Playing Catch-Up

Where have I been for the past five months? That's an excellent question.

In April, Steven and I went completely off-list, and sadly, I let the blog fall to the wayside. On Good Friday, we were thrilled to find that we're expecting our first little kidlet this winter, and suddenly the items on my list were replaced with things like "Turn the spare bedroom into a nursery" and "Learn what the heck 'swaddling' a baby means."

I'm back now, and will try to be diligent. But frankly, a lot of my "in progress" items have unraveled. We'll just play this all by ear for the time being.

In the meantime, here are some fresh, new updates:

#9. Spend a day at the beach. I've done well on this one. Really, really well actually. Not only have I had one beach day this summer, I've had three. In June, Steven and I traveled to Fort Lauderdale to see two great friends tie the knot, and while we were there, we soaked up a lot of sun. (Probably too much, if we're being honest.)

Last month, Steven and I took a "babymoon" to Charleston, S.C. (more on that later) and made sure to schedule some quality time relaxing at Folly Beach.

And finally, we just got back from a great end-of-summer vacation to Ocean City with some of our favorite couple friends. It may have rained for 75% of our vacation, but we still got in a good amount of beach time on Friday, making the day off work totally worthwhile.

#37. Grow my own herbs. I should probably only give myself half credit for this, as I did grow my own herbs - and then promptly killed them. My herb experiment this summer included cilantro and basil neither of which ever quite flourished. Then one day, I looked outside and they were both 1) enormous and 2) crispy brown.We'll have to try this again next year. Perhaps I can even grown something long enough to use the herbs.

#48. Bake a loaf of bread from scratch. This one I did way back in March, I think I just failed to blog about it. I used this recipe and it turned out delicious, especially for morning toast with lots of butter. Between the fresh-bread smell and the yummy end product, this is definitely something I'll be doing again!

#59. Travel to three new cities for fun. This item dovetails so nicely with #9. Steven and I had a lovely time in Fort Lauderdale for Luke & Monica's wedding. We didn't explore much of Fort Lauderdale, but we did make ourselves very familiar with their beautiful beaches!

Here are a couple of shots from the beach wedding:

Last month, Steven and I ventured to Charleston, S.C. for one last "just the two of us" vacation.We kept joking that it's the most grown-up vacation either of us has ever taken, with visits to national parks, antebellum homes, and historic sites. It was also the most pampered I've ever felt on vacation, thanks to the wonderful staff and amenities at the Vendue Inn. Free made-to-order breakfast every morning, cheese (and wine for the non-preggo crowd) every afternoon, and homemade cookies washed down with milk every evening? I never wanted to leave! Seriously, I cannot say enough nice things about them.

A few highlights from our time in Charleston:

Yep, I'm leaving you with that gem of a picture. What can I say? We're clearly self-portrait professionals.

#89: Go to a midnight movie premiere

Last spring, I read - make that devoured - the Hunger Games trilogy. I was so totally drawn into these books that I convinced Steven to read them as well, just so I could have conversations with him about them. Naturally, when I heard the books were being turned into the next blockbuster film franchise, I put them on my "must see" list. And when I realized the teen target demographic would lead to a midnight premiere, I realized I had the means to cross #89 off of my list.

I must say, Steven was a total trooper about this. I pulled a not-completely-intentional bait and switch, buying our tickets before the other friends in our group had given a solid confirmation, but he took it in stride and still agreed to brave the theater with me on Thursday night.

This wasn't my first midnight premiere - just the first in a long time. Definitely the first since I've started working in the professional realm. I was ready for lengthy lines of costumed teens, so you can imagine my surprise when I showed up to my theater at 10 p.m., breezed up to the kiosk, and collected my tickets without even glimpsing a velvet rope. I asked the ticket taker whether she expected any lines, she pointed to four teens sitting on the floor next to Theater 1 and said "not really."

Steven and I quickly adapted and took advantage of the short line, heading over to Cheesecake Factory so I could caffeinate. (I'd been up and going since my 6 a.m. yoga class!) We waltzed back over to the theater when Cheesecake Factory closed at 11, headed straight to Theater 5, and picked our seats - from a totally empty theater. Seriously.

In all, about 40 people filed in at a quarter of midnight, making for a much quieter - and frankly, much more enjoyable - experience than either of us expected.

The movie was completely worth the late "curtain call" - it stayed true enough to the book to win over Suzanne Collins' fans, and it was really wonderful to see the pages come to life on-screen. There were a few pieces I wish had been better portrayed (but no spoilers here), but overall, I'm glad we braved the premiere. And I'm proud to say I survived the next day at work as well, getting lots done and even making it to my 9 a.m. meeting alert and on time!

#66: Watch a Foreign Film

 

This year the husband and I are trying again to watch all of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture. In our attempts to guess what would get the nod, we went on a date night to see "The Artist."

The French film is unique in that it is a silent film - made in 2011. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it (because it's a silent film, not because it's French), but when we left the theater, all I could say was "What a fun movie!"

The story follows silent film star George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) and rising starlet Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) through the advent of "the talkies," and how they changed the film industry. Although it's a film about a man who loses everything, trust me when I say it's a fun, upbeat film that leaves you with a smile.

(Also, we guessed right. See the rest of the nominees here.)

#40: Take a Bubble Bath

This to-do may not seem like a big deal to most of you. "A bubble bath?," you think to yourself. "That's not even difficult." And you're right.

But for a year, the husband and I lived in a basement apartment with a shower stall so teensy-tiny that we were lucky not to bust our elbows every time we lifted our arms to wash our hair.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to move into our house with a big, roomy shower and a fully functioning bathtub. I hadn't broken it in, though, until this weekend.

Over the Christmas holiday, my mother in law was kind enough to pass along a Bath & Body Works gift card she knew she wouldn't use. On Sunday, I cashed that puppy in for a bottle of bubble bath (Warm Vanilla Sugar scented - delish!).

This bubble bath - paired with a bottle of Sam Adams and a good Pandora station - was so relaxing and refreshing. And until this bottle of bubble bath runs out, should you need to find me after 9 p.m. on Sunday nights, this is where I'll be.

#22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

On Friday, I had the privilege of visiting Mount Vernon along with many of the other new staff members from The Heritage Foundation. Taking a day to visit the home of George Washington - a farmer, military hero, and statesman - was a wonderful opportunity to revisit the values and founding principles that make America exceptional.

Although I'd never visited the presidential home before, I was especially excited to see Mount Vernon decked out for Christmas. The greenery, holiday dessert spreads, and Christmas trees in the Inn and the museum didn't disappoint. (No Christmas tree in the mansion, though. Mount Vernon stays true to the period!)

One interesting tradition that I'd never heard of was the Mount Vernon Christmas Camel. Per the Mount Vernon website:

In 1787, George Washington paid 18 shillings to bring a camel to Mount Vernon for his guests’ enjoyment. During Christmas at Mount Vernon, visitors can meet Aladdin the camel.

Aladdin proved to be a very social camel. You can see my encounters with Aladdin, as well as my other Mount Vernon pictures, below.

Two-fer, Part II

I have a Friday two-fer for y'all! These two updates are about as exciting as that time I got my suit tailored, but you know, a check mark is a check mark. So here you go...

#100. Take a pair of shoes to the cobbler for re-heeling.
No sound is quite as grating as that terrible scrape of metal heel on city sidewalk. For months, a pair of heels has taken up real estate in my closet - unable to be worn because their heels had worn thin and I strongly subscribe to the Capitol Hill Style policy of not sporting noisy high-heel nails. I found a cobbler in Union Station, dropped off my black patent beauties for a weekend, and came back the next Monday to a like-new pair of pumps. This particular cobbler may have been a bit overpriced ($16), but compared to the cost of a new pair of shoes, I suppose it's worth it.

#101. Visit the eye doctor and get new contacts.
This is just something I needed to do, as a responsible adult. I had to put it on the list, though, because 1) I hate going to any type of doctor, 2) I especially hate doing that air puff test, and 3) I always feel like I've been fleeced as I empty every last penny out of my pocketbook to pay for a 10-minute eye exam and contacts that are the exact same prescription as the previous year. Blargh.

#17: Be part of an audience at a live taping

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently started a new job with The Heritage Foundation. One of the best perks so far? Attending the November 22nd GOP debate. Co-hosted by Heritage and AEI, the CNN debate featured all eight of the GOP presidential candidates, with a focus on national security and foreign policy.


Photo taken by my husband before the phone/camera ban went into effect.



Seeing the debate in person, rather than on the television screen, was a whole new experience. Who would have guessed that Wolf Blitzer spends the whole hour talking to the side of the stage or that Michele Bachmann's podium includes the tiniest little platform to bring her up to height?

As far as who "won" the debate - I really liked Newt Gingrich's performance. But I don't want to turn this into a political post. (We'll save that for another time.)

#16: Have professional photos taken

A little over three months ago, I started a great new job at The Heritage Foundation, working in Strategic Marketing. So far, my work has included assisting in the production of a documentary film, overseeing creation of a series of educational booklets, and distributing a whole collection of valuable products to some of The Heritage Foundation's most dedicated members.

And having my professional headshot taken.

Check!

#18: Attend 5 performances at the Kennedy Center

Last night I attended my fifth performance at the Kennedy Center since starting the Quarterlife Quest - the Washington National Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor. This opera was dark, disturbing, and really beautifully performed.

Before the show, I caught about 20 minutes of the Millennium Stage performance. These nightly free shows can be hit or miss (they are free after all!), but last night's show hit it out of the park! The U.S. Army Blues were onstage participating in the Millennium Stage's jazz series, going on through November 26. The music was so fun and upbeat - folks couldn't help but get up and dance!



As for the opera itself, the third act's "Mad Scene" made the whole show worthwhile, in my opinion. In addition to the beautiful singing and the haunting notes of the Glass Harmonica, the costume and set designs were truly stand outs. Set in shades of black and grey to convey the gloom and hopelessness of Lucia's situation, the third act's blood splatters stood out even from (nearly) the back of the theater.

My visits to the Kennedy Center have been one of the most rewarding things I've done since starting the quest a year and a half ago. I am truly blessed to live in D.C., with access to some of the most spectacular art in the nation. Although I'm crossing #18 off of my list today, I plan to spend many more evenings soaking up culture at the Kennedy Center.

#94: Carve a Jack-o-Lantern

This autumn has been absolutely beautiful in D.C. Crisp, not-too-cool days, highlighted with fiery bright trees. It's put me in the mood for cider, crackling fires, and all things fall. So at the end of October, Steven and I picked up a couple fresh pumpkins, and got together with our buddy Hunter to make a few jack-o-lanterns.

It was a quick process, lots of fun, and definitely worth it to come home to our cute pumpkins every night last month!

Steven and Hunter, scooping out pumpkin guts

Hunter's longhorn pumpkin

My toothy jack-o-lantern

All three of our masterpieces

A Two-Fer!

Today I have two fabulous list updates that can both be shared via one set of photos!

On June 26, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a couples' wedding shower for Kaylan and Paul. She and I worked together at the White House when I first arrived in DC four years ago. (She managed www.whitehouse.gov; you may have heard of it.)

Barbara - another White House pal - and I hosted a "stock the bar" party for the pair, inviting all of their friends and family to join us on the rooftop of the Cairo near DuPont Circle. Let's take a moment just to soak in the Cairo's incredible view.

We all had such a lovely time sharing wine and delicious snacks, dancing in the open air and swapping stories about the lucky couple. This gorgeous party brought me one step closer to my goal of hosting 10 parties in one year.

As for the second update - did you see my lipstick in these pics? The perfect red.

All photos by Kaylan's lovely mom and sister.

#88: Sing Karaoke

While I was home in Dallas this month, I had the honor of planning my little sister's bachelorette party. The two of us, along with a gaggle of her sorority sisters/bridesmaids had a great night full of Tex-Mex, bachelorette dares and plenty of free drinks.

And at the end of the night, we crossed #88 off of my list. Luckily, there's no video footage available, so you can't hear us crooning BSB's "I Want it that Way." From what I understand, though, we were pretty amazing. Here's the only (blurry) evidence that remains:

Catching Up

Apologies for being an awful blogger; I have no excuses. I have, however, been keeping busy crossing items off my list. Here's what you missed while I went offline...

#2. Participate in a Disciple Bible study.
Technically, I've been participating since September. But last Wednesday, my Disciple Bible class came to an end. Spending almost every Wednesday evening at Capitol Hill UMC with my class for the past nine months has been such a blessing. In addition to reading through a huge amount of the Bible, we wrestled with questions and doubts, learned to see Biblical and Christian values from new perspectives, and shared in each other's joys and concerns. We celebrated weddings, pregnancies and births, and mourned the losses of jobs and of loved ones. We've already started talking about starting up Disciple 2 or finding another study to join together, because the idea of not seeing each other every Wednesday night is just too strange.

#22. Visit a different museum every month for a year.
In May I visited my fifth museum, swinging by the Phillips Collection for Phillips After Five. The collection opens for a happy hour event on the first Thursday of each month, and May's was hosted by Generation O (the Washington National Opera's young professionals program, which I joined to complete item #23). In addition to its great collection of priceless art, the event also featured an Italian buffet, (delicious!) Prosecco and members of the Washington National Opera performing numbers from Don Pasquale on the terrace. Bumping into a co-worker and her sweet boyfriend made the event even more fun.

#68. Have an article of clothing tailored.
This is not a super-exciting update. Long story short, I had a suit, I lost weight, the suit skirt no longer fit. Instead of buying a new suit, I got the skirt tailored and am thrilled with the inexpensive, yet custom-to-me results.

#77. Eat dinner at 1789.
To celebrate our third wedding anniversary, Steven took me to 1789, a romantic (and fairly expensive) restaurant in Georgetown. Clearly - from its presence on my list - it's a restaurant I've wanted to try for a while. I'm happy to say our cheese plate, rabbit and skate entrees and mini-dessert platter did not disappoint. (If you're reading this, sweetie, thanks again!)

So there we are, all caught up. Maybe in June I'll do a better job with this!

#45: Go on a Girls' Trip

Last weekend I went on a whirlwind trip to New York City - 24 hours in the Big Apple to celebrate my dear friend Rachel's bachelorette weekend. Even though the trip was a quick one, we were able to see a lot of the city's sights and had a fabulous time!

Because this was the first trip to New York for a number of the gals (including our bachelorette!) we spent Saturday afternoon seeing a number of the city's highlights - Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty, 5th Avenue, Ground Zero, and on and on.

Saturday night, we had a celebratory dinner at SEO - a lovely little Japanese restaurant near our hotel - and then ventured out to the Hudson Hotel for a (loooong) night of dancing.

It was so nice to leave the boys at home, get out of town and enjoy a wild weekend in the city - definitely something we'll need to do more often!

photos 2, 3 & 5 graciously borrowed from Vanessa

#14: Buy a new, well-fitted suit

When I moved to DC and started my first real job, suits were part of the uniform. I wore a suit and pantyhose every. single. day. for the 18+ months that I served in the White House.

Making the move to the private sector 2.5 years ago, my daily uniform made a drastic shift. Suits were replaced with work dresses and slacks; sensible black and brown heels have made way for metallic flats and less-than-sensible black stilettos. (I do still wear the pantyhose, though.)

I can't remember the last time I wore a suit to work. Maybe for a client meeting? It sure is nice to have the separate pieces on hand and ready to wear, though.

This weekend, I eyed the suit section of my closet, realized none of them fit me - or my lifestyle - and that I really needed a nice, well-fitting black suit. And so I went on a fun, quick shopping spree, coming home with this:

#85: Check out a book from the DC Public Library

For the past year, I've had a DC Public Libraries card. Until today, I had never checked out any of the system's books.*

I know what you're thinking - "Pam, you just showed us your awesome new Nook Color a little over two weeks ago. Why do you need to check out books from the library? How do you check out books from the library?"

Folks - with the Nook, I've opened a door to the wide world that is downloadable ebooks. Instead of venturing into a DC library, searching the shelves for the perfect title and waiting in a lengthy line of "proud library patrons," I was able to check out my book from the comfort of my own sweet living room.

It was as easy as typing in a title, clicking "download," and dragging it from one part of my computer to my Nook's storage file. The hardest part of the whole process was installing Adobe Digital Edition, and even that was easy-peasy.

The Other Wes Moore - on the DC Public Libraries site.

The Other Wes Moore - on my computer!

Now that I've downloaded it, I'm off to read a book from the DC Public Library!

*I got the library card as part of my volunteer placement at the DC Public Libraries through the Junior League of Washington.

#23: Join a Young Professionals group in DC

I spent the weekend in Dallas, helping select the next class of UT-Dallas Eugene McDermott Scholars. While I was in town, I loaded up on cultural events, attending the Dallas Opera's Romeo and Juliet with my parents on Friday night and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's "Masters of Film Music with George Fenton" on Saturday.

I came home refreshed and inspired. And ready to support the arts.

Out of curiousity, I visited the Washington National Opera's calendar to see what's playing this season - I already have my eyes on tickets to Don Pasquale - and stumbled across their "Generation O" young professionals program. The program is free (yes, free!) and offers patrons 18-35 the opportunity to enjoy the National Opera's full season at reduced prices, as well as attend exclusive lectures and socials.

I'm already saving up for my 2011-12 Series O subscription. I know the husband won't be joining me - anyone else care to tag along for some culture and sophistication?

#41: Go to a concert

Last night the husband and I had a mid-week "date night," complete with dinner at Cosi, drinks at Duffy's and a concert from one of our favorite Texas artists - Mr. Pat Green.

I've seen Pat Green live a few times before - once at the rodeo in Dallas and once here in D.C. at the 9:30 Club. His D.C. shows have become an annual occurrence, and an informal Texas reunion for all of us who've relocated to the Beltway. It was such a blast bumping into former Archer Fellows and Texas Exes friends, as well as old friends from my days as a White House intern and staffer.

No matter how many times I see him live, hearing Pat Green play "Southbound 35" and singing along with a packed room of energetic, die-hard fans gets me every. single. time.

I was too busy singing and dancing and drinking (and being jostled and spilled on) to take any pictures of my own, so I snagged this official show photo (not from D.C.) from Pat Green's Facebook page.

#57: Get a manicure

In college, I wore acrylic tips on my fingernails for three years straight. While it certainly wreaked havoc on my natural nail beds, my regular, monthly manicure habit gave me good quality time with my girlfriends and a clean, polished look. As an unpaid intern in DC, I was forced to slash the manicures from my tight budget and instead invested in a few good OPI polishes (and lots of patience). As good I as I got, though, nothing I can accomplish will ever replace the look of a professional manicure.

On Tuesday, I took a "late lunch" and visited Patsy's Nail Bar in northwest DC for one of their famed shellac manicures. This polish claims to last 2-3 weeks without chipping. Weeks?! Yes, please!

I hesitate to share the name of the spa because I loved it that much and halfway wanted to keep the spot a secret. Toiya, my technician, was so friendly and just the right amount of chatty. And she helped me pick the most beautiful, bright red polish. I hope it truly will still look this great in two weeks!

Now, a few gratuitous shots of my manicured nails (and my brand-spankin' new Nook color):

#46: Watch all of the Oscar Best Picture nominees in a given year

This weekend the husband and I kept our eye on the prize and cranked out the last two Best Picture nominees before I leave town for a whirlwind of trips for the remainder of the month.

On Friday night, we kicked off our Best Picture weekend by watching "Winter's Bone" in the comfort of our living room. We'd heard from friends that the film was "good but gritty." Y'all, neither of us liked this one. At all. I'll admit that Jennifer Lawrence did a great job acting mature beyond her years, but that's about the only positive thing I have to say about this slow, stagnant downer of a movie.

Last night we trekked out to Georgetown to catch "The Fighter." I'd been eager to see this one since it first hit theaters, just knowing that it would end up with a nomination or two. The husband was less excited, insisting that we wait until the Academy gave it the nod before adding it to our must-see list. The verdict: I'm so glad we saved this one for last because it was excellent.

So now that we've seen all 10 of the Best Picture nominees, here are our big award picks:

Actor in a Supporting Role
P: Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
S: Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech"

Actress in a Supporting Role
P: Melissa Leo in "The Fighter"
S: Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"

Actor in a Leading Role
P: James Franco in "127 Hours"
S: James Franco in "127 Hours"

Actress in a Leading Role
P: Anette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right"
S: Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"

Directing
P: "Black Swan" Darren Aronofsky
S: "The Social Network" David Fincher

Best Picture
P: "127 Hours"
S: "The Social Network"

There are still a few movies we want to see from this year's picks - "Blue Valentine,"The Town" and "The Illusionist" to name a few. But for now we're putting a pause on our movie-watching spree and just holding tight until the Academy Awards air on the 27th.