ted talked.

We went to dinner last night to celebrate Josh's 30th birthday. During dinner I was talking about this TED talk, "Let's talk parenting taboos: Rufus Griscom + Alisa Volkman". It is a very interesting discussion about parenting taboos. 

 

stella love.

Big news...Stella is coming to town! Jordan and Hannah are coming too of course. I can't wait! In the meantime, how great are these?!

canvassed.

It's Friday. Thank god! And I just came across (thanks to the OhJoy!) this awesome looking store online, Canvas. If you are looking for a hostess/housewarming gift any time soon, you should take a few minutes and look around! Here are some of my favorites below...

jack speak thai real good.

Slow day in the news, so I figured I would give you something to read.

Last night, Ben and I went to Thai X-ing for dinner. This place has been on the list to get to for at least a year. It was fantastic! Seriously. Hands down the best thai food we have had in DC. No question. We both commented that it actually almost felt like you were in Thailand. The smells and taste and vibe in there are just awesome.

It is in this small row house over in the Shaw/Howard neighborhood. You have to call beforehand and leave a message to see if they can fit you in. It is small inside. It is also BYOB. There are a couple tables tucked inside on the ground floor and more tables up the stairs on the second floor. It is a set menu for $30 a piece.

We sat down and the food started arriving within minutes. First, this cucumber soup. It was so good. We practically licked our bowls clean.

 

Three additional appetizers came shortly after. I will say, the appetizer round cleaned my pores out. My mouth was on fire. Thank god Ben grabbed a bottle of white wine on his way over to cut through!

The entrees included a beef panang, a fantastic yellow curry dish, and a vegetable/chicken stir-fry. There were also a couple noodle dishes.

And finally to top off what was already a fantastic meal, the dessert came. There are no words to describe what was going on. This mango, sticky rice plate was unbelievable. Perfectly sweet, moist, fruity, and more. It was just amazing.

 That's all. Just a great meal. We loved it and recommend to all!

peacecorped.

Scott is back from Indonesia! Hooray! 2 years in the Peacecorps and he is on American soil again. Cheers to his much deserved homecoming!

ephron.

There are so many Nora Ephron tributes going around at the moment. In truth, I didn't know all that much about her before today. But, based on everything I have read and heard, she sounds remarkable. Brilliant. Generous. Hilarious. And more.

To top it off, Ben just sent me this Frank Bruni piece, "At the Table, Nora Ephron Knew Best". It is beautifully written. It makes me regret not having realized who she was. There are also so many parts of this that remind me of what I love so much about Ben when he talks about food. That infectious spirit talking about food, sharing it, wanting to learn more, and the adventure in finding those fantastic food moments. Whenever Ben cooks food for someone else, there is always this moment where he is looking over to gauge the person's response. Eager to see if they love it and how it tastes and talk about it. It is quick and I don't think people notice it. Anyway, I imagine Ephron was similar. It sounds like sharing a meal with her would have been quite something indeed!

rock star.

You know it's a good day when there is a fantastic profile of HRC in the New York Times Magazine, "Hillary Clinton's Last Tour as a Rock-Star Diplomat". Have at it!

mynabirds.

A second music recommendation for the week. Several different people in the last couple weeks have mentioned the Mynabirds to me. I finally got around to listening to a little of their music last week.  Now, I think you should too! They actually were at the Black Cat in DC last Saturday, I realized it Friday night and played with the idea of going, but didn't in the end. Anyway, to get you started, below is the NPR Tiny Desk Concert they did last week while in DC...   

  

color paint.

Ben's Mom sent us this picture from Philly this past weekend. Apparently, she was walking past and saw it! It has something to do with the Philadelphia City Gardening Program but I couldn't dig up any information on it. Anyway, I love the idea of using different colored chairs for a dinner party!

comes and goes.

Been a while since I have posted any new music. Mostly because I have been very absent from the music scene this year. But, I am loving this song, Come and Goes by Greg Laswell. Take a listen below...

pocketed.

Remember my plan to make pocket squares? Well, good thing I haven't gotten around to it, because Ben's law school friend recently launched this website, The Perfect Pocket. Good selection and great price point, go at it gentlemen!

fishy stuff.

Fish oil supplements. I now take one every day! I have bad eyes and apparently omega 3 fatty acid can help. Also, Elle MacPherson swears by them. So basically my takeaway from that is if you want to be a super model you should take some fish oil supplements. But here's the only thing, before I full on recommend you go buy a bottle, I should give you fair warning about one thing....fishy burps. True story. I don't get them every day and I really do think the benefits outweigh this (apparently fish oil also helps your skin, joints, and metabolism) but yeah, rather unpleasant in the morning on my walk to the metro!

ice cold.

Iced coffee season officially commenced around last week. I have actually become less of a drinker over the last couple years and even in the summer tend to opt for a cup of hot coffee (it actually makes you cooler you know?!). But, this morning, I was jonsing for a cold glass. I always drink my iced coffee out of a jar. For many years now. And, now when I am on the move, I use this cuppow lid. Cool, right?!

weekend read.

This piece by Anne-Marie Slaughter in The Atlantic, "Why Women Still Can't Have It All", has gotten folks talking since it came out yesterday. I took my time in reading it. And, I appreciate it. I think it is honest. And thought provoking. And important. Particularly, in a city like DC, where so many people are wrapped up in power and politics. I highly recommend as a weekend read!

suckered.

Oh the summer on the Hill. Interns running around with inappropriately short skirts and men trying to figure out the classiest way they can beat the heat since they still have to wear a full suit. In a remarkable demonstration of government brilliance this week, the Capitol planned an ice cream social. At 3:00. Outside. It was 100 degrees. I didn't go because I couldn't think of anything worse than hundreds of young Hill interns running around in the heat wave with melting ice cream.

But, there are wonderful things about the summer. One of which is Capitol Hill Seersucker Thursday. Yup. True story. This exists. For all of you outside the beltway, this is to show that things are getting done in Congress. Anyway, the tradition is not that old. Started by Trent Lott. And, in truth, I really enjoyed it yesterday. Full seersucker suits running around, bow-ties, and a touch of southern. It added some good personality and bipartisan partnership!  

north south east west.

Compasses. I don't know why, but I have been thinking about them regularly lately. They are becoming such an antique accessory that I am sure the hipsters over on H street are going to turn them into a major trend soon. Anyway, I am not a great sailor so I would feel like a want-a-be if I bought one, but aren't these compass necklaces from Pinar Mavituna's Etsy store kind of cool?! (I'm looking at you Mrs. Lindsay!)

restoration.

Some of these are just so sweet that I have to share..."21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity".

night swim.

We had a date night last night. And, on our walk back home, sweating and complaining about the heat, we decided to go for a quick night swim! It was about 9:30 by the time we got up to the roof and we didn't stay long, mostly because I was surprisingly cold by the time we had gotten into air conditioning and changed. But still, it was great. The perks of a rooftop pool and a great way to end the date!

squared up.

Ben and I popped into the Jack Spade store two weeks ago when we were in Georgetown. A pocket square kind of like this one caught our eye. (Just a quick sidenote: our good taste was unknowingly affirmed by GQ in this article recently!) Ben has been in the market for a pocket square. Then we jumped into JCrew. We actually saw this exact one in the store. Here's the thing. It was $42! That is straight up crazy! Seriously. It was a piece of linen cloth. Not even good linen. Just a square piece of cloth. We were shocked. I think you get my point.

So, I am going to make some pocket squares. Why? First, why not? Second, I think I can find much cooler prints and quality fabric. And, most importantly, so easy!

That's the story for now. I am going to fearlessly tread into the men's attire world and make some pocket squares. Will report back shortly.

picture: GQ

true that.

wild thing.

I had no idea. First, there is a Wilderness Society. Second, they are located at 16th and M. And finally, they have a full on Ansel Adams photo gallery in the building. Apparently, Adams gifted some of his photographs to the Society and they have a recently refurbished gallery in the headquarters! I love Ansel Adams. I love everything with big skies and broad landscapes. And who knew this was just blocks from my apartment?!

deal time.

Take a look at these earrings that Joy featured on her Oh Joy! blog  today. $10 and you get your choice of color. Happy Monday!

eastern shoring.

This past weekend was spent out on the Eastern Shore to celebrate Dan's 30th birthday. The drive up was surprisingly fast on Friday night. I swear it was thanks to Erin's good driving karma. We got to this gorgeous house in the early evening...

Dan's mother and grandmother rented it for the weekend as his birthday present. We got there in time to get all dressed up and eat a dinner of lobster rolls outside in celebration.

 The weather was great all weekend. It was quiet and this farm was right outside the kitchen window.

 I also love all things with a dock. Take a look at this view with the sunset...

And, Ben and I walked down the road a bit so I could grab a picture of this tire swing I spotted when we were driving in. Loved it!

oh naturale.

The first step is admitting you have a problem. Or so I've been told. I have finally acknowledged that I rely way too much on my fake sugar in the morning. 4+ packets of Equal in my morning coffee. So, I am officially on a mission to kick the fake sugars. Hannah had given me a pep talk about this a couple years ago. And, Ben sent me yet another scary article about how bad they are recently. I started last week and successfully resisted the sweet urge of fake sugar in my coffee this morning. Yay!

That said, my morning coffee is far from enjoyable at the moment. I am hoping this is just an acquired taste. For the time being, my uptake before 10 a.m. is pretty slow, my reflexes are delayed and I am in a fog! But, I am keeping my eye on the prize and waiting for the day that I love the taste of my morning cup of jo sans fake sugar.....

wedged out.

So, I was on the metro yesterday headed to Dupont and spotted another woman with these fantastic patent leather wedges on. Now that I have a salary, I officially need to make some improvements on my wardrobe and I have my eye out for my basics right now. I am also a sucker for all things wedge. This woman's shoes were ideal. So, I tracked her down to find out where she got them. I didn't get to her until after we had gotten off the metro, but mission accomplished! They are from J.Crew. The Martina Patent Wedges. Unfortunately, that means they are incredibly over-priced. Still, we give credit when it is deserved, and these shoes get my approval.

marling time.

Ben, Erin, Josh and I went to see Laura Marling in concert last night at the 9:30 Club. She has a gorgeous voice and the 9:30 club is a great venue, so it was a recipe for good things. Here are a couple takeaways from the evening:

• Marling was sporting an awesome pair of Nikes.These are the closest I have come to finding them today.
• She has a rule of not doing an encore. I appreciated that. 
• We watched a guy in front of us put on one of the most tremendous shows of drinking I have seen in a long time. He drank so many beers we couldn't keep count and couldn't believe it! 

booked.

NPR had this story on the radio this morning about the debate raging over the 5th Avenue New York Public Library. Say it ain't so New York.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing during my bathroom routine. Remember this post from a long while back about the old Penn Station and how beautiful it was? This is yet another gorgeous, beautiful NYC institution with so much history. And, yet again, like history repeating itself, the renovation ideas are unfolding so quickly. What is the rush?  Looking forward fifty years, if they don't follow through in a hasty renovation, moving all the books and rushing to respond to e-readers and the latest technology, it will be even more of a hallmark of New York.

I will say, Dr Marx, the new President and CEO of the New York Public Library, has done impressive things while President of Amherst. I only know this because Dad went there and I have heard about it at length. He has been an incredibly progressive voice on issues of diversity, affirmative action, and admissions. So, there should be something said for the fact that he does push change and boundaries when they are necessary. But on this one, I strongly oppose. Leave it alone. Let this one play out. Hopefully, he will go the way of Jackie Kennedy who saved Grand Central and change his mind on sending a million books out to Jersey.

You should read/listen to the story....and then the next time you are in New York, swing into the 5th Avenue Library for old times sake.

wellies.

You know how I am always talking about how I need a pair of rain boots? That is true too. I really do need a pair of rain boots. I just found these ones. The Ribble Women Premium Wellies. On sale. They are great. I want them.

Alas, life has to be prioritized on a budget. First, I need a proper suit. So, I have to take a pass on these. But, you should not. You should jump all over these and if it were me, I wouldn't even wait for the rain to wear them around my apartment!

front and center.

I consider this the steal of the day! Though, I admit that I am taken by anything with the words "rustic" and "barnwood". That said, loving them and think you should too!

Rustic Barnwood Planters - 3 for $10

genius.

I had a brilliant discovery last night! Frozen grapes to chill your wine. It is amazing. Pop a bag of grapes in the freezer and then throw them in your glass of white wine to keep it cold and the grapes don't dilute. Amazing, right?!

You're welcome!

summer saturday.

Yesterday was exhausting!

Ben and I headed over to the Kreeger Museum. The Kreeger is tucked away on Fox Hall Road, northwest of Georgetown (I wrote about it a couple weeks here).

The actual building used to be the Kreeger's home and it was filled with art that they had collected over the years. Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Picasso, Miro, Van Gogh and on. In particular for me, I thought the Monets were beautiful. There is also a lovely outdoor area with sculptures and a reflecting pool.

It all felt very small and intimate. On the basement floor, there was also an impressive collection of modern art, including a whole two rooms of Joan Miro.

This Gene Davis piece reminded me of this Joseph Marioni work from the Phillips Collection a while back.

After the Kreeger, we walked down Fox Hall Road to Jetties for a sandwich. We happened to run into some friends from the State Department who we haven't seen in a while!

 The sandwiches were legit.

After a small detour getting on the wrong bus home, we took a quick nap and then headed out to the Gay Pride Parade with Emmy and Dilpreet.

The rest of the night went undocumented. But a dinner at Pearl Dive Oyster Bar was had. Ben and I both highly recommend the Etouffee. Finally, we ended the very long day at Maddys to watch the Celtics-Heat game, which unfortunately did not end with a Celtics win. All in all, not a bad Saturday!