Tuesday, October 8, 2013

J.Lo and the Mad Hatters

Friends, I've been "saving" money like nobody's business. Last weekend we were in Washington DC for the HRC National Dinner and I wore my $168 dress for the fifth(!) time.  As New Blue was kind of older now, I "treated" myself to a green clutch which was "relatively" inexpensive, allowing me to purchase an industrial pair of Spanx to reign in the summer splurging - landsakes those suckers are pricey! Anyway, enough of the speechmarks madness....

Me and Kevin leaving the St Regis for the HRC Dinner. 
The new purse and  jills 

J.Lo was honored at the dinner (she is unbelievably beautiful and, seriously, who else could pull off this dress?) Sara Bareilles sang (King of Anything)  and Obama sent a video speech 

Me and Kevin at the Capitol

There was some angst on my part about getting ready for the Dinner (besides the constant tucking in of my new under-arm fat). The hairdresser doing the blow out said I had hair as rough as a horse and it was the best she could do. It was so hot (80 degrees) that my spray tan melted down my face when I emerged from the booth. I had to wash it off and start again.

Talking of madness, while in DC we were able to witness the Shutdown madness wreaked by the Tea Party.  With a name like that you would think they are a jolly ole' bunch of bods sipping tea and nibbling on baked goods. In fact they turn out to be a pack of wankers who don't want people who are poorer than them to have access to decent healthcare. Their time would be better spent cutting the crusts off their tiny sandwiches.

OK, political broadcast over. Five things to do in Washington DC during the Shutdown.

1. Four Hour Walking Tour:  Not sure why, but we spent a lot of time listing all the Jamie Leigh Curtis movies ever made. As our friend Mike said to the guide: "That's what you get when you walk around DC with a gay couple, a metrosexual and his wife."

Reflecting War Memorial


Martin Luther King monument


2. Spy Museum: Who cares about the James Bond exhibit but fascinating stuff about a British woman with a wooden leg who milked cows and leaked secrets at the same time.

3. Rooftop cocktail at the W - best views in town.

4. Phillips Collection: Rothko to Picasso in an elegant building near Embassy Row.

One of the many Picassos in the Phillips Collection, launched in 1921, the first modern art collection in the US


5. Newseum: I don't have the same fascination as many of the rest of the US with the grassy knoll and the Kennedys, but you'll be transfixed by home videos of the first family.

Jackie in a home video on their boat in Hyannisport
One of the Pulitzer prize winners for news photos

What did you get up to over the weekend?



36 comments:

  1. I'm just surprised that you wear spanx. And I love that you wore that dress a bunch of times. It looks great on you!

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  2. I am not even embarrassed to admit that your tea party tirade made me snort - cutting the crusts off their little sandwiches. I die! Wankers indeed!!!

    You look great in the dress - I'd wear it every day. And truly, had no idea they made spanx so small!

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    1. You're right Amy - I should wear it to the schoolgates!

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  3. How nice you went to this dinner. Is your husband involved in Human Rights service? You look gorgeous in the dress and I don't think you need Spanx dear. Wish I had your figure. Green clutch was a cute idea too!

    Love to get to D.C. Going to pin these ideas on my travel board.

    The Tea Party has hijacked this country, but in the end will only hurt themselves as they are radicals. Funniest part of all is that their constituent base will benefit most from the health care laws. They don't like that either. If their base ends up happy and paying less, then who is going to keep these wackos in office? Exactly.

    XKim

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    1. Hi Kim, We support the HRC and it was a great excuse to get to Washington DC, which was warm even in the evenings, a great walking city and beautifully green - I was sold! yes totally agree about their constituents benefiting the most from Obamacare - shows they are doing it for spite...

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  4. Ok - how has your hair grown so fast? Weren't you bemoaning your bangs just a few weeks ago? I'm in the same boat, as decided to get the same cut into my hair last week (why?? WHY??) and am looking for every tip I can find to grow them out asap! As for the Kennedys? I'm Irish - it's part of our DNA to be mildly (snort! read majorly) obsessed by them :)

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  5. Love the dress - you are thrifty indeed, and cannot understand why you'd need spanx... although my grandmother was of the opinion that all 'young' (read: younger than aged 85) women should be wearing a girdle. She couldn't understand why we all put comfort over looks. They were made of tougher stuff back in The Olden Days.
    Laughing at your assessment of the Tea Party. The only thing the situation has been good for is the rising Australian dollar and the internet shopping opportunities that brings.
    I too hold no interest in the Kennedys. xx

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    1. Re Spanx, not even sure if it sucks, it just seems to smoooth

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    2. PS, just remembered Sandra Bullock wore Spanx under her work trousers in The Heat.

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  6. A fun get away to DC
    Poor poor tea party
    They need to suck up to a banker
    Or just get dunked in a tanker
    Hair as rough as a horse, wow
    I guess it beats a cow

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  7. Gorgeous pics of you in DC! I love the candid shot of Jackie O!
    (='.'=)
    Lauren at adorn la femme

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  8. Gorgeous pics of you in DC! I love the candid shot of Jackie O!
    (='.'=)
    Lauren at adorn la femme

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  9. Love the dress -- 5 occasions! That's awesome. I have only been in Washington once for a day, it was a day tour from NYC so it was a ton of sightseeing crammed in with approx 45 mins-1 hour to tour each per venue/memorial, etc (plus the drive there and back), but I'd love to go again. I *do* have the Kennedys fascination..... love Jackie. Oh Hubs and I went to Madame Tussauds in Washington, that place was hilarious. We thought it would be totally cheesy and ridiculous, and it was, in the best way! Tom Cruise looks just as annoying in wax as he does in photos/movies, with that forced smile. Hubs has been to Washington since, he went on a tour of Ford's Theater and stayed at the Shoreham Hotel, which is apparently haunted.

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    1. Yes our friends who went to DC said the Ford Theatre thing is the absolute best of anything. Madame T's: isn't it amazing that someone can spent ages twiddling about with wax and not get it right? Oh well they are laughing all the way to the bank

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  10. You've reminded me there are still so many places I've yet to visit, time goes so fast! I love the dress and you look so tiny, under arm fat indeed!!

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  11. You look gorgeous and spanx indeed. If you're doing spanx, there's no hope for me. And sorry, your tirade on the tea party. LOL priceless.

    I adore that last picture of the children on the horse - beautiful and so carefree but there's part of me thinking health and safety and hope she doesn't fall off! What's this world coming to eh?

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    1. Sue - see comment below, the kids were waving to other kids on the train who were hidden, escaping their country. If you want a whole documentary of little kids galloping bareback on horses,you have to watch "The Way Of life" about a Kiwi family who is very free. A must!

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  12. I clicked on the clutch link - great price and looks superb. Looking gorgeous as ever, Jody, and so does that husband of yours.
    Love your choices for attractions in DC - the more unusual the better, I always say.

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  13. Well you certainly were the belle of the ball . You looking stunning in your electric blue and the green clutch was a great idea.

    The tea party is so difficult to understand I agree start doing some good instead of just being stubborn and unreasonable and hurting their country.
    I have never been to Washington but have only heard good reports.

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  14. You looked wonderful...loved the dress and the clutch!! All of it sounds like a wonderful time. Loved the painting :) xx

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  15. hehe - you are funny!! succinct. i like it! You look amazeballs in that dress. I love DC but for its vietnamese food and cherry blossoms.

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  16. Love this! I love you in the dress and I think I can think of only 5 Jamie Lee movies - wish I had been on that working tour!

    J Lo is indeed made of different stuff than we mere mortals! And hair like a horse - I would take that as a compliment and you look beautiful!

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  17. LOVE what you said about the Tea Party. So so true :)

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  18. My weekend was certainly not as exciting as yours--I just laughed so hard about the Jamie Lee Curtis movies but Jackie O's hair is pretty great too. Sounds like it was great fun!

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  19. I haven't been to Washington but that gallery looks a must.
    I get the same enjoyment reading your preparations for an outing as I still do reading about Jo and Meg preparing for a dance and sharing a pair of gloves.
    I had to google Spanx and realised I had a Pair - bought on impulse and never worn.
    That photo of the children makes my heart sing.

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    1. Pat - isn't it an amazing picture. The photographer was traveling on a train with some children who were hidden, escaping a nightmare regime in Central America and the kids on the train called out to the kids on the horse!!!

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  20. Nothing like YOU did!But Iam departing for EUROPE in three hours!!!!!STAY TUNED!

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  21. 1. that sounds like a great weekend. 2. let's talk about how gorgeous you look. despite the heat and the tan meltdown, you truly look amazing!

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  22. OK, you got me at spray tan.

    The dress looks great on you!

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  23. How cute do you two look? and what a great place Washington is.....me and the mister had a great holiday there for my 40th birthday (many many years ago), and thought it was a wonderful city......I remember being surprised to see so many girls in businesss suits wearing trainers. You surely do not need spanx, lady, but the underarm fat hiding made me laugh!

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  24. Yes! They are still doing that! I have never seen so many black sheaths and so many women wearing Banana republic (I saw my green BR trou 10 times!)

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  25. it's been years since i've been to d.c.....you've given me the bug....
    ugh..that tea party though!!

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    1. katie - just loved how you could walk outside the restaurant at night into balmy 80 degrees, you probably have that where you are though...

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  26. I'm playing catch up because apparently I've been on a reading hiatus, and writing, too. No time. Glad you are well. You always look amazing.

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