48 minute read
THE SMALL THINGS
ILLUSTRATION BY LUCINDA JENNINGS
The Priceless Value of ...
BY STUART PERKINS
It was a beautiful day in
Old Town with so much to see, do and taste.
An outdoor seat at any waterfront eatery guarantees great people-watching, but on an early fall day like this, walking and window-shopping were in order.
I strolled past the front window of one of several antique shops in the area. Sunlight reflected in a hundred directions as it struck crystal glasses lined up along a shelf. The rainbow of sparkles caught my eye and I stopped to look. My mother has glasses like these, I thought. On a shelf below was a huge punch bowl. My mother’s is very similar.
Staring at these old pieces reminded me of a conversation I once had with a coworker at the office. A pre-virus discussion before Zoom meetings replaced water-cooler chats. My office was just down the hall from Karen’s.
I glanced in her door on my way to the copier. She motioned frantically when I passed by, barely looking up from her computer as her hand waved me toward her desk. She was breathing heavily.
“Isn't this antique Italian walnut burl carved armoire beautiful?” she asked.
“What?” I wasn’t even sure what language she was speaking.
She shoved the monitor in my direction, pointed at the screen and waited for me to be awed.
“Oh.” I said. “A wardrobe.”
“You have one?” she asked with a slight smirk.
“No, but I have a cedar wardrobe that was my great-grandmother’s,” I answered.
“Of course.” She frowned as she slid the monitor back toward herself. “I love proper antiques.”
“I like old stuff too.” I left to go to the copier.
I have plenty of old stuff. Not just old, but meaningful. Each piece belonged to someone in my family and was passed down and down again until landing with me. Most may not be so valuable in dollars, but each has a story. When I look at them, I imagine the person who first owned them, how they used them, and whether they ever imagined that a
hundred years later a relative would be grateful to have them.
The Italian armoire that affected Karen’s respiration was pretty, but it meant nothing to me. I would rather have my great-grandmother’s simple cedar wardrobe than all of Italy’s armoires. Then again, I don’t know antiques. I only know my old stuff.
Some weeks later, I invited coworkers over for Friday night pizza. Karen was the first to say yes.
“I’ll get to see your armoire!” she squealed.
“It’s a wardrobe,” I reminded her.
“Of course,” Karen said.
Friday evening arrived and with plates full of pizza, everyone launched into small talk and office gossip. Everyone, that is, but Karen. She was only interested in inspecting my wardrobe.
“What a fabulous vintage mid-century cedar wardrobe!” Karen felt obliged to confirm. She smiled, and then suddenly looked down at her feet.
“Wait. This appears to be an American folk art style hooked rug, likely from the 1930s, is my guess.” She leaned down for a closer look and glanced back up at me. “Did you pick it up from a specialty shop?”
“No, I picked it up from my mother’s hallway,” I laughed. “I told my mother I liked it so she rolled it up and gave it to me. It belonged to my great-aunt who decades earlier rolled it up and gave it to my mother.”
“Of course,” Karen said.
She eyed the small table in my hallway. “What an absolutely beautiful mahogany telephone table. And matching chair!” she noticed. “Did you find it at an auction?”
“No, I found it in my grandmother’s farmhouse upstairs in a spare room. She used it for decades and always told us grandkids about the funny things she’d overhear while making calls back in the time when party lines were common.”
“Of course,” Karen said.
The show-and-tell process continued for the next few minutes as Karen moved from room to room examining all of my old stuff. She stopped finally in front of the worn and rusty hand-held pruning shears I kept on a shelf. She didn’t guess or even comment. She simply pointed at the shears and waited.
“Oh.” I took my cue. “They were my grandmother’s and I just keep them to remember her and her love of gardening.”
Karen actually smiled. “Does everything have a story?”
“Of course,” I said.
Everyone regrouped in the living room to begin goodbyes and run through their weekend plans. Someone asked Karen if she would hit the antique shops in the morning, her well-known Saturday routine.
“No.” Karen tapped her chin with her forefinger. “I have enough of those,” she said.
Conversations stopped as we looked at her in disbelief.
She looked toward the rusty old pruning shears as she spoke again.
“What I need is some old stuff.”
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The Landini Family Shares a Favorite Holiday Recipe
BY MARY ANN BARTON
Franco and son Noe Landini pause for a photo in front of Landini Brothers in Old Town Alexandria. PHOTO BY MARY ANN BARTON
Last year, Landini Brothers restaurant celebrated its 40th anniversary, welcoming patrons to enjoy menu prices from 1979. That's when Tuscany natives and brothers Franco and Piero Landini opened the doors to a nowlandmark Italian eatery at 115 King St. near Old Town Alexandria's waterfront.
For years, customers have enjoyed the restaurant’s classic Italian fare while toasting birthdays, anniversaries and
weddings in a building that dates to 1775. The Old World atmosphere of chandeliers and flickering candlelight playing on the exposed stone and brick walls and rustic timbers, along with attentive service from its longtime wait staff, make it a top-notch experience.
Franco Landini has been a fixture for years at the restaurant, often greeting patrons at lunch and again at dinner, but these days, the 76-year old enjoys spending more of his time in southern Florida, where you can often find him throwing a line in the water. Now, restaurant-goers are more likely to see his son, Noe Landini. As managing director and CEO of REX Management, Noe helps run Landini’s, along with other Alexandria restaurants Junction Bakery & Bistro, Fish Market & Anchor Bar and Pop’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Co., among other businesses.
The family has made changes to its restaurants to adapt to the pandemic, including adding some specialty grocery items at Junction Bakery and offering a mobile app for diners who want to order from Landini Brothers. (It’s available in the Apple and Android app stores or you can text “LANDINI” to 33733 to download the app.)
Growing up, the Landini family enjoyed returning to Italy to visit with their extended family. Of course, that often involved elaborate meals.
We asked Noe Landini if he could share one of his family’s favorite holiday recipes with our readers, and he graciously obliged.
“This is a great recipe that I’ve used for years when entertaining guests at my home or theirs,” he noted. “It’s a recipe my Dad came up with years ago and I’ve modified it a bit over the years.”
“Choose a tenderloin from your local butcher or grocery store,” he said. “You’re going to want the entire loin; I prefer Choice or Prime.”
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, “although I recommend holding the tenderloin overnight in your refrigerator after it’s rubbed,” he said. “It’s still good if you cook it right away.”
Bring the tenderloin to room temperature before dressing it.
Combine all ingredients for the wet rub in a blender (see ingredient list). You may need to add a little more or a little less of any of these ingredients depending on how big the cloves, shallots and sprigs are. Maybe more evoo (extra virgin olive oil) as well. A good gauge is that the consistency is somewhere between a paste and liquid form because you want the rub to stay on the tenderloin and not slide off.
Before you dress the tenderloin, give it a nice rub of kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Dress the loin. It should be completely covered — meaning you don’t want
to see the red meat, you only want to see green.
Once the loin is dressed, place on a roasting rack or hotel pan and put it in the oven. Roast for 20-35 minutes (or longer depending on your oven and size of the loin). The internal temperature should be about 125 – 130 degrees when you pull it out for a nice medium-rare roast. Let the loin rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting it. When you cut the loin, cut quarter-inch slices against the grain of the loin.
“This is great to serve at parties and family gatherings,” Landini said. “You can make a sour cream horseradish sauce to accompany, red wine reduction or just about anything you love with roasted beef. The leftovers are fantastic for sandwiches.”
“If you feel like going for it, roast some potatoes ahead of time in a hotel pan and place the loin on top of the roasted potatoes then roast the loin in the oven over the potatoes,” he said. “You can use your favorite roasted potato recipe.”
“Buon appetito!”
Beef Tenderloin Wet Rub
2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
(Although the Landinis like salt, so keep going if you want)
3 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 8 cloves of garlic 2 shallots
6 sprigs fresh thyme 4 sprigs fresh rosemary 6 sprigs fresh sage
PHOTOS BY BETH LAWTON
1970s Colonial Gets a Facelift and a Dose of Southern Charm
A complete exterior transformation creates space for outdoor entertaining and family memories.
BY SUSANNAH MOORE
Exterior, before
When you drive through the neighborhoods in Fort Hunt, it feels like a different era. Children are riding bikes and playing games in the street and everyone waves at you as you go past.
As you turn the corner onto Parry Lane, one house in particular jumps out at you. It is a two-story Colonial with whitewashed brick and white siding with contrasting black shingled roof and shutters. With a white picket fence and a brick walkway that leads straight through a well-manicured lawn to a pillared portico, the house looks like it belongs in a small town in the Carolinas, not 15 miles outside of our nation’s capital.
This 1970s Dutch Colonial looked very different five years ago when Anne and Brent Merchant purchased the home after relocating to Alexandria. The beige vinyl siding, brick and washed-out blue shutters looked every bit of the home’s 45 years.
Despite its exterior, Anne Merchant could see the potential for the house to become the home of her dreams.
Deck before screening
“I grew up in North Carolina, we grew up in a very traditional brick Colonial home… so I knew we wanted that type of style house,” she explained. “My main inspiration is part of where I grew up, the type of architecture and homes but also really drawing from the things and the people I love.”
She inherited an eye for design from her mother who passed away a couple years after they bought the house. Some of her favorite flowers, hydrangeas and yellow roses, are planted throughout the yard to honor her.
Merchant had a vision of how she wanted the house to look but with the extent of the changes she wanted to make on the exterior, it came together in stages. The Merchants knew they wanted plenty of space for them and their two boys to entertain friends outside.
A few years of saving money and filling Pinterest boards later, the first phase of construction began in summer 2018. Woodbridgebased Sunshine Contracting replaced the vinyl siding with white HardiePlank® siding and began construction of a new front porch and screened-in back porch. The Merchants were able to save money by bundling the projects together. Patrick’s Painting painted the exterior brick and wood.
Merchant originally wanted a front porch that ran the front of the house and a large screened-in back porch but cost, Fairfax County regulations and the smaller size of lots in Northern Virginia hampered the original plans. The size of the back porch was limited by a basement egress, a Dominion power box and the requirement to stay within 25 feet of their property line.
A lot of detail went into the finishes of the back porch, which serves as a focal point of the backyard space. A single-sloped roof with two skylights allows light to enter the interior back room of the house and gives a modern twist to the traditional, Colonial style of the room and the rest of the house.
The porch room was finished last spring which has allowed the Merchants to enjoy it through four seasons. A ceiling fan makes the room more comfortable on hot days while blankets on the couch and a space heater keep the room warm enough through the winter. This allows for plenty of movie nights and watching sports on the TV hung above the doors leading from the interior to the porch.
We love the homes we do - everything from highly traditional to rock star!
Call us and let us help you love your home!
SERVING ALEXANDRIA FOR 25 YEARS
Anne Merchant’s Advice Don’t feel like you have to do
everything at once. If you’re doing a large exterior renovation do it in phases.
Be on site as much as
possible. If issues arise or you or crew members have a question, it is easier to address them quickly. You are essentially a project manager.
Know your HOA bylaws and
regulations ahead of time.
Have your property surveyed.
It affects things like fence building and landscaping.
Choose contractors who are licensed, bonded and insured
by doing your research or word of mouth. They will be able to pull permits and save a lot of future headaches.
Ask if contractors will give
you a discount or bundle a multi-phase project. You never know unless you ask!
Show a little Southern
hospitality! Treat the crews to lunch and a cold drink, since they are doing the hard work and making your dream a reality.
The second phase involved landscaping the backyard as well as building a patio and fire pit area. The Merchants picked Kingstowne Lawn and Landscape for this part of the project because of their ability to do both landscaping and hardscaping. Merchant could not say enough about their excellent customer service and their willingness to build a relationship with her as a customer.
Merchant appreciated Kingstowne Lawn and Landscape for helping them think through some of their options for the backyard area. They chose to put in a gas fire pit over wood because, although it is more expensive, it saves the time and hassle of having to build a fire — and that allows them to focus on spending time enjoying s’mores around the flames. A short wall around the fire pit with a built-in bench allows for more seating.
They also put in a new concrete driveway to replace the old 1970s asphalt as well installed the brick front walkway. Lining the driveway with bricks helped tie the front of the house together.
The third phase of the exterior transformation wrapped up in September of this year. Kingstowne Lawn and Landscape installed a privacy fence along the back of their yard
and holly trees were planted to create year round greenery. The yard was filled with southern plants like crepe myrtles, magnolias, camelias, gardenias and azaleas to add of touch of home for Merchant. A gravel pad was laid for a new, larger shed that matches the exterior of the main house. Byler Barns, based out of the Shenandoah area of Virginia built the shed on site.
Finishing touches really brought the charm to the whole project. Black metal light fixtures from Shades of Light in Richmond and a pine storm door from Raleigh, North Carolina invites visitors to enjoy the space along with the Merchant family.
Merchant said she is done with renovations for now. The interior of the home already works well for them and she could not be happier with the result of the exterior transformation. “We’ve tried to bring it out of the 70s and bring it to a little more modern southern but still traditional. Merchant explained. “This was the main focus when we bought this place. The exterior is what need[ed] to happen to make us enjoy it. It makes me happy to drive around that corner and see what I envisioned come together.” At a time when outdoor space is more important than ever, the timing could not be more perfect.
The online shopping platform Etsy, where thousands of makers sell their creations, has seen explosive year-over-year growth — another side-effect of the global pandemic that made 2020 the year no one expected.
As people searched for handmade masks this spring, they stumbled across a whole host of products, decor and jewelry, increasing sales across a wide variety of categories.
This fall, we dove into Etsy and we surveyed the local membership of the Alexandria Makers Market collective to find out what residents are making. Whether it's a passion for art or a business idea (or both), there are dozens of Alexandrians who are creating amazing and beautiful things.
So if you're looking for holiday gifts or just some inspiration for your own creativity, these six Alexandria-based makers and the other makers we love are as varied as their crafts.
Forever in Glass
LOCAL ARTIST PRESERVES CREMATION ASHES IN GLASS.
BY SARA DINGMANN
When artist Laura Beth Konopinski was asked by her longtime friend Julie to create a piece of art memorializing Julie’s father out of his ashes, neither of them knew what the end result would be.
Julie’s family wanted to spread her father’s ashes all over the world, as he had been an avid adventurer, but years and years passed and the family was never able to coordinate that trip. Instead, Julie entrusted her father’s ashes to Konopinski and asked her to use her artistic talents to create a lasting memorial.
With those ashes, Konopinski created the first Wish Stone, encapsulating cremains between layers of glass. “And when [Julie] received the piece, I was shocked at how emotional she was,” Konopinski said. “She said to me, ‘This is so beautiful and amazing to have. You have to do this for other people.’”
People memorialize a loved one who has died in many ways — by scattering their ashes in a special location, planting a tree or keeping their ashes in a decorative urn. Konopinski’s company, Scattered Glass, provides people with the opportunity to honor and remember a loved one in a way that keeps them close.
Through different glass sculpting techniques, Konopinski creates a piece of art containing the ashes of a loved one. In addition to Wish Stones, she offers jewelry and other custom pieces.
“They want to hold a memory and try to remember their loved ones in a positive way,” Konopinski said about clients coming to her. “And something with glass, something even as simple as selecting a certain color, can really resonate with people.”
Konopinski has been sculpting with glass since 2004. As an artist, she has been doing commission work and her
SHOP NAME Scattered Glass
TYPE OF WORK
Custom artwork and jewelry
own creative projects for many years. It wasn’t until 2016 that she officially launched Scattered Glass.
“I had never done something like that before,” Konopinski said. “However, in my own personal work I have been incorporating different organic materials and I’ve been using different processes to preserve the organic materials. So, I was kind of familiar with how I could go about doing that.”
Konopinski created a line of products called the Remembrance Series, focusing on creating smaller glassworks. Scattered Glass sends a collection kit specifically for collecting ashes, allowing people all over the country to ship ashes to her studio in Kingstowne.
“A lot of the pieces I make are typically smaller pieces,” she said. “People want to keep them with them — wear it around their neck or keep it in a pocket.”
The idea for the name Scattered Glass came from the idea of scattering ashes. Wish stones, like the ones Konopinski made for her friend Julie, can be given to family members or left somewhere meaningful, much like the way someone would scatter ashes, as Julie did.
“She was really scattering his ashes where they were supposed to go,” Konopinski said.
Konopinski is very passionate about working with a family to create a piece or series of pieces that will properly honor their lost family member or pet.
“Folks come to me in different stages of the grieving process,” she said. “I’m very honored to help... wherever they are in that process of losing someone.” She is currently enrolled in classes at the University of Vermont to become an End of Life Doula to better understand the stages of grief and how to best communicate with her clients as they go through the grieving process. Konopinski is very dedicated to inclusivity and caters to any belief system.
While Konopinski does do custom work, the website is a good starting place for conversations about how to best honor someone. It takes about four to six weeks to get an order returned, and around the holidays extra time may be needed.
If you would like to order memorial glasswork, visit scatteredglass.com.
Blacksmith Forged from Reality TV
DEL RAY METALWORKS FOUNDER STARTED BY WATCHING THE CRAFT ON TELEVISION.
BY SARA DINGMANN
Have you ever watched something that has inspired you to pick up a new hobby or project?
For many people this year, it was attempting to bake Swiss rolls after watching The Great British Bake Off, or ridding their home of clutter and things that weren’t “sparking joy” after seeing Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Oftentimes, this inspiration does not lead to much of anything outside a few burnt cakes.
For Warren Wylupski of Del Ray Metalworks, his televised inspiration led him to start what is now a growing business. Specifically, it was the History Channel show Forged in Fire, about blacksmiths recreating blade weapons, that inspired him to try out the craft.
Wylupski got his first opportunity to try blacksmithing when he took a weekend hatchet-making class with a friend a couple of years ago, just for fun.
“That was pretty cool. It didn’t turn out the way I hoped it would have turned out,” Wylupski said matter-of-factly, but he was not willing to give up so easily.
Eager to learn more when he got back from the weekend workshop, he found a place in Arlington where he could take more blacksmithing classes — and he hasn’t stopped learning since then. The blacksmithing classes lead to welding classes and purchasing supplies to work on projects at home.
Wylupski never considered himself artistic.
SHOP NAME Del Ray Metalworks
TYPE OF WORK
“I wouldn't be able to just take some metal and then twist it off and … make something look really pretty,” he said. “I don't have that capacity — but replicating and fabricating, I think I do pretty well.”
He was able to craft a radiator cover for his house based on a design his wife described. He found that his interests didn’t lie with creating weapons like on Forged in Fire.
“I've made a couple knives, but it's not really my forte,” Wylupski explained. “My interest was like, someone wanted six identical hooks. Making six identical anything was kind of hard to do, but I was able to do it. So that was pretty cool.”
He describes himself as a rustic blacksmith, meaning he focuses on repurposing materials. Like turning railroad spikes into bottle openers or horseshoes into door knockers. Even when he started selling hooks and door knockers at Art on the Avenue in Del Ray last year, he didn’t plan on turning his work into a business.
“We made out pretty well during Art on the Avenue. But then when I went to file my sales tax, I had to get my city license and found out I couldn't do the work in my house,” Wylupski said. He got a membership at The Garden at Building Momentum in Alexandria’s West End to use as his workspace, and keeping the business going was the next step. “If I'm going to go through all that, I might as well try to keep this up as a business.”
He started signing up for more artisan fairs and looking to create not just projects he finds fun, but figuring out items people will really find useful, such as custom wine racks. And he is even planning as far ahead as Valentine’s Day.
“I thought I could make a bunch of metal flowers now, and kind of perfect
my technique for those and have them ready for [the] virtual Art on the Avenue coming up, or from the holidays, and then we're rolling into Valentine's Day,” Wylupski said.
One of his most popular items is a railroad stake bottle opener, which he created to participate in the Makers Market at Port City Brewery last November.
He does all of this around his day job as a contractor for U.S. Department of Energy, spending evenings and the weekends at the workspace in The Garden. He plans on learning more techniques and growing his range with both metalworking and welding.
If you're looking for a gift for your rustic-obsessed friend, or for a new fun bottle opener for the holidays, head to Wylupski’s Etsy shop at etsy.com/shop/delraymetalworks. Some larger pieces, such as wine racks, take longer to make, so be sure to order early or ask Wylupski for a time estimate.
Salt and Spice Makes Everything Nice
WITHOUT THE MESQUITE, IT WASN'T QUITE THE SAME
BY SUSANNAH MOORE
Growing up in Texas, Gonzalez was used to grilling using mesquite and seasoning with little more than salt and pepper. When he first grilled on a propane grill he couldn’t figure out why his food didn’t taste the same. Quickly it dawned on him that without the mesquite, he wasn’t getting any of that extra flavor from the wood. He started playing around with spices to add flavor to his food and found himself using the same three ingredients - garlic powder, lemon pepper and seasoned salt. He decided to mix them together into bottles and gave them away as gifts to friends and family. Five years ago, some of his friends encouraged him to go commercial. In addition to his original grilling and roasting spice he added a spicy version with chipotle and white peppers, an extreme version of the spicy seasoning and an herb seasoning.
He came up with the name Apothecary Spices and began selling his blends at comic book conventions. He gave them fantasy-themed names like “Eye of Newt” and “Dragons Breath” but recently, Gonzalez decided to go
After years of friends complimenting the way he spices his food, Eddie Gonzalez decided to do something about it.
more mainstream. In addition to his four basic seasonings he also developed a special pizza and pasta seasoning, a black bacon salt and a vegetarian “phacon” salt.
“I just kept adding things that I would use that were flavor profiles that made sense to me. There is something about them that does appeal when people try it that gets them kind of hooked.” Gonzalez explained. “You can’t grill processed foods so for me it’s about vegetables, meats and proteins. I like the food tasting like it was meant to taste, with just a little spice and flavor.”
SHOP NAME Apothecary Spices
TYPE OF WORK
Boutique spice blends
He also sells a travel kit that contains his basic grilling and seasoning mix, spicy pepper mix and herb seasoning and a field kit that contains all of his current products. They come in heavy duty, tactical pouches that are perfect for campers, hunters and travelers.
He has ideas for other spices but is limited by storage since he currently bottles, packages and sells everything himself.
Like for many other online local businesses, COVID-19 has affected Apothecary Spices, despite offering local delivery and contactless delivery. A quarter of Gonzalez’s yearly sales typically occurred at Del Ray’s annual Art on the Avenue festival. While he is curious to see how the virtual version of the festival will go this year, he has been looking for other smaller markets and fairs to attend to supplement online sales.
He has found Virginia and in particular, Alexandria, a wonderful place to start a business. “There is an atmosphere of wanting to support a local look and feel…You get a good vibe of being part of that small business community.”
In addition to mixing spices on the side, Gonzalez is a program manager for the Society of American Military Engineers and leads scuba trips to the Caribbean back in pre-COVID-19 days. He enjoys the ability to express his love of cooking and grilling and exploring his entrepreneurial side through Apothecary Spices.
His long-term goal is to shift to the retail market and find a fulfillment partner that will allow him to expand and step back to a quality-control role. He would love to source to local restaurants who would want to use his seasonings. While most of his previous sales have been at fairs marketed towards artist and crafters, he is looking to get into food shows. “If I can get people to try it, I’m very confident in my flavors,” he said.
Gonzalez receives a lot of questions about what goes into his spices. He does not use MSG and sources his ingredients (all of which are listed on
the bottles) from a local restaurant supplier. For people who are trying to cut back on sodium, he warns that most of his blends contain salt. The only one that doesn’t is his herb blend.
The most common question he receives is if his spices are organic or he grows them himself. He responds to this question by explaining to customers that “you’re buying my recipe. I’m not over-speaking the individual ingredients, I am really trying to highlight how they all come together to make these combinations.”
Gonzalez is excited to announce a few new blends that will be ready just in time for the holiday season. He will be adding to his basic seasoning to create a cheddar popcorn salt, a spicy cheddar popcorn salt and a butter popcorn salt. They are a must-have for holiday movie marathons and would make the perfect stocking stuffer.
Find spices, sampler packs and gifts at apothecaryspices.com.
Custom Crayons that Fit the Molds
STAY-AT-HOME MOM STARTED ETSY SHOP TO FIT AROUND HER LIFE.
BY SARA DINGMANN
Danielle Kell was a stayat-home mom who was looking for a way to work — sort of. Still wanting to dedicate her time to being a mom, she started searching for something that was meaningful, flexible and positive.
It started when a friend sent Kell a photo of a molded crayon.
“I had been telling her, ‘I wish I had an Etsy business like you,’” Kell said. “’You find a way to make money, yet you are also a stay-at-home mom.’ And I admired that so much.”
When Kell saw the crayon art she knew instantly that was something she could get behind. She went to Target the next day, and it took off from there. Crayon creation fit the mold of her life.
Cosmic Crayon launched in September 2019. The first molds she purchased were letters. She began making marbled names and then eventually branched out to other shapes, like dinosaurs, rockets and teddy bears.
Her mom had moved to the area from where Kell had grown up in Bermuda, so for the first time Kell and her husband had extra support. The Etsy shop fits her life because she wants to still be a stayat-home mom for her preschooler and 6th grader.
“This was the first time I was able to say, ‘I want to try to sink my teeth into something.’”
With her family in a place where she could contribute financially, she started searching for an opportunity.
“I felt that I wanted something for me,” she said.
SHOP NAME Cosmic Crayon
TYPE OF WORK
Personalized and custom crayon art
When she first started, business was slow, so she continued to research and figure out the platform. It was around Halloween when she started seeing more orders, and with each one she and her kids would happy dance.
Even with her Etsy business fitting around her job as a mom, working from home has come with its challenges. During the pandemic especially, everyone is at home and it becomes more difficult to find spare moments.
“You know, my son learned how to play better by himself, and I learned better how to set him up with something,” Kell said. “My husband helps more because I need him more. It’s all positive.”
She spends a lot of late nights working, and she works during those stolen moments throughout the day. She loves the moment of being able to pop the crayon out of the mold and see how it melted.
“You never know how the crayon is going to melt,” Kell repeatedly said.
But she is always thinking about the child who will be receiving the crayons. She wants each side of the crayon to be a new color.
While she finds inspiration for her products and designs everywhere in the community, her children have been the basis of some of her best-selling lines.
Her son was always coloring the Avengers, so Kell created a crayon series where each crayon is themed for a different superhero.
The superhero line did really well, as did the fruit basket line, which her daughter inspired. Her daughter is also a big supporter of keeping yellow in Kell’s rainbows, a color that is usually left out of crayon rainbows because there is usually only one yellow crayon per box.
“She called me out on that,” Kell said, laughing.
While she is doing this business to be creative, at the end of the day she says she is doing it for her kids.
“Even if it has nothing to do with them, every crayon is inspired by them,” Kell said. “I did this for them. I want this for me, but it is so great for them to see that as a mommy that I have something to be proud of and a little something to work on now and then.”
Her creations make the perfect gift for any creative child. All names are custom and there is a wide variety of shapes available as well on her Etsy site.
While she does typically create an order within a couple of days of purchase, as she gets closer to the holidays that timeframe will change. She suggests ordering early if looking for holiday gifts.
To see crayons and order, go to Kell's Etsy site at etsy.com/shop/ cosmiccrayoncompany.
Creating Community around (Wo)man's Best Friend
PAWSGO IS GOING NEW PLACES THIS YEAR.
BY SUSANNAH MOORE
There is a reason Alexandria is considered one of the most dog-friendly cities in the country. It is nearly impossible to walk down one of the city’s main streets without seeing water bowls, jars of dog treats and a wide variety of breeds taking a stroll with their owners.
It is her dogs that inspired longtime Del Ray resident Karen Johnson to start the online community PawsGo.
“Dogs bring us together. Dogs take us places we wouldn’t go otherwise. You meet so many people in Alexandria through your dogs. They break down barriers for us either through ourselves or with others…They just make our lives so whole and they make us healthy,” Johnson explained. One day while walking her Australian Shepherd, Boomer, Johnson thought about how lucky she was to live in Alexandria and have a dog (she has since added a second Aussie to the family named Poppy). She wondered if there was a way to share this feeling and the idea for PawsGo was born.
PawsGo started out as an online community to promote an active lifestyle for women with dogs. Members can share tips and let other people know about places to visit with their dogs. Soon, PawsGo became so much more. Over time, it became a way to give back to local artisans, businesses and dog rescue organizations in Alexandria.
Johnson frequently takes Boomer to the Eugene Simpson dog park in Del Ray. A few years back, when the City did not have enough money for improvements to the park including adding lights, Johnson worked with local artists and designed a T-shirt to raise money. Sales from the T-shirts, printed with the words “My dog digs Del Ray” on them, raised $3,000 for the project.
SHOP NAME PawsGo
TYPE OF WORK
Dog-themed shirts, totes. notecards and more
Seeing the success of these T-shirts, Johnson decided to create more products as part of her PawsGo brand. Working with other local artists and DC Shirt and Print, she created a line of clever, dog themed T-shirts and hoodies as well as coasters, dog toys, notecards and tote bags (there are even cat coasters for those who prefer felines).
She also developed a line of T-shirts where the profits are donated to various dog rescue organizations including Lu's Labs, The Pet Rescue Alliance, Operation Paws for Homes, Project Second Chance and BREW (Beagle Rescue Education and Welfare).
The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on PawsGo, which relies heavily on in-person pop-ups and festivals for the majority of sales. An attempt to do an online pop-up with a few other Del Ray businesses was not as successful as she had hoped.
“Support local, but local in Alexandria is beyond brick and mortar. There are those of us who are online only that don’t have that visibility.” Johnson explained. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Johnson found a way to give back to the community she loves. “In Del Ray, restaurants are the foundation of our neighborhood,” said Johnson.
Seeing their struggle because of the shutdown, Johnson took her usual pop-up budget and worked with local artist Lisa Carey and Chris Bishop to create 400 shirts which she gave to restaurants to sell for $25 each to raise money for their employees. The shirts in either purple or green featured two dogs eating out and the hashtag #togetherdelrayva.
Johnson is keeping her focus on the future of PawsGo. She and a friend recently started a podcast, or as they call it a “pawdcast” where they feature local dog businesses and discuss dog related topics. In February, Johnson applied for and got a press pass for the Westminister dog show and was able to interview the show’s communications director on the podcast. On another episode they spoke with Andrew Hager, a historian with the Presidential Pet Museum.
Johnson, who works full time as a lobbyist in the not-for-profit education sector, would love to see PawsGo become a national brand.
While right now it is a fun side business, she can see it becoming her exit strategy when she retires. She hopes to get products on other retail sites and stores, while still retaining the PawsGo commitment to support dog rescues and spread the joy of having a dog.
Through her work with PawsGo, Johnson is grateful for the business owner friends and repeat customers she has met. She urges Alexandrians to support small businesses this holiday season. “Help us end 2020 a little better. Even if you don’t have a dog I bet you know somebody who does.”
After all, in Alexandria, it would be almost impossible not to.
Shop for gifts for your two- and four-legged friends now at pawsgo.com/shop.
The Beauty is in the Bottle
ALEXANDRIA-BASED SOLDIER AND MOM TURNS EMPTY BOTTLES INTO UNIQUE MASTERPIECES.
BY SUSANNAH MOORE
Many of life’s special moments are celebrated with a strong drink — but what happens to all those empty bottles after the last drop of wine or liquor is finished?
For some of us, there’s an empty bottle sitting at home collecting dust, whether it’s a bottle of champagne from your engagement or a bottle of spirits from a memorable vacation that you just can’t bring yourself to throw in the recycling bin.
That’s where Rebecca Ingram, founder of Liquidated Glassets, can help. Ingram cuts and repurposes bottles into something functional while still retaining the beauty of the original keepsake.
Ingram’s business idea began with a Pinterest fail. “There was this hack that you could wrap this string dipped in nail polish remover, light it on fire and dunk it in cold water and it would cut the bottle. That did not work,” she said with a laugh. Later, she purchased a bottle cutter that allowed her to cut round bottles straight across, but this was not enough for Ingram.
Ingram said that she does not consider herself artistic but has always liked to solve problems and fiddle with things.
“I’m from Kentucky and I drink bourbon and whiskey and these bottles are beautiful and I want to be able to cut them,” said Ingram. She began to experiment and soon she found a way to cut bottles of all shapes and sizes. She quickly realized she had found a niche that nobody else was doing at the time
SHOP NAME Liquidated Glassets
TYPE OF WORK
Home goods made from recycled glass bottles
and that there might be a larger market for her work.
In 2018, a friend suggested that she sign up for Art on the Avenue, a multicultural arts and music festival held every October in the Del Ray neighborhood. (This year, Art on the Avenue went virtual.) The show’s deadline forced Ingram to come up with a business name and website, as well as start making enough products to sell. Another friend who is a writer and Alexandria resident, Claire Henline, came up with the clever name Liquidated Glassets.
After the festival, Ingram said that her business slowed down. As a full-time soldier in the Army and a mom, she simply did not have the time and energy to devote to promoting it.
Unlike many small business, the COVID-19 pandemic created a boost for Liquidated Glassets. Suddenly, Ingram found herself working from home with more free time to focus on her art. Over the past few months, business has really taken off. Friends and neighbors who know what she does will leave empty bottles on her front porch. She has received so many orders that she has an eight-week lead time.
Ingram’s favorite bottle to work with is Blanton’s Bourbon bottles due to their unique design, horse toppers and beautiful labels, which she has figured out how to reverse and even customize. Cigar ashtrays (or spoon rests for those who like to cook!) made from Blanton’s bottles or other liquor bottles have been one of her most popular items.
In addition to ashtrays, Ingram also makes bowls, drinking glasses, vases and other items. With all of the donated bottles Ingram receives, there is no need for customers to provide their own bottles.
For those who have bottles with sentimental value, Ingram is happy to work with customers to design their own
personal piece. One of her favorite experiences was working with a local man on a wine decanter his wife had bought for him years ago that had broken. Ingram was able to cut off the cracked neck and create a beautiful and useful piece for him to treasure.
If you had asked Ingram what her plans for Liquidated Glassets were prior to COVID-19, she would have answered that it was a fun hobby. Now, she hopes to turn it into her retirement plan after the Army.
Ingram’s pieces make thoughtful gifts for the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and Valentine’s Day. If you are considering ordering for the holidays, keep in mind that Liquidated Glassets currently has a lengthy production time.
Visit the Liquidated Glassets Etsy shop at etsy.com/shop/liquidatedglassets.
Makers We Love
Alexandria is home to dozens of makers, crafters and inventors. In addition to those we’ve profiled on the previous pages, here are just a few more of the local makers we think you should check out!
MODERN TALLY Owner Leah Buckley learned to sew from her mother and today creates handmade fabric pouches, makeup bags, clutches, face masks and much more with high-quality, bright fabrics. Her accessories are practical but beautiful.
moderntally.com
TULUSA Founder Sue Henry finds beauty in the details of her products for Tulusa. Among other things, she carves linoleum blocks and uses them to make prints which she combines with embroidery. Her finished textile products include pillows, tableware, masks, bags and much more.
tulusa.com
NARWHAL DESIGN INK This eclectic design and illustration business sells ink prints, greetings cards and more — some of which are a bit tongue-in-cheek. Prints and products can be customized and are often colorful and fun.
etsy.com/shop/narwhaldesignink
HATCH From razors to ice cream scoops, letter openers to gift boxes, Hatch offers a wide variety of creative gift items. Founder and artist Maritza Maxwell started the company to pass along the joy that she finds in creating beautiful things, and she teaches classes where you can learn temari, paper folding, Danish paper crafts and much more.
hatchskills.com
PUZZLES FROM ART Heather Dilatush creates original abstract art on wood and turns them into challenging jigsaw puzzles. Perfect for the pandemic, many of her creations are so beautiful that you’ll want to frame them after you finish putting them together.
etsy.com/shop/puzzlesfromart MEG BY HAND Meg Talle is a juried resident artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center and creates jewelry to be worn and enjoyed. Often inspired by nature, her signature technique involves making hundreds of tiny pieces to arrange in jewelry that is reminiscent of seeds, leaves and grass.
megbyhand.com
BETSY SMALLPEOPLE Artist Betsy Jones creates vintage miniatures with intricate details in addition to art prints and paintings. You can send Betsy images for inspiration and she will create a custom miniature land for you.
etsy.com/shop/betsysmallpeople
TRULY-LIFE From a backyard garden in Del Ray, Truly-Life Eco Gifts owner Mellenie Runion creates eco-friendly, all natural, handmade soaps, loofahs, lotions and much more. In addition to online sales, you can find Truly-Life products in local hotels and stores.
truly-life.com
C&A SOY CANDLES C&A Soy Candles creates high-quality, affordable vegan soy wood-wick candles, soy wax melts and liquid reed diffusers in small batches. The company, based in the West End of Alexandria, uses a variety of natural scents (you can request custom scents, too!) and does wholesale orders, wedding favors and more.
etsy.com/shop/candasoycandles
www.madeinalx.com
Made in ALX is the online home of makers, artists and creators — where you can shop for gifts, housewares, art and more, knowing you're supporting people right here in Alexandria.
Here's just some of what you can find on Made in ALX now:
‘Alexandria Originals’ Posters
We’ve commissioned four gorgeous paintings from local watercolor artist Alexandra Schmeling and created a limited number of 18 x 24” artist-signed high-quality posters from her paintings. (One of them is featured on the cover of the magazine.)
Check out the website at www.madeinalx.com to order one of these posters and to see additional items made here in Alexandria!
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SHOP LOCAL: Gift Guide
This year was not the year any of our local businesses expected to have. For many shops, business was brisk in January and February — but by mid-March, the rest of the year was anyone’s guess.
By early April, Alexandria-area residents started to step up, focusing on hometown pride and choosing to shop from independent, family-owned retailers.
While sales are still slower than usual at many stores this fall, business owners have met the challenge head-on, getting creative quickly about curbside pick-up and delivery services, Instagram shopping and even banding together to create unique specials and deals.
This holiday season, we’d love to see an even greater emphasis on local shopping. Here are some ideas from our local boutiques and personal care professionals to get you started!
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1 DESIGNER HANDBAGS AND LEATHER GOODS
We make gift giving easy here at Mint Condition, bringing you the best designer handbags and leather goods at a fraction of the price and all in “mint condition!” Surprise that special someone with the bag of their dreams... Our supply is constantly changing but check our Instagram @shopmintcondition for daily updates on all things designer. Grab it before someone else does, we can’t say we didn’t warn you! Prices vary. BUY IT: Mint Condition, 103 S. St. Asaph St., 703-836-6468, shopmintcondition.com
2 HOME | GARDEN | GIFT
Offering the finest in luxury gifts, jewelry, artful objects and home décor, stop by for inspiration! Patina is a great resource for finding unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. Prices vary. BUY IT: Patina Polished Living, 605 Franklin St., 703-780-6800, patinapolishedliving.com
3 HOLIDAY FASHION GIFT BAG
Give the stylist lady in your life a Holiday + Fashion Gift Set which includes rabbit fur gloves, an animal print eye mask, white ceramic bubble holiday ornament, 14 oz essential oil
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and crystal infused candle in a reusable barware glass wrapped up in a burlap gift bag with silver holiday design. Spoil your lady by adding a gift card for her shopping enjoyment (sold separately). Gift bags can be easily customized. $100. BUY IT: Twist Boutique, 109 N. Fairfax St., 703-566-2341, twiststyl.com
4 GRANDMA / NANA / MIMI NECKLACE
Treat your grandmother to a beautiful, personalized gift this holiday season! $125. BUY IT: She’s Unique, 205 King St., 703-608-2845, shopshesunique.com
5 THE HOTTEST ACCESSORY: THE MASK CHAIN
Tired of wearing your mask around your ear, or misplacing it? Grab the hottest accessory! With so many different options, it would be hard to not find one you liked. We have mask chains from local designers here in Old Town! The Neon Camel gives us all the fun color we love, with colored glass beads, Kathy Schiller makes mask chains from upcycled designer ribbon paired with fresh water pearl or Skvoraki crystals and 52thursdays designers Sarah and Michelle give us a more polished look (but chic!)
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with gold paper clip and pearls mask chains. All available at Mint Collective! Prices vary. BUY IT: Mint Collective, 101A S. St. Asaph St., 571-312-5443, shopmintcondition.com
6 CASHMERE FRINGE BOTTOM PULLOVER
The perfect gift! SC-1045, Cashmere fringe bottom pullover. Available in four colors: Stonewash, pink, wheat (shown) and glacier. $298. BUY IT: Sara Campbell, 320 Prince St., 703-996-9074, saracampbell.com
7 FIRST EVER SURPRISE JINGLE BOX
Kick off the Holiday Season with a Surprise Jingle Box from AR Workshop Alexandria! Carefully selected, The Jingle Box will include a mix of seasonal favorites, handmade, local and new items from our Gift Shop. Think fresh new decor, winter-themed items for you and your home and an exclusive mini DIY Kit. Who is this box for? The box is perfect to gift yourself, friends, family, college students, teachers, clients or colleagues! Pretty much anyone you think deserves a fun holiday surprise! Arriving early November! $95. BUY IT: AR Workshop, 1212 King St., 703-566-0177, shoparwalexandria.com
8 CBD-INFUSED BATH BOMBS
Let your day’s stress and tension melt away with CBD-infused Soothing and Recharging Bath Bombs. Using perfected blends of natural ingredients and essential oils like Lavender, Eucalyptus, Arnica Spearmint, Peppermint, and Hawaiian Black Salt, you can give your joints, muscles and skin the attention and love they deserve with a bathing experience fit for royalty. $8. BUY IT: Salon deZEN, 118 N. Fayette St., 703-549-1400, salondezen.com
9 PICASSOTILES BUILDING SET
PicassoTiles is a fun S.T.E.A.M. toy and shape building sets. Utilizing unique features that immerse boys and girls and creative adults into crafting 2D and 3D art! The perfect gift for all ages! $45. BUY IT: 529 Kids Consign, 122A S. Royal St., 703-567-4518, 529kidsconsign.com
10 LOEFFLER RANDALL GIA TALL BOOT
Tall shaft boot with mid-heel in cognac brown vachetta leather. Padded footbed with gold stamped logo. Almond toe, pulls on. 2-inch heel. $695. BUY IT: Bishop Boutique, 815B King St., 571-312-0042, bishopboutique.com
11 GIFT GREAT HAIR
Give the gift of great hair with a Hazel O. Gift card available in amounts of $50 or more. There's nothing like getting pampered and walking out with great hair. Gift cards are applicable to any service. BUY IT: Hazel O Salon, 108 N. Washington St., 703-566-6367, hazelosalon.com
12 CREATE A BUZZ: QUEEN BEE DESIGNS
Let Queen Bee Designs give you the royal treatment this holiday season with our spectacular jewelry, wrap & maxi dresses, dazzling accessories, antiques and luxurious home decor from Claire Schwab Interior. Visit us in South Old Town to see why we are one of the area's premiere jewelry designers and spotted on the most fashionable ladies who want to create a BUZZ. We offer concierge services including gift wrap and custom designs. Our 5,000 square foot Showroom is breathtaking and located in the former William Sonoma with a complimentary parking garage behind our building. We look forward to your visit. Prices vary. BUY IT: Queen Bee Designs, 825 S. Washington St., 703-329-6768, facebook.com/queenbeebuzz
