In May I had the privilege to photograph my friend Juliet and her beautiful family. We met in downtown Clifton on a grey Sunday morning – it was supposed to pour down rain that day, but we managed to sneak in a couple hours of wandering and play with the two little ones. I’ve discovered that I absolutely love photographing families, capturing special moments in time that can be cherished and remembered as children grow. I’ll never forget this magical morning, watching sisters play and their parents, who admire the girls that they love so much.
Family
Baby Orson
This time of year always reminds me of the importance of family, so I wanted to share some portraits of a family that is very near and dear to my heart. These were taken about a month after Orson was born, and he has grown even more since then! He is incredibly lucky to have such amazing parents, and they are just as lucky to have him. So much love for the Knox family.
Oh, Christmas Tree & Family
In addition to all of my 2014 goals, I also feel the need to majorly prioritize time with my family this year. My younger sister, Natalie, is heading to Senegal, Africa at the beginning of March for a 2-year service with the Peace Corps. I admire her adventurous spirit and dedication to fulfilling her goal of pursuing a once-in-a-lifetime experience in a foreign country, but I am going to miss her terribly while she is gone. My younger brother is a Sophomore in high school and is quickly growing up: in two more years and he will be off to college pursuing his dreams as well. I also have an amazing mother, who will soon be an empty-nester, so now is the time to take full advantage of the time we have all together.
A few days before Christmas, our family was able to visit Oak Shade Farm in Rixeyville, Virginia to pick out and chop down our own tree. This has been a tradition of ours for the past couple of years, and I was so glad we could do it again this year! We lucked out with some magical 70 degree weather that day, perfect for spending the day on a farm looking at trees, drinking warm cider, and cuddling with the most adorable 3-week old bunnies.
The truth is that everything is moving too fast and there’s not enough time to take it all in. It’s these moments that I will cherish now, and forever.
Photography by Teddy Wolff
Jackietara
A Tartan Thanksgiving
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was lucky enough to take a little vacation and disconnect from the city life with Teddy’s family in Bethany Beach. We rented a house in a golfing community, so we were surrounded by lots of greenery and trees, and had plenty of outdoor activities to keep us busy. T was able to play tennis with his family while I could jog around the community. It was cold outside, but the sun made it perfect running weather. Sometimes I can’t believe how quickly running has become part of my weekly routine. I get disappointed when I miss running club on Tuesdays for evening events and I actually wanted to go running in the cold… while on vacation!
Thanksgiving day was absolutely beautiful, which was magnified by the calmness and happiness of being with family in a new place. We had lots of great food, contributed by several members of the family [T and I made our famous goat cheese mashed potatoes], and wine, and once the meal was over, we sat around the table playing board and card games. It really couldn’t have been any better.
Wearing: tartan dress: ModCloth // short cognac boots: Frye
Photos by Teddy Wolff
Jackietara
Birthday [stay-cation] Lunch
Since vacationing was not in my cards this summer, I decided to take full advantage of a Wednesday birthday and took off of work Wednesday – Friday for a mini “stay-cation.” I turned 25 [woo hoo!] on August 7 and on the 8th, I was treated to a lovely sushi lunch in Old Town, Alexandria. My mom got off work early and my sister took a quick lunch break from her Old Town office job, so we were able to spend the afternoon together. Isn’t my mom so cute in her green Stella & Dot earings?!
After lunch, Teddy and I walked down by the Potomac River and were able to enjoy a little weekday time that we normally don’t get to spend together. I wore a new cotton dress from ModCloth [that I am absolutely obsessed with] and fell in love all over again with all of the colored brick in this cute town.
Wearing: Ain’t We Haute Fun? red floral dress: ModCloth // purple cross body: Kate Spade // white bauble necklace: Eastern Market
Photography also by Teddy Wolff
Jackietara
Brunchiness
As I have been dutifully completing #2 on my spring to-do list, I have been taking [mental] notes on a couple of local brunch spots in town. Here are my favorites so far:
The Argonaut: Bottomless mimosas for $9. The eggs benedict with smoked salmon was terrific the first time I ordered it, but overcooked the second time. Needless to say, overcooked eggs benedict is not as pleasant an experience as perfectly cooked eggs benedict. Although a little more expensive, the fish tacos are the best thing on the menu. The fish is flaky and delicious, the cabbage-cilantro slaw is crisp and light, and let’s not forget the delicious rémoulade. The guac is an additional dollar or so, but it’s well worth it.
Sixth Engine: The short rib hash. How can you go wrong with braised beef, a twice-baked potato, poached eggs, and hollandaise? Although not on the “brunch” menu, you can still order the cheeseburger off of the lunch menu during brunch. Teddy swears it’s the best burger you’ll get in D.C., and I’m definitely with him on this one. Big, juicy, made with house ground beef, topped with their own no.6 sauce, and served on a sesame bun, this is clearly a winner. Sixth Engine also has amazing cocktails. Try the Finocchietto Rosso, made with local Greenhat gin, muddled strawberries, fennel liqueur and lime juice, yum.
Belga Café: There is no reason to get anything but a mussel pot at Belga, ever. Usually my favorite to eat at home is mussels “mariniere”, with white wine, shallots, and garlic. This time though, Teddy convinced me to try the mussels “truffels en prei”, with leeks, truffles, spicy sausage, cream, red onions, and herbs. Best decision I made all week. And all mussel pots come with Belgian frites and mayo. Bingo.
Teddy and I were not alone in our Belga Café brunch adventure. My mom and sister, Natalie, joined as well, which gave me an excellent opportunity to be a paparazzo for the morning. It was an absolutely gorgeous spring day and I had couple pretty good looking subjects to test my photography skills on. So, why not? Thanks to Teddy for giving me a few more pointers and also for taking a few guest shots!
Jackie Tara 