Things I'd Really Like to Find at the Thirft Store

• A canning rack or water bath canner.  We really want to try canning, but not having done it before and the need to acquire more kitchen junk to do so has become a road block.  With three bushels of apples worth of applesauce in the fridge/freezer right now, it would be helpful if we could can some of it. If I found a rack that fit our stock-pot or an actual water bath canner, I think I could stomach having to order the rest of the stuff online.
• Ice Cube Trays. The ice-maker in our old fridge was broken, so we had to make our OWN ice. In trays. THE HORROR. When we were forced to replace the fridge this summer, I giddily through the trays into the recycling bin forgetting that they are also useful for freezing single portions of pesto, and freezing leftover stock and wine for sauces. Since I had some and I tossed them, I can't seem to justify going to BBB or target and just buying some for a dollar when I'm SURE there are 72 ice cube trays waiting for me at the thrift store of .25 cents each.
• Scrabble. I think it would be really fun to get an old scrabble game and put magnetic sheeting on the back of all the pieces to make a fun magnet set. It wouldn't really even matter if you didn't have all the pieces. I have also seen some fun holiday decorations featuring scrabble sets. 

What do you wish you could stumble upon at the Thrift Store?

Friday!

Things I'm Loving: Christmas Cups! And Gingerbread lattes! At Starbucks!

Something I'm not loving: Christmas music at Barnes and Noble. Too soon.

Rant: I wasn't too bothered by the new map app on the iPhone...until yesterday when I discovered that they did away with the public transportation routing function. What the F, Apple? That was perhaps the most amazing and useful thing the phone did. Poor form, Apple, poor form. 

The Entertaining Season is Upon Us

We have been known to through a party or two at our house and so I fancy myself a bit of an expert on throwing a party and being a good hostess. Over the last five years of planning parties and barbecues and executing Thanksgiving dinner for ten, I have slowly, painfully learned to be a (slightly) less frantic hostess and to only make too much food and buy too much wine instead of TOO MUCH FOOD and TOO MUCH WINE.  And in my opinion a happy hostess and too much food and wine are really all you need to have a good party. Glasses for the wine help too. As does a wine key.

As such, here is short list of my tips for a successful gathering.

• Two hours before guests are expected STOP whatever you are doing and go get ready. It is preferable to be mid-"finishing touches on the dip" as guest arrive, than to be mid-"dripping wet from the shower" as the doorbell is ringing.  A hostess with un-blow-dryed hair is not a happy hostess.
• Do all the fussy stuff, like moving furniture, putting out candles, table-runners, etc. first, before you do anything else. It's easier to do that when no one is around and before you start plating food. True Story: I set the table for thanksgiving dinner up to 3 days in advance. Because I can. And then it's done.
• If someone offers to come over and help, fight all your neurotic tendencies and just say yes.  Having someone come over an hour early to help chop the veggies for the dip or put the beer in the cooler will always be a godsend.
• Speaking of help, if you can fly a friend from a distant city to be your kitchen bitch sous chef for the day in exchange for room and board, all the better.
• But really, when you are writing out your "to-do" list, think of 4-5 tasks that you could easily pass off to willing helpers, so you have a few things someone else can do when you are elbow-deep in your secret meatball sauce 30 minutes for the party starts.
• Always buy one more bag of ice than you think you need. 
• How much food to make? My rule of thumb is at least one piece of everything for every invited guest. With four to five different dishes, plus something dip-based (and easily replenished) like hummus and veggies or chips and salsa, you've got plenty of food.  If you have a main dish, you could go with fewer apps,  maybe just two or three and a dip. If you do strictly cocktail food, you could go with more variety (maybe seven appetizers?), and fewer pieces of each. 
• What if I run out of food? Chances are you will have a) too much of almost everything and b) at least one dish that runs out right away. That's fine, no one is bothered by this. Take comfort in the fact that they REALLY like your (Paula Deen's) deviled eggs! 
• Keep the desserts bite-size. A full-size cheesecake is a thing of beauty, but when no one wants to cut/eat a whole slice of full-size cheesecake...it becomes a nuisance to have that around your house for the next week.
• At some point (preferably after the first guest or two arrives) just stop prepping and enjoy your party! Much like a five-year-old's dance recital, only the teacher knows what went "wrong." That there were supposed to be ten tea lights instead of eight on the buffet and that you never got around to making the goat cheese tart with roasted figs. Have a good time! It's a party after all.
• Don't worry about cleaning up until the next morning. Believe me, the mess will still be there.

Happy Entertaining!

The Worst House on the Block

We survived HURRICANE SANDY, WEATHER EVENT OF 2012.*  Northern Virginia (and even Maryland, yay, Pepco) seems to have done ok.  The worst damage I saw when I went out and about yesterday was behind our house.

Sorry it's sideways. I can't seem to fix that. But in case you can't see, that's the three pine trees that used to stand at the base of our patio. Thank goodness they fell AWAY from the house. We didn't even hear the trees fall. Neither did our ever alert, ferocious guard dogs. The best news is that no one else's property was damaged and the trees are actually on the homeowners association's land, so we don't have to deal with the tree removal and there is a possibility the HOA insurance could cover the cost of the repairs to our patio. The tree roots upset about three feet of the patio bricks and trim, the grill (not pictured) is also a little jacked up. Either way, I am delighted at the prospect of shelling out some cash to fix a patio instead of a roof, some windows and siding.

There are of course many areas outside of the DC metro area that did not fair as well (Ocean :( City). I hope recovery efforts are speedy.

Other good news for local kids though, the storm has cleared up just in time for trick-or-treating!!! Yay!  As a kid, I know I would have been really disappointed if a hurricane ruined Halloween. Too bad for the kids in our neighborhood that we give out pretzels.

I sleep just fine at night. Thank you.


*Local news station's emphasis, not mine.

Important Annoucement

Nothing brings a blog back from the dead like a blogger with a really really important announcement that must be shared with the internets IMMEDIATELY and without delay!

If you haven't already read it, you must drop what you are doing right now and find a copy of Tina Fey's Bossypants and read it from cover to cover, immediately.

Full disclosure, I love Tina Fey. LOVE her. But even if you don't, if you have a sense of humor or like to laugh, you are going to eat this book up. If you were ever an awkward teenage girl, you will love this book. If you are still sort of awkward now, you will love this book.*

I laughed out loud at least once a page. I laughed an out loud, gut-shaking laugh at least every other page. Tina Fey strings together the hilarity in everyday life in a way that you just can't help but grin and snort-laugh through your nose and nod your head in agreement.

So go read this book, and then tell me how much you loved it. And I will tell you, you are WELCOME.

</end important announcement>




* Be honest, we're all still a little awkward.

Third Place

While I've done a lot of running over the last 4-5 years, I think I can count on one hand the number of 5ks I've done. And if you take out any Turkey Trots, I only need a finger or two. Since I'm not training for any marathons this year, I've been wanting to try and get my 5k time down. Training for marathons is fun, but I'm loving the 5k because it's instant gratification compared to marathon training. I could probably be using a more scientific process to train, but whatever. I do some hills, some speed work, some "long runs," and ta-da! I can race a 5k every couple weeks and see a little improvement. Other reasons 5ks are fun:

• They're cheap. I signed up for the Herndon Festival 5k on Sunday, June 3, which was a steal at the early-bird price of $25. By comparison, most halfs and marathons run you $100 plus.
• After the seriousness of the marathon "scene," it's refreshing. When you've toed the line at some races where there are so many people that you're in corral G and you can't even see corral GG, it's sort of cute and quaint (in a good way) to be at a start line where the Race Director is shouting at the kids in the front to "back up, you have to run the whole 3.1!" and the gun is someone shouting "go!"
• The chance to place! I placed third in my age group! Yeah. I was the 6th female finisher overall and 3rd in the 20-29 age group. 

Just so you know, if I'd been in the 15-19 age group, I would have blown away the competition by a whole minute. That's one of the great things about distance running, many runners peak in their thirties. While [Husband] is worried about turning thirty (really, I'm not kidding, he's sort of freaking out), I'm looking forward to starting the ten best years of my running career.


In the car home from the race, I was simultaneously delighted with my time, and also kicking myself because if I'd run about 16 second faster, I could've placed second. I ran a 24:31 (gun time only on the results page, so 24:39), which is a 7:54 pace and my best 5k by about 50 seconds.

I'm signed up for the Annapolis Striders Women's Distance Festival 5k in July.  Today, I started stalking the 20-29 age group results from 2011 to see what it might take to place. Between now and July 16 I need to figure out how to take another minute and a half off my 5k. :)

Annapolis Strider's Women's Distance Festival 2011 Results

Female	20 to 29
First	Place	00:20:56.92	F	23
Second	Place	00:23:07.34	F	27
Third	Place	00:23:17.38	F	29

Crazy Dog Lady

Even though I grew-up in a pet-free house and (you will be shocked about this) wasn't much of a dog person as a kid, I have taken to dog-ownership like nobody's business.

When we adopted the Griffin, I knew I would love her, but I didn't realize how much she would become an irreplaceable part of our family and how much I would just LOVE her. So much so that it's possible I was a little teary-eyed the first time we had to board her for more than overnight for a family camping trip.

This is what we call a bean dog. Do you see the resemblance?

I knew almost right away too that we needed a second dog because I just KNEW we could give a wonderful home to another special little beast.  And that's how this little bundle of love ended up coming home with us.

Are you my dad?

Nearly three years after adopting Griffin and one year after adopting Barksdale, I am a 100% confirmed crazy dog lady. I worry about them being lonely if we board them, I can't break myself of the habit of letting them snuggle in bed with us (ME not the dogs), I don't even care about the pet hair and that fact that Barksdale may never 100% grasp the concept of "house-breaking" for more than 3-4 weeks at a time. I will gleefully whip out my iPhone to show pictures to anyone, anywhere that will stand still long enough for me to show them.  I don't care, I just love those little animals so much and they make our house so lively and wild and fun.   And if you're thinking, well this doesn't bode well for when they have kids, you're right. I'm sure I'll be at least 17 times more obnoxious when I have pictures of children to wave at people.

5 more minutes, mom.

In sum, I am a total sucker for all things dog-related and related to helping dogs.

I'm in Virginia Beach, Bitch!

Oh hey, were you gonna sleep here?

 

RUB MY BELLY.

The SPCA is currently advocating for a bill called the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act.  Military dogs are currently classified as "equipment," which creates some complications upon their retirement with regard to adoption and medical care. This bill would reclassify military working dogs from as  “canine members of the armed forces” and provide for better/easier adoption channels and "retirement care."

You can visit the ASPCA website here, look up your senator and send a quick email asking them to support the bill. It only takes a few minutes and the ASPCA has done all the hard work for you (aka they wrote the email).  Do a small, but good deed for these special members of the armed forces and you too can a special place in this crazy dog lady's heart. Right behind the chunky little brown dog and the silly little black dog.

Travelin'

So far this year I've been to New York, Raleigh, Monterrey, San Francisco, Sonoma, Napa, Chicago and Austin.  This weekend, I'm off again to visit Nashville to run half-marathon with some friends.

I would really love to write you a travel recap of all the fun things I did in all these cities, but, well you know me. Don't hold your breath.

But then I had a BRILLIANT thought. Prior to my Austin trip, I mapped out places to visit and things to do. When I returned, I put all my thoughts and recommendations into the comments section on each map icon, and TA DA. Instant travel recap. I'll even throw in a few pictures for free.

PS: if you use Instagram, look me up. I'm vksiev.  When I can't sleep at night I lay in bed and instagram my travel photos.

View NALP '12 Austin in a larger map

So Proud, You'd Think I Gave Birth To It*

I co-hosted a baby shower for my Sister-in-Law with my Mother-in-Law, other Sister-in-Law, Brother-in-Law and [Husband]. It was a real family effort and it turned out just wonderful. They also gave me free reign to plan and delegate the execution of tasks. These are my kind of co-hosts.

I decided to try my hand at making fondant and covering a cake in it again. I had preyty good luck with a simple fondant cake for a friend's daughters birthday a few months ago and so this time I decided to step it up and get as complicated as humanly possible. I found a photo on Pinterest I wanted to replicate and after 1.5 of Googling and YouTube searching, I found a reasonable amount of tips and instructions to feel somewhat confidant about putting it all together.

Ta-da!

I'm seriously so proud of this cake. It was a three layer chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream and raspberry preserves in between the layers. The fondant is home-made marshmallow fondant, so it's actually quite tasty.  I made the bird's nest on top with coconut, and toasted it to a perfect J-Wow-likeTan.  It was pretty AND tasty!

*I know you love my baby shower humor. I do too.

The Spring-Day-Open-Your-Windows Police

I think we're going to have a beautiful spring day today. You know, the kind where the breeze is blowing and the air temperature is perfect, not to hot and not to cold, and all the neighbors have their windows open letting the fresh air and sunshine in. We are not those neighbors. Even on the prettiest days, are windows are shut up tight.

I don't like to open the windows and I feel a little wasteful about. It's beautiful out! A breeze is blowing! No need to run the A/C! What a spoiled little wretch, has to have her A/C!  The truth is, I just don't want to open the windows. In my mind, I always forget that the window are open and it rains and then there's a puddle to clean up. Also the dogs can here outdoor noises amplified  by 87,000,000 decibels when the windows are open, and as a result they are constantly going nuts. And in case you didn't know, in our complex barking dogs are equivalent to crying babies in expensive, candle-lit restaurants.

And then I remember! I have allergies! TERRIBLE allergies. Hooray! I can't open my windows, they'd be ten times worse if I let all the pollen in my house. I need my A/C and my hypo-allergenic, organic, made in Canada extra healthy air-filter. Phew. Now when the imaginary It's-A-Spring-Day-Open-Your-Windows Police show up I will have a good excuse!

The Scrunchie Endemic

Today during my morning commute, I saw something truly disturbing. A woman sporting a scrunchie.

Yes, today, in the year 2012, I saw a woman (a WOMAN, not a teenager from Iowa) wearing a scrunchie.

I mean I know they're out there. I know drugs stores and Target* and others of their ilk are still pushing this product in dark corners of the hair accessory aisle. Aren't we vaccinateing against this in elementary schools? Are mothers not teaching their daughters to just say no? Why are we as a group allowing these things propagate?

I think that what made today's situation worse than it might have been was that this lady was otherwise dressed very nice. She had on a dapper little pea coat in a lovely shade of plum and some cute flats. It's like catching an honor student with drugs or hard liquor. I mean come on, shouldn't you know better? I KNOW you know better.

Let's all pledge to stop this travesty where ever it may crop up. Say it with me now, friends don't let friends use scrunchies. I'm going down to stand on the street corner with the Street Sense lady (who isn't wearing a scrunchie btw) and pass out hair ties in black, brunette and blonde.



*Target? Really? I'm disappointed in you.

The Water in Chicago

I was in Chicago recently and I have to tell you, the water there is just remarkable.  Every time I visit I'm amazed how beautifully my hair straightens and how nice my skin fills. I was there for four days in March and it was like sending my face to the spa. What ever magic they're putting into Lake Michigan (or where ever the city water comes from) just does wonders for me. It cleared up all my wine-country breakouts from the previous week and my hair never felt nicer.

If the people I visited in Chicago are reading this (hi!) they are probably thinking, WTF? This is what you chose to write about your trip to Chicago? How about when we went to Table 52 and saw Art Smith? Or how about when we were the obnoxious east-coasters who wanted a sketch about Snooki's sonogram at Second City? Or ate a street hot dog at 2 am outside of Hangge Uppe?  We hate you.

Thanks for handling the recap for me, guys.

Crate & Barrel Giveth, and Crate & Barrel Taketh Away

We've been married for nearly three years and so far we've broken one glass cheese plate, four red wine glasses and one three-tiered server.

The Orion cheese plate, which by the way, I LOVED as no one has loved a cheese plate before, was essentially in throes of discontinuation as our engagement came to a close. We broke the cheese plate in the first couple months following the wedding and despite some frantic searching on Amazon, Crate and Barrel Outlet and eBay (hey, 2001), I couldn't replace it. I loved it, did I mention that?

Wine glasses break. This is to be expected. It's why we picked a basic balloon glass, the Jordan, instead of the Mikasa Celebration glasses I was THIS close to registering for. We replaced one around our first anniversary and also bought a back up at a the same time for the next break. You would think it would be us dropping them or guests at one of our wild (wild, I tell you!) parties getting too wild, but no, it's the dishwasher that breaks them. And it's not even the running of the dishwasher, it's us unloading the glasses from the dishwasher that has caused all four breaks. Boring...Anyway, following two recent breaks we're due for some new replacements and back-ups.

Recently we broke the Tripoli Server*, a three-tiered party tray, which has become an the absolute linchpin of all celebratory events at our house. And also an excuse to make at least three kinds of baked goods. Dog's adopt-a-versary? Crank out some cupcakes, mini-donuts, and iced sugar cookies! Impromptu Ocktoberfest in March? Make some mini-apple pies, snickerdoodles and outrageous brownies. You must fill all three tiers! Fortunately, Crate & Barrel is still proffering this particular item.

Thank goodness because I had a meltdown today when I discovered C&B has discontinued my red wine balloons. Son of a...I lived with mismatched wine glasses from every winery north of Richmond for too long to tolerate two separate breeds of wine glass in my house. GIVE ME MY JORDAN BALLOON GLASSES. How is this possible. It was the ONLY balloon they sold. They are repelling a whole demographic of wine glass users (also known as wine drinkers). What were they thinking? This cannot be good for business.

Following a tearful (ok, not really. Though I'm incapable of dealing with change, I'm not quite that bad) phone call to [Husband] to inform him that we could no longer entertain groups of more than 10 red wine drinkers at once, I started Googling.

I don't mess around when I Google. If I can't find it on the internets, it's not there. Purple polka dot staws? Gummy candy shaped like pickles? Your ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend's webshots account from 7 years ago? I am your girl. Not to brag, but someone who's internet stalking abilities I great admire once told me I taught her everything she knows about Googling.

Through my internet search prowess, I was able to uncover the truth (like Scully & Mulder!). It seems C&B played a dirty trick on me. After careful study of product reviews and a in-depth analysis of online photos, it appears my Jordan Balloon Glass has simply been re branded as the Brim Balloon Glass.

On the left, the REAL Jordan Balloon Glass (28 oz). On the right, left most of the three glasses,the Brim Balloon glass. Also 28 oz. Do these look the same to you? I'm still suspicious, but I'm willing to investigate in person.

So the moral here, you might think, is: Don't get all worked up about material shit, yadda yadda. But actually it's: While Crate & Barrel (or your wedding guests) may giveth, and Crate & Barrel may taketh away, if you will just wait a hot second and not get so worked up, you will probably find that they just re-branded that product you're looking for.^

 *Yeah, I know the actual names of all these things. I lovingly crafted our registery and I have a brain for arcane trivia. What?
^Although this is most certainly not the case for my cheese plate. That's just discontinued and I'm still bitter about it.

Red Palm Trees As Far AsThe Eye Can See

(see full image)

March Photo A Day: Red

Window Panes

Dog in "Window."

What I Wore

(see full image)

Everyone loves a trusty pair of running slash commuting shoes.

Even Instagram Can't Make this Look Good

#MarchPhotoADay #5pm

Lost: One Sense of Humor?

We interrupt this sleepy Tuesday afternoon to bring you a rant that clearly indicates I've lost my sense of humor.

I have lost count of how many places I've seen this picture, but I'm tired of it. I am tired of the disparaging attitude toward ourselves and our bodies that this represents to me. 

Potomac River Running, one of my favorite favorite running companies in town posted this on Facebook this afternoon along with the comment, "'Like' this post if you can relate." Well, I did not like it and in fact I left a rather exasperated comment and then I liked the one other comment by an author with feelings similar to mine.  What I love about sports is that it doesn't matter what I look like it's all about what I can do!! Sure, I might be carrying around 10 extra pounds (according to my GP), but do you know I can run 5 sub-8:30 miles in a row?  Because I can.

I attended a "Ladies Night" fun run about 6 weeks ago at Pacer's, another local running company I patronize frequently.  On that particular night, the run was sponsored by a popular running brand and we got to try out some gear and talk to the company's local brand rep.  The rep and Pacer's folks wanted to get a photo of everyone and all was well and good until I heard this disturbing comment, "Let's take the picture now [before the run], no one wants to see the after!" Oh, no.  I know, I know. It was said it passing. But this this really bothers me.  When I look at myself after a run, I know I'm a bit disheveled and I don't smell nice, but what you see is a product of some hard, ass-kicking work. Look at me, I am AWESOME. Look how sweaty I got because I am working so hard and I kick SO much ass. It disappointed me that in a room full of other women runners, not a single other person seemed to feel the same way.

And while I'm getting all uppity about this, I'll point out that 1) both photos feature women 2) and you know where you most frequently see this? Pinterest. [Sigh].  Do dudes self-hate like this? Maybe, but I guess at least they aren't posting on Facebook about it.

Come on, ladies. Even if you might look like a sunshine yellow rolly-polly jogging down the street, wear those sweat beads and your final kick face* and that half-falling out ponytail and that big wet patch down your back, like the badge of honor it is. Own it. Love it. And don't forget to give a good, "I'm-finishing-this-last-mile-under-XX-minutes-if-it-kills-me" grunt at the end for good measure.

*you know that face you make when your leaving it all on the pavement right at the end of a race or run.

Oh, Boy!

We've been planning a trip to California for close to a year now. I'm really excited and have done lots and lots of planing that includes color-coded charts and copious amounts of internet research.

But just about 10 minutes ago I realized that be virtue of being in California for 10 days as of this Friday, I GET TO GO TO IN 'N OUT BURGER!!!!!!  Like at least twice.

By my count, there will be at least 32 opportunities for In 'N Out.

We're having dinner at Thomas Keller's Bouchon on Thursday next week. But note that I mentioned that after In 'N Out. Priorities.

March Photo A Day

I saw one of these Instagram photo challenges that are all the rage with the kids on Olive Our House last month. It sounds like fun, but I failed to initiate. I saw a March challenge on several blogs today and since I'm only a day late, I thought I'd give this a go! It should be fun and a little easier since I have a lot of travel planned over the next few weeks which should facilitate my photo taking.

Yesterday's picture prompt was "Up."  Uh, we might have skip that one and move straight into today's....stay tuned.

And PS, my friend Mike is doing a one year photo "diary" of 2012 using only an iPhone and iPhone apps/software for shooting and editing. He's mjlapierre on Instagram if you want to check it out. He's got some great shots already.

Thursday Update

While I can't be bothered to write actual blog posts here, I can be bothered to write mammoth comments on other people's blogs.  Visit my friend EE's blog, Break (down) the Bank for some thoughtful thoughts on wedding planning and project management.

You're welcome.

You Just Know

You know you're a grown-up when the first thought through your head when you wake up on a Thursday goes something like, is my period supposed to start today or does our credit card statement close? You know something significant is supposed to happen today and it's very important that you find out.

You know you're a Washingtonian when you email a friend who lives in another city that you want to take her to dinner for her birthday and then just automatically send her a calendar appointment for your dinner date without thinking that maybe people in other cities aren't such type A nuts that send calendar appointments for SOCIAL occasions. But deep down inside you're ok with it and a little relieved because at least no one will forget now that you're having dinner and you live in DC for goodness sake, you have to take the zen where you can get it.

You know you're a skier when part of you dies when you learn that you could have gone to a college where you get to SKI to COMMENCEMENT. Dang Ya'll.  It matters not that you didn't learn to ski until about 2 years after you graduated...you're still upset.

You know you're still you when you spur of the moment decide to bake cookies before work (?) and then can't because you need softened butter, not rock hard straight-out-of-the-fridge butter and so as usual your lack of planning ruins all the fun. But you do get to go back to bed for 30 more minutes.

Hair & Make-Up

I do usually wear make-up. I think it polishes me up. Some days I go all out (foundation, eyeliner, eye shadow, bronzer, blush), other days I just put on a few heavy coats (yep, like five or six) of mascara, top lashes only, because I think it makes my eyes stand out. On an in-between day, I'll do a little eyeliner (inner, upper lid) and mascara and a light dusting of bronzer.  Why? I think it looks nice. But I'm also a sensitive contact lenses wearer, I'm also an eye-rubber, sometimes I work out mid-day, so I don't find it practical to wear a full face of make-up.

Around November of last year, when things slowed down at work and I had time to breath I started making a concerted effort to really get dressed up and do makeup (eye-liner, shadow, bronzer and mascara every day) and I thought about a month ago that maybe I should take a break from the make-up routine because I was starting to prefer the way I looked with it on. So I took a break. I like the way I look, my skin is nice and I have nice features, I don't want to forget that I love the way I look sans make-up. I know this sounds ABSURDLY cheesy, but it's true.

Do you remember when you were little waiting to leave the house to go some place fun (like McDonalds, or the library, or a party!) and you had to wait for your mom to put on her make-up? My mom wore (still does) wear a lot of make-up and though I'm sure I'm exaggerating a bit, I remember waiting on her foreeeeeevvvvver to put make-up on so we could leave the house. I used to tell her, to hurry up she didn't need any of it anyway.  I understand know why she felt she did, but maybe this memory is what makes me what to feel less dependent on make-up.

My hair. I have never dyed it, I've never permed it or treated it chemically in anyway. It's thick and hasn't started to go gray (or if it has, it sure blends nicely). It's is rather voluminous and humidity can cause it to do things I'd rather it didn't, but I know I'm very lucky to have the head of hair I do. For years I've been telling stylists that I don't and won't spend more than 10 minutes on my hair, please give me a cut that can dry naturally or require only 5 or so minutes with a blow-dryer and round brush in the front. Those are my limits. The result is that while I may not be perfectly coiffed every day, I am at least tidy.  I wear it pulled back a lot because 1) that's what I've always done (all that hair around your neck gets in my way and makes me hot -- temperature hot, just to be clear) and 2) I am very under the perception that curly hair is not professional.

I know, I said it. I don't think curly hair is professional. I am a curly-haired individual and I don't think my curly hair is professional.

Anytime I've had a job interview I've straightened my hair. On days when I have meetings or something equivalent at work, I'll straighten the front and pull the rest back so you can't see it's curly. I remember seeing a very prominent Senator's curly-haired Chief of Staff interviewed on CNN once during a huge newsworthy event in US history, and all I could think was, does she really think that hair is professional? She looks like an unpaid intern. The other funny thing is I don't lack for curly-haired role models at my current company! I am surrounded by women in "upper management" who wear curly hair to the office, but I just can wrap (curl?) my mind around it!

As for hair cuts, I noticed while reading through the comments on Healthy Tipping point that a lot of folks don't consider haircuts a necessity. And I don't think they mean style, like they're going to get their "Rachel" every month, but that even trims are not important. I disagree. I have long been a 1-2 haircuts a year person mostly because I was in college and I was cheap and then mostly because I was cheap. It doesn't help that I feel I struggle to find someone who will cut my hair properly (it's a tough world out there for curly-haired women!). But I think it's akin to trimming your nails. You get your hair cut because it's part of being tidy and taking care of yourself. 

It's not secret that I'm a fan of a nice style and blow-out. And I'll be truthful, I do make it a priority to get the money together to get a nice cut at a nice salon by a skilled stylist. But I want to believe that if that wasn't possible. I'd at least go to Hair Cuttery and get a maintenance trim every 8-10 weeks or so.
  
If you've been reading Molly and Caitlin's update posts you'll remember they talked a lot about intention. What's the intention behind the action?

Thinking about my intentions in the above mentioned actions has been sort of like repeating a word over and over again until it no longer makes sense and/or starts to look funny. I can vaguely pinpoint a few things, like I'd rather sleep till the last second than spend a lot of time getting ready for work, or my memories of my mom putting on make-up, and how they may have consciously or subconsciously influenced what I do. But I honestly can't tell you why it matters to me that I mascara makes my eyes stand out. I like it. But why? It looks nice? Why does it look nice...It's like having a conversation with your two-year-old self asking Why? Why? Why? Actually when I was little I used to say "why come?"

Also, as I re-read and edit this post before hitting publish, I find myself looking for my biases (hello AP US History from 1999....). Especially the curly-haired thing, where did that come from?  Even my word choice I think reveals something about how I think: I compared the Senator's Chief of Staff to "an unpaid intern."  In case you don't know, I don't like unpaid interns very much.*  My choice of adjectives like practical,tidy, clean and even the fact that my IMMEDIATE reaction is discuss all of these in terms of work life FIRST is, I think, revealing. The very fact that Molly and Caitlin are calling it the NAKED Face Project instead of perhaps the Natural Face or something is revealing because Naked implies vulnerability and powerlessness. Not a criticism, just a deep thought, if you will, on the whole process.

What's your regular routine, what are you limits? Have you been prompted to thought about why you do what you do or maybe things in your life that have changed your routine or thoughts over time?




* I lived with one once, it was a terrible experience. My apologies to any unpaid interns (current or former) who are reading this.

Are You What You Wear?

I work in a field where first impressions are everything, the outer package needs to inspire confidence in your clients or you're dead in the water.  With regards to professional dress, I tend to think a lot about what the outer package says about people.  My mom  used to say when I was growing up, "if you really cared, you would remember/do [x], etc." Professionally this translate to (for me): If you cared about the job, you'd show up looking like you care about the job. I'm also a big believer in the saying, dress for the job you want.

Two things about both of these statements though, what does it MEAN to LOOK like you want the job? And while I believe in dressing for the job you want, I don't always like it. Believe me, there are some days where it take a lot to muster the effort. This morning on my commute into the city, I saw a girl who was clearly on her way to the office, chatting with a friend or co-worker on the metro. What struck me about her was her commuting footwear. Now DC is not known for being particularly fashion forward. I think this picture says about all there is to say about DC, fashion and commuting:

Yeah.

Anyway, back to my metro friend. She was commuting in flip-flops. It's January. And 35 degrees. Flip-flops might be comfy, might be easy, might be gender neutral footwear aka not oppressive to women, but in this situation they make you look incompetent.  Call me shallow and harsh, but if you can't use good judgement with regards to footwear, I'm going to be a bit concerned about your ability to use good judgement when you're working for/with me. Yikes.

Corporette did an interesting post awhile ago about a study that looked at the correlation between make up and perceived competence. I think it kind of gets at what I'm saying above.  Do you feel less confidence in the "under-made-up" woman that she will pay attention to detail, be professionally polished, know how to act with clients?

Who would you want to be the face of your company? But really, all kidding aside. I bet your answer will surprise you.

When I read Caitlin's post yesterday, I thought about the reaction I had to the woman on the metro this morning, and then I began thinking about the things I do (or don't do) and why: specifically hair and make-up.

Oh, the Irony

It's kind of ironic that I'm about to write this given that my last post was about my dream of professional blow outs everyday.  If you don't regularly read Healthy Tipping Point (or do, but haven't checked it out today), you should do so as soon as you have a chance. Caitlin wrote a really thoughtful post this morning about a project she's starting on February 1 with Molly Barker, the founder of Girls on the Run: The Naked Face Project.

In Caitlin's words:

For the next 60 days, Molly and I will give up all traditional feminine Beauty Habits – including wearing any makeup, removing any body hair, altering our hair from its natural state (dying, curling, straightening), wearing uncomfortable feminine clothing (high heels, tight skirts), wearing jewelry (with the exception of wedding bands), painting our nails, using anti-wrinkle or anti-acne lotions, wearing deodorant, or styling or cutting our hair for reasons other than function.  We plan to blow dry our hair (because it’s the winter), brush our teeth, wear sunscreen, and dress appropriately – but comfortably – for the occasion.

Why? (Ok, cop out but I'm not going to even try to match their eloquence.) In Molly's words:

[We (Molly & Caitlin)] have built our entire lives around authenticity…using our experiences, thoughts, time and intelligence…to transform cultural norms around beauty and gender…to help little girls and big girls, alike, see that they are beautiful just the way they are…that beauty really is an inside job…that when we love the BIG US on the inside, the outside will, as an outcome, be loved too!  Our power is in our authenticity and our strength of character...It is a very complicated conversation and can rightly so, be a hot topic for many people. I have no idea what the outcome of this sixty day journey will be, but I do know that I will be digging deeply into some things that potentially frighten me…like looking older, somehow seeming less sexual/sensual/desirable, not feeling complete or professionally buttoned up.

The comment about feeling professionally buttoned up struck a chord with me.  I work in an industry where first impressions are everything, the outer package needs to inspire confidence in your clients or you're dead in the water.  I do think a lot about what the outer package says about people I interact with at work.  My mom  used to say when I was growing up, "if you really cared, you would remember y /do x, etc." Professionally this translate to (for me): if you cared about the job, you'd show up looking like you care about the job. I'm also believe in the saying, dress for the job you want.

Two caveats about both of the statements above though, what does it MEAN to LOOK like you want the job? And while I believe in dressing for the job you want, I don't always like it. Believe me, there are some days where it take a lot to muster the effort to do so. Given these two things, it's interesting to stop for a second and question what this means and what our motives are for why we do what we do as women.

I started to write every other thought I'd ever had on this topic in a single post, but thought I'd treat you to a multi-post week and so I'll be back tomorrow with some more thoughts on this. In the meantime, check out Caitlin and Molly's posts!

in my dreams

I got to go to New York this week for work. It was a very quick trip, just up on the noon Acela and back the next day on the 6pm. I love riding the train and I love visiting New York, so even though I had to sit in a windowless conference room all day on Tuesday, it was still a fun little trip.

I spent the few hours after my arrival and before meeting friends for dinner just wandering around the mid-town area (I can hear my mother now, you did WHAT? ALONE? Are you insane?), and looking at everything. The best free, fun thing to do in New York? Walk & look at stuff.

I've spent approximately 67 hours in New York City in my whole life and this was the first time I'd ever been above 50th. I was on a mission to find the mid-town Momofuku Milk bar (which I did), but I saw something WAY more exciting while I was walking around: the newest location of drybar!! I wasn't sure what is was when I initially saw it, but I googled it immediately, and almost died.

My one crazy pampered millionairess dream is to have someone come to my house every day and do my hair. Can you imagine? I'm sure you have because I'm sure many of you share this very fantasy. If a drybar ever opens in DC it's probably about as close as I'll ever get.

So what is it? It's a salon, but there's not cuts, no color, just blowouts (I can hear the angels in curly-haired girl heaven singing). And shoulder massages too. And there are memberships! You know how long a good blowout will last, for a mere $125 (NY prices!) you can have 4 professional blowouts a month. Yeah still a lot of money, but a girl can dream can't she? Sigh, drybar, we don't really even know each other, but I love you from several states away.

Also, I did other interesting things in New York besides fantasy about blowouts. I will try to post those pictures, but you know how I am, so don't hold your breath! I won't be held liable for you asphyxiating.

Heck, Yes, Pie!

Today on Runner's World Daily was an inspirational poster that really spoke to me:

"Pie" may also symbolize mimosas, wine, or a personal bowl of french onion dip or sometimes Chipotle. Yeah.

Also, for reals today IS National Pie Day! I bet you didn't know that.

Friday Night Wine and Cheese

Three Things Friday

I keep seeing this "Three Things Friday" phenomenon showing up on blogs all over the internet. Unfortunately, I can't even think of three bullet point items to share with you, so I'll do the next best (lazy) thing: share with you three posts I love by other people that I hope you will like too.

• The Boring Runner - Ok, so he is doing Three Things Friday all proper, and it's quite funny today. Though if you can't handle a few swear words and a little poo, you might want to skip it. But most of you have kids, dogs or some combo there of, so this probably won't phase you and will just make you laugh. 
• One Lucky Monkey's Military Families Link Up Post -  I really enjoy reading about Alison's adventures and linking to the other military family blogs from hers.  She's part of a link up today, so check out her post and click through to read posts by others. And seriously, God bless these men and women who share their spouses to protect our country. My mom was a Navy wife and I have a lot of respect for those who serve and those who hold down the fort at home.
• Marriage Confessions on Southern Weddings - I can't even remember how I found Marriage Confessions, but it's a spectacular blog written by Katie Brown, a young wife and mom of two. Her writing style and tone are just so real. And I LOVE people who will keep it real especially with regard to difficult subjects. Katie also writes occasional relationship blogs for Southern Weddings  and she had a great one recently about New Year's resolutions and having "State of Our Union" talks every year.  Check it out here.

Happy Friday!

Some Observations on Money

When I was in college I remember calling my mom to say "I can't pay my sorority dues this semester, money is just so tight...can you loan me $XXX. I will absolutely pay you back."

I don't think I ever actually needed the money for dues, but I wasn't scamming for (just) beer money either -- it was probably groceries and stuff among other things. I always felt like if I asked for money for something that was highly optional, she'd say no if she had to say no.  Of course in retrospect, she never said no (to this or other similar requests)..and I mean that in the best way, I never wanted for anything in my life.

I also remember struggling through with the same pair of contacts for MONTHS on end telling myself I couldn't "afford" new lenses. Never mind that my credit cards statements typically looked something like this:

GREENE LEAFE
PAUL'S DELI
WAWA

Repeat for 2-4 pages in length.

I won't even tell you about the time I wore one contact lens for about 4 months...though to my credit, I would put it in my known weaker eye and my prescription has gotten increasingly less severe over the years. Yay!


Oh my. So what brought on this reflective moment?  I got a bit of a pay raise today and I wrote [Husband] and email about it. The email concluded with the following line:

"The good news is, we'll be able to buy a new refrigerator over Memorial Day just like we planned!"

My, how things have changed. From beer money and single contact lenses to planning extremely sensible purchases at least six months in advance.  It's funny to contemplate all this, but I'm also kind of proud of the progress I've clearly made from 18 to 28. :)

Couldn't We at Least Hide this on Page 4?

Dear Washington Post,
Thank you for emblazoning the front cover of this past Sunday's paper with "LOVE AMIDST THE TENTS!"  I already don't much care for the whole Occupy DC thing (really, get a job...and stop loitering in public places), but I can handle it. However, now that you have clued me into the fact that people aren't just "protesting" or "practicing free speech" that they are likley having the S-E-X in tents in a public park across the street from my office, I am even less enthralled. This is, in a phrase, totally gross.

No.  Honey, you can probably do better.

In the future, let's try to focus on the clothed, non-sex-having-in-tents parts of the occupation.

Thanks,
McV

Baby Cheetah

I kind of want to run away and be a baby cheetah.

Who should I talk to to make this happen?

Pants Confusion

I mentioned awhile back that I was curious about leggings. After years of my being on the anti-leggings/leggings are not pants band wagon, I'm sure this came as a shock to all of you. Well, brace yourselves. Sit down if you can. I've been experimenting.

I purchased a pair of leggings a few months ago and after wearing them around the house, I have actually ventured outside in them and worn them to places where people will see me such as a the grocery store. And it's ok.

It's ok because I abide by the number one rule of leggings: Leggings are NOT pants. While technically part of the Pants Phylum, they are more closely related to the Family Tights, and are in fact a distinct species.  As such you need to cover your FRONT and BACK uh, "sides" while indulging in leggings.

After procuring my leggings ($10 at the now defunct Filene's. RIP.), I went in search of several longer and/or tunic style shirts to wear with them. Yes, I bought pants that went with pretty much nothing in my closet (if you exclude the two pairs of shoes...). Forgive me, Tim Gunn, for I have sinned.

Anyway, for about $35, I got a longish "chambray" button-down from Old Navy, a cranberry scoop neck long ribbed shirt from H&M and a white, loose-fit, long sleeve tissue tee (not pictured) also from H&M. All of which fulfill above requirements. 

See, just covers the front bits.

Just like this but longer, I swear.

 Along with two drape sweaters (Ann Taylor, Nordstrom Rack), one pair of brown boots and one pair of leopard print flats, I have gone from pants-wearer to ambiguous leg covering-wearer with ease and style (IMHO anyway).

Just like these, minus about $250.

If you too are considering making this fashion leap of faith, let me recommend some light reading for you on making the switch with grace.

Also, did I mention that leggings are comfy? And I basically spend half the winter gallivanting about town in running tights anyway, so now I can at least be classy and do it with out ankle zippers and "Sugoi" plastered across my thighs!

Cozy traditional living room

Our house is a work in a progress.  We're sort of trapped in a home decor purgatory that exists after Ikea, but before Pottery Barn.  We are fortunate enough to own, so we paint (a lot) and put holes in the wall (with gusto).  I am still trying to wrap my mind around the design philosophy that home decor and design is fluid and a work in progress, and it's ok for it to be ever changing.  You can't decorate a room or a house with things you love in a weekend, it takes time (or else a LOT of money) and I know I'll drive myself crazy trying to ever "finish" the house. 

However, our living room is one room that I would really like to have closer to the "finished" side of the spectrum than the "work in progress" die. To me, finished will mean, less Ikea furniture, a home for all the necessities and items we use on a daily basis, and for the room to feel streamlined and be functional.  The big items we want to tackle to make these goals a reality are 1) better storage for our glassware and china 2) end tables! and 3) curtains or some sort of window covering.

[Husband] revealed to me when we were looking at china cabinets in the Leesburg ReStore a few months ago that he prefers traditional style furniture.  And he means traditional -- finials on top of cabinets, colonial, carved legs, Ethan Allen, etc. etc. traditional. I almost fainted because we own a relatively modern couch from West Elm, a thoroughly modern coffee table from C+B and again, a houseful of IKEA furniture.  At first this seemed like a real dilemma.  We don't have a unanimous voting procedure for decor decisions like John and Sherry at YHL.  In fact most design decisions involve one of us cajoling the other until he/she gives in and then either learning to live with it, decide to love it, or use it as a bargaining chip in the next design decision, a la I let you paint that room green, we're not buying that chair in THAT print. 

But after thinking about it for awhile, I realized, we have a DIRECTION now! Hurrah and I didn't have think of it all by myself.  The colors we lean toward and the basic, if somewhat modern furniture pieces we have, I think, almost lend themselves to having one or two more traditional items as the statement pieces in the room.  Throw in some more traditional prints and textiles, and I think we may have something.  Eventually the Billy Bookcases will have to go, but for now I guess we'll make do. 

Anyway, this is a long way of saying that the above is what I'm thinking for our living room. I have seen these neutral buffalo check curtains a few places and I think they could look kind of cool in our living room.  That's our couch, though ours is slightly lighter, and we do own that rug.  [Husband] really likes these pedestal style end tables, and it would work well in our space, so I'm on the look out for one or two.  We are on the hunt for a dining room hutch and buffet and hope to find one in a similar style and dark wood stain as the one shown above.  The lamps are from World Market and I admire them whenever I'm in there.  I should probably pick them up sometime!  We might have room for an arm chair, and although we probably don't need something else dark, I think a leather chair would add a nice finishing touch to the whole room.  The wall color on the main level where all this would exist is Ralph Lauren's Chimayo Red (color matched at Home Depot natch).

What do you think? Too crazy with checks and flowers? Mixing patterns is not my strong suit, but I understand it can be done according to all the pictures I see on the Internets!  And I only discovered TODAY that you can make ROOMS on Polyvore and not just outfits with it! Pinterest and Polyvore, you'll be the end of me!

Cozy traditional living room by vksiev featuring Schumacher

Target Fieldcrest Jacobean Floral Rug
$35 - target.com (this must be the 2x3 runner because I remember paying a pretty penny for this).

Eastport Buffet with Hutch Top
$3,348 - crateandbarrel.com (Right, I would never pay this much for a single piece of furnitre).

Henry Sectional | west elm
$399 - westelm.com (got ours on sale! wooo!)

IKEA Billy
$290 - ikea.com (I love you/hate you).

IKEA Ystad
$599 - ikea.com (Really, Ikea? You be crazy if you think I will pay you $600 for a CHAIR.)

Metal Camden Task Lamp | Lighting| Home Decor | World Market
$50 - worldmarket.com (love).

Pasha Basketwork Table Lamp Base | Lighting| Home Decor | World Market
$55 - worldmarket.com (heart).

Newberry Pedestal Side Table | Pottery Barn
516 CAD - potterybarn.com (Heart the table, not the price).

Even Though...

Well, Happy New Year, everyone!  Hope you had a grand weekend and enjoyed the day off (hope you had it off!) yesterday. I think perhaps we should just move to celebrating Christmas and New Year's on the second to last and last Saturday of December respectively.  It seems to work out really well having Christmas Eve on a Saturday and having Monday off following each weekend.

I wish I had a fun holiday post for you, but I don't! Instead, just a few random thoughts for you today.

Even though...I wish I was a better blogger because I love/am indebted to those of you who DO blog frequently and save me from office boredom, at the end of the day, I just can't sit in front of a computer anymore. Even for fun!

Even though...we had a big discussion last week about how we were going to make our weeknight meals lighter and simpler, I used half a stick of butter concocting a wine-braised short rib recipe with rosemary and parsnip mashed potatoes. It was really good though. Recipe here.

Even though...I know we're all growing up and getting mortgages and married and having kids and stuff, it's still disconcerting to see photos on Facebook (yeah, I'm back) of guys you used to make out with who used to make out with lots of people, not you though, with the caption "Daddy and [insert baby name here]!"

Even though...when I woke up yesterday, I was all, I'm so not drinking for like at least 2 days, I ended up having a few glasses of TJ's zin while making dinner. What? I couldn't let the short ribs drink alone. That would be rude.

The upside of the redneck wine glass is that since it's constructed with a mason jar, you can clearly track your wine consumption use the cup and/or ounce hashes on the side of the glass!  Please also note my deer hunting orange sweatshirt, bottom left.