Victorian House Renovation in Bloomingdale, DC
This is it. Our last week at the VIB for a good long while – at least a year. As of August 3, 2013 we can no longer call VIB Home. We’ve leased the house! Our tenants will be moving in, and we will be turning over the keys.
To go out on a good note, I have a few fun updates on the kitchen. And one of those is not even an update, but a whole big before and after!!!… Read the rest
While I was traveling in Russia, Sergey was back in DC, getting his Russian on without actually traveling to the place. Lucky him, he got press passes to the soft opening of Mari Vanna, a Russian-themed restaurant – operated, decorated, and staffed by Russians. We have actually checked it out together since, and I can say that the decor is right on point – drawing inspiration from a mix of Ballets Russes, the intelligentsia’s dacha, perhaps with a pinch of a communal flat setup in a pre-1917 mansion.… Read the rest
Row houses are quite peculiar–with their depth, width and general size limitations. Not to mention the always dark middle room on each floor (unless you are the lucky resident of a corner unit). And then there’s the layout, which typically means that all rooms are open and can be seen at once on the first floor. I actually love the flow that such layout creates, and I think the specifics of the way our house is set up pretty much equates to perfect flow.… Read the rest
As they say in Russia, how you meet the new year, is how you will spend it. We have met the new year hosting, which we absolutely love to do. and now we are continuing on, with one of my absolutely favorite people ever visiting us for a few days. projects around the house are on hold, but we may do some sourcing and shopping in the coming days, especially now that we have a red room to decorate.… Read the rest
So funny story – yesterday I was all set to go to a book reception for one of my professors – a respected scholar on Russia and its energy riches. Serious (fascinating) stuff, people. So i got in my car2go (first time user!), got to Georgetown, managed to find a parking spot, ran in 45 minutes late, and all I got was a bunch of empty chairs. Ack, the reception is on Thursday, not Tuesday.… Read the rest
This was our third Thanksgiving hosting at the VIB – and it was my favorite yet. I suspect the new kitchen and bathrooms have something to do with it. But I think its also a certain level of comfort that comes from living in a house for awhile, and really getting to know it. We’ve cooked, we talked, we wined and we dined. We’ve had such a good time that I have no pictures to show for it.… Read the rest
Instead of a blog post this morning you get a PSA: GO VOTE! This was my first election — 2 hours outside our local election site (Dunbar HS), freezing feet, nose and hands — so worth it! As a naturalized citizen its really exciting to finally exercise the privilege of casting a ballot.
DC voter warming up her hands after hours outside.
Photo by Sergey.… Read the rest
I was super excited when I learned about restoration of the Union Market, located conveniently near our house. It opened doors back in September, but we had not had a chance to check it out until last weekend. It’s less than a 20 minute walk for us, which is totally walkable in my book (I also walk 35 min to work there and back everyday, so some tell me that my perceptions are a bit skewed.… Read the rest
I had grand plans of painting and other house related projects, but the weekend somehow (mostly) got away. And totally worth it. Our friends invited us for a White House Garden Tour on Saturday – one of the perks of living in DC is getting invited to all sorts of neat events. I loved it, along with 5 gazillion other invitees.
see how many of them are queuing up, down and around they all went.… Read the rest
Now that breakfast made at home is hardly an option – due to cooking, clean up, and time constraints we have a new Saturday favorite tradition. A walk down North Capitol to get the requisite delicious items. First up is always Catania Bakery – not because its the closest, but because they run out of delicious Italian pastries by 9 am or so. And its not going to be a good day if you miss out on these exceptional apple croissants, the bread is excellent as well.… Read the rest