...happy birthday to JANE!

Today is my cousin's 26th birthday!! She is my half marathon partner, my cake pop tester, my Columbus tour guide, and one of my best friends (luckily she's related so she has to like me).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUZZIE!

Image stolen from Jane's Instagram.

...BRIKA

I just stumbled on this site, BRIKA, thanks to my Everygirl emails (which I love) and I am kind of obsessed with it. 

BRIKA is a little bit like etsy, in that it features smaller artists and makers that are easily accessible to you, but is nicely curated by the people at BRIKA and it feels a bit more personal because you can read all about the artists on the site.

PLUS - my favorite thing about it is their branding, which is just beautiful and perfect and I am having major design envy.

Images from the BRIKA  "what we love" page and "home screen."

...8 must visit DC galleries

In i simply love's continuing series, the art scene, I promised I would have the top galleries in the area to visit! Briton went beyond the obvious here to share some really great off the beaten path galleries. Now let's plan a gallery visiting day!

1. A bright pink door welcomes you at Hiner Contemporary, sitting at the top of Georgetown, adjacent to Book Hill. This contemporary gallery exhibits a range of media created by emerging and mid-career artists. The inviting space offers a creative environment for artists, collectors and observers to explore and engage with innovative art. http://heinercontemporary.com/

2. G Fine Art exhibits international artists from the 1960’s to the present who explore social, cultural and artistic issues in their environment. The space offers a blank canvas for emerging and established artists alike to explore their concepts through cutting edge media and is located in the H Street corridor of NE Washington DC. http://www.gfineartdc.com/index.cfm

3. You do not need to travel NYC to go to an innovative, relevant contemporary gallery. Hemphill offers a high caliber space, exhibiting established, significant artists working in all contemporary media. The range of exhibitions not only sparks a wide range of interest, but also challenges the viewer to consider many aspects of contemporary art and culture. Hemphill offers art advisory services so if you are a first time buyer or looking to expand your collection, their experts can help you find the perfect piece. http://www.hemphillfinearts.com/

4. Located in the ever growing Shaw area, Longview is a huge space that exhibits local and regional artists. They also have a master, in-house framing service for any piece you need! Longview not only offers a great space to exhibit, but hosts awesome special events. http://www.longviewgallerydc.com/index.php

5. The Textile Museum is truly one of the most beautiful settings in the City. Tucked back on S Street NW, the the textile collection is one of the most important, specialized in the world. The Textiles will soon call the George Washington University campus its new home, moving to a brand new, state of the art museum which will bring more room and innovative exhibition venues for the collection. http://www.textilemuseum.org/

6. Call me biased, but the Corcoran is one of Washington D.C.’s best galleries. Reigning as the oldest private collection in the country, the Corcoran offers a wide variety of exhibits ranging from its renowned private American Art collection to innovative contemporary installations. This Gallery is not to be missed! Interested in taking art classes? Check out the Corcoran College of Art + Design too to sign up for Continuing Ed classes. Also, if you know DC, Sunday brunches are a must and the Corcoran hosts one of the best in its atrium with Todd’ Greys vegan brunches! Come check it out! www.corcoran.org 

7. One of the most popular private venues in the city, The Phillips Collection houses priceless modern and contemporary art right off of Dupont Circle. Meditate in front of Mark Rothko color plains in the Rothko room or find a fun way to socialize with your peers at Phillips After Five, every first Thursday of the month. Not to be missed. http://www.phillipscollection.org/index.aspx

8. Serving as an “incubator” for promising young artists, the Hamiltonian not only offers a large gallery space on U Street, but also offers a career mentorship through the Hamiltonian Fellowship program. Here, young budding, new artists have the opportunity to develop invaluable entrepreneurial skills to help foster their successful business as a visual artist. Come see budding new artists in the DC area at this contemporary gallery. http://www.hamiltoniangallery.com/about-us/

IMAGE CREDITS:  1 (timmester photography)  //  2  //  3

...this ikea table

I've been on the hunt for a dining room table for.ever. I know what I want but I can't seem to find it at an affordable price. But I keep coming across this one from Ikea on blogs and pinterest. And it seems like the perfect "in between" table. You know, what you settle on when you can't afford what you really want, but its an improvement from you have?

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...fall style 01

I really love the changing seasons, primarily for the reason of rethinking your wardrobe. This fall I have so many things on my wish list! Up first, the oversized peplum top. I've always been a little intimidated by the traditional peplum but this is a really approachable version. I purchased this top from anthropologie and I'm loving it! Maybe I can segue into the fitted version...

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...sweet packaging

I am having some serious design envy over these...

1 (from Gather)  // 
2 (design by Tracy Lanihan)  //  
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...the art scene

Today I am very excited to introduce a new feature, the art scene, Briton and I are working on! Below is a little explantation of what to expect and stay tuned next week for the top ten galleries you must visit in the area!

Washington DC’s power and beauty is undeniable. The White House, nestled back behind ancient oak trees on Pennsylvania Avenue, steers the voice of the free world; our nation’s capital, brilliantly glowing over DC’s Smithsonian valley, pushes legislation to make this country prosperous and free (or is supposed to…); and the supreme court, held in one of the paradigms of neo-classical DC architecture, holds the words of our Constitution to the highest power.

In celebrating the greatness that is DC, I am here to explore the importance and vibrancy of its art scene, how it relates to the culture of DC and the greater art world, and how you can take advantage of it to the fullest extent. Along with having a monthly gallery review, I will highlight awesome exhibits and venues and discuss how current art events or hot topics relate to this artistic hub

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Never stop exploring and always feed your creative side!