October 23, 2013

bringing the museum home / the phillip's collection

October 23, 2013/ Brittany Jarman

i have visited the phillip's collection quite a few times recently. it is definitely my favorite museum in d.c. and i don't think it could ever get old to me. i recently learned the story of how the collection got started. duncan phillips and his brother discovered the art world, and decided they wanted to start collecting. so, naturally, they asked their father for a stipend which he gladly gave to them, and they began one of the best collections of 19th and 20th century works in the states.

now, whenever i visit the museum i imagine what i would do if i had a stipend to buy artworks from the most famous artists. let's just say my house would be amazing. today i am putting together some of my favorite works from the phillips, and designing an art wall and vignette to go with them. i like that the works represent different style within a relatively short amount of time. there is chardin's realism, vs. braque's cubism. kandinsky's expressionism vs. beal's american impressionism.

i love including the museum frames with the works, because they really affect how you view the paintings. the more modern works are apparent just because of their more simplistic frames. also, courbet's painting of the sea in the middle may just be the most amazing oceanic work i have seen. just saying.

1. a bowl of plums (1728), by jean-baptiste simeon chardin 2. the philodendron (1952) by georges braque 3. the garden at les lauves (1906), by paul cezanne 4. my summer studio (1900), by john henry twachtman 5. the mediterranean (1857), by gustave courbet 6. old time card rack (1900), by john peto 7. autumn II (1912), by wassily kandinksy 8. ponte della paglia (1922), by maurice prendergast 9. the promenade (1922), by gifford beal 10. chartreuse couch from one king's lane. 11. deep blue lamp from bungalow five 12. gold accent table from joss and main

take some time to look through the phillip's collections website, and explore more of their paintings. there is so much more to see and be inspired by!

October 22, 2013

currently obsessed / fancy fur

October 22, 2013/ Brittany Jarman

fur has been on my radar for the past few years, and it doesn't seem to be fading. i have loved my fur coats, vests, and scarves, and keep adding to my collection. this weekend i discovered some awesome and cheap faux fur options at h and m, and had to indulge myself in getting one. here are a few of my favorites from around the web:

1. i'm calling this one the 'colorfur'. i have never seen anything more perfect. just don't look at the price. get it here.

2. this is a much cheaper option from h&m (only $30!). i love that it is a kind of sweatshirt style glamified with grey fur. get it here.

3. the 'rochelle' fur coat from anthro adds an interesting twist with a striped shaggy fur. get it here.

4. a fur vest in my favorite color? yes please! get it here.

this is the jacket i got from h&m. it is super cozy and perfect for fall days. i love that it is a little different than my other fur items, which are mostly brown. i plan to wear this a ton this winter!

get it here.

October 21, 2013

from my camera / a very jeffersonian weekend

October 21, 2013/ Brittany Jarman

my mother-in-law, karen, and her friend, linda, came to visit this weekend and we had the best time. they had been to dc a few times before, so they wanted to explore new things that they had not done. somehow, lots of our activities ended up being related to thomas jefferson. here are some pictures from our weekend. we visited thomas jefferson's memorial (which i think is the best memorial in dc), visited uva which is the school that jefferson founded and designed, explored monticello, and saw jefferson's grave.

the thomas jefferson memorial:

university of virgina:

monticello:

the jefferson graveyard:

this weekend was so much fun, and there is so much more that we did (and ate!). thanks for such a great trip karen!! come back soon!!

October 18, 2013

10 favorite things to do / tokyo

October 18, 2013/ Brittany Jarman

jarman lived in tokyo for two years, so i asked him to share his favorite things to do in his favorite city. after watching the newest wolverine movie (which was mostly in japan), his hankering to go back and visit had increased a ton. he is tentatively planning a trip for us next spring, we will see if we can make it happen!

I am not familiar with the procedural etiquettes of the blogosphere but I have included some of my suggestions for those who are planning a trip to Tokyo.

1. things to eat:

Walk and eat as much as you can in Tokyo. I spent nearly two years there and still haven’t seen it all. The people are very friendly and most can speak a little bit of English, so they are excited to speak to foreigners. I found the best places to eat just by asking random people. Eat ramen, oyakodon, donburi, tonkatsu, and go to a sushi bar.

2. orion:

Also, try to find a little restaurant called “Orion” and order the soba noodles. This was possibly my favorite place to eat in Tokyo. It is right by the Higashi Nagasaki train station, two stops away form Ikebukuro.

3. ueno koen and the sakura:

My favorite place to see the sakura blossoms was Ueno Koen. If possible, go at night. There are high power lights throughout the park that illuminate the blossoms from all angles. Visiting Ueno Koen at this time of year is a popular destination for locals and travelers so expect a crowd (It’s Tokyo, avoiding crowds is nearly impossible). That being said, expect to see several culinary options to choose from as you wander through the enormous park. Some of the best tonkatsu I’ve ever eaten was from a food cart at Ueno Koen. Aside from the blossoms, there are museums, temples, and shrines to check out as well. You can literally spend days just exploring the park, so make sure you go in with a plan.

4. harajuku

this is a must do while you are in Tokyo. Its basically Halloween everyday here. You will see some of the weird things and think to yourself… what in the world? I always got some good laughs in while passing through harajuku.

5. isozaki shinto shrine:

My favorite place in Japan is the Isozaki Shinto shrine near Mito Ibaraki Ken, which is just north of Tokyo. The shrine stands on an exposed bed of rocks in the water. When the tide is low enough and if the surf is calm enough, you can actually walk out to the shrine. I would definitely make time to go here. It is out of the city and pretty isolated which provides a nice break from the crowds and chaos.

6. shibuya:

While you are in Tokyo, I would recommend checking out the busiest crosswalk in the world in Shibuya. It is UNREAL how crazy it is. Pictures and videos do not do it justice.

7. akihabara:

this is the technology capital of the world. if you are remotely interested in any sort of gadget, widget, computer chip deal, or anything of that sort, akihabara is a must. it is also very entertaining to walk around akihabara to see everyone running around from shop to shop and taking advantage of the low prices. i am not a big technology guy, but i do like akihabara and would not be opposed to visiting it again when i go back to tokyo.

8. yokohama:

this place is awesome. My number 1 recommendation is the ramen museum. please go there. You will not regret it. Also, the osanbashi pier is a nice little walk. My suggestion would be to read up on the history of yokohama before you go. It was one of the first major Japanese ports that was opened up for foreign trade. One of my regrets is not knowing much about Japanese history before I went there.

9. nikko:

this is a popular place for tourists and locals alike. it is located northwest of tokyo up in the mountains kind of by utsunomiya. the traditional architecture of the temples and shrines is excellent. nikko is also famous for having the statues of the three monkeys- see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. nikko would be a day trip and your best bet to get out there might be an express train of some sort. there are also awesome waterfalls and rivers. the scenery is especially pleasant in the fall or spring time.

10. ginza:

this is basically the times square of japan... which is probably why i did not spend a lot of time there as a missionary. the arts and theaters are popular and there is epic shopping for those who are interested in fashion. also, if you have ever seen the documentary on netfllix called jiro dreams of sushi, i think his shop is in ginza. if you are a high roller, you should go there. i would if i could.

Tokyo is a fascinating city with deep cultural roots. Absorb as much as you can as you walk and eat your way through the city. Also, try to experience the morning rush hour at a crowded train station. Checkout this hilarious video:

October 17, 2013

entertaining / my tea party bridal shower

October 17, 2013/ Brittany Jarman

i probably had the cutest bridal shower in the world. i am so lucky to have such good friends who threw it for me (well, they are my mom's friends, but i can't count them as my own right?). kristi, cindy, and erin headed the whole thing up, but so many more people contributed and made it seriously amazing. also, thank you to haylan for taking these beautiful pictures, she is such a great photographer!

these ladies know me really well. they threw me a tea party themed shower, which included delicious desserts and tea sandwiches, gorgeous fresh flowers, and the greatest group gift ever. how cute are the macarones and meringues? and what about those little tiny pink cupcakes? i seriously loved all of it, and wish we could do it all over again!

in the entryway the ladies had an 'advice book', where i learned lots of tips on how to be married. they hung the most adorably crafted tissue garlands and wedding bells, had pictures of jarman and i, and audrey hepburn quotes! they also had jars with my 5 favorite cookies for guests to take home, which were absolutely delicious and the loveliest set up ever.

they also made a game where the ladies tried to figure out who knew me and jarman best. there were various statements made by us, and they had to choose the silhouette of who said it. the one that stumped everyone was 'my favorite movie is sixteen candles,' which is actually jarman's favorite movie!

for the group gift, the ladies got me everything i needed for our bedroom! they included bedding, curtains, artwork and a mirror, blue velvet ottomans, a throw blanket, a rug, my favorite pendant lamp from world market, and some bedside accessories. i was dying over everything, it was so exciting!

i know this was over a year and a half ago (jeeze, have i been married that long already??), but i am still so grateful to everyone who contributed! it was such a blast. and thank you so much kristi for hosting it in your gorgeous house!

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