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

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

Big Ditto On That

Breaking news: we finally checked off a goal from the white board and went out to the wild unknown... a wharf. A wharf, you may say? Why in god's name would you choose a wharf for a weekend adventure?? I'll tell you why--it's got fish. And crabbies. And weird people trolling around and natives chillin on their house boats and little mangy fat squirrels running around eating everyone's leftovers. Who wouldn't want a piece of that??

We started off bright and early with a homemade PumpkinSpiceLatte (VP PSL), put on some serious walking shoes, and headed downtown. However, before we left, we were faced with the most daunting task of all: surviving Hayley's guilt trip.

Sooo sad! How much is that stupid doggie in the window, because she's rll cute.

God. CarSex is just as depressing. Matching sad faces? Give me a break people, we'll be back in a few hours! Lock it up!

Moing on. We made it to the cityyyyy. And saw some birds on a light post.

This is A dock.

We found some boats. See?

This was the cutest one of all. Green thumb + waterfront + shady canopy + picnic table = everything's better down where it's wetter, take it from me.

The fish market!

...visions of Cape Charles danced in her head.

Ouch Ouch Ouch!

Fried oysters...mmmm......

After we stuffed ourselves with the appropriate amount of seafood, waded our way though traffic, and weaved in and out of blobs of small children, we wandered to the Mall to revel in all that was the National Book Festival. BOOKS EVERYWHERE!

Exhibit A: this is not a Land Baron.

Yes, yes--awkward pictures aside, this was a brilliant discovery and we stocked up on !free! posters, pamphlets, and delicious readings from some of our nation's finest writers. Can't you see we are bursting with culture?



Unattractive giddiness taking over!

All in all--weekend success! Got our exploration on; ate some seafood; wandered the city; returned my North Face jacket to [finally] have the hood repaired; ate lunch with Jeanne; shredded; and watched some weird Sunday-night movie. Hip Hip Hooray!

Sunday snuggles <3

xxx,
Hannah

Do It for Melfa!

Driving four hours across the bay for a crabbie feast with some crazies is always 100% worth it. "Working from home" is the best invention ever, especially when home includes intense sunshine and a pool and "working" includes Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier and Duoz CheezeIts. Some people have all the luck.



Hayley enjoyed her vacation, even if it was spent having her picture taken roughly 50,000 times.



Sooo spoiled soooo sleepy...

Jebby came back for a visit from vet school orientation. So fancy.

Thanks for letting me sleep in yo bed again.

We ate pie for breakfast (and lunch. And after-lunch snack).

Couple of stone-cold, crab-catchin' killas.

Life is so hard...

Then...we feasted!

I'm always amazed at how drawn-out these weekends actually feel, especially given the long drive. Maybe it's the influx of alcohol to the system or the deadly amounts of Old Bay sprinkled on our souls. Either way, a long weekend at the cape is always better than, well, anything. CC11 FTW and I was only there 36ish hours!

On the way home, I stumbled across this gem while filling up my car (which, consequently tripped 240,000 miles somewhere around Onacock. That's my girl.)

May God contenue to bless America, I guess. Happy Monday!

Tricks Are for Kids.

So my cousin Jenny just had a baby last week (a boy named Sawyer...love it) and I think the whole infant arrival sent me on a whirlwind hunt for pastel pinks and blues. Not that I think I would ever decorate a kid's room in these colors, but I do love a sweet pastel palette, especially when it's chock full of lush flowers and crisp white backdrops.

Super into the idea of separating little makeup items with this "industrial"-looking tin thing.

I am willing to bet that no children live in this house with this staircase...way too white and perfectly unscuffed for any of that nonsense. Still...lookin' good....

Turquoise. Pink. White. Yes. Yes YES.

Would only look better with a little teal Pyrex peekin out.

Chunky coffee table legs ftw.

Light fixture + marble-ish counter tops + glass-faced cabinets + artichokes at the ready

Yoga tonight. Whining my way out of work on Friday. Cape Charles for the weekend (!?!). Leftover Rio Grande for dinner!!!! And it's not blazingly hot as balls out today. Score!

xxx,

Hann

It Was So Hot Outside, We Could Fry An Egg...

I had a great -- albeit super fast -- weekend. I spent all of Saturday soaking up the public library and flipping through magazines, checking out memoirs, and researching travel options for upcoming trips. I read a memoir (Crazy Love) by Leslie Morgan Steiner about her abusive relationship with her first husband. While it wasn't the best book I've ever read, it was one of those I couldn't put down, not even to refill my coffee or eat yet another lemon-pepper cucumber. It was sad and descriptive and at most times bleak... but those are usually my favorite kind of books, anyway.

Also, I bought this super dorky egg cooker at Williams-Sonoma that cooks your fried eggs in the shape of daisies. Awesome, I know. Let's just say I've been getting more than my fair share of protein the last couple days. Sooo cute sooo easy.

 

Next up:

Most egg-cellent. Bahaa.

Yesterday, Eileen and Rob came up so Rob could do something important downtown for law skool/life. Eileen and I bummed around the miserably hot city, grabbed some espresso, checked out Eastern Market, and had lunch/dinner (linner) at a super cute and random cafe near the Capitol. I'm getting so stoked about our trip to Charleston that's RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! I may or may not have a countdown running at work on my whiteboard for erryone to see. I'm betting hard money that J's new pad is the sickest one in town, and I'm the first to admit that I need a little Owsley lovin' in my life.

Other than the fact that I am once again battling the dreaded poison ivy, life is b-e-a-t-i-f-u-l and busy. I'm trying not to rush through August so I can enjoy every moment, even if most moments are spent  in sweltering 90+ degree heat. With Charleston, Blacksburg, and Maine on the calendar, my goal to book a new trip every weekend is shaping up nicely. Now if only the Landlady + pooch would return, life would be perfection...

xxx, Hann