Things I Love...4/6/16

1. The Hour: When K and I came to the DC area for the first time last October, we knew that there was a possibility that we would move here.  So we decided to explore a couple different areas in Maryland and Virginia.  Alexandria was the place we fell in love with, with its super charming old town and quaint vibe, we thought "this was a place we could live"!  And much of that charm came from this amazing shop, The Hour, a vintage cocktail boutique on King Street.  We walked in and marveled at the gorgeous, mint condition vintage glassware, cocktail shakers and more.  I had started a very small collection of vintage glasses that I had found in various antique shops throughout the Pacific Northwest but honestly none of them had been that great.  The Hour isn't your local goodwill, it is a boutique full of amazing and unique pieces and for me it is definitely a special occasion kind of shop.  So far, I have an amazing cocktail caddy set and most recently a set of black and white glasses.  The only problem is they are so beautiful I am afraid of breaking them so they mostly sit in my china cabinet, but I do break them out on occasion.  I love both of them and can't wait to add to my collection, the Hour is a treasure and if you find yourself in Alexandria, please check it out.

2. Machiavelli:  This is a sad one for me, because on of the things I am currently obsessed with is out of my reach (well, its a plane ride away but I'm not that crazy. Yet.)  Machiavelli is quite simply one of the best restaurants in Seattle.  It is cheap, incredibly consistent and delicious. The wait can be terribly long because they don't take reservations but the bar is cute and the bartenders are nice and make great, simple drinks. Or you can go around the corner to Rumba, another place I miss!   The food is simple Italian American but it's fresh and flavorful.  I think Italian food is something that can so easily be so mediocre and can be so much better at home.  Restaurants either try to be too fancy or not fancy enough with huge servings of overcooked pasta and heavy sauces.  Machiavelli isn't like that, the servings are perfect sized and perfectly cooked every time.  One thing I really value in a restaurant is consistency and I know it will be great no matter when I go, in fact I have been there tons of times and the service and food are always amazing, I have never had a bad experience.  Fettuccine Alfredo is my favorite and I don't order it anywhere else because no one can beat Machiavelli's smooth and creamy but not heavy sauce.  K and I are trying to explore lots of new places in the DC area and every time he asks me where I want to go for dinner, I say "Machiavelli!"  I don't know if I will find a place as great as it here but I am willing to try.

3. Adam and Jessa:  I have been a fan of Lena Dunham's Girls since it premiered but I have to admit there have been times I have almost given up on the show.  Sometimes I feel like Dunham is working so hard to show us the characters flaws and appalling behavior, she doesn't highlight the characters strength.  Jessa was one of those characters to me.  I loved Jemima Kirke in Tiny Furniture, Dunham's film debut, in which she placed Lena's close friend, but Dunham often didn't let Kirke highlight her natural charm.  Instead Jessa never really found her place on the show, she was never endearing, sometimes funny but mostly just such a unnecessarily cruel character to nearly all of her friends and family.  Jessa was vindictive and selfish but I would have been hard pressed to find anything positive to say about her.  Until the end of last season and the start of this one.  Jessa has found a calling and a new boyfriend, Adam (Adam Driver, every one's favorite Neanderthal), Hannah's ex.  You know, I used to love Hannah and Adam together but now that I see Jessa and him together I can't believe I didn't see it all along.  They very well may end up destroying each other but for now there is a new calmness in each of them I hadn't seen before.  There is a new tenderness in in them but they are still as perverse as ever (that role playing scene had me dying of laughter). Driver and Kirke have amazing, natural chemistry together and I want every episode to be just about them.  Plus, Jemima Kirke looks so insanely hot right now, she is just radiant. Adam and Jessa 4EVA!