Doodles

Join us on **Thursday, May 7th** for Kickback & Connect in **Washington, D.C.** From magazines to motion graphics and from newsrooms to nonprofits, if you make things in D.C., you’re invited. This is a low-key happy hour bringing together designers and creatives across disciplines in the DMV to kickback, connect, and share ideas—no panels, no pitches, no pressure. We hope to see you there! **Book launch:** Designer, author, and educator Reginé Gilbert will be signing copies of her book ‘Inclusive Design for a Digital World: Designing with Accessibility in Mind’ (2nd edition.) [https://reginegilbert.com/](https://reginegilbert.com/) **Music by: Friends on Mars** Hosted by Good People DC and **[SPD](https://www.spd.org/)**, a nonprofit design community rooted in publishing and creative excellence. No cover charge = no excuse not to come Must be 21 to enter. Please drink responsibly.

Join us for some cheffy Vietnamese Street food from Moon Rabbit's chef, Kevin Tien, at his new conept - ***Chao Ban*** in Tysons Galleria! ***Washingtonian:*** At his upscale restaurant Moon Rabbit, chef Kevin Tien and his team reimagine Vietnamese food with modern dishes like mochi beignets with fresh eel or green-curry sponge cake. But at his new fast-casual spot, Chao Ban, in Tysons Galleria, Tien is focusing on more familiar staples like pho and banh mi—albeit with some of his usual cheffy twists. “If you want super traditional Vietnamese food, definitely go check out the original mom and pop places,” says Tien, citing Eden Center and standbys like Pho 75. “We’re just trying to do what our version is.” At Chao Ban—meaning “hello, friend”—Tien has teamed up with Alan Vo, his partner in Hot Lola’s fried chicken joint and a longtime friend from his early restaurant days in Louisiana. One of the banh mi at Chao Bun features Hot Lola’s Sichuan-chili-oil-spiked Nashville hot chicken. Other sandwiches come stuffed with salt and pepper shrimp—a nod to the chef’s late nights at New Big Wong in Chinatown—or crispy pork belly rubbed in pho spices. All of them come on bread that arrives par-baked from Leidenheimer Baking Company in New Orleans. “When you take a bite, there’s like a million crumbs everywhere, with a super soft interior,” Tien says. The toasted bread also accompanies a couple bowls, such as a lemongrass beef short rib stew or a lemongrass chicken coconut curry. Other snackier dishes include fried spring rolls, nuoc cham chicken wings, and honey pecan shrimp (a riff on honey walnut shrimp) with yuzu kosho mixed into the condensed milk drizzle. Tien expects a sleeper hit to be the shrimp chips and dip with a Vietnamese “salsa” made from charred tomatoes, chipotles, shallots, lime, and fish sauce. On the more traditional end of the menu is pho, including a beef version with 12-hour brisket and another with halal lemongrass chicken. (All the chicken on the menu is halal, and Tien is hoping to expand the offerings soon.) “We’re toasting all our spices by hand for the pho, so it’s like the freshest all our spices could be,” Tien says. Check out Chao Ban menu [here](https://www.eatchaoban.com/menu) **WAITLIST:** Meetup does not allow a waitlist for paid events. If this event fills and you are interested in adding your name to the waitlist, please send host a message through the app. To enhance the opportunity for great conversation, we would like to keep the group small. Please feel free to sign-up to meet us along with up to 2 friends. In the future, we will vary the days of the week, geography and the cost of restaurants so that we can attract many different types of diners. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMMITTED TO GO WHEN YOU RSVP FOR THIS EVENT. In the event our group incurs a fee for no-shows / late cancellations, your ability to RSVP for future events will be restricted. Thank you in advance for your understanding.Feel free to make suggestions for future meet locations. All diners will have their own tab to avoid any confusion. \*\* The small non-refundable registration fee helps us share the cost associated with Meetup platform ($360/year) and reduces the likelihood of no-shows, allowing us to better plan our events and accommodate attendees. Thank you in advance for your understanding!\*\* If you are unable to join us in May, we hope you'll stay interested and join us for a meal in the future. Looking forward to seeing you at Chao Ban in Tysons Galleria!

Today we are Steve's Lab. RSVP and you'll be sent the location. It's in Silver Spring. ***Join us for an evening in an electronics lab where we will attempt to run clean scans of graphene and gold samples, and then clean up that data with post processing.*** This is a high sensitivity experiment, and we do not plan on being successful so early. But we've had promising results lately - so we will be putting in the time. We are NOT meeting at our usual location, but rather at Steve's house/lab. If you RSVP, you will get a DM with the address but it's located in Silver Spring. We will attempt full, clean lab - clean tip repeated scanning tests to see what we can learn and improve. We will experiment with online attendees, but if all possible showing up in person is strongly encouraged. Online join link is: - [https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers](https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers) Our community is building (and documenting for other teams) how to build a scanning tunneling microscope using a mix of common and 3D printed parts. This will allow us to scan and visualize a single atom - an ambitious we are doing over the course of a few months. The MoCo Makers community is one of the most innovative and competent groups in Maryland, and we've done everything from [publishing cancer research](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38136356/), to [launching products](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gotim/cozy-curvy-multi-contour-pillow), [winning grants](https://covidinfocommons.datascience.columbia.edu/awards/2014255), and inspiring thousands. Now our biggest challenge yet has appeared. We are building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, that will allow us to scan and visualize single atoms. To get a better idea of what we are doing, see our reference project here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g) All starting CAD, code, and reference files should exist. However, let's be the first Maker community to document the build process and share it with learners around the world. We will be publishing our work here -[ https://hackaday.io/project/202816-qt-panda](https://hackaday.io/project/202816-qt-panda) If you need a ride, let us know.

We'll use this time to meet new GRASP members and catch up with those we already know! Look for GRASP table flyers and Eli's GRASP shirt to easily find the group. This restaurant is a fast-casual format meaning it's easy to order and pay individually! Adult beverages are available and you can expect entrees in the $15 range. The [Torchy's Tacos menu is here](https://torchystacos.com/menu/) and they offer a wide variety of tacos, burritos, salads, and excellent sides. In living by their Damn Good mantra, they’re constantly innovating to ensure they’re delivering the tastiest tacos, queso, and margaritas in the game. Their Taco of the Month promotions allow them to provide unique tacos to Taco Junkies year 'round. The ingredients make the meal. That’s why they responsibly and ethically source every single ingredient, down to the jalapeño. From there, they work hard to whip up the best damn tacos, cooked to order, just the way you like 'em.

Artistic Artifacts hosts **Open Stitch sessions EVERY Thursday evenings** from 5:30 - 7:30 pm — join us! This is a drop-in, bring your own hand stitching project and the necessary supplies (or you can knit, crochet... whatever needle arts you like). There’s no fee to attend, no instruction nor agenda — just a time to spend with other creatives! Visit our website for all our class & event information: **[https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk)**

Shall we draw at Quill & Crumb, the cafe in the Folger's Great Hall? It's a gorgeous setting where we'll undoubtedly find many interesting things to draw. From the website: "Quill & Crumb is located in the Folger’s historic Great Hall, which was originally designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret to resemble a gallery within a 16th-century English home. The Great Hall features strapwork plaster ceiling, oak-paneled walls, and intricately designed terracotta floors." Look forward to meeting you there!

Join the Society of Publication Designers on **Saturday, May 9th** in DC for an independent magazine pop-up and collage workshop celebrating print, process, and community with our friends [Paper + Dirt](https://paper-dirt.com/), [Carla Frank Creative + Co.](https://www.carlafrankcreative.com/), [Living Room](https://www.livingroom-dc.com/), and [Steadfast Supply](https://www.steadfastsupplydc.com/). Curated by **[Chas Wagner](https://paper-dirt.com/)** from Pittsburgh’s **[Paper + Dirt](https://paper-dirt.com/)**, the pop-up features a global mix of titles spanning sport, food, design, art, and architecture—plus the people behind them. Hear from design professionals, including **[Carla Frank](https://www.carlafrankcreative.com/)**[ of ](https://www.carlafrankcreative.com/)**[Carla Frank Creative + Co.](https://www.carlafrankcreative.com/)**, on why print magazines still continue to shape culture and build community. Flip through pages, discover new voices, and connect with fellow creatives before diving into a hands-on collage workshop hosted by **[Living Room](https://www.livingroom-dc.com/)**[, led by artist and co-founder ](https://www.livingroom-dc.com/)**[Ray](https://www.livingroom-dc.com/)**[.](https://www.livingroom-dc.com/) Hosted at **[Steadfast Supply](https://www.steadfastsupplydc.com/)**, a community-driven shop championing independent makers, this is your invitation to unplug, make something, and be part of a slower, more tactile creative culture.

Calling all foodies and gardening enthusiasts! Join us for an exclusive **Indoor Food Growing Learn**ing event where you'll get to taste fresh, live herbs while learning how to grow your own food indoors year-round. **Clift** will demonstrate how easy it is to grow more than **75 pounds of food** every year using **LED grow lights**—all from the comfort of your home. Whether you live in an apartment or have limited outdoor space, this event will show you how you can maximize small areas to grow delicious, pesticide-free produce. ### **What to Expect**: * **Live Herb Tasting**: Sample fresh herbs like basil, mint, and thyme, and discover their flavorful uses in your favorite dishes or drinks. * **Grow 75+ Pounds of Food**: Learn how you can grow your own fresh food year-round indoors with minimal setup. * **Indoor Gardening Benefits**: From saving on grocery bills to having pesticide-free herbs and vegetables at your fingertips, we’ll cover the perks of indoor gardening. ### **Why Attend?** * **Perfect for small spaces**—no backyard needed! * Gain expert tips on indoor gardening and sustainable food production. * A fun, engaging way to explore the benefits of fresh herbs and veggies for your meals. * Connect with like-minded individuals passionate about urban farming and sustainability. **How to Join**: Simply RSVP here to secure your spot! Visit **[indoorgardenmarket.com](https://iwantagreenthumb.com)** to learn more, and RSVP now for a fun afternoon of herbs, learning, and indoor gardening! Thank you, Clift --- Chief Community Grower at indoorgardenmarket.com

PLACEHOLDER We will be celebrating Mother's Day with a walk around the DC Arboretum weather permitting. We will gathering at the Columns and will depart and walk the Azalea trail loop which is accessible and pretty level ground. If others have more enthusiasm for a slightly harder follow-on walk you can join us for the Asian gardens or the Fern Valley depending on the weather. Please try to arrive early as this is a very popular spot on Mother's Day when the weather is good and parking near the visitor center or the Columns fills up really quickly. There is always overflow parking at the NY avenue entrance so if you are running late feel free to catch up to the group. As always bring whatever you need (poop bags, water, stroller) for your corgis and RSVP the number of CORGIS attending. Normal rules apply for us (need full dog vaccination, no females in heat, no aggressive behavior allowed, mixes always welcome if corgi friendly, be responsible for your own corgi and "human puppies" behavior if bringing kids) but you may want to double check the venue rules. Entrance should be free but as this is not my venue venue may surprise us with events or fees so always be prepared. Rain date announcement will be made by Saturday midnight.

Let's celebrate Mother's Day! Join Sarah and Willow for a walk at the Arboretum! We will meet at the **[Asian Collection Parking](https://share.google/U4VoB8126aNFBG8HM)**[ ](https://share.google/U4VoB8126aNFBG8HM) at 9:00am and plan to go for about an 1hr30min walk. There should be a lot blooming in the Asian collection. We will start there, do a big loop through some fields, then end at the Dogwood collection next to the Asian collection. Time: 9:00am - 10:30ish. Plan on getting there a little early so we can be ready to go on time. Location: Asian collection parking. Overflow just down the hill at the Dogwood Collection. [Link to google location of parking](https://share.google/U4VoB8126aNFBG8HM) What to expect: This walk will be on leash. Don't forget to bring water for you and your dog. The walking surface will be a mix of paved road and grass/dirt. More info and directions here: https://usna.usda.gov/visit/hours-and-directions/

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.

**This month’s Creativity Circle is very timely. We will be making our own craft flowers out of paper, coffee filters, popsicle sticks, sparkles, cupcake liners, pipe cleaners and more! All ages welcome, show up as you can, bring a friend or a few if you would like to! Excited to see you there! Seats Limited. Held at the Westerville Public Library Meeting Room B.**

**We are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**