By Rebecca
‘Just a Hint of Red’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
If you were pleasantly asleep last night from 1:30 to 4:30am then you missed the lunar eclipse. No worries because WeLoveDC’s Flickr photo pool, NASA and Huffington Post have you covered with a robust recaps, videos and photos of the celestial event.
The total lunar eclipse coincided with the 2010 winter solstice, an combination of events that had not happened for 400 years and will not happen again until 2094.
By Katie
‘let it snow’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Snow in the District is beautiful, let us not forget. Continue reading
By Rebecca
‘Hoggie’s Entry’
courtesy of ‘GollyGforce – on a new quest’
This Saturday, Brightest Young Things hosts a holiday lights bike and car parade where participants decorate their vehicle with bulbs, wreaths, tinsel, antlers, etc. and parade around town from 7-9:30pm.
The parade route starts at Jack’s Boathouse at the Georgetown waterfront at 7pm, heads to Politics and Prose for a celebrity reading of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and then moves over to Chevy Chase’s Comet Ping Pong. The free event is co-sponsored by Flying Dog Brewery.
My biggest question was how do you convert wall plug in lights to run on your bike or car. Thankfully, a Google search easily answered my question.
By Rebecca
If your morning commute takes you along the Georgetown section of M Street, then on Tuesday morning you likely saw a long line of cold, sports enthusiasts waiting to get the first peak (and swag gift bags and prizes) at the City Sports flagship store located at 3338 M Street, NW.
The two story, 1000+ sq. ft. space is the 18th location for the City Sports group and offers shoppers not only fashionable and functional merchandise, but the opportunity to explore, learn and experience the various DC-based athletic activities and groups.
Given the current weather—SNOWOMG! Definitely hit up this City Sports and get a pair iof men’s running shoes, as it has all the outdoor, thermal underwear, winter boots, snow pants, puffy jackets, fuzzy sweaters, wool hats, Everest climbing gloves, you’ll ever need. Oh so, practical and oh so stylish!
By Rebecca
‘Ready, set, go?’
courtesy of ‘fromcaliw/love’
In an effort to keep ridership up during the frigid winter months, Capital Bikeshare is holding a two-month long biking competition starting January 1, 2011. The crux of the competition is to crown the area’s Winter Weather Warrior (aka: the participating member who makes the most trips by February 28,) and then handsomely rewarded he/she with the below prizes:
In addition to the Winter Weather Warrior, Capital Bikeshare will award the Long Haul Rider (member taking the most trips on Capital Bikeshare over 3 miles) and the Most Saddle Time (member with the most time spent on Capital Bikeshare) awards in both January and February.
To sign up for the contest you 1) have to be bloody nuts, it’s cold out there, 2) have to be a Capital Bikeshare member and 3) have to sign up to participate.
By Rebecca
Flights of Fancy, courtesy of kevin allen
If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit and be inspired by gingerbread amazement, you’ll find no better place to go then the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown.
On display until December 12, the hotel’s lobby is festooned with 10 holiday-theme trees and vignettes, created by Washington’s best interior designers and children/teenagers living with cancer, that celebrate the fashions of the holiday season. There’s also an amazing gingerbread replica of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception that took Executive Pastry Chef, Charles Froke 70 hours to design, create and decorate.
According to Painting and decorating London, all of the display’s decorations have their own unique theme that has been executed to perfection. No expense has been spared for the ornaments, lights, tinsel, etc., and the result is a rich collection that explores out-of-the-box ideas for decorating and celebrating the holiday season. May I suggest that when you head over, you grab a holiday drink (alcoholic or non) at the hotel’s bar to take with you as you enjoy these holiday delights. Continue reading
By Rebecca
courtesy of Timothy So
Last night, I had the extreme pleasure of participating in Gingertown, one of DC’s best kept holiday events. Begun in 2006, Gingertown is the brainchild of locally based David M. Schwarz Architects (DMSA) and brings together leading DC architects, designers, and architectural firms with other building enthusiasts (aka: the non-professionals) to create a town made of completely of gingerbread and candy goodness.
Gingertown is an entirely free event with DMSA and other event sponsors providing all the building materials, food and beverages. Teams sign up beforehand and are assigned town plots with free reign to design and construct their portion of Gingertown during the 3 hour event.
Each year, a new master plan and theme is created; this year, builders tackled the North Pole, transforming the layout into a magical town of gingerbread, jelly beans, Twizzlers, Nerds, candy canes, buttercream frosting, etc. Like previous years, the 2010 town map included communal and civic-minded centers, green spaces, city hall, a concert hall, a library, a toy store and a strong pedestrian culture. Continue reading
By Patrick Pho
“Microwave backhaul” courtesy of Flickr user @jbtaylor
You know what I love about wireless standards? They are so vague and undefined. If you’ve ever shopped for a wireless router and gotten confused over 802.11g vs 802.11n then you know what I’m talking about.
The same confusion and arguments are around for wireless phone speeds as well. Today Sprint announced that Washington, DC among 68 other markets will now have 4G enabled networks for those snazzy Sprint 4G phones out on the market.
By Rebecca
I don’t love the “Hill” in the way some people do – I’m not so political and certainly am not involved in all the Congressional happenings, but I do adore the neighborhoods that make Capitol Hill fabulous. Eastern Market has such charm, and I’ve found myself spending weekends on Barrack’s Row. What better excuse than to celebrate a part of the city that I love than by heading to The Hilly’s on Friday night?
Awards will be given to some of the Hill’s best eats and drinks – favorites like Granville Moores, SOVA, Ted’s Bulletin are all up to win. Plus local businesses like Frager’s and Bikram Yoga are up for awards, too. Ticket prices are $65 for CHAMPS members, $75 for Buy Local members and $80 for the general public.Price includes open bar and food, with guest bartenders from Wisdom, Tunnicliff’s, Argonaut and Matchbox.
By Rebecca
photo courtesy of flickr user Wendy Copley
Hidden around DC, secretly placed in strategic, calculated locales are small, weatherproof boxes containing logbooks and stamps; only the dedicated group know of their existence and they are constantly trying to follow a trail of secret clues to uncover them. While this may sound like the latest Spy Museum game or a CIA operation, it’s actually hobby called letterboxing and its covertly going on right under our noses in our beloved city.
Here’s how it works. Originating, across the pond, in Dartmoor, England, letterboxing, like its hi-tech sibling geocaching, is a combination of hiking, puzzle solving, treasure hunting and thrill seeking. In this game, “placers” hide small waterproof containers in interesting locales, e.g. along the Capital Crescent Trail, near the Jefferson Memorial, behind a loose Eastern Market brick, etc., and then leave small clues to its whereabouts on websites, or in letterboxing newsletters or through word of mouth. Continue reading
By Rebecca
Today at 10am, DC’s first Madewell opens its Georgetown doors. The clothing shop offers wears that meet hobo, hipster and preppyster fashion needs alike and is sure to be a big hit with Georgetown college and young professionals scene. Originally found in 1937, Madewell started out as a true-blue American denim company. Now the label is owned by J.Crew and has been reinvented to target women ages 18 to 40. Madewell debuted in 2006 with a flagship store in New York City and up until the Summer 2010 launch of its ecommerce site, was only sold through its 18 nationwide stores.
By Max
The Starting Line (and all other photos) by Max Cook
Sunday was a perfect fall day for another perfect Tweed Ride. Five hundred lovers of vintage clothing and bicycles gathered for the second annual ride that was magical to say the least. Organized by Dandies and Quantrelles, the pre-ride festivities began in the morning at The Fridge where people were treated to music by Maureen Andary as they mingled and admired each other’s clothing and rides. At noon the entire group gathered at the starting line in Lincoln Park where the ride commenced in packs of twenty five. It was a true delight to ride along the golden tree-lined streets of Capital Hill, past the Supreme Court, the Capitol, and the White House, ending in Adams Morgan. The post-ride social at Stroga featured bottomless Hendrick’s gin drinks, food by Coppi’s, a tweed fashion show, dance performances, and lots of love between riders. As easy as it would have been to leave my camera at home, it’s basically impossible for me not to document days like these.
By Rebecca
‘How to Braid Three Leashes’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’
Over the weekend, the Glover Park/Burleith/Georgetown neighborhoods got a new addition to pet-owner mania with the opening of Unleashed by PETCO at 1855 Wisconsin Ave NW. The shop is a smaller version of the pet supply mega store and sells the natural, organic, and higher-end pet products. The store also offers pet training courses, pet grooming, vaccination and preventative services, a treat bar and adoption events.
A lot of the people have been asking to get a branch here in the neighborhood and they heard! As there is a park nearby, pets and their owners can stop by anytime to get treats, a quick visit to the groomers, and even adopt a pet. The store is all-around and perfect for animal lovers.
By Rebecca
This They Make DC marks the first entry in a series that will profile the various small businesses manufacturing their products in the DC Metro area. In these features, we’ll tour the facilities and shops where these goods are made and sold, with the ultimate goal to gain a deeper understanding of what it’s like to own, run and operate a business in our beloved capital city. So without further adieu, let’s kick this bad boy off.
Robb Duncan and his Argentinian wife Violeta met by chance in 2000 at a conference in Brazil. Two weeks later Robb flew back to Portland, Oregon, sold everything he had and moved down to Buenos Aires and they were married. While living in Buenos Aires, Robb fell in love with gelaterias. Having toured Italy, Duncan was very familiar with Italian gelato, and while he liked it, he was never blown away by it. So he was surprised when he discovered that Argentinian gelato, made by Italian immigrants and their descendants, tasted a lot better to him. When Argentina’s economy crashed in the early 2000s, Robb and Violeta moved to DC, where he could get a job as a software engineer for the federal government and where Violeta could finish up her degree at American University. Continue reading
By Rebecca
‘All dressed up’
courtesy of ‘Blinkofanaye’
Capitol Hill staffers have been keeping a very appealing, little secret from the rest of DCers and her name is “The Pearl Lady”. Apparently every year around the holidays, The Pearl Lady who owns a pearl shop in Beijing, visits DC to sell her pearls at ridiculous low prices. According to a WLDC author, The Pearl Lady usually operates out of a townhouse and the scene is a total madhouse with Congressional staffers waiting in line for hours and departing with strands and strands of beautiful, opulent pearls.
According to The Pearl Lady’s website (www.pearl-lady.com) she’s got some serious VIP clientele including Laura Bush, Madeleine Albright, Condolezza Rice, and Bill Clinton (cue pearl necklace jokes.)
The Pearl Lady opens shop today at 446 New Jersey Ave, SE from 10am to 6pm and will be opened everyday until November 16.
By Rebecca
‘LIQUOR at Kenny’s and Kovak’s…’
courtesy of ‘ellievanhoutte’
Before today, if you were looking to buy booze on a Sunday, then Montgomery County was not your friend as it tightly controlled the 24 county-owned liquor stores and prohibited the sale of alcohol on Sundays.
Now in an executive order from County Executive Ike Leggett, that should pass today and will be in place by the end of November, county-owned liquor stores will be able to open for business on Sundays. This six-month trial has some estimating that the county will pull in an additional $2 million a year . Skol!
By Rebecca
‘Every Food Fits: “What’s Up, Doc?”‘
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’
This Saturday, November 13th starting at 10am at TEAISM’s Penn Quarter location, the Restaurant Opportunities Center of DC (ROCDC) is organizing DC’s first ever Carrotmob to promote paid sick days for DC restaurant workers.
You might say: “But Rebecca, what the heck is a carrotmob?” And up until 15 minutes ago, I would have responded “I have no clue. Perhaps a pack of redheads angrily waving orange vegetables?” And, unsurprisingly, I’d be dead wrong.
In reality the term “Carrotmob” comes from the phase “use the carrot, not the stick,” and is a method of activism in which consumers use their buying power to reward businesses that take socially responsible actions.
The TEAISM mobbing is in response to the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act, which passed two years ago and provides 3-7 days of paid sick/safe leave to many District workers. However, the law left out your server, waitress, waiter, and bartender, so they’ve been working (aka serving you) while they’re sick. Despite this TEAISM has gone above and beyond the call of duty and provides all their workers 5-7 sick days; They are indeed truly worthy of a good old fashioned carrotmobbing.
You can join the mobbing by visiting the Penn Quarter TEAISM this Saturday and by RSVPing at the event’s Facebook page.
By Rebecca
‘Do my nails clash with the red?’
courtesy of ‘fromcaliw/love’
After a lengthy community discussion about where to place the new Capital Bikeshare station, the latest addition to the operation has opened in the Northwest neighborhood of Glover Park in the parking lot of the Guy Mason Recreation Center.
According the Glover Park resident listserv, residents are hopeful that bikesharing will get a lot of use as an alternative to pokey buses and single-occupant car trips.
By Rebecca
‘frozen treat’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Thanks to President Obama’s shout out last week, the 7-Eleven Slurpee truck brigade is en route from Dallas, TX to Washington, DC in what’s being billed as the “Slurpee Unity Tour 2010.” The trucks are making pit stops to hand out free samples of the newly launched, bi-partisan beverage “Purple for the People” flavor. The half red, half blue flavor will allow Americans to reach across the aisle and cast a vote for taste bud reform. Something we all know is much, much needed.
Today the trucks stop in Florissant, MO and Springfield IL. Tomorrow they’re headed to Chicago. You can track the trucks as they make their way here for the Slurpee Summit via the Slurpee Facebook page or on Twitter @slurpee #slurpeeunity.
By Ben H. Rome
Lyndon B. Johnson’s photographer Yoichi Okamoto disappeared behind the President to make this image. Okamoto would have been below the eye line of almost all of the reporters in the room. (LBJ Library/Yoichi Okamoto, p. 118); courtesy National Geographic
Photographs. They’re a common form of expression in media today; they’re everywhere. To many, none are more relevant or as communicative as those taken of the President of the United States. We see them every day in the paper, on websites, on television. “Pictures are worth a thousand words,” says the old adage; none more so true than those of the most powerful and important position in these United States.
But what about the men and women behind those shots? Ever wonder about them – who they are, how they do what they do, what it takes to get “that shot”? John Bredar recently published The President’s Photographer: 50 Years Inside the Oval Office. Bredar primarily chronicles Pete Souza, President Obama’s chief photographer (and former photographer for President Ronald Reagan), through the book while discussing the unique ins and outs of the position with past photographers. We managed – with National Geographic’s help (and a review copy of Brader’s book)- to catch former Presidential photographers Eric Draper and David Hume Kennerly and find out a little bit more about who some of these special and unique individuals are behind the lens.
Access to the President “behind the scenes” by photographers is, in the sense of Presidential history, only a recent development. “Do we really need someone following the President of the United States around every day with a camera?” Bredar asks in his book. When photographer Edward Steichen approached President Lyndon Johnson about it, he posed a simple question: “Just think what it would mean if we had such a photographic record of Lincoln’s presidency?” Continue reading