Big News!

Big news, friends -- I'm engaged!

I debated writing this, at first thinking I should maybe keep it between the boy and me, but this blog  functions as a journal of sorts for me and I want to look back in a year and read this again. I also know that most of the people reading it are my friends, many of whom I won't get to see or talk to very soon, so it's nice to be able to spread the word this way.

Oh, there's also the fact that the boy did a really great job putting together a memorable weekend for the two of us. He planned everything perfectly and was so thoughtful and he kind of deserves to have all our friends and family know just how wonderful he is. Sorry, am I gushing? Anyway, let's get to the story.

Once upon a time, Kyle was out of town for work during the week, and our plan was for me to pick him up from the airport on Friday night and then grab a bite to eat together in Old Town, Alexandria. His parents were (supposedly) out of town for the weekend, so we were going to head over to their house after dinner, something we do once in a while when we want to have a nice staycation and get out of our respective group houses.

Per usual, I was running late and hardly had time to freshen up and pack a bag before I headed to the airport to pick Kyle up. The whole way there I was stressing that the poor guy was standing out in the cold because I was late. I pulled up to our usual pick up spot at the airport, he through his bags in the car, and we headed to Old Town.

This is where I probably should've picked up on things. He told me that he had a Groupon for Jackson 20, a nice restaurant in the Hotel Monaco. In the back of my mind I was thinking, "A Groupon? Man, they must not be doing well." He was also kind of irritated about the parking situation after we circled a few times and had trouble finding a spot. I just figured he had been traveling all day and was in a bad mood so I didn't think much of it.

Once we got in front of the Hotel Monaco things started to change real quickly.  As we walked through the doors he stopped and admitted that we were actually staying there for the night. I got excited and walked towards the check-in desk, but he directed me towards the elevator bank. At that point I knew exactly what was coming. When we got to the room he had rose petals on the floor, champagne, and that's when he proposed.

Wait, what? I know you want to know how he didn't even have to check in and did this moments after stepping off the airplane. Well he actually had gotten in at 2:00 pm, picked up his car, gone to the hotel to check in and prep the room. After that he drove to his parents's house and his mom--who was in town, by the way--drove him back to the airport with a suitcase so I could pick him up at 6:00 pm like we had planned all along. He even called to tell me he got bumped to a flight that connected in Philly so that if I checked the arrivals (which I tend to do to see if there's a delay), I would see a flight that was coming in right around 6:00.

OK, back to the proposal moment.

I was thrilled! But I'm also pretty sure I was super awkward for about 30 minutes as evidenced by the photo above. During really important moments I can kind of get stuck in my head and at that point my mind was racing through thoughts like oh my gosh this is awesome and I hope I seem happy enough! Or I can't believe he did all this for me! And how can I possibly give the reaction that this deserves? And, wait a minute, he doesn't have a Groupon. For a while I just sat there asking questions and saying, "Kyle this is so sweet!"

It was fun to sit in that gorgeous room together drinking champagne and just taking in the moment between the two of us, so I kind of dragged my feet when it came to calling everyone. I wish I could explain why I don't love making phone calls to a bunch of people even when I'm super excited. I'm pretty introverted and the idea of calling people, even my own family, to tell them news that places me right in the center of everyone's attention feels overwhelming to me. I also feel like there's a lot of pressure to be reacting in the way everyone expects me too, so there's an intimidation factor there, especially when I'm constantly over-analyzing things. But I'm glad Kyle encouraged me to start making phone calls because once we called everyone, the reality of the moment set in and I was in celebration mode. Shortly afterwards we got dinner at The Wharf, a restaurant down the street. Oh yeah, funny story, Kyle had no idea until after he made the reservation that his parents ate at the Wharf the night of their engagement too. So that was cute.

Kyle surprised me with another plan he had in the works that night. In addition to our amazing room at the Hotel Monaco, he had booked a room for Saturday night at a bed & breakfast close to Charlottesville, home of my alma mater and generally one of my favorite places in the world. So on Saturday morning we briefly stopped at our houses to pack a bag and then drove to Charlottesville where we walked around UVa's Grounds and the Corner. Kyle knows how much I love Charlottesville and it always makes me happy to walk around and marvel at the Lawn, so that was a really thoughtful move.  Once we were sufficiently frozen and had picked up a few souvenirs from the bookstore, we headed to our accommodations in nearby Louisa.

We stayed at The Prospect Hill Inn, which is an historic property in Louisa, Virginia. The Inn consists of a large manor house that is home to the dining room, a few other main rooms, and the owners' family residence. The buildings on the property date from the late 1600s and the entire property is on the national register of historic places. It's also part of the Green Springs National Historic District.

Can we just pause for a moment and take in how amazing it is that Virginia is dotted with little places like this, built pre-Revolutionary War and still standing and operating today? I love this place.

The guest rooms are in the smaller buildings that surround the manor house. We stayed in the second-oldest building on the property, which was originally built as a residence for the family who lived there. It's also the cabin Kyle's parents stayed in for a few nights of their honeymoon. The bedroom had no TV, no wi-fi, and a wood burning fireplace. The little cottage also had a sitting room and a bathroom, which was SO COLD. The rooms had baseboard heat, but they didn't really keep the place very warm so we were happy to get the fire up and going...which took a bit longer than we expected. But that was just part of the experience. Once it was finally roaring we sat down in front of it and talked for a while. It was so much fun to say things like "someday when we're married we should..." and "one day when we have a family I really want to..." and know that whatever we said wasn't just a hypothetical statement put out into the universe, but something that we could very easily accomplish some day together. Sitting in front of the fire together in that gorgeous little building out in the countryside was easily the most romantic part of the whole weekend.

Although the B&B part was awesome, Prospect Hill is especially well known in the area for their food. They serve a prix-fixe four course meal for dinner on the weekends, and you don't know what they'll be serving until they announce it right before they serve the first course. Guys, this meal was AMAZING (or "amazeballs" as they say in Kyle's favorite commercial). Everything was great, and the main course had the best pork medallions I've ever tasted. I highly recommend eating there even if you're not staying there, which you can totally do by the way. I think only two of the five couples in the room were actually staying at the B&B.

The next morning we had breakfast delivered to our room. It was also delicious and we felt so pampered having it delivered to us.

Sunday morning we drove home and got dinner with both our families to celebrate. I haven't really started any planning. I really wanted to make sure I focused on how meaningful the engagement was before we dive into wedding logistics. But within the next week or so we're going to start thinking about the big things so that I don't consume all my free time perusing the internet for venues and vendors in the area and actually start working towards something.

Thanks to everyone who wished us well and to our friends and family for helping Kyle orchestrate everything and keep it a secret. We are so excited for what's to come and it's so wonderful to have the support of everyone. Rest assured that this blog will not be full of wedding details, and I hope to get back to some good ol' design posts in the near future. Thanks again for your support!

Family Visit

Friday I traveled with my brother and parents to New York where we met my sister who came in from NYC. We spent the evening with my cousins and then ventured to our hotel room where we came across this weird room-width mirror over the headboard. While it actually did come in handy when my sister and I had to get ready the next morning, it still felt a little uncomfortable. My family likes to do hotels on a budget, so that generally means that I share a room with both my siblings and a bed with my sister. At least this place had two queens instead of two doubles.

Saturday we hung out all day at my cousins' house. We played a little bit of heads up and watched basketball through most of the day and ended the evening with our traditional meal of pizza and wings, and played a spirited game of Trivial Pursuit. And, by the way, my team totally lost and the winning team had everyone in my immediate family but me on it. My dad was the captain. What the heck, John? At least there were our favorite chocolate chip cookies.

Sunday morning we packed up the car and headed to about an hour west to visit my grandma and hang out at my aunt's house nearby. Last year my grandma, although confused and tired, was able to leave her assisted living facility and hang out at the house with all of us for an afternoon. This year that wasn't so much the case. Now my grandma lives in a nursing home. As a designer I think the space could be greatly improved, but the real draw of this places is that my aunt works in the same health complex and can drop in on her regularly. Seriously, how lucky are we? How many families have that luxury?

The rest of my dad's family lives closer and sees Grandma more often. They warn us, "It's really bad. Like really bad. Just be ready for it." They do a wonderful job managing my expectations because I felt like for 89 with dementia, my grandma seems way less "Is that person still breathing?" than most of the people I've seen in the two facilities she's been in. She can still kind of hobble her way through a conversation. She relies a lot on reacting sarcastically or playfully saying something like "oh phooey" to the stuff we tell her. She also likes to be silly, like hen we told her to smile and she crossed her eyes and made a silly face instead. She spent the better part of our visit asking us how we were all able to get off of work and did we all come there just to see her?? It's quite confusing to her because apparently her work schedule is pretty inflexible and she has to work weekends a lot. Her mind spends a lot of time back working as a nurse. Whatever, we roll with it.

Perhaps my favorite moment of the entire trip was seeing her light up when my dad walked in while she said to him with a big smile "hey, there's my son!" I suspect that within minutes of us leaving she forgot we were even there, but for the time we were there she seemed happy and even touched by the idea that we all came just to see her.

Sunday afternoon we did more visiting with family. I got to play with my cousin's son who is six and wildly imaginative. I cracked up when he said things like , "Mommy, can I have a pretend blanket to tuck in Monkey?" and (to my mom) "And you know what? I love you." We did lots of "exercising" and I'm pretty sure my mom caught many lovely photos of me crawling around on the floor.

Monday morning we packed up and, after dealing with a pretty major train delay with my sister, headed back to VA.

Do Less, Accomplish More in 2014

Guys, it's that time of year again when I get all reflective and in touch with my inner-self and I think about what the last year has been like and what I want for the new year. It almost feels silly writing a post about this because I feel like I've been in this state of mind all freaking year and you have had to listen to me drone on about my life decisions and milestones and what not. But part of the reason I write this if for accountability, to hold my feet to the fire, and because at the end of 2014 I will enjoy looking back on this post to see where I was and how I've grown.

Speaking of looking back, I did just that a few moments ago and I am so very thankful that I took the time to write out my thoughts on 2012 and the coming 2013. So much has changed since then, things I never would have predicted, and that makes me so very excited (and perhaps a little terrified) for the coming year. When I think about what I am most thankful for in 2013, so much of it involves opportunities, and I kind of hope that every year, or at least those in the near future follow suit. I liked last year's exercise, so I think I'm going to do it again, but with one addition: a motto for 2014.

As has become obvious through a few of my more recent posts, I took on quite a bit of responsibility in 2013. I found myself occupied nearly every moment of every day, to the point where I felt guilty to sit down and watch TV and I perpetually felt I was failing at something even when I was getting other things done. I realized that all my activities were actually affecting my health, so I decided to let some things go. Letting go was difficult since I like to think that I can do absolutely everything and be an overachiever and everything will be perfect. That mindset works for some people but is terrible for me because 1) I am not even remotely type-A, 2) I need more sleep than the average person, and 3) I'm a total introvert and if left to my own devices I would probably see my friends like once a month. I knew I didn't want to let go of my ambition and desire to build something for myself, but I also knew that current operating conditions were not sustainable, nor were the making me happy. So my moto for 2014 is this: "Do less, accomplish more." I want to be more selective and deliberate with what I do with my time instead of filling it with activities to get done just for the sake of doing something.

So let's review 2013, shall we?

Things I'm Proud of in 2013
1) Making the difficult decision to transfer to Marymount's Interior Design Program and continuing to pursue my graduate education in interior design
2) Landing a paid interior design assistantship at a local residential design firm and taking the risk of leaving my better paying government consulting position
3) Selling my furniture out of a space in the Sweet Clover Vintage Market
4) My sister getting a full time job
5) My brother doing a great job working at the Christmas Attic (following in the footsteps of his older sisters)
6) The boy getting a promotion in his current office
7) Completing some pretty cool studio projects (at least I think so)
8) Learning a few new computer programs including Revit and Quickbooks

Things I'm Thankful for in 2013
1) The opportunity to learn how to run a small interior design business
2) The opportunity to work for a furniture picking and painting guru and learn more about that process
3) Two new roommates who have been very easy to live with
4) Having a great time at a number of weddings this year, especially my cousin's wedding with the rest of our family
5) My family recovering from a few major health issues and scares with flying colors
6) Being welcomed to spend a few holidays with the boy's family, including the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve (my family joined in the Christmas Eve festivities too)

Things I'm Looking forward to in 2014
1) NOT feeling the pressure of selling furniture in any venue
2) Starting my own interior design consulting business
3) Beginning work on my thesis!!! (I am super excited about this one for some reason)
4) Learning about commercial office design in my upcoming studio
5) Continuing to work on great residential design projects for Arlington Home Interiors
6) Carving out more time to spend with friends and family
7) Visiting my sister in Brooklyn (I haven't been to NYC in two years and that's ridiculous).
9) Nearly finishing my Master's degree

Last night I was making a calendar of classes for my upcoming semester and realized that because I won't be taking as many studio classes as I was last semester (studios meet twice a week and lecture-based classes meet once a week), I will actually be spending 5 fewer hours in class each week than I did last semester. Subtracting my work for Sweet Clover from this weekly time equation, I will have many more hours to dedicate to school work and "other"--friends, family, design work, etc. There is a lot of change on the horizon in the coming year, but I am pumped to live my life more deliberately in 2014. Bring on the growth.

All pictures were taken by me and featured on my Facebook page. Want more updates from Savvy Young Something? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

*Note that I did not coin, nor do I own the phrase "Do Less, Accomplish More". It appears to be widely used in other articles. This is my own interpretation of the phrase and does not represent the views of anyone else who has used it in their own articles. 

New School Year, New School

This time last year I was attending orientation and preparing for my plunge into Interior Design school at the Corcoran College of Art + Design. The last year was challenging, but I am SO happy I decided to make the transition. A year later, I really feel like I'm on the path to do something that makes me totally happy and will continue to provide me opportunities to grow.

Even though the late nights working on projects and the many hours I still had to spend working my day job were stressful at times, no busy schedule can stress me out like money stresses me out. Deciding to go to the Corcoran, cut back my consulting job to 30 hours/week, and ultimately take a lower paying position as a design assistant weren't exactly putting me in the "financially secure" column.

When I decided to attend the Corcoran last summer, I did it mostly because I liked that the faculty was largely made up of adjunct professors who were out in the field running their own businesses or working for local design and architecture firms. If I was going to completely diverge from my career path, I wanted as many connections as possible so I could easily find a job when I graduated. And there was also the fact that going to the Corcoran and getting a fancy arts degree sounded really cool.

I enjoyed the Corcoran, I made good friends there, got involved in the student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the U.S. Green Building Council, and had some great professors who do amazing work in DC. But when I got my job at Arlington Home Interiors, started working with Kelly at Stylish Patina, and took on my space in the Sweet Clover Barn, I realized that I had completely underestimated my own ability to connect with people in my field. I also realized that I have no real intention of going to work for the architecture or design equivalent of the company I previously worked for. I like working in small businesses and owning a business because I get so much satisfaction building something for myself or helping those that I know personally build something.

Starting a business is expensive, and owning one can be pretty risky. I started looking at how fast I was wracking up debt in student loans and realized that the very decision I made to give myself freedom to pursue a new profession might also be the decision that would prevent me from doing so in the way that would make me happiest. Being saddled with student loans isn't exactly freeing, and I knew I needed to re-evaluate my decision.

It crossed my mind once or twice to drop out of school altogether, since you don't need a degree to do residential decorating in Virginia. I don't want to do that because there are so many opportunities to use design in ways that I haven't been exposed to, and I want to continue my education so that I can learn more about things like healthcare design and aging in place. Instead, I made the difficult decision to transfer to Marymount University's graduate interior design program. Their program is great and I know a few people who graduated from their undergrad program and were very happy there. After running the numbers, I determined that it would save me over $20,000 (!!!), and that doesn't include the fact that it's closer to my house and that parking is about half the price. Since I had already been admitted to the program the year before, it was just a matter of filing some paperwork and meeting with the department chair.

I'm going to miss the Corcoran and the friends I made there a lot, but I'm also confident that I will make new friends at Marymount, and I might even be able to take some of what I learned from my student involvement at the Corcoran to Marymount's program. I feel a little sheepish because this is actually the second time I will be a transfer student (I transferred into UVA in undergrad), so that means I will have attended four schools to get two degrees. But it would also be quite silly of me to stay at the Corcoran just because I don't want to transfer again.  I'm already sleeping better knowing I'm saving that much money. Classes start next week--wish me luck!

Life Updates: New-ish Jobs

I cannot believe it's July and I haven't updated you all on some major life changes that came my way a few months ago. It's high time I let you all in on a blogger secret I've been keeping since March (yes, March). It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you, I just put off writing the post and then had to wrangle up some photos and before I knew it, it was July. Whoops.

But anyway, drum roll please....

I am no longer working as a government contractor! In March I started working part time as the Design Assistant for Arlington Home Interiors. The firm is a residential design firm owned by Suzanne Manlove (my new-ish boss). I knew that in a field like design, where everyone covets that precious unpaid internship or busts their butts to get a job at a big architecture and design firm, experience would be oh-so-important upon graduation from grad school. So when a position for a paid design assistant came across our student listserv, I jumped at the opportunity to apply. And I got it!

 We work out of Suzanne's home in Arlington and have our hands in projects throughout the Arlington community. I have been loving every minute of it. I am learning a TON about the inner workings of a design firm, which can only really happen through an experience like this. When I took the job a few people asked me if I was worried about working with only one other person all the time, but I'm learning that I really enjoy working in a small firm. The cool thing about working in a small firm is that I have so many opportunities to learn directly from the business owner, and I get to witness every project's challenges and successes first-hand. I think I'd like to own my own business someday, so watching Suzanne do it successfully while balancing family and maintaining a good work-life balance is an extremely valuable learning experience too.

Via Arlington Home Interiors

Via Arlington Home Interiors

Via Arlington Home Interiors

Side note: For those of you who are serial to-do list makers, this type of work is incredibly satisfying. It seems so minor and somewhat superficial, but I love spending a day ordering an entire living room's worth of decor and seeing it all crossed off my list when I'm leaving the office. Working in interior design provides a nice combination of working on something medium-long term to satisfy my desire to work towards something "big", while also requiring a host of discrete, quick tasks that give me some immediate gratification and help build momentum during the work day. 

So that's my first update. My second update is that when I left my government contractor job and started working at Arlington Home Interiors, I ended up with a second job too. Since March, I've also been working in the Stylish Patina vintage home decor shop in Falls Church on the weekends. I connected with Kelly, the owner, prior to snagging my position at Arlington Home Interiors. When I was presented with opportunities in both places, I knew I couldn't choose just one.  Kelly has built a successful business on her love for acquiring and refreshing antique and vintage furniture, which is where my love for design was born. I knew there was so much to learn from her, and since the shop is only a few blocks from my house, working there is a great fit. Plus, who am I kidding? I'm in grad school, I can use the extra moolah. 

via StylishPatin.com

The Stylish Patina shop is loaded with cool vintage furniture and treasures, and has a great assortment of new items like cards, candles, books, and other accessories. It also has an entire section dedicated to DIY, so you can come in and purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint among other paints and materials. If you come by on a Saturday afternoon, chances are you'll find me there. I love to help people think through their projects and talk to them about the various paint products we sell, and I also love to help people imagine various uses for the furniture we have in the shop, so definitely come visit me if you're in the area. Stylish Patina is also doing a vintage "Rough Luxe" warehouse tag sale in Falls Church the third weekend of every month in our warehouse down the street from the shop. So you can hit up Sweet Clover and Rough Luxe all in the same weekend!

via Stylish Patina

I have more updates for you, but I think this is enough for today. Has anyone else made a major career move lately?

Sibling Bonding 101

I've mentioned my brother in passing from time to time, and he's popped up on my Instagram lately, but I've never really told you much about him.

I am the oldest of three. My sister, Claire (the one on the left), is 22 and graduated from NYU's Tisch school with a degree in acting last May. She lives in New York and is currently pursuing a career as an actress while trying to make ends meet in that oh-so expensive city. She is very talented and beautiful. Please hire her.

My brother, Brennan, is 19 and goes to NOVA, the local community college. He lives with my parents about 30 minutes away from my house.

Brennan was born when I was 6, so by the time he came along, he really was my little brother. Especially now that we're in our 20s, I don't think of Claire as my little sister, I just think of her as my sister. But the age difference with Brennan made the older-younger sibling relationship much more pronounced. He was in 5th grade when I graduated from high school, and I was well out of college by the time he graduated. We've always been in completely different places in our lives.

Probably in part because of the age difference, we've always gotten along pretty well. There were a few trying times when we were still sharing a bathroom the year after I graduated from college, but for the most part, we have a good time together. He was always a good little brother and let Claire and I watch Runaway Bride whenever we wanted to, and to this day he loves Friends as much as we do. He and I have some similar interests, and I've always felt like I relate to him in ways that the rest of the family doesn't. Plus, he's always very helpful when it comes to moving furniture around and picking stuff up from Craigslist sellers. And he accepts payment in the form of donuts.

This semester, Brennan and I are taking a class together at NOVA. Because I didn't take an art history class in undergrad, I need to take one for my Interior Design degree. The Corcoran allows us to take an art history class through NOVA to satisfy the requirement, and given the cost savings, I couldn't pass up that opportunity. Since bro Brennan already goes to NOVA and takes lots of art classes there, I suggested we take the class together. He wasn't so keen on the idea at first, but after a little convincing from my mom, he came around.

The class is online, but since we're both taking it, we are treating it more like a regular class and watching lectures together at my parents' house. I am hoping that in exchange for having access to my older sister, college degree-holding brain he will compensate me with a plate of nachos. As you can tell, compensation in the form of food is a recurring theme in our relationship.

Never did I ever expect that Brennan and I would be enrolled in a college level course together. Given our age difference, there have been so few opportunities for us to participate in official activities together (and he didn't last long on the summer swim team). I think it's pretty cool, and I'm happy that it gives us a good reason to hang out together on a more regular basis.  It's one of those things that makes me appreciate adulthood and look forward to other things we might get to do together.

The class started last week, so we've only met once to watch a couple lectures and complete our first assignment. So far, it's going well. And despite my 4+ years of college, his notes ended up being more useful than mine...so that was interesting. Maybe this will be a complete disaster and he will hate me and I will despise him by the end of this 8-week course. But hopefully we will still lovingly give each other our favorite foods and both have an A at the end. Fingers crossed!

Have you ever taken a class with your sibling? Or participated in an activity with a younger sibling that was out of the ordinary for both of you?

A Weekend of Family, Wine, and Dementia

While the rest of DC was overwhelmed with Inauguration festivities over the weekend, I took a trip with my family to visit my grandma in Geneva, New York. It was the first time in as long as I can remember that a journey to visit Grandma didn't involved a trip to my dad's hometown of Verona, New York. The family moved Grandma to an assisted living home in Geneva a few years ago when everyone realized that she wasn't safe living on her own. Now she lives close to my aunt (about an hour from where she used to live), so instead of staying at Grandma's house and using that as the central meeting spot like we always used to do, we stayed in a hotel and all met up at my aunt's house.

It felt weird to go somewhere different, but I really enjoyed staying in Geneva. It's located on Seneca Lake (one of the Finger Lakes) and has beautiful views. Because it was settled in the late 1700s, the town is full of amazing historic architecture. There were a bunch of restaurants and shops that I wish we had time to check out, but we'll have to do that next time we're in town.

Friday evening we arrived and and went out to eat at Halsey's in downtown Geneva. After enjoying some gourmet pizza there, we ventured over to my aunt's house for a little while before retiring to our hotel on the lake...which unfortunately involved my sister and I sharing a double bed while my brother got his own.

Saturday we spent the day at my aunt's house, which was chock full of grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins' kiddos, two dogs, and three cats. One of the dogs was my cousin's huge boxer, Chevy. Despite his 90 lbs hulk-like frame, he's a hugger. My sister could not get enough of him, which was photographed on many occasions throughout the weekend. The cats were also really friendly, but I had to avoid petting them since I'm allergic to cats (bummer).

After we took Grandma back to her place Saturday night, the rest of the family met up at our hotel bar. It sounds a little lame, but it was so much fun to get out of the house and visit late into the evening with family I don't get to see very often.

Sunday morning we had breakfast with two of my cousins who were leaving that day, and then picked Grandma up and took her to lunch. Afterwards, we dropped off Grandma and headed to my dad's cousin's house to visit with her. She recently purchased one of the historic homes on South Main Street in downtown Geneva, so we took advantage of the trip and got a tour of her new place while we were there. South Main Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Her house, built in the early 1800s, is one of the oldest row houses on the street. As a result of the historical significance, she knows a lot more about her house than most people do about their homes, like when specific additions were built, the fact that the house was at one point connected to the house next door, that the original front doors were likely imported from Italy, and a whole host of other info. You can even see historical photos of the property on a website dedicated to the South Main Street historic district.  The house was SO cool. I snapped a few photos with my phone while I was there.

After we toured our cousin's house, she took us to White Springs Winery where she works a day or two a week. Seneca Lake is lined with vineyards and wineries because the lake moderates the climate in the area and makes the hills around it good for grape growing. It's becoming a popular destination for wine tour vacations, so it was fun to take advantage of the family connection and have a personal wine tasting in the area. You can learn more about the Seneca Lake Wine Trail through their website. Once we were done with our excursions, we headed back to my aunt's house for dinner and football watching.

Of course the only picture I took during our trip to the winery was of a rug that I loved, which was hanging on the wall. 

For as much fun as I had with the family, this trip was a big reminder that I'm not a kid anymore. One of the weirdest things about growing up is that all the stuff you knew would probably happen, but you could never really imagine happening, is happening now. For the most part the changes are good. Two of my cousins have children. One of my cousins is getting married in September. Another is renovating a house with her husband and son. Almost all the cousins are over 21 at this point, which means we can enjoy fun evenings in a hotel bar together.

Other changes are rough. My Grandma has dementia...or is it Alzheimer's now? I'm not sure at this point. As a result of a few falls and a confused "escape" from the assisted living facility, she is now in a locked wing that is for people with memory problems. They take good care of her and she is safest there, but it still feels weird to walk into the place and be greeted by a room full of elderly people asleep in chairs "watching" kittens play on Animal Planet. This is not how I remember Grandma, though I suspect I am not as she remembers me. Is this how everyone feels? That their loved ones just don't seem to belong in a place like that yet even when they do? Interesting how denial and dementia can play the same tricks on you.

I look terrible in this photo but everyone else looks good. I REALLY need a haircut. I also need to stop parting my bangs so far over. It makes my face look fat. 

Thankfully, Grandma remembers us and has plenty of lucid moments, like when she was pleased when Syracuse basketball won a close game Saturday night (Grandpa always watched Syracuse basketball). It's the moments when she gets worried that she doesn't have her keys and won't be able to get into the house when we're taking her home ("You don't live at that house anymore, Grandma"), and the moments when she tells us she can't remember why "Dad" couldn't join us (we don't bother to remind her that Grandpa died six years ago), that are awful. And they're more awful when my dad, my aunts, and my uncle are around, because as hard as it is to witness what age will do to what was once a very bright mind, it's harder to watch how much it hurts the immediate family her mind is gradually leaving behind.

At this point I'm wishing I took pictures with more than just my iPhone. 

I keep reminding myself that Grandma is 88, and while this condition just plain sucks, a lot of people don't make it to this point. In many ways she is doing well for 88. Her eyes are still bright and her smile is ever beautiful  (fingers crossed I inherited some of those genes). She is one of the few people in the whole facility who does not rely on a walker to get from point A to point B. And she is often shocked to learn she is 88. Youth is a mentality, not an age, right?

This trip, as they more often seem to be, was bittersweet. This is our new normal and although it's rough seeing Grandma in this state, the weekend was one of the nicest visits I've had with the rest of the  family in a very long time. I will always miss playing croquet in Grandma's back yard and enjoying her breakfast pastries, but it's fun to do something new and change up our traditions as the family dynamic changes. It makes me wonder--and look forward to--what else we might enjoy together as things continue to change. I really hope that those who couldn't make the trip are able to make the next one.

So that was my weekend. Family-filled, politics-free. How was your long weekend? Did you go on vacation? Check out the inauguration festivities?