The Bahamas

Posted on August 17, 2015

In my closet I have many shoes. I have the pair that instantly boost me a foot taller allowing me to tower over everyone, seeing heads of balding men and down women’s blouses. I have my flip flops which are essential for sunny days and sandy days, for dashing out of the house in chase of an errant child. I have my dusty Doc Martens from high school that go perfectly with my Morrissey t-shirt. I have my low boots my high boots my brown boots my black boots when I need to be stylish and practical and sophisticated and comfortable. I have my sneakers, which no one believes I own, because they are seen on the rare occasion when either outdoor exercise will occur or Toms just won’t do. And I have THE pair that goes with everything and takes me everywhere, that allow me to strut and dance, the strappy pair that stay put when swinging from chandeliers. How perfect that Jen has the same pair.

Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2015

Posted on August 15, 2015

Sitting in the back of my parent’s station wagon driving to Ocean City, MD I’d stare out the window at the houses passing by wondering who lived there, imagining the clever conversations they must be having, the interesting food they must be eating and the great belly laughs that filled their sunshine filled homes. I was ten years old and I romanticized what existed in these houses, believing the lives they led were filled with TV moments. I’m not ten years old anymore but the romantic in me is still thriving. Now my lens has shifted from the houses on Route 50 to the rest of the world. Whether driving through the charming town of Valladolid or walking the tourist filled Avenue des Champs-Elysees I am equally enamored with the history and the landmarks as I am with the daily routine of those that live there.

There is still much of the world I want to see. Thanks to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival I can enjoy a curated glimpse into different countries and cultures and see the people that by simply performing their daily routine are carrying forth traditions.

Showering Lisa

Posted on August 4, 2015

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
– Psalms 37:4

The greatest gift a friend can give you is a friend. Your trusted and loved friend has done all the leg work; she has confirmed her humor is sarcastic, sassy, self-deprecating with a pinch of bawdiness, has the right balance of book smarts and street smarts, is earnest and gracious, enjoys a good Pinot Noir and a Hendricks and tonic, preferably at the same time, and gives good hugs.

Ellen, whom I have known since we sang religious nursery rhymes together, bestowed upon me Lisa. Lisa, an accomplished, silly, intelligent woman knows no boundaries nor lets fear anchor her. Lisa, who has inspired me since the moment I met her, is pregnant through assisted reproductive technology. Lisa is a woman who knows herself, who uses her mind to follow her heart.

Celebrating in Cancun

Posted on August 2, 2015

We celebrated my parents 50th wedding anniversary and my father’s 80th birthday with a family trip to Cancun, Mexico. The Beloved Hotel was all-inclusive, luxurious, serene and a perfect host to our family of twenty one.

Isla Mujeres

Posted on July 25, 2015

Isla Mujeres, Spanish for “Island of the Women”, is an island in the Caribbean Sea about eight miles off the Yucatán Peninsula coast. To the west the skyline of Cancún can be seen across the clear waters. The island is roughly four miles long and one half a mile wide and has approximately 12,000 inhabitants.

Mimi Wilson

Posted on July 21, 2015

Mimi is mother to two boys, six year old Brett and soon to be three Levi. Whether going out to karaoke or having a backyard cookout she is always impeccably styled, with perfect hair and make-up. In college she studied Organization Management and worked in mortgage and banking until she decided to stay at home. The decision to stay at home was an easy one having grown up as an only child with parents who worked 14 hour days. As Mimi says, not only was she alone but “lacked the guidance I needed to keep me on the right path. There were many basic lessons and good habits that I should have learned in my early childhood that I didn’t grasp until my twenties.”

As a nine year old Mimi would move furniture around just to change the look of the room or make it function based on her needs. As other girls her age were reading fashion magazines Mimi was reading books on architecture and design.

Six years after leaving the workforce, twenty six years since she first started decorating in her home Mimi is beginning a new career. Through Decorating Den Mimi will create her own franchise leveraging their tools to begin her own interior design business. It was my pleasure to photograph her home as she launches her new website and launches headlong into a well planned dream.

“I use my own home as a way to express my creative side. I love to change designs according to the season or how I feel at a particular time. Nothing is ever permanent when it comes to interior design…I love that!”

Smithsonian Sleepover

Posted on July 16, 2015

Hey Explorers – Follow me on your quest to uncover the many extremes found in the Natural History Museum! Tonight, you will dine like the dinos, marvel at the mummies, and sing like the cicadas to earn the title of Smithsonian Junior Explorer!

An Ordinary Life

Posted on July 6, 2015

I’ve lived an ordinary life. The only one of four children to be born in the United States, my parents immigrated and struggled and succeeded in creating a new and safe home for us. They worked long hours, learned enough English to get by and found comfort and community in religion. They raised their four daughters as best they could, prioritizing piano and church over cheer leading and parties. We had enough to have a warm house, new clothes from Sears, dinners at Pizza Hut and an Atari but not enough for hotels, a vacation to Europe, dinners at Red Lobster and SAT prep classes.

I’ve lived an ordinary life. I got a job as soon as I was old enough, went to state college and dove right into a full-time job after graduation. I married, had children and bought a house in the suburbs. My sisters stories all unfolded similarly. None of us are rocket scientists or neurosurgeons but we are all happily married, employed and live within 45 minutes of each other.

I’ve lived an ordinary life. I haven’t won the lottery or an Oscar but I also don’t know what a prison or a rehab center look like. I’ve gone hungry because of my slim fast diet in college and the sporadic years throughout my youth and adulthood of discovering the secret to a flat stomach, not eating. The only scars I carry are on my left shin and left elbow from a bicycle accident when I was eight.

Summer Escape at Mount Vernon

Posted on June 26, 2015

Anthony and I recently enjoyed Summer Escape at Mount Vernon, a unique opportunity to experience Mount Vernon after hours. While enjoying craft beers from local breweries including Old Ox Brewery, Atlas Brew Works, Old Bus Head Brewery and Forge Brew Works we chatted with Lady Washington and was transported to the 18th century with music, dancing, beer brewing and blacksmith demonstrations.