ShepAlders and American icons

I was thinking today about our nation and all the very cool places that are iconic to American history. Emily and I have been blessed to visit several of these places since the last Fourth of July on our trips to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston and New York City. Here are a glimpse at a few of the famous places we've visited since July 4, 2009.

We saw the actual Declaration of Independence
(and resisted the urge to steal such a "national treasure.")
National Archives, Washington D.C.

Monticello,
home of Thomas Jefferson

Charlottesville, Va.

Mount Vernon,
home of George and Martha Washington
Mount Vernon, Va.


The Supreme Court building
Washington, D.C.


The U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.


The Washington Monument
(We went up to the top as well!)
Washington, D.C.

Beating the crazy, humid August heat in the shade
(with the Lincoln Memorial in the background)
Washington, D.C.

The Lincoln Memorial
(Em was inside the air-conditioned museum underneath)
Washington, D.C.


The Jefferson Memorial
Washington, D.C.


The White House
Washington, D.C.

The Pentagon
(after one of the coolest tours we've ever experienced)
Arlington, Va.


Independence Hall
Site of the Second Continental Congress,
which approved the Declaration of Independence in July 1776
Philadelphia, Pa.


Inside Independence Hall,
site of the approval of The Declaration of Independence
Philadelphia, Pa.


The Liberty Bell
Philadelphia, Pa.

The Statue of Liberty
Liberty Island, New York, N.Y.


Inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty
Liberty Island, New York, N.Y.



The Old State House
Site of the Boston Massacre
Boston, Mass.


Fanueil Hall
Marketplace and meeting hall founded in 1742
Boston, Mass.




The Old North Church
("One if by land, two if by sea")
Boston, Mass.

We Got Our Awesome Bookshelves Today

Some assembly may be required.

The Yellow Dress

Remember when I purchased this dress from Shabby Apple, and then my friend Jennie (who happens to live in Utah) told me that her neighbor is part owner of Shabby Apple and that my beautiful, sunny, summer dress has a return rate of 75%?

Well... my dress came in the mail the other day, so I wore it to class today. This is what it looks like on me:

Though, admittedly, I buttoned up my sweater all the way by the time I went out in public because I haven't shown off that much awkward cleavage since high school. Also, I think my fashion style is more Repressed Librarian than Flirty Débutante.

There are a few negatives about this dress. For one, it re-introduces me to my old nemesis "uniboob." Also, the waistline is somewhere between empire and.... well... actual waistline. It's not especially flattering. It's completely see-through, so I had to wear a slip, and I spent the whole day wondering whether my slip was showing (it was). It just barely doesn't cover my garmies-- even the especially low-cut mesh ones. And although I absolutely adore yellow and black, I admit that this outfit makes me look a bit like a Mario Bee.

But... I'm going to keep it (and not just because I got sweaty during class). I love, love, LOVE the color. I don't think I could ever be unhappy while wearing such a vividly yellow dress. The fullness of the skirt makes me feel like a Kindergartner and/or 50's housewife and/or Zooey Deschanel in "(500) Days of Summer." Walking back to my car after class, I had to resist the temptation to break out in song. 

However, my search for the Perfect Summer Dress continues.

Stuff to do Before Josh Turns 30: Pittock Mansion, Hollywood Theater, and All the Apparatus

Ever since we moved to the Portland area three years ago, I've been telling Josh that we need to visit the Pittock Mansion, since it combines things we both love: old houses and journalism. With Josh's 30th birthday looming ahead in less than a month, we finally made the effort.

Here are some things we saw:

The Mansion

Cool ceilings

Random cat portrait

Mt. Hood

Josh also wants to visit all of the older, independent theaters in Portland, so we went to the Hollywood Theater to see The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (since I have now read the trilogy). I'm not a huge fan of that part of Portland, but the theater is interesting.

I'm not sure what kind of face Josh is making, but the sun was directly in our eyes.

Detail

Finally, we made the trek downtown to see our friend's band All the Apparatus. I've been listening to their CD nonstop for the past couple weeks. They are really good, and if you ever find yourself downtown on a Saturday night, I recommend seeking them out on SW 5th and Morrison in downtown Portland.

The band

Our buddy Mike

Mike's wife (and my sister's sister-in-law) Sherrilyn

Here are some videos that Josh took of their performance:

Eliminating Fish Burps

I went to the doctor the other day and we had a long discussion about what vitamins I've been taking. I told her all about my foray into fish pills, and she remarked that she really hates the fishy aftertaste, which is why she takes fish pills with a little lemon in them.

Later, Josh and I were at the pharmacy and we found fish pills that purport to "eliminate fish burps." I couldn't stop giggling about it. I didn't buy them, but I should have. All the talk about fish burps has apparently made my stomach super sensitive, so now when I take my fish pills I can't help but burp. 

Sadly, I need my fish burps eliminated.

I Just Bought This Dress

I just bought this dress from Shabby Apple.

I hope it fits because I previously bought this dress:

 from JCrew and had to return it. It was oddly simultaneously huge and tiny. I don't think I have ever worn anything more unflattering in my life. I'm trying to find the perfect dress for summer weddings, but I haven't been having the best of luck.

Josh and Mercury (plus: being thankful for nerdy friends)

Josh took the cats to the vet the other day and we discovered that Mercury, our resident irascible fat cat has lost an entire pound (yay!) and that she has now graduated to Senior Cat status (being all of 8 years old now). When  Josh and I first started dating, Mercury hated him (probably because he would pick her up and pretend she was dancing), but in the past year or so Merc has really warmed up to him. Sometimes she will even approach him for snuggling! After bringing her back from the vet, however, Josh was sad to discover that they were in a fight. He texted me a few hours later when I was in class, though, because apparently she had forgiven him and they were friends again.

Tonight, this is what it looked like in the ShepAlder house:

Josh was loving Merc

Merc was loving Josh

Then Josh started singing "Paparazzi" and pretending I had caught him in the middle of a tryst. Mercury was clearly not amused.

I'm glad that they made up, though I'm a little jealous. Mercury was my only roommate for five years before I married Josh, and for a long time I was the only one she loved. Of course, Josh is the one that feeds her, so.... I understand.

In Other News:

I absolutely love new friends, especially when we find something in common about which we are both besotted. This week my friend and classmate Stephanie loaned to me her Wii copies of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and "Evil Under the Sun" and I got to loan to her a couple of my Nancy Drew games. It has really made my week! Plus, she told me about where to get free kindle books. (BTW: I have a Kindle now, but I will probably write about that some other day). I love making friends who are as nerdy as I am!