Quotable Motivation

Trying to remember to do all of this today.

Sunday Social

Happy Sunday everyone! I was super excited about Neely's new link up, so I thought I would try it out since this is the first week she's doing it! I'm not much of a weekend blogger, but I may have to start if y'all like this one

This weeks Questions:

How did you come up with your blog name? I used to have a blog by the name of Georgia Girl in the District. When I made that title I was completely new to blogging and didn't have any idea anyone other than my in real life friends would read it. This time around I wanted something a little more creative. I consider myself a bit of a southern belle hence the "belle" but more than that I wanted to represent my love of politics and specifically my views as a moderate democrat. For those of you not familiar there is a group of moderate Democrats who call themselves blue dog dems. We are more fiscally conservative, socially liberal. (Think Bill Clinton). And there you have it. Blue Dog Belle. 

What is your favorite thing about blogging? I love having the creative outlet that blogging creates, but more than that I love the friends and support I get daily from all of you lovely readers!

What is one thing you have discovered because of blogging and now cant live without? Oh god, there's too much to count. Color blocking is a trend I can't live with out. Make up reviews, recipes, etc. NO WAIT. scratch that. I found pinterest through blogging about a year ago and I now cannot live with out it. Oh pinterest.   

Facebook or Twitter? and why? Well, I'm still kind of new on the twitter train, but I definitely check my twitter more often. 

If one celeb read your blog who would you want it to be? Oh jeez. I don't even know. I've been reading Megan McCain's blog for years and I kind of love her.  

What is something you want people to know about your blog? Hmm... that's kind of a hard one. I feel like my blog is pretty self explanitory. I guess I would want people to know that this is just an expression of me and everything I love. I'm not pretending to be something I'm not. I don't claim to be a fashion or make-up guru, but I do love both those things, so the opinions expressed on the blog really are just my own.

Hope y'all have a great rest of your weekend. I'm off to do some chores before settling down for the SEASON FINALE of MAD MEN tonight. so sad. Oh yeah, and Real Housewives of New Jersey, can't wait for that wedding!

Monday Monday

Oh how I wish it was a three day weekend again. Two days off is never enough. This was a pretty perfect weekend though. Friday night was filled with champagne, lots of rain, and my couch. I love just lying on the couch with a blanket in the rain. And champagne makes it significantly better. There is just something so fun about all those sparkly bubbles. 

Saturday was filled with cleaning, reorganizing, and getting rid of some of the crap around our house. I re-tackled this project. I'd been lusting over this look on pinterest for a while now, and I have to sat I love it! BUT it is beyond time consuming, and you can literally play with it for hours. So fun though right?

Saturday night was another epic one. We went to a costume birthday party for the lovely katie. In desperate need of a costume I decided to raid my closet and found my trusty leopard bra and leopard pencil skirt. I love some big hair and make up too, and I've been dying to use these eye rock stickers I got in my birchbox a few months ago. I give you my attempt at being a jersey shore girl.

I know. I can't believe I'm putting this on my blog. 

Also, how have I never used lip liner before? It makes a world of difference!!!

KJ and I had a little too much fun with our glow sticks. 

 bathroom pictures. I had to share.

I was in fine form, let me tell you. My head is still aching. 

BUT the story gets better. We arrive home at 2:30 or so, only to decide we need a frosty (it's really dangerous living 2 blocks from Wendy's) so we go. and we lock ourselves out. and it's 3 in the morning. I tried to break in, but after the wonderful birthday, our house is very secure. dang it. 

So we trek up to KJ's family's house in friendship heights. Fighting AdMo traffic all the way. Called the locksmith in the morning. $89 later that was the most expensive Wendy's trip ever. AND wouldn't you know I didn't even drink my stupid frosty.

Sunday was filled with hangovers, running errands and Blogger Blitz DC organized by the lovely {av}! Y'all I had such a great time! It was so nice to finally meet all these ladies who I've been stalking. I hit it off with several of the girls (no shock there though, I love their blogs so of course I'd love them in real life). 

Happy Monday!

Happy Tuesday

Welcome back to the real world! I'm so glad it's Tuesday and not Monday, right? I had a wonderfully low key weekend. Like the kind of weekend you don't leave your house for almost two days, and don't get up from the couch for the same amount of time. It was great. I finally caught up on all of my post-vacation laundry, cleaned my room, washed my sheets (I was a laundry fiend on Sunday), drank lots of coffee and skinny margaritas. 

Friday after work I headed over to the first Jazz in the Sculpture Garden of the season. It was wonderful, but HOT. Whew. Hello summer. 

Then we went to Cava for a late dinner and hit up our favorite, Lola's for an after dinner drink. Then we went home where I sat for two whole days. haha. you think I'm kidding. but I'm not. 

One thing that didn't help was my discovery of Viggle. Have you heard of it? It's an app that rewards you for watching TV. I know. You basically "check in" at the beginning of every show you watch and they give you a point for every minute you watch. Then you can redeem your point for rewards like Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Sephora, etc. Plus it's really easy to rack up bonus points. I'm now slightly addicted to it. Oh well. At least I can justify my addiction to the Real Housewives now. 

I tweeted this picture last night.

I couldn't sleep, so I started a new book. Needless to say 10 pages in to this baby and I was out cold. Not exactly a page turner like fifty shades of grey. oh well. 

I have gotten a few new beauty products (finally cashed in my 700 Birchbox points) that I'm in the process of reviewing, so get excited for that. 

Other than that, my life is pretty boring. Oh, thanks to all of you who entered my giveaway! If you haven't yet there's still time! Hope y'all have a great Tuesday!

Grey

I'm feeling very grey today, for many reasons. One, the weather is the epitome of grey today. Not really raining, not really that hot or cold, just overcast and hazy. Grey. 

Two. I finished Fifty Shades of Freed last night, and OMG. I think I love the shade of Christian Grey at the very end. He's wonderful. I would like Ryan Gosling to play him in the movie please. 

He looks pretty good in that grey tie already ;)

Three.  I did a lot of thinking while I was gone. I've been really unhappy with my life lately. Not to say that I'm not appreciative of what I have/what I've accomplished, because I am. I love my friends and this city dearly. But I don't know. Call it the quarter life crisis, call it boredom, whatever. I need a major change. I'm pretty sure that means a new job, but I'm just not sure. I have a nagging feeling that a new job in DC is not the right thing. I'm about 98% sure this uncertainty is stemming from my bout with unemployment last year (four months, and several heartbreaks it's the hardest thing I've ever been through). But still. Is it time to jump ship? Head back south? Go teach English abroad somewhere? ugh. It all sounds more exciting than getting a new job in DC. 

On the other hand I love this town. I love working in politics, and I really did move here to work in policy on Capitol Hill. While I spent a whole year in the Senate, I never got to really work in policy. I really want to accomplish that before I leave (if and when I decide to move on from this town), and there's a part of me that feels like I'm failing by not having achieved that goal. 

I picked up The Happiness Project almost a year ago, and it's sat on my nightstand ever since. I brought it with me to Puerto Rico, and I have to say it's made me do a lot of thinking. I'm going to do a full review when I finish, and I may even start my own happiness project some day soon, hang tight on that front. 

Anyways enough of this stuff, I just wanted to keep y'all posted on somethings I've been thinking about lately. Change is always hard, but at this point I can't keep doing what I'm doing. I need something new. 

{May Goals}

Since I've been reading blogs I love watching the evolution of the author. Be it someone just getting into fashion or makeup, someone trying to eat healthier, lose weight, or exercise more, or even a new mommy to be I love watching all of you set goals and achieve them. There's just something so inspiring about it all. With that said I am going to start a new monthly goal series (and a yearly goal, be on the look out for a 25 before 25 soon). Since there are 31 days in May I would like to set 31 goals. Hopefully I succeed at all of them, but even just a few would be great.

1. Read a book a week (or 5 a month)-- I'm going on vacation so between plane time and beach time hopefully I can get this one done.
2. Start studying for the LSAT again-- Ugh. I just need to do it. October will be here before you know it.
3. Relax more-- Puerto Rico here I come!
4. Do yoga for at least 20 minutes 5 times a week.
5. Enjoy my friends more
6. Make new friends
7. lose 7 pounds-- This will put me at a big milestone for me (and I've been gaining and losing the same 4 pounds for almost 4 months now, time to step it up)
8. Get back in the gym-- I've been moderately exercising with yoga and walking but if I'm going to be serious about those 7 lbs I've got to get back on the elliptical.
9. Stick to an eating plan- too often I sabotage myself. I need to pick a diet and stick to it. no fudging the rules.
10. Get serious about job hunting-- Time to have the talk with the big boss.
11. Set up 2 random coffee dates-- be it networking or a real date. 2 people I don't know at all.
12. Stick to a strict budget-- between recent car disasters (thank you stupid rats) and stolen laptops, and too much shopping I've gotten in a serious hole.
13. Visit the Doctor-- I've been putting of this appointment for far too long.
14. Drink more water
15. Plan a trip to Atlanta
16. Plan a different trip for August
17. Keep my room cleaner
18. Re-organize my makeup situation-- currently its a hot mess
19. Get rid of 10 pieces of clothing/shoes-- I don't have room.
20. Oh Walk 10K a day-- it's a competition at work during the month of May. I have to walk 10,000 steps every day. whew. I hope I can do it. Yet another motivation for #8.
21. Finish 1 DIY project. just one. 
22. Execute a fabulous birthday party this Saturday. Happy Cinco de Mayo people.
23. Re-design the blog-- I think it's time I actually invest in this thing and get a new layout, maybe a button or two. Have any of you worked with a good designer? I need suggestions.
24. Start taking pictures on my camera, not the old iPhone. 
25. Drink less caffeine-- See #14.
26. Get new running shoes.
27. Pick a new computer-- See #12.
28. Wash my face EVERY MORNING and EVERY NIGHT.
29. Whiten my teeth.
30. DON'T buy any new products unless I'm ABSOLUTELY out. 
31. Treat myself to a mani-pedi-- because lets be honest, I deserve it. Especially if I achieve even half of these goals. 

Well... what do you think? Do you have any goals for the month of May? I'll check back in at the beginning of June and let you know how I did!

There's something about a birthday

Do you love your birthday? do you dread it? Why is it that people don't seem to feel neutral about celebrating "themselves."

I am turning 24 on Tuesday. 24. Woah. When did that happen. I swear I just turned 20 like a week ago. Last year was the first time where I didn't have a great birthday. That was mostly my own doing, but it also wasn't the happiest time in my life. This year I'm trying to be more pro-active. Celebrate me! I'm having a cinco de mayo/silver and gold birthday party with my roommate (its my golden birthday and her silver anniversary of being alive) But pulling all of this together makes me realize what I don't have.

I don't have my dream job yet. In fact I'm incredibly bored with my job/career, but for some reason I still haven't gotten that kick in the ass to go do something about it.

I don't really have a lot of friends here. I have friends. Don't get me wrong. But so many of them are work friends, or friends of convenience. They are the kind of people you pour your heart out to over a glass of wine, or call 27 times a day, or gchat with non stop.

I still struggling with a broken heart, two years later.

I've been in DC for over two years now, and I know less about what I want to do with my life than when I moved here as a college senior.

But why am I wasting time worrying about all that. I have so many great things in my life, yet I continue to focus on what I don't have.

I do have some wonderful crazy friends.

BW. Roommate. Best Friend since the sixth grade. She knows everything about me.

LoPro aka Lawfully Wedded Wife. Bestie since the seventh grade.

Kat. Part Soulmate part therapist. College Bestie. I talk to her every single day. She's brilliant, tough and not afraid to tell it like it is. She balances me in every way. I love her to death.

KJ.  Roommie. We've been friends for EVER. 5th grade maybe? Became BFF in high school. and reconnected when we both moved to DC two years ago.

CC. DC bestie. She recently moved to New Zealand. She has no idea how much I miss her.

I live in an awesome city. I have a well paying, well connected, and very cushy job. I have my health. I have my family. I have a great house. I love my neigborhood. I have my wonderful blog friends. What else do I really need?

PS Have you seen this video? So funny. And true.

How is it Monday again?

Back to work... ugh. Where did that weekend go? I didn't really do anything, which was wonderful, but I also didn't accomplish ANYTHING so that's annoying.

I got off work early on Friday, swung by the grocery store to pick up some peeps and a six pack (what else do you need for Easter?). I had the house to myself Friday night which is always lovely. I love my roommates to death, but when you live with friends/roommates its always nice to get a little alone time. and I'm a girl who LOVES my alone time.

Saturday I hung out around the house some more. Did some cleaning, cooking, ran an errand or two, caught up on blogs, etc. Exciting life I lead. I finally got bored and took my roommate BW to explore our local neighborhood bar. We live in an area of DC that I'm not super familiar with. It's not the nicest of neighborhoods, but the longer I'm hear the more I love it. It's called Bloomingdale and is hipster-tastic. I'm certainly the preppiest person around, but no matter. I add to the diversity of the hood, right?

We popped over to a bar called the Boundary Stone and we immediately fell in love. It's a hole in the wall kind of a place. A solid list of craft brews on tap, well priced for dc ($5 a pint of a Saturday night sounds good to me)

The service was awesome! The bar tenders let us sample the beers before we ordered. Let us split a beer in half pint glasses (do bars normally do this? I don't think I've ever asked before), and were generally friendly and fun. Needless to say we tipped them well and told them we'd be back again soon. This could get dangerous.

Sunday was more lounging around. Easter brunch at home included: deviled eggs, salmon, potatoes, grits, spinach salad, etc. It was good.

Then I made the mistake of finally starting the Hunger Games (I know where have I been?) at 5:00 pm. Needless to say I took a 2 hour break to fold laundry and watch Mad Men and the season finale of Real Housewives of Atlanta (so sad it's gone). But I raced back to bed to do more reading before bed. Well. I read the whole darn thing. I turned off my light at 3:00 am, but my heart was still racing and I was thinking about whats going to happen in book two and three. I need to see the movie ASAP now. Anyone want to go with me?

Anyways, that's about it for me today. Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Thank God For Fridays

I mean really. This has just been one of those ridiculous weeks, and I am so glad its coming to an end. Work continues to be just... ugh...work... you know what I mean? I'm dealing with some BS on the home front and then there is the small matter of my car.  Let me tell you the story.

I park my car behind my row house in a small spot. Its "secured" by a gate but I use the term secured very loosely. So Tuesday morning I'm walking out the door to get in the car, turn it on and it wont start. great. my six year old Jetta with 47,000 miles is not starting. Must be the battery right? Okay, fine. I had a hectic morning on the Hill tuesday so I raced off to the metro and to the House side. Wednesday night I called  my roadside assistance to come jump it for me. Nothing. It's not the battery. GREAT. So, called for a tow truck to come take her away to some garage in town. Get a call from the garage yesterday its going to be $375 because there's a hole in the firewall and some frayed wires or something. Okay. fine. That's honestly not as bad as I was expecting. I go walk over to the garage (25 mins away) during my lunch hour to pick it up. Andy, your friendly neighborhood Asian mechanic (it was Chinatown so what else would you expect) promptly notified me I need to find a new place to park my car. RATS have decided to take up residence in my engine.

Let that sink in a minute.

RATS were living in my car. I'm disgusted, furious, and to the point of hysterics that I start laughing. The rats have apparently been eating the wiring in my car.

So I drive away, in shock at the absurdity of all of this. THEN I notice a new light has come on my dashboard. I call Andy and he tells me to come back. They have to do MORE work to fix whatever this other light is.

NOW I'm out $700 because a few rats decided they were hungry. Bitches. I mean really. I hate them. Plus I have to switch my plates and insurance over to DC where its MUCH more expensive than Arkansas (where my car is currently registered) so I can park on the street. Wonderful.

When is that vacation again?

HOPEFULLY all will go well today and the car will be done today, because I plan to get the heck out of dodge and head to visit my bff/grandma and her husband.

I have a fun post scheduled for tomorrow. Hope y'all all had a better week than me! Here's to Friday. I'll post a cocktail recipe soon!