Innehållsförteckning för November - December 2013 från Victoria

Among all the occasions we celebrate, I think Christmas most captures my heart, perhaps because it is a total lifestyle season. I tend to think ahead throughout the year to that special time of reuniting with faraway family members, opening my home to friends and neighbors, baking the most amazing new holiday treats from recipes gathered over the past months, dusting off boxes and boxes of treasured ornaments, and, in general, welcoming the very spirit of the Yuletide into my life. December offers the opportunity to interpret the season in very personal ways. Each year, I decorate doors, mantels, bedside tables—and three trees. One of my favorite trees is an iron-frame one that, in its simplicity, is ideal for showcasing a set of beaded ornaments my cousins and I made…

For many people, Christmas trees symbolize what is most special about the season—the smell of fresh pine needles, the ritual of unwrapping old ornaments, the decorating of the tree with family and friends. But I’ve always preferred my Yuletide trees to be outdoors, where I engage in a ritual of my own: going on a hike. I’m not sure when I moved the holiday outside. I grew up with three sisters, and like any other children, we were always excited to open presents on Christmas morning. But underneath, I could sense our mother’s wariness about having to buy presents in equal measure for everyone, as we watchfully eyed how much each other got. Mom would have preferred that we spend the day cleaning out our closets to give to charity,…

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN BOSTON AT VICTORIAMAG.COM…

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“Christmas … is not an eternal event at all, but a pieceof one’s home that one carries in one’s heart.” —FREYA STARK Dressed in a soothing symphony of green and brown hues, the gracious Georgian colonial Debbie Cooney has called home for the past thirty-one years sets an exquisite stage for the holidays. Her love of nature is reflected in the earthy color scheme, which conveys a heartfelt welcome before guests even enter. The outdoor entrance captures the season’s splendor with potted globes of boxwood and a pair of cypress wreaths trimmed with tartan ribbon that hints of the garden-fresh interior. “I wanted it to feel as though I’m outside even when I’m indoors,” Debbie says. “I like the vistas to be green and open.” True to that verdant vision,…

WARM & SAVORY Orange-Honey-Glazed Ham p.35 Makes approximately 8 servings 1 cup water 1 (12-pound) bone-in cured ham 20 whole cloves Honey Glaze (recipe follows) Blood-Orange-Cranberry Relish (recipe follows) Garnish: fresh sage 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Pour water into a large roasting pan. 2. Using a sharp knife, score fat on ham in a crosshatch pattern; stud ham with cloves. Place ham, flat side down, in prepared roasting pan; cover loosely with foil. 3. Bake, basting every hour with pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of ham registers 135°, or about 4 hours. Remove from oven, and brush with Honey Glaze. Let ham sit for 15 minutes, and brush with glaze again. Serve with any remaining glaze and Blood-Orange-Cranberry Relish. Garnish with sage, if desired.…

I live in a house that was built in 1931. Construction began soon after the start of the Great Depression. By the time the structure was finished, the builder couldn’t sell it, so he lived there for nine years. Since 1940, just three families have owned the property. The shortest duration was seven years, when a job transfer compelled the family before us to move out quickly. We moved in just before Thanksgiving and were determined to host a real holiday celebration. Until then, we’d lived in city apartments. We planned to make this place our home for a long time. Amidst the chaos of packing crates and unwieldy wads of Bubble Wrap, we dug into boxes to extricate the gravy boat, candlesticks, the cranberry spoon, a favorite bowl that…

A Historic Holiday Home Mount Vernon, George Washington’s storied Virginia estate, remains an ever-popular tourist destination yearround, but it is an especially spectacular sight in December. The grounds of the 50-acre plantation feature a dazzling array of lavishly adorned Christmas trees. During an annual evening event called Mount Vernon by Candlelight, visitors are invited to explore the usually private third floor of the residence while guides dressed in period costume point out architectural details, original furnishings, and family heirlooms. The holiday festivities also include chocolate-making demonstrations, as well as music and dancing from the era in which George and Martha Washington made this gracious structure their home. Christmastime in the City Join us on a tour of old Boston, decked in all its spectacular Yuletide finery. Landmark locations and events…

Always inspired by the unusual, designer Jessie Davidson was immediately attracted to a cache of unique holiday furnishings she discovered at an international gift show in Frankfurt, Germany. Upon returning home to Chicago, she set aside a few of her newly acquired treasures to build the foundation for a Christmas tabletop. “I was drawn to these little metal trees in footed boxes created by Nic Duysens in Wiehl, Germany,” she recalls. “They have wonderfully thin, bendable branches covered in a sparkly, crystalline coating. I clustered several of these together for my centerpiece.” Fashioning her design scheme to complement the subdued slate-gray walls of her dining room, Jessie accented this shimmering tableau with a well-edited selection of luxurious favorites: a silvery-gray damask linen tablecloth, a pair of sleek 16-inch ivory tapers…

See Recipe Index, page 83, for recipe information.…

Ray Baker cannot bear for anything to go to waste. Of course, frugality was not always the case in his garden. “At one time,” Ray admits, “I just threw it all away—just like everyone else.” But one day, a dozen years ago, when he was busy tidying up his flower beds in autumn, he suddenly recognized the promise in a daylily seed head. Actually, the former architect/interior designer noticed the structure that remained in the spent stems after the perennials had long since dropped their blossoms and dried. “I saw opportunity,” he recalls. So he brought the prunings inside, snipped them into different lengths, got out his glue gun, and sculpted that throwaway debris into snowflakes. It did not end with the daylilies. Suddenly, Ray saw the holiday hidden in…

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 13–14: To learn more about Laura Fraser and her work, visit laurafraser.com. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Page 15: Jessie Davidson Interiors, 847- 482-1466, jessiedavidsoninteriors.com. THE BLISS OF GIVING Page 17: Caspari Winter Birds Gold paper, $9.75; 800-227-7274, casparionline.com for retailers. Midwest-CBK Dimensional Snowflakes, $5, and Drop Ornaments, $8; 800-394-4225, mwcbk.com for retailers. Sage & Co. Vintage Patterned Beaded Glass Ornament, $8.75, and Glass Jeweled Hanging Ornament, $6.25; 800-999-5996, sagefgh.com for retailers. Reliant Ribbon #97385W-994-10F; visit reliantribbon.com for more information. Page 18: Accents de Ville 8630020 Red paper with Birds and Banners, $5 per sheet; 800-691-2166, adv-imports.com for retailers. The Gift Wrap Company Golden Ikat Printed Gift Wrap and Poinsettia Elegance Gift Wrap, $8.50; 800-443-4429, giftwrapcompany.com for retailers. Ampelco 112-02025 French Wired Metallic Tartan ribbon, $.40– $.99 per yard; ampelco.com. Caspari Gilded…

Although quilting is a major part of my life year-round, it is the chilly autumn days in northcentral Wisconsin that renew my focus and energy for what is more than a mere hobby. Shows and exhibits inspire me as new bolts of fabric arrive in my local shops. I stockpile notions for the winter ahead, when ice and snow will keep me at home. My growing library of quilt-history books in my sewing room offers countless ideas for future projects. Eighteenth- and nineteenthcentury quilts call to my heart. Our gardens are put to rest for the season; the freezers are filled with vegetables and jams; and the firewood is stacked on the front porch. It is now, in front of the fire in the evenings, that you will find me…

“Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day.” —HELEN STEINER RICE…

Despite rising to prominence as commander of the Continental Army and achieving acclaim as the father of his country, George Washington was called back throughout his life to his home at Mount Vernon, on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia. The site remains an ever-popular destination, especially during the winter months. Each year, from the day after Thanksgiving through January 6, the estate hosts Christmas at Mount Vernon. During this season of hospitality, guests can view an elaborate holiday course in the dining room and explore the usually private third floor of the Georgian mansion. Hand-cut boughs of greenery crown the doorways, and a dazzling array of opulent trees decorates the grounds. Spectators are invited to step into the quarters as esteemed guests during an evening…