Shopping DC: Mid-Century Furniture

I'm not quite sure where this week went, but here were are at the holiday weekend already!  Blake is out golfing (I opted out of that one...), I'm lounging around the house reading and writing, and we've got fun plans for the evening that include furniture/building materials shopping (here and here) and eating at Busboys and Poets, one of our favorite local places.

So in honor of what is probably my favorite furniture store in the DC area, today's post is about where to find the best mid-century furniture (best being fact. not opinion ;))

1.  Peg Leg Vintage
Peg Leg is located in College Park, MD, just inside the beltway.  It's along Baltimore Avenue, only a couple miles from IKEA, so anytime I have to go to IKEA, I reward myself with a trip to Peg Leg afterward.  It's a great bribe.

The couple that owns the shop are just the coolest people. Every time I go in, I end up talking furniture with them for 45 minutes, and wishing I could stay longer.  Oh boy. I'm that customer.  They'll answer any questions you have about the pieces and even give you ideas for how to style it.  They'll encourage you to lounge on a chair you're eyeing - just to make sure it meets your comfort needs - and will even move other furniture around so you can get the full effect of putting your feet out on the ottoman while completely reclined in a Mister chair.  Do I sound like I speak from experience?

It's not a huge store, but their inventory is constantly changing.  Also, the owners said they always have 10-15 storage units packed full with other furniture, so if you're looking for something specific, let them know and they'll search for it for you.  Last time I was in they mentioned that they were on the lookout for a warehouse space so that they could display all their furniture at once for monthly warehouse sales.  I'm hoping that happens soon.

One of my favorite things about Peg Leg is that they don't spend time re-doing the furniture.  They just buy good stuff.  That way, they don't charge you an arm and a (peg) leg for anything.  I've been pleasantly surprised about how good the prices are.  I know it's off the beaten path, but I think their location also allows them to price things fairly.

2.  Modern Mobler
If you want to see some absolutely gorgeous restored mid century furniture, look no further than Modern Mobler.  They have locations on Georgia Avenue in NW Washington DC and in Kensington, MD along antique row.

Unlike Peg Leg Vintage, Modern Mobler's prices are not low, but I would venture to say that they're fair.  Each piece they display has been expertly restored to look like new.  They have a full-time restorationist employed for their two stores and you can tell that he puts love and attention into each piece.

So, you might not be able to go in and pick up a few items on a whim, but you'll be blown away by the eye candy.  The employees also know a ton about the furniture and are happy to answer questions.  It's almost a museum experience.

3.  Miss Pixie's
Miss Pixie's is located on 14th Street in a newly revitalized area of DC.  It's not strictly mid-century, so you'll probably see it pop up on other lists, but it usually has some great mid-century pieces.

Some pros to Miss Pixie's:  It's a large space and they have a great revolving inventory of fun pieces.  It's also pretty moderately priced.
Some cons to Miss Pixie's:  It's right in the heart of hipster-ville and things that are "fairly priced" maybe listed a bit higher than they otherwise would be.  That said, it is great fun to people-watch in this area and I love over-hearing people in the store talking about what they're going to do with a particular piece.  Lots of great ideas!

After you're done getting lost in Miss Pixie's, there are a ton of other great furniture stores in the area to busy yourself in for the rest of the day.  And if you need a break from all the inspiration?  I recommend treating yourself to a Peanut Butter Bacon Burger and a milkshake (while taking in whatever black and white film they're showing on the wall) at the new 14th Street Ted's Bulletin location.

Shopping DC: Books

Lately (while Blake was up in NYC) I've been eating all sorts of random things for dinner, so I've edged off the meal planning for a while.  I don't think my smorgasbord dinners would be all that interesting...and they certainly wouldn't contain links to great recipes.

Basically it's been like this:

Monday:  Chips and salsa and pickles.

Tuesday: Pita and hummus and raspberries.

Wednesday: Frozen enchiladas from my frozen meal stash.

Thursday:  More frozen enchiladas as leftovers.

Yes. It's been a classy affair over here.

So as I've been slacking on the meal planning posts, I thought I'd start on another series.  I love DC.  I enjoy shopping.  I adore lists.  Add those together and I give you "Shopping DC."

Mostly this is for my own good so that I keep it all organized.  Like I said, I love lists.

Where do you go in DC to buy books and enjoy the experience?  Well, in the spirit of lists and DC adventures, here is my first foray into "Shopping DC."

1.  Friends of the Library, Montgomery County Book Sale.
I've mentioned this place before (probably as the Wheaton Library Book Sale) because I visit it all the time.  I'm probably there at least twice a month and I leave with a stack of books every single time.

The Book Sale takes in donations from all over Montgomery County and organizes them into category and then by author last name.  It's as big as a Barnes and Nobel, but resides in the basement of the Wheaton Regional Library.  They've got a great kids section (with board books that look like they've never been used) and a fantastic young adult section (I got a whole set of hardcover Harry Potter books for $15.00) and a classics section with beautiful leather-bound copies...it goes on and on.

Most books are between 25 cents and a dollar.  So, whether you're looking for beautiful books for decorating purposes, or to build up your own library, or to purchase your book club books on the cheap, this is the place to do it.

2.  Capital Hill Books
Blake thinks of this more as Capital Claustrophobia Books (I sort of agree), but it's a great place to visit.  It's a used bookstore located right by Eastern Market and you feel like you're being transported through time when you walk through the door.

The best way I can describe it is 1 part hoarders episode, 1 part Harry Potter's experience at the wand shop on Diagon Alley, and 1 part Shakespeare and Company in Paris (minus the cats and the transient writers living in it).

It's worth checking out just for the experience and the great photo-ops.  Also, it doesn't hurt that it's across the street from the delicious breakfast options at Eastern Market.

Photo from here

3.  Politics & Prose.  Arguably DC's most famous bookstore...and the only non-used bookstore on my list.  Politics & Prose is a great store by itself, but my favorite thing about them is that they schedule so many events and author talks that you can keep endlessly busy satisfying your bibliophile needs.

They offer writing classes and support local authors.  They put together book signings and help sponsor the National Book Festival.  I've been to a number of their events at various locations throughout the city (my favorite was seeing Khaled Hosseini at the Historic 6th Street Synagogue) and am always impressed.  Don't forget to sign up for their email lists so you don't miss out on any of the events or interesting classes.

Dumbarton Oaks

It was an eventful week IVF-wise, so my Mom came out to help while I was out of commission.  It turned out to be the perfect week for her to be out here in more ways than one:

-I was on partial bed rest for part of the week, so she generously did my cooking, cleaning, shopping, dog walking, and house project-doing. My house and yard have never looked so good.  Bear has never been happier to pal around with someone, or sadder to see someone leave.

-We ate like kings (reference Mom's cooking, above).

-The weather was glorious, so on the days that I was able to be up and about, we spent a lot of time outside.  We even had a couple days in the low 70's - which is pretty unheard of in July in DC.  I couldn't help but gush every few minutes about "what a gorgeous day" we were having.

-Blake happened to be home sick all week (not part of the great things), so my Mom was able to take care of both of us...which was perfect because otherwise the two of us would have been a disaster all week.  I'm picturing take-out boxes strewn about a super gritty un-vacuumed floor, with Bear terrorizing us and tearing up the rugs.

-I've been dying to visit Dumbarton Oaks for ages, so my Mom and I spent a 72-degree afternoon there touring the gardens.  I'll tell you what - I'm pretty sure I was supposed to be fabulously wealthy.  I mean, I could get used to waking up every day to 16 acres in the middle of the city with terraced gardens, a huge swimming pool, deco wrought iron gates, climbing vines, outdoor amphitheaters, and my very own orangerie.  Yes. That is the life for me.

Tidal Basin blossoms and the mysterious Wharf

I probably post the same pictures every year, but I can't help taking more each time I visit the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin.  I went twice this year: one by myself on a morning jog, and once with Blake, Bear, Brady (Blake's brother's dog) and some of Blake's friends from work.  Both days had fantastic weather and a manageable amount of tourists, so it was enjoyable on all levels.

I made the mistake of wearing white pants when we went with the dogs. By the end of the morning they were looking not-so white.  Having dogs jump all over you and then eating lunch on a derelict cement retaining wall at The Wharf will do that to you.  Go figure.

Bear loved the people and wanted to watch the paddle boats go by.  We got stopped every few feet (per usual) by people asking what type of dog he was, if they could pet him, and (my favorite) if they could take pictures with him.  Yep. He was a hit with the young Japanese tourist crowd.  I wonder how many instagram accounts he's showing up on because of it.

We had a terrible, snowy winter this year, so I was worried that the blossoms might not come in force. But, luckily, I was wrong.  We hit it at the exact right time - the trees were practically weighted down under all the fluffy pink blooms.  It smelled like heaven...and gave me allergies enough to last through the weekend.

Because the Cherry Blossom Festival was going on, a lot of the cross-streets were closed and it was nearly impossible to drive across the Mall to the basin.  We had to get creative with our navigation and ended up parking along the SW waterfront on a street we'd never been down before.  As we were walking along, I recognized the wharf from several DC-based movies I've seen.  I'd never known where that location was until now.  I would compare it to a miniature version of Pike Place Market in Seattle.  Minus the trinket sellers and beautiful flower stalls.  But that stink of fresh seafood and open-air shrimp slinging?  Yep, that's reminiscent for sure.

For $15.95 we got two crab cake sandwiches, fries, hush puppies and a drink.  Not bad, right?  I can't believe we'd never heard of The Wharf before (maybe we're just that out of it...or not hip enough).  It'd be a great place to take out-of-towners who want an authentic eastern seafood meal.  We'll be back again for sure.

Barn Sale-ing

I solemnly swear that this is the last post about the Chartreuse & Co Barn Sale.  I can't help myself. It was that good.

I took a few pictures of things I fell in love with but either couldn't bring myself to spend the cash, or couldn't think of a place I could use it.  From left to right:

1.  The blue sky between the barns was gorgeous.  I also loved the old feed/water tubs.  I would love one to serve drinks in, but goodness, where would you store something so huge?

2.  The oil painting of the fields was framed so well.  I would have taken it home with me if it hadn't been $300.  Yikes.  Probably not a bad price for an original painting in that frame, but a little above my self-alloted sale spending.

3.  A bright blue windsor chair.  Can you tell I'm loving all things peacock blue these days?  Too bad I'm swimming in chairs at home.  But I wish I'd been able to bring it home with me.

4.  These equestrian candle hurricanes were great, but I couldn't really see them fitting into my home. If I'd been able to get them for a song, I would have tried my darndest to find a place for them, but they were on the pricey side, so there they stayed.

As for what I did come home with...other than the chair I posted about yesterday,  I snagged a couple other small things.  Blake's been wanting a terrarium for ages and we found the perfect one.  It's now residing on the trunk in our bedroom nook.  Right now it's housing the plastic plant it came with, but I need to make a run to Home Depot for some colorful succulents.  

I fell in love with this tile and carved wood tray.  Probably not something I needed, but I do so adore it.  I think it'll be pretty for corralling the salt, pepper and napkins on the table.  Blake served a mission for our church for a year in Portugal (and a year in Cape Verde) and the tile reminded me of Portuguese tile, which was the clincher.  So, even thought I didn't need it, I kinda needed it.  You know what I mean.

Vinyl

This past weekend was beautiful.  We wanted to spend as much time outside as possible.  I convinced Blake to go to a barn sale with me up in Buckeystown, Maryland, called Chartreuse & Co.  Twice a year they have a huge market sale with six buildings and tons of outdoor booths.  It was glorious.  I'm adding the next sales to my calendar in indelible ink.

We found a couple of small things: a glass and silver terrarium and a tile and wood tray.  But, my favorite find of the day was a 40's style chrome chair for $26.00.  Blake spotted it right before we were about to leave and we convinced each other that we needed it for Blake's side table/desk.  It was exactly what I've been looking for.  I wanted something more modern-looking to contrast with the more woodsy-feel of the desk.

I'm not usually a fan of vinyl, and even considered recovering the seat in a navy blue velvet remnant that I've been hoarding in my fabric stash.  However, it's pretty rare to find a seat in as good a condition as this one, so I think I'm going to stick with it. It goes really well with the wood and the floors, but I'm still trying to figure out if it feels too honey-colored over in that corner of the room.  For now, it stays.  Maybe I need something colorful on the wall above the desk?

Great Falls

A couple weeks ago my Dad was in town for meetings.  His meetings were supposed to last all weekend, but they finished a day and a half early.  We took advantage or his extra time and the great weather by heading out to Great Falls.

My Dad has been to DC so many times that it's hard to find something he hasn't done.  He'd never been to see the falls, so that was first on our list.  It was 67 degrees that day, which means that DC folks get the heck outdoors to enjoy it while it lasts.  The canal and the falls were packed with tourists and locals soaking up the sunshine.

Bear was his usual celebrity self and stopped to kiss and snuggle people every ten feet or so.  Such an attention-seeker than pup is!  We can't take him anywhere...

After our hike (read: walk) we drove through Georgetown and up to Surf Side for their delicious fish tacos and fresh guar.  We ate in the parking lot so that Bear could be with us.  It earned us some odd looks, but it was worth it to keep the little guy with us.

Brookside Gardens

I recently read an article about Brookside Gardens and was scandalized that Blake and I hadn't ventured there in the three years we've been living in our home.  It's only about a 10 minute drive north of us (and it's free!) and yet I'd never heard of it before.

Yesterday afternoon was perfect weather, so we took a leisurely stroll through the gardens.  I couldn't believe how beautiful it was - it puts the National Arboretum and National Botanical Gardens to shame.  Everything was impeccably groomed and signed.  It was quiet (even with all the tourists) and it felt like we were a million miles away from the city.

We unknowingly timed it just right for the rose garden.  Now, I'm not a fan of the grocery store variety roses, but garden roses? Sign me up.  They smelled divine and the colors were so vibrant that they looked almost fake (i.e. no filters or editing on the photos below). 

Just when I think I've seen everything there is to see in DC, places like this pop out of the ether and surprise me. 

Without further ado, let's take a pictorial jaunt through the roses:

An Apple (or 10) a Day

 My Mom came to visit for a few days last weekend.  Usually when she comes we end up doing house-related projects the whole time (my Mom is a home improvement genius!) and I end up feeling guilty that I put her to work for the entirety of her vacation.

So this time I made sure that we used the time as a true vacation. I took both Friday and Monday off work and we both had a truly relaxing vacation. 

It's nice to have guests that have already seen the sites multiple times so that we can branch out and do things that wouldn't necessarily be on a normal tourist's list. 

I did have a couple of things to do on my agenda - things I've never gotten around to doing, but have always wanted to do because the weekends are never long enough and there's always too much yard work or housework to be done on Saturdays when I would otherwise be gallivanting around the area on adventures with Blake.

Our first item on the list was going to Butler's Orchard for apple and raspberry picking.  It was a glorious 70-degree day with a clear sky and a slight breeze.  It couldn't have been a more beautiful day. 

Prior to driving up, I had worried that there wouldn't be any raspberries left for us to pick.  But boy was I wrong.  There were still tons of them - we just had to take our time.  We picked two pounds of raspberries (some of which didn't even make it to the car before we started snacking on them).  Hands down the best raspberries I've ever had.

We also got a little carried away picking apples.  We thought we were picking 20 pounds...but...it turns out we picked 40 (!!!!) pounds of apples.  Whoops.

Not quite knowing what we were going to do with all 40 pounds of the apples, we stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up pie-making supplies.  We made four pies - baked one and put the rest in the freezer - and had only used one bag of apples.  We also ended up putting together cellophane-wrapped packages to give to our friends and neighbors.  Blake and I have each been eating two or three per day, but we're still only down to 2 bags. 

Now it's a race against time...

Our best friend Pacci

I made it through my big deadline at work and feel like the weight of the world is finally off my shoulders.

To celebrate, Blake and I ventured down the road a bit to try Pacci's Pizzeria.  I'd heard rave reviews, and we love Pacci's Trattoria so much that we're there on a weekly basis, so we figured we'd better give the sister restaurant a try. 

It was incredible.  Fellow Washingtonians may think I blashpheme when I say it's better than 2Amys, but it's absolutely true.  It blows 2Amys out of the water.  Try it.  I'm sure you won't disagree.

I'd like to tell you that Blake and I only got the dessert pizza shown below (which, by the way, was shockingly good.  Like died-and-gone-to-foody-heaven good.)  But alas, I would be lying.  Between the two of us we shared a La Diavolo and a a Mast'Nicola and the Nutelloco you see below. 

I may have been painfully full, I may have felt a little sick, but I wasn't (and still am not) ashamed at my gluttony.  It was a celebration and it was so worth it.

A Quest

I'll give you ten points (and will forevermore be impressed with you) if you can guess where this ceiling is:

It's beautiful, don't you think?

Luray! We made it!

This is a little late, but over MLK weekend, we took a day trip down south with the Baughman's to the Luray caverns.

It's about a two hour drive from DC, but the wait was worth it.  We had lively debates in the car on the way down on whether the caverns are pronounced "le-ray" or "loo - ray".  Turns out (according to the audio tour) that it was a combination somewhere in between the two.  BUT, I still say I was right ("loo-ray") because it sounds most southern.

The name Luray also prompted some corny, but oh-so-appropriate jokes:  When we arrived in the parking log: "Luray!  We made it!" etc.  Oh such fun.

Anyhow, enough of these boring words.  Here are some pictures: 

Blake and Me in the main cavern.  We look so good in those audio set headphones.  

Here is Chris pondering the evolution of stalactites and stalagmites.  Indubitably, sir.

Here the lovely Maeve and I discover the wonders of the bride's veil.

Super tourist, Chris and Maeve in front of Dream Lake.

Just looking surprised at the fact that the audio tour has now answered all of the questions we'd voiced to each other previously about the cave.  It must be psychic.

And last but not least, here is as photo of the Dream Lake.  If DC as a whole didn't already make you want to visit me, doesn't the promise of a spelunk in a cave make you all want to visit?  It was by far the best cavern that I've ever seen.  I could hardly believe that all we had to do was walk into a gift shop and down two flights of stairs to see all this.  I highly recommend it.