Saturday, August 3, we had the pleasure of attending one of Mr. Cuddles colleague's weddings right here in the D of C. It was my first afternoon wedding (3 pm) in awhile, which was rather nice. The ceremony took place at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and being that I'd done multiple drive-bys in recent years, it was nice to finally see inside. The ceremony was very thoughtful, with lots of communal singing, and it was nice to be included in such a small, intimate gathering. The bride, originally from Texas, who I'd met at a congressional function or two, could not be any sweeter and also later told me at the reception that she liked Mr. Cuddles that much more once she found out he was marrying me! Looks like they just moved up a notch on the gift ladder. Kidding, kidding. After the ceremony, there was a break before the reception at Clyde's of Gallery Place, so we took it to Red Line for a few adult beverages - and a host of Beliebers (his concert was at the Verizon Center that night) - then headed over to the reception. We proceeded to toast the bride and groom, enjoy a nice dinner, and squeeze in a few post reception drinks at Iron Horse Taproom. This was the first wedding Mr. Cuddles and I had been to since our own, so it was nice to reflect on the spiritual and emotional bond that becomes even stronger the day you say "I Do."
The following weekend we had a great Friday date night at Farmers Fishers...
Mr. Cuddles' beer flight
...but Saturday we had our first family crisis. Shellie, like the white shells on the sandy beaches of Pawleys Island, ditched her fins for wings and joined her fellow sea creatures in Heaven. Mr. Cuddles is convinced she was the weak link from the start. I, on the other hand, think she was traumatized by the pond cleaning that Friday. Geoff (listed as "Geoff the pond guy" in my phone) cleans the pond once a year. When I texted him to ask how the cleaning went, he told me it was great - that we had a beautiful back yard - but that the "white fish seemed weak but should be okay." She clearly did not have the stamina of the other three, and I couldn't bear to watch her struggle, so we scooped her out and Mr. Cuddles buried her. Thankfully, we had a fun August birthday celebration on the waterfront later that afternoon which helped get my mind off our first failed pet attempt. As Mr. Cuddles later told our friends at Cantina Marina, "you would have thought she was a 4-year-old losing her first pet." What can I say? I'm an animal lover of all shapes and sizes, just like my Mom taught me. Anyway, happy - now belated - birthday to Natalie Jennings, Lindsay Goree, Maggie DuRant and Reagan Moseley! That Sunday, we replaced Shellie with Sherbie. Sherbie, short for sherbet, is indicative of what looks like a splotch of orange sherbet on his white back. He seems to be doing really well with Freckles, Goldie and Comet, so we are very pleased that the aqua O's are back in business.
The new aqua O's:
CO Harman (short for Carol O'Connell Harman) decided to visit us the week of August 12, which was a great surprise! Before picking her up from DCA I was warned of her schedule via text which went a little something like this "My sched today - lunch meeting at DH, DG coffee meeting 2ish Bethesda - but need to get to Chef Geoff's by AU at 7 - can I use your car for that time?" Basically, I started to wonder if she was visiting us or her old stomping grounds. I was also surprised that her first question wasn't "got any red wine at the house?" Either way, we were glad to have her for the short time we did! Despite her busy schedule, we got in some quality patio chats, but then it was time for Mr. Cuddles and I had to head to Pittsburgh for the O'Brien/Pearson festivities. Thanks for the visit, Mom! We sure do miss you guys around here.
We opted to drive to Pittsburgh early Saturday morning a) since my Mom's visit carried over into the weekend and b) to avoid Friday rush hour traffic. Thankfully, Goree warned us of the $11.25 cash toll on I-76 W, so we were well prepared. The drive wasn't too bad although I'm convinced in my old age that 2.5 hours is about max capacity for my road trip attention span. In my mind, the only snafu on the surprisingly scenic drive was an exit sign indicating a free standing, drive-thru Starbucks - right about the time I was ready to have my morning coffee - that happened to be on the East side of the highway when we were traveling West. After we pulled off and saw it on the far side of the building across the highway, I seriously contemplated phoning PennDOT and suggesting they remedy this ASAP. I can only imagine how many poor souls, exhausted from their travels, see that all too familiar logo and coast off the exit only to find Sunoco and Sbarro. Once we arrived in "Snittsburgh," Mr. Cuddles name for Pittsburgh, we met the Lawrence's for lunch on the patio at Primanti Brothers in Market Square and enjoyed the nice weather and a few local brews. I rarely eat sandwiches for lunch anymore, so I had sort of forgotten what one tasted like, not to mention they were so large I could barely eat half. After lunch we headed back to the room to freshen up so we could catch the shuttle to Shannopin Country Club where the ceremony and reception took place. The weather was perfect, the view was spectacular, the bride was beautiful, and the crowd was emotional. We are thankful we could take part in Nick and Lauren's special day!
O'Brien/Pearson wedding festivities:
On the drive back, we decided to make a pit stop at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, PA. On a rainy Sunday, it was physically chilling that one of the first things we read was that there wasn't a cloud in the sky the morning of the crash. It was hard to believe that on September 11, 2001 - among this beautiful, vast land with stretches of wild flowers - our homeland was under attack. It was also emotional to think back to where we both were the moment we heard the horrific news. On a more humorous note, while walking to the wall of remembrance where all the deceased are listed, we were behind a blue hair (Mr. Cuddles name for ornery old people) couple who would not stop bitching about the fact that they did not offer a shuttle. The gentleman in particular could not understand how they used taxpayer dollars for funding yet didn't consider the elderly taxpayer when building out the site. You could literally hear him ranting and raving the entire walk to the crash site. Finally, at the wall, he decided to engage Mr. Cuddles mistakenly thinking he would sympathize with his situation and said something to the effect of "don't you think they could afford to have some sort of shuttle or something?" to which Mr. Cuddles replied "I actually really enjoy the serenity." Ha! Mr. Cuddles was right. The site and silence was very profound and I'm glad we took a moment on God's day of rest to pay tribute to those who were laid to rest fighting for our country and our freedom. May all families and victims of the 9/11 attacks know that we will never forget.
Flight 93 Memorial site:
Back to DC Sunday #neveradullmoment. I remembered on the drive home that I was on hash brown casserole duty for our office potluck Monday, so at 7:30 pm I scrambled up the most reduced fat version of every ingredient I could find and got to work. Thankfully, potluck "Group B" (second group of two congressional recess potluck lunches) woofed down the casserole like this guilty dog, which made me feel better about slaving away on my one relaxing weekend day.
Wednesday, we were right back on the wagon with out of town guests arriving for the Bayer/O'Brien festivities! Some of our fave house guests, Carly and John, didn't arrive until Thursday but we made the best of their short time in DC with a "low-key" group dinner at Bandolero. Let's just say the margs and conversation were flowing and I was so happy to have time with good friends before removing my hostess apron and putting on my MOH party hat. Bright and early Friday morning we were Cambridge/Eastern Shore bound. Thankfully, we were able to check-in early and I headed straight to see the bride-to-be at the spa. She was looking more beautiful than ever - if that's even possible - and I knew right then she was finally relaxing and getting ready to PARTAY! Our next stop was Water's Edge Grill for the bridal lunch. We got to meet some really great ladies, thank Barbara Bayer the generous hostess, and once again celebrate Jessica Ann Bayer on her wedding weekend.
Bridal lunch ladies:
The rehearsal dinner at the Pavilion was equally as fun as it was a great spot that offered lots of room for mingling and conversation, which we learned at our wedding, allows people to meet each other and feel that much more comfortable on the big day. The crab cake station was probably my favorite, but all the food the O'Brien's chose was so good. We continued the celebration at the resort bar but then turned in for the night to get ready for the big day. I think Saturday morning might have been one of my favorite memories from the weekend because I got to spend some quality time with the bride. Myself, Jess and Carly were at the beach/pool by 9:45 am, Starbucks in hand, enjoying the insanely gorgeous wedding day weather. By mid-morning others had joined and the cheersing began. All I can say is thank you Chesapeake Hyatt for your delicious hair of the dog Bloody Mary. With just the right spice, it made everything nice, and before I knew it it was time for the bridesmaid spa appointments. The bride was nice enough to treat us to manicures, which in my case was much needed. We stayed in the spa for most of the afternoon and were able to bring our makeup down to get ready with the bride while she was finishing up hair and makeup. All I can say is let the tears flow. I was filled with so many emotions for the happy couple that my first tear was shed before she was even dressed! Right then I told myself to lock it up. Next stop was the bridal suite where we popped open some Prosecco and were dressed and ready for pictures. The bridesmaid dresses turned out great (we each chose our own) - especially with the adorable JCrew bracelet Jess gifted us. She.was.gorgeous. Seriously stunning. We took lots of fun pictures on the balcony overlooking the Chesapeake Bay and headed down to get ready for the ceremony. Next thing we knew, guests were seating themselves, the guys were lined up, and it was show time! The weather could not have been more perfect but my favorite part of the ceremony were the couples and families that paused to watch - from wherever they were on the property - two of the most special people on this planet get married. Thankfully, I managed to keep it together for the ceremony. The wedding party stuck around for a few more pics and then headed to the cocktail hour back over at the Pavilion. Chris' amaze balls corn hole set he made was a huge hit! By the time we made it over, bean bags were being tossed, beers were in hand, and it was going to be a great night. The reception kicked off with yet another fun appearance from Rollex - a favorite Baltimore based band that's played at several of our friends' weddings - and Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien made their debut. I am proud to report that I made it through my MOH toast without ugly crying...even though I had to follow Matt, the groom's brother. Jess and Chris' hard work really paid off and a fantastic time was had by all! Luckily, we made it to the after party just in time for some pizza and were pumped that the bride and groom made an appearance. Another awesome wedding in the books! I'm sure soon enough we'll have another fun one to look forward to.
I cannot wait to see the professional pics, but here are a few of the ones I captured. I love you so much Jess and Chris and Mr. Cuddles and I are so thankful that we have many more memories ahead with the two of you! Can you Belize (inside joke all weekend since they are honeymooning in Belize) you'll probably be back from your honeymoon before you read this?
Bayer/O'Brien wedding festivities:
In closing, have a great Labor Day weekend (I'll be attending my first CSU/CU football game in Denver) and enjoy another ready.for.football.weekends. recipe!
Goree's Buffalo Chicken Dip
1 rotisserie chicken
1 bottle hot sauce (Frank’s – the bigger bottle)
1 8 oz cream cheese (I recommend Philadelphia 1/3 less fat)
1 small bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch (or Hidden Valley salad dressing and seasoning mix. follow packet instructions and pour over chicken same way)
1 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
Chop up the entire chicken and layer the bottom of a Pyrex dish. Pour a bottle of hot/wing sauce to coat the chicken. Mix cream cheese and ranch together and pour over chicken. Bake about 15 minutes. Remove and cover with shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes, or until cheese melts. Serve with Tostitos scoops or Tostitos Cantina thin & crispy chips.
Skipping the place setting section since there's so much to take in in this post. See my "Help Me Help You" post for fun football/sports related hostessing ideas and setup tips.
Cakes' Commentary
Having been to so many weddings in the past few months, I thought I'd list a few sites that are great for inspiration and DIY projects, big (wedding) and small (cocktail party):
http://www.etsy.com/ (my fave)
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/
http://www.orientaltrading.com/
http://pinterest.com/
http://www.realsimple.com/
http://www.diynetwork.com/
http://www.stylemepretty.com/
http://pawleysislandposh.blogspot.com/
https://www.onekingslane.com/live-love-home/
http://www.houzz.com/
Comments for Cakes? Please submit comments, feedback, questions, or things you'd like to see posted!
Such a sweet post cakes!!! Love you!
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