over the moon.

Have you ever made a purchase that just had your heart singing with glee every time you saw it? That's how I feel about a few of the purchases I've recently made. Maybe it's the fact that I'm buying them for our home with no need to worry about roommates and their personal style. Maybe it's the fact that I'm finally developing and understanding my personal style. Maybe it's because I got them at pretty awesome deals. Maybe it's the fact that they're just plain awesome. Whatever it is, I've never been so happy to walk into a place and see these items just sitting there.

//Obviously he loves this rug just as much as I do//

//I know this one is a repeat, but goodness I love it//

our little home.

Hard for me to believe, but it's already been two months since I trekked from California to DC. Our place still has a lot of work to be done, but here's a little peek at the progress in our living room.

//I think this is my favorite part of the house//

the trip.

How do you like my feeble attempt to get the "Welcome to Utah" sign? At least I got one of the letters in it!

The road trip started early on Wednesday morning. My mom had worked the night before, so dad and I packed up the car, walked the dog, and then headed out to pick her up (their dog stayed with a family friend). I really enjoy driving so I drove the majority of the first day. Dad and I had agreed that we'd drive just a few hours each to prevent getting tired, but I just really enjoy being behind the wheel and driving. That first day we went from Cali, through Nevada, and to Salt Lake City, Utah. I can't describe how beautiful the drive was. Obviously I'm partial to the wonders of California and the Sierras... But Utah is just as beautiful in it's own way. The directions we got online said the trip would take approximately 11 hours. We did it in... 9? Maybe 10? That includes stops. It really wasn't a bad trip. We even got into SLC before the sun set! Thankfully, we got there in such good timing that we were able to have a good night's rest before heading out the next morning to Omaha, Nebraska.

Prior to departing for the trip, my friend Mark warned me about losing time when driving west to east. I understood what he said but didn't really process it until I was making the drive and watched an hour disappear each day. It made the drive seem longer in some ways, but other than that it was actually beneficial! Since we did the trip over four days/three nights, we moved one time zone per day. When we finally arrived in DC, it felt like we had already adjusted! Back to the trip...

The trip from SLC to Omaha was the longest leg of the trip. Luckily, we again did it faster than the online directions approximated. And before you start thinking it's because we were speeding... we weren't! When I was driving, I had cruise control set at the speed limit. Plus, our GPS showed approximate times more in line with what we were actually doing.

Wyoming and Nebraska weren't too terrible to drive though. My only complaint - no Starbucks right off of 80! I needed my coffee so badly and am such a princess about it. I have a really hard time drinking coffee with just creamer and sugar... I need my white mocha syrup! I'm actually getting better but didn't want to risk getting something that tasted terrible while on the road.

Friday, we headed from Nebraska to Akron, Ohio. By this point, it was just feeling like the same old same old. I kinda felt like a pro at driving cross country! Hahaha. I think the best part of this day was stopping at the world's LARGEST truck stop. Let me tell you, this sucker really is huge! Massive food court, enormous gift shop, and a penny press machine! Yes, I got a penny to add to our collection (Dave and I have been collecting pressed pennies for years).

Saturday was the shortest leg and felt pretty quick... until we hit the beltway. According to the GPS, we were 30 minutes away from home... Traffic had something different to say. We were in traffic for close to two hours. At one point, I watched 30 minutes tick away while moving less than a quarter mile.

You may be wondering how Anz did on the trip... He did great. No puking (as he's been known to do on quick little trips from the Bay to Sac and back). He loved it. He enjoyed just being a lazy bum and exploring the different hotels each night. Such a happy pup!

bits and pieces.

I'm finally getting my act together and focusing on the massive amount of pictures I have dating back to May 30th...  And slowly getting our place to look presentable. I've had such a great time scouring Craigslist and various stores for goodies. I'll show them to you once they're all put together. In the meantime, here are some images from the past few weeks.

1. Utah / 2. Anz in Wyoming

3. Panda at AU / 4. Mason Neck Refuge

5. Lazy boy in our old setup / 6. How I spend my nights... sometimes

7. New friend thanks to Kates! / 8. Yea buddy

9. Official / 10. Bath time

11. Employment / 12. Our NEW (and might I add amazing) setup

packing. again.

And you thought we were done with all of the packing posts, didn't you?! I did too!

With my news yesterday about scrapping the plans to fly to DC and instead drive cross country comes repacking. I now I have take everything in these boxes and a few others that are hiding out in my room and repack them... two for Dave to take when he goes back to DC on Monday and as many as will fit in my car that will already have me, mom, dad, and Anzuelo using seats. Sure, I could get a trailer and hitch it to the car, but we honestly probably don't even have enough storage space in the new place to fit everything. This weekend will consist of really figuring out what we actually need, what I'm too attached to to part even though it isn't necessary, and what is just plain silly to bring. Thankfully Dave gets here tomorrow (yes, tomorrow is my graduation!!!) so I don't have to go through this process alone.

Also, I'm being featured on The Magnolia Pair today. Britt is amazing and I love reading her blog. I'm always excited to see what she has up her sleeve and I know you'll feel the same way!

eighty east.

Last Saturday, Dave and I went to DC's DMV to get his car registered, get the plates (or tags as I've recently learned), and parking permit. It was a rather pleasant experience. I couldn't believe how efficient the DMV is there... probably just because they provide drivers licenses and plates during the same visit instead of a few weeks (or months) later. Plates went onto the car and then...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

The car is no longer safe to drive.

Throughout the week, I had noticed that it required more effort to brake. I literally had to tiptoe before the car would even register that I was trying to brake. It was also making an odd sound when going slowly and turning the wheel (especially when parallel parking). After much cajoling, Dave finally agreed to take it in. He brought the car into the shop on Tuesday after dropping me off at the airport (I'm back in California for my graduation) and then called me informing me that repairs to the car would cost more than it's worth.

All that went through my head was "CRAP..." You see, we have a few upcoming things that required his car to accomplish, including a trip to Mississippi in a few weeks. Plan B was then set into motion.

My Highlander is now going to DC! Instead of flying out with my folks and the dog, we'll all be driving. ROAD TRIP!!! We'll be taking 80-E across... a route I'm familiar with thanks to those band trips in college. Praying for a safe and enjoyable ride!

a dc wednesday night.

One thing that is great about DC is the amount of activities it has to do for non-visitors. When you live somewhere with so many tourist attractions, you wonder if you'll eventually run out of cool things to see or do. Thankfully, DC has the answer to that and the answer is "heck no!"

Last night, we went to Dave's kickball ball game (which his team won!) and post-game celebration followed by another viewing of Song 1 at the Hirshhorn. The fact that DC just keeps it coming, giving you something basically FREE to do, is nice (kickball is free if you just wanna watch, though you have to pay to be on the team. Song 1 is 100% free). I know some other cities may have similar offerings, but where I was living for the past two years failed in the fun and free activities sector – or maybe I just didn't get the memo.

Here's a quick clip from Song 1.

and the move begins...

I arrived in DC Saturday afternoon and it's been pretty non-stop since then. This is the first time I'm really getting a chance to just sit around. Our friend Brent (one of Dave's besties from way back when) was also in town over the weekend, so we made sure to pack it full of fun. We ate yummy food, hung out with amazing people, and saw some very cool DC sites.

The moving in will begin shortly, with my 2 huge bags of clothes finding their way into the closet. Hoping there will be enough space for the other 8 bags of items I have at home... Thankfully most of those other items are "house" items and not clothes!

family time.

Moving across the country is always going to be a big deal. Moving across the country when ALL of your family is on the opposite side... Now that's torture! Though I do have some family in Illinois/Missouri, the vast majority of family in the states live in California. I grew up always having family around, always someone to talk to, always a friend when I needed it. I know moving doesn't end this, but it sure does make it harder. Guess that means lots of FaceTime, Skype, and visits! You hear that, guys? LOTS of those things.

This past week was filled with family time and thankfully, this upcoming week has a bit more mixed in too! Last Thursday the family gathered for Mommy Wilma's 40th day prayer. This day is a big deal in Filipino culture and the Catholic faith (which are basically one in the same in my family). Saturday marked Maya's 1st communion. I remember when my little niece was born my senior year of high school... she's growing so fast! Sunday was Dad's birthday! To celebrate, we went to the dog park and then moved furniture! Don't I give the best presents?

california food.

The thing I'm going to miss about California (besides family and friends) is the food. Oh, California has good food. And not only does it have good food, it has good food chains!

My roommate Tam and I made it a mission to ensure that I enjoy all of the best California has to offer during our last few days as roomies. To accomplish this, we ate at a food chain that you won't find in DC each night last week (which turned out to only be three nights because she had a horse show for the rest of the week and I headed back to the Bay). YUM! On the list: In n Out, Beach Hut Deli, and Dos Coyotes.

I'm excited for all of the different food DC and the East Coast have that you won't find in California. I'm already a big fan of Old Bay. Don't try to sell me on Five Guys though (which I hear is big over there). We've got one down the block and although I think the food is yummy, I don't understand how you can be a burger joint and not have MILK SHAKES!!!! It just doesn't make sense to me. If you have recommendations, I'd love to hear them!