Merry Christmas!!!!!

This is a picture of a Douglas Fir. This is what my tree is every year at home. It is the smell of Christmas, along with fires and crisp cool air. This year Christmas break was short at home. I guess that's what happens when you grow up and move away but it made me sad. It came and went so fast. Luckily I got to spend the second half of my break from work with dear friends on and after New Year's Eve.

snOMG, Snowpocalypse, blizzard of 2009

I wish I had more exciting news to report regarding this "winter wallop" (thanks weather channel) that occurred this past weekend. By the way, I (unfortunately) did not come up with the clever snOMG and snowpocalypse terms. Those were circulating on the web, twitter to be exact. The winter wonderland weekend started out really well. I saw some friends, watched the snow start to fall and cozied up in my layers and layers of blankets. By Saturday morning the snow had been falling for hours and was piling up quickly. Capitol Hill looked magical. Houses that are already beautiful were transformed in this Christmas village in the making. Tyler and I wandered to Safeway to see if it was open and also to explore the neighborhood in the snow. The journey was long and treacherous with intermittent snowball fights, snow angels and surprise snow attacks.Pants, beards, arms and legs were frozen upon our arrival at safeway and home. Shortly after defrosting at home, I clumsily jammed my poor pinkie toe into the coffee table's metal leg. from this point onwards, my snow-days have been spent inside as a mere spectator of the twinkly snow outside. Tyler enjoyed it by sledding down the hill at the Capitol building. Our friend Amanda's picture even made it on a local news station website. While inside these past few days, I certainly have perfected the art of burying myself in my down comforters while watching movies. I think I'm ready for Christmas break. Too bad I have to work the next 2 days, though I can't complain...I DID get a federal snow day today. It felt like I was skipping school, and I kept checking the website to make sure I really didn't have to go to work today. Don't worry, I didn't have to work. Today, I somewhat ambitiously attempted some Christmas shopping with my blue foot at the mall of all places. I had some minor success, so at least I got some of the terrible ordeal out of the way. I'm really pushing it getting things in time for Christmas. In my defense. I HAD planned on hitting up the flea market this past weekend, but we know how that turned out. So here I am , December 21st, just trying to make it through the next few days until I get to snuggle up at home with my sisters and sit by the fire with the parents.

Early to bed, Vintage Christmas, cooking

The title above is essentially a wrap up of my weekend. It started out with getting into pj's at about 6:30 pm Friday. This allowed me to get up early and venture to Target at around 8am.... Crazy? nope, Genius, yes! Target is up north and post work during the week, or later in the day on weekends are horrible terrible times to go. crowded metros, long lines, general chaos. Obviously after a full day of work, those are the last things I want to deal with. It was really nice to be up and about on a Saturday morning. I usually get up at a reasonable hour, however I rarely venture out of my neighborhood very early. The rest of the day I went to the Smithsonian Museum gift shops in search of the perfect present for each family member. I was only semi-successful but it was fun to survey everything at all the museums. Saturday night was a Vintage themed Christmas party hosted by a friend. It was my dream. I went all out, inspired by madmen and dressed the part. curve hugging black, 3/4 sleeve dress that hit below the knee. Vintage green jacket, peep toe heels, teased hair ( that turned into a massive bun since I own no hair products to keep a bouffant in place) and of course, RED lipstick. it was fun to play dress up. Today (Sunday) was pretty typical in the Kopp/Brown household. cleaning, grocery shopping lounging, laundry. the usual Sunday tasks, particularly on the drizzly cold winter day. I made delicious baked tomatoes stuffed with a couscous/pea/feta mixture spiced with oregano, salt, pepper and garlic and olive oil. YUM. I can't wait to have the rest of my 1.5lb tomato for lunch tomorrow. Happy week before Christmas

One month ago.....

......our luck ran out. No more free internet. One month later (and many phone calls) we have it back. Most of this past month, it was really nice not to immediately sit down and get sucked into the internet. One article or blog leads to clicking through to another and so on and so on and before you know it you are reading blogs written by 20something cool Mormon girls. Yeah, random I know. Just one example of the media tailspin that so easily happens online. Aside from the obvious Thanksgiving event, the month of November(from what I can recall) was relaxed.I took advantage of the movie selection at the public library during my internet-less days, went out with friends, probably danced the night away a time or to. Honestly, nothing out of the ordinary.I feel like I am in a nice work/social/relationship groove right now, as well as throughout the month of November. I am enjoying cooking more, starting to watch some Carolina bball, enjoying the holiday decorations popping up around town (even though I probably won't get a tree here...) and generally waiting patiently for Christmas break with the family. In the meantime, I have a holiday party or 2 to look forward to, cookie exchange AND secret santa at work, and Christmas lights in the apartment. At work, my babies are growing every week! It is so exciting to see them achieve new milestones in their development. Big things like rolling over and pulling up are as special to see as a new noise or smile. I'm lucky to see them grow and change and I am learning a lot along the way.

lazy blogger

I have been a lazy blogger. Lots going on, more of the same, not worth telling it all over. highlights of recent days or weeks

Carving the word pumpkin into my pumpkin,
dinner parties with various friends
handing out candy to kids in my neighborhood
eating at the Native American Museum café (expensive but yummy!)
walking around the city
enjoying the fall weather and leaves (wish I had taken pictures but now most of the leaves are on the ground)

goodbye

walking feet

Third day of light drizzly rain and freezing cold. It's a Saturday. What to do? Take a walk? Yes. a 3 mile walk? yes. So, Saturday morning after breakfast near the market, Tyler and I walked to the National Geographic Museum as it is a place I have been wanting to go. Of course we arrive after this treacherous journey to find only one small exhibit was open. However, it was quite a lovely exhibit of arctic photographs covering animals like polar bears, seals, penguins and last but BEST, narwhal whales. Yes, the unicorn whale creature. Next stop- check out the white house, then Filene's basement, then the random cafeteria for a fast food Indian samosa. Finally we made it to the Metro. Upon returning home we relaxed for awhile before prepping for having friends over to eat dinner. We cooked and a few friends brought some side dishes. After some wine and chit chat, we eventually went out to the bars to dance! It was delightful!
Today (Sunday) was another random day of walking. Tyler and I went to this nice family run Ethiopian Coffee place near our apartment for a bit of a pick me up and breakfast. After that we decided to take a walk and we didn't stop walking until we reached Georgetown. yep. A stroll turned into a 5 mile walk. It was awesome! We got to see lots of DC and even explored a creek bed on the way. We also experienced the horrendous sight of the ONE Trader Joe's in the city. The line wrapped around the store. horrible. All we wanted to do was get pizza dough! and we couldn't! we partially walked back after walking through Georgetown and took the bus part of the way home. Then we went to the market to get Amish brussel sprouts (new obsession- for Tyler) and delicious apples. Then, we finally decided to start cleaning up many dishes from last night. We excelled in avoidance all day. I also cooked pasta with tofredo sauce (soft tofu blended with parmesan cheese- tastes like Alfredo sauce but better for you- this recipe is courteous of Tyler's sister). I have now been designated as the cook of the house. Tyler thinks it is awesome that he just lives here and I cook (and clean... let's be honest...)

ok. I know this blog is long but it is my digital record of my new life in DC. I don't know how to insert pictures and I like typing (it's easier than writing)

BYE

Cookiecakepie...the saga

It's a slow Sunday afternoon. I (we) need to break up the monotony. Naturally we venture out to the many corner markets to buy something with which to make cookies. Pumpkin? too big of a can. Chocolate chips- obviously, we need those. And so, part one of the cookiecakepie saga is complete. Next up, I get into the cabinets taking stock of what we have ( I didn't formally do this before grocery shopping...) Hmmm, not quite enough brown sugar for chocolate chip cookies. oops. Not enough oats for oatmeal chocolate chip. fail. So what do I do? IMPROVISE!! I mix a combination of brown and white sugar to equal the necessary amount, get some butter, flour, lots of cinnamon(why not?), toss in the remaining oats and whatever else a cookie recipe calls for and then I use my hands to mix it, cream it, blend it. Why? well I don't have a hand mixer (the electrical kind) So far, things are going well, despite my improvising. I am resourceful, what can I say? And now, comes the true test of resourcefulness and innovation. I realize I don't actually have a cookie sheet. I peer in the cabinets and come up with a deep dish that could be used for a cake or deep dish pie. I also have a few brownie/bread dishes but for some reason those just didn't catch my eye when I had my vision of this particular dessert. So instead of cooking tiny batches of cookies in a pie pan I decide to just pour the whole mixture into said cookie/cake pan, and thus the COOKIECAKEPIE is born. Let me tell you, it was divine. A true gem (aside from the slightly crispy edges and bottom andsome of the middle.) All in all, a success in my book.

It's Sunday and the weekend isn't over yet!

Relaxing weekend so far and I plan on continuing that trend tomorrow. I will throw in some intense cleaning (I hope) tomorrow. After a petite disco nap on Friday night, I was ready for games and dancing- in that order. Game night hosted by a friend was a pre-going out event attended primarily by girls. (sorry manfriend...he had man time later though, so he didn't suffer for too long) We played a bit of cards, apples to apples and madgab before we got antsy. Next up, dancing! Lots of pop-y music that was perfect for dancing, kept us in the same bar until 3am. It was very fun! After a failed attempt at the circulator bus and 2 cab rides (first cab got rear-ended, no harm done, just delayed things)we were finally home an asleep by 4. Ahhh to be young! Saturday we tried to go to Target, but due to track maintenance it was slightly harder to get there so we scrapped the idea. Conveniently, my friend Janae called and needed to go so we made a trip to one in VA. Tyler opted out of the girl adventure. When girls go to Target we get to stay and browse at clothes and shoes we don't need, but want. When we go with boys, we are practical and get the things we NEED. This time I managed to do a bit of both without the extra unnecessary purchases. The rest of the day was spent cleaning, renting a movie (The Watchmen) and cooking pizza. Also I napped on the couch.
Today (Sunday) I cooked a delicious breakfast including homefries for the 2nd time ever (this time was better than the first time). We also met up with some friends to see the National Equality March. Ended up seeing the beginnings of the rally but not the march itself.. I don't like crowds. Watched some panthers/redskins football with Tyler and Natalie at a bar, then popped by H&M. We parted ways with Natalie and slowly meandered home, stopping by the Natural History Museum and continuing on home by the Capitol and Eastern Market. The outdoor vendors were packing up but we managed to pick up some apples, an onion and a pepper, THEN came the exciting part....a vendor who sells hummus and other spreads stops us. here is the conversation
Vendor: "Hey!, You 2, do you like the Earth?"
Tyler and I " Yes! We love the earth of course!"
Vendor: "Great! here, take these (black bean dip,2 salsas, one quinoa salad and chips"
us:"Wow, thanks so much! do you want any money"
Vendor "don't worry about it!, here want some dry ice?"
Us: of course!

yep. true story. free food and dry ice form your friendly Eastern AMrket vendor who is rushing to pack up and go home to West VA.

Now, I am making a cookie pie since I don't have a cookie sheet I just put all the batter in the pie pan. It's still baking. I will let you know the results.
Tomorrow: Columbus day. Means a day of the following activities:
1. no work
2. CLEANING
3. ZOO?
4. relaxation
5. consuming cookie pie
6. making cuban beans and rice
7. anything I want

Movies and campfires and s'mores

Sunday is here and it's time to do a wrap-up. Though it is only noon thirty, I don't have much planned today so the wrap-up can start now. I had a great week at work. I feel lucky that I can say I love my job. I had a mini pre-evaluation meeting that was very positive and I expressed in return how glad I am to be working where I work. I was told I have good intuition working with babies which was nice to hear. I didn't have any happy hour meetups this week, trying to save my money so I can do things on the weekend. Friday night Tyler and I went out in our neighborhood (North of us) so check out a few bars in the area- some I had been to (like the one with the amazing DJ where I danced a lot to electronica music and tired myself out) and another that attracted many hipsters with it's dark lighting, gothic seeming décor and cheap beer. It is very nice to go out in an area of DC that isn't too preppy. I was afraid there wouldn't be much variety in DC before I moved on account of the many Capitol interns, government workers and business suit type people. Of course I knew there would be people not in those areas of work I just thought they would be harder to find. Saturday morning was spent at the market, walking around the neighborhood(when I don't have anything to do I just like walking around and I never get bored (so far) of seeing all of the beautiful houses and gardens and babies and dogs!) We found a yardsale half a block from the apartment where I scored a brand new le sport sac bag for $5.
This block was also having a block party later in the day and I longingly stared at the fun bounce house and street hockey going on, wishing I either lived on the block, or was a child of 7 who could go play without looking strange. We found some delicious fall appropriate apple cider at the market. Such a nice beverage on a cool day in autumn. I saw a matinée movie with a friend (FAME the remake) It made me want to be a ballerina, or piano player (too bad I didn't pursue them when I had the chance-oh well, I've found my calling) Then I went to a western themed dinner party where the hosts served up baked beans, western style BBQ (tsk tsk shame on them) and delicious cornbread (the kind with corn kernels and lots of butter), THEN we had a fire pt and made s'mores- one of my favorite treats that truly is a treat because how often do we have fires to make s'mores and of course microwaving marshmallows just doesn't cut it. THEN we went to see ZOMBIELAND with Palmer and Amanda. I wasn't planning on seeing 2 movies this weekend but alas, I am SO glad I experienced the odd zombie filled, humorous ZOMBIELAND movie. It was genius. The premise is this: post-apocalyptic world where there are mostly zombies and 4 humans who have not been bitten by zombies. They team up and try to survive the now desolate world. It is a tad violent but the humor of the situations in the movie is a good counter balance. I highly recommend. This morning included a walk around the hood to get coffee, stopping at a tiny store that now carries Marmite, thanks to Tyler's suggestion (we think), more flea market time, and now relaxation.
Happy Sunday!

home sweet (new) home- Chapel still has my heart though

Today I accomplished some cleaning I have been meaning to do for about 3-4 weeks. My apartment has felt like home but the clutter has been distracting and distressing me. I finally got into the mess and made sense of the 15 tiny notepads I have halfway filled with lists and reminders, the piles newspaper that I may or may not have been saving, (telling myself I will look through it all...eventually) and the poorly organized kitchen. Though I barely left the house (except to do laundry...kind of pitiful that's all I went out for). I moved a few things around and feel ready for a new week. Yesterday, despite the rain, I got out and about as I mentioned {book festival}, cozied up inside away from the rain last night (after biking through it to get groceries...) and watched movies, allowing the dreariness outside to put me to sleep. I woke up today motivated to tackle the piles (the ladies in my family are pile-makers), aided by coffee from my sweet. He also brought me beautiful zinnias from the market!! I needed a day at home like I had today, to recharge, focus and restore my energy for future outings on future weekends. It's amazing how some minor organizational changes have helped my new apartment feel even more like my new home. But as I said, Chapel Hill has my heart (a large portion of it anyway). **Disclaimer: you are about the read a nerdy sentence or two about cleaning...**
One of the best things I discovered today was the power of magic sponges (Mr. Clean is a well known brand, but I used the harris teeter brand). I got such pleasure as I watched stains disappear, stains, mind you that I was unable to remove with good old 7th generation cleaner). It's amazing! try it, I promise you won't be disappointed.
This post feels a bit disjointed. I think that's a sign I should stop writing. goodnight

Books!

I have just returned from the National Book Festival on the Mall. It consisted of many tents, authors, visitors and umbrellas. and some books, of course. Also, free totes, the new trend I guess. But I resisted, the bag lover that I am, because really, how many reusable grocery totes does one need. Anyway, I saw many authors in person (though I didn't have any of their books, and wouldn't have wanted to wait in line in the drizzle to get it signed) See the Author list and website here. I also poked around the Hirshorn with my friend before returning home to clean. It's a rainy Saturday and I am looking forward to spending time at home.

Here's to Autumn!

Making Apple crisp to celebrate Autumn as well as Tyler's birthday since I promised him a treat back in early September but didn't get around to doing it. Of course I knew we would have a friend whose parent's have an apple tree from which we would take apples to bake with. of course! It was all part of my plan

Dinners and Hiking and Friends, Oh my!

Time is passing quickly these days. Another full week. It's nice having people to do things with but at the same time, the introvert in me is craving some quiet alone time. Hopefully I can have some of that today. I guess it's time for another week/weekend wrap up.

Besides a wonderful week at work, I had the pleasure of trying out a yummy Mexican restaurant for happy hour, seeing a friend from SJS at her apartment, experiencing some of the bar scene in Adams Morgan neighborhood, cooking delicious couscous, going for a short jog, walking around the market, etc.

The weekend so far has been magnificent. I feel lucky to know so many different people with different interests. It always makes for interesting weekends, excursions, restaurant choices and general adventures.

Saturday morning was spent wandering around the market and enjoying the early morning cool that settled over DC Friday night. It got hotter but these slightly chilly mornings are beautiful. Tyler and I then met up with my friend and her Fiancée who was visiting (and therefore had a car) We drove to Great Falls Park MD. I believe that is goes through Virginia and Maryland but we entered from the Maryland side.

Here is what the National Park Services website has to say:
"At Great Falls, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. The Patowmack Canal offers a glimpse into the early history of this country. Great Falls Park has many opportunities to explore history and nature, all in a beautiful 800-acre park only 15 miles from the Nation’s Capital."
http://www.nps.gov/grfa/index.htm


Now the trail is full of rocks as seen in the photo, however the photo shows the steepest place we climbed. the rest of the trail is level compared to this but the "trail" consists of rocks, not dirt. We had a lovely picnic midway on a flat rock overlooking whichever body of water was flowing down below us. We got to watch rock climbers across the way as well as the park police helicopter. super exciting!

Saturday night we went to a friend of Tyler's house for a small dinner with just a few others, then Tyler had "mantime" with Palmer and I had some alone time at home.

This morning (Sunday) I met up with two high school friends and we wandered around the Dupont Farmer's market, had brunch at Kramer Books and Afterwords café/bookstore/restaurant/bar. It is an "institution" as they say, around the Dupont area. We wandered around the area for a bit then I met up with Tyler to get a few things at Target and try out the vegan Bakery up at Columbia Heights. It was pretty good! I had a s'more's cupcake- it was nice because it wasn't as sweet at the other cupcakes I've tried. Now we are off to bake apple pies ( I think) At a friend's parent's house. I will report back later

Weekend Wrap up

Busy busy bees we were.

Friday: Small dinner near the apartment with Tyler and our friend Kirk.
Also, relaxation and early to bed

Saturday: Adventure up to Carrboro MD, I mean Takoma Park. Not nearly as charming and beautiful and tree-y as Carrboro NC but definitely has a similar vibe. At a snack at a café, browsed, meandered, and bought a cute vintage jacket at Polly Sue's vintage for only 15 bucks! I will be so classy looking come fall.

Next stop: ZOO!!!! We visited the animals hailing mostly from Asia, including the red and regular pandas and some nice felines. Also caught a glimpse of some elephants in the African area: Can't wait to go back and visit again!!

Dinner in the hood- yummy Mexican/El Salvodoran (Disclaimer: we don't eat out very much, just hadn't gone to the grocery in a week as of Saturday)

Attempted to go to a rooftop party but it was not great because we were invited by someone who wasn't yet there when we arrived thus creating an awkward situation- decided to call it a night rather than wait.

Sunday morning-attempted to meet up with Rachel but someone decided to end their life on the redline metro tracks, sadly. Considering this, the meet up didn't happen.

Sunday mid-day: GREAT WALL Chinese Grocery- courtesy of a friend who likes to go get cheap but good produce and strange candies just like us! Also, she is Chinese.

Sunday Night: Dinner party at a friend of a friend. Menu: every dish featured corn and or tomatoes: tamales made from something, mushed inside a corn husk, corn salsa, cornbread with sugared tomatoes atop. We ate delicious food and met nice people

Now, my weekend wrap up is complete... too bad it's practically Wednesday

Babies do Funny Things

Things I have learned about babies this week

1. you can make the silliest noises and they laugh
2. they are wobbly
3. they are warm and squishy
4. they like to eat, sleep, bounce, sway and babble
5. I LOVE them!

Biking Adventures and Culture!

I forgot to mention 2 exciting points from Saturday.
a. going to the National Gallery of Art (despite it being free, it isn't part of the Smithsonian Institution- just a fact I thought I would share). It was great- we mostly looked at some exhibits that are only around for a few more weeks. I can't wait to go back and see some of the permanent collection as well as the East wing since we didn't make it there this time

b. finding the one and only (that I know of ) BRUEGGERS BAGELS!!!!!! also, eating there. It was a nice reminder of home! soft, chewy, pumpernickle-y cream cheesey bagels, I have missed you!

now, on to today. Labor day.

It had been a very relaxing day. I got to sleep in a bit, eat lunch out with Tyler and Palmer, clean (still working on it...) go grocery shopping , bike ride around the mall, see Julia Child's kitchen(again!) at American History, do laundry- pretty good start to the week. I am ready for work tomorrow. I can't wait! Soon I hope I will get in a good routine. It's been a slow transition but I think it worked out nicely that way.

I am getting more used to biking in the city. You really just have to be completely aware of where the cars are coming and going. Also, ride on the sidewalk when it gets scary. It seems like some people respect bikers (there are quite a few around here) while others get annoyed and zoom around you. it always surprises me when I see bikers without helmets- shame on you. I got Tyler a book on DIY bike maintenance...hopefully between the two of us we can learn some things and complete some small repairs ourselves!

We also stumbled upon a nice mini supermarket really close to the apartment. It is perfect for picking up a box of pasta or a soda pop or gummy bears, or really any basic food item.

The National Mall was full of people this afternoon. It was cool and gray but I love this kind of weather so it didn't bother me.

I am rambling quite a bit so I am going to sign off

Autumn....Is that you??

Well when I started this post last week I was inspired by the cooler temperatures I felt in the mornings. September first felt the way it should. I know summer will linger for some time in the form of warm temperatures but you can't deny the transition occurring between summer and fall. I see it in fading evening light and a rustle of drier leaves on the trees. but ENOUGH of my poetry. On to the events of this past week. I had a week of staff development which convinced me that my job/the overall community is the place for me. I am SO excited to be working where I am (I don't need to name names, y'all know where I work and people I don't know don't need to know). I felt inspired everyday by the people around me and I look forward to learning from others and figuring out more specifically what I want to do with life. It has been a low key week aside from the birthday celebration for Tyler last night. We had a great dinner and great friends over and went out to a bar and it was lovely. Today has felt like a beautiful celebration of the summer, the move to DC, the new life adventures- all of which was achieved by simple meandering around our neighborhood. The fresh fruits and veggies (and mini doughnuts), the live music, the sun, the crafts, the people, reading the newspaper-these are the elements of my day. As is napping. More posts to come soon...

Museum Magic!

Museum magic! If those words don't get a child excited about museums then I don't know what will. Anything sounds exciting with the word magic attached. At my place of employment, we create museum magic by showing the children what the museum has to offering a way that they can comprehend. We teach. We engage them. We get them excited about what is around them. I learned all about museum education and resources today in my staff training today. I also realized that I think I could be happy working here for at least several years. It is a high quality educational model that doesn't have to teach by a book. We use the resources at our disposal and expose kids to history, art, space, different cultures and much more. I am so fortunate to have found a place where I truly believe in what we do. I am so excited- and that's a good sign for my first day of staff training.

Back Tracking

I was going to write another paragraph about the rest of Thursday and Friday but let's face it- I want you to want to read this blog. I feel as though my wit and skill are dwindling. So instead I will zip through the past 2 days.
Adventures include:
Watching Ferris Bueller's Day off at a bar with tattooed bartenders ( kind of comforting in a way...) and a ceiling covered in draping red fabric,
Eating a jumbo Slice of Pizza (shared with Keeley)



Exploring the Hirshorn in depth for 2 hours

walking, walking, walking
eating
breathing
biking to Harris teeter to buy silken tofu for "tofredo sauce"- thanks to Tyler's sister who gave us the recipe as well as frozen spinach
Cooking said tofredo sauce with pasta and consuming
watching Law and Order online

sleep
wake up
eat delicious egg a-scrambled with cheddar cheese
and that brings us to SATURDAY!!!!!!!

The day started off with a trip to the Corcoran Gallery of Art to take advantage of the last free Saturday, a perk offered during the summer months. There was small collection of American art as well as some special photography exhibits which were very cool. Next we wandered as we have become quite good at doing- mostly around the historic Dupont area. We even tracked down good old Whole Foods-which was overwhelming. Unless I'm buying bulk food, it isn't worth the trip. Well, I say that now, but when I'm feeling homesick, I can always go if I want.After several hours of wandering, we came home, passing through the market on the way and hung out at home before venturing out for a wine and cheese extravaganza- It was hosted by my friend who I studied abroad with. It was an early birthday party and very fun. She provided cheese and snacks and everyone else brought wine to share. We had lots of fun and met new people. After a few hours there I briefly met up with some other friends who are in town visiting (Keeley and Mallory) as well as with Palmer and Amanda. Overall, a good night.

COLOR

I'm playing around with color combinations. warm or cool colors dear readers? Suggestions?

EUPHORIA of FRIDAY

FRIDAY! A beautiful word. Though I don't feel the same joy today as many people feel at this very minute of the 5 o'clock hour, (simply because I have been on vacation) I am excited for what the weekend has to offer, and excited to share my weekly adventures with you,

Following dearest mom's visit I had a visit form my friend and former roommate Keeley. She took a vacation this week which was perfectly timed to coincide with mine! I met her Thursday afternoon near Chinatown where the amazing Bolt Bus drops off and picks up for trips to and from NYC. It is orange and very cheap. Win win. I spent the morning walking from my apartment to downtown near the National Mall and it's environs. ( I like to throw around a french word from time to time) I also went to the National Portrait Gallery and saw many neat photographs. it is a place I would go back to because there is a lot to see- part of it houses the Smithsonian American Art Collection. I also got to see a huge photo of Obama and there were people there filming the museum visitors. But I digress....I picked Keeley up, we hopped on the mtero, dropped her stuff off and went to explore the U street area of the City. I had eaten dinner and had a drink in the area last weekend, however, the restaurant and bar were side by side and so I didn't really explore much. At first glance, we seemed to choose the wrong rode to walk down. Very few restaurants were around,and those that were did not suit our lunch budget. Finally we found a nice falafel shop. On the way there we did stumble upon a vintage clothing store as well as a vintage furniture store. Of course, we were weak from hunger and one cannot properly appreciate or shop for vintage on an empty stomach. After inhaling falafel pitas we went back to said stores and made friends with the owner, saw very cool furniture pieces and had a pleasant experience overall. To top it all off, we experienced the deliciousness of "Cake Love" one of several cupcakeries (thanks magnolia bakery for jumpstarting this trend) The owner/chef was there- he was very nice and we actually ended up in the actual bakery as opposed to the love café across the street. If you want to know more about him, google Warren Brown. he has cool hair also. Well dear readers, this post must be posted before my friday theme is no longer accurate as Saturday is quickly approaching.

To Be COntinued

'Ello Mumsy!

Moms are great. They bring you things you leave at home when you move: like a laundry basket, dresser, socks, an iron. They invite you to dinner and the yummy hotel breakfast where you can stealthily put extra fruit, yogurt and cream cheese packs in your purse. If you are me, you learned that from your mom. They go places like the George Washington Masonic temple- a place many people would overlook. They poke around strange thrift stores with you. And of course, they send you off with a hug and lots of love. That's about as mushy as I can get. I will save the more sentimental stuff for a personalized note to mumsy (another thing learned from mom)

I guess this means I should do a "dads are great" "sisters are great" and "boyfriends are great" and "friends are great" post..... stay tuned....

Mission Valentina

For those of you who are unaware of Valentina, just ask Tyler. It is his hot sauce of choice, available to Cosmic patrons in Chapel Hill as well as those bold enough to enter the world of a Mexican Tienda. So far, it has not graced us with it's presence in DC. We also haven't tried very hard. So, what ever shall I do during my week of vacation? Well, suggests Tyler, how about searching for Valentina up in Columbia Heights ( we know this area to be culturally and ethnically diverse, and this sweat inducing sauce isn't found in any old grocery store). I am already out and about and after an embarrassing failed attempt at faxing...(perhaps it was just busy, but that has nothing to do with the fact that I can't quite figure out how to place the pages in the machine...) I say, sure. Having read my handy "Not For Tourists: Washington DC edition" (though, it really is for tourists, like me, who don't want to feel as much like tourists) I know of a Latino grocery store somewhere near Columbia Heights. I am nervous, knowing well that I will stand out upon arriving, but I carry on. When I get outside, I immediately get lost. It is a somewhat familiar area but I cannot locate the road I was supposed to take to get to another road to get to the grocery. So I quickly wimp out and give up ( I am still slightly uncomfortable alone in areas I don't know well) As I pass a Giant (the brand) Grocery I think, well there is a large Hispanic population up here, maybe there are more Hispanic Food options. And I am correct! so what do I do? oh, buy 5 bottles of Valentina of course, so that Tyler can pour it over food and put himself through the joy/pain of eating Valentina. And then I hop over to Target. Now it's home sweet home again. Going running with Tyler tonight, brainstorming future blog plans (maybe) and most likely eating leftover beans and rice that Tyler can happily douse in Valentina. Thanks to me!

Blogging?

Fresh-faced, wide-eyed, new Washington DC resident seeks way to keep family* informed of activities and adventures and interesting tidbits of city life. Note*:(and possibly friends, if they want to read what I write- parents and sisters are obligated).

Je t'aime, Smithsonian

What to do, what to do..... Imagine it's Sunday and after taking advantage of various outdoor markets, cooling off and reading, and eating lunch you are left with an evening full of possibilities. Finally, it is decided. We shall bike ride to a Museum. A free Museum. A Smithsonian Museum. Ahhh sweet DC. One of many perks to living in the city, specifically, close to the National Mall, is the accessibility of Museums. Feel like learning more about fish and sharks? Visit the new Ocean Hall in Natural History. Need artistic inspiration? Visit the National Gallery of Art. Want to see a giant missile? Visit Air and Space. These jaunts are things I have both envisioned and succeeded in doing. It is a great feeling to have these museums so close by and an even greater feeling not to rush through because you are trying to see 6 museums in 2 days.