Erika Howsare, Author at C-VILLE Weekly

Someone to watch over you: Head off trouble with a day-of coordinator

We know, we know: You are a master of organization, and you have this wedding-planning thing totally under wraps. You are hiring your own vendors, crushing every target on your planning timeline and tracking the process in elaborate color-coded spreadsheets. Good for you! But have you considered what will happen when it’s your actual wedding […]

Erika Howsare | July 26, 2018

Magazines Weddings

Growing trend: In and out of pots, plants green up your wedding

If you’re looking to add some greenery to your wedding venue, congratulations on your good taste—every space can benefit from some leafy décor. Plants and trees can refresh the eye and add texture and scale, helping you customize your site to the size and feel of your event. Not only that, greenery can be a […]

Erika Howsare | July 26, 2018

Magazines Weddings

Uncommon venue: Common House is a downtown wedding spot with flair

If you’d like your rehearsal dinner or reception to have a vibe that leans more “sophisticated” than just plain “pretty,” consider one of the newer kids on the block—Common House, located just off the Downtown Mall. Common House is a three-story social club—members join in order to have access to food and drink, talks, co-work […]

Erika Howsare | July 26, 2018

Living

Day trip: A day with kids in the museums of Richmond

We’re lucky to have Richmond. As a mid-size city, it can offer certain things that Charlottesville doesn’t, but it’s small enough that it’s simple to navigate. And when I took my kids there recently, I was surprised—as I often am—at how easy it is to get there. That’s not even counting I-64, which might be […]

Erika Howsare | July 11, 2018

Knife & Fork Magazines

Cool drinks: This summer, we’re looking through rosé-colored glasses (and then some!)

Summer is a lighthearted time. While in colder months we may enjoy ruminating on deep thoughts while swirling something weighty in our glass—like port, or a full-bodied Sangiovese—summer calls for beverages that are pure fun, just like our pastimes. But is it as simple as just switching from red to white when sunny days arrive? […]

Erika Howsare | June 27, 2018

Knife & Fork Magazines

Griddle me this: Venezuelan arepas come to Charlottesville

Looking for a quick, tasty meal? Here’s an option that might not be on your radar—arepas from the Latin grocery La Guadalupana. What’s an arepa, you ask? It’s somewhere between a sandwich and a taco, it’s a staple of Venezuelan cooking and it’s delicious. The Carlton Road business has been around for almost two decades, […]

Erika Howsare | June 27, 2018

Knife & Fork Magazines

Up on the Hill: Picturesque gardens feed a winery kitchen

Diane Burns’ journey has taken her to some pretty interesting places—but it’s a good bet that her current place of work, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, is one of the most beautiful. Burns is the on-site horticulturist, and she tends neat garden beds that hug the perimeter of the tasting room and spill down the […]

Erika Howsare | June 27, 2018

Living

Day trip: The Frontier Culture Museum brings history home

Just like America, the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton is big, complicated and beautiful. It’s one of my favorite places to take my two girls—a museum where almost anything can be touched and very little is written down. Creative writing professors often exhort students to “show, don’t tell,” and this museum nails that concept, presenting […]

Erika Howsare | June 13, 2018

Living

The Quarry Gardens at Schuyler are living proof that something old can be made new again

There’s a sardine can in Schuyler that holds decades of history. Imagine, sometime in the mid-20th century, a worker sitting down to eat lunch on the ground. He unrolls the top from a can of sardines and eats the fish, then maybe stretches out for a brief nap in the sun. When it’s time to […]

Erika Howsare | June 1, 2018

Living

Day trip: Adventuring with kids in our nation’s capital

Before I tell you all about taking your kids on a day trip to Washington, D.C.—one of the best destinations there is—I’ll admit right upfront that such a trip is exhausting. But here’s my secret for making it exhilarating too: Leave your car outside the city and ride the Metro in. It’ll break up the […]

Erika Howsare | May 23, 2018