Frock Fridays: Black and White Floral

I bought this striped dress a year and a half ago from Target and I loved it. I really did. It was ponte knit, so it was super comfortable, but it was structured, so I could wear it to meetings and still feel professional, and it fit really well.  I loved that dress even though, no matter how many times my mother took it to her sewing machine, the side seams by the pockets kept opening.  I loved that dress, accidental flashes of hip and all, until the seam under the zipper that ran down the center of my back opened in the middle of the afternoon and I realized that I may have won a bunch of battles but I'd definitely lost the war.

So, on my way home from work that day, I stopped at Marshall's - and walked out with this fabulous black-and-white floral frock for $30.  I've got a few more curves than the model in the collage below, and the dress makes me feel like a pin-up girl while still being demure enough, thanks to the neckline and the length of the hem, to be appropriate for work.  Actually, it's probably best for work events, not just another Friday, but I have an external lunch today and then drinks later in the afternoon before coming home for date night with Jon.  (He's cooking!)  Those sounds like a few valid excuses to trot out a new dress, right?  I hope so, because I'm wearing it now.  Just a swipe of lipgloss and I'll be out the door to work!

dress / earrings / bracelet / cardigan / lipgloss / bag / shoes

Frock Fridays: A Loft Skirt

Perhaps unsurprisingly, our itinerary for Jon's family's visit included a pastime that really only held interest for the women among us: shopping.  In New York, we strolled up Fifth Avenue, peeking into Tiffany's and Stuart Weitzman.  In Washington, our destination was Georgetown.  Taking pity on Jon and his father, who had no interest in accompanying us into shops, Ellie, Jon's mum, and I kept things as brisk as possible on Wisconsin and M - but Ellie and I both managed to snag a few pieces!  I absolutely love this skirt I picked up on sale at Loft.  The pleats make it super flattering without bulking it (or me) out, and I love that the pattern feels super contemporary.  And - bonus - it has pockets!

I think you'll be seeing this one regularly on my #ootd Instagrams, dear readers.

The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race

What a glorious day for a run, dear readers!  And not just any run: today, coinciding with the peak of cherry blossom bloom around the National Mall, more than 17,500 runners and I completed the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race.  The weather was perfect - in the low 50s when the back of the purple corral started just before 8am up to 60° when Megan and I crossed the finish line at 10am - with cloudless blue skies and brilliant sun.  One of the best parts, of course, was running through the trees in full flower that lined our course.  (Jon and I woke up at 6am to drive down to the Mall for peak bloom last year, but this was a much better way to experience the glory of it all!)  This is the first time the race has coincided with peak bloom since 2007 and it's definitely the most beautiful race I've ever run.

It's also the best race I've ever run, both physically and mentally.  It was the longest race I'd completed since that disastrous half marathon in September 2013 and I absolutely feel like I've redeemed myself.  I trained properly and, despite not having done more than 8 miles in one go in the lead-up, I was confident that I'd built up my endurance over the past six months and felt optimistic about completing the course in good time and in good health.

Knowing I'd be running with a fabulous pack of women also helped me prepare for the race.  Megan, Jen, and Kelly are absolute rockstars and have made me feel like a rockstar, too, on every step of my running journey, and it's always a blast to run with them.  (We started out together and then Jen and Kelly outpaced us; Megan kept me in line all the way to the end.  Thanks, Megan!)  There's a post on a running blog from last October titled "Thank You: From the Front of the Pack to the Back" that speaks to why I'm so lucky to have fallen in with this crew - the lessons that the blogger learned from the back of the pack are the same ones that these women teach me every time we talk about running or head out to train or race.

Megan and I stuck to 1:1 intervals and, on her prodding, came close to consistent negative splits for Cherry Blossom.  I was worried for the first mile or so that we'd get swept because we were at the very back of the last corral, but the intervals worked their magic for our pacing and we started passing other runners by the time we got onto Hains Point.  (By the way, not even the beautiful day or the gorgeous blossoms could prevent me from getting deathly bored by the end of that 3 mile loop.)  Unfortunately, there was an accident on the course a few hours before we started - the area was declared a crime scene and we had to take a detour somewhere between mile 4 and mile 6, so we actually ran 9.5 miles instead of the proper 10.  But we came in at 2:04, which would have come out to 2:10 for the full race, and I'm so pleased with that result.

Of course, I was also delighted to see Jon wildly waving a sign with my name on it as we rounded the hill on 15th just as we came up to the finish!  It was the most wonderful end to a fantastic race.

Frock Fridays: Spring Switchover

Three things have happened in the last week to make me want to buy some new dresses: winter finally lost its magic, I've started doing my biannual assessment of my wardrobe, and our tax refund came through.  A dangerous combination, wouldn't you say?

But really - I would rip all of my tights to shreds if I could.  Never seeing another boot again would make me a happy woman.  And my coat is desperate to go to the dry cleaner and then to hibernate for nine months in my closet.  I am so over being covered up all the time!  I can't wait for the first day of bare legs and ballet flats this spring.

I'm no less ruthless when it comes to my closet and dresser.  When the season truly begins to change, I'll go through every drawer and hanger; I'll make one pile of things to be packed away until fall, another of pieces to donate, and a third to trash.  Then I'll pull out one of the boxes from under my bed and rediscover what I packed away when the weather turned cool.  (By the way, I've used the same two under-bed storage boxes since high school and totally recommend them for both their functionality and their longevity.)  Most of what I stored will be found homes in my closet and dresser, but some items will probably be tossed onto the "donate" pile because my measurements and tastes have changed a bit since September.

Those aren't reasons enough to buy new dresses, of course, but seeing some extra money in our bank account makes me feel like I could maybe, just maybe, justify one new frock!  I'm loving these for spring...

top row, left to right: Lands' End / Lands' End / Lands' End / Boden / Boden
bottom row: left to right: Gap / Ann Taylor / Escada

Hillwood Estate

On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon two weekends ago, Mom and I played tourist in our hometown.  DC is full of incredible spots that are off the beaten path and, I'm slightly ashamed to admit, there's a lot here I've never seen despite being a native.  So, when Hillwood tweeted photos from its spectacular garden, I knew I needed to discover this hidden treasure in my backyard.

Bought by Marjorie Meriweather Post in 1955, the Hillwood estate was intended to serve as a showcase for its mistress' collections alongside its functions as a home and venue for legendary parties.  Mrs. Post decorated her Georgian mansion primarily in the 18th century French style, but she was also passionate about Russian imperial art after spending the 1930s in Moscow as the wife of the American ambassador to the Soviet Union.  Today, Hillwood is maintained as Mrs. Post intended when she first opened it to the public in 1977: as part residence and part museum, surrounded by 25 acres of landscaped gardens and serene woodlands.

Mom, an amateur expert in 18th and 19th century Russian history and an actual art professional, led me  through the house; she gestured at one portrait or another hung along the walls of the grand staircase as she explained the sordid relationships between the royals, pointed out the differences between Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture, and waxed lyrical about the fine art of porcelain appreciation.  We eavesdropped on a few guided tours along the way, too, but our ultimate goal was outside.

Designed as a succession of "outdoor rooms," each space is intimate while flowing naturally into the next.  The French Parterre and the Lunar Lawn, guarded by a lion originally from Somerset House in London, transported me to Europe; the Japanese Garden inspired quiet contemplation in its subtle intricacy.  Of course, Mom and I paused for a moment in the pet cemetery, similar to the one Jon and I saw at Sandringham on our honeymoon, before claiming a bench in the sun amongst the roses and peonies for a good chat.

We visited Hillwood just before the Cartier exhibition opened, but it sounds fabulous and I absolutely plan on going back later in the summer to check it out.  They're also cohosting a Bastille Day festival on July 12 with the Alliance Française - who wants to come sing the Marseillaise with me?  And Mom and I spoke to a gardener on the estate who said they are always looking for volunteers to help out in the gardens and the greenhouse.  Apparently the volunteers get first dibs on cuttings that aren't used or are no longer needed by the estate!  If only I didn't have such a brown thumb...

New York Weekend Whirl

See those gorgeous spring temperatures up there?  That's what I have to look forward to in New York City this weekend!  I'm taking the train up with my father tomorrow morning to see friends, family, and - most importantly - to celebrate my cousins' respective graduations.  Katie donned a cap and gown at Yale earlier this week and will be off to China soon for a two-year stint teaching English, and Nick is finishing up high school and will be making his own name in New Haven come fall.  I can't really accept that they're not little kids anymore, but I guess that's the way things work!  It'll be fab to see them and my aunt and uncle and to fete all of their achievements.

Saturday, once we've pulled into Penn Station, is set aside to reacquaint myself with the city; the only things penciled in are dinner with my grandparents in the evening and then meeting up with a friend for drinks.  I've got a busy day on Sunday, though, so I'll need an outfit that can see me through various activities!  First on the docket is brunch with Julie and her husband and then I'll be meeting my friend Gen for a wander around the Met.  (I really want to see the Pre-Raphaelite show - I missed when it was in DC at the National Gallery.)  Afterwards, I'll head downtown to join my dad for the graduation party which, Katie tells me, is a relatively casual affair, but since she wore a Disney hat with ears to get her diploma I'm not sure I can trust her on this.  Then we're straight onto a train and will be back in DC just past midnight!

It'll be a whirlwind, but I'm so looking forward to being in my original second home.

dress / earrings / sunglasses / bag / shoes