#25 Bike to Mt. Vernon

 Saturday I woke up early and rode my bike to Mt. Vernon with the lovely Kathryn.  It was a cold day, but such a beautiful ride!!  I kind of crack myself up sometimes.  I thought I could get on a bike and ride 30 miles, no big deal.  Note that I've probably taken my bike out 3-4 times throughout the entire summer.  I was definitely feeling sore and tired, but thankfully had Kathryn there to push me!  I look forward to riding this trail again in the spring when it is a little warmer :) Hooray for checking another item off my 30 before 30 list! 

Seize the Day

This past weekend I had the opportunity to meet up with some friends in NYC.  I love this city.  Absolutely LOVE it.  It is most definitely one of my favorite cities to visit.  I love that I live a bus ride away.  Melissa was visiting this weekend, which made it a perfect weekend for a nyc girls reunion.  I got to spend some quality time with Bryndee, Kristan and Mel.  We did what we do best in New York: eat, shows, shop, explore/walk the city so that we can eat some more.  

My weekend kicked off with this lovely lady and some yummy Mexican food.  We ended up walking through the village, dreaming of our future brownstone on Perry Street.  We could be Sarah Jessica Parker's neighbor!  We conveniently walked past Magnolia's Bakery, which of course meant we needed to stop by and get a cupcake.  Definitely a wise decision.  It was great catching up with Bryndee and hearing all about her life in NYC.  She is one great lady!



Saturday we got lucky and won lottery tickets to this great show:


The show was very creative and well written, although I've decided I am more a musical fan than a play fan.  Nonetheless, definitely a hilarious show worth going to.  Other highlights of the trip included seeing this pretty lady!  We got tickets to see Newsies Saturday night and I couldn't wipe that smile off my face.  I LOVED it.  I loved the dancing, the music, and set--I want to go again.




I can't forget to mention that we stopped at Shake Shack before I left the city.  Nothing like ending my trip with  a good burger, fries, and chocolate shake!  Kristan and Bryndee were great hosts.  I can't wait for their visit to DC :)



Until next month NYC...the Mickelsen clan is getting excited to spend Thanksgiving with you! 

#26 Take a Road Trip

Another item on my 30 before 30 list was to take a road trip this year.  Labor day weekend I made that happen!  Matt and I jumped in the car and headed to Asheville, North Carolina, home of the lovely Biltmore Estate.  This estate is the former home to George and Edith Vanderbilt.  It was absolutely gorgeous there!  The drive from DC to North Carolina was also quite scenic. We were surrounded by intense beauty the entire weekend.

Saturday morning we woke up early to begin our day tour of the Biltmore.  The grounds of the estate cover 8,000 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Matt was most likely sick of me taking pictures every other minute, but seriously it was the best place for a photo shoot!  The home was built in the late 1800's where George, Edith, and their daughter Cornelia resided.  There are over 250 rooms in this mansion. It took us 3 hours just to complete the inside tour of the home.  Some of my favorite rooms included the library, breakfast room, and Edith Vanderbilt's bedroom.  Also included in the home was a bowling alley, indoor swimming pool, and gymnasium which was pretty unheard of for the time.  The audio tour was totally worth the ten extra dollars.  It provided great detail of each room, and personal stories from the Vanderbilt's journals.  Other than the kitchen, most rooms in the home were designed for leisure (library, banquet hall, billiard room, breakfast room, music room, tapestry gallery, library, etc.  Not a bad a life!

 After we finished our tour of the home, we stepped outside to explore the EIGHT gardens surrounding the property.  We definitely got our work out in on Saturday after walking through acres of land.   The gardens and grounds of the Biltmore were the work of Frederick Law Olmsted; designer of new York's Central Park.  We learned on the tour that Olmsted considered the Biltmore his crowning achievement.  In addition to the Gardens, there was also Antler Hill Village to tour.  This part of the estate included a winery, museum, gift shops, and some yummy restaurants.  You can also pay additional money to bike, kayak, river raft, ride horses, etc.  We took our road bikes and had every intention to bike, but by the end of the day we were too exhausted to get them out.  The Biltmore is also an awesome concert venue!  While we were there, Foreigner was preparing to perform later that evening.  I was singing, "I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE, I WANT YOU TO SHOW ME" all weekend long.  

Overall, we had a great day touring the Biltmore.  I would definitely recommend visiting the estate.  We concluded the evening watching college football at a sports pub.  We were both pretty starving and tired at this point.  College football was a perfect way to end the evening.

Day two of the road trip we decided to go to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to see the Smokey Mountains.  Again, another beautiful day and beautiful drive.  It now makes perfect sense as to why they are called the Smokey mountains.  Fog hangs low over the mountain range that gives it a smoke-like appearance.  

The town itself kind of cracked me up.  I swear every corner had a Waffle House, a place to take old-fashioned pictures, mini golf, or some kind of air gun store.  We decided a ride on an Alpine Slide in the Smokey's was a must.  We took a tram, and then a chairlift up to where the alpine slide was.  Matt was convinced he could beat me down the mountain, but I am pretty sure you know how that went down :)

 



Do you like how I look like a homeless girl in these pictures?  Our original plan was to take our bikes and go on a ride in the mountains.  We ended up going on the alpine slides first, and then it rained so we didn't get to  bike.  Thus I am prancing around in my t-shirt, bike shorts, and Matt's Cal shorts all over TN.  Classy.

Don't judge but we ended the day with dinner at the Waffle House.  It was only appropriate to dine there while visiting the South.

I can't get over how beautiful this part of the country is!  Our labor day road trip was a success--we explored somewhere neither of us had visited, we didn't get sick of each other, and we experienced a fine dining experience at a Waffle House.  I can now check this one off the list and am that much closer to reaching my 30 before 30 goals!

Some days I think I'm ready for a dog...

Would I get another Jack Russell Terrier???   Maybe someday when I live in my own place, or have a family of my own.  For now, I'll have to suffice with good memories of Molly, my childhood dog.  Or maybe my parents should just get another dog?  Les and Jared??

#27 Beach day at Rehoboth

If I had to choose my absolute favorite way to spend a Saturday, a beach day at Rehoboth would be right up there.  Since I've lived in DC, I've made it an annual tradition to go to Rehoboth at least once each summer.  Thus, it made my 30 before 30 list (or really 30 things I want to do in my 29th year).   Rehoboth beach is located a couple of hours north of DC in Delaware.  Our beach group included my good friend, Shandi, Brian & Katie and some of their friends.  We left around 6:30am, to maximize our beach time.  Per the usual, we stopped at Sonic for breakfast and vanilla cokes on our way there (visit #1).  After a day on the beach, Shandi and I decided to hit up the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth.  This is another reason that makes this trip so great, a little shopping at J Crew and Banana.  I came away with a couple of "back to school" necessities.  

After a little shopping, Shandi and I went to Outback for dinner.  The unfortunate part of this meal was when Shandi found an open staple in her sweet potato.  Yep, you read that right.  Luckily she didn't swallow it.  Both of our meals were complimentary.  Seriously, how does a staple get into a potato?!  

We headed back to DC that evening with of course, another Sonic run (trip # 2).  More vanilla coke were needed.  After we got our drinks we decided ice cream was needed.  This time, I decided to go through the drive thru, which made this my 3rd transaction at Sonic in 12 hours.  Kind of ridiculous.  We don't have Sonic in DC, and you just can't get a fountain drink like they make em' at Sonic.  

WHAT A FUN DAY!

Shandi & Michele in our beach gear

I made Brian do a photo shoot with me on the beach.  He was not pleased. 

The heavens parted when we went to Sonic for the THIRD time.  

Two very happy girls. 

#28 "I'm Sailing!"

For my 29th birthday a kind boy took me sailing on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, MD.  This has been on my wish list of things to do since I've moved to the area!  We decided to make it a day of all things Annapolis...unfortunately we didn't run into James Franco or Tyrese while there.  We did however, get the opportunity to tour the US Naval Academy. 

The funny thing about this day was it was another 100+ degree day, but that didn't stop us from spending the entire afternoon and evening in Annapolis.  After our US Naval Academy tour we stopped for ice cream cones and did a little window shopping.

At 6:30pm we boarded our boat for a two-hour sail around the Chesapeake.  It was great to be out on the water and I even got to steer the boat for a bit!  I kind of felt like Bill Murray on, "What About Bob," when he screams, "I'm Sailing!!  I sail!"  Yes, I in fact can now say that I've sailed.

We finished our day like true Marylanders, hush-puppies, and 10 medium-sized crabs at Cantler's Riverside Inn.  We worked for every piece of crab meat we ate, and managed to devour all 10 crabs.  Thanks Matt for a fun day in Annapolis! 

#29

Attend a Nat's Game

There isn't anything more American than attending a professional baseball game on the 4th of July!  We braved the heat and survived--I think it reached 104 degrees!  I don't follow baseball closely, but love going to a game, singing take me out to the ball game, and eating myself a tasty ballpark dog.  I wanted to be sure to get a game in at least once this season, especially because we have a good team this year!!  Number 29 on my list, check!

#30

I've decided to document my 30 before 30 list.  I turned 29-years-old the end of June and had a fun time putting together 30 things I want to accomplish before my 30th birthday.  And yes, feather hair extensions made the list.  Why not?  I've wanted to try extensions for a while now, and why not make them feathers?  I went to a salon in DC to have it done, and ended up getting three hair extensions: a black, green, and caramel colored extensions.  My students are out of school for the summer so I figured this was something I could get away with.  Although the other day I was doing a summer home visit to one of my students and she commented on my extension.  She thought they were pretty cool.  Glad to have the approval of a 16-year-old teenager--I guess that's probably about right.  I will enjoy my feather for the next few weeks or so! 

Staycation Day 2: Girls Day Out

Today I completed a task that was very high on my priority list:

I purchased a first day of work outfit for my new job (and maybe a few other items)! Malorie and I had the entire dressing room to ourselves. I love these kind of shopping days!

1. Every girl needs a pair of red peep-toe shoes, right?

2. Navy/white striped wrap dress. You can't see the gold buttons, but definitely adds fun detail to the dress!

3. Bring on the gingham!!!

4. It was time to invest in another one of these must have pencil skirts.

5. Bethany brown flats for work. I kind of hate buying flats. I think they are boring. I think my feet would hate me if I decided to where heels all day long at the school. So for now, flats it is!

Thanks to Malorie, I got the friends and family discount, which makes shopping even that more exciting. I'd say it was a pretty productive day :)

Staycation Day 1

So I decided to take a little time off before I start my new job. My hope is to do something fun everyday...whether it be a project, reading a book, trying a new recipe, exploring a museum. I just want to maximize my time off!

I started the staycation off right: BAKING

Creme Cheese Lemon Bars, yes please! So delicious!!

Next, I tried a pintrest recipe: Peanut Butter Bars. Also a very tasty treat, and super easy to make!

Now that I've satisfied my craving for sweets, I must go do this:

See you tomorrow!

"Changes"

I first moved to DC back in 2007, when I finished graduate school in New York. I remember feeling confident about my decision to move here. I was coming without a job lined up, in hopes that something would work out. A long four months after I arrived, I started working for Child & Family Services Agency. The pay and benefits felt right, but truthfully, I never thought I would work in foster care. I started my job with CFSA working in their teen unit as a case carrying social worker. My caseload was anywhere from 10-15 cases at a time. I conducted home visits, reported to court, took them to appointments, moved them to appropriate placements, etc. This was not an easy task. The emotional trauma these kids experienced, and the level of emotional instability was much greater than I'd imagined. I remember thinking I'd be lucky if I lasted one year. Eventually I became more comfortable, less stressed out, and was able to separate my personal and work life. A couple of years later, I transitioned to a consultative social work position. This position change was much needed, as I felt very burned out from case carrying. With the new position, I trained social workers around transition planning for youth exiting the foster care system, trained around the Ansell Casey Life Skills Assessment tool, planned and participated in youth life skills training's, and co-facilitated youth transition planning meetings. I loved the program development/planning aspect of this new position. I still got to interact with youth on a regular basis, but wasn't solely in charge of their case.

After almost 5 years with the Agency, I decided a change was needed. Yesterday was my last day as an employee for Child & Family Services. It is a strange feeling to leave somewhere you've become so comfortable with. I was fortunate to work with a high caliber group of people, which made it even more difficult to leave. My decision to start a job with a public charter school in the District feels similar to how I felt when I decided to move to DC. Although it was sad to say goodbye to something so great, I am excited to start a new adventure in the schools. I begin my new job on March 26th. It is a school social work position. I will be writing mental health IEP goals, and working with the students 1:1 for individual therapy, in addition to group work. I am hoping to get an opportunity to coach. I am really trying to talk Katie and Brian into moving out here, so Brian can be my assistant coach. Can you imagine two Mickelsen siblings coaching an inner city girls basketball team? Sounds pretty fantastic to me!

Here are some pics of my former co-workers:

My fabulous IL team: Emily D., Kasandra D., Me, Dwayne G., Tracie N., Lisa K.

They took me to Color Me Mine and each painted something they wanted me to remember them by, followed by dinner at Marconi Grill!

Near my old cubicle. Yes. I worked for DC Government and have worked in a cubicle the last 4 + years. I will have my own office at the school--and it even comes with a couch!

Katrice P., Me, Emily D. I am especially going to miss Em. We started around the same time, and have been in the same unit since. I am going to try and convince her to join me at the school!! Thank you CFSA friends for the good times! Now off to try something new, and hope to meet individuals as great as this group!!

Who doesn't love a fun project?

Lately I've really enjoyed having a project to work on. In the last few months I've:

1. Canned Apple-Cranberry Jam (I felt so domestic!)

I think it turned out pretty well. Check out the recipe here.

2. Made a Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

If you are a pumpkin lover like myself, you must check out this recipe!

3. Painted Pumpkins! This was one of my favorite projects. Melissa, Lisa & I got together for a painting party. I am really happy with how they turned out. Thanks for the idea, Les!

4. Scrapbook Paper Frames. This was my Oct 2011 General Conference project. We used to have a nice sized tv on this media console, but unfortunately Chels took it with her when she moved. None of my roommates were ready to invest in a TV, so this is what I came up with to fill the space. I think it is a great way to add some color to a room. Although it took me a couple of months to actually nail the frames on the wall, I am very pleased with the finished product.

5. Cut my own bangs (with the assistance of Melissa). This is what happens when you're sick for consecutive days, and your hair is driving you crazy. I mean, who really needs to get a professional cut anyway? Don't look too closely. Overall, I am happy with my bangs and think it is a fun change!

6. Pintrest inspired outfit. So this may not be defined as a "project," but I've been obsessed with Pintrest lately, and find so may fashion ideas to try and re-create. The model below inspired my Sunday church outfit. I however, substituted the gray sweater for navy. I am loving my orange skirt!!

What kind of projects have you been up to? I know so many of my friends/family are much more crafty than I. I'd love to hear what you're working on! With Brian's wedding coming up, I have a couple project ideas I am going to start. I also have been working on my DC Bucket List "project" which I will share more about in a future post.

Here's to 2012 and more projects to be completed!!