LOCAL II Drawing Night with The Lemon Collective on 2/27

TLC Drawing Night

2/27/19 at She Loves me

I’m so excited to be joining the amazing local girl gang behind The Lemon Collective for drawing night on February 27! This is literally a dream come true as I’ve been following their work since I moved to D.C. I hope you’ll join me in Holley’s beautiful new space on the 27th!

I’ll will guide the group through a series of plant still life arrangements at She Loves Me, a flower shop in Petworth, featuring a variety of fabrics, textures, and, of course, cacti. We'll start quickly, with 1 minute drawings to warm up, and then increase the time you have to sketch each arrangement as the night progresses.

Tickets: $10 

Sign up here!

NO DRAWING EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. This is a fun relaxed evening of casual drawing with people you might know, people you've just heard of, people you've stalked on instagram, and perfect strangers. IT'S GOING TO GREAT.

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A CLASS, PLEASE BYO DRAWING SUPPLIES

LOCAL II SUNdeVICH

Weekly D.C. illustrations are back and I’m starting off with one of my neighborhood favorites— SUNdeVICH!

Desert 2 District II SUNdeVICH sandwich shop in Washington, D.C. 

Although our neighborhood has a great selection of higher-end eateries and bars, there are a limited number of fast casual or takeout places. Luckily, the small selection we do have is excellent and that includes this neighborhood sandwich shop. As a plant-based eater, the menu options for me are a little limited, but I LOVE the veggie options they do have. I almost always order the Cairo, which has hummus, cucumber, brined veggies and walnuts. It. Is. Delicious. I have been assured by my omnivore husband that the meat options here are also excellent, so there’s something for everyone. 

I also appreciate that SUNdeVICH works to keep things local, with local, fresh-baked bread and locally-sourced produce and meat. They even have their own veggie and herb garden on their roof. 

Have you been? If so, what’s your favorite sandwich? I also love getting your recommendations!

LOCAL II Crumbs & Whiskers Cat Cafe

Desert 2 District II Crumbs & Whiskers Cat Cafe

As you'll know if you follow me on Instagram, I am a huge cat lover. My husband and I have adopted two cats together--Data and Mo--from different animals shelters in Arizona and D.C. and I love to support animal adoption and organizations that help homeless animals. Naturally, I've been in love with Crumbs & Whiskers, D.C.'s first and only cat cafe, since it opened and I'm so happy to spotlight them today!

Desert 2 District II My visit to C&O

Not only is the cafe beautifully designed, light-filled and full of friendly staff, adorable cats and punny merch and coffee drinks (I loved my "Meow You Doin" coffee sleeve!), but they also do so much to improve the lives of homeless cats. To date, they have gotten 627 cats adopted,  donated $22K to animal charities, and saved 1,394 from euthanasia. 

They also give cats a lovely home while they await adoption. All of the cats at the cafe are available for adoption--and believe me, it'll be hard to not fall in love with one of them while you're there. 

LOCAL II Farmers & Distillers Spotlight

This week's spotlight is a new favorite of mine. This company has multiple D.C. location, but each one is unique, and the one I like best and that happens to be in my neighborhood is Farmers & Distillers. 

The company itself is very unique, with an emphasis on family farms and sustainability. The company is majority-owned by family farmers. At this new location, there is also a craft distillery and they serve signature cocktails with their own liquors that are made on-site in the middle of the city. Farmers & Distillers is located on Massachusetts Avenue NW near Chinatown in Washington, D.C. 

My Impossible Burger, complete with vegan bun!

One major reason I've become obsessed with this restaurant is that they are one of the few locations in the city that serve the Impossible Burger. As a fairly new vegan, I still have meat cravings every now and then, and this "burger," which is made completely from plants, TOTALLY satisfies it. Even my omnivore husband prefers it to their regular burgers. It is so. good. And it makes me happy that this restaurant serves it and is has created a menu that can also cater to people with different dietary restrictions. I highly recommend trying it, but even if you're not interested, Farmers & Distillers has a huge, delicious menu, which makes it the perfect place to go with bigger groups or to take people from out of town. Let me know if you go and, in particular, if you try the Impossible Burger while you're there!

LOCAL II Morris American Bar Spotlight

DC Spots

Morris American Bar

Last week, we went to Morris American Bar on a date and we are hooked. We love the whimsical yet classical design, the ambiance and music and, of course, the cocktails. 

Located in the Shaw/Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Northwest D.C., Morris is tucked away on 7th Street between New York and L in the Convention Center. It's a small, intimate space that you could miss if not for the fantastic sign that I painted above that greets you and points you in the right direction. 

Desert 2 District Design II Morris American Bar

We were seated at a little table in the corner with the BEST hooded rattan chair and a great view of the bar. I love how everything in the bar is this lovely baby The service was fast and attentive. We ordered from the menu (which changes monthly), but they also offer to make a custom drink for you based on your tastes and preferred spirit. 

My husband got a play on a Manhattan that was fantastic and I got a champagne mojito. I had never thought that mint and champagne would go together, but it was delicious and would be perfect for a sunny day. 

We love this new spot in our neighborhood and will definitely be back to try next month's cocktail menu. I'd definitely recommend stopping in for a cocktail for or two!

LOCAL II Buttercream Bakeshop Spotlight

Desert 2 District Design II Buttercream Bakeshop Interior

If you've seen this interior in person, then you're probably lucky enough to have sampled some of Buttercream Bakeshop's delicious baked goods. Located on 9th Street NW between M and N in Shaw/Mt. Vernon, this is one of the sweetest (in every way) shops I've been to in D.C. They not only have creative, delicious baked goods, but also adorable decor, fresh flowers for sale, and Compass Coffee (featured here)--what else do you need in life?

If you're looking for baked goods for an event, they can help you there too. Their instagram is full of beautiful confections--including most recently CACTUS CAKESICLES! I am constantly inspired by their creativity, artistry, and flavors. And, if you're newly vegan like me, they always have at least one vegan treat for you. I've been loving their Mexican chocolate cookie lately--delicious, rich chocolate with a little kick of spice. 

They are also located just around the corner from Shaw Yoga (featured here), so if you need a treat before or after class, this is the perfect place to stop! 

Heading out to explore some more of the city! Where should I go next?

LOCAL II Compass Coffee Spotlight

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Happy Saturday! I'm continuing my new D.C. local biz series with one of my favorite coffee shops in the city--Compass Coffee!

My Compass Coffee soy latte from a coffee break earlier this week.

I'm actually sipping some of their coffee right now that I brewed this morning. I  love the vibe and design of their brand, but what keeps me coming back is their delicious coffee. I make a lot of coffee at home, usually a big batch of cold brew that I use throughout the week, and their coffee is great no matter where you make it/how you brew it.

I painted their 7th Street location, which is the original and the place they roast their coffee. It's a lovely location, but if it's not near you, there are now so many options for you to get your caffeine fix from Compass. They have a bunch of other locations AND their coffee is served in a lot of other local businesses, like Union Kitchen Grocery and Buttercream Bakery.

If you do have a chance to go to one of their locations, I highly recommend their nitro cold brew coffee. I honestly haven't had anything like it elsewhere. It's the perfect light coffee for a warm day and since it's cold brew, it lacks the acidity or bitterness of traditionally brewed coffee, which keeps my stomach happy.

If you're like me and like to brew your own coffee at home, they have fantastic coffee and a helpful labeling system so you can choose the coffee that most suits your taste. I am also a little obsessed with their canisters and have a small collection of them that I re-use for all kinds of things, including pen holders (you can actually see one hanging in my art area post--I've just covered it in old paint palettes) and planters. This picture is from a few months back, but you can see my little plants growing happily in their Compass Coffee canisters.

Desert 2 District Design II Compass Coffee canister window garden

Let me know if you check them out! If you have any other ideas for how I can re-use my canister collection, let me know in the comments as well. 

LOCAL II Shaw Yoga Spotlight

Desert 2 District Design II Shaw Yoga Spotlight

I'm starting a new series that I'm really excited about--each Saturday I'll illustrate one of my favorite D.C. small businesses and share about it here. My business is still a baby, but I've been so overwhelmed by how supportive and amazing the small business and art communities in D.C. are so I want to keep spreading the love.

First up... Shaw Yoga!

This place has become my yoga home. We're lucky in D.C. that there are so many great studios and teachers to choose from. Before I found this studio, I bounced around from studio to studio, trying out their new member specials (most studios have a 1-2 week special price for new students) or hopping around via Classpass. I started at SY in a similar way, purchasing their new member special ($20 for 2 weeks of unlimited yoga!) and I was hooked. There's something so special about the teachers here and the community that the owners, Parker and Liz, have built. I've been going to classes, volunteering (even updating the chalkboards!), and making friends, there for over a year now and it has truly become a home away from home for me. 

If you're a fellow yogi or aspiring yogi, I highly recommend checking out this studio. They are tucked away in the cutest alley, Naylor Court, off of 9th Street NW, between N and O, across from Sundevich. If you're on 9th, turn left into the alley before you get to A&D.

I painted their illustration before they got their beautiful mural (painted by the talented Billy Colbert), but you won't be able to miss Ganesh welcoming you to the studio!