Things I Love #3 Cardigans

I love to read fashion blogs. One of my favorites is CollegeFashion.net. Even though I'm not in college (darn), I love to hear what their contributors have to say about the season's cutest boots, winter coats, or even Halloween costumes.

Alot of the time, they talk about finding something that you think defines your personal style. I've watched enough What Not to Wear to know that there are certain things I should wear and things that I should avoid. One of my wardrobe staples has become the cardigan. I frickin' love them!

Seriously, they are awesome. They can be worn over dresses or a button down shirt, or completely buttoned up. They are also one of those pieces that transition from winter to summer really easily (depending on their material). I realize that some people think cardigans are boring (i.e Mister Rogers), but I think they are preppy and cool.

My favorite places right now to pick up my cardigan gems are Ann Taylor (dude, I shop at the outlet, so I'm not even going to link to their site) and NY and Company (they had awesome argyle ones around Christmas-LOVE LOVE LOVE). I love ones that are printed (so chic with a pair of dress pants or a cute skirt!) or that have detailed buttons.

Ah, cardigans. It's the little things, ya know? Do you have a fashion staple? Something you really love to wear?

About friends...

I've always been a good friend, in my opinion. I'm a good listener, overwhelmingly optimistic, and thoughtful. Oftentimes, I'm the "third" person in a best friend friendship. I remember in elementary school being drawn to people that already had best friends. It was pretty crappy because I would end up getting left out occasionally. Despite that, I managed to always try and be the best friend that I could be.

In high school, I mixed with pretty much every group in my high school, besides the uber popular kids. I had friends that were athletes and people I hung out with because we played softball. When I stopped playing softball, the theater kids accepted me with open arms and I made friends with a group of theater girls. I gained another group of friends when I started dating Ross. In college, I had a very tight knit group of friends who became my second family. They continue to be my very best friends, but most of them don't live close enough where we have the opportunity to grab dinner on a weekly basis and scheduling a weekend trip to see them is tough for everyone. My mom and sister also end up in that group of "best friends" and I get to see them alot, but I miss having a group to go out dancing with on a random Saturday night or meet up with for coffee during the week.

I'm not looking for people to replace my girls, for sure. I'm just looking to expand my social circle and make some quality "DC" friends. I've read that alot of people experience this in their twenties, so tell me: What's the best way to make friends in a big city? Have you had success on sites like Meetup.com? Do you have any advice for me?

January Goals Update #2

Is January really halfway over? Where the heck has this month gone?

I'm cruising along quite nicely with my goals. My water intake is still right around 60-64 oz each day. To help keep track of all my drinking, I purchased a fancy Camelback water bottle on Amazon for super cheap. It's 32 oz, so all I have to do is drink two of them a day and I'm golden. It's nonleeching and is also perfect to take to the gym with me.

I also finished my generic birthday card to send to my friends and family this year. All I need to do is get some adhesive to attach the photo to card stock. As you'll recall, I created a Google Calendar with all of the birthdays on there and have set up reminders for two weeks before the birthday to fill out the card and put it in the mail. Over the holidays, Ross and I stocked up on Forever stamps, so I have everything I need to be a birthday card queen.

How are your resolutions and goals coming along?

Christmas Vacation, Part 1

I had a seriously great Christmas vacation.

My workweek before Christmas was cut short because of the snowstorm that hit the East Coast. DC received enough snow that the Federal Government decided to shut down on Monday, so my office was closed. The night before, I reverted to my 12 year old ways and wore my PJs inside out and flushed ice down the toilet because like any disgruntled employee before the holiday, I love myself a snowday (or 12).

That amount of snow meant that I only had to work one day before Christmas. Which rocked, in case you were wondering. On Christmas Eve Eve, my sister and I Bolt-Bused up to NYC to see "White Christmas" on Broadway. That might not sound like a rocking good time to you, but if I had to be on a bus for 4+ hours with anyone, it would be sister (or George Clooney). And if I was going to spend all that time on the bus, it would have to be for a damn good Broadway show, like White Christmas (crap, I would probably do that to see ANY Broadway show), but whatever.

We took the bus and saw White Christmas and managed to fit in quite a bit of NYC Christmas-ness in a mere 8 hours, including dinner at some place called Fat Annie's Truck Stop (which made me not feel like a tourist because we were surrounded by actual New Yorkers heading to the Rangers game), almost getting trampled in Macy's, seeing the tree in Rockafeller Center, and experiencing the frigid December weather.

All of that meant that my sister and I arrived back in DC at 2am on Christmas Eve for a few hours of shut eye before we hit the trail, with my husband and pup in tow, to head south on 95. This was only the beginning folks. We had several days of driving and Christmas-ing ahead of us. Check in tomorrow to hear about how we handled the holidays while managing to spend time with everyone, and being in two places at once!

Thinking...

1. How is it that I haven't posted in over a week? I have alot of things to say, but not alot of time to write them down.

2. Christmas is in nine days. I feel like I just got home from Montana. That was in July. Where does the time go?

3. I am obsessed with the song "Last Christmas" by WHAM. I'm not sure why, but I find it to be incredibly catchy.

4. In exactly one week, my little sister and I will be in New York for the day to see "White Christmas", our favorite movie, on Broadway. It will be a marathon day but I have a feeling it will be very awesome.

5. My current blood sugar is 196 mg/dl. With a straight line east.

6. I don't like potluck lunches very much.

What I want to be when I grow up...#3

Today we'll continue to investigate some of my career options (well, I'm not sure any of these things are options right now) and figure out what I really want to do with my life.

When I grow up, I want to be a teacher. I sort of thought about teaching when I was in high school but never thought about it again until I was confined to a cubicle everyday this summer. I'd love to have a summer vacation and to help young people. I think I would like to teach high school English and maybe help with the theater department (secret confession: I am a theater kid deep down inside. I think about performing more than normal people, yet I never tried out for anything in college because I was BLOWN AWAY by the talented kids I saw. I am sure now I should have maybe atleast auditioned for something since I did act in high school). I feel like high school is a pretty amazing time for kids (I always told my sister that it was only the beginning and that she would have amazing opportunities, post high school) and they really have the chance to set themselves up for something really great.

I've looked at programs here in VA, but it would probably mean going back to school for atleast a year. And there's alot of extra work you put into teaching like lesson planning, workdays, and not to mention the added parent/teacher stress. And would I even be good at teaching?

Pretty good hours, interaction with people and not the internet all day, summer vacay, and SCHOOL LUNCH? I might need to do more research....

Spook-tacular Weekend

Happy Early Halloween from Count Tuckula


The baddest vampire since Edward Cullen

Wordless Wednesday #8 Revealed

Yesterday's picture was one I took in Boston of the Paul Revere statue and the Old North Church.

One if by land, two if by sea. Got it?

Wordless Wednesday #8

5 things

1. Why is it that I watch certain movies every single time they come on HBO? Current choices include Juno, Baby Mama, The Women, and 27 Dresses. I watched Juno last night simply because I didn't want to watch Jon and Kate Plus 8. My life is pathetic.

2. Last week, I had 4 grilled cheese sandwiches since I was by myself most of the week. I have vowed to not eat ANY grilled cheese sandwiches even though Ross is traveling this week, again. I spent my whole day Sunday cooking so I wouldn't have to eat grilled cheese. I made a pot roast, chicken noodle soup, cinnamon buns, and chocolate chip cookies. Please refer to me hereafter as Betty Crocker.

3. I apologized to someone who I ran into yesterday at the grocery store, even though they walked in through the wrong door. As soon as I apologized, I realized it wasn't my fault and that the person should have apologized. Instead, she just pushed by me.

4. I think it's weird when people bring up something I've posted on Facebook or Twitter in real life, even though it shouldn't since I posted it there. Someone brought up something I posted on Twitter yesterday and it took me a minute to realize that he was referring to something I said.

5. I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up and I'm not having very good luck. Should you like anything that you see here and want to hire me to do something awesome, feel free to leave a comment and I will send you my e-mail address.

Wordless Wednesday #5 Revealed

This picture was taken last weekend at our friends, The Maher's, house in Dewey Beach, Delaware. The Maher's dog, Bailey, is going to be a lobster for Halloween and we decided to try the costume on Little Tuck. He went completely still once we got it on him and looked humiliated.

Doesn't it look like he's saying "Seriously, Mom and Dad? Are you for real?"

Halloween supplies are starting to top up all over the place. Seen any great doggy costumes? What should Tucker be for Halloween?

What I want to be when I grow up...

Last night, as I talked to my mom, I realized that I want to be alot of things when I grow up. You might say "You are already grown up, Allison. You are married. You have a job. And insurance. And a car payment. And financial responsibilities. And heck, you have a dog and that's pretty much the closest thing to having a kid, without having one, so you are an adult and a grown up. So shut up, press on, and be happy." (And if you said all those things, I would think you were full of moxie and like you since I've been thinking those things for weeks- no, months- no, the last year, and needed someone to say it again.)

But I don't really know what I would do if I had the choice. Over the next few weeks, we'll explore my career options (or simply things that pop into my mind that I think "YES! I could do that" and then swiftly convince myself I cannot do). Maybe at the end of this exploration, you (my faithful two readers- Hi Mom, Hi Beck!) can vote on what I should do. I realize that pretty much everything on "The List of Possible Careers" is something that would require further education (my undergraduate degree is in Sociology, the quintessential football player major, and my minor is in Nonprofit Studies. You will see from those two things, I am destined to be poor.) and I'm down with that.

So, firstly- When I grow up, I want to be a graphic designer. Why? Because I like art. I actually wrote a paper in 8th grade about how I wanted to be a graphic designer and I took portfolio art all through high school in hopes that maybe I'd go to art school. But, I decided to head to a liberal arts college as an English major and my art was something that I practiced through scrapbooking and acrylic on canvas. Graphic design is something that I just do for fun-like logos for my sister and her friends (see an example above and to the left)-but I think I would enjoy actually doing that for a living.

Do you think I have what it takes?

Wordless Wednesday #3 Revealed

Yesterday's photo wasn't much of a mystery. The picture was taken just a few short weeks ago at our friends' wedding (Congrats Dan and Rachele!). It was an absolutely lovely affair and a great opportunity to hang out with my wonderful college roommates and their significant others. Awesome food, good music, and wonderful weather.

Weddings also give me a chance to reflect on my own marriage and remember back to our wedding day and how I felt.

Unbelievable happy and so very lucky.

I've been having a rough week job-wise and the hubs tries his very best to be supportive and make my days just alittle bit better, even when I come home and am a grouch. Those vows did say "for better or worse," right?

So tell me, how do weddings make you feel? Do you think back to being a blushing bride (or groom?) and feel nostalgic? Do you secretly wear your "Future Mrs" tank top under your party dress just for kicks?

5 Ingredient Sticky Chicken

I'm trying to expand my culinary skills and thanks to my mother-in-law, who bought be a subscription to Everyday with Rachel Ray, I think I'm doing pretty well (confession: I love that magazine. Maybe it's because I don't get a lot of fun mail, but I actually said OUT LOUD when I opened my mailbox "YES, MY NEW RACHEL RAY!" I am officially a nerd.)

Anyways, somehow I've now also started receiving "Working Mother." A) I am not a mother nor do I plan on being one for SEVERAL years B)I've never subscribed to this magazine nor am I being billed for it C)If I was subscribing to another magazine, it would probably be to Glamour or Self or something like that. But I decided that since I got it, I'm not one to waste and I would read through it. Besides articles on raising the perfect toddler and how to use Twitter to reclaim a spot in the corporate world, there was a 5 ingredient recipe for Sticky Chicken Drumsticks. Since, like I said before, I'm trying to expand my cooking repertoire, I gave this recipe a shot. And you know what? It wasn't terrible. Here's some pictures and the recipe.

Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1/4 cup o honey, 12 chicken drumsticks, and 1/4 cup of Chinese barbecue sauce (I used regular BBQ sauce) in a Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Put chicken on foil lined baking sheet and cook under broiler. Watch chicken closely and turn occasionally. Cook for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and marinade has glazed.

12 drumsticks for 2 people is crazy, but they made a good lunch.

67. Transfer all CDs from my middle school years to iTunes

When I was at my parents' house this past weekend, I made sure to gather a pile of my CDs that date back to when I was in middle and early-high school. My tastes in music wasn't amazing- 98 degrees, the Backstreet Boys, and N*Sync all made their way into my CD player. This was the music that I'd listen to when I slept over at my best-friends houses' or when I was writing in our "notebook" (a series of notes to each other that was written completely in code using secret names that we'd made up). This is the music I would listen on DC's "Hot 5 at 9" before I went to bed and music that my 8th grade homeroom (Mrs. Elk's class) would hum as we caught up on homework and now music that is a part of my iTunes collection. I spent Friday night (yes, I am an ANIMAL!) ripping the CDs and dancing around my den to my boy band tunes.

I got to looking at the music I had in my library and took a musical trip down memory lane. Late in high school, I went through an acoustic guitar phase that seems to have lasted straight into my twenties. Memories of washing the dishes with my mom during my senior year of high school (when I wasn't singing a song from "Into the Woods") are accompanied by "No Such Thing" and "Neon." Freshman year of college included Outkast and Little John hits, Jason Mraz's "Live from Java Joe's", and hits from Maroon 5's "Songs about Jane". My sophomore year began my deep obsession with Marc Broussard and the song "Damn It Feels Good to be a Gansta" from the movie "Office Space" on repeat. My junior year began my iTunes purchasing phase where I'd hear a song and immediately need to have it- alot of one hit wonders ended up in my library and bring me back to dancing around my living room with my roommates and hanging out with the boys that lived across the street from us. My senior year was filled with tunes from a mixed CD I created to put in my car on my trips to DC to visit Ross and my family, "Walk it Out," and the Kenny Chesney album I listened to while laying on the beach in Panama City on Spring Break.

I love music and the memories that certain songs conjure up. When I hear the Manhattan's "Shining Star," I think of my Mom and Dad. When I hear "Yeah!," I think of dancing at parties freshmen year with my best friends. When I hear any song from the "Wicked" soundtrack, I think of my little sister.

Do you have special memories of a particular song? Is that song in your iTunes collection? Do you have a secret boy band obsession? Feel free to share, we won't judge.

The Big Move

This weekend, my parents and I ventured to Richmond, VA to move my little sister into her freshmen dorm at Virginia Commonwealth University. As I've mentioned, I still see her as being 6 years old (and in a cast with no front teeth after an unfortunate fall down the stairs in our house), which is completely silly since she's 18, gorgeous, and taller than me.

We managed the unloading and setting up of the room in record time. Kudos to VCU for making move in, especially into a HUGE building, pretty seamless. The streets were blocked off so we pulled right up to the curb and then got to check out one of those big laundry carts like the cleaning staff uses in a hotel. We had all of Beck's stuff into her room in 2 trips and totally tag teamed the room set up, with my mom making the bed, me filling her drawers with clothes, and my dad setting up her computer. We trekked around campus to check out the theater and hit the bookstore. After an extremely emotional "see ya later," we hit the road and left Beck to her next big adventure.

She has decided to document her first year at school, as a theater major, and you can check out her blog at This Little Light of Mine. Tell her her big sister sent you!

What's you fondest memory of your freshmen year of college or your first year away from home?

My Nana Hazel's Curry

I was fortunate enough to eat a lot of great food while we were on vacation in Montana. Between my favorite greasy tacos, chicken from my favorite bar, bbq fixings, and my Nana’s home cooking, we were definitely well fed.

On Monday, Nana Hazel made a delicious curry for dinner, after Ross and my Papa Woody got home from a long day of fishing (fyi, they didn’t catch a thing except for grasshoppers.). The house smelled absolutely wonderful the entire day and I badgered Ross with text messages to see when they would be home so we could eat:

“Am hungry. The house smells great. Hope you haven’t been eaten by a snake. Please come home soon.Kthxbye”

Nana grew up in Southend-on-Sea, England after World War II. She cooks traditional British food like a champ. Her Sunday roast makes tears come to my eyes it’s so good. Her Yorkshire pudding is something that both my mom and I try and replicate and ultimately fail at, every single time. . She makes Toad-in-the-Hole (sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding) and amazing chips (French fries) and a trifle that my mom talks about in complete envy. She doesn’t use a lot of spices, but the food still is rich in flavor and always memorable.

The curry that she makes is ever so easy and something that she learned to make from her brother, my great uncle, Brian. He was known for making this around Christmastime and having friends and family over to share with him.

It reminds me of family.

First, gather a package of stew beef and chop the pieces in smaller pieces (roughly ¾ inch pieces). Slice an onion and two large carrots. On medium high heat and in a large pot, sauté onions in extra virgin olive oil until they are translucent. Add the stew beef, a few (yes, few-she doesn’t measure) tablespoons of curry powder, and some flour. Allow the meat to brown until most of the pink in the meat is gone. Add three to four cups of water and the carrots. Allow the stew to simmer for several hours (the longer it simmers, the more tender the meat will be). Then add a packet of Golden Curry sauce mix (Nana uses medium hot). Stir to desired consistency. Add more sauce mix as necessary and make sure everything is well combined and heated through.

Serve on top of rice and enjoy in the company of those you love.

34. Learn a new G-rated joke every month for a year (3/12)

Q. Why DIDN'T the skeleton cross the road?
A. Because he didn't have any guts!!!

We know their names now...

Ross and I have been living in our current place for over a year now. I've pretty much loved our actual apartment since we took the tour-the black granite counter tops, the light wood floors, and the gorgeous views. While the management has changed for the worst in the last few months, I love the fact that our building allows dogs, which allowed for us to allow Tucker to become part of our family. We live in a great neighborhood with tons of shops, restaurants, and bars. We're within walking distance to Georgetown and have easy access to the Metro, which is pretty essential to getting around DC.

But what defines this as home for me was exemplified last night when Ross and I spent two hours outside in our courtyard with a bottle of wine and some of our neighbors letting the dogs play. Conversations ranged from credit cards to vacations, jobs to photography skills. While we may have initially bonded over simply having dogs (and we might not have exactly known their names to begin with), my neighbors are by far some of the nicest and most interesting people I've ever met. With our dog park going to shambles and management being less than responsive, someone created a Facebook group and we've "friended and followed" each other to stay connected.

Our neighbors have become more than just people that we acknowledge in the elevator; they're the people that we truly enjoy spending time with and consider friends.

34. Learn a new G-rated joke every month for a year (2/12)

Q. How do you wake up Lady Gaga?
A. You "pokerface"