D.C. Wish List

Along with my never-ending D.C. "bucket list" (things I want to do/see while I'm here), I've also composed a list of things that would be nice to have in the area. Much of this will have to hold off until I actually have an income, but nonetheless a girl can dream right?

A bike. A must-need for the area since there are the most wonderful bike trails that go for miles, all across the D.C. Metro Area (right along the river!). Some comfortable and cute walking shoes.

A puppy. Ok, so this one may have to wait a while longer than the previous two. But I am so wanting a goldendoodle, golden or lab to cuddle & run with.

A canoe. This is the largest stretch of all, but can't you picture this tied on top of my CR-V? It would be so much fun to paddle down the Potomac in!

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Last night, I headed out to Fairfax for their "Movies Under the Moon" special. One part of D.C. that I love - there's an abundance of fun, free activities like movies at the park! There's pretty much one every night of the week in one location or another and last night we watched The Dark Knight at Van Dyck Park in Fairfax.

xoxo
ams

Weekend Wonders

Well, as they say, better late than never! I've been eager to share my adventures from last weekend, but no one ever warns you how exhausting it is working a 9-to-5 job. Whew! After each busy day, I just don't have the energy to motivate myself to sit down and get my posts together. But, alas, I have a moment to catch my lovely readers up on the events from last weekend.

Sadly, the weather was a little dreary here in the District of Columbia last weekend, so my photos are a little reflective of this. But nonetheless, it was a wonderful weekend exploring the area a bit more. As my first actual weekend being a tourist-in-residence I decided to head up to the mall area to visit the Smithsonian museums and walk around the sites.

I spend about half of Saturday exploring the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum - which is too cool. Such a fun place to poke around. I really want to go see Night at the Museum 2 at the IMAX here since it was partially filmed at this very museum!

The rest of the day I walked around the area - from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial to the White House - just taking in the sights and sounds of our nation's capital. It's still so exciting for me to be in the presence of such history and change.

The Capitol!

"Four Score and seven years ago..." - The Lincoln Memorial

The big man himself!

The White House, this is literally as close as you can get, they have it under such tight security.

The Washington Monument - I'm trying to psych myself to actually go up.

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum - SO fun!

This weekend I am hoping to catch the Smithsonian's Folk Festival. Hopefully I'll keep up better with the updates!

Ciao Bellas!
AMS

Rain, rain go away

Needless to say (for those of you in the area) DC has been a bit rainy lately. I've found that being from Florida, DCer's generally assume that I find this rain completely astonishing. Frequently I get, "Oh you must never have seen rain like this before!" or "When it rains in DC, it rains bad." This has led me to believe that many Americans are quite misled by the Sunshine State's tricky nickname. Yes, in Florida it is very hot. Yes, we sometimes have wildfires. But trust me, I know a storm when I see one. Florida also (practically) happens to be hurricane capital of the world. Being trapped in my house with no electricity for days with 4 people + 4 pets made me quickly understand the Florida rainy season.



So, while it may not be Seattle, being a Floridian has given me some experience with rain. Just to put it out there.

Another lovely weekend in the Mid-Atlantic

Today is some of the best weather I've experienced while being up here in DC. It's about 78 degrees outside right now and I'm sitting by the open window enjoying the cool morning air. I was up to an early start this morning, so I decided to grab a coffee and head out to one of the nearby parks to enjoy the trails. It was such a great way to wake up! I've decided that one of my favorite things about being in this area is how everyone is SO active and how they bring their dogs everywhere with them.

A couple weeks ago, the Today Show declared the D.C. area to be #1 among the nation's "Fittest Cities," and now I know why! Every day people are outside running, biking and enjoying the day. And most everyone has a pup, which if you know me, it's absolutely great!

Yesterday, I decided to head down to Mount Vernon, the home of good ol' George Washington. Luckily for me, it's only about 5 miles from where I'm staying! I hadn't been there in years, so it was really cool experience to explore the grounds a little more. It was so much more spacious than I remembered, with an absolutely beautiful view of the Potomac River.




This afternoon, I think I may take a trip into the city to the National Zoo! Should be fun.

Loves,
ams

Lovely Blog Award

I'm so excited to receive my first ever blog award! The clever and hilarious, CBK at Plan Acourtingly nominated me with this:



It is my pleasure to pass on the love! I'm nominating a few of my favorite bloggers this week:

New to the blogosphere - Alyssa Marder @ Miss Marder in Charlotte
Fellow summer DC'er Ellyn Marder @ DC Transplant
Stationary Extraordinaire Ashley Brooke @ Ashley Brooke Designs
Dancing Diva @ The Pink Tutu
EHK @ Miss Monogram
Wearing Mascara
Aurea
Chiconomics 101
Diamonds are Forever
Gramercy Gaslight Girl
High-Heeled Foot in the Door



And... that's all for now!

In other news, my birthday, yesterday, was absolutely delightful! Despite having to work, I had a relaxing day with my co-workers and then joined my lovely little, Lauren, for a D.C. dinner.

Cheers my dears!
ams

Exploring the natural side of DC/VA

I have to say, one of my favorite things about being in DC is the foliage. I know, it sounds completely old-ladyish, but the trees, flowers and gardens are absolutely breathtaking. Take my favorite flower for example, the peony. I woke up yesterday morning to a lovely vase on the kitchen table! Laryl picked them fresh just outside the apartment. They just make my day looking at them and the smell is wonderful to boot!



Today, the SPW USA team, as a whole, spent a day out of the office doing some team building activities and chats. Following this "get-to-know-you" morning, we headed out to Mason Neck State Park to do some canoeing and hiking. I was beside myself with excitement as I discovered that this state park is also a bald eagle refuge. We saw at least 2 bald eagles on the banks of the Potomac River (where we canoed) and to make the day even better I spotted 3 deer! Each was a doe, with gorgeous coats, big eyes and the cuddliest ears. It was such a great day to get to know the staff and the area even better.




Ciao!

A perfect Sunday morning...

I have had the best first weekend up north! Saturday morning I woke up early to head to Richmond to meet my bff, Britt, at her aunt & uncle's house. We celebrated her cousin's high school graduation and I just had the best time catching up with everyone, truly my second family.

On my way back to the D.C. area today, I decided to stop by the old town in Alexandria to peruse the streets. Following an incredible breakfast at a little cafe, I made my way down to the marina area stopping in a few shops here and there.

It's such a gorgeous area, I just can't get over it!



Old Town Alexandria, VA



xoxo
ams

Settling into the nation's capital

I am finally settling into life in the Northeast, well, as north as I've ever lived before! I am absolutely loving D.C., the weather is wonderful, the views are breathtaking, and the city is vibrant, young and full of life. Exactly what I want right now. I'm currently staying in Alexandria, about 20 minutes outside of the city, in a brownstone walk-up. It is by far the most amazing little place I've ever seen! I am so in love with the area. It's quaintness, the brick buildings, the quiet gardens and my view of the park. It's completely serene and gorgeous.

My first week as a D.C. intern is going well. As I am currently interning with a global non-profit that just recently established a US presence, I am most definitely staying busy (read: 2 entire days devoted to brainstorming). But, I LOVE my coworkers and our cute little office off K & 14th.

So, to make the most of my time, I have decided to develop a list of activities to accomplish/visit while here this summer:

Visit the Smithsonian


See a free show at the Kennedy Center


Take the elevator to the top of the monument


Tour the White House


Peruse the mall/memorial



And these are just a few ideas to keep me going... so much to do and so little time!

Cheers my dears!
xoxo