outfit detailsGood morning! Happy Sunday! I hope you’re having a nice weekend. Paul and I took a drive out to Lancaster County yesterday. It was the perfect September day for a country drive.
Our weather has been magnificent ever since that hot and humid system moved out a few days ago with a violent thunder storm that woke me (and the dog) out of a dead sleep in the middle of the night.
I had to give her a CBD treat to get her to settle down, but all’s well that ends well because since then, it’s been cool and crisp in the mornings and warm and sunny in the afternoons, absolutely perfect! I think I’m going to try to get some mums and fall plants today, and decorate my front and back doors for fall.
Anyway! Back to our day trip. Lancaster County is best known as home to the Pennsylvania Dutch with its beautiful rolling countryside dotted with farms and roadside markets, but the city of Lancaster has a fun historic downtown area with art galleries and gift shops and eateries, which is what we explored yesterday.
We had homemade pie (well, I had quiche) and coffee at the aptly named Lancaster Pie & Coffee, and we visited the Hamilton watch shop and gallery. It’s part museum, part watch shop, located in a beautiful old historic building. Paul is into watches, so that was especially fun for him, and I enjoyed looking at the older models that inspire their current collections. After that, we wandered in and out of art galleries and a really cool home & design shop located in a renovated warehouse.
Once we felt like we had exhausted the downtown area, we managed to snag a last minute dinner reservation at John J. Jeffries, a restaurant where we took our kids many moons ago. I’ve wanted to return ever since, and we never got the chance until yesterday. It wasn’t QUITE as good as I remembered, but still very nice and relaxing after a long day of driving and walking around.
But our day wasn’t over yet because our daughter had her first marching band cavalcade of the season last night. Those are always fun, although long and crowded, and yesterday’s went quite late. But I’m all too aware of how fast her senior year is going to fly, and there are only a few of these events left for us to enjoy, so I’m trying to soak up every minute.
All in all, it was a long day, but nice to get a change of scenery and do something different. I crashed as soon as I got home, and I slept like a baby, but the dog woke me up at 5:15 AM so I’m off and running! You can thank her for an actual Coffee Talk post today. I don’t usually have time to write these anymore, and I do enjoy having this account of my life to look back on.
In fact, I enjoyed a little walk down memory lane this morning as I started clicking through those old posts about our weekend getaway to Lancaster County with the family all those years ago. It’s really nice to have these accounts because I forget so much.
In related news, I have created a new Travel tab in my menu bar, with various subcategories that may be of interest. I used to have a Travel section on the blog, but at one point, I dumped it into the Lifestyle tab because I wasn’t keeping up with it. I guess Covid had something to do with that.
Anyway, while I’m working on a blog redesign, I cleaned up my categories and the menu, and I decided to bring the travel section back. I hope the menu is overall easier to navigate now. If you are missing a tab you used to use, it is probably tucked underneath one of the larger categories.
Most of my travel so far has been on the east coast, but I hope to expand my horizons over the coming months, and I’ll take you along for the ride. Right now, I’m looking into a “wellness retreat” in Arizona this winter, and Paul and I are hoping to get to Napa sometime soon. We also want to get down to Kentucky to do the Bourbon Trail one of these days. If you have any advice on any of that, I’d love to hear it!
Okay, switching gears for a minute, I want to call your attention to the KUT from the Kloth coated jacket that’s back this year. I wore mine a few weeks ago and got a bunch of questions about it, but I told you it was old and no longer available.
OUTFIT DETAILSWell, they brought it back! You can get the black at Evereve and Zappos, and Nordstrom has it in a burgundy color. I just might have ordered it . . .
For size reference, I have the small in the coated jacket. It does have a cropped, fitted silhouette, so you may want to size up if you want to wear it over anything other than a thin t-shirt.
I also did my usual list of this week’s top sellers in today’s email newsletter. I do that every Sunday for email newsletter subscribers, whether I post a Coffee Talk here on the blog or not. (You can sign up for my email newsletters here, if you aren’t already subscribed.)
This week I’ve also got them in a nifty graphic with a shopping widget, so I’ll link that for you here.
CLICK HERE FOR LINKSAnd that’s about it for me! I plan to get outside and enjoy this gorgeous weather before I have to get ready for church. There’s a fluffy white pooch whining to go with me, so I better get a move on.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Stay In Touch
If you liked this post, be sure you’re signed up for my email newsletter. In addition to my most recent blog posts, you’ll receive exclusive newsletter content like special sales, my newest favorite finds, and an occasional peek behind the scenes — all delivered right to your inbox.
I would also love for you to join my JLS Fashion Insiders Facebook Group! This is a friendly place to discuss all matters of fashion and style with other women, share your outfits, get advice, and stay up to date on all the happenings in our community.
This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links, it helps support my business (at no additional cost to you) so thank you!
photos: Alison Cornell
27 Responses
If you need Napa recommendations please let me know. I have a weekend home there and spend a lot of time in the area. Happy to give my recommendations.
Thank you! Feel free to share here, so others can benefit, or you can email me: [email protected].
I would love to hear thoughts on wineries to visit, best time of year to visit and any great advice! Thanks!
Enjoyed post. Sounded like a great day
My grandson is a senior in high school so I understand soaking up last year. He plays football and their games are long for this granny. Have a great Sunday.
Wow, since we love traveling to Lancaster County any chance we get, I read with interest about the Jeffries restaurant! Of course I had to go back to 2011 and read about your first visit with your young kids! So fun! I wonder if you dressed for the occasion this time? HAHA! What did you wear?!!! When we go to Lancaster, we usually don’t go into the downtown area, just the countryside around it. We may need to go into town next time! Enjoy this beautiful weather, such a gift!
I didn’t know we were going there when I left the house so I was just wearing black jeans and a charcoal sweater and black loafers. I was okay. I saw a bit of everything, but I could have dressed up more.
I’ve been eyeing that Lagos bracelet you’re wearing (I have a Nordstrom gift card burning a hole in my wallet). Does it tarnish easily? All those little balls turning black or in between give me pause. Seems like it would be hard to wipe down with an anti-tarnish cloth.
No, it doesn’t. I keep it in the felt bag when I’m not wearing it, and I wear it a lot. I hear the more you wear your silver jewelry, the less it tarnishes. But that is also part of the charm. Not ugly brown tarnish, of course, but the black in the indentations. Occasionally I take all my Yurman and Lagos to a local jewelry store and have them clean them up. But truly, not much maintenance at all.
I wasn’t following your blog back when you posted about your family weekend in Lancaster County, so I’m enjoying reading those posts. Your kids were so young! Where does the time go, right? My son is a senior this year so my feelings are all over the place. Anyway, my family has visited Philly 3 times but have not been able to explore the areas around there. Maybe one day we will do that. It sounds interesting.
There is so much to see and do in and around Philly. I’ve lived here for 28 years and haven’t done it all!
Cannon ranch is the best top notch wellness resort. I’ve been to the one in Lenox, MA. There is one in Tucson, Arizona. Informative wellness lectures & exercise classes. The spa is the best! You will leave rested, pampered & informed.
Good to know, thanks!
Sounds like my kind of Saturday. I’d love to see those sites someday. I live on the West coast. I always thought Lancaster was Amish country. How far a drive was it for you? Glad you were able to get back for Becca’s event. Can’t believe she is a Senior. I’ll have to go back later and read your other post with the kids. Only had time for the restaurant one. You are a great writer. Nice you have those memories written down. We do forget. Have a good Sunday. I’m off to get ready for church.
Yes, the Amish are Pennsylvania Dutch. Which are really of German descent, not Dutch. LOL!
It sound like you and Paul had a very enjoyable day yesterday. We are still waiting on and hoping for Fall weather. Next week the highs will be in the 80’s and 70’s, with lows in the 60’s and possibly upper 50’s. Hopefully, the summer weather will bid goodbye.
Thanks for posting about the coated denim jacket being back in stock. I’ve recently ordered several tops with burgundy in them for Fall and I just ordered the jacket in burgundy after reading your post! Woohoo!
Your trip sounds wonderful. It seems quaint. I love quaint towns and shops.
I once went to Pennsylvania’s hill country once. It was beautiful. I own the Kut from the Kloth jacket. I bought it at a good price in January from Zut from the Kloth.
Your Saturday and Sunday roundups are so good for my closet and so dangerous for my wallet, ha! I might buy that coated denim jacket in black. The burgundy color is gorgeous as well.
I am intrigued by the wellness retreat. More details please!
I bought a house in Kentucky back in July and next month I finally get to join my family down there when my house in NY closes so I would love to see a post about Kentucky!
This was such an enjoyable post! (Aren’t they all?❤️). I think these are technically Sonoma rather than Napa- but Rombauer and Ferrari-Carano are great wineries to visit. Their gardens are gorgeous! We also liked Freemark Abbey a lot!
Oh your poor doggie – my girl dog has anxiety too and gets easily startled by loud noises (thunder and heavy rain make her shake). I have missed your Sunday Coffee Talk posts. It sounds like you have been bitten by the travel bug! 🙂 My husband and I frequently visit Napa/Sonoma in early February around our anniversary so…..let me know if you plan a trip there at that time; would be so fun to meet up for a glass of wine! 🙂 IT’s a great time of year as it’s never too crowded except maybe at the most popular wineries. I love Domaine Carneros champagne/winerery in Napa. It’s a beautiful location on a hill looking over the valley and they are sisters with Tattinger in France (where we went last year). So many great places to go though!
Fashion question: I’m looking for a new pair of P448s but can’t seem to find a pair I like as much as the ones I had (I accidentally got rid of them). What suggestions do you have since you kow my style pretty well?
Oh I enjoyed this! (At almost 11:00 Sunday night 🤪) What a nice day it sounds like y’all had! Last night I ordered the brown corduroy flares, ivory sweater, and green Henley from Gap. We are heading to North Carolina next month for our nephew’s second birthday. My husband, mother in law, and our kids will be driving. But I’ll be flying. I’ve never flown alone, so that will be interesting, but I just cannot make that 18 hour drive. I’m excited to have some new fall clothes to bring with me! (Actually, I’ll send my suitcase with my family, and just fly with my carry on lol) Have a wonderful week!!
I am trying to order the Vuori halo straight, cropped black pants that you have on with the pink shirt in your travel section and what to wear on the plane that site is so hard to order from. I cannot find the pants and I cannot figure out how to put anything in my cart to order them. There doesn’t seem to be a way to do it. Can you please help?
I actually bought those gap factory cords in store last week! I would love more styling ideas for them- and if they are a best seller a lot of other people probably would too! 🙂
Do you ever get out to the Poconos? we will be relocating from San Francisco next spring (have tons of Napa recommendations when you are ready) and we are thinking Poconos for the fall and winter! We recently purchased a home on Brigantine Island on the Jersey shore.!! anyway long story short, if you know any Poconos people send them my way and I’m happy to share Napa stuff with you!!
I don’t go very often, but my best friend grew up in the Poconos. I also have some regular readers who live there and could probably guide you. Welcome to the East Coast!