do we need a ray ban ban?

brad came home. i was glad to see him. he brought lots of things with him -- good news, a pepto-pink disney nightshirt for me, and ...ray bans. two pairs. because we didn't have enough. i say we, because as far as i'm concerned, ray bans are unisex (mostly) and therefore great husband/wife accessories. but, how many is too many? do we need a ban on ray bans?

so -- aside from keeping the good people of ray ban in business, we're going to have a nice weekend here. hopefully i'll get some work done for class, brad's got a softball tournament, and aside from that, there's really not much planned. just how i like my weekends. 

hope yours is a good one.

the flowers spoke to me

 

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:

when bag's away, i will cook salmon.

last weekend, the average temperature in dc hovered between 100-105 degrees (nevermind the astonishing heat index that went with it). not exactly turn-on-the-stove weather. on monday, after a day of rainshowers, it cooled down to a balmy 85 degrees, which felt downright autumnal by comparison. brad's been traveling, so i did something i hadn't done in months (maybe years). i made dinner. with the stove. for myself.

i selfishly took advantage of his absence and made every single food that i love that he hates. cue: barley, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and yes...salmon. not exactly light summer fare (but then, my favorite thing to eat at any point in the year is frozen lasagna), but it was just what i wanted: deeply savory, a little spicy, hearty, and but for the butter -- pretty healthy. in any other instance i'd say this is a perfect recipe for those warm early fall days. recipe follows...

tuesdays with tank

does this face remind you of anything?

a summery summary

this weekend
i slept in until 11

i went to the hair salon for the first time since march

i got a manicure (what!)

i shopped at the market

i ate my first [three] macarons

i had celebratory cocktails in virginia
in honor of a couple of fantastic friends of mine then

i endured 100+ temperatures with gin and tonics here
with some different friends then

i laid by the pool and ate crab cakes and peach pie
thanks to  this blogger

[her house is just incredible]

and i spent a good amount of time standing 

directly in front of our air conditioner 

(when it was working)

i mean.

it was as good as it gets

for a summer weekend in dc.

happy monday.

julie + brian + 1

my "desk" vs. cb2's desk

top: 

my desk, which is actually our dining table, 

which brad lovingly refers to as "a total mess. the epicenter of disaster."

bottom: 

cb2's "architect desk" in a pristine white room...
that light is enough to make me weep with joy.

i like to call this arrangement of photos "reality versus not reality."

...only two more weeks of corcoran class. it's flown by! 

summer beauty: steals & splurges

looking presentable in the summer months takes a lot of time, effort, and even money -- but in my opinion, you don't have to break the bank at every turn (only some of the turns) to feel like a million bucks. i have a few loose guidelines about when i get stuff on the cheap, and when i splurge for stuff. generally, if it's going directly down the drain within 2 minutes of use -- i go for the bargain. if it's going to exist on me or around me for hours, days, or weeks -- i go for the splurge. 

in case you're off to someplace fantastic this weekend or just looking for new things to throw in your toiletries bag, here are a few of my favorite summertime steals, and a few requisite splurges, too...this is stuff i use and love on an almost-daily basis!

tuesdays with tank...at a bbq.

our buddy tank joined us at a bbq last weekend. the bbq was at our friends' house near annapolis, and those lucky folks have a beach and access to the chesapeake at the end of their street. when we took tank to the outer banks, he wasn't much of a swimmer either in the ocean or in the pool (despite our best efforts with a modified children's life jacket). but on sunday when he saw the sandy beach, he made a beeline...right into the chesapeake. and sure enough he paddled around and chased water lapping on the sand, and did our favorite "roast beef on wheels" run on the sand. 

that, of course, earned him an icy cold blast of hose water to rinse off the sand before our drive home, which he definitely did not enjoy, but it was fun to know that our little pup loves the chesapeake just as much as we do.

stop. look closer.

 it's the middle of july in 2011.

i mean. time flies.

this year has been jam packed with

big exciting life events

for us and for our friends.

it's thrilling.

i mentioned last week a feeling of disquiet.

brad and i stayed in dc this weekend

and it occurred to me that lately

we had been going and doing so much

that i had been drifting away from

one of my favorite parts about myself:

my ability to stop.

and look closer.

this weekend

this is the first weekend

since early may

that brad and i will be in dc

for the weekend

:

we're planning to do it up right

backyard bbq's

trips to our favorite watering hole

and who knows

maybe i'll get a haircut or something

(but probably not)

:

you guys, we made it.

it's friday.

have a wonderful day.

one of those days

disquiet 

is defined as a feeling of anxiety or worry

i would like to add that

it feels like a piece of my worldview's puzzle is missing

and i can't find it

and nobody is letting me look

:

i woke up and

it was cool outside.

yes, cool,

in july,

in dc.

i went for a walk.

i made coffee.

there's no reason, but

i'm having writer's block today

i feel like 

all the windows are stuck shut

in my world this morning.

i'm hoping it's the culmination

of some disquiet i've been feeling lately.

maybe it is, maybe it's not.

and that's ok. 

:

happy thursday anyway. 

i hope you find lots of fresh air today.

i have this thing

where i can't stop listening to gospel music. 

true story.
 

a definite departure from my other "good music" posts, yes, but

how gentle and quiet and beautiful is this?
the wailin' jennys have my number on this one.
(please pardon the mary cassatt-esque montage video. or don't.)

it popped up in my pandora the other day and ever since i've been after it like an addict. 

but then, i'm a sucker for good harmonies...in music, yes, and also in life. 

hope you enjoy.

tuesdays with tank: at the beach!

 tank went with us to the beach. what a champ! here are some of my favorites of him:

the outer banks this time

i'm back. it was wonderful. 

here are a few snapshots from the highlights...

gone fishin'

:

this year's outer banks trip started out as it always does: an idea over some drinks, a critical mass of willing beach-goers, and a little research into the best rental house. there's great anticipation for this trip, based on experiences in years past. this year, though, life happened. to a bunch of us. some really awful things that have left us empty inside, and some big, wonderful things that make you wonder how it's possible you got so lucky. all big, life-changing things.
:

i'm not sure what this year's trip will be like -- maybe more reflective, maybe more subdued than in past years. maybe not. regardless, we'll be breathing in ocean air, we'll be hanging out together, all of us taking a break from the lives that have happened to us. i'll see you in a week.
:

watermelon margarita

hello there. are you looking for the perfect companion for your weekend bbq's? you've found it -- this is it. watermelon margaritas are where it's at. sweet, salty, tart, refreshing, and even hinting at spicy if you like yours how i like mine, this drink goes with anything.  this margarita went through several iterations before i arrived at the winning combination i'm sharing with you. play with it, see what you like, and make it your own! here's how i made them: