She Said | She Said: Celebrating Alexandria

Happy Fourth of July! As you make your way to your destination this weekend, whether down the Avenue or across the country, don't forget that the patriotic celebration continues next Saturday, July 9, with Alexandria's 273rd birthday celebration. What better way to commemorate Alexandria than having two homegrown Stylebook contributors sound off on all things summer in the return of a reader favorite - She Said, She Said! Alicia McCaslin of Tullebox and Maura Burchette of Monday's Child were born and raised right here in Alexandria. It's now home to their families and their businesses. Here's how they celebrate our town:  

Let's talk about summer style. Do you play it cool or go all out for summer with dresses, hats, the works?

Maura: My go-to summer uniform is an easy dress - one and done! Bright, colorful block print, floral or white dress paired with my favorite Ancient Greek Sandals that I live in, and the world's greatest jean jacket. I always love the tips Alicia gives in her Instagram stories at The Hive - she has the best tips to elevate your look. She's got me hooked on belts, so when I'm feeling the enthusiasm to be more put together, I'll add a belt. Hats and headbands when my hair hasn't been washed!

I love to get dressed for the day, and I love to immediately change into sweats the second I'm home 😉.

Alicia: Summer means chill with clothing, but I amp up my jewelry and get out my favorite hat. I'm a creature of habit when it comes to seasonal jewelry. Summer means a slew of necklaces that each have a memory and bring me to that summer mindset. Clothing, on the other hand, needs to be simple for me in the summer in order to flip the equation in the fall. Alicia's rule of style… Summer means layer the jewelry and simplify the clothing. Flip to fall where layering the clothing means keeping the jewelry less complicated. 

You have friends visiting, and they want to see the sights. Where do you take them to avoid the summer crowds? 

Maura: These days, it seems like avoiding crowds is tough in our charming town - it's the place to be! The sights we seek out depend on who is visiting. If we are entertaining young kids, we love to take friends to the Dulles Air and Space Museum or Museum of Natural History or get on the Water Taxi and take a ride to the Warf or a Nat's game. Mount Vernon is always a favorite. Renting bikes from Pedego and going downtown is a great way to take in the sights. The rare occasions when we are kid-free, we love to go wine tasting. Middleburg, Charlottesville, anywhere in the Virginia Countryside is a great escape. If we are staying local, we love eating and shopping in Old Town. Our favorites: coffee at Misha's, breakfast at the Royal, lunch at Fontaine or Chadwick's, drinks at Barca, and dinner outside at Landini's.

Alicia: I have a new client who is a born and raised Alexandrian. In fact, I found out at our first appointment that not only did we go all the way through the public school system in all the same schools (starting with George Mason Elementary), but we also grew up a couple of blocks away from one another. He reminded me of a place I have yet to go and is at the top of my list of summer destinations…Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland. The focus is on Art, Architecture, and Nature. This pretty much sums up my raison d’être! It does take a little planning, but that comes with 'friends visiting' too. Heads up…July 1 is when September dates open, so get a jump on planning for fall!

Alexandria's birthday is just around the corner; what's your favorite way to celebrate?

Maura: Favorite way to celebrate Alexandria's birthday: with our new Old Town tees! Show how much you love where you live by wearing it everywhere. 

Growing up, I loved to come see the Alexandria fireworks with my family; it's such a fun night. I always partly wished I was in one of the airplanes landing at National Airport, being able to see the show from the sky while also feeling terrified for those passengers. I don't know what it is, but there's something special about the Alexandria fireworks.

Unfortunately, we are out of town this year, but we'll be proudly wearing our tees while at Nemacolin celebrating Alexandria from afar.

Alicia: Having lived in Alexandria for most of my life, I've definitely checked the box on the Nation's capital fireworks - as a child, as a young adult, and as a mother! July 4, 2000, when I was pregnant with Lane, Mark, John McCaslin (Mark's brother), and I jumped into my Saab convertible and made our way down the parkway knowing full well we would not make any designed goal but would position ourselves for "the light show" as we slowly drove with the top down. It's always been a great memory of the insider's solution to D.C. fireworks. These days I usually stay on this side of the river and catch the fireworks from places like the Quarter Deck. The best part of living in Alexandria is if you miss the 4th of July fireworks, there are always Alexandria's fireworks. Mark and I still will go walk Old Town the night of Alexandria's celebration and find a place to watch the fireworks.

And speaking of Alexandria, we all love Alexandria's deep history and beautiful neighborhoods. Would you rather spend an evening strolling the Old Town Waterfront or exploring Del Ray's Mount Vernon Avenue?

Maura: It's pathetic how little we leave Old Town - everything I need is right here!

Alicia: I've always been happiest by the water. Evenings walking along the waterfront remind me of all my favorite water strolls. The sounds and reflections are as important as the water itself. When staycations are on the agenda instead of remote destinations, a waterfront walk will soothe my soul. I make a point of never taking the beauty of our town for granted. It's a special place that marks a lifetime of history for me. For more of this history - check out my love letter to Alexandria <3

July 17 is National Ice Cream Day! With Alexandria's hot and humid summers, cold treats are a must. Where is your go-to spot for ice cream?

Maura: According to Forbes, Alexandria is the Ice Cream Cone Capital of the United States! There are so many good choices to choose from, and we do our part to support them.

We are a family divided on ice cream. My kids, hands down, always want Pop's, but they put gummy bears on their ice cream... so can their taste really be trusted? Growing up, my dad always took us to the Dixie Pig for soft serve, but once that closed, Ben & Jerry's was my favorite and still is today. The family always agrees when it comes to Goodies! 

Alicia: Ice Cream Confessional…I need to go to Goodies - Alexandria's Iconic Ice House at 200 Commerce Street! This is what happens when your kids grow up… you can miss the best summer destinations. I could almost do a 50-year timeline of ice cream stores in and around Alexandria. When I was really young, my mom and dad would make a special trip to Gifford's for lemon chiffon custard. This was over on Columbia Pike, so you know it must have been good. In junior high through high school, it was a toss-up between Baskin Robbins in Fairlington and Peterson's Confectionery on King Street. Fact: a well-known owner of Port City Brewing worked the counter at Baskin Robbins! When we lived on South Fairfax Street, and the kids were really young - Pop's Old Fashioned Ice Cream was the winner. Then as the kids got older and we moved closer to Del Ray, The Dairy Godmother became our go-to place to satisfy the sweet tooth on a hot summer night. We decided to hang out and eat it right there on the bench because otherwise, you were chasing the drips and missing the moment.