Update: Bree the Bee

Bree was not feeling all that great earlier this week. I am happy to report that she is feeling much better. She is back to terrorizing her sister and dragging her string toy where ever she goes. Although right now she is sleeping on the couch.

She had a long night of air mattress jumping. Our guest is staying in our room, so Craig and I are making use of our air mattress. The cats loved the air mattress last night. They basically jumped on it like a trampoline. I didn't get a lot of sleep, but did find their jumping entertaining. Bree would launch herself straight into her sister Rylee. This of course lead to some wrestling. The routine was repeated several times through the night.

I am now thinking a trampoline would be a perfect present for our friends with "active" children.

A stay-at-home wife's life on steriods

Sometime between Tuesday and today I stopped breathing. Just haven't had the time. I am sitting on the couch right now blogging thinking about all the things I should be doing. Showering sounds like a good idea, but I think I can get ready in 20 minutes, and am willing to push it to see just how much downtime I can get in this morning.

Wednesday I found myself running around the city like a mad woman. I went to Clarendon, which is in Virginia, which is not Washington, DC. I had to be in VA at 8am for an interview! I am not a morning person. Craig is lucky if he gets a mumbled "I love you" out of me when he heads out the door for work. To top it off, I somehow got on the wrong orange train. How you can get on the "wrong" orange train is beyond me. It started off orange, but it changed to blue. I made it though, and on time. Disaster averted.

The rest of the day: wrote thanks you to the ladies I met with at 8am, lunch with a friend, another interview, and the New Hampshire State Society Annual meeting.

Thursday morning I woke up and my right eye was in bad shape. I have some real funky eye allergy. Walking around in the cold and wind (which is what I did ALL day on Wednesday) only exasperates the problem. My eye tears uncontrollably, which makes me really uncomfortable.

After nursing my eye problem, I cleaned, and cleaned, and organized, and found more things to clean... Before I knew it was 12:45. Time to pick-up my New Hampshire visitor at BWI!

I drove there myself. This was a first. I never, ever drive in the city. The Garmin was WONDERFUL! We should have bought it sooner. So I jump in the car. I have a water and the Garmin is all set up. I put the CRV in reverse... Errr, turned on the window shield wipers. Okay, I'm not in my mother's Explorer (the last car I drove!), the shifter is not in the steering column, but in the center console. I laugh off this rather embarrassing move, and continued on my journey.

The drive was fine. I rocked out to Carrie Underwood's newest cd, "Play On". Pretty good cd, I think I like "Carnival Ride" better though. Some of my favorites on "Play On": What Can I Say--beautiful and eerie, Quitter-super cute, Songs Like This-so much fun!

So I made it back, and forth, all in one piece, and I am ready (and due for) some fun this weekend!

Shhh... This one is top secret!

I have worn the same pair of Uggs for three years now. Just when I think it's time to get a new pair, I find some way to wash away the salt stains, and presto! My old, beat up Uggs have extended their lifespan and will live to see another season.

I start slipping on my Uggs in October and wear them until April or May. They are so comfy, easy to slip on and off, and still a bit trendy. I don't know how I would get through the cold winter months without them.

Probably the best kept Ugg secret, is that you don't have to pay full price! Nope. Most of us ladies can fit into the kid's version. I wear a size 5 in woman's and fit into a size 3 in kids Uggs. They go up to a size 6 in kids. So that would be a woman's size 8! They have the same classic styles available in kids' sizes, along with a few cute ones like the Bailey Button. And they come in all the same colors!

I can think of a lot of things I could use the savings on (it's about $30). The money saved would likely stay right in the bank account though. ;)

Where is the love?

Angelina and Brad, Tiger and Elin, John and Elizabeth, REESE AND JAKE! What is going on?

Angelina and Brad are just crazy weird. They should have never been allowed to adopt those kids, not together anyway. Why are children given to people who can not even commit to each other? How can anyone be sure they will make a commitment to raising the child? I know they do a lot of good with non-profits. I try not to be critical, but something about A.J. gives me the creeps. She played that crazy girl in Girl Interrupted a little too well. To me, she will always be the chick who wore a vial of blood around her neck. Gross-a-roo. I never cared for her or him (he cheated on Jennifer!), and I could really care less if their un-committed relationship ended.

Tiger and Elin. Elin, divorce him.

John and Elizabeth Edwards. Who knows that the deal is with these two. They just legally separated, which is actually pretty interesting. I heard about this one year separation deal on the local news. I thought to myself, now that is just ridiculous. He cheated on her, and now she has to wait a year for a divorce!

So, being the resourceful person I am, I looked up the S.C. divorce laws. YOU DON'T HAVE WAIT A YEAR! They could get this done and over with in three months, if the cause for divorce was adultery. I think that fits the bill here.

I am guessing Elizabeth has something to gain by separating for a year and claiming she was "deserted". I want to say good for her, but part of me thinks she was always in this to get something. Their poor kids. They have no chance.

I have always thought Reese and Jake were super cute. This one really caught me by surprise. I thought they were the new Jen and Ben. Jen and Ben are my absolute favorite. This won't be the first time the couple have split. Unfortunately, I think this time it's for good. It sounds like Reese wasn't convinced that Jake was ready to be a daddy. I can see that. He is a bit younger.

Let's hope Carrie Underwood gets her wedding underway. We need something fun and light to break this sober mood.

Bree the Bee

Our baby cat Bree was sick today. Instead of heading out for lunch with a friend, I stayed home with her sleeping on my lap. Poor little baby. I believe she has been eating the plant on the window sill in the kitchen. The plant is now up on a dresser. She seems better now, but until I am completely confident she is 110%, she's on a restricted diet.

So what I assumed was going to be a pretty boring day turned out to be quite exciting. And I am completely exhausted now.

1. A friend from New Hampshire will be in town this weekend! Yay! I am very excited to see her. We are sure to have a good time. And I am certain I will need a few days to recover. I am trying to figure out what to do. Any ideas?

2. I received a call this afternoon for a job interview. I now have not one, but two interviews tomorrow. I had an interview last week as well. The interview last Friday was actually a second interview. I definitely love to work, but the stay-at-home wife gig has really grown on me. To be continued...

3. We looked at a few houses this afternoon. One house had a open house this weekend. The owners have a nursery (for a baby girl!) and two black cats! I thought maybe these were signs. There is no closet space though. No attic. No crawl space. The lack of storage is a deal breaker.

The other house was a more traditional property with a garage. I mentioned this house in my post on Sunday. The house itself was beautiful. So beautiful that we had to take our shoes off or wear booties over our shoes to tour it. The owners really spared no expense letting us know just how special their house was. There were little signs everywhere. (This mirror does not convey. This how to open the french doors.) They even had a binder with all kinds of information on when this and that was replaced, cleaned, checked.

The garage was definitely nice, but in the end the property was a little too nice and a little too small. Craig and I both agreed, we felt as though we were in a museum. We couldn't see ourselves chasing the cats through the house or watching baseball in the living room. It just didn't fit.

So pizza and red wine for dinner tonight. And maybe in an hour so I'll feel like doing Jillian Michaels.

I can cook

I can cook, some things. I would much rather bake. One good thing about cooking, it's completely acceptable to drink wine or beer while cooking and then have another while eating. Yes, I do like to drink. I'm half Irish. It is in my blood. Boy, I have an excuse for everything. I eat sweets cause I'm French. I drink cause I'm Irish...

Okay, onto cooking. My new favorite thing to cook is red meat. I don't eat red meat, but Craig does. I have found that red meat is real easy to screw up. I stand over the frying pan adjusting the heat every two minutes. First I think the pan is too hot--turn it down to medium-low. A few minutes later I stick in a meat thermometer. Dang it, 95 degrees. No good. I turn it up to medium, take a few swigs of red wine, and hope for the best.

The meat thermometer is my secret. Without it Craig might get seriously ill or be eating something that closely resembles an old leather belt. And I have found THE best meat thermometer. It is digital. And not only can you pick the type of meat you are cooking, you can also pick how well you want it done.

I picked this up at my neighborhood cooking store, Hill's Kitchen www.hillskitchen.com. Cool name, huh? The store is really fun, and if you ever come to visit (hint, hint), make sure I take you there.

So after poking the steak four or so times, it is ready for consumption. Each time I ask Craig how it is. He almost always says good. He's pretty honest. I've gotten "it's fine" a few times. And he will almost always cut the steak to show me just how well I've done. He will offer me a bite too, but it doesn't interest me, and I politely decline.

Funny the things we find exciting as adults. Not so long ago I would have been happy to sneak some snacks from the dining hall. Now I want to crown myself Top Chef after successfully cooking a steak.

Craig will be having filet mignon tonight. And I will have a veggie burger. Wish me luck!

I brokedown last year. Now it's your turn.

The gladiator sandal. The shoe we all assumed we could love to hate together. But maybe you don't hate it that much though? It is sort of growing on you, right?

I know I said in an earlier post I was going to keep my fashion posts season appropriate, but with the 60 degree weather we are having right now, I can't help myself! I think the gladiator is a shoe your closet needs. We thought that perhaps this was a trend, but like skinny jeans, I think this one is here to stay.

Not convinced or think maybe you can do without it? Think again. Once incorporated into your wardrobe you will find a dozen ways to wear this shoe and feel tres chic. And unlike your conventional sandal, I think this is a shoe you will wear not one, but three seasons. It covers just a bit more of your foot so you can bring it out in spring and keep wearing them till temperature drops to 60. Another plus, a lot of the high heel versions you can with tights! The funkier the tight, the better. Cause if you're going to do it, you've gotta do it right!

So what will it be? A metallic pair with a platform toe, like the Ralph Laurens above. Wear it to work, wear it on Friday night to your favorite bar. (Martinis at Piccola...yum!) I recently wore a similar pair to a friend's wedding. A great way to stand out amoungst all those wearing lbds!!

Perhaps, you'd rather have something you can wear around while doing your weekend shopping at Lowe's and can get you to and from the ballpark easily? The Steve Maddens to the right might be more your speed.

Alright, about time I get some shoes on! Craig asked if I wanted to meet up for lunch. And I think Chop't sounds delcious right now!

A place to call home

Craig, my husband, and I are house hunting. We currently live in a two bedroom apartment "on the hill". For those of unfamiliar with Washington, DC lingo, "the hill" consists of the Capitol and the housing around the area.

We were first thinking of moving to Virginia. I don't see us making the trek out there though, not right now anyway. We really enjoy living on the hill. We like walking to the restaurants on 8th Street, Eastern Market, and Nationals Stadium. We also like that for blocks there is nothing but houses--no hotels, no big grocery stores, just homes and the people that live in them. We really have all the conveniences of a city with the laid back feel of a small neighborhood.

I think we really started looking at houses in November. We've seen some things we've liked. We've seen a lot we didn't like. And we spend hours at home, in front of the tv, looking online at houses.

Our criteria: preferably near the Eastern Market metro, two big bedrooms, LOTS of closet space, a half bath on the first floor, and a little backyard. Now that doesn't sound unreasonable does it?

We are a little smitten by a property we have named "The Bakery". The building served as the neighborhood bakery some years back. It is now a two bedroom home with two full baths. It looks like a bakery from the front, with a large bay window and decorative trim. I would like to think that the display cases held all kinds of yummy sweets. (I am half French. I do enjoy dessert. So this is all more appealing to me than you may think.) Although I am thinking it was more of a bread bakery than a place for pies and sweets.

And there's more... The house was redone in the 1970s. So think California style ranch in a row house. Are you scratching your head? Sounds odd, but it actually works. The style helps to alleviate many of the issues us modern day people have with the architecture of the early 1900s. Instead of many small rooms, they took down walls to create big spaces (room for that 50+ inch tv). And the issue of light, or lack of light, is solved by replacing the many small windows with floor to ceiling glass.

Sounds like I'm in love, huh? We'll see. We have another more traditional property we'd like to take a look at. This other property has a garage! I know everyone up north is thinking, big deal. Well this is a huge deal in the city. Street parking is what you usually get around here, and it works out just fine. A garage would be totally sweet though. I would love to keep our new CRV free of as many nicks and bumps as possible!

We would like to be out of our apartment asap, but there really is no need to rush. To be continued...

Ahhh... fashion.

Every season I find about a half dozen "must-haves". And for every "must-have" I usually like to purchase two of a particular item. I know I will want to wear these special items a few times during the season, and god forbid I be caught wearing the same thing twice in a two week span.

While the stores are already pushing out the spring lines, I will limit myself to what I want to wear now. One item I need to have multiples of is the long cardigan. And to be more specific, a long cardigan without a belt. A belt can be great for cinching your waist line, but if the belt doesn't hit your waistline just right, you can end up looking heavier than you really are. Also, in my opinion, a cardi without a belt looks much better unbuttoned than one with a belt.

The great thing about this piece is you can find it EVERYWHERE. J.Crew, Banana Republic, even the Gap carries this sweater every winter. Be careful though, you don't skimp on quality here. The material should be able to retain it shape. With so much material, if the seams are not just right or the material is blah, you run the risk of looking bag lady.

This sweater is so versatile you can wear with anything and everything. Put on a pair of slacks (are we still saying slacks?) with a white button-up and your favorite necklace, or a personal favorite--a pair of skinny jeans with a tank and boots for a more casual look.

Take advantage of the winter sales and buy up these gems. You must own it in black. A black long caridigan can be thrown over all those lbd we own. I would also look into a fun solid color. Nothing like a flash of teal, plum or yellow to brighten up a winter day.

The long cardigan will be a go-to piece for years to come!

Introduction

Punky Brewster. She was the coolest girl. I wanted so badly to be her. She was fun and had great style. For a few years I was doubling the number of socks my mother washed and folded just so I could look like Punky.

Punky and I grew up together. We experienced the same things--making friends, family health problems, problems at school, Girl Scouts/Fireflies, and first loves. Even the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger was something "we" went through together. Punky was every girl's best friend.

Her upbringing was not that of typical girl her age. And I think because of that she had an incredible ability to adapt to change. Just look at her friends. How much more different could Allen, Cherie, and Margaux be? Her sunny disposition was infectious and it was something to be admired.

Where am I going with this? Well, probably now more than ever, I feel a kinship with the character I idolized as a young girl. I am the new girl. I don't really fit in. But unfortunately, I can't charm people with funky socks or cute catch phrases. Yelling "Melissa Power!" probably won't make me a whole lot of friends nor will it get me my dream job.

Two years ago I left the comforts of home--New Hampshire, where I was born and raised. I started a career there. I was building a great network. And I was fortunate enough to work with people I considered friends, very good friends.

I now live Washington, DC. The move brought me closer to the man who become my husband, and provided me new job opportunities. Washington has been slow to grow on me though. I am trying to embrace change, without giving up those things I hold near and dear.

A blog seemed like a neat place to update my friends and family "up north", and provide some entertainment for others. I plan on sharing what I love, the old and the new, and the adventures that come with a new lifestyle.

I think this will be a wicked cool. And I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.