A Perfect Sunday

            After Irene had her way with the DC area and headed north to torture the New Yorkers, we were left with one of the most beautiful days I've seen in a while.  Perfectly clear skies, lots of sunshine, and temperatures that were just right for a hike in Rock Creek Park with the sister and the puppy love and ice cream on the patio at Dos Gringos in Mount Pleasant just because.  In case you were curious, Katie and I tried the black raspberry and the blueberry and Cooper got cherry water ice.  Needless to say, I was a very happy girl and grateful for the dose of some vitamin D after spending all day yesterday holed up and hiding out from the rain.

Somebody was in heaven!

            The only downfall to the weekend (minus the whole hurricane thing) is that its Sunday night which means the party's over and its back to the real world in the morning.  Wah wahhhh.  Sleep tight!

Hurricane Schmerricane

            With all of the talk about Hurricane Irene making her epic debut here in D.C., I figured it was time for the obligatory Irene post.  And I hate to disappoint but Irene was kind of all talk.  Sure there are some trees down and the streets are a mess with leaves and branches and the random lawn chair here and there but other than that the storm was a little bit of a flop.

The calm before the storm...

The aftermath

            We prepped for the storm with a trip to Dixie Liquor (I'm afraid we are becoming quite the regulars :-) where Cooper met some new friends and made himself quite at home.

            Then, as the seemingly endless rain poured outside, the girls (and pup) of 35th parked ourselves in a cuddle puddle in the living room watching one too many episodes of the Kardashians until we finally rallied and headed out into the storm to toast Irene at the hurricane party at Mason Inn.  Though my Hunters are not my party shoe of choice there was something kind of fun about everyone being cooped up in the bar in their hurricane best while the storm raged on outside.

Forgive the jammies and lack of makeup

Love these girls

Hope you had a fun weekend and stayed safe and dry!

Quite the Week

            I wrote this post earlier this week but am just now getting around to publishing it.  It's been a busy week filled with all of the drama you would expect when not one but two natural disasters are hitting your new city.  Tuesday's earthquake was crazy to say the least and mid-quake I found myself debating whether I should hide under my desk or run to the bathroom and pull a mattress over my head.  Oh wait...that's for the tornadoes that I grew oh so accustomed to in Nashville.  And now to top it off Hurricane Irene is making her way up the coast and threatening to give us a soaker of a weekend.  But I have no doubt that there will be more than one hurricane party and lots of snuggle time with the Cooper man (who finally made his way to his new home on Thursday!) in store on this rainy weekend.
            And if you're wondering what I've been up to since I moved into my new hood, these pictures will hopefully give you a little bit of an idea!

So I know it's a tourist trap but I couldn't help myself...

I got the banana split cupcake which is basically banana bread with lots of icing.  Yum.

A gorgeous night on the Georgetown waterfront...which will likely be under water once Irene gets her hands on it.

The picture is a little blurry but I couldn't get over the sky the other night and had to document.

Hope you have a happy Saturday...don't get blown away!

So Far, So Good

            It's been a week since I made the move to the district and so far I am liking this new city and all of the fun and friends that come with it.  Last week was slightly stressful with the start of the new job and the return of that whole head-is-about-to-explode feeling and the weight of responsibility that accompanies getting acclimated to something new.  But the stress of being a grown-up was tempered by the good stuff that grown-ups get to do when homework is no longer a part of the agenda.  Stuff like happy hours with friends and mid-week movie dates and margaritas with long lost sorority sisters and dinners on patios with a sister who is now also a neighbor.

            Liza and I had a romantic little date at the West End Cinema (which reminds me so much of the Belcourt Theater in Nashville!) last week where we saw Life in a Day.  Its a really amazing documentary created from a compilation of youtube videos sent in from 192 different countries.  From sunrise to sunset the documentary details the human experience on any given day and its pretty remarkable to see just how alike we all really are.  For those who have seen it, were you not dying during the footage of the baby giraffe?  I need to have a baby giraffe.  For those who haven't seen it, go.  It's worth it.

Somebody had a birthday!  And wanted to murder us all for arranging this little sombrero situation.

            And to top it all off, I am finally an official Georgetown resident and couldn't be more in love with my mini house.  Definitely a work in progress but I am imagining quite the housewarming party once we get this little baby all prettied up.

What do you think?  Worth the wait?

            And a sneak peak of what will eventually be my (and Cooper's!) gorgeous grown-up bedroom!  Don't worry...the air mattress is only a temporary fix until the real deal arrives in the POD this weekend! Can't wait to have all my things in one place.  

     Hope you're having a happy week!

Day One

            Today marked day one of this new D.C. adventure and though my first twenty-four hours were not filled with anything extravagant, I got a little taste of what life is going to be like in this city and I have to say...so far so good!

I had to do it

            Last night I had a little dinner date with my best girlfriend (who you will likely be seeing lots of on the blog in days to come) and rendezvous-ed with some long lost Louisiana friends (including one future roommate!) who I hadn't hugged in far too long.  This afternoon was spent catching up with new and old friends and exploring Eastern Market.  Reminded me of the Nashville Flea Market and the amazing indoor market near Fisherman's Wharf in San Fran (what was the name of that place, Han?).  Though the weather was soupy and about a bazillion degrees the afternoon was pretty perfect and it was a great way to spend my last day of freedom before heading off to day one of work.

Hi Lize!

            Looking forward to a week of fun and lots of face time with my sissy slash roommate for the week and counting the days til the official move-in day this weekend.  Anyone have any suggestions for how to park a POD filled with all of your earthly possessions on a very steep, cobble stone street with out it toppling down the hill onto M Street?  I'm a little afraid for how this one is gonna turn out :-/.

P.S.  I thought about posting a horrifically embarrassing first day of work self-photo tomorrow (much like this little first day at the hospital gem) because I really love my day one outfit but I guess I'll spare you...

Vacation All I Ever Wanted

            The final day of my last summer vacation ever is here and I am being careful to remind myself to soak up every second.  And there is no better place to do that then on the Eastern shore of Maryland at Fox Point.  When I am here, my cell phone only gets limited service, internet access is non-existent, and I can virtually escape from the stress and demand of every day life.  Though I can only stand this peace and quiet for a few days before I start to wander around looking for signs of civilization, I cherish the times when I can get away for a few days of lounging poolside, reading for pleasure, and floating in a giant purple inner tube on the creek (which is where you will usually find me...I'm thinking of rigging up a rope tied to the dock so that if I happen to doze off mid-float I won't end up under the neighbor's dock or dangerously close to the snake territory along the shoreline).

            Last weekend I had the opportunity to show off my favorite place in the world and much like the times when I have introduced out of town friends to the City of Brotherly Love, I have found myself appreciating this place even more after seeing it through new eyes.

We take sunscreen very seriously in this family

Annnd there was a greased watermelon...

Which later became a delicious watermelon salad!

            So as vacation time comes to a close and the days where UVA rays will be replaced with fluorescent ones are quickly approaching I am both nervous to be heading out into the grown-up world and thrilled to finally begin this new life in D.C. that has been impending for so long now.  I'm not really sure what the future holds or how I will settle into life in the district but I do know that there are good things to come.  A creature of habit I may be, but when it is forced upon me, I find myself refreshed by change and excited by the unknown.

            And just because I can and because I miss this little face ohsomuch...a Cooper pic for your viewing pleasure.  Can't wait until he makes his debut in the district and joins me in Georgetown in just 3 weeks!

Stay tuned to find out how I spent my first day here in D.C.!