Forbes is always coming up with all sorts of random but awesome lists like the least stressful jobs of 2013 (being a University Professor might be the least stressful job but I work with college students too and they stress me out!) or the most annoying business slang. With Valentine's Day approaching, Forbes decided to publish a list of unexpectedly romantic cities. And guess what, Washington, D.C. made the cut so move over Virginia... DC is for lovers too* ;-) Washington, D.C., photo courtesy iStock/drnadig via Forbes Forbes' reasons for including the nation's capital? Obviously not the "love" that oozes out of the capitol ;-) But the cherry blossoms do amp up the city's ...
Washingtonienne
Can I Fluff your (State) Pillow?
Do you love your home state so much that you would want to cuddle with it all night? Well, you can, thanks to Love California's adorable customizable state pillows on Etsy. Cuddle with your favourite state - picture courtesy of Love, California Christin Morgan's adorable handmade felt pillows come in different colours and are priced at $58.00. They just seem like a fun way to personalize your apartment by celebrating the different states where your family may come from, or where you may have lived over the years. And even though D.C. is not a state it still gets its own pillow: Washington, D.C. state pillow - picture courtesy of Love, California I might have to custom ...
A Pop (up) of Colour in Southwest
Atlanta based graffiti artist and muralist Alex “Hense” Brewer brought his spray paint and brushes to the district over the weekend. Known for his large (and npw often commissioned) murals and keen eye for colour, Hense painted over the entire exterior of the empty Friendship Baptist church at 700 Delaware Avenue in Southwest from October 4th-7th. The work was as part of a collaboration with the Art Whino gallery and coincided with the second (e)merge art fair, which was happening just around the corner at the Capitol Skyline Hotel. The work is a little bit off the beaten path but that part of the city is pretty grim so it was great seeing a bright pop of colour bringing a little cheer ...
What to wear this Quatorze Juillet?
Every July 14th is pretty much the same here in D.C. so rather than write yet another round-up post on what to do to celebrate France's national holiday (BYT has a great post for that) I thought I'd help you figure out what to wear to some of the big Bastille Day events...BLEU BLANC ROUGE PINK FOR PAUL' S BAGUETTE RELAY RACE Paul Bakery started a new tradition last year when it launched its French Baguette Relay Race last year. No need for sports gear for this "race," the running is pretty minimum and the hardest thing is probably not to snack on your "baton." I do recommend some flats though ;-)Paul Bakery's Baguette Relay Race takes place at their flagship location on Pennsylvania Avenue, ...
Joyeuse journée du sandwich au fromage fondu!
I don't know if there really is a word in French for grilled cheese sandwich... but in honour of National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day here in the U.S. (yes, there is such a thing...) I thought I would pay homage to my favourite grilled cheese sandwich of all: the croque monsieur. Croque Monsieurs are classic items on the menus of French bistros and cafés. Croque means to crunch or bite and monsieur means sir so the "crunchy mister" is basically our version of the grilled cheese, typically made with ham and emmental, though the best one in my opinions also have béchamel. A more elaborate version, the croque madame, adds a fried egg on top. I've used this recipe to make it at home, but ...
Un éléphant ça trompe énormément!
I'm running a half marathon this weekend and it was so nice and warm yesterday that I thought I would go for a quick jog around the Capitol. It was your typical D.C. evening, lots of other runners around the mall, some tourists, a lot of policemen of course... perhaps more than usual... and a LOT of kids which is definitely unusual... oh, and ekephants ;-) There's always something interesting happening in the District, so I guess this was just another usual warm spring night. With elephants blocking traffic! Not that that's entirely unuual either... ...
British Invasion – 2012 Edition
There's a few things the French really dislike. OK, there's a lot more than a few things but one of them is definitely losing to England. And losing to Germany too. That just brings back bad memories ;-) But losing to England is just what the French did on Sunday during a 6 Nations Cup rugby match. The game was pretty painful, and we lost 22-24, so the last thing I wanted to see today was a bunch of these ALL over town: The Union Jacks popped up all over the district today as the White House prepares to welcome U.K. Prime Minsister David Cameron and his wife Samantha tomorrow, with a 19-gun salute and an arrival ceremony in front of 6,000 invited guests. Cameron will then be whisked ...
The White House Celebrates World AIDS Day
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Some like it hot raw…
Once the stronghold of steakhouses and burger joints, could Washington be ready for a meat-less, heat-free dining experience? If the success of Elizabeth's Gone Raw is any indication, it would appear so... Launched last July by Elizabeth Petty, owner of The Catering Company of Washington, this new occasional restaurant aims to challenge the palates of Washingtonians while demonstrating that food can be both healthy and flavourful, uncooked and surprising. Elizabeth, who herself went raw in 2009 for health reasons, and her chefs Thomas Berry and Calvin Lee, are now providing DC with its first high end raw and vegan tasting menu. I had the opportunity to taste my first entirely raw vegan meal ...
Cork and Fork: A Wine Family Affair
For the Landragins, wine is more than a business. It's a family affair that dates back to 1772. Dominique Landragin was literally born in wine, or to be more exact, in Champagne. Dominique's grandfather was the manager of the Veuve Clicquot vineyards and his father was the vineyard manager at Heidsieck Monopole. Dominique followed on their bubbly footsteps but took his chance with "new world" wines. He moved to Australia where he co-founded Yellowglen, Australia's first methode champenoise winery, with his wife Anna. The couple currently resides in the DC area with their family where they run two successful wine shops in Gainesville, VA and Bethesda, MD. Anna explained that their goal is to ...