Georgetown Cupcake represents D.C. at Food Network’s fifth anniversary Wine and Food Festival in NYC

Pastry chef and contributor Rebekah Pizana met up with Sophie LaMontagne, co-founder with sister Katherine Berman, of Georgetown Cupcake this past week at the festival’s biggest pastry event SWEET! at 82Mercer in Manhattan. Sophie talks about their expanding brand and how they’re bringing the famous District name to major cities across the country.

Notorious for petite and sophisticated cupcakes piled high with fluffy buttercream, Katherine and Sophie opened the first Georgetown Cupcake on M Street in Washingon, D.C. back in 2008. Just four years later, the sisters and business partners now have four more locations around the country, just adding Los Angeles to their repertoire this fall. With their rising popularity, Katherine and Sophie are now stars of their own TLC hit series DC Cupcakes, and authors of The Cupcake Diaries and Sweet Celebrations.

The term “child’s play” dismisses as simple and unworthy any task that a person completes quickly or easily. This is an interesting diminution since it is in child’s play where people discover and develop the passions that define their life’s work. Often, when trying to get people to settle on a profession, career counselors urge them to examine their childhoods, to reclaim what they liked to do before they had to do anything else. In this context, child’s play becomes key to finding meaningful, instead of obligatory, work.

Since its start in 2003, Olive Juice has been a go-to for kids' clothing. Maryellen Kane, the children’s apparel company founder and designer, first began Olive Juice after spending more than 10 years working alongside elite designers for numerous high end fashion retailers including Ralph Lauren®, JCrew® and Abercrombie & Fitch®.

After many years designing for large, well-known retailers, Kane decided to break out on her own to launch her unique vision for a children’s garment line not long after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. “After 9/11, I— like many other Americans—found myself re-evaluating what was most important insofar as my own life, goals and values. I thought back to how many years I had already spent running the rat race, living life in a big fast city while working for others. I knew then it was time to leave The Big Apple and seek out or create new experiences and goals for myself both professionally and personally.”

The name Van Metre comes from the Dutch Van Meteren, pronounced "Van Mayteren", which means “from the manor or village of Meteren” located in the Waal Valley about halfway between Rotterdam and Nijmegen.

This year Regal Maid service takes the crown for the best cleaning service in the DC suburbs. Since 1992, this family-run cleaning company has been committed to reliability, honesty, and hard work, and it shows.

THE QUAINT TOWN of Leesburg, Virginia has been home to generals, ghosts and gentry who once occupied the 18th century brick, stone and log buildings that still stand today.

Carolina Brothers Pit Barbeque takes the winning title for Best BBQ of the DC Suburbs for the second year in a row. A small, rustic building with a welcoming front porch, Carolina Brothers is an Ashburn, Virginia favorite. Conveniently located right off the W&OD trail, the BBQ joint is a popular stop for the area’s many cyclists.

HAVE YOU BEEN seeking a fun and unique way to stay in shape and keep your family healthy? With studies recently projecting that 42% of Americans could be affected by obesity by the year 2030, John Cassidy has created a stimulating environment for all ages to get active, while learning valuable skills.

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, I Am Modern readers have voted Potomac Swim School as the Best Swim School in the magazine’s annual Best of the DC Suburbs survey.

LOUDOUN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL was voted, "Best Private PK-8th Grade School," by I AM Modern readers for the second year in a row. LCDS, as the school is known, is a standout, parents say, because the independent nonprofit provides students with a 'well rounded' education.