Georgetown French Market & Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato’s Grand Opening Party

We're getting to the time of year when there are so many fun things going on that it is impossible to do them all. I have dinner plans at Liberty Tavern tonight, a high tea with some food writers tomorrow, and yoga on Sunday afternoon. It's a lot, especially since lately my weeks have been so jam-packed I plan nothing for weekends.

But this weekend I also want to go to Georgetown's French Market, which runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wisconsin Ave. between P Street and Reservoir Road. Shops will be offering big sales and there will be French treats like crepes and merguez.

I also want to go to the Dupont Circle Farmers Market (my markets, the U Street and Mt. Pleasant markets, open next weekend), especially since it also happens to be the opening party for Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato’s new Dupont outpost at 1704 Connecticut Ave. From 12-6 p.m., there will be smoked pork and free gelato.

Celebrate Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! Though D.C. has become a whole lot more eco-friendly since the plastic bag tax took effect, there's more we can do. Many restaurants and other spots are holding special events today — here are some especially fun ones:

• Poste Moderne Brasserie will be roasting a 400-pound pig in the courtyard with $4 food and drink specials from 5:30 to 8:00. Proceeds will go to Washington Youth Garden and Beet Street Gardens.

• Jackson 20 kicks of its new “Late Night Blackout” Happy Hour, which starts at 11 p.m. The restaurant will turn off the lights and serve by candlelight throughout the spring and summer.

• The Phillips Collection hosts a special event in conjunction with the Georgia O’Keeffe: Abstraction exhibition. There will be a panel discussion with Maryland winemaker Robert Lyons, chef Nora Pouillon of Restaurant Nora, and Pennsylvania farmer Mark Toigo of Toigo Orchards about local food and the landscape. A tasting follows. The event, at 6:30 p.m., is $15 and free for members. Sign up on the Phillips web site.

• Tallula is holding a four-course sustainable dinner tonight at 7 p.m. for $85. Dishes include bison carpaccio, and wines are local Virginia wines with a smaller carbon footprint. Get more info and sign up here.

Opera Comes to Northeast

H Street, NE is fast-becoming a spot for great food and cool art events, and the latest event is Opera and Ballet in Cinema, put on by the Atlas Performing Arts Center and Emerging Pictures.

Operas that were peformed all over the world will be screened at Atlas in HD, and you can see works like Carmen, Swan Lake & La Traviata. Tickets are $20.

Some upcoming performances of note:

• Roméo et Juliette, March 24 @ 7 p.m., March 28 @ 2 p.m. Performed at the Salzburg Festival.

• Swan Lake, March 31 @ 7 p.m, April 3 @ 2 p.m. Performed at the Mariinsky Theatre.

• Otello, April 21 @ 7 p.m., April 25 @ 2 p.m. Performed at the Salzburg Festival

Meet Phoebe Greenberg at the Hirshhorn Thursday

Brainfood and Bordeaux: A Cooking Demonstration and Wine Auction

Brainfood, an organization that teaches life skills to D.C. high school students through cooking, is holding Brainfood and Bordeaux: A Cooking Demonstration and Wine Auction on February 22 at 7 p.m. at Zola Wine & Kitchen, 505 9th Street, NW.

Brainfood has two kitchens, one in Penn Quarter and one in Columbia Heights, where kids take part in after school and summer school classes. At the event, Brainfood students and Bryan Moscatello, the executive chef of Zola, Zola Wine & Kitchen and Potenza, (above left) will be doing a cooking demo. There will also be a wine auction.

Tickets are $40, which includes food and wine, and to participate in the wine auction, you need an auction paddle for $10. Buy tickets here.

D.C. International Wine and Food Festival

I went to the D.C. International Wine and Food Festival last year with a couple friends and had a great time sampling wines. This year's main event is on February 13 and 14, and there are over 600 wines to try from 100 wineries from around the world. This year, there's a new international food pavilion, and you can watch cooking demos by chefs like Jose Andres.

The event runs from 2-6 p.m., and tickets are $85 for Saturday, $75 for Sunday, or $140 for both days. Visit the festival web site to buy tickets or for more information.

Phillips After 5 on Thursday

The next Phillips After 5 at the Phillips Collection is this Thursday, and this month there's a special holiday theme. The event runs from 5-8:30. The line-up:

• this is not that Café: Art is _________
The Pink Line Project brings in DJs to remix the definition of art, using Duncan Phillips’ writings as source material. Visitors can text message their own definitions to the DJs, who project them onto the café’s walls from 5–8 p.m.

• Janelle Gill, a jazz pianist, performs from 5–8 p.m.

• Best Cellars offers a Winter Whites Wine Tasting from 5–8 p.m.

• Czech Avant-Garde Photography in the International Context
A lecture by Dr. Vladimir Birgus, Czech photographer, scholar and curator, discusses Czech still-life photography of the 1920s and '30s in relation to contemporary trends in other countries at 6:30 p.m.

Gallery Talks: Très Chic: Man Ray and Fashion
Talks at 6 and 7 p.m. are included in admission to special exhibition and free for members. Special exhibition admission: $12, $10 for seniors/18 and under.

Throughout the evening:

From Sufganiyah to Bûche de Noël: Around the World with Holiday Treats
Buffet of holiday treats.

Museum Shop Discount
20% discount in the shop, except for sale items.

Holiday Shop-n-Stroll in Silver Spring

This sounds like an adorable event: Handmade Mart, the indie craft fair, and FRESHFARM Markets teamed up to put together a holiday shopping event in downtown Silver Spring on December 5. There will be artisans and crafters selling handmade goods, produce and other items from farmer's market vendors, and a lighted Christmas tree.

It will take place along Ellsworth Drive between Georgia Ave. and Fenton Ave., near the Silver Spring Metro. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

News from around town

This site has been rather boring lately, and for that I apologize. Having an event or dinner after work every single night, coupled with having a miserable cold this week, doesn't exactly leave much time for web site updating. Recent dinners include Againn, a new gastropub that features an extensive Scotch menu, along with delicious sticky toffee pudding, charcuterie and fish stew. Kellari Tavern is a great new Greek spot that focuses on seafood (like wonderful grilled octopus and shrimp from Madagascar that are bigger than your face), but their spanikopita, avgolemono soup, and desserts are delicious as well. And I made a visit to Et Voila! in the Palisades, and it is a charming spot to nosh on mussels, crepes and other Belgian fare.

What else have I been working on? Today I previewed the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit that opens next week at the National Geographic Museum, and it's awesome (and you can read much more about it in next Thursday's Express). I've also been working on a big piece on the gay attacks at Georgetown, did an interview with Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer, and checked out Masa 14.

I'll be taking it easy this weekend and making a trip to Eastern Market for Second Saturday at Capitol Hill Books (wine and cheese and 10% off), SeventhHill Pizza and the market, but if you're looking for a fun activity, Strathmore is hosting its annual Museum Shop Around today, tomorrow and Sunday, where you can find gifts from 16 area museum gift shops.

National Geographic Warehouse Sale: November 20-22

Mark your calendars for the National Geographic Warehouse sale, which is slated for November 20-22 at the D.C. Armory.

I went last year and bought several Christmas presents at a huge discount. You can find everything from maps and atlases to videos and jewelry, and this year there are framed prints of National Geographic photos available. There are also 300 book titles for sale.

Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. each day and there's free admission. The Armory is located right next to the Stadium Armory Metro stop on the blue and orange lines.

Poe Celebrations

Edgar Allan Poe, who died 200 years ago this month, is being celebrated all across the region in October. From a reenactment of his funeral to a show, Edgar Allan Poe: A Baltimore Icon, at the Baltimore Museum of Art, there's no better time to pick up one of his works and learn about the great writer. Some highlights:

The BMA show features 80 prints, drawings, and illustrated books that explore Poe's legacy. It runs through January.

I haven't been out to VOLT yet, but the restaurant, which is headed by Top Chef contestant Bryan Voltaggio, will be hosting an Edgar Allan Poe dinner on October 29. There are two menus: Poe's Birth, with dishes representing his childhood in Boston and Poe's Death with signature Baltimore dishes. Full menus will be available on the restaurant's web site later this month.

The VOLT menus are in conjunction with Joshua Kane's performance of Tales of Terror: An Evening of Horror and Hilarity, a one-man tribute to the author, at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick. The town is also hosting dozens of other events related to Poe.

Phillips After 5 tonight

As part of this month's Phillips after 5 event, the Phillips Collection is hosting local art bloggers Lenny Campello of Daily Campello Arts News, Kriston Capps of Grammar Police and Julia Beizer of Washington Post’s Going Out Guide to talk about their favorite works in the Phillips Collection. Yours truly was unable to participate, due to some out of town visitors arriving right at that time (see you soon, Mom and Dad!).

Phillips After 5 is from 5-8:30 p.m. Admission is by donation, and there's a cash bar.

Saturday: Arts on Foot

This Saturday is Arts on Foot, the free arts festival in Penn Quarter. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with theatrical performances, a juried art market with work by 90 artists and artisans, wine tasting, and restaurant samples. 25 restaurants will be dishing out samples for a small price, and there will be a "cooking as art" pavilion where Penn Quarter chefs create beautiful dishes.

The outdoor festival is on F Street between 6th and 9th streets and on 8th Street, NW, between E and F streets, and a Neighborhood Showcase in the surrounding blocks. The art market is also open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.artsonfoot.org.

Labor Day Weekend

Ahh, another long weekend. As it seems with every long weekend, I'm stuck here in town, but this time I'm going to try to hit some places that I don't get to enough or that I've been meaning to for some time. The Metro repairs that will shutter three stops on the yellow and blue lines have thrown a wrench in my plans to head out to Old Town and Pentagon City, so I'm going to have to stick to things in the District.

My plans:

• Lincoln's Cottage. Abraham Lincoln's country house is located near the Soldier's Home in D.C. It recently underwent a $15 million restoration by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and I've heard that it's lovely.

• Georgetown Cupcake. Their September flavors are caramel apple cupcakes served Wednesday through Saturday and cinnamon served Sunday and Tuesday. I want to try both, of course, so I might head there Saturday afternoon and browse the used book stores in the area (as if I don't have a towering stack of unread books already). I just never get to Georgetown as often as I'd like.

• Kayaking on the Potomac. Monday will be spent kayaking to Roosevelt Island and picnicking.

Other things going on this weekend:

• Old Ebbitt Grill is hosting a block party on Saturday on G Street, NW between 14th and 15th Streets. From 6-11 p.m. there will be jumbo lump crab cake sandwiches, beef brisket, shrimp cocktail, bratwurst, white lemonade, blue margaritas and strawberry daiquiris. Tickets are $75 through Sept. 4 and $85 the day of the event. Go to www.ebbittblockparty.com for tickets and more info.

• Junction, a vintage store owned by my lovely former roommate, is holding a Labor Day sale and fall preview, Saturday through Monday. If you buy one item, you get 25 percent off the second item.

Opera in the Outfield

My daytime plans may preclude me from going to this, but on September 12 at 7 p.m., the Washington National Opera screens a live simulcast of the Season Opening Night Performance of The Barber of Seville. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Asia Nine's Full Moon Party

I'm popping into Asia Nine tonight (before a screening of Paper Heart at E Street) for their Full Moon Party, which is based on a celebration in Thailand. Each month on the night of a full moon, people head to the Koh Phangan Beach to view the moon.

I'll be interested to see how they transform the restaurant into a beach party, but look for food and drink specials (like beer and wine, sushi and shumai), and prizes and other activities. A $3 donation at the door benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Asia Nine is located at 915 E Street, NW.

Beauty Night Out

Tonight is Beauty Night Out, one of my favorite D.C. events put on by Style & Image Network. With shopping, cocktails and spa treatments, it's so relaxing and fun — not to mention it has one of the best gift bags I've ever seen.

The event is tonight from 5-10 p.m. at the Beacon Hotel, 1615 Rhode Island Ave, NW. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door, (with no gift bag). Go here for tickets. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to Through The Kitchen Door.

Stories from the Folger Vaults

This new event series from the Folger Shakespeare Library sounds unbelievably cool. Their new after-hours series, "Stories from the Folger Vaults," includes talks with staff experts on topics ranging from the latest Shakespeare portrait controversy to 16th-century love spells. They're also extending the viewing hours of their summer exhibition, The Curatorial Eye: Discoveries from the Folger Vaults, which is a collection of items selected by Folger staffers.

Oh, and the lectures are free and include a dessert reception. Who's game?

The lecture line-up:

"Is this Shakespeare?"
July 15, 6-8 p.m.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Janssen portrait, which was recently linked to the latest Shakespeare portrait controversy. Erin Blake, curator of art and special collections at the Folger Shakespeare Library, discusses why she believes the painting is not Shakespeare. The event also includes opportunities to talk with The Curatorial Eye exhibition staff about their favorite items.

"Conservation Lab: Preserving History"
July 29, 6-8 p.m.

Rare and fragile documents require expert treatment to safeguard them for present and future generations. Staff from the Folger's conservation lab has developed pioneering techniques for repairing and maintaining historic materials, and the lab is a leading center for research and training. See examples of the lab's work and talk with conservators about one of the Folger's most fascinating departments.

"Practical Magic"
August 12, 6-8 p.m.

Learn the secrets of black and white magic in the age of Shakespeare from a 16th–century book of spells. Generations of users consulted this rare manuscript to learn how to catch thieves, find love, or cure sickness. Heather Wolfe, curator of manuscripts at the Folger, shares stories from her work with this remarkable document.

Creating Characters: An Illustrative Evening, A Discussion with Mary GrandPre

The new Harry Potter movie comes out next week, but before you go see it, revisit the books with a talk by illustrator Mary GrandPre. She’ll be at the Corcoran Gallery of Art Monday night to talk about her career (she’s done more than just Harry). We chatted earlier this week about how she got into illustration, her favorite character to draw, and why she never met J.K. Rowling until after the third book was completed.

How did you get into illustration?

About 25 years ago I was trying to figure out how to make a living and make art at the same time. I went to school at Minneapolis College of Art and Design where I really learned about illustration. I started freelancing while waiting tables after college and little by little I started building up a portfolio of editorial work and ad work and books, and then I got into children’s books. I had been doing illustrations for about 15 years before Harry came along and so I had a few children’s books out there by the time that David Saylor called me about doing the first book.

Describe your process for illustrating a book.

For a picture book, I get the manuscript then just start breaking it down into 32 pages or 48 pages, whatever the count is that the publisher wants to work with. I start doing character development and think about the style and color palate and all that stuff that makes a book have its own personality. Then I start sketching it out and go through an approval process with the art directors and work on characters more and make changes here and there.

How about for the Harry Potter books?

I get the manuscript delivered to me by hand and I need to put it in a safe. I can’t talk to anyone about what I’m doing or what I’m reading. I take a couple weeks to read it and highlight descriptions. The books are so packed full of visual descriptions that I need to mark different things with different color highlighters. I have my own system down when searching for what a character or a cover idea might be. Then I call David Saylor at Scholastic and talk about concepts, cover ideas and chapter spots. After that I go to the drawing board and do some sketches and send those to David and Arthur Levine and those are also passed to J.K Rowling at that point.

The Potter books are quite rushed and the whole process takes two to two and a half months. Everything is put on the backburner — holidays, personal life, everything — when Harry comes to town.


Your illustrations seem to glow, and you use color so wonderfully. What materials do you work with?

Oh, thank you! I work with pastels and sometimes I combine them with acrylic paint underneath. And I work on paper.

What's your favorite character that you've drawn?

In Potter, I’d say Sirius or Hagrid. They’re opposite in who they are and their demeanor, but they have so much personality. Harry’s also a fun one. For other books, I like doing animals and folk tale things.

How closely do you work with the author?

There’s always a disconnect, and the publisher is the bridge between us. I think they like to keep us separate as the author has her own vision and the illustrator has her own vision, and I think its just easier for everyone to have the publisher or art director or editor be the contact person.

I did meet J.K. Rowling after the third book had come out and she was touring the U.S. I met her in Chicago and we had dinner with a big group of people. She was really nice about the work that I was doing and she said that the way I drew Harry was much like the way she saw him.

Is there a dream book that you would want to illustrate?

I would like to do a book that’s more adult or for all ages, maybe not so much a story but more a collection of paintings and images. Right now I’m doing some personal work, and a series of angels.

What are you working on next?

I’m working on three books right now, for three different publishers, but I can’t give any more details on those yet.

Mary GrandPre is speaking at the Corcoran Gallery of Art on July 13 at 7 p.m. It costs $15 for members and $20 for the public. For more information, visit www.corcoran.org.

Barbie Convention

Today I went to the Barbie Convention. I somehow convinced my editor to let me do an article about it, so that comes out tomorrow, and it was one of the most fun articles I've ever done, since I got to talk to someone who actually designs Barbies. And then I met up with him today and we talked about how much we love vintage Skipper and Midge.

Here are some pics of the convention, from a VW designed for Barbie (you can't see the compact in back in lieu of a trunk) to shots of vintage dolls.

This is the original Barbie design, but this one is made with tons of tiny diamonds. So pretty.

Lots of doll accessories — I recognize some of the hats and purses.

Skipper is so cute, and my mother has this PJ set and stuffed cat.

I love Midge (Barbie's best friend), and my mother also has this dress. It was always one of my favorites.

The Generation of Dreams dress. It has pictures of lots of old Barbies.

Big Barbie cases that you could get your picture taken in.

The VW car designed for Barbie.

Parked outside the hotel.

If you want to go to the convention, public day is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's at the Marriott Wardman Park and admission is $7.