Just a thought

Here's a tip: If you have a broiler below your oven, DO NOT store pyrex containers and their plastic covers inside of it. I've heard it's a very very bad idea.

Also, there will be lots of updates as soon as Verizon gets our stupid DSL working. Grrrr...

It's my birthday people!

It's my birthday people!
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Happy birthday to me :)

Upon request...

Sweet nothings?
Originally uploaded by stomptokyo.

One of our regular readers has requested a caption contest. We'll take submissions over the next couple days and post the winner. OH and keep it clean people my father reads this site ;)

P.S. I've turned off the membership requirement so anyone can post.


*********************************************

AND THE WINNER IS:

Sarah: "I'm a Republican."

Submitted by Jessica.

A complete set.

First Wives Club
Originally uploaded by stomptokyo.

From left to right:
Me (obviously)
Ginger (Benjamin's wife)
Jennifer (Geoffrey's wife)
Christina (Christopher's wife)

We should have stood in birth order. Btw, Jennifer AND Christina are both pregnant. Crazy.

My husband is the most handsome man ever

Nicholas
Originally uploaded by stomptokyo.

I'm just sayin'

The bride wore ivory BUT Sarah wore a hat!

Girl in a Green Hat
Originally uploaded by robholland.

We spent the weekend in Mount Pleasant, SC celebrating the marriage of Nicholas's youngest brother Benjamin to his college sweetheart Ginger.

We arrived on Saturday morning and ate some yummy low country seafood. The rehearsal dinner was that night and was really a lovely evening, followed by a late night filled with conversation at Holland Headquarters.

The wedding was Sunday evening at Alhambra Hall on the water. The plan was to have the ceremony outside and the reception in the hall. However, it rained in the afternoon basically creating a 100 degree sauna so all the festivities were moved inside. The ceremony was beautiful and Ginger looked amazing. Fun was had by all - especially me because I got to play the true Southern girl and wear a hat to the wedding. It was a hit and I had a blast wearing it. You can see the hat and why I love my father-in-law (who took it) in the picture above.

Raskin for State Senate

For those of you who really want to know who I'm working for and what this campaign is about, there is an amazing documentary (it's only about 15 minutes) done by a local TV show linked below.

Raskin Documentary

Going on down to South Park...

Sarah South Park
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Seriously though, I make a really cute South Park character. Although, I'm relatively sure I would be best friends with Wendy and Bebe and they would be super-jealous because all the boys would love me best. ;)

You can make your own at http://www.sp-studio.de/.

"You want another answer, ask another girl"

I might have watched Working Girl four times in the last three days. I caught it on the WE channel Sunday night when Nicholas was working late. I was really excited because I haven't seen it from the beginning in a long time (or ever for that matter). I've always liked it but for some reason now I can't stop watching it. It's just so inspiring with the Carly Simon song (she won an Oscar for that song you know), so fabulously tacky with all the 80's wear, and I really love the two decade old PCs. Also, I think I'm developing a girl crush on Melanie Griffith (in this movie, not now, now she is scary).

Nicholas thinks I'm crazy and I'm sneaking it in when he's away. It's really sad. He's threatening to delete it off the Tivo "by accident." I would be devastated.

Third time's the charm

Condo
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Let's try this again! We are on our way (again) to owning our very own home/condo. They've accepted our offer and we close on Sunday, the 21st. Most importantly, we have received the condo documents and read with our very own eyes (after asking the listing agent 5 times) that they allow dogs. YEAH!

This place is very different from the last one but we really love it. It's in Cleveland Park but only about a half a block from the metro. It's about 50 square feet smaller but needs absolutely no work. Best of all, it has a fireplace, which I am super-excited about. Pictures on flickr of course.

Overall, we are both really happy but holding off on the champagne until we have the keys in hand.

Sarah Surfs

SarahSurfs on Vimeo

Aloha!

Haleakala National Park
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Well, we've been back from Maui for a week now and we both still look at each other every once in awhile and whine "Let's go back!" In fact, we've decided to make our next vacation less spectacular as to make reacclimation to real life less difficult.

Needless to say, we had a fantastic time. Lots of beach. LOTS of fish - both seen and eaten. I learned to surf (video to come soon) and we survived the road to Hana. We went to a wonderful Luau and tried poi. We bought Tikis and Huli Huli sauce and escaped with only minor sunburns.

We owe a big mahalo (thank you) to my parents who provided the shelter and several meals. They were great travel companions and allowed me to play the role of tour group leader. The trip was like a really wonderful dream and we came back less pale and less stressed.

Misadventures in Real Estate

So yeah...remember that great condo that we found that was big, cheap, and near the metro? Remember how we thought it was too good to be true? Turns out - it was! Late on Monday night, Nicholas was reviewing the condo docs when he came to their pet policy, which pretty clearly prohibits dogs. As many of you know, we in fact have a dog and while sometimes she barks at nothing in the middle of the night and eats entire bags of semisweet chocolate chips we plan on keeping her around for awhile.

Need less to say, we are no longer buying that condo. I have to say it was pretty devastating. I had already decorated the entire thing in my head and even bought some furniture. Nicholas was looking forward to his 5 minute walk to work. Having it all jerked out from underneath us as we were approaching the finish line was quite a blow. However, it could have been much much worse. Our contract had a provision that allows us to pull out for any reason during the three days we review the condo docs so we won't lose any money. More importantly, we have the most amazing landlord in the entire world who assures us we can stay as long as we want, renting week to week, despite the fact he had other tenants lined up. So we won't end up on the street which is good.

We are now back to square one and looking at apartments again. It didn't take us very long to find this one - so I keep telling myself another perfect one (maybe even better!) is out there. So send us good real estate thoughts!

Resistance is Futile!

Resistance is Futile!
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Ok so there are SOME things I will miss about this place...

Ok so there are SOME things I will miss about this place...
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

So we're buying a condo

New Condo
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Sarah and I finally got up the courage to invest in the crazy DC real esate market and we think we did pretty well. We close on a one bedroom/one bath condo on June 27th. The condo is an end unit and is 724 sq. ft., which is actually a nice size based on what we've seen at the price. Maggie will actually get to see the sun during the day and I get a bigger (though slightly dated) kitchen. There are a couple of pictures on flickr for those interested

Unfortunately, we no longer have an extra bedroom, which means that the next sibling that is displaced by a natural disaster may not be able to live with us, but we plan on having some way to accomodate people who come into town for a few days (we're looking at futons, etc.). IKEA, West Elm, and Target are fast becoming our most-visited websites. We plan on moving in at the beginning of July, about 5 days after we come home from Hawaii (we're really great planners that way). Get excited!!!

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!!!

Dancing the Night Away
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

I am now officially a 3L. My friends and I did a pretty solid job of celebrating our new status a couple Saturdays ago as evidenced in the new flicker uploads. Since then I have settled into my new summer scheduled, which is pretty much wide open.

I have recently been crowned Deputy Communications Director by the campaign although I can also be found helping with events, volunteers, and administration. So far its been famine or feast with me either working hours on end or with nothing to do for hours on end.

I'm also working on journal as I am the only member of the editorial staff without a 9 to 5. I continue volunteering for Friends of Hillary and am doing some babysitting for a famous DC blogger who shall remain nameless (and by nameless I mean call me and I'll tell you).

In addition, Nicholas and I are currently looking to buy a condo in Dupont which is at least a part-time job. In some ways I feel hopeful because we've found several we were willing to put offers on and one we actually did. In other ways I feel discouraged because after a month nothing has worked out. But I love our real estate agent and am tired of renting so onward and upward.

My open schedule will also work well for the multiple vacations I have planned including a trip to Hawaii for my mother's 50th birthday, Charleston for another Holland wedding, and Fripp Island, South Carolina for vaca with the girlfriends.

All in all I think it will be a fun, if not a bit crazy, summer...

Polka-dots

Because the people LOVE polka-dots!

No...listen all-NATURAL!

Ok so I don't know if ya'll have seen the new 7UP commercials but they are great. I caught one today when I was watching TV live - which is a rare occasion let me tell you. They tout 7UP's new NATURAL ingredients and for a half second I felt terribly conflicted. You see I feel pretty strongly that 7UP/Sprite is a cure for anything that could possible be wrong with you at any possible moment. Headache? Try some 7UP. Stomach hurt? Sprite! Seriously, how the Dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding felt about Windex is how I feel about that drink. BUT recently I decided to stop drinking soda - all soda - for pretty much the same reason I don't eat fast food or shop at Walmart. The temporary benefits (satisfied cravings, cheap prices) are FAR outweighed by the personal costs (fat ass, clogged arteries, going to jail for stabbing the lady in the express lane with 45 items) and societal harms (too many to list).

Wait what was I talking about? Oh yeah the commercial - so I was conflicted and for a split moment I thought "Well if it's all natural then maybe I could continue drinking 7UP?" Yes, I am a fool but not that big of a fool because I went to the website to really see what the natural ingredients were and can I just say...wow.

I kid you not:
Filtered carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural citric acid, natural flavors, natural potassium citrate

First of all, high fructose corn syrup is as far from natural as you can get. Second, as far as I can tell they just put the word natural in front of all the rest of the ingredients. Hilarious! While I admire the tenacity, I am now further confirmed in not drinking soda - "natural" or otherwise.



P.S.
Who ever left Jewel on my answering machine is in big trouble!

A beautiful NY event

Miti and I with Kitty and Lewis Steel
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Last night I went to New York with Jamie and Miti Figueredo, another Raskin volunteer, for a fundraiser at the beautiful home of Kitty and Lewis Steel. There apartment is a "pre-war", (Miti says that's a big NY realty term) several thousand square feet, art on every wall masterpiece overlooking Central Park. The only thing better than the apartment was Kitty herself. A former Broadway star and current psychoanalyst Kitty is just completely fabulous. The walls of their home are covered with pictures of her with everyone from Jimmy Durante to Bill Clinton (their son Patrick was his schedule) to Elvis Presley.

Kitty and Lewis were both great hosts for our fundraiser which featured Katrina vanden Heuvel and Hendrik Hertzberg saying really kind and wonderful things about Jamie. The evening was filled great conversation and of course generous contributions.

Much like my trip to Harvard, I was overwhelmed by my environment and the brilliance and passion of those around me. Between the amazing apartment and more amazing people, I had to remind myself to close my mouth on more than one occasion. Luckily, these sophisticated Manhattanites seemed to pretty forgiving of this Kentucky girl's astonishment - of course the accent never hurts! ;)