Maryland Renaissance Festival

September 11, 2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

One of our favorite fall activities since moving to Annapolis is attending the annual Maryland Renaissance Festival. Commonly called Renfest, this celebration of merriment runs every weekend from late August through late October. We make a point to go every year and it’s always well worth the trip. The great thing about the Maryland Renaissance […]

Flying with a Toddler: Tips and Tricks

August 29, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

tips and tricks for flying with a toddler

A few weeks ago we embarked on our first flights with our daughter. We had a family wedding in Colorado, and I had limited time off so it ended up being an essential but quick trip. Driving was out of the question and flying quickly became our only viable option. Our daughter is a relatively […]

Sunflowers in Southern Maryland

August 7, 2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

With the arrival of my little muse in November of 2020, I finally have the perfect excuse to fulfill all my photography dreams. I’m much more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it, and my husband doesn’t really “get” artsy photos, so my daughter is the perfect subject. One thing I’ve always wanted […]

Two Days in Lancaster County

July 1, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

Last week we had a predicament. We had one free night at Marriott to use before the end of June and it was the last weekend of the month. It indeed was down to the wire. Sean and I spent last Thursday evening on the Marriott app looking for anything within a 2-2.5 hour radius […]

Three Days in Philadelphia

May 31, 2022.Reading time 8 minutes.

This year is the first time in my entire professional career that I had Memorial Day off. Until now – with the exception of 2020 and 2021 – I had always been flying off to a new city to kick off ACHA’s annual meeting. To celebrate, Sean and I wanted to get away for the […]

Burnside Farms Tulip Fields

April 19, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

Although the weather doesn’t always seem to agree, spring is here in the DMV. We’ve had several weeks of beautiful blue sky days with highs above 70, and then suddenly rain, cold, and near-freezing temperatures. Just before this latest cold snap, we took a trip down to Nokesville, Virginia to explore Burnside Farms tulip fields. […]

Kristen vs. The Sweet Gum Trees: Momma’s Revenge

April 5, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

Back in March of 2018, I wrote about my nemesis for the first time. The sweet gum trees. I spoke romantically about these “gentle giants” with their “comforting shade in the summer” in a way that only a new homeowner could. Ah to be young and dumb again. Because let me tell you. Those trees […]

Peak Bloom 2022

March 22, 2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

Peak bloom 2022 is happening now! I know I just wrote about the DC cherry blossoms a few weeks ago, but I’m ridiculously excited to share some photos from this year. It’s been four years since I really shot these blooms and they did not disappoint. We ended up going at sunrise this past Sunday […]

Hyper Kidz Columbia

March 16, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

This past weekend the Annapolis area was hit with what meteorologists call a “bomb cyclone” snowstorm. I’m not entirely sure what that means in the technical sense, but basically, it got unnecessarily cold and rainy for two days. Of course, this nonsense hit on the weekend. With a very active 16-month-old stuck inside, we knew […]

DC Cherry Blossoms: Tips and Tricks

March 3, 2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

One of my absolute favorite parts of DC spring is the annual cherry blossom bloom. It’s one of those quintessential experiences that you just can’t miss. This year, the National Park Service predicts peak bloom for the cherry blossoms will take place from March 22-25, 2022. Peak bloom is the best time within the two-week […]