Travel, Washington DC

My Bethesda // Casie of whippedSTYLE

For my first non-DC My City feature, I went about ten minutes north of my place to meet up with Casie (kay-cee, not Cassie like I called her for far too long) of the fashion blog whippedSTYLE. For those of you that don’t know the DC/Virginia/Maryland geography (I had no idea until I moved here) Bethesda, Maryland, borders DC and is quite an affluent area. It’s basically an extension or suburb of DC and is really freaking cute. I had heard it was, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.

First we had brunch at Black’s, a Bethesda staple since many restaurants in the area don’t make it. So happy that the weather was in our favor, we sat on the patio for at least an hour.

Casie loves the Bloody Mary’s at Black’s and I confessed to her how much I wanted to like them, but I just don’t. She insisted I try hers, and since this column is all about new things I pinched my nose and went along with it. I mean, look at it, it’s a beauty! But of course, I didn’t like it. However, I can see how Bloody-Mary-lovers would. It’s definitely special… just not for my picky taste buds.

After brunch we headed to one of Casie’s favorite shops, Mustard Seed, where they carry a variety of new, used, and vintage clothing. Casie finds amazing items here all the time.

Like these cute floral shorts she scored for $5 while we were there!

I had my eye on this metallic patterned vintage fabric scrap.
Big enough for a table runner or a scarf.

After leaving Mustard Seed we headed to the Flea Market where we pretty much exclusively were staring at the jewelry. I probably tried on at least 10 rings.

On to Bethesda Row where most of the shopping and restaurants are. The place was packed with people, and dogs — which I was staring at because I’m obsessed with dogs. It was adorable. I can’t wait to go back.

In need of an afternoon snack we popped into YogiBerry for some yogurt. Again in the try new things mode I tried Casie’s favorite yogurt flavor, taro. Such an interesting flavor, but I still had to go with my classic tart yogurt with chocolate chips and strawberries. Yum!

I was so close to wearing almost the exact same thing Casie was wearing! Get her look:
Dark skinny jeans: Seven Roxanne / Tory Burch Reva flats / French Connection Trench Coat, purchased from Mustard Seed, similar / Marc Jacobs bag / Pyramid Studded Bracelet from Mustard Seed, similar / Blouse: LOFT / Necklace: Gorjana 

We ended up strolling around Bethesda all afternoon, enjoying the weather and chatting. Such a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Let’s hear from Casie shall we:

What are your favorite things about your neighborhood?
I love that it has a very “small town” feel in what is clearly not a small city. I can walk everywhere, I’m on the red line (of the DC Metro), there’s outdoor jazz on Thursday nights, a farmer’s market every weekend, and a flea market every day. People here are very active, very into supporting local and the restaurants are amazing. 
What are your other favorite places to eat in Bethesda/DC and why or what do you HAVE to get when you go to them?
OMG there’s WAY too many!!! Persimmon in Bethesda is incredible, as are Mussel Bar and Newton’s Table. There’s also this little bar/retaurant in Bethesda called Caddies and it’s 100% that bar “where everybody knows your name.” I love it—it’s the best place for a sunny day happy hour (and it doesn’t hurt that I met my husband there!).

What items in your closet do you always tend to reach for?
White T-shirts. I have like twenty-it’s a little silly. Between scarves, blazers, sweaters and accessories, I can always make ‘jeans and a T-shirt’ look like a different outfit.

What is your favorite/most special item in your wardrobe?
I have this vintage-style floral dress that has a a sweetheart neckline and the perfect A-line skirt. Ive had it for over 12 years and still wear it for special occasions. It only recently occurred to me that I’ve had it for so long and that I love it so much… it will never meet a consignment shop, like most of my other dresses. 

Is being a blogger what you thought it would be? If not, how is it different?
Yes and no. I didn’t anticipate that there was such an amazing network and such a feeling of community. I’ve met some truly incredible women and made some great friends that I know will be in my life forever—that’s priceless. And I love that through all of the madness in my life, I have a creative outlet. I also didn’t anticipate the level of work required. It’s really really hard work and that’s not to ever be minimized. But it’s also very rewarding. Most bloggers can attest that, when you’re a blogger, your mind is constantly in motion; working for 15 hours a day is not out of the norm. Many of us don’t take a moment to sit back, look at what we’ve done and just allow ourselves to be proud (without letting that moment turn into an ambitious to-do list of things you still want to do.) I know I never do. But the few times I’ve embraced that moment (usually forced by a good friend), the feeling I have in that fleeting moment between feeling proud and formulating my ambitious to-do list–that’s a great feeling.

 

Find Casie on whippedSTYLE, facebook, and twitter.

Photos by Meg Biram