Happy Earth Day!

With the Earth Day in mind, here are some vintage earthy finds from Tree Potato Four that would be great additions to a spring celebration! 

For those of you new to the blog and our work, we love our dogs, animals, and the environment and donate 1% of all sales to either a local animal rescue or The Conservation Fund. Check them out to make your donation this Earth Day!  

Tunes We're Listening 2

Lately, we've been listening to and looking for some great foreign song writers, so please pass along your recommendations.  This song is called Comme des enfants by Coeur De Pirate.  I heart the super sweet video. 

Giving Back - AFH + The Conservation Fund

It's been a while since I blogged about our love for the environment and animals. Since we have a lot of newly engaged couples that are getting to know us, I thought it was a good time to talk a little about My Simple Details charitable giving. Starting in 2009 we made a decision to donate 1% of all our client's package costs to either A Forever Home, a local animal rescue, or to The Conservation Fund. This year we were so excited to make our largest donations in our history, on behalf of our clients.  We're looking forward to making many more donations to these two causes in the new year, and want to thank all of our clients who appreciate our love for nature and furry friends. Happy Holidays!

Shown above: Images from the Rover 2011 Calendar 

Taste of the Stars Gala

The other week Phong and I volunteered at the 11th Annual Taste of the Stars Gala for the Mid-Atlantic Starlight Children’s Foundation, which is dedicated to lifting the spirits of seriously ill children and their families in the region. The event, which was held at the Four Seasons Georgetown, was themed “Bedtime Bash”. The ballroom was completely draped in floor-to-ceiling blue dupioni silk, oversized candelabras were placed on various tables, and stunning calla lily floral arrangement were everywhere. Guests had an elegant dinner and specialty cocktails, and dinner concluded with a dessert of milk and cookies. The event raised over $500,000 from ticket sales, sponsorships, and the silent and live auctions, which featured items like a 1900 vintage bottle of Chateau Margaux, trips to the Kentucky Derby,  a Jamaican vacation, and some ski vacations.  After dinner one of the side ballrooms was transformed into a loungy club atmosphere with large bed like ottomans and pillows and a white dance floor.  It was a great event the all the guest enjoyed while supporting an amazing local cause. 

First 3 photos by Tony Powell

Scouting Trip

I often go on scouting trips with my husband and one or more of our pups. Yesterday we headed out to a local park with a boat ramp which I think is perfect for an upcoming photo shoot with one of our couples. The changing leaves look perfect and even though it was a little cold, Bali stayed warm with a vest that one of our neighbor's kids donated.  

Jefferson Wine and Apple Picking

This Saturday I went wine tasting at Jefferson Vineyards, apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchard, and then had an early dinner in downtown Charlottesville with the girls.  At the vineyard we shared a bottle of their 2009 Viognier, snacked on goat cheese and herbs with rosemary crackers, and discovered local Gearhart Chocolates chai spiced pecans that are amazing. I've already requested my husband get them for the holidays.  Here are images I snapped along the way.    

Clifton Day

We had a great afternoon at Clifton Day on Sunday.  I personally love this little town and they have  a cute little church and Trummers for top notch receptions or rehearsal dinners.  Trummers' executive chef Clayton Miller was recently named one of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs of 2010 and the decor in their largest, glass-enclosed Atrium, with seating for up to 90, is drop dead gorgeous.  Here are some images I took as we walked around Clifton Day.  

Outstanding in the Field & On the Beach in Deleware

Last week while I was at the beach, I had the great pleasure of attending an Outstanding in the Field event on the beach in Delaware. You can read more about this organization here, but in general the organizations mission is to  re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.  For their Delaware stop, they  invited none other than Matt Haley of Fish On! to create an outstanding feast right on the shore as the Atlantic Ocean crashed nearby. 

Chef and artist Jim Denevan, founder of Outstanding in the Field, welcomed us with his cowboy hat on and told us a little about how they started and have grown over the last few years.  Jim also introduced local farmers and fishermen who contributed to the dinner, including Parson's Farm, Good Earth Market, Fifer Farms, Lewes Fish House, Twin Lakes Brewery, and Nassau Valley Vineyard. 

The event took place at the Indian River Life Saving Station which is an amazing beach side venue for a wedding or special event. The hors d'oeuvres included blue crab claws with corn mayo, lobster deviled eggs, fresh pea soup shooters with truffle oil, and smoked bluefish crustinies.  Dinner at the long table started with freshly pickled zucchini & squash that was to die for, artisan breads, and whole green leaf salad with herb vinaigrette and was served with a sauvignon blanc. The next course was my favorite with heirloom sun gold tomato & cucumber salad and potato salad with lemon cream and gorgeous tri-colored potatoes served with a chardonnay. The main was grilled marinated rockfish, roasted vegetables with oyster salad, and a nectarine/peach chili corn salad served with a merlot. The corn salad was unexpected and amazing, and I can't wait till Phong tries to make it at home!  Dessert was de-lish with apple pie with streusel topping and a peach & blueberry crisp serviced with a blueberry dessert wine. While the food was unbelievable and so.. fresh, the location and the view made it over the top. I'll let you see for yourself in the pictures.     

Outstanding in the Field

I'm stoked! I just reserved seats for my mom, my husband, and I to attend an truly unique dinner with the worldwide moveable feast called Outstanding in the Field. Outstanding in the Field is a moving culinary adventure with the mission to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food.  Since 1999 they have set up amazingly long and fabulous tables at farms, gardens, on mountain tops, in sea caves, on islands, at ranches, in refurbished barns, in greenhouses, and even unique museum. The main theme of all the dinners however has been to honor the people whose hard work brings our food to the table. Ingredients for the dinners are almost all local sourced and prepared by a well-known guest chef from the region. When guests arrive they mingle and enjoy a glass of wine, tour the site, and then settle in for an amazing family style dinner with all sharing the long table. Personally, I adore how long tables create a cozy intimate family feel.  Will you be incorporating long tables into your wedding or next event?   {Vicki}

Free Saturday = Bike Ride in the City!

Here are some images I snapped during a bike ride around the monuments in DC. First is my Husband and right hand man, Phong, relaxing by the monuments with his favorite puma's. I love people watching, who doesn't? We saw this great kid with a mohawk that matched his dad's. If we ever have kids, they will definitely get a supper cool mohawk like this one. I loved my recent trip to india and adore all the fabrics and colors of Saris. This one lady near the monuments had a beautifully colored sari on and looked so wise and peaceful as she sat near the water feature as the sun set. I loved the lighting. Last but not least is my Husband again riding around and acting his goofy self so I can practice my action shots. Not too bad considering he was headed towards me at full speed. {Vicki}

Dog days of Summer

In the past I've introduced to my puppy Bear, an Australian shepherd mix, that we rescued from A Forever Home, one of my favorite local animal charities. You can read more about our involvement with AFH here.  But today I thought I would introduce the rest of our furry pack. With the heat in DC this summer we've been staying in if at all possible, but after walking our 4 dogs in the heat, our living room normally has dogs napping all over the place. Here are a few images I snapped today (without a model release form). 


If your interested in who these fur balls are, from left to right, top to bottom, we have Bear, the lady's man, who always sits as soon as he see's a lovely lady coming towards him. Next we have Coco, a German pincher mix, who we found wandering the neighborhood and took her in. As a result of living on the streets so long, she loves to eat anything, and I mean anything, but is terrified of storms and firecrackers. If she hears a loud noise while out of the house she makes an immediate b-line to her house no mater how far we are away. There's no chance she'll ever loose her home again. Then we have Autumn a German Shepherd/Chow, who has a problem with depth perception but is always happy to give a high fives. Last but not least is Honey, our 16 year-old golden mix that's not large but still in charge. My husband rescued her back when he was in HS school from her abusive owners.  She's had a great life ever since and always yells at the young ones if they get too wound up.  


Now, if you love your dog or dogs as much as we do,  you're probably thinking of having them in your wedding?  While this is an option for some (see how these couples did it) for many destination brides it's not.  Check out how this couple kept their dog Sampson involved without having him physically present.  {Vicki}

Fun in the Snow with Family, Friend and Fur Balls

I hope you're having a cozy & joyous time with your friends and families. Take the time to slow down and enjoy the holiday weekend with the people and animals that bring you  love and happiness throughout the year.  


Here are some cute images of my puppy Bear in our old Chevy in the snow!  He's my fav, but please don't tell the others :)

Brew at the National Zoo

Every year near my birthday, which is swiftly approaching on Monday, my (twin brother) and our friends go to Brew at the Zoo, a fund raising event where FONZ Young Professionals raise our commemorative mugs to conservation. This is such a fun event and I recomend everyone check it out. This year we sampled beer from more than 35 microbreweries, enjoyed live music by Gonzo's Nose and Batala, an all women percussion band. All the proceeds support the care for the animals, conservation and sustainability of the National Zoo.

Taste of the Stars Gala

Today I have some great pictures from the 9th Annual Taste of the Stars Gala that was held Saturday November 22nd at the lavish Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown. We had the pleasure of volunteering our services for the day and can not think of a better cause. The Starlight Children’s Foundation rose over $460,000 during this Gala and all the proceeds will help brighten the lives of local children who are seriously ill.

The gala's theme was "Wines around the World" and guests were able to taste some of the worlds finest wines from France, Italy, Australia, and Napa Valley. Tucker Carlson, a MSNBC senior correspondent, was even the master of ceremonies.

The silent auction included jewelry from Tiny Jewel Box and Tiffany & Co., Redskin game packages, wine tours of Napa Valley, and many lots of fine wines. During th live auction paddles were flying for travel packages to Turks and Caicos, a one week trip to a medieval French Village, and even a Labrador Retriever puppy. After the live auction and wonderful dinner, the guests were invited to the after party in an adjacent room. During dinner we transformed the space from the wine room during the silent auction to a modern dance club with white dance floor, glowing bars, and stands for dancers.



It was a great event and we look forward to volunteering for many more in the future.