Adoption is the theme of this week’s pet-centric events. With winter around the corner, the timing might be just right for a new family member who’s happy to curl up at the foot of your bed and keep you warm.

Friday, November 6
Before you bring home your new friend, the Washington Animal Rescue League will host a free new-dog orientation Friday. The league’s certified trainer will talk about chewing, socialization, training, and more. 6 to 7:30; 71 Oglethorpe St., NW. E-mail training@warl.org to RSVP.

Saturday, November 7
Feline fans can find the perfect match at the Washington Animal Rescue League’s cat-adoption event at the Big Bad Woof (117 Carroll St., NW; 202-291-2404), a store for eco-conscious pet products. WARL staff will be on hand to steer new pet owners through the process. Noon to 3.

Adoption goes glam at Saturday night’s Fuzzy and Funky Fall Benefit at the City Tavern Club (3206 M St., NW), hosted by the Washington Humane Society. The party will feature music by Big Sam’s Funky Nation, hurricane cocktails, beer specials, and snacks. The $25 ticket price will go to WHS.

Halloween week comes naturally for pets—they’re used to begging for treats. Their enthusiasm at being dressed as a bumblebee is less certain (check out photos of our Halloween costume contest here). But either way, animal lovers and their furry ghosts and goblins have plenty of ways to celebrate the bewitching season this week:

Tuesday: Choosing a dearly departed celeb for a Halloween costume is all the rage this year as spook shops report Michael Jackson getups and high-waisted Patrick Swayze pants flying off the shelves. In light of that trend, we’re predicting that a lot of pups will be sporting sombreros in honor of Taco Bell’s former spokesChihuahua, Gidget, who passed away this summer at age 15. Find out for sure at Spooktacular Canine Happy Hour and Costume Contest on Tommy Joe’s Restaurant’s outdoor patio Tuesday. Prizes, a raffle, drink specials and dog treats will have tails wagging. Admission is $10 cash at the door, and 100 percent of proceeds go to the Washington Animal Rescue League. Event starts at 6:30, contest at 7:30.

The global meltdown has made its way to Embassy Row.

After the collapse of its financial sector, Iceland has put a residence in DC’s Kalorama Heights on the market for $5,650,000.

Home to the ambassador of Iceland since 1965, the Tudor-style mansion was built in 1928 and has ten bedrooms, five baths, a swimming pool, staff quarters, and three fireplaces.

Ólafur Sigurdsson, deputy chief of mission at the Icelandic Embassy, says that although the ambassador, Hjálmar Hannesson, plans to stay in Washington, Iceland won’t look for a new residence until after this house sells. Listing agent Cindi Williams of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage says that since hitting the market in January, the house has garnered interest from both individuals and foreign governments.

This article first appeared in the April 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.  

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Between four million and five million people are expected to descend upon DC for inauguration week. With a limited amount of hotel space, renters’ attention has largely been focused on Craigslist. It’s time to make room for one more.

Last Friday, Andre Butters, a mortgage-company owner, launched the Web site Inauguralhomes.com. By yesterday afternoon, the site—designed to connect inauguration visitors to DC-area homes—already had 120 residences listed for rent.

Butters started the site with three friends, two from Wall Street and a fellow mortgage-company owner—all Barack Obama supporters. Butters, a Bethesda resident, helped enter data and make phone calls for the Democratic nominee during the presidential campaign.

“First and foremost,” he says, “we’re Obama supporters. We saw a need for housing, and what better way to get involved than to take a leadership position?”

Style > Best Bargains Package 

Fresh orchids give great bang for your decorating buck. Especially, says interior designer Matthew Swingly, when you buy them at Ikea or Whole Foods.

Swingly, who is with McMaster Wallace Interiors in DC, doesn’t think every item in a room has to be expensive—just look it. A fan of Ikea’s orchids, he calls to ask when a shipment is coming in; the plants are about $13—“much cheaper than at a florist,” he says. He sometimes has to pick off wilted foliage and stick the flowers in a nicer pot—which he gets for less than $10 at Ikea.

While orchids at Whole Foods can be $25, they’re a great value: They come in nice pots and rebloom beautifully.

“My inspiration came from purchasing and decorating my own condo on Capitol Hill,” says Lisa Cannon, who launched Condo Cool in 2004, a business that offers affordable interior design. “It took a lot of work and research to find furniture and lighting that fit into an unusual modern space.” As soon as Cannon realized there was a niche market for accessible interior design, she took design courses at the Corcoran College of Art + Design. She also worked for a year at RH Studio in Georgetown, the modern sibling of local furniture chain Random Harvest.

Condo Cool targets those who don’t have the budget to hire an expensive interior designer. For $100 an hour, Cannon rearranges furniture and helps customers choose paint colors and dramatic lighting. Whereas most designers purchase items for their clients and charge fees for each, Cannon’s clients make the purchases on their own based on her suggestions.

Most of her clients are young professionals or empty nesters who have recently downsized. “People usually aren’t happy when there is too much clutter. They have a tough time editing their furniture and accessories. They want multi-use pieces, such as a storage cube that can double as an ottoman. Many people know what they like but have trouble pulling it all together.”

Cannon suggests checking out magazines like Metropolitan Home, Elle Decor, or Blueprint for decorating ideas. While she says stores like Crate & Barrel have quality mid-range home goods, she suggests shopping for unique pieces at independent stores like Go Mama Go on 14th Street in Northwest or the flea markets in Eastern Market.  

With Joe Gibbs’s retirement, Mark Brunell’s future with the Redskins looks bleak. Regardless, it appears that the backup quarterback plans to stay in Washington.

After selling a custom home on more than two acres in Great Falls for $3.5 million, he spent $3.7 million on this new home less than five miles away. The new house has five bedrooms, eight baths, and a four-car garage. His old house, built in 2004, has seven bedrooms and nine baths.

Gibbs and the Redskins chased Brunell in 2004 and signed him to a $43-million, seven-year contract. But after a half season of inconsistent performances, he was benched in favor of Patrick Ramsey. Brunell’s now third in line at quarterback, behind Jason Campbell and Todd Collins.