a little party with madewell

If you were reading this in the same room as me, I would not be making eye contact with you, because I totally swore off outfit posts. NEVER FEAR! This is actually just me being desperate to put a post up/laugh at the snow because the windows are totally open right now in this 65 degree weather/shamelessly plug the Madewell shopping event I am hosting tomorrow night. 

Because these jeans. These jeans complete me. I have many a-pair of Madewell jeans, but THESE. I try to wear them every day but my husband is in the fashion industry & holds me accountable to things like diversity & hygiene. Every lady should have a pair of holey, blue denim, in my personal opinion. My father would disagree, & probably offer to make the holes for you himself for cheaper, but I digress.

Come shop with me tomorrow night at the Madewell in Georgetown from 6-8pm & let the macarons we'll have out be an added incentive to come, if even just to peruse & see my smiling face. 

See you there!!! (?) !!!

jared turns 27

Jared's birthday always swoops in right when I think winter is about to get the best of us. Celebrating my favorite human coincidently becomes my saving grace. We agree that it works out nicely. SO! With a new city to play in & cold, rainy, March weather in abundance, we made our way through almost my entire itinerary, only cutting out the lobster roll stop because the birthday boy wasn't feeling 100% & no one wants lobster rolls ruined.

^^ 

I don't really know why we started taking polaroids as our birthday wake-up call, but I figure if we can keep it up & polaroid film doesn't disappear off the face of the planet, we'll have a cool & really weird collection of photos to look back on in 30 years.

^^
Birthday breakfast in bed, always. 

^^

The cold march to Dupont

^^

First stop & first time at the legendary Kramerbooks. It was everything I hoped a Dupont bookstore would be.

^^

I managed to only peruse while Jared picked out a new novel, beings that I have quite the stack of unfinished books on my bedside table. He picked up some Chabon & I'm going to try my hardest not to read over his shoulder in the evenings.

^^

Fancy pork belly ramen for lunch. No better time of year for ramen & pho taste testing than the dreary winter.

 ^^

Hey there, 27 year old husband. Goin' my way?

 ^^

It was a perfect museum day, so we wandered over to visit The Phillips Collection to finally check that museum visit off our ever-growing list of places to visit in the city. So incredible to see their Man Ray exhibit. MATH!

^^

What's a birthday without a little Monet?

 ^^

Do not be surprised if our future nursery is inspired by this painting.

^^

This is one of Jared's favorite paintings, thanks to his mama's admiration of it. We stayed in this room for awhile, just looking. So happy to have someone to stand next to as we stare at Impressionist paintings in cities all over the world.

^^

DEGAS! DEGAS DEGAS DEGAS! This is my favorite painting by my favorite artist. I got a decent heaping of Degas in Paris, but THIS! It was basically my birthday, too. 

^^

I take these street pictures because someday walking the streets of DC as a part of our daily routine will seem like another lifetime. 

^^

He is so handsome. I just. Ugh. & that salt & pepper? Excuse me? #likeafinewine #hottereveryyear

^^

Had to document this for posterity. I am so sad to admit that I am not the giver of the card to end all birthday cards. No, no. It was from Andrew. Bravo, good sir.

^^

This looks pretty gross, but I can assure you, it was delicious. J's standing birthday cake request is brownies + coffee ice-cream, so to mix things up, I made an olive oil & sea salt monster cookie with salted caramel & espresso ice cream. It was decadent.  Jared claims it miraculously healed him & I don't actually doubt it. It was that good. We followed this up with a beer tasting with some of his friends down the street, & I'm certain the chocolate perfectly prepped our palates ;)

-----

Jared, wonderful Jared - I know I said happy birthday 1,000 times (in between freaking out that you're 27 because omgggg you're TWENTY-SEVEN) but I'm saying it again. Happy birthday, my love. 26 was such a journey for you & I am excited for this year's wild ride, & every adventure it holds. I love you with all of me.

this month - march

MAKING - a month out of birthday festivities, celebrating my wonderful Jared

CRAVING - Twizzlers, because that's what happens when I give up sugar

PLAYING - lots of Jaymes Young & Broods

LISTENING TO - our neighbors through our kitchen walls #apartmentlife

READING - my own writing to proofread for errors more often than the two books I started this winter

WATCHING - House of Cards, Season 3 (which will last us a week) then resuming The West Wing, duh

WEARING - heels more often, in an attempt to elevate my appearance for the remainder of winter

LEARNING - the ins & outs of Squarespace, now that Tart's blog is up & running

GOING TO - Richmond & Roanoke for #girlboss shenanigans

WORKING ON - saying "yes", which is not always easy for the ambivert I've become in my old age

OBSESSED WITH - slouchy tees & boyjeans. Saving up all my pennies.

PLANNING - our 5 year anniversary trip... Suggestions, anyone?

EXCITED FOR - My best fraaand Emily & her hubby visit from Indiana next week!

HOPING - that this time change next weekend come swiftly & painlessly. I'm SO ready for the extra daylight!

STARTING - to venture out to coffee shops on my Tart work days to avoid the cabin fever I've been feeling

FINISHING - a doormat project, an intense 30 day detox & editing our Europe photos, you betcha

What are you up to this month?

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.

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.