Weekend snapshots

I'm so behind on posts lately!  Y'all probably think I've gone into hibernation.  But it's actually the opposite...I've been here and there and everywhere and just haven't taken the time to 'document' everything we've been doing...but I'm making a conscious effort to get back to (fairly) regular posts.  I have a few in the can that I need to get up too, like my overseas visitor and weekend jaunt in New Orleans!

But for today - it's a little view of our fun weekend in town.

Friday night we braved the wind and rain to go to dinner at one of our favorites, Cashion's Eat Place.  We had purchased a 6 course and wine pairing tasting menu for a great deal on Gilt City and needed to use it before it expired.  Everything was amazing - food, wine and the staff.  We've got to make a point of getting down there more often!

Saturday morning was picture perfect after the storms had cleared.  I made myself a delicious latte, grabbed a magazine and the pup and enjoyed some quiet time on the deck. 

Saturday afternoon we were back in the city, this time up in Eastern Market.  What a fantastic area!  We walked around a bit, I had no idea what a vibrant neighborhood it was.  We went to Matchbox Capitol Hill for beers, sliders and pizza before the Nats game with some friends.  The game was at 4 and followed by a concert with Big & Rich.  We were starving by the end of everything, so we stopped by Mad Fox in Falls Church on the way home.  They also had a band playing, Virginia based Melodime, who was really great.  

Sunday we had a real treat.  One of my best friends Jen and her husband Ian were in town/the country visiting from Dubai!  They moved overseas almost 2 years ago, and I hadn't seen her since then...it had been even longer since I'd last seen Ian.  Lunch at Coastal Flats was wonderful, but just not long enough.  They're trying to get us to visit Dubai, we might just have to move it up the list!

We ended our busy weekend with some quiet couch time at home.  A small cheese plate and delicious bottle of wine plus a mini-Grey's marathon was just the ticket.  We opened a bottle of Loring Pinot, the first one that we've had since our trip to Santa Barbara in 2010.  It's awesome that some of our older wines (this one's just an '08, so older is relative) are finally ready to drink!

With so many fun summer plans, we won't be home too many weekends for the next couple of months, so it's always nice when we are able to enjoy a fun DC weekend!

Weekend Snapshots

Over the last 6 weeks or so, we've had some great, low key, in town weekends.  With the fall being as busy as it was and lots of things already on the calendar for the spring, low key has been really nice.  We've joked about how much stuff we've gotten done!

Low key doesn't have to mean no fun!  Friday night we went to one of our favorite spots, Mad Fox, again.  This time for dinner with 2 of our closest friends.  We finally used all 3 of our Groupons!  Thinking it was a great idea, we bought 3 in the fall...and have been the last 3 weekends in a row...

After Mad Fox, I headed downtown to meet up with my 'softball team.'  I use that term very loosely, considering I've only played in ONE game.  Ever.  The group is not very skilled at softball, and we're totally ok with that.  We're good at the other competition, Last Team Standing.  It's exactly what it sounds like, and we came in 3rd place this year, winning ourselves a free keg!

Saturday was spent running errands, grocery shopping, working on chores around the house and getting in an extra good workout.  We made the long trip about 5 steps next door to our neighbors house for dinner.  We're all trying to be frugal and eat healthy, so it was great.  Veggies and dip to start, delicious pot roast, fingerling potatoes, green beans and peppers for dinner, and Strawberry Fool for dessert.  Oh, delicious.  

Topped with some mini-chocolate chips and fresh mint, it was a huge hit.  

Sunday morning, I snuggled up on the couch with a big cup of coffee and the pup.  I have gotten very behind on magazine reading lately, so I was determined to get through some.  And that's just what I did - I read 6 magazines Sunday morning!  Ahhh, it feels so good to get through things like that! 

Hope y'all had a great weekends, too.  Happy Fat Tuesday to all!  Anyone giving anything up for Lent?  I'm still trying to decide on something...

Parents visit!

This weekend, my parents came up from Richmond to visit. It's always fun when they come to town with their adorable dog Pearl.  My mom's birthday is this week, so it was a great excuse to have them to town.  We had a pretty quiet weekend but took them to some of our favorite places.

They came up Friday afternoon.  Mom and I ducked out and went to Home Goods and World Market, looking for nothing but finding a few fun things like pretty cocktail napkins, cute wrapping paper for my upcoming bridal and baby showers, and a little plastic basket to put under my sink for my sponges.  I know it sounds trivial but sometimes it's the small things that make the biggest difference!  A couple of those little sticky things and voila! no more yucky sponges on the counter.  Friday evening was fairly low key, which was perfect.  We went just down the road to Falls Church and Mad Fox Brewing.  We were able to watch the Carolina and VCU basketball games, have some good beer and food.  Dad loved the mussels and spinach salad.  Mom and I got pizzas - she had the fig and balsamic blue cheese and I got the cabonara with prosciutto, caramelized onions, mozzarella with a cracked egg.  Both were wonderful, and made for great leftovers!  Husband had the frickles (fried pickles) and the frickle burger, the special for the day.  It was a great evening!

Saturday was a lazy day.  Husband went for a run while we all sat around and caught up Giada and other shows.  After Wegmans subs and a little yard work, we broke and the boys went one way and Mom and I went the other.  We rode out to Aldie to the beautiful Bella Villa store.  Last time I visited this store it was in a different, much smaller location.  It's an adorable store with lots of beautiful things.  I found this great 2 tiered iron planter that I had to have.  I'm really looking to spice up our boring back deck this summer, and this is going to be perfect.  I can't wait to put plants in it!

Saturday night we went downtown to celebrate Mom's birthday.  We took her to one of our favorite restaurants, Siroc.  While there weren't any celebrity sitings, the food was fantastic.  We had the best table in the restaurant, in a back little corner. 

photo from Siroc's website



Mom and I started with the arugula salad with gorgonzola, golden beets, and pine nuts - yum.  Husband and dad shared appetizers.  One was the beef rolls with portabella mushrooms, polenta and gorgonzola cream.  The other was rabbit sausage with cabbage, potatoes and black truffle sauce.  

For dinner, 3 of us had pastas and dad had fish.  One of my favorite things about this restaurant is that you can do 2 half pasta orders.  It's the best when you can't make up your mind!  Husband and I had the saffron fettuccine with bolognese of beef tenderloin and pancetta - it was fantastic.  Husband and mom both had the butternut squash cappelacci with sage butter and raved about it.  Mom and I both also had the raviolini with gorgonzola and pistachio cream.  Oh man.  Dad had the branzino, which is a light white fish and said it was really good.  The wine also was great - we got a good recommendation from the waitress.  The food, wine, and service was all fantastic!  We got a couple of deserts too - and while they were good, they weren't as good as the rest of the meal. 

Sunday was another quiet day.  We did some travel planning for our fall trip to Barcelona.  My parents are going to join us for the week in Spain before we head to southern France for a week.  We got their flights booked and our apartment in the city for the week.  For lunch we went to Dogfish Ale House in Fairfax, one of our staple weekend locations.  The food is always good, staff is friendly and of course beer is good!  Then at halftime of the VCU game, they packed it up and headed south back to Richmond.  The rest of the day was full of some spring cleaning, watching husband try to install the new big black box thing (receiver) and Apple TV, basketball, and getting ready for the week.

I love having my parents come to visit!  It's great having them here, and Pearly Sue too!