Things I Loved About Charleston

            I think that pictures tell a better story of my weekend than words so I'll let them do the talking.  I love love loved catching up with girlfriends I hadn't seen in way too long, drinking beach-y cocktails and wine before 5pm, eating pure powdered sugar for breakfast, having a coffee date atop the Ravenel Bridge, and enjoying a sun-soaked day on Sullivan's Island.  It was very tough to come back to reality!  But, I'm squeezing one more weekend out of summer with a trip to Dewey Beach before finally surrendering to my inner Fall freak who is just waiting in the wings, nubby sweater on and pumpkin spiced latte in hand.  I mean, have you seen my pinterest boards lately?  Fall obsessed.

P.S. In case you were wondering, while I have been galavanting and using up the last few bits of August, Cooper has been enjoying some quality time with the grandparents.  I miss the little man something awful but he is being sufficiently spoiled on the Mainline.  Mama Ball texted me a picture of Cooper and my dad eating ice cream cones together at Baskin Robbins last night...yeah, I'd say he's doing just fine :-)

Thought for a Wednesday

You are not a tree.

Yum!

            This past week was Restaurant Week in D.C.  I love an excuse to try out a new restaurant and I had been eyeing Ping Pong Dim Sum for a few weeks now so I was very excited to check it out.  It was delicious and a really fun first dim sum experience...though I think my favorite part of the meal was the raspberry/balsamic vinegar cocktail before dinner, followed closely by the banana and Nutella egg rolls for dessert.  Yeah.  That happened.

            If you're looking for something a little bit different than the usual sushi or Chinese food, definitely check out this swanky little spot in Dupont!  Happy snuggly, rainy Sunday to you!

Water Baby

            Having grown up spending my summers on the Eastern Shore, there is nothing I love more than being out on the water on a hot July day.  Put me on a boat in the sunshine and I'm a happy girl.  And being a city dweller these days I have missed all that (with the exception of my vacay time last week).  Which is why I was SO excited for a paddle boarding adventure at Jack's Boathouse last weekend.  I had always wanted to check out the boathouse that is tucked away under the Key Bridge and when I found out that they had stand up paddle boards...it was happening.  It was such a fun way to spend an afternoon and though I was not always the most graceful paddler on the Potomac, I loved every second of it...even the second when my board got stuck on a sand bar and I had to do a very unattractive, bikini-clad wiggle maneuver to unstick myself while a boat full of drunk men laughed at me.  Awkward.  But all embarrassment aside, I would highly recommend an afternoon at Jack's to anyone looking for an escape from a very sweaty, tourist-filled summer in D.C.

Withdrawal

         
            It was back to reality on Tuesday morning after a near perfect week-long vacation and though my 3.5 day week went by pretty quickly, I still lusting after the pictures of all that sunshine and Fox Point goodness I was able to take advantage over those (almost) 10 days.  I think Cooper is in withdrawal too...far fewer sticks to chew and a lot less wildlife to chase.  Unless, of course, you count the famous Glover Park rats in which case we've got those in spades.
            And because I am always the first to want to relive a vacation, I've got a few more pictures to share...I promise this is the last of them...I think...

You know that wildlife I was talking about?  Yeah...well...Cooper decided to get a little too close to it.  Which earned him an especially nasty stench followed by a trip to the outdoor shower.  As you can see, Cooper does not like showers.  Poor guy.

Hanging with the mamas

Would not be summertime at Fox Point without this girl

           And though I am a little sad that my official summer vacation is over, I'm not throwing in the (beach)towel just yet.  Stay tuned for some more from the summer bucket list, a visit down south, and Dewey Beach weekend part II!

Oh and P.S.!  Happy Birthday today to my sweet Mama.  Best a girl could ask for.