MOVING SALE!

MOVING SALE EVERYTHING MUST GO!

So you all know that I'm moving, so today I am posting pics on myblog in a shameless promotion to rid myself of junk. I will haggle!

Enjoy!

These mirrors are from ikea, except I stained them a dark wood color. $12 for the set.

Not sure where this shelf is from the first roommate I ever had purchsed it. It's ridiculously sturdy if you cant tell by all the stuff i have piled on it. It comes apart for easy moving, but trust me when I say this thing is sound. $30

Small vaccuum, perfect for an apartment. $25

$42 inch Tv, not a flatscreen, but it's big and it does the job (that's what she said). $50 SOLD

Wall mirror from Ikea. $20

5 bulb lamp. $25 (also the black shelves next to this lamp are for sale $30)

Green rug. $40 SOLD/REPOSSESSED

Small table from IKEA $12

Hanging shelves, I have 2 of them and all the hardward $10 each

Dining room table and 4 chairs $100 for the set.

Curtains. I have 2 of these white ones, and 2 in off white. $30 a set.

Birch shelf from IKEA $40 SOLD

White bathroom shelf $30

Lots of Stuff is Going On

Which is why I havent been very good about blogging lately. So getting everyone all caught up:

Last week I went to Atlantic City. I had a fan-freaking-tastic time. I was there with other sorority sisters. It's out annual beach retreat. Let me explain.
Every year in college my sorority went on beach retreat. We took some time out and headed to the shore to do some bonding and spend some time in the sun. We always had a great time. Of course there was to be no alcohol on the retreat. Well my wonderful sister Casey decided that we all needed to catch up and have a reunion of sorts last year. We all met up in Destin, FL for the weekend. We had a great time and decided to make it an annual trip. This year we found ourselves on the Jersey shore in Atlantic City. We did a lot of bonding, played a lot of board games, and gambled far too much but we had a blast. We ended up with a book full of quotes and memories that I will never forget. Next year we are thinking Cabo or someplace in the Caribbean. My hope is that when I am 50 years old I am still going on Gamma Phi Beta beach retreat.

Sleep, or Lack of It
Even though my vacation was fabulous I have realized that most of my vacations are now excuses to drink and to gamble and to generally revert back to my college days. I usually end up in NOLA or some other crazy place trying to "capture my youth". I have no intention of stopping and as a matter of fact I can't wait until Britni's wedding next year. However, I now realize I need to take an extra day at the end of my vacation as a recovery day. I slept a total of 14 hours from Friday Morning till Sunday night. I'm much too old to be doing that. I need a recovery day. A day to sleep in and readjust to my normal sleep schedule.

Grinds My Gears
Driving thru Maryland/Delware/NJ and paying $15 in tolls each way. What is that all about? Those states aren't even that awesome. If anyone should charge you to drive thru it, it should be Texas.

Interesting Personal Fact
I LOVE to gamble. Roulette calls to me.
This weekend at the Casino I was down... a lot. I was playing roulette and just watching my money disappear. The I placed my last $15 on the table. I surrounded 22 (my birthday). It hit.
Placed another $15 bet. Surrounded 2 (my family lucky number). It hit. I walked away making back the original $100 I put in plus another $100. Gosh I love roulette.

I failed miserably...

At posting a blog every day this week. I missed Wednesday. This is what happens when you blog at work and you end up having an insanely busy day.

Work Stuff

Just to give an idea of my typical work day right now, 2 out of my 3 bosses are on vacation. One is in the Vineyard, the other is in the OBX. Very preppy places to summer. That being said, you'd think that the work load would have eased up. This however isn't the case. After a good 9 months of slowly declining projects, things have finally started to pick back up. We are busier than we have been in awhile, which is a good thing, unless you're me. I'm working on three different teams right now Education, International Education, and Health care. Why the health care part is easier to handle because my boss is in the office, it also means that he can look over my shoulder and be a bit of a micro manager. The education parts have been tricky, as both of my bosses are out of the office. This basically means that I have become the only person in the education practice in the DC office. It's good because it means I get to do a lot of things I wouldn't normally do. I have a lot more client involvement. I might even finagle some travel out of it. We shall see.

Early Twenty-Something-ness

So I started this blog because turning 26 was a turning point for me. You really start to evaluate where you want to be when you're 30, and you realize you won't be in your 20's forever.
Still, I look back on my early 2o's and I smile. I think I really made the most of those 5 years.
To recap, the first two I was in college, a great college, in a great city. New Orleans was one of the best places I could have gone for school. The city truly has a soul like no other city has. It's something that sounds corny unless you have lived there, then you understand it. There is SO much to do, and I can't ever really remember being bored. I was also Greek, so basically every minute of my "free time" was filled. I also worked for the now governor, Bobby Jindal while simultaneously working as a bartender in the french quarter. I can actually tell my kids "I worked on Bourbon St. How many people can say that? After college, I moved with a friend to Austin. It was sort of a fluke move. I "knew" I wanted to work in politics, so it made sense to move to a city that was a capital city. I loved Texas, so Austin seemed like the reasonable choice. Austin ended up not working out for me. I was there for 8 months-ish. It wasn't a waste though. I made a few good friends, and I got to spend a lot of weekends with my parents. I'm really glad I had the time to do this. I now see my parents once a year, so it was nice to have some time with them before I moved 1500 miles away. Also Austin is a great city if you like to be active. It's not the best city to move to if you're fresh out of college. Everyone there is IN college, and it's hard to establish yourself as a professional when everyone your age is out drinking and has class the next morning. After Austin I on a fluke moved to DC. This was the best risk I have ever taken. I learned from this experience that you sometimes have to take big risks in order to get what you really want. I stayed on couches and with random craigslist people when I first moved here, but I figured it out. I found a great apartment, made awesome friends. I have really loved the past 3 years.
The point to my ramblings is that your 20's are the time to make mistakes and take chances. The places I've lived are evidence of this. I took chances moving to all these places, some worked out, some didn't, but they are all experiences that I have learned from. I wouldn't trade the experiences of my early 20's for anything. I had a lot of fun, and learned so much about myself. I was independent, and while sometimes I lived off ramen noodles, I really think these times have made me into the person I am today.

Movies/ TV/ Books

SPOILER ALERT!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I need to start by saying that I am a huge fan of the HP series. I try to take the movies at face value, and realize that you cannot tell a 600 page story in 2 and a half hours. This installment was definitely one of the better ones. They really captured the spirit of the story and it was actually really accurate. My biggest problem was the end. In the end of the book there is a fight scene between The Order of the Phoenix/Dumbledores's Army and The death eaters. This fight didn't happen in the movie. Dumbledore dies, then the death eaters run away. But why were they there to begin with if not for the fight scene? I was really sad they left that out. Also there was a random scene thrown in where the Weasley's house burns down. This doesn't happen in the books, and it seemed completely unnecessary to add.
I will end by saying that Helena Bonham-Carter was the most genius casting to date.

Grinds My Gears

Jon Gosselin

Alright, I know this is celebrity gossip, but I can't help myself. This guy truly ticks me off. I realize that there is plenty of blame to go around to the dissolve of this relationship, HOWEVER I really believe that while Kate may be really harsh, Jon knew exactly what he was marrying into. Also, if he was tired of the limelight then he needed to put his foot down. He needed to demand that they stop doing the show, he needed to explain to Kate that he was truly unhappy. I realize that he doesn't have an alpha personality but that doesn't mean he is incapable of speaking up. I also can't believe he threw away a 10 year marriage on a rough couple of months without even trying to reconcile or fix it. The nail in the coffin for me was him traipsing around France with his new girlfriend AND giving People magazine an interview about her. For a guy who wanted to stay out a the limelight he sure seems to be enjoying it now. He's talking to french fashion designers and pimping out his kids to do photo shoots. This sounds like a guy who wanted to be a part time father and completely got his wish. What a low life.

My Goal is to post something every day this week...

luckily Annie tool care of yesterday for me.
Thanks Annie!

Texas on My Mind


So I've been thinking more and more about moving to Texas in a year. I miss my family and the south, but I also feel like there are more job opportunities in Texas than there are here.

Of course I know the old saying "if you want to make God laugh, make plans". So I'm taking all this with a grain of salt.

Moving to Ballston!

So big news! I'm moving away from my lovely little apartment in Lyon Park to the Bluemont area of Ballston. I'm really excited to live in a house again, something I haven't done since high school. I can't tell you if I am more excited about the washer/dryer or the yard.

I move on August 15th, so if you're in the area, and you want to help a damsel in distress move, you're welcome to pitch in. I'm buying beer and pizza (or maybe backyard barbecue) for the helpers! (PS- It's a serious move, a complete bedroom and living room set, though I have the use of a pickup truck for the majority of the day.

I will say I am sad to be leaving the clizzle-dizzle, it has served me well for these past 3 years.

TV/Movies/ Books


Entourage

Ari Gold is the f-ing man. I don't care what the critics say about these guys being d-bags. I love this show. It's complete money.

Grinds My Gears

Beers on Tap

I think every bar should serve at least micro brew beer on tap. I miss Dr. Dremo's. I loved that place, and the dive quality it had about it. But mostly I loved that it had Shiner Bock and Purple Haze on Tap. That stuff was the shiz. More bars should do that.

Weird Personal Fact


I own six sets of sheets. I didn't think this was weird till I talked to a couple people. Apparently it is not normal to own this many sheets. But I keep upping the thread count so that one set is better than the last. I'm up to 800 thread count, but now I realize I'll have to drop some serious dough if i want to keep up the pace.

From the Foodie in Me

Ir you twitter follow @MarthaStewart . It's really her. She's the bomb.

Tina is slacking

So I'm jumping in again...

Around Town
There is a great oil change place in Alexandria - Lube It! They are always quick, friendly, and (so far) trustworthy. They tell you if you need something more than the usual service (oil change, fluid top-offs, tire pressure checks/fills, even a window wash and floor vacuum) like a new air filter - but they don't push it on you every time. And if you use the regularly, they include coupons with their reminders, as long as you bring the car in within 500 miles of the listed service recommendation.

Growing Up
Something that I've known was coming for a long time was the part of my life where my weekends rotate between bachelorette parties, wedding showers, baby showers, and farewell happy hours for friends moving away. I'm still not ready for it though! While it was an amazing feeling to hold my friend Whit's new baby girl this weekend - Whit and I grew up down the street from each other - I hate to think about the day when we move away, or Whit and his family move away. I guess the part of growing up that I didn't see coming was getting to know all of these great people in DC and then realizing that none of us would be here forever.

Books
The last book I recommended to a friend *ahem* didn't go over that well - so I'll try another one. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, it is a wonderful book written from the perspective of a 9 year old boy. It reads like a young adult book, and can easily be consumed in one day. If you've already seen the movie or been told the ending it may not be worth reading, but if you only know the premise (as I did) I think it is worth a sit.

Grinds My Gears
It really grinds my gears when I get in the way of myself! With Frank in law school I've tried to fill my time with fun and interesting things so that I'm not always sitting at home watching him study. This summer I have my sewing circle on Mondays, Small Group on Tuesdays, and class (Law and Political Process) on Wednesdays. I am left with Thursdays open, and then the weekend (which as noted above is usually spent celebrating something for someone). Well, this week my husband was in DC for the day with his law firm (based in Richmond) and I didn't have time to see him! My plan to keep myself busy backfired! I was really sad that we were so close and so far apart at the same time - but his 10 weeks in Richmond are almost over and he'll be home again soon, so I'll just keep hanging on until he comes home this weekend, and then I'll hang on for two more weeks and this will all fall back into place.

I Wore Pants Today

This is a big deal for me. If you know me, you know I am anti-pants. I am very pro-skirts and pro-dresses. This morning I was in an "I don't care" mood, hence the pants.
Since I am on the subject, I thought I would write a bit about my love of the sundress and expand my blog to include a "Preppy Fashion" Section. I am happy to have contributing authors to this section. Truth be told, I am stealing this thunder from Bill's preppy newsletter of about 2 years ago, if Bill revives the Preppy Newsletter, I will cease my section, but until then, enjoy!

The Sundress - Lilly Pulitzer Edition

The sundress is a preppy staple. Just as soon as the weather turns from crisp to cool, you will find preppy ladies in their preppy attire, but none is more encompassing of peppiness than the sundress.

The popularity of the sundress stems back to the 1960's and a Miss Lily Pulitzer. Many may not realize that Lilly Pulitzer never intended to sell dresses. She was born to a wealthy NY family and married Peter Pulitzer (the grandson of Joseph Pulitzer, most notably known for establishing the Pulitzer Prize). Lilly actually had the intention of selling juice at a juice stand, but she quickly realized that she was ruining her clothes. She had a local seamstress create a brightly colored shift dress in order to camouflage the stains. Voila, the Lilly Pulitzer shift dress was born.

From the Foodie in Me

The Food Network
I have an obsession with it, especially now that the summer has set in an sitcoms and other network shows are in re-runs. The other day I was watching a challenge episode where each of the contestants had a "weird medium" to work with. Intestine (tripe), beef hearts, tongue, and pigs feet were the choices. Out of those 4 items there is only one that I would be at a loss of what to do. I really think I should go on a reality food show. Can you guess which one I would get stuck on?

Grinds My Gears

I am in the midst of house hunting... it's the most infuriating process ever. Yesterday I saw the crappiest, dirtiest place I have ever seen. It was a run down shack. I really hate when people waste my time like that.

From the Texan in Me

Sun Tea
Technically this could go under the foodie section. But I really think Sun Tea is a Texas staple.
The first time my dad told me about it, I was skeptical. I remember 5 year old Tina thinking that this couldn't possibly work. Imagine my surprise when it did.
What you'll need:
A glass jar with a lid.
Tea Bags (that's what she said).
A hot day.
Toss the tea bags in a glass pitcher and sit it out in the sun. Let sit for a few hours at least for the fullest flavor.
A little tip: You can add fruit (lemons, mango, etc) to your tea to make it flavored for a special twist on an old favorite.

Independence Day... Not Just a Movie Starring Will Smith

Happy Independence Day everyone!

I know I'm technically a few days late with this post, but I was busy celebrating my country, so the computer access was at a minimum.

Independence Weekend Recap

Thursday

That's right bitches, my holiday started on a Thursday. We had a half day from work. I met Annie and Whitham on the hill for lunch. Yummy T0rtilla Coast Lunch. Thursday night I hung out with Hugh and Steve, watched some movies, drank some beers. Low key fun.



Friday

I went to Casa Webb for some quality pool time. unfortunately it was overcast. we watch team America (fuck yeah!) and napped while we waited for the sun to come out. When it finally did we headed over to the pool. Zach, Frank, and I were brave enough to jump in the freezing cold pool. Annie opted out. Although, to be fair I only got in because I jumped in. I didn't ease myself into it. Go hard or go home! We ended the night with more drinking games followed by a viewing of The Hnagover. Seriously great movie. I ended up sleeping at Casa Webb as no one was fit to drive home.

Saturday

Yay Independence Day! After being dropped off by Mr. Webb, I took a quick nap and then headed over to Casa de Tamsin for some fried chicken and bad movies. Unfortunately the Safeway was all out of Captain, so I opted for something I haven't had in mass quantities since freshman year mardi gras. That's right. I went for the Southern Comfort. After kicking back a few cocktails, Tamsin and I headed on over to Zach's to watch the fireworks. I was a seriously amazing view. It made me try to recall where I had spent the last four Independence Days. This was my fourth one in DC. Last year I watched from a park in eastern market. Year before that I watched from gravelly point. Three years ago I watched from the top floor of the Sheraton Hotel. I will say this was the best view to date, though the Sheraton was a nice second. Zach has a great balcony and we watched the whole thing without one obstruction.

Sunday

Happy Birthday Lydia! I slept most of the day, trying to ease away my hangover, but at the end I ended up at dinner with Lydia to celebrate her birthday. It was a lovely time. we went to Malibu Grill. For those of you who don't know Malibu is a Brazilian Steak house. The served you meat sliced from skewers. It's deliciously amazing.

There is another place in DC that does this same concept with a more upscale twist, fogo de chao.

I have learned from my time at fogo that you should NEVER eat from the salad bar. You should really focus on the meats, otherwise you load up on veggies... something that is a beginners mistake. I totally ate my $30 worth in steak. Yum.

From the Foodie in Me



I have lately tried to concentrate on not overeating. This is actually a huge deal for me because I love to cook, and I love food. I recently blogged about how i found the half sandwiches at Pret A Manger and fell in love. This "From the Foodie in Me" is actually a question to all you readers. I am looking for sides. Pret does a great job with the sandwich, but I never have been a "eat one thing" kinda girl I need variety in my meal. I am trying to steer away from chips and other "bad for me foods", but I would love suggestions on items to pair with my lunch.

Books/ TV/ Movies


My Sister's Keeper

SUCH a sappy chick lit book. It was recommended to me by a good friend, but I just could never really get into it. I didn't cry, I tried to put myself in the character's places but none of them were truly identifiable for me. Maybe the movie is better... but I just can't endorse this book.

Bleh.

The DC Metro

So how about a twist ending for this blog? I am PRAISING the metro. This morning, through no fault but my own, I dropped my keys on the metro. I don't know how many of you know me, but my whole life are my keys. I have an Gamma Phi Beta leather ID holder on my keychain, in that ID holder I have:

Drivers Licence, Zipcard Key, Credit Card, NRA Range Card, Building access card, Keys to my bike lock, keys to my house, and I'm sure a few other things I am forgetting.

You can see that my whole life revolves around this keychain, needless to say I was a little freaked out when I lost it this morning. Luckily the metro station manager found my keychain and called me. This is a big deal because it is strictly against the rules for him to call people to tell them he has found their missing items. Protocol dictates that he allow the items to go to the lost and found office in Silver Spring. He just figured that I would be at a complete loss without my keys. I would like to thank this man for his sense of human decency. It just took a few minutes for him to call me, but it would have been just as easy for him to let the keys be transported to silver spring. Thank you metro guy.