Blog Posts

DIY Spring Wreaths

Spring is here and we are loving the bright, vibrant colors that are starting to pop up around Alexandria, VA! Our Edlandria Blog wants to help you bring the beauty and vibrancy of spring to your front door! Decorate the front door of your apartment with one of these DIY wreaths that are absolutely perfect for spring! DIY Tulip Wreath from Polkadot Chair What says spring better than tulips? This beautiful wreath is simple but lovely. Here are the supplies you will need to make it: a grapevine wreath, about 20 silk tulip stems, wire cutters, burlap ribbon, floral wire, and hot glue. Greenery Heart Wreath from Tatertots & Jello Make a wreath that displays your love of springtime! To make this lovely heart-shaped wreath, you will need a heart shaped wire form, garland of greenery, wispy flowers, green floral wire and wire cutters. DIY Woodland Butterfly Wreath from Up To Date Interiors Butterflies are a classic symbol of springtime so why not adorn your front door with this whimsical butterfly wreath? To make it, you will need butterfly printables , white cardstock, a grapevine wreath form, and a hot glue gun with glue sticks. Cupcake Liner Wreath from The 36th Avenue Get creative with this cool wreath that is made from paper cupcake liners! You will need a foam wreath form, spring patterned or pastel colored cupcake liners, pins, scissors, and ribbon or other embellishments. Spring Umbrella Wreath from This Grandma is Fun This clever and adorable idea plays off of the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” You will need an umbrella with a curved handle, fresh cut flowers, aquatubes , and some festive spring ribbon. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of using fresh flowers, you can always opt for silk or artificial flowers. A bonus to using fake flowers is that you can reuse them again and again in the future. Which of these spring wreath ideas is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading our post!

Parks to Visit in Alexandria

Spring has arrived and it is a beautiful time of year to be outdoors here in Alexandria, VA! With warmer weather and beautiful plants and flowers in bloom, being outdoors becomes a scenic and enjoyable experience. To encourage the exploration of the outdoors, we are highlighting a few local parks in the area in this Edlandria Blog post. Read on to find out a little about each park, including drive times from our apartment community. Huntley Meadows Park (21 mins away) Huntley Meadows Park connects you to treasured homes and habitats. The park is home to a nationally significant historic house, majestic forests, wildflower-speckled meadows and vast wetlands bursting with life. Some of the best wildlife watching in the Washington metropolitan area is here. Green Spring Gardens (9 mins) Green Spring Gardens is a must-visit park, a year-round gold mine of information and inspiration for the home gardener. It's an outdoor classroom, a museum, and a national historic site. The park has a wooded stream valley with ponds, a naturalistic native plant garden, more than 20 thematic demonstration gardens, a greenhouse, a plant shop, two gift shops, a historic house, and a horticultural reference library. The gardens and educational programs focus on practical landscaping techniques that are appropriate for the Washington metro area. Park grounds are open from dawn to dusk. Fort Hunt Park (34 mins) Located only two miles from Mount Vernon, the historical home of George Washington, Fort Hunt Park is a local favorite for picnicking and recreation. Fort Hunt Park has many opportunities for recreation. There are several large fields and three softball diamonds, making it an ideal place for large picnics and family gatherings. Located in the lush hills of northern Virginia, the area is abundant with trees, plants, and wildlife. Do you have a favorite local park to visit? What is your favorite outdoors activity? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Books to Read this National Women's History Month

March is National Women’s History Month! The Edlandria Blog invites you to read a book in your Alexandria, VA apartment this month about some of the amazing women in our nation’s history! We’ve got some suggestions to help you narrow down your choice. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians know as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. The Fun of It by Amelia Earhart An autobiography from the famous female pilot describing her ambitions and dreams of becoming a pilot. She also offers her advice to others. The World I Live In and Optimism: A Collection of Essays by Helen Keller These poetic, inspiring essays offer insights into the world of a gifted woman who was deaf and blind. Helen Keller relates her impressions of life's beauty and promise, perceived through the sensations of touch, smell, and vibration, together with the workings of a powerful imagination. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore The Curies’ newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot Henrietta Lacks unknowingly contributed to medical and scientific marvels like the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping. The Southern tobacco farmer has been immortalized by “HeLa,” or, the cells of her cervical cancer, and her story sheds a light on the dark history of medical experimentation on black Americans. Who is your favorite woman in U.S. history? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading our post.

Desserts to Help You Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is this month on Saturday, March 17th. Whether you are hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party or just celebrating with friends, the Edlandria Blog has a few festive dessert recipes you need to try! Bake up one of these sweet treats in your Alexandria, VA apartment this month! Irish Peanut Butter Potato Candy Yes, there is real potato in these candies. Try it before you judge it too harshly. To make it, you will need a peeled and chopped potato, powdered sugar, and creamy peanut butter. Add in a few drops of green food coloring for good measure. Irish Soda Bread Cookies These quick and easy-to-make cookies have all the flavors of Irish soda bread. To make them, you will need flour, white sugar, baking soda, butter, dried currants, buttermilk, an egg, salt, and caraway seed. Use a clover-shaped cookie cutter and a little green food coloring to make them even more festive. Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake Irish cream makes everything better, including this chocolate cheesecake! Here are all the necessary ingredients: chocolate cookie crumbs, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, butter, cream cheese, white sugar, flour, eggs, sour cream, and Irish cream liqueur. Luck o’ the Irish Brownies These mint chocolate brownies are perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day party! To make them, you will need unsweetened chocolate squares, margarine, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, butter, powdered sugar, milk, peppermint extract, green food coloring, and semisweet chocolate chips. Irish Flag Cookies Show your love for Ireland with these crisp sugar cookies that are frosted to look like the flag of the Irish Republic! You will need butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Which of these desserts are you most excited to try? Do you have any other festive dessert ideas to share with us? Let us know in the comments of this post. Thanks for reading. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Candy Shops around Alexandria

Looking for something sweet? The Edlandria Blog is highlighting a few different candy shops in the area to help residents of our apartment community satisfy their craving for something sweet! Visit shops like the Savannah Candy Kitchen, Sugar Factory, IT’SUGAR, or Peeps & Company. Read on to learn more about these local candy stores including drive times from our apartment community. Savannah Candy Kitchen (14 mins away) Making southern confections known from coast to coast, here you will find famous Savannah’s Original Pralines, saltwater taffy, peanut brittle, and a wide assortment of candies, cakes, and pies perfect for any occasion. Sugar Factory (12 mins away) Find the perfect sugary treat at Sugar Factory located in the upscale Pentagon City Mall. Sugar Factory is a unique sit-down restaurant that serves up everything both sweet and savory. Browse the colorful candy dispensers that adorn the walls to find the perfect take-home treat! IT’SUGAR (15 mins away) Everything from giant candy, novelty candy and gifts, to adorable plushies can be found here. Find a unique gift for anyone at IT’SUGAR. Satisfy any sweet tooth with a variety of bold, edible, tongue-and-cheek merchandise. Peeps & Company (15 mins away) Peeps sugary marshmallow candies in every variety, Hot Tamales, Mike and Ikes, and more! You will find a wide variety of flavor options, seasonal candies, specialty candy and more at the Peeps & Company candy store. Buy your favorite candy in bulk so you will never have to worry about running out of it! What is your favorite candy shop in or near Alexandria, VA? Do you have a favorite type of candy that is hard to find? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading our post. Enjoy satisfying your craving for something sweet with a visit to one of these great local candy stores!

Valentine's Day Crafts

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and the Edlandria Blog is here to help you add some festive crafts to your apartment in preparation for this heart-fluttering holiday. Read on for some festive crafting ideas to bring the spirit of the holiday to your apartment here in Alexandria, VA. Heart Rosette Valentine’s Wreath With just a few supplies you can make a beautiful brightly colored heart-shaped wreath to hang on the front door of your apartment. The roses on the wreath are made from felt so you won’t have to worry about them dying. Valentine’s Vase Sleeve Turn old worn socks into a festive sleeve to slip onto a vase. In this tutorial from Lemon Tree Dwelling they used an old gray sock, a red sock, scissors and no-sew fabric glue. A great craft to repurpose something that you would probably otherwise throw away. Valentine’s Heart Paper Chain Use the same method you would to create a paper doll chain, except make a chain of paper hearts to hang up in your apartment. You will need lightweight computer or craft paper, a pencil, markers, and scissors. Amp up your paper heart chain with glitter, colored paper, colored pencils, or chalk. DIY Paper Flower Flowers Instead of real flowers, which will die in a few days, set out some paper flowers. Use this tutorial from It’s Always Autumn to make all different types of paper flowers to decorate your apartment with. Impress your guests with your awesome crafting skills. What crafts have you made for your apartment to get ready for Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments and share any of your other crafty ideas too! We hope your Valentine’s Day is all you hope it to be and that there is lots of love in the air! Spread the love with your crafting skills!