Carytown: old friends and new haunts

 Literally lying about contemplating my day.  Had the wonderful fortune of taking a low key Girl Play Day with an old friend in Richmond.  She is starting a new job tomorrow (HALLELUJAH!) and we celebrated by getting our toes done, having a lovely lunch and then wandering Carytown.

It was warm enough to sit outside The Daily and watch the world go by.
The Fig & Pig pizza was pretty darn tasty!

 If you are not familiar with Carytown it is a wonderful neighborhood in Richmond that is 99% independent businesses with a jolly selection of vintage clothing shops (swoon!) and some really styling home decor and lifestyle shops.  I felt so at home today chatting with engaged shopkeepers who went out of their way to make us feel welcome and determined how they could be of assistance.
We had a good stroll, a good 6000 steps worth by my count, and wandered past a coffee shop.  While my friend grabbed herself a coffee I checked my email and HUZZAH Plaza Art was having an in store sale. 10 large canvasses and a dozen tubes of paint later, I hit the road.

Carytown Collective reminded my a LOT of my old brick and mortar in Falls Church. 
Really interesting range of artists and artisans and the owner was wonderful.

I was happy to be there for my friend to celebrate, comforted by the fact that I could be. In a delightful coincidence we have 4 sets of friends that have relocated to Richmond from DC.  75 minutes away from our coastal home is totally doable for a day trip and it is like a little piece of our old home came (almost) with us.

Glass Boat was a stunningly curated fashion and home goods shop.
I didn't shop early enough to get this in my size but I covet it!

 My favorite thing about old friends is there is a lot less explaining to do. Back stories on relationships, histories that have evolved over time, if you are having a bad day (or a good one!) old friends "get it" and need less clarification or detail on the actually reason why.  With social media today it is easier to stay in touch at one level.

Sexy salon set-up at Ruth & Ollie. I was enthralled by their chair selection!

 But nothing can beat the layered shorthand of years of conversation.  I felt very blessed by my day.

Also feel blessed that I found a local replacement for Alice-who-has-cut-my-hair-for-thirty-years.
Thanks for the trim Hayley! (This was dried by driving home with the windows open - she's good!)