The White House!

In college I focused my academic history interest on politics, specifically presidents. In graduate school, I focused in even more and wrote my master's thesis on the White House from a public history perspective, exploring how both presidents and the people used the building itself and its image to establish and reinforce their views of how the government should relate to the people [I could go on but very few people would care :) ].

I think, on a personal and public historian level, that it is a shame that the White House is now so closed to the general public (by understandable security necessity of course, but still unfortunate). I myself have done the public tour that one can get through their congressperson, and have always wanted to see more. The house just exudes this sense of history that is somewhat intoxicating to a public historian who specializes in politics...and the White House itself. So while I enjoyed the public tour, I always wanted more.

And I finally got to go! I went as a guest of my boss who was invited to the White House Celebration of Design cocktail event on October 8, 2014 (the day before my birthday. Best. present. ever.) Though only the public sections of the house that one usually sees on tours were open, there were no ropes to keep me from touching things (judiciously, of course. I do work in a museum after all), from wandering the rooms at my leisure, from inspecting paintings up close and taking pictures was totally allowed. It was amazing. 

Dresses worn by the FLOTUS.

Line to meet the FLOTUS.

Michelle Obama gave a speech, but I was too short to see it. Nice chandeliers though.

From my Project Runway viewing, I recognized Anna Wintour, Rachel Roy, Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, Naomi Campbell, Cynthia Lieve, Jenna Lyons, Zac Posen and Diane von Furstenburg. I was wearing a dress made by my mother and shoes I bought from Old Navy five years ago because I am awesome.
 

I made an exception of not taking photos of famous people for Anna Wintour, because my friend was begging me to capture her image on film.

Just absolutely amazed to be there.

                            

And I took a selfie in the White House bathroom. Can you say classy?

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What to Wear to Disney

[edit: I wrote this post when I was heading to Disney in 2014. Sadly, it is January 2015 and I'm not headed to WDW]

I'm leaving for Disney in three days! 

And I'm having trouble packing. This time around I'm only going to be there for two full days, book-ended by two half days. The problem is that it is much easier for me to pack for six days than basically two. I'm a chronic over packer. Also, I haven't been to Disney in full-on summer weather in over five years-but I remember what it's like. Boy, do I remember.  Hot, humid, and very much like my own lovely Washington, D.C. in that it is quite simply not fit for daily living. So I'm thinking that this trip I'm going to let go of any notions of fashion and embrace the probability of being a big sweaty-but-happy mess.

I've read a log of blog advice on what to wear to Disney, most of it conflicting. The real secret to choosing clothes for WDW, in my humble opinion, is to wear whatever enables you to feel you can really enjoy yourself. Maybe that means your most comfortable work-out gear. Maybe it means a dress and flip-flops. You know what you personally feel best in. Nothing ruins a day for me like constantly worrying about what I'm wearing. 

Every time I pack for WDW I find myself getting caught up in what will look good in photos, what will be most comfortable, etc., etc., and it all boils down to this: what can I put on and feel reasonably confident in, and then totally forget that I am wearing so that I can have a blast? Because after all that thought, I NEVER remember what I wore (which is good) only that I had a great time. I often don't even mind if I don't look the greatest in my photos, because I usually have a huge, beaming smile on my face and I don't care what you look like, happy looks good on anybody.

See? I got caught in a rainstorm on my way to lunch, but I was so friggin' excited to eat at Be Our Guest that I didn't even care.

This one? Sweaty. No make-up. But hey, Figment! So who cares?

That being said, I do have a few suggestions for what to pack beyond the usual "breathable cotton" and "comfortable shoes":

1. Pack extra shirts. And underwear. I usually head back to my room for an afternoon swim or nap. Once I change out of a shirt that has gotten sweaty, I personally can't bring myself to put it back on, so I'll often wear the same shorts and shoes with a clean t-shirt for a return to the parks in the evening. Yes, this means packing essentially two outfits for some days, but it is worth it when you realize that I wouldn't be able to focus on having fun while wondering if my shirt smelled like sweat all night. Don't even get me started on sweat-soaked underwear (it happens).

2. Wear the shoes you want. You'll be walking a lot. You'll be standing even more. Wear whatever means comfort in that situation for you. When I was finally old enough to choose my own footwear (my parents were always big on the athletic shoes in any walking situation), I wore flip flops, and contrary to everything I had ever been told, they didn't break and my feet felt fabulous at the end of the day. I will say, however, that they were decent flip flops, not $2 bargains meant for the pool.

3. Pack for extreme sun and extreme rain. Sunglasses are a must if you like to see. So are ponchos if you like to be dry and don't want to be making a mad dash to pay for one in the Emporium or MouseGear.

I'm sure there are plenty more tips to be had. I will amend as necessary, and you can feel free to leave yours in the comments! Now to get back to trying not to over think the current contents of my suitcase.

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Weekend Recap

B was away for the weekend on a motorcycle trip, so I took the opportunity to fill my weekend with other friends and family.

Friday night I had pizza and beer with my little brother while watching World's Dumbest.

Saturday I indulged...a lot. Since B doesn't like to eat junk food and I love it, I tend to go a little overboard when he's away. Ice cream by myself, and then dinner and wine with my girlfriends while we watched wedding shows. We capped off the evening with a cupcake tasting.

Sunday morning I got to have snuggles with my fur babies.

Sunday myself, my brother and one of my cousins took my grandmother out to dinner for her upcoming 75th birthday. 

Party shoes.

In my hometown there's a rather unique restaurant built in an old chicken coop on a farm, and it is THE PLACE to go to celebrate something (it's also one of THE ONLY PLACES to go, but that's beside the point). They serve food family style, and the only thing you choose is your main dish. In the "appetizer" round they bring out cottage cheese and apple butter, coleslaw, fruit and sugar biscuits or "hush puppies". The hush puppies are not the kind you get in the south. They are simply biscuits fried and rolled in sugar, and they are one of the best things you will ever put in your mouth.

Mouth-watering goodness.

We made her sit with a birthday balloon. Thankfully no one sang.

After you are full of fried carbs, they bring you your entree (my cousin and I split fried chicken and eggplant parmesan) along with green beans, corn, french fries and, at our request, more hush puppies. And if you aren't done (which you aren't) they top it off with a dish of ice cream. Afterwards, as tradition dictates, you roll yourself out onto the grounds of the farm to visit the pond and the ducks that live there. If you are in the know, you save some of the non-sugared dinner rolls (since no one eats the non-sugared ones, there are plenty) to feed the little guys.

Such a great weekend, but glad to have B home safely for snuggles.

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Three days off. Here's what I have to show for it (hint: not much).

I am coming down off of a 3 day weekend and its always hard to come back to work but I shall persevere. 

Friday after a doctor's appointment I had lunch and went shopping with my mom. The kittens were the big winners from that trip as I got them lots of toys.

Cuddles with his new squishy.

A little high off the catnip mice.

Being off also meant I got to wear comfy clothes and indulge my new found passion for leggings.

Saturday we slept late and did a short hike to a local little waterfall.

The shirt I got him in Hawai'i.

B took me to Famous Dave's for dinner since I love BBQ but have never been there. Let me tell you, it was worth it. I had a delicious pulled pork sandwich WITH COLESLAW ON IT (I am big on food mixing) and broccoli that I chose because I felt like it was the healthy option but it was really, really good so I'm pretty sure it must've been smothered in butter but oh well.

This weekend also marked the return of the Mickey Mouse antennae topper.

Also this:

                                                        

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Grati-Tuesday (including video!)

1. Laying in bed, luxuriating in the twilight that is the hazy time right before you fall asleep, and B just whispers "our life is awesome."

2. Weather where I can break out my leggings and its considered appropriate.

                                              

3. The Muppets are having a moment and I couldn't be more pleased to see them back. Witness here the Fraggles crashing Ben Folds Five's new single:



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It's Friday...I got a cape, so I'm officially a superhero.

Actually it's not that kind of cape. However, I still think it may give me superpowers. That remains to be seen. I am now waiting impatiently for the weather to be cool enough for me to wear it.

Via Modcloth


This morning in the office we're listening/singing along Disney songs via Pandora (the singing might just be me. I do particularly enthusiastic renditions of "Part of Your World" and "Belle"). Guaranteed to brighten your spirits if you're not sure you can make it through the eight hours of work remaining between you and the weekend.

Via

Hopefully the weather remains relatively pleasant so that B and I can take a little hike tomorrow. There's a trail that goes from near our apartment down to a quaint town with a coffee shop we like to pop in to every now and again, but we haven't been able to do much outside in months due to the overwhelming heat and humidity. I look forward to regaining our somewhat more active weekends. Happy Friday!

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Grati...Thursday.

So I haven't done a Grati-Tuesday post in a while. But that doesn't mean I don't have anything to be thankful for! So I'm scooting it over to Thursday this week. Behold my thankfulness for:

1. Other Disney freaks on Pinterest, so I can get my fix vicariously through things like this:

Via

Via

2. A vet that is open late so that we can get flea meds when we discover our kittens are infested. Not thankful for fleas or the WORMS THAT APPEAR TO HAVE COME WITH THEM. I just had to have the strays. Thankfully they are indoor cats, so once we take care of the problems they seem to have come with, they should be good to go for the foreseeable future, at least as far as pests are concerned.

3. Cheddar cheese sticks and grapes as a morning snack.

4. Stripes, stripes, stripes.

5. The Free TV Project, through which I discovered a new guilty pleasure: Underage and Pregnant, the British version of 16 and Pregnant. Yes. I will watch this.

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This is my nightmare.

When I was little, my grandmother would babysit me when my daycare was closed. One of my distinct memories of those times (besides my grandmother letting me do her hair while we watched soap operas and used a fan to blow her hair back like the ladies in the soap opera openers) is when her house got infested with fleas. I was so scared and disgusted by the jumping little insects and the prospect that they might touch me that I spent an entire afternoon sitting on top of the back of her couch (the actual back; it was as far from the carpet full of death that I could get).

Fleas are a scourge. I mean, they are responsible for the Black Death.

And now they are on my kittens. My adorable kittens have betrayed me and for the last four weeks have apparently been playing host to little flea eggs just biding their time until they could hatch in my clean apartment and terrorize me.

We launched a four prong attack last night when we discovered the beasts. To the vet for flea meds, combed out the kitties, doused them in flea bath, vacuumed the apartment and sprayed all the fabrics with some kill-everything-alive spray. We also banned the kitties from the bedroom, which I felt bad about but I WILL NOT HAVE FLEAS IN MY BED. As of this morning the kittens only showed one or two fleas each when I combed them out, which is a vast improvement. Still unacceptable.

Hopefully we caught it early enough that it won't become a big problem. But honestly, that's pretty much all I remember from my Labor Day weekend. Any good memories were apparently negated by the Flea Crisis of 2012.

Well, that, and I got new shoes.

Also I tried the new Autumn Apple Chicken Salad at Cosi and loved it. Highly recommend.

Link up and share your weekend, which hopefully did not involve fleas!

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Workin' for the weekend.

I'm really, really glad that it's a holiday weekend. I'll let Winnie the Pooh tell you my main plans.

Via.



I love sleeping. B wakes up by 7:30 even on the weekends, just naturally bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. If you let me, I'll sleep past noon. Even after going to bed at 9 p.m. I may have a problem. Still, I can't wait to finally get some decent sleep in.

My other focus for the weekend: lose 5 lbs/learn to love myself. I realize this is a bit ambitious for a weekend, but I might as well start somewhere. I've really been struggling this week between wanting to buckle down on my eating habits and just lose 5-10 pounds so I can be a skinny bitch and just accepting that a healthy body weight for me involves a little pudge in the middle and enjoying a treat without guilt.

I inherently rebel against the idea that I need to be a certain weight to be happy or beautiful. And yet I can't quite seem to convince my sub-conscious to adopt that mindset. Instead, I'll eat something, then berate myself for doing so, even if it was healthy. Then berate myself for berating myself because, hello, you need to eat and there's no shame in feeding oneself, or even in enjoying one's food. This weekend I'm going to try and adopt the following attitude:

Via

In lighter news, I wore these things this week and liked them:

Any advice on how you find balance between being healthy and accepting a body that is amazing, whole, and allows you to do so many things while not looking like some societal ideal would be appreciated!

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I'm in love with my outfit.

I saw a woman on my way to work yesterday who was wearing a version of this outfit, and I liked it so much I put together my own version today.

DOTSTRIPES. I'm having so much fun in it. The skirt swings fulfillingly when I spin, it includes navy and cream, one of my favoritest color combos, and I get to have stripes AND dots. Why didn't I think of this myself? New favorite outfit.



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I'm joining the Red Hat Society. At 24.

I had a breakfast meeting this morning. My office is business casual on its best day, so I was excited to wear the J. Crew chambray dress I'd picked up (for a song) this weekend at the outlets. I excitedly debuted it to B, since he loves when I wear dresses, and his response was, "Is there a belt?" Well, no. Does it need one? I asked him if it made me look fat since it was straight up and down and he said he felt like it would look better with a belt since it would show some curves. I didn't have time to put one on, so I threw a belt in my bag and headed out the door.

I liked the outfit. I like when things are a little shorter but loose, so I don't feel like I'm showing too much. But because I often exhibit little to no confidence of self, I then fretted all morning about whether I should belt it or not. I belted it and asked my coworkers. The two of them agreed that they liked it with the belt. I had one of them take a picture.



Hello, linebacker shoulders.



And it turns out, I hated it with the belt. I don't like the shape the dress takes on, I don't like the emphasis it puts on my shoulders, and I don't like feeling like I'm wearing something short and tight. So even though three people have told me to belt it, I'm not going to do so. Because really, it's about how I feel in the clothes, not how others perceive me. At least, this is what I tell myself. And I'm going to try and use this as a lesson in being confident in my own outfit choices. If I feel good in it and it's occasion appropriate, I'm going to wear it.

Wanna see something else I wore?

Mickey Mouse earrings! What what!

Also I got a sweet purple band-aid at work. Since my shoes are red, I feel like one of those Red Hat Society ladies. You know, "When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple With a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me."

And you know what? That sentiment kind of fits perfectly with my outfit dilemma today. Maybe others don't think my dress suits me the way I want to wear it. But I like it, and I don't care. Why wait until we're old to wear red with purple or things that don't "suit"? Who gets to decide what suits us anyway?

In the poem from which the Red Hat Society derives its mission statement, Warning by Jenny Joseph, the author declares that in her old age she will wear what she wants and act silly in order to "make up for the sobriety of my youth." But you know what? I don't want to have anything to make up for when I'm old. I'd like to have a little more fun and a little less (figurative) sobriety now.

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