Fire Escape Date

So, Joanna posted yesterday about the dates that she and her husband have on their New York City fire escape after their young son goes to bed. What a perfect way to connect after a long day and enjoy a summer evening.

Joanna Goddard at A Cup of Jo

Unfortunately, no fire escapes for me, but D.C. does have lots of great spots (like here, here, here, and here) to enjoy a drink, a chat, and fresh, summer air.

Life and Art: Venice

When I visited Venice a few years ago, I fell in love at first glance. The buildings seemed to float on opaque turquoise canals, and it was immediately apparent why Venice is known as La Serenissima ("the most serene"). The city was especially quiet since it was the middle of winter. Summer throngs were months away, and light snow dusted the three bridges that cross the Grand Canal.

Maurice Prendergast, Grand Canal, Venice, ca. 1898-99

A somewhat unexpected new love that I encountered in Venice, aside from the city itself, was the work of the Canadian-American painter Maurice Prendergast. The Peggy Guggeheim Collection (Ms. Guggenheim warrants her own post at a later date.) held a relatively small, but vibrant and captivating, exhibit of Prendergast's paintings of Italy. Included in these were lovely odes to La Serenissima, its canals, and its people.

Combing through my travel photos, I found themes similar to those depicted by Mr. Prendergast and his contemporaries: 

Right: Maurice Prendergast, Venetian Palaces on the Grand Canal, 1899

Right: John Singer Sargent, Palazzo Labia and San Geremia Venice, 1913

Right: Frits Thaulow, On the Grand Canal, Venice, 1885

 Have you been to Venice? Have you ever found a favorite artist or painting while on vacation?

French Stripes

I've had blue and white striped dresses on the brain for the last several weeks. Now, finally, the weather is hot enough to really get my fill. The classic white and navy combination in breezy cotton is a natural go-to, but lighter shades of blue, alternate fabrics, and jazzy stripe patterns offer a nice twist. Here's a selection of a few of my current favorites. 

 

(Clockwise from bottom left: TrendRighter,  J. Crew, Stockholm Street Style via Marion WD, VeroModa at ASOS, Oasis, lemlem.)

Memorial Day Brunch Taquería Distrito Federal

Over the holiday weekend, we had a delicious (and filling, wow!) lunch/brunch at a little new-to-me place in Columbia Heights, Taquería Distrito Federal. We ate on the patio, under big red umbrellas (hence the pink-tinted photos below). 

On the menu: little corn tortilla tacos filled with chicken, fish, pork, beef, beef tongue, or goat, plus chopped cilantro and onion and a cool slice of avocado. They have a little trio of hot sauces sitting on every table, and the guacamole with fresh jalapeño was to die for. To wash it all down, we had agua de jamaica, a cool hibiscus flower infusion. 

Hello! Welcome!

I'm dipping my big toe into the blog pool and hope you enjoy taking a refreshing swim with me. Though my jewelry collection, Amoura Design, is my main creative outlet, I thought it would be fun to share the inspiration behind the design with you. Enjoying food, fashion, travel, and my city, Washington, D.C., brings me such joy. I hope that these snippets of life and inspiration bring joy to you, too.

In addition to the blog, you can follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

(Photo of a dress my mom made from a vintage table cloth.)