hot times, summer in the city

Tomorrow marks the first official day of summer. Over at my Fedscoop column I've made a list of 10 warm weather pastimes in Washington, D.C.  You can read the list here. 

When the sun goes down, a picnic at a concert, winery or outdoor movie night is a favorite way to celebrate summer. 

What are you looking most forward to doing this summer?

a tree cutting straight from the clark griswald playbook

My Christmas tree has been up since the weekend after Thanksgiving!  That, sadly, is about as far as my limited holiday cheer has taken me this year. If Dan, emotionally aged 7 come every December, would have let me I would have even skipped the  tree this year, I think. He wouldn't hear of it, though. 

Likewise, he wasn't listening when I suggested we go for a smaller pine, but...10+ feet of Frazier Fir later....one of us is smiling like a kid at Christmas. 

Actually, I'm glad Dan told me to elf off with my bah-hum-bug. For anyone else feeling a tad Grinchey, I will confess that at least putting yourself in the midst of things merry does, in fact, help.

It helps, too, when your friends organize a tree cutting tailgate straight from the Clark W. Griswald  (juuuuuunior!) playbook.  That's what I'm writing about today over at my Fedscoop Social Studies column, and you can read about it here.  

holiday hostess gifts

Last year, I took popcorn and a holiday movie as a hostess gift when I went to Christmas parties. 

Today over at Fedscoop I'm writing about 3 gifts that offer your favorite party planners a unique thank you this season. You can read that post here!

What's the best hostess gift you've ever received? What's your favorite go-to gift to take when you're a guest? 

election night in washington, dc

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I have long joked that Capitol Hill (or as I often call it, D.C.H.S)  is like a big high school. The hierarchy of staff parallel class ranks. There are rivalries. And oh, the gossip you'll hear in the cafeterias! That makes election night not unlike, say, homecoming as every one awaits the big announcement revealing who takes the crown. On election night in Washington there are celebrations all over the city - big, small, partisan and just party!

The party I went to last night (which you can read about over at Fedscoop!) was held in my favorite museum. I loved looking out the windows to see the Capitol and the monuments while watching election results.  D.C.H.S Pride, indeed!

blow outs - he vs. she

He thinks it's silly to pay someone to wash and dry your hair. She (and her naturally frizzy mop) believe that a blow-out is the most practical form of pampering one can buy.

She thinks it makes no sense to blow out the leaves in advance of the 60mph winds forecasted during Frankenstorm. He believes the threat of wet leaf stains on patio stones should be the first warning issued during inclement weather alerts.

So, this happend on Saturday.

This will happen on Friday. 

my interview with {sometimes} suri cruise

Obviously I'm a fan of Suri's Burn Book - that's why I stalked out its author (and Washingtonian!) Allie Hagan.  Find out where Suri Cruise might shop if she came to Washington over in my Social Studies column at Fedscoop. 

Happy Friday!

where the blogway meets the runway it's a small, small world

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One fun fact about Washington is that you can bump into strangers on the street and hours later find yourself sharing secrets over dinner.  Now this doesn't happen every night, but in my years here it's happened a few times, and that's where today's story picks up.  Last night.

I was solo at Bloomingdales for a charity fashion show (which you can read more about over at Fedscoop!). Going to events alone makes me nervous and socially awkward so when through a cluster of geeks and glamazons I saw the familiar face of someone I "know" but have never met - MCW from Saving the Best for Last blog - I was thrilled!

When we locked eyes MCW rebuffed the gentleman vying for her attention by telling him she'd just seen an old friend. HAAA.

We've been reading each other's blogs for a while, even meaning to meet up for drinks. Life just kept getting the way. Until...life suddenly imitated Anna Wintour and landed us front and center beside the runway.  I call this The Devil Wears Forever 21......(cause that's where I bought my sunglasses). 

I mean, how often do you meet people who'll play Posh with you by pose-harding for sport? 

MCW was there with Landlocked Mermaid (center above; she blogs privately). Before we knew it the three of us were shopping for lip-gloss before gossiping over a late night dinner. I had SUCH a good time, and loved that a soiree I feared would leave me the wallflower instead made me a bonafide Disney princess.....

"The Disney Princesses" is what Mermaid's husband calls all the bloggers she knows and reads. Hysterical.  I'm so happy to be part of Mermaid and MCW's small blog world! 

pumpkins or apples...which do you pick?

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Every fall Dan and I go to a some country-on-crack kind of festival. We started on our second date. It was Dan's idea, and every year he still humors me when the seasons change. Our motto is....

You can't be bored when there's a gourd!  {In all honesty, that's my mantra, but...I'm married to a pretty good sport!} 

This year we tried a new place, Baugher's Farm in Westminster, Maryland. The long drive sent us way into the country and smack into a perfect October day where the only big decisions we had to make were....

donuts or fritters?

Pumpkin patch or apple orchard? We hopped on this flatbed...

and you can see where ended up over at my Fedscoop column.....!

barrel oak - best virginia winery for lingering

October is Virginia Wine Month. As if one ever needs an excuse to drive south into my favorite part of the DC-region.........

I went with some friends recently to visit an old favorite, and to check out a new concept in Virginia wine drinking...a seated tasting (read all about that over at my Fedscoop column!).  The day ended with dessert at Barrel Oak winery which has now officially become my favorite place to linger long time. 

There views are so nice, but the grounds....once there you just don't want to leave! There are plenty of tables and chairs for guests. Outdoor food is welcome, but there was a barbeque stand selling plates of food when we were there and a super fun band playing. People were dancing between wine tastings. It was picture-perfect fall!  There are firepits galore around which everyone sits and sips and makes friends. I can't wait to go back here for the John Marhsall Tasting Experience.  

If every you visit the D.C./northern Virginia area and you like wine, do not plan a trip this way without spending a day hopping from vineyard to vineyard. I promise you'll adore everything about it... even if it isn't Virginia Wine Month! 

party politics

One of the first things that surprised me when I moved to Washington was how seriously people took televised political events.  After a while, I too was quick to add State of the Union addresses, convention speeches, and of course, political debates as a reason to have a party! Today over at Fedscoop (and in advance of this week's Veep debates!) I'm offering a two-party system for making a fun night out of watching the debates! You don't have to live inside the Beltway to get in on party politics...read more about it here!

q+a with hilary phelps

Her brother, Michael, may have some gold medals under his belt Speedo, but can he whip up sweet potatoes and recommend the best moisturizer for the changing season?  Hilary Phelps can, and does...then blogs about it with a true Genuine Joy! I shared some Q+A with this D.C. Lifestyle blogger. Find out where Hilary would take the First Lady to dinner in today's Social Studies column over at FedScoop!