Macaron Me

Sorry you're settling for a two-fer today as well. This week for some reason has been really busy - or at least from what I'm accustomed to. Yesterday's something you bought gets added to today's sweet for this photograph. I brought Robin and Dave some macarons from D & D tonight as they had me over for dinner and some help staging their house to get ready for the photographer coming tomorrow. Lemon, chocolate ganache, and pistachio - very colorful and I'll say very yummy. Oh and it was quite warm today. That made me pretty happy. I think tomorrow is supposed to hit 70 before some rain later in the day. Maybe I can finally start packing up some winter clothes...

 

I'm back

Alright, I missed yesterday and am barely squeezing in a post today before midnight. I was doing so well, too, but I can rightly blame my disappearance on the internet being down here at the Jenkins' house since Sunday night. It's funny because I don't think of myself much as a computer person, until the minute I don't have access to the internet, and then all of a sudden I feel like I'm in the dark about everything. Like two days off the radar is going to be the end of the world... Luckily that meant that I spent almost all of yesterday in AutoCAD, finally wrapping up the drawing set that Greg and I are working on (crossing my fingers we're printing tomorrow and delivering Thursday). So, this post is pretty weak, but I didn't want to be too far behind in my daily challenges, so here are yesterday and today's:

Yesterday: Morning. The view outside the office window. To me it looks like I've captured falling snow that you can see against the tree, but in reality it is the window that's in desperate need of some windex. 

Today: Water. This was on my walk back to my car after working in Georgetown today. Every Tuesday/Thursday when I'm at Travis's office, I have a feeling of nostalgia. It's been so long since last we met...

Happy Fat Tuesday! Promise I'll be back tomorrow and not be so weak-sauce, I just need to get some sleep.

Gene Wilder's Admirers

Today's challenge was Happiness, which honestly, I had to think about a little bit. One, because the assignment entails capturing something that is not necessarily visual in a photograph. Two, I have to confess, I haven't really felt a lot of happiness the last few months. I'm going to chalk it up to post-architecture school depression (after two + years of killing myself over assignments and meeting deadlines to having virtually nothing on my plate is pretty bizarre), or what I'm calling "Lauren was out of her mind the day she decided to stay in DC for an extra semester." Whatever the case, I am here now whether it was a good or bad decision, and am starting to try to make the most of it. 

So getting back on the happiness train, today's picture represents my favorite weekly activity: volleyball. I am not going to lie, I look forward to Wednesday nights every week. Volleyball is something I truly am passionate about, and I still cannot believe I pretty much gave up playing all of grad school. Needless to say, I was beyond excited when a new league started in January, and I was able to hop back on Eddie's team and play again (hence the title of this post - it's our team name this season, which oddly with our t-shirt color's resemblance to Oompa-Loompas, kind of makes sense). It's been fun, and at the same time so weird having to "get back into it" - mostly because I was so out of shape when we started. I remember the first week there were several times when I went to do something, and then was surprised when my body could/would not do what I wanted it to. But slowly it's getting easier. And I think I'm jumping more than 2 inches off the ground now, thank goodness... We have two more weeks of the season before playoffs, and I think I'm even going to be able to squeeze in one more season before I leave DC. 

 

I'm off to hopefully get some work done (trying to apply for a job and work on portfolio stuff). The snow that was supposed to start hasn't yet, but it does look pretty bleak outside. Hope everyone is having a nice holiday weekend!

Book + Bag

Oops I was delinquent again yesterday - that's what happens when you actually have to work, I guess. Greg and I spent most of the day in AutoCAD land, and although I thought we'd finish our project, we still have more to do - hopefully early next week - I need my Wednesdays/Fridays back so I can portfolio it up (I have now given myself a February 29th deadline, and I'm like oh sh*t, that's soon!).

It's been a lazy Saturday morning, which I feel was much needed. Eddie and I are off to the gym later today and then I have to come up with something to make for a pot-luck tonight - should be interesting as I don't cook much, and my resources at the house I'm in are limited (was thinking of making a giant salad, but I don't even think there's a giant bowl here).

Yesterday's challenge was In Your Bag. When I dumped the contents of my purse out on the table, I realized two things. One, I apparently never throw away receipts and let them collect and messy up my bag, which is pretty silly. Secondly, for someone who never wears much more than Chapstick, I have a ridiculous amount of lipsticks/lipgloss/balms etc. in my bag. And yet, I'm always on the hunt for a better shade? I was actually surprised by how many I had...

And today's challenge is Something You're Reading. I confess I don't think I've read much for pleasure in the last few years outside of winter/summer breaks (full blame is on architecture school here). And I know I am probably the last person on earth who hasn't read this book, but I'm finally getting into Cutting for Stone. And it's GOOD. I'm almost pacing myself to not go too fast because I don't have another book on deck yet. Although, I am happy to report that just two blocks away I've discovered a library, so I'm thinking I'll have to get a card when I'm done with this book. Because free entertainment is about all I can afford right now.

Enjoy the weekend! I think it's supposed to snow tomorrow here in DC, so I'll probably be hibernating in Southwest...

Rainy Day in Georgetown

Since beginning the Helsinki Library competition, I've been spending Tuesdays and Thursdays in Georgetown as Travis's office is on 33rd Street, just north of the canal. It's funny being back in the area again - in some ways I feel like no time has passed (how is it that next year will be my 10-year college reunion?). At the same time, not only Georgetown's campus, but also much of M Street has changed over the years (like the permanent line outside Georgetown Cupcakes), so it does feel different from my undergraduate days. 

After we wrapped up our meeting for the day, I found myself wandering toward Dean and Deluca, which hasn't changed a bit since school. I have pretty strong connections to the place. Firstly, because most of my girlfriends and I were obsessed with Felicity when we were in college. Junior year we'd have people over every Tuesday night to watch the show (actually, the swim team - mostly the guys believe it or not - would come over to watch Dawson's and the girls would have to kick them out promptly afterwards so we could swoon over Scott Speedman and Scott Foley). I thought it would be so cool to work there at some point since Felicity herself did. But my other connection to D & D was because that's where Anna Kleinsorge and I would go on a regular basis. I don't think either of us ever drank straight coffee in college, but we did love to go there for Vanilla Frappes - basically it was the most amazing blended coffee-ish drink that I'm pretty sure predated any Frappuccino from Starbucks. When it was warm we'd sit in their cafe area for girl talk and people watching (when we weren't busy studying of course).

Tonight I grabbed a coffee to go, and just as the sun was setting walked along the canal for a bit before heading back to Southwest. It had rained most of the day, but wasn't that cold, so it was nice spending some time outdoors without freezing. I also managed to capture my challenge of the day: this close-up of a few flowers I found springing up near the canal. Maybe it's a sign that winter really is almost over? I could definitely use some more color in my days here in DC right now!

Rise and Shine

Well I have to say for being single I had a pretty eventful Valentine's Day. I spent the day at Travis's office working on the Helsinki Library competition. Chloe brought in cupcakes, and Michael, who works in the office brought all the girls orchids, which was very sweet. I even had some company in bed last night (okay, I couldn't manage to kick Ibi out of it...). But I've got to get moving as I'm off to Greg's to finish the as-builts we've been working on, and then hopefully get back to some portfolio stuff this afternoon. 

Where you sleep - today's photo challenge

One of Eric's two cats, Ibi, who basically lives on my faux fur Pottery Barn blanket - this girl has great taste!

Carousel Rides

I was struggling to think of how I'd capture today's challenge of childhood, but this morning when I went for a run on the Mall, I realized I could shoot the carousel near the Hirshorn. Of course on a school day in the dead of winter, it was abandoned, but I've walked by this carousel several times over my years in DC, and it still has quite the draw in warmer seasons. 

There is a nostalgia I feel when thinking about a carousel - which is funny, because to be honest, I can't really remember going on carousels as a kid (I'm sure my mom is going to send me an email telling me what a horrible memory I have as we went on carousel rides in X, Y, and Z places...).  Regardless, it seems like such an adventure as a kid: you get to ride a horse! It goes around in circles! Somehow each time you go around and spot someone waiting for you it's a surprise! 

Maybe it's nostalgia for a simpler time. To not have the complications of life that seem to grow exponentially as we age. To only exist in the moment on that ride. Everything else falling outside the boundary of the merry-go-round, blurred and inconsequential.