The Necessity of Children and Optimism

Children are an interesting topic, because they are divisive often for completely unrelated reasons. Within families or social groups there might be the pressure to have more children regardless of taking into account the wishes of said people who could make a child; on the contrary, there are a litany of reasons why one might not want to have children.  These range from general annoyance to a question about the future of the planet.

We live in very interesting times, with threats of global warming and war. With injustice running rampant in our communities and a question of what world might follow us on. A world which I worry is made worse by a fatalism that we might be unable to prevent the destruction and end of life as we know it. It's why some focus on the afterlife and others the possibility of colonising other planets.

We also face the question of economic justice: is the middle class being erased because of a lack of childcare funding? Will we end up with only those who qualify for benefits and the uber rich being able to procreate? Is the Musk family view that we should spread the genes of the 'intelligent' a new form of eugenics? Is having children in the first place just fundamentally selfish?

I would argue that we must balance several factors here. Firstly, humanity has been in a constant fear that we live in the worst times--a state of coming doom or apocalypse for a variety of reasons. This gives me faith, not that the end is near or inevitable--though they may be; but that our very existence today on this planet is a sign that we are sufficiently resourceful to find new ways of living that will make it possible to go on. 

There are some people who feel as though the world is overpopulated and that we cannot sustain a larger population due to overcrowding or a lack of food or perhaps resource utilisation. I even had a friend who suggested that Hitler and Stalin were trying to save the world by killing as many people as they did during WWII, a theory that I find completely implausible as well as shockingly repugnant.

What I believe is that through technology we will find better farming techniques, we will find sustainable ways of living and travel. These will enable our children and their children to continue to travel and meet other cultures whilst also adapting to a world where we must consciously share resources and use them judiciously.

My greatest fear now, is not overpopulation, but rather than we fall for a fatalism that the multinational corporations that feed on greed and pollute our planet are unstoppable and that profit is the only master. It's as if we've missed the devil's own hand in our undoing.

It may be that the seas rise or the climate changes, but even then, I believe we will adapt. We will learn to build dikes like the dutch, we will build higher, we will find ways to remove carbon from the air, we will do whatever it takes. But this will only happen if we care. And it only makes sense to care if there are humans who will be here after us to take care of this gift we've been given.

Life in my view is not merely our immediate enjoyment. Although we live in the present, my goal is to live in community and build for the future, a future that our children will build after us as well. If our children do not exist, it may be that the solutions, technologies, and causes that will address challenges in our world will never be addressed.

This is why the view that children are annoying and should be kept out of sight or that we should force them into outward compliance to avoid bother is abusive and actually ruining our future. We should teach our children every day to be well-mannered and brilliant, but it requires them to be involved, not distant. It requires us to give up our resources, our time, our comfort. It's a selflessness to give of ourselves to the next generation rather than to decry their existence that will save our planet.

This is not to say that everyone should have children. If you don't believe you are the right person, I would ask that you help those around you who have embarked on the journey--when a child stops in the street and blurts out an inane question, that you inspire them and give them wisdom. All the world really needs is for us to care. 

For those who do want their own children, I ask that you don't fall to the fatalism that would keep you from this journey, this journey that will cost you your freedom to party and do as you will with your life every moment, this journey that asks you to lay down your immediate wants and to invest in your longer dreams, the dreams only your children can realise. 

For those who want children but cannot have their own for whatever reason, I ask that you see if you can be the light in the life of a child who has already been born into this world. Whether that's just helping in your community or being a good neighbour, or if it's fostering or adopting.

We will solve the challenges of the future, but it might not be our generation that finds the answers. Let's make sure we love and give confidence to the generations who may find the answers for us. Those who will also in turn grow our economy and pay for our retirement, those who will find a way to right the wrongs of our ancestors and to deal with the debts of the past that harm the present and the future.

Logic and the Path to Electrification

April 2022, Using Tesla Public Supercharger Pilot Programme in France

Something I’ve realised over the years is that people do not actually apply logic in their daily lives. We are typically too busy to consider the full ramifications of each habit and it becomes simpler just to accept that the way we’ve grown accustomed to doing things as individuals or any other level such as society as a whole must just be normal.

Periodically, someone will come and challenge the status quo and offer a different view. This will usually trigger a whole bunch of hand flailing and complaints that the world is being ruined. Conversely, another group may realise our habits and therefore our inaction may be ruining the continued existence of our world.

What usually then happens is that people fall into tribal factions, where the concept of using logic is short-circuited by the efficiency of just confirming what the peers in their group also think, which is often set by vested interests, rather than based an actual net benefit to the community.

In order to further prevent change, conspiracy theories then begin to proliferate. Disinformation campaigns, even completely astroturfing campaigns arise, where paid imaginary people influence laws and public consciousness, either in town halls and legislative arenas or simply on your personal social media, such as Facebook or twitter.

Some issues are understandably difficult to determine where the facts lie, when the concepts underlying them cannot be broken down and misleading information is propagated. For example: it’s difficult to convince people as to how the climate is changing and assuming it is, whether or not any human activity could change that.

What to me is less difficult to understand is the direct impact on the air and water that we breathe from pollution. Additionally, the costs we pay for things like fuel can actually be calculated. These are not up for debate, but most people actually have zero idea how much anything costs until they see a monolithic bill come in the mail.

Right now, I believe we are at a golden moment of opportunity for moving away from fossil fuels, something consumers and investors both stand to benefit from. The only downsides are if you’ve invested heavily in fossil fuel industries.

My decade-old EV charging in Belgium, driven from London

I’ll be discussing my love of electric vehicles here in more detail later, I’ll explain what it’s like to own an EV, what it’s like to own an EV that’s even over 10 years old. If you’ve only read things in tabloids or seen a bunch of worrisome items, where you think, ‘that sounds right, did anyone think of x’, don’t worry—there’s probably an answer for it.

There are some people who will not benefit financially from an EV for now, but I would argue that’s an increasingly smaller minority of people, when you start objectively looking at the data for the air we breathe and the wallet in your pocket. 

You don’t even need to care whether or not the ocean might rise, everyone can understand getting asthma or seeing the Gulf of Mexico covered in crude oil are bad things. Saving hundreds or thousands a year in your bank account is also something that most people would objectively like as well. And if you’ve seen recent articles suggesting you won’t save money? Don’t worry, we’ll discuss that too!

What is the Meaning of Legacy?

Some of you may have traced your family lineage or have had it done for you. Many would appear to consider this frivolous and yet others become oddly obsessed with the project. If you know a person in your circle who has an interesting ancestor or relative, you've probably felt as though been told too many stories about them at some point. I've often been guilty of too many retellings, but I hope you'll stick with me because I have a few thoughts this all leads to at the end.

George Washington and Christopher Gist crossing the Allegheny River (Museum exhibit, Mount Vernon)

In my family, many of us share the 'Gist' surname as a middle name. My grandmother, aunt, cousins, myself, even my son all have this same middle name. The big reason for this, is our family hero, Christopher Gist. Christopher Gist became friends with George Washington and may have saved his life when Washington was sent to demand the French leave Ohio by Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia. This friendship persisted until Gist's death. 

Author with portrait of Brigadier General Mordecai Gist
Office of Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, 2010

What isn't always as well known within the family, is the Gists were involved in plenty of other interesting activities. Whether it was commanding some impressive units in the revolution (Brigadier General Mordecai Gist), starting the civil war (Governor William Henry Gist, South Carolina) or keeping West Virginia in the Union (Joseph Christopher Gist, W.Va. State Senator 1861). There's even the idea that Sequoyah, the man who invented the Cherokee alphabet was also known as George Gist and may be a cousin. Invariably, there are plenty more people who have done interesting things, and a special mention is worth for our cousins the Blairs and the Lees. (Notably, Montgomery Blair was Lincoln's Postmaster General and Blair Lee III was both Lieutenant Governor and Acting Governor of Maryland as well as having served in other offices.) 

Bruce Lee, Justin Gist Preuninger, Robert Lee

I had the privilege of meeting some of the descendants of the Blair/Lee cousins, because when I was working in Silver Spring, it transpired they owned the building I worked in. I like to say the story is that I noticed the street names in the area matched my genealogy and I approached their receptionist to ask about it and instead of rejecting this sort of odd question, she introduced me to Blair Lee IV. 

My grandmother, aunt, and uncle returned to America after World War II on this ship.

All of this is a short history of some of the highlights, but frankly the stories go on and on. As I explore the journey that my ancestors and our relatives took, we've been on both sides of many great conflicts. There have been many thinkers and intellectuals such as my grandfather who had a doctorate in German language; even my father did his masters in German language, but ended up working in the aviation industry instead of academia, which actually was incredibly educational to my upbringing because I was able to travel internationally nearly every year growing up.

Champollion 200 Year Anniversary Exhibit
Louvre, Lens (France) 2022

When I consider all of this, I think it's something that has helped me to connect with history, but also appreciate my place in history. It's also sometimes a bit confusing how some people react to bits and pieces. I'm also a French citizen, through my mother, and speak fluent French. Recently I was in France, at the Louvre in Lens (an extension of the Paris museum) for the 200 year anniversary Champollion exhibit regarding decipherment of hieroglyphics and I was having a conversation with a woman in the children's media area whilst our children were doing activities. What was interesting, is as much pride as I have in the history I come from, I think we are all human and we all have our own choices and path to make. And when I suggested that anything is possible, she responded and said that I could only have that attitude because I came from a 'great family'. 

And this is the point I wanted to make here. Legacy can inform the future from the past, but it cannot take the place of our own initiative. It provides the inspiration and perhaps the encouragement for great things... but it cannot be everything. We cannot simply accept that because our family and our ancestors were interesting, or even on the contrary might have been boring, that our life must be limited to a particular path. We should not say, because of the actions of our ancestors, our choices are limited or that we no longer need to put effort into our own story.

It's also something I think about even more clearly with the recent deaths of several family members, both close relatives and cousins that makes me think about my everyday actions. In so much of life, my experience is that I am waiting for something to get better... a relationship, my bank account, a job situation, etc. And whilst I am waiting, my life is escaping me. As the scripture says, in Ephesians 5:15, we must be "redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (KJV) 

Somewhere I recently saw a meme that said tradition is, 'listening to peer pressure from dead people,' and I think this is also an angle to consider. Our ancestors likely did not become great by being simply average; if they distinguished themselves beyond their family, it is because they took risks. But as a parent, it's also a question of how I live out my story and how I impart the legacy to inspire the next generations. I want my children to look at my passions and interests and find what brings them joy and what helps their community--much how I've looked at my father's lessons on discovering how machines and technology work and how to identify the best value for my money. Or even how I've wanted to be a peacemaker because of his desire to find a path forward, but also a debater from my mother's energy. To me, the inspiration is clear and it's had a direct impact on my life. I hope that the love of learning that I gained as a child is something my children will also absorb and take to adulthood.

And this is where I want to set out my path for future generations. I want there to be descendants in the distant future who can come back and think on the fact that we paved a path for them to have the confidence to make their own way, to take their own risks, to show what love means to the people they are close to, and for them to be able to do the same going forward. To do great things in the context of the world they will live in, a world which may not resemble the one that I, my parents, or our ancestors grew up in. There will be new technologies and different politics, different fashions--but fundamentally humans with hopes, desires, frustrations, and dreams.

It's been way too long!

Hello friends of the blog!

It's been over 8 years since my last update. Shocking.

A lot has happened during this time and much is still to come.

I'm going to look to re-organise the content here and focus on the viewpoints that I've come to thanks to the life experience I've gained during the intervening time.

In addition to traditional blogging, which hopefully I will start up again soon, I'm looking to launch a website focused on being a repository of useful, actionable information that can help you be more successful in your projects. This will cover fashion (obviously), but also travel, green energy, technology, immigration, and other topics that may or may not be niche but should serve to help you enrich your life.

Additionally, I am going to be launching a website to unofficially represent Maryland interests in the United Kingdom--this site will contain information about recipes that are designed with ingredients and measurements appropriate to the UK to create Maryland favourites, information on commonly asked questions, as well as resources designed to enhance collaboration in both tourism and trade for both private individuals and businesses. If you have ideas and suggestions for this project, please submit them here!

In short, whilst the last several years with the pandemic have been a bit chaotic, now is the time to really gear up and start launching our potential going forward.

I hope you'll join me in these adventures and I look forward to being in touch with all of you!

Major Update: Just got Married!

Editors Note: As of 2022, the marriage is being dissolved. 

 

Dear readers, I know I have been way behind with this blog, but it is partly because my life has been particularly interesting and busy this last year! One of the things that has had me most busy recently was getting married at the beginning of July! 

I may have overly enjoyed telling people that because it was on the 4th of July that 'there would be fireworks', but it always had such a good ring to it. (no liberty bell pun intended)

Lisa and I were married at All Saints Church in Chevy Chase, Maryland

To our satisfaction, the weather was about as good as one can hope for in Maryland!

 

 Wedding party with Father Tom!

The reception was a few blocks away at the Courtyard Mariott:

 

For the first dance we used 'Miracles Happen' performed by Jonny Blu, as featured in 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'

 

 

My best man, Kevin gave a great toast!

 

Lisa's sister Kelley, the maid of honor, gave a lovely toast as well!

 

And now we are on to many more adventures! 

Thank you to all our friends and family who have helped us become the people we are today. Whether it is by helping us through various parts of our lives and careers or introducing trials which have required us to rise to the occasion, you have been invaluable to us.

Special thanks to my friend Sara Roney of Roneyfield photography for the pictures!

I'm going to see about doing another post to cover the fashion and design aspects!

Consent Culture, Modesty, and Femininity

Dear Readers,

Please allow me to return to an issue I have covered before: modesty. While my more conservative circles of friends are still focused on the issue of ensuring female modesty, my more progressive friends are asking why there is no talk about consent, abuse, and respect of women.

Because I feel concerned about this discussion and because I do not want past posts to be considered lopsided on this blog (especially as my views have also changed through time... see here and here for older views), I want to cover this topic in a more holistic fashion. Most people discussing these issues have not bridged modesty and consent in a positive way... it's almost as though lack of modesty is seen as, 'asking for it,' when it comes to abuse or rape. From this and other behaviors we get the term, 'rape culture,' which suggests that we live in a society that marginalizes women, renders men irresponsible for their actions, and attempts to normalize objectification.

Let us begin by clearing up something: no matter how a woman or girl dresses, she is not asking to be hurt. Even if she is inviting our eyes she still has the right to be undisturbed in her person should she be uninterested in the advances of another. If a woman enjoys teasing men, it does not give anyone the right to abuse or coerce her into any act. (In a previous post I wrote, "A lady should never suggest that she is available for untoward purposes all day." For clarification, my intended meaning was to illustrate said attire as tasteless, rather than incitement for rape.) Furthermore, consent does not end at marriage: if a woman refuses a man's advance, he must wait. Women are not objects to be bought or sold, they are not the property of their husbands or fathers. Instead, I hold that women are beautiful, if perhaps fragile, creations that God has blessed the world with. It is in our respect of them that we men become worthy of our call to stand up for truth, beauty, justice, and creation. Men of worth are those who treat women, children, the elderly, the weak, etc. with honor and compassion.

Currently there is a good deal of confusion about gender roles and sexuality. I will cover the fashion elements of men's sexuality in a future post (the idea that men dress badly in order not to appear gay), but it does relate tangentially to this topic. Today's man often feels uncertain in modern society with the rise of women with more advanced degrees, the suggestion that more men lost their jobs during the recession than women, and the fact that some writers have questioned the utility of men. The wrong reaction to today's social trends is to attempt to instate patriarchy and control of women. Women are not to be feared, they are to be praised and encouraged! What we need to discover, is the answer to the meaning of the soul of man. That's why I believe that those who think that the definition of manliness is found entirely in sports, fitness, dressing poorly, GTL (Jersey Shore), military service, fighting/blowing up things, subjugation of the weak, objectification of women, etc. have it completely wrong. It's in the discipline of the soul, the discovery of beauty and the protection of the innocent that real strength and manliness is found. It is in this understanding of masculinity that we can work together with women to create a better, fairer society for all of us where we seek to encourage opportunity and success for everyone. Putting others down does not make us the better person, all that does is make us bullies; let's be above that!

Returning to modesty, it is true that the way a women (or in fact a man) dresses will affect the perception of those around them. It is for this reason that I encourage all people to dress with good taste. However, as I have stated in other articles, I hold the principles of beauty and elegance above the arbitrary conservative concept of modesty as merely involving covering up oneself to prevent lust.

To view modesty as a matter of preventing men (who apparently have no control over their actions) from lust is completely and utterly perverted. This suggests that men are debased animals without self-control, which directly implies that men are not responsible for their actions. If men are not responsible for their actions, then they need not worry about the protection of the their fellow human beings. In effect, this removes all expectations that a man should build his internal character like I discussed earlier. This is completely stupid and the most insipid amount of nonsense imaginable. Like I said in the beginning, no woman or girl deserves to be hurt.

Furthermore, why are we working so hard to prevent 'lust'? The only reason I could consider justifying the whole 'women must cover up to prevent sin' concept is if we were actually preventing a primary danger to society. The problem is that the concepts of beauty and lust have become so confused lately that out of fear of lust we have also blocked out beauty. God created us to enjoy beauty and he created men to desire women. To go against this is to fight against the natural order of creation. To desire that which is beautiful is not wrong in and of itself; however, to act upon said desires in a way that hurts others is definitely wrong. If a man seeing a beautiful woman becomes attracted to her and wants to have her physically against her will, the issue was not that she was attractive: the problem here is that he had no intention of respecting her in the first place because he does not see her as equally valuable. This goes back to my paragraph about what it means to be a man: appreciating beauty and protecting the innocent. Additionally, as a man I can assure you that choosing to enjoy what I see is much better for the soul than constant condemnation and guilt over concerns of 'lust':

I feel less confident I can accurately 'draw the lines', but I care less about this nowadays. My main goal is to treat women with respect and to enjoy beauty generally. As long as men aren't abusing women, are treating them with respect, and being careful to remember that women are equally important to men, I think we can stop worrying whether or not people are being caused to 'stumble'. In short: I'm done with the guilt-based culture that does not lead to any greater actual holiness. (Source: Recent facebook comment I made on a related subject.)

Returning to the concept of beauty, I would also add that personally I believe women are the most beautiful of all God's creation. As a result, the tasteful display of the human form is something that is quite enjoyable to look at. Again, tasteful is a concept that is difficult to entirely explain. Like I said before, décolletage is an example where some would see immodesty, but I see beauty. For reasons of taste, it is generally advisable to be careful that the overall 'skimpiness quotient' of a garment is not inordinately high. However, lower necklines, tight pieces of clothing, shorter skirts, etc. can all be at times part of very classy and tasteful outfits. The difference between inappropriate and appropriate, I believe has to be one of discernment and carefulness to pair the right situation and body-types with the right outfit at a given time.

Lastly, I want to briefly touch on the feminine. While I have become quite progressive in some ways as can be seen above, I still retain some vestiges of the past. My philosophy has been to let all ideas face the challenge of alternate viewpoints in order to determine if they stand up. There is no point in holding to an idea that is indefensible. As a result, I would volunteer that at least personally, when women dress in more traditionally feminine ways I find the contrast with men and the elegance resulting from good taste to be highly attractive. Is this a moral imperative? Will a woman go to hell for not having long hair and a skirt? Certainly not! I do not believe that God is judging people in that way. However, as an aesthete, I definitely enjoy the classically elegant woman. For this reason, I encourage all things that are feminine and pretty, partly because they are delightful and partly because I'm jealous that God didn't make me a woman to enjoy them myself. Let men have their own clothes... skirts, dresses, and all manner of feminine clothing look so lovely; to discard them in favor of traditionally masculine attire is to create a much more boring wardrobe!

To conclude: consent is the beauty of the practice of mutual respect, modesty should be the use of good taste in dress (not covering up simply to prevent lust), and femininity is lovely and delightful.

Waffles & Cocktails Party

This year I bought a waffle maker and decided it was a perfect excuse to celebrate. Initially, my colleagues suggested I bring it to work and make waffles, but I decided it would be more awesome to make a party themed around the concept.

I therefore crafted the Waffles & Cocktails theme and sent out custom invitations. This was my first foray into the realm of paper invites, something I plan to continue doing, going forwards. I used white pen on navy envelopes for the addresses and then inserted a cream colored card as seen above. (I've blanked out personal information.)

Party pictures:

Make your own cocktails, plus other delicious things!

Waffles!!!!

Making an additional batch of waffles!

Busy, Not Gone!

Dear readers,

As happens from time to time, I end up getting rather busy. Lately I have finished one job, started a new one, and generally just been occupied with a lot of life events.

I have a bunch of blog post ideas in the pipeline, so I look forward to sharing with you a number of exciting posts on topics such as fashion from this summer, theme parties that I have hosted, and other projects that I am working on.

Until then, keep your eyes peeled! I should have the next post up this week!

François Hollande's First US Visit + July 14th Celebration

Dear readers... I apologize for the long delay in writing. I have so many new things to tell you and yet have been so busy lately that I haven't gotten them written down so far.

First, today I'm going to share my recent happenings at the French Embassy, and soon I will also write about recent sewing projects, some film/style reviews, and continue my Europe 2011 series!

So, without further delay, let's begin with the first thing... François Hollande's first visit to the United States as President of the French Republic. While Hollande did visit Germany right after is election, he didn't actually have time to address French citizens there. Conveniently, during his US visit, he did have enough time to come and give a speech to us French citizens. The room was absolutely packed!

Finally he showed up!

He gave the usual bilateral relations speech, congratulated French organizations, and gave a shout out to the French high school in the area, etc. He also employed a bit of humor and managed to get some jabs in at his predecessor.

Overall, it was enjoyable, except for the amount of time waiting in a room with inadequate air conditioning. It was really hot in there!

I love how someone was trying to use their iPad to take pictures

And go figure, the Secret Service was directing traffic

~

Secondly, I returned again to the French Embassy for the 14th of July (Fête Nationale) celebrations! My girlfriend and I (Surprise! And yes, this is partly why I've been absent from the blog lately!) enjoyed a lovely evening with food and drink, and were able to meet up with many French friends of mine and meet new people! I also ran into a lovely lady with her husband and children who is a reader of this blog! I love discovering people who have checked out what I write! :)

Me and my girlfriend with Christine Lagarde... I'm wearing my new linen jacket, incidentally

Anyhow, the highlight of the evening was probably meeting Christine Lagarde, the head of the IMF! Sadly, we didn't get much time, but it was pretty exciting! :)

Shoes, Art, Friendship

Dear readers, I return today with more recent happiness. Today is a day for celebrating shoes, an art gallery trip, and a very stylish friend! :)

Currently the smoking slipper/slipper shoe/albert slipper/etc. is one of the trends of the year (or at least 2011). As such, it has become remarkably easy to find variations on it from many different sources. You may recall last years' review of the Del Toro pair (which are still on my wishlist). However, while I save up for the better shoes, I've found that due to the increased volume, many pairs are much more affordable.

In my case, I was able to find a pair from Topshop in the UK. After guessing at the British and European sizes, I was quite pleased to find out that the shoes actually fit. A couple of things to note: the shoes are real leather (suede)... as opposed to some of the cheaper variants made of synthetic uppers. The soles are a bit flimsy and the support of most standard shoes is not present. However, all in all I really like these. Once I wore them in a bit, they fit very nicely. One of the things I like about them is how open the tops are... I hate the sensation of having my feet suffocate in shoes... these are to the contrary much happier!

Also, the color is extremely striking (I got it to match with my seersucker suit, initially)... I've found it works with everything while not being too crazy. I have been getting many compliments on the shoes, so I think this is a general success. I was thinking about removing the gold trim and replacing it with a tan/brown edging in the general albert slipper style, but I find they work this way just fine at the moment.

Notice the thin profile of the shoes

The heels are very short... almost too short... I may put a pad in the heel to cushion me when standing for long periods of time.

Again, notice the long opening... what is the point of nice socks, if you can't show them off?

Albert slippers are traditionally velvet, which is a no-go for outdoors. I was happy to find these are suede, which looks similar, but is more durable.

Next Up: Random visit to the National Gallery of Art! (A week or two ago.)

I love going to the National Gallery of Art to just walk around, relax, and eat gellato. The art collection isn't terribly huge, nor does it change too dramatically. However, the architecture of the rooms and the general atmosphere is generally happy and enjoyable. How many other neoclassical art galleries exist in such a convenient spot in DC? Also, because probably most people are bored of the gallery, it's usually not too crowded... which enhances the relaxing part of the visit.

Please enjoy a few selections that I particularly enjoyed this time around!

I especially like the dress the girl on the right is wearing... such good taste!

This is a perennial favorite of mine...

Previously, there was a piece of modern art on display that was a slice of bread. It was with amusement that I found a small French painting of butter in nearly the same location this time.

For some reason they are doing repair work on the modern art gallery section... I find it interesting that the building is actually brick, with stone stuck on the front.

Gigantic gellato at the National Gallery of Art... hand for size. (yes, it was delicious)

And now... the outfit that took me to the NGA...

I just love the slim profile this style of shoe gives! :)

The full outfit... (left) and... oh look... now I'm surprised! (right, very silly)

And last... but not least! The surprise visitor!

My friend Shayna from Oklahoma. She gets the award for good taste in style and the perfect smile! :)

This lady is up and coming in political circles, it's a real honor to know her. I should also mention this is what she looked like after a grueling day at a recent political conference (she's so awesome, you can't tell!). I'm impressed with how well she takes all the traveling and manages to consistently look well put together and ready to roll. Every time I've seen her, you could do a magazine spread with her, because she knows her style so well. :D 

Shayna, I enjoyed spending time with you and our conversations about life, politics, fashion... keep up the good work! :)