Staycation post 2 - BBQ and Spy Museum

Like I said here, this labor-day weekend we decided to take a staycation right here in DC. While day one spent watching B-town flicks, shopping and hiking at scenic locations, day two was nothing like it. It was I could stay staycation in true sense, staying right where you are - at home!

Sunday was reserved to be a BBQ day with the friends by our apartment pool. So, half o f the day was spent home, prepping on the BBQ delicacies - marinating chicken wings, paneer tikka, small red potatoes and veggies. And did I mention baking delicious chocolate brownies! By 5 pm we were at the pool, drinking beers and a special drink that hubs made (cranberry, lime juice and the works I tell you). We grilled shrimp, pork patties, buns, juicy husked corm, chicken, potatoes, paneer kebabs..uggh my mouth waters as I write this. The BBQ party went on till late evening and by the end of it we were too full as you can guess from above. BBQ is a really special thing that everyone must enjoy in the summers.

BBQ by the pool - Roasting potatoes, paneer and veggie skewers, pork patties, shrimp and many more goodies; my comfy outfit of the day (ootd); a friend and hubs working at the grill :) 

Monday was reserved for a day in the city and a long-pending visit to the International Spy Museum. Hey if you are into the spy movies, thrillers and love everything CIA, KGB, 007 then this museum is for you! Just want to say that it was some of the most memorable hours we spent there - studying our cover stories, playing spy quizzes & games, reading interesting facts and watching the stunning visuals. Apparently, Washington DC is one of the cities with highest number of spies in it!

Artifacts at the Spy Museum (top to bottom): The 'famous' Aston Martin with all it's features;

The Horse of Troy; Ninjas on display; A wall dedicated to 'Bond' movie posters.

Hubs and me acting out the 'spy' characters

We were assigned covers at the museum and guess we played them to the T :))



From city to the burbs, we decided to take one stop at the Historic Alexandria before we headed home. I had heard a lot about Old Town Alexandria and was pleasantly surprised with the cuteness of the place. Boutiques, restaurants, bookshops, antique shops and cobbled streets...simply reminded me of Boston's Newbury street. The main street ends at a beautiful boardwalk by the Potomac River and a evening stroll was perfectly called for.

So there ends the story of my staycation..must say it was an a pretty inexpensive affair with lots of fun and excitement! Do you do staycations? What are the activities that you plan for? Do share your views in the comments below.

My labor day all-white outfit along with the 'knotted-t-shirt' look were two things I have never tried before. What do you think? Is it a HIT or a MISS?

 Target white denims (got it on clearance for only 12$) | Old Navy floral shirt | GAP flats |

Ring from flea market, Dharamsala India | Forever21 India spiked earrings |

Van Heusen cami

P.S.: All my readers in India, have you entered this fab giveaway to win not one but THREE vouchers to relaxing massage treatments at The Four Fountains Spa!  Hurry up, only one more day left to enter the giveaway here!

Ocean city & Crabs

 What I am wearing: Top - Alfani@Macys (similar); Tribal print shorts - Calvin Klein@Nordstorm Rack (as seen here) (similar); Cuff - Local farmer's market (similar); Cross body bag & summer sandals - DSW;

Earrings - Old Navy; Watch - SWATCH; Oversized sunnies - American Eagle

Yep, you read it right! This post is about our sunny trip to Ocean city, Maryland and not Jamaica. I wish I was in Jamaica though right now..its windy, chilly, cold, winter, and everything that makes you pine for summer. But before I go in a full-blown crib mode (winter makes me cranky!) lets get back to the summer travel post.

We visited Ocean city in September last year! (you might have previously read about Ocean city here). J and I had a total blast needless to say..chilled beers, fresh masala-wale crabs, sand beneath our feet and delish pina-coladas!

It was my very first experience at eating crabs - cracking them up and then scooping out the soft-n-fresh meat ..I tell yeah, it's an experience in itself! The server gave us a small wooden hammer and showed 'how to crack open a crab and get to the soft n fresh yumminess hidden inside'. And after that we were pretty much on our own with a dozen crabs waiting to be delved into. By my 3rd/4th crab, I was kinda tired and lazy but the fun of eating it that manner was way too much fun, so well, I kept going. On the other hand, hubby was at his best, cracking it perfectly, and enjoying every bit of the process. Nevertheless, I am sure we will be back to this beach city full of life, sunny weather, fresh crabs and a perfect relaxing atmosphere.

Our next stop was 'Seacrets'..the best restaurant-cum-pub haven in town! You gotta go here if you are in Ocean city. They have tables in water! Need I say more??

Anyhow, I am just waiting for summer, so that we can pack our bags, drive down to this fab spot, put up my feet and relax!

Crab-fest yumminess :)

Chilling by the sea and 'Seacrets'

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Ocean City on Dwellable

Summer oh summer!

Neon tee and denim shorts make a comfy n peppy combo and this is exactly what I wore on our road trip to Ocean city, Maryland. Incidentally, it was also my first long drive after getting my US driver's licence. So, I was quite pumped and looking forward to the adventure, you see! And thankfully it went really well. I think driving on a highway is a totally different ball-game, the speed, changing lanes, highway traffic..phewww!

Well, we needless to say we safely made it to Ocean city :) Ocean city is a cool relaxing place couple of hours from Washington, DC. There is nothing much to sight-see  which is a huge plus! 'cause that is exactly the kind of place I want to go to unwind and relax. Ocean city has miles of pristine beaches, a board walk with yummy fried food & ice creams and cool bars n crab shacks. It definitely makes a perfect getaway for a 2/3 day weekend.
The crab shacks remind of me of the ones in Goa, no show-sha just the real crabby stuff, chilled beer and beachy sand beneath your feet. (More on crabs and my very first experience with actually eating a crab in another post).

Well, leaving you to enjoy the pics. I love the back drop; the hotel's pool area overlooked blue waters & grass...so pleasing to the eyes. These pics make me miss summer so very much..summer oh summer, come soon will ya?

What I am wearing:  Neon pink tee: Old Navy; Denim shorts: American Eagle; sandals: Katie&Kelly at DSW; Fedora: Francesca's; Sunnies: American Eagle; Crossbody: DSW; Bracelet: American Eagle; Watch: Swatch; Butterfly pendant necklace: H&M. 

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Date evening in Georgetown

One of my favorite things, after moving to DC area, has been going on a stroll in Georgetown; especially sitting by the Potomac river and enjoying a cuppa coffee - very romantic I say! It reminds me of my days in Mumbai - Marine Drive to be specific..where you can sit for hours staring at the vast blue waters and enjoy the cool breeze; and if you have a cutting chai in hand, nothing like it!

Cut to present, last month we went to Georgetown on our way to a friend's house. This time though we had a plan in mind - definitely get in line for the famous 'Georgetown cupcakes' and then savor them with coffee while sitting by the river. Oh and did I mention! this was going to be my first long drive after I got my licence!

When we reached there, the weather was perfect - cloudy and not-so-hot. The line at the cupcakes shop was moving slow but we made it to the store in say 30 mins or so. The cupcakes were delish, but I am not sure I would wait for so much time in the line! Apart from cupcakes, Georgetown is also famous for boutique shops, restaurants, pubs/bars and in general a youthful vibe. I would definitely recommend making it a part of your itinerary on your next trip to Washington, DC.

This is what I wore on a date evening to Georgetown - 'Maxi dress as a skirt'. I loved remixing this closet piece and wearing it in a different way - I would suggest you to give it a try too! I think remixing closet pieces just helps to get the most value from your regular wear.
I took out my cutsey-bow flats out on a spin in Georgetown, I love that they are neon pink n orange n look very trendy!

What I am wearing: Maxi dress as a skirt - Old Navy; Top - Alfani @ Macys; Denim vest - Levis Factory Outlet; Bag - Calvin Klein; Neon pink flats - Kelly & Katie @ DSW; Jewelry and Ring - Old Navy; Watch - Fossil (Gift from J)

Mr. J/ In da long line for d famous Georgetown cupcakes/ my cutesy neon flats/ Finally! got hold of the cupcakes - Red Velvet & Chocolate Ganache!

Linking the post to #YOLO Linkups at Molly's, do check out other blogs at the link up. 

Filmy Friday - The ‘Bobby’ look

Well, we all know for a fact that fashion trends keep repeating periodically. But there are some trends/styles that are classic n versatile and my look is about one of them - Polka dots!

Effortless, ever-green n chic! Pair it with skirts, shorts, pants, denims if you will or dress up for a formal wear or dress down for a casual chic, you will always look great!

Staying true to the Filmy theme for Fridays, my inspiration photo is from a movie but way back from the 70s (1973 to be specific, I was not even born then ;)) It’s a look from a very renowned and blockbuster movie ‘Bobby’ from the Indian Film Industry (also called as ‘Bollywood’). This particular outfit has since been an iconic look in India and so when I scored these navy blue shorts, I couldn’t wait to try it out! What really inspired me is that even though it’s a simple polka dot blouse and navy blue skirt, it looked so stylish and comfy (and bold too). 

When I dressed up for a strawberry picking and sunny afternoon at a farm with my family (this time - last year), I paired my polka dot blouse with pair of comfortable navy blue shorts. I added a bit of zing (gotta have some zing people!!) with the red cross body bag, chunky metal necklace and my tribal ankle strap flats.

‘Polka dots’ are super versatile and exceptionally useful when mixing prints or mixing trends (colored denims, neons, tribal print). So, tell me..has any ‘retro’ look inspired you lately and have you tried dressing up in that look?

Inspiration photo: movies.rediff.com

Shorts and top: H&M ($20 each)

Red cross body bag: NEU look (from my trip to Ireland)

Metal chunky necklace, earrings and ankle strap flats: Target

Sunglasses: Guess

Watch: Anne Klein

Some pics from our family outing - Fun times! esp swinging with mom :) 
what are some of the fun things you have done with your parents?

(Left n Top) Husband and pappa hunting for strawberries
(Right bottom) all three being bacchas (kids) and playing a water fountain game

Top - Swinging with mom and dad and J
Bottom - savoring our (hard-earned) snacks and a family picnic by the lake

Linking up at Life rearranged and Rolled Up Pretty and Transatlantic Blonde-What I wore Wednesday. Do check out the link up parties and visit other blogs.