just finished working on new branding business card project with Robert and Heather. They are…read morewonderful creative design team. The card they designed for my photography business have had the perfect effect. Everybody ask me about them and are impressed with concept. When you are working on your next branding concept make sure you make Robert and Heather your first call. They will not let you down. I look forward to working on future projects for my business with Letterpress Light.

I was at a nearby event at one small, woman-owned business, when I was also encouraged to check out…read moreCherry Blossom. I'm glad I did. It's not a big store, but it is packed with journaling supplies, self-restoration tools (e.g., career exploration cards), cars, and items that would make really excellent gifts for family members and work colleagues. I found the perfect card for a friend about to have a baby with the kind of funny note on the front that let's both of us know, I know her. For the BuJo fans out there, the store has a wall of colorful pens and a large basket of different washi tapes plus several kinds of notebooks and journals.

Bought a neighborhood map of Seattle from their shop in the downtown DC Christmas market and it's…read morenow happily hanging in our kitchen. Given how picky we are about art and how long it takes us to get art up, that's saying a lot. The style and colors are perfect and it's a great way to remember other parts of our lives. My only complaint is that they don't have more maps to buy. As somebody who lives in the burbs of DC (I know, judge all you want), I had to pick between DC proper or past cities I'd lived in. It would be really cool to have maps of some of the closer in burbs.

Old school.stationary shop with great quality paper and greeting cards!…read more Recommend for service and authenticity.

Delightful service! And the stationery is worth the trip, all beautiful. You can tell in every…read moreaspect they care deeply about their work.

I hired Samantha from Painted Palettes to hand letter mini pumpkins for a fall themed event and it…read morewas THE HIT FROM THE PARTY (even three months later, in the dead of winter my personalized pumpkin is still going strong and it's so beautiful I do not have the heart to throw it away). Samantha was easy to work with from start to finish and was able to stay professional despite the long lines at the party (I mean, how could you not want something so beautiful as a keepsake?). I could picture using her for corporate events, bridal showers, baby showers and any other celebration that could you a personalized twist. She can write on any material and even engraves on glass! I have not had the chance to check out her Intro to Hand Lettering classes yet but for now, I'll leave it to the pros. Painted Palettes is simply the best!

I first saw and met Samantha from Painted Palettes at a Yelp Elite event back in 2018. Then I…read morestarted following her work on Instagram (@painted_palettes). A couple months ago, my friend Kim and I took an Intro to Hand Lettering class with Samantha at Steadfast Supply in DC. Oh that rush hour traffic and $20 parking was sooo worth it! Turns out, Samantha used to be a teacher, and it shows in the way she articulates the class. It was easy to follow her instructions, and she was very hands-on with showing examples. Plus we got a pretty decent set of tools and goodies to take home with us! Since, I've purchased some of her watercolor artwork to hang at home. I am such a fan! The artwork can be found on her website or in various shops in the area. And her classes are actually affordable! Next I want to take her Pointed Pen class!

Appointed is a woman-owned local business out of Ivy City. Out of an old factory, they make their…read morenotebooks from the space and maintain a small shop where you can buy notebooks, journals, calendars, etc. They even have a notebook bar where you can custom make a notebook. The paper and books are quality!

I've been an Appointed customer for a while, but I usually buy their products online or at other…read morelocal gift shops/stationery stores. They have now opened up their own storefront next to their office, complete with a "Notebook Bar," but there is little reason to buy the products here instead of another store, unless you are in immediate need of a notebook while in Ivy City (but at that point, just go to Target, unless you are really want something fancy). They do have a small selection of items from other companies, but none of it is must have, unless you must have $20 paper clips. A selection of items at different price points would be nice. I booked an appointment at the Notebook Bar (with a giftcard that covered most of it). I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was pretty underwhelming. You just fill out a form and watch someone build it for you. I guess I would have liked to have been a part of the building process somehow. I have more fun buying their products off the shelf from cooler stationery stores. I did build a "half and half" notebook, which maybe is supposed to be something special. It was just lined paper in the front, then dotted grid paper in the back, which is essentially two different notebooks, so I might as well buy them separately elsewhere. My favorite part of the whole experience was the plastic button envelope that protected my notebook. In short, products are great and the staff is nice, I am just unlikely to visit this specific store in the future. It's skippable, especially if you don't live in the area.

Excellent prints (affordable) and original art works by both well known and up and coming artists.read more

I decided to start building my art collection last year and am so glad that I came to Gallery…read moreNeptune and Brown, both for their valuable advice as well as their incredible art collection! As long-term professionals in the art world, they were invaluable in helping me plan for future acquisitions and guiding me towards art that I now own and love. The gallery features a variety of established artists and I always see new and exciting work when I visit. Very responsive and helpful, Gallery Neptune and Brown is my favorite gallery in D.C. and I look forward to working with Chris and Bob in the future!

I originally found poppin through staples for office supplies and have been a fan of their pens and…read moresimple and clean desk supplies. When I heard a poppin showroom was opening, I had to stop-in. Their showroom is on the 2nd floor, right near Capital One Arena. Account execs offer free space planning (renderings for a visual person like myself), furniture sales and solutions, corporate branding (perfect for employee/client gifts). My favorite pieces are the adjustable height desk, QT privacy lounge, pitch sled chair, and the telephone booth.

A sort of underwhelming bookstore. Perhaps in its heyday it was better but now it seemed more like…read morea small coffee shop that just happens to have a couple shelves of books rather than a proper bookstore. The selection was not too big, and primarily consisted of economics, government, or political science books. On top of this they seemed to be a bit on the dated side. The layout also made it a tad difficult to browse without feeling you're getting into somebodies personal business as the tables are right in the middle of the U of shelves, so if somebody is sitting at the tables you'll have to navigate quite close to them to see anything. They also have a passport photo section as they're right next to the passport office, which is convenient I guess. Prices seemed fair though and it was organized well. If I'm walking past I might swing on by, but given the plethora of fantastic used bookshops in dc i would rather go to, I don't see myself really going back very often

This mini bookstore is very convenient if you are in need of a new passport photo. I came here to…read morethe passport office which ia right next door in order to get an irgent passport. Unbenounced to me, the photo that I provided did not qualify, so I had to rush to get a new passport photo. The price for the photo was priced slightly higher, and I understood it is for the convenience. They also have a cafe, and I ordered a cafe latte while I was here. The cafw also has a few pastries and snacks They have tables and chairs outside on the brick sidewalk, which made for a relatively stress free experience. The folks who helped me with the photo was cordial, and there was literally no stress involved getting this part of the required photo done.