Weekend Review: Kennedy Center and Continued Anniversary Festivities

Can you believe I've been living in the DC Metro Area for almost 20 years and I've never been to the Kennedy Center? Oddly enough, I have run beneath it several times during races, such as the Cherry Blossom 10 miler and the Rock and Roll Half Marathon, but never been in it.  I've even drove past it countless times while driving on Rock Creek Parkway.

A few months ago, tickets went on sale for the Book of Mormon, a musical written by the creators of South Park. It has won several Tony awards and I've heard such great things about it.  When I heard it was coming to the Kennedy Center, I knew I had to see it! After waiting in an online queue for two hours, we got our tickets and we were all set! I figured it would be a good belated anniversary gift to us! Although metro delays got us nervous for our 1:30pm showtime, our worries went away as soon as the show began. The show started off with such great energy we were excited to see what songs they would sing next.

Photo courtesy of Book of Mormon Broadway

During intermission, I walked around the Kennedy Center and snapped some shots of the beautiful interior.

A shot of Justin and I waiting for the complementary shuttle back to the metro. Why is it that over the years my eyes seem to be getting more and more chinky squinty? LOL...

The Book of Mormon was a great show, and if you were lucky enough to snag tickets to this musical while it's in town, you are in for a great treat! 

After the show, we grabbed some food at Woodward Table. We started off with some spicy mussels served with some crusty bread. The chorizo in the broth gave the mussels a kick!

Despite not eating red meat too often, Justin made a special exception and treated himself to a New York strip steak. 

I opted for the duck breast cooked to a perfect medium with skin that had the right balance of crispy and fatty. It was served atop spinach and parsnips (I think?). Mmm...

Despite having some drinks at the bar before our reservation, an appetizer, and an entree, I still wanted to try the dessert! Somehow, I was determined to try something sweet despite being stuffed.  Looking at the menu beforehand, I wanted to try the bread pudding.  Because my stomach was almost at max capacity, we opted for the homemade cheesecake with lemon curd.  It was a very flavorful option and not too heavy! It was the perfect finish to our meal!

On Sunday, we slept in and then ran errands around the neighborhood. We went to District Taco for lunch and tried to visit the Goodies custard and dessert truck that was parked at Eastern Market. 

Justin with his mouth full of taco goodness...

Unfortunately, they ran out of inventory, and as a consolation, the owner offered us some doughnuts.  Despite the disappointment of not getting to try the custard, the donuts were pretty good! I'll have to try it again next time when they have their frozen desserts in stock. 

Happy 2 Year Anniversary!

Wow, time does fly when you're having fun does't it? I can't believe it's been two years already? Even though we've been married for two years and together for six it feels like only yesterday that I was shooting you down, hahahahaha...just kidding! 

Anyway, to best reminisce about our special day, here is the same day edit that was shown at the end of our wedding. 

Let's hope it doesn't get taken down! :(

Enjoy!


C:Documents and Settingsf360659DesktopJoanne and Justin from Joanne Beltrano on Vimeo.

Rules of Engagement (Pics)

Hello Everybody! I hope everyone survived the weekend! A major storm tore through the DC metro area and left many without power. Luckily, the Brioni were left unscathed. Too bad I couldn't say the same for one of our neighbors one street over.

Yikes. On a brighter note (excuse the poor transition!), it's me and Justin's anniversary tomorrow and to celebrate I wanted to take a trip down memory lane, starting with our engagement session. Since we were getting married in California and our wedding was Kentucky Derby themed we couldn't think of a better place to do our e-session than the Del Mar Racetrack, the premier horse racing track in San Diego. The track is located right on the water and it provided us with stunning views and a picturesque backdrop for our photos.


Here is the beautiful fountain located in the paddock area (where the horses parade before a race)...

The up close shot made the water look like fireworks!

The archways provided unique architectural detail and complemented our attire!

I love the silhouettes in the shot but for some reason I feel like I look like a marionette! byebyebye...LOL!

Going in for the kill kiss...

I call this, "Justin's disappearing hand" since he was so pale (it was February after all) his hand seemed to disappear, ha!

And of course the picture that was featured on our save the date magnet. Even though it's been two years, I still get a smile on my face whenever I see it on someone's fridge.

A black and white pic for good measure....

And this one reminds me of high school in the 1950s. I don't know if the poses or my dress that makes it seem retro. The caption should read, "Of course I'll let you carry my books and walk me home, teehee!"

Lastly, this one is of Justin and I "placing our bets." Too bad I don't usually look this ecstatic when I place my bets at Derby. Usually I am a couple of mint juleps deep, frantically flipping through my program trying to remember the horse's names. hehehe...

So that's our engagement shoot in a nutshell. I feel that e-sessions help capture the couple's interests and personalities in photographic form. I think our photos truly captured Justin and I and the special meaning the Bluegrass state and the Kentucky Derby has for the both of us.