We'll start with time to reflect. Do you ever think about slowing down? Spending more time reading or writing (got this part down lately), doing more of the things you used to love, taking up a new hobby, volunteering more, or just taking more time out for yourself. I think about it all the time. While I love our DC life, and it's slowed down tremendously since I moved here (thank goodness or you probably wouldn't be reading this right now), many times I wonder when I'll be able to open a book and read eight chapters without thinking about the next thing I have to do, join a tennis team and actually be able to show up for practices and matches, become a born again runner, purchase a legit camera and enroll in a photography class, sign up for the Hill's Kitchen knife skills class I've been talking about taking for two years, mentor a child in need or read to cancer patients, or just walk along the Potomac River and take time to smell the...well, it ain't exactly roses, but you get the point. Here's a shot from our stroll along the Canal last night:
DC is a wonderfully lively, but busy, city and sometimes you have to know when to shut off or decompress, or when all else fails, cross the moat (for the non-local folks this means exiting DC and crossing the Potomac River to Virginia) and run some errands at all the familiar places you know and love when you live in a "normal" neighborhood. What's interesting about the word normal is that I believe your definition of normal changes as you grow. When I first moved to DC EIGHT YEARS AGO (holy ----) I thought I would be here for a year/year and a half tops, get some good experience, meet a few fun people, and head back south. What I couldn't foresee is that I would spend many great years here, have several amazing work and life experiences, meet the best friends I've had since high school, fall in love with my husband, and be okay with building my new normal right here in DC. I am definitely a believer that as long as you have your circle of trust (family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, or however you define your circle), whether it seems normal to anyone else or not, you are exactly where you should be and the reading, hobbies, and community involvement will follow suit. While I am waiting for all to be right with the world, I will continue to reflect and be thankful for my friends, family, and coworkers who make my life in DC a better place. If you're in need of some self reflection, I recommend watching this as it never fails to bring me to tears and remind me how very lucky I am to be me.
Moving on to more fun topics ~ married, single, divorced, separated, lonely, or happy, every person - he or she - needs a good same sex night out. Mr. Cuddles is by far my favorite person in the world to hang out with, but let's be real, he can only put up with discussing moving the same piece of furniture sixteen times, which cream I should invest in for under eye circles (P.S. When did this start happening?), or how much I spent on my latest "bargain" purchase x number of times. That's why God, or Two Sisters pinot noir, created ladies nights! Since most of the boys were in Destin this weekend, we got together for a fun girls day/night on Saturday. Early afternoon, Bayer and I met up for some sweet summer Rosé at Farmers and Fishers on the Georgetown Waterfront. We had a great chat about weddings, the craziness that goes along with them, and how awesome the Bayer/O'Brien wedding is going to be in LESS THAN A MONTH! I am so honored to be Jessica Ann Bayer's MOH in a couple weeks - and if she's cool with it - am planning to post (like my good friend, Kate Godbout, did for me) about all the fun activities, and shenanigans, that go on during the weekend.
Me and Bayer:
Later in the evening, we were joined by some more ladies and decided to take it to the house for some wine, wine, wine, and a good old fashioned slumber/pizza party!
Fun ladies:
Senseless TV. Before I skip to that genre of television, if you have not started watching Homeland, please stop reading this post and go get seasons 1 and 2 so you can catch up before season 3 starts September 29! This series is about as addictive as Acqua Al 2's Filetto Al Mirtello (filet topped with blueberry sauce). But, seriously, it is so addicting that Mr. Cuddles and I finished season 1 on Sunday of President's Day weekend and immediately went searching for season 2 only to be told it wasn't in stores, yet. Can I get a womp womp or a Debbie Downer? Needless to say, we're all caught up and are anxiously awaiting the September premier. Debbie Downer is actually a great segue to senseless TV. Remember the days when Saturday Night Live (SNL) was funny? When Steve Martin, John Candy, and Dan Aykroyd had you LOL? Now a days, and don't get me wrong I find this one hilarious, these are the skits SNL writers are getting paid millions to create. Anyway, since apparently the funny days of SNL are over, and Desiree had a big snafu in her love life (gag me...but I still watched part of it) last night, I thought I'd let you in on the Oehmen's list of most watched programming of the moment:
10) River Monsters
9) Nat Geo (National Geographic)
8) Dateline or 20/20
7) Triple D (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives)
6) Crime shows (Law and Order, Criminal Minds)
5) Duck Dynasty
4) HGTV (Property Brothers, trying to get into Love It or List It, Too, House Hunters, Rehab Addict, Income Property, Brother vs. Brother)
3) Lifetime Movie Network (LMN)
2) NBC4 11 pm news
1) Jeopardy
With all the shows you'll be watching, you might want to consider dressing up your coffee table with some new accessories:
The tray - Budget-friendly, trendy, classic, chic (concept not price tag), gourmet (we got this as a wedding present and it's exquisite), patterned, or earthy.
The plant - succulent, petite flower, larger flower (can be substituted for a taller sculpture or vase, again the look not the price tag), moss, boxwood/grapevine/angel vine decorative balls, or another favorite floral or greenery of your choice.
The books/magazines - decorative, antique (from boutique book stores, markets, consignment stores), personal favorites, cosmopolitan, uniform read, local read, scenery, table art, pets, or personal photo book. And, maybe this as a stack topper for good luck!
The taller accessory - colorful, wonderful and white, or cute.
The shorter accessory - candle holder, collectible, or bubbly.
The box - This will probably be yours, or your spouse's, favorite piece since it serves as the keeper of the remotes. Glam (style not price tag), neutral, glass, or black and white.
Here are some other examples of ways to deck out your coffee table. With a little creativity these tips can also be applied when decorating shelves, vanities, desks, or armoires. Below is our new coffee table setup!
Cakes' Hash Brown Casserole
1 bag frozen, shredded hash browns, thawed (you can do cubed, but I find they take longer to cook)
1 medium white onion, diced
1 16 oz container sour cream (I usually use whatever fat free store brand is available)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 2 cup (8 oz) bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I'll use reduced fat if I can find it. You can also mix a cup of sharp cheddar and a cup of pepper jack, Mexican blend, or Parmesan)
2 tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (or just enough to coat thawed hash brown/onion mixture)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix hash browns and diced onion in a large mixing bowl or in the Pyrex dish you plan to bake them in. Be sure to season the hash browns. I use black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of both cayenne and chili powder. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup. Melt butter and pour over onion and hash brown mixture. Mix all ingredients together. Season again with black pepper and garlic powder, but don't go too heavy the second time around.
Cover mixture with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered another 25 minutes. Take casserole out, sprinkle another thin layer of cheese of your choice (you can also top with crumbled corn flakes for added crunch but I recommend other toppings below), and bake an additional 5 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.
Seasonal Serving
Summer: This is the perfect BBQ side. For a smaller group, serve in stem less wine glasses, martini glasses, or mini bowls and garnish with a few shoestring potatoes or a single potato or veggie chip, for a "play" on different potatoes. You could also keep it simple and sprinkle with green onion for a bit of color. For a larger group, serve directly from 9x13 Pyrex dish and offer light ranch, simply Heinz ketchup or fat free sour cream for mixing or dipping.
Winter: This also works well for a modified version of steak frites. BBQ or stove top grill your favorite cut of beef - I'd recommend petite filet Mignon or flank steak (Costco's citrus marinated flank steak is a must try) - and serve sliced on a two-tone cedar plank for added flavor, monogrammed cutting board (or this fun version like the Hartman's/Lyons gifted us), or a personalized platter (you could always order more than one and monogram "land" or "sea" or "beef" or "fish" and use them specific to whatever dish you're serving. These also make great engagement or wedding gifts!).
Transitional Table Setting
I touched a lot on serving suggestions above, but here are some basic setup ideas...
Summer: For the BBQ option, break out your best disposable plastic ware so you can spend time with friends rather than worry about dishes. In today's entertaining world, they actually do make some trendier options, so be sure to check online before your next get together. Also, consider purchasing a set of shatterproof glasses for more casual affairs, or for the dog - or friend - who always manages to spill something. Have pitchers of water (or carafes) - one with cucumber and mint, one with lemon and orange wedges - available as they are always refreshing and easy on the eyes.
I also love these for an after dinner treat! Perhaps a nice scoop of salted caramel gelato or good old fashioned vanilla bean ice cream - or nonfat froyo - topped with fresh berries?
Winter: For modified steak frites, I would go French contemporary and stick with all white dinnerware. I love the Marin collection, but we also got lucky enough to receive our entire Juliska Berry and Thread collection which is perfect for any occasion, and I might add, microwave, oven and freezer safe. If you want to go super modern consider square dishes and boxy or colorful glasses. Basic rule of thumb: Round/oval = traditional | Square/edgy = modern.
With linens, you could go cream/white and gold (I used gold feather napkins from Target in my Tgive setup I posted earlier), pops of color, black and white, or neutral with a bit of color. My favorite napkin rings at the moment - these - would also work well with any of the above combinations. These shell or gold place mats also go great with all color schemes. I'd personally recommend shell in the winter (reminds me of snow) and gold in the summer (floral look). In this instance, keep the table decor simple and use fresh greenery from your yard. White and gold, or white, black and neutral looks divine with green accents!
Cakes' Commentary
When placing accessories, consider color, visual appeal, and meaning. Colored accessories, like our new Charlotte chairs, can make a room pop or tie other colors together. Visually, you might want the piece to stand out, or have interesting texture/height, or you might want it to blend with existing furniture. The beauty is, it's up to you! I would say, however, that a meaningful or personal accessory, with the right placement, can be a conversation starter among you and your friends or guests. Accessories are also really easy to switch out, so play around with them - or buy new ones every few months - and you will notice a huge difference in how you view the room.
Comments for Cakes? Please submit comments, feedback, questions, or things you'd like to see posted!
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