Looks Like We Made It....Capitol Hill

Well, Capitol Hill has made it. I know because yesterday, to my utter delight, I opened my New York Times and discovered that my neighborhood -- my dear Capitol Hill -- was listed as a fashionable place to shop. Goodbye to Georgetown snobbery. Hello Eastern Market and funky shopping, To be fair, they did mention Sassanova, one of my favorite places to shop for shoes in that part of town....and I did buy my Indonesia-imported bed at Muleh. But here's what they had to say about shopping in the nation's capital.

Shops
The city's best shopping is clustered around Eastern Market in Capitol Hill, the U Street corridor, and the streets around M Street and Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. Betsy Fisher. Mary Elizabeth Albaugh (a k a Betsy) offers everything from four-inch Italian heels to wrap dresses. 1224 Connecticut Avenue NW; (202) 785-1975. Forecast. Shoes, bags and everything in between. 218 Seventh Street SE; (202) 547-7337. Hu's Shoes. High-fashion heels. 3005 M Street NW; (202) 342-0202. Muléh. A mix of European fashion and Japanese home furnishings. 1831 14th Street NW; (202) 667-3440. The Remix. Vintage fashion and accessories. 645 Pennsylvania Avenue SE; (202) 547-0211. Sassanova. Sporty American designers as well as European labels. 1641 Wisconsin Avenue NW; (202) 471-4400. Urban Chic. Girly fashions and designer denim. 1626 Wisconsin Avenue NW; (202) 338-5398.

Fire Island In the News

Couldn't miss seeing the Fire Island article on the front page of the New York Times Escape section - Fire Island Heats Up. Ah, real estate, real estate. Thank goodness my husband had the wise insight to buy there before we were married...as the article is a long testament to the fact that bigger and more modern homes are being built and prices have more than quadrupled in the last five years alone.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/travel/escapes/21fireisland.html?ex=1191038400&en=7ba8f2f79d350edf&ei=5070

* Photo courtesy of John Chase.

Travel Sites

I love Travel and Leisure's round up of the best travel sites-- like Kayak and Lastminutetravel.com. Check it out: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/tls-top-25-travel-websites and then pack your bags.

Ecuador farewell

In a farewell tribute to Diana, (you know who you are), here are a few pictures of Ecuador that I thought I'd share with all of you.

Croatian Wedding

Unfortunately, I'm going to miss the wedding of my friends, Jonathon and Maja, this weekend near Pula, Croatia. The flights are outrageously expensive....but I've been living the wedding vicariously through the blog I created for them: http://croatianwedding.blogspot.com/. I know it is going to be a beautiful event!

Ode to Senegal

I have a friend going to Ghana and Sierra Leone tomorrow and so it's made me think about the strength of women throughout Africa who I've casually encountered during years of travel. Here are three favorites.

One Last Summer Photo of Fire Island

Who is that poor, lonely soul on our Fire Island beach? Not me....though I kinda wish it was!

Goodbye Summer Living...Hello Fall

I'm having a hard time letting go of summer, despite the upcoming fall travel we have planned. But in an effort to hold onto that summer feeling, I'm imaging myself in these outdoor patios. My favorite is definitely the tent.

Photos courtesy of http://www.dominomag.org/

Amsterdam and my city

I was walking through Amsterdam the other day, admiring the bikes, colorful yellow flowers at the market and the quaint coffee shop on the corner. It was all a bit confusing. I was in Washington, D.C. walking through my dear Eastern Market, which had been transformed into the Dutch city. Seems that a Ridley Scott movie, with Leonardo Di Caprio and Russell Crowe was being filmed. The crew seemed on edge. I could have cared less about the stars: I just wanted to see those groovy Electra bikes. Here are a few photos from our trip there two years ago. Love that city!

Missing the Beach

These are some of the items I already miss from Fire Island!

Getting Organized Again

I love these folders...they will help me get organized for house projects and my next bit of work-related travel. Check them out on http://www.seejanework.com/

Holdin' on to that Beach Feeling

Back in the city...I'm trying to hold onto that beach feeling. These photos are from our wonderful March visit to Tulum, Mexico. Can't you feel that breeze?

The Perfect Beach Basket

My husband just gave me the last of my birthday gifts -- some of them didn't arrive on time so I had the extra benefit of opening another gift over the weekend. It was a perfectly-sized wicker basket for my beach cruiser! Here are some others that I love! I saw a 15 year old riding the Petro Zillia model around Fire Island -- can't help it. I love it!