Easter goodness

Hello summer!!

Took my lunch out to the center courtyard to eat again today (this has become a must for me... Need to escape from the desk for awhile) and was surprised to find that for the second day in a row I was HOT outside. First week of April and I almost can't stand to be in the sun? Oh DC, your attempt at 'seasons' make me laugh.

What a wonderful Easter weekend this was. Let's recap, shall we?

Had to be at work on Friday while the family was here. I had one of those days where I did nothing but wish and wish and wish I was out of the office. Unlike my real job, they did let me go early. Really early in fact. So I was one of the last to leave at 2pm... Yay! Got home, rounded the troops, and made our way into the city to see the Cherry Blossoms. They were particularly gorgeous this year, but the crowds were just so overwhelming. Got the chance to snap a few pics, take mom and dad to a few monuments and memorials, and feel like a full fledged tourist for the day.

We attempted dinner in the city afterwards, but facing a minimum of an hour wait at each place we tried (except for the cigar bar, yuck!) was not exactly what we had in mind. So we hopped on the metro and ate outside at a restaurant at Pentagon Row. Bad service and bad food (for me anyways) couldn't taint the beautiful setting and wonderful family company. :)

No Giada for me... Decided to forego the trip as my friends wanted to embark on our trip earlier than originally planned. Many sad faces to follow.... But the rest of the day couldn't have been better. Got dressed (in my new favorite find from Anthropologie, making me feel sweet and delicate- so happy with my selection for the day) and drove down to Richmond with the girls. Amy's bridal shower marked the official start to wedding season, and I couldn't be more thrilled. My cousin just happens to be her maid of honor and planned the sweetest Tea Party themed bridal shower at Feathernester's. Having no idea what to expect, I was so thrilled at the actual venue. Though in the middle of what seems to be the not so pretty part of town, the inside is like this little hidden treasure. A darling little boutique like shop filled with antique-y goodies. In the back we had our own room sectioned off for our tea party. A wonderful afternoon with old friends (several Sigmas!) was just what I've been needing. It left me happy, content, and filled with excitement for the beautiful bride's upcoming wedding!!

Easter Sunday was spent at home cooking. All Giada recipes!! (with the exception of the ham. Spent hours trying to make an angel food cake, SO FRUSTRATING! Time after time I couldn't get the egg whites to foam up the way they're supposed to. 12 eggs the first time, 12 eggs the second time, 4 eggs the last time. We even did research, some testimonials swearing that it's impossible to do this with a plastic bowl, as the oils stick to the plastic. So the third time we reduced the portions and tried in a glass bowl. It did get thicker than ever before, but not nearly to where it should have. So, I'm convinced it's my hand mixer. It just feels like it doesn't have enough power on the high setting to let in that amount of oxygen. We had bought a cheap one at Target, though my sights had been set on a rather expensive one at Williams Sonoma. When I say rather expensive, I mean more than double the price of said Target mixer. Ugh. Looks like this update will have to be made! Because I swear I'm going to do this, and do it well. (Even if my godmother-queen of cooking- says she hasn't been able to do it either).
So what a beautiful weekend with my family and pristine weather. Couldn't ask for more.
Out to dinner with the girls tonight as Christina's in town on her spring break! Yay :)

Happy Tuesday, and Happy Early Summer!!