To the City I love

Today is the three year anniversary of my official arrival in the wonderful district of columbia. I can hardly believe it's been so long, yet I can't imagine living in any other city in the world. As I am thinking about potentially transitioning to a new city this year for school, I realize how much I love this town. The sights, the history, the restaurants, the culture--- I love it all. So tonight I want to celebrate 3 years of being a big girl, on my own, in the city of my dreams. Here's to you Washington. Cheers. 

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{Friday Fancies #14} New Year New Hopes

It's Friday! Yay! I'm loving this strange pseudo week. We should have tuesdays off more often! Plus I was on the hill all day yesterday for the kick off of the 113th Congress,  so it didn't really feel like a work day either. Now, on the the main event...

Green Top | Sequin Blazer | Jeans | Flats 

I'm loving this week's theme of "New Year New You." 2013 Promises to be a great new year. I'm obsessed that the Pantone color of the year is Emerald. Remember who called that? Wow, I'm awesome.

I'm loving the emerald trend and hope 2013 will have lots of it! Still loving leopard--- and I refused to leave it in 2012. Sorry. Color blocking? Yep. Love all the citrus combos for Spring. I'm officially obsessed with sequins after wearing my NYE look

I'm also, obviously, looking forward to going back to school (hopefully). Even if it is a professional school... I'm beyond excited to take advantage of the student lifestyle again. Jeans. Flexible schedule. No boring suits. Ugh. So excited

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

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New Year New Skin-care Routine

Neutrogena Face Wash | Clarins Toner | Blistex | Fabulips | Juice Beauty Peel | Olay ProX | Clinique Moisture Surge | Philosophy Hope in a Jar | Juice Beauty Mask

Adding to the New Years Resolutions Floating around the blogosphere I wanted to talk to y'all briefly of my skin care plans for this year. I have always battled with my skin. Always. I used to have super oily skin. Then horrible acne. Then it got super dry. Somewhere in the last few years the acne has mostly dried up (thank goodness) but the oil is back--- and long days at a desk tend to make a gal forget to reapply her powder. I realized a few weeks ago that my skin routine was really non existent. Whatever face wash happened to be in the shower would suffice in the morning... at night I might use a washcloth and some warm water-- if I bothered to take my makeup off at all. Horrible I know. I know. I spend far too much time in front of the mirror applying makeup, and more than that... far too much money on my makeup, to waste on a poorly maintained canvas. 

So it's time to turn over a new leaf. Washing with my ProX. Toning to keep away oil. Moisturizing. Adding eye cream to fight bags and wrinkles. Gentile at home peels and regular exfoliation. That's my plan. Any suggestions? Or product ideas? These are a few I've tried samples of, or have used over the years. But I'm always looking for new ideas!

Happy Thursday!

Polka Dots and Curls

I spent the weekend with my bff a few weeks ago, and we obviously had to do a photo shoot for fun in downtown Williamsburg. 

Dress: forever21 {old} {similar} {love}  | Sweater {LOFT} | Belt {Macy's} | Tights {Macy's} | Coat {Target--old} | Bag {similar} | Glasses {similar}

Eyes: Naked Palette, L'Oreal Volumnous Mascara | Lips: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Honey | Face : CoverGirl Foundation, boi-ing concealer, CoverGirl TRUblend Mineral Powder, The balm Hot Mama Blush

Well Hey There 2013

Happy New Year Ladies!  Hope you all had a fab night last night! I wanted to get started bright and early this morning with a check in on the 25 before 25 and add a few resolutions to the list!


1. find a job that makes me happy. {womp womp. Big fail}
2. clear out my closets {got started this weekend, hope to attack it some more today}
3. learn how to sew {got a sewing machine for Christmas}
4. read 25 books {12 of 25-- got some work to do}
5. take time for projects {sort of???}
6. work to make new friends {Blog friends count right?}
7. show up for the ones I have {Blog friends count right?}
8. do a spending freeze for a month {nope}
9. practice meditation/yoga {not so much}
10. do something unexpected {Dropped everything to go work on a Presidential Campaign}
11. go to New York {not yet, but lets get something on the books!}
12. fill my walls with art that i love {no}
13. save money {sorta}
14. focus on fitness {not succeeding... but hopefully that will change in 2013!}
15. get enough sleep {definitely succeeding}
16. take the LSAT {10/6 DONE}
17. host a themed dinner party {Not yet}
18. volunteer {Definitely did some political volunteer work, but I want to do more in 2013}
19. treat myself, because I'm worth it {treated myself to a post LSAT massage}
20. upgrade the camera {Not yet...}
21. make 25 things found on pinterest and blog about it. {1, 2 + 3, 4, }
22. practice making fun cocktails {here}
23. do a 5k {bahah. I'm not running outside. It's cold}
24. take a cooking class {If you hear of a good groupon or something, let me know!}
25. Blog every day for a month {December 2012. yep}
26. commit to continuing these goals once 25 comes and goes

Well... that's definitely progress since my last check in... but I still have a long way to go and less than four months to do it! Ahh! Now I want to add a few resolutions too: keep my car clean. spend more time enjoying dc. dedicate myself to the blog. Go back to yoga. de-clutter. read more. 

{Day 31} The End of 2012

Happy New Years Girls! Here's to a great 2013!

2012 in Review

Well since the new year is upon us, I thought I would do a quick look back at 2012. What a year it was. I had a rough start to the year emotionally, but I think I've really come into my own, and so much of that is due to blogging. 

January and February

A stressful few months at work, but that stress led to a few emotional breakdowns that ultimately lead me to make some major changes in my life. The stress lead me to the take the jump and make the decision to get back into the blog world. 

March and April

I created Blue Dog Belle and absolutely fell in love with blogging. I began branching out, meeting new friends, and trying new things with fashion. 

May and June

Tons of fun. Puerto Rico. Relaxed in the lovely pre summer weather. 

July and August

Lots of life decisions were made in these two months. I began devoting myself to the LSAT full time and realized how much I love fashion blogging. 

September and October

I had the greatest ride during the political season this year. The convention in Charlotte was the experience of a life time then came the decision to trek out to Ohio for the final push into Election day. Fun times. Oh. And I took the LSAT

 November and December

We Won! I came back to DC rejuvenated and ready for change. Started working on the blog more, took time for friends old and new, and started planning for 2013. 

Can wait to see what next year brings!

{Day 29} TV Time

Favorite TV Shows

Let's be honest. I really love anything that Bravo does. I'm a Real Housewives addict. For real. I love all the casts, but since I'm from Atlanta... these ladies have to be my favorite. The Beverly Hills girls are definitely a close second in my heart. 

I also LOVE Top Chef. I've been watching it from season 1. and I have to say, living in DC is wonderful because there are so many top chefs around town. I love it .

Then I'm all about NBC Thursday nights... if Community would hurry up and come back on.

The Office has been my long time favorite... and I'm still a loyal viewer, especially since this is the last season, but it's just not the same since Michael Scott left. So sad. He needs to come back for the finale. 

I am officially obsessed with Parks and Recreation. Amazing. 

And I can't forget 30 Rock. Love it.

So what are your favorite TV shows?

Friday's Fancies #13: NYE Style

One reason I love NYE is sequins are practically mandatory. While this look may be a little more refined than what I'll actually be wearing, a girl can dream right?

A line dress  |  Shoes  |  Earrings  |  Crystal Headband  |  Chanel handbag

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

{Day 27} Insta-Thursday

Happy Thursday Night! I haven't forgotten you all... I just got back home to DC after a long day of traveling, so please forgive me that this post is picture heavy. I haven't done an instagram dump in a while... so here's what I've been up to lately. See you tomorrow for some Friday Fancies!

Pups at the dog park | Black and Leopard

Bored at Work | Green and Rose Gold Nails

Coffee Blog Dates | More Leopard and some Oxblood 

Karaoke Night | Awesome Wine accessories

Quiche c/o the Lawfully Wedded Wife | Lights Tour in Arkansas

No power on Christmas | 10 inches of snow in Arkansas

More scenes of snowy christmas

MNF Part I: I will bring you down, baby. I will bring you down to Chinatown.

Meet you downstairs in the bar and heard

Your rolled up sleeves in your skull tee-shirt.

You say, “What did you do with him today?”

And sniffed me out like I was Tanqueray

                First things first – blogging is very new to me, so I apologize that I’ve had many distractions on my tab as of late and have not posted as quickly as I had been hoping.  It has been holiday season in the DMV, meaning back-to-back Congressional receptions, K Street galas, and personal holiday Kikis, on top of the usual cocktail hour in the Capital, and I haven’t set enough time to formally write it all!  But, my mama always told me, don’t make excuses.  Learn, live, and change the course ahead, so I’mma make up for my absence from last week's postings.  Hope you enjoy! xoxox  

                 It’s (well, it WAS) Monday night in the District, and a friend of a friend is throwing a birthday celebration together over…you guessed it, happy hour.  The celebration location: Rocket Bar in Gallery Place/Chinatown, a location I frequent fairly often due to its convenient location in the middle of Capitol Hill and “Downtown” (downtown as the ubiquitous phrase for DC’s K Street – the lobbying world).  Rocket bar is another car in the train of one of the newer trends to hit the Capitol City – an adult Chuck E Cheese, meaning saloons that will serve you the sauce alongside skeeball + shuffleboard (and pool, darts, etc.).  There was first the cupcake craze, then fro-yo fever, and now it’s this - DC has undiagnosed ADD.  This fad appears in diverse forms across the District as well – there was the Cereal Bowl in Cleveland Park, which has since closed (I’ll give you 1 guess as to the heart of their business), and now we have Ted Bulletin’s on Barrack’s Row, famous for their creative homemade poptarts.  These bars are a forum for residents to break away from their city’s habit of taking itself too serious, through a taste of nostalgia…

                The night is early and while it’s also early in the week, there’s a sizeable crowd on hand.  This is not my first rodeo with Rocket Bar, and though the throng is smaller than it is later in the week, you’re bound to find a high percentage of the congregation populated by younger Administration staff (the Dept of Justice, the FBI, and the Dept of Labor all have offices nearby), young business and consulting staff (Living Social is doors down), DC City staff, and local and federal judicial staff.  On the other hand, there are few heavy-duty lobbyists, limited Hill staff, and even with a Georgetown basketball game playing that evening across the street at the Verizon Center, the inundating sports crowds pre-gaming the area are not packing the joint either. 

                The staff at Rocket Bar is accommodating-this place is everyone’s basement, where you can avoid the formalities of DC life, let your hair down, and kick back over games that remind you of your childhood while simultaneously catching professional athletics alongside Sportscenter, all of which are blasting on multiple big screen TVs.  This is a guy’s place-I’ve never had a girlfriend suggest Rocket Bar for the evening, and the drinking menu is a clear reflection of that.  The emphasis is placed on the brew, and while there are other options for those who prefer a drink that other than beer, Rocket Bar offers the basic minimums for wine and mixed drinks.  What to eat with all this beer?  Rocket Bar is also one in a chain of bars which don’t serve food but welcome patrons to bring their own food-BYOF.  With so many excellent bites to satisfy your time frame, taste, and billfold budget around the GP/Chinatown, this is not a loss for patrons.  However, for my group this evening, it’s an inconvenience to leave for nourishment and return, so we decide to bounce the bar and the neighborhood entirely in search of a location where we can get eat, drink, and be in football merriment... 

                My last call on Rocket Bar: uber laid-back, sausage-infested 20-somethings/young 30-somethings crowd, looking for an economical beer and cheap bar thrills. The patrons are typically well-vetted and this is an escape from business, so their confidential business will stay in the office or more formal, discrete locations; office fantasy football scenarios, however, will not.

MNF To Be Continued…

To all our friends

{Day 25} Merry Christmas!

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{Day 24} Merry Christmas Eve

post your favorite quote or verse of scripture

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Love this. Merry Christmas Eve Ladies. Drink some champagne today.

{Day 23} Craving

something you crave a lot

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I'll admit it. I'm a chocolate addict. I'm one of those people who probably actually eats chocolate every day in one form or another (lately I've been loving skinny cow heavenly crisps). It's a craving I just can't quit. Mmm....

{Day 22} Christmas Frock

This Saturday night I'm feeling a little under the weather... but I wanted to check in and leave you all with some pretty holiday frocks I would love to be wearing right about now. 

Asymmetrical dress / Lace party dress / red peplum dress / bright dress / Cocktail party dress / Zipper dress

{Day 21} Picture

a picture of something that makes you happy

The pups.