Midday Pick-Me-Up

What speaks Spanish but doesn’t come from Spain?

Resides in the cold and dark despite the summer heat?

Is brown when born but tends to lose its color when exposed to humans?

Is a little old school but people still think it’s pretty sweet?

Has Hannah written all over it?

Wedding Reception, Anyone?

On Friday, I met a group at Mt. Vernon for some touring and beautiful weather. This teacher is one of my favorites--super friendly, dedicated to his students, always positive and looking for ways to make his kids have a better experience, appreciative, etc. They're from California and were being eaten alive by allergies... I guess it's a small price to pay for blooming cherry trees, farm animals, and some left-over dirt from Mr. Washington. 

Spent the night with Caroline and went back downtown on Saturday to explore and soak up the cloud-free skies. Plus, I've been dying to check out the US Botanic Gardens because everyone has told me that it's a "lame" place to send my groups. Let me just say this: every single one of my groups will be visiting the gardens from this point out! I don't know what everyone's thinking--this place is gorgeous. It's a gigantic greenhouse that's sectioned off into different climate zones and plant types. There's a jungle. There's a desert. There was entire exhibit on rare orchids. I could have stayed forever. As Caroline pointed out, "not everyone likes plants as much as you," but I don't see how this can be ignored. It's right next to the Capitol, so no excuses, people! If I had a million dollars, I'd rent this place for a weekend and hold an amazing party. Everyone would have little orchids in their drinks and there'd be hidden benches for people to sneak away and smooch (maybe I just want to recreate Eileen's wedding). Garden party, 2012-style.

Before we hit up the Gardens, we grabbed lunch near Eastern Market at Tortilla Cafe. $7 for empanadas and yucca and plantains!? Yes please. We ate in the grass and it was heavenly.

Botanic Garden what what!

This is where I started to die/melt of happiness.

Happy Lady, obviously.

Finally made it home after being away for three days. Luckily, I wasn't forgotten and managed to fit in some quality Abita snuggling. Thanks again, Dad, for watching her this weekend (and not letting her escape/get eaten by coyotes...)

Back to the grind in the morning, but I'm waking up to fresh roasted coffee, planted peppers, and new magnolias out my front door. Spring in Virginia is where I always want to be.

xoxo,

Hannah

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

Tiny Things That Are Making Me Happy

Unexpected wildflower bouquets waiting for me at home.

This ridiculous cigar cat-nip toy (Maudie's part cat).

My dishes out in full force!

Happy Monday, loves!

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

She Lives?

It's been a while and it may be a while, but I'm popping in to say hi! I've been buried under dust and construction, but my tiny kitchen is coming along and it's almost finished (!!). I'm preparing myself for the next step...the dreaded bathroom. Eeek! I've become a pro at indoor camping, and I am loving the wall colors we picked and the way my jars look so nice all lined up in a row. I'm waiting until the final-final product to post some befores and afters, but the pictures can really do no justice, anyway. We've come a long way, baby...

Meanwhile, I've had birthday celebrations--I've worked up to running 7.5 miles!--and I've finally started to get the hang of things at work (...sort of).

 The weather in Virginia has been insane. We had 5 inches of snow on Monday, and by Friday it was 75 degrees, sunny, and we were lunching on the roof.

 Old faithful nom nom...

Jimson weed discoveries at Windy Knoll. 

Down on da farm.

 Perfect nose for smooching.

 Hanging on for dear life.

Steve Keene looking good in every nook. 

Finally got to break out my Pyrex dishes!! And Iced Capp season is upon us, so life is beautiful!

I am so so lucky and thankful to have my wonderful grandpa and all his craziness. He may be old and he may be long-winded, but he has always given everything he has to make sure we're happy and taken care of --I   am more grateful that he probably knows. By the time we're finished, ole Bennington won't even know what hit it. 

Happy Almost-Daylights-Savings,

Hannah

She Lives!

... I'm inching closer and closer to having an established homestead and INTERNET!!! I know, it's a miracle beyond words, but just know that I have been insanely busy; cooped in the boondocks; filling my brain with an inordinate amount of information; traveling, near and far, with some of the most glorious ladies in the world; and figuring out what the hell I'm going to craft for our family Thanksgiving feast (horse-shaped pumpkin loaf, duhs).

Still wishing I could enjoy VP PSLs every day and ride my bike to work and be told I'm soooo pretty every .5 seconds, but in the meantime I am packed to the brim with new adventures. 

I'm sitting here, waiting for the dear and wonderful Kirtley to come my way and toast to our new neighborly addresses. This weekend will hold more painting, more scrubbing, and more adjusting of furniture in hopes of creating the most glorious little nest...ever. 

Give it time, people. I'll be back on the radar soon!

xoxox, 

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