St. Matthew’s Cathedral

Through the Lens Thursdays

St. Matthew’s Cathedral holds a special place in my heart for the following reasons:

The architecture is simply breathtaking.

It was one of the first Catholic church masses I attended with Brian.

Here, I considered for the first time becoming a Catholic. Gasp. I know.

If you would like to visit St. Matthew’s Cathedral, either for a mass service or just to admire its beauty,  the cathedral is located in Dupont Circle.  Click here if you would like to set up a tour to learn about the history, art, and architecture. Click here for their mass schedule.

Hope you experience something today that opens your eyes to new possibilities :).

Thankful Tuesdays

Life Long Friends

Well I wasn’t very good at keeping my Lenten promise this year, which was to write 5 things I’m grateful for each day. I started out strong, but my dedication withered as the 40 days and 40 nights continued on (hey I’m no Ashton Kutcher).

So in an effort to remind myself of the many, many things in my life I am truly thankful for and to make peace with the big man upstairs by keeping my promise, I’m starting ‘Thankful Tuesday” (again, a sucker for alliteration).

Today I’m thankful for one of my oldest and dearest friends, Whitney who came to visit this weekend.  We hadn’t seen each other in months, but it felt just like we saw each other yesterday.  There’s something rare about childhood friends that instantly brings happiness and comfort to this big, new world I’m in.

Luckily we escaped "Operation Adam's Morgan" 🙂

Floatin’, floatin’, floatin’ on the Rivah.

Floating at Harper‘s Ferry

It’s around 100 degrees out right now and all I can think about is…water…lotttttttts of it. I may be one of the few out there who actually loves the summer heat. I guess growing up in Richmond, Virginia I’m kinda used to the scorching temps and humidity by now.

So you know what has water….lottttttts of it? A river. You know what’s fun to do on a river? Float down it.

I love the activities summer brings along and this trip included a few of my favorite summer traditions, floating, day drinking, and bbqing.

Me and the boys at Harper's Ferry

Floatin' on down the river.

To float or not to float.

A month or so ago some friends and I  traveled to our friendly cousin state (whose residents are also known for being more than friendly with their cousins…just kidding West Virginia…who I am kidding people in West Virginia don’t have the internet… okay okay I’ll stop:) ) floated on down the wet and wild Shenandoah River located in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.

Living Social sure did create a trip fit for smooth floating.  With every detail planned for the day, it was quite easy to enjoy this adventure.  They picked us up in charter bus right down the road in Rosslyn, bused us out to West Virginia,  provided floats from Butts Tubes (haha. really the name), and even some BBQ to satisfy our beer filled tummies. And hey, everyone likes getting a deal!

Some river fun!

Cute 🙂

Floating like a champ.

 My recommendations for your own river adventure:

• Bring rope to tie all your tubes together. It makes it more fun floating with your friends.
• There are rocks, so wear your river shoes.
• Bring canned beer and your favorite coozie… no bottles allowed on the river.
• Rent an extra raft to hold your beer cooler.
• Harper’s Ferry is about 1.5 hours away from Washington, D.C. so if everyone wants to enjoy day drinking, rent a bus.
• If you can’t swim…you should prob learn how…but don’t worry most of the river never gets above 4ft.
• If you’re drinking on the river,  it’s always a good idea to wear a life vest (or floaties).

So slather on your spf, jump in some cool water, and let the day float away!!!

Hope you’re having a water-filled weekend 🙂

Friday Night Melodies at The Yards Park

What could be a more perfect way to start your weekend than enjoying a few food trucks and an ice cold beverage with friends at an outdoor concert? Well add in a perfect view of the water, make it free, and allow you to byob!

The festivities begin at 6pm and end around 8pm. This park at Navy Yard offers a friendly atmosphere for youngsters, families, and twenty-somethings alike. Walking up, I enjoyed seeing kids playing in the fountains (I almost joined in), a few corn hole games, and some dancing tom foolery.

I just loved sipping on a sangria, enjoying some ice cream from the Orange Cow food truck, watching the sun set on the water (I’m a sucker for a good sunset), and listening to the live band.

Don’t worry, you still have a few more Fridays left to enjoy these free concerts. 

• July 22 Dr. FU (Variety Rock)
• July 29 Signature (R&B/Funk)
• August 5 Monster Band (Dance)
• August 12 Quiet Fire (Soul)
• August 19 Chris Collat (Soul, Funk, Blues)

Click here to view all the events at The Yards Park.

Through the Lens Thursdays

Sunflowers in Chinatown

I’m always trying to improve my photography skills. To give me more motivation,  I’m posting one photo a week taken with my snazzie new camera. Thanks again mom and dad for my Canon Rebel t2i. I love it and you!!!

I was delightfully surprised walking home from a baseball game to find this huge sunflower in the middle of Chinatown! These flowers are one of my favorites because they remind me of sunshine, the summer, and the alarm clock from  Sister Act that repeats “get out of bed you daisy head” (I know, I know,  it’s a daisy, but I think if a sunflower could talk they would be just as cheerful). Sunflowers just seem to bring a warmth that always makes me smile.

Keep smiling.