Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!  

I hope you are spending the day with those you are love most!

Wordless Wednesday: The Nutcracker

This past weekend, my parents and I took my niece Emma to see a production of The Nutcracker, it was awesome!  

For a four and a half year old she was mesmerized and loved "the show!"

Wordless Wednesday

We have a new addition to our family!  Since we bought the house with a great back yard, we have wanted to add a bigger friend for Charlotte to the family and a German Shepherd was the right breed for us!  So this is the new little man in our lives - Bruno.  We adopted him from a rescue here in Northern VA and it may take a little bit for Charlotte to be completely welcoming, but we are excited to have him!

Wordless Wednesday

Went to the J. Courtney Sullivan signing at Politics and Prose 

for her latest book - Engagements

Wordless Wednesday

A photo update of the library, my dad has just one more day of work - caulking, touch up paint and hanging one more door.  The shelves are in, but can't be loaded until all the finishing touches are complete!

Not so Wordless Wednesday

So this won't be such a Wordless Wednesday, but it will be chock full of great pictures.  My mom and I went on Saturday to the Gaithersburg Festival in MD.  We had printed the schedule ahead of time and had signings and talks that we definitely wanted to see.  Minus the cold and damp weather, it was such a fun book day!

Caroline Leavitt read from her latest Is This Tomorrow.  I had read it, so it was fun to hear here talk about the research she had to do to find out the small details of life in the 1950s for both men and women.

 Jeanine Cummins is a Gaithersburg native.  She read from her parallel narrative The Crooked Branch.  I bought this book to get it signed, haven't read it yet, but definitely excited to after she talked about it.

 Jennifer Close is an author that I have now seen a few times and have read both of her books.  She was (maybe still is) an employee at a local indie bookstore in DC - Politics and Prose.  I liked her first book, Girls in White Dresses, but LOVED The Smart One her latest book.   

Finally, Jane Green was the one author that both mom and I were so excited to see and hear from.  Jane was there to promote her latest Family Pictures, BUT she ended up reading a part from her next book - Tempting Fate.  That was so awesome to hear from a book that isn't out yet, and trust me this one sounds good!  She talked about her own personal author history and then the book industry, I loved hearing everything she had to say.


All in all, we had such a fun time.  It is a smaller festival, but still has some great big name authors.  The signing lines were manageable and there was plenty of time to chat with the authors and make some connections.

AS we are not going to BEA this year, this was definitely a good filler event.

Wordless Wednesday

This won't be such a wordless post, but hopefully mostly pictures!

This past Saturday, my mom (Ope's Opinions) and I went into DC for a full day of book fun!  First stop was the Library of Congress.  It was cool, but with our recent trip to New York and their big public library, we decided we liked the NYPL better - you can get much closer to the book action!

After a yummy lunch at Pizza Paradisio, we stumbled upon Second Story books which is a used bookstore that was packed full of all things book!  Mom and I found a few books to take home in their new section.

Our last stop was KramerBooks where we picked up a few more books and stopped for dessert.  It ended up bring a full day of fun and books with my mom.  We are going to do a few of these local adventures to make up for not attending BEA this year.  

Wordless Wednesday

Last week before the "storm" that really never came, my mom and I headed to Sidwell Friends School (where the Obama girls attend among other diplomat's students) to see Jodi Picoult.  It was our third time seeing her in the DC area.  She was promoting The Storyteller and from what she read, I am excited about it!

Wordless Wednesday - Inauguration 2013

I am one lucky gal who has a great friend who works on the Hill and I was able to attend the Inauguration with a ticket in hand.  Standing so close to the Capitol, I could feel the emotion as President Obama starts his second term in office - it was pretty amazing to be there and present for the event.  Here are some of my pictures from the day.

The Capitol as the sun was rising.

President Obama and his family as he took the oath.

President Obama giving his inaugural address.

The Capitol from my friend's office window.

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Edition

It is the day after Christmas, some may be in holiday hangover mode.  We (meaning me, the hubs and the pup) are in the car headed down to South Carolina for Christmas part 3 - Jones edition.  I hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas and as 2012 closes we find excitement for what 2013 will bring.  

  

Wordless Wednesday

I was given the great opportunity (thanks Ashli!) to take my parents and the hubs on a White House tour while the holiday decor was still up!  This has been on my Washington, D.C. bucket list since we moved here.  

(not so wordless, sorry)

Wordless Wednesday

 Tonight, me, mom and the little sis are heading to the YHL book signing in Georgetown!

Wordless Wednesday

Yep, after two hours in line next to some crazies, I voted!  

It did make for some good reading time.

Wordless Wednesday

A little bit of fall outside our condo!

Wordless Wednesday

Me and Charity Shumway, author of Ten Girls to Watch 

at her reading about a month ago at One More Page Book Store.

(sorry for the blur)

Wordless Wednesday - sisterly love

A wonderful picture of my sister and I right before the ceremony.

Wordless Wednesday - groomscake

A picture of the groomscake.  I surprised John Paul with a chocolate APD badge for a groomscake, it was quite a hit at the rehearsal dinner!

Wordless Wednesday- honeymoon

A picture from our last day at Couples Negril.

Wordless Wednesday - Wedding Edition

Just a peek from the very fun Durham Jones Wedding!!  

I am currently honeymooning - will be back shortly!

Wordless Wednesday

We have passed the one month mark last Wednesday until the wedding, 

so I wanted to share one of our engagement pictures!