Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Just a week late...seems to be the trend these days. I had a fabulous day off today, but last week was full of several long days in a row at work.

Richard and I celebrated Valentine's a few days early, with a trip to Monocacy Crossing in Frederick, MD. Since I drive into DC every day, sometimes it's nice to go in the other direction from the city. The Monocacy Crossing was definitely fine dining for Frederick, but we did bring the average age of diners there by more than a few years.

bacon wrapped filet pieces- delicious

Richard enjoying his braised lamb and sweet potatoes

red velvet raspberry cake for dessert

My sweet husband went to the grocery store late Sunday night when I decided to make Mississippi Mud for the office and helped me cut it into hearts.

messy Mississippi Mud hearts

Then for our Valentine's dinner, we enjoyed homemade pizzas the the beautiful table Richard set and watched the Bachelor and his ladies explore Anguilla, our honeymoon destination. We loved seeing them visit many of the places we did, and Brad and Shawntel sat at the same table we did at the Bankie Banxx's Dunes Preserve. So fun!

festive table

BBQ chicken and pepperoni pizzas

A perfect first married Valentine's Day!

south (carolina) in the city

The next best thing to going home to visit South Carolina is having South Carolina come to visit me. So I was THRILLED when four of my best girl friends from Law School decided to take a trip to DC the weekend before my birthday. Jill's birthday is right after mine and Jess's was in December, so we celebrated all three! Sadly, right before they came we got a ton of snow and lost power- and heat- at our house for several days. We had planned to stay at the Fairfax right on Embassy Row for Friday night anyway, so fortunately that part worked out perfectly.

We started our weekend with a fabulous lunch with our favorite news anchor, Craig Melvin, at Firefly, a restaurant I've been wanting to try for some time. It was ok, but I think their dinner may be better than their lunch. And their lunch may be better if you don't go right before the kitchen is trying to close.

We then checked into the Fairfax, enjoyed some delectable Sweet Reba's treats (if you need any fabulous baked goods in Columbia, she's your girl!), and just l relaxed and chatted away. Oh, how I have missed talking the day away with these girls! When we were in law school, we would gather around Jess's long dining room table to "study" and our conversation took me right back to those times. I have been through so much with those sweet girls, and I miss them something fierce.

Jess in our pretty room at the Fairfax

We finally got ourselves ready and headed out to Birch and Barley, one of DC's 100 best restaurants, according to the Washingtonian magazine. Before we were seated, we went upstairs to ChurchKey, the bar above Birch and Barley. It's a really cool bar with over 500 artisanal beers and a fun ambiance. After a drink at ChurchKey, we were seated at Birch and Barley. The service was incredible, as was the food. I would highly recommend going! We sampled a fig and prosciutto flatbread, truffle mac and cheese, a ricotta cavatelli pasta, a bratwurst burger, and a smorgasbord of sorbets when the waitstaff heard we were celebrating birthdays- with candles and everything!

We were absolutely stuffed by the fabulous Birch and Barley food, but I wanted to take the girls to CoCo Sala, DC's only chocolate lounge. Unfortunately CoCo Sala had extended their Restaurant Week menu and only had two one-course desserts in there, instead of their normal, themed three-course dessert course offerings. But chocolate is still chocolate, and our (2nd...or 3rd if you count the Sweet Reba's from earlier in the day) dessert was wonderful and very artfully displayed.

Coco Sala desserts

We spent most of Saturday shopping at Tyson's Corner and came away with lots of prizes. I also spent a great deal of time on the phone with my husband trying to figure out how to get our furnace replaced, which tragically did not survive the snowstorm and ensuing power loss. Thankfully our landlord was responsible for the expense, but it's apparently hard to get furnaces fixed on the weekend.

We headed back to Bethesda after our shopping adventure and went to one of my favorite Mexican establishments, Uncle Julio's, for a fun dinner. Our bartender friend took the photo below and gifted us with many margarita/sangria swirl samples. Yum! Rebecca's good friend Haley joined us, and we had a great time.

Uncle Julio's of Bethesda

cute little snow bunnies

After our dinner, we headed to another hotel to spend the night, since our house was registering a chilly 42 degrees. I was so disappointed not to host my friends in our house, especially since I spent many years in Columbia without a guest room! I love the little home Richard and I've made and wanted to my dear friends to enjoy it too. But at least they got a quick tour!

outside our house in Kensington

The hardest part of the weekend was having to say goodbye to these precious ladies, but I hope to see them again soon! And having them visit made turning 30 much more palatable. Carolina girls really are the best in the world!

displaced persons

I have been anxious to update the blog with thoughts on the tons of snow we experienced almost two weeks ago, our ensuing power and heat loss, a bright spot in the visit of three best friends, then several more nights away from our house, turning the thirty and thoughts on that, but weekends just seem to never contain enough hours, especially when you are trying to catch up from living out of a suitcase. So until I get a little more time, I wanted to share a quick picture of the big 3-0! What's a birthday without a trip to a favorite Mexican restaurant? Thanks, husband, for a wonderful celebratory night.

revelations from the working world

While this working thing is not entirely new, considering I was gainfully employed in a wonderful job consistently through my taking the Bar to moving to DC after the wedding, working in a big city in a fast-paced environment after nearly 5 months of a life of leisure has taken its toll on me! I am by no means complaining, as I am so thankful to be in the midst of law-making on a daily basis and to have a second income, but the hour-long commute each way and long hours in the office have certainly taken some getting used to.

Here are a few things I've learned in my past three weeks on the Hill:

1. The elected official you work for is simply referred to as "the boss"- e.g. saw your boss in the elevator earlier, I'm sure your boss will vote this way, i've got to get this list of questions to the boss, etc.- not sure why this is case, but I guess it eliminates the question of which formality to use (the Congressman, Representative, Mr. so and so...and it's shorter than all of those!

2. There really are underground tunnels and a small subway system that links the House office buildings, Capitol building, the Capitol Visitor Center, and the Library of Congress- you never have to go outside in the cold if you don't want to! And the little subway train is very much like that in Spartanburg's Cleveland park that I loved to ride growing up...and still pretty fun

3. Finding time to work out or cook dinner when your job takes 12 hours of your day is pretty tough. Finding time for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, however, is not.

4. The specific legislative issues that each staffer is assigned to is called their "portfolio." I am sure I gave a very confused look to the first person who asked what was in my portfolio.

5. The Hill is full of YOUNG staffers. I am definitely one of the older ones, and many of my same-aged peers are already in some pretty powerful positions. At a recent lunch with Clemson grads on the Hill, more than half of the 10+ there graduated after 2008.

6. Committee hearings are covered by C-SPAN. Staffers can often be picked up by the camera in the background during said hearings....so it's probably wise to put on some lipstick before!

7. While I may be overwhelmed and tired and sometimes frustrated by how much I don't know, seeing "the boss" deliver a speech on the House floor that I helped edit and watching him question a witness during a hearing reminds me just how blessed I am to have the opportunity I do.

New Year in New York

Richard and I rung in the New Year with some of our dear friends in Bethesda with an 80's style bash. Richard's mom had a genuine, vintage 80's New Year's sweater that she actually wore to ring in the new year in the early 80's. She let me borrow it, and I wore it- and some pleather leggings, "Sam and Libby"- like flats, and big, disc earrings- all very proudly. The best part? The sweater lit up (thanks to Richard and Jon Dickens' engineering!) and played "Auld Lang Syne." Classy.

We left New Year's Day for the Big Apple to see Jeanine and my brother Will, who was kind to come see us all the way from Jersey. We explored Little Italy with Jeanine and Alex, saw Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson on Broadway (which we wouldn't necessarily recommend), strolled through Central Park, ate some Gray's Papaya hotdogs, and did a little shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue (yay for new Tory Burch leopard print flats and a Radko ornament that was 75% off! Picking up a Radko ornament there each year has become a fun tradition). It was the perfect start to a new year and a fun mini-vacation before the reality of work set in.

lunch in Little Italy

snowflakes at Saks

cocktails at the View at the Marriott Marquis, a fun revolving restaurant

Central Park

yummy hot dogs

Serendipity decorations

outside the theatre

2010 in pictures

I realize we are a couple of days into the new year, but I wanted to share a few thoughts and some of my favorite pictures from 2010 before I completely let such a monumental year go. I have read many articles about why 2010 was such a terrible year (including this Dave Barry one in the Post that was quite entertaining), but I will always remember it as a year of celebration, change and growth. A few of the things I've learned...

• Blackberries do not tolerate toilets well. Always shut the lid if you plan to get ready with your email at arm's length.
• Planning a wedding can make you a little crazy. Planning a wedding, a move and job searching all at the same time can make you really crazy. I don't think I would have made it through the first six months of the year without my mama.
• There are a lot of hermit crabs in Anguilla. And you will find a South Carolina connection anywhere you go, even at Cap Juluca.
• God's timing is best, but it sure is hard to be patient. Especially when living on one income and on a four-month shopping moratorium.
• Some friends are "forever" friends, and some friends are for a season. And that's ok.
• Always, always send in a response card for a wedding! And if your response changes, by all means let someone know. Or perhaps better yet, don't do response cards.
• Marriage can be absolutely incredible but also incredibly hard at times. No one challenges me quite like my husband! But no one blesses me as much either.

And now without further adieu, some pictures. Like the lessons learned above, many of them are wedding-related.

January

ringing in the New Year in 80's prom-wear

February

with 10 of my best friends at our first engagement party/shower on February 6th- an amazing night

March

Celebrating sweet Ashley's 30th birthday at Mr. Friendly's in Columbia- birthdays in Columbia were always special occasions, and this was a particularly fun night (which may have actually been in late February, but Ashley's real birthday is in early March, so it counts!)

April

These girls, 4 of my absolute best from Spartanburg, threw a beautiful shower for me the Walnut Lane Inn Spartanburg, complete with games, maple doughnuts, and old friends catching up- such a fun time!

May

Bachelorette party in Edisto- an amazing weekend with all of my best friends in one place

June

First Baptist of Arcadia shower- I grew up in a pretty rural church, and these ladies have known me since I was a baby. They were so, so generous and kind, and the Vietri platter that I received from them at this shower is proudly displayed in my kitchen.

July

love, love this one from our wedding- a most perfect day

August

so this may have actually been the end of July, but close enough! On our honeymoon in Anguilla

September

Davis family takes on DC! At the Nats vs. Braves game

October

Wofford Homecoming- such a fun reunion weekend

November

a terrible Clemson-Carolina game, but a fun time of everyone being together at Thanksgiving and the weekend after

December

touring the Grinch Ice! display at the National Harbor Gaylord hotel, where it was 9 degrees inside!

A Carolina Christmas

One of my New Year's resolutions is to have shorter, more concise blog posts. But since we're still in 2010 and it's been a while since I posted, I thought I'd share our Carolina Christmas in one big post.

We got off to a bit of a rough start. I locked my keys in my car right before we left, and while we were taking Richard's Jeep, we figured we probably should retrieve them from the ignition before taking off. As we drove south, we hit snow as soon as we got to Virginia. We stopped in Hillsborough, NC to visit the Vietri outlet, which was sadly closed. We were hoping to get a few more of our Santa Claus plates! We settled for the Wooden Nickel instead, where Richard enjoyed a fried pork barbecue bacon sandwich.

pork, bacon, bbq goodness

snowy Hillsborough

We made it to Spartanburg safely and were happy to welcome our Ohio family on the Sunday before Christmas for a visit. It was great to see them, and we just wished Will had been there too!

at the Olive Garden with Suzanne and Alyx

my 90 y.o. grandfather, my aunt, and mom at the Jason's Deli- we love some chains in Spartanburg

No visit to Spartanburg is complete without a trip to the Angel Nails. Dan, Will and crew take good care of all of us, and Alyx and I had great bonding time over manicures!

We had Christmas with the family a few days early- Richard and I gave my grandfather Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Extraordinary Book of Facts upon recommendation of my aunt, and he loved it! Was quoting facts the whole trip home...apparently it's the little things. Jeff got an incredible piece of art from my aunt, which is what the blanket is covering in the picture below. With the tree, presents, couch, bookshelf, dog, etc., there wasn't much room left for the four of us!

Jeff, my cousin Alyx, me and Richard (and Hunter dog)

Two days before Christmas, we hosted the annual Webb Christmas drop-in. This served as an engagement party for Richard and I last year, so it was scaled down a bit this year. We still loved getting to see old friends and family. And I made the Santa picture for the first time this year.

Richard's mother requests a picture of Suzanne and Richard with Santa Claus every Christmas. Every year. Still. Even though they are 29 and 26. All 30 pictures, from the time Richard was 7 mos old, are displayed on the sun porch.

a portion of the pictures

And now, by virtue of marriage, I have made it into the picture. The big question looming is if the first grandchild will be permitted to take our place with Santa. Surely he or she will be a quality replacement!

Richard, Suzanne and ME with Santa

We gave sweet Darcy a life-size Tiger that had once lived in my Clemson apartment. Please don't hate us, Amanda! Hope it's found a nice nook in your home.

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with the aforementioned Tiger- and how precious is Darcy's outfit, handmade by her mama?!

Richard with Andy and the Fortune brothers

love these girls- two of my oldest friends, April and Meghanne

After having Christmas dinner a few days early with our Ohio family and cooking for the party and buying a car Christmas Eve morning (goodbye Grand Cherokee, hello Acura MDX!), we decided to make Christmas Eve dinner an Outback night. I was skeptical, but we ran into everyone and their brother and had a great meal.

the Davis family (Will made it home!) and the Webb family (minus Suzanne, who had to work)

capping off Christmas Eve with dessert at Miss Ruby's

We went over to Richard's Aunt Debbie's Christmas morning for a fabulous breakfast and gift exchange.

Josh, who's marrying Molly, Richard's cousin in April, Richard and Cousin Al

the whole group minus the bride-to-be, who refused to be photographed in PJs- can you blame her?

We went back to my parents' house, opened presents, and ate again. We visited a few of Richard's cousins, played in the snow (yay White Christmas!) and finished the evening with a movie. All in all, a wonderful first married Christmas.

the boys in their new beanies and gloves

same spot- this time with Will

opening presents at the Webbs

first White Christmas in Spartanburg since 1963!

my mother's St. Francis of Assisi bird feeder, which she loves

Merry Christmas from the Davises and Webbs!