Teddy Does London

My dear friend Ted, or as Elle, Lisa, and I like to call him Teddy Boo Boo Boo Boo, has just packed his bags and is headed to the most amazing city on earth. London!  Ok, so I have never been, but it is the place where 85% of my dreams take place.  For those of you who don’t know, I am absolutely, positively obsessed with EVERYTHING British!  Teddy has been making me insanely jealous with all of his amazing pictures from his morning runs.  Well, ok not the running part, we all know I don’t run, just the being in London part.    

Teddy did not do the proper research before hopping the pond, and is asking for suggestions on places to see and things to do.  So, I thought I would make Teddy a list of British things he needs to do, see, taste, and watch in order to immerse himself in the culture.  Of course, go to all the amazing museums, and the typical tourist stuff like riding the London Eye, touring Tower of London, and trying to make a palace guard laugh, but these are the random things that you might not have thought of.     

1. Go to Selfridges!  Selfridges, also known as Selfridge & Co., is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge (a bad ass American). The flagship store on London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK (after Harrods) and opened 15 March 1909.

      

2. While you're at it, watch Mr. Selfridge!  That way you know why Selfridges is so freaking cool!  I mean Jeremy Piven!!  
3. The Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens.  This can be found in the true classic film Hook.  Teddy, this is a must see for every lost boy!    

4. Have Afternoon Tea.  The British Empire was built on the principle that everything stops for afternoon tea.  I even found you a very masculine place to enjoy this time-honored British tradition, the Reform Social & Grille!    
5. Hit some historic Pubs.  Here is a great list with helpful reviews!  Prove to the Brits that you can get boozy with the best of them!  Oh, and don’t forget the fish and chips!    
6. For God sake WATCH DOCTOR WHO!  I have only been telling you this for months, but maybe now you relieve how important it is to have a favorite Doctor! At the very least you will understand Lisa’s and my references.  (PS. Bow Ties are cool!)

7. Go to TONS of shows on the West End!  Think Broadway but with stars like David Tennant, Matt Smith (people you would know if you watched Doctor Who) and amazing original shows!!  It’s not just the great theater that you can catch here, also look for new bands and DJs playing free shows trying to catch their big break.  
8. Be in the Audience for a recording of a BBC show!  It is free and frankly pretty cool!  You can see what is taping soon and apply for your free tickets!  I highly recommend the Graham Norton Show if you can!  I would give you a $100 if you told a story for the Red Chair.  Also, just watch the Graham Norton Show every week!!  You will thank me.      
9. Hear people speak their minds at Speakers’ Corner.  At the north-east tip of Hyde Park near Marble Arch, Speakers' Corner is where anybody and everybody can jump on an old crate and voice their opinion every Sunday.  Teddy, since you won’t be able to argue politics with us at Happy Hour this might be a perfect spot for you to debate!  
10. Go to the races, a polo match or some other function where the pretty girl on your arm is wearing an amazing, yet silly hat.  I vote for polo because that seems more British!  

Of course there are a million other nerdy things I would do, like go to Kings Crossing and take my picture at platform 9 ¾, but I left those off because I am saving them for my visit!  Wouldn’t want Teddy to have to do them twice.  

More than just Teddy being in my dream city, I am jealous of this amazing life adventure he is getting to have.  Moving to a new city, a new country, with so many possibilities in front of you must be exhilarating!  Sometimes I think I started my career too soon, that I didn’t give myself time to explore the world, and now I won’t be able to until I am old and too tired to.  Well, thanks to Teddy I will be going on at least one adventure.  I am making my way to jolly old England this Spring whether Teddy wants me to or not. :)   Cheers!

2014

I know we are a few weeks into 2014, but it is never too late to tell you about my New Years Eve, New Years resolutions, and my outlook on 2014.  

I could not have dreamt up a better way to start 2014.  Ok maybe there could have been a few slight improvements, like a New Years kiss, but seriously, my New Years Eve was practically perfect!

Elle, Hadley, my new and wonderful friend Layson, and I got all dolled up in sequins and headed to a wonderful four course meal at Lavanga.  The food was spectacular, and the company superb!  We laughed, stuffed our faces, and mocked the 60 year-old women with cleavage for days.  After our delicious meal we snuck into a private, open bar party at our favorite bar.  We made friends, got boys to buy us shots, hung out with all our favorite bartenders, and overall had an amazing time!  We could not have planned a more perfect night with friends.  Hadley kept finding boys willing to give up their party hats until we all had one.  

I want 2014 to be the year of Harper.  I plan to do things that I like, things that make me happy, and things that better me.  So, here are some promises I have made or goals I have set for myself.

- Read 52 books this year.  That is a book a week.  I spend an hour on the metro everyday, and have started reading during my lunch hour.  There is no reason why I can’t find the time to read a book a week.  

- Lose weight.  I know what you are thinking.  This is every typical woman’s resolution.  What makes this different than years before is why I want to.  I want to feel good about myself.  I don’t want to lose weight to win some boy, I want to do it to like the way I look in clothes.  I know there is nothing wrong with being a 14/16, but I would like to be able to go into any store in a mall and find something that fits me nicely.  I have started Weight Watchers, and have already lost 5lbs.   

- Spend my money on big moments instead of nights at the bar.  I would rather save up so I can have the memories of something like Taste of the South than spend all my money at my neighborhood bar doing the same thing every week.  I am too young to give up on living.

- Leave the past in the past.  I have to stop carrying around all my past heartbreak and let myself move on.  As long as I hold onto the past I will never be able to have a future.

-  Be confident in my own decisions.  I need to make decisions and not second guess them.  

- Spend time with true friends.  I want to continue to develop my friendships with the people that are always there for me.  It isn’t the quantity of friends you have, it is the quality of your friendships that matter.

- Have fun!

The year of Harper has so many other goals and objectives, but no need to bore you with them all.  I am really looking forward to what 2014 has to offer.  The best part of the New Year is the idea that you can start fresh, eliminate bad habits, learn from your mistakes - with that comes the ability to change..  So, even though this is a few weeks late, I hope you also have plans for yourself in 2014.  If not, it is never too late!   

Reckless

Sometimes making a spontaneous, poor decision is needed.  After over thinking every aspect of your life, sometimes you just need to do something without thinking.  Being spontaneous can remind yourself that you are still young and free.  That is how I found myself waking up in a hotel room in Rosslyn Saturday morning.  I made out with a beautiful Air Force officer from Georgia - they always seem to be from Georgia!  

I casually sipped my wine waiting for the Air Man and his friend to approach me; I couldn't wait to flirt with him.  There was a reason I let Elle leave me at the bar when she got tired.  I noticed their group when they walked into the bar, and I was in need of some male attention, especially from someone new.   

I don’t know why I decided to ride the metro to Rosslyn with him when I was a block away from my apartment.  Maybe it was the offer to help him pack and make out that seemed so appealing.  I liked that he was drawing a line in the sand, so I wouldn’t have to.  Maybe it was his crystal blue eyes that popped against his tan skin.  Or maybe, just maybe, it was the idea of being reckless, the idea of adventure, that made me get on that train.  Whatever it was, at the time, I wasn’t giving it any thought.  The Air Man was leaving in the morning, so we only had that night.  

Holding hands on the metro and walking through his hotel lobby - it all seemed so much like a movie.  It wasn’t until we were in the elevator that he told me he had a girlfriend back home.  I guess the guilt was sinking in.  It was now 3am and I was at a hotel in Rosslyn.  After contemplating the fact that getting home would be nearly impossible at that point, I went into his hotel room to help him pack.  There are two beds, and after telling him that he brought me there under false pretenses, I climbed in my own bed, wearing my slip.  

As he walks to his bed in his boxer briefs, I realize staying in my own bed would be harder than I thought, especially since we had already kissed.  The Air Man was hot, chiseled, and lean.  In the dark, we began to talk, and he invited me to join him in his bed, just to make out.  I was torn.  In so many ways, the damage was already done.  He had already kissed me and invited me to his hotel room.  I threw my moral girl code to the wind and climbed in bed with the most beautiful man I have ever let kiss me.  

Things got heated, but we never crossed the ultimate line.  My slip never came off, even if my bra did.  As the sun came through the window, the guilt came with it.  I layed there for a while, not quite ready to face the shame of leaving a hotel in my clothes from the night before.  When I did slip out of bed, I grabbed my things and tiptoed to the bathroom.  After reassembling myself, and brushing my teeth with my finger I emerged not knowing what to say.  The Air Man didn’t either.  He couldn’t get up because his boxers were across the room, which, for the record, I don't remember happening.  I could tell he hated himself for cheating, and I felt like an evil temptress.  

After the most awkward goodbye in the history of goodbyes, I made my way to the cab line.  My attempt at being spontaneous had resulted in me choosing something I had never chosen before.  I had chosen to be the other woman, fulling knowing that some girl back in Georgia would be broken hearted if she ever knew.  Not even with D, someone I have said I love you to, have I crossed the physical line once I knew another girl existed.  Maybe it was because unlike every other time, I knew I wouldn’t run into him at the frat house, student union, the bar, or the Longworth Cafeteria.  I will never see him ever again.  I won’t have to run into, and be reminded of, my indiscretion.  

I was spontaneous and reckless.  I had fun.  I just hope I didn’t wreck some poor girl’s heart.  

Moving On

I think Stefan and I are working out after all.  I know what you may be thinking -  I just told someone else I loved them, and that is supposed to mean something.  It does, but it can’t.  

When Stefan texted and asked for a last minute drink date the night after I said the L word, I went.  I went because, even though what Stefan and I have is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction.  When we are together, we act like a couple.  He makes me laugh, he pays attention, and he gives me that giddy feeling in the pit of my stomach.  Those few hours we hung out that night made me realize that there is potential for something real between us.  

I try not to put all of my eggs in one basket though.  My hair stylist called me the next afternoon and asked if she could give a cute client of hers my phone number.  I had seen him in the salon before, so I said yes.  We met for drinks at one of my regular places, that way, I had backup if needed.  He was sweet, but kind of meek.  It was nice, but just nice.  The whole time I just kept thinking, “I don’t have that feeling”, you know the spark.  So, I thanked him for a lovely evening, and that was it.  

Betsy and I had our Christmas party, but Stefan couldn’t make it.  I really wanted him there, but a few cocktails in, I got flirty with a handsome gentleman that kept making making me martinis.  Again, its the whole eggs-in-one-basket thing.  I am a flirt, especially when I am in a cocktail dress.  I also love a bit of a challenge, and a boy as suave as this particular one was hard for me to resist.  So, by the end of the night, I found myself with Mr. Martini under the mistletoe.  

Even though I kissed Mr. Martini, I woke up the next day thinking about Stefan.  I realize I need to stop chasing things that aren’t attainable, even if I do pull them off sometimes.  I keep saying I want to find something real, but I keep setting myself up for heartbreak.  I like Stefan, and we have potential, even if we aren’t exclusive.  That became more clear when we hung out on Monday.  Seeing each other twice in a week is a step in the right direction.  I just want to take things slow,and maybe, for the first time in my life, do things right, not get overly excited or clingy.  If they don’t work out, then it isn’t meant to be, but I am not shutting myself off to something with real potential, not this time.  

I know what you may be thinking, “How could I say the L word to someone, and a week later, now say that I am figuring things out with someone else?”  The truth is, I have had feelings for D for a very long time.  Things were/ are a mess in my life, and I was projecting.  I shouldn’t have said it, and I am not sure I still mean it.  I know I meant it once upon a time.  Now, whether I have feelings for D still or not, I do have real feelings for Stefan.  I am going to let life play out.  Knowing me, it won’t be boring.

2012 Emmy's Best and Worst Dressed

My tagline for this blog promises talk of fashion and I have not really delivered on that promise.  I plan on changing that, and I am going to start with my Best and Worst dressed from the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards!  So my picks are as follows:

Let’s start with what I didn’t like.  It’s always best to get the negative out of the way.  

Claire Danes

This Lanvin Dress just looks sloppy to me.  I understand the need for comfort on the Red Carpet when preggers, but this is not the way to go about it.  Something in an Empire waist would have been much more flattering and elegant.  I mean Empire waist lines were invented to hide pregnancy!    I will say that Claire’s Hair looks impeccable though.  And no matter what people like me say about what she was wearing, she still walked away with the Best Actress in a Drama Series Emmy!

Ashley Judd

Everything about this is just wrong!  The hair is too big, and it takes a lot for a southern girl to say that, and not age appropriate.  The dress looks like a bad bridesmaids dress and a bad prom dress had a baby.  Nothing about this Carolina Herrera gown was age appropriate and everything about it was just wrong!

WORST DRESSED- January Jones

I didn’t even recognize January Jones with the slicked back hair and street walker eye liner.  Then there is the dress, where to start.  I am not a fan of the “high-low” or “mullet” hemline.  The skirt itself appears to be made of many old church lady hates put together.  I usually love what Zac Posen does, but this just doesn’t do it for me.  Her lack of jewelry is also baffling to me!  You have access to diamonds galore for events like this and you wear none?!?  Sorry January Jones but you are receiving my Worst Dressed of the Night shame.  

Let’s move on the the in-betweens.  These are people that I liked but were not wowed by, or they were missing just a little something that would have taken them to the next level.  

Kerry Washington

I love the the cut and color of this dress for her body.  This Vivienne Westwood looked both beautiful on the red carpet and on the Emmy stage.  Since I was a young girl I have always loved a good sequin and this fills my sparkly needs.  One of the main reasons she did not make my best dressed category is her hair just wasn’t doing it for me.  The lack of style just put a damper on the whole look for me.  

Zooey Deschanel

This adorkable actress looked more sophisticated than I am use to seeing her on the red carpet.  Yet, it was still very Zooey.  This whimsical powder blue dress paired with the pink lips made her blue eyes pop.  The only thing that was standing in her way, for me at least, was the neckline of the dress.  I would have liked the dress better with a higher sweetheart neckline.  

Julianne Moore

I love this electric color next to her red hair!  I also love the cut and how age appropriate it felt.  I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about this Christian Dior by Raf Simons dress but for the most part it worked for me.  The only thing that was missing for me was a statement necklace.  I think she needed some jewels around her neck to really bring the look together.  It needed to be something big and very intricate.  

Now for my pics for the Best Dressed category.  These were the all around looks that worked best for me.  

Ginnifer Goodwin

 

Although I am usually not a fan of of the “High to Low” or “mullet” hemline I think it works on this dress.  I love the orange color and the detailed pattern of this Monique Lhuillier creation.  It looks beautiful on her skin tone and is a great cut for her body.  Her hair and makeup look fresh and young.  This outfit works from head to toe.  

Tina Fey

 

This comedian is known for her red carpet disasters, but not this time.  She looked stunning in this form fitting, yet figure flattering gown by Vivienne Westwood.  The jewel tones look wonderful on her fair complexion.  It is both sexy and age appropriate.  Her hair works with both her bone structure and the style of the dress.  Goodbye red carpet disaster, hello red carpet diva!  

BEST DRESSED- Julie Bowen

My Best Dressed of the night goes to the Modern Family star, and Best actress in a Comedy series winner!  This electric chartreuse, Monique Lhuillier, form fitting gown shows off Bowen’s rocking bod.  There was a lot of this color on the red carpet (I have an example in everyone of my categories), but for me this was the only example of the color worn just right.  Her makeup was fresh, her jewelry simple, and her hair elegantly down.  I think this look was very her and that is why it worked so well. 

The Answer is in Someone New

Nothing makes you feel more confident than a really good-looking man wanting to see you naked.  Well, maybe when the sight of you undressed leaves this man wanting more. The feeling when you wake up in the arms of someone that just seems too perfect to be real is like a high.  Nothing brings you out of the shadows of heartbreak like the euphoria of a budding romance.  

Three weeks ago, I told someone that I was glad I didn’t feel anything when I kissed all the boys that were crossing my path.  I was in a post heartbreak spiral.  If the boy was cute and wanted to kiss me, I was game.  I was trying to put distance between the memory of kissing D and my present.  I thought I needed to to feel nothing for anyone else until D was out of my head.  I was on a boy bender.  I went out on Wednesday and kissed a boy in front of Union Station.  I went out on Thursday and kissed a boy outside the bar.  Went out on Saturday for Chloe’s birthday, kissed a boy and got swept away.  

When I am in a spiral, I have a cute boy radar like none other.  When Stefan walked in the room, it was like sirens went off in my head.  Being Chloe’s birthday, I went back to dancing with the girls and tried to forget about the gorgeous guy who was lingering nearby in the small basement bar.  I caught him watching me on the dance floor.  There was no ignoring the Vineyard Vines clothed, green-eyed man with Chuck Bass hair.  Who talked to whom first is still a little hazy, but his dance moves were amazing.  He twirled me all over the floor before he went in for the kiss.  I was the girl making out in the bar and I didn’t care.  Don’t worry, we talked too, but mainly we just kissed, alot.  

There comes a point in these situations when what’s happening next is inevitable.  When other people are thinking, “Get a room!”, maybe you should!  That is what led me to say, “You want to get out of here?”. I forgot what it was like to feel so wanted, to feel like they are just drinking you in.  Having someone who can’t stop kissing you long enough to find a cab is exhilarating.  

After entangling ourselves in my sheets for quite a while, Stefan and I stayed up talking until the wee hours.  My Sunday morning was a mixture of knocking boots and pillow talk.  When Stefan left the next afternoon, I didn’t know if I would ever hear from him again.  I decided to cross my fingers but not hold my breath.  When he texted me hours later, I thought my heart might explode from surprise and excitement!  

He made his way into the city the next Wednesday to see me before I left for a cruise to Bermuda with Chloe and Vivian.  I had forgot how it felt to flirt without guilt, to be excited without consequence, and to feel like everything is full of possibility not doom.  

Chloe, Vivian, and I had a blast on the cruise!  There were late nights at the disco, post-bar hot tubbing, and a some racy games of Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever.  I kissed a guy under the stars, pool-side. It was sweet. The problem was he wasn’t Stefan.  I didn’t enjoy talking to him, I didn’t want him to hold my hand, and I absolutely did not want to sleep with him.  

So, it is official.  I am crushing on someone new.  All signs seem to point to good on the Stefan front.  I am hopeful that things last at least a little bit longer.  I am not expecting the great love of my life; I just want to enjoy whatever this is while it lasts.  The giddy feeling I get when he texts me makes my heart pound.  I day dream about his fingers gently running down my bare back. I fall asleep thinking about doing so in his arms, and how much better I sleep when he is there.  

I don’t really think about D very much anymore.  There was a time when he consumed me.  Now it is more like an occasional thing out of habit.  I know it has helped not seeing him for a month, but now I am more worried about the first time I do see him.  I think I am just going to rip off the Band-Aid and go to that weekly social gathering.  Besides I have someone else that likes to see me naked. 

The Season of the DC Skin-tern

We are smack-dab in the middle of the worst time for dating in DC: Summer (or let me be more clear, Summer Intern season).  The Summer Intern (I should be more specific, the skin-tern) in DC is the young career man’s weakness. Every young single career woman in this city is well aware for the trouble that the dreaded skin-tern will bring to their love life.  You see them walking down the halls and see how the men (if you can call them that) look at these scantily clad co-eds bounce around.  If life is truly awful for you, you may even have one in your office.  If you are their supervisor, then you have the task of telling them that they need to dress more appropriately or that flirting with male staffers is unacceptable.  

I guess I see why the men of DC fall for the elusive skin-tern.  I do not agree with it, but I can see the appeal.  In a conservatively dressed city, these girls bring some sex into the office.  It doesn’t matter if the sex shouldn’t be there, or if these girls are barely old enough to have a cocktail (and some are not).  Skin-terns play dumb, even if they aren’t.  There are no intellectual conversations or philosophical debates going on.  Conversations are filled with talks of parties, the craziest things they have ever done, and anything else that make horny guys foam at the mouth.  Then there is the real kicker: they are only here for two months.  It's not enough time to get serious and you have a guaranteed out at the end of the summer.  They will return to school and the rest of DC will return to our regular dating patterns.  

Skin-terns just get on my last nerve.  I want a light-hearted summer romance too.  I want to have faith that the men I surround myself with aren’t fooled by a short skirt, low neckline, and fake giggle.  Unfortunately, every summer without fail, one of the good ones falls prey to the skin-tern.  It’s either one of my guy friends or my current crush, which stings worse than a jellyfish at the beach on the 4th of July.  They are Lindsay Lohans  and I am Marylin meets Jackie.  I am put together, poised, and sexy in a subtle “why wouldn’t you want me” kind of way.  These girls think you have to show it all to get attention, and yes it works, but then they are just a story without a name.  

These so called gentleman tell their friends they are calling their skin-tern, not whatever that girl’s name might be.  It’s then, when I overhear such stories and comments, that I feel a tiny bit of pity for the skin-tern.  No one falls in love with a skin-tern.  It’s not like anyone is falling in love with me either, but I, unlike the skin-tern, do not mistake lust for love.  I do not mistake a summer fling for the perfect romance with a staffer.  The pity fades quickly when I realize that it is the way these Jersey Shore want-to-bes carry themselves that puts them in that position in the first place.    

I do want to be clear about one thing.  Not every female intern is a skin-tern.  There are plenty of well dressed, ambitious, well-behaved interns that come to DC every summer as well. But every time I see some seemingly great guy flirt with a skin-tern over a classy, intelligent, age-appropriate staffer, I pray for summer to be over.   I pray for the day that I and all single career women of DC raise our cocktails and cheers to the the end of the summer skin-tern, at least until next year. 

Crush

Lately, I’m bored with my lack of potential love interests.  I spent a few weeks hoping Penn would text or call me.  That weekend was so magical, so I was not ready to give up on it.  I also think I wanted to make it mean something, to not feel so promiscuous.  It is time to face reality - that we would never fit into each other’s lives, so why ruin the memory?

This is why I want a new crush.  I want someone to get excited over.  I want someone to dress extra special for.  Nothing is better than putting an outfit together with someone in mind, wondering if they will like the way you look.  Getting butterflies in your stomach when they walk in a room is intoxicating.  Having a person to text when you’re tipsy and want to flirt is comforting.  

A crush is all about the anticipation.  Will they flirt back?  What can you do to get their attention? When you do get their attention, then it’s the potential for that first kiss.  If you’re lucky, you kiss your crush.  There is something about a really amazing kiss: the nerves, adrenaline, emotion.

It's not just about the kiss, it's about the build-up.  There is so much energy between you and him it could make your hair stand on in.  It is like an invisible electric tether pulling you closer.  The tension builds and the simple brush of a hand against yours makes you want to explode.  Time stops in that moment - right before the first kiss.  You have probably thought about that very moment a thousand times.  

Post-kiss is when worry sinks in.  Will they call?  Did you kill the mystery?  It is that post kiss period when you are teetering between being more or being crushed.  Yes, a crush is exciting, but it also opens you up to the potential to get hurt.  However, I believe in a no-risk-no-reward philosophy in life, especially in my love life.  So, bring on the summer crush!  Bring on the excitement!    

Introducing the Power Players

I realize that I should probably introduce all of you to the lovely ladies that are constants in my life and will make regular appearances in the blog.  So here is the cheat sheet to my friends.  The Power Players, if you will.

Chloe: Chloe is my sounding board and my voice of reason.  She is a witty midwestern girl who is very proud of her Chicago roots.  I often forget that she is a little older than me because we just understand each other.  She is my person.  You know that person that you would call in any situation, and no matter what, you know you can count on them.  She can rock a shift dress and for a Yankee, her hair teasing skills are amazing.  

Vivian: Vivian, Vivi for short, is my sassy fashion-forward friend.  If you want to know anything about any celebrity, I bet Vivi knows it.  She has the gift to make me laugh unlike anyone else.  She is quite the performer when she rocks the mic at karaoke.  She is out of town for business for the next few months, and I feel like a piece of me is missing!

Mary: Mary is our non-Jersey Jersey girl.  She has an infectious laugh that I could pick out of any crowd.  The boys love Mary and her chill, laid-back attitude.  She is the kind of pretty that takes no effort.  I envy her confidence and relaxed approach at life.  

Betsy: Betsy is my wonderful roommate.  She is another Midwestern girl and my sorority sister (different schools).  Her big hair bows and love for odd foreign films make her a true hipster.  She is truly beautiful inside and out, but sometimes I wish she could see herself the way I see her.  Strong and full of faith, I find myself inspired by her.   

Claire: Claire is my West-Coast mystery wrapped in an enigma.  She is an old soul even though she is the youngest.  I think she is just starting to come into her own and figuring out what it means to be Claire.  One thing I do know, Claire has a kind, warm heart.

Skyler: Skyler is yet another Chicago girl.  She is sporty yet girly.  If you see Skyler, you are bound to get one of her famous hugs.  She is so open to people and what they have to bring to her life.  

Tori: Tori is a straight shooter.  She doesn’t play games.  She likes what she likes and doesn't apologize for it.  Maybe that is how she found herself a part of one of the best couples I have ever met.  She and Peter have a level of trust that you don’t see in many relationships.  Because they have trust, they can just enjoy each other and their friends.  

These are not all of the fabulous people that bless my life in DC with fun and friendship.  I am lucky to have a large group of amazing people that make up my world here, too many to fit in one post.