CAPE MAY VINEYARD
[imagerow images="http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_22641.jpg,http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_22472.jpg"] Cape May is a tiny seaside town located on the tip of the Jersey shore. While you may find yourself conjuring up ideas about a certain television show, Cape May is not that place. Aside from being home to some of the most incredible white sand beaches on the East Coast, the town also boasts historic architecture, unbelievably good seafood and lots of opportunities to relax.
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As someone who has experienced the dreaded beach vacation that consisted of rain four out of five days, I’m always a bit cautious about planning a vacation solely around beach and pool visits (although I love those too). Cape May is absolutely perfect in that regard because there is so much to explore on rainy or overcast days when the beach isn’t an option. A favorite during my visit was the Cape May Vineyard, a small but impressive winery and vineyard located just a few miles inland from the coast. The vineyard covers 70 acres and produces over 16 different grape varietals. All of this translates into some really delicious, flavorful wine. All of the staff members at the vineyard are eager to help you find a wine that you love regardless of whether you are a complete novice to wine tasting or an old pro. You can also tour the grounds, buy bottles of your favorite wines (they’ll even ship them back home for you) and learn more about their unique winemaking process.
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Once you tour the vineyard and taste some wines, you can take a glass back to their patio and enjoy a picnic lunch with views overlooking the vineyard. It’s truly the perfect complement to a long day at the beach.
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CAPE MAY VINEYARD 711 Town Bank Road Cape May, NJ 08204
LIGHT/DARK
Happy Friday! This weekend I'm wrapping up a few things since I'll be heading back home to Florida for a couple of days next weekend. Enjoy your weekend.
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
FIELD AND FOUNDRY
A few weeks ago, Melissa Hope graciously asked if I would photograph a new venture that she had put together with Laicie of 1000 Threads. Together they have organized Field and Foundry as a way to bring creative locals in the DC/VA/MD area together. Their first event was at the beautiful farm where Melissa grew up, and I was lucky enough to shoot the dinner and evening for them.
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D.C. hasn't always felt like the most creative place to me, but I feel like I've been proven wrong! I'm so happy about meeting all of the attendees and learning about their creative pursuits. These are just a few photos from the event, but if you'd like to read some other recaps then 1000 Threads and The Daybook both did great ones.
Sidenote: Laicie and her husband, Mark, created Dough Uprising. Their breads and pies are CRAZY GOOD . Mark showed us all how to make a sourdough starter which Laicie shared on the West Elm blog, Front + Main. Lots more photos + sourdough instructions can be found there. If you're local and looking for baked goods, they're at the Urbana Library Farmer's Market in Frederick, MD each Sunday.
NEW SITE
It’s finally here! After several weeks of working on this site with Jonathan, it's finally up and running. I’ve wanted an updated, customized site for my photography and blog for a long time now, and I’m just so glad it’s finally ready to use. Before this, my portfolio site and blog felt pretty disjointed so I’m really excited to have everything in one place.
I hope you'll enjoy taking a look around here. I'm still making a couple of minor adjustments, but if you have any issues with the site or have trouble finding something, please feel free to email me.
A final note: the process of going through several years’ worth of photos, designing, customizing and coding things correctly, etc. was no easy task, but it was made infinitely better and easier because of Jonathan’s help. Thanks, JB, for always being supportive.
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.
BARCELONA | HOTEL PRAKTIK
[imagerow images="http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_1093.jpg,http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_0874.jpg"] Barcelona has a little bit of everything: some of the most incredible food in the world, culture, art, beaches, shopping and so much more. When it comes to Barcelona, the list really is endless. There are also about three million different options of where to stay in Barcelona covering everything between shared dorm rooms to luxurious suites overlooking the Mediterranean. Somewhere in the middle between those two extremes is the Hotel Praktik.
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The hotel is situated near Passeig de Gracia and compared to a lot of the hotel accommodations in Barcelona, it is very reasonably priced. We arrived at the Hotel Praktik mid-day, and from the moment we checked in, it completely blew our expectations out of the water. Walking up to the hotel, you're greeted with a beautiful mix of greenery and foliage. It's a nice reminder that yes, you are on the Mediterranean in beautiful Barcelona at last.
Upon arrival, we were treated to a complimentary upgrade and found ourselves in one of the most enchanting hotel rooms I've ever been in. The all white linens, rustic wooden decor and modern art lining the walls made it one of the most stylish rooms I'd ever stayed in. Beyond the suite, there is a modern but charming terrace as well as an ultra-stylish kitchen and communal living area. Despite these areas being communal, I found that other guests were incredibly respectful and easy to share the spaces with. It was wonderful to unwind in the terrace after a long day exploring the streets of the city.
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Hotel Praktik Carrer de la Diputació, 325 Barcelona, Spain
MONTSERRAT
A CELEBRATION
