m.

*disclaimer: it has been forever since i have posted. i am aware. but we will pretend like it hasn't so i can tell you about my wonderful weekend with melissa and not feel guilty for all the other things i have left out.

so M came to town this weekend. and let me just tell you, it was delightful. she was a little piece of home and comfort that i greatly needed. in the same wonderful way, i was a little piece of vacation and escape that she needed. there is something so wonderful about an old, lifelong friend. no matter how many days, weeks, or months you go without talking you can always pick up where you left off. M and i have always had that kind of friendship. the second she came into my life i felt she had been there forever.

it was a fast weekend, but we made the best of it. some of our dc events included: pizza here with a series of random adventures throughout the city, brunch at the Hamilton with a lovely and lively group of girls {we enjoyed incredible wheat and oat pancakes with cinnamon apples and maple syrup}, a trip to the American History museum to see the dresses of the First Lady's {even Michelle Obama's inauguration gown}, and a late night run for froyo. we finished off the weekend with a perfect sunday afternoon in the city--cherry blossoms, MLK memorial, and the most magical art exhibit at the Hirshhorn gallery, and a walk through adam's morgan and woodley park til we rested our tired feet at my new favorite place.

the weekend was polished off with hours of thought provoking conversation and lighthearted laughter. i just love my M. thanks for coming and spending the weekend with me. i am so glad you picked dc to potentially go to grad school. great idea.

jet lag.

so there is this wonderful thing called jet lag. it makes me want to eat hummus and m&m's at 2 am while sipping on a diet coke. even after a 12 hour work day. what the?! i wanna know why. but nevertheless, it's been an enjoyable couple of late night hours. even if i regret it in the morning (and tomorrow night at work...ugh).

i decided since i was up i might as well document some of my trip home for the holidays. it was fabulous.
need i say more?
probably not. but i will anyway.
one of my favorite days was when my mom and i drove up to Sundance to take my little brother Konnor snowboarding.
since we were lucky enough to sneak away alone, we decided to make a little date of it.
we ordered a turkey bacon avocado and perused the catalog store.
it was delightful.
i kind of love my mom.
a lot.
she is my bestest friend.

can you tell i am homesick already?

{photos from my phone on our little adventure up the canyon.}

Sunday Brunch

so last sunday lauren and i decided to have sunday brunch together. can i just say that it was delicious?? church was bright and early (8 am!) and let me just tell you folks, that is really early on a sunday. hopefully no one noticed the glass baking dish, butter, and syrup i had stashed in my purse (ok, maybe it is the size of a small suit case. i like a big bag!) we made a mad dash to lauren's after church and enjoyed yummy german pancakes and fresh blueberries. i loved cooking again. my kitchen has been getting remodeled for 6 weeks now, and i have really been missing it. there is something so therapeutic and rewarding in cooking. anyway, after a little nap we headed out to a christmas concert at the daughter's of the american revolution building in DC. welllllll, after looking for a parking spot (and being kicked out of one because we weren't "military personnel"...how do they know?!) for 30 minutes we gave up. we decided we should take advantage of already being in the city and ended up driving up to the national cathedral. it was breathtaking! there is something so incredible about old cathedrals and temples. it just amazes that they were built with someone's hands. we also found a really cool school behind the cathedral that i just had to have a picture with. i just love lauren, and i am so grateful i got to spend the day with her! we had a blast just having girl talk and exploring the city together. hopefully more days like this to come since we will live within walking distance of each other come january! yay!

Lucky 100.

So it's randomly my 100th post. and it just so happens to be a post about one of the most

incredible
epic
amazing
breathtaking
beautiful
floaty-moment
timeless

nights of my life. I really can't find the words to describe it accurately. But, I will try. It started out lovely as I met my sweetest friend Kendis for an Italian dinner near McPherson Square. It has been three years since we have been home from Italy, and not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about it. After dinner Kendis had a surprise event planned. Based on her excitement I knew it was going to be something wonderful. But I never imagined what was in store. When she handed me my ticket and I saw the name "Andrea Bocelli" I literally jumped up and down and screamed. I am sure everyone around me thought I was an idiot for not knowing where I was and what I was going to. Let me tell you, my ears and soul have never been happier. It was a night filled with utter beauty. What a talented, humble, sweet person Andrea is. It was the most perfect night with my girl. I am so sad she is leaving the District, but I am happy for what life has in store for her next. My little heart just might not be able to handle life without her, but I am so happy we got to soak up Andrea Bocelli together for a night. I will never forget it.

My best friend...

So this one time (a couple weeks ago...) my best friend Alexia Allred came to visit me in Washington D.C. It was the biggest slice of heaven I could have ever dreamed of. I loved having someone to share the city with. The weekend was the perfect mix of site seeing, talking, and relaxing. Some of the highlights include: seeing the White House (don't mind our big heads blocking the house, you want to us anyway right?), touring the monuments along the Mall and Tidal Basin (I have a better picture where her finger is actually on the very tip, I just can't tell which one it is), Mount Vernon (we spent all Sunday here and it was absolutely lovely), getting a tour of the Capitol by our dear friend Kendis (she did a very great job!), and getting burgers at Good Stuff Eatery! We had such a great time, I am so thankful for such a sweet friend.