Chicago or Bust

Ed and I are leaving on a jet plane tonight bound for Chicago to see Sue and Brett. Yeah! We have been looking forward to this trip for a long time so we are so excited that it is finally here. It is hard to believe that I have not seen my sister since the holidays. :( How is that even possible? I hate that we live so far away, but appreciate that we have the means to see each other a few times throughout the year. See you in a few hours, Sue ~ we can't wait!!!


So things will be quiet on the blog over the weekend, but I'm sure we'll have LOTS of really fun stuff to share once we are back. See you then!

Swatch Me

I've become a bit obsessed with paint swatches. Every time we go into a Lowes or Home Depot or Sears, I grab paint swatches for our next house project: the master bathroom. The paint in the master bath is starting to look very sad. The room has flat paint courtesy of the previous owners ~ a BIG no-no for a bathroom that does not have a window. There is nowhere for that moisture to go except for in the walls causing them to look all streaky.


So before we start running into mold issues (YUK), we decided it is time to paint the bathroom with some nice semi-gloss, moisture-friendly paint. We also plan to remove the tacky mirror over the sink and replace it with a proper medicine cabinet and switch out the light fixture to something a little more modern...


...and replace the ugly white mirrored cabinet with some over the toilet shelving.


We have some other big plans for the space including a new vanity sink, a glass shower door, some overhead lighting but because of budget reasons, we are starting small and will end big a little later on.

Back to swatches. We want a blue/gray color that will work well with dark woods (part of the future plan) and won't make our small bathroom look like a cave. So this is what we got:


Sure, they all look pretty much the same, but up close you can see that some are more gray, some are more blue and some are more green. The green ones will most likely go.

But not yet.

We are going to have to live with these swatches for a bit as we don't have time to dive into this project until late August/early September. I think a good 8-12 weeks will give us plenty of time to pick the perfect color, right? I know, we are nuts. And what is even sadder is that the number of swatches will most likely increase before a decision is made, but at least we will have all of our options on the table. Or in this case, on the wall. :)

Fancy Food Fun

Today I had the extreme pleasure of visiting the Fancy Food Show currently on display at the Washington DC Convention Center. What is the Fancy Food Show you ask? Well the boiler plate description says it is North America’s Largest Specialty Food & Beverage Event with 180,000 products including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural, organic and more. The Laura description says it is a mecca of yummy, delicious foods for the taking!!!


This is not a consumer show so not every Tom, Dick or Harry from the street can go . The attendees are a mix of supermarkets and specialty stores. So how did I manage to score a badge you ask? Well, apparently I know the right people. :) Toy Fair buddies Danny Sullivan and Mike Stella worked the show so they hooked me up with badges. It's good to know people in high places!


Ed and I hit the show briefly on Sunday, but today, Mom was in tow with me and we got down to some serious business. After meeting up with Danny, Mike, Brendan and a few other familiar faces, we hit the show floor and sampled everything from olives to pound cake to gelato to gourmet cheese to every type of funky potato chip in existence. There was pasta, cured meat, hot and iced teas, biscotti, chocolate and all the dipping sauces you could think of. There were sections representing food from different states. There were sections representing food from different countries! It was a smorgasbord of flavors and aromas. So pretty much it was heaven!

Mom and I stuffed our faces and left the show with bags full of goodies. Check out the loot I scored:


From Pirate Booty (original and new sour cream and onion)...


...to MetroMint Water...


... to organic tea...


... and VitaTops...


...my bounty was plentiful! It's dinner time now and I am totally stuffed from all the food sampling. Sorry Ed...looks like cereal for dinner! :)

What a Wonderful Weekend

I love my Monday posts because, for a few moments, I get to enjoy the weekend again. It all started Friday night with dinner at the Q house. Lucy loves going to Grandma and Grandpa's house mainly because of Grandpa. They have a love affair that no one really understands and one that makes Ed jealous to the max. :) We devoured some pizza and then settled in for some TV watching in the basement. Yes...the basement. Mom and Dad are doing some work on the house so the family room has lawn chairs in it (no joke) instead of couches. No bother...it gave Mom and I the opportunity to clean out some of the very full closets. Yard sale in September ~ Mark your calendars!!

Saturday brought us sunshine and the Poos family. Jason, Betsy, Stella and Bodhi made their way out of DC and joined us for a BBQ. Stella, their adorable baby girl, is just about 7 months and is as cute as cute can be. She recently started pulling herself up and had a good time on the coffee table. She also LOVED all of Lucy's toys that were strewn all over the place.


Bodhi, their adorable puppy, made Lucy VERY happy as they chased each other all over the house. They played their hearts out ~ so much that Lucy is still recovering.


We had a great time catching up and playing with Stella. She had a few teeth coming in so she wasn't feeling that great, but we managed to get some smiles out of her. Even Ed got some snuggle time!


It was so good to see them and we can't wait to hit JMU with them in the fall for a good old football game. Go Dukes!

On Sunday, we attempted to be cultured and attended a play at the Kennedy Center. We are big fans of Broadway shows. When living in NY, we tried to hit up the half price ticket line at least once or twice a year, and I have to say...we have seen a lot of great stuff. From Wicked to Avenue Q to A Chorus Line, Spring Awakening and the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, we have been very lucky.


So when Next To Normal arrived at the Kennedy Center, I knew we had to go. I had been dying to see it when it debuted on Broadway a few years back. Not only did it win 3 Tony Awards, but it also won the Pulitzer Prize so getting tickets while it was in town was a no brainer.


We headed into DC early to hit up the Fancy Food show at the DC Convention Center to see some show buddies that were in town, and then headed over to the play. Ed had never been to the Kennedy Center before and he was very impressed. The venue is VERY different than most of the theatres we've been to in NYC. Much more elegant and stately than we are used to!


The show was amazing. I laughed...I cried...it was great! I don't want to tell you about it in case you are going to see it, but if you want to read a synopsis, click here. After the show we headed home, lit the grill for dinner and spent some quality outdoor time with our new neighbors Cindy and Joe. They are renting the house next door and are AWESOME. Definitely a great addition to the neighborhood. It was a great way to end the weekend. Happy Monday!

The Best Things Come To Those Who Wait

Remember how I said things were quiet in the Mangiaracina world? Well, scratch that. Things got loud last night. Very loud in fact. So loud that my ears are ringing!

Let me explain.

A few weeks back, we spent what felt like an entire day at an Acura dealership looking at cars. We didn't necessarily NEED a car, but Ed did have his Scion money burning a hole in his pants, so why not take a look. We were in the market for a certified used Acura TL, but unfortunately, we came home empty handed. There is nothing more depressing than spending all that time at a dealership and having nothing to show for it. :(

Well, last night that changed. While driving home from work, Ed got a call from James, our savvy and quite charming sales guy from Pohanka Acura. He was calling to let us know that they just received a 2008 TL Sport model in as a trade and are we still interested. He also informed us of a great new 2010 TSX model that was just shipped to them from Michigan with an amazing price. So, we ate a quick dinner and headed over to Pohanka Acura to check things out.


James Taylor (our sales guy, not the singer) greeted us with a big smile and took us over to see the 2010 TSX. We decided against the 2008 TL for a few reasons, but mainly because the guy who was trading it in was having a hard time financing something else so it was kind of off the table. But that's okay, because this beauty was presented to us:


Although she is a 2010 model, she is new as in only has like 41 miles on her. We took a test drive and I have to say, I was blown away by the V6 engine. I have NEVER driven anything with that much power! It was love at first site, so it was back to the dealership to get this deal DONE!

The whole process took about 4 hours (so annoying, if you ask me), but after some negotiations and a small panic attack ( a la me), we went ahead and signed on the dotted line. We did have to get rid of the Camry to make this all fit in the budget, but since it was a lease, I didn't really care. James got the new car all cleaned up and it was ours for the taking!


The details: it's black (obviously) with a tan leather interior. It has Bluetooth voice and audio functions (a must have for me), comes with XM radio for a few months and has a sunroof (yah!). Don't ask me about the engine and horsepower...no idea. :) I do know that it is a V6 and is quite powerful. One of the coolest things is that you can set up your seat and mirror positions so that when your specific key unlocks the car, the seats and mirrors move to how you want them. Brilliant!! I'm such a girl. :)

But enough of the boring stuff...just look at the car!!!


We are both SO excited about this new purchase and know that we will have this car for a very, very long time. Lucy didn't really show too much excitement, but she did keep me company as I set up my phone book. As long as there is a comfortable lap to sit on, she's happy!

So, it's like the Heinz commercials say, the best things come to those who wait!

A Bit of a Hiatus

I know, I've been slacking. But I have to tell you, things have been very quiet in the Mangiaracina world these days. And it has been a welcomed quiet. With house projects coming to an end (for the moment) and Lucy staying healthy, we are embracing the quiet. But there is much ahead to speak of including a trip out to Chicago to see Suzy Q., a performance at the Kennedy Center, some baseball games and concerts and much more, so stay tuned!

I have to say, we did enjoy a lovely holiday weekend filled with lots of time at the pool, a BBQ with Mama and Papa Q., lunch with the always lovely Susan Hogan and a trip to the movie theater to see Transformers in IMAX 3D (a little long, but pretty good BTW). We lamed out (because of me) and didn't make it to see the fireworks last night, but we did catch them on TV and they looked GREAT! Kudos to all of you on the National Mall who put up with the heat and crowds and traffic.

So with that, Happy Belated 4th of July everyone!!

Date Night

I love a good date night...especially when it just kind of happens. It started as an ordinary evening at home with a steak on the grill and dinner on the deck. It was a beautiful night and now that the deck is finally done, we were able to enjoy it. Lucy even had a ball - especially when Daddy slipped her some steak for dinner (so spoiled!).

After we cleaned up we decided it was time to try out the mini golf course that was just around the corner from our place. Ed has been wanting to "kick my butt" on this course for a while, so why not do it tonight. Well...mini golf did happen. But "kick my butt" ~ not so much. :)


The score remained close throughout the 18 holes. I found myself up, and then down. Ed found himself in the bushes and in the water. We were tied heading into the final hole and it was a doosey. I said a little prayer and managed to get the ball in the endless hole in 2 putts. The pressure was on Ed...and what did he do? HE CHOKED! Yes, ladies and gentleman, he LOST. The big talker LOST mini golf to me YET AGAIN!


Now if you know Ed, you know that he is not what you call gracious when he looses. He pouts... he sulks...he accuses his opponent of cheating. He even went as far as to hide the score card from me today so that I could not share it with you fine people!! But the numbers don't lie...another loss for the Edman!

After the rage subsided, he got an idea. Ice Cream. Ice cream will make him feel better! So off we went to Historic Clifton for a treat. :)

Historic Clifton is a small, quintessential, town boasting a few restaurants, antique shops, a general store and of course, Peterson's Ice Cream Depot. This little outdoor hot spot has amazing gourmet ice cream, shakes, food and malts. Their sundaes are fun, creative and DELICIOUS! Ed got himself a brownie sundae while I went for the "Judy Jewel" strawberry creation.


The patio-style outdoor seating area is adorable with the white twinkle lights, board games and TV to play old school Nintendo. Look who's happy now!


All in all, we had a great night. I love when a non-plan comes together!