Party as you paint
Muse, an art studio/wine bar that caters to the creatively challenged, makes its Maryland debut next week at Rio Washingtonian Center. Like those paint-your-own pottery studios that were all the rage in the ’90s, Muse provides a welcoming place where even first-timers can pick up a brush and go home with a passable piece of art. A $35 class — typically booked online — gets you art supplies, an apron and a teacher providing step-by-step instructions for turning your blank canvas into a beach scene or a Van Gogh lookalike. Muse also offers food, wine and beer, with a casual atmosphere that encourages socializing and sipping while you paint. Click here for details.
Where to work out now
Coming this summer to Rockville Pike: Two small boutique gyms with drop-in classes and no long-term commitments. Pure Barre, which opened two years ago at King Farm, is adding a second Rockville location at the new Galvan complex on Chapman Avenue. Owner Jill DeNinno says she plans to offer cardio classes along with the standard barre format (details here). Also on the way is Lumi Fit, a new venture from a husband-and-wife team opening at the Twinbrook Metro Center near Fuddruckers. Lumi Fit offers a varied schedule ranging from Zumba and barre to yoga and weight-lifting classes (details here). For those who prefer to work out in a larger space, this fall will bring two new options: Life Time Fitness is readying its new facility in Gaithersburg, while Orangetheory Fitness is now under construction at Park Potomac. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for opening updates.
Books on wheels
Would a kids’ bookstore on wheels be a hit in Montgomery County? Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen, a children’s book author and Jewish educator, is hoping the answer is yes. This month Cohen launched a Kickstarter campaign for her new venture, The Story House, which she hopes to roll out to schools, book festivals, birthday parties and special events. The mobile format will keep costs down and “really allow me to cater to my target market,” says Cohen, who recently stepped down from her staff position at Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac. The Story House website is already up and running with a curated selection of titles plus novelties like “Owl Delivery” of the newest Harry Potter book, arriving at your doorstep within hours of its midnight release on July 31st. For more on The Story House, click here.
Cereal anytime in NYC
If you’re traveling to New York City this summer, be sure to check out Kellogg’s NYC, the new all-day cereal restaurant that opens this weekend in Times Square. A collaboration between the cereal company and the Milk Bar bakery, Kellogg’s NYC charges $6.50 to $9.50 for a bowl of fresh local milk accompanied by some crazy mashups. The Berry Au Lait, for example, mixes Frosted Mini Wheats with fresh raspberries and ground coffee; the Life In Color combines Froot Loops, lime zest, marshmallows and passionfruit jam; and the Chai Line tops Crispix cereal with fresh peaches and chai tea powder. For more on Kellogg’s NYC, click here.
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