Things that may or may not happen when your husband is gone for a month: Part I

1. Lights hanging from the ceiling - happened.  I should thank Lauren for this as she sent me down the rabbit hole of DIY-dom.  The instructions are not as easily found today as they once were, read IMPOSSIBLE, so I had to wing it from a list of supplies I found on Apartment Therapy. Overall I think in a month (or six) I might re-do the entire fixture with some sense of wiring and quality control. Also it needs a few more glass spheres, it's not nearly dramatic enough.  But for now it is amazing and I love it.  And it did not cost $1750 or whatever I had started to think we were going to spend.

1b.  Getting that drywall on the other side of the living room patched up so I can finally finish painting the ceiling - did not happen.

2.   Two dogs becoming a team - happened.  It might be the fact that I've been forcing them to cuddle with me every night for the past 30 in an effort to stay warm and snoozy, or just the simple passing of time.  Whatever it is IT IS HAPPENING.  There is still some growling on Frances' part when shit isn't going the way she'd planned it to ... but they sit on chairs together and alternate peeing on bushes that ought not be peed on and every once in a while stand still enough to photograph.  Or this could all just be because I bought them matching harnesses.  Maybe that is the answer.

I may have also applied to graduate school, planned a trip to NYC in the spring, eaten my weight in meat sandwiches, discovered mint goes with everything so long as it's in a smoothie, headed back to yoga four times a week and started and finished House of Cards on Netflix.  There is more, it was quite a productive month for me, but I'll fill you in on that later.

January Things

January started with an epic trip south, way south, to Key West.  I lost my favorite jeans, two sweaters and a mostly empty bottle of perfume.  It was something like 10 days, no two spent in the same hotel, it's a miracle that's all I lost.  It was also something like a million hours locked in a car with two dogs and a husband.  It could not have been better.

Now I'm back in DC.  After a most crazy weekend (hello Mr. President) the roads have been cleared of the scariest of metal fences and the people have all retreated to, hopefully, warmer weather.  We got a dusting of snow last night that Anna has been romping around in all morning and Frances has been avoiding.  I've been wearing my snow boots that I hastily ordered last year from J.Crew because they were just too good to pass up.  Turns out, while they may be cute, they aren't exactly warm.  I think I'll be tossing them and going with ye faithful Sorels for the rest of the winter.

I've been juicing a bit, and slowly, trying to take animal products out of our diets.  Not like 100%, I love me some meat sandwiches (hello new cheesesteak place that I cannot get enough of) and will eat macaroni and cheese until it comes oozing out of my pores, but you know, when at home and for most of the time.  It's time to up my veggie intake, like for real, and for ever.

Anna was spayed and de-dew clawed.  She came home and was totally passed out for three days.  It was terribly sad.  Especially when she would wake up just to cry.  That really happened.  IT WAS SO SAD.  She's totally on the mend now and has been approved for exercise despite those pesky (and disgusting) stitches in her back legs.  They come out Monday.  

Sometimes Frances will leave the confines of the bed and beg me to take her out-of-doors for a walk.  Three blocks later she's so beyond done I've got to pick her up.  Then we go back home, she lazes in the sun for a while, and two hours later begs to try again.  Always the same results.  Maybe once it's more than twenty eight degrees outside we'll have better luck with an actual walk.

January will be over soon and then we're on to February, which in DC I think means spring, I kid ... kind of.  I think this year I will miss it, I think this year, January might have been exactly what I needed.

Sandwiches, the best.

It took us a while to try SUNdeVICH.  I don't know why.  I'll blame it on a complete lack of ability to get out of our house, or at the very best our neighborhood, during the weekends.  It's not like I was ever confused.  I always knew it was going to be good, I guess I just didn't know how good.  Turns out we had one of the best sandwich experiences EVER.  We got a Seoul and a Havanna along with some spicy cole slaw and brined veggies.  Also, Sprecher Root Beer.  It was delicious, I'd like to go back now please.

Doughnuts and Fried Chicken.

Hey DC, quit with the announcing of doughnut and fried chicken spots and start with the opening of them.  Seriously, I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL JANUARY?

{image via astro doughnuts & fried chicken, which as far as I can tell is going to be the first to open}

Tree, we have a tree.

This has got to be some kind of record for us.  Normally we talk and talk and talk about getting a tree and normally it happens about a week before Christmas.  Which is fine, but our schedule this year would not allow such things.  So over the weekend we walked down to Eastern Market and snagged a 6 ish foot bundle of smell good Christmas tree.  Like last year, MAS carried it home, it's becoming our DC tradition.  I'm pretty sure MAS likes walking the five blocks home the most.  He never gets covered with sap OR ruins jackets.

Beginners lessons ... sort of.

I'm taking Intro to Ballet at a local dance studio and it's too advanced for me.  As I am possibly the most uncoordinated person you've ever met, this is fairly unsurprising.  I frequently roll my ankles, trip over my toes and lack any sense of rhythm.  Top that with the fact that the last dance class I'd taken was when I was six years old.  In fact, the only thing I remember about dance class, save for the AWESOME bag I carried my stuffs in, was my mom falling asleep for a touch longer than she meant to and picking me up late (i was assuaged by the staff with so much candy I may have vomited it all up by the time I got home, not a bad memory).

Turns out, I need to go back to that six year old Ballet class because I literally know nothing about ballet. And being a 30 something girl in America that signs up for an Intro to Ballet class, this is apparently unheard of.

It started like this, our teacher was 10 minutes late to the first class.  AWESOME, one sixth of the class done! But it allowed all of us wanna-be-ballerinas to chit chat.  I kept hearing from my leotard clad classmates "Ohmygod it's been sooooooooo long since I've been to a ballet class I wonder if I'll remember anything" over and over and over again followed by something like "Yeah it was high school the last time I put these slippers on" once it was even COLLEGE. It should be noted, I was not wearing a leotard, or tights, or even legwarmers.

Whatever, it WAS fine.

I mean the teacher has a really horrid habit of teaching to the most experienced person in the room, NOT ME, so when I'm asked to count it out (what the fuck does that even mean?) I can't, but no one really bats an eye and someone else does it for me.  When the mirrors show everyone I am physically incapable of doing the arm things with the leg things I ignore them and surprisingly don't blush (a very bad habit of mine).   I'm pretty sore the day after class and I really do think it might be teaching me how to not slouch (another horrible habit of mine).  Also, it is kind of making up for the complete lack of good yoga in this city.

Now if I can just make it through Intro so I can start dropping into the Beginners classes, which happen more than once a week, I might actually get somewhere.  Also there's an Intro to Hip Hop class calling my name, and maybe laughing with me at the thought, bust still, SO MUCH FUN.

Will travel for hot sauce.

You guys, Artifact, the morning/mid-day food and coffee spot opened by the most amazing people of Woodberry Kitchen has us considering a move to Baltimore.  We went last weekend after my FOURTH trip to the Baltimore Ikea for the same damn floor lamp.  The trip was a success, we scored the lamp ('bout time) and then filled with excitement, and absolutely no food, we went bananas and ordered/bought just about everything we could see on the Artifact menu.

After lunch (grilled cheese with pickles, tomato bread soup, egg salad sandwich) and coffee (a dirty pumpkin) ... and maybe dessert (I can't remember) we continued our gluttony and came home with some Snake Oil (the best hot sauce possibly ever) and Pickled Carrots.

I'm making plans to go back ... weekly.

pearl dive.

the other night we FINALLY made it to pearl dive oyster palace, a place i continue to call pearl dive oyster bar, over and over and over again.  the palace is really throwing me off for some reason.  whatever, it doesn't matter.

it's delicious.  the oysters were of course spot on and the fried chicken (yes, they have fried chicken) is divine.  also, the drinks.  gotta give a shout out to the small, but so well done, drink list.  i started with a fleur 75 and ended with a pearl cup.  the fleur 75 was the palest shade of violette - so pretty - and the pearl cup came in a mason jar - totally fitting.  

our neighborhood rocks.

the eddy, the bar inside of hank's oyster bar's new capitol hill location, has won my heart.  our neighborhood was awesome before their arrival, but now, now we have a place where we can go and grab a not-too-fancy but utterly delicious drinks*.  also, oysters.  yay capitol hill!  i love you more than ever ... which is saying something.

* to be fair our current favorite, the atlas room, fits the above criteria.  dude is serious 'bout his drinks.  but it's a touch further away, sans oysters and, really, it is always good to have OPTIONS.

{the old salt is a lovely combination of watermelon stuffs and tequila and etc.  so light and refreshing and perfect for these fucking hot and humid days (and nights).}

the weekend.

it was only a little bit warm, not quite wanna kill yourself hot.  there was a lot of walking.  to the farmers market and back. with a bag full of cherries! that ended up on my shorts.  which was kind of ok since they were already pink.

there was soba with sesame and veggies and rice vinegar and a sixpoint apollo, my most favorite summer beer.

there was walking to the park, sitting, snoozing, reading.

there was a pizza made of leftover dough covered in garlic scapes and zucchini and garlic.

there was the cutest little guy in the the corner of a sidewalk square.

there was also the wearing of my bensimons, which hasn't actually occurred in a very long time.  i think i've decided to get rid of them.  though i'm not sure.  they just aren't very comfortable.

managing expectations.

you know what i am shit at?  managing expectations.  wether they are super duper high, or stupid low, they are inevitably extreme.  it's just the way i am.  i cannot help it.  it gets me into trouble .... a lot.  i should know better.  i really should.

so two weeks ago when bandolero finally announced their opening i was through the roof excited.  isabella's graffiato is one of our go-to dinner spots.  it's close, it's tasty, THEY HAVE PROSECCO ON TAP (and pony beers).  it's decently priced, the food isn't fussy and as long as i remember to specify a table downstairs i dig the atmosphere.  then you add to that margaritas and tacos.  it might as well be my version of the best place on the planet.

so we went and it was so underwhelming it's ridiculous.  i hate to give a review two weeks in, because lets face it, a new place needs TIME.  it always boggles my mind when people split hairs because the service wasn't spot on in the first month. it just doesn't seem to be a fair burden to place on EVERY restaurant. but then you add on to this that bandolero is not the first venture for anyone involved (i assume our waitress had in fact been a waitress before, but i might be wrong) and then they do something so asinine that it is in fact cause for a least a question if not a complaint ... they offered a tasting menu.

you guys when someone tells me that isabella is in the kitchen making my favorite foods this weekend and he has come up with a tasting menu you better fucking believe we are ordering it.  mas and i are firm believers in trusting the people that make the food to tell us what to eat.   so we agreed and they dropped plate after plate after plate in such rapid succession we couldn't wrap our heads around what we were eating...

we liked the guacamole, and were ok with the margaritas.  there was a suckling pig taco that was pretty good and the pork rinds they threw down with the chips at the beginning of the meal were a welcome surprise (dc, i like this trend).  but the thing of it was, we received regular order sized portions of everything, nothing was off the menu or special, and when tallied up individually everything was in fact cheaper when ordered separately.

i can give them that the fried fish tacos came out a bit not warm, and that the margarita was a touch watered down and our waitress was beyond weird because not every day is going to be a good one, and to be fair, i had expectations through the roof.  but making a big deal out of a random assortment of menu items and then up-charging for the service of not telling you what you're eating is kind of lame.  and i expect more from any decent restaurant.  i think we'll go back once summer really strikes (the rain did not help the entire ordeal) and drink the fancier than just a margarita drinks and eat food that we pick.  i think then we will enjoy it.  but for now, if you go and you are offered a tasting menu, save yourself and don't do it.

images via bandolero

japanese maple.

 we've got this weird tree in our front yard that turns bright pink towards the end of summer but is fairly lackluster for the rest of it's days.  when we were first trying to tame our out of control teeny tiny front yard i begged mas to let me dig it up and plant a japanese maple.  japanese maples are just soooooo dc.  and plus, i grew up with a few in my back yard, i've a soft spot.

he said no.  we had a healthy tree, why trash it?  well i'll tell you why ...

i mean, the geisha?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  you are perfection.  and hana matoi, well i think you're pretty stellar as well.

summer dresses.

every year around this time i begin to mourn the loss of my jeans.  which is funny because i don't consider myself one of those people that loves their jeans, turns out, i do.  also it turns out that i really love them.  i want to always wear them.  always.  but at the same time i am not a fan of over heating and dc in the summer equals overheating when wearing jeans.  it is stupid hot here.  stupid hot.

which leads me to the summer dress search.  i've a few in my closet that have lasted me for forever but mostly i find that my tastes change on a yearly basis when it comes to dresses.  this is frustrating because i find myself wanting to spend a cool five thousand dollars on light and airy swathes of cloth when my budget is approximately thirty seven.

this year i want tunics and relatively shapeless.  also, apparently, navy.  done am i with those elastic cinched waists* and belts**.  though if eastern market this weekend was any indication of what is to come i'm in the minority because everyone was wearing a big ol' giant belt with their skimpy little summer dress.  oh dc, why, WHY?

MADEWELL  /  VINCE  /  ZARA  /  ALEXANDER WANG

* i am fully aware that the madewell dress has an elastic cinched waist, i'm giving myself one, old habits die hard
** i've never really liked the super wide belts with dresses even when they were super popular ... three years ago

two favorite things.

we've been in dc now for just about eleven months.  of those eleven months mas has been away for work for six of them - or something stupid like that.  poor kid.  sometimes we'll be walking down a street that is three blocks away from home and he'll be lost until he spies a street sign.  no seriously, that happened.

we make the most of the time that he is here (fighting over the best burger, attempting to redo some part of the house, etc) and i'm finding dc to be quite hospitable when navigating solo, or with frances.  it is so weird to think about where we were just one year ago.  things were different, our lives were different.

it's not been the easiest of times, mas and i have had some of the worst fights of our relationship since living here, but we've also had some of the best days.  and together we are figuring it all out ... and eating ourselves silly.  you guys the food in this city is dangerously good.  something we weren't exactly expecting.

but after nearly a year i find that my two most favorite things have stayed the same, which for a creature of habit, is maybe not so weird?  they are:

1.  walking around the capitol.  it happens daily and i'm still not sick of it.  i wonder when, if ever, the awe will be wiped off my face as i look up.

-and-

2.    good stuff eatery ... my FAVORITE burger place in the city.

this move has been good for so many reasons.  i'm so happy that after only a year i can already see that.

ps - i totally screwed up my nails this week, but here's hoping i figure it out by next!  it promises to be good ... i think.

getting there // master bath

BEFORE

calling the interior of these four walls a master bath is a bit of a stretch, but it is the only bath in the house with a shower, and it is upstairs ... so i guess that means it counts.

we didn't do much, it's such a tiny space you can't really, but we did paint, yay white! and added a few shelves (ikea ribba shelves UPSIDE DOWN, best idea ever), a snazzy shower curtain (west elm, though not on their site) and a not lame towel rack (so important).  also we replaced our hot water heater.  this was by far the biggest upgrade of the entire house - quality of life wise.  we had a total of three minutes of hot water when we first moved in.  then sometime in february we decided it was too cold to not have a hot shower.  new water heater = best investment EVER.  we can now sit in the shower forever.  i frequently come out pink skinned.  it is wonderful.

AFTER

maybe one day kind of soon we'll replace the sink and the pathetic piece of carpentry it's sitting on.  maybe one day not so soon we'll add an actual master bath.  until then i'm basking in the white walled brightness and it's all pretty ok.

ps - sea salt soap, it's the best ever.  both mas and i are deeply, madly in love.  i'd highly recommend it.

my week.

i'm one of those people who would happily shell out eight dollars for a small box of granola.  it's one of my most favorite things in the world.  but then, i realized, it was stupid to pay eight dollars for eight oz. of granola and instead i've started to make my own.  with olive oil and maple syrup and pretty much anything we have sitting in our pantry.  it's delicious and we eat it by the pound now, not the ounce.

frances finally got over being scared of the new piece of furniture in the house and now is busy making it filthy.  i've covered it in a ridiculous number of blankets to keep her paws, and her mouth, off of the very light upholstery.  so far it's working.

and then, that's about all that happened this week.  it was pretty blah.  there was some rain, a little bit of cool weather, and a whole lot reading.  today i'm planning on spending some hours looking at art.  it's been too long.  also, maybe the prius will be done?  i'm feeling trapped these days without a car.  honestly, you people who live in a city that is not new york and don't have a car, how do you do it?!  it's not been super hard, and i've totally taken advantage of the new little smart cars scattered about town, but it's seems silly to pay for a morning jaunt to target to just look around and maybe pick up some toilet paper.

this weekend i'm purging our house.  we have too much crap.  it's ridiculous there is stuff everywhere.  also i think i might make some corn cookies, because it's been too long.  and mop the floor. i've yet to mop all of the floors since we moved in ... ten months ago.  yikes.

getting there // seating

yes, yes, yes i'm still talking about what in the world we are going to sit on in our living room, and for now, we've figured it out.

you see, a few weeks ago i came across the jason wu + canvas collection.

that couch?  we need it.  that bench, another need.  they are perfect.  beyond perfect actually, they are everything i've dreamed of.

they need to be in our living room across from one and other with our soon to be awesome reclaimed wood coffee table.  but, our budget right now for anything, let alone living room furniture v.5 doesn't add up to seven thousand dollars.  if it was even close i'd jump on these bad boys in a heart beat, but alas, we've decided to go a different route, one we can AFFORD.  one that gets a couch into the living room and doesn't look stupid.

but man, do i want that jason wu furniture, and i mean BAD.

so, here we go west elm.  it's the elton settee and it's fine.  it's actually better than fine, it's pretty damn good.

though i do have a few gripes about the whole buying and receiving of west elm goods.  there was one friendly person along the way and everyone else was kind of rude.  also, the additional fifty dollars for removal of a cardboard box and styrofoam ... lame.  and should i really complain about this?  i'm not sure, it's kind of pathetic, but i had to put it together.  i paid more for delivery of this small couch than i did for every bit of furniture we've nabbed from crate & barrel and that all came from friendly men and completely assembled.  don't think i'm afraid of assembly, i'm not, half of our house is from ikea, i.e assembled ourselves, but the whole lack of customer service at every step was relatively annoying.  i guess it was perhaps the final straw.

so now we have a place to sit that isn't totally wrong for the room, and actually looks pretty decent with my favorite chair (which apparently we can no longer order, which sucks cause we need a second).  now we just have to get the new window and rid ourselves oft he eighteen bajillion paint cans hanging out near the fireplace and we'll be ready to go. 

getting there // kitchen

so this week, it's on to our kitchen.   i'd say it's likely the most *done* spot in the house.  with the exception of the electrical outlets needing to be replaced, and well, the dream of wanting to turn that whole back wall into giant glass sliding doors.  also, if i can ever get my hands on a larger sized smeg, well, then we'll have to get a new fridge.

BEFORE

gross appliances that smelled of ketchup and cigarettes, tile floor with grout that matched the tile.  oh wait, no, that was years and years of caked up grease and shoe dirt.  fallen crumbs crushed one after the next into the floor.  cigarette ashes fallen.  and god only knows what else.  it was DISGUSTING.  the kind of disgusting that makes you want to vomit when cleaning.  the kind of disgusting that takes two people seven hours and several wire brushes to clean.  so um, yeah, it's kind of a light grey/neutral colored grout.

red countertops.  the lady who used to live here, she really liked red.  also a ceiling fan.  which in retrospect, kind of a good idea.  but whatever.  when we took it down we found a good inch of crap and dust on every last one of those fan blades.  again, GROSS.  

the worlds most awesome window, which we are thinking about getting rid of.  mas hates it, i love it, it's a constant battle.  i think he's winning.  but if we do get rid of it, where will our kitchen aid and deep fryer go?  hmmmm, it's tricky this small kitchen thing.

AFTER

lower cabinets and countertops removed.  sink, fridge, stove, removed.  upper cabinet doors removed.  i really, REALLY wanted to toss them completely.  i really, REALLY wanted to replace them with very cool wooden shelves.  but you know what?  if we had taken down those cabinets the walls would have crumbled and we would have been forced to build new walls.  we did not have a budget to build new walls.  so, alas, the cabinets stay.  for now.  maybe one day, when we end up getting rid of the back wall with the door and the window, maybe then we will run the risk of taking down those cabinets.  but honestly it scares the hell out me.  so maybe not.

goodbye ceiling fan, hello light fixture.  we wanted two of these hanging, but we have neither the space nor the electrical capacity.  whatever.  one is fine.  also, shelves.  we did get a couple of shelves and for that i am happy.  oh and then island, we built an entire island.  that big empty space under the ceiling fan, it's quite useful these days.  we eat there, i work there, sometimes frances even sleeps under there.  it's great.  also it increases the countertop space by about 1000%.

and did you see the living things?  a few wonderful living things are living in our kitchen.  it's been a while and they've not died yet.  one point for me.

getting there // living room.

so, tuesdays will be for nails, and thursdays for house!  watch out, consistency, here i come?  we'll see about that.

onto house.  as you know, or do you?  about 10 months ago (holy jesus) we bought a little row house in dc.  it smelled of cigaretts and mold.  everything we touched magically turned to dust.  it was and still is a real fixer upper, though not total shit hole, i'm only being slightly dramatic when i speak of it.

we're slow with projects.  mostly because we have to save the money for the project first and figure out how to diy things like electrical (not the best idea) and painting (i'm a pro, no really i am) second.  but we are getting there, i think i've mentioned that.

and now, without any styling and a whole lot of crap ... sorry guys that is just the way we roll these days ... here are some befores and nows.  i'm not going to say afters because as you can see we still don't have the furniture figured out and there is a massive construction project that is going to be taking place in the next few weeks (see below for more on that)!!!!

BEFORE

this is what it looked like the day after we closed.  what nice light, and a real wood burning fireplace!!  but the carpet was rank (hello chain smoker and pet pisser) and the walls were red.  i really don't understand red walls, but to each their own, i guess.  check out that moulding!  isn't it fantastic?

the real proof of the cigarettes is above, i mean visual proof, had you been standing where i was while taking this photo, you would be coughing.  but that streaky funk that you can see in the upper spots of the book shelves, yeah that's nicotine.  we scrubbed that grossness off, it only took some tsp and about four hours. 

AFTER

ahhhh, now look at it.  no couch, we're still figuring that one out, but WOOD FLOORS, GREY WALLS, WHITE TRIM, MOST FAVORITE CHAIR EVER (the one in the background, that is, the big white one is too big for the space and so it's being banished to the bedroom).  as for the coffee table? i don't know where it's going, but it ain't staying there.  also i convinced mas to let me take those shutters down.  i know, i know, you love them, right?  yeah so did he.  but you know what?  they are impractical and big and noisy and frankly, they are ughly.  i'm sorry if you can't see that, we don't all have good taste.

ohhhhh, white bookshelf!!!  isn't it so much better?  yeah i know.  and good thing because that bitch was a bitch to paint.  have i ever told you that super shiny trim paint is my most hated foe?  seriously such a pain in the ass.  but wait, what is that on the left you say?  the original scummy nicotine laced bookshelf??  why yes, yes it is, you are totally right.  but, wait for it .....

in approximately six weeks it will be a window, a big one, and it will be awesome.  which means - we bit the bullet and bought windows.  well, signed a contract and put a deposit down.  i didn't tell you this before, but our current windows are plexi-glass (i kid you not) and are falling into the storms.  our electric bill in the summer is stupid and so is our gas bill in the winter.  here's hoping this will help.  either way it will be awesome.  i'm such a nut for nice windows (WHO AM I?).

so, it's coming along this little house of ours, and you'll be happy to know that we have had people over.  and we are again having people over.  last time there was that chair and a half to sit on though, this time that's in the basement.  maybe i'll purchase some floor pillows.  or maybe, we'll have a fire and sit outside after dinner.  that sounds lovely.

re-do.

the past weekend was a bit less than stellar.  i mean, we got stuff done, like the floor and trim of our basement!! and there was the marathon cooking of lasagna/tons of bolognese that will keep us fed for the next few weeks.   but there was also the car accident that has left us carless for the next month*, the opening and assembling of a bed from ikea that is missing the mid-beam rendering it completely useless (did i mention we have no car for the next month and ikea is FAR?), the cancellation of a brunch reservation that took me A MONTH TO GET (again, no car = no trip to baltimore for one of the most popular brunch spots around, their dinner is delish, have you locals been?), and the general moping-ness that sometimes just happens.  so all in all it's left me very excited about this monday.  it's a new day, a new week, and a new start.  because sometimes you just need a fucking new start.  also leftover lasagna.  what is better than leftover lasagna??




*we very nearly just ditched the prius for a this (TDI, of course), which we've been thinking about past year, but we're apparently so specific we'd have to have it ordered which would take four months and really, maybe, we'd rather throw that money elsewhere .... like on tearing out that kitchen wall and turning it into giant glass sliding doors??