japan in green and gold

Two things I was obsessed with in Japan (besides tea) ~ moss and noren (the cotton or linen split curtains traditionally hung over the doorway to a shop or restaurant). So beautiful.

Also, I started a Japan set on Flickr, with lots more to come.

tea houses

Those of you who know me well, know how much of a passion I have for tea. So, as you can imagine, I was in heaven for 10 days. Kyoto in particular is famous for its many tea houses ~ beautiful and elegant, and so in tune with nature. A world apart from the bustling coffee houses of the western world, each is a mini sanctuary. Many of the teas, I was told, are grown within miles of Kyoto. My favorites: matcha (so fresh and grassy), roasted tea (toasty and complex), and brown rice tea, known as genmaicha (earthy and comforting). I brought home tins of the latter, along with a mild sencha...and a hand made tea bowl of course. Anyone for green tea?

in kyoto

While many of my 10 days in Japan were spent navigating the highly efficient, though endlessly confusing (!), railway system in the pursuit of academics, I was able to squeeze in one glorious weekend in Kyoto. A city full of hidden treasures. Around each corner ~ a temple, a shrine, a garden, or a tea house. And I walked all over, probably covering no less than 20 miles on foot! Along the way, I would poke my nose into the many ceramics shops for which Kyoto is famous, or indulge in a cup of green tea and a sweet, some black sesame ice cream, or a warm bean paste cookie. There were just so many wonderful things...and so much more to share. I promise!

amazing, amazing

Truly amazing. Right now I really don't have the words...so I give you a few bits of Japan, and a promise of more to come. xo.

close to home 6

Happy Presidents' Day to you! Things are very quiet in the nation's capital, but I am busy packing for an adventure. I will be rather "far from home" for the rest of February, and away from this space. But, I promise to bring back lots of wonderful things.

Be well. See you in March.

trouvée: a tough choice

Milk or wine? You choose. Found last week on eBay. The upside to the lousy economy is that there is almost no competition when bidding for old snapshots (I can't attest to anything else). So, I have a pile of new images to share with you!

Some friday photo links:

* Sailors' Valentine
* Colleen Plumb
* and Gaylen Morgan

Wishing you all a lovely weekend and a happy Valentine's Day!

two warm days

Two days of blue skies and 70-degree temperatures in Washington ~ and forsythia makes an appearance (though I fear it will be shivering by weeks' end). I managed to escape from the office a little early yesterday afternoon as I needed to run over to the ANA offices to pick up a JR pass (I wonder if you all can figure out what that means?!?), and decided to walk home afterwards. What a joy to have a little sun on my face and a warm breeze at my back!

Anyway, I stopped by Borders to pick up a copy of Jamie...to see if it is indeed as good as all the buzz proports. Well, it is a culinary feast in print and packed full of recipes! Well worth the splurge ($9.99).

a winter meal

As the produce selection dwindles at the farmers' market, I am getting creative. Very creative. This week, however, I thought I had finally hit rock bottom. Seriously, what the heck can you do with wild mushrooms and Brussels sprouts? (Again with the sprouts, I know.) Well, apparently, Gourmet has an answer for everything. Hallelujah...some seriously divine inspiration.

And gosh, don't these look good?

close to home 5

I was a little outside the perimeters on this one ~ 2.07 miles from home to be exact. But, it's okay to cheat a bit now and then, right?

A few things to enjoy:

* the March/April issue of Inside Out

* the February issue of World of Interiors

* and Debi Treloar

Happy monday!

trouvée: daisies

A recent acquisition. Inscribed: "Anita 18 months / 1912."

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of this blog and if I could, I would give each one of you a fist full of daisies. I can't thank you enough for stopping by and taking this journey with me. I am the richer for it.

As usual, some friday links:

* Sally Gall (via indigoalison)
* so much fabulous fashion at ICP
* and Women in Photography

And, very rarely do I get political, but please: speak up for museums.

the traveler

Thank you to Courtney at Style Court for including me in her "mental traveler" series. She never fails to delight and inspire me with her daily discoveries, so I am truly honored.

And speaking of travel, I can't help but wonder if Mr. Ferren has been reading my blog...!? What a treat to see the city of Washington featured in such a positive light.

bits of inspiration

We woke up to snow flurries this morning in Washington. And cold. Always more cold. However, I saw some lovely things out there in the virtual world:

* Admirals' Row (via EEE)
* Cafiero Select (via Style Court)
* and Laurie Reid

Stay warm.

historic house tour: tudor place

As part of Sunday's belated-birthday outing, we decided to pay a visit to Tudor Place on opening day (it was closed in January for a deep cleaning). And so you all get a surprise house tour! I had been several times before to do research, but had never taken a formal tour, so it was fun to play tourist for a change.

The elegant five-part, neoclassical house is set on 5 1/2 acres of land above Georgetown, with a view of the Potomac River. It was designed by William Thornton, the first architect of the US Capitol, for Thomas Peter and his wife Martha Custis Peter (the granddaughter of Martha Washington). The house was completed in 1816 and remained in the Peter family for almost 180 years. So naturally, it is full of treasures! Because of the close connection to the Washington family, there are over 100 objects once at Mount Vernon, including pieces of the Washington Sevres porcelain dinner service, magnificent Chinese export ceramics, George's chest-on-chest, and Martha’s Chinese Chippendale tea table (my personal favorite). Photographs were not allowed inside, but you may find some here. One of the highlights of the tour was getting to see the recently restored kitchen, which until recently had not been open to the public. The exterior of the house sports unusual buff-colored stucco over brick and a distinctive temple porch. The structure has seen very few changes over time, and so remains delightfully true to its Federal origins. For a bit more ~ enjoy!

close to home 4

Blue skies and melting snows in Washington this weekend. Mild temperatures lured people outside to bask in a brief break in the weather ~ and prompted me to explore the outer reaches of the "close to home" limits (walking, not scurrying). Sunday afternoon there was a long-planned and rather belated birthday outing for two capricorns ~ a bit of history, some hot cocoa (with whipped cream!), and warm crêpes at Café Bonaparte made it worth the wait. However, I must say that our real treat was the sun (especially since a certain groundhog saw his shadow this morning).

And tomorrow, a surprise!

trouvée: e-z underwear

Found last year at the Round Top antiques fair. And as if the photograph itself isn't funny enough, it is inscribed: "Audrey Duke / 8-31-54 / A good picture of the cabinet + you / Don Swift / E-Z Mills." E-Z Mills was a popular producer of underwear for infants and boys from the 1920s through the 1950s. I learned far too much about children's undergarments in the course of researching this photograph, and will spare you the details. However, on the off chance you are interested, you may read more here.

Some photo links:

* Sandi Harber Fifield
* Laurie Frankel (via cher ami)
* and Birdhouses (to thank Michelle for sharing the Frankel link!)

Wishing you a lovely weekend. I hope you all find a little something to make you smile.

on a budget

People say you can't get much for a dollar anymore. Well, apparently you can get these three flowers and a sweet potato. A banner day at the farmers' market. But, I am not complaining because there is nothing better than roasted sweet potatoes.

SO...yesterday the contractor put his finishing touches on the apartment. Yes people, he really is done! He swept up all the sawdust and paint chips and put my extra keys in an envelope on the kitchen counter (the brand new kitchen counter). And now the rest is left to me ~ priming, painting, organizing. And decorating. Yikes. I splurged on a gorgeous granite countertop and built-in bookcases, so everything else needs to be done on a serious budget. I sort of enjoy restrictions like that though, and I think I will take a page from David Mlinaric ~ keep it simple.

more white

...and it was followed by ice. The capital is encased in it. Not nearly so wonderful as yesterday's soft snow. Eerily beautiful in a way, but so treacherous! Speaking of snow, I think this is insanely gorgeous. And this.

Last night I stumbled upon the photographs of Mickey Smith. I really like them ~ they are just so smart. She also has a blog.

Stay warm. I am off in search of another cup of tea.

winter white

And then the snow came. She said with a smile.

close to home 3

Just chasing shadows these days. The sun was out this weekend and warmed things just enough to make a sunday morning walk bearable. It was followed by lots of stitching and hot cocoa. Winter is really beginning to wear me down ~ it has been so cold, and we haven't had nearly enough snow to make it interesting!

Ah, well, here are a couple things to warm the soul:

* Leigh Beisch (click on personal)
* and Orla Kiely for Target (okay, I am a little behind on this one!)

Cheers and happy monday!

trouvée: claire and jack

My grandmother and uncle Jack. Found while going through some papers last night. I wish I was that stylish.

Today's photo links are an embarrassment of riches:

* American Photobooth
* The Americans
* some American cityscapes ~ Brad Moore (via This Joy + Ride)
* and inauguration fever in Washington

Do you sense a theme here? Enjoy and have a great weekend!

a few bits

My mother will be horrified by all the kale. But it really is one of the more photographic leafy greens. And let's face it, the choices are slim at this time of the year ~ it is that or Brussels sprouts. While many of my friends can brag about attending inaugural balls and celebrity sightings of Val Kilmer, Oprah, and our new president, I found myself avoiding the crowds and rummaging for carrots at the farmers market with José Andrés (alas no, I did no ask him what he was making for dinner). However, I can tell you that I made Molly's carrot and fennel soup. So tasty, and very, very easy to make.

A few odd bits:

* this site ~ Obsolete, inc.
* this painting (if only I could bid on it)
* and the simple beauty of these garden tools

I'll be back tomorrow with some more links. cheers!

close to home 2

A cold walk. A grey day. And a wintery palette. I couldn't limit myself to just one image.

I hope you all had a good weekend. Washington is so quiet today ~ it is almost surreal. But, several empty bottles of wine and a sink full of dirty dishes reminds me that we had quite a party yesterday.

blue skies over washington

"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness...." ~ Barack Obama, 20 January 2009

A glorious day in the nation's capital. With such a feeling of good in the air. Godspeed Mr. President.

UPDATE at 9:00 pm: KDM ~ you win the bet ~ Michelle Obama, in a white, off-the-shoulder gown. How did you know?

warm and bright

The perfect prescription for a cold winter day. See more here. Stay warm and have a good weekend!

an eye on washington 2

It is terribly distracting in Washington these days, so forgive me the delay in getting this to you. The second installment of the Washington neighborhood tour ~ Georgetown:

* Tudor Place Historic House and Garden ~ Designed by William Thornton, the first architect of the US Capitol, for Thomas Peter and his wife Martha Custis Peter (the granddaughter of Martha Washington). Set in the heart of Georgetown, the elegant neoclassical mansion was completed in 1816, and now houses many Washington family pieces once at Mount Vernon.

* Dumbarton House ~ A wonderful example of Federal architecture. The house was built for Joseph Nourse, who served as Register of the Treasury for the first six presidents of the United States.

* Dumbarton Oaks ~ This is probably one of my favorite places in Washington ~ a true sleeper of a museum. Federal-style mansion filled with Pre-Columbian and Byzantine art, gorgeous gardens, and a world-class research library (with a garden history collection that blows me away). Need I say more? Just be sure to set aside enough time to see it all.

* Old Stone House ~ Truth be told, it has been ages since I have been inside this sweet little house. Incongruously tucked in between the many shops and boutiques of Georgetown’s busy M Street, it one of the oldest known structures remaining in Washington (more here).

Stay tuned for the third installment next week...and a few other bits!

P.S. The above photograph is a detail of one of the gates to the Capitol grounds.