Happy Long Weekend!



Mike and I outside of Notre Dame


From us to you!

Paris for the Day

This Saturday I'm very excited to report, that Mike and I will be having a very French themed day. 

First we will take Bella for a nice walk towards Dupont Circle, which is DC's largest circle and is reminiscent of a park you would see in Paris (in no way shape or form am I comparing DC to Paris, but I have to take what I can get, right?!)...we will enjoy the fountain, and the people strolling, and we will pick up a couple of croissants along the way.

Later in the afternoon, we will head to the theater to see Woody Allen's new movie, Midnight in Paris, which has gotten great reviews and looks like it's going to be really whimsical and fun.  Hopefully we will feel like we've been transported back to the banks of the Seine in that grand city we love!  Here's a sneek peek...



Then the pièce de résistance will be dinner at Bistrot du Coin for a little foie gras, perhaps some moules-frites, and plenty of good red wine.  A nice Côtes du Rhône sounds lovely.

Ahh, Paris...

How Annoying Are: Tuesdays

Tuesday is my least favorite day of the week.  Although many of you may think that Mondays are the worst, (and trust me, I'm not a huge fan either) I have to say that they are not nearly as painful as Tuesdays.  Here's why.

On Monday you've just come off of the weekend, so (hopefully) you have some extra energy to expend, and maybe, just maybe you're ready to jump into the week head first!  Okay, maybe not, but at least you're resigned to the notion that the weekend is over and you have to go back to work...

By Tuesday though, your enthusiasm (if you had any) has plumitted and you have succumbed to the fact that there are still 3 more grueling days ahead of you, including Tuesday itself (which I guess makes 4 grueling days) - ugh!

Wednesday is obviously far superior to Tuesday being that you have reached "mid-week", "hump-day", whatever you want to call it, and usually this is the point in time where you begin to think about and make weekend plans.  Thursdays are amazing because the weekend is fast approaching and your week is slowly but surely, winding down.  Thursdays are also really awesome for me because I indulge in happy hour with friends after work, which is always a good time.  And...Fridays are clearly the best day of the week for reasons that I think we all know.

So, are we all in agreement that Tuesdays generally suck?

Savage Beauty

What can I say about the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibit at the Met, other than, it was fantastic.  As you walked through each room it felt as if you had been transported to another world.  In fact, it was like you were inside the romantic, yet extremely dark mind of Alexander McQueen.

We weren't allowed to take pictures, but Mike and I bought the book which describes and has images of all of the pieces that were on display.  Some of my favorites are below.

Saraband Collection

Plato's Atlantis Collection

Jellyfish Ensemble from Plato's Atlantis Collection

Highland Rape Collection

Please, please check out the Met's blog about this exhibit to learn more and to view some of the amazing pieces that are on display.  And, if you can go, I highly recommend it.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Consignment Shopping

I'm very excited to report that there is a new consignment boutique opening up in our neighborhood called Current Boutique.  I really love good consignment stores because you can find great deals on clothes that are still in style and are in good shape.  From their website, it looks like Current is going to carry some really great labels, so that's extra exciting!

Another great thing about consignment stores, is that you can bring in all the clothes that you once loved but haven't worn in a while and see if they sell!  If you're lucky, and another woman buys your consigned clothes, you get 50% of the profit!  Awesome.

I will definitely be checking out Current Boutique next week as I have some clothes I'd like to try and sell, and you know I'm always looking to expand my wardrobe! 

Do any of you love consignment shopping?

P.S. I'm dedicating this post to my sister in law's student Martha Spieker, who from what I hear, loves consignment shopping and has great style! 

McQueen at the Met

This weekend Mike and I will be going home to NYC to soak in a little culture and fashion.  I am so excited to visit the Met to see the new Alexander McQueen exhibit "Savage Beauty" which showcases over a hundred of his fantastic designs. 

Watch this video for a montage of McQueen's runway shows which were always spectacular.



From the water to the ice skating, and the spray paint, McQueen pushed the boundaries of what a runway show could be. His shows and his designs were actually living, moving art.  Just superb!

Are all of you McQueen lovers? 

Gaga

Last weekend my mom and I watched Lady Gaga's concert from NYC on HBO and as no surprise, she was amazing.  My favorite part though was at the end when HBO took you backstage to Gaga performing "Born This Way" acapella.  It's such a great song, and this version showcases Gaga's amazing voice and raw talent.

I love it.

Happy Friday Everyone!

TGIF - It feels like this week has been dragging on forever!  There have been some good parts though...

Highlights:

• Playing Words with Friends on my new iPhone -- I'm completely obsessed!
• Watching back to back SATC episodes last night
• Enjoying the fabulous spring weather we've had
• Cuddling with Bella

I hope you all had a good week too!  I leave you with this silly picture of Mike and I, perhaps after a little too much wine ;)

Cheers!

The LongChamp Challenge - Get in the Game!

If you live in a city and commute to work, there is a good chance that you've seen one, or several in fact.  Yes kids, I'm refering to LongChamp totes, the Le Pliage style to be precise.

I see at least five a day, and that's on a slow day.  I mean, I see the appeal.  They come in a variety of colors, and sizes, they can hold a lot of stuff, and the price point is just right for women looking for a name brand bag that's trendy and functional.  I have a really old one in bright orange that I use to wear quite often. 

Anyway, here's the fun part of this post.  Due to the fact that there are so many LongChamp totes being carried around here in DC, my friend Joanna and I have devised a challenge.  See details below:

The Challenge:
LongChamp totes, ever present in the not-so-trendy, but always practical, Washington D.C. area have become a “fashion” staple. It goes to follow that much fun can be made of this spectacle. As such, the following challenge has been issued: who can spot the most, and the most rare, LongChamp totes?

The Objective:
The participants receive points for every LongChamp tote they see in public. The number of points a participant receives for seeing a tote correlates to its perceived rarity.

Common colored totes (Taupe, Chocolate, Beige, Black, Navy, Graphite) are worth 2 points;

All other solid colors are worth 5 points;

Seasonal totes/Special Designs are worth 10 points.

The Rules:
All fun must be contained (enhanced?) by rules, so here they are:

1.) Points must be reported to the other participants within 24 hours. The reporter (Christina) will keep a tally of the points and make participants aware of total point accumulation on a regular basis. The tally board will be kept in the office space of the reporter.

2.) The only geographical limitation is a closet. A participant may not count a LongChamp tote being stored in his or her closet.

3.) All participants must become intimately familiar with the LongChamp design and colors- we cannot have people confusing Beige and Taupe or wondering if a specific color is currently manufactured. Please refer to the LongChamp website.

4.) All totes counting towards a participants score must be owned and used by a single person (i.e.- stores, street vendors selling bags, etc. do not count)

5.) In the event that two or more participants are together:

a. If the tote is seen by one participant before the other, the points go to the participant who verbally recognizes the presence of a LongChamp first.

b. Neither participant can add points to their score if a tote is seen at the same time, but the color must be checked off of the master list as having been “seen” if it has not already been spotted.

6.) While the color/pattern of the totes change from season to season, it is quite possible that style/material of the tote may have evolved too--- the only totes that can be counted towards this challenge are the simple, classic fold up, but it can be in any size.

Our game starts tomorrow, and I can't wait to kick some ass. I'll let you know who wins.
 
Now get out there and play!

Matchy Matchy

I saw a woman today wearing a very matchy matchy outfit.  She was dressed from head to toe in aqua blue.  Aqua capri pants, an aqua blouse, an aqua jacket, and a pair of aqua colored sandals.

At first, I thought "how tacky!".  It reminded me of Juicy outfits like these below - yucky!

But then at a second glance I realized that she looked kinda cute in her color coordinated outfit.  I'm not sure how I feel about being too matchy matchy.  I usually like to wear things that complement one another, but that don't necessarily match perfectly.  Like this...

Jil Sander Spring 2011

I love that color is back in a big way, but should we be wearing all color coordinated outfits?  Hmm, something to ponder...

Yay Friday!

I hope you are all doing something fun this weekend and spending some quality time with your mothers!

Enjoy and see you next week!

Cinco de Mayo!

I love cinco de mayo for many reasons.  First off, it's usually a nice sunny day, so people are in a good mood and are looking forward to celebrating Mexican heritage!  Also, it's a great excuse to indulge in chips, guacamole, salsa, and lots of cerveza of course!  I actually prefer to indulge in margaritas, so that's what I'll be doing later after work.

One other reason that I am excited about today being cinco de mayo is because I can finally upgrade my phone!  Mike is at the Verizon store as I type purchasing my new white iPhone!  I know I'm like the last person on earth to get an iPhone, but better late than never, right?

So kids, many reasons to be happy on this 5th day of May!  Get out there and par-taaaaay!