Alison and Michael's Rehearsal Dinner, The Hay-Adams, 6.9.17

Friday evening was a perfectly glorious, eighty degree, no humidity night for the rehearsal dinner at The Hay-Adams. Secret service guys were checking into our hotel as I left to walk down the street two blocks to dinner. E met me there coming in from Baltimore. All were greeted by these Shinola bikes at The Hay-Adams Hotel. Such a nice nod for this bike loving couple.

Don't you love a gorgeous invitation? The gray ink. The ecru paper? Love it. The lipstick is covering up the private email address of Momma Bear Jeanne. Michael calls his mom, Momma Bear and it suits. She is a rock star!!! Thank you Koenigs for such a perfect night. One of the best parts of weddings is getting real mail and stamps. As a side note, this lipstick is a good one if anyone is looking for a perfect matte. Thank you Brittany from House Lars Built Instastory for the makeup tip. And can we discuss balloon arches for anything event related? How fun for an art college event. 

The flower boxes at the Hay-Adams were simple red begonias. I can't get enough of flower boxes now that we only have a porch, no more Stone Hill Farm...but that's a story for another post.

Again, the weather was perfection. Guests gathered for cocktails on the terrace. They passed crab cakes and the most wonderful Manchego cheese and fig bites.

We were told to go to the 9th floor. The rooftop. If you've never been to the top of The Hay-Adams Hotel, do whatever you can to get there. The views of the White House, monuments and all of DC are second to none. Yes, it's even better than being at the W hotel. Back in the 1990s when I worked at WashingtonInc we did World Bank dinners here often. My colleague Nancy had the first wedding EVER on the roof of The Hay-Adams in a tent. You can tell they've updated the roof and it was climate controlled and elegantly latticed.

Two long tables of 40 each made for an intimate feel for speeches and toasts.

Photo credit, Emily Stephen

The gorgeous bride.

Fran and Margaret enjoying cocktails on the terrace.

The Kenworthy crew.

Name that monument. It's a truly breathtaking view. Eric and I could even see the Mandarin Oriental where we found our love from the roof.

E arrived as we sat down for dinner. He sat next to Stuart's brother and sister-in-law. Emily, another youth groupie, took pictures for the night. The next three are Emily's photos. 

I will cherish this one Emily. Nothing like a ring shot with snuggles on the side. Do you see the bracelet nearest Ali's elbow? Michael's mother gave Alison this gift at the bridesmaid luncheon earlier that day. Chris, Mike's dad, gave it to Jeanne when Michael was BORN. Oh my tears. What a gorgeous gift and as you can see, Alison collects these antique bangles. 

You truly couldn't pick better role models for marriage than these parents. Mike spoke about the way his Dad still grabs Momma Bear for a dance around the kitchen. Be still my dancing heart. Stuart has often told us that marriage is work but it truly gets better with age, like wine!

We had an excellent meal that Jeanne organized to perfection. The lobster bisque started us off. I nearly used the cream soup bowl handles to chug the last drop. Did you know that's actually what the handles are for, per my mother's stories. Mac and Elise have Grandmommy Nancy's china and Mom always said the cream soup bowls were the coolest part of that set.

A simple wedge salad rounded out the second course. 

I admit I stole this picture from little Margaret Grace's FB page. Love you Phoof. The entrees arrived and each guest had a choice of fish or beef. The gratin potatoes were a decadent treat of crunchy cheese topping and heavy cream layers. My filet was perfectly prepared and I know E enjoyed his salmon. Jacqueline and I broke our bread literally so we could share my olive bread and her French roll. It felt like a family gathering. It was such an elegant evening, but everyone was so wonderfully authentic and casual like old friends.

The red wine was also so good I took a picture of the label so I wouldn't forget it for my next event. I need to get this for our fall board meeting. This Pinot packed a punch of dark cherry and forward fruit. Ha! My notes pale in comparison to the Food Network writer at our table.

This bride left no stone un-turned! Ali paired us next to the biggest foodies in the room. When your husband ends up talking the whole night to his neighbor you know the bromance is real. Follow our new foodie friends @eriniam and @uneviecreative on Instagram, and this beautifully written fashion blog from Jen.

As we were eating our entree I noticed four helicopters flying, not landing, outside of the open balcony windows. The sun was setting. Then I heard the the whap-whap of blades and noticed this across the lawn.

I stole this from another friend on FaceBook via Instagram, from Friday, June 9, 2017. His timing had this at 5:30 pm. So my story may not be completely factual since cocktails began at six. But why let facts get in the way of a good story, right? I did notice the fire alarm lights go on, and did actually see a helicopter fly over somewhere before dessert. But we were all so engrossed in the conversation and Alison and Michael's love fest that no one paid attention. Maybe Emily caught it on camera? 

A trio of desserts and coffee were served while the speeches began. Strawberry eclairs anyone? This event space was so special even for the lifetime Washingtonians in the room, which Hadley pointed out so eloquently in her toast.

We left as the waiters passed mini sliders and sorbet cones to keep the party going for guests who arrived in town late. Nice touch Mamma Bear Jeanne!!!

There were no tears in the toasts. Everyone was so focused on the present moment, the goodness of fate bringing these two together, and the stories of friendship. If we could bottle the love from this evening we could cure all the world's problem. 

That evening I took Ali and Michael into a quiet corner and prayed for them. I asked them to imagine Alison's veil as a covering over both of them in the next hours before their wedding, and all throughout their marriage in their minds eye. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would cover them, like this veil, and protect them from any harm, anxious thoughts or negative energy as they prepared for their journey together as husband and wife. I asked it in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Alison's Bridemaid's Luncheon, The George Town Club, Washington DC

Hello dear ones. I had to dust off the 'ole blog to share Alison and Michael's wedding weekend adventures.  It's been over a year since my last blog post. Feels like confession. That's three Bloody Mary's.

Driving into Washington, DC from Baltimore felt like coming home for a family reunion. The bride, Alison, was one of my "youth groupies" so hilariously named by Lizzo years after the actual J2A classes. Alison was 13 when she was in my class. She admitted she HATED it at first. Man, I'm so glad she stuck with our youth group at Christ Church over 20 years ago.  

Ewalking and I left DC ten years ago. I was the Director of Catering at The George Town Club then and ironically, the luncheon was held at the club on Friday. It really was a blast from the past. They have opened up the windows in the Main Dining Room, refreshed the sofas in lighter shades of beige, and done an outstanding renovation in the Club Room. It was such a treat to see it looking so fresh. 

I also worked for Ali's dad, Stuart when I was at Christ Church, Georgetown. I remember Fran opening their home for a rectory new member reception, I was maybe 23 years old and remember hanging out in the kitchen with their youngest daughter Margaret Grace and middle child Stuart. Ali's dad was the rector of Christ Church and married us 10 years ago. When Stuart came to our wedding my cousins all greeted him like an old friend, since he had been participating in our football and basketball bowl pools for years. When Stuart finally won the pot one year, I remember everyone cheering for him on-line because it had been quiet a long, dry run of loosing. 

But I digress. See, I still go around the world to tell a story. Back to Bridesmaids and bubbly.

And garlic scapes in the flower arrangements. Be still my locally grown heart. Fran and Linda hosted this beautiful party and the flowers were from Ultra Violet. 

Franny, these are all for you. Since we love to document all the little details,especially the food.

The mother's were beaming ear to ear. Laughter and wise womanly advice was given freely. And a few tears were shared when Michael's sister told us all how much Michael comes alive when Alison is in the room.

Alison, Fran and Jeanne.

Linda thought of absolutely everything. She gave each friend a vintage handkerchief tucked in a Victorian paper nosegay cone. I desperately needed this gift on Saturday watching Stuart walk Ali down the aisle. But let's not jump ahead. She also asked friends to write letters of advice to the bride.

Alison's fabulous vintage dress was a score on one of her many trips around the country at Bad Granny's Bazaar in Oklahoma City. She is an award winning producer at ABC for Good Morning America and met Mike on a Bike at work. Watch their video below learning to tango!

I'm sure I'm not the only one having a wedding weekend happy hangover. I loved meeting all of these smart, brilliant and beautiful women. And of course hugging your faces, Hadley, Margaret and our beautiful bride!

As we left, Fran gave us these fabulous Scout bags. Expertly filled with comforting welcome goodies. That Popped Republic Popcorn is a game changer!

Words and pictures really can't express the love I have for the Kenworthy's. Stuart gave me a job after loosing mine after 9/11. Teaching J2A at Christ Church with Shep and Ann will still be one of the favorite seasons of my life. Ali loves to travel and I think, just maybe, it's because we all went to England on a holy pilgrimage together in 1999. Then in 2001 we camped in the dessert of Mexico on a mission trip. We took bucket showers and grilled our food. Now she jet sets all over the world telling stories. By the grace of God she found Michael who is the perfect ying to her yang. Michael's mother hugged me as if we had known each other for decades too. It was a full-on-love-fest and we truly couldn't be happier for you both. 

Wonder at The Renwick with Stinger

Stinger and I broke out of Pre-K and hit the Wonder exhibit at The Renwick this week. I've been trying to go for months, following the #renwickgallery hashtags on Instagram. I don't think I can accurately express how excited I was to spend the day with my littlest god daughter at a museum. I packed a bento box filled with raspberries, little wheels of cheese with the red wax and a tiny ham sandwich to eat on the way through town. Bento boxes are seriously so much fun for kids.

We parked across the street and she asked why there were so many people around. It was lunch time. We didn't step on one crack crossing the plaza. Four year olds are the best.

The show is set up in eight installations. It was incredible going back to a museum I fell in love with in college. I remember Game Fish, in the permanent collection, made out of baby dolly pieces and bottle caps. The Wonder exhibit opened after a two year renovation.

Please read here for details about each instillation. 

Stinger in the stacks of index cards.

Stinger and the rainbow string.

Her favorite.

I remember first seeing Patrick Dougherty's pieces at The Phillips Collection.

They always remind me of the woods on Glenwood Hill.

Stinger in the sticks. The joy in her eyes says it all. Thank you Patrick.

It was like playing in the woods, inside.

Stinger and the stars.

The rooms with the things we could touch were the most fun. 

We almost set off the alarms checking this room out. It is wild. The bugs actually make the "wallpaper". 

Maya Lin made the Chesapeake Bay out of marbles. I asked Hastings what she thought it was and she thought it looked like ice.

When you go, don't forget to look up.

We looked up a lot.

Don't forget to look inside things too.

You may need to turn upside down a little to check everything out.

We went on a Wednesday and lucked out. 

We had lots of room to observe.

I brought a travel coloring pencil set and we crashed under the nets in the "pretty room" and rested here for an hour. An HOUR with a 4.8 year old. It was the most magical place. 

The colors changed slowly. We camped out on a bean bag after a beautifully dressed Asian woman got up from a full on nap. 

She drew the pretty room with the tree trunk in the other gallery. Truly gifted this one.

We drew pictures, and took pictures.

Stinger loved the shadows on the back wall the best. Look.

It was more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. Back in the day you walked up the stairs and saw rows and rows of paintings. It was such a dramatic, gorgeous difference. 

I can't wait to watch this little one grow and see what's next at The Renwick. 

Thank you Stinger for such a fun day. Thanks Marge and Scott for letting me break her out of PreK early. Thank you Renwick for being brave and awesome.