Monday, April 5, 2010 at 8:22PM Magically whisked away*
Justin and I spent last week traveling the Northeast as part of Fiance(e) Tour 2010. We hadn't taken a real vacation since our honeymoon three and a half years ago, and both of our best friends are marrying people we hadn't yet met, and they live relatively close to one another, so a trip was in order. We spent the first half of the week in NYC, where it rained, rained, and then rained some more. I have never been so completely soaked in my life. Then we took the train to DC, where it was thankfully sunny and warm. Thanks to a stroke of luck, we were in town for the cherry blossoms. They really were spectacular.
While our friends toiled at their 9-to-5s, we took in a bunch of museums and became well-acquainted with public transportation. (I think Justin would go on vacation solely to take the subway and Metro.) I was completely overwhelmed by all the art we saw, and I'm very glad a lot of the museums let you photograph pieces from their own collections. I took a lot of pictures at both the Moma and the Hirshhorn - the Hirshhorn had two great exhibits on color - and then I went absolutely nuts and took about 500 pictures of orchids at the Capitol Botanical Gardens. I did not, unfortunately, take many (in some cases, any) pictures of our hosts. I'm not really good at keeping up with that sort of thing.
Highlights (NY):
- Shopping at Mood. And yes, I said, "Thank you, Mood!" when I left. I also bought some great fabric.
- Briefly visiting Purl Patchwork and Purl. I wasn't really itching to go, but our hosts offered, and I am SO glad I went. Purl is visually stunning. I have never seen so much Koigu in one place.
- The Tim Burton exhibit at the MOMA.
- Amazing breakfast at Clinton Street Bakery.
- Hair on Broadway. I wept. A lot.
- A fabulous dinner party in NYC, complete with delicious food, exquisite company, and Justin's introduction to scotch.
DC:
- The Josef Albers collection at the Hirshhorn.
- Thomas Hart Benton's self-portrait in the Portrait Gallery.
- A delightful night at Hotel Palomar, completel with a two-person bathtub and a bottle of champaign.
- Abby's stuffed peppers.
- Watching The Mighty Ducks.
It was a wonderful trip. I'll share photos over the next few weeks - a lot of the pictures I took were all about color, and I'm forseeing some creative inspiration there. But for now, the latest wonder of the world:
That croissant? ALSO A PRETZEL.
* At one point on the train, Justin woke me to inform me that we had been magically whisked away to Delaware. I was too tired to respond, "Hi. I'm in Delaware." Fail.
vacation 
Reader Comments (4)
I hope Gracie gets a chance to blog about her fabulous vacation--we didn't take pictures either but I didn't think you would want one of her eating deer poop.
1. I LOVE that you thanked Mood. I can't wait for you to make your new, lovely fabric work.
2. Thomas Hart Benton. Have you been to the Missouri Capitol building? There is a room completely covered in THB murals. It is wonderful.
"Thank you Mood"--brilliant! Love me some Tim Gunn. I'm happy you got to go to New York, I've still never been there, It's such a culture mecca! However I follow a whole bunch of people online (like you!) who inspire me, I also buy all my jewelry making tools and supplies online for my jewelry making. That croissant/pretzel looks divine!
what a wonderful and fun trip. and the inspiration and energy you drew from the museums and shops. way cool. looks like gracie did okay with out you two for awhile ... appears she and her cousin can be quite the trouble makers !