Since moving into our apartment, we have struggled with finding the best use for our second bedroom. It is not quite big enough for a true guest room, so we had a desk in there for a while to use as a home office. Needless to say we still set up shop at the dining table.

I finally decided that Keith deserved one room that was just for him. My original goal was to have a room where he could spend time with a good book and a dram. Well, the new plan has only half worked. The room came together as I had envisioned. However, rather than a place to cozy up with a book, it's become a very stylish storage room for the bourbon.

As promised, I wanted to share a few more photos from our anniversary trip to New York last week. Considering another polar vortex had hit the city during our visit, we took in more museums than expected. I fear Keith might have already reached his limit for art exhibits for 2014.

We visited two of the essentials - the Met and MoMA, but we also took in the Morgan Library and Museum.  The Morgan Library began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan, the father of J.P. Morgan. It was one of those delightful discoveries all because we wanted to stay inside as much as possible.

As the snow started to fall in New York, Keith and I were hustling to Penn Station for our return back to the District on Saturday. We agreed that we'll plan our future anniversary trips for some place south, where we won't be faced with polar vortexes. 

 

Here are a few photos I managed to take without removing my gloves. 

I never imagined writing these words, but sometime the inevitable happens and they must be said. Keith was right.

We spent Saturday afternoon at Stribling Orchard in Virginia for what I thought would be an adventure filled afternoon spent picking beautiful, red and golden apples. I wanted to be taken back to those childhood memories of picking apples with my sister and grandpa. The sweet crisp taste filled my mouth as we pulled up to the orchard.

I'm not sure if we missed the window or we didn't walk deep enough into the orchard, but we managed to pick a peck in less than half an hour. And who knew a peck or a small bag would cost $15? The really good looking apples had already been picked and were available in the bins at the general store. Regardless, it was a lesson learned every now and then Keith knows what he's talking about. And that didn't mean we did't enjoy picking our small bag's worth of apples. 

Have you been apple picking? If so, should we have went our earlier in the season? Would you do it again? I'm still in the love with the idea.

Too bad we can't pick the day of the week that major holidays fall on. If so, I wouldn't have agreed to the Fourth of July taking place on a Thursday. Friday at the office was rough and threw me completely out of whack. Very technical explanation - I know. 

Eager to try out my new toy, I convinced Keith we should head over to Union Market. The weather was a gorgeous 63 and perfect for wandering around. What ultimately sealed the deal was the promise of fresh oysters and take it from us Rappahannock Oyster Co. is worth the trip alone.

Don't worry. If you're not a fan of oysters, there are plenty of options to suit your fancy. Keith is already talking about making this a regular Sunday afternoon outing this spring. This might be one of the better ideas he's recently had.

Keith and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary by taking an early flight to Las Vegas on Friday. We stayed at the MGM Grand (where we said "I do"), ate some great meals, lost a little money, introduced Keith to Cirque du Soleil, watched some jelly fish, explored the world, and just spent time away from the hustle and bustle of Washington, DC.

Sunday afternoon as I drove out of the District it occurred to me that perhaps Keith and I should have fled town. Traffic was back up for almost a mile at our exit off 395 and the overwhelming majority of the streets near our apartment were blocked and not allowing traffic or parking. Our street, which is normally quiet and offers numerous parking options, looked like a parking lot.

Keith and I contemplated making our way up to the Capitol grounds to check out the festivities for all of maybe five minutes. As wonderful as the idea sounds in your mind, we know it would be absolute chaos and far from enjoyable. Obama's second inauguration wasn't as cold as his first. And no, the crowds were not as big. But yes, history took place no more than 5 blocks away from our apartment and we watched it on TV from the comfort of our couch.

I'm getting older. It pains me to confess this, but after spending Saturday night out on the town I have to accept the facts. Who knew spending a couple of hours standing would leave me feeling hung over on Sunday morning? 

This morning we woke up to a reprieve from the hot temperatures. Unfortunately, that was by way of rain and crazy humidity, so the big Texas hair can be attributed to that. As I splashed down the sidewalks and made it to the office, I was a bit grumpy and wet. Then I remembered it’s date night!

Via

Just when I thought we couldn't top last Saturday, I think we did this past weekend.

Since learning Catoctin Creek Distilling Company offered a bottling workshop, Keith and I were convinced this would be something we needed to check out.  Yes, Keith ventured out there two Saturdays in a row. And trust me when I say I don't think he minded at all.

The workshop started with signing labels with any personal message. So if you see any of their Watershed Gin referencing the Mavs or asking if you "Got tonic," then you're quite lucky to have acquired a bottle we labeled.

There were several stations that allowed you to actually bottle, insert the cork, or seal up the bottles before they were handed off for labeling and then packing. I'd estimate that at least half the group simply stayed put with the labeling like Keith and me. The work was followed up by a tasting and pizza as a thank you for helping them bottle about 2,000 bottles of their gin.

Rather than stick around for the pizza, we slipped out and ventured over to Leesburg for lunch. We both love French food and with Saturday being Bastille Day it was a given we were going to properly celebrate. I've learned to let Keith's sense of adventure be our guide because lunch was simple but phenomenal at the little Eiffel Tower Cafe.

Keith enjoyed plump moules and I had an unexpectedly light shrimp salad free of any mayonnaise Deviating a bit from the usual drink selections we shared a bottle of rose' wine and,  of course, had to finish off with desert. Desert was also delicious. I'm still craving that light lemon sponge cake with fresh berries.

It's not often that venture outside of the Beltway, or even the District for that matter, that we had to make the most of the trip. I have wanted to explore the Virginia wineries and Keith was open to the idea. We visited two that were near our closet location. One was a solid winery and one was a bit off to say the least. I'd highly recommend checking out the North Gate Vineyard. I found several of their wines to be quite enjoyable and was disappointed to learn they haven't made their way into the Whole Foods in DC yet. There was something romantic about their vineyard...the haze from the earlier rain, the vines, and just being out with my handsome husband.

The second winery was the Notavia Vineyard. This place just started on a sour note for us. You don't tell us that you knew nothing about wine when you started and that you purchased the land on a whim. That definitely didn't impress us. Secondly, this vineyard's unique selling point is their pairing the wine with music over food. Didn't really work for me. It must have worked on Keith because he purchased the bottle that paired with the Dropkick Murphys. For those not familiar with the band, let me introduce you. 

Don't worry, if you hadn't heard of them before then. We had to find them online while driving away from the vineyard. It was almost decided to head on over to Charleston, WV for the casino, but reason stepped in and we headed back to the District.

Are there any vineyards in Virginia that you recommend? Or maybe there's a distillery near by you would suggest instead? Hopefully, you're weekend was awesome too!