Found this set of gems today at an estate sale! Happy to have found a Katherine Holm dish and a Chemex coffee carafe.
It's wedding season!
L to R: Banners from my cousin Cara's wedding at Black Fox Farms in Cleveland, TN. The reception was held in a gorgeous old stone barn, surrounded by gardens. Les and Oscar (the most photogenic couple ever) had a house party here in DC and gave these personalized shopping totes. Next, more weddings! I'm getting ready to send out this save the date invitation for my sister's wedding. This invite was designed and letter pressed by the talented Kelli Anderson in Brooklyn, NY. She used old New York maps and archived photos of Manhattan to create this turn of the century look. Loving this old world NY feel and can't wait to see the wedding invites.
This past weekend I organized and hosted a DIY share day. The idea was to gather a few of my creative and industrious friends to share their amazing skills and cool project ideas (crafting, building, cooking, fixing things etc.) or, just try out something new. It's an idea I'd been mulling over all winter, and was waiting for the weather to finally accomodate a day of outdoor activities. Well, we got our warm weather at temps near 100! Friends Gab, Barrett, Scott and Elizabeth came over with various craft and cooking supplies and the fun ensued! Barrett and I lead batik and tiedying, Gab made grilled pizzas, Wilson demonstrated some quick and dirty bread baking and Elizabeth invented the cutest twig and paper floral arrangement. It was a blast! Hopefully this will be the first of many more DIY days! Check out our photos from DIY day as documented by Scott.
A welcome newcomer to the DC food scene is Darlington House, a quaintly chic restaurant and pub in Dupont Circle. Darlington specializes in local ingredients, served up in lovely living room style. Buttery walls, warm wood, fire places and mod fixtures feel fresh and cozy, not fussy. It's a much needed alternative to the affected theme restaurants typically found in the city. Besides being the most adorable resto in town, DH somehow got the chef from The Modern (in MOMA). Reserve a table upstairs for the full dining experience, or sit beneath ceramic deer heads in the dimly lit pub below. For more homey dining, avoid downtown and visit Domku, Buck's Fishing and Camping or Cashions Eat Place.
It's May in DC, and gardeners, like myself, are getting knee deep into planting. I'm fortunate to have a small vegetable garden in my yard, but even if you don't have green space of your own, there may be a public plot within reach. There are 36 community gardens here in Washington. Pictured is the Blair Road Community Garden in NW DC, as the metro passes by. To learn more about community gardens in Washington, check out the DC Urban Gardender blog.
More posts this summer about my garden, other local gardeners and the stuff that we're growing.
A few gorgeous, fluffy peonies from my garden. Paired with a silver birdie salt and pepper set, a favorite thrift store find. All ready for guests tonight!
Same room, different spaces.
Left: Scout on FLOR "House Pet" carpet tiles.
Right: Boo perched on Taschen's
Scandinavian Design and Inside Africa.
L to R: For fetching: a cotton produce and bulk dry goods bag with silkscreen by my pal and DIY project queen, Carrie Brown. As an alternative to those plastic bags in the produce aisle, look for any light, breathable fabric bag to throw into your grocery tote, or contact Carrie if you are interested in one of these cute sacks. For storing: Reuse food containers! I covered this oatmeal container with leftover scraps of paper. These containers are great to reuse for storing dry goods, but could use a unique label so you don't confuse your lentils with your popcorn. Plus, it looks great sitting on your counter.
