The Social Chair

We interrupt this blog ...

2010-04-09T09:50:00.002-04:00

to bring you something way more fabulous: The 'Sex & the City 2' trailer!

can.not.wait.!

Where to begin?!

2010-04-02T12:35:00.000-04:00

So much has happened since last Friday - but most importantly....

MY TWIN SISTER GOT ENGAGED!

I absolutely couldn't be happier for her and her new finance, Adam! I've always considered him a brother and well, now it's official!!! Last night I threw them an engagement shower at The Liberty Tavern in Clarendon (I would highly recommend Liberty Tavern for an event - they have such great space, the perfect vibe and such friendly & helpful staff. Basically, they rock!).

The celebrations for Adam & Blair are just beginning and I couldn't be more thrilled! I'm also ecstatic that Blair has asked me to be her MOH (Maid of Honor) and it's a role I'll take verrrry seriously ;)

I have tons of photos and more details about everthing and will post it soon. Here's a photo of the koozie's I had made for their engagement:

Sorry for the fuzzy Blackberry photo!

Do you like the ginger ale I used for this photo op? Didn't have any beer with me at work, ha

We're huge koozie fans so this was a no brainer -- such a great (and cheap!) party favor, too! Oh, and for the non-Virginians out there 'Hoos is a nickname for UVA Alums like the happy bride & groom-to-be

Have a great weekend and a Happy Easter!
xo

Happy Friday!

2010-03-26T11:24:00.001-04:00

It's rainy and gross here in DC today - thankfully this photo cheered me right up. Happy weekend everyone! Hope the sun is shining where you are :)

(photo via rememberdecember)

True Words

2010-03-25T09:57:00.001-04:00

Found via True & Wesson

this list made me smile

The Big Dance

2010-03-18T16:07:00.004-04:00

March Madness is upon us!

While I usually don't care who wins - I'm always a fan of a good game and some friendly competition. I've entered a girls-only bracket contest with the hopes of seeing Kansas and Kentucky in the final game (so predictable right??)

Since I'm a bigger fan of fun bars and happy hours than who is shooting 3-pointers, I was so happy to see this list on the Going Out Guides' site: Best Bets for March Madness in the DC area. They list how many TV's each bar has, food and drink specials and even where some alumni groups will be meeting to cheer on their teams.

Now, where should I plan to spend my backet-winning money?? ha

*Update: District Tattle has a VERY great, detailed list for the best places to watch games - just in case you need a few more ideas

Erin Go Bragh!

2010-03-17T11:31:00.005-04:00

The Boondock Saints Theme - perfect for today

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all! Here are some fun St. Pat's links for ya:

Car Bomb Cupcakes (via the Smitten Kitchen): these are sinfully good!
Ideas of where get your Green Beer in DC (via the Going out Gurus)
What to Eat and Rink on St. Patrick's Day (via Serious Eats)
Do you know where the closest Shamrock Shake is? (via Find the Shake and McD's)

Wishing you all a very happy and GREEN St. Patrick's Day!

5 O'Clock Somewhere

2010-03-11T12:49:00.003-05:00

Have you seen The Party Dress? It's one of my favorite blogs to read - full of beautiful photos and plenty of party inspiration. Her most recent post goes along well with my spring thinking wish list - cocktail-details that pair perfectly with warm weather:

source

I love her idea of taking a cocktail and personalizing it with some of these decorations.

To go along with these fun embellishments here's my favorite Margarita recipe - courtesy of Bethenny (aka one of the Real Housewives of NYC)

Skinnygirl Margarita

What you'll need:

2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)
Tiny splash of Orange Liquor
Juice of 4 Fresh Lime Wedges

Combine all ingredients over a glass of ice and garnish with a lime wedge

Cheers!

And the (fashion) Oscar goes to...

2010-03-09T14:09:00.000-05:00

Three of the looks I LOVED from this year's Oscars:

Sandra Bullock
She not only won a REAL Oscar for her amazing performance in The Blind Side, but this stunning gold dress and it's details won my heart the moment she stepped on the red carpet. Her look further wowed me with her red lips and perfect tresses

we have similar coloring so I like to pretend this would look good on me too, haha

another GOLD choice by Cameron Diaz:

She looks like Oscar Barbie - and I love it (Good job Rachel Zoe!)

...and to prove that I am not just in love with metallic - Rachel McAdams. It wasn't love at first sight but this dress grew on me. She looks so at ease and effortlessly glamorous. It was also refreshing to see a pattern on the red carpet.

What about you -- any big hits or misses at this year's Academy Awards?

Spring Thinking

2010-03-04T06:26:00.002-05:00

The temperatures around the DC area are finally looking like they'll be seasonal today and throughout the weekend. The thought of sunshine and temps in the 50s got me thinking about what items I'd love to buy to spruce up my spring wardrobe

Spring 2010 Lust List:

Nude/Blush/Light Pink chiffon top

J. Crew Palmera Ruffle Cami

I love the feminine look of this ruffle shirt and the color pallet of the blush - light pink I think compliments so many women. This top paired with a pair of white jeans could look killer.

New Sunglasses - Lighter Frame

Tory Burch Metal Aviators

I love my brown oversized sunglasses but sometimes I wish I had a pair of with lighter frames. This spring I find myself drawn to aviators and these from Tory Burch I think fit the bill perfectly.

Printed Skirt

J Crew Neapolitan pencil skirt

I love this skirt for work... wait, I actually love this entire look!!!

Eight Sixty Silk Skirt

And I love this skirt for a night out or for the weekends paired with tights and boots for now and eventually with a pair of my favorite sandals.

Wedge Shoes

Banana Republic's Ramse Peep-Toe Wedge

I've been looking for a great nude shoe for work for some time now and I think these from Banana are perfect. The wedge makes them more sturdy and comfortable then regular pumps and the nude color elongates the leg.

Fun and Funky Nail Polish

OPI - Done Out in Deco

Last night on American Idol (not ashamed to admit I watch!) one of the singers was wearing light purple nail polish and I loved it! While I don't think I could rock this shade on my finger nails I will definitel go lilac at my next pedicure appointment

What are your must haves for spring??

*I promise to recap London soon, but my Mom and sister are practically the only people who read this blog and they were on the trip with me!!

Great Date Nights

2010-03-03T11:26:00.004-05:00

Until I am able to upload my London pics and do a recap - I wanted to share with you this great piece I found on Washingtonian's website - 158 Great Date ideas. Do you and you significant other ever find yourself in a rut? Well fear not! This page has so many great ideas to keep the spice alive.

Some of my favorites:

W Hotel's POV Bar - 515 15th Street NW

Drinks at the W Hotel's POV bar - the views are one of a kind and make for an unforgettable evening
DC Improv - my boyfriend and I went to a show last year and it was such a fun night! We still say the one-liners the comedian used in his show (the DC Improv would also be a fun group-date idea)
One of the top things on my to-do list is to go see a movie at Arlington Cinema ’n’ Drafthouse - the $1 movie night on Mondays is ideal for the couple on a budget
I'm a huge fan of going to see live music with my man and finally went to the State Theater for the first time last month - it's close by and has great bands (like the Legwarmers!)

Back from London!

2010-03-02T15:04:00.001-05:00

What a FANTASTIC FABULOUS UNFORGETTABLE trip we had to London! I plan to do a series of posts recapping my trip, but for today, I'm a little too jet-lagged and I haven't uploaded any photos so this post will be quick.

I feel so blessed and lucky to have such a great Mom and sister (I know everyone says that but it's true!). I'll remember this trip for the rest of my life.

Thanks agian for everything Mom!

Pip Pip Cheerio!!

2010-02-24T10:56:00.001-05:00

HOORAY!!!!! Our London trip is here!!!

I'll be back with a full report next week!

xoxo

When can we go Againn??

2010-02-22T16:55:00.001-05:00

Againn's dining room booths - photo from Againn's website

I'm just 2 days away from my London trip with my mom and sister - and I couldn't be more excited! (I'm actually enjoying a cup of English tea as I write this post, just trying to get into the Brit-mode!). A few weeks ago my sister and I talked about going to Againn, a new British gastropub that opened on New York Ave in NW. We had thought it would be a great place to go and "try out" some British food.

Whelp, times run out and we won't make it there before the trip - but we DO plan to go after our trip to reminisce and look through photos talking about how we want to go to London againn. I'll be sure to let you know how their fish n chips compare to the real deal!

London Town Countdown

2010-02-16T15:04:00.002-05:00

In 8 days my sister, Mom and I are heading to LONDON!! I could not be more excited! I've only been once and it was for 48 hours with a group of other students when I was studying abroad in Luxembourg. I remember instantly falling in love with the city and wanting more than just a short weekend to enjoy it. Then, this Christmas my Mom surprised my sister and I with a trip to London! We'll be there 5 days and 5 nights - with maybe a day trip to Oxford, too.

Do you know of any can't miss restaurants? That's the piece of our UK puzzle we're missing the most. Good fish 'n chips are a must! Oh, and we want to do tea, too :)

We'll try and do as much sight seeing as we can including: spending time at the British Museum, admiring the London Eye, saying hello to the Queen, stopping by St. Paul's Cathedral, going to the Tower of London, shopping at the markets and more shopping, hopefully going to see a show, and much more!

What is our London List missing??

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T12:14:00.000-05:00

Wishing you a very sweet Valentine's Day!

xoxo

Let the (Winter) Games Begin!!

2010-02-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

As you may very well know tonight are the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver! Four years ago I was lucky enough to go to some of the events in Turin - but this time I'll be watching from the comfort my of couch - and maybe at a few local restaurants. NBC Washington has posted an article about the Neighborhood Restaurant Group's Passport to the Winter Olympics. And I have to say, I love the idea! Here's what NBC Washington has to say about getting some Olympic flare the next time you go out to eat around DC:

You don't have to go to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver to eat and drink internationally.

Starting Friday, Feb. 12 the Neighborhood Restaurant Group is offering a Passport to the Winter Olympics with food and beverage specials inspired by a different country, Northern Virginia magazine reported.

You'll get a passport stamp for every restaurant you visit and, even better, once you've collected a stamp from all six sponsoring restaurants, you'll win a $50 gift certificate to use at any NRG restaurant.

With foods from Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia and, of course, us -- the U.S.A., it'll be like you're flying around the world, all from the "comfort" of snowy DC and for so much less. Or something like that.

Offerings include four-cheese ravioli with blood orange negroni and wines from the Italian Peidmont region at Vermillion, shortrib stroganoff with housemade egg noodles house-infused peppered Stoli vodka at Columbia Firehouse, traditional Polish dumplings paired with Polish-brewed Zywiec porter at Tallula and EatBar, and all-American burgers, like a Waffle burger and a Five “B” Stinger burger, at Evening Star Café.

There's even an oyster roast to celebrate the closing of the Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 28. It begins at noon at the Evening Star Café, complete with an outdoor screening of the gold-medal men’s hockey game.

Are you going to partake in the NRG Passport??

Snoverkill

2010-02-10T13:19:00.002-05:00

nbc washington's predictions 2/10/2010 (this is ON TOP of the 22 inches we got last weekend!)

D.C. is currently surviving our 2nd Blizzard of 2010 (3rd of the winter!). We've enjoyed naming these storms such monkiers as: Snortorious BIG, SNOmg, Snowmagedan, Snowcapolypse, etc. While I was lucky enough to miss the big dump of snow over the weekend (see previous post) I am now ~~snowed in~~ blizzard'ed in and am already ready to escape my townhouse!

One thing I do know is that a nice cold beer + a warm cozy fireplace could just be the best cure for cabin fever. Call your friends, put on the layers, hop on the Metro if you can, and try out one of these bars with fireplaces that you can head out to once the snow settles:

Stay warm and safe!

There's a storm a'coming...

2010-02-04T13:14:00.001-05:00

... and I better be able to fly out of DC before it hits! DC is expected to get ~~hit~~ walloped again with another Nor'Easter snow storm. Some predict we'll have up to 2 feet of snow when it's all said and done. And me? I'll (hopefully) be in sunny Orlando, FL by this time tomorrow before any snow. Why?

One of my dearest friends is getting married! IN DISNEY WORLD!!! Yes you read that right, I'm heading to Orlando for a Disney Dream Wedding ;) **
As of now I'm scheduled to return to DC Sunday afternoon, but if these snow predictions are even close to being right I may be staying one more day/night here:

My inner social-chair/planner has already called my airline and hotel to see if I can pre-book anything before the blizzard arrives. Honestly, Florida wouldn't the worst place to get stuck :)

It's too bad I didn't buy this or this before my trip - they'd be perfect for an extended resort trip!

** I should note that neither the bride nor groom are Disney-obsessed (not that there is anything wrong with that!) they just so happen to have some Disney connections ;)

Previously, on LOST

2010-02-02T16:13:00.001-05:00

Any LOST fans out there?

I'm raising my hand, no I'm raising both of my hands to that question. I'm what you call a LOST addict. And for the others like me out there tonight at 8 pm EST we will all rejoice!!

ABC is giving us 3 full hours of LOST tonight - which I find to be the perfect excuse for a LOST viewing party. While mine will be a little more low key than some, I wanted to share some fun ideas you can use for a LOST viewing party of your own:

Dharma Food: take a 6 pack of your favorite beer or box of crackers and simply paste on a Dharma lable and you instantly have Dharma Food!
If you're serving a main dish I'd recommend seafood - how about Mahi Mahi?
Need a LOST sweet treat? Cut out cookies in the shape of a fish –a play on Sawyer's fish biscuits
Lei's are a cheap and festive way to pay tribute to The Island (and Hawaii where LOST is filmed)
Serve your alcohol in airplane sized bottles - a fun way to incorporate Oceanic Flight 815 (maybe get some airplane peanuts too!)
Though it's a little late for it, I would have loved to send out invites for my viewing party that look like plane tickets or boarding passes

Whether you're watching tonight's season premire of LOST alone or with many others have fun and send me your theories! Oh and, no talking until a commercial break (or at least, that's the rule at my party tonight!)

Ski Bunny

2010-01-29T09:58:00.001-05:00

My family and I are heading to Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort for a long weekend of skiing, relaxing by the fire and plenty of apres ski (vino/food/beers/general merriment). While I need to be bundled up to the max this weekend while on the slopes (highs in the teens!!) I plan to channel my inner Ski Bunny while enjoying many apres skis. Here's what I'm thinking...

My Hue Leggings

plus

a comfy long sweater

This paired with a long sleeve tee and a fun necklace will be comfortable and chic!

And of course... I'll be wearing my Uggs - don't shoot me! They're so snuggly and warm -Sorry if you're in the camp that hate them :)

If you're staying around DC this weekend tell Tai Shan good bye for me!

Have a great weekend! xo

PW's Salsa Recipe - Yes Please!

2010-01-27T15:35:00.001-05:00

The Pioneer Woman's Salsa. Yummmm. I cannot wait to try this recipe out. Maybe for Super Bowl Sunday?

p.s. if you haven't checked out Ree's blog - do it! You can thank me later

Hour Hour Help

2010-01-27T15:11:00.001-05:00

Just yesterday my friends and I found ourselves ~~wanting~~ needing a place with a good happy hour. We've all lived here for a while now, have had jobs around the city, yet our brains couldn't think of a good place to go for a post-work drink. We wanted something with cheap wine (our bevvie of choice yesterday) and with space for us to sit and catch up (read: we didn't want to be smashed up against other happy-hour-goers like on the Orange Line Metro during rush hour). Yet, nothing was popping out at us.

Enter the Washingtonian's Happy Hour Finder. An easy to use tool that lets you filter where you want to sip-away the work day by location, scene, and day of the week. We set the finder to: Dupont Circle, Food Specials (a girl's gotta eat), and Tuesday. What did we find? 10 bars that fit the bill! Yippee!! Washingtonian even gives a brief overview of each of bar on the narrowed down list and even provides a map, how nice of them.

What's Your Best Bet?

2010-01-25T20:14:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite sites to check when brainstorming an outing is The Washington Post's Best Bet guide. There the "Going Out Gurus" (the real professionals) have put together many, many lists of the District's Bests: Best Dirt Cheap Happy Hours, Best Italian, Best Takeout, Best Wine Bars, you name it, they probably have it. I really like how they don't just focus on DC proper - each list usually has a few options for DC, VA and MD.

I find myself using these lists most often when my friends any I are in a rut of going to the same bars and restaurants. Recently we took advantage of the list of Best Beer Selection and went to Birch & Barley and Churchkey -- not only a fantastic beer selection (50 beers on tap!) but also delicious food. B&B and Churchkey deserves it's own post actually - it's just that good!

Some of the 50 beers on tap at Churchkey (photo source)

A little revamping

2010-01-25T13:10:00.000-05:00

Hi blogging world! Sorry I took a little blog-vacay. As you can see I've said adios to "Eat Drink and be Mere-y" (though I've kept my old posts just for kicks) and decided to take this baby in a different direction.

Why "The Social Chair" you ask? Well for starters I was my sorority's official Social Chair in college and it seems I have a knack for planning events/get togethers/parties etc. It's something I love do. Love love love. And in my post-college life I've found I've still got it! From happy hours to Mad-Men themed birthday parties I like to plan it all. Some like to say that I'm an unofficial Social Chair for my group of friends - and I think they're right!

So, I plan to use this as a venue to share some of my tips and tricks of how I've become an Unoffical Social Chair - enjoy!

Cute Overload

2009-10-06T16:28:00.004-04:00

Just in case anyone is having a bad day and needs a little pick-me-up!

I die. What a wittle cutie!
"Doug" the puppy looks just like my parents dog, Maisy as a puppy!!! <3
More puppy love at www.dailypuppy.com

Celebrate the Harvest

2009-10-02T12:33:00.003-04:00

Fall is here, and I love it.

In a perfect world I'd have plenty of funds and time to throw a "Celebrate the Harvest" party for my friends and family (I told you my Social Chair-ness hasn't died). With such great inspiration from Blogs like The Party Dress and cute invitations from Fine Stationery I'm aching to throw some sort of Fall Fete.

A wreath like from Crate & Barrel this would look great on the door, welcoming guests :)

How does one Celebrate the Harvest? I'm not so sure, but to me it sounds like a great time to sample new wine and cheese pairings or maybe grill out one last time and cozy up with a warm blanket around a bonfire and s'mores. Ahhh, a girl can dream!

Shecky's Girls Night Out

2009-09-29T20:19:00.006-04:00

I'm so excited!!!

Some how I have been really lucky on Twitter. Weird, I know. But I have now won 3 Twitter contests! The first was when I won two tickets to the premire of The September Issue. The second prize was a pair of lip glosses from the Washington Post Fashion editors. And my third winning tweet arrived today! Two tickets to Shecky's Girls Night Out.

I have to admit, I didn't know what Shecky's was when I first read about it on City Shop Girl's tweet. So after a quick google search I learned it was a super fun night full of fashion, make up and drinks! Oh, and their famous goody bags. I've heard some people guy tickects to Shecky's for their goody bags alone.

Washington DC's Shecky's Night(s) Out is Oct. 13 - 15 and I plan to go with my sister. I'll be back with a full report :)

Orange Crush

2009-09-29T20:14:00.003-04:00

Let me just take a moment to vent... about the Metro's Orange line. I really dislike you. You're too crowded and rides on you are herky-jerky.

Thank you that is all.

Heads Up - Bloomie's Fall Sale!

2009-09-28T11:03:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I stumbled upon a little secret: did you know you could pre-shop Blooomingdales' Fall Sale? Everything (well almost everything) in the store gets marked down 20% off this Thursday, Oct. 1. Even new fall stuff. But, if you go on Thursday, chances are things will be picked over and sold out. However, all you smart-shopping-bargain-hunters can go to Bloomies now while all their stock is in and still reap the benefits of the sale! The only caveat? You have to wait to pick up your purchase until Thursday.

For me, it's definitely worth it. Walked away with a pair of Tory Burch Reva flats (yes Tory was on sale!) for practically zero dollars (ok, I had a gift card which helped, but still a good deal!)

Happy Shopping :)

Beer Tasting

2009-09-21T11:04:00.004-04:00

This past Friday my department took the afternoon and evening off for some Beer Tasting! It was a great team building activity and also just a fun way to let loose and not talk about work :)

We were treated to 8 different bevvies from the Curious Grape in Shirlington. The owner, Suzanne, came to our boss' house with a full spread for us to try. Each beer also had a food pairing. 6 beers were paired with cheeses (some of the best cheese I've ever had) and 2 beers paired with chocolate (dessert beers).

I'm thinking a beer tasting would be a really unique and memorable party idea! (Maybe for one of the many upcoming 25th birthdays my friends will be having!)

When I find my little cheat-sheet that I took brew-notes on I'll update this. :)

Update-
The beers I enjoyed the most from this tasting were: Hofbrau Munchen Oktoberfestbier -- and what better time to enjoy Oktoberfest Beer than during Oktoberfest!! This went really well with Caerphilly cheese, mmmmm.

Also topping my list (and one I went back for 2nds, 3rds and 4ths) Les Brasseurs de Gayant Amadeus Bierre. A white beer that was freshing with a orange/citrus taste. This was paired with abondance cheese from France.

And rounding out my top three brews is: Dogfish Head Theobroma -- it has hints of cocoa, honey and chilies... which all went down smoothly. This was paired with chocolate! Askinosie Nibbie Bar 78%

Enjoy!!

The Brothers of Merlinda...?

2009-09-11T16:04:00.005-04:00

If you're a DC area resident you may have seen this van driving around blaring music recently:

The first time I saw that van whiz by me playing dance beats I was extremely confused, and a little jealous of all the fun they were having! Who are they? Well, they are the Fojol Brothers of Merlindia - the magical land they've created. What do they do? Drive around the greater DC area and sell (really good) Indian food from their van pictured above. Just yesterday I was strolling through the Arts on Foot festival near Metro Center and finally saw the Fojol Brothers' van parked and serving food (as opposed to frantically driving down the streets of Dupont like the previous time!) I had already had lunch, but I knew I had to take this opportunity and try some of their famous food.

They have three sizes - the $2 Dingo Bite, the $6 Pick-2 "meal" and the $9 Pick-3 option "Feast" each is served with rice. The choices I had to pick from that day were: Chicken Curry, Chicken Marsala, Pumpkin and Cauliflower & Potatoes. I went with the Chicken Curry and was not disappointed. Not too fancy, and just right. I recently found out they replenish their rice supply throughout the night, but all the food is cooked off site.

Beyond their food, these bros have a lot of fun. They dress up in crazy costumes and wear (or grow) mustaches.

source

The one "brother" I met was very nice and asked if it was my first time "going to the circus" haha. He handed me their twitter account information on a card and promptly served me my food. The Fojol Bro's use twitter exceptionally well - they let their followers know exactly where they'll be... since it changes almost daily!

So, if you hear some crazy dance mixes and a few mustaches, dont' be scared! In fact, hop in line and get some warm delicious food. You'll thank me :)

Marco, POLO

2009-09-08T19:47:00.003-04:00

With Labor Day weekend behind us I think it's time to start focusing on all the fun that comes with fall! You know: cozy sweaters, college football & tailgating, pumpkin carving, apple cider and of course Polo matches. Haha, ok so not everyone goes to Polo matches, heck I've only been to one, but when a Polo match is combined with a wine festival, how could anyone say no to that?

This weekend is The Commonwealth Polo & Wine Festival in the Plains, VA (home to Gold Cup races!). For only $35 (when bought online) you get unlimited wine samples, viewing of a Polo Match and a souvenir glass.

Time to break out the fall sundresses (is there such a thing? haha) and equestrian boots - we're off to the races!

The September Issue

2009-09-04T10:06:00.007-04:00

... of Vogue that is! As a fashion marketing student in high school (yes I took 3 years of fashion marketing!) I have been a fan of the fashion industry for many years and respect all the hard work that goes into each look - and the styling of each look for magazines. Each year our teacher would ask us to purchase the September Issue of Vogue - infamously long and full of advertisements and considered the "Bible of Fashion" it kicked off fashions biggest season: fall.

So, to my surprise I was on twitter yesterday and CapitolHillStyle was offering up her two tickets to the screening of The September Issue a documentary about what turns out to be the single largest issue of a magazine ever published. Directed and produced by R.J. Cutler, it tells the story of legendary Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her larger-than-life team of editors creating the issue and ruling the world of fashion. I quickly tweeted back and said I'd be more than happy to take the tickets off her hands!

Vogue September 2007

My date? My wonderful and fashion-loving Mom :) We had such a great time in the packed theater and didn't want the doc to end! It was surprisingly funny and really lets the viewers get a fantastic behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce the magazine in fashion. Anna Wintour doesn't come off as devil-ish as I would have thought but she is a very strong woman who knows what she wants and won't settle for less!

Noteworthy: The September Issue won the Grand Jury Prize for Excellence in Cinematography at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

I'd highly recommend The September Issue to anyone who has ever read Vogue and/or considers herself (or himself!) a fashionsita :) Take a friend!

DC Restaurant Week - Yum!

2009-08-31T20:45:00.005-04:00

Last week DC hosted their Semi-Annual Restaurant Week which features 3-Course Lunch and Dinner specials. $20.09 for lunch (such a good deal!) and $35.09 for dinner. My sister and I get very excited each round of DCRW since we think we're real foodies, ha. For this go-round we made sure to hit some of the places we normally don't go to, you know the places that are written up with $$$$ instead of $ or $$ ;)

Monday we kicked of DCRW with our Mom at one of the top DC establishments: Vidalia. It is constantly written up and almost always takes the #1 spot on food critic's pics for DCRW. Near Dupont Circle, parking was surprisingly easy and we were greeted with a smile as we walked in. I was surprised to see the restaurant is in the basement level of the building, but amazed with what they did with the space. Very modern and sophisticated. The menu, however, is definitely geared toward REAL foodies, not us "knock offs"!! From pork jowl to Florida frog legs and cafe liver, we were a little timid with our options. Our waitress was to the rescue, she was amazing! With her amazing guidance we really had a nice meal. My favorites: the Pork Tail appetizer (seriously!), Vidalia's famous shrimp & grits and almost all of the DCRW featured desserts. I am not sure if I will bend over backwards to go back, but I would be very interested to go back and try out the full menu for a verrry special occasion.

Tuesday night was so much fun! My sister made reservations at Art & Soul by Chef/Owner Art Smith (aka Oprah's former chef!) for the two of us and two good gal pals. Start to finish, food & drink, was WONDERFUL. To kick-start our night the four of us ordered pitchers of refreshing summery cocktails (these were so good we took a copy of the cocktail menu with us to recreate them at home!) Each dish was delish and included: a variety of salads, grilled shrimp, exquisite pork chops, summer veggie ravioli, and roast chicken. The night was capped off with desserts that were done with a great Southern flare. Art & Soul is definitely on my short list of places I'd like to go back to!

Me & the girls at Art & Soul

Wednesday night was my Dad's birthday so my whole family met down in Old Town Alexandria to celebrate near his office. We went to the Columbia Firehouse, which recently opened. I walked in an instantly liked the vibe. I can tell it's the "happenin'" place to be in Old Town after work, haha. We were seated a little later than our reservation and service was slower than we would have liked, but the food was really good. Steaks, chicken, and crab hush puppies were all thumbs up. We didn't do the DCRW menu and am happy we didn't -- we had homemade Birthday cake waiting for us when we went back to my parents house! Happy Birthday again Dad!

To cap off DCRW my Mom and I went to Acadiana... one of my favorite restaurants in DC. My boyfriend and I discovered Acadiana back in January during the last DCRW and looooooved it! We loved it so much that's where we celebrated the end of summer/him going off to Law School. Back to our meal - My Mom & I met for lunch and the place was PACKED, I mean it was PAAACKED, and it was only lunch. We had a small wait for our table but it was so worth it. I licked each plate: gumbo to start, grilled mahi mahi for my main course and then a chocolate raspberry cake to finish with vanilla ice cream. AHHHH it was aaamazing, every single bite. My Mom had the fried oysters for her main course and the bread pudding to round out the meal (can't remember what she had for apps!) I am already drooling thinking about when I can return :)

Party in the USA!

2009-08-28T11:56:00.002-04:00

Have you heard Miley Cyrus' new song "Party in the USA"?!? It's been playing almost non-stop here and not just because the radio stations keep playing it! I've fallen for these funny guys and their "remake" of Miley's music video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ezfk7s1NyY enjoy!

Have a great weekend! I'll be going to see Kenny Chesney and then going to the Virgin Mobile Free Fest on Sunday - lots of concerts but both promise to be a lot of fun!

Back from 'Sconnie!

2009-08-25T13:59:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I went to visit the BF in Wisconsin and man did I fall in love with that state! I knew I'd love it because I have a special place in my heart for the Midwest after going to college in Ohio, but Wisconsin takes it too a whole new level.

They say Minnesota is the land of lakes, but they are mistaken, very mistaken! Every single day I was in WI I was near or on the water. (Also every day I had lots of cold brews and cheese!) I flew into Milwaukee and was quickly greeted by Lake Michigan and friendly faces. Then the BF and I went to Madison to see his new digs for Law School. Um, hello, why didn't anyone tell me just how awesome Madison and UW are?! I instantly felt at home in the adorable town and walking up and down State Street lined with cafes and cute little shops. We took our time wondering and finally decided on a quaint little Italian place to refuel (coupled with a beer and sangria of course!). After a tour of the campus we went to the unbelievable Student Union for beers lakeside!! I was in awe of the sheer beauty of this campus and jealous of the students. I can't wait to get back out there- hopefully for a football game - I hear they get a little rowdy ;)

The rest of my Wisconsin Weekend was filled with famous Midwestern Hospitality, good food, laughter, boat rides and a sailing lesson at the BF's lake cottage on Castle Rock Lake. I loved every minute and will never think of Wisconsin as a fly over state again!

I got my Flippy Floppies

2009-08-18T12:30:00.004-04:00

The dog-days of summer are upon us. With temps hitting the mid 90's again today I wish more than anything I could just throw on a pair of 'flops and call it a day (poolside of course!). But no, I'm at work which is thankfully air conditioned. However, in just a few minutes I'll be heading out for lunch in my "work flip flops" or really "flip flops that won't get me in trouble with HR if I get caught in them." Ha ha. I know I won't really get in trouble for changing to flats for walking outside, but I'm kind of a nervous nelly. Anyway, I've been a longtime fan of the preppy Jack Roger sandal. Pictured above from Nordstrom these trusty sandals are so great during the summer months! I have way too many pairs, but they just go with everrrrything. Jeans, skirts, dresses, and yes they look fab with work clothes.

As a working gal I felt I had to step up my summer shoe. I love my Rainbows, but I try and save them for the beach!

TGIF, we made it to Friday!

2009-08-14T16:06:00.005-04:00

I don't know about you, but this week seemed long! We've survived, and it's a gorgeous day here in the District. One of my favorite ways to celebrate the end of a work week is letting off some steam and knocking a few back with good friends. And one of my go-to's is a summer staple - the Margarita

Now, I've tried my fair share of 'ritas (not to mention the chips/salsa/guac featured at each place) and wanted to share a few of my favorites - bottom's up!

Surfside - this Georgetown place makes a drink similar to Bethenny's Skinny Girl Margarita, and watch out these are verrrry strong! Surfside also just got their liquor lisence for the rooftop, and added bonus to one of my favorite joints.
Oyamel - Penn Quarter's Mexican restaurant has amazing tacos (at a good price) and delicious pitchers of some of the best Margs around.
Austin Grill - Ahhh, a long time favorite of my family. I practically grew up at their Old Town location. Now that I'm legally able to enjoy an adult bevvie, I've spoiled myself to a few of AG's. Oh, and they're super cheap during happy hour(s)!
Los Cuates - A newer Georgetown dig that has authentic Mexican food and pitchers of Margaritas that are great for sharing. Checking this place out again tonight after a fun visit a few months ago!

Happy Friday! Ole!

Mad about Mad Men

2009-08-13T11:07:00.009-04:00

This Sunday AMC's wildly popular Mad Men returns for its 3rd season, and yours truly couldn't be more excited! Just yesterday my friends and I decided we must hold a Mad Men themed cocktail viewing party. (I told you I couldn't kick that Social Chair gig!) So you can imagine my glee when I stumbled across this today. A Mad Men Party Guide! Perfect!!!

I'm imagining vintage inspired clothing and many a 'tini will be enjoyed at our viewing party! And, check out little Sally Draper's adorable cocktail cheat sheet...

Source

What's summer without some crab picking?

2009-08-12T14:41:00.006-04:00

Last weekend, after a few hours cooling off pool-side, my friends and I decided there was no better way to cap-off a great "Sunday Funday" than with some seafood. And, being on the East Coast, and near the bay, we were hunkering for some crabs.

Our feast earlier this summer at Cantler's in Annapolis

We've been lucky this summer with a few trips up to Annapolis we've had several crab feasts - and good ones at that! However, on this hot lazy Sunday we couldn't muster up the energy to drive up to Nap-Town. The solution? Arlington's Quarterdeck. This cute little shack had amazing all-you-can-eat crabs for only $35 and $10 pitchers o'beer to boot! They say their crabs are best from May - October, so I bet we'll be back again before you know it.

Hi!!

2009-08-12T12:33:00.000-04:00

Hi blogging world!

I can't believe it's taken me so long to hop on board. I've been an avid blog reader for year, consider myself to be a facebook pro, and have been tweeting on twitter for some time now (@Mereditty). I guess one of the things that stopped me from blogging earlier was that I didn't have a clear vision of what I wanted to actually blog about! But then I realized that maybeI didn't need ONE sole vision but rahter an overarching concept. So... here it goes!

Eat, Drink and be Mere-y (Mere-y, get it? haha) will be an outlet for what I feel is exciting enough to share with others. I have a feeling this will range from my favorite dining spots, happy hour deals, last night's Gossip Girl episode, latest fashion obsessions, and other things that brighten my day as I sit in my cubicle.

A little about me -- I'm a twenty-something girl (lady?) living and working in the Washington, DC area. While I've been a Northern VA/DC girl my whole life I did take off to the Midwest for college and absolutely loved it. While at school I was my sorority's Social Director (go DG!) and some say I haven't ever really kicked that gig ;) I find myself happiest when planning and attending events/dinners/drinks/Saturday afternoons with family and friends. I come from a family of six, including a twin sister and a crazy dog. Current obsessions: ruffles, trying to cook, Mad Men, anything on Bravo, margaitas sipped outside, vacations at the beach, white wine, and grilling out - just to name a few!

Cheers,
Mere

p.s. thanks to Miss. Maggie for her creative ideas and a fun name :)