Pack your patience

Tomorrow P and I are driving up to Ohio to spend the holidays with his family. As has been the tradition for several years we will be giving our friend Jenny a ride so she can meet up with her family. This year we will be joined by several million travelers who are expected to be hitting the roads on Saturday for the holidays. So as my lovely friend Erin said to me earlier this week, we will pack our patience and enjoy the ride! Hope everyone has a safe and magical Christmas!

Weekend Recap

We had a great weekend kicking off our Christmas celebrations! On Friday I met Aubrey, my Maid of Honor, for a day of shopping, pedicures, and lunch. It was so wonderful to spend quality time together catching up. In some ways it is hard to believe that 2013 will mark a decade of friendship but in many ways, it feels like we have been friends forever.

On Saturday, dad and Sheila took the train up from Norfolk for a festive weekend. After we picked them up from Union Station, we came back to our apartment for some light snacks, beverages, and to exchange gifts. Dad and Sheila would get their "big" gift on Saturday night (although they already knew what it was). P and I received the Kate Spade toasting flutes we registered for. We love them and can't wait to use them on April 13th!

Then everyone changed and freshened up and we headed out for an early dinner at District Commons. This is a fairly new restaurant near GWU's campus - the food and service were excellent. After dinner we headed to the Kennedy Center for dad and Sheila's gift - Irving Berlin's White Christmas! This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies and I've been looking forward to the performance since we bought the tickets in October. The show was so wonderful and really captured the spirit of the original movie.

P and I before dinner

On Sunday we headed to Georgetown to show dad and Sheila the church where our wedding mass will be held. Afterward we had a delicous brunch at Clyde's and then walked around Georgetown. Then we headed to the Christmas Market in Chinatown. While Sheila and I did a little shopping (we showed lots of self constraint!) the guys enjoyed a few beers at a nearby restaurant. Sheila and I joined them for a drink before coming back to our apartment to gather their things and take them to the train station.

All four of us had a great weekend and it really put us in the Christmas spirit!

Silence and Support

Hugs and Prayers

I feel I would be remissed if I didn't acknowledge the tragic event that occurred in Newton, CT last Friday. My heart is devestated by this tragedy and my mind is trying to make sense of how another horrific shooting has occurred. I feel grateful for the hugs I was able to share with family this past weekend and those I will give this weekend and next week. While many of our lives will seamlessly move forward to holiday celebrations over the next week, let us not forget to keep the victims and their families in our prayers.

Versary

This week P and I will celebrate two exciting "anniversaries" (get the post title now? clever, right?).

The 17th marks when we started dating eight years ago at Penn State. And the 20th is the day he asked me to marry him last year. We won't do anything crazy to celebrate or exchange gifts. Just a quiet dinner at one of our favorite restaurants and a nice bottle of wine to toast our love and and the excitement of our upcoming wedding!

Apartment Christmas Decor

Living in an 800 square foot apartment can be challenging for many reasons. That is no exception when it comes to Christmas decorating. We don't have a fireplace mantel to hang our stockings with care. Furniture usually has to be adjusted quite a bit to make room for the tree. Adding touches like garland can be difficult without a stair banister to wrap it around (like my mom did). In addition to finding places around our apartment to add holiday touches, there is also the challenge of storing the holiday decorations. Fortunately our current apartment has a little storage unit on our porch that is just the right size for our two large tupperware containers filled with decorations.

Since we have both lived in apartments since college, we have had plenty of experience decorating for the holidays but each new apartment has its challenges. Since this is our first year in this apartment, I thought I would share a few pictures of how we have decorated. Hope you enjoy or maybe even get inspired!

Last year I picked up this cloth garland from Target for $3. This year I hung it across the large window in our living/dining room and using small clothespin, we are using it to display Christmas cards.

Without a fireplace, we have to get creative with where we hang our stockings. The past few years the stockings hung off a window ledge in our old apartment, this year they fit perfecly on our new bookcase.

Patrick and I pick up our Christmas tree from the same greenhouse in Alexandria. This may be the biggest one we have gotten yet but I love it because there is plenty of room to hang all of our ornaments. Each year we pick out an ornament to commemorate a memory, this year's ornament is the maple leaf in the center of the tree from Quebec!

Our Christmas corner with the tree, Christmas card garland, and bookcase with stockings (sorry it's so dark)

I also like to add a little garland to our half round table. It's a nice added touch of green with lights. I wrap the garland in a string of cranberries and in the back you can see a vase fillede with fake cranberries sticking out.

Since Last Time

We have been very busy getting ready for the holidays and wedding planning. I did not intend to have such a long gap since my last post but so it goes. Here's what I have been up to since Thanksgiving:

• We trimmed the apartment for Chistmas (but I haven't taken any pictures)
• Tried on and purchased P's tux for the wedding. I told him he looked like a groom!
• Completed hand making all 40 of our Christmas cards. While I enjoy doing this task each year, I think 2013's Christmas cards may take a break from this tradition

Cookies and hot chocolate while making cards. You can see a little of our tree in the top left!

• Received our completed wedding invitations - they look AMAZING! The shop we used through Etsy closes for the holidays which is why we got them so early but now we have more time to stuff, seal, and stamp them before we send them out in January.
• Tested out a Pinterest recipe for a cookie decorating party that turned out super yummy

Crescent rolls stuffed with spinach, shredded mozzarella, and feta - YUM!

• Traveled to Richmond to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday and visit with my sister, Amanda

Happy Haladay party with two of my sisters!

• Attended the 4th annual cookie decorating party with some of my favorite DC/NOVA ladies

A few of my decorated cookies

• Scheduled my first dress fitting and cake tasting for January - it seems cruel that they fall within a week of each other! Fortunately the dress fitting is first!

This week will be equally busy with each of us having happy hours, more Christmas shopping and wrapping, a visit with my MOH Aubrey on Friday, and a much anticipated weekend with dad and Sheila in DC! Tis the season!

Thanksgiving Recap

I have no pictures to prove this, but Thanksgiving 2012 was a success in my book. While I spent most of Wednesday frantically washing the dog, vacuuming up dog hair, making pies, and putting the finishing touches on things around the apartment, Thursday was infinitely less stressful than I ever imagined it could be. Thanks to lots of help from my future mother-in-law and several glasses of cold, white wine, dinner was served as planned between 3:30 and 4:00pm and everyone appeared happy and full by the end of the night.

Friday morning my sisters and I were up bright and early to drive to Pennsylvania to visit our grandparents. We had a great time visiting and laughing with them. We have always had a close and special relationship with our dad's parents and this year I am especially thankful for them.

The rest of the weekend was filled with some Christmas shopping, a HUGE Penn State win, pulling out Christmas decorations, and several cat naps. I'm so excited for the lights and sounds of this holiday season. We have lots of fun things to look forward to next month!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are all spending the day with loved ones and filling up your bellies with lots of turkey and pumpkin pie.

This year I am thankful for so many things:

• A loving and caring fiance who I feel so lucky to spend the rest of my life with
• Amazing family and friends
• Our health
• A roof over my head and warm food on the table
• Secure jobs
• Our sweet sheltie who always greets us with lots of love

You Know You're a Grown Up When

Lately a few things have occured that have made me realize I'm officially a grown up. While the thought is terrifying and unbelieveable at times since I often feel like a 12 year old on the inside, it has become a reality. So here is the start of my "You Know You're a Grown Up When" list:

1. Your furniture comes already assembled. This is actually a pretty COOL thing about being a grown up. (And the fact that I think this is cool could easily be its own item on the list). A few weeks ago P and I ordered two new (small) pieces of furniture after previously assembled furniture starting falling apart. When we got the notice that one of the pieces had been delivered I fully prepared myself for an evening of screwdrivers and crappy instructions. Instead after 10 minutes of careful manipulation, our beautiful new bookshelf was out of the box and ready to be filled.
2. You host Thanksgiving. Yep, that's right, we are hosting Thanksgiving in an 800 square foot apartment. Fortunately there will only be seven of us total - me, P, his parents, my mom, and my sisters, but it still feels like a huge undertaking. I have been scrambling around the past two weeks making sure I have the right ingredients and table linens.
3. See "table linens" from #2. That's VERY grown-up.
4. You struggle to come up with a Christmas wish list. P and I have entered a period where if we want something, like a new book or sweater or whatever, we just buy it. But in general there just isn't a lot of stuff that I "need" anymore. It was easier to compile extensive wish lists when I was in college or just began working. I think it is especially hard this year with our wedding being less than five months away; I feel guilty asking family for gifts when they are all already contributing so much to the big day.

I can only imagine how many more of these "grown up" things will come my way over the coming months....like getting married!

Sisters

"A sister is a forever friend." - Author Unknown

I had a great time with my sister Meredith this weekend. We had lots of laughs, successful shopping, and good conversations, which are key ingredients to quality sister time. I feel blessed to have grown up with two amazing sisters who I also consider friends and am lucky to be officially gaining another sister this spring. I will have three forever friends for the rest of my life!

Cheering on Penn State at Mighty Pint on Saturday

High Five for Friday

Today I'm linking up with From My Grey Desk for a little Friday love.



1. This poor little guy had to get his teeth cleaned on Tuesday which required him to get anesthesia. Unfortunately the anestheisia made him pretty sick




2. My sister is coming today and we have a fun weekend planned of shopping, PSU football watching, and a little DC exploring.


3. We voted on Saturday on DC but anxiously watched the election results on Tuesday night. P was glued to CNN and NBC

4. This is a 3-day weekend for me! Thank you to all of the veterans who have served our great country!

5. I scored two Yankee Candle Christmas in Paris 22 oz candles at TJMaxx this week for $9.99 each! Someone had been selling the exact candle for over $20 on Amazon. I'm so happy our apartment will smell like in Christmas in Paris again!

Brush N Blush

Last Friday night my friend Jess and I headed to Brush N Blush in Georgetown for an evening of painting and drinking wine. I had heard about similar places around the country and was excited when I discovered there was one in Georgetown.

The store/studio is located off of a side street in Georgetown. The studio had an upper and lower level with the upper level fitting about 12-14 people and the lower level appeared to fit well over 20 people. I didn't get a good count but I estimate there were about 12 people in the class on Friday night. Each person had a small easel set up with their blank canvas, an apron, a plate with the paint colors we would need, and brushes. Jess and I brought a bottle of wine and cheese & crackers to share over the two hour class. At 7pm the instructor turned on Coldplay and the class began.

Below is a very small preview of the painting that Jess and I learned to paint.

I was a little intimidated since the painting appeared to be fairly complex but I also looked forward to having a seasonal painting to bring home. Our instructor did a good job of taking us step by step and walking around the room to give tips and feedback.


Jess was excited to get started!



With my finished product



Jess and I with our masterpieces

Jess and I had such a great time and both agreed that we would love to go back. We think it would be fun to get a bigger group of our girlfriends together for a class. It would be really interesting to see just how different each our paintings would be! If you're looking for something different to do, check out your local area to see if they offer a similar class. I promise you will have tons of fun and get to take a painting you created home!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEREDITH!

Today I'm wishing my older sister, friend, and bridesmaid, Meredith, a very happy birthday! I hope all your birthday wishes come true and you have an amazing year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

While we won't get any trick or treaters in our apartment building tonight, I do get to enjoy seeing kiddos in costumes in my office. This afternoon parents are allowed to bring their kids in to trick-or-treat between offices. If employees want to participate they simply had to pick put a trick-or-treat flier from our front desks and tape them to the door. I think it is such a cute idea and will happily be participating!

Showers, Swearing In, and Sandy

I had a great time at Judy's baby shower on Saturday. It was so great to see her, her sisters, and mom! It was also fun to have my mom there for the celebrations. I cannot wait to meet Judy's baby girl in a few short months!



Yesterday morning, in the midst of Hurricane Sandy, P and several hundred others were sworn into the Virginia Bar. The ceremony was quicker than expected most likely due to travel plans being deterred from the storm. Unfortunately his parents, my dad, and Sheila were unable to attend due to the storm but that was completely understandable and safest for everyone. I did not take a lot of pictures because as soon as the ceremony was over, most people were trying to get out of there as quick as possible.

P and Turner at the GWU Alumni Brunch

After some deliberations, P and I decided to drive back yesterday afternoon. I was pretty nervous about the drive but trusted P. We made sure to fill up the gas tank and Elizabeth was kind of enough to give us some water and snacks should we need them. Besides some wind gusts, the drive back was uneventful and we were safe and sound in DC within two hours of our departure. Since the rain was coming down fairly hard and the wind gusts were picking up, we only grabbed the essential bags from the car and Calvin and bolted inside the apartment. We quickly dropped our stuff and then dashed to the 24 hour CVS for food and snacks. Once we were well stocked, we spent the rest of the evening on the couch staying warm and clearing out the DVR.

Hurricane survival essentials: wine and chocolate

Today both P and I are working from home. His law office and the federal government are both closed.  We're thankful that we never lost power and hope those that are without it (including my mom!) have it restored quickly!

Friday Favorites

TGIF! Here are some of my favorites this fall Friday:

• The leaves have been beautiful in DC this year! My drive to work on the GW Parkway has been gorgeous.
• Winning trivia on Monday at 51st State! Not only did we feel vindicated from previous losses, but we got a $30 gift certificate towards our food and drinks that night.
• Parenthood. This season is seriously the best one so far. I think I've cried during every episode.
• Looking at pictures from the past while making a slideshow for our wedding. One of my favorites: 



Megan, myself, and Judy at homecoming our freshmen year of high school. These two are so special to me and I can't wait to celebrate Judy's baby at her shower this weekend!



• Getting to see so many friends and family over the next few days. In addition to seeing Megan and Judy tomorrow, our good friend Matt is coming down from NYC to run the Marine Corps Marathon and on Sunday we are headed to Richmond for Patrick's Virginia Bar swearing in and will get to see his sister, brother-in-law, my sister, his parents, my dad and Sheila!
• Scoring this shirt for $8.98 from Target on Wednesday. My older sister has the same shirt and if I hadn't seen the way she styled it I probably would have never picked it up.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and good luck to all the Marine Corps Marathon Runners!



Wedding Wednesday: Getting in Shape and Save the Dates

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

I'm feeling extra happy this morning because after a month long hiatus I finally made it back into the gym this morning and it felt great. I did a 30 minute cardio workout on the treadmill with lots of reminders that I needed to ease back into the routine. Not only did I have to take into consideration that my legs and lungs haven't been exercised in weeks, but also be aware of any aches associated with my wisdom teeth. I haven't had the easiest recovery since my teeth were exctracted almost three weeks ago which is why I dragged my feet about starting my work outs again. But I'm happy to report that I had no issues this morning and will be lacing up my sneakers on a regualar basis again. While I may have had dreams of significantly slimming down by the big day I just know that's not realistic and so with less than six months to go I am going to focus on getting into shaping and feeling good by April 13th...and hopefully still slim down a little!

Last Friday we sent out our save the dates to family and friends. We went with a Cherry Blossom design since our wedding will take place during Washington, DC's Cherry Blossom Festival. We used a postcard template from Vistaprint and customized it to our liking. I had bought a Groupon from Vistaprint over the summer so we got an amazing deal on the cards and even had enough left over to buy an address stamp which was a huge help. My other favorite part of the save the dates were the cherry blossom stamps! We actually bought these in the spring when they were limited edition at the Post Office and I think they were the perfect subtle touch to tie everything together.

Our save the date picture!

Next up on our to-do list is marriage preparation classes at the church which begin this Thursday. We're also planning to buy P's tux and finalize invitation designs over the next month. With less than six months to go, the to-do list is getting longer but it is fun to start finalizing the details!

Last Saturday

We had a great trip to Sedona, Arizona last weekend to celebrate Tony & Sunny. While we did not get any pictures of us with the happy couple (we were too busy catching up), we snapped a few with our phones while hiking during the day on Saturday. We had not planned to hike on Saturday but it was too beautiful not to. Our hotel was close to the trailheads for Bell Rock where we hiked for about two hours. It felt great to get some Vitamin D and stretch our legs after traveling the night before.

Beautiful red rocks in Sedona

Bell Rock

Enjoying our hike!

Confessional Friday

TGIF! I'm linking up with Leslie at Blonde Ambition for a Confessional Friday today.

 

I confess......

• I am looking forward to a weekend in town that won't include chipmunk cheeks or anything exhausting.
• Right after work I am heading up to Maryland to spend some quality crafting time with Allison and her two sweet daughters.
• I haven't worked out in almost three weeks - thank you wisdom teeth! I'm hoping to get one or two gym sessions in this weekend
• P and I were grateful our first marriage preparation class was canceled. We are excited to begin the classes but by yesterday afternoon we were both exhausted after our weekend trip to Arizona and welcomed a relaxing evening at home.
• I may have gotten a little emotional as we were stuffing and addressing Save the Dates this week. Sometimes I still can't believe we are actually getting married!
• It is so cool to get mail for P that has "Esq" on it!

 

Have a great weekend!

Six Months!

SIX months from today we will be saying I DO! I have no idea where the time has gone! Things are definitely picking up in terms of the wedding planning but fortunately we do not feel stressed about anything. I know there are a ton more decisions to be made but we have already checked off so many of the big decisions that everything else should just fall into place.

This upcoming week we will be busy addressing and sending out Save the Dates and on Thursday we begin our marriage preparation classes at the church.

I am eager for the next six months to fly by so that I can marry my best friend!

Bursting!

I am bursting with so much pride and happiness because P PASSED THE VIRGINIA BAR EXAM!!!! It's not like I ever doubted for one second that he wouldn't pass, but to see his name printed on the "Pass List" was such an amazing feeling. He has worked so so so hard the past four years and to see it all pay off in the biggest way possible is absolutely incredible. Last night we had a great time celebrating with our friend John, who also passed!

We will be continuing our celebrations in Sedona, Arizona this weekend to celebrate the marriage of our dear friend Tony and his wife Sunny! And I'm sure the celebrations will continue for several more weeks!

Congrats again P, I love you so much!

Pictures from the Weekend

We had a great weekend celebrating birthdays, watching football, and enjoying the cooler fall temperatures. Hope you enjoy these pictures from the weekend!



Beautiful birthday flowers from P

Fall decorations and candles around the apartment

My new favorite shoes that I picked up at the Gap Outlet last week

Lots to celebrate - Taylor's birthday, Aubrey & Brent's new house, & Aubrey's birthday!

I had fun making this birthday banner for Taylor's party. If you look closely you can see Elmo on either side of her name

I thought Aubrey did an awesome job making this Elmo cake. It was super yummy too!

They are an adorable family

She is 1 and enjoying her birthday cake

Such a happy baby girl!

27

Picture Source: kate spade. Of course!

That's right....today is my 27th birthday. I actually can't believe that I am 27 years old. I mean, how did that even happen? I can say that 26 has been one of the most amazing years of my life and I am so excited to see what the next year has in store. Tonight P and I will have dinner just the two of us at one of our favorite DC restaurants and I will quietly turn 27. Tomorrow we will watch Penn State football and on Sunday we will celebrate our goddaughter's 1st birthday. I can't think of a better way to celebrate!

Weekend Recap

I am back from a wonderful and relaxing trip to the beach! Aubrey's parents generously offered to let me and P stay in the beach house they rented last week. Since P just started at the law firm he wasn't able to take any time off but I didn't miss the chance to take a few more negative vacation hours, pack a bag, and hit the road!

I stayed at my dad and Sheila's on Wednesday night before heading to Corolla, NC on Thursday morning. The house was absolutely amazing and had gorgeous views of the beach. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of it. There were seven bedrooms and seven and a half bathrooms so the ten of us slept very comfortably. Shortly after arriving on Thursday all of the ladies headed to the spa to celebrate Aubrey's godmother, Ruthie, 60th birthday. We sipped mimosas and enjoyed relaxing massages. We were all spoiled even more that night with a lobster tail dinner. On Friday I went on a much needed morning run on the beach before diving into a very big, but very delicious homemade breakfast. The rest of the day was spent lounging on the beach, playing with my adorable goddaughter, and puzzling with Aubrey's husband, Brent and Ruthie. We were excited to finish a 1000 piece puzzle in less than 24 hours. Fun fact about me: I LOVE puzzles! Anyways.....I am so grateful to Aubrey's parents for inviting me to the beach. They have such big hearts and truly made me feel like part of the family. In college Aubrey and I used to tell P that we wanted him to buy us a yacht. We have since deserted that dream and are now on a mission to convince Brent and P that we should all invest in a beach house in Corolla so that we could do this again every year!

Scene from my morning run

Lounging on the beach and getting a sunburn on my legs - ouch!

Cutest girl on the beach!

Auntie Em and Taylor

Saturday morning I drove back to Norfolk to spend more time with my dad, Sheila, and Amanda. We had lunch at the Yard House before dad dropped us girls off at the mall to dress shop for Sheila for the wedding. While the first few stores were duds, we lucked out at Nordstrom and found her a beautiful fuchsia dress to wear in April! Then we headed back to the house to watch Penn State football. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and watching Snow White and the Huntsman. I headed back to DC after breakfast on Sunday and enjoyed some quality time with P and Calvin.

Weekends like last weekend make me realize just how blessed I am to have such amazing and loving family and friends in my life!

Wedding Wednesday...A Day Late

I can hardly believe our wedding is only seven months away! The last eight months have flown by and I'm sure the following months will go just as quickly.

Since the last Wedding Wednesday post P and I took our engagement pictures. While awkward at first, it was a lot of fun and we are eager to see them. As soon we get them we will be designing, ordering, and sending out save the dates.

This past weekend I went back to Chambersburg, PA to choose bridesmaids dresses with Aubrey, Allison, and Amanda, i.e. the A Team. I was bummed that Meredith and Elizabeth couldn't make it, but they were there in spirit and via text messages. Like with my wedding dress, I had a certain picture in my head of the dress I thought the bridesmaids would wear and ended up going with something completely different. I love the silhouette of the dress we chose and all of the girls look stunning in it!

I also got to try my dress on again and I did not want to take it off! It was just how I remembered it and now I'm anxious to start the fitting process to see everything come together.

The last update was a fun surprise from Elizabeth. Last night she took me out for an early birthday pedicure and dinner. If that wasn't enough she gifted me something very fun and blue for the wedding....a Penn State garter! P was a big fan of it (hopefully I didn't break any rules about the groom seeing the garter before the big day) and it will be the perfect "something blue."

 



Hopefully for the next wedding updates I'll be able to share a few of the engagement pictures!

Road Trip Recap: Part 3

The second to last stop of our road trip was Boston. P had been to Boston several times as a kid and I went once in the summer of 2005. We had always wanted to go back together and take in a Boston Red Sox game. The drive to Boston from Quebec was about seven hours so after checking into our hotel we were ready to stretch our legs and walk around.

We headed down to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market before deciding on a place for dinner. We ate dinner at the Bell in Hand which is one of the oldest bars in America. P had a lobstah roll and I had clam chowdah and salad with fresh lobstah. Yum! After dinner we stepped into the Ye Olde Union Oyster House (the oldest restaurant in America) for a few beers while we watched the Red Sox game. The Sox lost but we made friends with the bartender, Jim.

Our watering hole for the night

With my favorite bartender, Jim

After a slower start on Friday, we headed out to walk the Freedom Trail in Boston. During our walk we were able to meet up with Mikki (she was one of Elizabeth's bridesmaids and fellow Penn Stater) for a coffee break. By 3:30 we decided we needed a nap before heading to the baseball game. Seeing the Red Sox at Fenway (and win!) was one of our favorite memories of the trip. We have seen them play in Baltimore many times together, but nothing beats Fenway!

The Old State House, one of the first stops on the Freedom Trail

Paul Revere's tombstone

The site of the first public school along the Freedom Trail

Finally at Fenway!

A very happy Red Sox fan

At the game, in matching hats

On Saturday morning we left Boston for the final stop of our road trip, New York City. Less than a year ago we were visiting Matt in California and were excited to see his new place in NYC. We arrived in NYC late in the afternoon and miraculously found parking right across the street from Matt's apartment. After dropping off our stuff, we headed out for a walking tour. We didn't take many pictures while in NYC, but are very thankful to Matt for allowing us to stay at his place and showing us around! We had a great time and hope to go back to spend more time with Matt and see more of the city.

George Washington Square Arch on our walk home

P and I had an amazing time on our weeklong adventure!