Thursday Thirteen #17 - This Week

Thirteen things that made me happy This Week. 1. I finally started working out again. 2. Khara and Michele are doing bridal boot camp with me. I want to look good in my bridesmaid’s dress this summer. 3. Van and I made the best salad for dinner last night. 4. We went to the grocery last night and bought all kinds of fruits and veggies. 5. I finally did my taxes. 6. I packed a really good lunch today. 7. It didn’t rain yesterday. 8. I have been able to start wearing my cute summer skirts. 9. I found this really delicious peach flavored black tea. 10. I turned in a project at work and got it back without any changes. 11. Everyone I asked to be a bridesmaid said yes. 12. I was asked to help with the American University’s PRSSA Regional Activity. 13. Khara and I ate lunch in the park on Tuesday.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Tea for Two

I had a wonderfully relaxing weekend with my friend Jenny. She was kind enough to make DC one of her spring break destinations.

We had a wonderful time catching up and she brought me all of her wedding hand-me-downs. Lots of magazines and an unused planner and plenty of questions about chairs and linens were left in my care.

Saturday, Jenny surprised me with afternoon tea at the Four Seasons. We relaxed and enjoyed the superb service and delicious food. It gave us an opportunity to toast our friendship and our engagements.

I am so lucky that after all these years, Jenny and I are still sharing these milestones.

Engaged

The elaborate birthday dinner that we had been planning for months turned out to be my proposal dinner. Yeah, I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

My parents flew in for a visit and we spent all day Saturday driving from the airport in Baltimore where I picked them up, back to DC. Then we drove from DC to Old Town where we loaded up both cars and drove to Van’s parent’s house just outside of Richmond.

We did a quick hello and introduced my parents to Van’s parent and then headed to downtown Richmond to check into the hotel and get ready for dinner. By the time we made it to dinner, 30 minutes late, I was ready to cry. I was so exhausted from all of the travel and frustrated that we couldn’t make it to dinner on time that I was barely keeping it together.

Finally, we arrived at 27, this really cute restaurant in downtown Richmond. Everyone was already seated so we joined the group and dinner began. Van had worked with the chef/owner to create the menu for the dinner and the food was amazing. The service was excellent and everything was going well.

After dessert, the waiter brought out champagne for a toast. Van stood up and starting thanking everyone for attending, his family and “his new family” and all of his friends. He said that everyone there had shared in all of the most important moments in his life and that he wanted them to share in his proposal. (Here is where my head started spinning, my hands started shaking and I had to remind myself to breathe.)

He told me how much he loved me and that he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without me. Then he got down on one knee and said, “Katie Eileen Peltier will you marry me?”

I, of course, said yes and we hugged and kissed. Before we sat back down at the table, Van looked around the table and said, “Raise your hand if you knew this wasn’t a birthday dinner it was a proposal dinner.” All 22 people at the table raised their hands, the waiters the people at the bar, everyone knew. As I later found out, everyone had known since January when Van booked the restaurant and no one let it slip. One of the waitresses told me that she had know since we came in for the wine tasting.

I was completely amazed that Van would go through all of that for me. I am still in awe that it really happened.

Thursday Thirteen #16 - This Weekend

Thirteen things that I am looking forward to This Weekend. 1. We are finally going to celebrate Van's birthday. 2. My parents and brother are coming on Saturday. 3. My parents and Van's parents are meeting for the first time. 4. Seeing friends who we haven't seen in a while. 5. Finally wearing my new dress. 6. Finally finding out if Van likes my new dress. 7. Testing out my new make-up. 8. The creme brulee at 27. 9. Paella. 10. Showing my family our new place. 11. Showing my family around Richmond. 12. Seeing Tyler and Kat's new place. 13. Enjoying the fact that I am finally over my sinus infection.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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A Sephora Safari

Last night, Khara and I hit the mall in search of a dress for me to wear to Van’s birthday dinner on Saturday. What started out as a one-stop shop, turned into a full out glamour-fest.

After picking up the perfect dress at J Crew, we decided to visit Sephora to get our make-up done. As I have mentioned before, I am a pretty low-maintenance girl and don’t usually wear make-up. I don’t have that natural ability to pick colors that work so I needed a lot of help.

We tried out the i.d. Bare Escentuals kit. The make up is really natural and doesn’t feel like you caked a ton of powder on your face. The best part is that the kit comes with a DVD in case I get stuck at home. I figured that it was pretty Katie-proof.

After I had my turn, Khara stepped up to the plate. She tested out the tinted i.d. Mineral Veil and I had a chance to pay her back for the lovely pictures she took of me.

Once we finished our Sephora safari, we headed to Macy’s to pick up some new shoes to complete the look. I found a pair of really sexy high heeled shoes. They aren’t the most practical, but boy do they look hot.

I must say I am very proud of us. In one night we managed to create one tastefully sexy look with not a single pleat in sight.

The New Place

I wanted to post some pics of the new place.

The Kitchen and My Fiestaware

The Fireplace

The New Sofa

Guitar Hero 101

Last Friday, Van purchased Guitar Hero as a birthday present for himself. Since then we have been rocking out to Boston and Queen. I even unlocked Sweet Child of Mine yesterday.

For those of you who are new to the game, the object is to use the guitar controller and hit the fret keys that correspond to the notes that your character plays. Sounds easy, right? If you do really well, you can earn star power and if you miss too many notes you get booed off the stage.

I’m not the type who really gets into video games, but this game makes you feel like a rock star. I was bopping my head and dancing around. I even tried to jump in the air and hit the ground in sync with the last power chord of Sweet Child of Mine. I was so into it that I almost broke a sweat.

I know this sounds a little geekish, but we are seriously glad that we had the foresight to pick up the wireless guitar. It makes being a rocker just a little bit easier. We are going to pick up a second guitar so we can have our own band. If only they made one in pink…

Thursday Thirteen #15 - My New Place

Here are my thirteen favorite things about My New Place. 1. The View 2. The Pool 3. The Jacuzzi Tub 4. The Walk-in Closet 5. The glass cabinets so everyone can enjoy my Fiestaware. 6. The Fireplace 7. Having a dishwasher!!! 8. Being literally one block away from the Metro. 9. There is lots of sunlight. 10. Floor to Ceiling Windows 11. There is plenty of counter space for baking. 12. The Brand New Stove 13. The Army Green Bathroon - It adds character.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Free Coffee

All this week, the Borders on L Street is giving away free 12 oz beverages to promote the reopening of their café. Everyday this week I have been there enjoying one of their delicious coffee beverages.

Overall, I am incredibly impressed with this promotion and I hope that it pays off for them. I have saved more than $15 by getting my morning lattes there. My coworker Michele has saved even more. By the time she gets her coffee with soy milk the 12 oz flavored latte costs almost $4. Multiply that by the 5 visits she will make this week and she saved $20.

Were it not for the promotion, I probably wouldn’t have stopped for a coffee given the Starbucks around the corner. I just don’t think about going to Borders when the coffee craving hits, but after this week I will think twice about going to Starbucks.

I have to admit that the Vanilla Skim Latte at Borders is pretty darn good and I actually prefer their iced version over the Starbucks’ one. If you want to check them out, here is the link to the coupon for a free 12 oz beverage. Your taste buds and wallet will thank you!

New Furniture

The move is almost over. I am so happy. Moving has been a true test of patience on both ends. I knew that it would be challenging, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be to combine to different styles and ways of doing things.

Last Saturday, our friends Tyler and Kat stopped by for a visit. We took a break from the move and spent the day with them.

We walked down to Old Town to have lunch at the Flying Fish, a great sushi restaurant. Everything went really well, I didn’t gag once. On the way to lunch we ran into the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

After lunch, we took Tyler and Kat to see the new place. Then we headed to Ikea.

Tyler and Kat were actually in the middle of moving as well so we did some much needed apartment shopping. Van and I ended up buying a sofa and armchair.

We weren’t planning on buying new furniture, but the more we thought about it we realized it was a good idea. Everything we owned was hand-me-down furniture from our parents and friends. We didn’t have anything that matched and it didn’t seem worth investing any more money into the existing couch.

Everything is being delivered on Friday and I am so excited to have real furniture. It is going to be so nice to have people over and have a comfortable place for them to sit. I feel like a real adult. Instead of spending my raise on the chocolate brown Kate Spade bag that I have been dying to have, I bought a beautiful chocolate brown couch.