As you stroll through Reston Town Center this holiday season, don’t miss the spectacular gingerbread village inside the Hyatt hotel lobby. This confectionary masterpiece delights local families every year, with several buildings created out of real gingerbread, candy, and frosting, and a train moving throughout the village. You can learn more about the process of creating this village…

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…

Recently I chatted over Lake Anne Brew House brews with Eric MacDicken and Kristina Alcorn about their hilarious new book, Myths & Monsters of Reston, Virginia. These two kept me laughing so hard that I didn’t notice two hours going by. As I reluctantly packed up at the end of a fun evening, I realized that I still had…

We love a home filled with personality! The latest house in our series of home tours is a mixture of feminine glam, vintage chic, and wild zaniness. It’s the perfect match for homeowner April Greer and her adventurous spirit. April is a freelance advertising photographer with clients such as the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal,…

When three young mothers decided to open a children’s consignment shop at Lake Anne, their lawyer and accountant were skeptical. “Adorable,” they said. They didn’t think the business would last a year. Thirty-five years later, Small Change Consignment continues to prove them wrong. There’s a ton of reasons why Small Change has lasted so long in this constantly…

Tucked away at Reston Town Center is the long-established restaurant Morton’s the Steakhouse. I’ve eaten a few times at a different Morton’s location many years ago, and I thought the food was extraordinary. For some reason, though, I’d never given the Reston location much thought. Instead I always dismissed it as a place for upscale business dinners. When we were recently…

It makes sense that an attractive, pleasant, and functional space is easiest to sell. But how can someone achieve that elusive state where a home appeals immediately to a buyer? A professional home stager offered to show us some of her secrets to success. Michelle Cloney is a native Restonian and UVA grad who lives in Reston…

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…

As I walked in the Kids R First distribution center at Rachel Carson Middle School, I was stunned by the seemingly endless boxes of school supplies. There were towering packages of pencils, scissors, crayons, highlighters, binders, glue sticks, and much more. “Oh, this is nothing,” said Susan Ungerer, president of the non-profit organization. “You should have…