Category: Uptown

Somewhere there is an inventory manager scratching his head at the sudden demand for animal-themed onesies in Axton, Virginia.

At least, we’d like to think so.

Mountain Valley Brewing threw such a successful onesie/pajama party this past Friday that it may become an annual event. After all, a lot of people have onesies. now.

Some people wore pajamas. Some people wore a onesie. Some people wore normal clothes. The winner wore traditional red long johns with a blasting area warning on the back flap. Owners Herb and Peggy were Beatles-themed with a walrus and an octopus.

The temperature was perfect for the event. Cold enough to wear something warm but warm enough to not need a bath robe accessory. Brett Bass played old country (think old Hank) and Daddy Q’s BBQ food truck provided hearty BBQ dinners complete with ho cakes.

Saturday was glorious. Warm and sunshine-y. It was a perfect day to take a hike or catch up on deferred yard work. Sunday was more weather-challenged but packed with things to do.

Martinsville UP has been organizing these pop up art sales in Uptown Martinsville and they’ve been very successful. This one was held at 20 Walnut Street, just across from the circus mural and a door or two down.

The sale was from 12 to 6 and we had rain, snow and sunshine all in that span. Henry’s Fresh Roast warmed up visitors brewing up samples of sumatra coffee and selling whole bean bags and macaroons.

Next to Henry’s Fresh Roast was a very shy artist. I didn’t catch her name but, if you like her work, you can follow up with Martinsville Up, the organizer of the event, to find her.

Fused Glass Artist Aleen Wilson (whose studio, Gallery 22, is next door) had a selection of functional glass art and hanging pieces. Her specialty is fused glass but she’s been teaching me stained glass over the past few months. She’s very versatile. If you are interested in any of the pieces pictured below or would like to commission something in particular, her contact info is (276) 806-7186 and aleen.gallery22@gmail.com.

I particularly liked this piece that looks like a fish to me.

WoodWoRx had a beautiful display of jewelry. I really failed them in the photo department because their display was so striking and my photos were so … not. They have many good photos on their Facebook page and I encourage you to check them out.

Their earrings are incredibly lightweight. One of these pair will start working its way to an owl-loving friend in Houston next weekend.

Kay Martin Wagoner is the artist behind Kalela Designs. I have a fondness for her screen-printed glass art but take a look at her Facebook page to see a variety of different glass art as well as faux leather earrings!

Charm Cat is the greeting card business of local Bassett water color artist, Ashleigh Pritchard. She is a phenomenal artist and has a great sense of humor that she has combined in her greeting cards and blank note stock. Her website is set up for online orders so be sure to check it out.

Last but certainly not least, Grattan Creek had a large selection of handcrafted soaps and wood work for sale. They also have online ordering available through their web site.

Besides the lavender, honeysuckle, and olive oil bars you may have heard of before, they also have several beer soaps made with hops from Henry County’s Mountain Valley Brewing. Lime Ginger Sour Beer, Cedarwood & Sage, and Bourbon ‘Backy are all beer soaps that boast the amino acids, antioxidants, and antibacterial benefits that come from the hops and the rich lather that comes from the carbs and sugars in the beer.

They also had some beautiful wood work that I don’t see currently available on their website.

Bowls, soap savers, bottle openers, burnishing rods, BBQ grilling hooks, and even birdhouses are available online but you will have to contact them directly about the grinders. If you’re local, they also have items for sale at Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke.

The snow started in earnest on the way out to Mountain Valley Brewing to the Beer Pairing with Daintea. To be honest, I had no idea what Daintea sold. I know that they are new and have a shop on Rives Road, just before the bridge, on the Walgreens side of the road. They’ve been open awhile now but I just haven’t made it by. All I knew that they sold was bubble tea and I don’t even know what that is.

It turns out that, while Daintea does sell bubble tea, they also make fresh pastries and savory treats. They worked with Herb and Peggy to pair up four of their selections with four brews from Mountain Valley and they did a superb job. Peggy said that they discovered that “bold goes with bold”.

I particularly liked the garlic bun paired with the porter but the strawberry tres leche with Kookie Rooster (hints of coconut) was incredible as well.

The event was only scheduled from 1 to 2 but the pairings were so good and the company so excellent that the one hour stretched into several. I haven’t had such a nice time in a long, long while.

This was very close to a perfect day. Even with the far-less-than-perfect weather.

I hope it is a harbinger of the spring and summer that’s on its way.