How to Style a Coffee Table Like the Pros

The coffee table may seem like a fairly standard piece of furniture found in any home, but by using a few designer-inspired home decor tips, you can transform yours into a statement piece that ties the whole room together. Try out these DIY decorating ideas made especially for your coffee table.

  1. Add a stack of books. Coffee table books got their name because they were designed for, well, the coffee table, so it only makes sense to use them as such! Place a stack of beautiful books right in the center of your table to provide visual interest and spur conversation.
  2. Place an accent piece on top. Once you stack your books, add something pretty on top, like a great smelling candle or a small figurine. This is also a great place for a lush, green plant.
  3. Add a tray. Next to the stack of books, place an attractive tray to corral small items. Something in clear plastic, natural wood, or chic metallic are all great options.
  4. Place knick-knacks inside. Fill the tray with smaller accent pieces, such as attractive ceramics, a flower vase, or even more candles. This tray can also serve a functional purpose if you use it to store remote controls or hold your keys once you enter the door.
  5. Choose a color scheme. Choose a color scheme such as natural wood and white, or forgo the color scheme for an intentionally mismatched effect.

How to Style a Coffee Table [The Everygirl]
How to Style Your Coffee Table [Style Me Pretty: Living]
8 Stylish Tricks to Dress Up Your Coffee Table [Good Housekeeping]

La Mexicana Bakery and Taqueria: Great Tacos and Delightful Desserts

Alexandria residents know that the one stop for both great tacos and dessert is La Mexicana Bakery and Taqueria, a long-running local institution that offers an extensive menu of great dishes. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, nestled in an unappealing strip mall, but once you’re inside you’ll be in for a treat. As you’d expect, the tacos here are exceptional. Made in the classic, authentic style, they’re filled with your choice of meat. Some of the best choices are the moist, flavorful carnitas, the awesome barbacoa, and the carne asada, accented with lime, cilantro, onions, and great house-made salsa. Other intriguing menu items include the great tortas, made on bread baked fresh every hour. Once you’re fill, make room for the desserts. La Mexicana produces a huge variety of cakes, cookies, and Mexican delicacies, with regulars raving about the shell-shaped pastries known as conchas. Prices are very fair and service is fast and efficient.

La Mexicana Bakery and Taqueria
2907 Arlington Drive
Alexandria, VA 22306
(703) 717-0807
www.lamexicanabakery.net
www.yelp.com/biz/la-mexicana-bakery-and-taqueria-alexandria

Happy Spring!

Everything is starting to bud and bloom! What are you doing to enjoy this lovely change in weather?

Fish Market Restaurant: Good Fish, Good Times

The Fish Market Restaurant is an Old Town landmark just a couple of blocks from the banks of the Potomac. The four separate dining areas are each decorated to be tasteful and comfortable for small or large parties. The great service is well known here, and make sure that you ask about the specials. The crab newport is a big favorite among regulars, as are the oysters.

Open Sundays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Fridays and Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to midnight, the Fish Market’s Anchor Bar is also a popular place to meet for a drink or to watch the games. And don’t miss the weekly food specials, game nights, and live music.

Fish Market Restaurant
105 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 836-5676
www.fishmarketva.com
www.yelp.com/biz/fish-market-restaurant-alexandria-2

Burn Calories and Have Fun Doing It at The Barre Tech

If you’re a fan of yoga, Pilates, or ballet, you’ll likely enjoy the barre classes at Alexandria’s The Barre Tech. Regulars say the instructors here are friendly and remember not only your name, but also your history of injuries and even your general background. Teachers at The Barre Tech are also knowledgeable about fitness and know exactly how to help you achieve your optimal workout. Classes like urban dance cardio are great for getting your heart rate up, and classes like barre:60 are excellent for your core.

While the studio at The Barre Tech is relatively small, it's still comfortable since classes are typically limited to 15 students. The Alexandria location is convenient and easy to find with plenty of parking. Early morning classes are available for those with busy schedules.

The Barre Tech
2409 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
(703) 299-0259
www.barre-tech.com/contact-locations
www.yelp.com/biz/the-barre-tech-alexandria

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

May the luck of the Irish be with you! How will you be celebrating today?

Eat These Three Foods for a Boost in Fiber

Dietary fiber plays an integral role in regulating digestion and flushing toxins from your system. It is especially important if your are looking for ways to lose weight or maintain your current healthy weight. Finding ways to include more fiber into your diet is easy if you know which foods supply the most of this essential nutrient. Here are three sources of fiber that you might not know about:

  1. Peas. The littlest of the green veggies packs a huge nutritional punch when you add just a cup to your salad or soups. You’ll get 8.8 grams of fiber—plus omega-3’s and protein.
  2. Eggplant. This beautiful purple plant gives you 3 grams of fiber for every 13 calories, which makes it an excellent option if you’re watching your weight. Use it in lasagna to replace the carb-filled noodles.
  3. Raspberries. Deliciously sweet raspberries give you 8 grams of fiber per cup. Swap them in for your usual desserts and you might notice a difference in how you look and feel.

The 16 Most Surprising High-Fiber Foods [Greatist]
High Fiber Foods: 7 Surprising Sources [ Huffington Post]
4 Surprising Ways to Add More Fib Your Diet [Yahoo Shine]
The Most Surprising High Fiber Foods [Health]

New Facebook Sweepstakes! Enter to Win an iPad Mini!

To enter the Sweepstakes, visit our Facebook Page and then look for the Sweepstakes tab (image shown below) located on our Facebook Page to enter. Sweepstakes ends April 30th, 2015. We suggest you like our page to keep informed about future sweepstakes and community happenings.

For mobile users, click here to enter.

Southside 815: Hearty Southern Cuisine in Alexandria

Southside 815, which serves large portions of Southern-style cuisine, has been a fixture in Old Town Alexandria for more than 20 years, and for good reason. Washingtonian Magazine has placed this restaurant on its list of 100 Bargain Restaurants for 10 consecutive years.

Regulars recommend starting your meal with a bread basket, which is $2.95 and includes homemade buttermilk biscuits, sweet potato biscuits, and cornbread, served with homemade peach-pepper jelly and apple butter. An entree favorite is the pulled pork, which comes in many dishes, including the pulled pork eggs Benedict, pulled pork nachos, and pulled pork sliders. Frequent diners also enjoy the fried green tomatoes. You have the option of adding fried green tomatoes to the Virginia burger, which also comes with ham, cheddar cheese, and hickory smoked barbecue sauce.

Southside 815 offers brunch on Saturday and Sunday, with hearty options such as chicken fried steak and eggs; sausage, biscuits, and gravy, red beans and rice.

Southside 815
815 S Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 836-6222
www.southside815.com
www.yelp.com/biz/southside-815-alexandria

The Perfect Pita: Top Flight Mediterranean Cuisine in Alexandria, Virginia

The humble pita bread sandwich can take many forms, but Northern Virginia natives will tell you that nobody does it better than the Perfect Pita in Alexandria. This top-flight Mediterranean eatery draws from many regional cuisines to fill out its extensive menu, and regulars rave about the freshness and fair prices. As you might expect from the name, the pita bread here is fantastic. Made from scratch and baked fresh daily, it’s remarkably light, fluffy, and savory. It pairs amazingly with The Perfect Pita’s exceptional fresh hummus, but they also offer some less traditional sandwiches and dishes that are very good. The BLT sandwich served in a pita is a fun, tasty take on the classic that regulars rave over, and the breakfast pitas are an awesome way to start your day for just a few dollars.

The Perfect Pita
951 N. Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-8805

www.theperfectpita.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-perfect-pita-alexandria-2

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