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Herald Spring with Fun Patterns and Bright Colors
Lively springtime accessories and flowers can make a room seem more cheerful and seasonable.
With yellow and blue flower buds starting to poke their way through the ground, you might be forgiven for believing that spring is actually coming this year. Even if your yard still looks like a winter wasteland, however, one place to make spring a reality is on the home front. Designers say there is fun to be had. Use bursts of bright colors, energetic patterns and spring accessories to create a seamless transition into the new season.

Black Interior Designers on Industry’s Lack of Inclusion and Diversity
Local tastemakers speak honestly about racial barriers within the profession.
As recent racial injustice protests have brought issues of diversity and inclusion to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness, local interior designers of color are voicing concerns about equity and underrepresentation within the industry.
Norwood School Raises Money for Those Affected by Hurricane Sandy
Participants raise more than $4,000 to help purchase books, rugs, easels and bookcases.
More than 200 Norwood School students, parents, teachers and staff members walked the grounds of the school’s Potomac campus earlier this month to raise money for schools devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

Potomac: Study Correlates Happiness and Good Grades
St. Andrew’s students participate in pioneering study.
Some local school children are helping adjust the way educators view school environments. In fact, they received national recognition for their efforts.

Quarry Springs Reopens with New Amenities
New, luxury development offers the finest in condo living.
Home buyers looking for luxury and elegance without maintenance in the D.C. area now have another option. Quarry Springs recently announced the relaunch of its estate condominiums on River Road in Bethesda.
Using Smart Phone To Get Better Healthcare
New apps and websites designed to make medical visits more efficient.
When Susan Gallagher’s 5-year-old son had an allergic reaction to something he ate at a birthday party, the Reston mother knew she had to get him to an emergency room immediately.

Bringing Home Colors of Fall
Late-blooming flowers are exploding with orange, yellow, purple and other vivid shades.
“Fall is a great time to plant,” said Claire Seesman of the Potomac Garden Center in Potomac. “There are a lot of fall blooming perennials: Echinacea (also known as purple cone flowers), ornamental fall grasses, mums, pansies, cabbage and kale are huge right now.”

Sow Now, Reap this Spring
Getting a garden and yard ready for warm weather.
One of the most anticipated sights of spring is a garden in bloom.
Play ball
Nats fans design a tribute to their favorite team — in their bathroom.
“The biggest design challenge was incorporating the inherent fun that comes in a themed design with the sophistication appropriate for a master bathroom.” — T.J. Monahan, general manager of online remodeling, Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.
Wrapping up the Holidays in Potomac
Garden Club

Pet-Friendly Decor
Pet-owning designers offer advice on practical design choices that don’t sacrifice style.
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Decorating for Fall
Local designers offer suggestions for bringing the harvest into your home.
The colors of autumn are all around as pumpkins and squash fill produce stands and leaves change from green to orange, red and yellow before falling from their branches. Local designers and tastemakers are unveiling home accents that bring the warm hues of the season into the home. Whether using pillows, throws or flowers, adding the colors and textures of fall requires less effort than one might expect. “Emerald green, orange and turquoise are three of the biggest color trends we’re seeing,” said Marcus Browning of European Country Living in Old Town Alexandria. “Throws and pillows are a given, but you can also tie in traditional and modern accessories with rugs, stained glass lamps with modern or intricate designs.” Small trays provide a canvas for highlighting color and adding functionality to a room, says Marika Meyer of Marika Meyer Interiors in Bethesda, Md. “Color and pattern are in right now,” she said. “I just purchased the C. Wonder (http://www.cwonder.com) navy and white chevron tray for my home. It adds a punch of color and freshness to a room. Preppy is back in a big way, too, offering lots of patterns.”

Sorority Sisters Celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris
Joy, tears and hope about this historic moment in history
Wearing their sorority’s signature strand of pearls and clothing in shades of pink and green, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority members Martha Coleman and Shirley Dickerson Taylor were filled with awe and jubilation as they watched their sorority sister and fellow Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alum Kamala Harris, sworn in as Vice President of the United States.
Small Lifestyle Changes Can Have Big Impact
Researchers found that moderate weight loss improves health.
Dropping as little as five percent of one’s body weight can lead to significant health improvements, according to a new study published in the Cell Metabolism journal.

Gifts for the Hostess
Stylish ideas for saying thank you.
If you’re planning to be a guest rather than a host for Thanksgiving dinner this year, you don’t want to arrive empty handed. For those who are still searching for the perfect hostess gift, local tastemakers come to the rescue with presents that are stylish and thoughtful.

Decking the Halls – Halloween-Style
Local designers say it’s not too late to turn your house into a spooky horror.
Halloween is little more than a week away, but if you still haven’t decked out your home with spooky decor, it’s not too late.
Local Author Turning Book Into Screen Play
Great Falls Writers Group: Evening with the Authors.
A local author is planning to put the story of her life on the silver screen. Sixty-one-year-old Mindy Mitchell of Reston is writing a screenplay based on her book, "Lube of Life: A Tribute to Sex, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness in the Boomer Age," which she released last year along with her co-author, 63-year-old Edward Land of Hampton, Va. "The content [and] energy contained in our book, ‘Lube of Life,’ would adapt easily to film: a comedic yet poignant tale of late-in-life love," said Mitchell. "A ‘When Harry Met Sally’ all grown up."