How to Start Your Day

This morning, I woke up to a pile of cat yack filled with cricket carcasses! What a wonderful start to the week. Poor little party cat seems to have overdosed on HBCs...I can't say I'm not thrilled by her inner-killah spirit, but I think someone's learned her limits...

Meanwhile, I have spinach everywhere!!! 

(yes, this post has guaranteed my spot to early granny-hood. Cat + garden = 80-year old trapped in my body. Can't stop won't stop.)

On Saturday, I went to a local wine festival with my love Sara! Met another Sarah and had fun running into people of the past and tasting all the (mostly) delicious wine from around town. Note: Horton's fruit wine is a no-go. Blech.

And finally, the countdown is on. It's been almost two months since I've seen this fool and almost one year since our lives ended completely. SW 2011!!!! Who could forget?!? But not to dwell on these subjects, as we have much more pressing issues at the moment... : 

I would be fooling everyone to say I haven't been brainstorming this little photo shoot. It'll go down in the books! Besides, how could this little LL not create a magical holiday memory?!?

She's sfp.

Riding my bike to work tomorrow and nobody can stop me. I'm looking at you, rain.

Over and out,

hmc

Best Day Evah?

Frolicking in fields. Playing with weeds. Looking at pretty flowers. Sounds about right.

Stay Up and Make Some Memories

Sigh, such a good weekend. So productive. So happy, despite the ick weather. So pumped to rediscover my love for Dave Matthews Band (guilt free! baha). 

Ahh, those were the days!

On Friday night, I crept out of my house and met up with Kirtley at the Whisky Jar for drinks and catch-up.  He is the definition of quirky, and I love it. We ran into Meghan, which always makes me ecstatic, and the night took off from there. I left my car downtown with the idea that I'd just run to pick it up in the morning. Brilliant plan! Until...I wake up to a rainy Saturday, a tad hungover, and realize my running shoes are in my trunk, 4 miles away. I found out just how long it would take me to walk to work...

After my DT hike, I roasted coffee and thought about cleaning my espresso machine. For some reason, thinking about cleaning that thing is so much more appealing than actually doing it. Tomorrow is another day, right??

I went over to Kirtley's grandpa's house to pick through some goodies. Does he know me or what? Digging through other peoples stuff is the best way to spend an afternoon--and I made out like a bandit! A yellow camel planter!! A typewriter!! Some ridiculous drinking glasses!! A BLUE PYREX DISH! True love.

Obviously got one (ok, two) for CSex.

The cactus that broke the camel's back?

It rained all last night, and there are few things more delicious than sleeping with the windows open,  listening to fat drops hit the tree branches on the way down. Even party cat seemed to enjoy it. The cherry on top was receiving a call from my faves--Roberta and Sarah--from a Charleston bachlorette weekend. It sounded...successful!

Today was one of those weird Sundays that seemed to drag on and on and I was able to accomplish so much on my weekend to-do list. It's a miracle. I'm not sure that I believe in nesting, but who knows. I feel like I've been nesting my entire life. I could honestly be in my house all weekend, just tinkering with "stuff," and I'd be completely happy. Someone once asked me, 'what do you do on the weekends??' I don't feel like I watch much TV, and I know I am horrible about answering emails and texts and phone calls. I think it runs in my genes to be happy being alone with myself, thinking and crafting and doing whatever I please. I got my "garden" all dug up and I brainstormed where my chicken coop will go!! SO excited. 

Then...I made more food than I have since I moved here. 

Made a little bit of this:

Some of these: 

And ok, this too: 

There may be something gastronomically wrong with me, because I ate my face off the entire weekend. No regrets. It was all delicious. And, I have massive leftovers!! The world is just! I want to bring some of this to Feaster in Fredvegas...just need to decide which one to make!! 

HiHoHiHo in the morning. Blahhh.

Loves,

Hannah

Weekend Scenes

Get-out-of-work-free cards for Caroline. Strolls in the city. Finding our way into the Newseum (for free!!). Long-awaited coffee talks. Visiting groups. Reunions in the Basement of Sin. VP PSLs. Nails done hair done errything done. Banana french toast. Trader J catch ups.  Pizza Pizza! Joyrides in the ole T-Bird. Fantastic start to a beautiful spring. 

Made just for Caroline...

"THAT'S QUEEN CAROLINE, TO YOU!"

Soaking it in.

And then...Molly's birthday! Authentic 80s garb. Bad, bad hair. Violet and green eyeshadow. One-piece glitter jump suits with tight-rolled pants. Dinner at Whisky Jar. Drinks at Sky Bar. Tickets to the Legwarmers! 75-degree nights downtown. Blingidy bling. 

She don't mess. 

....and I got Internet in my house! The clouds have parted and the angels are singing! Or at least my blog may be revived....fingers crossed!

xoxox,
Hannah

It's A Christmas Miracle

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday yesterday and ate our faces full of BBQ ribs, cheesy potatoes, brussel sprouts, and amazing chocolate cheesecake that one of Pete's aerobics ladies made him. It was sugar suicide and worth every bite. We had a record 4 dogs in Grandpa's house, ranging from 5 to 75lbs, and amazingly enough, no catastrophes occurred because of them.

Who, me??

On Christmas Eve, we toasted to my wonderful grandma who would have been 83 years old (I think). Truly one of the most amazing women I ever knew, and I think she would have appreciated our semi-flat, local champagne and complimentary bottle of beer toasted in her honor. 

Christmas is always a little weird at our house because we are a super low-maintenance family and rarely ever need anything. This might sound like a blessing, and it probably is, but when it comes to getting gifts for everyone it can be a challenge. We can always resort to the ole socks and underwear grab bag, but that can get old after a while. My mom always manages to find us the strangest, most awesome "treasures" from various thrift stores and estate sales throughout the year--one year we got a baby incubator, a chandelier, and a velvet rendering of the Last Supper. Classics, right??

This is what happens when Rudolph comes through The Lou...

This year's theme seemed driven by alcohol, as we had a more than 40 different beers accumulate under the tree, several bottles of wine that Pete bottled himself, and even fancy old-man whisky. This is particularly funny seeing that my parents aren't big drinkers, and I'm usually satisfied falling back on a light and airy PBR in a can. We fancy huh now, I guess. 

My little house is coming along slowly, and my tree and assortment of Christmas cards on the mantle managed to give it a pretty homey feel. Even the crickets laid low yesterday and gave me some peace...

I went to a killer pedal, kettle, bosu ball class this morning with a couple girls from work, and now I am ready to spend the rest of the day lounging, reading, and downloading music for a new mixed CD. Thank Jewus for week-long vacas! Can't wait to rage in DC with my lovers this weekend to bring in the New Year!

Countdown to VP PIC Pregame in the MPL!! Love it.

Happy early New Year!

xoxox,

Hannah

While You Were Sleeping...

I'm in Fredvegas with the one and only fabulous Alwang lady and I'm making a special-request post just for her. Here are some snippets of things I've been doing while my poor, sad blog has fallen to the wayside...

Blessing of the Hounds

My parents' new puppy! I spy...

Room with a view and some shiny new windows...

Getting rll fancy...

A very Canard Christmas. <3

Off to Ikea tomorrow, hooray hooray! Then--Julianne on Sunday! The angels are singing for real...

Happy Weekend,

Hannah

The Winds of Change like woah...

My life has taken some pretty dramatic turns the last few days, and while I'm super very extremely excited about some aspects, I am equally (dramatically) depressed about the others. So far, I am l-o-v-i-n-g my new gig and all the people who work there. I'm obsessed with Central Virginia and all that it has to offer...

...like vineyards, and horse country, and morning dew on the way to work. Sigh.

However...I'm am also very sad about the following items of business:

Our dog. Duh.

88 MILES?!?! FOL.

Das basement of sin and smooches.

Being sooo pretty.

And soooo smart!

So. I'm in the process of caulking holes, painting primer, picking paint colors, moving beds, setting up Internet connections, joining clubs, makin' fraaands, crafting Halloween costumes, going to happy hours, and in general getting myself back to the place I was always meant to be. In the meantime, connection to the outside world is super limited--there's so much to learn, so much to do, so much to see. 

It's funny to think that somehow, after all this time, the grass has always been a little bit greener here...

xoxo,

Hannah

Soooo Sad, Sooo Depressed

Shit is getting real now. Can't handle it.

SW continues. We've taken our dorky depression to a whole new level. No shame. None. Sigh.

Oh dear...

Oh Copper...

I'm getting really good at stretching out these weekends, and I think I've found the key: never go to sleep. Go out on Friday night and dance dance dance until it's 4am and crash at a downtown apartment with some fools and an automatic skittles machine. Brilliant!

Friday Night: Rage in Dupont (check it off the list)!

Flew home from work, changed into my boots (boot season is finally upon us), smoothed on the red lips, and headed downtown to meet up with B-rad and Wheels. Did a little pregame, sipped some Abita Purple Haze (oh! my favorite!), attempted to power hour, then walked two feet down the street to bars and dancing and clubs oh my! Either there was something in the water this night or we found the water hole for delicious men because people were on.their.game.

Saturday: Great Falls Park "Hike"

I've been trying for two whole years to go bowling or hiking or SOMETHING with Jenny, and we finally set a date to wander GF Park, gaze at some muddy rapids, and enjoy the textbook-perfect fall weather. We met up at the falls and, in a somewhat hungover state, navigated the treacherous paths together.

I blurred your face to highlight your magical shirt but obvi I still lurve you.

After our walk, I spent the rest of the day catching up on Disney movies I've never seen (I'm looking at you, Fox and Hound), sippin PSLs, sitting in our chairs outside with our slippers, and eating chicken fingers dipped in blue cheese. Mmmm....

Sunday: Ugh. Running.
Woke up. Ran 4 miles-ish. Went to the dog park. Chugged Gatorade. Made some homemade yogurt. Nahx4Nahx4Nahx4.  Begrudgedly began a little tiny teeny bit of packing. Aaanddd the rest is pretty much a blur.

Counting down the days till we dominate das dance floor again. Not counting the days to some other scary deadline. Oh dear...

SW in the Vintage Place...is on....

xoxo, Hannah

How Life Is Supposed to Be Lived

It's 80 degrees. You're eating oysters. You've caught enough crabs to feed six people. You've got good jams, good drinks, good friends. It's October. You brunch at Rayfields. You take drives to Virginia Beach to pick up Bailey's Cake for birthday celebrations. You buy new nail polish. You go to used book sales at small-town libraries that have been converted from old churches. You buy 3 hardback books for $1.00. It's 80 degrees.

There are cute dogs...everywhere.

It's 80 degrees.

You lay out by the pool.

You get good kisses.

You wander the bay.

You drive down country roads and snap close-ups of the cotton fields.

You drool over old buildings and fantasize about renovations.

You sip Cape Charles coffee.  You eat bagels with lox and capers and onions and cream cheese. You make garlic bread.

You are free to "express yourself."

You drive a turquoise T-bird for four hours with the top down. You film everything.

YOU DO IT FOR MELFA!!

Basically, you are this woman:

She's rlll famous.

xoxo,
Hannah