Girl's night at Jaleo

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Friday, September 28, 2012

Jaleo has been one of my favorite restaurants since I moved to DC and it recently underwent a major makeover.  Last night Lindsey, Kerry, and our newlywed friend Amanda, went to check it out.

Close-up of the new menu
I loved the classic Jaleo but I have to say that the new and improved version blew us all away.  Old favorites like patatas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli) and gambas al ajillo (spicy, garlicky shrimp) remain on the menu but new additions like creamy salt cod empanadas and an expanded cocktail list including 6 (!) different types of gin and tonics are also completely wonderful.

London Dry - grapefruit, mint, lemon, white pepper and, of course, gin & tonic
We also had a great table by the window, ideal for people watching in the Penn Quarter, and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend an evening catching up with some of my favorite ladies!  We will definitely be back soon.

We almost fainted over the chocolate cake on the left
The main event of the weekend is the Viriginia Tech game at FedEx field, which means a lot of Hokie-loving friends and family are in town.  Looking forward to days filled with football and fall goodness...have a great weekend everybody!

Fall basics

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Thursday, September 27, 2012

With the days getting a little shorter and colder, I'm working on transitioning my closet to the new season. In doing that, I am realizing that my wardrobe needs a major refresh.  My plan is start with some basics that I know I'll get a lot of miles out of for years to come.

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At the top of that list is a classic trench coat.  I have a cheap, trench-like coat that I got at H&M years ago, but the lining has ripped and it is officially on its last legs.  I got a lot of use out of it, particularly given the price, but I'm feeling ready to invest a little more in its replacement since I know it will get a lot of wear.  So far I am loving the Commuter Trench Coat from L.L. Bean and the Classic Belted Trench from Banana Republic.  I may shop around a bit more, but I'm leaning towards the Commuter Trench Coat, both because I have a soft spot for L.L. Bean (and Maine in general), and also because it has been tested and approved by my sister, which is a very strong endorsement.  Any basics you are loving this fall?

Not bad for a Tuesday night

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Last night we headed over to H Stree NE for a concert with a couple of friends.  I am ashamed to say that it was our first time on that ever-growing, trendy little strip, but there you have it.  We will definitely be back very soon.  There is something so fun, and a little illicit, about being out on a "school night," and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

mussels + fries + good friends = happiness
We had some time before the show and started with dinner at Granville Moore's, which is known for having fabulous mussels and Belgian beers, and it totally delivered. With a slight chill in the air outside, the cozy atmosphere of the booth tucked in the back corner was also just what we were looking for. Our group ordered three types of mussels and they were all delicious.  I got the Thai Cocnut ones and thought they were particularly stellar.

really fantastic show
Afterwards we went across the street to see Wild Nothing at the Rock & Roll Hotel.  They are one of Greg's favorite bands of the moment and the show was awesome.  It was the second time we had seen them and the first is actually kind of a cool story.  About three weeks after we started dating, Greg took me down to Blacksburg for the first time (football game, of course) and we started the night downtown at small restaurant that happened to have live music that evening.  It was a local band called FACEPAINT that was just starting out and actually sounded fantastic.  Greg asked me to remind him to check them out again but it slipped both of our minds in the whirlwind of that weekend.  About a year later, Greg was listening to a list of albums of the year and recognized their sound.  They had changed their name to Wild Nothing and were gaining some serious traction on the Indie scene.  He was so pumped to find them again and it was very cool to see them play a sold out show at a decidedly bigger venue nearly three years later.
  
So, all in all, not bad for a Tuesday night.

The West Wing

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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I have alway been a bit of a political junkie, so it is kind of unbelievable that it took me so long to watch The West Wing. I had caught the odd episode here and there but at my sister's recommendation, I finally started watching it from the beginning a few months ago.  It is safe to say that I am addicted.

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Now in the middle of season five, my crush on Josh Lyman (poofy hair and all) grows with pretty much every episode.  I also find myself wishing that I could actually vote for President Bartlet and all his scholarly, New England charm.  It is also interesting to watch it several years later and see how many of the same political battles are still being fought along the exact same lines.  That may sound a little sad, but I guess what I mean is that the show really captured the essence of the central debates we continue to have as a country.  I know that I'm late to the party on this one, but it really is an extraordinary show with an incredible cast of characters.  If you are looking for recommendations for your Netflix queue, this would be mine!

The weekend

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Monday, September 24, 2012

Saturday's sunrise
When you reach the end of the GMAT, the computer asks you one final time if you want to record your score and after you click "Yes" it takes about 5 second for it pop up.  That doesn't sound like a long time, but my heart was pounding as I waited.  Happily, two intensive weeks of studying and practice tests paid off on Saturday afternoon with the score I was looking for and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
  
Celebrating with Russ
After my exam I walked up to my old neighborhood.  It felt so good to walk around the city on a beautiful fall day feeling completely unburdened.  I called my brother and we met for a drink and late lunch.  It was the perfect way to unwind after the intensity of the exam.

Real French macarons - from Paris!
After that, I went home to meet Greg so that we could head out to Dulles to pick up his parents.  They had been in Europe for the last two weeks and we picked them up and spent Saturday night catching up over spicy take out and a bottle of wine. 
 
Yesterday was a perfectly laid back Sunday and a great cap to the weekend. I'm looking forward to a great week of catching up with friends now that I'm not on GMAT lockdown.  Happy Monday everyone!

Tomorrow

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Friday, September 21, 2012

Calendar from my favorite - Rifle Paper Co.
It's been a sprint down the stretch here but I took my final practice test last night and I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about tomorrow.  I fell asleep last night with formulas and grammar rules swirling through my head and woke up this morning feeling calm.  The date circled in red above came up very quickly, but I think I'm ready to take it on.

Please keep me in your thoughts from 12 to 4 pm  tomorrow...hopefully there will be something to celebrate as I exhale over the remainder of the weekend and I hope you all have a great one!

Touch of green

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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Just a quick little post about something I've been loving around our house.  A few weeks ago I saw these baby succulents for sale at our grocery store and could not resist them.


They are effortless to care for, which is ideal for people like me who don't always remember to water plants. They've been rotating between our room, the coffee table, the office and the kitchen table depending on the day and they add a lovely touch of green wherever they go. Particularly during busy weeks like this one when I don't have a chance to pick up flowers, I'm happy to have these cheerful little succulents to tide me over.

Quelqu'un m'a dit

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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Since studying is the main thing on the agenda this week, I thought I'd share something else tied to fond memories that helps me relax when studying: Carla Bruni's album, Quelqu'un m'a dit, which translates to "Someone told me."

I was introduced to Carla Bruni, well before she was the first lady of France, by my wonderful Spanish host mother, Elena when I was studying abroad in Valencia, Spain in the Fall of 2005.  How is that for international?  Discovering an Italian who sings in French while living in Spain?  My host mother was a retired French teacher and the album was the permanent resident of the kitchen stereo.  Elena listened to it as she cooked and I got into the habit of listening to it as I did my homework at the kitchen table, including several late nights agonizing over lengthy Spanish literature papers.

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I normally can't listen to music as I study or write because it jumbles up my head, but this album is an exception.  I think that the fact that I don't speak French and (7 years later) still don't understand exactly what each song is about is definitely part of it, but it is more than that. Carla Bruni's style is very soothing.  She has a beautiful voice, which is accompanied by minimal but lovely instrumentals and each song flows perfectly into the next.  Like Lapsang Souchung tea, Quelqu'un m'a dit always brings me back to place of comfort through happy memories of that kitchen table in Valencia.  It is a favorite even when I'm not crashing on something and I definitely recommend you give it a listen as well!

Weekend report

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Monday, September 17, 2012

He's been busy
The picture above pretty much captures how the weekend left me feeling.  It is safe to say that the theme of the weekend was "no pain, no gain."  Between hours upon hours of GMAT studying and my second and third CrossFit workouts, my mind and my body took quite a bit of punishment over the last 48 hours.

Fortunately, I think I will start to see the gain part of that equation this week.  I'm coming down to the wire on the GMATs and things are starting to click.  It's going to be an intense week but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I also approach my CrossFit workouts with increasingly less dread now that I have made some friends in the class.  I'm starting to get a sense of my limits and of when I need to ask for the coach for help.  That said, I am glad to have 2 days to recover before the next class given that I have been reduced to slithering out of bed in the morning since I cannot currently sit straight up from a prone position.  Another observation is that you never realize how nice it is to be able to raise your arms above your shoulders (say, to wash your hair) until it takes considerable effort and soreness to do so.

So, a little bruised and battered, I am nonetheless pleased with my progress on both fronts and feeling ready to take on the challenges of this week.  I hope your weekends were lovely and that the week gets off to a good start!

Study companion

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Friday, September 14, 2012

This weekend's agenda consists of studying, studying and more studying.  I am sooo looking forward to walking out of my test next Saturday afternoon and being free from the GMAT at last!


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In typical fashion, I have left too much to the last minute and the next week will be pretty adrenaline packed.  Luckily, I also have a pretty good track record for pulling things off in tight time frames, which is why this vicious cycle continues.  My dad functions the same way, so at least I come by it honestly. Fortunately, he also passed down a remedy for the stress that accompanies the last minute approach - Lapsang Souchong tea, which he introduced me to in college.  We have the same alma mater and whenever I was about to crack under the pressure of finals and late night paper writing I would sip this tea and think about him doing the same thing in the same place years before. This simple touchstone made me feel far less alone in my struggles and always gave me comfort. The combination of the tea's smoky flavor, the curls of steam rising off a hot cup and this memory still helps to soothe my stress and will definitely be keeping me company this weekend.
 
Happy Friday and I hope your weekends are filled with fun things that don't involve studying!

Ooof

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

I woke this morning with physical reminders of the fact that there are many definitions of being "in shape."  I am a very active runner and have been for years, but last night I went to my first foundational class for CrossFit and wow am I sore. 

I decided to try CrossFit because I feel like I have topped out with running, even though I love it and will definitely continue to run.  My body is just so used it after all of these years that I needed a new kind of kick in the butt and boy did I get one last night.

In the background there? A kettlebell.  I learned how to do a "Russian KettleBell Swing" last night with a much,  much smaller one.
Greg, his sister, and several friends started doing CrossFit over the last year and are all incredibly enthusiastic about the results and the community.  I'll admit that I was very intimidated when I walked in last night and caught the end of the higher level class and people doing crazy looking weight lifting maneuvers.  However, as mine started up, I found that people were really supportive and more than happy to offer tips and help me with my form.  I need to complete 12 foundational classes before I can hang with the big kids and I'd be lying if I claimed that I wasn't a teeny bit scared to go back for round 2 on Saturday, but I'm also excited to see where this goes.

Until then...ooof.

Siggi's

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day and, as I have mentioned, I have quite the sweet tooth.  This means that I often don't make the best choices in the morning as I find it hard to resist muffins, scones, croissants and the like.  All of these are wonderful options to start the day of course, but not every day. So, in an effort to be healthy, I am trying to get excited about yogurt.

Certainly yogurt is not the only healthy option in the morning and I plan to explore and share others here, but it is very accessible and requires no preparation, which makes it kind of ideal.  I like yogurt a lot, but is it the kind of thing I wake up craving?  Not really.  However, that is starting to change as I have discovered some new kinds that are keeping things interesting.

The packaging alone is enough to make me get out of bed!
One of them is Siggi's, which is an Icelandic style yogurt called skyr and is available at Whole Foods.  I have only tried the orange and ginger flavor pictured above thus far but with flavors like pomegranate and passion fruit, grapefruit, and acai and mixed berry, there are obviously a lot of good things to explore.  The yogurt is very thick and creamy and the fact that it is punctuated by bits of spicy ginger and orange peel makes it all the better.
 
So there it is, a thrilling post about yogurt to start your Wednesday.  Happy mid-week everyone!

New seating arrangement

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

My brother's apartment was not the only one to benefit from my mom's trip down over the weekend.  Tucked in with his gorgeous mirror and some estate sale treasures were the lovely chairs pictured below.  They were destined to replace the folding wooden chairs from Ikea that previously provided seating at our rustic kitchen/dining table, which is another spectacular Mom find.

Also on the painting agenda: chair #3 and the bench, probably in white
P.S. - Can you spot the Leo photobomb?
I love everything about them.  They are the perfect height, nice and sturdy, and their shape adds so much warmth and character to the arrangement around the table.  I even love the chipping, mint green paint job, though I have big plans to paint them once I am out from under the cloud of GMAT prep (less than two weeks...eek!) I think I am going to go with the color below, Rust-Oleum's "Wildflower Blue," which would tie them into our apartment's color scheme and also scores points for its lovely name.
Perfect, right?
On a somewhat related note, between yesterday's and today's posts, I have made several mentions of Russ's beloved mirror so it seems only right to share the picture my mom sent last night, which captures it in all its glory in its new, proud home:

Tall, dark and handsome
His roommate called it his "Snow White Mirror," which made us all giggle and is actually pretty spot on.  There certainly is something magical about it.

Busy weekend

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Monday, September 10, 2012

Mom got to town late Saturday night and we grabbed a quick dinner out with Russ and Greg and stayed up (a little too) late chatting.  On Sunday morning, we got up early to go meet a few of my parents' neighbors who were in town to support another neighbor participating in the Nation's Triathlon.  We saw her come off the bike, start the running portion and cross the finish line in very strong form.  It was really inspiring watching people of all shapes, sizes and ages coming through and finishing this race. One of my favorite things, which happened several times, was when little kids jumped in to run the last few steps with their parents and even some grandparents...totally heart-warming.

Only picture of us from the weekend - we were busy! Pardon the red-eye - I still think we're pretty cute.
From there we went back to my place to grab the car and head over to my brother's apartment.  This was where our plans hit a bit of a snag.  It turned out that the public parking garage where she had parked the night before was closed on Sundays and her car, along with all of the things she brought down for Russ, was locked inside.  Fortunately for us, the building engineer was on the property repairing damage from Saturday's storm and took pity on our cause. He called the parking manager, convinced him to let us out, ran down to his car to grab his access card and swiped it to open the gate himself.  He could not have been more of a gentleman throughout it all and completely saved the day.

Once we finally got to Russ's apartment, we unloaded the car, did a quick hardware and grocery store run to get the essentials (including wine and cheese, of course) and got about the business of settling him in.  The most prized item that Mom brought down was a gorgeous antique mirror that stood in Russ's room when he was little.  He had always loved the mirror and specifically arranged the furniture in his new room so that it could have its own little nook.  Though all of the cleaning and arranging we did made a big impact, the mirror was definitely the most important touch of the day.  I love watching a new place come together and Russ's is going to be amazing.

We wrapped up the weekend over dinner at a fantastic Indian restaurant with the triathlete and her support team and it was a wonderful celebration of her impressive feat.  Mom left this morning after grabbing coffee as I fought back tears at her leaving so soon.  These visits are never long enough and I can't wait for the next one.

Hope your weeks are off to a good and less tearful start!

Fresh flower love

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Friday, September 7, 2012

Every time I go home for a visit, I am greeted with fresh flowers in my room arranged in the perfect little vase by my mom.  In the spring and summer they come from her amazing garden. This little touch always makes my heart swell with even more happiness at being home.  I think that is a large part of why I love to have fresh flowers in our apartment; it makes it feel like a home. 

Two bouquets - five ways
My mom's vase collection has been built up through years of scanning thrift stores and tag sales with an expert eye.  I aspire to have such a beautiful collection one day.  Luckily, she has passed some of it along to me, including the blue hammered glass one (my absolute favorite) and the gorgeous little bud vase at the end, which allowed me to save a rosebud that came off the stem as I unwrapped the bouquet.

Ready!
She is coming to visit this weekend to help my brother Russ, a recent Georgetown grad, move in to his first post-college apartment, which means I am the one putting flowers in the guest room to make her feel at home.  I can't wait!

Happy Friday and have a lovely weekend everyone!

Coffee shop office

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Thursday, September 6, 2012

On the days I'm not in Charm City, my office is located just across our living room in the spare bedroom.  I'll definitely give a little tour of that space some other time, but as I sit here in my other home "office" this afternoon I feel inspired to talk about this one first.


Working from home a few days a week definitely provides me with enviable flexibility and certainly balances out the days that I commute to and from Baltimore. However, I have always been a little social butterfly and really thrive in groups, so I knew when I accepted this job that finding a balance between the quiet of my home office and the need for human interaction would be essential to my happiness in it.


A little over two months in, I am definitely still working on that balance (I think that will be ongoing) but one thing that has helped enormously is the adorable coffee shop across the street from our apartment.  It is such a cozy, quirky little place and it is always filled with other people on laptops, hissing espresso machines, an exceedingly random selection of background music and other happy varieties of white noise.  It has been a favorite since we moved in because of its great coffee, delicious baked goods, panini-pressed egg sandwiches and fabulous sangria at happy hour and it has now become my frequent afternoon post on the days I work at home.  Getting out of the apartment to take my regular seat at the bar built into a bookcase always helps me to focus and feel more engaged with the world.  I feel very lucky that it is only a quick commute across the street.  I'm sure I will explore new places as I continue to find my work-from-home rhythm, but I couldn't ask for a better home base.

For your next tailgate

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Wednesday, September 5, 2012


As promised, I have a recipe to share today that is perfect tailgate fare.  When I spotted this recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Dip on The Kitchn last week, it was pretty much a done deal.  Bacon, cheddar, chives and Ranch bound together by cream cheese and sour cream? Sign me up!  This dip came together very easily and was a huge hit with the crowd on Monday night.  A few quick notes:
  • In an effort to make this a tad more virtuous (ha!) I used low-fat cream cheese and low-fat sour cream and could not taste the difference one bit.
  • I did not use a full two cups of cheddar cheese, which seemed like a lot to me. I think I ended up using about 1 and 1/2 cups and would recommend just eyeballing it as you see fit.
  • I tried to keep this as simple as possible because I was in a time crunch and my shortcuts actually worked out really well.  Rather than frying up raw bacon, I microwaved pre-cooked Oscar Meyer bacon (turkey bacon would also make a great substitute) and also bought wavy potato chips rather than making them as the recipe suggests, though I'd love to try that some other time.  I will say that this dip is rather thick so I definitely recommend buying the sturdiest ones you can find if you also go this route.
That may seem like a lot of notes for a simple dip recipe but I promise it is almost effortless to make.  Another point in its favor: you can make it the night before...it only improves as the flavors meld together.  It certainly earned a spot on my starting roster for the season and I hope you'll give it a try too!

Labor Day Weekend

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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Long weekends are truly the best.  This one was a mix of work and play because I had a work project that required some attention but I managed to fit in a lot of good things nonetheless.

Good thing that my assistant doesn't mind working weekends!
Greg was thrilled to have the long weekend to unwind between jobs.  The extra day definitely made a difference.  Between college football and spurts of work I was also able to sneak in a fabulous brunch on Sunday morning at Lindsey's charming new house, which pretty much made my day.

Adorable front door + amazing porch
I had my first pumpkin latte of the Fall after holding out all the way to September 2nd.  I also sipped on the best pumpkin beer there is, Shipyard Pumpkinhead, which we discovered on a weekend getaway to Maine 2 years ago and hardly ever manage to find here.

The best - from New England, naturally
We capped the weekend off by hosting friends for Virginia Tech's season opener.  Watching the Hokies fight their way to an unbelievable OT win over Georgia Tech definitely brought things to a close on majorly high note.  I know all the 'Hoos out there may think I'm a traitor, but to love a Hokie (or at least mine) is to love their team and Greg's joy over the nail-biting win was contagious.

Back tomorrow with a fantastic tailgate dip that I tested on our guests last night...hope the short week gets off to a good start for everyone!

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