Poolside...

It's 80 degrees in Richmond today and there is only one place I wish I could be...at the pool! My favorite place to be in the summertime is poolside. Any chance I get to relax by the pool, I take it! With summer right around the corner, it's time to stock up on great new bikinis. Here are some of my favorite styles this season: "Silk Butterfly" Bikini by OndadeMar (Top $100, Bottom $92)"Verdad" by Maui Swimwear ($187)

"Riviera" from Vix Swimwear (Top $76, Bottom $76)

Nanette Lepore from Saks (Top $75, Bottom $67)

Nautical Bandeau by Victoria's Secret (Top $34, Bottom $20) Neon Bikini by Victoria's Secret (Top $38, Bottom$44)

Embroidered Bikini by Xhilaration ($14.99 Top, $14.99 Bottom)

My DC/MD Adventure

I had a great weekend with 2 of my best friends! My friend, Sally, who lives in DC, is getting married in Royal Oak, Maryland at the beginning of July. My other friend, Margaret, and I went to visit her for her birthday this past weekend and it was quite an adventure...

Marge and I arrived in DC in the afternoon on Friday and explored Georgetown for a few hours with Sally. We hit up 2 of my favorite spots... Georgetown Cupcakes and CUSP by Neiman Marcus. Georgetown Cupcakes' menu changes daily but there are a few flavors they have everyday (check out their website for more information). When you walk into that shop, it smells like heaven! There was a line wrapped around the corner to taste the little pieces of heaven. My favorite flavor was the "Chocolate PB Chip." YUM. As if we hadn't engorged ourselves enough in the cupcakes, we went to Food Wine & Co for dinner. They have a fabulous oyster bar and a pretty great wine list.

On Saturday, we woke up pretty early (you know I don't believe weekends have "mornings") and headed to Royal Oaks, Maryland. It took us longer than we thought to arrive on account of our inability to follow directions or input an address in a navigation system but we got there nonetheless. Upon arrival, Margaret and I got to see where Sally would have her rehearsal dinner and wedding. We also got to eat dinner at the Bartlett Pear Inn (where Margaret and I will host Sally's bridesmaids luncheon) in Easton, MD. Our dinner was AMAZING. Jordan and Alice Loyd, the owners of the BPI, are so sweet and very accomodating. They turned a 220 year old home into restaurant, lounge and bed and breakfast. It was so quaint but had a modern edge.
If you ever need a quiet weekend away, this would be the perfect place.

After a very long weekend of eating and exploring DC/MD, I was exhausted! I am so excited for Sally and her fiance. I can't wait to celebrate with them this summer!!

The Starbucks Barista is my Best Friend

As soon as Noah and I got married, it started...Everyone began asking the typical newlywed question, "so, when are you going to start having babies?" Seriously, someone asked me that at my wedding. I know it's just natural to ask. My friends who've dated their significant others for a long period of time often get asked, "so, when's he going to pop the question?" When they tell me how irritated they get when asked this question, I say, "just wait 'til you get married. Then everyone will start asking about babies." It never ends.

Something happened to me yesterday that made me wonder...how familiar to a person do you need to be to ask the "baby question"? Family? Friends? Complete Strangers?

Here's what happened...

I'm in Starbucks casually reading emails on my Blackberry when the barista strikes up a conversation with me. The way-too-cheerful barista often talks to me about how my week is going, the weather, and other general small talk. Since I don't function well before noon, I answer sleepily with one word answers. But today, she ventures beyond our normal realm of conversation.

"How long you been married?"
"Almost two years" (Still reading my emails)
"You going to have children soon?"
I look up from my Blackberry and say, "I don't know."
I smile and thank her as she hands me my drink. While walking out the door, I think to myself, "did she really just ask me that? Just because she knows I drink a non-fat, no whip mocha she thinks she knows me well enough to ask that? "

In my opinion, asking someone about starting a family is a very personal question. I think only close friends and family should be allowed to ask. Maybe I'm over thinking the whole thing. She was just trying to be friendly. Either way, I get this question ALL the time.

Noah and I definitely want a family but not right now. We're happy where we are in our lives and we've only been married for 2 years. I don't think our lifestyle is conducive to a baby right now. Taking care of Jeter is hard enough. We are out of town a lot for weddings, we like to go out with friends on the weekends, and sleeping 'til noon on Sundays is typical in the Greenbaum household. So to answer the Starbucks barista (don't even know her name)... Can't say exactly when but we definitley want to be parents someday.

Welcome!

When Noah and I first moved into our house, we worked on it every weekend! The more time we lived in the house, the less we did (and the less we had to do). Recently, we did a home project that I am very excited about... a new storm door! (Who would have thought I would be so excited about a door? New Jimmy Choos...Of course! New Door....Not so much). Our original front door had space for a storm door but no storm door. It looked incomplete. So we purchased a storm door and we painted it a new color. Here are our steps to our new front door (I took these pictures with my cell phone so they aren't the best quality):

The original door was a burnt red color and lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. No wait....I know what it's missing! A storm door!

Noah (with a little help from Jeter) put a primer on the newly installed storm door. We purchased a 6 panel wood storm door from Pleasant's Hardware. If you're planning on purchasing a new door, plan on spending around $1,000 (type of door, hardware, installation, paint, etc....it adds up quickly). Luckily, Noah and his dad are quite handy so we saved around $250 in installation fees.

Noah and I paint the new storm door and the original front door. (Jeter is the best supervisor). We painted the door "Snapdragon" by Benjamin Moore.

Improvement? We think so! Best part about the door? Jeter gets to look out the windows (he loves it!). I am constantly using Windex to remove his nose marks. The new color is a little more pink than we had anticipated. But we've actually grown to love it and no one can miss our door! The new door and the new color are much more welcoming...

I don't know what our next home improvement project will be but I hoping to redo our living room. We've painted it, added great bamboo blinds, new lamps, artwork, and an elegant lattice work rug. All we need is a new sofa and chairs. I am a terrible decorator (a skill my mother and sister have and I lack). I try to read magazines and pick out pieces I like but it's pretty hopeless. I have no vision. My mother convinced me to paint my living room a blue color that I originally HATED. But Noah and I absolutely LOVE the color. It brightens up the room and makes it appear larger. I think I will stick to fashion for people and not homes.