Blackhawk Crafting Co

How have I been so lucky to be surrounded by so many cool, successful people? On top of the lawyers and statisticians putting together conferences in China and boss babes in LA, now Marisa, my bestest yoga bud from my Riverside days (who saw my dating struggles and was there from mine and AJ's relationship beginnings) recently opened a business in Riverside. The idea is kind of like a Wine & Paint night, but it's woodworking and crafts or really anything you seen on Pinterest... show them and they can make it happen!

As part of launching her new business, Marisa offered to throw me an event there, where guests could help create projects for the wedding and home. That whole event was yesterday, August 19 and it was SO MUCH FUN. Not least of all is the fact that I have some really great and generous friends who drove from San Diego, Orange County and Long Beach to be there, and of my Riverside friends showed up even though it was her 13th wedding anniversary! #blessed

The event was so much fun! There was a mimosa bar and a whole spread of snacks, Marisa baked a delicious cake, and it was a great place to just hang out and craft together!

Everybody's projects turned out amazing! And no one had any prior experience either. The whole business is so fun and cool and we got to make a lot of neat stuff. The stuff for the wedding totally exceeded my expectations too.

It was a pretty surreal experience to be crafting for my wedding (say whaaaa) with friends and family from all walks of life, all hosted by my friends brand new BUSINESS... my friend I met in middle school and have known since I was 12, who watched mine and AJ's relationship come together. If there was a downside, it's that I was slightly hungover by 7pm due to too many mimosas (oops).

If you or anyone you know are looking for something to do in the Riverside area... check out Blackhawk!

My Fiancé, Lady & Gents

AJ plays in a beach flag football league with our neighbors on Wednesday. Sadly I was only able to go watch a few times when tap was taking a break, since my classes are also on Wednesdays.

This week was the championship playoff, and apparently their team won. I was alerted by a text boasting this bad boy

(Yes, it's as cheap as it looks!) It's now an eyesore hanging in the kitchen.

They also received a championship belt, but just one for the team, and I'm just glad that that didn't come home with him too!

Our Nation's Capital

I don't know if it's to avoid any confusion with Washington state, but no one in the airline industry seems able to refer to DC as Washington DC or even simply DC; everything was "traveling to our Nation's Capital today?"

Anyways, spent last week in our nation's capital for work. Last time I was there was fall of 2012. I've always liked DC, but I realized I really, really love it. It's an all-around stand-up city, and I had been looking forward to the conference for a long time. It was all an update on US Dept of Education centers all around the world, recent trends, student mobility and best practices in international recruitment. The REAL treat though, was being met at the airport by my BFF, a one-woman impromptu baby shower and bachelorette party all in one, since we both have to miss out on these big events for one another (sadface).

Still, we got like 16 hours together in DC (and we were able to spend like a third of that leisurely in the DC crosswalks...) and find a mouse hiding in an Air Jordan in a pizza restaurant...! Plus, breakfast at a pretty cool DC place with the hottest picture of a young George Washington I had ever seen lololol!

I went through some weird moods later, so AJ sent me this picture of Nanners to cheer me up and it did the trick!

Outside of the conference, which I loved, I took my workouts outside since I was around the corner from the National Mall. It was humid AF but it was fun to run with the new scenery!

Duh, my man Alexander Hamilton!

The last day of the conference was only a half day, so I got to both visit Georgetown, and visit with Chrishon and check out the house she bought just outside of DC!

Georgetown

It's fun and crazy to see how much has changed for us and yet still keeping in touch... and now working in the same circle! (I'll get to see her again in Canada next month!)

On Thursday, my colleague Jessica and I had appointments at 3 different embassies, so it actually made for a long day. Embassy visit, coffee, pass by the UCDC center, hang out at the Islamic Center of Washington on Embassy Row killing time, avoid the rain, and go to another embassy.

I was pretty exhausted come Friday when I finally had my trek home. I specifically planned nothing on the weekend because I'm an old woman and needed to recuperate after the week in DC, so on Saturday, AJ and I took Anana to the dog beach. Poor puppers can't be away from AJ, hates AJ in the water, and yet hates the water herself! We always have to take turns going in the water and distracting Anana, but sometimes she can't tear herself away from AJ.

The water was still really refreshing, since it was so freaking hot.

By Sunday, I was just going to unpack, do laundry and relax, but I got pretty bored. The neighbors invited us over to put our feet in their kiddie pool (haha!) so AJ and I came and downed a bottle of white wine with them.

After that, we went grocery shopping. The line was long and I caught the magnet board that I went and rearranged.

Can you find it?

That girl on the chalkboard was talking to me while I was working on the magnets. She told me she was very good at drawing people and I agreed with her. When I went back to AJ at the cash register, I said to him "that girl says she's really good at drawing people but honestly, I just don't see it" LOLOLOL don't worry I didn't say it to her face.

After grocery shopping I actually got so bored I wanted to see how far back the years go on the iPhone calendar app, and spoiler alert, there's no limit. I got back to the year 1, and then it goes to year 1 again. BC, obviously, but it's not denoted BC anywhere and there's also no year zero. Interesting.

In the evening, I was Grey's Anatomy'ing it up (I'm binging it - it's a long story) and just watching Khaleesi looking so smug and then collapsing lolol.

Then, since I had washed all our sheets and pillowcases, we had to remake the bed. After we had the sheet and comforter on, Khaleesi jumped up on the bed and laid up towards the top, so we started laying down all the pillows around her. Can you spot her?

How about now...??

Back to the grind. This week is going to be pretty uneventful, which I suppose I should be thankful for, trying to enjoy the calm before the storm, which will start whipping up at the end of this month and in September for sure!