Adventure: Espresso, Adler, Cemeteries

On Sunday Ryan and I went on an impromptu walking & dinner date in downtown DC.

After taking the metro to DuPont circle, we ambled over to Filter, a new coffee shop on 20th street.  Not only was the espresso fabulous, but I fell head over heels for the ambiance of the place.  Nestled in the English basement level of a grand old townhouse, the shop had poured concrete counter tops and floors, rustic red brick walls, and the most gorgeous old wooden shelves – some even built into an old fireplace.  But what I loved the most were the light fixtures:

I loved how they sparkled and reflected the light everywhere, adding a bit of glam to the otherwise rustic and utilitarian space.  And at second glance I realized that they were simply upside-down vases with a hole drilled in them to hold the lightbulb.  Awesome.  If you’re ever in the DuPont circle area and want some good coffee, I beg you:  skip the Starbucks and head to Filter.

We also happened upon Tabletop, a fun urban home decor store that Ryan dubbed a “toy store for nesting women.”  Maybe so, but all I know is that the window display of the white Jonathan Adler ceramics pulled me in.  I just love that little squirrel!

Also spotted:  an awesome white Owl mobile, which I’m sure could be whipped up on the cheap at home.

From there we walked over to Georgetown, stopping by my favorite DC cemetery (I love cemeteries, don’t ask why) at Dumbarton Oaks.   Isn’t it gorgeous?

And then, walking through the thick of the Georgetown scene to our dinner, we passed the old canal, with perfect early evening light hitting it.

So that’s a little excerpt from our weekend, and tomorrow I’m off to the wineries with some friends.  What did you guys do with the three-day weekend?