Those who know me well, know that I could not go on vacation without finding a great little coffee shop. This post is now long overdue as it is almost a month since I visited this great little place, but I want to share with you all anyway. Trader's Coffee House was located just across the way from where we went kayaking and their frappuccino hit the spot after two hours of paddling. Meghan, Ryan, Brooke and I hung out here and enjoyed some quiet down time. It was especially to see Meghan and Brooke interacting outside the family chaos. They are both growing up so quickly, I cannot even believe it. But back to the coffee shop...

This place was amazing. I bought 3 bags of coffee (one of which we consumed that day - yes my family sucked down an entire bag of brewed coffee beans in one day - and we are not the type to need any additional stimulation). Yum. So delicious. Next time you are in Deep Creek check out Trader's Coffee House.

As summer is coming to a close (gulp...can you believe Labor Day is almost here) I thought I would leave you with my Top 10 Summertime Activities in DC: *DISCLAIMER: Some of these activities carry into the fall!

1. Monuments at Dusk - DC is a beautiful and inspiring place to live. In the summer however, when full of tourists, the awe can fade away. However, all it takes is one evening stroll to remember how incredible it is to live here. As I have been saying to Mark for the past year, "We live here!"

2. Outdoor Dinning - from Sonomo with Jeff and Shannon to the Oval Room with Ben during Restaurant Week, we got our fill of outdoor dining in this summer. Now if only we could convince more DC restaurants that outdoor/sidewalk seating is the way to go!

3 & 4. Sailing and Kayaking - with the Eastern Shore only an hour away, we spent many weekends on the Chesapeake this summer. This is the first summer we really were able to utilize our sailboat since we now live closer to Mark's parents (who are kind enough to let us keep our trailer in their front yard) . Kayaking has always been top on our list of things to do when the weather is warm and we love paddling around on the Chesapeake. For those of you who cannot so easily get out of the city, check out: Atlantic Kayak for options on the Potomac.

5. Screen on the Green - need I say more? Check out this article for details. (unfortunately, we didn't make it out to see any of the movies, but the concept is awesome!

6. Bike Rides - Summer has given us with more daylight and therefore more time to ride. We tend to stick to the SW side of DC looping Hains Point and the Tidal Basin.

7. Outdoor Tennis - there are some great outdoor courts a few blocks from us. Though we haven't played as much as we would like, it was great to get out and hit around this summer. (especially after an inspiring Wimbledon match between Federer and Nadal!)

8. Free Concerts - Though not reserved strictly to the summer time, the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center has some pretty great concerts. I was able to see Jake Armerding play last week and he is awesome!

9. Baseball Games - from the new National's Stadium to watching the O's at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, summertime is baseball time. Mark and I were fortunate to make the most of the season this year. Here is a recent photo of us with the Wagners at Oriole Park: (coming soon)

10. Picnic Parties in the Park - No better way than to spend a lazy afternoon, than with friends picnic-ing in one of the many parks on Capitol Hill. One particular highlight, our friend Jesse's 29th birthday bash!

I found this really fun deco quiz from the blog How About Orange which tells you your type of decorating style. It was a lot of fun. You just click on pictures that appeal to you. Try it here.

Here is what it told me:



Which, I guess is pretty accurate. I like traditional pieces. I like natural woods. I like luxury items {ekhm...chandeliers} I have a hodgepodge of things in our apartment now, because it is not yet a house, only an apartment. I cannot wait to have a whole house to decorate! I don't know how to describe my style, but I have nautical themed items in our house, so I always say Pottery Barn/Nautical. I like the sound of City Chic a lot better, but somehow I feel like this new description will need more explaining.

What did it tell you?

Good Morning America Interview

Kevin is home from the hospital, but still has a long road to recovery.

Because he is unemployed and uninsured, we have set up a fund for donations to help cover the cost of his medical expenses: http://www.blogger.com/www.kevinkite.org

You can also continue to find updates on Kevin here on my blog.

I have started my own calligraphy business. I do not yet have a name or a website, but for the time being will keep you updated via this blog.

If you are interested in my work, please feel free to peruse my samples and check out my rates on my calligraphy blog!


Rates:
$1.00 per envelope (inner envelopes are free for weddings with over 150 invitations)
$20 per hour for consultation

Please feel free to contact me at: shannon.angelos@gmail.com or comment on this blog with calligraphy requests.

One of my cousins who was unable to make it to the family reunion was in an accident yesterday.

Kevin was kite boarding in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida {in tropical storm fay} and was taken off course by the strong winds, thrown into a building, and seriously injured.

You can read the full story here: "Wind Blows Kite Surfer Into Building"

Here is the video:



As you can see, this was a pretty terrible accident. Please keep my family in your prayers.

Also on front page of CNN

Update: (8/20/08)

Kevin is in a Florida hospital that is known for its Neuro-Trauma which we are very grateful for. He has been moved out of ICU. The hemorrhaging and swelling in his brain has gone down remarkably. He fractured many of the bones surrounding his lower spine, but his spine appears to be intact with no signs of paralysis. Multiple ribs are broken, as well as his ankle.

It is incredible that I am praising the Lord for this news, but if you saw the video, this is truly good news. Kevin is responding to my Aunt Alicia which has been a comfort.

Thank you all again for your continuing prayers. He is still in critical condition, and is in for a long recovery.

Here are some pictures of Kev kite boarding earlier this summer: SmugMug

After much deliberation, I have decided that the best way to sum up the Angelos/Paradise family vacation at Deep Creek is to talk about my cousins. My mom is one of 7. My grandparents, six of the siblings and their families came to Deep Creek Lake in McHenry, Maryland for a week under one roof. There are a bunch of us, and we have a lot of fun together. The vacation wouldn't be the same without my cousins! Here is the rundown of the week:

Mike and Dad picked me up on their way out to Deep Creek on Tuesday morning. They had a golf tournament and I had to check in at work on Monday, so we all headed out a bit late. When we got to McHenry, MD, we drove straight to the dock to hop on the boats with everyone. Here are some pictures from our first day:

Before I begin the great feat of narrowing down an Angelos/Paradise family reunion into one post, I thought I would bring you the updates I have been promising for weeks now:

1. For the picture of Lydia "flying," click here.

2. For the video of Patti on the giant water slide, click here.

3. My tomato plants aren't looking so hot after two weeks of heat wave/no water. But they are still producing tomatoes! Hooray!

4. Many of you know that I do calligraphy for wedding invitations. I am thinking of launching a business/website involving wedding coordinating and invitation calligraphy. Any ideas for a name?

Olympics...Eagles...Olympics Opening Ceremony...Eagles first preseason game...well...

The Eagles won the debate (but not the game - though our starters did look great!). It really shouldn't have ever been such a debate. I had been waiting for this day, the Eagles first game, for much longer than I had been consciously waiting for the Olympics, but the hype started to get to me.

Each August, for as long as I can remember, the start of football team evokes feelings of joy in my parents home, and this has carried over into Mark and my home. We cannot wait to hear: "Are you ready for some football?!?!" The game, the teams, the players, the food we eat while we watch, and the excuse to get out and toss the football around are all exciting to us.

This weekend another debate ensued: Should we watch the Olympics or the Redskins? Mark and I settled for flipping back and forth.

You see, living in Washington, I am now in enemy territory. The Redskins compete against the Eagles in the NFC East. Typically this wouldn't be a big deal. I am an Eagles fan, no question about it. The problem arises when you consider that the Redskins have a new head coach, Jim Zorn. Mr. Zorn is an awesome guy, a strong Christian, and a great father. His daughter and I played lacrosse together. It is exciting to hear the local news speak so highly of Mr. Zorn. Dani even made it on TV when the local news was showing family photos from Mr. Zorn's office.

Everything in me wants him to succeed. However, everything in me also wants the Eagles to win the Superbowl (even if it isn't a realistic desire). So for now, I have decided that I will cheer for the Eagles 100% of the time, and cheer for the Redskins when they play anyone except the Eagles. Ah, the conflict this causes in my heart!

Between our two family vacations Mark and I returned to DC for the weekend. It was perfect because I was able to catch up with Julie for breakfast on Sunday morning while she was in Virginia. We went to McLean Family Restaurant and had great time catching up and chatting about life. It had been too long. Now we are hoping to plan a trip for her and Eric to come down and stay with us on Capitol Hill!

If you didn't already know this, Mark and I collect things. From wine bottle corks, to sea glass and conch shells, we are collectors. Amelia Island is not known for its sea treasures, but we were satisfied collectors nonetheless. We walked the beach at low tide each day searching for whatever we might find. It didn't take us long to realize that the odds weren't good to find sea glass (we only found two pieces all week) or whole conch shells. We did however find things we never had searched for prior to this trip. We found star fish! But we let them all stay in the water since they were alive. We found lots of golden brown and orange shells, shells that were brightly colored like rich wood grains, colors we had never before thought of for shells. The beach was scattered with good finds for the hunters in us. Then one afternoon we stumbled upon two large sand dollars that were no longer living. They were hidden just below a sand bar. Mark's sharp eye spotted them as the waved moved the sand away. Then on our last day, we learned the southern end of the island, where we stay, is known for its shark teeth! We spent out last afternoon hunting and were only able to find one shark tooth, but now we are ready to begin a new collection and cannot wait to return to Amelia.

Aside from our collecting, the vacation included golf, tennis, bike riding, fishing, a spa visit, and plenty of relaxation. We didn't let the storm clouds ruin our week!

With the storm clouds looming, food became a highlight of our Amelia trip this year. Here is the brief rundown of our eating habits:

Saturday: Fresh Steamed Shrimp and Pizza at the house - mmmm...

Sunday: Brett's Waterway Cafe - Mark had the Prime Rib, I had the most delicious Seared Diver Scallops and Ben had Grouper! It was all fantastic.


Monday: The Crab Trap - I had 1lb. of Dungeness Crap Legs.

Tuesday: Ameilia Island Plantation's Ocean Grill - probably the best meal I have ever had in my life! I enjoyed the Alaskan King Crab Stuffed Avocado and Steak Amelia. Mark had PEI Mussels for his appetizer and Lobster Two Ways for his main course. We ate and drank like royalty. This place by far topped the charts for each of our favorites. Dessert was delicious too! Here is a picture of my Steak Amelia:


Wednesday: La Bodega - This is truly a jewel hidden on the island. La Bodega serves the most authentic southern cuisine you can imagine. Every dish is prepared to perfection and served with collard greens and cheddar cheese grits. Everything is delicious, always!

Thursday: Low-key night at the house, spaghetti.

Friday: Joe's Bistro - the perfect ending to the perfect week of eating!

Ominous clouds of doom have been threatening our vacation each afternoon. This is the view from our deck. Storms roll in looking like they will terrorize anything in their path. Twice now, Mark and I have gotten caught in a sudden thunderstorms (more like flash flood downpours). Fortunately, these storms have become quite predictable, begining between 12 and 2 and rolling away by early evening. So predictable that we are planning our days around them. We won't let a little (or quite large) rain cloud dampen this vacation!

Note: I just posted this and noticed that the picture looks black and white. However, this is not a black and white photo, the storm just literally sucked all the color from the sky!