American Cool

Last week, I went to the National Portrait Gallery to see its newest exhibit, "American Cool".  It featured individuals in American culture since the 1940s that have helped define "cool" in our country.  Most featured were familiar to me, a few not, but I definitely all had that quintessential cool factor that we all seem to admire.  A few of my favorites: Jimi Hendrix, Bill Murray, Chrissie Hynde, Frank Sinatra--we just a few of artists, athletes, actors, authors, musicians and social activists that made there mark in shaping our culture.

I really enjoyed this exhibit, and encourage you all to take it in.  It is at the Portrait Gallery until September 7th, so plenty of time to see it! 

Snow Day!

A major snowstorm on the East Coast shut down DC yesterday, and with over a foot of snow, even I got to stay home from work on Thursday!  I'm back to work today, but it was really nice to have the yesterday off.  I did some chores around the house, dug out my car, and watched a lot of Olympics coverage.  Nice and slow...just what I needed after a busy work week!  Happy long weekend everyone!

Dream Gowns

Donna Karan Resort Collection

Hello my pretties, did you miss me?  I have been working on an important project the past few weeks that have taken up all of my extra time and attention, but finally finished today.  Hooray! 

Now on to the important topic--gala season.  It is officially upon us in our nation's capital!  With DC's dreary winter lingering, it seems a daunting task to get all dolled and head out for a night on the town.  Thanks to my ever shrinking size (praise the Lord), I am running out of clothing options in my closet.  To tailor or just rebuy everything is a topic for another day, but for now I must find a gown that fits me, and in a hurry!  This Saturday I am attending DAR's Sweethearts and Patriots Gala, to benefit Luke's Wings, which supports service members who have been wounded in battle.  Such a wonderful cause, and who knows, maybe if I find the perfect gown, I might just have a hero of my own by the end of the night.

Budget is my problem, so if anyone knows of any great sales out there, please fill me in!  But since it's a dreary, rainy day, I think today I'll daydream of walking in wearing one of these beautiful creations, starting with the incredible Donna Karan above.  How perfect is this dress for a sweetheart theme gala?  I would be in heaven wearing that amazing gown.  Heaven!  This one below is also stunning.

Also loving this Halston Heritage gown, which although on sale and somewhat in my price range, is only available in a size 2.  Le sigh.  Maybe next year.  The silhouette is perfect for an hourglass figure. 

Halston Heritage Velvet Striped Gown

The ultimate splurge?  I could always pre-order this gorgeous Alexander McQueen for a mere $6,200. 

Alexander McQueen Feather-Print Strapless Chiffon Gown

Then again, maybe I should shop my closet just one more time.  Seems just a tad more economical, don't you think?

Weekend Wrap-up

What a great 3-day weekend!  I took full advantage of the somewhat warmer weather this weekend, and then today, woke up to a snow day in Washington, DC!  This weekend, I did some closet purging, saw some art, went to a game, had a great girl's lunch and gave back to my community in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

I must get better at taking more photographs (wasn't that a New Year's resolution?  Oops!), but I did take one from the Wizards game this weekend.  Got spoiled with suite tickets, but still managed to totally behave myself (two more weeks until I get a drink!). 

Also if you are in DC in the next few weeks, make sure to see the Van Gogh exhibit at the Phillips Collection.  They've extended the exhibit for a few more weeks, so hurry and get to Dupont to see some of his most famous works.  Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Christmastime at the White House!

Still trying to recover from my all-nighter at work and then my girls weekend.  I think I honestly only got about 14 hours of sleep in four days.  Ouch.  Although I feel like I've been run over by a 18-wheeler, I wouldn't have traded my weekend for all the sleep a girl could need--it was that much fun!

Sadly, the only pics I took were from our White House tour very early on Friday morning.  It was cold and it was early, but we all look surprising great in the photos!  If you ever get a chance to see the White House at Christmastime, do it!  It was my first time to see all the Christmas decorations, and it was just gorgeous.  A special thank you to Senator Pryor's CoS & staffers for squeezing us in at the last minute!  The rest of the weekend was a lot of touring museums, eating, drinking, and the best of all, catching up with my girls and belly laughing with each other.

A few more photos of the White House:



Stunning Christmas trees everywhere!



Had to get one of our favorite Arkansan!



Bo and Sunny greeting us.



I was obsessed with this beautiful nativity scene...



And of this urn outside.



State dining room...I think Abe approves.

 



Last group shot, right outside the White House.

This week is another insane one at work, but I fly home first thing Friday morning for my Christmas break!  So ready to get home, and if you don't hear from me until then, I apologize in advance.  Just have to survive the week as best as I can.

Post-Halloween Post

Happy Halloween plus one!  It's my second favorite holiday--how could you not love one where you get to play dress up and eat candy?  Thanks for all the comments on my previous "What to be for Halloween" post.  Although I loved them all, I decided to go in a different route this year and loved my results--Miss Piggy!

Since I was coming from work to my friend's party and to hand out candy, this was an easy choice.  I just put on the wig, nose, and ears and added the boa, gloves and jewelry to what I was already wearing for work.  The kids LOVED my costume and so did I!  And if you're taking kids trick-or-treating in DC next year, let me tell you--East Capitol Street is the place to be.  I probably handed out 1,000 pieces of candy!

So fun, great costumes, good friends and a hostess with the mostess...what more could a girl want?  Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween as well!

Augustines at the 9:30 Club

9:30 Club

Last night I went out to celebrate the belated birthday of one of my besties, and if you know the two of us, you know that the perfect venue for this birthday celebration was the 9:30 Club.  Arguably the best small music venue in America, the 9:30 Club is famous for bringing in big names for an intimate setting, and I've been lucky enough to see some of my favorite bands there over the years.

We actually went last night specifically for the opening band, Augustines (formally known as We Are Augustines).  They are so good, and even better live, and I'm surprised that they haven't caught on and made it big yet.  Here's a sampling of their songs from their first album, and they have a new one coming out soon.



They opened for Frightened Rabbit, a really fun band from Glasgow, and although we didn't know them well, ended up staying and rocking out to them for the rest of the night!  Sad that we missed the DC Drag Races this year, but happy to have stayed and listened to Frightened Rabbit--always love finding a new great band.

If you're ever in the DC area, make sure to look up 9:30 Club and check out a show there.  But be warned--tickets always sell out fast, so you have to always keep an eye out for your favorites of you'll miss them.

Washington Navy Yard

I got back home late last night, so my Weekend Wrap-Up will have to post tomorrow.  For now, I am shocked and saddened by the news this morning of the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and all associated with the Navy Yard.  Those of us who work in the U.S. Capitol and its campus are safe, and I thank you that have reached out and checked on me this morning.  Security has tightened, and with this incident, and the 9/11 anniversary last week, I am once again reminded of the threats against us and am thankful for our Capitol Police and security and intelligence forces who work each day to protect us from such threats.  I'm working with a heavy heart this morning as our neighbors are in harms way, and ask that you to say extra prayers today for those involved.

Fall To-Do List

National Book Festival on the National Mall

This weather has been incredibly amazing this past week, and it has started me thinking about all the fun outdoors activities I get to do in the next few months.  Fall is my absolute favorite season for outdoor fun, primarily because the weather is crisp and perfect, and bonus...no pesky mosquitoes to eat me alive!

Here are a few DC area events that are already on my radar for the next two months:

National Book Festival--This year's festival will take place September 21st-22nd on the National Mall. Festival-goers can meet and hear firsthand from their favorite poets and authors, get books signed, hear special entertainment, have photos taken with storybook characters and participate in a variety of activities.  Some exciting authors attending this year are Khaled Hosseini, author of "The Kite Runner" and his newest, "And the Mountains Echoed" and Veronica Roth, author of my new favorites, "Divergent", "Insurgent" and the soon-to-be-released, "Allegiant".  I volunteer at the Festival each year for the Junior League of Washington, and my favorite part is seeing how excited the kids are when meeting and talking to their favorite authors.  Melts my heart!

Quattro Goomba's Winery

Winery Tour--It's been a few years since I've done a winery tour, and I'm excited to say that I've been invited to a fun birthday party at one the last weekend of September.  Virginia is home to over 200 wineries, some as close as about an hour outside of Washington.  Typically, I've gone with a big group on a party bus or van, and it is always a great day.  The birthday party will be at Quattro Goomba's Winery, and I'm super excited to check this one out since I've heard great things!  They also have a pizza shop inside the winery in case we imbibe in one too many tastings!  Perfection!

Billy Goat Trail

Hiking--I've been itching to go hiking for a few months now, and the weather is finally cool enough to hit the trails.  There are a lot of really great hiking trails right outside of DC, but I think this year I want to try White Oak Canyon in the Shenandoah National Park.  It's a 4.8-mile trail that takes you past some really great waterfalls, which are supposed to be surging in the fall.  Sounds perfect!

photo from Metro Weekly

Drag Queen Race--I have meant to go every year, and for one reason or another, have never made it to this iconic DC event.  This year, my calendar is marked for October 29th, where the area's most fabulous queens flaunt their stuff and race down 17th Street in high heels.  If you need me that night, be sure you can find me in Dupont Circle.

Which leads me to Halloween, my second most favorite holiday!  No idea what I will be dressing up as this year, or who I will be, but since I missed the last two years, I have some serious making up to do.  Translation--be prepared for pure awesomeness.  When it comes to Halloween, I hate to disappoint.

So, what are you looking forward to this fall?  A few more things I'm looking forward to as the temperatures cool:  making chili and apple crisp, drinking hot apple cider, roasting pumpkin seeds, and maybe even doing some weekend antiquing, enjoying a Oktoberfest party or hitting up a local county fair.  And obviously, if anyone wants to take me as their plus-one to a Redskins or Ravens game, I am so in!  Love me some football.  Looks like I'm going to have an action-packed, fun-filled fall.  So looking forward to it! 

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend was incredibly low-key...apparently just what I needed.  My hives decided they didn't want to go away, so I went to my doctor and was put on some prescriptions strength steroids and anti-histamines to knock these things out.  My doc also agreed that this was stress-induced, so we had a long talk about managing my stress.  Done, and working on it.

These drugs though are like a magic sleeping potion--the first day on them I was so loopy after about 30 minutes of taking them that I had to go to sleep...and woke up seven hours later.  And then slept a full night too.  That was pretty much the theme for the weekend, which I suppose was fitting considering that Monday starts back-to-school week in the Senate, and it looks like it will be a very busy fall.

So, on top of sleeping my way through the past few days, I did manage to do a few things.  I finally used my Groupon for Age Smart by Mirka, the best facialist in DC.  Seriously, this woman works miracles.  I accidentally found her through another Groupon when she was working at a salon in Georgetown, and have since followed her to her own practice in Bethesda.  If you go see her, tell her I sent you!

Of course, I watched my Hogs play too.  It was a little closer than most of us Razorbacks would have liked, but Arkansas is now 2-0.  Woo Pig!

The rest of the weekend was just checking off my to-do list--oil change, alterations, dry cleaners, laundry, some cleaning, grocery store--yawn, I know.  So, not a particularly exciting weekend, but I did manage to get a lot done, heal up, and stick to the cleanse.  Anyone do anything fun this past weekend?

Currently Craving: Game Day Dresses!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...college football kickoff week!  For a Southern girl, football is king, and there is not much more exciting than the start of a new college football season.  For me, it's the promise of a fresh start and new beginnings, and always a fun Fall full of tailgating, friends, watch parties, thrilling wins and (hopefully not) a bit of heartbreak too.

Sadly, I do not think I will be making it back to Arkansas this year for any football games.  But rest assured, I will be watching and Calling the Hogs from here in DC, all decked out in my Razorback Red.

Since football season starts off in the brutal August heat and (in a good year) ends in the cold winter month of January, a Southern girl's game day wardrobe usually sees both summer, fall and winter fashion.  It's like the first day of school...have to look your best for the first game of the season!  If I was planning on going back home for the Razorback game this Saturday, I would most likely be picking up one of these two dresses for these first few game days.  You want to be a bit casual yet stylish while tailgating and in the stadium, and since it's typically a very long day, comfort is key. 

1) Hive & Honey Double Layer Hi-Low Maxi Dress from Piperlime and 2) Rebecca Taylor Striped Dress from Shopbop

For any of you Arkansans in the DC area, our official Arkansas Razorback watch party location has been changed this year to Hawk n' Dove Bar and Grill (329 Pennsylvania Ave SE, approx. 2 blocks from Eastern Market metro).  Come join us starting this Saturday as the Hogs kick off the season vs. Louisiana-Lafayette at 4:00 PM EST.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Ladies night with my favorite mommas!

Finally back in DC!  My pap is doing better, and we moved him at the end of last week to a rehabilitation hospital to continue his treatment and get him stronger.  Jazzmin is still working every day to get stronger, and hopes to also move to rehab soon.  Thank you so much for your support and prayers for my family...it means the world to me!

This weekend was a bit low key.  A few weeks ago, I discovered that I have among other knee injuries a torn meniscus, and I've been in some pretty bad pain lately, so I took off Friday night to relax and ice, ice, ice that knee!  Saturday morning, I woke up and headed to see my friend Carey, the very best hair stylist in DC, at Salon L'Eau in Georgetown for a cut and color.  Isn't it amazing what a trip to the salon can do for a girl's morale?  Wonders!  I then went on a hunt for the most awesome leather skirt I've ever bought.  Four phone calls, two stores, and three hours later, I am now the owner of this amazingness:

Sorry ladies, it is completely sold out online, so good luck finding it!
 
Saturday night, I had a girls' night out with two of my favorite mommas, Jennifer and Erin.  Dinner on the patio at Cashion's Eat Place was delicious and then since it was such a beautiful night, we took a short walk down to Connecticut Avenue for a few too many more drinks.  It was very much needed after such a long, not so great week.  Lots of bubbly = a pretty lazy Sunday...just cuddled up on the couch and finished a book.  I was so bad at taking photos this weekend...must work on remembering to do so!  Hope you all had a great weekend!

Weekend Wrap-up

What a great weekend!  My old roommate, Helen, and her husband Chris came in town to visit, and we had three days of non-stop fun!  I'm exhausted today, but so happy to have had them come play!  I love visitors but rarely get them, so when I do, I go a little crazy planning so many fun things to do and great places to eat.

First stop was to Baltimore for the Jay Z and Justin Timberlake concert.  After a four hour drive from DC to Baltimore (and a mildly episode of road rage and an erratic pity-party) we made it to the concert an hour late.  Luckily, they still played for almost two more hours, so we got to hear some of our favorite songs.  The rain didn't stop us from getting down to "Sexy Back".

Traffic jam getting off the exit...drove 0.5 miles in 1 1/2 hours.  Insanity.

Justin Timberlake and Jay Z at Ravens Stadium

The next day, Helen and I did a little shopping and walking in Georgetown. 

Only in Washington, DC...

Helen is about four months pregnant, so we had to pop in to a few baby boutiques.  How adorable are these little onesies that we had to go ahead and buy for the baby?!?!

Since I had visitors, I had to take a paleo break...and boy did I break it!  For lunch, we had iced coffee and split a Red Velvet Cakecup, and a chocolate ice cream and peanut butter cookie sandwich from Baked & Wired...my favorite dessert shop in DC!

Then we took a stroll around the Georgetown canal and the waterfront before heading to dinner at Zaytinya (one of my all-time favorites).  Perfect day for a walk around the neighborhood!

Georgetown canal

The next day we had brunch with friends at Belga Cafe, a delicious Belgium restaurant on 8th Street SE.  Next we headed to the National Gallery of Art to see a few exhibits that were about to close...the Edvard Munch exhibit (which closes today) and Ballet Russes exhibit, which was very interesting.  It closes October 6th, and I highly recommend going to see it before then.  Then we were off to an early dinner at BlackSalt, for the best crab cake sandwiches in DC.  So worth the price.

Finally, we finished our weekend with an evening at Nats Park.

Cold beer and baseball

We had great seats, and although we were down 4-0 in the first half of the game, the Nationals came back to beat the Phillies 8-5!

Great seats at Nats Park!

And best of all, we watched history be made...Jayson Werth hit a home run for his 1,000th career run!  It was an awesome moment for a Nationals fan!

Congrats on your 1,000th hit Jayson Werth! What a hit!

Needless to say, after a great weekend and making a 4:30 AM airport run, I am exhausted!  Such a fun weekend, and sad to see my friends go back home.  Now, who wants to come visit next?  As you can see, I make one helluva fun-filled hostess!

Weekend Wrap-up

Robert Randolph & the Family Band at 9:30 Club

Have you figured out yet that I love live music?  Friday night I went to see one of my favorite live shows, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, at the 9:30 Club.  As always, he did not disappoint!  In fact, he didn't want to stop playing...after his second encore, the 9:30 managers had to make him get off the stage because they had a late night DJ coming in.  Boo!  But he was awesome, and thanks to my friend Chris, we got prime spots in the VIP booth to dance the night away.  Huge score!

I also hit up Paolo's this weekend, one of my very favorite spots in Georgetown.  My new favorite is their Seafood Salad...delicious, light and filling!  Probably should have eaten a bit more bread that night though, because one too many glasses of wine led me to George later on that night, which always ends in trouble!

I wore my new favorite Razorback Red dress that night...what do you think?  It's from Banana Republic and unfortunately no longer available, which is a shame because I love it so much I wanted to scoop it up in a few more colors.  It is super comfortable and the cut is perfect for me...exactly what buxom girls should look for in a dress.  It has a defined, natural waist line, room enough at the top for the girls, and the skirt floats nicely over the hips without making them look too wide.  And bonus, I don't have to wear my Spanx with it!

If you're from the South, then you know that football season is just around the corner, and this is the perfect game day dress!  Yes, in the South, we wear dresses to football games!  And a girl from Arkansas can never have too many Razorback Red ones hanging in her closet!  Sadly, I won't be making it home for any games this year, but be certain I'll be wearing this to a watch party or three this fall!

Perks of the Job

photo courtesy of Stephen Crowley, The New York Times

President Obama was at the Capitol today meeting with Congressional Democrats.  Like I said, busy week!  Guess who was in the Thursday, August 1st The New York Times?!?!?!

Yes, I know, the picture below is sub-par, so please excuse my meager attempts to artistically correct a blurry photo.  What can I say, the man moves quickly.  The second is a much better shot with Majority Leader Reid--thanks Todd Zwillich!




 

This is the part of the job which I love most.  Not so much who I end up seeing (but hey--being a foot away from the President isn't too shabby), but the actual planning and executing press coverage for events.  It keeps me on my toes, keeps me energized, and keeps me motivated.  My dad always said, "It doesn't feel like a job if you're loving what you do."  Today, busy as it was, didn't feel like a job.  It just felt like a good day as a lucky girl.

Hey Mrs. Carter!

Whew, this week has been busy!  Monday night I went to see the fabulous Beyonce, and even though my seats were a million miles away from the stage, still had an incredible time.  She might just be the most beautiful woman in the world.  Stunning!  And we all know she can belt it out like no one else, but the girl can break it down too.  Great show.  I got in touch with my inner diva for the week, for sure.

For me, dressing for concerts is one of the toughest things to do.  I want to be stylish, yet comfortable, since I'll be on my feet dancing for at least two hours.   And this wasn't just another outdoor show at Merriweather...sandals and a sundress just wasn't going to cut it for the Mrs. Carter Show.  Since I was in a hurry changing from work outfit to Beyonce outfit, I went with my favorite standby--a simple black cotton sheath that I can dress up or dress down.

 

Note: I've lost a bit of weight recently, so my clothes are all in need of a visit to my tailor!  Good news for a healthier me, bad news for my wallet.  Any suggestions for an affordable but good DC-area tailor are welcomed!

I ended up dressing this up with a rhinestone statement necklace and Tory Burch crossbody clutch.  Nothing too diva-ish for the night, but I thought just enough to celebrate Beyonce with the respect she deserves!  And the best part--I was comfortable dancing all night long.

Weekend Wrap-up

After a typical busy workweek, I left work Friday evening and headed to Merriweather Post Pavilion with friends to see The Lumineers.  One word pretty much sums them up: Incredible!  They sounded every bit as good live as on the radio...maybe even better.  The band's chemistry is so much fun--great energy, extremely talented, and they said over and over how our sold out show was the biggest crowd they had ever played, so they were pumped up the entire night.  Our seats were great too, an added bonus for such a fun show.  Highly recommend seeing The Lumineers if you ever get a chance!

After a long week and a very fun Friday night, I took Saturday to just relax and get a little TLC.

Decisions, Decisions...

Seeing that this will probably be the only time I'll have a hint of a tan all year, I went in really wanting an almost white shade for my nails, but after trying out a dozen different colors, all were too sheer, so I went for my one of two standby colors--red!  Any suggestions for an almost white nail color? Please let me know!

Felt like a Big Apple Red kind of day!

A long wait at Acquanails (the best nail salon in Georgetown) meant twice as long in the massage chair--no complaints there!  Then some grocery shopping, home to cook, and then publishing my first blog in over two years!  So excited to get this started again!  Today I will be finishing up some work and then hopefully finishing up a few long overdue home projects too.  Need to clear the way for a ridiculously busy upcoming week and then (hopefully) a relaxing August recess!