The New Diplomat's Wife

Liberty of London inspirations...

2012-03-13T03:00:00.000+01:00

Whenever I'm in London, I always try to sneak in a visit to pretty much the mother of all department stores in my humble opinion. It's open until 8, but even with that, it's a rush between getting out of the office at a decent hour and getting there. I really have to make an effort to stay a weekend day and just devote an afternoon to it since there is so much inspiration in every corner, I can barely make it through the top two floors before I'm out of time - which are home furnishings and home accessories. I never usually get to make it to shoes! cosmetics! sweets!

Ironically I rarely end up buying much since I'm so overwhelmed - the store is petite by modern department store standards but it has everything you could ever need. I'm mesmerized by things I wouldn't normally take a second look at: spools of thread, pincushions...their displays are beautiful and of course, the fabric patterns out of this world. Here are a few photos from last week's trip - hopefully you'll be inspired too.

All photos by The New Diplomat's Wife via Instagram.

A jaunt to Harrod's....

2012-03-12T15:26:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow, I'll have a post full of pictures from my absolutely favorite store in London (hint, hint - it starts with "Liberty" and ends with "of London") but on my way home, I always pop into Harrod's at the airport. Remarkably, I've never actually been to the physical department store, though I hear the holiday displays are remarkable. Harrod's at the airport is the perfect place to pick up a little bit of Brit Chic for gifts to take home - if you're looking for anything with a union jack on it, this is your place. If you're looking for somewhat pseudo-official royal goods - say the Queen's jubilee tea or better yet, the official Royal Wedding faux Barbies, this is your place. But all jokes aside, candies and sweets in beautiful packaging and individual tea mugs with V&A issued patterns are stock favorites for me to take home.

Bon voyage!

Photos by The New Diplomat's Wife via Instagram.

Sunday Shots: A cold one...

2012-03-12T02:21:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Photography Friday: I've been to London to visit Cecil Beaton's Queen...

2012-03-09T10:34:00.000+01:00

While I managed to get into see the illuminated manuscripts exhibit - which apparenly is being "marred by crushing crowds" now that it's in it's last week according to twitter (who knew?) - one exhibit I am heartbroken I missed is the collection of Cecil Beaton's portraits of Queen Elizabeth, now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in honor of this year's big jubilee of 60 years of her reign.

I'm often a sucker for potraits, and even more so for Cecil Beaton in general, who is sometimes better known for his work on the pages of Vanity Fair and Vogue. Although he was a true documentor of the beautiful people of his time, he was also QEII's royal pon rtrait photographer from 1942 until the last sitting she did with him in 1968. We're so used to seeing her pursed lip and reserved in any TV appearance of photograph today, that it's easy to forget that she was not so long ago very young, and apparently pushed all kind of boundaries. According to Mr. Beaton:

In choosing me to take her photographs, the Queen made a daring innovation. It is inconceivable that her predecessor would have summoned me - my work was still considered revolutionary and unconventional.

The exhibit is only open until April 22, after which it will go on tour, but only in the UK and then Commonwealth areas - I think they're making a big mistake not to send it to the US. Some times Brits forget just how enthralled others can be with the monarchy, and of course, there's the draw of Mr. Beaton himself. In any case, I've put in a few photos to give you a preview. The first photo is the first portrait of QEII he took, and also the first portrait to come out after WWII of her, harking back to easier times. I was particularly touched too by the potrait of her, with Charles, by the column. When you fast forward and think of them today and all that has happened between now and then, then I just find it touching to find that once upon a time they were just young mother and mischievious child. Mr. Beaton had this to say about Charles, the "live wire":

Prince Charles was at the stage when he was interested in everything. A live wire, he never flagged in energy, even when those around him were exhausted. One minute he was up on a window-sill giving an unexpected treat to the passers-by below, pulling at the curtain cords; the next he was climbing onto the sofa to take the cigarettes out of a silver box; then he would be absorbed with interest in the working of his mother's snapshot camera.

The last picture is the last portrait he took of QEII and was also unconventional - no regalia on the person, no regalia on the body - just the person, which was pretty revolutionary for a royal potrait for any royal family but in thinking about the context, it was probably perfect for the very revolutionary year of 1968. It's such a striking photograph, it just leaves you wondering why it was the last.

All photographs by Cecil Beaton via Victoria and Albert Museum.

Illuminating illuminated manuscripts...

2012-03-08T21:24:00.000+01:00

The cool thing about London is that there is a "late night" a museum, if not two or more, every night - which gives me the opportunity to catch an exhibit sometimes. On Tuesdays, it's the British Library that's open and I met up with a friend of mine to catch the exhibit on illuminated manuscripts. Full disclosure, it probably wouldn't have been my first choice if left to my own devices, but just goes to show that sometimes it's good to get outside of your box. I had never been to to the British Library before, which is gorgeous and modern inside, and it's right next to St. Pancras station, which is gorgeous also and pretty much looks like it's the set for Harry Potter.

Weirdly, I happen to know a little bit about illuminated manuscripts (i.e. very old books that were hand written and have illustrations, usually with gold but not always, that's the illuminating part) because I took a class in medieval literature during my days of Berkeley's summer school where they have some pretty rare ones themselves. However, that pales in comparison to what was on display - we thought the exhibit would involve looking at a few books and calling it a night - aftrer all, there aren't that many of them out there. But one room lead to another and another, and it was clear that there were hundreds. Then I overheard one of the docents say that this is picked from there collection of 10,000. WOW. Given that these books took years to write, by hand, and that many of them are 500, even 700 or more, years old that is pretty amazing. Especially since, forget about movable type and the printing press, we don't even print most books on paper any more - these books truly are treasures.

The exhibit is extremely well annotated and seeing everything, as many of the manuscript connoisseurs were doing, wearing all sorts of tweeds and bifocals what exlclaiming things like "Sumptous!" and "Sultry!" in a way that only our British neighbors can while scribbling furious notes, could take hours. Lots of little tidbits can be gleaned: like the illustration of a Renaissance c-section that seemed to involve no knife, no blood and no surgeon; or the fact that there is one illustration from 1493 that is the first topographically correct depiction of London (btw, you can recognize some of the landmarks today - if you illustrated DC from 1493, you would have a big fat swamp); the book made for an engagement of a royal prince, and within several pages the illustrations stop becuase he died...at age 10...and he was already engaged...and that those really big books weren't made for reading to yourself, they were made for reading out loud for entertainment. Kind of like really big plasma TVs with a lot of gold leaf.

On display at the British Library until March 13.

All images via the British Library.

A petite collaboration with petiteBox...

2012-03-07T20:40:00.000+01:00

One of the big learnings I had at Alt Summit was to be more open to collaborations, whether it was with other bloggers or brands or other creatives. After all - a blog is ultimately about sharing, right? I'm very excited to pursue the first of those collaborations of this year with a new company that's launching called petiteBox. They're brand new to the US but it's a company designed on the monthly box subscription concept (know glossybox in the UK? just like that - in fact, they own them). Here's the twist - the new series is a box that focuses on products for not only baby but mommy too, combined in a monthly delivery. As new mom, one of the things I appreciated the most was when friends took the time to pick out and send the products that were most valuable to them with their own little ones that stood up to the test - this is much like that, except for its a monthly occurrence in your mailbox (and who doesn't want something other than bills in your mailbox?).

The petiteBox website is being built up (but you can visit them on facebook sooner for a preview and some adorbs photos of all sorts of petites) and I'm thrilled to be one of their guest bloggers. So many people have emailed to ask about different tips and tricks about traveling with the wee ones since Diplo-Baby is often on the go with us, so look for a series of columns coming soon outlining those very adventures - I'll share more as their own blog gets up and running and the posts are up! I have a few ideas all set for you based on the most common questions but if there are specific areas you would like me to tackle, drop me a line by email or in the comment box!

Stay tuned for more!

Diplo-style: Counting The Hour(s)...

2012-03-06T16:57:00.001+01:00

I read about The Hour awhile ago in some publications but last night, I finally got to see the first episode - it's the benefit of staying with friends who have BBC series readily available. It's been hailed as the next Mad Men but I'm not quite sure I would go that far.

The scene is set in London in 1956 and if you're a Mad Men watcher, it takes some time - the entire episode in fact - to get used to the much slower pace of action but higher rate of mumbling. Granted I'm listening with the ear of a Yankee but still. Also, I can't tell if the pace was slow in order to set up the arc of the story and now that it's set, things will pick up in future episodes or if this was the pace car and the rest of the season only follows.

The other big thing to get used to is the time and context. Even though only four years apart (Mad Men started in 1960) these two shows are - no pun intended - oceans away. Whereas Mad Men is at what seems firmly in the beginning of an era - American growth, the arrival of mass air travel, women's lib, social change, advent of suburbia...you name it, it's changing, The Hour is changing because it's right at the end but not quite at the beginning. Set only 10 years after the war, 1956 London seems grubby, recovering, covered in remnants of tougher times compared with sleek, fast-paced New York, and this permeates the set design - dark corners, single lightbulbs, London's infamous rain... Since the news show that will be the focus of the series marks the change of news reels to news reporting, you can't help but wonder whether the characters are pioneers or just a bit early to the party.

Finally, there is the costuming - Mad Men is known for its meticulous attention to detail yet The Hour seems a bit improvisational. There are some glaring things - for example, a lot of bare arm, exposed shoulders, rather flimsy silk blouses, long hair on the protagonist, that seem just too early for their time and I can't tell if it's an accidental anachronism or an intended post-war "make do with what you have" kind of look. That being said, is that necessarily a deal breaker? The important thing is that even with the inconsistencies in details, there is a consistent look to the cast. It's moodier, more texture, more shadows - and maybe that will be consistent with the plot twists of the show. There is definitely a reoccuring dark man lurking in the corner. In any case, I'm hoping to pick up the DVD's at the airport to give the rest of the season a chance so that I can find out.

A Memory of London...

2012-03-05T18:35:00.001+01:00

Just touched down in london-town...Arrived late last night for a week of work in the Queen's playground and what good timing, The New York Times Magazine had their entire issue this weekend (and a photography issue to boot - double the pleasure, double the fun!) devoted to London. Lots of interesting articles asking whether there is such a thing as Londoners (probably) , and whether London is basically eating New York alive (maybe).

But one thing that really stood out was the imagery of digital artist Idris Khan, who makes a sort of "collage" of images. One of his images is composed of hundreds from other people - sometimes dating all the way back to the 30's and including all sorts of images that he finds. Khan also looks "looked at a lot of stock photography as well, and went to all the horrible tourist shops in London to get every postcard I could find." Most of this works are titled "a memory of..." which seems to evoke - to me at least - that notion that a memory is fuzzy around the edges and can change based on who's doing the remembering.

For the full set of pictures, see the New York Magazine spread online.

Artwork by Idris Khan.

Sunday Shots: Blue Skies...

2012-03-04T03:33:00.002+01:00

...smiling at me. Off to the airport today!

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Photography Friday: Learning from Jose Villa's Wedding Photography (February Book Club)

2012-03-02T03:55:00.002+01:00

February's Book was Jose Villa's Fine Art Wedding Photography: How to Capture Images with Style for the Modern Bride. I know what you're thinking...wedding photography? What can I learn there? And guess what - not only is Mr. Villa a wedding photographer (primarily - he also takes children's portraits - usually those of his wedding clients), he also shoots only film. Double question marks, right?

Wrong. I learned so much from this book, I don't even know where to start. Actually, I have purchased this book twice - once when I was in Vienna. I read over it but mostly only enjoyed the pictures since I didn't have enough technical background to understand what he meant by some of the settings. But it got packed away and is sitting in our storage so I bought this book again and this version is already all marked up with pencil marks and post it notes - it turns out that you can learn PLENTY.

First off, the photographs themselves are just gorgeous. It kind of makes you want to get married all over again. They are the kind of photos that make you fall in love with people who are falling in love. Beautiful colors and true emotion. In fact, I was surprised that I was so taken with the photographs since I normally am drawn to more saturation in my own shots, while Mr. Villa has a trademark mastery of pastel. The other thing that surprised me is that after going through the book, I realized it was okay not to be sharp, sharp SHARP. The photographs are perfectly in focus but they have a certain softness to them, much like human skin. Maybe that's why it looks so right.

There is really so much to learn from here that I'll do my best to capture the highlights but this is a book that I'll definitely come back to again and again for guidance and direction. See Mr. Villa's full portfolio for more inspiration.

Jose Villa's Fine Art Photography Highlights

The marketplace will appreciate a focused set of photographs rather than a "spray and pray" random collection of thousands (from Jeff Kent's introduction)
Consistency is critical in the fine art photography approach: images, style, product and service - I would argue that this is true for just about anyone no matter where you are in your photography
If you want to reach a notable level in photography, "distinguish yourself" - there is value in having your own vision
Even if you don't shoot with film, you can learn from this book - the key is that film light sensors and digital light sensors read light differently (who knew?) so the key is to "understand how your camera saturates with light - and what rate - and you can bend the rules of exposure to create your own custom look"
Look for 4 main types of light: window light, outdoor shade, backlight and skylight
Expose for the shadow - it allows you to capture detail without a reflector
Use open apertures and longer shutter speeds - with the above this gives him his signature "wraparound light" look
If you need a reflector for window light shots, a white pillowcase will do
"Overexposing" in digital:

Set to AP at maximum aperture
Determine ISO and shutter speed based on what camera tells you
Switch to manual for those exposure settings
Now experiment with ISO or shutter speed to get the desired soft glow look
Beware that overexposing softens details - important for things like veils

In dimmer light, bump up aperture to make sure all points are in focus - especially in group shots
Don't pose people but direct them, if you put people in the right situation it will look right and still be natural
If you want your clients (your subjects) to loosen up, you have to loosen up as well (this is a big one to work on for me)
Be prepared and do your "technical thinking" ahead of time so that when your shooting you are focused on the direction and the natural images
If you're at a standstill during a shoot, change something - take a walk, change positions
Your subjects really you to make them look better - that's your job as a photographer - so insert yourself if you need to in order to make that happen
"Consider your design aesthetic ahead of time and shoot with a consistent vision in mind to make that happen"
If you can't move your subjects, move yourself
Always show your best work - "show the work that demonstrates the types of things you want to do"

I could honestly go on and on about this book and I know it's dreamy images and sound advice will keep me coming back to it regularly.

Did anyone read along? What did you think?

For March, we'll tackle family photography with Tamara Lackey's Envisioning Family.

All photos by Jose Villa via Style Me Pretty.

Notes from the Field: O, Canada! O, Ottawa!

2012-03-01T10:46:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited to share our first Notes from Field post for this year - and it's going to be from...wait for it...Ottawa! Sometimes we assume that every diplomat or diplo-spouse is running around untamed jungles somewhere far far away and it's easy to forget that one of our largest representations is with our neighbors to the North. And as we ourselves learned when we had Canadian houseguests in Vienna, life can be a bit different when you cross borders. Growing up fairly close to Canada myself, I always took that for granted but Amy, from The Crafty Foreign Service, brings us up to speed on what the diplo-life for an American in Ottawa is really like. Just thinking about Canadian winters right now makes me cold after that Mexico tan, so grab a cozy sweater and a hot tea..and maybe some Oreos... and enjoy!

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Diplo-mat or Diplo-spouse (or other)? Diplo-spouse

Current Post: Ottawa, Canada

Three words to describe your current post: Cold, clean, Canadian

Best thing about Ottawa: It is easy to do most things since it is almost (but not quite) like America.

You have visitors in town for the weekend in Ottawa, what does the weekend look like? This time of year, a skate down the Rideau Canal and a trip to Winterlude to eat Beavertails, which are actually fried dough not actual beaver tails. In the spring or summer, a hike in Gatineau Park in Quebec and maybe dinner at The Keg.

If you’re in Ottawa, you must try: Beavertails downtown, poutine, No Name brand fake Girl Scout cookies which are even better than the real thing!

Most difficult about living in Ottawa? Socialized medicine is difficult when you are not a part of it. 13% tax plus import taxes make things significantly more expensive than in the States.

Biggest adventure at post? I ran over a bear once – the car in front of me actually hit. Also I raised a guide dog for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. I have never done anything like that before but it was the best thing I have ever done. I am already planning to do it at our next post!

When did you realize you were far from home? When we bought Oreo’s for the first time and they just tasted very very wrong.

What’s the most important thing about re-creating your home at post? Ottawa is not a furnished post so we had to very quickly come up with a house full of furniture in a country where it is pricey and delivery is slow.

Three things you can’t live without at post? American Oreo’s for the kids, we buy milk in New York because it is about $7 cheaper, everything else is easy to get.

One thing you thought you couldn’t live without but have had to? A doctor.

What’s your daily uniform? Sadly jeans, a sweater and snow boots right now.

You’re having guests over on Saturday night, what’s on the menu? Endamame to snack on, white wine, homemade pizza, salad and some kind of fruit crisp.

Dream post for next assignment? Why? Somewhere warm because I am freezing after 3 Canadian winters!

One thing you wished someone had told you before arriving? You are on your own!

Parting thoughts? Most of Ottawa is beautiful. I have enjoyed a lot of things about living here but had I known the high school situation, what LQA posts are really like and the fact that the kids doctor is a 70 minute drive across the border, I would have really not wanted to come.

Check out some of Amy's favorite posts from her own blog, The Crafty Foreign Service below!
Atmosphere
Something Does Occassionally Happen Here...
Do what you can

Maman aka the Spider outside the National Gallery of Canada.
This is across the street from the Embassy so we see it all the time.

Dow's Lake, just on the outskirts of Ottawa

4th of July at Canadian Parliament.

The Residence all decked out for the 4th. It is a big deal here.

Beavertails on the Rideau Canal. Beavertails are fried dough,
which all North Americans know equal a good time!

Skating on the Rideau Canal right in downtown Ottawa

Beaver homes at a local marsh

Niagara Falls - about 6 hours away!

Saw your own Christmas Tree farm. They do them very well in Canada!

All Photos by Amy from The Crafy Foreign Service.

Are you currently stationed as a diplomat or diplo-spouse with a Foreign Service - we'd love to hear about your experience! Drop me a line at thenewdiplomatswife@gmail.com

Object of My Affection: Diplo-gifts by Kara Ross...

2012-02-29T11:43:00.000+01:00

If you wander around the diplo-circles long enough, you get wind of some really strange gifts that people are given through diplomatic channels. As junior diplomats, you aren't allowed to keep much of anything - you pretty much have to declare it and hand it it unless it truly is a small-change trinket. The gamut runs from ties to pens, and of course, random doodads featuring engravings of the gifting countries.

At the head of state or ambassador level, that where things get interesting - countries start giving out things like shepherd dogs which young staffers are then tasked with caring for while they find them a home. You might even get some swords or art or a "large desert scene on a green veined marble base featuring miniature figurines of gold palm trees and camels; large gold medallion with the Royal seal in a green leather display box; large brass and glass clock by Jaeger-LeCoultre in a green leather display case" (who's up for a round of name that oil-producing, generously gift-giving country?). If you're curious about what the US receives, you can see the full list by the State Department every year.

But anyway, after a few slips of their own in the gifting department, the Obama White House recently changed up the stock gift - at least for the wives club. Michelle Obama hired in Kara Ross to design a chunky wooden bangle that by all accounts she herself would wear (the first sign of a good gift), made from fallen trees on the White House property. Marked with a small silver buckle and interior silver inscription plate it's understated but elegant and a nice, democratic high-low mix. My grandmother took one look at it and declared it resembles a shackle, so I could see how not everyone will go for this. To get one, you have to be invited in official capacity to the White House. I think I might be waiting for that particular call for awhile. My grandmother too. So we'll have to continue to debate the merits of this gift by photo alone.

Diplo-man of Style: Christopher Plummer...

2012-02-28T21:02:00.001+01:00

We missed the Oscars frenzy (or maybe lack of frenzy from what I've read?) last night but I was elated to see that Captain Von Trapp...I mean Christopher Plummer...won for best supporting actor. Number one, he has been deserving of one since...well, since he played CVT but I'm sure he would be appalled to read that given that he's always considered that a two bit role. Two bits or not two bits, he will always be the Captain to me. But number two, he really did play the role excellently in Beginners. We watched it right before our trip - it didn't hold much interest for diplo-husband, who nodded off half way through but I thought he made his character capture self-discovery, new singlehood, older age, and imminent death in such an elegant and captivating way.

And he rolled out in style - nothing says "I know who I am" like a velvet smoking jacket and an easy going smile, and of course, nothing goes with a velvet smoking jacket as well as a little gold statuette can. Also, is it me or does he have a spot of edelweiss in his lapel? Maybe he's not as anti-von trapp as he makes himself out to be. And those bandanas? Looks fit for an alpine stroll to me, where dare I say it, the hills are alive?

Congratulations, Mr. Plummer....I mean, Captain!

Mexico: a sneak peek...

2012-02-27T20:42:00.000+01:00

Around midnight last night we rolled into our own beds, finally at home, from one of the best trips we've taken in a long time. More on Mexico to come once I get to downloading our photos and processing all of the experiences but I thought I'd put up a little sneak peek into what we were looking at right outside our window just a few hours ago before making our way to the airport...what a difference a day makes.

Photos by The New Diplomat's Wife by iphone Instagram.

Sunday Shots: On the grand canal...

2012-02-26T07:33:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Photography Friday: Under the Sea with Mark Tipple...

2012-02-24T07:31:00.000+01:00

Technically today is the last Friday of the month, so we should be doing Photography Book Club - I've already read and highlighted just about every other page of Jose Villa's book, but I just need a bit more time to put it all into a coherent post to do it justice (those of you reading along, you get a bonus week!). In the meantime, since we'll be doing a bit of time under the sea to explore the reefs of Cozumel as you read this, I thought today's photographer would be appropriate.

I saw Mark Tipple's photographs on the Aether Journal blog, and I immediately checked out his website for more, and honestly, couldn't get enough. This collection of images showing swimmers - mostly surfers - struggling against the ocean but captured in a moment of serenity...it makes you realize both the peace that can be found underwater as well as the sheer force that water and its movement can have. You can feel the rush and the stillness all at the same time.

While in Mexico we'll be diving - not surfing (not sure I'm cut out for that!), but part of the reason why I continue diving is that there is nothing quite like the underwater world, and no matter how rough the boat ride or how kooky the dive master, there's a certain peace that comes with being in a totally quiet in blue, weightless to the world. Previously, I could only experience that diving, but now I see it in Tipple's work too. He offers a special edition book of giclee prints for $150 that can be removed and framed, or individual prints between $85 and $850. Seems like a more than a reasonable price to have just a small representation of that underwater calmness somewhere other than underwater.

The Underwater Project from Mark Tipple on Vimeo.

All Photography by Mark Tipple for The Underwater Project.

Venice is like a box of chocolates...

2012-02-23T08:03:00.000+01:00

...that you eat all at once, said Truman Capote. Totally correct in my humble opinion, especially during the carnival season. As I was getting our camera and gear ready for Mexico, it made me stop and realize that while we're excited to be headed to a new kind of Carnival (we'll be in Cozumel over the weekend for the festivities), it's bittersweet not to be celebrating in Venice. After three years, we had our own little drill and I'll definitely be missing it.

I found a few more pictures of the carnivale masks that I hadn't yet posted - and aside from making me smile with fond memories, it also made me realize how much I've learned about my camera since then in terms of colors and focus. But we all start learning somewhere, and Venice is not such a bad place to break in a DSLR basically right out of the box.

If you're craving more masks, because in Venice more is more, pour yourself a little Aperol Spritz and check out last year's post here - and if you're headed to Venice, don't forget to check out the dining guide and coffee recommendations, as well as the full series of posts from last year's trip.

Maybe we'll see you there next year?

All photos by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Object of my affection: Pants please...

2012-02-22T07:03:00.000+01:00

I have kind of a thing for wacky patterned pants - I own one pair in a nutty navy blue paisley which I only surfaced on the bravest of occasions. I haven't kept up much with fall fashion week (fall fashion? I haven't even decided on anything for spring!) but a quick look at J.Crew is making me think that those paisley babies will be coming out a lot more. Not to mention a few companions from their collection for the coming year. So far the black and white are my favorite, with the navy/white combo up top a close second - but those are looking rather similar to the ones I had already flagged from this spring so maybe we will have already checked that box.

Not only are the pants something - and I'll warn you, they're not all for the faint-hearted and some prints are decidedly more successful than others (also not all of them have to be worn with 17 layers up top and nothing past your ankles) - but the shoes are looking rather sharp too. Could these be from the new Manolo Blahnik collaboration? And more importantly, what is this collaboration going to set me back?

All photos from Style.com.

Casa sweet casa midy...

2012-02-21T06:53:00.000+01:00

Now naturally while we're off in Mexico, I'll be gathering all sorts of posts so not too much Mexico while we're gone. But I couldn't help but think of this house that I remember from Elle Decor a while back, profiling the Midy family, of Casa Midy fame, a design darling furniture store in San Miguel de Allende (sadly not on our itinerary but something to come back for!)

What's interesting is that the family eventually decided to move back to Belgium (should we take a moment to remember my mediocre stay in brussels fondly), and what struck me is how much they were able to take back from Mexico, without their home looking like a weirdly overstuffed souvenir shop. You know how sometimes you live, or even visit a place, you buy things and it doesn't look quite right when you get home? To me, their home looks exactly right - and a good model for those of us who live neither here nor there anymore.

PS - see that children's bed below, with the wooden logs? those are actually pylons from venice - how cool is that? makes me a little nostalgic for venice - it will be our first time in 3 years not going to carnivale!

All photos by Simon Upton for Elle Decor.

Time to Travel...

2012-02-20T06:41:00.000+01:00

It's time, it's time! By the time you read this, I should be firmly tucked away under the Mexican sunshine - a trip in the making if there ever was one. If you recall from this year's resolutions, it's a country that I've wanted to see for years, despite being our neighbor to the south, this is the first time I'm making it. And hopefully it's the first of many trips to come!

So if there's any place you've been wanting to see, this little video should get you inspired to get up and get out there - one person's trip around the world in one year, condensed into 60 seconds (is this supposed to echo Ferris Bueller? "Life moves pretty fast....if you don't stop to look around once in a while... you could miss it...)

I first caught this video over at Eclectic Cool - a fantastic blog out of Hong Kong that I've only recently discovered- check it for the full series of videos that STA travel produced.

I have a week of posts all lined up for you but looking forward to sharing all the stories once we're back!

Sunday Shots: I open some time...

2012-02-19T06:32:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Photography Friday: The Pilgrimage of Annie Leibovitz...

2012-02-17T16:17:00.001+01:00

A couple of weekends ago, we ducked into the American Art Museum to check out the long-awaited new exhibit of Annie Leibovitz, entitled "Pilgrimage". DC is great for that - most museums are free so checking out a single exhibit and then taking advantage of wide open common spaces where freedom of movement is encouraged are recipe for success for us - we get to see something we're interested in, diplo-baby gets exposed to some art which is hopefully good for the brain, and then she gets to enjoy a space much larger than her apartment. A word of caution, the atrium at the American Art Museum involves highly accessible water - prepare to come home with wet feet.

I had been reading about this exhibit for some time and was anxious to see it. It's definitely a departure from Leibovitz's usual work for several reasons. The first is that there are no actual potraits in it, let alone the thought provoking shoots that have become her stock and trade on the pages of Vogue and Vanity Fair. And the second is that this is her first entirely digital project (wow!). The exhibit consists of about 60 photographs curated into three rooms, simply displayed which works to their advantage.

The subject matter is mostly "things that are famous becuase they belonged to legends of the past", with a couple of landscapes thrown in - most known is probably the shot of Niagara Falls which is on the exhibit poster. That particular piece has quite a backstory - it was one of the first photographs of the project, and shot even though when Liebovitz arrived at Niagara Falls, her credit card was declined and hotel cancelled as this was at the height of her financial woes and soon after the loss of her partner, Susan Sontag, with whom she was supposed to do this project with. So to me, not only do you see a mass of water tumbling down, but putting yourself in her shoes, it must represent to some degree the feeling of being consumed, drowned and lost all in one place.

The photographs of objects are well annotated so that you have a sense of what you're seeing - there seems to be a reoccuring theme of gunshots: the TV from Palm Springs that Elvis shot a hole in, Annie Oakley's shooting target, countless Lincoln paraphernalia who of course was assassinated. Many of the objects to me seemed sad, musty...but they do represent people who are, for one reason or another, heroes to Leibovitz and important to the course of the arts or history. In the end, the three rooms go by quickly, and represent to me more of a tour of things from "Exotic America" with a few bits of England sprinkled in. It's so different from her usual work that it's certainly worth seeing - both for the images and the history lessons, but I would have loved to see more images included in the work. I left feeling a bit incomplete, and that the pilgrimage was disjointed - but maybe that was the desired effect. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how Leibovitz adapts to this newest phase of her life, and to see whether she's crossed the digital line - maybe we'll see more?

Annie Liebovitz, "Pilgrimage"
American Art Museum
On diplay until May 20, 2012

Interested in more?
Washington Post Review
Huffington Post Review
Washington City Paper Review
New York Times Review

Annie Oakley's Shooting Heart...

Elvis Presley's Shooting TV...

Annie Liebovitz opens the exhibit in Washington, DC...

Historical archived negatives of Abraham Lincoln...

Sigmund Freud's "couch" in England...he also had one in our first apartment in Vienna!

Martha Graham's dance studio...

All images by Annie Leibovitz.

A Viennese Night at the Opera Ball...

2012-02-16T16:55:00.004+01:00

The Opera Ball...does it get more Viennese than that? Today - the Thursday before Ash Wednesday - thousands of roses will be trucked in, a dance floor will be laid over the opera seats, and gowns and tails will swirl and twirl into the wee hours of the morning.

This is definitely the Ball of Balls - and probably one of the most magical nights I've been lucky enough to attend. It's everything you think a Ball would be - lights, debutantes, flowers, champagne, waltzes, sparkles...Plus a few things you didn't expect, like the organized chaos of the Midnight Quadrille, and the fact that the refueling snack of choice are two viennese weiners served with mustard and horseradish, eaten with your hands in white tie attire.

The transformation of the Opera House is amazing, the year we went the wall and statues were covered with thousands, if not tens of thousands, red and pink roses. I've put my photos in black and white since the colors, as I remember them, were so vivid, that my little camera, tucked into the pocket of my Oscar de la Renta dress, second in my heart only to my wedding dress, doesn't do them nearly enough justice. There is nothing like hearing the official ball opening, Alles Walzer!, and hear a full orchestra lay it in with the Blue Danube, and there is nothing like hearing thousands of guests jump in unison at the end of the Quadrille (see the video at the bottom!). Our waltzing skills weren't much but we did brave the dance floor and stayed until the wee hours of four or five in the morning. Those in the know wrap up with breakfast in their finery at the Hotel Sacher, but we trudged home enjoying the box of fresh krapfen and the morning papers featuring all of the Opera Ball photos that they hand you on your way out the door...I'll be doing a little waltz in my kitchen tonight and hoping I get to, one day, get the chance to go again....

On the outside looking in...

An interview with Austrian glitterati...

Entry on the Grand Staircase...

The opera stage turned dance floor...

Entering the Ball...

Japanese paper fans in the Champagne Bar...

And official sponsor...mmmm...

Luck be a lady tonight...

Observing the Quadrille from the rafters...

The full Quadrille few, all guests welcome...

Among the action...

All opera boxes were turned into table seating areas...

Entry of the debutantes...

Roses, roses, roses...

The Presidential Box...yes, he waltzes...

Full house...

Alles walzer!

And for those who know that photographs can't capture everything, a little video of the Quadrille:

Vienna Opera Ball 2010 from The New Diplomat's Wife on Vimeo.

Photos by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Scenes from the Bahamas...

2012-02-15T19:13:00.000+01:00

Alright, wrapping up with the last piece from our Bahamas trip - if you're stuck at your desk wishing you were on the beach instead...this one is for you!

Make sure that you don't miss:

Conchy conch fritters (?!?!)
The human stoplight
The gentleman sitting on a payphone to fix a payphone (when was the last time you even saw a payphone?)
Those are stingrays in that pool!

Don't forget to check out the full field guide to our Nassau weekend, and the full series of Bahamas posts.

Scenes from the Bahamas - Short from The New Diplomat's Wife on Vimeo.

Video by The New Diplomat's Wife.
Music by Volfoniq via Vimeo Music.

Happy Diplo-Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T11:11:00.000+01:00

A little Valentine from our diplo-family to yours!

And for good measure, I'll throw in last year's too!

Valentine's by Paper Culture.

Field Guide to a Nassau Weekend...

2012-02-13T20:12:00.000+01:00

Part of the fun of living in Exotic America is its proximity to the Exotic Carribean - sunshine, white sands, palm trees and fruity cocktails? Yes, please! Determined to build in more breaks in 2012 - even if they're little ones, we kicked of with MLK Weekend in Nassau. Now, I realize that there are lots of idyllic island resorts out and about through the Bahamas (after all, there are 700 islands) but when you're headed for not much more than a weekend and have a one year old in tow, simplicity reigns king so Nassau it was.

On the trip we discovered that a/ BWI is probably the most service oriented airport in the metro DC area - how did I wait so long before flying out of here again? Updated, quick, efficient and most of all FRIENDLY - all key with diplo-baby in tow. And they have genius parking where you park your car and the shuttle comes to YOU to take you the airport (not vice versa) and same when you come back. When you've got toddler in one hand, stroller and sunscreen in the other, makes a big difference. We also learned that b/AirTran is a fantastically friendly airline. They were incredibly accomodating with DB as well, and on top of it, provided genuine service (none of this "we're here primarily for your safety" announcements mumbo jumbo). They are also definitely on the list to go again.

For being so close, there is remarkably little updated travel guide information on Nassau, but we found the following helpful:

Fodor's Nassau Guide

Salma Hayek's Red Hot Bahamas, Travel + Leisure

Nassau in Eight Bars, Conde Nast Traveler

http://www.bahamas.com/: The official tourism board site

A weekend, even a long one, can go by quick but here would be our favorite picks for your "can't miss" list:

Pick up a rum cake to enjoy beach side: Bacardi is best, Tortuga is plentiful...best enjoyed on the white sands of Cable Beach - Sheraton Nassau was our pick: it's a big box hotel, but friendly staff and gorgeous beach front - also there is a grocery store close by for self-catering needs
Enjoy fresh fish and conch fritters at Twin Brothers at the Fish Fry, Arawak Cay: this renowned fish shack is not much of a shack anymore, but the colorful tables and good fish keep everyone coming from locals to tourists. Any local we asked recommended it whole heartedly - n.b. if you have little ones in tow, all the fish comes "whole", not fileted, so ask for different preparation if you need it.
Make time for an appertif or nightcap at the bar in the Colonial Hilton: old school atmosphere with old school drinks, and the jerk chicken bruschetta can be a nice simple dinner
Pick up some colorful fabric toys and table linens at the Linen Shop on Bay Street in Nassau
There is more to the Bahamas than Senor Frog's (although candidly, we had dinner there one night when our original pick turned out to be closed and they were delightful in terms of service, super friendly towards diplo-baby and the DJ will spin tunes you definitely haven't heard since college) - for a sunshine break check out the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas

And don't forget to check out the full series of Bahamas posts from when we were away -

So now we just have to make a list of what to check out on our next trip because we will definitely be back.

Photos by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Sunday Shots: A Dash of Salt...

2012-02-12T02:51:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Photography Friday: A Walk with Tracey Clark...(Part II)

2012-02-10T16:31:00.000+01:00

Back for part two of the photowalk with Tracey Clark from Shutter Sisters that I went on while at Alt Summit - this week, it's all about the color photos. And let me just say for the record, color photos not so easy when it's gray, gray, gray outside. Again, the theme I drew out of the hat was "sparkle", but I adapted that to also mean things like reflections, or things that resemble fireworks, or sparkly patterns. (Did you miss Part One? That was all black and white.)

In the chat prior to the walk, Tracey shared a few thoughts to keep in mind throughout the day:

Be conscious of what you choose to put in the frame, and be conscious to "fill the frame" with things that add to the story you're trying to tell. If it's not part of the story, don't put it in the picture - be mindful of your object but also what's around it.
Stop to see where the light is coming from - does that work for you? If not, how do you move around so that it does? You should know where your light source is in every shot, and once you get into that habit, you won't be able to "not know".
Look for relationships - things in pairs, things that go together, things that are opposites...those relationships only help add to the story in the picture
Don't feel like you have to master all the technical detail at once - you can learn things as you go and as you practice but in addition to things like settings, make sure you allow time to practice things like composition and storytelling
Assign yourself a theme or a word when you're out practicing (e.g. like "sparkle" in this instance) - sometimes having a bit of inspiration and guidance will help you to see new things

Those were my big takeaways from the walk, but again, Leslie from Lights and Letters has a great recap as well. And speaking of Leslie, she is the lady behind the lens of my portrait below - I'm not one for volunteering to be photographed but there was just something about her.

Also, the gorgeous brunette under the umbrella is Lindsay from the ModChik, and the quirky, endearing "I Like You" necklace belongs to Patina from the blog...wait for it...I Like You.

Thansk Tracey for bracing the cold and rain and getting me to think outside my usual box!

Photos by the The New Diplomats Wife.
Last Portrait Photo by Leslie from Lights and Letters.

Stop (Motion) in the name of Valentine's Day...

2012-02-09T21:30:00.000+01:00

Running a little late today with my post but here are a few video goodies to make you feel all warm and fuzzy for Valentine's Day - I don't know what it is but I just can't get enough stop motion video. Especially sappy stop motion. These are kind of raising the bar for valentines.

this one cracks me up for several reasons: 1/ this song is on a childeren's CD that we put on for my daughter and it's just moved over from the "I heard it 200 times and it drives me crazy" to "I have heard this 200 times and it reminds me of my daughter" category, 2/ the cakes themselves are so cute and while I've made cupcake toppers before, I have never actually applied them in this way, and 3/ Tiger in a jar is behind the great Alt Videos as well:

diy valentine's cakes from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

this one has some particularly adorable grammatical errors that add to the charm, and the ending is pretty clever. What can I say, I have a soft spot for non-native english speakers:

Happy Valentine from kevin rantingpohon on Vimeo.

sweet sentiments:

Valentines Day Stop Motion from Interrupted Media on Vimeo.

For those who like their valentine's with a bit of a latin beat:

VALENTINE'S DAY from patricia zur on Vimeo.

For those that just like converse:

Stop Motion - Valentine's Day from Giovanna Frare on Vimeo.

...and I had actually put this post together a couple of days ago but added this one which I spotted on A Little Sussy Blog this morning!

Happy Valentine's Day from nicole hill gerulat on Vimeo.

Mommy and Me: Two Hearts...

2012-02-08T17:17:00.001+01:00

They funny thing about me is that I (perhaps notoriously) don't even like hearts. I didn't dot my eyes with hearts as a school girl, I didn't wear them on T-shirts...I just didn't like them. Something diplo-husband found out the hard way when he gave me a heart shaped necklace and we had an awkward moment where I tried really hard to pretend to like it. Needless to say, the whole thing ended up with us going back to store and exchanging it for itty bitty diamond studs. Well, one diamond stud...I bought the other one, and I wore those almost daily for years until finally, one became a casualty in the fiasco of the move from Vienna. So now I keep the one remaining in my jewelry box since it's technically the first piece of jewerly diplo-husband bought me, before he was even diplo-husband. I loved those earrings to pieces, but the funny thing is that after having a little girl, I've kind of softened towards hearts. I don't think I'll be rushing to hang one around my neck anytime soon, but thinking back on that first necklace, it doesn't seem so "hearty" to me now.

Here's a little inspiration for a Valentine's Day outing "en famille". I've been back and forth and back and forth on that heart print skirt from J.Crew. It's very out of character for me as I don't really wear print but maybe in the spirit of trying something new for the new year? Thoughts?

Mommy and Me: Two Hearts... by thenewdiplomatswife featuring vintage skirts

Valentine's Day: Let's go to the hop...

2012-02-07T16:07:00.000+01:00

Alright, we remember that I really would like to have a sock hop right? I was hoping for my birthday but no dice (and be warned, I will, at some point, just throw my OWN sock hop so that I can stop talking about this). So I nearly squealed with delight when I saw a sock hop featured in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living.

The twist? It wasn't an adults sock hop but rather, an event that Jessie Randall (yes...of Loeffler Randall) hosts with her three boys every year for their friends. The kiddies spend the dreary days of January prepping various crafts and invitations and decorations for the parties, and then the littles come over for some treats and a bit of dancing. I have to say, I'm kind of jealous I didn't think of this myself. Though I'm not sure that diplo-baby would be up for more than bopping around a bit and eating whatever paper heart decorations are about. But next maybe next year...

Images via Loeffler Randall Blog.

Up up and away for Valentine's Day!

2012-02-06T16:29:00.000+01:00

Time to start thinking about Valentine's Day - hurrah! I don't care what the naysayers say, I love Valentine's Day. Which is funny, because for a long time in life, I didn't exactly have Valentines lining up outside of my doorstep or anything. But rather than develop all these weird negative associations with it, or spend a lot of time contemplating how it has become too commercialized (it has, so what? don't buy into that part, buy into the parts you like), I learned to embrace it over the years. There's something about Valentine's Day that's a bit hopeful - you know, you think maybe someone will finally surprise you, maybe they'll finally notice...People don't always deliver, but there is always the chance.

And speaking deliver and surprises, how fun would it be to get one of these at your door - complete with a "balloon trooper", which as far as I can tell is a hip person dressed in sequins? These ginormous hearts are available through Geronimo Ballooons. Known for their size and adornments, this company has really redefined balloons and made them not only cool, but completely whimsical. I don't think I'm getting one this year, but I'll still check my front door anyway...just in case.

Geronimo Balloons Valentine's Day from hak lonh on Vimeo.

Sunday Shots: Temple Street...

2012-02-05T13:40:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Photography Friday: A Walk With Tracey Clark...

2012-02-03T15:39:00.000+01:00

While at Alt Summit, I signed up for the "Photo Walk" with Tracey Clark around Salt Lake City. No idea what to expect although the blurb mentioned something about composition, so I thought I could definitely benefit since I seem to suffer from "too much close up and not enough context" disease lately. Tracey is best known as one of the founders of Shutter Sisters, an online community of women's photographers, and for thier book Expressive Photography (a candidate for the photography book club? what do you think?)

We started out with of a bit of a chat - and I say chat intentionally. This wasn't a formal photography lesson, but rather a conversation with Tracey about some of her core principles, and then it was a very much get out there and practice kind of thing...and to get out there and practice, that meant facing the cold and rain.

I'm going to do this post in two parts - one this week and one next - for this week, I wanted to focus on the excercise Tracey had us do, which was to draw a word from a hat, and then incorporate it into our photography that day. Mine was "sparkle". "Sparkle". Um...if I had had that word the day prior where you couldn't walk two steps without a stream of sequins and glitter during the conference, that would have been a cake walk. But outside in the rain, on a crazy gray day in Utah, it wasn't exactly sparkle central. But it forced me to get creative and out of my comfort zone. Because of the gray around us, I ended up doing a lot in black and white. Since traditional sparkle wasn't about, I looked for reflections since that kind of sparkles (right??), and things that echo sparkly things - for example, something that echoes the shape of fireworks or something to that effect.

I'm not Tracey, but here are my results - check in next week for the color set of photos and the principles! Also, Leslie from Lights and Letters, who joined us also has a great recap - anyone else that I missed?

All Photos by The New Diplomats Wife.

Diplo-man of Style: George Hamilton... and also La Cage aux Folles

2012-02-02T18:34:00.000+01:00

If you hear the name George Hamilton these days, you probably think of an insanely white grin and equally insanely tanned skin. But back in the day, George Hamilton was dashing and practically downright smouldering, he essentially is what people mean when they say things like "debonair" - dark waves of hair and an easy going smile that made you feel like you were the only one in the room. Mr. Hamilton though was known for giving this smile to just about everyone - not really one to settle down, except for one marriage to Alana Stewart, he was one of the great MGM playboys - and also one of their last contract actors. If you're ever curious about the contract actor's life, Tony Curtis's autobiography sheds a lot of light on the lifestyle though I've also seen that Mr. Hamilton has his own books, which I haven't yet read. One in particular about his mother, who was married six times was the basis for a movie with Renee Zellweger. And George was no slouch himself, charming his stepmother into being more than his stepmother when he was a wee 12, in addition to some other conquests which now would likely be considered quite dubious if not outright illegal. You can read more about it in his Daily Mail and View Interview here.

So why George Hamilton today? Well last night I was able to see him perform in La Cage aux Folles at the Kennedy Center, playing the role of - who else - Georges the clubowner. The show started out a bit slow, but once the cast hit their stride, the pace picked up. Mr. Hamilton is older now and you can see it on stage - his moves are a bit slower, and so is his voice. But about halfway through the production, it actually struck me that this is precisely what ends up making Georges a believable character. As we know, I have a terrible fondness for Robin Williams' adaptation as Armand in the Birdcage, but at some point Georges mentions his relationship of over twenty years with Albin and it all is in perspective. Speaking of Albin, Christopher Sieber does an excellent ZaZa, especially during his last "I am what I am" piece at the end of the first act. When he sings "I bang my own drum, Some think it's noise, I think it's pretty", not only does it evoke memories of Sally Bowles when she paints her fingernails green simply because she thinks it's pretty despite disapproval from others, if you're really listening, it makes you think of all the times you've tried to make someone else into something they're not. Anyway, the Cagelles keep things light, lots of overacting there but then again, they work in a drag club - their dancing though it was truly stands out. There are some limber gents in that group!

And George Hamilton? He might move a little slower...but he's still dashing and debonair in every way. And I'm pretty sure he was winking at me from the stage. Me and every other woman in there.

Ps - you can read about his mother's equally fascinating life here.

Photos (from top): Stirred Straight Up, Fashion's Most Wanted, by Marina Cigona via Sublimacje, Loose Leaf Tigers, PB Pulse, Rex Features via Fashion's Most Wanted.

With the exception of the photo attributed to Marina Cigona and Rex Features, all others are credited to where they were sourced from - if you happen to know who took the other originals, drop me a line so that I can attribute fully!

Monthly Goals: February 2012

2012-02-01T17:40:00.000+01:00

You probably know I'm a big lover of lists - bucket lists, life lists, resolution lists, etc. The idea of resolutions seems to be getting less and less love, but I still think it's worth something to think through what you want to get done in the coming year either personally, professionally, spiritually, whatever. I think writing them down makes you stick to them, even if you don't hit everything, there's at least a goal ahead. But despite the fact that I am pretty sure I will scream if I hear another celebrity wax poetic about how they don't do resolutions because they're continously self-improving in the moment, I have started to see how as the year gets on, you get further away from the list. Sometimes the best way to get to bigger goals is to break them down into smaller ones - so let's try an experiment. Each month at the start, I'm going to outline five smaller things to work on and see how we did at the end of the month. What's on your list?

February Goals:

1. Move, even if by walking, for at least 20 minutes, 3 times a week - remember that fitness goal I had? Yeah, need to start with baby steps. And no, that's not me in the picture. But yes, yes I wish it was.

2. Eat lunch with a colleague at least once a week: I seem to be becoming more and more introverted at work. Not sure if that's becuase I'm busy but also not sure that's a good thing to have my computer as my lunch date every day. So here we go, once a week, I'm going to actually have to make conversation over lunch.

3. Replace my make-up: I use make up until a/ I lose it, b/ I drop it and break it (for those items in powder form) or c/ until there is nothing left in the container. I think all the items in my bag have suffered from a, b, and c and with spring just around the corner, this is a good time for a refresh. Maybe I might even change something up. Maybe.

4. Start a Pinterest board on Mexico: Only three weeks to go to our trip! We're just about buttoned up on planning but would love a little inspiration to keep me dreaming - also I just heard the founder of Pinterest speak at Alt Summit. I have been on forever (TheNewDiplomatsWife) but haven't really been good about using the tool - must get better!

5. Complete the February Photo a Day Challenge: Have you guys ever heard of these? Despite being on Instagram, these photo challenges have somehow escaped me - thanks to ModChick for introducing them to me! This month's comes from FatMumSlim (love that name). You could do it by camera, but I think in the interest of just getting involved, I'll go with the Instagram - just an exercise in seeing and capturing the simple joy of things around you. If you share on instagram or twitter, don't forget to hashtag it - #febphotoaday

Images via Self Magazine, UWKC Blog, BrideFinds, 454 Creative and FatMumSlim
Top image from New York Condo Loft

Alt's Biggest A-ha's...

2012-01-30T05:49:00.000+01:00

If you've worked in consulting, you might be familiar with wanting to present clients with "A-ha's"...Not "that's so interesting, let me file that away for...next year or never", but rather big moments where the cartoon lightbulb goes off over your head and either you're inspired to fix something right now, or fireworks go off because you realize whatever your working on can be done in a way that's consistent with what you are doing.

Even though I had envisioned doing lots and lots of Alt recaps, most have been done excellently already (for a full list, see the Alt Blog here). Don't worry, I still have a couple planned for Photography Fridays from the camp sessions since that's a different kind of content, but looking back on the weekend in Salt Lake City, I realized that despite my pages and pages of notes, there were several big "a-ha's" that stood out for me:

1. It's okay if it takes awhile: After a few sessions, you quickly realize that the panelists are panelists because they know what they're talking about. And they know what they're talking about because they have been doing it for awhile - often times five years, six years, seven years...It's okay if you don't know everything right off the bat - you can take advantage of learning from others who have learned on a longer curve, but don't expect to be where they are "overnight".

2. You can be older than 20 and still a relevant blogger: One of the refreshing things about Alt was that you quickly realize that it is totally normal to blog in your 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's and beyond that - there is room for all ages in the blogosphere. And in fact, there was one dapper gentlemen in his 70's behind me in the registration line. The organizer at the desk asked him if he had come to the right event and he replied, "Of course I am. I am an architect and anyone who cares anything about design should be at this conference."

3. You can keep your day job: In fact, most bloggers have a day job. Even those who you assume blog professionally. Some people have day jobs as bankers/lawyers/etc...some wait tables, some are stay at home moms (let no one tell you that's not a job)...and some blog professionally but they also have interior design services...styling services...photography businesses...you name it. The only question is what do you want your day job to be?

4. If you want your blog to be any kind of job, get legit: If you're thinking of taking any kind of payment in monies or kind, you need to get squared away on your paper work. Lots of advice around this but no surprise here, if you want a business from blogging, you have to treat it as a business and that means getting incorporated, paying taxes and all that good stuff. In fact, it's like your other real jobs minus the 401(k).

5. The internet domain is not the public domain: I had a crash course on this last year when I was a really new blogger and made some assumptions on how to best credit sources. Someone corrected me and it all got sorted out - and in fact, I made some great blogging friends in the process but if you're going to blog, be you a new blogger or not, there are definitely some rules to follow. As far as crediting goes, Erin Loechner's handy dandy guide and Link with Love are great places to consult but keep in mind that while most of the information refers to photography, it applies across everything: artwork, videos...and music. One of my biggest eye openers was that if you buy a song on iTunes, it's a no-no to use it on a video you made and posted to the internet (no longer personal use, it's broadcast) - you're going to have to license music. For the recreational user, this is kind of crappy. And defeats a bit the purpose of iTunes. But it is what it is, so good thing I learned this sooner rather than later.

6. Design used to be a distinguishing factor, now it's a prerequisite: It used to be that people who invested in the look of their blog were set apart because they did so, but now it's just the entry ticket. It doesn't mean you have to pour in thousands to get a good blog design, but it does mean that you have to balance what you want out of it with being functional, clean and easy to navigate. Be smart about your design decisions early on.

7. Just be yourself: This must have come up in every session - all the more interesting when I was speaking with someone who attended the year prior and said there was no where near as much mention of original content and authenticity as there was last year. It's challenging to write creatively, consistently and with your own voice, but no voice, no blog. Be comfortable in your own thing.

In case it is not immediately apparent, the photo above is me having one or all of these a-ha moments during Ben Silberman's Keynote - photo courtesy of Brooke Dennis Photography. All official Alt photos can be found here.

Sunday shots: Down by the sea...

2012-01-29T04:19:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Photography Friday: January Book Club

2012-01-27T21:29:00.001+01:00

Remember that list of Resolutions for 2012? Yep, reading a photography book a month is on it! And we're going to do it! Well...I'm going to try. So a new feature is "Photography Friday" where at least for the next couple of months, I'll be featuring something photography related, and last Friday of the month will be dedicated to the book club.

So first up is January's book - in the future, I'll announce what the next month's book will be in case others want to read along but this month I was still getting the idea sorted out in my mind. So given that everyone is recovering from holiday expenses and travel, this month's book, "Craft and Vision: 11 Ways to Improve Your Photography" has the bonus of being free. Yep. FREE. Granted it's an ebook format (my first real experience with these and guess what, I'll likely print mine out on paper since I learn by taking notes) but free is tough to beat.

The book is a collection of essays on how you can change up your approach in order to further your photography. Edited by David Du Chemin (and if you've never checked out his blog, you should, it's the fastest fix for gorgeous travel photography), various contributors offer ideas in their own themed essays that all feature actionable tips amidst the paragraphs like:

Don't stereotype your lens - did you know you could shoot potraits with a wide angle? I didn't.
Histograms (what? i never look at those) - even if you nothing about them, you're going to want to get the most "stuff" on the right hand side of the histogram, which will likely give you the picture with the most correct exposure and where the picture can store the most correct information
How to get a "panning" shot (i.e. subject in focus, blurry/movement background): Set shutter priority to 1/30 and shoot several shots continually (I'm going to have to try this and report back)

But perhaps the most eye opening for me was Alexandre Buisse's essay on the stages of learning photography, particularly poignant since I'm on this journey myself:
1. No artistic intent, only a desire to record moments
2. Intent in beautiful imagery, playing around with what's available to produce high creativity but likely low quality
3. Realization that lack of technical knowledge is holding you back - he calls this the "dangerous" stage because you can get mired in the details without ever lifting up to the bigger picture
4. Realization that technical knowledge can feel like a "dead-end" which prompts a return to composition and light in your photography
5. Realization that you have reached proficient levels of "know-how" but need to define your own vision
6. "Finding your voice and stop worrying"

Buisse maintains that people never fully reach the final stage or if they do, it's only for awhile. Which makes sense - in the end, isn't refining your view on the world a lifelong goal? And this doesn't have to be just for photography - it could be for blogging...or painting...or any other creative hobby that requires you to have your own perspective and be comfortable with it.

What I thought was most interesting in all of this was Buisse's point on the role of community. In the second stage, he notes that people share enthusiastically and it is primarily to an enthusiastic audience for the purpose of support and encouragement, rather than in the third stage where you share for technical criticism, which has its own role in terms of pushing your understanding of craft and equipment, but again, can be dangerous if you don't work through that stage completely.

Once I saw this laid out in these steps, it made perfect sense to me in terms of looking back of my own development in wanting to know more about photography - so which stage does that leave you?

All book images from Craft & Vision.

****************

Next Month's Book: Fine Art Weddings by Jose Villa (yay! Valentines Day!)

15 Things I Should Have Packed for Alt...

2012-01-26T14:53:00.000+01:00

Alt Summit 2012 by thenewdiplomatswife featuring a cream shirt

I wasn't sure to what to expect sartorially from Alt...I mean, I was expecting some of the most creative people so I was expecting some pretty creative outfits. Not disappointed on that front. If you've been following for awhile, you probably know I have a pretty classic and largely predictable style: you'll rarely see me without a white oxford on, a classic trench, and when I splash out, it's on big necklaces for my oomph. At the end of the day, I work a corporate gig, formerly in Vienna and now in DC, but it's also my personal style, and it works for me. The biggest takeaway from Alt is that you should be yourself. But if yourself really wants to be a bit more adventurous, a bit more colorful, a bit more creative...then you don't have to hide that at Alt.

Here is a quick list of things that people regularly used to bump it up a notch at Alt. 2013 will bring a whole new set of trends, but this is what I learned from this year's picks.

1. White tutus: The much talked about "Diner en Blanc" brought out lots of creativity for white outfits and tutus were front and center several times. Actually, I've made tutus several times for assorted costumes in the past, but I should have known that at Alt, the tutu is not a costume, it's a serious fashion piece. If you're on the fence about something creative to bring, just bring it. You'll be at home here.

2. Colored denim: Have you gotten the recent J.Crew catalog and wondered in what world do people wear jeans of one primary color paired with a striped top of another opposite primary color? In this world. Generally, you can't go wrong with color at Alt.

3. Polka Dots: Same with patterns, you can't go wrong with that - base layer, over layer...any layer. Polka dots were a winner this year, but so was leopard, cheetah, plaid, and the classic mariniere stripe. And don't be afraid of wearing two patterns at once. And why not three?

4. Enthusiasm and a positive spirit: Naturally I didn't forget to pack mine but I probably should have been less shy about expressing it. "I have found my people!" or "This is my tribe!" were popular phrases but simply throwing around "Awesome!" or "Amazing!" will do just fine. Ironically, many of my European friends make fun of me for using the word "Awesome" too much, but I don't think they really know what too much is.

5. Boots: I brought these but should have brought more. Wearing my "I pack like a business person and never pack more than I can carry myself" hat (rules to live by normally), I packed one pair of my beloved and practical brown leather boots that went with everything. But don't hesitate to give yourself options - on the fence about bringing this or that? This is one event where you can bring both. You're going to have to check luggage anyway.

6. Business Cards: Again, something that I had but what I should have brought was a card case or little receptacle of some kind for the mass collection I would accumulate. Trading cards at Alt carries an intensity similar to trading Dungeons and Dragons cards in those high school angst movies, and each card is a little piece of artwork on to itself. People have done some amazing things. Note to self for next year: add Twitter handle to card (mine were printed before I had one - @thenewdiplomats).

7. Glasses: The bigger the better seemed to reign queen here (wonder if next year people will go opposite), with Warby Parker as the King. In a few cases, I wish people wouldn't obscure their loveliness with such huge frames, but nonetheless, if you are a glasses wearer, don't bring your contacts to Alt. Also, if you actually need glasses, you'll probably see the presentations on screen better with them.

8. Your iphone: Duh. It doubles as a functional tool (tweets! stats! information superhighway!) but also something to hide behind when you're feeling a bit intimidated. I had mine but for next year, I definitely need a new case.

9. Bright tights: Colors...patterns...different colors for different outfits - just because you can't get away with them in your day job, doesn't mean you can't wear them to Alt. And for those that might be a little shy with color and aren't quite ready to jump in, pair a softer color or pattern with a black dress to get your toes in the water.

10. Sequined or beaded tops: Sequins are never out of place at Alt. At any time of the day. What goes better with oatmeal in a hotel lobby at 7 am on a Thursday than sequins?

11. Vintage lace dresses: Lots of these and especially in white for the white party. The ladies of Alt are master thrifters and re-inventors so don't think everything has to come fresh off the runway. Looking at what's been worn before is a great place to start thinking of how it can be new again.

12. Faux fur vests: Something about mountains and fur vests that go together. I don't own any faux fur so I actually brought my real fur as my coat. I might add that several people came up to me to pet it, noticing it felt a lot different than the vest. Yes, it feels different. But faux or not, fur is defnitely appropriate for Utah in January.

13. The sock bun: Wearing buns for years, the sock bun trick has somehow escaped me all this time. Where did I miss the boat? Luckily, you can remedy that right quick with the Say Yes to Hoboken tutorial on making your own sock bun structure.

14. Red or coral lipstick: I don't wear lipstick, I wear chapstick. Sometimes a Chanel sheer. Usually I go for nude lips and play up the eyes but maybe next year I'll be a little bolder. Plus it seems to photograph well - which is appropriate since there will be about 10 professional photographers roving around at any given time, and about 34 photo booths to participate in. Just as before, don't be afraid to step out of your "I have a practical and responsible day job" routine.

15. Glitter hotpants: See items 1-14. If there is anything that is clear about Alt is that you can pretty much bring/wear/do anything. And that includes glitter hotpants. You will definitely not see these out in DC - I haven't even seen these out in New York. But if you're feeling a little funky and you own such an item, just bring it and wear it with confidence. You'll be glad you did.

PS - Don't forget to check out my little Alt Video for these items in action!

The Suite Life...

2012-01-25T20:18:00.001+01:00

So in addition to all the amazing things I learned at Alt, I also was able to take an amazing chunk of time to myself. Sounds selfish, right? Maybe, but there is something about having a bit of time to just yourself to do things that just you are interested in. I've taken trips solo before since diplo-baby of course, but those are work related and not quite the same thing. And I took the weekend to do Me Ra Koh's Confidence workshop but since it was in DC, I trekked back home at night so not quite the same thing. Alt was 5 days of uninterrupted time for just me, no obligations.

If you know me, you know a a/ love a good hotel, b/ adore great service and c/ have listed turndown as one of my greatest luxuries that I enjoy in life. The Grand America in Salt Lake City delivered on all three of those without skipping a beat, and upgraded me to a suite to boot. WA WA WEE WAH! While I adore my home, I'm also one of those that adores the hotel life (n.b. hotel life, not roach motel life, though believe it or not, I have stayed in my fair share of those).

For anyone out there that is or has been a consultant, you're probably prone to a bit of hotel life yourself - it never goes away. There is something about the blank canvas of a hotel room - no nagging errands to do, no piles of mail I'm supposed to sort through, no missing hot water faucet that I'm supposed to replace. At home, despite my best efforts, there's always part of life that creeps in on the way that I would ideally like to live because, well, at home I share that space with all the things and people in my life and I just don't get to everything - and I'm okay with that.

But in a hotel I have a fresh clean space that I relish, I have an edited wardrobe, I have an edited everything...I lay out everything just so, I put my jewelry out, I choose my outfits ahead of time, I put everything on display...just how I would want it in my "ideal" life. And its stays exactly like that for five days. There is someone to make the bed, someone to take out the trash, everything is a quick phone call away... But at the end of the five days you can bet that I was missing all the little bits of chaos that make my house my home.

Scenes from ALT Summit...

2012-01-24T15:40:00.000+01:00

I'm still processing all that I learned and saw and was inspired by at Alt Summit, but here are a few scenes from the amazing weekend to get you started!

Scenes from Alt Summit 2012 from The New Diplomat's Wife on Vimeo.
Music by Adam Kurz.

Sunday Shots: Chips ahoy...

2012-01-22T05:59:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

A Bahamas Guest House...

2012-01-20T06:56:00.000+01:00

So last post for this week on the Bahamas! Yesterday if yesterday was the little guest house that could, today is definitely the guest house that does. One of the more famous Bahamian residents is India Hicks, daughter of the interior designer great, David Hicks, and if you'e a royal watcher, you might recall she was the youngest attendant at Charles and Diana's wedding. She's all grown up now, with a portfolio of Bahamian properties anyone could be jealous of. But you don't have to get too jealous, if you have the cash, you can rent it at a mere $10,000 a week. It does sleep 10 though and my guess is that's close to the going rate in these fair isles. Although there is one mod property in the bunch, most seem to follow traditional island Colonial like The Guest House. But Colonial or not, what really shines at this property is the photo above, which is the private beach access. India Hicks says it's close enough that you could "throw an ice cube into the ocean from the balcony". Sigh.

All images from India Hicks Properties.

A Bahamas Beach House...

2012-01-19T06:38:00.000+01:00

For as close as the Bahamas is, I actually couldn't find a lot of Bahamas inspiration in the shelter mags. I would have thought that there would be more, but it does seem like one name keeps coming up if I did manage to find a photo here and there. Tom Scheerer is an interior designer, who in addition to other commercial projects, seems to specialize in beach houses. The pics below are from a project called "Bahamian Salt Box". Clean, simple, chic, and very welcoming - but at the level that a beach cottage should be. Everyone always says in interviews that they want a house where the kids can run in with sand on their feet, this is one of the few that actually looks like you could do that. The guest bedroom is particularly charming with the canopy bed, and funky footed lamp. Now how can I become a guest at said Salt Box?

All images by William Waldron for Tom Scheerer.

Diplo-style: Thundering Thunderball!

2012-01-18T05:15:00.000+01:00

Prior to researching our last minute jaunt to the Bahamas, I confess I didn't know much about these islands other than they were close and often times the first stop for cruise boats and spring breakers. Not exactly confidence building measures. But my research also turned up that Nassau really its hey day in the height of the swingin' 60's, a refuge for the glitterati once Havana fell off the map.

And in 1965, Nassau set the stage for the James Bond flick Thunderball. It wasn't known so much for nuance and plot, but like any Bond movie, it was full of handsome men, fun gadgets, glamourous gowns for glamourous evenings, and gorgeous gals that seem to take as much interest switching off with Bond as they do switching swimsuits.

Bond, James Bond is played by Sean Connery. Since I'm a bit younger than this movie, I only know Sir Connery as older, so I actually didn't even recognize it as him. He's quite handsome both younger and older, and Claudine Auger, the leading Bond girl here is a perfect match. Often times, they're wearing things that are just as stylish today - a well tailored tuxedo, a pressed linen shirt and khakis; and on her that one shouldered black swimsuit would be welcome in my suitcase. Also, I think I really need an orange wetsuit. And definitely a jet pack.

Mommy and Me: Bahama Mamas

2012-01-17T10:19:00.000+01:00

Bahama Mamas by thenewdiplomatswife featuring a stripe dress

Greetings from the isles of the Bahamas! While we're away I've put together a few posts full of sunshine to keep you company in these drearies of January.

This is just a quick jaunt so not too much to pack, and while running into Old Navy the other day, I couldn't pass up these navy and white kind of matching but kind of not dresses. Chevrons for diplo-baby, and a mariniere dress for me (can you believe it was only $30??). Perfect for a stroll through Old Town Nassau...

PS - Does anyone know how to get ride of these weird white spaces in Polyvore?

Pina Colada Playlist!

2012-01-16T06:26:00.000+01:00

Happy long weekend everyone! We've hightailed it to the Bahamas! Sunshine? Check. Ocean? Check. Direct flight? Check. We'll be in Nassau for the next couple of days so enjoy these tunes to get you in the "I need a break from winter" kind of mood - has a little bit of everything: a few beach songs, a few reggae songs, a few oldies but goodies, and a few to close out the evening with...as always, a few of the quirky ones a love. Enjoy!

Pina Colada Playlist
1. Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).....Harry Belafonte
2. Kokomo...The Beach Boys
3. Changes in latitude, changes in attitude.....Jimmy Buffett
4. Blue Skies Again.....Jessica Lea Mayfield
5. Sunny Hours.....Long Beach Dub All Starts featuring will.i.am
6. Eeenie Meenie.....Sean Kingston featuring Justin Bieber
7. Mr. Bobby.....Manu Chao
8. Jamming.....Bob Marley
9. A message to you, Rudy.....The Specials
10. Coconut Woman.....Harry Belafonte
11. Rum and Coca-cola.....The Andrews Sisters
12. Moonlight Swim.....Elvis Presley
13. Islands in the Stream.....Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
14. Escape (The Pina Colada Song).....Rupert Holmes
15. Sea of Love.....Phil Phillips
16. Sunshine Blues.....Bahamas

Image via Destination 360.

Sunday Shots: Dunes...

2012-01-15T05:57:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Off to ALT!

2012-01-14T04:10:00.000+01:00

The end of this week couldn't come fast enough - besides the usual work schedule (ho-hum), and plodding through a "detox" (bleh, but I did come out on the lighter side), there is now lots to look forward to - hurrah!

Tomorrow we're taking off for a long weekend in the Bahamas - with merely 40 degrees here in DC today, am definitely relishing this last minute decision for a little sun and sand time with diplo-husband and diplo-baby in tow.

And then when we're back, I'll just switch suitcases and will be off to ALT Summit, something I've been waiting for since the last one last year. Definitely a bit nervous as I'll be in the company of some very fine bloggers, but hoping to take a few days to listen and learn, and think a bit about what's ahead for this little blog. To better do that, I'll be signing off until I get back, but not to fear, I've put together a few posts to keep you company and bring you some of that Bahamas sunshine!

Have a great weekend and see you next week!

There's a Kababji over here!

2012-01-12T17:31:00.000+01:00

We've got a bit of the sandbox in our blood over at our house so we're always pro-kebab. And usually our go-to when the craving for grilled meats and rice hits is to head over to Moby Dick Kebab (which I'm not going to hide my childlishness, I love saying). One in Dupont, one in Georgetown, and both probably the best kebab in DC.

However, diplo-husband was elated when driving down Connecticut avenue a couple of weeks ago when we saw Kababji. Anyone spending some time in the gulf will no doubt recognize this Lebanese chain, which is known for putting all of their meats on display so that discerning kebab connoisseurs can select the skewers of choice. Last week we gave it a whirl, and I think we've found a kebab for our rotation, and definitely some of the best lebanese around.

It was relatively quiet on a Tuesday night but I bet this place is a bit more hopping on the weekend - their soundtrack of Arabic music is AMAZING. If you like twirling lightbulbs, you're going to like this place. Meze, excellent (mmmm - some of the better baba ghanouj this side of the sandbox) and so was the kebab. Also a plus, for those on the waistline watch, they'll serve the shish taouk (chicken kebab) over a bed of greens instead of with rice and bread. I prefer the latter, but in the New Year's spirit I chose the former. Unlike many of the gulf Kababji's, this one also serves alcohol - Beirut Sangria for me, Almaza beer for DH, a Lebanese brand.

We had a pleasant conversation with owner who let us know that this Dupont location is the US flagship and that there is a plan for more so look out for Kababji neear you!

Kababji Grill
1351 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, DC 20036

And speaking of bookstores..and videos...

2012-01-11T15:50:00.000+01:00

And speaking of bookstores and videos... This video started making the rounds on facebook and was featured on Design Mom today - normally I try very hard not to repost something but I just couldn't pass this one up, especially in light of the post of the Georgetown Bookstore closing yesterday, and the one on videos on Monday.

Two things jumped out at me about this - in addition to this being completely amazing (I can't even imagine how much went into doing this), the first is that it's called "The Joy of Books". And the second is that at the very end, it just zooms to a book with a title "There is Nothing Quite Like a Real Book". I couldn't agree more on both counts.

I was thinking about this some more last night after the post. When I was reading all the development advice when diplo-baby was on the way (with Bright from the Start being my favorite), everyone says that you should give babies books from an early age. Obviously they can't read yet, and frankly, they likely can't even sit through while you read. But they say that just being exposed to it means something - that they can touch and feel and see and flip pages and understand that there is something meaningful on that page.
I'm not saying that we should throw away all of our new media that makes a lot of convenience possible. I just think that there is a place for both, which I think applies to everything - digital photography vs film, a movie adaptation vs. theather, ipod vs. records, printed cards vs a handwritten note, take out vs. a freshly baked, entirely handmade cake...

There is something about opening up a "real" book that has a certain feel, and even the smell of freshly printed pages has something that you just can't replicated elsewhere. There's something about cracking open a book that can be the start of a new story, a new adventure, something new to learn, and other media doesn't quite have that same feeling. With so many bookstores closing, I wonder if there will be a whole generation that misses out on the experience of a physical bookstore. If just being around books is good for babies, surely it is good for us as adults too?

Exotic America: The End of Books?

2012-01-10T03:06:00.000+01:00

We were completely heartbroken to see that the Barnes and Noble in Georgetown closed over the New Year's Day weekend. Our very first apartment was just a couple of doors down from there...

It's where I would hang out endlessly between jobs, polishing my resume, when I was "downsized" from my first corporate job...It's where I would pass some time on evenings when I was a bit lonely when diplo-husband before he was my husband was away in Saudi Arabia, and where an older gentleman offered me a piece of apple cake when he saw I was crying and told me my husband was a fool for leaving.

It's where I consulted magazine upon magazine when I remodeled our itty bitty kitchen to pass the time when DH was in said Saudi Arabia...And then again where I consulted magazine upon magazine while planning our wedding in Poland. And then again where I consulted magazine upon magazine becuase I really love magazines.

It's where I bought our travel books. It's where I knew I could always count on a bathroom and a coffee until 11pm every night if I needed. Maybe I should have done less browsing and more purchasing. Maybe I should have come more often once we moved to another neighborhood. Maybe they'll come back.

Bookstores have been having a rough go of it - not only in Washington, but I think it says something when the nation's capital city can't support having its established ones. Olsson's closed all its locations, Borders did too...To my knowledge is Books a Million on Dupont (maybe they'll renovate?), Kramer's, and Politics and Prose (who will be changing owners). I guess part of it is changing times and changing habits, but as we all know, I'm not really one for this kind of change.

They say the space will now be a Niketown.

Image by Barnes and Noble.

Video killed the radio star...

2012-01-09T17:25:00.000+01:00

So one of the things I finally figured out this year was how to make a video...I know, I know, I'm behind the times. I mean, I knew how to film clips - the super 8 app being my favorite, but kind of never got around to figuring out how to weave them together, add music and all that. So that was my project this weekend - and finally finished a little wedding souvenir for some friends and then a little compilation of diplo-baby with her walking toy.

I was pretty proud of myself until I uploaded them to vimeo and saw all the way cool stuff that others had done. Like time lapse. Wow. Here are a couple that just show you want kinds of creative things are really possible in digital format. As much as I love the old school things, can you imagine if you had to string all of these time lapse photos by hand, after developing them in a dark room? You can travel from Murmansk to Tokyo in a matter of minutes...and my favorite, around the entire world - a trip that took Kien Lam nearly a year, in less than five. How's that for time travel?

Time is Nothing // Around The World Time Lapse from Kien Lam on Vimeo.

Murmansk in motion from Alexander Bergan on Vimeo.

Lost in Tokyo from Mark Bramley on Vimeo.

Sunday Shots: Mind the gap...

2012-01-08T16:58:00.000+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Diplo-baby: Baby Lit, Literature for Babes

2012-01-05T15:48:00.000+01:00

While we were in California, I seemed to pick up a ton of cool books for diplo-baby. Either I'm looking in the wrong places in the East Coast, or California is just better for these things, but we must have come home with at least six or seven new board books that were a new and cool take on telling a story.

Two of them were from this new series called Baby Lit, which I think I might adore even more than diplo-baby. They're just starting out so there are only two on the market, Romeo and Juliet and Pride and Prejudice but there are more coming. What really makes these books stand out are the cool graphic designs that are big and colorful enough for baby but still interesting for the parents, and the fact that they're written as counting primers (e.g. 2 star-crossed loves, 3 witnesses at the wedding, 8 love letters...) so not only are you getting the numbers in, it leaves you a lot of freedom to tell the story yourself. Seems like a lot more interesting for storytime than "This is a duck. See Duck in the pond. There are flowers. The end" (no joke, there are books like that). The board in the book itself is high quality with beautiful printing, and already we make sure that one of these is in the diaper bag at all times for portable entertainment. It's been a couple of months now and they're still not old to her.

Looks like Alice in Wonderland and Jane Eyre are next on tap but I'm hoping even more are on the way - More more more! They're available in hard copy format, or also on ipad directly from the publisher, Gibbs Smith. While I'm pretty much a fan of physical books that kids should get used to, I bet having them on the ipad makes for a cooler diversion than solitaire since the e-versions have some interactive features (like picking Lizzie's dress) and readings of parts of the story by Shakespearean actors. Sometimes making children's versions of adult things can come off as pretentious to me at least, this strikes the right balance. These are after all the classics.

All images from Gibbs Smith.

Calling all diplomats and diplo-spouses!

2012-01-04T15:37:00.000+01:00

Fellow diplo-mats and diplo-spouses, as well as anyone thinking that they would like to share how and where they live. We're looking for some interesting souls out there for the Notes from the Field series, which is a brief email interview accompanied by pictures of your favorite views and/or haunts. Our previous posts have traveled as far and wide as Mauritania, Angola, Hong Kong, Botswana, Mexico, Shanghai and Baku. And many of you graciously have written in saying that these posts help paint you a picture of your posts to come - so if you're living somewhere interesting, even domestically (don't forget, we get diplomats from abroad who come to the US), drop me a line at thenewdiplomatswife@gmail.com if you'd like to share! We have several lined up for this year already but I'd love to get a little "audience participation". Can't wait to see who will be our brave volunteers!

Map graphic vis SuisseMiss on Etsy.

Looking ahead to 2012...

2012-01-03T23:36:00.000+01:00

New year...new you. I know some people don't care for lists of resolutions but I've always found them helpful - it's good to get on paper (online?) what you're working towards, even if you don't always get there. Lists are to some degree aspirational. I didn't get to all of last year's, but I definitely did try. When I didn't do something - like run the marathon - it's because it just wasn't the right time (i.e. scars not yet healed from surgery). But the intent was there and I did lace up those shoes - without the resolution, I wouldn't have bothered at all. We didn't go to Dubai, but we tried - our pediatrician advised against it at the time so we took his word - but we did lots of other travel instead to make up for it. And there is lots we did do that was there - having a list of goals keeps me focused and gives you a starting point.

So that's last year, now here's what on tap for this year!

1. Detox, detox, detox!
Definitely step one. Last year I couldn't do one as I was nursing diplo-baby, this year I have more leeway. Last year one of my goals was to lose the baby weight and I came oh so close - within three pounds to be precise, but then the winter came, work travel came, the stress of the balancing act came, and more importantly I stopped nursing and boom, I started backsliding faster than I could figure out what happened. It's not just the weight though, it's more that with the work and travel, I've fallen prone to some less than ideally healthy habits - too much caffeine, too many comfort chocolate chip cookies, too many meals on the go, so time to just spruce up and regroup. Clean canvas.

2. Run, run, run!
This is tied to number one in some way. It could be running, or it could be yoga...anything. I just need to get moving. Now that I'm not nursing, I have at least that 60 minutes back at the start and end of my day that used to be devoted to pumping that now should be devoted to getting me back to feeling like me, starting with getting moving in some way. I might have to start small but I do have to start.

3. Plan breaks...and keep them.
Once we moved back to DC, it was all a whirlwind. We had been go good about taking long weekends, or even day trips from Vienna, because so much was right outside our door. Once we were back, our work schedules, being back in the office and ramping up to the new pace of life, not to mention a big financial shift (yep, the dirty secret they never tell you about when you move back), definitely had us not planning any breaks, or worse yet, planning but then canceling them. I missed having little breaks and big breaks to look forward to so we need to get better about planning them from the outset and sticking to them. They don't have to be ginormous glamourous vacations (thought I won't turn those down) but at least little things that we know are coming. This includes time as a family, time as a couple, and time for just me.

4. Do a creative project.
My day job is rewarding in its own way, and it's a necessity for me for a multitude of reasons. But I'm finding more and more that if I want to be happy and focused in my day job (which is HR consulting for the curious) then I also need to get something creative going so that I have that outlet. I have the blog which is great, but I'm looking to have something with a clear start and finish that I can call my own, and even hopefully share with a partner. Nothing set in stone yet but I definitely have some ideas on what that could be - 2012 is the year I'm going to get it done.

5. Throw a few parties.

You might have noticed that I haven't featured too many recipes or entertaining parties on the blog this year. With all the transitions, we fell into a bit of a rut. Not because we had a baby, but moreso because we were seemingly always in a state of transition: preparing to leave, leaving, coming, going, moving, waiting, moving again, putting our things in storage.. In our DC apartment, we kept things to a minimum for space reasons, but I think it's time to just get a few more glasses and plates and have people over like we used to.

6. Read a photography book...every month.

This one is linked a bit to number four too. Ultimately, the best way for my photography to get better is to practice, without a doubt. But I enjoy photography and knowing what others have to say about it, and I'm a firm believer that you can learn a lot from others. Also, because I love photography, I love seeing beautiful photographs and the best way to see those, aside from exhibits is through books. Stay tuned for a special kind of book club.

7. Define my computer time.

Between working a full day, mostly on the computer, doing the blog, uploading, editing and processing photos, and then the general day to day living that needs the computer, I'm on it a lot. Probably too much. And I'm not very disciplined in how I manage that time. If resolution number four comes through, that will be even more. So I really need to get organized on how to allocate that time, and how to allocate time away from the computer so that I can focus on things that don't need one...my family, my husband, my daughter and friends.

8. Get over myself and take the metro.
I always have a reason for a cab over the metro: I'm running late...it's raining...it's rush hour...I have heels on...I feel blue that day...I feel happy that day...whatever, there is always something. I've never had an issue with public transportation, but since being pregnant, I don't much care for being underground. But I'm not pregnant anymore and I definitely can't afford to keep up this cab habit. Also, walking to and from the train would definitely help me with resolution number two, so time to get some good flats and get to the station.

9. See Mexico.
Even they are our neighbors to the south, I have never been. And there's not just one place I want to see in Mexico, there are TONS. In fact, I could probably do a six month stint there. I want to see the Frida Kahlo house...I want to see Oaxaca...I want to see jaguars...I want to see those floating boats that everyone is always talking about... I want to see what a living, breathing megacity really looks like. I want to see the Pacific coast...I want to climb pyramids...I want to eat REAL tacos al pastor. We have several friends in DF so I'm hoping this is the final impetus for us to go; and of course we just won the trip to Maroma so this should get us to the coast. Obviously, we can't do everything but at least I want to make the first step.

10. Appreciate Washington.
Last year, I had a resolution to make the most of Vienna, this year I should do the same for Washington. This is my home, and I love it, but I have also found being back much harder than I anticipated, and I found that I miss Vienna, and our life there much more than I expected. But we live here, and not there, and next year this time, we will be making our final bucket lists for DC while preparing for the next adventure so here's to making 2012 all about appreciating what's good about home, the US and our new life here.

Photo credits for Resolutions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Header photo from Washington Post.

Prosit Neue Jahr!

2012-01-02T16:51:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year !

Wishing everyone a year of health, happiness, success and lots of adventures! And our resolution number one for 2012 is to, in the words of the one and only Baroness Schraeder, pack our little bags and go BACK TO VIENNA WHERE WE BELONG...if only for a little bit. Leaving you with some of our most favorite things from Vienna, all rolled into one - the New Year's Day Concert, the Musikverein, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Boys Choir and just a little bit of Strauss. Here is to all that 2012 has in store for us!

2011: Year in Review...

2011-12-30T10:40:00.000+01:00

It's that time of year again! A year goes by so fast, even more so now that there is a babe in our casa - diplo-baby's first year flew by with every month bringing a new set of developments and discoveries. Combined with our move, it really did become life on fast forward. Because of diplo-baby, it many ways it was the best year of our lives, and because of the move and all these life changes, in many ways it was also the hardest. So here's a look at where the time did actually go - and here is to even more adventure and learning, and hitting a steady state in 2012!

January:
Unlike last year's balls and gowns, we rang in 2011 with a dinner party for 8 at our home, giving me some confidence that my new mom self and my old social self might be able to co-exist. With people waltzing in the streets, and the infamous Gluckschweins, and possibly the best fireworks display I have ever seen - and from my living room atrium to boot, I'm convinced that Vienna is the best play for a New Year's ever. My new mom self also celebrates Diplo-Baby's first month milestone with a visit with my in-laws and a celebratory glass of wine to aknowledge that we making it a-okay! Later in the month, we make our first day trip to Neusiedlersee in the arctic cold, and our "family trip" to Schloss Velden on Worthersee, experiencing fantastic service and more reassurance that life to come will be good.

February:
A quick day trip to Maria Zell brings a burst of mountain air to February. Enjoying the days of maternity leave at home, Diplo-Baby is my constant companion as we spend our winter days checking out Vienna's museums and cafes. DB becomes a great lover of the arts and rewards me for these cultural enrichment experiences by insiting on performing a minimum of one massive pooplosion at each exhibit, forcing me to quickly become adept at spotting passable public bathrooms and reminding me I should never leave the house with out a plastic bag, a change of clothes for her, and an extra shirt for me. We also hired the woman who would later become our full time nanny and move back with us, which gave us evenings off for the first time. We take in more of Vienna's arts scene seeing Erwin Schrott, Cirque du Soleil, Gustavo Dudamel and the ballet of Don Quixote. We close out the month with a winter trip to our beloved Berthesgaden and Salzburg, for some snowy mountain respite.

March:
I start out the month by getting a much needed haircut which sets me up for some spring highlights. We say goodbye to winter with a smile and a return trip to Bad Gastein, when my parents are visiting for their annual ski trip and DB's 3 month birthday. After the first few days at the peculiar "we are part of the Moscow friendship society" Hotel Elisabethpark, I spend the following week with my parents at the ever friendly Haus Hirt which even, in non-typical Austrian fashion, recognizes us as repeat customers! WOW! I brave a few days on the slopes post-surgery, but also enjoy long walks in the mountains with my mom and diplo-baby and the off-roading strollers on property. We wrap up March with our third annual trip to the Venice Carnival, this time as a trio - well as quad since my sister in law flew in for the fun. We hit up our regular haunts as well as discovered some new ones, and as previously, use this trip to kick off our unofficial start of the aperol spritz season, and I enjoy my last weeks of maternity leave.

April:
Back to the salt mines, and I start out by finding out I was promoted - and the blog turns one year old! I return to the daily grind with a lot of sadness that my days of lolling around Vienna with diplo-baby have come to a close, but as I was working from home, she was still close by. Springtime comes to Vienna quickly, and we enjoy the joys of berlauch for the first time, even learning how to make pesto from it from our Austrian friends. For the Easter holiday, we head to Krakow and Kielce to visit my extended family, proving once again that when you're in Poland, there is no such thing as too much kielbasa. DB expands her list of acceptable pooplosion locations to include the homes of unsuspecting family and friends. Note: we start bringing two outfit changes to social outings. Diplo-husband surprises me with a trip to Budapest, at the Four Seasons no less to celebrate the return to work, and we hold on to DB tightly at the Budapest Zoo where small children seem to be approaching hippos with popcorn with nothign but a few twigs separating them. I bring out my favorite millinery for the Royal Wedding.

May:
With the return to work also came the return of traveling for work, and I realize I haven't been on a plane since October of the previous year, probably the longest I have gone without air travel since high school. I immediately seem to get into a scuffle at the Heathrow Airport about expressed milk, which leads to the Crying Over Spilt Milk series posts, which then go viral . With the exception of a few less nice comments (and everyone is entitled to their opinion), I am overwhelmed by the support and realize I'm not the only working mom who struggles between balancing what she thinks is best and the real world constraints of all that we try to do. It's our last month in Austria, so we make our final bucket lists. We are given a glimpse into authentic countryside life with our Cowboys of Lower Austria weekend, and take one very final trip to Salzburg and Berchtesgaden, leaving in tears.

June:
With our departure looming, we go out with a bang, hosting a party for our Austrian friends at a local heuringer full of schnitzel and strudel, and with a Champagne Campaign tour of the Ring Hotel Bars with American friends. We see a final ballet at the Opera House and have that final last of Sachertorte at the Hotel Sacher. They come get our things, and we listen to Sound of Music in the background, while I try not to completely burst into tears as we close the door to our apartment for the last time and catch our early morning taxi to the airport, with Stefansdom becoming smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. Welcomed by family and friends excited for our return, we throw ourselves into Exotic America upon arrival, starting with a trip to New York City, the Statue of Liberty, eating Brooklyn's best pizza (in Hoboken), and making an ill-fated attempt at a blueberry festival. We also rejoin the modern era and get iphones.

July:
Celebrated 4 years of marriage! Still crazy after all these years! We head out for a combined work trip and vacation to California to San Francisco and Big Sur, taking in the gorgeous scenery, great food and the freezing breezes. Note to self: pack more warm clothes for trips to California, We finally end our in between living and move into our DC apartment, which we left three years prior as a newly married duo and now return as a trio plus nanny. Speaking of which, diplo-nanny arrived at the end of the month! Double hurrah!

August:
The blog reaches 100,000 views, and we were only at 10,000 in January! A quick weekend jaunt to Palm Beach to celebrate the bacholerette party of a dear friends starts out the month, and I leave just before pending hurricane winds descend on the coast. We keep discovering all the changes in Exotic America - like food truck festivals. And I rediscover how much I love the Kennedy Center with performances of Uncle Vanya and Wicked which helps with the Staatsoper withdrawal. We quickly fall into a Sunday routine at Cafe Leopold where we drown our homesickness for Vienna into Meinl cups of melange, but we're bouyed by the visit of our first set of Austrian friends who come into town to be godparents to Diplo-baby. We try to show them the best that DC has to offer, and we throw a huge party to officially celebrate returning to Washington. Finally, I was very flattered to be featured as one of the Top 25 Expat Mom blogs at Circle of Moms, hurrah! complete with interview!

September:
As the fall sets in, we fall into work schedules which bring a whole new level of "grind" to our daily. Somehow it becomes predicable for schedules to be unpredictable and we have to cancel a few planned breaks. Still, we try to keep working through our list of fall activities to get a feel for autum on the Eastern Seaboard. Circle of Moms features an interview. September also marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11, which given my background in international relations and DH's current work in diplomacy really has defined any educational or professional direction we've taken in our young adult lives.

October:
Work schedules are becoming crazy prompting me to actually record some of the nutty lingo I hear all day into an official lexicon. But more importantly, I take a much needed weekend for something I've always wanted to do and take a photography workshop with Me Ra Koh. It's amazing. I met a fantastic group of women I'm still in touch with, and I finally crack shooting entirely in manual. Now all that's left is practice! Work travel takes me back to London, and also to Brussels for the first time...We also celebrate diplo-baby's first halloween with a kiddie parade and an exotic america hamburger costume.

November:
Wa wa wee wah, we start out the month by winning a trip to Mexico! I never win anything! Definitely put that on the "things to look forward to in 2012" list. We head out to the Eastern Shore to St Michael's for a day trip, taking in the brisk fall breeze and the fantastically colored leaves which hang on through the beginning of the month. Over Thanskgiving, we take a much needed vacation - no work this time, and we're back in California, where in the cold desert nights in Palm Springs we realize again we need to pack warmer clothes for trips to California. We enjoy sunshine and retro in Palm Springs, having a great time at the Parker, and then finish off the month with Thanksgiving with my family in San Diego, where DB meets her cousins for the first time, and we celebrate with my brother before his deployment to the air craft carrier. We did exotic america things like visit Sea World. Also, at a grocery store sale I see an amazing price on a bottle of Stag's Leap which I enjoy with my father. Yes, it really is that good. November seems to have brought upon illness in our house - I get food poisoning from oysters, DB gets a cold, I get a cold, I get pneumonia, then DH gets a cold and then DB again for good measure.

December:
Diplo-baby celebrates her first birthday! Between all the work and travel and illness in November, we didn't get organized for a party, but I took the day off from work just to enjoy time with her and to reflect how much has changed in the past year. Inspired by other bloggers, we make our own 12 Dates of Christmas list to prepare for the quickly approaching holidays, and even throw in a couple of extra things - like a visit to Hillwood Estates for their Russian Christmas Festival. The Christmas theme this year at our house is Red and White as a tribute to all of our great experiences earlier in the year in Austria, and even though Christmas itself will be with DH's family in New Jersey, we still put up a little tree. We start Christmas early for diplo-baby by sending her to spend some time with her grand-parents which lets DH and I take some time to enjoy Christmas evenings in the city with a performance of the Nutcracker, dinner just the two of us, and just a "great Tuesday night".

All photos by The New Diplomat's Wife, except invitation photo by Kate Triano, and picture of me and Me Ra Koh by Brian Tausend.

Anatomy of a Great Birthday...

2011-12-29T18:30:00.001+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated my diplo-birthday, another year older...and hopefully at least just a little bit wiser. Dipo-husband was still under the weather after a nasty set of bugs that we seemed to take turns with after returning from Thanksgiving, so we had to pare pack and skip a few things like dinner but still rallied to make the day a memorable one! Here's how a great birthday day broke out!

Step 1: Let birthday wife sleep in while you tend to morning baby routines - once everyone is up, all have breakfast together...Even if it's just Cheerios. And especially if it's a yellow Cheerios box, with an orange box and brown ribbon behind it. Thank you, diplo-husband!

Step 2: Watch baby while birthday wife steps out for a mani-pedi while reading her favorite magazine. We just had a new cheapie nail place open up on P street and it turned out great. Also, as the owner of 10 very weak and always breaking nails, I finally discovered the shellac manicure. Genius. It's two weeks later and not one chip...not one broken nail.

Step 3: Easy, breezy lunch at home from Homemade Pizza Company - our favorite is the Miesian with the Pear, Blue Cheese and Walnut salad, a winner every time. Spend the afternoon playing with diplo-baby instead of having to do dishes!

Step 4: JERSEY BOYS! Waaaaaaaah! Now...you might recall from my New Year's Resolutions for this year, that I really wanted a sock hop for my birthday. Alas, no sock hop to be had, but watching the Jersey Boys show at the National Theater was a close second - I love oldies...I love Frankie Valli...DH didn't even complain when I was humming "Sherrie, Baby" the rest of the night.

Step 5: Champagne Cocktail night cap at the Hay-Adams - Off the Record Bar is definitely one of my favorites in DC. I wanted to investigate the decorations for my Christmas list - while the decorations weren't nearly as over the top as when the Austrian GM was at the property, it's still beautiful place and the bar atmosphere was as impeccable as I always remembered it.

Cin, cin to 33!

Photo sources: EarthSky, Homemade Pizza Company, All Lacquered Up and the New Diplomats Wife via Camera +.

Thank you, Santa!

2011-12-28T17:57:00.000+01:00

Looks like I wasn't too bad of a girl this year - made out pretty well with Santa's surprises under the tree! Here's a bit of what came around on Christmas Eve - hope you found special things under your tree too!

1. A Fuji Instax Camera - a super-fun gift that I've been wanting for a while - sometimes there is just nothing like being able to hand someone a hard copy picture. While normally I take digital photos, of which you can fire off hundreds at a time to get the "right" image, I think this makes you stop and think before you click.

2. A lovely, gauzy light leopard print scarf - in fact, I'm wearing it today. This will be perfect for jazzing up neutrals and will look great with any of my gold toned chunky necklaces that can hang below for a layered effect.

3. Proper pyjamas - finally! The ones I actually got were from Brook Brothers. I've never really paid much attention to pyjamas before but I'm pretty sure I will never go back now. If you're a fan of crisp hotel sheets, just iron up a pair of any of suiting cotton or broadcloth cotton pyjamas for BB and you'll basically be in a hotel envelope all night long. Bonus, BB can monogram them for you.

4. My mother in law is infamous for saying "just throw a little cashmere over your shoulders"...and she's right, and so is my own mother who told me early on that there is nothing like it. This year a cream turtleneck had my name on it from one Santa, while a black shawl collar sweater had my name on it from another. I'm now officially prepared for winter nights!

5. Fresh shower gel and lotion - I read in some rag magazine that Halle Berry that insists on this smell in her shower every morning. No idea if that's true and I rarely pay much attention to celebrity product endorsements, but I saw it in a store once and smelled it and it's true, that lemon smell really is all that. It's expensive so I rarely buy it for myself but I do love love love it. There is just something about that smell that makes the start of the day better. I'm waiting until New Year's to crack open these bottles. As a bonus, I also received the lotion (as well as a ginormous container of the Bliss lemon+sage scented lotion as well - tied for my other favorite!). I hardly wear perfume because it gives me headaches but a little touch of lemon is enough to keep the spring in my step all day.

6. A silver serving platter that keeps food hot or cold - much like an earlier lesson in life from mother + mother in law + grandmother about not being able to have too many bowls, you can also not have too many platters. Diplo-husband once tried to decry a moratorium on platter purchases foolishly, and then realized at our next party that we didn't have enough. And right now, we hardly have any since most of our kitchen things are packed up in storage, so this has been put to immediate good use.

Thank you, Santa! by thenewdiplomatswife

A Red and White Christmas by iPhone...

2011-12-22T21:36:00.001+01:00

With diplo-baby on hiatus, I was finally able to get to present wrapping. When you live in a smaller apartment, the thing about wrapped presents and a one year old is that your one year old will help you UNwrap them... So I waited this year until she was off -DH and I grabbed a sushi dinner and then I got right to it.

Red and white this year for our theme - even for our little tree - red and white all the way. Partially this is because we like the colors, partially becuase we miss Austria, and partially because I am a notorious procrastinator when it comes to taking stuff down so this will still look great on Valentine's Day...

So here are a few shots of our tree, and the infamous presents....here's to everyone finding goodies under their own trees this year!

All photos by The New Diplomat's Wife via Instagram on iPhone.

Anatomy of a great Tuesday night...

2011-12-21T22:26:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we packed of diplo-baby and the nanny for an earlier departure chez the grand-parents, where we'll head up ourselves on Friday. I'm not going to lie, it's tough not having her around. So why did we do it?

Well...first of all, we both have to work until the end of the week. Those last hours with DB at the end of the day are so important to me...but having a few extra days would be even more important to the grandparents, who don't see her nearly as much as they would like to. Second, it's important for DB herself to learn to be in different environments - I'm convinced that it will make her independent in the long run so it's healthy to havea little separation. It's just three nights. And finally, it gave the diplo-husband and I a bit of time back before, almost to life before diapers and bedtimes...Almost a bit like a staycation, but with a different flair.

So after we dropped them off at the train station, and after I got done saying good bye 42 times and after the red cap basically physically removed me from the train, and after I got done whimpering about I surprised DH...here's how it went.

Step 1: Safely place child and nanny on train to grandparents (if this isn't possible for you, this works just as well if you just get a babysitter for the evening).

Step 2: Surpise husband - we went for the Bliss Spa at the W Hotel since basically, it's one of the only spas that's open late - until 9pm to be precise. We headed over after the station (and after a quick snack), enjoyed some eucalyptus steam showers before individual massages.

Step 3: Enjoy a later dinner and bubbly - preferably something classic. We just ended heading upstairs to the rooftop bar (formerly the Hotel Washington) and watch the combination of flights landing at National, the White House rooftop, and assorted kooky hotel guests.

Step 4: Enjoy the quietness of coming home - we changed and for the first time in a long time, I got to read before going to bed.

Step 5: Sleep 9 hours. It doesn't get any better than that - I felt like a new person today.

So now we just have to figure out how we're going to make Wednesday and Thursday nights great too...good start so far though.

Diplo-style: The Artist and The Artess

2011-12-20T19:41:00.001+01:00

Why can I not find this movie anywhere in DC??? I first took note of this when it blasted on to the stage in Cannes, and then again during my trip to London this October. In fact, I even clipped a magazine page about it for my "to do" file. Now, everyone is talking about it as it's a leading contender for Best Picture. I actually found myself with a potential night off tomorrow and I thought I would go but nooooooo, it's nowhere in DC! Curses!

From what I've read, The Artist is a modern silent movie that address a once famous actor who meets his fall with the rise of talkies (Norma Desmond anyone? Hopefully this guy doesn't end up a butler). In the meantime, his muse/friend/lover/protege type gal meets her rise with the new medium. The Artist definitely promises to be tragic, and a stylish dose of life in black and white.

It's funny, I say stylish because that is what black and white is to me - classic, elegant, it smacks of tuxedos and newsprint. For diplo-husband, black and white couldn't be further from the opposite - for him, black and white means depression-era, poverty, and not having the option to live in color. Different perspectives, right?

In any case, I'm definitely looking forward to when the movie does make it here - it will be top of my list. The screen shots are already promising a two-tone visual feast - ready for a close-up anyone?

DC Holidays For Consultants...

2011-12-19T18:19:00.001+01:00

If you know any consultants, you know that they are prone to putting everything in power point, using too many chevrons, two by two's, and sometimes, Venn Diagrams. Because I am a consultant and also do too many of those things, I loved today's Venn Diagram to the Holidays from the Washington City Paper - a handy dandy guide to all of your DC holiday needs. Now just find find your preference on the diagram and you'll know instantly which DC classic is for you.

Diagram by Ally Schweitzer of Washington City Paper.

Sunday Shots: Light up the night...

2011-12-18T14:37:00.003+01:00

Photo by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Exotic America: A Skeleton Christmas...

2011-12-15T05:33:00.000+01:00

While we were in San Diego last month, my sister in law organized a lovely visit to Old Town San Diego, the self-proclaimed birthplace of California. Someone in passing informed us that it was like Mexico without going to Mexico...Hmmm. Not sure about that one. I was actually kind of angling for a brief jaunt across the border, but was summarily vetoed by just about everyone. There seemed to be some concern about the general child friendliness of Tijuana.

In any case, a walk in Old San Diego it was. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first. Is it a downtown? Is it a Bonanzaville type recreation? Is it a tourist trap? Maybe, but it's full of colors and handicrafts, and I found it to be rather pleasant (and the handmade tortillas quite tasty, as did diplo-baby).

Much like in actual Mexican folklore, many of the items feature the skull or skeleton, but it doesn't come across as morbid at all, especially when surrounded by such bright colors. The internets has informed me that the skeletons are a symbol of transition and the casting off of "worldly burdens" for Mexican culture - I kind of find that whole notion rather freeing. I could definitely cast off a worldly burden or two right about now.

As the stores and markets were gearing up for Christmas, the holidays were already figuring prominently into the displays, which gave us a new flavor to holiday decorations, in addition to the riot of color that must be there year round. I regret not buying the Nativity Scene I had been eyeing but I supposed it's something to come back for.

Photos by The New Diplomat's Wife.

Diplo-dressing for the holidays...

2011-12-14T17:22:00.000+01:00

Of all the holiday post series out there, top of my list is always This Gringo Honeymoon's Holiday Outfit series, where she chronicles her sartorial choices for all holiday events big and small. So I was very flattered to be asked for a guest-post on dressing for holiday evening diplo-events.

Take a visit to the blog for the full post, and don't forget to see the full Holiday Series from this year and last year.

Diplo-Event: Holiday Series by thenewdiplomatswife featuring side zip pants