Frock Fridays: Joules

Now that it's August 31st, I can finally start thinking about autumn.  Even though back-to-school commercials have been on TV for weeks and Charlie has loved making friends with children waiting for the bus in the morning since Monday, I couldn't accept that summer was over until Sarah and I had celebrated our birthdays.  But it's going to be September tomorrow and temperatures haven't gone above 90° in days and days, so I'll go ahead and say it:

This means that I can start thinking about fall fashion - and, since I'm counting down the days until my trip to London, I've got my eye on the new seasonal options in a British store called Joules.

 

[ Amity tunic / Dominique scarf / Soxbox socks / Glossy wellies / Witnell bag ]

There's a Joules branch in Richmond, near the train station, and we'd always pass the store on our way to Jon's aunt and uncle's house out in the 'burbs.  Every time we went to visit them, I'd insist on taking an earlier train so that we could stop in to browse.  They've got classic  lines - including one called joule Britannia and another that is, apparently, the official polo collection - and I always felt perfectly British whenever I wandered the racks.  (The sizable selection of adorable wellies was very necessary, too, as I usually underestimated London's rainclouds...)

Autumn is the best time to check out this company if you don't yet know it - something about the need for knits, layers, and wellies just screams England, and Joules has timeless pieces that are ideal for the changeable weather.  I love this striped tunic, and the yellow hem is picked up by this bright scarf and matched by the canary strap on this messenger bag.  Warm socks are a must, and it's important that they be cute even though they won't be seen inside these classic rainboots.

If you're in the UK, get thee to a Joules to stock up for autumn.  They don't yet ship to the States, but you can place your order with me and I'll bring back your picks in September!

I have been compensated for this post; however, all opinions herein are entirely my own.

Updates and Upgrades

Hello, dear readers, and especially hello to those of you who are finding me for the first time via something charming!  I'm sorry for the disruption to my usual posting - such as it is, I guess - but I decided we needed to upgrade things around here and I wanted to do it ASAP so that we could start off happily right away.

I'm in the midst of switching my commenting platform from Blogger to Disqus. You don't have to do anything differently, and, if you've been here before, the comments you've left in earlier posts will reappear shortly in their new form, but I hope that this system will make it easier for us to really engage in conversation.  It will take a few hours for the platform to load up, so please do bear with me as Betsy Transatlantically changes over!

And please do check out today's actual post in the meantime, in which I wish my sister a very happy birthday!

(Thanks to Kate for inspiring me to take the plunge and to Marissa for showing me how successful it can be!)

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

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Yes, my birthday was yesterday.  Yes, Sarah's is today.  Yes, this bugged the [expletive] out of me when I was little.  But now it's kind of cool!

Wedding Wednesday And A Birthday

Hello, friends!  It's my birthday today - did you know that?  But it's also Wedding Wednesdays, and there is something that birthdays and weddings share.  I will tell you what it is, if you lean in very close to hear the secret:

Okay, so it's not so much a secret.  Weddings and birthdays both include cake.  Had you guessed that?  You clever things, you.  So, for today's Wedding Wednesday post, let's talk about cake.

I have to admit that I've never imagined having a classic wedding cake.  From anecdotal evidence, it seems like most people don't end up eating cake at weddings, especially not when there's also a plated dessert being served.  So when Jon and I started batting around ideas, I really pushed for a cheese cake.  No, not a cheesecake; a cheese cake.  I wanted stacked wheels of cheese, like these:

[ clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four ]

We wouldn't only have cheese after the meal - because in Europe, unlike in America, the cheese course follows dinner, though the English and the French disagree on whether it appears before or after dessert - but I thought that it would make a delicious savory partner to the dessert bar that I also imagined we might incorporate.  (In this scenario, we wouldn't have a seated/plated dessert at all, but that's a conversation for another post.)

Jon, however, chose this moment to be a staunch traditionalist.  Wedding cake, he said he wanted, and not just any wedding cake: he pictured white and tiers and pillars.  Yes, pillars.  I suppose I should be glad that he didn't insist on fruitcake, which I can't stand but which is, historically, what is served as wedding cake in England.  It took Jon a little while, but he did finally talk me round to the merits of having a classic wedding cake - although I drew the line at pillars.

[ clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four, five ]

To be honest, now that Jon's convinced me that we need a traditional wedding cake, I'm playing with the idea of having lots of cakes on a sideboard - everyone could help themselves throughout the course of the evening, after dinner ends.  But, again, that's a discussion for another post.  For today, we'll stick with some good old-fashioned birthday cake!

I'm linking up with something charming for today's post - go check out some great tips on how to find your photographer!

A Look Back

Well, I think we can all agree that 25 was quite an age for me.  The first half of the year was relatively uneventful, but the last six months have been one hell of a rollercoaster:

quit my job

got engaged

moved back to America

I also took up running, started to plan my wedding, rescued a black lab named Charlie, and jumped back into the life of a Washingtonian - which came with a whole new wonderful blogging community! Even considering the most difficult parts of the year, in which deciding to uproot my world in London and endure a long-distance engagement stands out as a major test, I wouldn't change the experiences I've had.  The past twelve months have made me stronger, I know; I've examined what it means to be a friend, a daughter, a sister, and a girlfriend, and I'm pretty happy about where I've ended up.

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So, on the eve of my birthday - even though I won't really be celebrating it until next month - I'm going to indulge in a coupe of champagne, a few macarons, and a pretty new frock.  After all, you only turn 26 once!

Raincheck

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It's been such a Monday, dear readers.  And I had a really great post scheduled for today, but when push came to shove and it was time to polish and publish... I just felt uninspired.  Sometimes, as a blogger, it's more important to be consistent in the quality of your content than in the quantity of your content.  There are a few great posts out there on how to get over bloggers' block, how to stay inspired as a blogger, how to find inspiration for blogging, and how to fall in love back with blogging again.  I've read all of them, and they've got fantastic tips.  But occasionally, I think it's okay to take a raincheck on a solid post.  You don't mind, do you?  Come back tomorrow - I promise I'll make it up to you.

A Soft Sunday

This weekend has been somewhat productive, but mostly it's been two days of glorious homebodyness.  It's drizzled on and off since Friday night, Charlie's seemed a bit under the weather, and I've needed to catch up on some life admin, so I'm glad to have had a few convergent excuses to hunker down for a while.  I've also taken the opportunity to trip through some newish corners of the interwebs and thought I might share my finds with you...

- when Pinterest gets overwhelming, I turn to this tumblr for my fix of lovely

- finally caught the font bug, and this guy is teaching me how to use them effectively

- this mantra is my motivation as I consider how I can ensure my continued professional development

- so glad to have discovered this blog, not just because of the amazing recipes but also because of the gorgeous photography and contemplative writing

- my mother recently started sewing again, and I'm going to beg her to make me one of these dresses

- believe it or not, I read this article in hardcopy with all of my electronic devices in another room

- having never "attended" a blog brunch due to time conflicts, I'm delighted that this website is live

- love seeing UK weddings/vendors featured on major websites, so this celebration on the Isle of Skye made me very happy

- now that I've remembered the luxury of a hot bath, I'm going to need to stock up on these treats to keep the bliss flowing

Happy weekend, dear readers - I hope you're pampering yourselves, too, before the work week starts again!

Frock Fridays: Hello, High Street

Remember how I said that August probably wouldn't be a great month for me?  Well, it's been okay so far - but the end is near, and so many good things are on the horizon!

5 days: birthday

12 days: end of spending freeze

20 days: trip to London

What a marvelous convergence of events.  You know what this means, right?  It means that, in honor of my birthday, I get a shopping spree in London!  And while there are lots of amazing places to shop all over town, my first stop is going to be Oxford Street.  Yes, you're right - Oxford Street can be horribly busy and frustrating and uncomfortable.  But it's also one of the places that can connect me most to the time I lived in London.

So, in just a few weeks, I will trip up the stairs of the Oxford Circus tube station.  I will stride through that diagonal intersection - which is newish, you know; I remember when it was a normal perpendicular crossing - with the brash insouciance of a native and then I will saunter west towards Marble Arch, taking all the time in the world to reacquaint myself with the sounds of the city.  Here's how it will happen:

Emerging from the depths of the tube - you'll want the northeast exit, if you're following me - I'll pop straight into Topshop to pick up that classic black blazer.  Of course, I'll need to wander around a bit, especially through the accessories section on the ground floor, but hopefully the lines for the fitting rooms won't be too interminable and I'll make it out alive not having lost too much time.

Then I'll head west, crossing the street to check out one of the millions of H&M stores that litter Oxford Street in the hopes of finding these cute leopard-print flats.

I'll continue to John Lewis, my favorite department store, where I'll browse the kitchenware and beauty products before meandering up to the Oasis concession on the first floor - which, if you're following me, is what we in America call the second floor - to grab this stunning blue embellished dress.  (If you want to go directly to an Oasis store, there's one on Argyll Street, which you'll see noted on the signs for the exit from the tube.)

My next visit will be to the Zara just a bit further down the road, where I'll find the mini quilted messenger bag.  And, finally, I'll arrive at Accessorize, where I'll hold a dozen earrings up against the side of my face before deciding on these knotted gold studs.

Do you know what will happen next?  I'll jump into a changing room - probably in French Connection, the one near Selfridges, because I like to browse their frocks - to swap out whatever I'm wearing for all of my new purchases, and then make my way back east, into Soho, to meet Jon for the evening.  (Don't be silly; I won't subject him to my shopping spree!)  We'll catch up over a drink at Quo Vadis before making our dinner reservation at... but no, I'll let Jon plan that part.  After all, I want to have some surprises in my visit!

Hem: Music for the End of Summer

There are some ephemeral things that anchor us to a specific place and time.  Scents are definitely one of them; when I first went away to college, I took an empty bottle of my mother's perfume with me so that I could feel like a part of home was in New York.  And every time I pass a boy on the street who is wearing my ex's cologne, I instinctively glance around to see if he's near.  Music - ah, now music is especially contextual.  Even in the midst of the moment, we ground ourselves with and in music.  It provides a framework for what we're feeling, giving us words and melodies to enunciate what we're experiencing and throwing out a lifeline of shared understanding.

I must admit that I first discovered Hem in the most mundane of ways: one of their songs was featured in the series finale of Brothers & Sisters a few years ago.  I downloaded the track - My Father's Waltz - and then more or less forgot about it until I moved back to DC a couple of months ago. Then, at exactly the right time, it came up on my iTunes shuffle, and I was mesmerized.  The song caught me in the crook of a melancholy spell, a stretch when I felt torn between two countries and two homes and two families.

forty years since you washed ashore

carried out of the sea

on the mast of a man o' war

that once brought you to me

throw your overcoat over a chair

and lay all your lazybones down

may this night keep you here

till tomorrow

It was exactly what I needed to hear.  The whole album, Eveningland, is just as hauntingly beautiful, and, as I explored the rest of their music, I felt myself slipping into such a reverie.  It centered me - it seemed tell me that it was okay to be a bit untethered because the music would cocoon me until I was ready to figure how where and who I was.

Below is a playlist of my favorite songs from their albums - I hope they bring you much comfort, too, as we move into a new season.

Wedding Wednesday: In Defense of Premature Planning

It seems you always read reflections from brides who muse, "I was never one of those girls who's had her wedding planned for years."  They admit this as if they sidestepped a gaping maw of temptation; as if, every day on the school playground, their female classmates were being devoured by Disney and yet they - and they alone - were strong enough to withstand the siren song of happily every after.

This drives me crazy.

Let me state one thing unequivocally before I say anything else: it is never appropriate to get married for the sake of having a wedding.  When Jon and I first squabbled over planning our celebration, a good friend gave me a reality check that grounded my frustrations.  Your wedding lasts a day, she said, but your marriage will last a lifetime.  In the grand scheme of things, your choice of cake topper will have little impact on the next half-century of love that your wedding will launch.

But, at the same time, I think that your wedding is a tangible springboard for your marriage.  Whether you elope to the bright elegance of Paris or clasp hands before 300 of your nearest and dearest, your wedding is a public declaration of the commitment you and your partner are making to each other.  Before we find the person who inspires us to those heights of devotion, we cannot even imagine what that kind of love feels like - and so we plan our weddings.

When I was very small, I told my parents that I wanted to get married at my preschool.  At twelve, I asked my mother if she'd make my wedding dress - apparently I requested light blue.  As a high schooler, I dreamed of holding my wedding on the expanse of lawn in the Bishop's Garden next to the Cathedral.  And, yes, when I helped my good friend Hannah plan her wedding the summer after we graduated from college, I took advantage of the excuse to sign up for The Knot.  There's no way that I could have understood what it would feel like to want to pledge my life to someone else at any of those ages, and so I anchored the abstract notion of "marriage" in the concrete idea of "wedding."  This doesn't mean at all that I think that my wedding will be the brightest point in my marriage - in fact, I hope it isn't.  But when you can't conceptualize what it means to get married but you know that, one day, you'd like to share your life with someone, you latch on to the accessible.  You plan your wedding.

And you know what?  I really don't think there's anything wrong with that.

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[Belated] Bon Appetit, Julia Child!

Julia Child's 100th birthday was last week - did you celebrate?  It was the perfect excuse to unearth that good bottle of red and grab some poultry.  After all:

the best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken.

I first fêted Julia's birth with dinner at a new(ish) French restaurant near the Cathedral called Bistrot Le Zinc with my friend Megan.  We clinked cocktails, but couldn't enjoy ourselves too much as we were both driving.  Nonetheless, I devoured my steak tartare and a delicious mushroom risotto and felt très française all evening.  (And then, when I got home, I reread my first blog, written while I was living in Paris in 2007, in its entirety.  What can I say?  I'm a romantic.)

The real celebration, though, happened this weekend - I mean, it was supposed to, but it didn't quite turn out the way I'd hoped.  Epicurious published Julia's recipe for plain French bread; while I've made bread before successfully, it was from a much less demanding source, and I felt the best way to honor the birthday girl would be to follow her instructions.

Unfortunately... well, a less patient chef might say I failed.  Julia, I feel, would have been slightly more understanding.  As she herself declared:

one of the secrets, and pleasures, of cooking is to learn to correct something if it goes awry, and one of the lessons is to grin and bear it if it cannot be fixed.

I took tons o' pictures of the bread-making process so that I could share them with you, dear readers, but I feel a bit fraudulent posting them when they shouldn't be used as an example of How To Do Things Properly.  Everything looked more or less okay throughout, to be honest, but it was clear by the end that the yeast/dough and I disagreed about what it meant to "triple in size" while rising.  Oops.

Anyway, I decided to look at the debacle as a Lemons Into Lemonade situation - or, in this case, a Bread Into Croque-Monsieurs situation.  The bread didn't rise as it was supposed to, but it somehow turned into vaguely ciabatta-like loaves, which were, when sliced horizontally, perfect for croque-monsieurs!

Now, my secret to a good croque-monsieur isn't a hearty bechamel sauce - although, obviously, if you want to take that extra step you may, and I will recommend Martha's recipe for this.  My secret is one that Julia would approve of: butter.  Lots of butter.

to have:
two thick slices of bread
lots of butter
2 slices of ham
as much Gruyère as you can handle
a heavy skillet

to do:
Butter both sides of both pieces of bread.  Layer one piece with ham and cheese.  Top the open-faced sandwich with the other buttered piece of bread.  Heat a heavy skillet, and then cook the sandwich until the cheese melts, about five minutes per side.  Eat carefully, if you can, because the croque-monsieur will be hot and greasy.  But, above all, enjoy!

As Julia would say, bon appetit!

Rights: Nothing More, Nothing Less

I've talked about politics on this blog before, but I had vowed to keep chatter about my liberal leanings to a minimum this year.  The forthcoming elections are so highly charged, and I wanted to keep that tension away from Betsy Transatlantically - not because it doesn't have a place here, but because I appreciate that some of my readers have differing views and it's hard to have an honest and open dialogue when there's only one name on the bottom of the post.  However, yesterday's disgraceful assertion by Rep. Tom Akin (R. Mo) has pushed me beyond respectful silence.  You'll find consideration for other opinions here still, certainly, but I will start using my voice.

This weekend marked the 92nd anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, prohibiting any citizen from being denied the right to vote based on sex.  At the beginning of a new week, I hope to hear your voice, too.

photo taken August 2012

#photoadayaug

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll have noticed that I started participating in the Photo a Day challenge - finally!  I'd been seeing it around for months but always thought that I couldn't be bothered to stick to the suggestions every day for weeks on end.  It seemed prescriptive, and I thought that I didn't need to be told where or how to seek out inspiration.  But you know what?  I've actually been finding it liberating - it's encouraging me to be more creative.  We'll be given a word or a phrase, and I'll spend the whole day looking for it in the strangest of places.  It's fun!

So, without further ado, I give you the first half of my #photoadayaug:

Are you participating in the challenge, too?  Let me know what your Instagram handle is so I can follow you!

Currently... Plus a Welcome

Hello lovelies, and welcome especially to everyone who was pointed here by Jenni - I'm so glad you've stopped by!  I'm Betsy, a re/expat splitting my time between London and Washington, DC.  I'm also splitting my time between planning my upcoming wedding to my English fiancé, Jon, and loving on my new black lab puppy, Charlie.  Jon and Charlie know about each other but haven't met yet, so let's keep the extent of my two-timing between us, okay?  Thanks.

Betsy and Jon, May 2011

If you want some background, go ahead and check out my "about me" page, but definitely feel free to have a wander around on your own, too.  This blog has documented my life - from the visa process and my move to London in June 2010 to my relationship with and engagement to Jon, to my decision to return to DC and my move back in May 2012 - for quite a while, so there's a lot on here.  But in case you want to jump right into the present, here goes:

currently...

sautéing two pounds of cherry tomatoes for this delicious savory cobbler from Joy the Baker.  I get a bit nervous when I make a vegetarian meal because I'm usually so carnivorous, but this was such a complete dinner on its own that I didn't even miss the meat.  Also, three words: blue cheese biscuits.  Nom.

humming triumphant melodies as I research options for the recessional music for our wedding next summer.  We want a string quartet for the ceremony, but maybe I can find a trumpeter to take us out in style!  There's just something regal about processing to brass, isn't there?  

scribbling as I read Emotionally Engaged: A Bride's Guide to Surviving the "Happiest" Time of Her Life by Allison Moir-Smith.  I don't usually go in for self-help books, but I need to be proactive about getting through this transitional period with my sanity intact.  This book encourages me to accept that the crazy feelings I'm experiencing are normal while providing solutions for moving forward.

scheduling (almost) every minute of my trip to London in September.  I'm only back for six days and there are so many things to do and people to see!  However, I've promised Jon a couple of days to enjoy just being together without obligations, which will be blissful.

listening to my body.  I've been running early in the morning more consistently than usual (it's the best way to tire Charlie out for the day!) but haven't yet figured out how to sync up my eating schedule.  I really appreciate the advice I've gotten from more experienced runners, so please do let me know if you have any tips!

wearing a cute new pair of wedges from Nine West.  Yes, I'm technically still on my spending freeze, but my sandals broke while I was out and about the other weekend so I really had no choice.  You understand, don't you?

drinking chocolate milk.  I have a hard time eating sweet immediately after savory, which is why I'm not a huge fan of dessert (unless it's a cheese plate, in which case all bets are off).  So by the time dinner is far enough in the past for me to be ready for a treat, I'm no longer remotely hungry.  Chocolate milk gives me a sweet fix without filling me up further!

preparing for work to explode into fevered action.  I do fundraising for a theater in DC and summer is our quiet period.  Once the new season starts at the end of August, it's going to be constant activity for the next ten months.  It's been great to have had this introductory time while the office has been calm, though; I can't imagine trying to learn the ropes while in the midst of a busy production schedule.

sharing my bed with Charlie, who thinks that it's actually his bed and has made it abundantly clear that I should be grateful for even a little bit of space.  Though new to the family, he hasn't been shy in making the house his own!

Charlie, July 2012

Thanks for visiting!  If you're looking for even more current snippets, you can find me on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.  Please do leave a note in the comments, if you want, so I can get to know you, too!  I'd love to see you around here again.

*see my first currently... here*
*see my mea culpa here*

Morning Has Broken

Okay, yes, this is a style post.  I know you loyal readers may be confused because it's not officially Frock Friday yet, but let's blame The Post Which We'll Forget Was Ever Accidentally Published for throwing off my whole blogging schedule, shall we?  Great.  Thanks.  Onwards.

{av} suggested we take inspiration from the sunset this week, but I'm going to tweak the theme a bit and go with some sunrise stylings.  Apparently, it's mostly just a myth that DC was built on a swamp; nonetheless, we seem to be prime real estate for mosquitos, who prefer to dine at dusk.  I have crazy reactions to bug bites, so I try to limit my time outside during the sunset hours to the walk home from the metro and then a jog around the block with Charlie.

Sunrise - ah, now sunrise is a different matter completely, especially on the weekends.  It's lucky that I'm more of a morning lark, because Charlie doesn't realize that I don't have to go to work every single day and so he very helpfully wakes me up around 6:30am seven days a week.  We have a routine now, even on the weekends: we cuddle a bit in bed before trotting down the stairs, and then he goes out to the back yard for his morning (ahem) activities while I make a pot of coffee.  After Charlie has had his breakfast, I take my mug out to the porch and ease myself into a rocking chair with my laptop while he chases rabbits in the garden, and together we welcome the morning each in our own way.

I don't live alone, so I can't be too deshabille even at that early hour - I've got to pick nightwear that's comfortable enough to sleep in but appropriate for a dash out to grab the newspaper from the drive.  I've learned that if I throw a cardigan on top rather than a robe, I can play the "oh, no, I'm totally dressed already" card in case I meet a neighbor.  And slippers that are just this side of sturdy are my insurance against Charlie going rogue on a squirrel.

[ chemise / sweater / slipper ]

How about you, dear readers - are you a lark or an owl?  Do you love greeting the day, as I do, or would you prefer to only see the sunrise at the end of a successful night out?

Wedding Wednesdays: Help! I Need Somebody

It's easy to find articles on wedding websites about the necessity of having a wedding planner - or, at the very least, a day-of coordinator.  (There's one here to start you off, if you haven't been convinced yet.)  Even before I read them, though, I knew I wanted to hire someone to bring together the details of our wedding.  The big picture planning was going to be tricky enough, with me in the States and our vendors in England, certainly, but I was confident we'd appreciate a professional's help even on a smaller scale.  Things will inevitably go wrong at my wedding, as at all weddings, but I don't want to know about them and I don't want my mother or Jon's mother to worry about them; if something catastrophic almost happens, I'd like someone else to take responsibility for averting disaster.  Our families and our friends - and we ourselves, of course - are going to have a great time at our wedding, and I'd like us to be totally unaware of the mechanics of how it's all happening on the day.

via

At the beginning, Jon didn't completely understand this, but he was happy for me do some research (that's what I called the stack of wedding magazines and the folder of bookmarked blogs) and he didn't roll his eyes when I emailed a fantastic wedding planner to explore possibilities.  And, to his infinite credit, he participated enthusiastically at the resulting meeting.

It was wonderful to sit down with a professional to talk though our ideas and plans - it really made me feel like we were on the right track.  We were so much on the right track, actually, that she didn't think we needed full or even partial services; she recommended that we just go for day/month-of coordination.  (That's what happens when you're partially employed, as I was, and totally type-A, as I am.)  Unfortunately, we realized our schedules didn't match up appropriately and so the meeting ended with best wishes all around... but the story has a very happy ending nonetheless.

Do you see those gorgeous images up there?  Of course you do.  Well, guess what? I know the girl who styled that shoot!  Jillian and I had been blog friends for a few months before our paths crossed in London this past May.  Via Twitter and email, we had bonded over being expats in the UK, our British boys, and - obviously - weddings, and when we met for lunch, we totally clicked.  Jillian even offered to help out with my wedding that very day, but, somehow, it didn't get through to me that she really could be my planner.  I'm not entirely sure why; maybe I thought that friends and business didn't mix?  I don't know, but clearly I was having a obtuse moment.

And then, one day in early June, I clicked through to Style Me Pretty and swooned over the stunning photos from a beautifully imagined English country wedding shoot - and then, when I saw the styling credit at the bottom of the page, I swooned again.  It was Jillian's work as owner of Mimi Nicole Event Design Boutique!  That, dear readers, was my lightbulb moment.  I emailed her that evening, apologizing profusely for having been such a bonehead.  Several emails, a Skype call, a contract, and a dozen cupcakes later, it became official: I'm working with Jillian and Mimi Nicole Events to coordinate my wedding!  I could not be more thrilled to have such a wonderful friend and professional by my side through this crazy ride.  Thank you, lady, for coming on board!

I'm linking up with Joelle at something charming today.

Go check out the other Wedding Wednesday posts for more!

*not just anybody / help! / you know I need someone / heeeeeeeeeeelp! 

Well, you know how it goes.

#DCsummer

I love it when my London and Washington worlds collide!  I had a number of American friends visit me across the pond during the three years I lived in England, and showing them my favorite spots (both on and off the tourist track) was such a treat.  Now that I'm back in DC, my calendar is filling up with requests from my English friends who want to come over to explore the States.

It's so much fun to share my new life with my friends, so I was thrilled when Rob told me he had booked flights to enjoy a long weekend here.  Along with my good friend Christine, who is also a Washington native, we experienced a true #DCsummer: 

eating dinner at Birch & Barley

rambling through Cabin John Park with Charlie

getting down and dirty with a blue crab feast

wandering through the Bishop's Garden

peeking into the Cathedral

drinking a bloody Mary (or two) at brunch

playing tourist at the Lincoln Memorial

making jokes at the Washington Monument

trying to spot Obama at the White House

There's so much more we could have done, obviously, but, given that we hadn't seen each other in months, it was also lovely to just hang out and be silly together.  Next time, we'll tackle some of DC's other best summer activities.  What do you think we should put on the list, dear readers?

Imagine

Okay, confession time: even after being a total party pooper and then wholeheartedly apologizing for it, I didn't end up watching much of the Olympics.  I saw bits and pieces of the Opening Ceremonies on YouTube and caught up on the highlights of the more spectacular events, but social media was flooded with spoilers, so I didn't feel the need to tune in every night to NBC's annoying coverage.  (And yes, every time I turned on the TV and saw that little peacock, I griped about how much better the BBC was probably handling the Olympics.)

But Rob was in town this weekend, visiting from London via Saudi Arabia, so we had no choice but to hunker down and watch the Closing Ceremonies.  And, though I already knew what was going to happen thanks to my Twitter-mad English friends, I loved it.  The Closing Ceremonies were whacky and weird and, in sum, capped off a crazy two weeks of unfamiliar (though hopefully long-lasting) patriotism for Britain.  My favorite parts were:

- Prince Harry singing along to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
- Boris Johnson dancing as the Spice Girls performed
- the crowd pumping their arms and chanting "we will we will rock you"

But, as a larger theme, I loved the unity that the event expressed.  It was amazing to watch the athletes - men and women who had been in the glare of international spotlights for weeks - mug for the camera in their excitement, shouting "hi, Mom!" and showing off their medals.  The handover from London to Rio was so enthusiastic; all nationalistic competition seemed to have been left behind as the torches were passed to the 2016 host city and the crowd rejoiced with the dancers.  The whole feeling was one of jubilant togetherness.

We all teared up at the John Lennon tribute during the ceremony.  It seemed to express such hope for the future - so on this beautiful Monday morning, I leave you to imagine...

photo taken in Schull, Co Cork, Ireland; February 2012

Curiosity: This Is What's Next

When the Voyager spacecraft were launched in 1977, they carried a golden record containing "sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth" that would serve as a message to any "spacefarers" who might find them.  (Seriously.)  Amongst the recordings are three works by J.S. Bach, including the Prelude and Fugue #1 in C Major from the second book of the Well-Tempered Clavier; I can't listen to this piece without imagining a solitary bottle drifting in the vast, empty ocean of space.

Science has never been my forte.  I'm a humanities girl all the way, which is why I completed Columbia's requirement of two science courses with a psych intro and a slightly more advanced version of the Earth Science class we were taught in the eighth grade.  (Actually, they were both fascinating.  Maybe I've missed my calling?  Nah.)

So science has always been sort of mystical to me.  I don't understand a lot of it, but I respect it deeply - in fact, I'm in awe of the men and women who pursue scientific aims, be they discovering new species of insects in the jungle or researching the consequences of melting glaciers or exploring the vast void of space.  It takes immense curiosity to look beyond one's own patch and pursue what's beyond.

I think that Aaron Sorkin explained it best on The West Wing in an episode about landing an unmanned spacecraft on Mars:

- Do we really have to go to Mars?

Yes!

- Why?

'Cause it's next!  'Cause we came out of the cave and we looked over the hill and we saw fire and we crossed the ocean and we pioneered the West and we took to the sky.  The history of man is on a timeline of exploration and this is what's next.

And now here we are: we're on Mars.  We're on Mars!

via

Have a wonderful weekend, dear readers.  Go explore!

Frock Fridays

When I saw that {av} had suggested we focus on gingham for this week's link-up, I was delighted.  I've been a fan of gingham ever since tenth grade, when I went through a '50s phase that, to be honest, I'm still sort of enjoying.  Over the past ten years, I've owned a few gingham shirts (like this one) and a pair of gingham flats (like these) and three gingham dresses (like this one) and, obviously, a gingham bikini (like this one).  It's perfect for those days - and nights - when you're feeling cute and peppy and maybe even like you could be Americana incarnate if you wanted.

That's why it's what I'll grab when Rob and I head out tomorrow night to partake in Maryland's ritual summer dinner of blue crabs.  Now, there's only one way to feast on the bounty of the Chesapeake, and it's messy.  You need a table laid with brown wrapping paper that can go straight in the bin afterwards, a stack of napkins that would rival the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a bowl of melted butter, and lashings of Old Bay seasoning - and all that means that you need an outfit that can easily be thrown in the wash, plus you've got to avoid rings and bracelets and dangly necklaces that might get in the way of all the deliciousness.

So... hello, gingham.

[ top / skirt / necklace / earrings / bag / shoes ] 

Betsy Transatlantically Elsewhere

Hello loves!  I'm not technically here today... I'm over at Smitten By Britain, one of the premier blogs for those who love all things British, advising you on how to make friends in the UK as an American expat.

Check out my article about "Overcoming the British Reserve" and let me know what you think!

And if you've made your way here from Smitten by Britain, welcome!  Feel free to have a browse around.  I think you'll find a lot to explore - you might want to peruse the sections on London life, the nuts and bolts of putting down roots in the UK, and the cultural differences I discovered while living across the pond.  (Also, there's a bit called Rule Britannia you might enjoy!)

Thanks for having me today, Melissa!

Wedding Wednesday: Defining the Aesthetic

Defining the aesthetic that Jon and I wanted for our wedding was a pretty organic process.  Like every other bride-to-be these days, I had several months of pinning under my belt before we were even engaged, so I was very aware of the trends in the industry when we started talking about the look and feel that we would try to achieve.  However, we felt very strongly that our wedding should be a manifestation of who we are as a couple.  We didn't want to jump on popular ideas - taking photos with whimsical props, say, or hiring a Vespa as a getaway car - if they didn't feel like us.  (We're not quirky enough for oversized balloons, and Jon's memories of scooter-riding are tied up in his trip to Vietnam in 2008.  If those things are you, cool; they're just not us.)

Jon and I knew from the start that we imagined our wedding with a country/elegant feel: country without being rustic and elegant without being glamorous.  Our venue fit that perfectly, which made it a natural springboard for planning all the smaller pieces that would go into our aesthetic.  Jon felt strongly about wearing a morning suit, so that got added to the puzzle, too, as did our desire to keep things as fresh and seasonal as possible.

The barn at Bruisyard Hall, where our ceremony and reception will be held, has beautiful pale wooden beams.  We wanted to take advantage of the simplicity of the space by using similarly natural colors.  I loved all of the romantic images I'd seen that included pinks, and we decided to veer towards peaches and corals rather than anything bolder.  Jon suggested incorporating as much greenery as possible, too, thereby bringing the beauty of Suffolk inside; luckily, the English countryside abounds in dusty pinks and deep greens at the end of summer.

We agreed that Jon's morning suit wouldn't be solid black, as that felt a bit funereal.  He wasn't crazy about navy, so the only other viable option was gray, and from there we picked up charcoal as an accent color.  I then chose gold as our metallic - I like how it pops against grey but is slightly more subtle against pinks.

Armed with these colors and a few key words to define our aesthetic, we headed off to meet with the rest of our vendors...

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