cross country + clay: planning a tour of washington, d.c. and jewelry dishes

I've come to hate flying, and maybe some day I will embark on an ocean cruise, where your hotel room comes with you, but for now, I'll deal with airports, waiting and walking in them, and sitting uncomfortably at very high altitudes for a change of scene. I'm going to Washington, D.C., where I haven't been since I was a child. However, instead of the Smithsonian Natural History, Smithsonian National Air and Space, and Smithsonian Zoo, I want to go to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Hirshhorn Museum. Though I may deviate to the American Indian Museum or the African American History and Culture Museum. Oh and the Library of Congress. And cherry blossom trees. I really liked staying at the Pod in Brooklyn some years ago, and it is now Motto by Hilton in D.C. Capsule or micro-hotels are perfect if you're touring as opposed to vacationing, and I'm looking forward to the rooftop café & diner and whiskey bar that serves southern comfort food. Oh yah, Bo & Ivy bourbon Old Fashioned with my seared salmon and cheese grits one night and Borough bourbon Manhattan with smoked pork ribs with coleslaw and Patsy's mac 'n cheese. Maybe a noodle dinner in Chinatown. A fried chicken sandwich for lunch at least once. 

I love too that it's right next to Chinatown. Hence, my mission for the best Chinese food in D.C.

Yesterday afternoon, I spent a couple hours just glazing all the ceramic pins I've been hand building these few weeks. And dagnabit, I broke two of my favorite pins. It's okay. I'll re-make them. This afternoon, I'm off to my usual community clay place. I was thinking I need to make some ring or trinket dishes for all the little pins and earrings and pendants I've been making. I kind of also want them more organic looking...maybe just circles I roughly cut out of the slab, of which I then refine the rims and then press into a giant sponge to form a bowl and then adhere a rice paper decal. I would love too to make an indentation in which to melt some colored glass.

I should make some pins for the nieces and little dishes to hold them. I made some a few years ago, but I think my skills at making them have improved.

So many cute ideas on the internet.

I should just break out my largest round circle cutter and go from there.