Trash the dress

I have this fascination with "Trash the Dress" photos. So many of them are specifically for wedding dresses but it doesn't have to be that way! What if (for example) you have a gorgeous gala dress with a cigarette burn in a really obvious spot? You'll never wear it again and having it sit in your closet is a waste of space. Trash the Dress would be an awesome way to let go of it!

What do you think? Would you do it?

Public parks are endangered

Due to budget crises at every level of government, public parks are at serious risk of deferred maintenance, commercial exploitation or permanent shutdown. But who really wants that kind of “savings”? 


In fact, the benefits that parks produce far outweigh their costs. And yet, parks are typically the first and easiest target of budget cutters. A single park can cause a ripple effect throughout the community. An ill-maintained park becomes vulnerable to vandalism and crime. A playground covered in graffiti invites more and so does a field scattered with trash. Reduced property values are the inevitable results.


I say that's wrong and it needs to stop. Our parks represent the best of our community and they must be protected.

Orange cotton scarf

My first new knitting project in ages! The soft cotton is a pleasure to work with and the linen stitch makes the project easy. Who care if the air conditioning is still on?

3 months

My niece Chloe is 3 months old!

DC Taxicab Commission response to complaint

On September 5, I took a taxicab from DC to Alexandria. When I got in the car, it was SO obvious that the driver had been smoking. I had to keep the windows rolled down the entire ride. I sent in this to the DC Taxicab Commission via email:

Taxi clearly smelled like smoke when I got in. No smoking sign on the window. 

Four days later I got this response:

DCMR title 31 section 807.1 prohibits smoking in District licensed taxicabs while transporting passengers in the District. Since the car only smelled like smoke and the driver was not actually smoking while a passenger was in the car there is no violation that he can be charged with.

Is it just me, or is this totally lame?? Can you say letter of the law much?? If you think so too, feel free to send an email to Renee Hevor of DCTC at renee.hevor@dc.gov and let them know what you think. 

Intercontinental Ballistic Microfinance

What happens when 620,000 lenders fund 615,000 entrepreneurs, students, and other microfinance borrowers around the world? Prepare to be WOWED!



Intercontinental Ballistic Microfinance from Kiva Microfunds on Vimeo.

Five+ years of Kiva loan activity, in full color. Thanks to all the lenders, borrowers, partners, and team members who brightened this map - and helped to change lives in the process.

Farmers Markets in Virginia

Did you know that the state of Virginia has been losing more than 30 acres of farmland per day? You have the power to help save our farms and farmland.

Labor Day in NYC

Took the train up on Friday morning. We went for a walk in Hoboken and saw Carlos' Bakery from Cake Boss. There was a line to get in - I think people were probably waiting for 45 minutes. We decided to pass. But I did take a picture of the store front. For dinner, we had pizza.

Saturday we had lunch at Friend of a Farmer and then went to the Union Square Farmers Market. It's so huge and sells everything! We bought some heirloom tomatoes, corn on the cob, lemon cucumbers, cheese, a baguette, a bottle of wine, and a chocolate mint plant. After a nap, we went to see The Weepies in concert at Irving Plaza. I had such a great time! Their music is so relaxing and feel good.

On Sunday, we walked around the city and did some window shopping. Went to Blooming Nails to get a mani-pedi. Max opted for an extra long leg massage instead of getting a manicure - and then fell asleep!  :) In the afternoon I went with a friend to Yi Pak Spa. It's a Korean spa - a totally new experience for me! It included a 10 minutes in the steam room (at 102 degrees), a REALLY VIGOROUS full body scrub (thought my tan was going to come off but actually didn't), a full body massage, a facial, shampooing for hair, a milk bath rinse, and a time in the sauna to dry off. I'm pretty sure we were there for about 2 hours. For dinner we had Korean BBQ at Muk Eun Ji. Since it was still early, we went to Chinatown to get moon cakes.

Chloe via Skype

A better way butter your bagel

Get a stick of butter and scrape across a toasted bagel. No knife to make gouging holes in your perfected toasted bagel!

West End Farmers Market in Alexandria, Virginia

West End Farmers' Market on Real Time Farms

Chloe at 2 montha

Weighing in at 11lbs, 7oz.

Love my little niece! She's such a cutie.

West End Farmers’ Market (Alexandria) - Adult entry

West End Farmers’ Market (Alexandria) - Adult entry, a photo by Virginia Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services on Flickr.

I submitted this photo for the 2011 Virginia Farmers’ Market Photo Contest

About.me

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Happiness

I wrote this post Happiness for Paper to Pearls.

Meeting my niece

West End Farmer's Market

Wonder what goes on before the market opens? Here's a peek into the setup that started at 7 a.m.

Currently reading

I won an author signed copy of Fair Food by Oran Hesterman from Real Time Farms recently and I retrieved it from my mailbox over the weekend.

Really "digging" it so far! (Pun TOTALLY intended.) It's the next step to take after you've read Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma. And ties in really well with all the work I've been doing with the West End Farmers Market, focussing on local, seasonal produce, living a healthy lifestyle, appreciating the homemade, handmade and DIY.

According to the Fair Food website:

Dr. Hesterman’s menu for change offers the reader questions to ask at farmers’ markets, tools for starting buy-fresh/buy-local campaigns; advice for forming buyer’s clubs that purchase food directly from farmers and fishermen, and guidance about the legislation to support at the local, state, and federal levels. The time for systemic, practical, and widespread action is at hand, and FAIR FOOD is the ideal resource and guide for readers who want to be a part of the fair food revolution.

Midnight in Paris

Just went to the movies with a friend to see Midnight in Paris. It was wonderful. The scenery, the music, the language... all so Paris. Can't believe it's been almost 9 years since Max and I were there. Keep wishing we would go back, tonight more than ever!

So many writers and artists from the 20s came to life... the Fitzgeralds, Ernest Hemingway, Picasso, Dali, T.S. Eliot - along with the costumes and scenes of that time - it was exciting!

Owen Wilson was funny but still believable. And I love how they point out (again and again) that though people are never happy in the present, the past is no more creative, easy or perfect than the present.

I'm not really a fan of Woody Allen so this is EASILY my favorite of all his movies. Watch it for yourself and let me know what you think.

One of my most favorite summer foods