kh} at Jackson 20 for brunch, with bottomless mimosas and ice cream waffles included ;) 

We then perused Red Barn Mercantile and stopped by her precious apartment before she had to 

head to work. {kh} recommended we stop by Virtue Feed & Grain--a gorgeous new restaurant 

near the waterfront in Old Town. {cv} was happy to see some football and my friend {ar} saw 

my foursquare check-in and stopped by--it was fabulous!

All in all, it was the perfect Southern weekend--which {cv} and I both needed. I so enjoyed
getting some quality time with him, especially since life has been increasingly busy lately.
Exploring with {cv} could be counted as one of my favorite hobbies ;)

How did you spend your almost fall weekend? Did you explore anywhere new?

Cheers to a fabulous week--More from me tomorrow! xoxo {av}

P.S. Thanks to {es} for letting me steal that sweet instagram of us on Friday night :)