TGIF! I’m over the chilly rain this week brought, but excited that it looks like sunny skies are ahead this weekend and next week, with some days even reaching into the 80s! It is wild how the weather can really impact my mood, especially this time of year when it can’t decide what season it is.

How is everyone’s weekend shaping up? Tonight I’m heading to the White Ford Bronco concert at Rock & Roll Hotel. They’re a great 90s cover band here in DC and it’s always a treat to see them perform—they actually played at my company holiday party this year! My friends and I have seen them quite a few times over the years and they never disappoint. Tomorrow, I’m heading out to the Winery at Bull Run to celebrate my sister Jennifer’s 25th birthday. It’s my favorite vineyard in the area, so I’m excited to get back to their beautiful back lawn for some sangria. I’m planning to take my DLSR with me so I can recap it for you in my new Virginia Wine category, which is accessible via the main navigation under “Washington, DC.”

I thought it’d be fun to kick off the weekend with a life lately post—drop me a comment below to let me know what’s been new with you + have a great weekend! x

MY NEW SPIN SHOES /

If you read here often, you know I started spinning regularly two to three times a week at Ryde DC in Clarendon. After grad school ended in December 2016, I was having a hard time motivating myself to get to the gym and put in the work, so decided I would try out some classes since I knew an instructor would be helpful and if I paid to go, I couldn’t skip out. I knew I liked spin from the few classes I had been to prior, and once I got into a regular routine, I was hooked. Spin class is always something I look forward to and I’ve been able to meet some really great friends through class.

Since shoes are only $2 to rent at my studio, I procrastinated buying a pair of my own spin shoes for months since it was just so easy to borrow theirs. I knew I needed to buy my own spin shoes since it was the more economical decision in the long run. So earlier this month, I finally ordered a pair! I went with these white Shimano shoes and these clips. To buy the right fit, I went off this size chart. I wear a size 7 in almost every shoe, and opted for a 39 in the Shimanos and they fit perfectly.

One of the main reasons I put off buying a pair of my shoes for so long was that I was nervous about putting the clips on—and annoyed they don’t just come attached on the shoe. (I understand why, but like, it’s another step!) Since I don’t own a screwdriver and wanted to make sure they were properly installed for safety reasons, I took my shoes and my clips to Trek, a local bike shop near me in Clarendon. They put on my clips in under ten minutes for just $8. I’d definitely recommend them if you’re in the area, and if you’re not, I’m sure your local bike shop offers a similar service!

THE TRADING SPACES REBOOT /

Is anyone else as stoked on the Trading Spaces reboot as I am? I absolutely loved the show as a late elementary schooler and really think it inspired a lot of my youthful creativity. There was a period of my childhood years where I had a craft desk in my parents’ basement so I could work on DIY projects—though, let’s be real, they were nowhere near as intricate as the ones on the show!

I binged a ton of the old episodes before the premier of the new season, and can we just say how happy I am that early 2000s earth tones are no longer with us?! It is crazy how quickly design becomes dated. Of course, I loved the reunion special where they brought all the designers and Paige out to discuss the original show and do flashbacks to the best and worst episodes. And, I have really been enjoying the new episodes. It’s fun to see how designers take today’s trends and do them on a budget that’s not unlike mine, plus I’ve been loving the fun storylines—like the episode where Carter and Ty were the designers or the crossover episode with Nate and Jeremiah as designers.

Speaking of Nate and Jeremiah, how I had I never watched their show before?! TLC strategically has it airing after Trading Spaces, and I am hooked. They basically help homeowners who are trapped in nightmare renovation projects remedy their situations. I absolutely love their work! I’ve long been a fan of Nate since his Oprah days—and would definitely recommend his two part podcast conversation with Oprah on Super Soul Conversations where he talks about surviving the 2004 tsunami in which he lost his partner.

Have you been watching? Let me know if there any other design shows you love I should check out—I also am a huge sucker for Fixer Upper and sad it has gone off the air!

FIVE YEAR WORK ANNIVERSARY /

For those of you that don’t know, at my day job I do marketing for a real estate developer. I started working there nine days after graduation, and later next month, on May 28, it will be my five year work anniversary! I can’t believe I’ve been working for half a decade, yet alone at the same place. When I think about how much I’ve grown professionally from the time I first started to now, it’s almost hard to process! When I started work, I had no idea I would have the opportunity to earn my Masters Degree, advance my skills in everything from Google AdWords to graphic design, and begin to manage more junior members of the team. I’m curious and excited to see what the next five years hold!

Another thing this five-year milestone brings is my first UVA class reunion! It’s the second weekend in June and I’m heading to Charlottesville for a long weekend with some of my best friends. We got a great hotel right near all the bars and grounds, and I’m excited to go back for a nostalgia-filled weekend.

UPCOMING TRAVEL /

After a couple of months of ditching town every other weekend, I’m excited to be home for the next month. It’s nice to have restorative weekends—they make heading into the week so much easier!

My next trip is to Key West for Memorial Day with my friend Emma. I’ve never been to the Keys, and am so excited—I feel like it is going to be a place I really fall in love with. We’re staying at a cute bed and breakfast a few minutes of Duvall Street and managed to score flights right into EYW. I went to Miami last Memorial Day Weekend and really enjoyed taking advantage of the three day weekend, so I am glad I have a trip for MDW on the books again.

Later this summer, I’m going to Newport, Rhode Island with my family! We went back in 2005 and fell in love with the beautiful cliff walk and town, and I am excited to have the opportunity to go back. We’re big planners and want to make sure we can get tickets to the historic homes and take a sailboat cruise of some sort, so it’s on my list to start doing some research. I get so much joy from planning trips before I get there—it’s so nice to have fun things to look forward to.

I’m also heading to Cape Cod in August with Emma and some friends for a fun weekend—I’ve never been, and beach trips with friends are one of my favorite things so I’m really glad its on the calendar.

Let me know if you have recs for any of these places — I am all ears!

WASHINGTON, DC CONTENT FOR THE BLOG /

One thing I’ve realized—and mentioned here before—is that I lack Washington, DC-related content even though I live here! I want my blog to be a resource for locals and visitors alike, so I added writing an Arlington Guide and a DC Guide to the top of my to-do list and plan to go out over the next several weekends and take high-quality photos for those posts. They should be pretty easy for me to write, so I’m really going to make the effort to get the accompanying photography.

But, I wanted to get your feedback on how best to do ongoing DC-related content. Should I write about cool new restaurants I go to one-off, or do round-ups every now and then? I’m trying to think about what would be most helpful if you quickly look at the DC archive page in search of information for your DC needs. I feel like right now I share a lot of my DC-related content in Link Love posts or other random posts where I’m talking about my life, and while I will definitely continue to do that, I want to make it more easily accessible for reference use later.

I’m sure I’ll be able to figure out a good system overtime, but would love for you to weigh in if you have any strong opinions!

///

I hope you have been enjoying life lately + have a great weekend! x