Weekend Wrap Up

I confess, I have developed a sick obsession with The Hunger Games Triology.  I literally didn't move from my couch all Saturday and Sunday afternoon while I devoured two and a half of the books.  I promise I'll be back to reading/commenting on your blogs and replying to emails in the next couple days!

Friday

via Yelp

On Friday night we had a few drinks at a friend's place and then headed over to Looking Glass Lounge. The bar was great with 2 levels, strong drinks, an outdoor patio, and very cool decor.  However, the neighborhood was not so great...I'm talking so not great that my friends wouldn't let me walk the 1 block to the metro by myself.  I still think it's a fun place to check out...just don't walk there by yourself.

Saturday

via Yelp

I spent Saturday night at my favorite bar in the DC area, Murphy's.  I met up with my friend T and she introduced me to a bunch of her friends that live in the area.  Murphy's has live Irish music every night and we spent the evening shouting along to M.T.A. (although I'm not going to lie, I kept wanting to sing the lyrics to Skinhead on the MBTA), Finnegan's Wake, and Mary Mac.  It was so much fun!

Sunday

My roommate lured me off the couch and away from The Hunger Games for a trip to FroZenYo last night.  It's a serve yourself froyo place that's a lot like 16 Handles in NYC.  I opted for the Cookies and Cream and Cake Batter flavors topped with more cookies and crushed reese's cups...yummmm!  It's also super reasonably priced.  My big serving was only a little over $3!

Oh and I also made a pot roast and homemade gravy!  I'm not sure where this new domestic streak is coming from but I'm going with it.  I got the recipe of the back of a packet of onion soup mix, but this recipe is very similar.

Nail Files

I've been inspired by all the sparkly nails I've seen on this link up lately, so I thought I'd rock some of my own this week!

This is OPI's from A to Zurich topped with...promise you won't judge me...Justin Bieber for Nicole's Make U Smile.  I couldn't resist the sparkles and maybe I have a little bit of the Bieber fever...terrible pop music is my guilty pleasure.

TAG!

I've been tagged in 2 of those fun blog games that have been going around lately so I thought I'd combine them both into one post.


Here are the rules: You give five random facts about yourself. You answer the questions provided to you. You come up with different questions. Then, you tag five people to do it, too.



Five Facts about Me
1. I have an iced coffee every morning.
2. I can't workout on the elliptical or stationary bike unless I have a book to read...I get bored easily!
3. I'm slightly obsessed with the Patriots.
4. Ice cream is my weakness...I try not to keep it in my apartment since I'd eat a dish every night if I could.
5. I feel naked if my nails aren't polished.

The first list comes from Alex at Ifs, Ands, & Butts.

1. If you had to eat 1 condiment for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Definitely ketchup...I'll put it on anything!

2. What kind of socks do you wear?

Usually ankle socks but I love a good pair of fuzzy slipper socks on the weekends.

3. What camera do you use for your blog shots?

My real camera's been broken for quite a few months now so all my pictures come from my iPhone...or one of my friends' cameras!

4. What's the best random city you've been to (i.e., not known for tourism)?

Bratislava in Slovakia. It's such a charming yet random city.  The picture above is of one of their main attractions...a statue of a man coming out of a manhole.  Yeah, I'm confused about that one too.

5. Television or Film?

I'm a big trashy TV person.  I love watching movies too but I rarely have 2 hours to sit down and watch a movie.

6. Would you rather live in freezing weather (32 F, 0 C) or extreme heat (100 F, 38 C) all year long?

Extreme heat for sure!  I can't stand the cold.

7. Skype, Gchat, or FB chat?

GCHAT!  I love signing in quickly to send a funny link to friends...it's such a great way to break up the work day.

8. Do you speak another language? If so, how the hell did you learn?? This is a selfish question. I need your best suggestions.

I used to speak pretty fluent Spanish from studying it for 9 years and living in Barcelona for 4 months.  However, I haven't used it much in the past 2 years and I'm starting to lose it.  The best advice I can give is practice, practice, practice!

9. What is your favorite international cuisine?

I love Spanish food...especially tapas!  Seriously, I love Spanish food so much, if I could only eat one cuisine for the rest of my life, it would be Spanish.

10. What is your favorite YouTube video of all time?

Drunk History 2.5 with Jack Black...hysterical.

11.What is your go to magazine?

It's a tie between Cosmo and Glamour.  I can never seem to buy one without also buying another.

Now onto Brittany's questions from Blogging Out Loud.

1. Which Disney princess is most like you?

My favorite Disney princess is Sleeping Beauty but I'm most like Jasmine...a total daddy's girl that likes to break the rules every once and a while.

2. What song do you have on repeat right now?

Ying Yang Twins' "Drop".  It's been my go to work out music this week.

3. Who was your first crush?

Batman from Immature aka Roger on Sister, Sister.  He grew up to be much more attractive so I wasn't totally off the mark.

4. Where do you see yourself in five years? Be honest.

Still living in DC, *hopefully* engaged, and maybe working on my MBA

5. Would you rather lose your vision or your hearing? Why?

My hearing.  You can find ways to communicate without hearing but I can't imagine never seeing any of my friends' or family's faces again.

 6. What scares you the most?

Heights, I'm absolutely petrified of them.

7. When was the last time you cried?

A few weeks ago while watching The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

8. What three physical attributes do you find most attractive in a guy?

Height, arm muscle, and smile

9. If you had unlimited money, which store would you visit first?

Louis Vuitton! I am DYING for a Speedy.

10. What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Terrible pop music made for teenagers...yes I do enjoy listening to the Biebz, Miley, and the Jo Bros.

11. If you could wake up tomorrow with a new talent, which would you choose?

I wish I could sing.  I love singing along to the radio but I sound like a dying cat.

12. If you could have any exotic animal as a pet, which would you choose?

Right now I'm not around enough to take care of a pet haha  I'd go with an exotic fish.

Now here are my questions:

1. What's your favorite guilty pleasure book? (Can you tell I'm already looking for beach read recommendations? haha)

2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

3. What are you looking forward to most in 2012?

4. If you were going to plan your perfect weekend, what would you do?

5. What's your favorite cocktail?

6. If you could visit one city in the world, which would you choose?

7. If you could only wear dresses or pants for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

8. Do you like to plan your week out in advance or fill it with spontaneous events?

9. How do you like your coffee?

10. What's the best practical joke you've played on someone?

11. What's the biggest challenge you want to overcome in 2012?

I'm going to tag these lovely ladies:

dk @ dk everyday

Maura @ Adventures of a Self Proclaimed Princess

Court @BB to 79th

Michaela @ Dolce Vita

Marz @ Royal Mail

Stuff I Like

1. Oyamel

via

We had a work dinner at Oyamel last week and it was absolutely delicious!  Oyamel is one of Jose Andres' restaurants and it features Mexican small plates.  There are so many great choices but I opted for the ceviche special, the tamal verde (chicken tamale), the albondigas enchipotladas con queso doble crema (chipotle meatballs), a tinga poblana taco (chicken stew taco), and the tres leches cake for dessert.  The albondigas were a tad on the spicy side but I'd recommend trying any of those dishes.  Perhaps my favorite part about Oyamel, is their margaritas.  Instead of salting the rim of the glasses, they top each margarita with salted air.  The salted air is like a foam that sits on top of the margarita...it's a really unique little treat!

2. Laugh With Me LeeLee

My sister got my Laugh With Me LeeLee for Christmas and I adore it!  LeeLee is one of my nicknames so not only is the name perfect but the fragrance it great.  The first time I tried it I couldn't help but think that it smelled like me!

3. Victoria's Secret Valentine's Day Lacie

We all know I shop at Victoria's Secret like most girls shop for shoes, so when they sent me a coupon for a free Valentine's Day Lacie, I immediately went and picked mine up!  I think the little tiny hearts are adorable and who doesn't like free stuff?  If you get one of these coupons in the mail, make sure you take advantage!

4. Yorkie Poos

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I saw a Yorkie Poo for the first time this weekend and I am officially in love!  Look at how cute and fuzzy and adorable he is.  I will definitely own one of these cutie pies some day.

5. Supernatural

I confess, I have recently developed a sick guilty pleasure style obsession with Supernatural.  I caught it once when I was home over Christmas and I instantly became hooked.  It's on TNT every weekday at 10 and 11am...and you guessed it...I DVR 10 hours of that show every week.  I'm hoping to be caught up enough to start watching the current season soon!

Weekend Wrap Up

Friday

I had a very exciting night on Friday and worked until almost 3:30am.  It was one of the most challenging and rewarding work days I've had so far.  Our servers were down for maintenance and I had to set up all our late night jobs manually.  Even without all our automated tools, I managed to set everything up and get it into the field on time...I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty proud of myself.  Plus, my roommate made a tres leches cake which was a delicious late night treat!

Saturday



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 I started off my night by trying the Bubble Up Enchilada recipe that's been all over Pinterest and the blog world lately.  They were quick, easy, and inexpensive to make.  I wasn't completely blown away by them but they were good.

Afterwards, I met up with Rach and we headed over to our friend's new townhouse for her housewarming party.  It was one of those nights that was so distinctly DC.  I mean, where else do you find people that talk about seeing Ben Bernanke like most people would talk about seeing a movie star...or meet someone who named their dog Alexander Hamilton?  It was a very fun night and a great chance to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.  We snuck out a bit early to meet some marines have a beer at the Ugly Mug.  Sadly, the place was abandoned (weird for a Saturday night!) so we decided to cut our losses and call it a night.

Sunday



Why yes, I did dress my champagne glass up in a Patriots jersey

 Sunday was absolutely incredible!  We got to Murphy's about a half hour before the doors opened and waited in line with all the other die hard Pats fans for a table.  We enjoyed our champagne brunch (surf and turf eggs benedict...yummm) and got pumped up for the game.

Catching passes and growing staches...wearing it like Wes!

The game itself was absolutely insane.  The energy in the bar was amazing.  Everyone was cheering, yelling at the refs, chanting when we scored, and biting their nails at the end.  I'm not gonna lie, we thought it was over when the Ravens went for that last drive.  But then they blew it...and everyone went crazy!  I'm talking jumping on their chairs, running around, screaming at the top of their lungs, and doing shots crazy.  I can't imagine a better place to have been to watch that playoff game!  I'm already excited to be part of the madness during the Super Bowl!

What did you do this weekend?

Saturday Silliness

Have you been watching all the Shit xxxx Says videos that have been going around youtube lately?  They are hilarious!  I've been particularly loving the Shit DC Says and Shit New Yorkers Say videos.  They're both so spot on.  I feel like half the DC things come out of my mouth on a daily basis and it was the same when I was living in NYC.  Hope they make you laugh too!

Nail Files

This week I thought I'd share 2 fun takes on a traditional french manicure.  I've tried them both and they're easy enough to do at home!

1. Glitter French Manicure

The base coat of this is Essie Marshmallow and the tips were created by pressing loose glitter into the polish while it was still wet.  Use a top coat to seal the glitter onto your nail and you're done!

2. Multi-colored French Manicure

The base coat for this look is OPI's Barefoot in Barcelona.  Once the base coat is dry, paint each tip a different color.  I placed small pieces of scotch tape on each of my nails to ensure the tips came out in a straight line.

Stuff I Like

1. Otterbox

via Amazon

So we all know the story of what happened to my Droid, right?  I was skipping down the street one afternoon (hey, I was really excited to go shopping with Rach), threw it down the sidewalk, and completely smashed the screen.  Given my clumsy nature, I decided an Otterbox was the best decision for my new iPhone.  While it's a little bit big and bulky, it's worth not having to worry about breaking my phone.  These cases can be a little pricey so I recommend checking out Amazon...you can find them for half the price!

2. Chicken Stroganoff

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I've been using my slow cooker a lot recently.  It's been a great way to cook up delicious yet easy meals. This week I tried a Weight Watchers' Chicken Stroganoff recipe.  Not only was it low calorie, it was also tasty and budget friendly with it's small list of ingredients.  I served it with brown rice instead of egg noodles to make it even healthier.

3. Voxer

Everyone needs to stop what they're doing, pick up their iPhone or Droid, and download the Voxer app IMMEDIATELY!  It turns your phone into a walkie talkie.  Now I know what you're thinking, how is that different than a phone?  Well my friends, the beauty of this app is that you can record little instant voicemail messages with the walkie talkie.  I woke up the other morning, checked the app, and had a recording of my friend Lauren singing Lionel Richie's Hello.  Greatest morning surprise ever!

4. Passion Fruit Chobani

I've recently switched from Chobani to Harris Teeter brand Greek yogurt in an effort to commit to my year of fiscal responsibility.  However, I've been very curious about their new flavors so I decided to pick up a container of their passion fruit yogurt.  OMG was it good!  It's one of the best flavors of yogurt I've ever had.  I definitely will be treating myself again.  Have you tried any of Chobani's new flavors yet?  Blood Orange is next on my list.

5. Next Great Baker

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I spent waaay too much time this weekend watching a marathon of Next Great Baker and it's safe to say I'm officially hooked!  I've always been a fan of Cake Boss but the competitive element of the Next Great Baker makes even better TV.  I love seeing all the fancy cakes they make and the drama between the contestants.

Embrace the Crazy

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My roommate and I have been having a lot of great conversations lately.  We had one last week that I was reminded of when I read, How to Be More Interesting (In 10 Simple Steps) on Forbes this morning.  Number 4 on the list is "Embrace your innate weirdness".

My roommate has this wonderful theory that everyone comes with their own brand of crazy.  Some of it is good crazy and some of it is bad crazy.  The important thing is knowing what yours is and working with it.  We were especially talking about it in terms of relationships and how you have to find someone who's crazy is complimentary to your own crazy.

I am well aware of my two types of crazy:

1. I always have to plan things in advance.  My Erin Condren planner is like my security blanket and I have everything from workouts, to business meetings, to happy hours penciled in a week ahead of time.
2. I need to feel like I'm a priority.  I don't expect whoever I'm dating to hang out with me constantly (I NEED my personal space) but I need them to clear time in their schedule for us to hang out...and not just invite me to tag along when they go out with their friends.  If this doesn't happen, I take it a little bit personally and end up feeling hurt.

I don't think either of these are bad things but they are little quirks of mine that tend to play a huge part in the success or failure of any relationships I involve myself in.  I'm hoping that taking the time to recognize them will help me put a better emphasis on finding someone that compliments these 2 little pieces of crazy.

So tell me ladies, what's your crazy?

Weekend Wrap Up

Friday

via Yelp

Rach and I are whiskey girls so we jumped at the chance to try the new bar Irish Whiskey Public House on Friday night.  I have mixed feelings about this place.  It's teeny-tiny and the way the tables are set up makes it an extremely tight squeeze when trying to get to the bar.  They also didn't turn on any music until about 10:30pm which was definitely disappointing   The cocktails were a little on the pricey side at $10 a pop but they were delicious.  I tried Big Fellas and Brotherhood...I liked them both but if you're looking for something with a punch go for the Brotherhood.  The service was excellent and the bartenders were very friendly.  Overall, I'd say the atmosphere and the extensive whiskey menu make this a great place to take a date or catch up with a friend.  I wouldn't recommend it for a large group or for a wild night out.

Afterwards we headed to Chinatown and hit up two of our favorite spots, Rocket Bar and Iron Horse.  It was great to have some girl time and to put ridiculous songs on the jukebox like Bust A Move and Good Vibrations.

Saturday

Wes Welker's Playoff Shirts

The Patriots absolutely CRUSHED Tim Tebow on Saturday night and we were obviously at Murphy's to watch it happen.  We showed up an hour before kickoff and there was a line down the block to get in.  It was absolutely insane!  We're there almost every week and I've never seen it even close to that crowded before.  Luckily, we got in without a problem and got an excellent standing place right near the bar, the TV, and all the regulars.  We had a blast cheering on the Pats, heckling the Broncos, and yelling all our Patriots' chants.  I'm already excited to go back for the game on Sunday!

Sunday

via Yelp

Since none of us had to work today, we planned a whole day of hanging out and bar hopping on Sunday.  We started our morning off at RedRocks for a phenomenal brunch.  Bottomless mimosas+bacon and artichoke scrambles+all my GW loves=perfection.  RedRocks is a small restaurant and there's usually a wait.  If possible, go with a group since they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more.

After brunch, we moved over to Lou's City Bar to watch all the football games.  Not having a stake in any of the games made it so much fun.  We were heckling everyone, laughing hysterically, and enjoying each other's company.  The staff at Lou's were super friendly and were great about us hanging out there for almost 8 hours haha.

How did you spend your long weekend?

Saturday Silliness

Have you seen Jimmy Fallon's Tebowie video yet?  It is too funny and it's getting me excited to watch Tom Brady CRUSH Tebow tonight!

Nail Files

I'm one of those girls that always has her nails painted.  I feel naked if I leave the house without a coat of polish on.  I was thrilled to see Tara and Vicki's Nail Files link up since I think it'll be a great way to get some inspiration for new polish colors and manicure styles!

I'm currently sporting OPI's Cozumelted in the Sun.  The touch of sparkle and tropical name are just what I needed to beat the winter blues.

Guest Post: Winter Workouts

Today I'm featuring a guest blog from the lovely Cait.  Her blog is one of my favorites so I was thrilled when she was looking for somewhere to guest post.  Plus, her post is perfect to help you work on your New Year's resolutions.

Hi everyone! My name is Cait and I blog over at Fit, Fierce and Fabulous.

On my blog I talk about all the exciting things that are going in my life including new fitness routines, my bad eating habits ( and some good ones ha) all about my upcoming wedding next summer and fashion, shoes, purses.. you get the idea ;) Believe me, I'm def someone who'd love to curl up under the covers with a hot cup of tea and watch re-runs of Boy Meets World (Duh LOVE that show!) so working out would be the last thing on my mind! However, it is something that needs to continue during the colder months so your body can continue to stay fit, fierce and fabulous <-- like how I added that in there ;)

Tips to Working Out in the Winter

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• If your a huge shopper like myself, it may nice to go to the mall early before any of the shops open and walk around. Think of it this way, if you window shop while you walk you're multasking and we all have to do 32387 million things at once

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• Consider joining a gym. I just joined a gym about 10 months ago and it was the best thing I've ever done. Specifically. my gym has a rock climbing wall which I love to use to switch up my work out routnines.

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• Take advantage of going outside with your kids, if you have them. There is nothing that works your body more than trying to build a huge snowman or snowfort with your little rascals piling on top of you!

• If you like to be outdoors, maybe you want to try a new sport like snow shoeing or cross country skiing. I'm still trying to get my butt out the door to do this since my mom LOVEs going cross country skiing. She always comes back after 2 hours saying it was the best work out she's ever had!

I hope all of these tips have helped! And if you'd like come on over and say "Hey!" to my blog too :) 

Stuff I Like

1. Ten Thousand Villages

I did a little bit of my Christmas shopping at Ten Thousand Villages in Old Town Alexandria and I am officially OBSESSED with it.  They have beautiful handmade gifts from all over the world.  I fell in love with all their gorgeous blue and white ceramics made by artisans in Vietnam.  Not only are you buying an unique gift, you're also supporting these artisans and their villages.

2. The Bachelor

I'm not usually big on watching The Bachelor.  In fact, I usually hate the show.  My roommate grew up in the same town as crazy pants Jenna so we decided to give this season a chance.  As much as I hate to admit it, I am absolutely HOOKED.  The level of drama and crazy is so out of control, how can you not be drawn in?  Those girls are vicious...and I can't wait to see what happens next.

3. iPhone

I've had my iPhone for about a week now and I don't know how I ever lived without it.  The operating system is great and I can run the majority of my work programs off of it...it's nice not to have to be glued to a computer quite as much.  I've also developed a sick obsession with Words with Friends and Hanging with Friends.  You should challenge me to a game! lwood15

4. Say Yes to the Dress

Say Yes to the Dress is one of my favorite shows!  There's something so uplifting and happy about watching the brides find their perfect dress.  I also love seeing the different styles and personalities of the brides.  Does anyone else watch this show?

5. A Prayer for Owen Mean

I read A Prayer for Owen Meany in high school and I recently decided to re-read it.  I remembered absolutely loving it but since I had read it so long ago, I couldn't remember all the details.  I'm so glad I decided to give it a second read since I fell in love with the story all over again.  Owen's courage, determination, and blind faith are inspiring.  The story is also so real.  It doesn't gloss over the pain of losing someone you love but at the same time emphasizes that things always work out in the end.  If you've never read it before, I recommend putting it on your 2012 reading list.