The Good

One of my favorite past times in DC is to walk across the Francis Scott Key Bridge from Rosslyn, VA, to Georgetown, DC.  You can see the Monument, the Watergate, and Roosevelt Island.  You will also experience low-flying planes on their way to Reagan. Georgetown in all its snootiness didn't want a Metro stop within it's superior borders so the only way to get there by public transportation (besides by bus) is to take the Metro to Rosslyn or Foggy Bottom (in DC) and walk a bit to get to M Street (the Park Avenue/Newbury Street equivalent for DC). 

Much to my dismay, I have not inherited my mother's green thumb.  I kill most plants I bring into my apartment. However, these two - a basil plant and pretty succulent - are still around and doing pretty well. I guess I am growing up after all. Yeah, right.

I noticed sunsets here more than any other place I have lived. Maybe that's because I live on the tenth floor and have an incredible view of the sky. This also the land of roof decks. Most of my friends have them here and during these warm days, I have been lucky to have spent many an evening lazing about various roof patios and eating an insane amount of ridiculously delicious food.

One of the things I love most about him is how serious and intellectual he can be. From what the future holds to what type of hot sauce to choose. Seriously, he should be a professional taste tester just for the awesomely intense face he makes when he's trying a new type of food.

My future haunt. I visited here a few weeks ago and was thrilled to walk on these hallowed grounds. I still cannot quite believe that this is all happening. The mere thought of being here is like a warm, energizing elixir to my wandering spirit. More updates to follow in a few weeks!

Quite frankly, the best margaritas I have ever made. Well, that WE made on the Fourth. Although the headache I had the next morning was quite frankly the worst one I have ever had. Just not the girl I was at 22.

I like us.

My Mum

 

Love her so so much.  I am the luckiest daughter on earth. I will always feel that way.

Happy Mother's Day!

A Spring Weekend

An Easter lily from my beau

The fragrance from this delicate flower perfumed my apartment in the spirit of the Easter season!

Spicy Mexican Pizza from We the Pizza

A Saturday evening meal with friends in Capitol Hill. I finally tried out We the Pizza with their homemade sodas and freshly made pizza!

DC United Game At RFK Stadium

I finally checked out RFK stadium by attending a DC United soccer match (they tied to Seattle Sounders 0-0) with some work girlfriends. We laughed raucously and had merry time!

An evening Easter service at St. Matthew's in DC

 Easter Sunday in Virginia was gorgeously sunny and 70 degrees! I went to an evening service at St. Matthew's Cathedral near Farrugut North in DC with a friend. The evening was a perfect temperature. I arrived early so I strolled around the neighboring streets to enjoy the luscious spring blooms.

Strolling by the Uzbekistan Embassy before church

 Just an absolutely lovely spring evening.

Easter outfit

I took this sly shot of my Easter dress to share with family, but those who read this little blog are my family too! Happy Easter!

Happy New Year!

What a difference a year can make. For both the good and the bad. In 2011, I was lucky with good turns of events.  I am grateful for every minute of this past year. I hope for more adventures in 2012 and  also to have a life filled with love, for a life without love is not really a life at all.  May you all have love in 2012! Happy New Year!

May You Have Peace and Joy

My favorite holiday decor on a farm in rural Maine (a brilliant star on an early winter's night)

Wishing everyone a joyous and peaceful holiday with everyone they love! Merry Christmas! xoxo

Holiday Scenes and Blessings

Thanks to Pinterest, I decided to make garlands of my favorite Christmas song lyrics

I mean, why not be merry?

L.L. Bean's Christmas Tree (one year they hung colorful Nalgiene bottles on the tree, I miss that)

In Georgetown, they put bows on their houses!

A refined Christmas in DC's Embassy Row

Christmas bundles all ready to be delivered!

Me decked out for a holiday party downtown!

It's been an incredibly hectic holiday season. But when I stop to reflect, it's all good things. I am very lucky. Lucky for the amazing friends and family in my life. Lucky for my job, my little apartment, and the possibilities that next year will hopefully bring. I am blessed in so many ways. Life is good.

The Simple Sameness

Home to Maine last week was a welcome respite from the quick, unrelenting pace of Washington life. My job had crescendoed in many unexpected ways and I desperately needed a softer tempo to ease the tension. I needed some of that simple sameness that going home always affords. I awoke Wednesday morning to a heaving snowfall, a perfect change from the still humid climes of Virginia. 

We have a quiet, lovely thanksgiving with all the same traditions - the parade, hor d'oeuvres at noon, dinner at four, a walk with the lanthorn (old-fashioned word for lantern) after dinner, and enjoying pie and Miracle on 34th Street (the newer version). 

It felt so very good to be home with the people (and the animals!) that know me best.

Woke up to a foot and half of snow on my first morning home

Mae by a crackling fire

The table set for our Thanksgiving feast

Isabelle warming herself by the stove as the turkey cooks

An early birthday gift - an original oil painting by Maine artist, Vivian Wixom

A Hallow's Evening

A cute Halloween bucket I found at Target (LOVE the Boo font) and a UNICEF Halloween card from my Mum!

My Halloween is a handing out candy to a handful of kids in my building, eating a fall meal of pork and brussel sprouts, watching Harry Potter, and thinking about plans for the coming months. 

Life is such a funny, funny game...

Lots of Love

My Memorial Day Weekend consisted of a trip to New York City/Long Island for the wedding of my college friend, Caitlin, to her longtime love, Jeff. It was a gorgeous weekend both in terms of the weather and a fabulous wedding. 

I traveled to NYC on Saturday morning and met up with friends to see the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit at the Met. Needless to say, the place was PACKED. We waited in a line for the exhibit for over an hour (a line that wound around the museum). But it was SO WORTH IT. The exhibit is only up until July 31, so it is definitely in high demand. Just utterly amazing in terms of the textures, the materials, the presentation, everything. The man was a tortured genius and after seeing the exhibit, I am curious to know more about his life.  Both deeply unsettling and inspiring. See it and you'll know what I mean.

After the crowds of the Met, we lounged on the grass in Central Park for a few hours - absolutely delightful - and then wandered over to Greenwich Village for supper at a Mexican restaurant.

On Sunday, we dressed in our finest and traveled to Long Island for the wedding, which was held in a beautiful cathedral. The ceremony was so lovely and Caitlin was positively radiant, more beautiful than I have ever seen her.

The reception later that night was a splendid affair - a chance to catch up with dear, old friends and celebrate the first of us to get married (yikes!).

McQueen at the Met

The gorgeous married couple

Gratuitous fashion shot of me (Dress: H&M, Shoes: DSW, Clutch: TJ Maxx, Jewelry: J. Crew)

A quiet moment of friends at dinner

Two Katies looking resplendent

A conversation between old friends

A poorly lit image of an engaged couple living it up on the dance floor!

Cheers to the happy couple!

 

She

I mean, how GORGEOUS is she?!?

Always inquisitive and interested in new things and people

Yes, we have the same winter coat. We are both awesome and warm.

She

My mother

is 

just 

beautiful

intelligent

inquisitive

funny

supportive

AMAZING.

She's my best friend, and I am so grateful for her every day.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!!

There's Nothing Like Family

Antiquing with my mother in Alexandria

My dad peruses the delicacies at Eastern Market

Brimming bowls of lattes and plates laden with freshly herbed eggs  at Le Pain Quotidien

The electric ceiling of the tunnel connecting the two buildings of the National Gallery of Art

My beautiful, stylish mom outside The Dubliner near Union Station in DC

Our Easter dinner table (the lace tablecloth was crocheted by my Great Grandma Cora)

The past week has been a whirlwind of family visits, dinners, sight seeing, and other activities around DC.  It was cyclonic but so lovely. It was so special to see not only my parents but my closet aunt and uncle and their eldest son and his wife, all in the matter of a few weeks! Family is very important to me and it filled me with such joy to have this company. It was especially wonderful to have my parents here, staying in my apartment, touring my work, walking around my city - it made this new life of mine seem more real and meaningful. I have always been a lucky girl in my life, but now, here, I feel more lucky than ever and more appreciative of what I have been given, especially the incredible friends and family in my life.