By Genivieve LeFranc Coco Chanel once said, “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.” While this pearl of wisdom may be true, I believe a woman who skips her scent spritz is missing out on one of the joys and mysteries of femininity. Perfume is one of the easiest ways to instantly feel sexy and beautiful, and is the perfect gift for both men and women, whether you’re treating yourself or being gifted by your valentine. Perfume has the power to add sophistication, femininity, and flair with a simple spray. The options for fragrance are ever-expanding, which makes it easy to find something for everyone—from herbs and essential oils for Mother Nature types, to body mists and lotions for more reserved girls, to designer fragrances for those fierce fashionistas on top of trends. However, there are a few tricks to remember to ensure you smell like a meadow of flowers, not a closet filled with old ladies and fur coats. The ultimate commandment when wearing perfume is less is more. You want to attract others with your enticing scent, not clear the room! There is a very fine line between just right and too much, and an overpowering douse of perfume ruins the notes of even the most beautiful, delicate fragrance. Apply to your neck or décolletage, behind the ears, on your wrists, or all three! Contrary to common wisdom, do not rub your wrists together! This muddles the various top notes in a fragrance and can alter the scent. For Valentine’s Day (or night!) mix it up and get creative where you spray your sexiest bottle of perfume. Mist your undergarments, lingerie, sheets, or brush through your hair. Just remember the alcohol in perfume can be drying to your locks, so walk through a misty cloud of your fragrance…
By Carl Trevison and Stephen Bearce Timing is everything – whether it’s navigating traffic to get to work on time or getting a table at a popular restaurant. If you miss the window, you might end up stuck in traffic or waiting in line longer than you’d like for dinner. Timing can be tricky for everyday activities, and it’s even more challenging when it comes to the markets. If your timing is off with the markets, research shows it could cost you. It’s a significant risk. Making the Right Call For some investors, timing the market is like calling the right play in football: if you do it right, the risk could be worth the reward. However, if your timing is off, you could end up getting sacked. Missing even a handful of the market’s best days can dramatically cut your investment returns. Conversely, missing several of the worst days in the markets can potentially offer higher returns, but the strategy behind trying to miss the bottom of trading can be challenging. Historically, missing just 10 of the best days in the markets, a very small amount over a 30-year period, would have dropped your annual average rate of return from 8% to 5.26%. Missing 30 days and the drop would have been even more steep to near 1.8%. If you missed 40 days, the drop would have been even more to .44%. Change that to a 50 day miss and your annual return would have hit a negative, -.86% annually.¹ In The News Markets fluctuate greatly and interest rates rise and fall, but outside factors like politics and international trade can also affect investment returns monthly, weekly, even daily. Predicting change is really just guessing. Diversification in investments can be a better overall strategy, limiting exposure and risk by…
This year may be a good one to make your own Valentine cards. While we are sure that the good portion of our readership is full of wit and wisdom, maybe the following quips and quotes be of some use for those who draw and blank when it comes to the perfect saying!! Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine! ~Thomas Hood When love is not madness, it is not love. ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca Many are the starrs I see, but in my eye no starr like thee. ~English saying used on poesy rings Loving is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939 Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~Albert Einstein I don’t understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine’s Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon. ~Author Unknown For you see, each day I love you more Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow. ~Rosemonde Gerard Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. ~Author Unknown Love – a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown I claim there ain’t Another Saint As great as Valentine. ~Ogden Nash Trip over love, you can get up. Fall in love and you fall forever. ~Author Unknown Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart. ~Author Unknown A…
By Doug Fabbioli I was out at the store the other day and a clerk who I have known for decades asked me why there are so many wineries? He asked if there was a tax break or some hidden gem that makes people want to be in the business. I know there is no great tax advantage any better than other agriculture business, and I certainly know that it is a lot of work with a lot of specialized equipment and training. The best answer I could come up with was “chasing the romance”. It starts in the vineyard. The long straight rows of vines that rise and fall with the contour of the land are beautiful. As the season progresses, folks like to see the pruning of the vines, the small buds pop and grow into leaves, the long shoots develop, the clusters begin their ripening and eventually the crews picking the fruit for processing into wine. There have been a number of movies made romanticizing this process and the passion to grow and ultimately deliver the best grapes you can to the winery. During the “crush season”, when the grapes are crushed and processed into young wine, is often hectic, exhausting, physically demanding and all-encompassing for the winemaking team. But the thrill of making the most of those grapes that were grown in your vineyard is beyond satisfying. But it’s not easy and you need to follow a well thought out plan using special equipment and a trained team, a team who commits their knowledge, passion and efforts into one combined goal of quality. It sounds like a romantic sport. This sport is welcoming to men and women alike. Anyone willing to work hard and are committed to teamwork, learning, and grit can often find a place…
By the Gastronomes French pronunciation: [lɛse le bɔ̃ tɑ̃ ʁule]) is a Louisiana French phrase. The phrase is a calque of the English phrase “Let the good times roll!” We know that Fat Tuesday doesn’t roll around this year until March 4th but we know a place where you can celebrate it six days a week! We ventured outside of historic Old Town and into Arlandria and visited a long-time favorite, RT’s Restaurant. Located on Mount Vernon Avenue, RT’s has been a favorite destination for Alexandria diners as well as folks from D.C. They have been serving some of the best Creole and Cajun food outside of Louisiana for well over 30 years. Located across from the famous Birchmere Concert Hall, RT’s is the perfect stop for a light dinner before that night’s performance. As you approach the 3800 block of Mount Vernon Avenue where RT’s is located, you will notice the iconic vertical neon marquee sign indicating that you have arrived. The inside is lively and well laid out, especially this time of year with Mardi Gras decorations everywhere. As you enter, there is a room length Bar with very comfortable stools and booths for seating on the opposite side. This area is set off from the dining room by a large windowed partition. While you can see what is going on “on the other side”, the chatter from the bar side can’t be heard in the dining room. There are two dining rooms, the aforementioned one next to the bar and another room next to it that is a bit more formal with the tables sporting white linen table cloths. This room is a great place to reserve for gatherings. All of the rooms are decorated to the nines for the seasons. Maria and her staff are amazing at creating a special atmosphere. We normally sit at…
By Alexander Britell The hidden-away coves. The sparkling cliffs. Those lush “blue” mountains. The wonderfully authentic hotels. The sound of mento and reggae. If you know, you know. And while Jamaica seems to have experienced a slow second half last year, things seem to be looking up for 2025. That means a very strong peak travel season, according to Jamaica’s tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett. “This is going to be the best winter season on record,” Bartlett said this week. Local tourism officials say the island has secured nearly 180,000 new air seats for the winter; that represents an increase from “every major gateway coming to Jamaica,” according to Bartlett. That includes an extra 74,000 seats from the United States, another 78,000 seats from Canada and 1,000 more from within the Caribbean market, too. “The last time I looked at your numbers, you are now trending over 50 per cent of the passengers who come through Norman Manley being tourists and visitors who come to stay at hotels across the island,” Bartlett said. Several hoteliers told Caribbean Journal that the island had been having a far slower summer than in the beginning of 2024. That could mean some more attractive options for hotel stays this season. The island has not yet revealed its total visitor numbers for 2024. Are you planning a trip to Jamaica right now? Flights are cheaper than they have been in recent years. For example, you can find flights from Miami to Montego Bay for as low as $244 roundtrip on Spirit, and $326 on American Airlines. From New York, you can book airfare on JetBlue from JFK to Mobay for about $417, and flights from Newark to Montego Bay on United for about $486 roundtrip, according to Google Flights. What about where to…
THROUGH FEBRUARY 10 The Restaurant Cherry Challenge Sponsored by: The “Cherry Challenge” is a competition among the finer restaurants in Alexandria – with their customers as the judges! Each restaurant develops its own cherry beverage, appetizer, entrée, and/or dessert in honor of our distinguished native son. You can taste their savory offerings through February 10th! An updated list of restaurants and photos of their drinks and dishes can be found at http://www.washingtonbirthday.com. FEBRUARY 1-28 The Hunt for Washington Sponsored by Lafayette College A fun and challenging hunt for clues about Alexandria and George Washington that takes individuals and families to places in Old Town associated with the General. Just download a Clue Sheet from http://www.washingtonbirthday.com between February 1 through February 28 and bring it with you as you solve the clues on the date/time of your choosing. Submit your completed Clue Sheets to be entered into a prize drawing! SUNDAYS IN FEBRUARY: FEBRUARY 2, 9, 16, 23 George Washington’s Alexandria Tours 2:00-4:00 p.m. Tours begin at Christ Church 118 N. Washington Street Explore historic Old Town Alexandria as George Washington knew it! This popular FREE two-hour guided walking tour will visit sites associated with Washington and his closest colleagues including Christ Church, Light Horse Harry Lee’s house, the Lord Fairfax home, Washington’s townhouse, Gadsby’s Tavern, Duvall Tavern, Wise’s Tavern, the Carlyle House, Market Square, Ramsay House, the Apothecary Shop, and Gentry Row. To register, visit eventbrite.com and search George Washington’s Alexandria – click to see all four tour options. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Hamilton’s BFFs & Frenemies Tour 6:30-7:30 p.m. Gadsby’s Tavern Museum 134 N. Royal Street Inspired by the musical Hamilton, learn how the paths of Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson, Madison, and Burr all intersected with this local tavern. Includes discussion of the issues they faced and how their choices impacted…
By ©2025 Sarah Becker “Inasmuch as our country is extensive and new, and the countries of Europe are densely populated, if there are any abroad who desire to make this the land of their adoption, it is not in my heart to…prevent them from coming,” President-elect Abraham Lincoln [born Feb. 12, 1809, IL] said in 1861. The Republican Party platform of 1860, the platform upon which President Lincoln was elected, “opposed any change in our naturalization laws.” Especially as regards “free homestead policy” and or construction of “a railroad to the Pacific ocean.” In 1862 President Lincoln, an architect of a political-economic type signed four Acts into law. They were the Department of Agriculture Act, the Homestead Act [May 20, 1862], the Pacific Railway Act, and the Morrill Act. The 123-year Homestead Act [1863-1986] allowed citizens to acquire up to 160 acres by settling on public land for five years and paying $1.25 per acre. As of 2018 ninety-three million Americans were descended from Homesteaders. Lincoln’s want: to send skilled mechanics to Eastern manufacturers; to populate the homesteading West and agricultural South with farmers, laborers, free blacks depending—northern newspapers did not publish Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation until September 1862—and femme soles. “I again [recommend] establishing a system for the encouragement of immigration,” President Lincoln said in 1863. “The mineral resources of Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona are proving far richer than has been heretofore understood.” “Although this source of national wealth and strength is again flowing with greater freedom than for several years before the insurrection occurred,” Lincoln continued, “there is still a great deficiency of laborers in every field of industry, especially in agriculture, and in our mines.” Virginia, Spotsylvania County especially mined gold from 1804 until 1947. In 1865 the Union-friendly restored government of Virginia rejected a…
By Bob Tagert “An all-season Romantic Couple’s Escape in authentic timber frame cabins located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia bordering the Shenandoah National Park.” This month’s Road Trip took us back to Shadow Mountain Escape. We featured them in this space in 2021 and some exciting new things have happened in these four years – a new structure called the “Stone House” and the addition of elopement, vow renewal and engagement packages. More about both in this writeup. You will find Shadow Mountain about two miles on the Luray side of the Thornton Gap entrance to Skyline Drive on Jewell Hollow Road. The brainchild and lifelong dream of Karen and Ralph Riddle, the name “Shadow Mountain Escape” comes from the name of the tracts (Shadow Mountain tracts) of land that were originally subdivided within Jewell Hollow from large parcels that once belonged to several of the pioneering families of the county (the Jewell and Sours family among them). The Riddles added the term “Escape” to invoke a sense of the underlying purpose behind their effort. In an attempt to provide an environment conducive to happiness and fulfillment, they focused on exposing the beauty and spirit of the natural landscape and the remarkable life that flourishes there. The use of *Timber Frame construction in all of the buildings adds to that theme. All of the structures and landscapes were designed by Ralph who has a passion for design and history. He holds a degree from Virginia Tech in Landscape Architecture. The couple began their project in 1994 and first opened in 2002. The history of the project is fascinating and worth hearing but would take up too much room here. Be sure to ask him about the stone work and most importantly the “Gothic Tower” and Max and Moritz….
Pictured above: Our very own Open Space author, Lori Welch Brown, is one of six local artists participating in Nepenthe Gallery’s Winter Solstice Local Artists Exhibit. She’s not just a fantastic writer but a talented abstract artist. You can check out her work at the Gallery located in Hollin Hall at 7918 Fort Hunt Road. By Bob Tagert Well…we made it through January without freezing to death. The last half of month has been quite a ride for sure. I can’t believe that the snow that fell almost three weeks ago is still on the ground as I write this. I grew up here in the 1960’s and the Potomac River froze solid most every year. I haven’t seen it quite as solid as this last third of January has shown. However, as our climate continues to change, tomorrow, January 29th temps will be 60 degrees and hold that for the entire week. It is a ‘wait and see’! We hope you enjoy this month’s issue. Sarah Becker tackles a hot topic these days and highlights some history of Immigration in A Bit of history. Our Personality Profile highlights our new Mayor, Aliya Gaskin. Mayor Gaskin made history as the first Black female and possibly the youngest Mayor to be elected in Alexandria. In Last Word, Miriam Kramer writes about Romantasy: Onyx Storm and the Empyrean Series. Grapevine’s Matt Fitzsimmons shifts gears, and introduces us to Charlottesville’s North American Sake Brewery, while in Exploring Virginia Wines, Doug Fabbioli writes about “chasing the romance” in the vineyard. Tim Long addresses the rumor of the craft beer trend coming to an end in Let’s Get Crafty and Chef Glenn gives us a recipe for romance with his crab mousse stuffed flounder in Let’s Eat. With Mardi Gras right around the corner, RT’s…
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