Yellow Flowers, Yellow building

Wandering around Old Town Alexandria can be an excuse to study the architecture. It was one of the first places in the country to be declared a historic district. Many of the antebellum and Federal-era buildings are still serving out their lives as homes. What do you do if you live in a townhouse on a street that is popular with tourists? You could install shades or curtains to block out the glances of curious people ambling by. Or you could set vases of spring flowers in your window, echoing the sunny color of your home, creating a tableau that that can’t help but make each person---inside or outside---feel happy.