film from dc...

film from our weekend in dc. ✌

d.c. for mlk weekend!

 back to dc!! 

2 weekends ago it was 70 degrees. last weekend it was 20. needless to say, we could have timed it much better in terms of weather, but otherwise it was such a great few days together.

i was headed to dc for work- a few photo shoots i was super excited about- and after lots of convincing (and conveniently using my smarts to book a hotel downtown with a pool), 3/4 petersens were eager to join. the 4th petersen is married to me, and lost that battle. the good news is he admitted on the way home that it was a great weekend, and he's happy he gave in (/lost his argument).

we drove down saturday morning, arriving as a sleety snowstorm began. at that same time, nyc was being blanketed with a beautiful snowfall, so technically my kids missed out on their fist real snow of the season, but we tried not to bring it up so they didn't know what they were missing. instead, they got cafe rio. and empanadas. and &pizza. and that aforementioned hotel pool. 

we took a little trip down memory lane in the form of baltimore avenue & the UMD campus. i wouldn't say i loved college park- i actually really hated college park, but oh my gosh, my memories from our time there are probably my most prized. we had the best apartment, campus is a red-brick-building dream, and i have such a special spot in my heart for that place. we drove through campus, visited my old office, and even visited elle's old elementary school. we reminisced A LOT.

we finished off the night with a trip to the national portrait gallery since the weather was super lame, and we love that place. plus, it was really close to our hotel.

sunday started off with breakfast at lincoln's waffle shop- it's a cute diner across from ford's theater. we got there early and got the last 5 bar seats available. yahoo! then i had a shoot at the lincoln memorial with an amazing friend i haven't seen in FAR too long (and who was a GREAT SPORT since it was hurricane-force-windy), whilst mike lucked out with more pool time since that kind of thing is ONLY fun for kids who like to freeze in ice water;)

*you know you're in md when everyone backs into parking spots (ALL.THE.EYE.ROLLS.), and when wipers are up just because snow is *predicted.* we all know i DO NOT miss driving in this hellhole of an area;)

BACK TO POSITIVE! 2AMY'S PIZZA!!! love that place. good pizza. we mostly love the roasted olives. and the desserts. we picked homemade pine nut ice cream, and a poached pear w/ homemade vanilla ice cream & shortbread dessert. TEN!

then we went to the museum of american history since it was actually 5 degrees, and WAY too cold for the zoo.

i sure miss all those free museums.

monday i had 2 more amazing shoots, including a home shoot w/ the BEST light, and then the botanic gardens, which is probably the best place to ever shoot in january (also, THAT LIGHT!? yes.). it was GORGEOUS. 

we pit stopped at target on the way home ("FOR MILK, MIKE! WE NEED MILK!"), spending $100 on absolutely nothing. as one does.

wins all around. 

until next time, dc!

dc for spring break, part 3: shots from my phone...

a few recaps about our dc trip- we used turo for the first time, which was awesome. it's like airbnb but for cars. we rented a pathfinder- which was HUGE, and had 2 sunroofs. it was amazing. driving a car is like a vacation in and of itself... minus driving in maryland, which is still as horrendously terrible as i remember. there is nowhere worse i have encountered on the planet (at least, all the planet parts i've come across). but driving was amazing. AND so was the weather friday when we crossed into maryland!! 62 degrees! and sunny!

our first stop was the amish market for pretzels & boston cream pie. 

then, cafe rio. 

priorities.

after cafe rio, mike & i took a call with our realtor where we accepted an offer on our condo, only a couple days after it was listed! i'm in shock. trying not to count our chickens before they hatch, but we're under contract, and so thrilled. the kids ran laps up and down the side of the building, and harvey ate ice chips & mulch from the sidewalk.

we checked into the hotel, then walked across the street to smash confetti eggs that mike found 80% off at cvs. we just played in the grass and enjoyed the wind & sunshine, then walked around campus until the sun started to set and the chilly air blew in.

saturday after our morning in dc we stopped for lunch at spice 6- my FAVORITE indian restaurant. i love it so so sosososo much!!! the kids & i got into a huge fight because, well, hangry, and as i watched all the psycho drivers back into their parking spaces like slow turtles, i cursed the land and wished to just transport spice 6 to nyc so i could enjoy those spicy chickpeas and naan from a land without maryland drivers.

then elle & mike ran across the street for empanadas at our favorite spot, cafe azul.

jude drummed. with his eyes closed. look, i know the photos here are less than stellar, but i just don't care enough, and i want to remember all the fun random events that filled our weekend;)

and this!!! we found gossner milk (LOGAN!) at the dollar store! which, by the way, was jude's most requested stop. we spent $40, and i'm fairly certain no one in the history of dollar tree has ever spent $40. we sort of went bananas.

on the drive home sunday we went to cracker barrel (2 actually- the 1st was too busy). the drive too far too long, and traffic was a beast getting home, but it's tradition to stop here, so we did. we also went to walmart in secaucus, and i have NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE IT IN MY LIFE! people filled every aisle. shelves were empty. the lines were wrapped through clothing aisles and into the craft section- we were in line almost an hour. but we stocked up on massive hoards of dairy & family size cereal boxes. it was amazing. but i definitely am not going to make that a frequent occasion.

we all took the car back to it's home parking garage, then took the subway back to our apartment hours past bedtime. ready to get up and jump back into life monday morning. loving that this was the reverse of our spring break when we lived in dc, here & here;)