You know, I love Christmas and I still went in to this event a little concerned it would be underwhelming. Instead my friends and I were treated to an actual wonderland of lights and cheer and even with a few lines here and there (mostly drink related to be honest) it was amazing. And worth every penny - especially if you buy the 9:30pm "happy hour" tickets like we did. I'm going to post more pictures and videos over on my Instagram, so consider this more of an intro to Enchant Christmas DC!

Have you ever been lucky enough to attend a panel where the entire room is excited to be there? It's an amazing experience, and combined with one of the most bright and welcoming bookstores I've seen in a while, and you've got an incredible way to spend a Thursday night.

But ok, back to last night. East City Book Shop brought together a fantastic group of authors (all new to me because I'm lame). Mia Sosa and Tracey Livesay are both local to the DC area, and Sally Thorne is traveling the U.S. from her native Australia! Oh, and did I mention that the panel was moderated by Sarah Wendell, of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books fame? BECAUSE IT WAS.

I know I'm biased, but I really do think Romance readers are some of the best people. Every one of us was so excited for the opportunity to listen to some of our favorites talk not only about their books, but about the industry as a whole and their experience navigating it. It's an even rarer opportunity to be able to do that in your own proverbial back yard.

And so I leave you on what was possibly the best moment of the entire night, when Mia Sosa brought down the house after relating an inspiration story that involved her, her husband, and a quaint play on the words "night cap" (I implore you to listen to the podcast, because I could never do it justice).

If you ever wondered what my Sundays look like, sometimes they look like magical re-imagining of my childhood and it is THE BEST.


First, let's talk about how DC came *out* for this show. Not only was the audience packed, it was packed full of people of all ages, races, and genders, and so many of them were in theme. Or full on costume. As in if I had gotten their any earlier and had had more time in the hallways I would have been hard pressed not to ask a million people if I could take their picture. Everyone was there to be their best geeky self and it made me a little sad I didn't buy that one Torrid bomber jacket that I loved (even though I'd never have worn it in real life). There's just an energy to that much joy, and then when the show started? All bets were off.


I was trying not to be the most terrible of guests so I dutifully didn't take out my phone until the end/post story performances, but this show was so much fun. I'd seen the simulcast that E Street Cinema hosted a few years ago, but nothing compares to being there in person while the entire audience cheers when Kunzite comes on stage with a light saber (I don't make the rules guys, I just report what I see). 


For a relatively simple stage setup, the variety of actresses (this is a full female cast - see Takarazuka history for some relevant information) make the most of it, singing and dancing with gusto. I think what probably surprised me the most was how much of the story is told without any dialogue at all. The Negaverse and the Dark Kingdom come on stage first, with a combination of projection effects, lights, and dancing to communicate their back story/introduce the kind of conflict that we'll be watching later when it comes to Sailor Moon and the Earth itself.

Watching the show I actually thought a lot about how accessible it was to people due to the lack of dialogue. I'm not saying the show was silent, there are obviously some words spoken between characters here and there, but honestly most of the emotion and story movement are done during the musical numbers. So if you'd watch any of the original subbed series, you didn't have to pay too much attention to the two screens projecting translations - I think all of us were quite aware of what Sailor Moon was saying as she screamed "Eeeeeyyeeee!" and collapsed crying on the stage. Or what was going through Sailor Venus's mind when during the big battle with Kunzite, she pulls our her heart sword/wand thing and there's a flash and a pause while images of the Silver Kingdom run behind the both of them. There couldn't have been a better "past life love conflict" interlude than that, lol. Though I later realized that Queen Beryl doesn't actually do anything but cackle evilly until the after show mini performances and that is awkwardly hilarious.

So all in all I loved everything about the whole experience. Getting to return to my childhood and this show I loved so much surrounded by people who loved it too, was awesome. I asked on Facebook if you've even truly lived if you haven't been in a packed Warner Theater while the entire audience sings along to "Moonlight Densetsu" and I kind of meant it. It's pretty unforgettable. And according to this detailed post on Sailor Moon News there are a couple performances this weekend in New York if you're reading this and in the area!

I think if left to my own devices I could post pictures of this exhibit for forever. The Renwick is definitely turning into one of my favorite museums/galleries in DC, because every time I go the whole thing is such an experience. I don't always feel this kind of connection to art, but the beauty and diversity of the collection is incredibly moving, and makes searching out all the little bits and bobs totally worth it.

And then on top of all that, Burning Man is in itself such an experience that combined with the scale available in the Gallery - it's just all A+. I took the day off of work to try and avoid the inevitable weekend crowds, but if you have the opportunity to go, GO, because I can't imagine it not being worth it.

I'm just going to own up to the fact that this post has too many pictures. Maybe that means I should just own up to the reality that most/all of my DC Highlight posts are going to have too many pictures, but even on just one level of the Renwick it was too amazing not to document. Since the highlight hear is an art museum I didn't take too many "big picture" shots, but I hope you come away with an idea of the incredibly diverse group of artists featured at this very underrated Smithsonian.

On a dark and stormy night in December, my friend Jessy and I were wandering around Georgetown when we happened to walk past was felt like a calming oasis in the desert of holiday madness. She asked me what the shop was, I had no idea, but immediately noticed May Lindstrom on one of the shelves. And then of course I had to freak out a little and go inside, because DC doesn't really *do* brands like May Lindstrom in store, and other than Caroline Hirons glowing reviews, I'd never been able to get my hands on them. All that intro to say that today I'm very excited to share with you a new shop on my radar: Take Care.

(I know this post has lots of pictures, but I couldn't help myself. Beautiful shop + new camera = ALL THE PICTURES.)


According to their website, "Take Care Founder, Becky Waddell, created Take Care after seeing a need for a healthy skincare and lifestyle community in Washington, DC.

She passionately enjoyed plant-based skincare for years but always found it difficult to discover beautiful, effective brands in one place - so, she created a space herself! She relishes in bringing together special brands and sharing them with her community."


And while I know it sounds corny, Ms. Waddell has really created a beautiful showcase for some of the most premier all-natural brands I've ever heard of, in a really soothing atmosphere. Both times I've gone in the staff was approachable and knowledgeable, chatting with me about my skin concerns, things I've tried in the past, my routine, etc. etc., all without creating an atmosphere where I felt pressured to buy something. I went around the whole place touching and smelling and become familiar with brands I'd never expected to see outside online orders.

In addition to May Lindstrom, it was so fun and exciting to get my hands on brands like Josh Rosebrook, Mahalo, and the much talked about Vintner's Daughter. I tend to lean heavily towards the "made in a lab and tested under pristine conditions" type of skincare for the most part, so the sensory appeal and efficacy of their more "natural" counterparts are a bit of a mystery to me. For DC to have a store like this that allows me to really get in to the down and dirty of some very high end skincare is the kind of stuff dreams are made of.


I signed up for their newsletter because apparently they also do classes in the larger back space (yoga, face massage, etc.) so I'll keep you all updated how that goes! I also bought something (are we surprised?) but rather than make this mammoth post any larger I'll save the details of that for another day.