We're going to...

via I Lost My Heart in New York

via Fairytale Wishes and Dreams

via Subway

via Pinterest

In case you hadn't guessed, Dan and I are going to New York this weekend!  I'm so excited to spend the weekend with our friends James and Lindsay, and can't wait to sneak in a quick brunch with my cousins as well!

And SNAP, the weekend's over...

I seriously have no idea where this weekend went, so I guess that's a sign that it was a good one!

On Friday night, Dan and I went to one of our favorite pizza places, District of Pi, for dinner.  As usual, it was insanely delicious.  Then we picked up some beer {for him} and cider {obviously for me} and hunkered down to watch the Season 1 finale of Homeland.  Call us old folks for staying in on a Friday night and watching TV, but the truth was, we were exhausted after a mere three days back in the office.  Fridays tend to be nights where we want to come home and not do anything strenuous.  As expected, the finale was incredible, so it left us itching to start the next season {which we did yesterday...not even embarrassed}.

On Saturday morning, I had to do a 16-miler for marathon training, and I was really dreading it.  It has gotten to the point in my training where it is becoming a hassle to plan my weekends around my long runs, mostly because I tend to be somewhat incapacitated by the pain afterward.  I was feeling pretty good up until I stopped briefly at Mile 6 to eat some of my Clif Bar Shot Bloks {I am still not confident enough in my ability to ingest these without choking to attempt to eat them while still running; however, I am a WHIZ at getting my water bottles out of my belt without stopping.  Baby steps}.  When I started back up again, my hip, which has been bugging me for the past month or so, was in some pretty serious pain.  I pushed through it, but it was definitely not a great run.  I would characterize the last two miles of the run as a jog/limp hybrid, with an emphasis on a limp, but more worrisome was the fact that my hip was in so much pain that I was nearly in tears.  Of course, when I told Dan that, he asked me the totally legitimate question of why I continued running.  Being stubborn himself when it comes to workouts, he could obviously relate to why I wanted to finish, but he is just concerned that I'm in so much pain. 

Anyway, after I had wolfed down some food {I was so hungry when I got back that I almost passed out} and taken some Advil, I went over to my parents' house, where we were preparing for a SLEEPOVER with a few of my friends.  That's right, you read that correctly, a sleepover!  Jamie, Molly, Lauren and I had been talking about getting together this weekend, and I suggested the idea of an Old Town sleepover, and luckily, the girls were very excited about that!  We went to Fontaine's {that fabulous crepe place that I had gone to previously with my parents} with my parents and then cozied up in front of the TV to watch Bridesmaids.  We ended up staying up until about 2 a.m. chatting, which made it feel like a true slumber party.  In the morning, my mom made us Christmas rolls {WIN!} and, by the time the girls left, we had decided that this had been what all of us needed!

Yesterday, Dan and I were couch potatoes and watched some Homeland, followed by the 'Skins game.  While I am not a football fan, I like to see DC teams {other than the Caps...side note, HOCKEY IS BACK! GO PENS!} do well, and I think that RGIII seems like a stand-up guy.  It was tough to see him struggle with his injury. 

This week, I have some exciting things coming up!  Tonight, I'm planning on cooking myself something hearty and healthy and then chilling on my couch to watch the much-anticipated {haha} premiere of The Bachelor.  Tomorrow, Dan and I are going to the Pitt game, which his brother so kindly bought us tickets for!  On Thursday, we are going to Rasika; after talking about going for months, I finally looked on OpenTable and picked a date.  I am bouncing-off-the-walls excited! And THEN, this weekend, we're going to New York!  The impetus behind the trip was wanting to go to the St. John's game at MSG, but we're also going to hang out with James and Lindsay, as well as hopefully see some of my cousins who live in the city. I'm really looking forward to it!  Even with as close as I grew up to the city, I haven't really been there too many times, so it should be fun! 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Here's hoping the next one gets here quickly :)

Relaxation Time: How I Spent My Christmas Break

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I certainly was not lacking in relaxation time over break, which, after a stressful few months at work, was certainly in order.

After getting caught in a terrible snowstorm that turned what normally is a 4-hour drive into a harrowing 9-hour drive, Dan got back to DC.  Knowing that he would be grumpy and starving {he only ended up being the latter}, I had some homemade mac & cheese casserole {one of his favorite dishes that I make} and Oreo cupcakes {which he claims is his favorite dessert EVER- patting myself on the back haha} waiting for him when he got to my apartment.  He worked from home on Thursday and Friday, so we just hung out in my living room during the day and got to hang out at night.  SLASH we MAY have also gotten addicted to Homeland during parts of the work day :) The only thing on my agenda was going for a run- I had a 14-miler on Friday- so the rest of the time, I just sat pretty.  I also made crepes on Thursday morning, so that took up a little bit of time as well!

On Friday night, we saw Les Mis {the movie}. SO. FREAKING.GOOD.  Tears were rolling down my face for a sizeable chunk of the movie, which Dan made sure to give me grief about haha.  In all seriousness, I was amazed by the singing performances {other than Russell Crowe's}; even Anne Hathaway, for whom Dan tells me that I have an irrational hatred, did a great job on "I Dreamed a Dream." They were all incredible, and it is such a moving story that they captured so beautifully.  As we left the theater, a tissue-less me still sniffling, Dan remarked that he had forgotten that the story was so sad.  Yeah........

On Saturday, I took my "day off" from exercise, which actually ended up being a very busy, not to mention active, day.  Dan wanted to go shop for some golf supplies, which I didn't really want a part of, so I met up with my mom to see the Christmas displays at the Botanical Garden, which I would highly recommend, by the way.  From there, we went to the Museum of the American Indian for a bit.  It was nice to have some mommy-daughter time! When I got back, Dan and I headed over to the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington to play some basketball.  We had been threatening to play for, oh, about a year, but we finally did it.  We didn't play 1-on-1, but we did play two games of horse and one of Around the World, all of which I won, thank you very much.  Too bad I didn't have the good sense to put a home-cooked meal on it beforehand! 

After we showered and changed, we headed over to Georgetown to check out their ice skating rink. FAB.U.LOUS.  It was significantly less crowded/hectic than the Sculpture Garden rink, not to mention more picturesque at the time of day that we went {7 p.m., so all the lights were sparkling!}.  After skating for about an hour- and avoiding falls! Woohoo!- we hopped over to the newly reopened Farmers, Fishers & Bakers for an 8:00 reservation...only to wait until 8:45 to get seated. WOMPPPPPP.  We were so hungry after our active day that we got pretty grumpy, but quickly cheered up when we learned that they were comping us a round of drinks and an app.  Now THAT'S how you placate angry diners, people!  Let's also talk about the fact that the food was OUT OF THIS WORLD, and also reasonably-priced!  We got an appetizer of soft pretzels and three mouthwatering dipping sauces, and, for our entrées, Dan ordered jambalaya and I ordered a gardener's pie {essentially shepherd's pie but with veggies instead of meat}.  Our tummies were sure happy when we left, and we vowed to go back very soon.

On Sunday, we went to our beloved Metro 29 for brunch after our runs, where who should we see but Eric Cantor.  I was so tempted to bitch him out, because, at that point, Congress had not reached a deal to avoid falling off the fiscal cliff.  However, I kept my cool and stuffed my face with French toast like a good little girl.  For the remainder of the day, we watched football.  Now, I hate football, but watching it meant that I got to spend time with Dan, and it also required no effort, which pleased my exhausted body.  In return, he told me that, since I had been so good to watch 9ish hours of football, I could choose Monday's activity.  I chose Mt. Vernon, which ended up being a slightly poor choice because of the cold weather and the fact that the place pales in comparison to Monticello.  Who knew?  However, while there, we saw Michele Bachmann.  I kind of creeped myself out by recognizing two politicians in 18 hours, but I know that I was right.  Again, in a perfect world, I might have bitched Michele out for her politics, but I refrained.

And then came New Year's Eve.  Last NYE was definitely a depressing one for me, because, as we walked around Dublin on that day last year, it seemed as though there was a happy couple everywhere we turned, which only made me miss my guy more.  That's why I was thrilled to not only spend so much time with Dan this break, but also spend New Year's Eve with him.  We had decided that we wanted to do something low-key {but still actually go out}, so we threw on our party clothes and headed to Old Town.  All of the Christmas lights lining King Street twinkled away, and I briefly forgot that I was not walking down the Champs-Elysées.  Dinner was yummy, and we decided to head to O'Connell's, a charming old pub, afterward.  We were SO fortunate, because, just as we got there at around 10, a group of women was leaving, so we snagged their seats at the bar.  We didn't have to fight for drinks all night, AND we got seats.  Seriously perfect.  We made friends with some pretty interesting characters {one, a guy named James with long, red hair and a pink sparkly cape, was particularly entertaining} and just enjoyed each other's company.  It was perfect.  Seriously, I was in my happy place, getting to spend the holiday with my love.

So that's all she wrote, folks!  That was my UBER-relaxing vacation, and I enjoyed every second of it, whether spent with my family or with Dan.  It was definitely tough to get out of bed on Wednesday morning to come back to work, but, surprise! Today is Friday!

For whatever reason, my photo uploader isn't working, which is kind of annoying, so I'll try again later to post pics of the rest of break!  Happy (almost) weekend!

New Year's Resolutions

via French By Design

I really hate the start of a new year, partly because my once-crowdless gym suddenly becomes crowded, and partly because it's the season to make resolutions that you don't end up keeping.  Because I'm one for actually achieving goals that I set for myself, I prefer to have tangible, reasonably attainable goals for myself, rather than making sweeping declarations.  So here, my dear readers, are my Tangible, Attainable Goals for 2013:

• Assert myself more, whether in my personal or professional life {for those of you who know me, you know that assertion and conflict are not exactly two of my strong suits}
• Run a marathon {I'm already signed up, and am in the midst of the hardest part, all of the training}
• Eat enough, and well enough, to bribe my body to run 26.2 miles. HA!
• Put some of my Pinterest home decor ideas to use {more on this soon!!!!!}
• Always take the time to help or listen to a family member or friend in need, and never hesitate to let those people know how important they are to me, both through my actions and my words
• Enjoy the little moments.  I am so goal- and milestone-oriented that I often struggle to stop and smell the roses.  I have so many wonderful things to look forward to this year that I want to enjoy everything in the moment, rather than constantly looking forward to the next thing.
• Do things and spend time with people who bring me joy
• Do not fear change
• Do not forget to laugh, especially at myself!

I would love to hear some of your New Year's resolutions or goals.  How do you hold yourself accountable {or don't you?} in your quest to achieve these goals?

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

If you read my blog posts at this time last year, you will remember that, what with our whirlwind Christmas vacation, my family had a very, very busy break.  I look back on that trip so fondly, and I know that my family does as well, but dam, did we keep busy that break!  This Christmas break was a total 180 from the frenetic pace of Christmas 2011.

I'm going to have to separate the break into a couple of posts, because I think that this one will be a little bit lengthy otherwise, but I'll start with "fake Christmas," my Christmas celebration with Dan the Friday before Christmas, before he headed home.  I  had gotten off of work really early, which ended up being nice, because I had time to pack and clean my apartment.  Once he got to my place, we headed downtown and stopped by the Capitol Christmas tree, which I always love {it looks so much more natural than the caged-in White House Christmas tree}.  From there we walked to dinner at Poste in Chinatown, which, although exorbinantly priced, was delicious.  Plus, what better time to go out for a pricey dinner than a holiday, right?  Then, we went home and opened presents, and, once again, Dan did a great job. He got me a beautiful, logo-free Coach wallet {he knows how much I hate logos, and he also has had to watch me fish through my coin purse for credit cards and IDs enough to know that I needed an upgrade}, as well as a running headband {purple, my favorite color, to match the running jacket he got me last year} and smart phone-friendly running gloves. I had gotten him a dress shirt to replace some of the ones that are now out of commission {he tends to get holes in the elbows of his work shirts, so he must sit in a strange position when he's at his desk!}, as well as an overnight in the Charlottesville area and a trip to a few breweries on the Nelson County Microbrewery Trail later this month, which we are both really looking forward to.  I was sad to see him off bright and early on Saturday morning, but it helped to know that I would see him again in just a few days.  The two-week separation over Christmas last year was really difficult, so it brought me so much happiness to get to spend so much time with him this break.

After a long run, I met up with my friend Jamie to go to the Georgetown basketball game.  From there, we perused the Chinatown Christmas market and then saw Anna Karenina.  I had been really excited to see it {I almost always love Keira Knightley period pieces}, but we both walked away very disappointed.  I should have known it would be a letdown, particularly since I disliked the book so much {I actually ended up giving up and didn't finish it}.  It is always lovely to spend time with her, though, so I was happy, despite the $9 wasted on the movie haha.

From Saturday night to Wednesday I stayed at my parents' house, which was exactly the getaway I needed. There was lots of going to bed early, early-morning runs with my dad, eating yummy baked goods that my dad picked up at the Old Town Farmers Market, and generally spending quality time with my family.  On Monday, my mom decided that Tim needed to get out of the house, so we went to the Spy Museum, specifically because there was a special James Bond exhibit that she thought he would enjoy.  Even though I had been to the museum once before, I thoroughly enjoyed going again, and I think my dad and Tim had a nice bonding experience over the Bond villain exhibit.

 

We spent Christmas morning at my parents' house, opening presents and eating our customary Christmas rolls {if the picture below doesn't make your mouth water, there may just be something wrong with you}.  Santa was very good to me this year; in addition to the running gear that Dan had gotten me, I got some more great stuff, including a dri-fit shirt, a roller {to help with my tight muscles, which I am SO excited for!}, a belt that holds some small water bottles, and some gummies, which are so delicious I plan to use for my training and then during the race.  They are so yummy that I had to promise Dan that I wouldn't just sit at my desk popping them throughout the day...Not to pat myself on the back, but I really loved the gifts that I gave my parents and Tim, Snapfish photo books of our Europe trip last year.  I wanted to find a creative way to memorialize the trip, and I was so pleased with how they turned out!

Seriously...

 

After we finished opening presents, we drove to my aunt and uncle's house in southern Virginia, where my mom's entire family gathered for Christmas dinner.  It was the first time in probably about ten years that we had all been together, so it was nice to have the entire family there.  Everyone especially enjoyed the Christmas poppers that we brought, something that we always do for Christmas on my dad's side of the family. Each popper contains a paper crown, a small toy and a little joke, and everyone was a good sport and wore their crown.  After an overnight stay and some more time with the family in the morning, we headed home.

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!!!

Merry (fake) Christmas!!!

First of all, apparently the world didn't end at 6:12 this morning.  Phew.

In other news, today Dan and I will be celebrating Fake Christmas, and I couldn't be more excited!  I've been anxious to give him his gifts, and I can't wait for a night of Christmas revelry haha.

We have a reservation at Poste, and I am super psyched.  I have only ever been there for drinks, but we have talked about going for a while.  What better time to splurge a little bit than on Christmas, right?!  Their fall vegeatable entree sounds fabulous, as do their buckwheat vegetable crepes.  I think my belly will be happy tonight :) Dan was particularly intrigued by their Mr. and Mrs. Crunchy sandwiches {Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame, respectively}.  To be honest, I didn't know that that was the direct translation, so we've had some good chuckles about that one, since that's how they refer to them on their menu.

Depending on how much time we have, we will be going either before or after dinner to see the Capitol Christmas Tree.  Dan knows how much I love this tree, so has graciously agreed to indulge my Christmas whim of going to see it.  Afterward, we'll enjoy baked goods {of course} and exchange gifts at home, followed by a screening of Home Alone.  Seriously, it's not Christmas until you watch it!  I'm grateful to have tonight with my guy before he goes home for a few days for Christmas!

Tomorrow, I have a really fun day planned with a dear friend that includes the Georgetown basketball game and a trip to see Anna Karenina.  I'm so glad I get a bonus day with her before the holidays!  Oh, and I'm finally starting to feel less sore when I run, so I'm going to stick to the marathon training plan and do a 10-miler tomorrow for my off-weekend short run.  I'll be going home either on Saturday night or Sunday morning, depending on how long it takes me to get my act together and finish packing.

I'll leave you all with a little something.  I just couldn't help myself:

via Favim

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Ah, love, ain't it grand :)

In December, 'tis the season for Christmas trees, bargain shopping, hot chocolate, holiday movies, getting caught in the snow...and PROPOSALS!  Last night, some very close friends got engaged, and I just have to gush a little bit because my head is exploding with happiness for them!!!

In early December, James emailed me to ask me how I am at keeping secrets.  I immediately knew what he was referring to, and I was 100% on-board when he asked for my help in setting up his proposal to Lindsay.  Dan couldn't help but laugh at my enthusiasm, but hey, why should I suppress my inner wedding enthusiast?!  For the record, I am amazing at keeping secrets, mostly because I love nothing more than a good surprise!!!  The toughest part of this one was trying to wipe the knowing smile off my face in the several times I hung out with Lindsay from the time I got James' email to last night, the day of the blessed event.  For the record, I hung out with her the night he emailed me, and, after using the last half-hour of work to squeal and smile like an idiot and work my excitement out, I held it together, keeping the surprise intact.

In order to lure Lindsay to campus, where the proposal was to take place, I concocted a story that I needed her second opinion on a Christmas gift for Dan, and that I would be making the purchase in Georgetown.  As it turns out, she had a really busy schedule this week, so by far the toughest part was getting her to commit to a day!  Once we settled on yesterday, James and I were in constant communication, updating each other on the final location, time, and our respective communications with Lindsay.

Last night, she was running late as she rode the Circulator to Georgetown {which definitely made James sweat a little bit!}, so the surprise was slightly delayed.  She texted me when she was a block away, and I alerted James, in case he had passed out from frostbite while waiting for her in the cold.  She texted me when she got there, and then it was just a waiting game.  Dan and I both had the sound turned on on our phones and only half paid attention to How I Met Your Mother as we awaited the news of our friends' engagement.  Finally, James texted Dan to tell him that it was official, and a still-shocked and apparently teary Lindsay called me shortly afterward.  She had had NO idea, which only made the surprise that much better!  Go James for coming up with an awesome proposal plan!

I was so honored that James asked me to help out with the set-up for this proposal, and it was by far the best surprise that I have ever been a part of.  Every girl dreams of the day she gets engaged, so, however minimal my role, I was so happy to have had a hand in making Lindsay's proposal perfect.  Us girls have got to have each other's backs when it comes to things like this!!!!  They are a truly wonderful couple, and, from the time that Dan first introduced me to them when we first started dating, I knew that they were amazing people, and also so obviously in love.  It fills me up with happiness to see pictures of the newly engaged couple looking radiant and absolutely glowing, because they deserve all the happiness in the world!

And finally, a pic from all of us {Nicole, Goran, James, Lindsay, me and Dan} from the Georgetown game on Saturday!  It's so hard to believe that James and Lindsay got engaged four days later!