NoMa Summer Screen

NoMa Summer Screen is a free event put on by the good folks at NoMa BID.

NoMa is an acronym for "North of Massachusetts Avenue" and BID stands for "Business Improvement District."  This group of people are committed to rejuvenating the neighborhood to a safe and family friendly place.  One of the most anticpiated summer events is the Summer Screen series where we neighborhood folks can bring our blankets, chairs and dinner and relax on the grass while watching classic movies.

Our Community Group decided to go together this week to see Ghostbusters!  The movie theme this year is "The End of the World" in honor of the Mayans prediction.  The weather was perfect (our heatwave had not arrived yet) and we all enjoyed a great evening on the lawn.

Who you gonna call?  GHOSTBUSTERS!

Thankful in Threes

In an effort to consciously count my blessings, I've decided to start a weekly post entitled:

Thankful in Threes

Even though I have many more than three things per week to be thankful for, I thought it would be a good place to start.  I'm going to try not to think too hard about this post - I want it to highlight some of the "little things" that make this ol' life so wonderful. 

(Plus since I'm doing this post on Thursday and I'm trying to be all English-Major-cool-alliteration-like...I think three will be my number)

Without further adieu...here are my three thankfuls for this week:

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One: The summer heat.  I know, I know.  You're sweating.  It's humid.  It may not be fun to walk around in the heat, but...remember when it was winter and 20 degrees and you were complaining?  Ok, I may be talking to myself here, but I'm going to try to keep in mind that in winter I always wish it were summer...and in summer...vice versa.

The Capitol last week during our first summer heat wave.  Love that haze!

Biker Barre: Spin Class

I experienced my first spin class this week!

Holly convinced me to go with her to Biker Barre, a boutique workout studio on the Hill that specializes in (you guessed it) spin classes and barre classes!

There are several levels of each ranging from a breather barre class to a journey spin class.

The lobby has a chic and modern feel.
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The Spin Studio!
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After a very intense 45 minute class, we were rewarded with towels that had been soaked in a mixture of rosemary, sage and lavender then stored in a refrigerator!  The ice cold, sweet smelling towels let us leave the studio feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.  

Proof that I made it through!

My take: this is a great way to add variety to a weekly work out.  My instructor was very motivating and pushed me to work harder than I would have by myself.  It was fun being in the class with friends and I will definitely do it again.

The Happiest of Hours: Pacifico Cantina

Summer's long daylight hours and warm evenings are the perfect recipe for a rooftop restaurant.

Barrack's Row on Capitol Hill has a new kid on the block - Pacifico Cantina - and I was anxious to try it out especially because it boasts a huge outdoor seating area upstairs.

View from the street: You can just see the friendly red umbrellas peeking over the edge of the upstairs.

Confessing

Hydrangeas by Hart Senate Office Building

Every Sunday at Grace DC, we come to a point in the service called "Confession."  The congregation reads a prayer that has been written by one of the pastors in unison.  This time of confession is a moment to be honest with God and with ourselves.  It is powerful to hear hundreds of others praying the same words--it reinforces that we all deal with similar underlying sins and that God offers more than enough forgiveness to cover all of our shortcomings.

This week's prayer resonated with me:

"Father, we come to you in great need of your forgiveness and grace.  Our corrupt hearts are so easily exposed during times of suffering and trial.  We are quick to despair and we doubt your character when our life's circumstances are difficult.  We are often slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to anger when our plans for a trial free life are over turned.  And when we get angry at our frustrated plans, we do not live according to the beauty of your grace to us.  Rather, we take out our frustration on the people around us with our words, withdrawal and resentment."

As I reflected over those sentences, I began flipping through a mental list of my actions from the past week.  (This weekly prayer time usually has a way of reminding me of my sins that I have conveniently forgotten.)  I kept thinking about how quickly I always assume the worst case scenario when a situation does not go according to my plans.  This negative reaction can have a depressing effect on those around me.  Most of the time, my "fear" of something going wrong never materializes in the worst case scenario that I have imagined.  The root of this panic is lack of trust that God is working out the situation for my best.

How would my life look different if I truly lived my belief that God knows and wants what is best for me?  I would accept changes and tweaks (and yes, *gulp* even massive edits) to my "perfect plan."  Instead of becoming anxious, I would channel that energy into more prayer for the situation.  I would step back, take a breath, and pray more instead of worrying.

As I enter a new week, undoubtedly filled with twists, turns and tweaks, I am thankful for the reminder that God is in charge of my journey.  Just one request: if you see me worrying over a set of circumstances, will you gently remind me to take it to the Lord in prayer?

Mississippi on the Mall 2012

The 22nd Annual Mississippi on the Mall takes place this Saturday!

The Washington Post selected our events as the "Editors' Pick" for a weekend activity in Washington.

Their quick take: "A corner of the Mall turns into a little bit of Mississippi at this annual party, with a catfish dinner, sweet tea and the Mississippi Cadillac Blues Band."

If you live in the area, come join us on Saturday for a great time!

Weekend Bliss

It's the WEEKEND and I will actually be spending it in DC...I've never been so excited.

For the past five consecutive weekends I have either been out of town (4) or had friends in town (1).  It has all been wonderful (a welcome change of pace) I am thrilled to have a weekend that is, for the most part, wide open.

What will I do?  Paint a desk?  Style a kitchen centerpiece? Drink coffee and read magazines in my bed? Dine alfresco?  Shop for fresh veggies at Eastern Market?  Ride my bike?

Whatever the weekend holds, I plan to soak it all in fully--along with DC.

After all, I'm about to hit my four year mark of living here, so I think it's time to begin the celebration now.

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Photo Booth Fun

Lee and Josh had a photo booth at their rehearsal dinner...along with lips and mustaches!  You could be yourself or try on red lipstick and facial hair for a change.  

We had a blast!

Lee + Josh

My brother and Lee are getting married this weekend!

Our family will be celebrating in Richmond (rehearsal dinner) and Keswick (ceremony and reception) at Castle Hill Cider.

I'm looking forward to officially having a sister and spending some quality time with lots of friends and family.

Here are some photos of the venue:

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Hooray for Lee and Josh!