Hi blog.

My dearest dearest blog,

Your neglect is about to end very soon, in exactly 2 more weeks.

Please be patient.  After the Party is over, you shall be revived.

Love,
Po

Exactly a month, not bad right?

This post is dedicated to ICM and my friend, PYellin&Screamin for telling me how much my blog has been sucking lately.  I'll admit, it's definitely been sucking...I know that nothing can make up for lost time but I am at least trying today.  Lately, regular life has been derailed with planning for a wedding - who knew there could be 8000 tasks and decisions associated with one big party??  I'm looking forward to having everybody get together and seeing how all these little pieces are going to come together, but I'll admit that I ask myself this following question a lot, "should we have just eloped and gone traveling???"  The more tasks that accumulate, the more I have been day dreaming about going somewhere and traveling...and the more I have been missing South Africa!  Ahh.  Some photos now...

The photo below was taken at Il de Pain, a bakery that I was obsessed with over there.  In this photo they are making the World's best apple strudel EVER.  Trust me.

 Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden - stunning garden.  Wish I got to spend more time there, read a book and maybe drink a thermos of earl grey! Unfortunately, the super-winding road from our cottage to the garden scared me shitless, so I drove super slow and got there much later than I expected.  Many apologies to the locals who drove behind me...though I am not thattt sorry since you guys honked incessantly.

 Here's ICM with his friend at Radical Raptors (somewhere along the Garden Route).  Radical Raptors is a raptor rehab and awareness center.  I'll admit that it is super cool, please go support it if you are ever in the area.  Amazingly smart animals.

 Kruger National Park - I miss the freedom and adventure!!!

 Cape Town - I think this was taken somewhere close to Chapman's Peak.

Bye bye for now.

Hi Blog.

My dear blog,

I have neglected you for so long!  Instead of blogging, life has gotten in the way...like moving, like taking the next step forward in life, like hunting for an ice cream truck in West Virginia..like learning about flowers that are in season in August..and the list apparently goes on and on and on...WOW

I hope you'll find comfort in knowing that just because I haven't been blogging that it doesn't mean I haven't been having fun.  Since the last time we chatted, I have gone to Jazz Fest and eaten a ton of delicious food.  Don't listen to what people tell you.  Yes, Cafe Du Monde is a tourist attraction BUT those beignets are served fresh and are delicious!!!  Oh yeah, my favorite food at Jazz Fest was Ya Ka Mein!!!!!  And I'd also like to note that the restaurants we went to for dinner were awesome - especially Cochon!  Wood oven roasted oysters, I am pretty sure I'll think of you often. 

And lastly, life is ESPECIALLY good when I have peonies.  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1.5 days!!!

A couple of photos from my early start to the weekend.

1) No one would admit sending me flowers but I'll take it anyways. HA.  I've never seen roses like these, have you?

2) Delicious foamy soy mocha from Bus Boys and Poets. YUM.

3) A peak through the window of the new restaurant that is about to open in the neighborhood.  The decor looks amazing...I hope I get to photograph it!

Busy weekend ahead but oh-so-excited!!!

Dear ICM, please take me on vacation. Thank You.

Hello. It would be ideal if it was in the near future. In the meanwhile, some photos randomly selected from South Africa!

Good night.

Just came back from a Photoshop World EXPO session that reminded me of the way photography can impact the world and each and every single one of us. It is not often that I see so many moving images in one sitting and that session did that exactly.  What a great way to wrap my first Photoshop World!

Sharing a photo tonight.  Night!

Cherry Blossoms!

First off, thank you strange weather in DC!!!  If it wasn't for your unusually warm days, then ICM and I wouldn't have been able to keep our tradition in going to see cherry blossoms at sunrise.  :)  Our third year!

Peak bloom is scheduled for March 18th this year but it is already really pretty down at the Tidal Basin.  Having been in DC for 5 years now, cherry blossoms still haven't gotten old, they are just so beautiful.  Weather wise - we were definitely unprepared.  Thinking that summer has hit us, we wore summer clothes for the most part and we were freezing!  Who can decide what's proper attire when woken up at 4:45am?  We got there around 6am, saw the sky lit up 7ish - noticed that it is completely foggy/hazy and realized that there will be no "real sunrise," walked around quickly and left because we were so cold. HAHA.  Note to self:  Always bring an extra sweatshirt!!!

Some photographs from one of my favorite days of the year.

Hopefully I'll find time to go back and see them while they're at peak bloom!  The crowds can be kind of scary though..hmm.

March Madness Continues!

Not going to lie, March is kind of crazy.  It's been a longggg time since I've had to budget my time hour by hour every single day in order to get everything done...and really, not everything either.  What's the deal with that?!  I told myself that after March I'd get a small break, which means I get to work on our South Africa photos and all the portrait sessions that I've shot for school! YAY.

Instead of complaining, I am going to share some photos from ICM and my weekend trip to Philadelphia back in February.  I consider this our trip for Valentine's Day and it was great - we relaxed, watched TV, ate, and drank.  Thanks to my awesome friend A.Ma and his wonderful fiancee for lending us their cozy apartment!!!

A gloomy Philly Cityscape

After we settled down, we headed down to the Italian Market!!! Originally we wanted to have brunch at Sabrina's but it was a 45 minute wait and we were STARVING.  Asked some guy on the street where we should eat and he pointed us to George's Sandwich Shop.  We both got the roast beef hot sandwich and it was delicious!!  After that, we stopped by an Italian bakery and pigged out :)  We did try to burn some calories by walking through the Magic Garden - pretty cool. 

He ate all my pastries! Every time I look at this photo, the Batman theme song starts playing in my head.

At the Magic Garden

Self-timer - yeah, he's laughing at me..

One of my most favorite part of the trip, aside from the quality relaxing time we got to spend together is the fact that ICM was pretty willing to let me go on eating marathons.  On our only night there, we went to the Graffiti Bar, then went to Yakitori boy for yakitories, then we went to Monks.  ICM was a trooper as we stood around in a crowded area for a good half hour guarding two people at the bar before we got their seats :)  

The morning we left, we went to a great brunch place (can't remember the name...).  Then we went to the Village Whiskey for a drink and a burger before hopping back on the bus to head back to DC!  Village Whiskey is SO GOOD.  Their burgers are amazing...I also had a really good cider...and DUCK FAT FRIES, ta-daaaaaaaaa. Oh yeah, and I also love their decor - simple but kind of old school rustic.  It will one of my to-eats every time I go to Philly from now on.

Alright, I might disappear for another half a month.  Be back in a bit I guess :)