Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Travel Log: National Harbor

This past Sunday, Michelle, her sister, and I drove down to D.C. to the National Harbor for a shopping adventure. I think it was built within the past few years, which means that none of us had ever been before. It was fun exploring a new "neighborhood!" There was some sort of fair on the dock, so we had tons of opportunities for people watching and cranny investigating. Super fun time!
Unfortunately, I'm being reminded again how much my body cannot deal with the heat and humidity of a Maryland summer. It was only about 80 degrees while we were there, but I couldn't stop sweating. I'm SO not looking forward to July and August when it's over 100 degrees with 90% humidity. I have no idea what I'll be wearing those days, since my sundress and sandals did nothing for me last Sunday!
The National Harbor is a really cute place to check out if you're in the area. (My mom's been suggesting it for months now, but apparently we needed a mission to get us there, i.e., shopping for Michelle's wedding shoes.) There's a small beach with Adirondack chairs and a huge statue, a patio for events overlooking the water, outdoor seating at restaurants, and even a ferry to Alexandria, Virginia.
There's even a Gaylord Hotel that offers an air conditioned respite as well as adorable interiors! It reminded me so much of Vegas hotels...all we needed were some slot machines and free drinks and it would be like a mini cousin :) This may be a place I come to on a stay-cation. It's super close to D.C., but offers a resort-type feel that you can't really get in a major city.

We even got there amidst the Battle of the Beltways (Nationals v. Orioles) and the Andrews Air Force Base Air Show. So much was going on in D.C. last weekend! Anyway, we loved our mini trip. Michelle got her wedding jellies and I got the cutest sailboat iPhone cover. Good trip had by all.

Does anyone have any adventures planned for the Memorial Day weekend?

Love,
Stephanie Marie

Pictures courtesy of Michelley!!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Weekend Wrap-Up: Busy Bee

I was a busy, busy bee this weekend, starting with Friday right after work. My friend Annie asked if I wanted to go to the Black Keys concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion. It's this outdoor venue that I used to go to with my parents when I was growing up, and I had no idea that it was so close to home! It's right near my work! So funny how your perspective is so different as a child. We got there hour early so we could have a little tailgating picnic in the parking lot. It was just glorious. A little sunshine. A little beer. A happy me :)
As it turns out, several of my other friends were at the concert too. Gotta love social media. I never would have randomly run into them otherwise! I also have a major appreciation for real seats over lawn seats. Gotta love getting old...
Saturday, I took my time getting up in the morning. Had an egg sandwich and a pot of tea. I just love tea. It's so comforting and this little teapot is my favorite way to make me feel like I'm indulging. It's tea...it's not special, but everything feels special in a matching outfit ;)
Around 11, I drove up to White Marsh to pick up my friend Lindsey. She was coming along for a ride to one of the wineries that I'm planning on taking my friends and family to for my birthday. Since I'd never been before, I figured it might be a good idea to check out the grounds and the grapes just in case. Don't want my friends drinking poisoned wine, so I sacrificed myself and had a tasting...and a glass...and bought a bottle :) And Linds and I sat on this porch and let the sun drift by. So relaxing. I'm hoping that we'll all have lunch on this porch in a few weeks.
On the way home, we stopped at Yogi Castle for a little sweet "lunch." It was the perfect nearly-summer treat! I got cake batter and dolce de leche yogurt with walnuts, chocolate sprinkles, and some marshmallow thingie. I'm hoping more of these will be in my near future!
After a brief nap and a quick bite with Amy and Linds, we headed to Gecko's for Michelley's 30th birthday party. I woke up early Sunday to walk to the Inner Harbor for the first outdoor yoga session of the season. But apparently it takes longer than 30 minutes to walk there from my house, so I turned around after a half hour of walking. Grabbed an iced mocha, watched a little TV, and met up with the Gibson girls for a quick trip to the National Harbor to pick up some shoes. 

I'll post those pictures tomorrow. It was all of our first time there and was super fun. Hot, but super fun. I'm pretty nervous about how over-heated I'm going to feel come July, but in the meantime I'm trying to appreciate the not-too-humid May days.

Hope everyone had a beautiful day outside in the sun! Summer is almost here, folks!!

Love,
Stephanie Marie

Friday, May 18, 2012

Hey, Girl. Happy Birthday.

It's one of my best friend's birthday tomorrow, and I thought it would be wildly appropriate to give her a "hey, girl" on her behalf. I realize that this birthday blog post will only be appropriate for her, but if blogs aren't used for self-promotion and random inside jokes then I don't know what they're for. :) Anyway, without further ado, this is for Michelle:

 

Hey, girl. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And for the restofus: HAPPY FRIDAY!

Love,
Stephanie Marie

Photo courtesy of pinterest.