The BEACH Exhibit at the National Building Museum: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
It’s one of the zaniest ideas to come to town. By now, you may have heard of the BEACH exhibit in Washington, D.C. It’s a sea of white plastic balls where you can swim in the climate-controlled, shark-free, and architecturally magnificent National Building Museum. This temporary installation has received rave reviews from the press. After comparing my experience…
July 22, 2015A Perfectly Relaxed Summer Night at a Great Falls Concert on the Green
There’s something sublime about a picnic blanket in a grassy field with live music. Reston has some excellent summer concerts at Reston Town Center and Lake Anne Plaza, but those two bustling, paved locations are lacking in a certain coziness. If you want to stretch out in the grass with some wine and music, you don’t have to head all the…
July 15, 2015Home Tour: A Cramped Split-Level Transforms with Spacious, Mid-Century Style
If you love a good before-and-after home tour, then you don’t want to miss this one. Reston resident Carolyn Reams sent me photos of her family’s renovations, and I was stunned by the transformation. She invited me to come in and see her beautiful house for one of Modern Reston’s home tours. Carolyn lives with her husband,…
July 8, 2015Hands-On Educational Play at the New Children’s Science Center Lab
Northern Virginia finally has its own interactive children’s museum, thanks to the new Children’s Science Center Lab in Fairfax. This museum, which opened in June, 2015, specializes in hands-on demonstrations of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Its exhibits are designed for children aged 2-12, but parents and older siblings are likely to enjoy them, too….
July 6, 2015Photo Gallery: Fourth of July Holiday Weekend at Lake Anne
It was an exciting holiday weekend at Lake Anne! The Fourth of July weekend offered beach parties, fire dancers, neighborhood celebrations, and (unauthorized) fireworks. Here are some photos from the weekend. Kalypso’s Sports Tavern started off the holiday weekend with the restaurant’s fifth anniversary celebration on Friday, July 3rd. The team at Kalypso’s transported a truckload of sand onto the…
July 6, 2015Fourth of July Events in the Reston Area
The Fourth of July takes place on a Saturday this year, which means we have a three-day weekend to enjoy! Here are some holiday celebrations for you to check out on July 3rd and July 4th in Reston, Vienna, Herndon, and Great Falls. FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2015 Rockin’ Independence Eve Fireworks Show 7pm-dark: Vienna Town Green,…
July 2, 2015July Events in the Reston Area
Summer is in full swing, and Reston’s event schedule is filled with something for everyone. July highlights include the World Police and Fire Games, the annual Ukulele Festival, Fourth of July celebrations, and summer concerts. Here’s what you can find in Reston and surrounding areas of Northern Virginia this month. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2015 World Police and…
June 30, 2015Ten Things You Need to Know About the World Police and Fire Games
By now, you’ve probably heard that the World Police and Fire Games are coming to town. This exciting, international competition involves a series of events that are centered in Reston and will take place all over Northern Virginia. There will be so much happening that it can be overwhelming. We have outlined the essential information to help clarify it…
June 23, 2015Photo Gallery: Chalk on the Water Festival at Lake Anne
The last couple weeks have been quiet here at Modern Reston, because both of your MR hostesses coincidentally scheduled European vacations for the same time. Michelle and I are both disappointed to have missed last weekend’s chalk festival at Lake Anne, because it’s such a wonderful event. Thank goodness for photography contributions to help us see…
June 16, 2015A Busy Herndon Mom Loses 100 Pounds and Shares How She Did It
I recently met with a group of mothers as part of an article about their fitness group. One of the moms left quite an impression on me, because she was working out with a smile on her face while simultaneously corralling her three kids under five. I chatted with her after the workout, and was astonished to learn that despite…
June 4, 2015Photo Gallery: Chesapeake DockDogs at Lake Anne
On Saturday, May 30, 2015, Lake Anne celebrated the grand opening of PetMAC, a new pet supply store and adoption center located on the Plaza. The event included working dog demos, music, face painting, and vendors, but the highlight of the day was a performance by Chesapeake DockDogs. Several trained dogs soared in the air…
June 2, 2015June Events in the Reston Area
Reston’s event schedule is filling as summer warms up. Highlights for June 2015 include a yoga festival, the return of weekly concerts around town, a chalk festival at Lake Anne, and the arrival of international athletes participating in the World Police and Fire Games. Mark your calendars, because there’s a lot going on during the summer…
May 31, 2015