Friday, November 30, 2007

December 1-2 Weekend Picks and First Post!

Hello DC!

After searching the internet for sites that list and cover local shopping within the District and not finding much I decided to make a blog dedicated to it. Hopefully you will read this and it will help you go out, explore, and shop within the District, Virginia, or Maryland.

I'll be posting shopping excursions, listing local stores, and personal musings.

Enjoy!


DC 2007 Sales Tax Holiday Ends December 2nd


Last chance to shop tax free on Clothing, Accessories, and Shoes! Subject to exceptions. Check out the site: DC Office of Tax and Revenue


Weekend Happenings

December 1-2

Art + Craft Fair 2007
Greenbelt Festival Of Lights

Saturday, December 1, 10am-5pm
Paper Craft Workshop 11am-1pm
Craft Demonstrations 10:30am-4pm

Sunday, December 2, 11am-4pm (+ Artful Afternoon)
Make a Wreath 1-3pm
Prize Drawing 2pm
Klezmer Concert with the Alexandria Kleztet 3pm
Open Studios 1-5pm

Make your plans now to have fun as you stock up on handmade gifts and treasures for the year at the Art and Craft Fair!
Plus, there's a prize drawing at the Fair for Art Bucks and tickets to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center! Register online at www.greenbeltmd.gov/arts or in person before 2pm on 12/2.

Artists sell original hand made crafts in ceramics, wood, glass, jewelry, paper arts, fabric arts, photography, art prints, toys and more. + Community group exhibitors include the Greenbelt Museum, Greenbelt Nursery School, refreshments by Chef Lou benefitting the Greenbelt Arts Center and more. Also, a Winter Arts Class makes a great gift and buy wrist bands for Greenbelt New Year at the Craft Fair.


Holiday Sale of Donated Books by Friends of the Cleveland Park Library Cleveland Park Branch Library
Location: 3310 Connecticut Avenue, NW
First Floor Auditorium/Meeting Room
(Corner of Connecticut Avenue and Macomb Street)
Metro: Cleveland Park Metro Station

Saturday, December 1, 2007: 10 am - 4 pm
Sunday, December 2, 2007: 1 pm - 3 pm

Books For Sale:
1) Pristine Hardcover Books, Fiction & Nonfiction (Review Copies, etc.): $3.
2) Pristine Trade Paperbacks, Fiction & Nonfiction (Review Copies, etc.): $1.
3) "Special" Books: $3 to $10.
4) Children’s Books (Both Pristine Review Copies and Used): 50 cents to $3.
5) "Little Books" for Stocking Stuffers: 50 cents.
6) Science Fiction and Romance Paperbacks: 10 cents each.
7) Other categories: Foreign Languages, Health & Diet, Humor, Child Care.
8) Approximately 2,000 books in total.


Washington Craft Show: Craft Works at 20 Washington Convention Center
Location: 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW
Metro: Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center (Green and Yellow lines)

Saturday, December 1 from 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday, December 2 from 11 am - 5 pm

Phone: 800-832-7813
Site: http://www.craftsamericashows.com/WASH_main.htm
Email: info@craftsamericashows.com

Admission: $15
Seniors and students $13
Children under 12 free
Go to Washington Craft Show Coupon to print out $1 off admission

Presenting a panoramic view of the art of fine craft, the Washington Craft Show brings together 190 leading craft artists from 37 states. Among the nation’s premier events of contemporary American craft, the juried show celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Works on display and for sale combine imaginative vision with technical mastery. Each is one-of-a-kind or limited-edition, expanding the possibilities in glass, ceramics, jewelry and art-to-wear, wood, furniture, fiber, basketry, metals and more. Many exhibiting artists are represented in major private and museum collections.

Weekend talks and demonstrations recognize the show’s anniversary with the theme Craft Works at 20. Artists in their twenties and others working in the same medium for 20 or more years talk about their perspectives, and 20 artists will display and discuss special Works in the Works.


Saturday, December 1

1st Annual Holiday Market of Georgetown
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: Upper Wisconsin Avenue, NW, between P Street and Reservoir Road, NW

The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) and the boutiques of Book Hill host the 1st Annual Holiday Market! More than 20 boutiques, salons, and restaurants will participate with treats, strolling musicians, and unique gifts for all. The event features handcrafted ornaments, painted trays, small treasures, handmade jewelry, day-only specials, trunk shows, and gift-wrapping services.

Holiday flavors will be abundant at the market with a variety of sweet cakes and treats, Moroccan-themed cuisine, and mulled wine tastings. Pet owners can stop by The Dog Spot for canine pictures with Santa, where photo proceeds benefit the Washington Humane Society.

Additionally, the more-than twenty Book Hill shops unveil their holiday windows with distinctive themes and décor. Window dressings will be judged in four categories - ultimate holiday window, ultimate holiday merchandising, ultimate holiday innovation, and ultimate holiday tradition.


Bloomingdale Holiday Art Market
3-9pm
Big Bear Cafe
Location: 1st and R N.W.
Site: Bloomingdale Holiday Art Market

Arts, crafts, hot cider, fun! DC artists, designers, and craftspeople will be selling their creations at the Big Bear Cafe


French Christmas Bazaar
Wesley Theological Seminary
Location: 4500 Mass Ave., N.W.
10 AM - 4 PM

Come visit the French Speaking Protestant Church of Washington DC at their annual Christmas Bazaar.

Esprit de Noel - hand crafted Christmas items by local French Speaking Artisans
L'Arche de Noe - games for kids
La Marquise de Sevigne - gourmet French and American pastries
Kiosque de la Gare - French journals, newspapers, greeting cards, etc.


National Museum of Health and Medicine Family Program: Safe Toys and Gifts Month
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
National Museum of Health and Medicine
Location: 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW on the campus of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (free parking)
Metro: Takoma Park (Red line) then take Metrobus 52, 53, or 54 to the Butternut Street gate at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Phone: 202-782-2200

Join the National Museum of Health and Medicine for a special health awareness program to educate consumers about choosing age-appropriate toys this holiday season.

The museum will host a discovery cart demonstration to educate visitors about choking hazards. Museum staff will lead a brain safety game, and will have a prize drawing for a "brain helmet." Consumer information will be available, as well as children's coloring books on safe toys and free choking hazard testers.

Health Pact will also host a free screening where visitors can have routine health indicators checked.


Events are listed according to date in alphabetical order. Info gotten from sites listed in the Get Out the Door section of the site.


Metro Opens Doors and Wallets

My relationship with Metro has its good and bad times. Not liking it so much the new rail cars that make me feel like I need a height requirement to ride and track maintenance/single tracking delays. But Metro gets me to point A, B, and C. I know when the next train is coming and it's clean and relatively quiet (when compared to NYC subway).

So go ahead show some DC love and buy more than a I heart DC shirt. Get a shirt that represents your station. If you are a metro about town person or want to help tourists at the Mall wear a Metro Map t-shirt.

Personally I like the umbrella of the entire Metro map. Colorful and bold umbrellas brighten my mood on those dreary, rainy days.