Artwork

"Serious Business"

The living/dining area is *almost* set up, and then we're on to the bedroom. Since we chose grey for the walls, I'm trying to stick to black and white with a couple of accent colors. Ideas are welcomed! 

D.C. Design

In my flip-boarding last night (that's a verb, right?), I stumbled on a photo slideshow of a local D.C. apartment on Apartment Therapy. Residence of Refinery 29's editor, Holly Thomas, the space's design is spot on. I absolutely love the fusion of rustic and modern; eclectic and minimalist; and I applaud anyone who can make good use of white walls.

Snapshots

Oh dear, August 20th was my last post. Shame on me. The last two weeks have been a haze of wedding planning, birthday celebrations, and a Many Hopes planning retreat in the City. So, some snapshots as of late  will have to do . . .

Movie Night

The outdoor movie night was a hit, or at least, I think it was! I didn’t let the dreary day of clouds and raindrops get me down. After surrendering to the fact it would not be a back lawn filming, I grabbed my toolbox and nailed the sheet screen right to the porch posts. A few strands of lights, candles, gin martinis and homemade kettle corn in these oh so cute popcorn buckets (mine were from Target) really made the evening. Some of our guests stayed until the wee hours of the morning so we featured Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Back to the Future, and guests mimicked the nostalgic lines of ‘Indy’ and ‘Marty McFly’ all evening.  

The 'Story'

(the only photo of us I snagged in the moment*)

That wasn’t very nice of me. I promised you ‘the story’ yesterday, and I was a no show.

Before I go on and on, you should know that Philip and I have known each other and maintained a heart-wrenching but amicable friendship for quite some time. Though, from the end of year one to the end of year three, we were apart, divided between states. He in Washington D.C. Me in Boston. It was a tragic three years; just ask my sister.

On Sunday morning this past weekend, Philip had planned to invite me to a morning of Eastern Market activities. Have you heard of D.C.’s Eastern Market? It is a girls' dream- jewelry vendors, fruit stands, boutique pop up stands, and cafes close by with delectable brunch selections. Well, I walked right into his trap, on Saturday  afternoon, I pleaded that we go the market over the weekend, since we had yet to visit this summer season. I should have known he was up to something as he smiled and nodded agreeably. 

Oh, didn't I tell you . . .

Readers, I have a secret. It's been a little over two months since I started this blog, and as my 50th post, I thought I would share a little, delightful secret with you. I know you thought my weekend was just this, but one other thing happened.

Outdoor Film

(photo via)

This weekend, boy and I are hosting friends for an outdoor film, and I just. can't. wait. I'm stealing all my brilliant ideas from Claire of The Senses Five; check out her post. I have the perfect cove nestled in my backyard for the screening, so hopefully the rain will hold off. Fingers crossed!

Weekend Snapshots

A weekend at home

(photo from our weekend in Long Island) 

What are you doing this weekend? I have little to no plans, and as sad as that may sound, I am fairly elated! A dinner with boy tonight, lunch with a friend tomorrow at Teaism and possibly a matinee showing thrown in there somewhere. Crazy plans, I know! I will however be . . .

America

How was your 4th of July? Mine was oh so lovely. I presumed I would be thrown off by the random vacation day smack dab in the middle of the week, but it turned out to be grand. I spent my morning and early afternoon with time at the gym (which never happens!), flipped through magazines and indulged in a little holiday-deal shopping. In the evening, boy and I headed to the home of my childhood friend, Courtney and her husband Joe and their lovable golden retriever, Piper. Some quick snapshots below, however I'm afraid they are not very patriotic, sans red, white and blue, fireworks and sparklers. To make up for my lack of all American posting, check out links to some of my favorite bloggers' 4th of July posts.


*happy birthday July by HipHipGinGin 

*photos of a 4th of July weekend in Washington D.C. by rockstar diaries 

*nothing more American than the best apple pie you'll ever have (with Caramel) from Cup of Jo 

*the uniform: American summer from Tomboy Style

O brother

Did you know I have a brother? Did you, all my avid blog readers out there? Which, let's be honest, most likely consists of three friends that are too sweet to not read. Well, I do have a brother; actually, two older brothers on either side of my older sister Meg, who brings my readership up to four. Siblings are such a funny thing; aren't they? You spend almost 18 years with these people, doing everything and going everywhere together, and then poof, one sibling spreads their wings, leaves the coop and then you really have to work on that friendship. Brandon (or affectionately known as Bub or Bubby) and I have had our years of waning closeness, our share of misunderstandings and miles and miles between us, but we have also had some really great moments. As adults, I feel as though sometimes, we're re- learning each other all over again. 

He visited this past weekend, and we caught up on life over a late night plate of Johnny Rockets' burgers, fries and of course, cherry cokes. 

Mr Dylan Thomas pretty much sums up siblings, “it snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea."

Busy Busy

(photo via) 

My morning reading led me to the article The 'Busy' Trap today, and I could not stop nodding and amen-ing in between sips of coffee. In a city hustling and bustling as Washington D.C., it is so easy to fall into the 'busy trap', or you 'll end up feeling lousy if you're not an exclusive member of the "oh, I'll have to check my calendar" club.  As Mr. Kreider puts it,  your life cannot be 'silly or trivial' if you're always listing off your numerous to-dos and responsibilities followed by an exhale of exhaustion. It's just more cool to be busy, right?

Pool Days

A summer cold kept me from seeing my nephews this weekend, but I made do with the impromptu D.C. weekend, including a BBQ festival, a relentless heatwave, and many movies in the A.C. On Sunday, I twisted boy's arm to take me to the pool. Deviating from the usual "beach lists", here's what we brought to keep us content and entertained. 

Date Night: Old Town

Yesterday was the hottest day in D.C. this year, nearly breaking 100 degrees. Upon deciding to not attend a political fundraiser last night (man, that sounds so annoyingly D.C.), boy and I opted for a more causal evening to beat the heat. Our solution: shorts, martinis and oysters. We may be watching too much Mad Men.  We went to one of my new favorite spots - Hank's Oyster Bar in Alexandria- highly recommend! We were privileged to have the sole window seat, overlooking the busiest street in Old Town. The olive martini, oysters and Old Bay seasoned shrimp were the perfect fusion of summer tastes. To continue the party, we carried on to a hotel bar. Odd, I know, but hotel guests are delightful specimens for people watching, don't you agree? 

Hello Neon!

(photo taken by the ever so lovely Ashley)

How was your weekend? Mine was filled with a friend's bridal shower,  late night burgers, shopping at La Petite Marmoset in Columbia Heights and a Dave Matthews concert, where I wore this little number. Let's just say that the fluorescent neon was a big hit! My beaming dress served as a landmark for those looking for their party on the lawn- it was quite hilarious.

Patchwork

Work deadlines have kept me away from here, but hopefully things will slow down soon- fingers crossed! I had a lovely weekend full of summer delights- dinners with friends, pooltime and family cookouts.

 

Coveting: Stripes

(1) Mustard Striped Dress from Topshop (2) Chevron Striped Scarf from Juicy Couture  (3) J.Crew Candy Striped Canvas Clutch via Net-a-porter (4) Nautically inspired bikini via Target 

I suppose I’m like every other woman, in that when I have an event, soiree, get together- whatever- I need a new outfit! In my shopping endeavors last night, I couldn't help but notice that I just gravitated towards stripes- every time. Floral and polka dots make me feel silly and over-the-top girly, but stripes are just right. Unfortunately (perhaps fortunately for my wallet) nothing caught my eye, so I’m going with a tried and true LBD.

P.S. The event tonight is for a good friend’s showroom opening in Washington D.C.- La Petite Marmoset. Their redesigned vintage pieces are oh so clever. 

Patchwork

(1) The Friday garden party turned terribly wrong with torrential downpour, but it turned out to be a lovely evening, sans photos (2) Boy surprised me with tickets to South Pacific at Wolf Trap on Saturday evening (3) For half the price, the lawn seats are really the way to go (4) Solo sangria on a Sunday afternoon- don't judge (5) Just some pie slinging (6) As boy put it in this moment "you are instragramming the h*ll out of the things 

Patchwork

(old snapshots from the last 1.5 years) 

                        

(1)Last Memorial weekend at the beach (2) A baseball game in the sun (3&4) Exploring (5) A day at the sea (6) Creme in my coffee (7) Red lips en route to a wedding

                

Six Rules for Dining Out

 (photo by Leif Parsons) 

A few weeks ago,  I read an article by Tyler Cowen (economist and everyday foodie) in the Atlantic, “Six Rules for Dining Out.”  Prior to reading the article and unbeknownst to me, boy and I aced two of the six rules on a random Friday evening date.

Six Rules for Dining Out

Number 1- In the fanciest restaurants, order what sounds least appetizing.

Now unfortunately, the author is referring to dinner plates over $50, and as a struggling 20 something year-old, I can’t say I indulge in a lot of those meals! He instructs to look past the comfortable roast chicken, and choose a dish sounding less appetizing, since ‘fancy’ restaurants offer well thought-out menus with good reason for their specialty dishes.

As a girl who continually orders Spaghetti at any and every Italian restaurant, I can certainly use this advice!

Number 2- Beware the Beautiful, Laughing Women

Apparently, restaurants with great social scenes will often focus on creating a chic, energizing environment, rather than provide interesting recipes. So stay away from the yammering and high priced restaurants, and gravitate to where the sulking, not so attractive people are choosing to dine.