Over the past few years, I’ve shared some of my favorite DC-area destinations, from where to eat and drink and eat again, to some of the DC area’s most beautiful gardens, attractions, and museums. Today I’m excited to partner with Capital One’s new Auto Navigator® site to share three of my favorite independent local boutiques in the DC area, from the vibrant 14th Street corridor in Northwest DC to Old Town Alexandria to my own neighborhood of Capitol Hill in Southeast DC!

We’re a single car family, and I use our car every day for school and day care drop offs and pick ups, taking my husband to work, and a frenzy of errands during my kid-free hours. Not to mention fun family activities on the weekend and the long highway trips to visit family in Upstate New York and New Jersey. So we definitely need a car that is safe and reliable for our entire family. When our poor 13-year old car suddenly became totally unreliable this past summer, we took the opportunity to upgrade to a brand new car! Both my husband and I had ever only owned used cars before, so this was our first experience buying a brand new car!

Capital One’s Auto Navigator® site is a brand new way to navigate the auto financing experience. The car buying process can be so overwhelming and stressful, from trying to decide on a particular make and model to figuring out car financing. Capital One’s Auto Navigator® site is a one-stop-shop for everything you need to find and finance a car, all on one website from the comfort of your own home or mobile device. You can pre-qualify for auto financing and test drive financing options so you can head to the dealership with financing in-hand. You can even find the perfect car by searching the inventory of over 12,000 dealerships by make, model, and price. Click here for more information and to get started today.

I spent an afternoon in my new (and very reliable car) visiting some of my favorite independent boutiques in the DC area with my friend Rachel. If you’re planning to visit DC soon, you’ll definitely want to stop by each one of these shops:

Image via Salt & Sundry

Salt & Sundry: I’m a big fan of and regular visitor at Salt & Sundry’s original Union Market location, but this was my first time visiting their gorgeous second location on 14th Street NW! Aaaannnnd…. I pretty much want to take one of everything home with me. Gorgeous ceramic dinnerware and mugs. Cocktail tools and ingredients. Rugs and textiles. Jewelry and accessories. I came home with a beautiful new mug for myself and a bottle of cardamom bitters for my husband, but I’m totally going back for one of the hanging planters below.

Image via Red Barn Mercantile

Red Barn Mercantile is my go-to resource for finding the perfect gift. Located just across the Potomac River on King Street in picturesque Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, Red Barn Mercantile has something for everyone, from furniture and pillows to soap and candles to cocktail mixers and cookbooks – and fantastic gifts for kids! They also have the best stationery selection in the entire DC area, including greeting cards, art prints, notebooks, notepads, and planners. If you’re looking for more extensive interior help, Red Barn Mercantile also works with local designers to offer interior design services!

East City Book Shop is an independent book store in my own neighborhood of Capitol Hill – yay! They only opened their doors a few months ago, but they’ve quickly become one of my favorite go-to shops on the Hill. Not only do they have an amazing array of books, including a fantastic kids section that both of my girls adore, but they also have kid-friendly art supplies, a seating area for story time and events, and the best small but mighty greeting card collection in Capitol Hill. It was such a pleasant surprise to walk in for the very first time and see so many stationery favorites on those shelves!

Photos by Rachel Lyn Photography for Oh So Beautiful Paper, except where noted

This post is sponsored by Capital One’s Auto Navigator® site – click here for more information and to get started today! All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!