Innehållsförteckning för January - February 2013 från Victoria

Compiling the first issue of the new year is always thrilling for the Victoria staff. Today, we introduce you to the seven entrepreneurs selected for our annual special section, The Business of Bliss—a restaurateur, a pillow maker, a gardening landscaper, a needlework artist, a paper merchant, a kitchen-linens designer, and a boutique florist and events planner. These women with very diverse careers have one thing in common: They all heeded an inner voice that quietly urged them to trust their instincts for branching out and adding another dimension to their lives. As you read these inspiring stories, think about the women in your life. Are there undiscovered entrepreneurs among your acquaintances? Send us a letter or an e-mail, and we will add those names to our file for 2014 consideration.…

I’ve been lucky to travel to many countries around the globe, satisfying my wanderlust and hunger for new cultures, experiences, languages, and foods. Of all the adventures I’ve had—climbing pyramids or Patagonian peaks, riding camels or paddling canoes—the most memorable ones involved the kindness of strangers. My best travel tales came about by serendipity, times when I strayed from the guidebook and happened to meet wonderful people who brought me into their lives. Although simple, sometimes my encounters with strangers touched me because of the profound hospitality I experienced. Once, in college, I accidentally arrived two days early, with very little money, for a family vacation in Cancún, Mexico. I stayed at the cheapest hostel and tried practicing my Spanish with the receptionist. She was friendly and, concerned that I…

With its ornate fountains, palm-fringed boulevards, and romantic Mediterranean-Revival architecture, the historic Miami suburb of Coral Gables, Florida, was designed with beauty as its highest priority. Created in the early 1920s, Florida’s first planned community was modeled after the reformist principles of the turn-of-the-century City Beautiful Movement, which asserted that beauty is a moral virtue and that living in gracious spaces would exalt, inspire, and ennoble the general populace. For anyone who cares to test this hypothesis, the majestic and visually exhilarating Biltmore Hotel is an excellent place to start. Built in 1925 as the centerpiece of Coral Gables, the property contains a luscious mélange of balconies, balustrades, marble halls, Moorish arches, vaulted ceilings, opulent furnishings, and leafy terraces—all held in the shimmering, cerulean embrace of the largest hotel pool…

A long-eyelashed pearl tucked lovingly into a sequined shell. A colony of crowned penguins. A majestic gazelle with sparkling gold antlers. These are the inhabitants of Tamar Mogendorff ’s studio in Brooklyn, New York. Sea creatures dangle from rough-hewn wooden beams, and a wall of patterned cages houses birds of every color. “The way I grew up was very earthy,” Tamar says of her childhood spent on a kibbutz in Israel. “We all shared everything, so all my life, I never bought gifts. I was always making things. We were very handy, and there was always a needle and thread around.” Tamar’s early interest in painting and photography led to a degree in graphic design, followed by a scholarship to study in New York, which launched her love affair with…

Like a lovingly wrapped gift, antique boxes beckon with entrancing exteriors featuring brass scrollwork, hand-painted floral motifs, and elaborate marquetry. Occasionally filled with timeworn accessories that hint of their past lives, the interiors can be every bit as delightful. “Today, boxes are collected as decorative pieces, but when they first became commonly used in the eighteenth century, they actually had a more practical purpose,” says Barbara Ashford, coproprietor of Birmingham, Alabama-based Henhouse Antiques—a treasure trove of fine antique European boxes and other furnishings. “They were used to store various objects like important papers, tea, sewing supplies, and toiletries. Each was handcrafted and unique.” So prized were their contents that many of these vessels were fitted with locks. When tea was introduced in England in the late seventeenth century, it was…

THE SPARKLING HOUR Begins on page 31 Sparkling Mimosas p.35 Makes about 1 quart 2 cups Pineapple Simple Syrup, chilled (recipe follows) 3 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice, chilled 2 cups fresh lemon juice, chilled 3/4 cup orange liqueur 1 (750-ml) bottle white wine*, chilled 1 (750-ml) bottle Champagne, chilled Garnish: fresh lemon slices In a large pitcher, whisk together Pineapple Simple Syrup, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, liqueur, and wine. Fill champagne glasses half full with syrup mixture. Top with Champagne. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired. *For testing purposes, our test kitchen used Pinot Grigio. For a nonalcoholic version, substitute orange juice for orange liqueur, omit wine, and substitute sparkling cider for Champagne. Pineapple Simple Syrup Makes 2 cups 2 1/4 cups pineapple juice 2 1/4 cups sugar In…

Winter brings cozy corners to our days. For many people, January is a time to look ahead—a time to make lists and resolutions. But in its frozen stillness, the month also brings quiet contemplation. In the new year, we take stock not only of the staples in our cupboards but of our memories, accomplishments, and decisions, both good and bad. The winter weather helps us see much of our pasts with crystal clarity. When I put on my old rabbit-fur earmuffs, zip up my jacket, and head outdoors, I am forever 12 years old. I trudge through the crunching snow, listening to my footsteps fall and watching my breath through the icy air. I am reminded of sledding down hills and building snow forts. My own children, Phillip and Emily,…

London is my soul’s home. The first time I went there, I swear I could feel history tugging at my sleeve. At any moment, I expected to turn around and see the ghosts of the past. As an actor, I have haunted the places where Sir Henry Irving and Dame Ellen Terry performed and lived. Dame Terry’s ashes are interred at The Actors’ Church behind Covent Garden. I visit her and tell her she is not forgotten. Samuel Pepys’ diary is my companion as I roam the streets he traversed all his life. I am obsessed with absorbing everything the city has to offer. I cry at Windsor Castle when I see the Michelangelo drawings and the guard stops to talk to me and tell me fascinating stories. The dream…

“We’re obsessed with improving it,” says Steve McCarthy, referring, of course, to the world-class brandies, grappas, and liqueurs he crafts from his artisan microdistillery in northwest Portland, Oregon. “Our standard is to make it better than it was last year,” he insists. Having founded Clear Creek Distillery more than twenty-five years ago, Steve is well versed in the nuances of perfection. In 1985, the unwavering entrepreneur purchased a still and turned out his first batch of eaude- vie—the infamously challenging-to-make colorless fruit brandy that until recently was attributed only to the French and other noted European producers. He was inspired to make the most from the fruits of his family’s orchards in the Hood River Valley, so he traveled to France and Switzerland to study the traditional brandy-making techniques used…

Miami Heat Escape winter’s icy winds and snowy terrain with a getaway to the lush landscapes and balmy breezes of south Florida. With its splendid Mediterranean architecture and verdant gardens, the landmark Biltmore Hotel in the historic Miami suburb of Coral Gables provides the ultimate in deluxe accommodations. Explore nearby attractions such as the magnificent Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, The Ancient Spanish Monastery, and the famed Venetian Pool. To see more of The Biltmore Hotel, go to victoriamag.com. A Rare Vintage Celebrated by critics for the crystal clarity, powerful aroma, and exceptional flavor of its renowned pear eau-de-vie brandy, Portland, Oregon’s Clear Creek Distillery has produced a variety of artisan spirits for more than twenty-eight years. Proprietor Steve McCarthy’s studied expertise, infinite patience, and unyielding quest for perfection enable him…

"Another fresh new year is here ... Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt and fear, To love and laugh and give!” —WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD…

SUANN SONG SIMPLESONG DESIGN Old Town Alexandria, Virginia “I LOVE THE whole process OF DEVELOPING THE RETAIL PRODUCTS BECAUSE IT REFLECTS WHO I AM.” “I love the feel of paper,” says Suann Song, as she feeds a sheet into an antique printing press. “I enjoy seeing the impression that’s made with the hand-mixed ink.” The owner of the boutique design and letterpress studio SIMPLESONG Design, in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, holds the custom wedding invitation up to the sunlight and smiles. So captivated by the printing process, she has been known to stand at the press for eighthour stretches without tiring. Sometimes the entrepreneur can hardly believe her good fortune. Seven years ago, Suann had a fantastic public relations job and was making custom invitations for family and friends only…

PALE TONES, QUIET CORNERS, AND ARTFUL DISPLAYS CREATE A SOOTHING CONTINUITY THROUGH THE ENTIRE HOUSE.…

“Come let us have tea and continue to talk about happy things.” —CHAIM POTOK See Recipe Index, page 83, for recipe information. “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” —HENRY JAMES…

COVER Royal Limoges Oasis White teacup and saucer, $140, and Spode Stafford White teacup and saucer, $245; from Bromberg’s, 205-871-3276. Bernardaud Eden Turquoise teacup and saucer, $240, and bread-and-butter plate, $120; bernardaud.fr. Small round scalloped dish, $2; from Hoover Antique Gallery, 205-822-9500. Antique cutwork napkin and tablecloth, call for pricing; from Attic Antiques, 205-991-6887. WRITER–IN–RESIDENCE Pages 13–14: To learn more about Laura Fraser and her work, visit laurafraser.com. ARTIST–IN–RESIDENCE Pages 15–16: Jessie Davidson Interiors, 847-482-1466, jessiedavidsoninteriors.com. MOON GLOW Page 17: Claridge + King The Original His is Hers Shirt in Crisp White Pinpoint Oxford with Avery Monogram in Pewter, $136; claridgeandking.com. Anali Ginkgo Pebble Matelassé on Ivory European sham, Gold Ginkgo on Ivory embroidered standard sham, Gold Ginkgo on Ivory embroidered duvet, Gold on Ivory Chippendale sheets, and Ivory Ginkgo…