Seeking Decadence and Ambiance at J and G Steakhouse

Last night I decided to eat dinner at J and G Steakhouse was I needed the hipster ambiance and the W hotel didn’t disappoint.  Dressed in my Adrienne Landau mixed rabbit fur coat, Stuart Weitzman croc embossed over-the-knee boots and Ann Taylor Loft skinny jeans, I walked down 15^th street NW. Once I hit the lobby, there was a female guitarist named Heather Renee serenading in the lobby.  This was a first for me; but, maybe, it was because I probably hadn’t gone there on Friday. At least in recent memory.  I arrived to the maître d’s desk promptly at 9pm but he told me that ‘there would be a small wait because we are cleaning up tables right now’. Small my butt because I sat in the lobby watching March Madness and listening to Heather Renee until 9:27pm!  

He then got me off of the couch taking me to my table.  I was so happy that he put me near the Pennsylvania Avenue NW exit with a nice view of the Washington Monument. My server introduced himself to me.  I ordered the cheese truffled fritters because I had four entrée options in my head.  The fritters appetizers delicious! I loved their cheesiness and wolfed them all down.  Finally, I decided on the 10-ounce hanger steak.  Throughout the wait, I checked espn.com scoreboard to see how Michigan was doing. Me being an Ohio native, I had a very low opinion of ScuM; but, since they were in the same Big Ten conference I begrudgingly rooted for their advancement.  Trey Burke didn’t disappoint. He hit the game-tying shot sending the game into overtime and was the leading catalyst for the Wolverines beating the Kansas Jayhawks 87-85. Okay so with my beloved Buckeyes ScuM advanced to the Elite Eight. Immediately after the win, my steak arrived.  J and G Steakhouse had its own steak sauce which was sweeter than A1.  Nevertheless, it complemented the steak.  I ate all of the fries and nearly all of the steak before getting my waiter for dessert. I naively asked for ice cream.  I didn’t know the steakhouse made boozy ice cream laden with alcohol.  I worked on the mint and chocolate because I refused to get ‘drunk’ over some dessert!  

Below are all of my photos:

W Hotel Lobby

W Hotel Lobby Chandeliers 

W Hotel Lobby

W Hotel Lobby

10-ounce hanger steak with french fries

Cheese truffled fritters

Ice Cream with raspberries and blueberries

Stuart Weitzman Gladiator Sandals

I am so ecstatic about receiving my gold nappa Stuart Weitzman Gladiator sandals today because I’ve waited since December for them.  Last week I called the company’s HQ and learned that the gold would be available this week.  I followed up calling the Madison Avenue store to reserve my size just for backup.  Since it snowed in DC yesterday, it doesn’t look like I will be wearing them anytime soon.  However, weather permitting, you know I will!

Hula Girl Food Truck Tryout

            With the snow subsiding, everything in DC is returning to normal.  I check out the L’Enfant food truck offerings and decide to try Hula Girl Truck.  Well, I’m glad I did because its teriyaki, sticky rice and macaroni salad lunch plate is more than enough for lunch and dinner.  Below is the bountiful feast.  I foresee myself returning to this food truck whenever it comes back to L’Enfant Plaza!

CNN Features Fashion Week Cleveland

            This evening I check out the Business of Fashion and come across a CNN article highlighting the importance of other fashion weeks. I am very happy that CNN mentions Cleveland first because it is the third largest fashion week in the country.  As soon as I read it, I post it on my Facebook and Twitter accounts cc Fashionably Cleveland. Below is the article’s hyperlink: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/24/living/fashion-week-cities/index.html

Friday Night’s Gilt City DC Warehouse Sale

            This Friday I attended Gilt City DC’s warehouse sale.  Two weeks ago I purchased the opening evening ticket as soon as the event went live because I knew that the early bird got the worm.  This was going to be a hot ticket.  My budget was $350 and was happy that the Valentino dress that I bought was $349 ($364 after taxes).  Its original price was $1990.  Grabbing that made me feel victorious. Yeah, I went over to the purses and shoes even though I wasn’t looking at the former and the latter didn’t go to size 42.  Below is my catch!

Keep on Trying

            Yesterday I originally didn’t even want to drag myself to my Perfect Your Skirt sewing class because I felt like I was so behind. Last week the raggedy rock n roll marathon made me late and I was lagging behind everyone.  I arrived early to buy some fabric because I couldn’t get to any fabric store. I had a very hectic week that depleted my energy.  Luckily, I found some navy cotton fabric that was long enough to become a skirt. Yes!  Now onto the sewing.  Mind since I didn’t own a sewing machine I hadn’t practiced for a week.  This was my fourth time sewing.  I had to take out my seams many times because they were crooked.  In addition, I had to remove my knee-high boots twice while fitting my muslin skirt. I was walking around the floor with sub-zero temperatures.  My instructor told me that normally a tenant would live where the thermometer was so all the company had to do was tell him to turn it up.  It was bad enough that it was winter but to cut off the heat was equally bad. My tootsies were freezing! I did manage to make up some time by cutting my fabric and cutting a V into the seams.  Finally, I felt accomplished ready to return this Saturday to sew my skirt and invisible zipper together.  Below was the front and the back of my skirt. 

A Go? Maybe Not.

            I received an email from the very professor I contacted in regards to the status of a course I always wanted to take. Mid-February I asked her if that course was still a go; and, both she and the school said no due to low enrollment. This class cost $49 instead of $499 complete with a certificate upon finishing 50% of the coursework saving me $450! After the professor answered all of my questions, I purchase the book and the class.

            I was on cloud 9 until I took the first self-assessment quiz receiving a very low score.  The problem was the system didn’t provide instructions that there could be more than one answer. I inferred that there was only one answer per question.  I took a screen capture attaching it to my email explaining my confusion over lack of proper instructions. This is just messy! A couple of hours ago I was ecstatic about the prospect of taking this time. Now I was stuck thinking that I got what I paid for. Hopefully, the professor would add the instructions because that was a confusing quiz! Regardless, I purchased the book and at 101 pages looked like a short read. I will finish it supplementing the text with financial risk exercises.

The Snowquester That Wasn't

            Last night the weather channel predicted this massive snowstorm and today I only saw 15-30 minutes of snowflakes. Yesterday I went to Bourbon Steak and ate Angus skirt steak and truffled mac and cheese as my last meal before being stuck inside for at least 24 hours. Below is the photo of my meal.  Though the Snowquester was a dud, this meal wasn’t.

Angus skirt steak and Truffled Mac and Cheese

Bits of Thread Intro to Sewing Class

I attended my very first sewing class at Bits of Thread this afternoon.  I boarded the metro exiting at Woodley Park.  I didn't know that I had to cross the Duke Ellington bridge in order to get there.  That wasn't half of it.  The company had wrought iron gates where I had to buzz in.  Needless to say, the buzzer didn't work forcing me to call the company where a woman walked down to let me in.  Being from DuPont Circle, this was new to me.  I guessed nothing said 'gentrification' like iron gates and getting buzzed in.  I walked up two flights on stairs to room #5 where there were four sewing machines.  Though it took me a little over the two hours allotted to complete my drawstring pocket bag, I created it!  Here it is

Drawstring Pocket Bag

Though I had registered for beginners part two, my head ached so bad from stretching that I didn't go.  Nevermind the fact that I didn't get the $40 back, I felt bad that the man in my first class wanted to take the class. I would had kindly let him take my place. What I also decided was to drop next Saturday's draping basics and use that money to reenroll in beginners two.  I needed more practice before taking an intermediate class.  

Fashionably Late?...Never

            Initially I was against going to the final GWFCC fashion design 101 class but since I bought the Erin Fetherston lipstick jeans especially for the finale, I might as well sashay in there.  Though I made a pitstop at CVS for more posterboard and McDonalds for cinnabon for breakfast (who knew McDonald’s sold them at Union Station) and arrived at 11am (class started at 10am), I arrive.  Reading the fashion business book and cutting out more dresses have accelerated my progress because I am not that far behind the other classmates.  Though I haven’t carried a pencil due to my downsizing to one bag and leaving my purse at home, my instructor has mechanical ones.  When sketching, the instructor says that I should have multiple tops to a bottom.  I start sketching four different kinds of blouses and collars.  Next I ask her if I can replicate these collars on my dresses for my capsule collection and she says ‘absolutely’.  Though no one knows when patternmaking is happening, I have 6 sewing classes starting tomorrow.  I might not even be able to enroll in patternmaking due to my being booked the entire month for sewing.  I simply cannot wait for the organization to open classes when I have a vision and need to acquire the requisite skills to be bring it fruition.  Bits of Thread has a patternmaking class which I’ll enroll in April.  It all seems to be coming together.