Chez Jacqua

Fall!!!

Probably my favorite time of year!  Why???  The weather, the activities, the wardrobe!  Don't you just love the warm fall days followed by cool fall nights!!!  Heading out with family and/or friends for pumpkin and apple picking and hot apple cider drinking!!!  It's the time of year when we can wear our Frye boots, J.Crew blazers and Anthropologie scarves!!!  Oh, I just love Fall!!!

On this particular early fall day, I met up with my family in Maryland for the Chartreuse and Co. Vintage Market!  Since it was still a hot day, I wore a denim tank with black urban shorts to show off the season.  My motto is no brights after Labor Day;)  Chartreuse and Co. offers up an open air market one weekend a month, we did September's, so mark your calendar's for October 21-23rd, 2016!!!!  That's their next Open Market and you won't want to miss it, check their website below for all the details!!!

Start your day with brunch at nearby Alexanders, a Buckeystown, MD. staple!  This beautiful historic home will pull you in from the parking lot!  

When you enter through the rod iron fence and walk up the wooden stairs you'll find yourself on the covered porch, and you're instantly happy.  Such a peaceful place, and right alongside the main road in town, but you'd never realize it.  You can enjoy your meal al fresco or in one of the many well appointed dining rooms.

Hello, fresh flowers!

When you take your seat and lift your menu you'll find warm cinnamon rolls greet you first thing!  Fresh from the oven and quite delicious!!!  Do try the Eggs Benedict:)

After you've enjoyed the company, conversation and amazing eats and you make your way back out onto the porch, stop for a photo!  Here you'll see myself on the right with my niece Gwen, and working our way to the left, my brother-in-law James, my sister-in-law Alyssa, her husband and my brother Brandon, my sister Angela and her daughter Alexis.  Not everyone in our family made it that day, but we had a wonderful time together<3

Next Stop- Chartreuse and Co.  just a half a mile down the road.  My sister-in-law Alyssa was the planner of our day, she had made our brunch reservations and had filled me with stories of Chartreuse, knowing full well, my love for all things vintage!!!  She planned a beautiful day:)

Once we parked my heart raced, I was in full on treasure hunting mode!!!  What an amazing market!!!  Everything from pumpkins, antique furniture, Persian rugs, vintage accents and local crafters can be found on these grounds, you are sure to fall in love!!! 

Check out the glass work done on this vintage window pane!!!

This old mirror caught my eye:)

The booth set up's here are beautiful!!!

Antique Art- Yes, Please!!!

A beautiful rose colored, antique, tufted sofa, perfect for the foot of someone's bed.  If only it had been light blue, it would have come home with me!!!

An abundance of antique dinnerware paired with locally made potpourri and garlands.

This hand painted vintage mirror though!

Local art Love!

Our next stop was the Buckeystown Design Co-Op, just back past Alexanders.  This place was just as beautiful as Chartreuse!  Beautiful furniture and fabrics lay the foundation to this beautiful shop but the accessories bring it to life!  Eccentric art blocks of foxes in bow ties, topiaries and carved wooden animals sung a song of mischief and magic.  

After your grueling morning of treasure hunting, grab lunch in nearby Historic Downtown Frederick.  The Tasting Room or The Wine Kitchen would make the perfect interlude and you can grab an ice cream cone at Pop afterwards!  Downtown Frederick has a TON of vintage clothing, vinyl and antique stores, not to mention a few very choice modern boutiques!  My favorite pic's in Downtown Frederick include: Tiara Day, Venus on the Half Shell, Velvet Lounge, Silk and Burlap, The Muse, Relish Decor and Emporium Antiques!

After lunch wind your day down at the winery!  Nearby Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard has an amazing indoor and outdoor space for wine tasting and visiting.  It's the perfect end to the perfect day!  The tasting menu has some of the areas top rated wines, you'll taste a combination of whites and reds.  My favorites include their Pinot Grigio, Anticipation and Circe!!! 

If you're ready for dinner or heavy appetizers pop into The Comus Inn, just down the road from Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards.  This is a wonderful historic spot to venture into for amazing eats and drinks!!!  They prefer reservations, but sometimes if your timing is perfect you can get in and out before the crowds:)

A hike up Sugarloaf Mountain is a wonderful experience as well, especially during the fall when the leaves are changing colors!

Enjoy Maryland, My Home, My Heart<3

A visit to Big Cork Vineyards is...well...BIG!

This lovely place sits nestled along the Appalachians near Gathland State Park, it's a short drive from Historic Harper's Ferry and it's a wonderful place to spend the afternoon!  This is exactly what my Mother, Sister, Brother and Niece decided to do on a mild Fall day in November.

Big Cork's vision was to create a special place for all to come, sit, drink, eat and be happy!  They have created a wine tasting menu with delicious wines, several whites and reds to choose from and there is definitely something for every palette!  They source only the freshest, local ingredients for their dishes and serve up some pretty amazing eats!  We enjoyed a wine tasting along with lunch on their enormous patio, while taking in the views of the mountains and vineyards on this cloudy day.  Their menu changes with what's available, but on this day we ordered pumpkin sage ravioli's, and thickly sliced turkey sandwiches!  Yummmmm!!!  

Inside the Tasting Room you'll find the Tasting Bar along with ample dining seating and the wine shop, where you can purchase wine to take along with delectable Maryland sweets and other treats, check out the cork ties!

Big Cork also holds many events at the Vineyard throughout the year.  Check out their Events page on their website to attend an event, they have quite a variety of options including yoga in the vineyard and nights of live music!

After your lunch and your tasting, feel free to take a walk among the grapes or play a bit of football in the open yard!  Big Cork boasts a great experience for all, even kids and animals!  Bring your children and dogs for some fun!  There is an entire kids play area with toys, art supplies and other goodies to keep the kids active, social and happy.  Play catch with your furry friends, there are baskets of toys for sports and adult fun as well!

The only trouble we seemed to run into at Big Cork...was trying to get the baby to turn and smile for the camera;)

Try it out for yourselves, you're gonna have a great time!