tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19163153503236050112024-03-13T01:18:44.672-04:00BB to 79thWandering Washington and other adventures along the wayCourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.comBlogger691125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-76690376166768912422015-08-06T22:28:00.001-04:002015-08-06T22:28:14.341-04:00Moving on up!Hey all! I really dropped off over here. This space that I created around 8 years ago wasn't feeling quite right anymore. I've started a new blog <a href="http://maketakeandgait.com/">http://maketakeandgait.com</a> where I'll continue to talk crafting, share some photography and write about running. Come join me there!Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-356967894765634002015-04-20T21:00:00.000-04:002015-04-20T21:00:01.811-04:002015 Cherry Blossom 10 miler (or 9.4 miler)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Cherry Blossom 10 miler takes place during the Cherry Blossom festival each year. Sometimes there are Cherry Blossoms, sometimes there are not. We hit the Cherry Blossom and weather jackpot this year. The blossoms were at peak bloom and although it was still in the 40s when the race started, it wasn't too cold and I actually found myself over dressed in my capris.</div>
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This was the third time I tried to get into the race and I signed up for the lottery as an after thought, so I was a little surprised when I got the email that I was in.</div>
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After the RnR DC Marathon I took a full week off from running. I only ran a few times the next three weeks, with the longest run being around 5 miles. I did manage to run some of those runs faster than during my marathon training. So I decided to aim for a 9 minute mile pace.</div>
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Brian and I got up early and took an Uber to close to the starting line. We walked over towards the start and heard an announcement that the race would be shortened due to an accident on the course. They announced it would be close to 9.5 miles instead of 10. The crowd seemed mostly happy that they would only have to run 9.5 miles. I felt fine about it at the time, I had no control so best to accept the distance and move on. I had never ran 10 miles so it was going to be a PR, now I would just have a PR for a even more special distance.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Screen%20Shot%202015-04-14%20at%2010.14.25%20PM_zpsq9bhxofz.png.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 10.14.25 PM_zpsq9bhxofz.png" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Screen%20Shot%202015-04-14%20at%2010.14.25%20PM_zpsq9bhxofz.png" height="320" width="283" /></a></div>
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I was in the second wave and as expected it was a pretty crowded start. I've ran a lot of big races and I felt the other racers were a little less considerate of other runners than I'm used to. I got cut off several times. The run across memorial bridge and then up rock creek has gotten a little too familiar (I think I need to find some races along some new routes) but knowing the course also makes it go smoothly. </div>
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I had heard/read that people thought the run around east potomac park and haines point was boring. I understand that it is kind of like an out and back and those can seem like forever, but I was so distracted by the Cherry Blossoms along this stretch that I didn't really notice how long it took. The trees were absolutely beautiful and practically covering the course in some spots.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Screen%20Shot%202015-04-14%20at%2010.15.15%20PM_zpsyu6c3liy.png.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 10.15.15 PM_zpsyu6c3liy.png" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Screen%20Shot%202015-04-14%20at%2010.15.15%20PM_zpsyu6c3liy.png" height="320" width="259" /></a></div>
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According to my I was running a little under 9 min/mile pace so I was feeling good heading in to the final two miles. Unfortunately the last mile contains a pretty good hill and I was not ready for it. I'm usually very good at know exactly where I am in the city, but I got a little turned around coming towards the Washington Monument. Luckily it wasn't far to go and soon I was cruising down a short downgrade towards the finish. I didn't run the tangents so my finish pace was right at my goal of 9 min/miles! </div>
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<b>Finish time of 1:25:31 and official distance of 9.39 miles.</b></div>
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The race organizers projected our 9.39 mile times to a 10 mile time. According to them it would of been a 1:31:06 finish, but we all know that I would of kicked it up and finished in 1:30 something. </div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/image-2_zpsggnmlzdy.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo image-2_zpsggnmlzdy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/image-2_zpsggnmlzdy.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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After the race I grabbed some food and water and Brian and I walked around to look at some of the Cherry Blossoms. They were all perfect, but with the race and peak weekend it was getting pretty crowded around the tidal basin.</div>
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I don't think the weather is usually as nice and it seems the Cherry Blossoms rarely perform this well for the race. Since those two aligned the race gods had to sweep in and shorten the distance. Now I have a PR for the 9.39 distance! I probably won't sign up for this race again next year, but maybe again some time in the future.</div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-30192706620255017062015-04-18T21:33:00.002-04:002015-04-18T21:33:45.689-04:002015 Rock 'n Roll DC Marathon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/11069641_10152328568237465_7729432953087139050_n_zpsryixacdu.jpg.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 11069641_10152328568237465_7729432953087139050_n_zpsryixacdu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/11069641_10152328568237465_7729432953087139050_n_zpsryixacdu.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mile 13 Wet but still with a little energy- photo credit to Becky</td></tr>
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After several half marathons I thought I was ready to run a full marathon. A few weeks into the training I found out that double the distance equaled way more than double the training. The first long run was as long as the longest run I did for many of the half marathons I trained for. Complicating things were my active social life and signing up for a Saturday afternoon flag football league. Oh and also one of the coldest Februarys in recent years. I also only had a 14 week training cycle, because I knew for the half I always started right after the new year and didn't think "oh you might need a few more weeks to run twice the distance".<br />
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I worked my way up to 18 miles before my left foot started hurting really bad. After my Valentine's Day run my foot hurt when I walked for the next three days so I made an appointment with a foot doctor. He said he didn't think it was a stress fracture, which was my biggest fear but to take a week off and to take three ibuprofen with breakfast and another three with dinner.<br />
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Luckily that worked, but that hick up meant my longest run was 19 miles and an off week right before taper.<br />
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Luckily marathons are easy right?<br />
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During taper instead of getting more nervous like I hear a lot of people getting. I got more confident, maybe unreasonably so.<br />
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My sister signed up to run and Kristen and my niece got in to town the Wednesday before the race. They did some touristing around while I worked and we all went to the expo together on Thursday. The expo moved to the convention center, which was super convenient but the set up was basically the same as the last two years.<br />
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The 10 day, then the 5 day, then the 3 day, then the 1 day forecast all called for rain. The temperature jumped around a bit, but the rain stayed constant. When we woke up at 5:30 that morning we heard rain.<br />
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I decided to wear a hat to keep the water out of my eyes and a rain resistant jacket with shorts. I think my outfit was the right call, but I was soaked by the time the race started.<br />
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Kristen and I got to the start line with about twenty minutes till gun time, but we had to walk about a half mile to the end of the alphabet for our bag check then I did a final porta potty stop. I got into my corral a little after the race started, but since I was 10 corrals back I still had plenty of time.<br />
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The first few miles felt fine, at first I was trying to avoid the biggest puddles, but soon it was obvious that my feet would be soaked and going straight through them was probably the least exhausting.<br />
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Running up rock creek felt pretty automatic, I've run the first half of the route so many times, but as we approached the Calvert hill I first started feeling a little tired. I've never been able to run very strongly up the hill, but this year was a little easier. They people holding American flags all the way up and the crowd support was great like always.<br />
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Next we ran cross town, this is one of my favorite parts of the race. People are on their balconies having mini parties and offering beer to the runners. Then there is the run down North Capitol. I saw several runners get splashed by cars going the opposite direction and felt good about my decision to run on the west side of the street.<br />
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Soon we were at the point where the half and full split apart. The past two years when I ran the half marathon I always felt really happy I wasn't running another 13 miles at this point. Well I could tell the half runners were feeling this way too. A few of them wished me luck and I got a boost of adrenaline thinking about how I was going to run the full this time.<br />
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The Rock 'n Roll DC is definitely a half marathon focused race. After we split off I felt pretty alone on the course, which was a downer. But then I saw my boyfriend Brian and one of my friends Becky, who had run the 5K, were cheering for me! That gave me a big boost, I didn't know they were going to be there, but as I was running off Becky yelled something like "you are halfway there" and the reality of it hit again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mile 13- I kept having to wring my gloves out- photo credit to Becky</td></tr>
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My first half was almost where I wanted it to be. I was planning on around 2 hours, but ended up at 2:10.<br />
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The second half of the race was colder, wetter, lonelier, and less scenic. At one point we ran three miles around an industrial area where they store the salt for DC streets. Then we ran across this terrible bridge that had huge grates on it, that I was certain I would fall over. The run in Anacostia would probably of been nice on a beautiful day. But in cold rain it was pretty miserable. I started walking through the water stations here, which was around mile 18. There was also serious flooding on the course here and we had to go off course in one area and through about six inches in another area.<br />
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Once we headed to Ft. Dupont park the rain started letting up a little. For the last 30 minutes of the race it pretty much stopped raining, but I was still soaking wet and was feeling pretty sore. My feet hurt the most and whenever I walked through a water station it hurt my bottom to start running again.<br />
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But soon there was only a mile left. But that mile seemed so hard. We crossed back over the Anacostia river towards the RFK stadium. The wind was blowing hard over the bridge. They had a nice loop away from the finish line, but soon I saw the finish and was able to kick it a tiny bit to the finish.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Dead in the eyes, but happy to be finishing</td></tr>
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My finish time was 4:39. My biggest goal was to finish, but I also had a goal for under 4:40, and a goal for some other things that were apparently way too ambitious.<br />
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So I was really happy to be done, but there was a lot more walking to do before getting home.<br />
Kristen, Brian and Becky were at the finish to help me celebrate and help me function. Kristen had a much faster race, but was also miserably wet and cold.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/10898184_10203714903055372_6975075562023864128_n_zpsmaezljec.jpg.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 10898184_10203714903055372_6975075562023864128_n_zpsmaezljec.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/10898184_10203714903055372_6975075562023864128_n_zpsmaezljec.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Kristen and me at the finish. Even though it stopped raining it was pretty cold and miserable still</td></tr>
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I spent most of the rest of the day on the couch, eating, hydrating, and relaxing.<br />
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Throughout training and running the race I thought I never wanted to run another marathon. But now I feel like I could have a better race. I know what to expect now and would hopefully have a better weather day! So maybe....<br />
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For now I'm going to focus on some 5Ks...Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-35460030117549734922015-02-14T13:51:00.001-05:002015-02-14T13:51:28.422-05:00Happy Valentine's & Galentine's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvBNYXzzzsstDHtM1cO9TDroyPMjzvN4X4pBXi8aL5J8BeUWaIQcMiqYHngAt1fSCS1qVAyb43pyqg1jXxow_da5NzadN9_TKurhEytejdku6JS6k7hJd7ppbLZayE9Iyha4en23eheY/s640/blogger-image-2015571522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvBNYXzzzsstDHtM1cO9TDroyPMjzvN4X4pBXi8aL5J8BeUWaIQcMiqYHngAt1fSCS1qVAyb43pyqg1jXxow_da5NzadN9_TKurhEytejdku6JS6k7hJd7ppbLZayE9Iyha4en23eheY/s640/blogger-image-2015571522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguU1b17ZBNpXDnJ4QYyytUoXvr5WrCO1Ebnh1maxhUV4oIGznyDZwQNr_ZIYBXz9835iL-woPHDjtIZA0tyGXBCnKEbYbVfFKA6PdOx_y5zgybR7wjgscCgjb_1OH3A4leavxq53jvB4/s640/blogger-image-1265525712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thursday I hosted a Galentine's party for all of my girlfriends. I had eight guests for wine, snacks, and a card making station. It was fun catching up with everyone. As cold as it has been we've all been a little hermity. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My fancy card making station:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguU1b17ZBNpXDnJ4QYyytUoXvr5WrCO1Ebnh1maxhUV4oIGznyDZwQNr_ZIYBXz9835iL-woPHDjtIZA0tyGXBCnKEbYbVfFKA6PdOx_y5zgybR7wjgscCgjb_1OH3A4leavxq53jvB4/s640/blogger-image-1265525712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosTehZDCENPL1xH5uiq9ynR6yuxhE6f0Y7YYjTcbkvmzp4hqdITSIHueSKSrpyjR2RM24pbnsFWZ5WVIu4rYQqqyX8xiS8xh9yHWkjtxwGk9rKqXXRlX8wFsleJgJC0LM2nlEjT4M58U/s640/blogger-image-1255378167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosTehZDCENPL1xH5uiq9ynR6yuxhE6f0Y7YYjTcbkvmzp4hqdITSIHueSKSrpyjR2RM24pbnsFWZ5WVIu4rYQqqyX8xiS8xh9yHWkjtxwGk9rKqXXRlX8wFsleJgJC0LM2nlEjT4M58U/s640/blogger-image-1255378167.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">To get the creative juices flowing I hung up a few fingerprint cards I'd made earlier in the day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguU1b17ZBNpXDnJ4QYyytUoXvr5WrCO1Ebnh1maxhUV4oIGznyDZwQNr_ZIYBXz9835iL-woPHDjtIZA0tyGXBCnKEbYbVfFKA6PdOx_y5zgybR7wjgscCgjb_1OH3A4leavxq53jvB4/s640/blogger-image-1265525712.jpg"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I made some old school valentines to hand out:</div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvBNYXzzzsstDHtM1cO9TDroyPMjzvN4X4pBXi8aL5J8BeUWaIQcMiqYHngAt1fSCS1qVAyb43pyqg1jXxow_da5NzadN9_TKurhEytejdku6JS6k7hJd7ppbLZayE9Iyha4en23eheY/s640/blogger-image-2015571522.jpg"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I started out Valentine's morning with a 17 mile run and returned home to a delicious breakfast made by my boyfriend. Hearts make everything taste better. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEETdsnkRVU4D3N6vcJGTSl9s88D9FzsHy3hWpZOplwhicLY_sPkDFtgDI1aylTVhoq6l1c01kgQ1P9UMgcIgPj-29vWo1qe38CrUZPQM3EMi7AFgIGWATHUEp1NQSyg0lHb8woGDzsC0/s640/blogger-image--1831916462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEETdsnkRVU4D3N6vcJGTSl9s88D9FzsHy3hWpZOplwhicLY_sPkDFtgDI1aylTVhoq6l1c01kgQ1P9UMgcIgPj-29vWo1qe38CrUZPQM3EMi7AFgIGWATHUEp1NQSyg0lHb8woGDzsC0/s640/blogger-image--1831916462.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And some beautiful flowers!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9jG4HkA9JgdtMTCM6oUQ0wk73VbcDebAYhz_RIzxT8cZYRdprt8cEIybQlAcVFahNkIeBSzSf0Zq-BNePNIYLt-Clcpmutds57DvcRTa_hodK6gH6dwLRSIACE97Nen9Wy81lBwLDLY/s640/blogger-image-71958170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9jG4HkA9JgdtMTCM6oUQ0wk73VbcDebAYhz_RIzxT8cZYRdprt8cEIybQlAcVFahNkIeBSzSf0Zq-BNePNIYLt-Clcpmutds57DvcRTa_hodK6gH6dwLRSIACE97Nen9Wy81lBwLDLY/s640/blogger-image-71958170.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Later we have a flag football game, dinner, and below freezing temperatures!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Happy Valentine's Day!</div><br></div><br></div>Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-45929273815311306552015-01-06T13:22:00.000-05:002015-01-06T13:22:27.309-05:00More GoalsReading through all the New Year's posts and articles made me think of a few more things I'm going to try to do this year.<br />
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On <a href="https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2014/01/tuesday-10-new-years-resolutions-everyone-should-make-important/">Lauren Conrad's website</a>* they had a list of 10 resolutions everyone should make. One of them overlaps with a resolution that apparently <a href="http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/46933-new-year-resolutions-pope-francis-quotes">Pope Francis has for us all</a>. That is to <b>stop wasting food</b>. I am very guilty of this. I'll buy something and use it for one meal, but never find a use for the rest of it. During the Farm Share I was super guilty of wasting fresh veggies! I know. I'm ashamed, but sometimes I just couldn't find a use for a whole head of cabbage when I had a busy week. So I'm going to clean the fridge of all out of date food and focus and using every thing I buy or putting it in the freezer before it goes bad.<br />
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Second goal is to keep learning. Last Spring I learned how to screen print, but then I didn't sign up for anything new. I'm going to try to keep something on the calendar. I found some cool online resources yesterday that I'm excited to try out.<br />
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General Assembly- https://generalassemb.ly/ has some cool classes and workshops in DC. Focused around web design, business and technology.<br />
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Codecademy- http://www.codecademy.com/ teaches coding starting at the simplest level. I already learned to make an animation from my name and start a mini solar system.<br />
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Coursera- https://www.coursera.org has college courses from all over, some are free and some are paid. You can take a class or they have specializations that have a series of courses.<br />
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*Yes I occasionally read Lauren Conrad's site. I may have a small girl crush on her.Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-47361617685101096942015-01-02T14:48:00.000-05:002015-01-02T14:48:17.525-05:002015 (BOOM)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/10537411_10102892150369438_3510179475533892853_o_zpse9ddefd6.jpg.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 10537411_10102892150369438_3510179475533892853_o_zpse9ddefd6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/10537411_10102892150369438_3510179475533892853_o_zpse9ddefd6.jpg" height="390" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting and dating Brian, wasn't a goal, but has been a highlight of 2014</td></tr>
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Happy New Year!</div>
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I know its been awhile since I've blogged, but I thought with the new year I should check in. </div>
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My goals for 2014:</div>
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<b>Year goals</b></div>
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<b>Blog more consistently (I need to keep my parents happy)-</b> This didn't happen at all, I dropped off the blogsphere in June</div>
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<b>See something at the Studio Theater (for real this time)-</b> SUCCESS I saw COCK with a group of girlfriends, it was a great production that we all enjoyed.</div>
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<b>Monthly goals</b></div>
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<b>Craft/Sew something new - </b>I did do a lot of crafting including sewing a quilt top and making a bunch of bags for Christmas gifts.</div>
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<b>Go somewhere new-</b> I went several new places including Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, Bonn, Germany and Tomball, Texas</div>
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<b>Eat somewhere new- </b>Eating new places is not hard in DC. New lunch places include Shophouse and Cava grill. Finally ate at the Pig, and am continuing to eat new pizza with Pizza Club.</div>
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<b>January goals</b></div>
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<b>Run at least one mile a day- </b>I think I missed one day....</div>
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<b>Do the Nike Training Club App Get Lean Advanced Program- </b>Completed</div>
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<b>Organize my photos and backup them up and print some- </b>I printed some photos, but didn't do much organizing.</div>
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I don't remember making any more monthly goals...</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">For 2015 I want to:</span></b></div>
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<b>Reset my healthy eating</b></div>
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<b>Run a Marathon</b>- I'm registered for the Rock 'n Roll DC Marathon in March, the first month of training has gone ok, but now I'm encountering milage I'm unfamiliar with.</div>
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<b>Journal- </b>I've actively journaled for much of my life, I'd like to get back to the pen and paper way. </div>
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<b>Meal Plan- </b>I've been doing a lot of last minute shopping and cooking. For some reason this stresses me out so I would like to do less of it.</div>
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<b>Focus on Happiness</b></div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-88662789039587977562014-05-20T06:00:00.000-04:002014-05-20T06:00:06.343-04:00EU Embassy Open House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Every Spring the Embassies in DC open up for tours. <a href="http://bbto79th.blogspot.com/2012/05/eu-embassy-tours.html">I went to some of them a few years ago with my cousin</a>, but there were many more I hadn't seen. I'm a sucker for these types of things and luckily found that my friends Hannah and Adam were equally up for the tour. We decided to hit up the northern loop of Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Netherlands. Those five alone took us about two hours. So if you plan on visiting them all in one day, you have quite the challenge.</div>
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The EU was having a selfie contest so I took some goofy pictures at each spot... they haven't yet contacted me with my winnings.</div>
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Austria had free coffee and red bull and some other treats for sale. They had a chef demonstrating how to make apple strudel and lots of pamphlets on Austria.</div>
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The Czech Republic had a Kafka bug strolling the grounds and police dog demonstration using Czech Shepard's. They had free ice coffee and strudel.</div>
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Hungary gave us a cheesy bread upon entering and had some traditional dancing going on. They also had some liquor tasting that wasn't very tasty at all.</div>
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The Netherlands had the most going on. A Heineken beer garden, cheese, stroopwafel, little pancake things (amazing), give aways, and a photo booth.</div>
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Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-58528606173483978182014-05-18T11:06:00.000-04:002014-05-18T11:06:56.840-04:00Nashville at the Lincoln Theater<div style="text-align: center;">
One of my favorite shows on TV right now is Nashville. A good mix of drama and good original country music. A few months ago I started buying some of the songs and rocking out to them. Then by chance I saw that they were coming to DC for a concert. I mentioned it to my friend Hannah and she was immediately on board. I'm not a big concert person, but I but the time the tickets went on sale in my calendar. Once 10 am came around I started trying to buy tickets... it kept saying to try again, try again, try again... finally after 10 minutes of trying to put two tickets in my basket it went through and we were set. The show actually sold out within like 12 minutes. Crazy. </div>
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It was also my first time to the Lincoln theater. So I was excited to check it out. I had read some reviews saying that the line could get a little long. It was completely true and a little confusing as the seating was general admission and they had guys moving the through the line checking IDs, scanning tickets, and stamping our hands (with a blue light stamp!). </div>
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Once we got inside it was a bit of a rush to find seats. We decided to start looking downstairs. A lot of people were saving seats so it wasn't easy to find two. We found some on the side towards the back, but they still had a great view of the stage. </div>
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After getting drinks and visiting the restrooms it was time for the show to start.</div>
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The Lincoln theater is very ornate and pretty if not a little crumbly.</div>
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For the most part the performers came out one at a time and sang one song at a time with the occasional duet. They mostly sang songs from the first season and mixed in a few songs of their own that don't appear on the show.</div>
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Deacon (Chip) is actually from Alexandria and had a lot of friends and family in the crowd.</div>
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Did you know Gunnar (Sam) is actually british? I'm not sure if I like his southern accent or his british accent better.</div>
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They wrapped up the show with a group number, A Life That's Good.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_4231_zps454ab056.jpg.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4231_zps454ab056.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_4231_zps454ab056.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the whole crew</td></tr>
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Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-16038015678051396362014-05-13T06:00:00.000-04:002014-05-13T06:00:01.964-04:00Terrarium part two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So the first <a href="http://bbto79th.blogspot.com/2013/10/terrariums.html">terrarium</a> didn't go so well. It all started great, but after a few weeks went by both my chicks and hens died. They died suddenly. Like boom. The other guy lasted a few more months, but one day after feeling the dirt and determining it completely dry, I watered and boom it died too.</div>
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Jenn didn't have much better luck either. Hers all died by early this year.</div>
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Not to be discouraged we decided to try again. I think mine may of died from overwatering, even though I didn't water them that much. I also think they might of not had enough sun. Ace only had larger plants so we went up to Flowers on 14th. They had the right size, but were a bit more expensive. </div>
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They had some ferns so I decided to try them. They lady said they love water and like covered containers. Hopefully this fern will love my jar!</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_4215_zps278c8270.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4215_zps278c8270.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_4215_zps278c8270.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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I also bought two succulents to replace the dead ones I had sitting in my winery pots for the better part of the last year. </div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_4216_zps21d4f8ed.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4216_zps21d4f8ed.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_4216_zps21d4f8ed.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-86698450294085790752014-05-08T06:00:00.000-04:002014-05-08T06:00:08.967-04:00Cherry Blossoms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A little late, but I thought I'd share some of the beautiful Cherry Blossoms from this year. I did my usual run around the blossoms and snapped some photos, but didn't spend as much time as I would like with them.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_4112_zps8994c0d0.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4112_zps8994c0d0.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_4112_zps8994c0d0.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I kind of cut off everyone's bodies in the picture below, but you can see how crowded it gets around the tidal basin.</div>
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I also hit up the Cherry Blossom Parade with my friend Jenn. The highlight of the parade was Aaron Carter! He was even really singing as he floated by. Later I found out that he missed his brother Nick's wedding to be in OUR PARADE. haha.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_4126_zpsae86b452.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4126_zpsae86b452.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_4126_zpsae86b452.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-56777469693298712642014-05-06T06:00:00.000-04:002014-05-06T06:00:05.794-04:00Yoga on the Mall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Spring and Summer in DC means free outdoor workouts! As part of DC Yoga Week they had Yoga on the mall Saturday. The weather was perfect and the setting by the Constitution Gardens was gorgeous. The Yoga was so-so. It was more West Coast new agey than lets sweat and get a good workout. They did some drumming/singing/dancing before we started, which I kind of enjoyed, but then we were told to put our hands on our hearts and chant for like ten minutes. Heart chanting, not so much my thing...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great company</td></tr>
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Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-73190885158206196992014-05-04T11:41:00.000-04:002014-05-04T11:41:38.327-04:00Nike Women's DC Half Marathon 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This year I didn't get into the Nike half through the lottery system. After I was denied entry I moved on and signed up for the <a href="http://bbto79th.blogspot.com/2014/04/rock-n-roll-usa-half-marathon-2014.html">RnR Half</a>. Then I was contacted by Nike in February with the opportunity to register and decided to sign up. Between the RnR half in mid March and Nike in late April I only ran one long run, a ten miler two weeks out that went fine, but totally wore me out. Its safe to say I'm burnt out on long runs and will be focusing on short faster runs for the next few months. </div>
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Like <a href="http://bbto79th.blogspot.com/2013/04/nike-women-half-marathon-recap.html">last year</a> Nike had some really fun details at the bib pick up and expotique. When you walked in to the expotique a big screen lit up with your name and a little message. They gave specialized hair ties according to how many miles we had logged with Nike +. I got blue ones! They also had gait analysis, sign making, hair braiding, and some luna bar samples. My coworker who also ran the race went with me and we headed up to the Nike store afterwards to join the run club and do a little shopping. We got a free headband at the store and had a champagne toast after the run. <a href="http://www.joanbenoitsamuelson.com/">Joan Benoit Samuelson </a>was on the run and ran beside me for a few minutes. We chatted about Boston Marathon recovery, running with a cell phone, weather, and she asked me to hold her cell phone while she took off her long sleeve shirt. So first time I've held the cell phone of an olympic gold medalist.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_4164_zps3b5477a9.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4164_zps3b5477a9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_4164_zps3b5477a9.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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The morning of the race went smoothly as possible. Great weather, great bag check, tons of toilets, and only a little crunch entering the corals. </div>
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Soon we were off. Nike changed the course in two spots from last year. They were both great changes. Instead of heading down to the Capitol building at the end of the race we headed there first. In no time we were heading back to ninth street with a mile down. We still ran through the tunnel under the Mall at 9th street, but since I knew it was coming it wasn't as bad. </div>
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From there we ran along the south side of the Mall and across Arlington Memorial Bridge. After the loop around we headed back towards Rock Creek Parkway. At this point, around mile 5, my left foot started hurting. A sharp pain under the front of my foot kept throbbing. Every once in awhile it would go away for a few strides only to return. </div>
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I just kept running. At mile 6.6 they had a video screen up showing us running with a message across the top about us being half way done. Soon after halfway we headed into West Potomac Park. They put up signs we had made at the expotique. Donna and I had made a sign so I kept my eyes out for it. There were hundreds of signs on both sides of the road so I wasn't very optimistic about spotting it, but I did! That gave me a little boost. </div>
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Last year the loop down to Hains Point and back was a bit annoying, so I decided to enjoy it more this year. With my foot still hurting I tried walking and stretching it out at a few of the water stops, but it didn't seem to help so I decided I would just run as fast as was comfortable so I could end sooner. Nike also made some great changes in this area of the race. They bussed in some college students from George Mason and Howard to cheer at the Point. They had amazing energy and one of them was holding a "GO Courtney" sign, which I'm sure was for me.</div>
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At mile 10 there was a group from <a href="http://november-project.com/">November Project</a> cheering. They look like an amazing group, so I'm going to try one of their workouts this week.</div>
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Next up was the other change in the route. Instead of going back up the highway ramp to the tunnel we followed the water front. A few of the boats parked in the harbor were honking their horns to help us along. This area was also the "chocolate mile" where Whole Foods was passing out truffles. I didn't take one, not exactly the ideal conditions for me to eat chocolate, but maybe I should of saved one for the finish.</div>
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Then back through the tunnel. As we exited the other side they had another sign that was displaying our names and cheering us on as we were passing by. Again there was another turn away from the finish line before heading back, but I was able to kick my pace up a notch for this last mile and bit.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the finish line</td></tr>
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Instead of photographers throughout the entire race, they had photo zones where they took our photos and gave them to us for free!</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_4197_zps7ad37895.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4197_zps7ad37895.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_4197_zps7ad37895.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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I finished in 1:57:25 </div>
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268/1,926 of Females 30-34</div>
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2,101/14,316 of Females</div>
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2,228/14,794 Overall</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winners with Shalane and Joan<br />First place finished in 1:20!</td></tr>
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Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-49916557011169021702014-04-03T06:00:00.000-04:002014-04-03T06:00:06.787-04:00Lately: Around Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Recently I tried out one new and two new to me places around town. </div>
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On one of the only warmish and dry days we've had this spring I met up with some friends at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DachaBeerGarden">Dacha Beer Garden</a> in Shaw. Its not much more than some picnic tables on a corner lot, but there was a line when I arrived. They serve a variety of German and Craft beer in a variety of glasses, including das boot. Even though it was crowded it was a friendly crowd and the line for beer and porta potties wasn't too bad. They don't serve food, but allow you to bring it in if you want. All in all its a nice place to enjoy a beer outdoors.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mural at Dacha.</td></tr>
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Not too far from my apartment, but tucked away on a side street is <a href="http://www.thecoffeebardc.com/">TCB aka The Coffee Bar.</a> I went with a friend on a Sunday morning. They have limited food, which included an everything bagel and cream cheese. Along with my bagel I got a latte. I was impressed with the latte art and thought the ingenuity of writing my order on the porcelain cup deserved a photo. It was a busy shop, but there were several seating options and we had no trouble finding a space to enjoy our morning. </div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/60F6801F-624B-4970-B50D-12A6D4F288ED_zpszwrahrd9.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 60F6801F-624B-4970-B50D-12A6D4F288ED_zpszwrahrd9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/60F6801F-624B-4970-B50D-12A6D4F288ED_zpszwrahrd9.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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When you bring up pizza in DC (which I do a lot) someone always mentions <a href="http://development.ginatolentino.com/2amys/">2Amy's.</a> And until this week I always had to sadly admit I had never been. Its in Cleveland Park about a mile from the closest metro, so not the most convenient spot, but I took a bus and was there within a half hour. We went early expecting a wait and not wanting to miss the movie we had planned for later, but after getting there super early and getting a drink elsewhere we ended up not putting our name down till 5:20. By 5:20 they had a half hour wait. So just remember to plan wisely. </div>
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For some variety my friend and I swapped half a pie. We got a certified Neapolitan style Margherita and a house specialty meat and peppers pie. The Margherita was amazing. The cheese was just amazingly flavorful. The other pizza was good too, but not crazy good. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, its pizza!</td></tr>
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Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-14543082350868811602014-04-02T06:00:00.000-04:002014-04-02T06:00:04.718-04:00Rock N Roll USA Half Marathon 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I wasn't planning on running the Rock n' Roll USA Half Marathon again this year, but I got an email from them stating the finish line band would be <a href="http://www.theheadandtheheart.com/">The Head and the Heart</a>. I didn't know much about them, but I knew that several of my friends were huge fans. So after sending an email alerting them of the news they were all on board. They added a 5K option this year so four of my friends signed up for that, but two friends wanted to do the half so I knew that is what I would be signing up for.</div>
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My training was less than ideal. The weather this winter in DC, like much of the country, has been miserable. I'm not one to run outside when its below freezing or when there is tons of snow or ice on the ground, which meant I was running on the treadmill a lot, which meant I was running shorter distances. I got two 10.5 mile runs in so I knew I'd be able to finish and that was good enough for me.</div>
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Race morning was cool, but was the best weather day in a week and two days later we got the most snow of the winter. So race day weather was perfect. I woke up in plenty of time, but fooled around like normal and headed down with just enough time to bag check and get in to the corrals. Too bad I also wanted to stop at the porta potties along with thousands of my other runner friends. After waiting a bit and running to some further away and then running back, I made it to my corral #6 after it had already left. Luckily I was able to walk to the front and slip in with #7, which was probably a better spot for me given my poor training. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">race morning sunrises are the best</td></tr>
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My watch was off the entire race, which just confused me. It ended up a mile off! Luckily I had it displaying total time elapsed the entire time, so I could do my own math with the mile markers, which mostly confused me more, but helped me push the last three miles.</div>
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The course was the same as last year (other than a slightly different finish), which I actually liked. I knew what was coming up and could look forward to hills (up and down), bands (love the drums by Howard), and my friend Hannah! She took this lovely photo while doing some amazing woo whooing.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my gloves make a great thigh growth</td></tr>
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While not my fastest, I finished in 1:56 and never felt like dying. In fact I enjoyed myself enough to sign up for the Nike Half in April.</div>
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After the race I met up with all my runner friends to watch The Head and the Heart. They put on a great high energy show for 10 in the morning. They performed for over an hour. I was joking that it was the best concert ever because everyone was polite runners and there weren't any drunks bumping in to me. But really it was also pretty good music.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/C05F461F-B9CC-47DC-A4C3-A3C61B33B0FD_zpssbvxcnep.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo C05F461F-B9CC-47DC-A4C3-A3C61B33B0FD_zpssbvxcnep.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/C05F461F-B9CC-47DC-A4C3-A3C61B33B0FD_zpssbvxcnep.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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After the show we headed out to brunch. Races are always better with friends.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenn and I after our races</td></tr>
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Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-43207239468871178352014-03-31T06:00:00.000-04:002014-03-31T06:00:11.529-04:00Call Me Crafty: Screenprinting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It has been a long time since I challenged myself with an art class. So for the past year I'd been eyeing the continuing education classes offered at the <a href="http://www.corcoran.edu/home?_ga=1.17143802.2138360122.1381786113">Corcoran</a>. They aren't cheap but I loved all the interesting options they had and I was able to take the audit option. So I narrowed down some options and decided to take the screen printing class. </div>
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After being 45 minutes late to the first class (cross town during rush hour on a bus is the worst) I've gotten a pretty good hang of the process.</div>
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We have four projects this semester each one using a different technique of making our design, but the shooting and printing part remains essentially the same. We've just started our third project, so I'm a bit behind on updating you.</div>
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The first project was to take construction paper shapes to create a print with three layers of three different colors.</div>
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Most of the other students are "art" students either full time or are art teachers learning a new technique. So in the actual design of the projects I find I am much simpler. But when it comes to the actual printing, where being type A is beneficial I am having far fewer problems than the other students. </div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/D5EE03F8-ECDB-400E-9903-99CF88559851_zpswujx06pi.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo D5EE03F8-ECDB-400E-9903-99CF88559851_zpswujx06pi.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/D5EE03F8-ECDB-400E-9903-99CF88559851_zpswujx06pi.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is a printing screen. When its clean it is the yellow color. We put the green emulsion on it and let it dry in a dark box. Then you lay your design in a light box and put the screen on top. Depending on your design you turn the light box on for a 45 seconds up to a few minutes. Then quickly take it from the box to the dark washing room to wash the emulsion that wasn't exposed to the light out. That area becomes your design. In the above photo I covered the areas I wasn't printing with tape and freezer paper.</div>
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So for my first project I did my cow.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/40C885CF-A85F-46AF-BB90-5DFF1FE4EED5_zpsp6uwiesv.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 40C885CF-A85F-46AF-BB90-5DFF1FE4EED5_zpsp6uwiesv.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/40C885CF-A85F-46AF-BB90-5DFF1FE4EED5_zpsp6uwiesv.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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The green was printed first, then the purple and finally the pink. I was just trying to use pretty colors, but my teacher has proclaimed it a Zombie Cow.</div>
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For the second project we used india ink to make abstract designs. I'm not so great at abstract. I started slowly and finally drew a few designs I liked. I printed each of them a little different. I used the same three colors in the same order, but printed the designs in different orders and used five different designs. </div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/D890CEFA-6F97-4F2C-AC0A-E7DEE5E8478E_zpsn05aoqes.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo D890CEFA-6F97-4F2C-AC0A-E7DEE5E8478E_zpsn05aoqes.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20Courtney%20Weigands%20MacBook/blog%20photos/D890CEFA-6F97-4F2C-AC0A-E7DEE5E8478E_zpsn05aoqes.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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This was one of my favorites. At first I didn't like the project, but I ended up with several that I liked and a few that I hated. I printed on small pieces of paper and was able to do three each pull so these went really quickly.</div>
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The third project involves india ink pens and tracing and text! I'm excited to see how mine turns out.</div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-76013953944143857632014-03-27T21:36:00.001-04:002014-03-27T21:36:02.996-04:00Call Me Crafty: Mason Jar Planter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If you follow me on Instagram you saw this project a while back. I took tons of pictures during the process then completely forgot to blog about it. So finally here you are! </div>
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My friend Catherine discovered this idea on Pinterest and we decided along with our other friend Jenn to have a craft day to make some of our own.</div>
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We met up and headed to Home Depot where we picked up the hardware and wood. We had Home Depot cut the boards to size (which is a fantastic service!) and headed back to Catherine's to get to work.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1603_zps71a6e29d.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1603_zps71a6e29d.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1603_zps71a6e29d.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Supplies we purchased per planter:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Three Mason jars</li>
<li>Three adjustable plumbing rings</li>
<li>Wall hanger and nails</li>
<li>Three screws</li>
<li>Wood- we took the jars to the store and measured the sizing on the go</li>
<li>Three plants</li>
<li>Cactus/succulent dirt</li>
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Supplies Catherine had on hand:</div>
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<li>Drill</li>
<li>Hammer</li>
<li>Stain</li>
<li>Paint brush</li>
<li>Rag</li>
<li>Sand paper</li>
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Process:</div>
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We started by sanding our board a little and applying a layer of stain. After letting it dry a little bit we wiped down our board with the rag and then allowed it to dry some more.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1604_zps9a7dc119.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1604_zps9a7dc119.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1604_zps9a7dc119.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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While our boards were drying we planted our succulents in the jars. The jars have no drainage. After planting I wondered if we should of put a layer of rock on the bottom like you would in a terrarium, but not enough to go back and replant. However I think using the special soil for cactus and succulents works well. My plants are thriving so far. I just water them fully when I water them, which is about every week and a half, and then let the soil dry completely before watering again.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1605_zpsd457dd69.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1605_zpsd457dd69.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1605_zpsd457dd69.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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After our boards were dry we attached the hangers.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1606_zpsdbd50af5.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1606_zpsdbd50af5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1606_zpsdbd50af5.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then proceeded to screw the rings to the boards. It wasn't as easy as we hoped. The slots in the rings were a little bit smaller than our screws. On my first attempt I completely stripped the screw. After that we tried prying the slots open a little wider and got the screw going a little before using the power drill and it worked ok. We were using wood screws, maybe a stronger screw would of just plowed through the ring, but I'm not sure.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started in the middle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">measuring was hard</td></tr>
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After they were attached to the board I tightened the rings a bit before slipping the jars inside and finished tightening the screws.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1610_zpsec071634.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1610_zpsec071634.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1610_zpsec071634.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finished project!</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1612_zpsb1a5bc49.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1612_zpsb1a5bc49.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1612_zpsb1a5bc49.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once I got home I immediately hung it up on the wall because I wasn't sure where else to put it. I hung it by my bedroom window because while by living room is over run with plants I didn't have any in my bedroom!</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_3858_zps1f5edb43.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_3858_zps1f5edb43.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_3858_zps1f5edb43.jpg" height="640" width="638" /></a></div>
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As I mentioned earlier, all my plants are doing well. But learned the hard way that the orange flower on the cactus was glued on! I know! The way the cactus was growing was moving the flower to the front so I pulled it off. I managed to get all of the flower off, but the glue is a bit more challenging especially with all the pokies. Oh and the plant on the right is doing much better and not leaning so much.</div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-42251269312115476692014-02-17T10:13:00.001-05:002014-02-17T10:13:59.518-05:00Call me Crafty: Book Clutch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I got a sewing machine for Christmas so I immediately went to the internets to find sewing projects. I wanted to start small and ended up being inspired by a project that didn't require a ton of sewing, a <a href="http://seekatesew.com/buy-diy-zipper-book-clutch-tutorial-gift-kits/">book clutch by See Kate Sew</a>. </div>
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I picked out some hard cover books for $2 a piece at the local thrift/antique store, Miss Pixies. It was fun picking out titles that I never heard of but were fun nonetheless. I cut the pages out. Don't worry I kept them to read…. or do some other craft with later.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1622_zps808fdcf8.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1622_zps808fdcf8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1622_zps808fdcf8.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then it was time to prep the zipper.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1623_zps6b09bf31.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1623_zps6b09bf31.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1623_zps6b09bf31.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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And sew the zipper.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1625_zpsc7d9dfee.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1625_zpsc7d9dfee.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1625_zpsc7d9dfee.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Iron the zipper.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1628_zpse0d06a3e.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1628_zpse0d06a3e.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1628_zpse0d06a3e.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Glue the zipper to the book.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1629_zpsf4a8b8c5.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1629_zpsf4a8b8c5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1629_zpsf4a8b8c5.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then glue liner fabric.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1632_zpsa8b6de3a.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1632_zpsa8b6de3a.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1632_zpsa8b6de3a.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tada! Mine is a bit bulkier than Kate's. I guess I didn't glue the zipper far enough in on the book. I still think it is fun. I also didn't glue fabric on the outside of the book. I liked the way the red and black cover was already.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1633_zpse269f124.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1633_zpse269f124.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1633_zpse269f124.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1636_zps77ad336b.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1636_zps77ad336b.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1636_zps77ad336b.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-17418308401515300542014-01-31T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-27T20:50:39.162-04:00Call me Crafty: My magnet is growing<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I think I missed one Handi-hour last year. It turned out to be the gardening one. They had little terra cotta pots to decorate and plant some small plants in and then they also had corks to make into tiny air plant vase magnets. Lucky for me I have good friends and was gifted a plant magnet that I've proudly displayed at work. Sometime over the holidays it decided to die, but I had several months of joy with that guy.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1621_zpsaac8c0e0.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1621_zpsaac8c0e0.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1621_zpsaac8c0e0.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Inspired I decided to make a few of my own for Christmas gifts. Only when I went back to Ace Hardware their summer/fall supply of air plants was dry and dead. Defeated. I had purchased an air plant earlier in the year though just because I'm a sucker for succulents. It had just been chilling in a vase so I decided to give him a new home.</div>
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I used a cork from a beer bottle someone had recently enjoyed at my apartment and glued on a spare magnet with super glue. I made a hole in the top with a knife and stuck him inside. A month later, so far so good.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_1620_zpsfd0ffbb3.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1620_zpsfd0ffbb3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_1620_zpsfd0ffbb3.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-33896006012730995382014-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:002014-03-27T20:50:20.590-04:00Call me Crafty: Placemats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Mobile%20Uploads/62DCEE46-453F-4D8A-BB80-9E9F72742BCA_zpsixahz9y0.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 62DCEE46-453F-4D8A-BB80-9E9F72742BCA_zpsixahz9y0.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Mobile%20Uploads/62DCEE46-453F-4D8A-BB80-9E9F72742BCA_zpsixahz9y0.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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My friend Catherine and I made these placemats. We bought 3 yards of burlap from Joann's Fabric. I used a plate, remote, beer bottle, and scissors to determine the proper size (very professional and precise). I used her stencils and a giant paint pen to write EAT on them. I made sure to have newspaper underneath for bleed through and ended up doing more of a dab method than a draw method. Catherine ended up with 8 placemats and wrote "Eat" in different languages on each one, very cute.</div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-75569264275938453702014-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:002014-01-13T06:00:10.051-05:00I'm FREE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Mobile%20Uploads/9791E94C-71D0-447B-AA5E-A7262718D68D_zpsvtcmwvfs.jpg.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 9791E94C-71D0-447B-AA5E-A7262718D68D_zpsvtcmwvfs.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Mobile%20Uploads/9791E94C-71D0-447B-AA5E-A7262718D68D_zpsvtcmwvfs.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Mobile%20Uploads/E70EFB73-0A9D-49C6-9872-1FCC0CE40372_zpsrubvkwet.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo E70EFB73-0A9D-49C6-9872-1FCC0CE40372_zpsrubvkwet.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Mobile%20Uploads/E70EFB73-0A9D-49C6-9872-1FCC0CE40372_zpsrubvkwet.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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A few months ago I first got the idea of wireless headphones in my head. I saw some on a blog and got jealous. I don't mind running with headphones. I can keep my phone in my pocket or on the treadmill and the headphones mostly stay out of my way. But when I try to do cross training or weightlifting that wire really gets in my way. I'm not someone that always needs to be listening to music, but doing the NTC app workouts at the gym can be difficult when I can't hear the lady tell me what to do or I have to battle with a wire. So after a less than stellar day on Tuesday I made the split decision to see if Radio Shack sold bluetooth headphones. </div>
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They had three different styles, but the salesman was really pushing the <a href="http://www.quikcell.com/Quikcell.html">Quickcell headphones</a>. He was wearing them and I asked him how much he jumped around in them and personal questions like how much he sweat (he said ALOT). They were also the cheapest option at $39 (but I see you can get them online for <a href="http://www.frys.com/product/7858419?source=googleps&gclid=CKK-343Y8rsCFaxQOgodigkATA">$29</a>). So I went for them. </div>
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So far I'm really happy. They are light and completely stay in place through running miles, burpees, squat jumps, push-ups, and every other workout activity I've thrown at them. I don't really notice them much when working out, but when I've worn them while just chillin' I notice the pressure a little bit. Also they don't fit as well or stay in place as well when I have my hair down (but I have a lot of hair) or when I try to put on a stocking cap or sunglasses.</div>
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The other downside I hadn't really thought about, but comes along with all bluetooth headphones (I assume) is that they need to be charged (another cord!). These say they have 5 hours of music playback or 6 hours of talking on the phone. I haven't had them die on me yet. My phone displays how much battery they have left and they use a pretty common charging cord (the same one my eReader uses and Android phones).</div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-85057053278699792052014-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:002014-03-27T20:50:01.976-04:00Call me Crafty: There is an Elephant in my Window<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2BEA8FE1-9CFE-4D1D-B912-1251F4E8BE66_zps02axxox2.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2BEA8FE1-9CFE-4D1D-B912-1251F4E8BE66_zps02axxox2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Mobile%20Uploads/2BEA8FE1-9CFE-4D1D-B912-1251F4E8BE66_zps02axxox2.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm not claiming this one as my own, but I wanted to share this elephant wonder. My sister Kristen, <a href="http://www.thecraftyrunner.com/">the CraftyRunner</a>, painted this elephant and turned him in to a plantyderm (see what I did there?) by cutting a hole in his back and a drainage hole in his belly. I threw a baby cactus inside and love him. What should I name him?</div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-27085602223475853132014-01-09T22:08:00.002-05:002014-01-09T22:08:43.855-05:00A few more...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/Mobile%20Uploads/82C2B218-F24C-40C2-986D-A8D242F20AAA_zpse06cwodx.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 82C2B218-F24C-40C2-986D-A8D242F20AAA_zpse06cwodx.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/Mobile%20Uploads/82C2B218-F24C-40C2-986D-A8D242F20AAA_zpse06cwodx.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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So this morning I woke up tired and thought maybe I should sleep more, which lead to why isn't that a resolution? So I thought I'd add a few more.</div>
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<b>Sleep more during the week.</b> I'm an all-star sleeper on the weekend, but during the week for some reason I think I only need 7 hours of sleep, but I think I'm naturally more of a 9 hour type of girl. The fact that I like a few shows that run 10-11pm and that if I work out in the morning I have to get up by 6:30 is going to make this challenging. I'm going to start by making sure I'm in bed by 11, not that I just start thinking about it at 11. Also saving longer workouts for after work or speeding up my morning routine will give me a few more minutes in bed.</div>
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<b>Learn more about money. </b>I'm just not that interested in investing and funds and stocks and retirement stuff. I do it, but I could do it better. I decided I'd start listening to Suze Orman's weekly podcast (baby steps right?). Any other suggestions of fun/easy/interesting resources?</div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-12622628799170821722014-01-08T21:02:00.001-05:002014-01-08T21:02:48.614-05:00New Year's goals/resolutions/to-do list/ideas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_3647_zpsc0c2bf66.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_3647_zpsc0c2bf66.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_3647_zpsc0c2bf66.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wasn't really planning on doing a New Year's list, but my fan(s) (maybe?) have spoken (Hi Kristen) so here are a few things I hope to accomplish this year. I've broken it down into Year goals, monthly goals, and some things I'm working on for January.</div>
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First though lets reflect on last year's:</div>
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1. Run the Marine Corps Marathon with Kristen- Didn't happen, we tried to sign up, didn't get in and decided to do the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half, which then got <a href="http://bbto79th.blogspot.com/2013/11/woodrow-wilson-bridge-half-marathon.html">postponed and I ended up running it alone.</a></div>
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2. Volunteer- SUCCESS! I helped organize the <a href="http://bbto79th.blogspot.com/2013/10/september-in-review.html">bicycle accessory contest at the DC State Fair.</a></div>
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3. Get outside more- I'll call this a SUCCESS, I ran outside a lot this year and dined outside whenever possible.</div>
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4. Continue to make an effort to see my scattered friends in scattered places- SUCCESS! Phoenix, Missouri x2</div>
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5. Take my lunch to work once a week- Pretty much a SUCCESS, I didn't do it every week, but some weeks I took my lunch several days.</div>
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6. See a play at Studio theater and or Kennedy Center- FAIL all though I did see the musical If/Then at the National Theater (it left for NYC, GO SEE IT!)</div>
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7. Spend time with Gretchen- I say a SUCCESS, several trips to Missouri and <a href="http://bbto79th.blogspot.com/2013/10/teaching-gretchen-city-life.html">she made one trip to DC</a>.</div>
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Now on to 2014!</div>
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<b>Year goals</b></div>
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Blog more consistently (I need to keep my parents happy)</div>
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See something at the Studio Theater (for real this time)</div>
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<b>Monthly goals</b></div>
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Craft/Sew something new</div>
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Go somewhere new</div>
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Eat somewhere new</div>
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<b>January goals</b></div>
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Run at least one mile a day</div>
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Do the Nike Training Club App Get Lean Advanced Program</div>
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Organize my photos and backup them up and print some</div>
<br />Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-41082668908936007312014-01-07T06:00:00.000-05:002014-01-07T06:00:00.635-05:00Crafting at Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
While I was home for Christmas as always we decided to do a project. Since I had recently learned how to arm knit I taught the rest of the family how. I got everyone started pretty quickly. My oldest sister, Kristen, picked it up right away and was the first one finished. After one false start my other sister, Beth, got going good and was done in no time. My Aunt Betty arrived late, but was a natural at casting on (from her regular knitting experience). She wasn't as much a natural at the rest of the process and restarted a few times. My mom had a few hiccups as well, but after taking a break for dinner they finished up and we all had beautiful scarves.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom in the middle of a big tangle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Betty arm knitting</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finished product</td></tr>
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My mom also had an idea for the place setting, which I implemented</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_3779_zpsd0a33aac.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_3779_zpsd0a33aac.jpg" border="0" height="640" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_3779_zpsd0a33aac.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916315350323605011.post-13986180199713770082014-01-03T22:43:00.001-05:002014-01-03T22:43:45.876-05:00Family at Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My family doesn't really like to get their picture taken. Nor do they really like to take photos. I like both so I don't know what happened with me. I tried to get some photos this Christmas because I realized both my apartment and cubicle at work was bare of anything but Gretchen photos and Kristen and I looking sweaty. </div>
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I messed up from the start by forgetting my nice camera in DC. I was left with my iPhone. I decided to play with one of my apps with a photo timer. Gretchen, Travis, and I tested it out with balloons. From this exercise I realized that my brother is fairly photogenic and people think a yellow balloon looks like a crown.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">toss it Gretchen!</td></tr>
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On Christmas Eve on a whim I convinced Gretchen to sit in this tub for a photo. The light is terrible, but she was really on board with the idea.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_3747_zps64b327e5.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_3747_zps64b327e5.jpg" border="0" height="640" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_3747_zps64b327e5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I also caught this one with my Dad, his arms block his face, which is perfect because he usually closes his eyes in photos.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_3753_zpse4c562b9.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_3753_zpse4c562b9.jpg" border="0" height="640" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_3753_zpse4c562b9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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On Christmas morning the cows are just as much a part of the family as the rest of us as they get Christmas first. Growing up we always had to wait for our Dad to feed the cows before he would come back home and we could open gifts. Back then it felt like an eternity (and it felt like he was going slow on purpose). These days my brother helps and I can easily still be in bed when they get back to the house at 9 am.</div>
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We went over to my aunt's house for Christmas Brunch. While my sisters were cuddling in the big chair I snuck in for a sisters shot.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_3776_zpsaea1a14e.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_3776_zpsaea1a14e.jpg" border="0" height="640" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_3776_zpsaea1a14e.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Further brother photogenic evidence</div>
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We played the game Heads Up for awhile, which allowed me to capture my uncle blocking his face.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_3761_zpse9a7b017.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_3761_zpse9a7b017.jpg" border="0" height="640" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_3761_zpse9a7b017.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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After we got back home and opened the rest of our presents I tried to get a group shot of all of us. My niece posed the first shot, saying that we all needed to hold hands (yes we do most of what she tells us to). She really has great ideas, if only my Dad had more than just his hand in this picture… Christmas card quality I think.</div>
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<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Courtney_Weigand/media/IMG_3775_zps3bbe2a9c.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_3775_zps3bbe2a9c.jpg" border="0" height="300" src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a495/Courtney_Weigand/IMG_3775_zps3bbe2a9c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09070076763905057865noreply@blogger.com1