Adios NPR!

Less than a week ago I officially left my job as a designer at NPR To pursue some of my other passions and hopefully open my skin care boutique (named Woodland) in DC. I will miss the good people ad free concerts. I especially enjoyed the design work I did for NPR Music. I will remain a fan. We had some good years...

And now, my birthday!

Of course, Matt never fails to make my birthday special. He took me for an early birthday dinner at DC's The Iron Gate, probably the most romantic setting in the city to have  meal. I enjoyed my lemon-dill salmon and chocolate mousse cake under a canopy of grape vines and lights that form the false ceiling. It feels so magical there.

(I love birthday coupons! And I can't believe how much the dog on the picture looks like my Gypsy.)

Unfortunately, I was a little under-the-weather on my actual day so Matt brought me beautiful flowers, cupcakes from Cake Love and some gifts. I spent most of the day lying in bed reading a Sookie Stackhouse novel... it was great!

(See!)

(Cupcakes from Cake Love — two lemon, two strawberry.)

(The Iron Gate sign.)

(The entrance to The Iron Gate.)

(Our birthday dinner table.)

(The false ceiling made of lights and grape vines. You can see some of the grapes hanging down.)

(My latest Sookie Stackhouse read.)

Birthdays!

By some stroke of luck my husband and I have birthdays that fall within a week of each other. This leads to approximately two weeks of combined birthday celebrations.

For Matt's birthday I got him a very manly flask made by Stanley (perfect for camping) a bottle of Hendrick's and an Old Timer pocket knife. Then I surprised him with a weekend trip to beautiful Charlottesville where we stayed in the cutest guest house, hiked the AT, explored the town and tasted some local wine. Pics below...

(Hiking on the AT)
( A cool Shot from Ash Lawn-Highland, near Monticello)
(The guesthouse we stayed in.)
(Old Timer Knife)
(Hendrick's Gin)
(Stanley flask)

Juice Beauty

I was so pleased to find the Green Apple Moisturizer with spf 15 from Juice Beauty. Juice makes juice-based organic skincare products and I love to have a day moisturizer that has spf in it. Their products are full of anti-oxidants and are like a healthy meal for your skin. It just makes sense that organic fruits would be great for your skin. The products smell delicious and they've been working great for me. It's also a brand that I think men would use since it's not overly feminine.

The Path

I'm really not a gamer but there is definitely a little of a sci-fi/fantasy geek inside me. OK, a big one. I recently bought The Game by Tale of Tales and I'm really getting into it. It's based on the themes of Little Red Riding hood and being vulnerable and lost in the woods. It actually makes me feel vulnerable and safe at the same time because the woods are so beautiful but it always feels as though there is a wolf prowling around. It has a beautiful melancholy feeling about it and the settings are serene, spooky and a little surreal at times. It's perfect if you're stuck at home but you want to have a thought-provoking adventure in the forest. 

Telling Tales

The Victoria and Albert Museum currently has exhibition called Telling Tales featuring furniture, lighting and ceramics that push the boundary between art and design like "Table #1 (pictured above) by Swedish-born artist, Patrik Fredrikson. I don't think I'll be in London any time soon but the interactive exhibit on their website gives you a glimpse at the pieces. Naturally, I like The Forest Glade section which is "inspired by fantasy and nature evoking the spirit of fairytales." I wish I could actually stumble upon these creative objects in a forest. Now that would make a great hike. I would probably never leave. 

I love the inspired "Princess Chair" by Tord Boontje.

The "Linen-Cupboard-House" by Juurgen Bey is straight out of a fairy tale. 

It would be great to take a bath in the woods in Wieki Somers' "Bathboat."

Rock Creek Park

It was such a beautiful weekend in Washington, DC. My husband, dog and I took advantage of it by going to Rock Creek Park for a hike. The temperature was perfect walking under the canopy of trees covering the trail that followed the edge of the creek. There were tons of beautiful moss covered rocks and trees. I find the sights, smalls and sounds of nature there so inspiring. I like to imagine Teddy Roosevelt riding his horse through the park and thinking of his conservation plans. Check out some of my pics from the hike.