Mothers Day Birthday

Every couple of years my birthday falls on Mother's day. The last time beside this year was 6 years ago. It was also the last time I saw my grandma, Baba, who at the time was suffering from cancer. That particular birthday wasn't an easy one & it's funny to think I was turning 20 years old. I can't help but to think of that day as it stands out so much in my memory. I feel grateful that I was able to spend one last Mother's day with one of my favorite women & the person who raised my amazing Mom. I thought of my family a lot this Mother's day since I wasn't at home. But luckily I have great friends in DC who were able to not only celebrate their Moms this Sunday but also help celebrate my birthday.

I love steak & always have! Whenever I go out for a dinner with my family for my birthday I request a steak dinner. Obviously I had to keep the tradition alive this year. My friends & I headed to Medium Rare in Eastern Market for a nice steak dinner. The restaurant is simplistic with their menu & serve their signature item, steak! But if you're a veg they do have an option for you if you ask ;)!

^^Before heading to dinner Rachel gave me a bottle of champagne (my fav) & a sweet card. Best roommate ever? I think so.

^^ I also got this sweet video message from my friend Claudia in San Fran! Love her. 

^^Then I met up with these fine folks for dinner. That's a good lookin group!

^^Jane gave me the cutest card & candle. She said i'll always be a DC gal to her even though I am really from SLC ;).

^^ Then dinner was served! Before the steak they serve a really delicious salad. I didn't get any pictures of it because I was too busy eating it (sorry!) 

^^Earlier in the week I Tweeted Medium Rare to ask if they have a vegetarian option. I mentioned it was my birthday. They were very quick with their response & asked me to let them know when I was coming in. They love birthdays! 

I was presented with this sweet little treat. I am sure they do this for everyone but the fact that they reached out was great. They get in A+ in my book for that! If you're a steak fan like me & live in DC or visiting I highly recommend you check it out. 

^^It was a great night! I felt so much love from everyone. Thank you for making my birthday special. 26 is going to be a great year! What's a birthday tradition you have?

xo,

Emily

P.S. Sorry for the belated birthday post! 

Take Me to the Sweetlife

When it comes to my birthday I like to celebrate as much as I can. You might as well milk it for all it's worth right? Let me tell you this birthday was one for the books. It's never easy being away from home around my birthday & I always miss my family. That's why I surrounded myself with lots of friends & fun this year. The weekend before my birthday my friends & I went on a winery tour which was a blast but the weekend of my birthday had to be just as fun (obviously.) I told my sister when I turn 30 I am celebrating for 30 days. Get ready for those blog posts ;)! Anyway...

I love music, concerts & being with my friends. So when I heard about the Sweetlife festival I knew I had to go because:

1. The lineup was awesome (Lana Del Rey, Foster the People, Chromeo, Fitz & the Tantrums & way more goodness.)
2. It was the day before my birthday
3. I got to spend the day with my friends 

All around it promised a fun time & it didn't disappoint! I wish we could go back but for now pictures will have to do.

^^ The crew before heading on the bus to Merriweather Post Pavilion.

^^ B & I before heading to the concert.

^^Arriving at the venue. We were ready to have some fun & listen to some good music!

^^ At the Treehouse venue listening to Capital Cities.

^^Obviously B was loving it!

^^ Such a gorgeous day for a concert + to be outside! 

^^ A little rain didn't stop us from having fun.

^^ We even met some new friends!^^Chromeo was awesome as always (photo credit: Chromeo Facebook.) 

All in all it was a great way to celebrate my birthday. I had the time of my life! Turns out being 26 isn't so bad after all. Until next year Sweetlife.

Xo,

Emily

The Napa Valley of Virginia

Remember that time I talked about turning 24? Now it's time to talk about turning 26. Where did time go? Seriously!! 25 was a great year & I finally feel like I am out of the confusing part of my 20's. For the first half of the 20's I was still trying to figure out what I wanted, who I wanted to be, the types of people I wanted around me & now that I am "growing up" I finally feel comfortable exactly where I am. You know what? That's a great feeling!

To celebrate my 26th year I wanted to be with the people I love spending time with. What better way to enjoy the company of your best friends than on a wine tour in Northern VA for a pre-birthday celebration? I couldn't think of anything better quite honestly & since the weather started to perk up it ended up being a beautiful day. 

Northern Virginia has lots of little wineries & people here refer to it as the "Napa Valley" of the East Coast. We had to check it out!

Wine Tour May 4, 2014

^^ Our group ready to head to the wineries & hop on the bus!

^^ The first stop on the tour was Cobbler Mountain Cellars. I had been here before but it was a treat to go back. The winery recently opened a new section for tastings on their gorgeous property. 

^^ The tasting started at the top in their wine club room. They poured us a nice tasting of their Chardonnay. 

^^ The tasting lead us through their new property. It started at the top, then in the middle & eventually down to the cellar where they store the wine. We headed to the middle where we tasted a Riesling & their award winning Cider.

^^ After, we made our way down to the wine cellar to taste the last two wines. They are both award winners... literally!

^^ After the tasting we headed outside for a little picnic to enjoy the amazing weather.

^^ After Cobbler Mountain Cellars we headed to Capital Vineyards. It was my first time at this charming little winery! Their wine bottles are themed around characters you would see on Capitol Hill. Very fun idea + the political people in our group (Zach & Emily loved that.)

It was a wonderful way to celebrate my upcoming birthday. I am so thankful to have such a amazing people in my life. It was indeed a great day in "Napa Valley." Thanks to the 20's & 30's going out group + J.T for organizing & for letting us join in the fun.

Cheers to 26!

Xo,

Emily

Life Lately

I know what you're going to say, I have been MIA since moving back to DC. I have been meaning to write for awhile now. I have no excuse beside life caught up with me. I've been very busy!

Anyway... I've officially lived in DC for a little over a month! Time has flown by & I can't believe it's already May. I have enjoyed every minute of it! I feel like I made the right decision (don't you love it when that happens?)

It hasn't all been easy & I expected there to be some bumps along the way. Since being back I have moved again in less than a month (in the same apartment complex), started a new job, made some new friends, caught up with old friends, had a visitor come to town & I continue to soak it all in! Here are some pictures of my life lately...

^^After leaving Boston I was pretty sad but I was happy to see these familiar faces (Emily & Zach.) We went out the first weekend I arrived. I sure am happy to have great friends here to cheer me up!

^^After dealing with some minor roommate drama it was time for me to move to the 14th floor. Check out that view!

^^Went to the DC Beer Fest with some of my new colleagues. Super fun!

^^ Meet Brittany, one of my new friends! I met her through Twitter (funny story) but long story short her parents live in Salt Lake City. Obviously we were meant to be friends! Also, this photo was taken at the Nationals Game in between moving into my new apartment. We are pretty impressive when we are together... I think ;)!

^^My Mom's friend Melinda came to DC to visit her son for his birthday & I got to see them both. We had brunch at Sequoia. The view + cherry blossoms were perfect for a Sunday afternoon.  And no that is not Melinda & her son... Just two random people enjoying their day!

^^Celebrated Easter with two of my favorites (Jane & Zach) at District Commons.

^^ Emily came to visit from Boston! We road bikes around the monuments, had brunch, went to a birthday party, met up with friends & enjoyed ourselves. Thanks for coming Em!!

^^ Attended Terryl's Kentucky Derby party with my new Roommate. It was a great party & who doesn't love wearing cute dresses + hats?

That leaves us right where I am in my life right now! What have you been up to? 

Xo,

Emily