There’s a new children’s book called Reston A to Z, and local preschoolers and early readers are going to love it. My own kids adore this book about their town. There are a lot of reasons Reston A to Z appeals to young children, including a charming squirrel narrator and entertaining rhymes. But what makes this book particularly special is…

If you love strolling through Reston Town Center but wish there were more independent businesses among the large chains, then you don’t want to miss one of the area’s newest stores. Living Threads Co. is all about supporting small businesses. It opened earlier this year, bringing handmade products from independent artisans to Market Street. Living Threads…

Did you know that the National Park Service offers a program to host artists so they can create art, music, or books in beautiful locations? I didn’t, either. It sounds amazing, and I’d love to be able to take part in this program. One Reston artist had that chance earlier this summer. This year marks the Centennial of…

Reston-based Jano is a new, online, history magazine targeted to Asian Indian teens in the United States. We caught up with Restonian, Shefali Chandan, the founder of Jano to learn about its content and find out what drove her to create the website.

The author of one of my son’s favorite books, Dozi the Alligator Finds a Family, lives right here in Northern Virginia. My son has excellent taste, too; the book is a gorgeously illustrated story with charming rhyme and humor. The whole premise is funny — the book stars a young alligator who secretly hitches a ride in a kid’s stroller at…

During my interview with artist Anne Smyers in the Reston Community Center about her current exhibit there, she was frequently stopped by admirers of her work. “Are you the artist? Your work is extraordinary!” “There are no words, wow.” “My grandmother used to quilt, and I’d love to learn to make ones like yours.” “Your handwork is magnificent.” And…

Every Saturday morning during farmers market season, an art market takes place on Lake Anne Plaza. If you haven’t taken a close look at the vendors there, I encourage you to do so. There is a lot of talent and quality on display every week. I’ve discovered some beautiful artwork and hand-crafted products at the Reston…

The announcement that the Lake Anne Coffee House is changing hands has everyone a-buzz with excitement! Finally, Reston will have a bonafide independent coffee house. What you might not know is that the improvement to the actual coffee will be MONUMENTAL. Future owners Eve and Rick Thompson have chosen Monument Coffee — the Manassas-based small-batch roasters —…

Swimming season has arrived! Reston offers endless opportunities for water recreation, with five lakes and fifteen community pools in town, and multiple beaches just a few hours away. Two of Reston Association’s pools, Ridge Heights and Lake Thoreau, are scheduled to open this Saturday, May 9, 2015. The remaining RA pools will open on May 23, 2015. It’s time to buy…