Blog Posts

Things to Try This Summer

The summer is here and it makes for the perfect time to try something new. If you aren’t the adventurous type, we hope this week’s Virginia Square Towers Blog will help you get excited about getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new. We hope you enjoy this short list of things to try! Eat Something New You have probably settled into a nice routine with the restaurants you go to and the cuisines you like to eat, but instead of doing what you would regularly do, we suggest trying something new! Through your routine, you may have seen a restaurant you’ve been wanting to try, so the next time you don’t want to eat at home, try it! If you aren’t in the mood for spending money, you can always scour the internet for some unique recipes to make at home. Invite your friends over and have a feast. Either way, have fun with it! Disconnect and Read Too often, we get caught up in the daily use of our technological devices. This may not be the newest thing to try, but we suggest putting down your phone and picking up a book! Use the summer as the best opportunity to dive into some literary works. The genre doesn’t matter, so pick a couple books and then find a nice spot to read! Stargaze Instead of spending the night with the TV on, take your significant other or gather some friends to go stargazing! It might prove to be difficult to stargaze while close to the city here in Arlington, VA, so we recommend driving a significant distance away from the city to a more rural area so you’re away from the city lights in order to see the stars more clearly. Don’t forget to bring some blankets to keep warm! There are plenty of things to do during the summer, so we hope you try these ideas! If you’ve got other things you like to do during the summer, share them with our apartment community!

Get Nerdy with Dungeons & Dragons

Have you ever played tabletop roleplaying games? One of the most popular roleplaying games to date is Dungeons & Dragons, a game where you can create a character and dive into a world of fantasy and monsters. First published in 1974, the game has experienced its fair share of ups and downs, but has seen a resurgence in recent years. In this week’s Virginia Square Towers Blog, we’ve got a few reasons for you to get nerdy with this tabletop roleplaying game! Role Playing Part of the allure of Dungeons & Dragons is the ability for you to create and embody a different character. You’re able to choose a character’s race and class, which can help you shape your character. After you’ve created your character and filled out your character sheet, you can create a rich backstory for your character that will help you dictate your character’s choices and gives depth to your character. Mechanics Because Dungeons & Dragons is a game, there are mechanics that help the game run smoothly. The game is primarily played with polyhedral dice in conjunction with theater of the mind. The polyhedral dice used consists of a 4-sided, 6-sided, 8-sided, 12-sided, 20-sided, and two 10-sided dice. These dice are used to determine successes and failures in skill checks and combat. Unlike other games, failures in Dungeons & Dragons can be an interesting turn that adds to the excitement of the game, so don’t be afraid of them! In case those failures have dire consequences, stay on your toes and try to think your way out of them. Celebrity Endorsements Dungeons & Dragons used to be a game associated very closely with being unpopular or nerdy, but that perception is slowly changing. Nerdy is the new cool, but there have been many now-celebrities that have stuck with the game through the years! Some may come as no surprise, but some of them may be people you may not have guessed. Here’s the short list of some celebrities who enjoy the game: Matthew Lillard (Scooby Doo) Stephen Colbert (The Late Show) Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) Joe Manganiello (True Blood) Matthew Mercer (Overwatch Voice Actor) It’s time to invite some friends over to your Arlington, VA apartment to enjoy a game of Dungeons & Dragons! Thanks for reading.

Photography Tips

Do you own a camera? If you do, you can use it to celebrate Camera Day, which falls on June 29th, 2019! Thanks to technology, we have been able to capture moments in our life through photography, which is why we’ve decided to share with you some photography tips in this week’s Virginia Square Towers Blog so you can take your best pictures in celebration of Camera Day! Composition How you pick out a good photo can be difficult to explain, but usually, it comes down to a few elements. Composition is one of those elements. How your subject is framed in relation to the background and other photo elements is all part of composition and can make the difference between a good photo and a great photo. There isn’t a specific way to compose a photo, so we suggest taking lots of photos with different modes of composition so you can figure out what works and what doesn’t. If all else fails, you can try utilizing the Rule of Thirds ! Lighting Among some of the photo elements that make a photo good, lighting is close to the top! After you’ve figured out some great ways to compose your photo, you’ll want to consider how the light affects the finished product. Before you take your photo, be aware of how much light hits your subject and how the light creates shadows on your subject. Lighting can have a significant impact on the mood and tone of your photo, so play with how light interacts with your subject and have fun with it! Editing If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram, you’ve probably seen some amazing photographs, and you’ve also probably wondered how their photos are so good. Some of the best photographs incorporate our first two tips, but that isn’t where it stops. Editing is one of the best ways photographers take their photos to the next level. With editing software, they can play with color, lighting, and cropping to create the best product possible. There are a variety of ways to edit your photo, so play around with your photos in some editing software to get comfortable! Do you have some photography tips to share? Leave a comment for our Arlington, VA apartment community so we can step up our photography game!

Classic Summer Movies

The summer starts this month, and it’s the perfect time to watch some fun summer movies! Get yourself in the mood for a fun and exciting summer by living vicariously through the characters in these films! In this week’s Virginia Square Towers Blog, we’ve got a few suggestions on classic summer movies that you should watch! Wet Hot American Summer “Set on the last day of camp, in the hot summer of 1981, "Wet Hot American Summer" follows a group of counselors who are each trying to complete their unfinished business before the day ends. The entire summer of pent-up sexual frustrations, unresolved post-traumatic stress, pending separations and of course, the talent show, all weigh heavily on the minds and groins of counselors and campers alike.” Heavyweights “Gerry (Aaron Schwartz) is not looking forward to his summer vacation, since he'll be spending it at a camp for overweight boys in order to shed pounds. Fortunately, a kindly couple, the Bushkins (Jerry Stiller) ] (Anne Meara) ], run the camp and make the process fun and relaxed. However, they're soon forced to declare bankruptcy and sell the camp to Tony Perkis (Ben Stiller), a fitness fanatic who turns the camp into a living nightmare of over-the-top training. But the kids plan to fight back.” Dirty Dancing “Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she's disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort's dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby's father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she's determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer.” These movies will be nostalgic and hopefully gets you in the mood to have an adventurous summer despite real life! If you’ve got a favorite summer movie, please share it with our Arlington, VA apartment community.

National Hamburger Month

Did you know that May is National Hamburger Month? Who would have thought that a patty of ground beef in a bun could taste so delicious? The hamburger has become an American staple, being offered at fast food restaurants, fine dining establishments, and even backyard barbecues. In this week’s Virginia Square Towers Blog, we’ve got a few ways you can spruce up the hamburgers you offer at your barbecue! Toppings As delicious as a burger on bread is, toppings can elevate your burger to the next level! We recommend purchasing some fresh produce like onions, lettuce, and tomato, as well as unique toppings like jalapenos, avocado, and a variety of cheeses. Unlike restaurants, you can customize your burger the way you want, so get creative and try out different combinations! Use the Right Meat The deliciousness of your burger can depend on the type of meat you’re using, as well as the blend of meats you choose to use. There are different types of mixtures you could use, so do a little bit of research and you could end up with a delicious tasting burger in no time! These mixtures can produce different flavors, so play around with them until you find one you love. Side Dishes Even though the burger should be the star of your barbecue, side dishes can lend themselves to making the experience more enjoyable. You can’t go wrong with having some fries, as they are the usual pairing, but you can opt for sides like chips, potato salad, grilled corn on the cob, or even a potato salad! Remember, sides are supposed to compliment the main dish. Enjoy National Hamburger Month with some delicious burgers! If you’ve got some tips on making a better burger, share them with our Arlington, VA apartment community by leaving a comment! Thanks for reading!

Mother’s Day

May 12th is Mother’s Day, a day to give thanks for your mother and the things that she’s done for you. Although the appreciation and gratitude should be a common occurrence, Mother’s Day is a day that you can go above and beyond in making your mother feel loved. In this week’s Virginia Square Towers Blog, we’ve got a few suggestions of ways you can treat your mother the way she deserves to be treated this May 12th! Treat Her to a Meal It’s likely that your mother has made many meals for you, so this Mother’s Day, we suggest treating her to a meal, whether it be at a restaurant or a home cooked meal made by you. Before treating her, find out her favorite restaurant or favorite meal. This will help make it a little easier when planning the day for her. Buy Her Flowers Flowers are always a refreshing gift. Closely associated with love and beauty, purchasing some flowers for your mother can show her how much you care. Find out her favorite flower and get her a bouquet of it! This is a reasonable option for when you don’t live close to your mother. There are plenty of flower delivery options around, and you just need to find the one that can give you what you need! Surprise Her with a Visit If you happen to live far away from your mother, it may be a good idea to take the time and visit her! Whether you plan it out with her or surprise her, she’ll appreciate the visit. As tempting as it is to want to do things of your own accord, make sure you focus on spending time with your mother, so plan activities that she’d love. Do you have any particular things you do for your mother on Mother’s Day? Share them with our Arlington, VA apartment community by leaving a comment! Thanks for reading.