Tuesday, January 31, 2012

rock it out.

Rocking chairs are always a good time. Loving this Woven Rocking Chair from Urban Outfitters. 
And I also like this Cubby Organizer from Pottery Barn. Apparently I am going through a natural wood phase.

mint & wood.

Mintwood Place has been a long time in coming and it is finally opening this Sunday. It is owned by the same owners as Perry's and has a great location in the heart of Adam's Morgan. And, since all we have to go off right now are the pictures, things are looking good. Washingtonian has an early look at the restaurant and apparently the Chef has his roots in Citronelle and Central, another good sign. So, let's all be cautiously optimistic that finally Adam's Morgan is on the road to some good go-to eats!

Monday, January 30, 2012

the palace brunch.

Ben was in town this weekend for a short but very sweet visit to celebrate Erin's 30th! The weekend flew by. Drinks at the Hamilton and Jack Rose with good friends, brunch at Eatonville with some other friends, the big party for Erin at PJ Clark's, and one more brunch at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace. I haven't been taking many photos since California because of an unfortunate incident wherein my hand released and dropped my camera on pavement. But lucky for you all, I decided to document the Pearl Dive experience! I have mentioned their Pim's cup and great drinks before on this post, so I am happy to also report, they nailed brunch.
Just look at those donuts and eggs. Put it on your must-go brunch list. (Tip: get there at 10:50 right before doors open. By 11:05 there was a line out the door!).

Sunday, January 29, 2012

wedging it.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love wedges? They are actually relatively comfortable and, bonus, they don't make a lot of noise when walking on marble floors. Anyway, the point of this is I would buy these if I could. UGG Australia Cork Wedge Sandals. They're on sale at Bloomingdales right now for $42.00. I wanted to pass along the great deal so I can live vicariously through other people's purchases since I am on a budget and possibly take credit for them if I ever see you wearing any of it. 

Friday, January 27, 2012

leibovitz latest.

Annie Leibovitz has a new book out, "Pilgrimage". And, for those interested in finding out more, you should read last week's NYTimes Sunday Review about the project. You could also just google it and read the multitude of reviews and press hits she is getting. The pictures make me want to go 1) to Niagara Falls and 2) on a pilgrimage myself!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

lens factor.

Let's talk about the "Fog of War". I had to watch it again in a class today. Fantastic film focused on McNamara and big questions of morality and war, evil and good, truth and lies. It is a challenging movie and Errol Morris' interview style makes it feel like a personal conversation. But on another note (and by that I mean more shallow), you know what else is fantastic? JFK's sunglasses. Yup. That was one of my take-aways today from all the black and white snapshots. We all know the Camelot legacy includes JFK's style and the sunglasses can't be ignored. Have a look. 
 In conclusion, President Kennedy was rocking his shades. Can't say the same for Khrushchev, can we? 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

get excited.

Another good looking place is about to open on H street. And, just like we should all judge a book by its cover, I like to first judge a restaurant by its name, and I want to introduce you to, Boundary Road.
Good name, right?!
Now, take a look at the inside!
The prices are also mid-range, and in exciting news, the meat is coming from Ben's favorite place at the Dupont Farmer's Market, Bev Eggleston's EcoFriendly Foods based out of Virginia. It is set to open in the next couple weeks and I am so ready for this one!

bike mania.

I'm excited! While visiting J+H in California, I noticed this great book, "Bikes of Burden" that their friend had gifted them. I was loving it. So, when I ordered my course books for this semester, I threw it in as a self-gift. The book arrived yesterday in the mail. It is full of pictures of the crazy traffic in Vietnam and incredible loads that people put on their motorbikes. Read: great coffee table book!

Monday, January 23, 2012

loving rights.

The story of the Lovings is really quite something. It is being brought back to life next month when the HBO documentary, "The Loving Story" will debut on Valentine's Day. At the same time, the International Center of Photography currently has a special exhibit showing the photos taken of the couple by Grey Villet in the 1950s. And to top it all off, the NYTimes has been highlighting the story and photos this past week. If all of this hasn't peaked your interest, let me give you some more.
Richard Loving, a white man, and Mildred Loving, of African and Indian American descent, were married in the 1950s and arrested in Virginia for miscegenation.
Their battle to justify their marriage was taken all the way to the Supreme Court. Ultimately, the case led to the Court's ruling that all race-based marriage bans were unconstitutional. The argument was that the right to love is a basic human right.
The pictures that Grey Villet took of the Lovings add texture and life to the story. I can only imagine how powerful these pictures of real love must have been in the 1950s in the thick of such incredible racism. Their bravery and sheer confidence in their rightness is, simply put, beyond admirable. Obviously, the relevance to today has not been lost.
One last bit to the Loving's story...when asked by his lawyer if he wanted to tell the Supreme Court anything, Richard said, "Tell the Court I love my wife".

Sunday, January 22, 2012

chúc mừng năm mới.

The Vietnamese New Year is today and 2012 is the year of the dragon according to the Lunar calendar! I was re-reading Graham Greene's, The Quiet American, this week and it has inevitably brought back a flood of Vietnam memories. I have found myself with Vietnam on my mind this week. So, here are some of the things I miss...

Morning Glory. I am not sure I have eaten any since I left which is amazing since I basically ate it every day I was there.
Motorbiking. I so miss my motorbike. Driving the streets. The anonymity in traffic. And the reaction to seeing the American dai driving herself around town.
The exercise culture. Old, young, everyone working out in the morning. Crazy aerobics in the streets. Make-shift free weights on the sidewalks. People running barefoot around Hoan Kien Lake and exercising in their pajamas. 
Scenery. And Beauty. 
Iced Coffee. You can imagine...
Crazy traffic. 
Rain. Rain. And more rain. Or as Forest Gump described, "We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath".
Road-side fast-food.
Public napping. Oh yeah. Everywhere people napping. Out cold. Loved it.
Pho. I mean real pho. Meat sliced so perfectly thin and flavor that just stayed in your mouth. And of course, my favorite place in Hanoi...
The adventure. 

photo stack.

I used to collect photos that I loved on my computer and just came across these on my external hard-drive....
Brig on the Water - Le Gray
Grizzly Giants - Carleton Watkins
Vagrant Sleeping in Marseille - Brassai

warm bread.

I know the blog has been a bit food heavy lately, but good things keep on coming! This WashingtonPost highlight of Le Caprice DC is just one of the latest. Cheers to some good bread in the city! Looks like a great spot and real potential. Also, can we talk about fruit tarts and how amazing they are? Almost makes me want to head up there right now!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

a grey area.

Ben just turned me on to GreyDC. I had never heard of it before and it definitely deserves some more traction and attention. GreyDC organizes markets for food vendors, and more specifically focuses on foods that are locally and sustainably produced in the area. Good stuff!
The next event coming up is on January 28th, so we have put it on the calendar to hit up when Ben is here for a quick weekend birthday celebration for Erin. Woohoo....I'll let you know how it goes!

coming soon.

The best part of DC is how transient and changing the city is. Yes, so is New York, but DC is different. People come and go, as power brokers rise and fall. The city itself reflects this ebb and flow and restaurants are no exception. The good news is that the DC food scene is taking off and there is real potential on the horizon for some great places opening soon. Here is what I have come across recently!
  • The Pig ~ it is right around the corner from me on 14th and is set to open in the spring. The goal is a snout-to-tail eatery and owned by the same group of Logan Tavern, Commissary and the Heights
  • DGS Delicattesen ~ set to open in Dupont Circle, hope has arrived for a classic deli! Think pastrami, bagels & lox, and all your other Jewish-American staples!
  • Daikaya ~ all you need to know is summed in these three words. Ramen. Chinatown. February. 
  • Bandolero ~ Mike Isabella isn't slowing down...and I am holding back my skepticism since I liked Graffiato so much and hoping that he isn't moving too fast. This city is in desperate need of good Mexican, so cheers to this one coming in March. 
  • Irish Whiskey Public House ~ just opened and from the looks of it, I think it might be worth stopping in!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

the 30.

The Corcoran has a great running exhibit right now, through February 12th, showcasing the most important African American artists of the last 30 years. Appropriately named, "30 Americans", it explores issues of racial and sexual identity and the historical ripple effects of the work. Looks fantastic...can't wait!

Monday, January 16, 2012

cork it.

Back in the great District and to ease myself back into work mode, I decided to finally start attacking my to-do list. The easiest start was my cork board. I have needed something above my desk but was bored by my basic cork board, so I decided to dress it up. I also needed an excuse to use the Lotta Jansdotter Stencils that Olivia and Yuri got me for Christmas!
Here is the basic cork board I started with. 
Picked up some quick supplies at the hardware store. I wouldn't say these are high quality products but they did the job. 
I decided to start with the border and to paint it white. The initial plan was also to paint the cork board white...
But I decided that would turn into way too much white on the wall, so I opted instead just to stencil right on the cork with silver paint. 
I did 3 layers because the cork absorbed so much of the silver paint. 
The finished product! It works well. Not quite as good as I had wanted it to turn out but for now it serves the purpose!