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Preparing for Holiday Homes Tour and MarketPlace

McLean Woman’s Club gets ready for annual fundraiser.

The Woman’s Club of McLean is in the final stages of planning for its 46th annual Holiday Homes Tour and MarketPlace, to be held Thursday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Invasive Restrictions: Effort to Restrict Sale of Invasive Plants May Wilt in Richmond

Legislative delegation wary of running afoul of the free market.

They’re all over Mount Vernon — English ivy, Bradford pear, porcelainberry, oriental bittersweet and bamboo.

Getting That Linen Closet Organized

Changing seasons offer opportunities to sort sheets and towels.

The thought of sorting through piles of pillowcases and hand towels is enough to send some into hibernation until next spring, but fear not. Local organizing experts are here to help.

A Finishing Touch

Local designers share tips for choosing finishes when remodeling a kitchen.

When remodeling a kitchen, choosing finishes such as countertop materials and paint colors can be daunting for some. Design experts say there are a few guidelines that can simplify the process.

Create a field-inspired arrangement by sculpting a pumpkin to use as a vase. “Sometimes we will hollow out a pumpkin, put a liner in it and make an arrangement with mums, pretty fall leaves and millet or bittersweet,” said Evelyn Kinville of the Behnke Florist Shop in Potomac.

Home Tour Shows Life on the Edge

Annual home tour features homes next to Reston's features.

This year’s Reston Homes Tour featured the usual assortment of houses featuring exceptional architecture, interior design and other unique designs, but this year’s theme also focused on the adjacent areas. “Living on the Edge,” the theme, was designed to highlight how various Reston residents are making do while living near some kind of community feature.

Creating a New Point of View

Custom-designed two-level window wall invites indoor/outdoor continuity.

“Homeowners come to us for design ideas that will open up space and invite indoor/outdoor continuum,” he said. “But new Fairfax County’s rules on wind-resistance requirements for large-scale windows are quite technical, and demand thoughtful engineering.”

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.”

McLean, Great Falls Market is Up in 2012

The residential real estate market is up 26.8 percent in McLean and Great Falls in terms of total number of sales. This represents a significant increase for the first three quarters of 2012 over the same time period for 2011.

Potomac Bulletin Board: Oct. 3, 2012

Upcoming events

Holiday Homes Tour Tickets on Sale in Early October

Ticket sales for the McLean Woman’s Club annual Holiday Homes Tour are planned to start at three local businesses in early October and continue until Dec. 6, the day of the tour.

Uncorking the Possibilities

Local builders say wine storage options are almost limitless.

From those who sip an occasional glass of Chianti with friends to enthusiastic oenophiles, the notion of owning a wine cellar is fascinating to many people. In fact, a recent U.S. Luxury-Home Market survey by Wine Trends, a wine-consulting firm, showed that 67 percent of respondents were interested in incorporating wine storage into their homes.

The Connection