Mezza Luna--cool blue venue...

Drinks, like the red sangriatini, on the bar at Mezza Luna. Drinks are larger than this photo, from the Mezza Luna site, would suggest.

This being the holiday party season and all was a nice time to hold a little blogger get-together, in a new place, the very cool, casual Mezza Luna Restaurant and Lounge. Laid-back mod-looking decor, happy hour with delish drinks (including Absolut cocktails for $6), tasty tapas like the Tortilla Espanola (homey tasting with a sophisticated presentation) and the hummus, served with grilled pita triangles at angles resembling flying fish on a plate, along with new people and conversation, made for a good time had by all.

As usual, there were people from a variety of backgrounds--corporate, nonprofit, gub'mint, startup--and I was one of the few non-techies there. But because there were some new folks, some just starting sites, others with more experience and multiple blogs, there were good tips and information passed around. Such as that Word (boot) camp for Wordpress users is only $40!

Of course, our very own Kier is giving a presentation in the new year, on January 9 (at the Cleveland Park Library), "Blogging 101," for anyone interested in starting their very own electronic megaphone.

Some of the new people have interesting blogs, too:

Spleeness--a very funny stream-of-consciousness site.
KissMyCountry--an eco-optimistic site, featuring travel insights.

And last, but certainly not least, the cool dance music we were bopping along to, which may be the nascence of a District Bloggers Meetup and 80s Dance Party in the not-too-distant future.