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

Stacy's Mom...

...just came on the radio. Am I in a time warp? Am I wearing my hair in a slicked-back pony tail and running shorts from the 10th grade (well, maybe I am. Some things will never change). Usually I'm a big fan of 106.1, but this is throwing me for a loop. Not cool, Stacy. Or your mom. 

Love B-Sav.

However--I have been really into this little song called Emmylou by the Swedish band First Aid Kit. It's soft and southern-y and leaves visions of Emmylou H's amazing silver locks dancing through my head. Emmylou Harris always reminds me of my mom and her crazy friend Wendy, as they put her on a pretty high pedestal when I was growing up. Can't blame a girl. She's pretty grand. 

Today was one of the first "slow" days I've had at work in a while. It was weird. I think back to my last job and how ungodly boring every aspect was and it makes me appreciate even more how much I like my new gig...even if it leaves me wanting to slice 75% of my teachers on a weekly basis. Sigh. Got to work and my boss lady had an Irish Car Bomb Cupcake waiting for me on my desk. Hello! 

Tomorrow the girls and I are headed to Continental Divide to make up for serious lost birthday time and chug a few margs/stuff our faces with drippy nachos. For some reason, I've only been to Continental after Foxfield when I've spent hours baking in the sun and Lilly Pulitzer and PBR. I mean, it always tastes great then, so I'm sure their food is fantastic!

Just 'cause you wear Lilly don't mean you classy.

T minus (I hope) two days until I have a working toilet, sink, and shower in my little house. They look pretty fly in my front yard, but I think the neighbors are starting to fret. I'm hoping that SFP CarSex can visit this weekend, but time will only tell....gotta get fancy for that hoe. 

Ok. Serious stream-of-consciousness post. Locking up and locking down. 

xoxo,

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

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

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

The Hook

The weekend verdict? Stay in town with the 'rents and listen to some banjo-playin' fools while catching up with an old friend over spinach, artichoke, and asparagus pizza. Yumm. I haven't seem Tim in almost two years, which is crazy to me because he was one of my best friends in high school and we used to always run in the same circles (literally). I love bumping into people you haven't seen or talked to in forever and picking up exactly where you left off. It's so refreshing--I only I wish I'd brought my camera to catch a picture of Tim's stylish new grizzly man beard. It was v. impressive. 

Meanwhile, everything in the Lou is bursting in techno-color green. The fields are lush and delicious and ready for fall. My mom was on her typical mission: find something to paint, stat! So, she pulled out the new ladder she bought for her bathroom and started sanding. It began a sad, chipped blue color but ended with an awesome glossy black finish--the perfect addition to her room.

Also, it's walnut season like woah. Watch your head...

What's the story, morning glory? They've taken over the blackberry patch.

More exciting news at my parents' house: they planted two fig trees (and "they already have figs! See!?!'). Gettin' figgy with it. 

On one of her recent scavenger hunt adventures, my mom found this old medicine cabinet for $3 and decided it was something I needed to fix up and have. Umm, ok!!

So proud. 

I found this Anthropologie mug at Goodwill for a whopping $.35!! I'm gonna pretend the 'm' is for my middle name....

Boo lovin'.

So ladylike...

My parents are in the process of "renovating" their patio. In the meantime,  the front yard is a giant sand pit filled to the brim with walnuts and cats. Tiger especially loves to lie, play, roll, and frolic anywhere near the glorified, oversized litter box. Meow.

Saturday night, we went to Montpelier to watch fireworks for Constitution Day. It was awesome because we got to "sneak" in the back gate and drive to a secluded part of the steeplechase course to watch the show all by ourselves--how many people get to use James Madison's estate as their personal playground? Super lucky, and it was the perfect night for fireworks. 

Anyway. Don't have to work until 4:00pm today. Who knows when I'm leaving... midnight at the earliest...? Trying my best to keep the cranky pants at bay. We shall see. 

xxx, Hannah