Question Friday

If you could have any talent, or be really good at any one thing, what would it be?

Since FOREVER I've always wished I could be a really good singer. Like, REALLY good. I always wanted to be the girl asked to sing the national anthem at assemblies, or the one who got the solo in choir. Alas, I am a barely-passable (really, barely) alto and I can sing about two notes. Karaoke only happens in my nightmares or in the protective non-judging walls of my car.

Is there a talent you've secretly always wished for?

What the -

My mom took these this morning - this is a Heron, right? What the heck is it doing in Everett, WA? I mean, I know it's near the sound and all...but that bird needs to know it's in the suburbZ! How funny. And weird :)

Nat'l Grilled Cheese Month, Y'all!

I totally forgot it was National Grilled Cheese Month! Omg - April FAIL. Whoops! Better late than never. I would die for a grilled cheese right this minute...they're so damn good. Amiright, Annie? (they're her favorite). I pretty much worship all sandwiches, and I like how the grilled cheese keeps it real. 

If you feel like drooling over some awesome-looking sandwiches, check out the slideshow on the Grilled Cheese Academy site. To die for!

Closet Envy

You Guys, I have got some mad closet envy these days! I never used to care about them but that's because I never realized that you could have WALK-IN closets, or that they came with their own interior decorating scheme. Of course, I want one now (not as much as a tiny pony though, obvs).

So what makes a closet...fabulous? It's a good start if your closet is as big as a master bedroom. Then you've got to have natural light in there somewhere. And dramatic mood lighting to go with that. And draperies. And a place that displays your shoes like they are works of art. And a glamorous settee or pouf. Then things need to be bejeweled, gilded, crystal, velvet, mirrored or satin. BOOM - now you've got yourself a ridiculously posh "closet" :)

Hot Manse of the Day: Giraffe Manor

Check. It. Out, People: let's party at Giraffe Manor. The next time I go on an East African Safari, I will def be staying here!

"The Giraffe Manor is surrounded by 140 acres of indigenous forest just outside Kenya's capital, Nairobi. As well as the giraffe, the property is also home to many species of birds, large families of warthogs and the elusive Bush Buck...The Rothschild giraffe lost much of their natural habitat in western Kenya and faced extinction. In 1974, two highly endangered Rothschild giraffe were moved onto the estate where their future generations have thrived and live today...The Giraffe Manor is modeled on a Scottish hunting lodge with views of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the south and the Ngong Hills to the west...Travelers from all over the world now make The Giraffe Manor part of their East African safari, the only place in the world where you can enjoy the breathtaking experience of feeding and photographing the giraffe over the breakfast table and at the front door."

Sunday Brunch Re-Cap

We are feverishly trying to eat at all the places on our list before we leave DC - it's a challenge, but we're up to it! We were finally able to get reservations at The Tabard Inn for this Sunday (a month in advance). It was soooo worth the wait. I loved it! Right when we stepped in I felt like we were in a funky old house on Queen Anne or the San Juans. It has that "old hardwood" smell. I love all the little rooms and the cool lounge. SO CUTE.

We had to get what everyone is always raving about: the doughnuts. They were amazing. AMAZING. The cream they come with is divine. They also had fabulous orange juice and coffee.

We ordered the lobster bisque. I know, not "brunchey", but who can resist bisque? It was good. Not better than Montmartre or Ray's though.

I got the eggs benedict with bacon. GAH! SO good! I'm really glad I got this :)

Keene got the sour cream and chive scrambled eggs that came with this "house-made" sausage link. I tried a bite, sans-casing and it was really good. But the casing part is a little too hardcore for me. He  was a big fan though.

I love the entrance to this hote!

Our squinty mc squinterson couples self-portrait :)

I love brunch. Totally go to Tabard if you get the chance!

List & Comm Friday

Sometimes I wish I had a crystal ball...so today I've decided to make my own...UNIVERSE, Listen Up!

List of where I will be in ten years:

* Happily married to my favorite person
* We'll have a little family
* In a comfy cottage-esqe house all our own
* I'll be fully immersed in a career the energizes me and that impacts others in a meaningful way
* Life will be full of friends, art, food, family, nature, holidays, and sipping wine under wisteria
* Bonus points: travel :)

And that's it. That's all I want, I swear!!! Your turn.  
Where will you be in ten years?
*ok if that house happened to have a walk-in closet that would accommodate a chandelier that would be the cherry on top...

FRIENDS

People, I love these fools. They made a pit stop in DC over the weekend on their East Coast tour. We were so honored! I had a blast showing them around our 'hood and staying up late! Totally recovered now....really ;)

I made Keene take a pic of Josiane and I on the porch, since that's how Smiths roll.

We went to a Nats game on Sunday - whooh boy was it exciting! I was on the edge of my seat! Until about half way through the 1st inning when the Nats got 10 runs scored against them. I mean, they did eventually come back 7-11, but still. There's no one in this stadium for a reason...

See? Josiane is clearly paying attention to the game. She's a foreals baseball fan.

Also it was freakin' cold! Heavy winds made it chilly despite the sunshine...Drew looks totally composed and I'm all "baaaah I'm FREEZING"!!! I should learn my lesson and take an extra jacket with me from now on...

After the game we rolled down to the Mall. I caught Chris & Amy in a cute Newlywed moment :)

I was busy giving Arlington a thumbs-down. BOO on Arlington! I need to work on my thumbs-down, it's awkward.

The typical Mall pic. Had to take it!

We also went to visit Einstein. Josiane is a BIG TIME fan of Einstein. Oooh! Josiane you should become a fan of that on Facebook.

Ladies pic!

And I thought I'd leave you with this delightful gyno office we walked by on the way to H ST - this place looks totally legit!

Lots of catching up to do...

You people asked for it, so you shall get it...manse/artoftheday/miscellaneous all in one! Today's post is a medley of things I've noted all week but have been too lazy to share (shame on me!)...

First things first: my coworker sent me a link to "Bob's Blog", the blog of a greyhound. He is very wise! I found his latest entry about change particularly fitting for myself and the people around me.

Two quotes I am stealing from Molly's blog that I am trying to keep in mind while pursuing new career options:

"A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown." -Denis Waitley
--

"Regardless of how absurd your inner callings might seem, they're authentically yours. They don't have to make sense to anyone else." -Wayne Dyer....good ole Wayne, always droppin' wise...

Ok so who cares about the new iphone buzz - I want to know who's seen the new Hansen video! I love singing and dancing, and I think I love Hansen again now. Those crazy commitment-happy kids didn't fade away, and I like that. I sense a flashmob coming on! Also who wants to take a dance class with me this summer? I've got the fever...(ps. Megan at 3:48 they do "the megan move")...twist it, shake it...

Gin and Tonics are my go-to beverage of choice, so of course I'm bookmarking Dooce's ultimate G&T recipe...classy AND delicious!

In the category of "things I post specifically for Josiane" is this list of "7 Natural Phenomena You've Never Seen" - found it via GalaDarling. (Annie: can you confirm that the poop/soap goats actually climb trees? Drew: have you ever seen Idaho's "fire rainbow" before? I have to see that!?)

A couple handy how-to tips I've bookmarked on How To Post Good Craigslist Photos and How to Prepare Frozen Meals for a friend.

Your AOTD: peep the latest in light painting from The Melbourne City Drain Painters. {via GalaDarling}

Hot Manse of the Day: I present to you, a 360* view of Clooney's villa in Lake Como, Italy. Not too shabby! {via CelebDigs HQ via HookedonHouses}

That just about wraps it up for today, People. Stay tuned for some of my sparse pics of The Friends visiting (I was having too much fun to really stop and "document" properly - my bad!)...

Still in my 20's!!!!

Wheeeew~! *Still in my 20's* *Still in my 20's* REPEAT MANTRA.
So our buddies are in town and even though I have to work I am determined to hang out with them as much as possible. So much catching up to do! Last night was a late one but I'm hangin' tough, cuz I'm STILL IN MY TWENTIES, PEOPLE.

Anyway, thought I'd post this beauty from Friday night. My dear cohab, inspired by our venison tenderloin and recent fancy goat cheese taste at Eastern Market, found this recipe for Juniper-Spiced Venison with Brown Goat Cheese Sauce. Hells yeah! It was of course awesome, and the cohab grilled it to perfection. CARAMELIZED GOAT CHEESE SAUCE!

List & Comment: Ways to be "Happier"

pic via KIUKO's photostream.

I woke up with a headache this morning, and it's lingering. But I'm determined to be "happy" today! Also: why haven't I felt like blogging? What's wrong with me? Ugh. I guess I just haven't had much inspiring stuff to share with you guys lately. I promise to be better. I think my mind is on this weekend, because our friends are coming in to town!!! Um...to say I'm excited is a total understatement. I. Can't. Wait. I'll try and be diligent with the pictures and haul my SLR around for y'all!

I love this list of "20 Easy Ways to be Happier" from Divine Caroline. I especially like that "making lists" and "eat avocados" are among the ways to be happier. Lists help me feel like I'm more in control, and like I can relax because then I won't forget anything. But...sometimes I think I need list detox, since I can get a little out of control with them. Anyway! One of my favorite ways to get happy is by listening to music. Especially some awesome *DANCE* music that would drive my cohab crazy. That is THE BEST. Works every time! I need to try the "no tv" one though. I use tv as an "escape" because let's face it: I love my stories, but it doesn't really make me FEEL better.

Ok You Guys, share with me now: what do you do to perk yourself up?

Grillin', never lookin' back

Time to grill everything from now until November. Keene made some Montreal chicken for dinner last Saturday - boo-ya! (btw: why do chicken breasts only come in GIANT size nowadays?)

I made an Asparagus & Greens Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette to go with it. It rocked, if I do say so myself. Found it via Quinn's blog - hers looked really good so I had to make it! The recipe comes from Cooking Light. I ended up juicing the lemon and pouring all that into the vinaigrette as well and it worked out swimmingly. Definitely only boil the asparagus for 2 minutes like the recipe says. Mine could've been crisper. I'd totally make this salad again, it was a winner :)

Weekend Re-Cap: this weather is unreal

Had a delightfully relaxing weekend over here. Worked on some freelance projects and walked around in the *sunshine*! It's getting so pretty in DC. I'm going to miss how lush everything gets here. It's not just cherry trees, it's everything! Even our alley looks better when it's covered in vines.

We walked to the market Saturday underneath a cherry tree ceiling!

Go Sounders!

You guys know how much I love wisteria. It's here!

Oh yeah...apparently on Thursday night there was a random hurricane of sorts? For only an hour...? I was out having a delightful dinner with a friend and we saw the lights kept flickering in the restaurant. But then when I left there was absolutely no wind, and it wasn't raining anymore. Huh? I came home to a giant tree having fallen down near my street. And on Saturday we saw this bad boy:

Whoops! Guess this tree blew over on that car. It looked like it was all rotted out at the roots. D'oh!

A purple door, with purple wisteria.

How awesome would it be to sit on your back patio with good friends and lemonade with this stuff breezing about above you? Answer: SO awesome.