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SPRING CLEANING SEEMS like a cause championed by June Cleaver throwbacks and the makers of Borax. Yet many modern folks refuse to chuck the concept in the dust bin, even though the original reasons for warm-weather scouring frenzies — the grime left behind by coal-burning stoves and kerosene lamps — died around the time Queen Victoria did.
"We see an uptick in requests for deep cleaning during the spring — especially after such a harsh winter," says Mia Gallin, owner of Arlington's the Green Mop. Type A's who prefer to do their own dirty work find advice at Housekeepingchannel.com, which reports its heaviest traffic in March, April and May.
"I love the idea of a cleaning that is beyond everyday dusting," says Laura Heinle, 44, a mom of two in Silver Spring. "There are so many parts of the house that you can ignore." With mildewed grout, dusty fan blades and crumby cabinets all vying for attention, some wonder whether it's worth starting something they can't finish. "I like the idea of spring cleaning," echoes Laura Nelms, 36, an environmental consultant on Capitol Hill. "But ... I know I'd be doing it by myself. And cleaning, in general, is not something I like to spend a lot of time on."
Experts seem to unanimously agree that baby steps are best when it comes to tackling your own dust heap. Too bad most checklists seem so all-encompassing. "Really, I'm going to flush out the water heater every spring?" scoffs Erin Rooney Doland, the Reston-based author of "Unclutter Your Life in One Week" ($15, Simon & Schuster) and editor of the popular blog Unclutterer.com.
Instead of taking an A-to-Z approach (arrange stacks of magazines, zap shower mold), chip away at the following chores to make the maximum visual impact. Because who notices the sediment in the water heater, anyway?
Continue Reading "The Clean Season: Spring Cleaning Solutions" »
NO MATTER WHERE you hang your chef's hat, seasoning blends probably lurk in your pantry, zipping up the taste and looks of almost anything they dust. In the mid- Atlantic, we love to sprinkle crabs (and french fries, rockfish fillets and creamy soups) with Old Bay, a melange of celery salt, pepper, mustard and paprika. In Louisiana, Bloody Marys and blackened fish often get kicked up a few notches by Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Cooks have experimented with their spices since prehistoric times, a culinary cross-pollination that's resulted in time-saving blends. "Some flavors play well with each other, which is why these mixes came to be," says India-born, D.C.-based food writer Monica Bhide, author of "Modern Spice" ($25, Simon & Schuster). "With a blend, you don't have to stand in your kitchen and grind seven different spices. It's something ready to go." Here are five such globe-trotting combos, plus what pros suggest you do with them.
Herbes de Provence
A combination of oregano, basil, thyme, sage, savory, rosemary and, sometimes, lavender.
» Origin: Southern France
» Taste: "It's got a subtle flavor, sort of a shortcut to Mediterranean cuisine," says Paris food blogger Clotilde Dusoulier of Chocolateandzucchini.com.
» Traditional Use: This garden-to-table blend has starred in chicken, fish and veggie dishes for centuries. It's close amie: potatoes gratin (aka scalloped potatoes). "It's also good with goat cheese," says Dusoulier. "Cut some chevre, lay it on slices of bread, toast in the oven and sprinkle the herbs on."
» New Wave Use: "Make vanilla and Herbes de Provence ice cream," says Dusoulier. "Infuse the milk you use with the herbs for five minutes."
» Buy It: $4.85 for 4 oz.; Penzeys.com
Continue Reading "Spice Whirl: Globe-Trotting Spice Blends" »
ANNE MAHLUM'S REGULAR morning jogging route in Philadelphia took her past a homeless shelter, and rather than look away, she always gave the men standing outside a big smile. "I was running by these guys and they reminded me of my dad," says Mahlum, whose father has long struggled with addiction.
One day, as they cheered her on, she realized they were the ones who could use some cheering. So she called the shelter to set up a running club, and Back On My Feet (BOMF) was born.
Since their first outing in 2007, the program has gone the distance. The Philly chapter has helped 163 members complete a race (including marathons), a Baltimore branch started last year, and a Boston branch is scheduled to launch in May. And as of March 22, Mahlum and her team will be based in Washington, where they'll also be organizing running groups at four shelters. "The running community here is big, and people go here to change the world," she explains. And unfortunately, D.C. needs their help — more than 12,000 people in the metro area are homeless.
Continue Reading "Running Toward a New Way of Life: Back On My Feet" »
AT BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE High School, Dan Nainan says, he made prank calls convincingly and also cracked people up in ways that got him kicked out of class. Early signs of a future in comedy?
Subtle signs, anyway. Nainan majored in business at the University of Maryland and joined Intel, where he handled the CEO's technical demonstrations on travels around the globe. Because in-house presentation training didn't help him feel comfortable speaking before 1,000 people, he signed up for Toastmasters.
Nainan credits Toastmasters for techniques to avoid saying "um" and "uh." The organization has 430 area clubs, in which about 20 people meet two to four times a month for prepared and impromptu speeches. But he still had crowd fears — so having written jokes, Nainan next tried a comedy class by Judy Carter, author of "The Comedy Bible" and "Stand-Up Comedy." When he cracked wise in his first class, people laughed. The next week, no one laughed.
"I thought about quitting," he admits. But these techniques were useful, too: how to handle the mic, get to punchlines faster, win over an audience. "Everyone should do comedy to overcome stage fright," he says.
CHAINED TO YOUR cubicle, your thoughts drift to the stuff of Harlequin romance novels: A bare-chested hunk clutches a busty damsel; a gust of wind tousles their manes. But there's a plot twist: your byline, plastered across the cover in a schmaltzy font.
You, too, can court a romance novelist's career path at the Smithsonian Resident Associates Program's daylong seminar, "How to Write a Romance Novel." Arlington author Kathleen Gilles Seidel will lead the lecture, drawing on her own 14-book-strong bibliography.
» The Basics: Throughout the 5.5-hour seminar, Seidel will share insights on how to translate an instinctive, fan-based understanding of the genre into a page-turner that sells.
Continue Reading "The Romance Language: Romance Novelist Kathleen Gilles Seidel" »
BYRON HARTMAN SNUCK snuck Lauren Starck out to a Charlottesville apple orchard to propose, but there was a problem: The orchard was teeming with people. "I started wandering as far away as I could and luckily Lauren followed me," says Byron. Once alone, he persuaded her to turn around by lying about seeing something in the distance — when she turned back, she saw him on one knee holding the ring. "It was oh, so romantic," says Lauren. "She started crying and hyperventilating," says Byron. "She eventually said yes, though, and proceeded to cry the rest of the day."
Byron, 24, is a senior consultant. Lauren, 25, is a government affairs specialist. The couple, who met in college, live in Arlington and will wed July 31 at a Virginia bed and breakfast in the countryside.
Written by Express contributor Rachel Kaufman
IF YOU'VE EVER gone to a restaurant and fallen in love with the wine in your glass or the cheese on your plate, you're going to appreciate Clarendon's Screwtop Wine Bar, where all the wines, cheeses and charcuterie on the menu are also available in the shop.
"One reason I did this was because of the economy," owner Wendy Buckley says. "People can't afford to go out every night, but they can enjoy the same wine and cheese we have at the bar, and take it home affordably."
Screwtop, which opened in mid-December, focuses on boutique wines, and Buckley says that 70 percent of the bottles for sale are less than $30, with the lowest priced at $9.99.
He's toured with Michael Jackson and appeared on TV news shows; is a baby boomer and a viral sensation; knows his way around circus tricks and the Bill of Rights.
Chris Bliss — stand-up comedian, juggler extraordinaire and the man behind the push to erect a monument to the Bill of Rights in all 50 states — comes to the Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse on Friday.
» Cinema 'N' Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington; Fri. and Sat., March 5 and 6, 7:30 p.m., $20; 703 486-2345.
WALLPAPER HAS BEEN enjoying a comeback of late, thanks to a slew of new modern, easier-to-use designs. "There are wallpapers now that are fabulous and definitely not your grandmother's wallpaper," says Alexandria-based designer Janet Thomas.
Hip, graphic prints abound, from sources such as Jonathan Adler, Angela Adams, Ferm Living and Elitis. Think Greek key designs, overlapping circles or retro-looking flowers and tree branches. "You can use traditional furniture and put up contemporary wallpaper and it updates the whole thing," says Thomas.
"There are also a lot of very fun, textural wallpapers," says Catherine Hailey, principal of Arlington-based Hailey Design. "Some are actually fabric that's been backed with paper, which can really dress a room up. There are also some interesting wallpapers with a relief [a raised texture], which you can paint any color you want." Hailey likes Donghia for items such as linen and PVC wall coverings, and Weitzner Limited for paintable options.
WHEN CATHY BUNTUA, 26, bought a one-bedroom condo in Falls Church last spring, she loved its location and potential. But she was less than thrilled about its old-school kitchen cabinets.
"They were probably from 1970 and were a really ugly, deep dark brown," she says. "I knew I would have to change them somehow. But since I had just bought the condo, I didn't have enough money to invest in ripping them out and putting in new ones."
Cue the DIY paint makeover. But instead of choosing a soft white, as the designers on HGTV might have done, Buntua went for something bolder. "I wanted to do a fun color, so I chose pink, which is one of my favorites," she says.
Continue Reading "The Bold and Beautiful: Vibrant Wall Colors" »
Addison Road