Several months ago, I went to the National Portrait Gallery and enjoyed a beautiful exhibit featuring women artists who spent time in Paris during the first half of the 20th century. however this exhibit was not the only one that caught my eye while at the national portrait gallery. Not very far from one of the main entrances was a hallway devoted to the glamorous photos of Hollywood stars taken by George Hurrell. His work perfectly captures both the beauty and mystery of these stars of the Hollywood Golden Age. Here are some of my favorite photos from the exhibit. Enjoy!
This photo of the radiant Jean Harlow greeted visitors to the corridor of photographs
Background information on Hurrell
Dashing Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
This is one of my favorite photos of Gypsy Rose Lee
I mentioned Passport DC and the DC Embassy Weekends in a previous post (I attended the Around the World Embassy Tour event during the first weekend of May 2024). However, this post will share the fun I had during the EU Open House Weekend in 2024. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the embassies this year, but I’m so glad I will be able to attend next year!
During EU Open House Weekend, a few friends and I toured the Embassies of Luxembourg, Estonia, Latvia, and Croatia. We ended the afternoon with a meal at Mad Hatter, a cute bar with lots of Alice in Wonderland-themed artwork.
Each embassy had some amazing things to offer. Luxembourg had delicious beverages and fantastic tins of cookies that they gave away to visitors. I was also fascinated by their history with roses: as it turns out, they were once known as the Rose Country for quite a few years, and these exquisite blooms were often sent out as decorations to royal and presidential gardens.
Luxembourg explains their rose tradition Inside of the Embassy of LuxembourgPerfect place settings at the Luxembourgish Embassy
Estonia was quite a treat: along with candies and beautiful modern decor within the embassy, they provided excellent information in flyers about this Baltic country. I was fascinated by the research that was published through Estonian universities, and the information provided made me eager to visit.
Dancing outside of the Estonian Embassy The exterior of the embassy Estonian modern artDining space at the Embassy of Estonia More exquisite art at the Estonian Embassy
The Latvian Embassy not only had dancers in the front, but they also had one of the most gorgeous tile floors of all of the Embassies we toured (I know that’s random, but I love decor). The mix of traditional and modern touches made Latvia a very special embassy to tour, and I can’t wait to either visit again, or go to the country in person.
Exterior of the Latvian Embassy Beautiful dining space at the Latvian Embassy Beautiful oil painting in the stairwell of the Latvian Embassy (From left to right) Flag of Latvia, Flag of the European Union, and Flag of the USA The tile I fell in love with!
As it turned out, a couple of non-EU embassies were open on this day as well. We were able to visit one of my all time favorites, the Embassy of Haiti, where a number of Haitian vendors were selling Mother’s Day gifts (this holiday was one day after the embassy events). I tried Askanya chocolates, bought some perfume, and just had an all-around great time viewing the Haitian Embassy again.
Art at the Haitian EmbassyThe Haitian art gallery is my favorite embassy feature Glorious metalwork on the exterior of the Haitian Embassy
Our last stop on our EU “tour” was the Croatian Embassy, which had several beverages to try, wonderful art, and a fantastic setup for taking pictures. I was very excited to hear that Croatian cuisine heavily features seafood: as a traveler that often has to alter her diet in order to accommodate local food availability, I love that one of my favorite food options is readily available in Croatia.
The perfect space for taking a photo at the Croatian Embassy Beautiful artwork at the embassy Learning about teran wineI love honey products!Fun facts about Croatia
Ending our day with the embassies at Mad Hatter was great! The food was solid, but the artwork really enhanced the overall experience. I couldn’t get enough of the Alice in Wonderland pictures and paintings.
Alice art at Mad Hatter Artwork of the White RabbitPoster of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland Artwork from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Stretched out Alice artArt stating, “We’re all mad here”More Alice and White Rabbit art
That’s a quick roundup of the Passport DC EU Open House Weekend. I can’t wait to return next year and make my rounds at some of the embassies that I missed in 2024!
Craving some international travel, but your budget is saying, “Nope”? Want to enjoy some international culture without the hassle of dealing with TSA? Every May, Passport DC hosts a month-long festival that opens up the doors to many of the embassies in Washington, DC. As someone that loves attending gala events, I’m especially thrilled to do Passport DC, because, unlike the galas, no tickets are necessary, and you can visit a lot more embassies in one day than you could normally enjoy during the average week in DC. This post highlights my experience with Passport DC 2024, and yes, I will be in attendance for Passport DC 2025.
The first weekend of the Passport DC festival is the Around The World Embassy Tour. This weekend features many embassies from Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Gulf countries, Eurasian and other non-EU European countries, and the UK. The doors open around 10 AM on the first Saturday of May, and most embassies will stay open until around 4 PM. The easiest way to enjoy this weekend is to start off with the map of the participating embassies: these maps are available either digitally (through the Passport DC website or mobile app) or in paper form. There are lots of signs located in the Embassy Row area, so you will have no problem locating the stands where you can get a map and a free tote bag (while they last). I like to gather with my friends at Dupont Circle (the park located in the roundabout is a great place to get your bearings and figure out where you want to go) and walk the length of Massachusetts Avenue. If navigating on foot is an issue, then charting your journey with a map, before catching an Uber to the embassies that interest you, is advised.
The Embassy of Trinidad & Tobago
This is a family friendly event, so if you want to avoid kids, this is not the event for you. There will be MANY families out, enjoying the festivities. Also, if you want to enjoy the sample delights offered at some embassies (the Embassy of Cameroon grilled meat, and it had their block of Massachusetts Ave smelling heavenly!), getting to the embassies earlier rather than later is advised. The lines get long and there’s always a risk that the embassy may run out of whatever it is that you want to sample. I got to try Sri Lankan tea and snacks, Haitian soup joumou, and Jamaican rum during my last visit.
This year, I went to the Embassies of Chad, Haiti, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, and the UK. In previous years, I’ve visited the Haitian and Kenyan Embassies. My only regret is not starting earlier in the day: I would have loved to take in even more international culture.
The Chadian Embassy (it will get its own post soon!)
Statue of Mustafa Ataturk at The Embassy of Türkiye (Turkey) – here’s hoping I’ll be able to visit the embassy AND the country in the future
Statue of Nelson Mandela outside of the Embassy of South Africa
Winston Churchill at the Embassy of the United Kingdom
Art inside of the Embassy of Jamaica
My day with the embassies ended with a delicious lunch at Rakuya, a Japanese restaurant that serves fresh, delicious meals. You will want to get here a bit earlier, too: they stop serving lunch around 4 PM, and shut down to prepare for the dinner crowd. Of course, if you have time to plan ahead, I recommend you go over to U Street Corridor and get some Ethiopian food, since most of those restaurants will be open after the embassy event until late in the evening.
Rakuya’s lunch special
I had a great time in DC during the Around The World Embassy Tour! Have you ever been to this festival? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!
Now that summer is officially here, I can start executing my travel plans!
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And … I don’t really have any big plans. I’ll be in DC a bit more than usual, due to some conferences and a few in-person activities I have to do for work. Other than one weekend in Atlanta, I’ll be pretty close to home. I remember at one point in my life I would have been saddened by my lack of travel plans, but now I’m just enjoying the downtime. I did quite a bit of summer travel over the past couple of years which was fun but a tad tiring.
With my new role as a co-caregiver for my grandmother and great aunt, I’m no longer able to pick up and go whenever I want. I have to coordinate supervision and do resource management if I plan to take any trips. It may sound like a drag, but there’s a sweetness that permeates this situation. Aside from the satisfaction of knowing that my loved ones are well cared for, and that they are thriving in unprecedented ways, there is a loveliness that comes from being still and a tad domestic. Being home more means I can actually take a closer look at my surroundings and note, with precision, what I love and what doesn’t delight me. I figured out that this summer is a great opportunity for me to really finish turning my home into my dream house. I started already, by going through each room and ruthlessly analyzing what should stay and what should go. Once I’ve moved out what isn’t serving me, I can focus on only adding what thrills me.
Whenever I travel overseas, I often find myself having an incredible time, then coming home and having quite a bit of difficulty adjusting to my routine. It’s such a challenge getting back to the regularity of my life, and it’s in that regularity that I am my most accomplished, efficient and healthiest. So, by postponing my international travel until later this year, I give myself a chance to shore up my energy and get some of my ongoing home projects done before I get back to jet-setting. Not to mention, saving travel money this summer means more resources for incredible travel in the future!
Another perk of staying close to home during this time of the year is that it helps me to avoid many of the crowds that overtake popular vacation spots during the summer. I love London, Lisbon and Athens, but the number of visitors that descend upon those cities in the summer makes them less appealing. Navigating through throngs of people may not be completely avoidable throughout the year but it’s practically impossible during the summertime, especially in Europe. I’d rather go during a different time of the year, when most people are unable or unwilling to travel.
So, in short, no big summer travel plans. But I’m looking forward to the short getaways I have scheduled, converting my house into my dream space, and spending time with my friends. I can’t wait to take you all on this journey with me!
For those that aren’t able to walk outdoors and take in natural beauty (either because of strict quarantine measures or due to living in a “concrete jungle”), I wanted to share some links to websites and YouTube channels that highlight natural beauty around the world.
My current favorite is the Keukenhof Garden in Holland. With millions of stunning tulips bulbs planted, the garden is a feast for the eyes. I’m thrilled that I can take in all of this natural beauty from the comfort of my home.
There is also the US Botanic Garden (located in Washington, DC). This incredible garden used to have many fascinating public events and was a wonderful resource for anyone interested in learning more about botany. At this time, however, you can do a virtual tour as well as many online programs. You can even do “yoga in the garden” online every Saturday during the pandemic.
(A double flowering lenten rose, from the US Botanic Garden website)
Another lovely garden that I used to visit regularly during my workday was the Enid A. Haupt Garden. This stunning pocket of serenity was my perfect place to “get away” when I needed some time to relax away from the office. I always walked around the “parterre”, though this was only a small portion of the garden.
(A photo of one of the urns in the Haupt Garden Parterre)
In my hometown, there is an incredible botanical garden. At Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, it is also possible to do a virtual tour. These gardens are particularly special, because of their stunning annual butterfly exhibit.
(Elegant butterfly featured on the Lewis Ginter Botanic Garden website)
If your city has a public garden or other outdoor space, you can probably do a virtual tour (a quick Google search should let you know if virtual tours are available). Do you have a favorite garden to tour? Let me know all about it in the comments below!
Happy Tuesday, friends! This is a holiday week, so you may be trying to find something to do other than simply eating turkey with family and friends (though that’s a perfectly good plan, as well!) If so, I have a few art-related things that you can check out if you want to do something different during this holiday weekend.
For starters, the National Portrait Gallery has an exhibit highlighting the history of the selfie-er, I mean, the past 100+ years of self-portraiture. Eye to I: Self Portraits from 1900 to Today showcases 75 different works that show how different artists during this period chose to depict themselves. It should be a fun and fascinating exhibit.
At the National Gallery of Art, this is the last full week that you can check out the exhibition Water, Wind and Waves: Marine Paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. If you love the sea (like me), this exhibition shouldn’t be missed. With the Dutch being personally invested in seafaring activities, these paintings have a level of realism and intensity that is rarely duplicated by other artists.
Estuary at Day’s End by Simon de Vlieger, c. 1640/1645
Finally, if you’re spending time at the National Portrait Gallery, you might as well swing over to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (these two institutions are housed in the same building). Pushing the Envelope: Mail Art form the Archives of American Art is showcasing a fascinating subset of art: mail art. Artists in the 1960s and onward started using postal mail as a new outlet for their creativity. This exhibition has mail art that captures the spirit of the times, including pieces that mark significant political periods.
These are just a few of the exhibitions in DC this week that are worth checking out. I hope you spend a little time patronizing these fine institutions over this upcoming weekend!
Happy Tuesday, darlings! What would a new month be if I didn’t reflect on the upcoming exhibits coming to the area?
Photograph featured in a tribute to Senator John S. McCain III at the National Portrait Gallery
Surprisingly, there are no exhibitions coming to any of the Smithsonian Museums this month. However, there are a few exhibitions ending this month. Here’s what I’ll be checking out in the next couple of weeks:
It looks like I’m going to have some very busy days over the next few weeks, since I can’t seem to stay out of the Smithsonian and I love taking advantage of being so close to the museums. Look out for some review posts in the near future!
A couple weeks ago, when I attended the event at the Haitian Embassy, I stayed in DC so that I wouldn’t have to drive home late. I reserved a room at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capital Hill, a hotel that is walking distance from my job. I was impressed with the friendly staff that welcomed me as I walked into the hotel.
I went to the front desk and was greeted graciously by a charming young lady (I wish I could remember her name – I’d give her a proper shoutout if I could!). The only downside with my check-in experience was getting to my room: the elevator took FOREVER to get to the lobby. However, the hotel is doing some renovations so the elevator delays are to be expected. Aside from that, it was a smooth check-in process.
The room was comfortable, beautiful and quiet. I really liked the immaculate restroom and super comfy bed. Sadly, I didn’t spend much time in the room, since I left out early the next morning. But the time I spent in there was wonderfully restorative.
This was a good hotel experience overall: the location is great, the room was lovely, and I had a great night’s rest there. I’d love to visit again!
Recently, I visited the Haitian Embassy again: this time, it was for a cocktail-hour social event. The Embassy of Haiti is easily my favorite, and anytime I can find an excuse to go, I make it my business to be there.
Bust of Toussaint L’Ouverture in the embassy
The last time I visited the embassy was last year, during the Around the World Embassy Tour weekend. Unfortunately, my time in the embassy was limited: it was my last stop during the tour and the embassy was closing within 30 minutes of my arrival. However, you couldn’t tell that the embassy was about to close by how gracious the staff was: the diplomats at the embassy were so charming, warm and friendly. This evening at the embassy was much of the same: the congenial spirit of Haiti was on full display.
Photograph of His Excellency Jovenel Moise, President of Haiti
The food for the evening was catered by Gisele’s Creole Cuisine, and it was excellent! I’m fairly certain I’ve never had authentic Haitian food, so it was a real treat for me. I wish I had taken pictures of the food but alas, I was too busy eating!
Gerard Valcin, Agoue Ceremony, 1977
The embassy is my favorite because of the fact that is absolutely gorgeous on the inside, and it could easily double as a Haitian museum. There is so much breathtakingly beautiful art on the walls that I never realized that they have a LIBRARY on site. I almost squealed out loud when I stumbled into the simple but elegant library that housed all sorts of books on Haitian history, culture, art, food, politics – you name it!
So, it’s official: I want to live in the Haitian Embassy. Just put an air mattress on the first floor and I’ll be set LOL! Seriously though, I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about the beauty of this embassy. It is easily one of my favorite places in DC, and I fall more in love with it every time I go. If you ever get a chance to go to this embassy, DO IT! You’ll be glad that you did.
I am beyond excited to share this news with you all! One of my favorite vegan restaurant, NuVegan Cafe (formerly Woodlands Vegan Bistro) of Washington, D.C., is opening a restaurant in my hometown of Richmond, VA! I spend a lot of time bouncing around in the Midatlantic region but when I’m home, I am always eager to try new vegetarian options. This technically isn’t new to me – I’ve been enjoying NuVegan for at least 4 years – but I’ve always had to be in either D.C. or Maryland if I wanted their food. Having the restaurant so close to home is going to really have me spoiled!
The Richmond location will be opening on June 30, 2018. Part of me wants to attend the grand opening . . . The other part of me is pure introvert and would rather avoid any potential crowds! We’ll see how I’m feeling on June 30th and if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll make a special stop to check out the restaurant.
Plant-based foods are awesome!
If you want more information about NuVegan Cafe in Richmond, VA, be sure to follow the NuVegan Cafe Richmond Twitter page @NuVeganRichmond.
Have any of you eaten at NuVegan yet? Let me know what you thought about it in the comments below!
Bronze Butterfly 