Sugarloaf Mountain

Also on my to-do list for 2011 was "Climb a mountain with Summer."  I got to cross that off on Sunday afternoon, when she, Luke, Mia, JP and I clambered into Luke's new car and head up to Sugarloaf Mountain in Dickerson, MD.  It is a beautiful space, perfect for contemplative moments with your dog.

In all honesty, we didn't hike up the entire mountain.  There are lots of trails, and the parking lot is about 1/4 mile from the summit.  Whatever; I think it still counts.  We ended up heading to the very tippity-top, and then walking three different trails.  For a Florida girl, mountains are seriously a novelty!

I wore my very favorite down vest from Eddie Bauer.  Mia wore a dashing yellow leash, which blended in nicely with the autumn leaves.  She was so incredibly happy being outside, sniffing tree stumps, running around paths, licking our hands at various interludes.  She's an excellent outdoorsy partner.

This lovely couple allowed us to throw Mia in the trunk of the hatchback and drive an hour there and back.  So patient!

I think this would make a great wallpaper.

Happy November from Abbi, JP and Mia!

P.S. It should be noted that the best part of the day, other than these fabulous photos, was finding a vineyard on the way home doing wine tastings!  It was such a perfect ending to a wonderful day!

Jay-Z and Kanye West

Holy bananas.  Last Thursday, I got to see Jay and Ye perform here in DC and I'm still going on and on and on about the show.
"See Kanye live" was on my to-do list for 2011 (what, don't you have one, too?), and John Paul gifted me tickets to see him for my birthday.  With Jay-Z.  I wish I could say how much this meant to me, but words don't do it justice.  I tried to get tickets myself when they went on pre-sale, but the tickets I could afford sold out by the time I refreshed the Ticketmaster page.  I thought, Well, I'll just read about it and keep listening to Watch the Throne incessantly.  I squealed in the restaurant when JP handed over these tickets. I've been waiting for 2.5 months for this night, and you better believe I savored it.

We had seats in the middle of the arena, and it was crazy amazing.  First of all, I can't tell you the last show I saw with seats (usually, it's general admission), and it was sold out, so the buzz in the audience was palpable.  Jay and Kanye performed the first two songs on stages on either side of the bottom of the arena.  And, as if hearing them perform "Who Gon Stop Me" live wasn't unreal enough, the spectacle kicked in.

Both stages raised up above the audience, into huge cubes with screens on all sides.  They showed video of sharks swimming in a sea (it seriously looked like they were about to drop into shark cages), and a lot of animal imagery.  The video portion of the show was going with a lot of natural imagery, usually depicting the brutality of animal nature.  I was down with it; never having seen an arena show before, I was just in awe of the thought put into the visuals.

They played almost all of the songs from Watch the Throne, and each of them gave up the stage for the other to perform their solo works.  All in all, they performed about 40 songs- all of the biggies.  We heard "Gold Digger," "Good Life," "H to the Izzo," "Empire State of Mind," "Otis," "Monster," "Runaway,"...I could go on.  Both of them did "99 Problems" and I about died of happiness and excitement.

I can't say enough about how awesome last Thursday was.  Seeing both of these amazing artists perform, together, was mind-blowing.  Kanye plays the tortured yet egotistical artist, while Jay has the self-assured swagger of a man who's made it.  They play off of each other so naturally and comfortably that you almost can't imagine them touring separately.  

This post could go for several more days, so I'll just close by saying two things: if you get a chance to see these guys live, suck it up and pay the exorbitant ticket price, and many, many, many thanks to my boo for taking me as his date.  I already knew I was a lucky girl, but this certainly clinched the deal.

Stripes

Sweater: J. Crew
Button-down: H&M
Skirt: Gap
Moccasins: Nine West
Necklace: Jewelmint
JP gave me the ultimate compliment on this outfit; I got home from work and he said, "Baby, you look like you stepped out of a J. Crew ad."  He knows the way to my heart!

I didn't really realize that I was into a preppy tomboyish look until reviewing at my iPhoto.  Lately, I feel most comfortable in a slouchy top with something tailored on the bottom, perhaps with some awesome jewelry or heels.  Things are pretty minimalist in my closet as of late, much to the ease of getting dressed in the morning.

 Mia gets all up on me during photo shoots.  I can't really say no to those adorable eyes!

Then We Came to the End

via

Joshua Ferris knows office politics.  This is a rambling, but fascinating account of life in an advertising agency in 2001, told from the perspective of the collective "we."  Although I haven't worked in a cubicle culture, it's an extremely effective way of communicating the camaraderie of a corporate office.  All of the characters, Tom Mota and Chris Yop and Lynn Mason, don't really seem to exist outside of the walls of the office; for better or worse, they're the best versions of themselves while they're at work.  Lynn has breast cancer, Tom Mota has anger management issues, Chris Yop can't accept that he's been laid off from his job... why do they continue coming into work day in and out?  After reading through the book and really feeling as though you're part of the novel, the last line will punch you in the gut with its perfection.
Ferris gets the whole thing about working in an office with the same people every day, and the trappings that go along with it.  Seeing the same faces daily is both comforting and infuriating; you don't want things to change, but you feel stifled by the at-times mundanity.  The narrative form isn't for everyone, but it's easy to fall into the rhythm of the run-on thoughts some of the passages have, and Lynn Mason's portion comes a bit out of nowhere to great effectiveness.
Although I'm a bit behind in reading this (it came out about 5 years ago), I'm so glad it finally dawned on me to add this to my hold list at the library.  Although it's not heavy, it still feels like literature.  

Lentil Sweet Potato Apple Soup

John Paul's out of town this week, visiting LA for work.  I miss him a whole, whole bunch, but I do love eating "bachelorette food" when I've got full control of the kitchen.  He's not the biggest fan of soups, so I figured this was a good time to test out a new recipe for the fall.  I got it from a DailyCandy e-mail, although it originates from Soupergirl.  If it was good enough, I could entice him to try out this vegan, vegetable-laden, healthy soup.

There isn't anything in this soup recipe I don't like.  There's even cumin sprinkled in there!  And paprika!  And it's all blended together in a tasty, puree of sweet potatoes, lentils and apples.

I only tweaked one thing: added some sliced celery to the sauteeing onions, more for the health benefits than taste.

You know what?  I think this is the perfect soup for John Paul.  It's got a kick to it from the chili, richness from the sweet potatoes, sweetness from the apples...it all blends together into a perfect soup to toast some bread with and enjoy by the fire.  I hope he likes it, because this makes 8 servings!

Pink pencil skirt

T-shirt: Madewell
Cami: Zara
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Mia
Earrings: F21
This was an all-around great day for me.  Great hair, great outfit, great weather.

I love both of these pieces, and just felt like the colors were perfect together.  The top is unbelievably soft, and, though the skirt doesn't offer much stretch, it fits pretty well.  With the wedges, my legs look a bit longer than usual, so what more could I possibly ask for?

Good start to the autumn!  I've got my bright pencil skirt and sparkly nail polish. Life is good.

What I'm grateful for this week...

Getting to see the first snow in DC this past weekend...short-lived, but this picture proves it happened!

While visiting my mom in IL, we went through our boxes of mementos, and came across this great baby blanket my great-aunt Maralee made.  I can't wait to use it for my own little family one day!

I bought a small bouquet for John Paul last week when he wasn't feeling well.  Beautiful dahlias and cosmos!

High-heel drag queen race last week in Dupont Circle.  I had five wonderful dates (two dogs included), and we saw some beautiful and entertaining ladies.  I particularly enjoyed this bumblebee.

Most importantly, I'm grateful for this guy.  My dad is celebrating a birthday today, and I can't wait to take him out in DC next month when he visits!  Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better father, and am so, so happy he was born.  Happy birthday, Daddy Man!

The Know It All

via

Although this book has been on my To Read list for years (I came across an article by the author that I clipped out the month it was published, back in 2005!), it wasn't until Summer lent it to me that I actually read it.  And many, many thanks to my wonderful, bibliophile of a cousin who pushed it into my hands.
AJ Jacobs set out to read the entire 2002 Encyclopaedia Britannica- 33,000 pages, around 44 million words- in one calendar year.  His father, an expert tax lawyer who has published his own series of non-fiction books, attempted this feat and only made it to the Bs; AJ Jacobs is determined to finish, although everyone he knows is extremely skeptical.  Spoiler alert: he gets to the end.  It's the journey that's so fun to follow, though.  Throughout the year of EB, he picks up random bits of trivia (Hey, did you know that the Berserkers was a tribe that went into war naked?), tries out for Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, tries desperately for a child with his patient wife, joins Mensa, takes a speed reading class...the man stays busy.  Through it all, though, he questions what intelligence really is.  How will all of these facts make him smarter?  Will it?
A great read that you can breeze through.  You may learn a thing or two!

Sparkle

Lately, I am really feeling funky nail polish.  This is Rust, by Forever 21, and it is the perfect thing for fall: copper glitter.  I've layered it over an eggplant purple polish for a darker look, and put on three layers at once for tons of pizzazz.  For less than $3, it's my best accessory for gloomy autumn days.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Bars

Oh, goodness.  Making these bars was a huge mistake.  I baked them Monday night and somehow, half the pan is already gone.  Could it be a cookie monster?  Did Mia jump up onto the counter and finish some off while we toiled away at work?  Is John Paul sleep eating?

Okay, well, to be fair, I brought in some to the office for my co-workers.  They were snatched up like...well, like delicious blondies.  But they're so good, I can't keep my hands off of them, either!  My version is extra thick, as I don't have the 10x10 inch pan the recipe calls for and instead used an 8x8 inch.  If that's your problem, too, add about 5-10 minutes on to the cooking time, and tent with aluminum about halfway through (it'll cook in the middle without burning).

As long as you don't have a diet to stick to, definitely try these fall treats.  Your co-workers and fiancee will love you more.