A day spent with Kerra is always a fun one. Kerra is an amazing residential and commercial interior designer here in DC. We’ve been working together on shoots for years, and I absolutely love working on her projects. This home might be my favorite yet!
Just Over the Bridge - Exploring Arlington
Arlington has always had a close place in my heart. When I first moved to the DC area, it was my first home, and I have so many good memories of my time there. I recently partnered with Hyatt Centric to photograph and explore the area surrounding their Arlington property, and loved revisiting an area that I used to call home.
Luckily, the hotel is just steps away from the Key Bridge making it easy to pop over to Georgetown or head deeper into Arlington. I've rounded up a few of my favorite snaps from the trip as well as some of my favorite spots in the area. I'd love for you to take a look!
STAY:
Hyatt Centric - the Centric is the boutique version of the Hyatt brand, and I really loved it for the little details like the Drybar hairdryers in the rooms and cute lobby library.
DO:
Key Bridge Boathouse - I love boating on the Potomac, and the Key Bridge Boathouse makes it so easy. You can rent a paddle board, kayak, canoe, etc. Perfect for a summer day, and if you're in DC, you can actually get a season pass!
Georgetown - I walked to Georgetown over the bridge from the hotel, but with temperatures in the upper 90s, it was hot. If you're there on a nicer day, this walk is really beautiful. Aside from the obviously amazing shopping in Georgetown, the streets are so quaint, and the residential streets are lovely to walk through even if shopping isn't your thing.
The Marine Corps Memorial - Another easy walk, this memorial is so touching, and its a favorite that I don't get to often enough.
Bikeshare - Bikeshare is one of the easiest ways to get around in the area. I'm slightly biased because my husband promotes alternative & environmentally transportation for a living, but I personally love it.
EAT/DRINK:
Barley Mac - Their Garden Pizza with white sauce, yellow corn, broccolini, and roasted garlic is out of this world good. I know it sounds a bit non-traditional, but trust me - it's one of the best pizzas I've had in a long time.
Screwtop - I didn't make it there this trip, but Screwtop is one of my favorite places for a happy hour drink or two in Arlington. Their wine and cheese selection is amazing, and it's on a nice, quiet street in Clarendon.
Key Bridge Terrace - The Key Bridge Terrace is set up so it's a level above the street giving you a nice view of Rosslyn and Wilson Blvd., and it's the perfect spot for getting a snack or a drink outdoors.
Heavy Seas Alehouse - This is another spot right around the corner from the property that's perfect for a dinner or a good local beer.
Note: This post was sponsored by Hyatt Centric. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Infinity Mirrors at the Hirshorn
On Tuesday evening, the Hirshorn invited me to a preview of the Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors exhibit. I'd been dying to see the Kusama's art since I'd heard about it, couldn't have been happier I got to check it out. Six Infinity Mirror rooms make up the exhibit, and you experience each one on your own (or with a friend) on a timed basis. It was completely immersive, and totally unlike anything I'd seen before. These photos do it absolutely no justice, and I'd urge you to pay a visit if you're in DC. I will certainly be going back (the exhibit runs through May 14)!
"Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos." - Yayoi Kusama
Bindaas for Food & Wine
Happy New Year! I thought I'd kick off my year of more consistent blogging (fingers crossed) with a couple of outtakes from my shoot with Food & Wine featuring DC restaurant, Bindaas. Vikram Sunderam, of Rasika and Bindaas, is one of my favorite chefs in DC so needless to say, I was pretty excited about this one. For this shoot, we focused more on the art and interior of the space but I couldn't help but sneak in a couple of food shots too. Though this outpost of Bindaas is in Cleveland Park, a second downtown location is coming soon.
A Visit to the U.S. Botanic Gardens
Just a short walk from the Capitol Building, the U.S. Botanic Gardens might be one of my new favorite (non-restaurant) spots in DC. Compared to the rest of the buildings and museums on the National Mall, it's certainly not the most popular but for a Floridian missing greenery and palm trees in the wintertime, it's the perfect place.
I had a shoot with a friend a few days ago, and I had some extra time to snap a few shots in the gardens beforehand. I grew up gardening with my grandfather so I love plants in general, but The Tropics section of the conservatory was by far my favorite. Beautiful light, lots of amazing palms to take you away from the fact that it's 30 degrees outside, and best of all, it's WARM! Walk up the stairs to the mezzanine level for the best views.
A Day at L'Academie de Cuisine
Earlier this year I spent the day at L'Academie de Cuisine, a professional culinary and pastry arts school just outside of D.C. in Maryland. The school needed new photos for their website, and invited me to spend the day at their campus shooting a few different culinary classes, pastry classes, and a cooking competition (similar to Chopped) that took place among their Phase 2 students. These students are in the advanced kitchen training portion of their education, and it was pretty incredible to watch them work their way around the kitchen.
More photos are over at the L'Academie website!
Glen's Garden Market
Here are a few shots from a recent shoot with Glen's Garden Market. If you live in DC and haven't been, it's worth checking out immediately. These photos were taken at their Dupont Circle location, but they've just opened a second one in Shaw which is a convenient 7 minutes from my apartment (!!!). The food is all fresh + local, beers at always $4, and the market stocks every amazing local food product imaginable.
FLOAT ON
Hello! Today I'm sharing a photo from a series on the Potomac River that I'm working on. Excited to share more soon!
LA COLOMBE
I first tried La Colombe coffee while passing through Philadelphia and instantly loved it. They have a few locations on the East Coast plus a couple more in South Korea. The D.C. location is on a quiet alley in the Logan Circle neighborhood. When the weather is nice they completely open up one wall and it's amazing.
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You can bring your pooch (a big plus for me) too! There is no menu which means you can order just about any type of coffee drink you want. Their almond croissants one of the best things I've eaten in a long time.
LA COLOMBE COFFEE Blagden Alley 924 N St NW, Washington, DC 20001
RECENT SHOTS
With the exception of the photo on the bottom left, I shot all these for a cool little feature I did for BYT.