Going to (Eastern) Market!

Bonjour darlings! How 'twas your weekend? S'Marvelous or S'Wonderful, I trust? Can you tell I am in an Audrey Hepburn-esque mood? Perhaps it is because I had one of the nicest weekends in a long time and spent Saturday strolling along an outdoor market with a delicious little chai latte clutched in my hand.If only it had been in Paris, I would have thought I had been transplanted into an Audrey movie. But no, I was actually right here in my hometown of DC, exploring the city's oldest market: Eastern Market. For over 136 years an eclectic troupe of vendors gather together to mingle with DC locals and visitors alike and transform the quiet capital hill neighborhood into a community hub.Not to mention, provide an awesome forum for shopping enthusiasts to unite!

As I have mentioned several times now, roommate and I are home every weekend this month (first time since moving to DC!) so we have decided to take advantage of this and explore as much of DC on the weekends as we can. Thus, we came up with a plan to visit a different outdoor market or vintage shop every weekend. I figured I might as well take photos (of course) and report back to you every Monday, which is how Market Monday was born! Hopefully, by the end of June we will have created a useful little guide to the markets of DC for any of you who might be planning a visit, moving to the area soon or perhaps are already an area resident who is unfamiliar with the fabulous market scene in DC. I'd love to hear feedback from you all as we go along: what you like, what you don't like, what you want more of, etc. I seriously welcome any and all feedback!

Eastern Market, Washington DC. Open Saturdays (7 am-6 pm) and Sundays (9 am-5 pm)  in the historic Capital Hill neighborhood (225 7th St SE- Eastern Market Metro station). There are an abundance of delicious cafes right around the market, too, so I suggest going hungry and enjoying a fabulous brunch after you shop! I HIGHLY recommend Montmartre's french restaurant. I had the most delicious panini!

I loved these adorable on trend Navajo bags, and of course the pink scarf caught my eye.

I loved how you could be looking at strands of delicate pearls one minute, and crates of firm peaches the next.By the way, amazing pricing on some beautiful (and unique) pearls!

I kept fawning over the gorgeous vintage silk scarves and wish I could buy them all! I think I might start a sort of "Easter Market" purchases collection. This week was  a handmade leather bracelet, but maybe next time I'll scoop up one of these beauties!

It was a really wonderful way to kick off our month of DC exploration, and the perfect way to start our Saturday morning. Leisurely strolls while window shopping and sipping delicious beverages are basically what I call a perfect Saturday morning. Wouldn't you?  

Visit if you like: Fresh locally grown food, eclectic sculptures, local artwork, unique handmade jewelry/pearl jewelry and beautiful accessories (purses, hats, headbands, scarves etc.).

What you won't find: Super bargains (don't expect flea market pricing) antiques (only saw two furniture vendors I think) or clothing (again, a couple vendors but not really what I considered a great selection).

I didn't get to meet this artist to ask and confirm this, but I think they take famous impressionist paintings and then set them in DC! I will probably need to have one of these one day, simply because the idea impressed me.

So many fun jewelry stands! I loved seeing all the different cultural styles, and local tastes. This new market obsession could be very bad for my wallet!

I fell totally in love with this antique bedside table. I am a sucker for lightly distressed white wood! Too bad it was $195 (for two of them). Definitely a good deal, just out of my current price range for furniture, considering my apartment is basically all hand me downs from family! 

This vendor had quite the collection of unique handmade headbands and hats.They would definitely be a fun statement piece to add to your accessory collection.

And my love affair with antique books continues. I want to have shelves upon shelves of old books one day. I can't believe I actually walked away from a $5 Balzac! Translated, but still would have been lovely. I hope and hope it will still be there next time.

If you find yourself in DC on a Saturday or Sunday this summer, I highly, highly recommend taking just a few hours to enjoy this local market. It is more of a cultural experience than anything, with local music, local eats and local flavor!  Check out their site for more specifics: http://www.easternmarket-dc.org/

 

Bisous!