Street Style: Meet Aaricka Oliver & Jenn Morthole of Mount Vernon Mahjong
It started with a simple question: What is that game?
At the Waynewood pool, Aaricka Oliver and Jenn Morthole kept getting stopped by curious neighbors peering over their table. That curiosity turned into lessons, the lessons turned into a business, and Mount Vernon Mahjong was born.
Aaricka, who grew up in the small town of Denison, Texas, attended Texas A&M University before moving to Capitol Hill to work for her hometown congressman. She had watched the mahjong craze sweep through Texas for years before it reached Northern Virginia.
Aaricka Oliver
Self-Styled
Shoot Location: Aaricka’s Home
Makeup: Sara Bracco
"It has been pretty hot and heavy in Texas for a while now. All the big tile companies started there," she says. "A lot of my friends from home started playing early on, and I was just so interested."
After taking some initial lessons locally, Aaricka quickly became hooked. Her ultimate testing ground came during a summer trip to Lake Chautauqua in upstate New York, where she spent weeks playing alongside seasoned players from New York and New Jersey.
"They would literally slap my hand if I did something wrong," Aaricka says with a laugh. "But I came back confident and thought, Okay, I've got this." She brought the game back to Alexandria and immediately taught Jenn.
A Waynewood native, Jenn always knew she wanted to raise a family in the town she grew up in. "I told my husband we could live wherever we wanted until we had kids, and then we had to be back in Waynewood," she says.
After spending two years in Texas, Jenn converted her San Francisco-born husband to the "magic of Fort Hunt." Then, in 2020, Aaricka moved in just a few doors down, sparking a friendship they describe as truly "doing life together."
Jenn Morthole
Self-Styled
Shoot Location: Aaricka’s Home
Makeup: Sara Bracco
The two began playing mahjong with friends each week, but the real catalyst for their business came last summer at their neighborhood pool.
While their daughters swam, Jenn and Aaricka would set up a table to play, but they were constantly interrupted by curious onlookers.
"People would stop by our table and ask, 'What are y'all doing? Can you teach us?'" Aaricka says. "We ended up starting a mahjong night where we were teaching more people than actually playing. We looked at each other and thought, Why don't we turn this into a little bit of a business?"
The idea became reality quickly. After a small push from friends, they decided to jump in! During a family drive to the Air and Space Museum in Dulles, with texts flying back and forth- Aaricka opened Canva in the passenger seat and started mocking up a logo featuring a combination of her beloved golden retriever, Ranger, and Jenn’s new puppy Fancy. They launched an Instagram page, mapped out pricing, and Mount Vernon Mahjong was officially born.
While other local groups focus on large-scale public events, Jenn and Aaricka carved out a highly personal, boutique niche: bringing the entire mahjong experience directly into a client's living room, kitchen, or patio.
"Our model is a private lesson type thing," Aaricka says. "The host can have snacks, drinks, and invite their best friends. It’s way less nerve-wracking to learn a complex game when it’s just your friends in your own house."
The strategy has been a massive hit. The duo regularly pack up their trunks and drive to homes across Alexandria to guide tables of four to sixteen people through the rules.
The idea behind Mount Vernon Mahjong is to spread love of the game one lesson at a time. By bringing the game to clients, the friends hope that after one lesson, the group they taught will be ready to “mahj” together, or with anyone, again soon.
Jenn adds. "Something that makes mahjong special is that it’s our dedicated time to get to hang out. It’s a little more serious than just grabbing a casual coffee—you have to show up for your friends, because you need all four players at the table."
For Jenn and Aaricka, the business has provided a rare and joyful sanctuary away from the demands of daily family routines. It gives them an avenue to meet neighbors of all ages and backgrounds, putting phones down and engaging in genuine, head-up conversation.
As they head into another busy summer of poolside matches, private patio lessons, and neighborhood carpools, the founders of Mount Vernon Mahjong are proving that the best hands in life are the ones you build alongside your best friend.
ABOUT AARICKA & JENN
Your neighborhood:
Aaricka: Waynewood
Jenn: Waynewood
Your hometown:
Aaricka: Denison, Texas
Jenn: Alexandria, VA
What would surprise people about you?
Aaricka: I am a Texas transplant that used to barrel race!
Jenn: I don’t like soda but I love champagne.
Favorite book or movie:
Aaricka: Like a true millennial, any Mathew McCaughney movie, but especially How to Lose a Guy in 10 days. I also love pretty much all the Kate Quinn books!
Jenn: The Harry Potter series ( Always the books, not movies!), I just started reading it with my daughter and am thrilled to get to go back to Hogwarts with her!
Guilty pleasure:
Jenn: I’m a Bravo girl, and can’t stop watching all the shows. It kills me that Aaricka doesn’t follow the bravo scandals and leaves me on an island.
Aaricka: A fancy coffee drink- I can’t get into Bravo, I just want a quiet guilty pleasure.
Latest binge-watch:
Aaricka: The Dutton Ranch!
Jenn: Summer House and Landman
Bucket list travel destination:
Aaricka: I’d love to go explore Thailand
Jenn: I’d love a floating hut over the water, with a book and margaritas
What would your walkout song be?
Aaricka: “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty
Jenn: “Look What You Made Me Do” by Taylor Swift
Favorite motto/quote:
Aaricka: “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air” RWE
Jenn: “Don’t talk about it, be about it”
STYLE
Define your style in three words or less:
Aaricka: Classic, Western, Timeless
Jenn: Millennial-preppy, girly, and easy
The go-to piece in your wardrobe:
Aaricka: tennis dress or cowboy boots
Jenn: a nap dress and birkenstocks
Favorite trend:
Aaricka: I don’t like trends, I want a closet full of clothes that are me and that my girls will want to steal from me, not just whatever everyone else is wearing!
Jenn: I really like the return to bows and ruffles and pink and all of the feminine accents that are back- girlhood is so much fun and I love celebrating it!
Beauty product you can’t live without:
Aaricka: Eyebrow pencil, never leave home without it!
Jenn: Aquaphor fat stick
Boots, dress shoes or sneakers?
Aaricka: Cowboy boots
Jenn: I’m a sneaker girl!
WELLNESS
Go-to way to de-stress:
Aaricka: Walking my sweet golden retriever Ranger while I listen to an audiobook! Lucky for me he loves a long walk!
Jenn: As a true extrovert, I de-stress by being around the people I love and just sitting and yapping and laughing. Bonus points if it’s an unplanned hang.
Favorite way to stay active:
Aaricka: Orangetheory and playing tennis!
Jenn: I love an intense workout with heavy weights and getting out of breath!
Wellness goal:
Aaricka: I’d love to have our family eat less packaged foods and more fresh veggies from the garden, but with a jam-packed sports schedule and two kids in school it’s a goal we are working on!
Jenn: I try to make it to the gym 5 days a week, it sets a good model for my girls that fitness is just part of our routine.
Want to try:
Aaricka: I love trying new things! I love learning new skills, and so if I’m invited to try something I’m all in!
Jenn: I’d love to try tennis again, but I’m terrible!
HOME
Favorite room in your home:
Aaricka: The sunroom- it’s full of light, our record player is there and it’s home to the mahj pit!
Jenn: I love our kitchen, it's the heart of our home and kids are always sitting at the island doing all kinds of crafts, eating snacks, or just hanging out.
Antiques, modern, or a mix?
Aaricka: Antiques for sure! I love checking out local estate sales and finding treasures for our home!
Jenn: We are a mix, with three small kids every room in our house is constantly changing.
Last item you bought for your home:
Aaricka: Pink bubble glass low ball glasses from an estate sale to use for frozen margs!
Jenn: Sleeper sofa to convert my guest room into an art room
Favorite way to entertain:
Aaricka: I love a patio party with margs and something on the smoker!
Jenn: My season of life right now would be girlie birthday parties or a themed tea party!
Clutter-free or well-lived in?
Aaricka: well-lived in
Jenn: well-lived in
ALEXANDRIA
Favorite thing about Alexandria Stylebook?
Aaricka: It’s such a fun local spotlight, and I love learning about Alexandria businesses and initiatives!
Jenn: I love the Street Style section- it’s so fun to see the people behind the businesses- so we’re totally honored that we are included!
Favorite spot in Alexandria:
Aaricka: Huntley Meadows Park
Jenn: Saturday Morning Old Town Farmers Market
Your go-to shop:
Aaricka: In Old Town, definitely Eries Interiors. But the Hollin Hall Variety Store is honestly my go-to shop, and I spend many days and weekends popping in!
Jenn: Agreed, same answer! And Trader Joes!
Best food spot:
Aaricka: Sisters Thai
Jenn: Los Tíos in Del Ray!
Favorite local organization(s):
Aaricka: P.A.L. (People Animals Love) My therapy dog, Ranger, and I visit local retirement homes, libraries and schools. Ranger is such a good dog and has a real gift for helping bring people out of their shells and spreading happiness wherever we visit.
Jenn: Fort Hunt Lacrosse! I volunteer my time coaching Scoopers, which is our preschool program, as well as coaching the 3rd and 4th grade girls. I’m a huge believer in the power of sports for girls, and it’s so fun to see my own kids in the uniform I grew up playing lacrosse in!
Annual Alexandria event you most look forward to:
Aaricka: Waynewoodstock!
Jenn: Scottish Walk Weekend!
