Free Thai food. And Georgetown Cupcakes.

As a lovely birthday treat last night, CS & I ate dinner at Bangkok Bistro over in Georgetown. The service was very fast and friendly and the food was delicious.  Bonus: when it's you birthday, show your ID before ordering and they'll give you a free entree [$12 credit].

Can someone say chicken pad thai? Thank you.  And CS, who's not the biggest fan of Thai, ordered sushi rolls. The verdict? Two thumbs up.

After dinner, we raced - literally - to make it to over to Georgetown Cupcake before closing.  Yes, it's the cupcake store of TLC's DC Cupcakes fame. The lines are long and the hype is big all throughout the city.  Before yesterday, I hadn't stopped by to try them.  I kept meaning to but just didn't get around it ... until 8:55 pm.  I paid the parking garage ticket while CS got the car.  She dropped me off at the corner of 33rd and I sprinted inside. 

The decor is all pink, silver, and sleek.  And the cupcakes, my goodness.  Vanilla birthday, chocolate, lemon berry, chocolate ganache ... So many choices!

I decided to go with red velvet and CS got vanilla birthday.  We could barely wait to get home to try them.  Let's just say we were down to crumbs within a few minutes.  The icing was rich and cream cheese-y.  The cupcake itself was moist and full of flavor.  Follow them on Twitter for the "secret flavor" of the day.  Make sure to order it by name in the store and it's yours for freee. ♥

[Image via: Bangkok Bistro]

Hope It's Chocolate For Me ♥

Today is Wednesday.  Today is also my birthday - or the 22nd anniversary of my expulsion from the uterus, if we're celebrating like Troy from Community.

I thought I'd list 22 things I'm especially thankful for, not in order of importance but just as I think of them:

22. You, for reading this post.  Thanks!
21. The all-encompassing, never failing love of Christ.
20. Hiking - anywhere, anytime.  Simply love it.
19. Little kids, cheesy jokes, funny man Jim Gaffigan - anything that makes me laugh [hence, today's post title].
18. My amazing family :]

17. A reaaally good book - The Secret Life of Bees, The Bible, The Catcher in the Rye.
16. My camera + capturing lovely moments of creation + friends + falling leaves + the beauty in everyday life.
15. Second chances. And while I'm at it, third, fourth, and fifth chances, too.

14. Where I came from. - - - - - >

13. Where I'm going.
12. Remarkable friends in Florida.
11. Sweet new friends in Virginia/DC.
10. The goodness that is Oreos.
9. Spontaneous dance parties.
8. Wearing a watch as a fashion statement rather than a timekeeper.
7. ----FSU-->>-->
6. The amazing high from going for a good run.
5. Singing along to the radio at the top of my lungs.
4. The courage these men and women show in persecuted nations around the globe.
3. Trying new recipes every time I cook.
2. Quoting silly lines from movies in real life.
1. Daydreaming about my sometime-in-the-future trip to Santorini.

[Image via: Epodunk]

Road Trippin' Rules

This past weekend, my roommates and I packed our Vera Bradley duffels and headed down south to Charlotte, North Carolina. Traveling - especially taking a road trip - is one of my favorite things to do.  My family has dubbed me "Roadtrip Warrior" because of frequent trips across state border lines.  Here are a few tips I've picked over the years that can save you a whole lot of Tylenol and throbbing headaches as you' set off on a holiday car trip through the mountains or long drive to spend Christmas with the in-laws.

1. On the road, compromise is key. Although CS and CM aren't usually FSU fans, they temporarily supported the Noles for 48 hours, seeing as I'm a huge fan and we were headed to watch them play in the ACC Championship. 

CS showing off her Seminole pride

(Now CM may try to object to the above statement but there's no denying she did the Warchant a few times).

If one person wants to eat at a sit-down Mexican restaurant and another insists upon having Italian for lunch, then y'all will get nowhere without coming to some kind of an arrangement .  Maybe you can agree to stop at Mexican on the way there and then get Italian on the way back. Done and done.

2.  Not everyone in your car wants to hear the newest Glee soundtrack 7834 times.  I know, it's hard to believe, right? Especially considering their fantastic renditions of Empire State of Mind and Forget You, but that's beside the point.  Instead of blaring poppy goodness on repeat, let each person play one CD/playlist of their choice.  By taking turns with the music, you'll have a fun variety of songs to listen to and won't be forced to deal with a friend's, bless their heart, love for screechy techno beats or polka jams the whole way.  Plus, they might realize they do appreciate Glee a little more than they initially thought.

3. If it smells, keep it at home.  Whether it's nail polish, Chinese food, or scented lotions - unless everyone in the car wants to be breathing in glitter and peaches for 8 hours, be considerate and refrain from using/eating it.  As my good friend Lauren Elizabeth likes to say, "Funyuns are not road-trip friendly food."  And she's right.  Four Little Trees Car-fresheners later and your car still smells like stale onions. Not okay.

In the car? Forgetaboutit

4. When figuring out who will pay for gas, discuss all costs before getting on the road.  Nothing says awkward like the following conversation.  "Okay, the E light just came on.  It's you turn to fill up."  "Wait, what? I thought I was just along for the ride."  "Umm, no.  Where did you get that idea?"  Avoid any confusion by deciding prior to the trip that everyone will buy 2 tanks or you will each fill up one way.

5.  Be prepared. Load up anything you think you may want while on  the road.  Here's a look at what I like to bring:

-Yummy trail mix

-Refillable water bottle

-A book, my Bible, and some magazines

-Emergen-C packs [for a quick pick-me up] 

-My trusty iPod plus headphones when it's time to snooze

-Catchphrase [such a fun game!]

-Sunglasses

-Cellphone and handy-dandy car charger

Plus, it's important to remember things you may need in case of battery failure/flat tire/etc. such as:

-A flashlight

-First Aid kit

-Blankets and extra warm clothing

-Spare tire plus repair kit

-Protein bars and enough water for everyone

6.  And the most important thing to remember is to have a lovely time! Throw your bags in the back, set the GPS, and enjoy the open roads.

What are some of your tips for a great road trip? Anything you always do while traveling? Or something you must bring with you?

[Image via: Frito Lay]

Spruce Up Your Monday Wardrobe

The weekend has come and gone, and now it's back to the 9 to 5 life.  In need of an outfit that looks somewhat more presentable than the now rumpled blouse and pants you wore to work last Thursday?  Lucky for us, StyleCaster has put together 15 easy and chic outfits using 15 pieces that most of us already have hanging in our closets.

 Don't you just love it when outfits put themselves together?

 Mustard sweater + cable knit skit = winter whimsy

Cozy blazer + cropped pants = casual polished

Warm cape + suede booties = ladylike appeal

Check out the other 12 outfits for enough wardrobe inspiration to get through the next two weeks of business meetings, lunch dates, and afternoon errands around town.

byh,

Lorin

It was so nice talking to you. So nice.

My roommates - CM & CS - are a crazy bunch.  Put us all in the same room for an any extended period of time and we'll be laughing so hard someone has fallen off the couch or has suddenly developed a foreign accent and is repeating random phrases like "Popo Gigio" over and over and over again.

CM, the ever hair-flipper, has been known to always have a Dane Cook joke or a funny t-shirt on hand.
CS does the BEST imitation of Sandy, her GPS.  It's fantastic and always amusing.
And I'm guilty of doing the robot ... quite frequently, actually.

So there's a friend of CM's who somehow got the impression that both CS and I were named Becky.  Weird, right? Especially when, in reality, neither of our names even start with a "B" ... or end in "ecky."  After CM's friend left, we collapsed with laughter. And out of that, we came up with

"All the Famous Beckys" set to the tune of Beyonce's classy "All the Single Ladies."



Catchy, right? We're thinking it'll spread like wildfire.

Have a lovely weekend,

Becky*

Bless Your Heart : Use It In a Sentence & Make Your Mama Proud

For those of y'all who aren't from the South, "bless your heart" [byh] may sound dumber than a bag of hammers.  No need to get all tore up, I'm fixin' to explain to y'all.

As the hilariously funny and Southern as biscuits and gravy author Celia Rivenbark tells it in Bless Your Heart, Tramp, "A Southerner can get away with the most awful insult as long as it is prefaced with the words, ' Bless her/his heart.' As in, 'Bless his heart, if they put his brain on a head of a pin, it'd roll around like a BB on a six-lane highway.'"

That being said, I have got to tell y'all what happened last night.

The fine workers at the credit card company, bless their hearts, who so kindly helped me to validate my new credit card, then proceeded to suspend that same card due to "suspicious activity" fifteen mintues later.  Say what? While I was trying to buy tickets for the ACC Championship Game [FSU vs. VT!] this weekend with the newly activated card, they were busy being alarmed at my sudden purchase.  So when the Customer Relations rep said I could use the card as soon as I got off the phone with her, was she just lying through her teeth?

After waiting for-eva on hold, they patched me through to a nice man who told me that for my own safety and protection, they had suspended my card for the time being.  And bless his heart, he said they could reactiviate the card within 3 to 4 days after I fax over pages and pages of personal background verification forms.  Isn't it a funny thing that it's easier to be approved for and get a credit card than it is to use one? In an effort to fight off identity theft, the company, bless their heart, is now tied up in doubting my identity and then reinstating it.  Ain't life a peach.

byh,

Lorin

[Image via: Good Reads]

Best Places to See Christmas Tree Lighting

Happy December to you! Now that it's finally here, all things Christmas will be in full swing. Ice skating, holiday movies, manger scenes, hot chocolate - I can't get enough.  I'm especially excited about the possibility of snow days! Never thought this Florida girl would ever get to say that.  This great weather blog will be tracking when and how much of the fluffy stuff we'll be getting this winter. Ahh, I can't wait!

But, until it's time to break out the corncob pipe and button nose for some serious snowman making, check out these local Virginia and DC events for Christmas tree lighting events that are sure to brighten your week.

- Wednesday is the annual Light Up Rosslyn event over on Wilson Boulevard.  At 6:31 pm, they will flip a switch and illuminate all the buildings on the skyline.  Not technically a tree lighting but still pretty darn enchanting.  Plus, free chili, cookies, cocoa, and chorusing, too.

- If you're looking for a quaint, small town feel, The Village at Shirlington is a perfect choice.  My roommates and I live within walking distance from here and can't w-a-i-t for the countdown to the tree lighting and a relaxing carriage ride around town (in exchange for a non-perishable food item).

- For more politically inclined festivities, head over to the tree lighting ceremony at Union Station.  Like the French, the Norwegians, too, have expressed their friendship to our country with a gift - in this case, a 32' tall gift. 

- And for a truly DC Christmas experience, the one and only - lighting of the National Christmas Tree. And there's quite a lineup of musical performances scheduled for the night, too: Sara Bareilles, B.B. King, and Maroon 5. This is a ticketed event - don't even try to Salahi your way in without one.  If you didn't register for a ticket or get picked through the lottery, no worries.  You, me, and the rest of the District can watch the capitol event in the glorious comfort and warmth of our own homes, via live stream at 5 PM on Thursday, December 9th.  No, thank you, DC.

Well bless your heart,

Lorin

[Image via: Shirlington Village Blog].