Wading Back Into Blogging

Good afternoon!

I am trying to get back into blogging now that this roller coaster of a year is over, so please let me know what kind of content you are looking for!

Posts coming to you soon are:
-1L First Year of Law School Updates & Tips
-Finding a Summer Internship in Law School
-Small City Apartment Decorating
-Lighthouse Guide in Maine
-24 Hours in Portland, ME Guide
-What I Eat in a Day: Keto
-Ring Road Iceland Road Trip

Thank you & can't wait to get back into blogging this summer!

Cellardoor Winery in Maine

This weekend I finally did something I've been wanting to do for at least a year - went to The Cellardoor Winery in Lincolnville Maine. While this may not be exciting for people that grew up in Napa Valley, this is very exciting for me because wineries are pretty rare in Maine. With such a long winter, we just don't have the weather to accommodate a large vineyard that can consistently produce wine.

Over a year ago, Cellardoor at the Point opened - which is basically right in my backyard in Portland ME. This is definitely the bigger tourist location, and you have to pay to taste, plus none of the wine-making is on-site. Because of this, I made the hour and a half drive to Lincolnville Maine to go to the home of Cellardoor. For anyone interested in making the trip - it's right outside of Camden, which is a cute little downtown with plenty of other touristy Maine things to do!

I'll start by saying this place is so cute. It's even bigger than I expected, and decorated perfectly. The owner renovated an old barn and turned it into this gorgeous tasting room and event hall.

The balcony out back looks out at their vineyard fields, which is also where events are held. On the other side of the building is where the wine is actually made, with daily tours leaving every day at 2:00. After the tour, we went to the tasting room, where you are given a menu of wines with your choice of 4. (My personal favorite was Perfect Stranger - I love a good sweet white wine!)

After our tasting, we picked out a bottle or two to drink later that night (when we wouldn't have to drive home!) and walked around the vineyard below. We took ourselves on a self guided tour. We were unsure whether this was actually allowed, but since the vineyard is right next to the huge field where events and weddings are held, we assumed it was probably pretty common for people to wander into the vineyard.

While we went on a Friday that I wasn't working, if you go to Lincolnville or Portland on the weekend, they regularly have complimentary food pairings with their wine for a bigger and better experience. 

Getting Comfortable in a Crop Top

This is a big deal for me. I am honestly such a prude when it comes to what I wear every day. (I would go to frat parties in college in sweaters! I'm not even joking. I mean it was in northern Maine in the winter? Is that an excuse? Apparently not based on what everyone else at the party was wearing).

So here I am, in a post, celebrating that I am wearing a crop top for literally the first time in my life. And I thought - I should share the couple of ones that I've found and feel comfortable in, in case there are other babies out there who don't want to show too much but still want to have a little fun in the warm weather.

Stating the obvious reason I am even slightly comfortable wearing a crop top is high-waisted jeans. My favorite high-waisted jeans and shorts are both from Garage. 

Jeans: Mom Jean

Shorts: Retro High Waist Short

There has been a Garage in the Maine Mall for as long as I cam remember and I never once stop foot inside. I saw a YouTube video talking about how they love Garage denim, and it was just cheap enough that I was willing to give it a try - and they did not disappoint. I own so many jeans that I don't like paying too much for denim, since I'm going to rotate through them so much that I know they won't get worn too often. Garage denim is affordable, but also fits so well! They are tight without giving you a muffin top or cutting off circulation, but still stretch and let you bend.

Okay, I'm going to sound obsessed - but the top is from Garage too.
Top: Off Shoulder Crop Top
Honestly, I could have found this top just about anywhere, the "bubble" style crop tops are definitely on trend. I had my eye on this Madewell one, and this one was just close enough that I bought it. The bubble-style means it isn't skin tight so it doesn't reveal too much, but still is stylish for a crop top.

The next style crop top I've been loving are these Abercrombie ones. One of my favorite bloggers Carly posted about this style stop, and I knew I had to try it because she is a more conservative dresser like me.
Top: Eyelet Cropped Top

I think the fact that it's a high-neck evens out the fact that it's cropped, and it still gives pretty good coverage when paired with high waisted jeans. The kinda-scalloped bottom gives it a cute look when worn with high-waisted pants also, since it gives some peeks of the tummy but hides more at the same time. Unlike the bubble top, I also like that this top has little-to-no-risk of riding up.

Do you guys have any cropped tops that you swear by - and don't feel completely naked in? If so, comment down below!

4th of July in Maine

I know I'm biased, but I truly think Maine is the best place to be for the 4th of July. No intense humidity? Check. No big cities with huge crowds? Check. BBQ and lakes on every corner? Check.

Other people definitely agree with me, as evidenced by the crazy amounts of out-of-state cars that pour into our state the weekend before and make interstate traffic absolutely unbearable. But once you're done sitting on the highway surrounded by foreign cars - congrats! You're in the best spot for 4th of July!

Dress: Gingham Express Dress (similar Here)

I had so many friends from high school and college in town for the holiday weekend, so we started with one crazy night. Our philosophy was, we needed to get a party night out of our system, so we could truly relax for the rest of the long weekend. That makes sense, right? No? Well, we did it anyways.

I had moved to Portland on Friday (post coming on that soon!!) and by Saturday night, I already had 6 people sleeping on my floor. I thought it would be stressful, but it was mostly just really fun. It's so funny being back with my high school friends, having a sleepover on the floor, like we used to 6 years ago. We woke up the next morning and I explored my new neighborhood with them, but eventually we went our separate ways so I could head off to my friends island for the weekend.

If you go to big lakes like Sebago Lake, I can promise you it will be nowhere as relaxing. Those are the big lakes that the tourists go to - there are definitely spots on them that are a lot quieter, but if you can find a rental or friend with a more secluded spot - that's my suggestion.

I was at an island the rest of the weekend off of Cundy's Harbor in Brunswick. We spent most of the day on Monday doing outdoor activities.

Top: Similar Here Denim: Mom Jeans

We were jumping in and out of the water all day, went kayaking, and eventually took a sunset boat ride to go get dinner. A lot of lakes in Maine have dinner places on the water that you can either boat or drive to, based on where you're staying and what your preferred mode of transportation is. We opted for boating because, well, it's just more fun.

If you're looking for great fireworks in Maine look no further - just go to Portland. For a pretty small city, they have a pretty awesome fireworks show. The couple times I've stayed in town to watch them, I've been impressed. If you don't want to leave the lake to go to Portland, have no fear! Almost every lake I've ever stayed on over the 4th of July (and there has been many) has had their own local firework show. Whether it's some rich people who own a house that opted to entertain the whole lake, or the town, fireworks are hard to miss when you're in Maine (considering it is the only day out of the year that fireworks are legal - people tend to go pretty crazy).

I can't imagine doing 4th of July anywhere else - but if you have anywhere you feel the same about, please let me know! Maybe I'll venture out of the state next year (probably not).

Packing for an Easy Hiking Trip

I don't want this post to come across as though I am a hiking expert. Let me make this clear: I am not. I'm one of few kids raised in Maine who rarely went into nature - the most "outdoorsey" things I experienced as a kid was when I would cut through the woods to get to my friends house. My family wasn't very big on the Great Outdoors.

Thats probably one of the reasons I find myself borderline overcompensating now that I am older. It's still certainly a learning process, and I am nowhere close to being someone who hikes for days without stopping, cooking and eating on the trail - but I like to think I'm making some progress!

Today I wanted to do a post on what I pack for an easy day hike. This means no camping overnight, so you're not carrying around a sleeping bag, or much food and hygiene products. Instead, this is what I believe are the absolute basics if you're going for a hike where you plan on hiking higher than around 1,000 feet.

(Photo: Cannon Mountain, White Mountains NH, 4,000 ft)

#1: Backpack: Keep it lightweight. You don't need a large one that's as tall as you, but also probably something better than a Jansport or some basic fabric bag you had in middle school. I currently carry a North Face backpack, although I'm looking to upgrade.

#2: Water Bottle: Hopefully this was obvious, but it's so important to stay hydrated, even if you think it's an easy hike. High altitudes and heat tend to exasperate dehydration. I carry my big pink L.L.Bean Nalgene, and my Lilly Pulitzer S'well bottle. 

#3: Hiking Boots (or sneakers with a good tread). Honestly, unless you're hiking longer than an entire day, I rarely notice that much of a difference between wearing my hiking boots as compared to my sneakers. If you're going on a basic day hike, hiking boobs aren't always worth the investment - unless it's particularly tough terrain (although I did once hike a difficult trail in Bar Harbor Maine in Sperry's - it was actually so embarrassing!). I got my hiking boots on sale at the L.L.Bean outlet.

(Photo: Dorr Mounain, Acadia National Park ME, 1,000ft)

#4: Layers. At least in Maine, the weather can be drastically different on the bottom of a mountain vs. the top. In the hike pictured above, it was a warm beautiful day at the bottom - but at the top it was cold and foggy! Normally I wear leggings, a sports bra, and a workout tank top - but I will pack Nike Shorts, and a lightweight workout jacket if the weather switches one way or another.

#5: Hiking Snacks. I'm a big fan of a day hike with lunch on top of the mountain. In which case you'd pack something that travels well (think lunches your mom would pack you), like PB&J, deli sandwiches - nothing super perishable in case it's hot and humid. If you aren't going to eat at the top, pack easy snacks - like granola, trail mix, gummies, etc.

#6: Mobile Charger. Because I'm new to the whole hiking thing, I still have minor Lost on a Mountain in Maine fears. Also I use my iPhone for photos. So I'll normally pack my portable phone charger if I need a little extra juice to get through the hike.

That is my opinion on what the absolute basic essentials for a day hike are. I'm sure, somewhere in the world, a serious hiker is rolling their eyes at how naive I am - but I've gotten this far!

Do you have any hiking tips or things you absolutely swear by? If so, I'd love to hear (before I go on my first overnight hiking trip next month), comment down below!

Teaming Up with Teami

Happy Friday, y'all!

Today I wanted to stop and talk about a product I've been testing out all week. I was sent two teas from Teami Blends - the Skinny Blend and Focus Blend.

I'll be honest. I was sent these teas and they sat on my work desk for at least two weeks. Not that I wasn't excited to try them! I was excited to see how they made me feel, but I was not excited to see how they tasted. I have friends that have tried colon cleansing and skinny teas, who I would sit next to in class or at work while they painfully tried to finish whatever gross tea mixture they concocted that morning.

Finally, I took out a tea bag of the focus tea. And here's my unexpected hot take - it tastes like tea. Not gross or funky tasting at all! I was particularly interested in the focus tea because every summer I try to drink less coffee. In the winter drinking coffee is warm and comforting, in the summer I just pump iced coffee full of sugar and cream and feel so unhealthy and jittery at the end of the cup. If I could find a way to stay alert and awake throughout the day without coffee, I am all in.

The focus tea did give me a noticeably higher level of alertness. Now - that may be because I still drank some coffee and had just more caffeine in my body than normal - but I am willing to attribute a lot of it to the focus tea. It was a healthier kind of energy, without jitters, which definitely made it way more natural.

Like I said, I've only had a couple cups - but I'm excited to see how and if I can use this to replace coffee this summer.


PS - you can also use the code AbbieMaine10 for 10% off your order if you want to try!

Summer Dresses to Beat the Heat

I think because I'm from Maine, and therefore used to below freezing temperatures, I'm an especially big baby when it comes to warm weather. I thought I hated winter but then as I got older I realized - I would take a super cold day over a super hot one anyday. When it's cold out, you can add as many layers as you need in order to feel warm and cozy. But when it's humid and hot? You can only take off so many clothes before it's just unbearable.

With this heat wave in Maine, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my favorite warm weather dresses. I look for some requirements when shopping for "hot day" dresses:

1. They have to be relatively cheap. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a dress that I will probably just be sweating in. If I spend more money on a dress, I will never even wear it when it's hot out because I will likely be too worried about ruining it. 

2. The material has to breathe. I can't wear anything with any polyester or synthetic mixes. Only cotton or linen for my summer dresses.

Speaking of soft cotton - my first suggestion is the American Eagle Soft & Sexy dresses. I've linked the exact one I'm wearing - but they have a whole line of dresses made out of the same cotton material. I don't know what they do in their facilities to make these products, but their T-shirts and dresses that are "Soft & Sexy" are so unbelievably soft! And they are reasonably priced enough that I often find myself grabbing for these dresses on a hot day.

Another favorite type of summer dress comes from the Sun & Shadow collection at Nordstrom. This line has done a great job of being trendy, good quality, and still affordable. The dress I have on in this photo recently sold out during the Nordstrom Semi-Annual sale, but I recently just bought this dress as well when I was down in Massachusetts last weekend.

And last but certainly not least - any and all off-the-shoulder tops! First, repeat after me: no tan lines. This is so important! One of the best benefits of wearing an OTS dress has to be that I can walk around in the sun without being worried that I'm acquiring a farmers tan or some weird tan line that will look weird later on. Plus, these dresses are so breathable. The dress above is from abercrombie and is a simple cotton dress - but I've bought so many this season that I am ready to suggest that you just buy any and all affordable OTS dresses that you see.