Giro d'Italia

I just saw on DCist that the 2012 Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) is confirmed to kick off in DC.  How awesome is that?  Ahhh!  The Giro is one of three Grand Tours in the professional long distance bicycle racing circuit, and usually takes place in May/June (thank you, Wikipedia). 

Their logo is pink -- how can you go wrong? 

Should be an exciting time for our nation's capital!  Maybe Lance Armstrong will even pay us a visit.  I heart him <3

xoxo,
Olivia

Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens

It's time for a "these are a few of my favorite things" post. Kinda like a blog version of window shopping.  I can look, but I can't touch!

I recently picked up a copy of the Nordstrom's February 2010 catalog. It previews some some of their spring lines, and boy am I excited for spring.  Here's are a few of my faves:

Gorgeous turquoise Marc by Marc Jacobs bag. As sad as it is, this bag gives me butterflies! Marc is known for his colors -- he had an awesome line of teal bags a few years back, and have one of his totes in a dark pink that is fab. I love the splashes of color. Update: I saw this bag in real life at the store last week, and wasn't as blown away as I am in the picture. The leather is kindda meshy (is that a word?). Sad face... bye bye butterflies.

Leifsdottir 'Fever Pitch' printed skirt. If you know me, you know that I rarely wear skirts. But, if I had Heidi Klum legs, I would want this one. Looks like printed skirts are going to be huge this year, and I think this one is different enough to stand out from the crowd but not so much that it is obnoxious. Fine line. The back is super cute, too. Check.it.out.

Finally, the Burberry 'Asymmetrical Zip' jacket.  Love, love, love. Burberry just knows how to do jackets, period. This one puts a twist on their classic trench styles, and I think it's the perfect piece for the rainy spring months. If anyone would like to make $595 donation to my fashionista fund, I will wear this jacket in your honor :)  I think I like the black best (shock), but the light purple is cute too.

Is it spring yet?! 

xoxo,

Olivia

Time Management 101

Lucky me is spending the evening at the Acura dealership getting an oil change, state inspection and the bump on one of my tires looked at... I have a feeling that last item is going to be pricey. Eeep!

Anywho, I'm always amused with how people pass their time in the waiting area. It's an interesting study in time management and multi-tasking. A few people are focusing on business stuff, which is smart since we're all stuck here basically doing nothing. I'm doing business stuff, too -- reading for my International Business class. Go me!  And then there's a person clipping their nails and tweezing their eyebrows.  Personal grooming in public = not alright.

I'm sure I'll doze off in a few but for now happy being productive. What a random post!

Xoxo,
Olivia

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Up, Down & All Around

Yesterday was my first Monday back in the work-school routine, after a couple of weeks off due to the snow and a holiday. I'm really enjoying class this semester (I'm pursuing my Master's in International HR Management at Georgetown), but 12+ hour days are always draining. At least I get it all over with on Monday, right? So glad I decided to take one class versus two this semester -- I'm much happier. Hooray!

Working out is still going pretty well, and I'm happy overall with the progress of getting back in shape. It's a slower process that I expected though, which is a little frustrating. I guess I still feel like the younger-me, who could just bounce back from a break and be fine. Not so much these days. I'm also trying to be good about finding a balance when it comes to working out, since I have a habit of going a bit overboard (going to the gym twice a day, feeling guilty if I miss one day, etc.) and then getting totally burned out and giving up all together. Last week I ended up going to the gym 6 days, mostly because I didn't have class and I had some extra time on my hands. This week I'm aiming for 4-5 days, which is plenty. I'm not making quite as much headway with the 8k training, but I did get 3 miles (walk-run) done on the treadmill last Wednesday. I've been mixing my workouts between cardio (swimming, elliptical and treadmill), and weight-training (free weights, circuits or BodyPump), so I'm not bored (yet). If you haven't tried BodyPump, I totally recommend it... I wasn't able to walk for two days after doing it on Saturday, but it is an awesome total body workout and the hour goes by quickly.

I'm already excited for this weekend. On Saturday, I'm hanging out with Jen (my high school BFF). Jen lives in Baltimore and we don't get to see as much of each other now that we're both in grad/law school. We always have a blast, even if most of our time is spent giggling and making immature comments. We definitely bring out the high-school in each other! On Sunday, I'm off to look at bridesmaids dresses in Dupont Circle with Sarah and her family. Looking at dresses will be fun, and I'll get back to you on the trying them on part (bridal sizing is not a girl's best friend!). I'm excited to see Sar-bear, and to hear about how the wedding planning is going thus far.

This is a bit random, but I stumbled across a section of Yelp! called "Out & About the Metropolis" and it's given me some great ideas for fun stuff to try out in the DC area. Although I'm from around here, I still haven't seen everything and I definitely haven't taken advantage of all the "cultural" stuff. I think first on up on the list will be Twins Jazz in U Street (I've heard great things) and when the weather gets warmer, the Pimlico Race Couse. 

Doesn't it look like a great way to spend a spring day? 

xoxo,

Olivia

Weekend Recap

I was lucky enough to have a three day weekend due to President's Day, so I took full advantage of the time off and hit the gym every day. I feel great, yay! I just wish I had three day weekends more often.

On Saturday, I made the trip to down to Fredericksburg, Virginia to get my hair cut at the salon I worked at during college. It was great to see all the ladies and catch up on the gossip. My friend Sarah joined me for the day, and very exciting news -- she got engaged that night! Another one bites the dust...haha. Here's a picture of Sarah and me from when we studied abroad in Spain during the Summer of 2005:



Congrats to Sarah and her fiancée, Travis! I'm honored to be part of the wedding and to be there with you guys on the big day.

Another exciting announcement, my little "cousin" Ibby had her baby last week. Kaylee Madison was born on February 12, 2010 and from what I've heard, everyone is doing great. Here's a picture Ibby's mom sent along:



I'm already stalking Baby Gap to find some cute clothes to send along. So adorable!

Well, there's not much else to report on my end. I did get a new pair of running shoes, after suffering from awful shin splints over the past couple of weeks. I'm a Nike girl through-and-through, but I visited the Pacer's Running Store at Pentagon Row and found a pair of New Balances that offer a bit more cushion and support, which should help with the shin splints. I've already put ten miles on them, and so far so good :)

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

xoxo,
Olivia

Hurt Locker

When I was little and would complain that something hurt (head, throat, stubbed toe, etc.), my Dad would be cheeky and ask "do your eye lashes hurt, too?" This always drove me nuts. How dare my Daddy not care that I hurt! Grrr. I would sulk for a while, then get over it. I have a flair for the dramatic, so I would usually forget all about my "pain" while focusing on being mad at my Daddy for teasing me. Welcome to growing up in the Zoellner household. Tough love :)

Anyway, during our crazy snowstorm this past weekend, I only made it to the gym once. As you know, I'm supposed to be training for an 8k next month, so this was no bueno. Since it took me twenty minutes to drive the mile to the gym, and I nearly died in the process, I promised to make the most out of it.

There were only about six people total at the gym when I got there, and it was fabulous. No waiting for cardio machines. No stares from buff guys in the free weights section. Score. I started out with twenty minutes on the spin bike to get my heart rate up, then did another thirty minutes on the elliptical. I still had some energy after that, so I decided to try a two mile run on the treadmill. It quickly turned into a run/walk. I tried to stick to 2:1 minute run/walk interval, but even that was tough. Not sure what was going on with my body... the energy was there, but I just had no endurance. Note to self: must work on the endurance factor if I want to survive an outdoor race. After finishing up on the treadmill, I did another twenty minutes of free weights, and some squats and lunges. Overall, it was decent workout and I felt good. I did some stretches and headed out.

Fast forward to this morning. Monday morning. Two days after my last workout. I hurt. Everywhere. The first thing I thought when I woke up and tried to get out of bed this morning was "ouch, my eye lashes hurt!" I wasn't sore yesterday, but maybe the fact that I sat around and did absolutely nothing all day is what did me in. On top of it all, my firm decided to open today, so I'm doing this (not so)cute hobble move anytime I have to leave my office. Real hot!

I need to get some sort of exercise in tonight, so I think I'll try out my gym's saline-based pool. It's going to weird without the chlorine burn, but I know the water will be good for stretching out and hopefully getting a bit of workout in. I think a couple of Advil beforehand is also in store. Wish me luck!

xoxo,
Olivia

I Got My Toes In The Water...

I've done absolutely nothing today. The roads are still pretty bad from the blizzard, and I'm starting to get cabin fever! I did manage to make it to the gym yesterday, which was a saving grace. The Federal Government has already announced that it is closed tomorrow, and now I'm praying that my firm will follow suit. Pretty, pretty please!!

This weekend left me dreaming of warmer weather. I can't wait for spring! Speaking of... I just uploaded the pictures from my cruise to Mexico last month. I totally forgot how crazy beautiful the sunsets were. Here are some of my favorites:









Doesn't it look like the sky is painted? So gorgeous!

Well, it's back to watching the Super Bowl. Go SAINTS!

xoxo,
Olivia

Snowpocalypse

The DC area is getting pummeled with snow this weekend. Like 18-24" of snow. We're not used to this weather... it's like the end of the world is upon us. While I'm not happy that it ruined my weekend plans, it did get me out of work on Friday and it is really pretty.

I braved the cold to take Cooper for a quick walk, and snapped some pictures while I was out:

Winter Wonderland!

Did I mentioned it is was cold? So cold.

Coop had a blast though, he loves the snow!

... And my favorite action shot:

xoxo,

Olivia

Running Out of Time

One of my goals for 2010 is to get back into running shape. I'm usually pretty good about going to the gym and keeping somewhat active that way, but running is a different kind of fit. My knee has been a trooper lately and not bothering me at all (I injured it playing soccer in high school), so I'm hoping this is a good time to take the running bull by the horns.

My friend Jenn and I have decided to get involved in the DC racing circuit. We're starting off with the St. Patrick's Day 8k on Sunday, March 14th, and it's going to be freeezing! I'm already stock piling warm running clothes. At least I can look forward to a green beer afterwards :)



We're about five weeks out from the race at this point, and I've barely done any training. Oops! DC has had a unusually bad winter in terms of cold temperatures and snow, and I'm using that as my main excuse for not getting out enough and running. I know I know, excuses, excuses. I've been doing a lot of cardio at the gym (including the treadmill), but it's not the same as hitting the pavement. I feel like I'm running out of time to get in shape for the race, but hopefully with some regular weekly runs, I'll survive it. Any tips for training/racing in the cold would be much appreciated!

Eventually, I hope to work up to the 10k/10 mile distances. We've thrown out the idea of running the Army Ten Miler next fall, so that's something fun to think about for now. Anyone have a favorite spring/summer race in the DC area that they would recommend? I've heard that the Cherry Bloossoms 5k race is another good one.

Chic Runner and The Fit Bride are two running blogs that I follow -- both are very inspirational and have a ton of great tips for the beginner runner (or more experienced). It's really nice to read about other's triumphs and challenges, and it makes dealing with my own running-related issues that much easier. Plus, they have a ton of good reviews on runnning swag. Love me some swag!

xoxo,
Olivia

It's Taxing Business

We got a few inches of snow overnight here in the DC area, so my office delayed opening until 11:00 a.m. Since I was already awake, I went ahead and finished filing my 2009 tax return so I could get my monies back. Yay for a productive morning!

My morning was also made better by seeing this on my way into work:



Haha. Only in South Arlington. Anyway, back to taxes....

Filing seems pretty straightforward when you're single and don't own any property (like moi), so I usually try to get everything done as soon as my W-2 forms come in. That way, The Man isn't keeping my monies when I can be earning interest on it. Mad props to people that have properties and businesses and all sorts of other stuff that complicates the process. I don't have the energy (or brainpower) to deal with that stuff!

Oh, and I should mention that I get some help doing my taxes. I use the H&R Block online "Basic Federal/State" program, which is about $45.00. This includes both the Federal and State returns, as well as the e-file option (no signatures or mailing things in -- this cuts down on the turnaround time for the refund). I've used this program for about 3 years now, and it always keeps the previous year's information, which is great for comparison purposes and for my records. Two thumbs up!

I'm really happy with my return this year. To my fellow Georgetown peeps, if you're paying out of pocket for your tuition, you should be eligible for a Tax Benefit for Education. I was, which is why I'm loving life right now. Doesn't make up for the thousands I've paid for tuition, but it helps ease the pain! Also, there's a new program this year called The Making Work Pay Tax Credit, which adds a few hundred to your tax return as well. Overall, not too bad.

Well, that's all for now. Don't forget to file your taxes by April 15th!

xoxo,
Olivia

Dog Is My Co-Pilot

I'm sure most of friends and family are tired of hearing about my adventures as a first time dog owner, but in the off chance there's someone random out there reading this, here's the 411 on Cooper, my French Bulldog pup (and unofficial SGS mascot).

Cooper is my main squeeze, my man about town, and a constant source of entertainment. Did I mention that he’s the best accessory a girl could ever ask for? Yep, sure is! He lives life in the limelight, and loves every minute of it. If I had a dollar for everytime I get a "Oooh so cute! What kind of dog is that?" well, I'd be rollin' in the mulah.

There's sure to plenty of Cooper appearances on my blog, and I apologize in advance to those who roll their eyes at people who fuss over their pets. I used to be one of those people, and now I just understand what all the fuss is about.

xoxo,
Olivia