I went to the Poppir Place pop up shops for the first time today. They have a couple of different…read moresmall business pop ups there, including a florist, a cupcake shop and a natural juice shop. It is worth the visit. Stop by and support local small businesses.

From the owner: Shop and explore in DC's first co-retailing store. We are host to a rotating roster of pop-up shops…read moreand a premium raw juice bar.

I can't say enough good things about Foxtrot Fabrications. I've received two items from Foxtrot,…read moreand I love both. First, I had to get one of the famous butt vases. It's the perfect home for one of my propagations, and people always ask about it! I also got a larger planter with built in drainage and drainage plate. I love the features on this one. The fully functional drainage combined with the modern style makes it one of my very favorite planters. As an added bonus, Foxtrot's owner (Luke) is an absolute delight to talk to. He clearly loves what he does, and that comes through in his work. He even said he could design custom pieces. I'll definitely be on the look out for his new designs, and I may have him customize something, too!

Walked by this booth while in the L' Efant Plaza food court while hungry and decided to stop by and…read morecheck them out. At the time, only the Red Bottom Buns were available. They are the Red Velvet version of Cinnamon Buns. Being from the deep south, I was naturally a bit skeptic because so many bakeries cannot recreate the buttery, chocolate taste of a true Red Velvet cake! Nonetheless, they reassured me that I would enjoy! When I finally got to a place where I could sit down and eat it, I was absolutely blown away! Lou's captured that true southern and unique red velvet taste perfectly and in the form of a CINNAMON BUN! The frosting was delicate and not overly sweet. The cinnamon wasn't overpowering the flavors of the rest of the bun, either! It was so good that I stopped back by to see if any additional buns were available after I left my appointment and they had their Lou Buns, which is a traditional cinnamon roll. I made it to the other side of the food court and stopped to give it a taste since it was still warm and I almost melted just like the icing on my roll! My gosh! So good! Ive been telling everyone about them and have a Cinnamon roll fanatic coming in town to visit soon and will be taking her straight to Lou's to get the same experience! The customer service was friendly and felt like I was talking with family! I will definitely be a new supporter and spread the name out! If you are familiar with the old L'Efant plaza eateries, they are located exactly where the old Jamba Juice used to be and the (now closed) Church's Chicken. California Tortilla is directly next to them and still open. If you are coming from the metro, walk through the glass doors and walk past the couple of food spots on your right then make a right down the hall past a hair supply store and more. You'll end up right in front of Lou's! Enjoy!

I had heard about Lou's Buns through social media. Although I did not visit the L'Efant plaza…read morelocation, I was able to try them at a local farmers market. I tried the cookies and cream and the confetti. Both rolls were delicious with just the right amount of icing. Warming them up for 30 seconds was enough to make the icing soft and creamy. If you have an opportunity to check this place out you should.

Great pop up that serves the most delightful Ethiopian coffee, espressos and cafe. Prices are…read morereasonable and the coffee is superb. They know their business and are one of the very few places that serve water with their espresso. THEY GET IT. Had the cardamom breakfast roll and the scent was heavenly and the taste was even better. Today their menu was different to support the pop up event but they normally have a full tea menu and a full range of coffee to get your day going or to enjoy at your morning or afternoon break. So good.

Everyone knows that I don't give out five starts very often. A business must go way over and beyond…read moremy expectations to get all five! I have been to several paint nights and have even left in tears from one of those... that was not the case with Creative Mankind. This company travels around to different venues and offers a variety of painting options. I met up with a group of friends and we painted a Mardi Gras themed picture. Right off the bat I knew it was going to be an awesome experience. We were greeted with upbeat music and beads to celebrate the occasion. Our instructor really put a lot of thought and passion into the class ahead of time. Laying on the canvas was a template of the mask we needed to transfer to our painting. She let us know that we could "go rogue" and change up the colors and skip the sketching parts but I am way not that talented! She had one completed painting on an easel and another blank canvas for demonstration up on an elevated easel. It was visible to everyone in the room without having to stand up. She was extremely accommodating as far as time given for each step, which I really appreciated! It was fun how she would tell us how many songs she would play for us to finish each step... "okay you have two songs to do this step!" There was an assistant who walked around and offered advice and guidance which was helpful. Creative Mankind had partnered with a restaurant that offered drink specials and happy hour pricing for apps! The restaurant provided a dedicated server to us which was a nice touch. And huzzah... my painting actually looked a lot like the sample! Which for me is a huge deal because I am really not artistic or creative with paint. We were all encouraged along the way and our confidence was bolstered by telling us that everyone is an artist but we express our artistry in different ways. I was with a party of six and all of our paintings turned out different and reflected our personalities. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Creative Mankind for any event they host. They also do private parties!

I'm a remote employee in CA and work with a virtual team. We meet up on a quarterly basis in…read moreArlington, VA, (DMV area) so when we do come together, we try to make the most of our time and make it a point to sneak in some fun! For our last trip in July, I was tasked with coordinating the fun team activity and stumbled upon Creative Mankind. I was considering a couple other options, but when I started communicating with Staci (the owner and host), there was really no question that this was the activity (painting class) I wanted to plan for my team. She was so nice, so patient, and super accommodating in every way possible. She even found the most perfect venue to hold our team event (Lyon Hall). She provided all supplies, ensured the ambiance was great and lively, and her instruction was so thorough! She guided us -ever so patiently- every step of the way. We had so much fun! I would, 100% recommend Creative Mankind for your next work team event!!