Wow, these last two weeks have been crazy! I’m not sure I’ve ever traveled this much in such a short amount of time. So with the second half of my travel extravaganza coming later this week, this post is going to focus on the first—we had a few picture-perfect days in Ogunquit, Maine, culminating with a wonderful engagement party and our first visit to a wedding venue! Continue reading
I feel like I haven’t done a day trip adventure post in a while, so I’m happy to say we recently ventured to Annapolis. Just a 45-minute drive from Bethesda, I knew a bit about Annapolis, mainly its relationship with sailing and its status as home to the US Naval Academy, but not much else. I don’t think I bargained for such a delightful day. Continue reading
If you’re unfamiliar with the movie Bride Wars, it stars Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway as best friends who. have dreamed of their perfect weddings since childhood. At the beginning of the movie, they are attending the wedding of a friend, discussing the things they like about her reception. Then Kate Hudson sighs, “but it ain’t June,” to which Anne Hathaway replies, “and it ain’t the Plaza.” In this movie, and I’m sure for many brides-to-be, they have a distinct vision of what they want their wedding to be. I have no such vision, and have therefore started into wedding planning without any sort of plan. Continue reading
I love books about books. Books about authors, about writing, about bookstores. I guess it’s because it creates a sense of camaraderie between me, the author and the characters in the story—I love books enough to read them, the author loves books enough to write about them and the characters love books enough to make them their life’s work. Terri-Lynne DeFino’s new novel The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses) fell into this category, and it made for a joyful read.
Have you ever been craving tacos or enchiladas for dinner, only to cook up something else because said dish seemed like too much work to make or eat? This Mexican lasagna is the answer! It combines all the elements and flavors of tacos into an easy-to-make, easy-to-eat, delicious dinner. Continue reading
Over the weekend, the love of my life got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Honestly, I don’t even remember exactly what he said. When I realized what was happening, I started weeping uncontrollably, and the next thing I knew I had a ring on my finger, my arms wrapped around his neck and a feeling of unfettered happiness coursing through my body. That was my initial reaction: joy, love, excitement. For our relationship, for our life together, for the wedding we are about to plan. But in the days since, I’ve felt so much more. Continue reading
First off, I admit that I have never been much of a procrastinator. I never pulled an all-nighter in the library during college to finish a paper due at 9am the next day. I like to think I’m a pretty efficient worker. Even so, when I worked in an office, I developed a routine of work avoidance—things I would do, sites I would go to in order to procrastinate. However, in the months I’ve been working from home, I’ve noticed that I no longer do this. And I think I know why. Continue reading
I’ve always wished I were more eager to watch documentaries. I think they play an incredibly important role in society, and an incredibly unique one: they are part education, part entertainment and in some cases, part call-to-action. But like I said, they have never really been my cup of tea. I agreed though, to watch Netflix’s Wild Wild Country after hearing some intriguing reviews. While it was educational and entertaining at times, my overall reaction to the documentary was mixed. I will tell you why. Continue reading
I’m going to be totally honest: I’m not sure why I started getting Cook’s Country magazine. I’m guessing that it’s because I’ve covered a lot of America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks for one of the magazines I work for, and my mailing address somehow found it’s way onto the subscription list. But hey, I’m certainly not complaining! I am always looking for new recipes to try, and as I’ve said before, I trust everything put out by America’s Test Kitchen absolutely completely. So this was my first recipe from Cook’s Country: Grain and Vegetable Bowls with Goat Cheese. Continue reading
Last week, I had the pleasure of heading to the Warner Theatre in DC to listen to Bill Clinton and James Patterson talk about the new book they wrote together, The President is Missing. It’s a thriller that tackles a threat so big, the President is forced to completely disappear from public view—essentially to go missing. I haven’t read the book yet, but listening to the two co-authors discuss it was an incredibly interesting and entertaining experience. Continue reading
Lyss on Life 