2.25.2015

to whom it may concern:

To whatever weird allergy/sickness thing I have going on right now: get OUTTA here. Literally don't have time for this, & while having an excuse to stay in pajamas on the couch all week has been nice, I am a giant ball of low-energy thanks to you.

To the juice bar around the corner: we didn't know just how lucky we were when we picked our current apartment. your apple/lemon/ginger/tumeric concoction is saving my life today.

To Ingrid Michaelson: did it hurt when you fell from heaven? because you must be an angel. If Parachute was the only song I was allowed to listen to for the rest of my life, I would not be mad.

To the lady walking a 9 week old labradoodle outside my building: no, no. Thank YOU for letting him jump all over me. & you're welcome for not snatching him & running, because I know I'd be faster than you.

To my handsome Jared: Thank you for letting me hijack the macbook that you bought for yourself two years ago. It works out really well that you don't have time to be on the computer with your new job, but I still feel bad. You're the best. I'll repay you with kisses & three, yes THREE episodes of the West Wing tonight.

To the self-proclaimed "avocado expert" who helped me at the grocery store: I couldn't understand most of what you were saying, but any old little man who thumps avocados with two fingers & then holds it up to his ear has got my attention.

To my future dog: I don't know where you are in the world right now, but I hope you're preparing yourself for the most cuddles ever. I know I am.

To the paper towels I bought: Lucky for you, we actually were running low on paper towels................ But I really thought I had grabbed toilet paper. Cold medicine: 1 Kelsey: 0

To Parks & Rec: Why did you have to end? I've only just started Season 7 & I'm already dreading the series finale. *sniff* Andy & April 4ever.

To Netflix: Yes, I am still watching & will continue watching until spring has arrived. Please stop judging me & just start the next episode.

2.22.2015

greener grass, etc., etc.



Oh. Man.

It has grown to be a quiet month on this little blog. Two posts, so far? YIKES.

I glanced back to see how many posts I'd written last February, but ended up just being struck by how much was going on this time last year. A new baby nephew, the Olympics (which are a major deal in my world), a friend's album release, a Valentine's date, outfits out the wazoo... Compared to this year, when our schedules are so intensely packed that our Valentine's Day date will probably happen in March & the most significant things that have happened to us are Jared's newfound addiction to The West Wing & some really delicious chocolate cookies.

The truth is that these winter months in a new city have been hard. Disclaimer: I don't do a ton of therapy writing on this blog, & I have a feeling that most of the people reading this signed up for Style Blogger Kelsey, not LiveJournal-Circa-2007 Kelsey... But with community being a vacant position these days, blogging is the closest thing I've got. Lucky youuuu.

These early days of business ownership have been testing both my & Amelia's (grammar?) skills in time management & already punching us in the face with work/life balance challenges. It's entirely too easy to sit in front of the computer screen for hours on end, plowing through the perpetual to-do list & usually spiraling down a pinterest-induced rabbit trail that makes me want to do ALL the things, be the BEST & keep working until my eyes can't stay open. When there is always something to do for the baby business that we want so badly to flourish, it's hard to step away for a blog post, or Europe photo editing (yeah, THAT'S still happening), or city exploring. I'm working on it. There has to be a balance. & I want this blog to be a part of that balance. So, bear with me.

I half-joked to a co-worker at my part-time job that I still haven't made friends in DC. March marks six months in DC & I'm failing to understand how people start a life in new city. We've figured out our grocery store, & where the closest weekend farmer's market is. We have a favorite coffee place, a local pizza joint for the nights we don't want to make dinner, a routine for our mornings when we both walk in to work together. I am so happy to be in this city that we've loved for so long, & what a joy to be here with my best friend... But, MAN, we'd love a double date. & I grew up with three sisters, so you KNOW I'm jonesin' for girl time. I am watching the Academy Awards ALONE tonight, for Pete's sake. We get our doses here & there, on our trips back to Norfolk or down to Richmond, but there's a sense of normalcy that's missing... Something that's keeping DC from feeling like home. Six months. That's a long time to not feel at home.

The grass is always greener. This phrase terrifies me, but it's also been running through my head for the past few weeks. This time last year, I was so discontent living only 40 minutes from where I grew up. Wanting a new city, new adventures, a fresh start. But because stupid hindsight is 20/20, I'm realizing that there is no replacement for community. Having people. People that know you, anticipate you, request you, recognize you. Building our new community has been daunting. Maybe we haven't applied ourselves. We are always going in opposite directions, with long hours & zero energy at the end of the day. We need to pull it together. Team Bethune, for the win.

All of that being said, I think the winter months are making me entirely too introspective. Being generally overwhelmed, always cold & limited to being outside only when I have to be is toying with my brain. I have diagnosed myself with the winter sads, & the only cure is spring in all of its cherry blossom glory.

So here's to adventures. To my best friend & her husband visiting from Indiana in March. To maybe treating myself to a manicure before I settle in for an evening with Neil Patrick Harris tonight. To tulips on the kitchen window sill. To the most ridiculously tall over the knee socks I could find paired with the most cozy of slippers. To crushing some work/life balance. To instagramming in the snow. To listening to my inner monologue from time to time. To LiveJournal.

& to DC. You may not feel like home, but I haven't deleted your number yet, you sly dog.

2.08.2015

iphone does - birthday, brunch & burgers

*waves* Me again. With pictures from last weekend's fun with friends!
^^ Our Coulomb besties showed up to celebrate Andrew's birthday weekend. Jared had to work a bit on Sunday, so the three of us filled our time with a bottomless Mexican brunch on 14th St. It was somehow my first DC brunch, & mannnn, it did not disappoint. We missed Jared so, but now I have an excellent excuse to return.
^^ Super Bowl Sunday = The only Sunday Jared & I kick back with canned beer & watch football. It's becoming a tradition to spend it with the Coulombs, which works out REALLY well for us, since Amelia always makes her famous Buffalo Chicken Dip. (**side note: If you're wondering if all we do when we're with Amelia & Andrew is eat... Well, you're not wrong.)
^^ Birthday rice krispy! ^^
^^ The next morning, after we successfully started the Coulombs addiction to House of Cards (like all good friends would), we balanced out all the delicious food we consumed with a nice long walk to the National Portrait Gallery. 
^^ Snow, cold, rain... I can handle all of it. But wind? OMG I HATE WIND. It was truly in rare form when we came out of the museum. The kind of wind that leaves you feeling like you just got beat up. The. Worst. ^^
^^ But the promise of Shake Shack burgers & fries kept smiles on everyone's face ^^
^^ See? I'm smiling right now just at the memory. YUM. ^^
Always such good times with these wonderful friends.

2.02.2015

this month - february

MAKING - crockpot recipes, all day, every day
CRAVING - a good concert
PLAYING - The X-Files as my work background noise. It is 1990s glory.
LISTENING TO - lots of classical music, mostly Vivaldi
READING - Serena
WATCHING - as many Academy Award nominated films as possible
WEARING - a new coat that comes down to my knees because good gracious it's cold
LEARNING - how fun having a huge rug is when you don't own a vacuum
GOING TO - Norfolk/Chesapeake to celebrate three birthdays on my side of the family
WORKING ON - cleaning up the house before we go to bed at night
OBSESSED WITH - cutting holes in my jeans
PLANNING - our Valentine's Day date night
RESEARCHING - Indian wedding traditions
HOPING - we get one solid snow day out of this winter
STARTING - up my morning workouts again, after a 5 month hiatus 
FINISHING - Frasier, after recently finishing How I Met Your Mother... Oh, Netflix.

So sorry for the silence that fell over January's posts... Beyond being overwhelmingly busy with Tart, I've also fallen into a social media inspiration rut. Eep. Hoping I can shake it & get over this winter funk.