My Favorite Thing Today: Peeps

To better understand this image you must watch this! Hahah. I love all these Peep images that they have. Check out the Washington Post Peep Show for more laughs!

My Favorite Thing Today: White People

Hahah, okay so living in DC makes me feel like I dont really fit in. I am either too smart or too dumb for people I hang out with and I am either too into pop culture or too diverse for others. Anyhow, I fell in love with this website.

Stuff White People Like

Why? Because I dont really fit into these catogories but everyone I know does! Hahah. My roommmates, my boss, people I work with, people on the Hill, EVERYONE!!!

Hahha, I think about this all the time. People try to be so unique that they just become more like everyone else. Hahah.

Ones I love:
#87 Outdoor Performance Clothes
#85 The Wire
#82 Hating Corporations
#65 Co-Ed Sports
#62 Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
#61 Bicycles
#49 Vintage
#48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops
#40 Apple Products
#39 Netflix
#38 Arrested Development
#32 Vegan/Vegetarianism
#28 Not having a TV
#13 Tea
#12 Non-Profit Organizations
#9 Making you feel bad about not going outside
#8 Barack Obama
#7 Diversity
#6 Organic Food
#5 Farmer’s Markets

HAHAHAHAHAH. I love it.

News Flash: JCrew Sale

Okay, I love J-Crew. We all know that.

They are having a huge sale. I just bought this.

My Favoirte Thing Today: Black Loafers

Okay, I have had the same black loafers for a while now and they are looking a little drab. I was checking out the Nine West website this morning and found some cute ones.


Exhibit A:
Stats:
- Shoe name: Lesliea
- Price: $79.99
- Appearance: classic but cute







Exhibit B:
Stats:
- Shoe name: Lost
- Price: On Sale - $49.99
- Appearance: very similar to the ones I have now...







Exhibit C:

Stats:
- Shoe name: Dynamik
- Price: On Sale - $59.99
- Appearance: traditional loafer, may look a little old-lady-ish.






A couple years ago my BFF found a pair of really cute tan loafers at Payless and I bought them as well. I just wish that those ones were black. I love them!

Weekend Wants: Capitol Hill

Since my mother and some friends were in town this weekend we did all the traditional DC stuff but that post will come later.

On Saturday we walked from my cute little apartment down to Eastern Market for the most amazing day! We shopped... okay, I really bought the most stuff. I got a big, fun ring and a cream knit hat and a black and white photo of ol' casa blanca. I love Eastern Market.

We had lunch at Marvelous Market, and sat outside and listened to a man playing the sax. The sun was out and I was having fun with people I love... everything is perfect, right? Not so much.

Living on Capitol Hill will make you want the following things:
- a dog
- a bike
- a boyfriend

I have a bike. Urgh.

Anyhow, it got me thinking. I really would like a dog... and maybe a boyfriend. But I really want a fun new position at work and I really cant have all three. Oyeee. I wouldn't have any time left in my day. So I declare today that I am sick and would rather have a fun, new job than have a dog and a boyfriend. Haha. Oh well.

My Favorite Thing Today: Bland Food

Okay. I am sitting here eating lunch (an apple) and I was thinking about how I love the lamest food. My old boss in Arizona used to tease me because I love all bland foods.

I could live off of:
-toast
-apples
-yogurt
-broccoli
-bananas
-rice pudding
-oatmeal
-asparagus
-cupcakes

Seriously. I know this because I literally have been living off of these and some delicious Fiber One bars.


Ohhhh... how can I forget... my new love... peanut M&Ms! Easter colors.

To Do: Make Fudge

FYI: I never did this. Lame. I know.

Weekend Wants!

Ohhhh... my mom is in town which means lots of shopping. Here are my weekend wants!!

Yellow Femi-Cardigan: I fell in love with this in the store today. Its so ladylike! I love it!!

White/Yellow Clutch: I can't figure out if I like the solid white one or yellow printed one better.

Printed Clutch: I love the navy print but the jury is still out on the black and white

 print. Maybe with the right outfit?

Striped Cardigan: I like the yellow and the gray one. Can't pick!! I just love the flowers so much!

Enameled Bangle: Okay, these are at J-Crew for like $50, Ann Taylor for like $25 and here for $13. I think that I once saw them at Target for $8.

Yellow Floral Print Top: I think that this is a fun piece that you can make work for play or work.

Black Print Top: I am not normally a fan of this type of cut for a top but I do love the print. 

Off-the-shoulders Printed Top: This just makes me want summer to come faster. Imagine this with white chinos and some fun yellow handbag.

Yellow Silk Top: This is just so cute on. It looks grea

t with a suit for work and for a fun weekend. I vant one!!

Black Pencil Skirt: I love the one I bought in khaki and I think that you can never have too many!!!

Ruffled Khaki Trench: Once again, I fell in love at J-Crew today... with this little beauty! A-mazing!

Yellow Handbag: Thank you Aldo, I didn't know that I needed this, but I do!

Not My Favorite Thing: Tours

Lets start this off with a disclaimer...

***I do not mind giving tours to people. It is part of my job. Please
don't be afraid to ask for a tour if you are in the area. I really do love
giving tours and to toot my own horn, I think that I am pretty good at
them.

However... I had to give five, FIVE, tours this weekend. I dont mind when I know the people because its fun to chat with them and show them where I work, but then sometimes I do tours for people as a favor to friends and when you dont know people its just kinda awkward. But its always nice to meet new people.

This weekend was only the beginning of a crazy month though. My mother and one of her old friends comes to town on Tuesday and then I have a week of entertaining them and entertaining a couple friends who are in town as well. Then when my mom leaves her friend is staying here and her husband and daughter are coming to town. I am really looking forward to showing them all around town and especially my cute apartment.

Then there is this huge extra project that I took on for work for Easter. It will take all weekend to set up for it as well. And I have to give tours to all my friends who will be coming to town for the Easter event.

I am really excited to see everyone and show them around my lovely DC.

To Do: Make Fudge

Okay, so I was watching Cashmere Mafia the other day and they all had a terrible day and met up for drinks and chocolate. One of the girls was eating fudge and ever since I have been craving fudge. (And since I have been recovering from a wisdom tooth issue I opted to steer clear of the sweets.)

Well the security guys at my office building had fudge out by their desk today. I for sure fell in love with that delicious chocolate. I think that I may try and make some this weekend.



This looks like an easy recipe:

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan and bowl
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon Valrhona cocoa powder
Large pinch of fine sea salt
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup milk
4 ounces Callebaut unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Butter an 8-by-8-inch straight-sided baking pan. Line with parchment paper; set aside. Butter a large, shallow, stainless-steel bowl; set aside.

In a 3-quart saucepan, whisk to combine the sugar, cocoa, and salt. Place over medium-low heat, and add corn syrup and milk, stirring until smooth. Add chocolate. Cook, stirring, until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolved before it reaches a boil. Brush down sides of saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystallization. Increase the heat to high, and cook until it reaches 236 degrees (soft-ball stage).

Pour into prepared bowl without scraping the sides of the saucepan. Dot top with butter. Let cool to 110 degrees to 118 degrees on an instant-read thermometer without disturbing, about 1 hour. Add vanilla. Using a plastic dough scraper, transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed until the butter and vanilla are completely incorporated. Increase speed to medium, and beat, stopping occasionally, until fudge keeps its shape when dropped from a spoon and sheen is gone, 3 to 8 minutes. Using a clean plastic dough scraper, transfer to prepared baking pan, spreading evenly. Before fudge sets completely, score with a knife into 1-inch squares. Let stand until completely cooled.

To Do: Stalk Guy in Neighborhood with Dog

Urgh. So I was running out the door one Friday night two weeks ago and ran into a guy walking his dog. I couldn't help but smile at the cute little pooch and that sparked a conversation with the guy walking the dog that I had yet to really notice. 

I don't really remember how we got to the topic of our jobs but I mentioned where I worked and he mentioned that he worked in the private sector but for a organization that my office works with a lot. 

Needless to say we had a lot in common in our short conversation. 

Although... I really don't remember much about our conversation, I don't remember his name (the dog's name was Guiness, it was a chocolate lab), and I totally have no idea what he looks like. In fact, I just remember that he started to take off his beanie and fix his hair once we started chatting and then I realized that he was cute and he was interested in me. Or so I though.

I gave him my email address and I have yet to hear anything from him. I told him that I would give him a tour of my building. In fact, he mentioned that he is totally jealous of where I work so I figure that he would email me for at least a damn tour, but nothing yet. 

Now I did the girl thing and figured that he was intimidated by me and my job or he didnt want to bother me, but then I remember my favorite book, "He's Just Not That Into You" and I realized that if he wanted to contact me... he would have. 

Anyhow, I just saw him walking the dog again but I was in my car. Oh well. 

*** picture from dogblog

To Do: Ketch-Up

Okay, so here is the deal. This past week has been crazy!

So Thursday night I woke up in the middle of the night with a terrible toothache. Friday afternoon I went to the dentist where they delivered miserable news to me... I had to get one of my wisdom teeth removed. Urgh.

So all weekend I was on pain-killers and didn't do anything but sleep and hang around the house hating my wisdom tooth for making my life quite gloomy.

I did however, go out to dinner with him and her. It was great to see some old friends and after dinner we went to the movies to see the new Will Ferrell movie - SemiPro. (I think that is the title of the movie, not sure.) It was fun, like all Will Ferrell movies. I did regret eatting dinner though because later that night my mouth was just in more pain. Damn you wisdom tooth.

Monday, I bid farewell to that little tooth and spent the rest of the day sleeping the meds off. Thank goodness for drugs.

Then Tuesday morning we headed over to a local auditorium to see the Boss give a speech (and I had third row seats thanks to the work of a good intern.) The speech was really fun and it gave us all a little glimpse into his real personality. One great point that he made was that everyone should exercise everyday! It was funny... he was talking about how he exercises and then he said "I am not saying that everyone should exercise... well... yeah I am. Everyone should exercise." Ohhh, there were so many funny stories from that day. It was really great.

Then yesterday I was able to attend an event with one of my Arizona representatives at my office. Urgh, this is too hard to write about here. For those of you who have access to my other blog, Ill post this all there. :)

Resolution Keeper (1): Floss

Okay, so it is 3:00am and I am awake with a toothache. The pain is pretty bad so I wanted to check WebMD to see what causes toothaches and when I should go to the dentist. (Not like I have a dentist here in DC though.) 

It seems that I now have something to add to my To Do list - Find a Dentist

I found this tidbit (thanks RealSimple)

-Call the Academy of General Dentistry's help line (877-292-9327) for referrals to three dentists in your area who can answer your questions.

Dental Health: Teeth and Gum Care
With proper care, your teeth and gums can stay healthy throughout your life. The healthier your teeth and gums are, the less risk you have for tooth decay and gum disease.

There are four basic steps to caring for teeth and gums:
-Brushing
-Flossing
-Eating right
-Visiting the dentist

Tips for Flossing
-Floss once a day. Flossing gets rid of food and plaque between the teeth, where your toothbrush cannot reach. If plaque stays between teeth, it can harden into tartar, which must be removed by a dentist. 

To floss:
-Remove about an 18-inch strip of floss from the dispenser.
-Wind the floss around the middle fingers of each hand, leaving a 1-inch section open for flossing. Floss the top teeth first, then the bottom.
-Place the floss in your mouth and use your index fingers to push the floss between the teeth. ---Be careful not to push too hard and injure the gums.
-Move the floss up and down against the tooth and up and around the gum line. The floss should form a C-shape around the tooth as you floss.
-Floss between each tooth as well as behind the back teeth.
-Use a clean section of floss as needed and take up used floss by winding it around the fingers.

Daily Candy: The Weekend Guide

What to Do This Weekend

EAT

Georgetown Cupcake

What: The charmingly tiny new shop serves up cupcakes in flavors like lemon blossom, chocolate mint, and bubblegum pink.

Why: Get ’em while they’re hot.

When: Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m.

Where: 1209 Potomac St. NW, b/t Prospect & M Sts. (202-333-8448).

BUY

Alexandria Boutique Warehouse Sale

What: Big discounts from Old Town shops like The Shoe Hive, Treat, Apple Seed, and Hysteria.

Why: Don’t ware out your welcome.

When: Sat., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Where: George Washington Masonic Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr., Alexandria.

SEE

Tracy Morgan

What: The comedian stops in the District.

Why: It’s sure to rock.

When: Sat., 8 p.m.

Where: George Washington University Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW, b/t G & H Sts. (202-994-6800).

Tickets online at ticketmaster.com.

To Do: Chili Cookoff

Yes, yours truly had to participate in a chili cook-off today for work. If you know where I work you will understand the random humor of this.

We have to make an award winning chili (I found a great recipe), create a poem/skit to present our chili, decorate a table/booth and tie a U.S. President into the theme. WHAT? Yeah, that's what I thought.

We hadPresident Grant. Here is the receipe we used and poem that I created...

Kentucky Bourbon Chili
* 4 pounds lean ground beef
* 1 cup Kentucky Bourbon
* 3/4 cup chili powder
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 1 tablespoon diced onion
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 16-ounce can kidney beans
* 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
* 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
* 6 8-ounce cans water
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 4 small cans chopped green chilis

Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Add ingredients one at a time in order listed. Simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Makes about 1 1/2 gallons of chili.


President Grant
Our 18th President left his mark in so many ways,
we can thank him for Colorado and OPM snow days.

He was praised by Lincoln for being bold and risky,
and this made Lincoln want to give all the Generals that Old Crow Whiskey.

Grant may not have been an Ashton Kutcher,
but he sure was known an our Nation’s butcher.

He was known as a General who loved to kill,
I guess this earned him a spot on the fifty dollar bill.

By winning his wars in the bloodiest way,
he was the obvious choice for 8th Prez of the NRA.

Once he was arrested for speeding in his horse and buggy,
and then hoofed it back to the White House in weather so muggy.

His beautiful First Lady was a little cross-eyed,
but Grant said he liked her that way… he may have lied.

And after he had a tumbler of his whiskey,
he and his wife were known to get a little frisky!!!

Poor Grant got throat cancer from smoking a lot,
I guess he should have just stuck to his whiskey shot.

Though when he was surrounded by his wife, son and daughter…
his last request was not for whiskey, but for water.

And a game show contestant once met his doom,
when he incorrectly answered “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?”

Grant's scandals arose when he kept lots of gifts…
but Jane says, “I never would have let this happen on my shift!”