Category — Love, Love, Love!

“I’ve always had a passion for the outdoors, for trees, for birds and flowers.” ~Audrey Hepburn

I share Audrey’s passion. Give me some beautiful blossoms & gorgeous gardens and the winter of 2010 is a distant memory. Spring, you sassy thing, you sure know how to make an entrance! Your blooms are so vivid they’re in Technicolor.

A harbinger of spring in DC, the cherry blossoms kick off the season on the National Mall as people from all over the globe trot to the Tidal Basin to see the blossoms. Under the most beautiful azure sun-filled skies, my mom, sister and I visited the Mall on Friday, where I was able to snap some pics.

The cherry blossoms may be the popular press darlings this time of year – but what about the other blooming treasures in the area?

Just off the beaten path on the north side of the Tidal Basin (between the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial) you’ll find the Tulip Library.  Since 1969 gardeners have been prepping the floral beds each autumn to hand plant over 10,000 tulip bulbs flown from Holland.

A family friend recently recalled visiting the Library as a child, and being confused when she couldn’t “check the tulips out.” I think she was on to something! In the meantime, you can check out these photos from Friday.

Not far from the Tulip Library, the Smithsonian Institution grounds are home to some of the best kept secret gardens. When my parents moved to DC several years ago, after visiting the Smithsonian Castle one day they accidentally strolled into the Ripley Garden.  Shortly after, I visited the garden with them and I’ve loved it ever since.

Tucked away by the Arts & Sciences building, this garden was the inspiration of Mary Livingston Ripley, plant scholar and wife of Smithsonian magazine founder Sidney Dillon Ripley. Fun fact: Mary first met Sidney when they were in the OSS. Her roommate at the time? A woman named Julia Child.

The garden is peaceful and serene with a fountain in the middle and benches scattered near the raised beds of flowers and plants. It’s hard to imagine the location was at risk of becoming a parking lot before Mary stepped in.

From the Ripley head down Independence Avenue to the Enid Haupt rooftop garden, another pretty and peaceful hideaway. Then be sure to visit the Smithsonian Castle, another favorite spot of mine, and grab a snack at the café.

Now slip on that cute sundress and some sunblock and take advantage of the sunshine! It’s time to get out there & re-introduce yourself to our gorgeous city.

Photo credits: The Medestrian, The Medestrian’s Mom.

“Hand me my purse, will you, darling? A girl can’t read that sort of thing without her lipstick.…”

Holly Golightly was wise beyond her years, realizing that a lady should never be without her lipstick. I personally never leave home without it, except to go running or to the gym.

My love of lipcolor began when I was a little girl. In between playing with my Barbies I remember playing with my Mom’s makeup.

I loved the scent of her Estée Lauder and Revlon lipsticks, especially Bamboo Bronze.  It still brings back memories today.

In high school I recall Pink Champagne, Pink Foil and Silver City Pink summers with my Sis at the beach, thanks to Maybelline and Revlon. College followed and Clinique, Lancôme and Chanel were a co-ed’s best friend.

I went through a red phase during my first job on Capitol Hill.  That’s when I discovered Chanel Quatuor with my dear friend, coworker, and fellow lipstick lover, Mara. It was unanimous consent: we were smitten with the scarlett lip-quad compact.

I embraced MAC in the early 90’s.  My favorite hues were Pink Glaze, Frou, Pervette and Wuss. Back then, my sister Liz and I would dash to Nordstrom & bring our “5 empties” to the MAC counter to be recycled, and in return receive a free lipstick of our choice!

For me, at least half the fun of lipcolor is in the packaging & design. There is something so perfectly ladylike about the click! of a Chanel lipstick case.

My signature color? Pink, of course! Today my purse contains an eclectic mix of luxury and drugstore brands, from Dior Fantasy Pink to Cover Girl Pink Tutu gloss.

What if you need to re-apply your lipcolor in public? Don’t fret! Miss Manners says it’s perfectly acceptable to do so, as long as you apply it in a quick, ultra-confident manner.

Channeling Holly Golightly, I have a small mirror on the wall by the door to check my pout on the way out. She had a tiny mirror affixed to the top of her mailbox, where she kept a spare lipstick for last minute touch ups! A girl after my own heart.

So what signature color will you apply before dashing out the door?

As I look at the gowns streaming down the red carpet I always wonder what makes a gown Oscar-worthy? Even for those lucky celebs who have numerous occasions to get dolled up for, the Academy Awards are still a pretty monumental wardrobe decision.

So knowing the style stakes are so high, it’s always surprising to me that some actresses can still manage to get it wrong. Of course there’s a few who get it right. These are the Oscars! I expect to be shown something pretty that wows me!  Here’s some highlights from 2010:

Demi Moore – I adored her feminine, perfectly draped, peach ruffle-tiered Versace. She gets my best-dressed vote! The only thing missing? Her perfect accessory-of-a-husband.

Sarah Jessica Parker – I loved her pale yellow, metallic rosette-encrusted Chanel gown. Along with her piled-high hair, it reminded me of something Holly Golightly would wear.

Rachel McAdams – was feminine and pretty in a refreshing watercolor Elie Saab frock in blue, green and pink.

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Picture an office. A really big office space that takes up an entire floor. Now picture it without furniture – but instead - every corner, nook & cranny is curated with captivating contemporary art.

Then, try to visualize not one, but 5 floors of this art, each dedicated to artists hailing from California, New York, Washington DC, and the rest of the world, such as artist Aniekan Udofia of DC.

On top of that, imagine yet another floor filled with live painting and entertainment – last night it was music by DJ Sonny Cheeba and melt-in-your-mouth cuisine courtesy of Elephant Steps and Friends.

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It’s the first day of March and do you know what that means? Goodbye February, Hello, G-40!  As in, G-40: The Summit, a contemporary art exhibition featuring the works of over 500 artists from around the world – all under one roof.

Starting today, Crystal City will play host to G-40, an artistic interpretation of the G-20 political summit.

On display for the full month of March, the exhibit will also feature musical and visual performances, lectures, and live painting.

Brought to you by the creative forces of Art Whino, the Crystal City BID, DC Magazine, Vornado and Yelp – the mission of G-40: The Summit is to share and expand the New Brow genre of contemporary underground art.

Here’s a sampling of featured artists:

Anko

Caia Koopman

Casey Weldon

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