You Must Go Here

There's this sweet little place in D.C. that, because it's sort of randomly placed, it's a bit of a secret. It's the National Arboretum! It's owned by the government, you guys! I went by accident once, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. The way in is misleading -- through a rather residential area -- but once you're inside, it's like this sweet, amazing little oasis in the District. The above photo is unrelated.

Oh wait, this is in Dupont Circle.

This, too.

This is in front of Big Bear Cafe in Bloomingdale...
Okay, onward to the Arboretum:

There are these cool columns that seem ripe for a picnic/wedding.

 

Bonsai!

 

The grounds are expansive, and every part is awesome. But my favorite area is the herb and flower gardens. They teach you about old-timey plants and their uses -- which is nice because we really are only skimming the surface of useful herbs and flowers in our everyday lives. Also it's gorgeous:

 

 I mean... do you need more proof that this is the best place ever?

All My Time in Texas

I went to Texas for reasons I feel uncomfortable sharing in this space. But I think I gained a new appreciation for the state.

 

 

All My Weekends

Can you believe that I've never knowingly been to Rock Creek Park before? But I'd driven by it a lot going from my Maryland home into D.C. on my favorite road (16th St. NW, but you knew that already.) I was still twiddling my thumbs about it until I read that they had a nature center with a cool beehive exhibit which exposed some frames so you could see the little ladies working. Sold! On my way there, I heard The Splendid Table and Lynne Rossetto-Kasper [idol!] was actually interviewing a beekeeper! Then she talked to this rad lady from England who is into rare herbs. I was so into it I didn't even get bothered by the stop-and-go Saturday traffic.

 

Inside there are a lot of fake plants and animals. It's great.

I have a lot to share with you. Please hang tight.

The little info cards are so suburban-Maryland-in-the-'70s, don't you think?

There are some chill turtles there, too.

There's also a planetarium. I heard some dude yammering on about space, so I opted to take pix alone in the dark.

You should go and learn stuff, etc.
After Rock Creek Park, I bought flowers to make my mom a Mother's Day arrangement. There's this nursery that's (not really so) close to me where you can walk into this big cooler thing full of flowers. You just pick out which ones you want and then you can fuck around with them later or do whatever you want, like play florist in the privacy of your own sweet home. That's what I love. Sometimes I feel like some sad deluded old lady when I do this, but mostly it's just super fun.

My mom's not the fancy brunch type, and since she is engaging in a gluten-free lifestyle, we went somewhere that could make us both happy...

That's my mom. She is rad. After our cool-mom chill-day lunch, we went to a cool international market in town.

It was pretty funny because we're like two bewildered-but-curious white American ladies in this expansive store of foreign goods.

Cheap shark.

Because who doesn't take delirious portraits of yourself and your mother while in the restroom waiting for someone to get out of the only working stall? Too much? How about this, then...

Food for thought, people.