What Every City Girl Needs

Living in DC has been quite an adjustment from my local small town life.  More cars, more buildings, more sirens, more going on at every hour of the day (I think that's why the LT blog has been so scarce).  But living in the city is totally manageable, actually quite fun in fact, if you know the tricks of the trade.  I will dispense this advice now:

1. Most importantly, get a group of girlfriends.  I call my girls "the bridesmaids" because we were all in the wedding party of one of my dear friends who lived in Chapel Hill and DC.  Good city girlfriends should:

-Be able to go out or stay in and have a fantastic time.

-Tell it like they see it, even when it's not pretty.

-Give advice on what [not] to wear.

-Call you when they're randomly 5 minutes away from your house so you can go ahead and put the wine in the freezer.

2. Get a warm coat.  The best investment I made in 2012 was a Lands End down parka.  The website said it was most comfortable between 0 and -30 degrees Celsius.  Sold.

3. Wear comfortable shoes.  Not those jenky Target shoes that make the balls of your feet burn or give you blisters on your heels.  Spend some cash on a cute pair of boots that will last several seasons.  When you're walking five blocks and spending the evening on your feet, the last thing you want to think about is when you're going to see a chair again.  

4. Have a cute dog.  Preferably a dog that flirts.  Lulu is an equal opportunity socializer and makes friends anywhere she goes.  I'm looking forward to front porch season when we will spend our days on the patio.

5. Have neighborhood digs.  A coffee shop, a bar, a sandwich place, a gas station where people know your name (or at least your face).  The neighborhoods are what keep the city feeling small.  

6. Keep the air mattress ready. Once you get settled into your fantastic city life, everyone is going to want to visit.  I'm really looking forward to the Girls' Weekend coming up in April.

A Pep Talk

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by

I want to be on the road that leads to AWESOME.

And that's what I've been doing these past couple of months.  I turned onto 16th St the other day and had to metaphorically pinch myself because I couldn't believe I was living in Washington DC.  I'm closing in on my fourth season here, though spring feels like it is procrastinating.  Spring, if you're listening, get your act together.

Spotted on 17th

Yarn bomb!  Makes me feel like home.

A White House Christmas

Each year, the holidays remind us of the many blessings we experience over the course of our lives, from the simple pleasures of laughing and sharing our meals with friends and family to the fulfillment that comes from giving back and serving others.  May we all carry forth the spirit of the season and time time to lift up others in our homes and communities-- not only during this special time, but also throughout the year.

-Barack and Michelle Obama

ZooLights

 There's still time to catch ZooLights at the National Zoo!
December 20-24, 26-30
January 1
Dusk until 9 pm
Enjoy Zoo Tubing, the Zoo Choo-Choo, Snow Globe, Carousel, hot chocolate, and more!

Let the National Zoo help you celebrate the holidays with a bright night out.

Modern Family Christmas

Happy Holidays from our little modern family!

Becky, Lulu, and Lorea

Birthstaycation

There are few things on this planet that get me more excited than the thrill of my birthday.  In some sort of blissful alignment of the stars, I scored 10,  yes count them TEN, days off from work.  Usually the sound of a week and a half off from work would send me barreling toward the airport, but travel was not going to work out for me this year.  So I decided to have a staycation for my birthday... actually, I had a BIRTHSTAYCATION.

In order to have a successful birthstaycation, one must plan well in advance and invest in quality research to fill your days so that you don't end up watching reruns of Full House on TBS.  Luckily, I had some besties coming to town to help me out.
Cat & the DC bridesmaids- pre-birthday trip to Florida to see this lovely lady tie the knot then home with then brought the celebration back home.
Meg- flew all the way from Oregon to celebrate my actual birthday with me.  It takes a true friend to manipulate their work schedule and make it look like a coincidence.
Laura- a quick redline metro ride from Bethesda.
Kelly- rounding out the weekend to help me keep celebrating all the way from North Carolina.
Audrey- couldn't resist a reason to come to the city from SW Virginia.
Lo- roommate, friend, and equally as ridiculous about birthdays.

Here's how the week went:
Birthday tapas at One Lounge- I highly suggest the happy hour deals!
Happy hour at Fire & Sage- an unexpected treat with Meg post birthday shopping.  Because any time can be happy hour, but specials are from 4-7 pm.
Dinner at Ping Pong Dim Sum- come hungry, leave hungry.
Best burger in DC at Desperados followed by my neighborhood dive Stetson's.
Bottomless brunch at 14K Lounge.  Worth the groupon, don't go back at full price.
Climbing at Sportrock with my favorite climbing partner Kel.  Felt so good to ruin my manicure with gristle and chalk.
Birthday PARTY at Policy & Saint Ex.

The Year of Becky had its successes and "rainchecks" (we won't call them failures just yet, because every year is the Year of Becky), and ended with a bang.  This is shaping up to be one of the best years yet as I romance my new city, find some romance myself, make amazing new friends while nurturing some of the oldest, and gameface for life.