Friday started off with everyone in the DC area getting off of work early in anticipation of the big storm. The snow started falling around 1pm. By 3:30pm I measured accumulations of 2 inches or so around the apartment. Throughout the evening the snow kept coming down. Kristina, the roomies Josh and Denise, and I went sledding down our steep hill right outside our front door. We didn’t have any proper sleds, so we tried a few things that we had laying around the apartment. A plastic Ikea bag and a plastic container with wheels did not work at all. But the slick-bottomed boogie board was a hit.

When we came back in we spent the rest of the night watching Funny People and Groundhogs Day.

The snow fell throughout the night and we woke up with a good foot on the ground and it kept snowing all day (see a timelapse of the snowfall in Glenmont). Around 11am we got our snow gear on in anticipation of another sledding session. Just before we left, our power went out. Thinking nothing of it we continued on to our hill. Kristina brought her snowboard along and there was plenty of fluffy snow for a smooth ride.

After sledding we came back to a powerless apartment. The sun began to set and boredom was setting in. To pass the time we played a rousing game of Monopoly which killed several hours. As darkness overtook daylight we began to get hungry. Luckily the snow had stopped (but not after dumping 30 inches of snow in our area) so we could venture out to our nearby shopping center in search of food. The only place open was, of course, McDonalds.

Hooray, McDonalds is open after the Snowpocalypse!

The restaurant was hopping as other locals without power had also flocked there for some relief. After filling our bellies we stopped by CVS to stock up on candles to light our dark apartment.

Later that night we started to worry about the food we had in the fridge. Kristina and I keep a cooler in the back of my Rav-4 which came in handy for storing our food on our deck. There was so much snow that in order to get to the back of my car I had to shovel snow to get the door open.

My Rav-4 was completely buried.

We spent the rest of the night playing the card game asshole and having a good time despite the lack of power or the dropping temperature of our apartment. Everyone was sleepy but I still had some energy so at 1:30 am I went out to shoot some night shots of the snowy landscape.

The tree by our apartment covered in snow.

That night we all went to bed in long sleeves and several blankets to keep warm. It was actually quite cozy.

The next morning we were still without power/heat/hot water. Fortunately the roads were passable and Josh’s parents had power. We made the trek up to Laurel to hunker down until our power came back on. Our friends Pammy and her husband Chris stopped by and we all went sledding at my childhood middle school, Hammond Middle. The snow was knee deep and untouched which made for some awesome sledding runs.

Kristina sledding down a hill at Hammond Middle school.

After sledding we got hot showers and settled down to watch the Saints beat the Colts in Super Bowl 44. We spent the night there and the next morning we heard our power came back on. Once we got back to our heated apartment it was time to un-bury our cars though that wouldn’t last long.

Our parking lot buried in 2+ feet of snow.

Much of the DC metro area was closed including the local Metro subway system making getting to work impossible for us suburbanites. Plus, another winter storm hit us Tuesday night through Wednesday, February 10. The new storm system brought us a fresh foot of snow along with blizzard conditions. The second storm brought our total accumulations for this winter to 54.9″, breaking the previous all-time record of 54.5″ set in the winter of 1898-99.  We stayed inside most of the time and our power held up the whole way through this time.

My leg in a knee-high snow drift after the two storms.

Now it is Thursday night and the cars have been dug out again, the streets are somewhat plowed and the Metro is running. It looks like we will all go back to work tomorrow, just in time for the 3-day holiday weekend. Oh and the forecast for Monday, February 15… chance of snow.

We enjoyed the many interactive and compelling exhibits the Newseum had to offer. Some of the top sections that we enjoyed were:

• Athlete: photos from legendary sports photographer Walter Iooss
• The largest glass elevators that take you to the top floor where they have a great view of the US Capitol and the Pennsylvania Avenue Terrace
• News History Room where they had over 500 years of newspapers in glass drawers
• The Internet, TV and Radio Exhibit
• Today’s Front Page Gallery, where they have more than 80 newspapers from across the U.S. and around the World

Russell and I are out on the Pennsylvania Avenue Terrace with a great view of the U.S. Capitol in the background.

I was so amused by these artifacts at the Newseum!

The last thing we did at the museum (except check out the gift shop which is always a highlight) was go to the Interactive Newsroom and I actually had a chance to read a teleprompter and be a television reporter. If you ever have a chance to go to the Newseum, I highly recommend it. When you go you can choose from 6-8 different backdrops ranging in topics from sports, weather and even landing on the moon. I chose a prompt that was about the latest exhibits going on at the Newseum; I felt it was appropriate so I could remember the day. Russell wanted me to give a special shout out at the end, so take a look and see how I did.

Russell took a picture of me in action.

And with that this is Kristina, signing off!

In English we have three definitions of we: the regular we meaning you and I, as in “we had dinner together”; the royal we meaning I, as in “we are not amused”; and the marital we meaning you, as in “we need to take out the garbage.”

—Chris Bovbjerg, Letter to the Editors of the Economist

(via Charlie Park)

The wedding was supposed to start at 6 but the snow had been coming down all afternoon making for some slick conditions. The snow might have changed some plans, but it didn’t stop everyone for having a good time. Lindsay and her now-husband Luke went ahead with the ceremony. The ceremony was beautiful and the couple even managed to get some pictures together outside in the snow. Of course this was the end of the night and the snow was a good 6 inches deep.

The next morning we took in the view from the hotel room and started our voyage back home.

We didn’t get too far as the roads were still rough as the storm progressed northward to Maryland. Interstate 81 was backed up for miles and we passed dozens of abandoned cars; some of which were in the middle of the road. After being on the road from 9:30am to shortly before 5pm, we had gone a whopping 121 miles. We pulled off in Salem, Virginia, at a hotel for the night where I’m writing this thanks to the free wifi. Its back on the road tomorrow to complete the rest of our journey. I hear there is 21 inches of snow waiting at home in Glenmont!

My dad is finishing up bbq-ing some vegetables.

Russell and his mom were the first to dig in.  We enjoyed turkey, spare ribs, marinated bison, egg rolls, cole slaw, corn bread, homemade corn tortillas, potato salad, veggies and cranberry sauce. Yum!

And everyone got their fare share of leftovers to take home and enjoy for the following week. It was a great Thanksgiving and I can’t wait until next year.

This jester was a hoot doing visual gags with his fingers.

We saw a glass blowing demonstration and these were some of the finished products hanging outside of his shop.

The jousting match was the most exciting part of the event. One of the knights even fell off his horse during one of the routines.

This queen was one of the many different costumes we saw people wearing throughout the day.

The longest line at the Maryland Renaissance Festival was for the ATM though some shops accepted credit cards.

Kristina sure had a fun time! I did too I just couldn’t get a picture of myself enjoying everything.

I can’t believe how far some people get into the renaissance time period but it is fun to experience a bit of history for yourself. And we didn’t have to worry about fighting a dragon and crossing a moat to get back home!

Russell saying his final goodbye to his old minivan.

Cutting it close is an understatement as I was finally able to land a deal on Saturday morning, August 22nd. The cash for clunkers program officially ended two days later but many dealers were stopping Saturday night. Russel Toyota (no relation) was able to get me a Pacific Blue Rav4 that was in transit but still qualified for a $4,500 discount. Needless to say I jumped on the offer as every dealer within 100 miles was absolutely sold out of Rav4s.

I signed the paperwork, handed over the keys to my clunker, and updated my insurance in a 4 hour process. Since I no longer had a car, and my new one wasn’t there yet, the dealer gave me a loaner.

A Toyota Camry hybrid was my temporary ride until my Rav4 came in.

The loaner car was nice with leather seats and a built-in GPS system, but there were a few quirks. I was happy to part with the loaner car once my Rav4 was ready. Kristina and I picked it up last night just as the sun was setting.

The first morning home with the new car.

I’m happy I came out on top and I love my new car. The van did have one feature that I do miss: it was paid off!

Here are some of the 4×4 Rav4 stats for the car heads.

• 4×4, 2.5L 4-Cylinder, 4-Speed Automatic
• 179 hp @ 6000 rpm/172 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm
• 21-27 mpg
• Exterior: Pacific Blue Metallic
• Interior: Ash Fabric

We had to take the tourist shot of sitting in the zoo sign.

Baby Ella enjoyed posing for pictures in her stroller with her favorite hat.

She also brings a spare when walking around.

This lioness was out from her den to see all the people gawking at her.

I never realized tigers have such beady eyes which makes them look like they are always staring.

This baby elephant took a dip in the pool to play with the giant floating ball. At one point it jumped on top of the ball turning it into a floating device.

Kristina captured some moments in the ape house. This little guy was playing with his mother.

And this orangutan wanted everyone to see his teeth.

The Clarke’s blogged about their day at the zoo as well as put up a photo gallery.

Stepping into the butterfly habitat was overwhelming as it was impossible to avoid groups of butterflies zig zagging all over. Some would even perch on your shoulder. Places like this are great to practice macro photography. Here are some of my shots.

After an hour of dodging various winged creatures (and packs of people for that matter) we decided to continue on outside. There was plenty of different wildlife hanging out around the pond. Like this family of turtles…

Kristina spotted this big, black, Rat Snake and while she wanted to run away as fast as she could, I wanted to take it’s picture.

We found a tree that was a caterpillar hotel. This one was chowing down on a green leaf.

The highlight of our day was spotting this Great Blue Heron up close. I stalked it for a long time and managed to snap 200 pictures just of this guy alone.

Of course we had to take a picture of just the two of us. In the background to the left is the Japanese Teahouse on the other side of the pond.

We had a great day visiting an exhibit we had never seen before, getting plenty of exercise in, and even enjoying our packed picnic lunch in the Japanese Teahouse that Kristina packed for us. It was just what we needed to get a break from the wedding planning.

This is just half of the dresses they brought to the event at The Westin Hotel in Arlington, VA.

This is my Mom getting my dress, veil and tiara! The man in the back is putting my dress in the protective cover! NO peeking!

I got my wedding dress and we helped Brides Against Breast Cancer! ( From Left to Right: Me, my Mom and Dad)

In the morning bike riders are welcome on the boardwalk so Kristina and I rented some bikes and took a stroll from 28th street to the beginning of the boardwalk and back. It took us just under an hour.

Jolly Rogers Amusement Park offers unlimited mini-golf on their two courses until 6pm. Their mini-golf was alright, but it was no Old Pro Golf course.

Every year we hang out and play with some family friends on the beach. I was in the middle of digging a really deep hole with the youngest one, Gracie.

Kristina and I tried our hand at boogie boarding though it was hit or miss. Taking this picture sure was easy though.

One night we watched the cops tow away a car whose alarm was going off every 5 minutes all night long. The owner eventually came out after it was hooked up to the tow truck. The tow truck took a half-an-hour to turn around in the small street. The car owner didn’t look to happy but we were all cheering from the balcony.

All you can eat crab feast at the Crab Bag. I ordered a steak and was finished before anyone got their first plate of crabs.

Group picture of the gang after gorging crabs.

Before heading out to the fireworks we had to take a patriotic picture on the porch of Katie Emery’s beach house. From left to right (Katie Emery, Ben Miller, Pammy Smith, Kristina Naude, Russell Heimlich)

One of my favorite parts of the trip was lounging around on the grass waiting for darkness to fall so the fireworks could begin.

This was one of the few years in recent memories that the weather cooperated for the fireworks. They were mesmorizing as they exploded in the sky especially the grand finale.

We certainly had a great getaway filled with friends and fun. I can’t wait for what is in store for next year.

Posts from previous years:

• 2007
• 2008

Speaking with Joe, the owner of JPG, on the phone sealed the deal as he was very easy to talk with. His fly-on-the-wall documentary style and vision aligned with our idea for the perfect photographer. Apparently we aren’t the only ones who see the excellence that Joe can bring to an event.

Below are some of our favorite shots from JPG’s Blog:

P.S. We tried to get this guy but his schedule was a bit tight.

A Brief Guide About Bridesmaids

For example, “A Brief Guide About Bridesmaids” is a super-cute animated video created by the Vancouver Film School. The video does a wonderful job at describing the duties and experiences of a typical bridesmaids and also describing the origins of bridesmaids in different cultures.  “A Brief Guide About Bridesmaids” video is sponsored by The Dessy Group, an online store for bridesmaid clothing and bridal dresses.

Being Erica

The second video I have to share is from a bridesmaids point of view and how she feels about the planning and dress shopping process. The women in it is from the Canadian show Being Erica, and as a way to advertise the show they created a prequel where she video blogs. Most of her entries are hilarious but this one in particular is funny because I hope my bridesmaids never feel like this.

Even though it is a Canadian Show, Russell was able to download episodes for me.  Or you can catch the show on SoapNet in the United States.

I hope you enjoyed these fun online videos about bridesmaids!

My bridesmaids have known before I got engaged that they would be in my wedding, duh! they are my best friends and I hang out with them all the time.  These wonderful & beautiful girls have become my closest friends ever since being my roommates in college.

Even though they know they are in the wedding, I have waited until now to “ask” them to be my bridesmaids.  If you are getting married and have read any wedding magazines or browsed theknot.com, brides are now formally asking their friends “will you be my bridesmaid?” and giving little gifts to commemorate the occasion.   I think this is a great idea! There is a lot of commitment on the bridesmaid part: from planning and going to pre-wedding functions, paying for a dress, as well as being a big supporter to the bride. I also love the idea of presenting them with a token of appreciation before all the madness takes over as it gets closer to my wedding day.

I have been waiting until May to have a get-together type luncheon with all of the girls so I can formally kick off the process. I tried to think of a cute restaurant to have this Bridesmaid Luncheon and I came up with Mrs. K’s Tollhouse Resturant in Silver Spring, MD. I am hoping the weather is good because they have a beautiful garden in back to take pictures. Then after the luncheon we are all going to go over to the Strathmore Music Center to show them the venue. All of the girls have not seen Strathmore and showing them where the ceremony will take place, cocktail hour and the reception area is vital in order for them to picture the day.  This will also help when I will need to plan and pick decor and get their opinion if it will go or look good in the venue.

The Luncheon is planned for Saturday May 2nd, 2009! I am super excited that all of them can make it.  If you know me I love to craft and do hands on projects so this was a great excuse to make my own invitations (pictured below).  I found these “Petal” cards in the clearance section of Paper Source in Georgetown.  The cards were a plain pink inside so I added everything from the ribbon, pink and green paper, paper flowers and gems from past craft projects. I think they turned out amazing and  Russell and I are thinking of incorporating a “Petal” packaging for our wedding invitations. This is how they turned out:

I am going to write another blog post discussing how the day went and to reveal some of my surprises! Shhh I can’t say now because I don’t want my bridesmaids to find out until our luncheon on May 2nd!  Stay tuned.

I wanted to make it “blog official” and tell everyone that we have set a wedding date and found the perfect place.  I went with my parents back in January to sign the contracts but forgot to update it on our blog.  Back in January, we had our fair share of hard times in securing the place on the right date, but when we finally did it turned out to be great.  We originally were thinking March, but now the wedding is in late May. The weather will be beautiful and the flowers will be blooming as well as the trees will be green for an outdoor ceremony.  Also May 29th is Memorial Day weekend, which I think is a good thing. We will have a lot of people from out of town coming in and this way they can make the wedding weekend into a long weekend.  We will just have to inform everyone early (by word of mouth, this blog, save-the-dates and invitations) so plans don’t collide.

Some of the “pros” of having our wedding at the Strathmore Music Center:

• Metro accessible, from Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station
• Free parking with a covered sky bridge to Center
• Located right off of the Beltway
• Great location close to Washington, D.C.
• The place is gorgeous, modern yet classical appeal (View the pictures below)
• Soaring 65 foot high glass wall and tall ceilings give an open and airy feeling for the reception
• Terrace for the ceremony overlooks an 11-acre site of greenery
• Inside and outside options for ceremony, just in case of rain I will have a beautiful “plan B”
• Offers catering with on-site chefs and kitchens
• Enough space for a separate cocktail hour
• Striking built-in bars with granite counter tops
• Bridal Party Suite/Dressing Room: large enough for the people who perform there

We think Strathmore Music Center is so beautiful inside and out. We know this place will provide gorgeous backdrops to our photos and decor.  Below are some stunning photos of the Center which don’t give it half the credit of seeing it in person!  With all the visits I have taken to the Strathmore Music Center I have not seen it laid out for a wedding yet with tables and a dance floor. We asked the Catering Director when the next wedding is taking place and if we could drop by for a couple of minutes before the wedding to check it out. He said yes and we going to visit it on May 23rd of this year!  Which is perfect because it will be within the same time frame as our wedding next year.  It will give us an idea of the weather, the timing of the sunset for pictures, when to start the wedding, and especially the look of the foliage around the Strathmore Music Center.

Strathmore Music Center

Sculpture Patio (For Cocktail Hour)

Covered Sky Bridge from Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station

Gazebo in front of The Strathmore Mansion

The Reception Space with a gorgeous built-in Bar

View from opposite side of Reception Space