{CLICK HERE} to witness some serious yo-yo skills.

CHILI OF THE BEN'S VARIETY + CIVIL WARS

Joy Williams and John Paul White are the tremendous duo behind The Civil Wars. After a chain reaction of the oldest Smithster, Alli, sharing their music with Mama Smith, who passed it along to us, we've both absolute fanatics. We bought tickets to their DC concert well before Sarasmith made the move here, so we were extra excited to head over to the beautiful Lincoln Theater to see the performance. It was magnificent.

{CLICK HERE} for Poison & Wine | The Civil Wars

We also used the theater location as an excuse to visit Ben's Chili Bowl. It was a superb decision.

 

{CLICK HERE} for an incredible rendition of pumped up kicks.

LIFE IN A DAY

We recently stopped by West End Cinema  to see Life in a Day, a documentary that feels like a beautiful, community art project. People from all across the world filmed pieces of their lives on July 24th, 2010, which have been compiled to provide a snapshot of what it meant to be alive on that day. It's a very dynamic film - you can see fo yo self via the trailer below.

Plus, on our way out the door we were handed surplus popcorn. It was the perfect snack for our walk home.

WHITE HOUSE GARDENS TOUR

We spent this weekend at the White House (so fancy! so DC!) to tour the gardens. We loved seeing trees planted by each of the presidents and also got a major kick out of learning about the secret lives of White House bees. The grounds are exquisite, but more than that, our patriotic heart strings were tugged as we stood in the shadow of a national symbol visited by the greatest minds of our time.

Thank you, Rob, for arranging the visit - we had a wonderful time!

NMAI ON COLUMBUS DAY

The National Museum of the American Indian is one of our favorite museums in DC. This Smithsonian Institution is a thoughtfully curated exploration of American Indian culture that focuses on "reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and empowering the Indian voice." The museum cafe is also widely recognized for being bomb-dig and features authentic dishes from a number of tribes. If you haven't yet been, it's time to plan your trip. 

{CLICK HERE} for a fun draw-a-stickman distraction.

THRIFTING/COFFEEING ON 14TH

Things we love:
1) Vintage furniture.
2) Awesome coffee.
3) Obsessing over Sarasmith's new apartment.

All were part of our Saturday adventure this week.

Note: if you're looking for good places to thrift, pop over to our DC Oot and Aboot Guide, which includes a special section on where to find previously enjoyed treasures.

LES MIZ @ THE KENNEDY CENTER

All the Smithsters (including the one who resides in London) are musical theater aficionados. We grew up singing show tunes in the car and Sarasmith had quite the career as a child actress in Colorado (which Betsy LOVES to brag about to her twin's minor chagrin). Seeing touring broadway productions was a regular occurrence in our childhood, so we've been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the big name, broadway shows. We had, however, been missing the staple crop of '80s musical theater: Les Miz. Harvest day finally came - we saw the 25th anniversary production when it came to the Kennedy Center. And though I'm sure there are many fine regional productions, it was amazing to see such a large-scale production in the grandeur of the Kennedy Center Opera House. Strong recommend.

Also, we predict that Betsy Morgan who played Fantine will be a very big star. We know someone who knows someone who knows her, so we've decided that our few degrees of separation allow us to lay claim early.