Back in Business

My, my, has it been a while!  Shortly after our trip to Shenandoah, 4 major things occurred--

1) I began doing full-blown trials at work!  Needless to say, as a brand new TRIAL attorney I learned the meaning of hard work all over again... late night phone calls to nutsy witnesses, staying at the office past 9:00pm regularly, legal research ad nauseam, writing out what I planned to say word for word, only to forget it all!  It's been a whole new world.  But honestly, I enjoy it.  I enjoy doing the good work, being on the side of someone with nobody else on their side.  But yeah, people's liberty has been taking precedence over writing blog posts.

2) I moved!  There was only one small (major) hiccup...my movers cancelled on me the night before...yes, the greatest feelings of rage I have ever had to hold in because I got the phone call while at work.  But hey, besides that, I LOVE my new place.  I'm close enough to walk to work (which is AMAZING!) and to Whole Foods and to the shopping district and to the museum district, etc, etc.  Its a GREAT place to be, in a lovely neighborhood right downtown.  Love <3 br="">

3) The holidays; always a busy time.  Plus I went to California and became wrapped up in my baby niece, who is the cutest little lady in the entire world!  I am definitely Baby Gwen's #1 fan.

Our family bike ride was one of my favorite activities :)

4) Last, but not least, I fell in love.  I call him Jack and he is amazing.  And look! We've been having the time of our lives!

Here we are enjoying an early December weekend in NYC:

Luncheon at 21 Club during their special Salvation Army Band event.  We got to sing Christmas carols along with the brass band-- it definitely put us in the Christmas spirit!

 The Christmas Tree at The Rockefeller Center.  The streets in downtown New York were PACKED with shoppers and tourists!  It was nuts!  We even tried some roasted chestnuts from a street vendor and they hit the spot.

 
But the highlight of the weekend was seeing an opera at The Met!  Such a joy!  Ever since I was in high school, I have been telling my girlfriend, "I want a man who will take me to the opera..."  Little did Jack know, but he was making a very good move by taking me there!

 

We also saw The Nutcracker in Philadelphia at The Academy of Music this season--

And--BIG NEWS-- he came home with me for Christmas to be with the whole family :D

Isn't he handsome?!

I think Baby Gwen now has TWO biggest fans-- Jack picked out this outfit for her for Christmas:

Shenandoah National Park

It was my great pleasure to spend a wonderful long weekend with 2 amazing & adventurous friends in Virginia's gorgeous Shenandoah National Park!  What a treat!  I seriously had an amazing time!

River bath on Day 2, haha

We all cramped into a tent and spent our first day on a short hike to some falls and enjoyed the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley.

On the second day we ventured up Old Rag Mountain which included a significant rock scramble portion.  I've done a LOT of hiking and backpacking, and I think that this was honestly the coolest, most fun day hike I have EVER been on.  And that is saying something!

On the last day we explored some HUGE local caverns and caves, which was pretty cool.

On the way home we even stopped for some delicious local BBQ at a little roadside restaurant + got some ice cream (you know that was a highlight for me!)-- so good!

I'll let the photos tell the story...

We saw bears!!

Just admiring some local art-- especially of the bicycle variety, of which I am particularly fond.


 These are hanging in my local bike shop-- Trophy Bikes-- they are prints based on the Tour De France by Eleanor Design & Illustration and I'm definitely planning on buying some:

 This is from 2nd Street, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia:

This is from downtown, near my office.  Looks like someone shares my sentiments towards the USPS...

And just in time for summer, here's a graffiti ice cream cone man!

But this is the real gem.  I LOVE this wheatpaste.  I have been asking artists friends if they know who's work it is.  I love it- an African American/Botticelli's Birth of Venus/Andy Warhol/Iconic Americana/Housewife. It's amazing: