Lincoln Park After Dark

I went to get a mani-pedi during lunch today to reward myself for sticking to my diet and exercise plan everyday since we started on Jan 4th. I'm also prepping for my trip to South Beach next weekend too!

Now, I know you must be thinking, why would you get a manicure this early, it will surly chip and fade before next Friday. Not so fast my friends, it's a new system called Axxium Gel by OPI. I read about it on Lis Loves Blog, and decided I must try it for myself!

My manicure should now last 2 weeks... I sure hope it does because I have a lot going on in the next 2 weeks and redoing my manicure isn't one of them!

I also went dark for the first time in my life. I am more of a french manicure and red pedicure kinda girl. This combo usually looked quite lovely with my Florida suntan, but I do have to say that Lincoln Park After Dark seems to compliment my Mid-Atlantic paleness very well.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend, and I will update you next week on the durability of this manicure.

Cheers!

Out to Eat

Sooo... I just got word of Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival. It is being held February 19 & 20 at the National Harbor.

I can tell you one person who I'm sure will be joining me!

Ok so those are clams, but you get the idea.

This week is also DC's famed Restaurant Week were we are able to go to wonderful establishments and have a three course meal for a set price. $2o.10 for lunch and $35.10 for dinner. This gives us a chance to explore new places at great prices.

On Sunday I will be joining a group of my sorority sisters from UF at BlackSalt for our monthly brunch. I feel so lucky to have such dear and wonderful sisters that I share so many great memories with living and working in the same city as me! After brunch we are planning on touring the National Cathedral.

Josh and I were going to make a day out of Sunday and go to Willow for dinner, buuuut we only get one free day a week. Instead of indulging on Sunday we will be able to celebrate Jack's birthday with cake on Saturday and have a nice dinner with Josh's work team and their wives Saturday night.

Lot’s to Celebrate

We brought in 2010 with Adam and Sam in NYC.  They hosted us in their awesome apartment, and we had a blast exploring the Big Apple with them.  We saw all the sites, ate at great restaurants, cheered the Gators to victory at the Cornerstone Tavern, and watched the ball drop in our PJ’s with chocolate fondue and champaign!

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A few days later it was time to celebrate my big 3-0!  Our friends joined us for a great night full of merriment, cheese, wine and cupcakes!   I couldn’t imagine celebrating this milestone with more wonderful people!

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Menu Monday

Week Two on Body for Life! All our menu items mostly come from the Eating for Life cookbook.

Monday - Asian Lettuce Wraps
Tuesday - BBQ Salmon, Jalapeno Cheese Grits and Asparagus
Wednesday - Chicken Parmesan with Baby Spinach
Thursday - Turkey Sloppy Joe's
Friday - Chicken Enchiladas

Here is a link to my favorite soup, which I will be having for lunch with a lean protein this week.

Ginger Squash and Pear Soup

I discovered Spark Recipes this weekend and LOVE it. You can type in any recipe and it will give you the nutritional information. You can then make online cookbooks to store your recipes and share then with others on the site. It's really great!

Cupcakes

So after my Junior League Brunch tomorrow I am walking over to Georgetown Cupcake to pick out fun and delicious cupcakes for my party tomorrow night at Cheesetique.

Cupcakes, Cheese, Fabalious Friends - so far 30 is pretty AWESOME! Now, which flavors to pick...

Books I'm Reading & Turning 30

So, I have to say that Josh inspired me to stop watching HGTV every night and dive back into reading. After he passed his last exam for his CIA in December, he started reading like crazy, finishing books every other night. I on the other hand was watching For Rent and House Hunters.

I was excited to first finish a book I bought in the airport when I saw in my sororities magazine that it was written by a sister from the University of Alabama. The Help is a great novel about the relationships between white and African American women in the south during the 1950's and 60's. It has a powerful message to do what you think is right, no matter what the consequences. I also enjoyed all the references to "the league, " being a Junior Leaguer myself. We have come a long way from Chairing the Cupcake Committee! Parts of the book are difficult, and it's hard to imagine that people lived and thought this way just 40 years ago.

Right now, I am reading my first book on Josh's new Sony Reader-the little thing is great! American Wife has been on my list, and I am loving every second of it. It is honestly hard for me to put it down. I've heard it is based off of Laura Bush's life. I hope it is loosely based on her life, because some of the situations Alice has encountered would be hard for me to picture Laura Bush in. I am just at the point where she meets Charlie, who I assume is going to be her future husband. I can't wait for their love story to unfold-I will be reading from the moment dinner is cleaned up until I fall asleep tonight!

In other news, tomorrow I am turning 30. I can't believe it. If anything it's given me reason to look back and reflect on my life to this point. How blessed I am! God has worked wonders in my life. To have the friends I do, the experiences I have had, and a wonderful family to love and support me all along the way-there was truly a Greater Power behind it all! I am looking forward to celebrating with friends at Cheesetique this weekend and of course for 30 palooza in South Beach later this month. What a great time in my life! Every year I don't think it can get any better, but it always does-I'm looking forward to what my 30's will bring!

Menu Monday

Monday: Singapore Shrimp with Brown Rice and Edamame
Tuesday: Spaghetti with Caesar Salad
Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas
Thursday: Tilapia with Sauteed Zucchini and Lemon Scented Brown Rice
Friday: BBQ Chicken with Baked Potatoes and Salad