Archive for November, 2007
Holiday Shopping Opportunities at the W-L Annual Holday Bazaar
November 26th, 2007 Categories: Arlington Dirt
The 48th annual Washington-Lee High School Holiday Bazaar will be
held on Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This will be the last Holiday Bazaar in the existing W-L building, located at 1300 North Quincy Street.
The annual Bazaar has become a local community event that benefits the Senior Class of 2008, as well as other W-L clubs and teams.
Unique and handmade jewelry, fashion accessories, holiday gifts, home decorations and collectibles, as well as artwork, will be available for sale by artisans from around the local area. In addition, holiday greens and fruit will be available. A rich assortment of ethnic foods, that represent the diversity of W-L can be purchased as well.
W-L’s highly acclaimed “Madrigals” singing group and other student musical groups will perform throughout the day.
The event is free and open to the public. Ample free parking, with convenient access into the Bazaar, is provided in the I-66 parking garage.
Hope to see you there!
Happy Monday
Jennifer
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
Happy Thanksgiving
November 22nd, 2007 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, McLean Dirt, Reston Dirt
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers. We have a lot to be thankful for – I’m thankful to live in the greatest city in the world (my opinion, of course)! Enjoy the day with your friends and family, as I intend to do with mine!
Jennifer
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
Arlington National Cemetery – A National Treasure and A Moving Experience
November 18th, 2007 Categories: Arlington Dirt
Yesterday I had the distinct honor and pleasure of visiting Arlington National Cemetery. My grandfather, who served in Korea and in WWII is buried there, as is my grandmother who preceded him in death by almost 30 years – so we went to visit their gravesite and take in a little history, too. It is a beautiful and peaceful place – the rows so precisely laid out, the beautiful fall colors around us and it was a gorgeous day. There is so much ceremony here and I thought I would share with you some of what we saw – both with some facts and some photos. First, you will see signs like the one to the left – and it’s nice – because it keeps the chit chat down and really serves as a reminder that we’re in a cemetery to honor those who have served our country.
There are veterans buried here from every war that has involved our nation – over 290,000 servicemen and their family members have been laid to rest here
About 24 burials are conducted every weekday
When the Civil War casualties flooded the hospitals and land in and around Washington DC there was a proposal to take 200 acres of the Lee family property and dedicate it for use as a cemetery. By the end of the Civil War, over 16,000 burials had already occurred on the grounds surrounding the Lee Mansion (aka Arlington House). 
Now, the cemetery covers 624 acres.
Just below the Lee Mansion lies the grave of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. His grave is surrounded by Cape Cod stones and the eternal flame.
There are many other memorials that have been constructed here on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery:
A Nurses Memorial, Spanish-American War to the present
The Mast of the USS Maine which sunk in Havana harbor in 1898 is here and marks the graves of sailors who lost their lives in that tragedy
A Memorial to the crew of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia
An Iran Rescue Mission Memorial for servicemen killed in the hostage rescue attempt
The Tomb of Unknown Civil War Dead holds the remains of 2,111 Union Soldiers
One of the most visited sites at the cemetery, though is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Here a sentinel of the Third US Infantry maintains a 24 hour a day vigil over the sarcophagus of the WWI Soldier who was entombed here in 1921. There are also unknowns from WWII and Korea who lie in crypts flush with the paving.
Watching this soldier guard the tombs is a mesmerizing sight. He paces 21 paces down the mat, pauses for 21 seconds and then returns. He also maneuvers his rifle and claps his feet – it’s a reminder how rich our military is with ceremony and respect. The inscription here reads, “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”
One final note – a funeral conducted with full military honors is a moving experience. An honor guard accompanies the American flag-draped coffin drawn by matched horses. A band plays solemn marches while muffled drums beat the cadence for the procession. A squad fires three rifle volleys and a bugler plays “Taps.” The flag is then folded and presented to the next of kin. I have attended such a ceremony and I can tell you that it is in fact a very special experience.
Here is my daughter at the gravesite of my grandfather:
May all of those who have protected us rest in peace.
Jennifer
| Discussion: 5 Comments »
Staging is all the RAGE!
November 15th, 2007 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, Home Selling, McLean Dirt, Reston Dirt
Staging is becoming a necessary component when thinking about listing your home for sale in today’s market. When I first meet with a prospective seller, we talk about preparing the home for market. This might include 
having a pre-inspection, an appraisal and certainly we have an important discussion about staging and condition.
There are several ways to go about the staging process. Options can range from hiring a professional stager who will bring rented furniture, plants, artwork, accessories, etc… and totally transform your home into something right off of HGTV! They might even paint a wall, or advise some re-carpeting, re-landscaping, etc… OR you can just get a staging consultation that will report on how to work with what you have to open up spaces, lighten and brighten up rooms and how to purge etc… A good realtor with some experience can also be a great resource.
You may be thinking “whoa, that sounds like a boatload of cash to plunk down” but in all honestly – it can get your property sold for a higher price even in a slow market. When your property is in it’s top condition, it becomes very easy for a prospective buyers to imagine themselves moving right in and gives the feeling that it’s really “home.”
I had the great fortune today to attend a staging event held in a real life house – we learned how to transform a room using some simple room layouts, learning about furniture, lighting and artwork that a client ALREADY HAS to turn boring into WOW! Just look at the before and after photos below:
before
after
Isn’t it amazing? Same furniture, same rug, same everything…
before
after
I believe staging is an important aspect of preparation to sell you home. Of course there are other components, like price and location. If you’re thinking of selling, please feel free to contact me for a consultation, my compliments, of course.
Alternatively, you can click here for a free home valuation report. Whether you’re in Arlington or anywhere in the Northern Virginia area, I’m here to help.
Happy Thursday
Jennifer
| Discussion: 4 Comments »
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