A Dickensian Christmas

"His own heart laughed, and that was quite good enough for him."

This Christmas, I took inspiration from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, designed a Victorian themed decor accented by literary details throughout a merlot and rosé color scheme. Old books, vintage silver, fresh roses and poinsettias, and handmade papercraft embellished the decor.

For Christmas dinner, we had Devonshire Crab Soup (delicious!), Annapolis crab cakes, Chebe rolls, and a fresh salad with baby arugula, sliced strawberries, and homemade balsamic dressing.

Natural-colored tapers in a vintage silver 

candelabra paid homage to the Victorian theme.

Handmade place cards

Dimming the room's ceiling light made candlelight the

 main attraction. A photo frame quoting A Christmas 

Carol emphasized the Dickensian theme.

Lush, multi-layered decor.

"Old Marley was dead: to begin with." 

~ First line of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Merlot-colored lace overlays were the perfect 

Victorian touches on the side buffet and the dinner table.

Fresh red roses in a cranberry glass pitcher stood 

alongside the poinsettias.

Handmade collage wall art, featuring a photograph of 

my great-grandmother Doris Stillman Frazier at 

the age of eighteen. So glamorous.

More handmade collage wall art. I raided fashion, 

decorating, and bridal magazines for the flower photos,

and used scrapbooking papers and embellishments for

everything else. I had fun drawing the elaborate ink 

borders on the red card stock.

Count-Down

Christmas is only two weeks away! I love Yuletide. And I love having an excuse to use Dickensian words. Including "Dickensian."

I am cooking a Christmas Eve dinner with a Victorian theme, like Devonshire Crab Soup with brandy. Yum.

Thanksgiving Decor - Golden!

This year, I decorated the Thanksgiving table around an heirloom: the stunning gold-plated flatware that my father inherited this year from my great-grandmother Doris Stillman Frazier, rest in peace. She survived the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, World War II, and the deaths of her son and husband, the latter who was a veteran of the Pacific Theater. She gave my father some of his fondest memories of holidays, with her always welcoming, loving, and stable home. To honor her, I wanted to design a Thanksgiving table that highlighted these prized heirlooms.

To make the flatware's hue stand out, I chose a dark brown table cloth from Target and black napkins from Bed Bath and Beyond. I added gold chargers from Michaels under my mother's beautiful Johnson Brothers "Friendly Village" dinnerware. My favorite glasses, amber Helianthus goblets from Anthropologie, continued the gold theme.

Right before dinner, I lit taper, pillar, and floating candles on the sideboard and on the dining room table, which bathed the room in an amber glow.

So much fun - and so affordable to do, considering that most of the items were things I already owned. The beautiful goblet-style votive holders were my one splurge, and they came from Country Crafters in historic Ellicott City.

My mother made delicious pumpkin and acorn squash soup totally from scratch - and yep, that means baking the squash and scooping it all out, kudos to her! She also spoiled us with chicken breasts with traditional stuffing and, for dessert, pumpkin creme brulee. All of which, coincidentally, went perfectly with the golden hue of our Thanksgiving.

My family and I would like to incorporate this heirloom flatware in our holiday celebrations from now on, and since I am loving the idea of a Victorian / Dickensian Christmas, Grandma's gold flatware would be a gorgeous touch. Nothing like decor to transport you to whatever country or era you want. Or, in this case, to keep the spirit of someone we love near us.

Featured Quote: The Horse

“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; 

the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.” 

Henry V (circa 1599)
William Shakespeare

Knight's steed at the 36th Annual Maryland Renaissance Festival
Joust staged by "The Freelancers" :)

Brainstorm of a Wanna-Be Event Planner

This year, I began watching David Tutera's My Fair Wedding. Incredible, so fun to watch, and the man's a genius, with the receptions he creates looking more like dreams, paintings, or theatrical spectaculars than predictable wedding decor. Plus, he gives each bride a wedding that suites who she is. So, that got me thinking... how awesome would it be to be an event planner! 

So, what aura would I want to create, if I could plan whatever I wanted and no one cared (like that could really happen with all those bridezillas!)? But every event planner needs a trademark look regardless of theme, right? Hint of a garden theme perhaps, since I love Winterthur and Longwood Gardens? Fairy tale because I'm a Disney buff? Old Hollywood due to my classic film love? A nod to Celtic style, since I love Irish music and culture and take pride in my Scottish heritage? Heck, if I go down the heritage route, I could just as easily pick Central American, Portuguese, the list goes on and on. Gah! 

And then everything started clicking. I don't know why it didn't click before. See, when I entertain, I am obsessed with using candlelight, whether it's blush-colored tapers in cranberry glass holders for a Southern-themed Thanksgiving, or those dramatic red tapers in my antique silver candelabra when I hosted a classic film night, or just a few glass votive holders on the stairs.

Soft candlelight for Thankgiving,
inspired by SouthernLiving.com

I love Mt. Vernon by Candlelight, Annapolis by Candlelight, Bruce Munro's "Light" installation at Longwood Gardens. 

"Field of Light" by Bruce Munro

I pretty much jump for joy when I see fireflies (nature's candleight!) or attend a midnight church service that has everyone holding candles. Dear me, have I discovered a hidden obsession? Whoa. Anyhoo, apparently candlelight's my thing. Hmmm....

Mount Vernon by Candlelight

And I love theater, opera, ballet, Broadway shows, you name it - and when I saw the 2004 film adaption of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, I was mesmerized. But, it's not the opera house that I'd want to base my wedding reception on. Again, it's candlelight. After all, when I looked up some reception decor based simply on opera, or even Phantom of the Opera, I was surprised to find that I wasn't feeling all the red velvet. Love red velvet, but more as a hint than an overwhelming sea of it! But the beauty, mystery, and romance of the fabulous, candlelit Phantom's lair - with more emphasis on candlelight than lair, of course - would be a gorgeous ceremony and reception theme. Back to candlelight again! And the gigantic chandelier. I have always been in love with chandeliers, starting with the one my grandmother had hanging over her dining room table, and I have loved that aura of fire and crystal ever since. So, I've got candlelight and chandeliers in my head as a theme, and loving it. 

It would also let the bride wear a gorgeous formal gown, which is always cool. As long as there actually are not any references to Phantom of the Opera. Much as I love it, that would just be corny.

Here are a few fun idea pictures that I found on ProjectWedding.com:

Retropolitan Coming to West Annapolis!

Yay! And I will say it again, yay!

For that fabulous purveyor of antiques and vintage, Retropolitan, is picking up stakes and moving from Ellicott City to West Annapolis. Annapolitans should count their lucky stars, since the store immerses shoppers in the glitzy, charming world of the Roaring '20s and onward. A fun shopping experience not to be missed.

Ellicott City will never be the same without this classy shop, but now, West Annapolis will never be the same either.

On my last visit to Retropolitan, while it still kept shop near the B&O Railroad tracks in old town Ellicott City, I discovered a pair of white and blue Italian leather slingbacks with very lady-like pointed toes and kitten heels. 

They had hardly been worn, and in fact, I believe a time-traveling cobbler must have made them just for me, since they fit that perfectly. Retropolitan's tag identified them as hailing from sometime in the 70s, from a line called "Jewel Box." 

Art and Soul

Amazon.com

I came across My Beautiful Life while purchasing a Mums Wreath Kit at Paper Source. Due to a long, and I mean long, flight I'll be taking pretty soon, I was thrilled to see this way of killing time creatively (I mean the book, not the wreath. I'd love to make the wreath on the trip, but my fellow passengers wouldn't be happy). 

The book gives simple little prompts at the bottom of each page to get you drawing, like "My PJ's," "The contents of my refrigerator," and "My favorite movie star." Those are just a few of the prompts at the very beginning of this lovely hardcover, since I had only skimmed a few pages before I knew that I was dying to take a whirl at it. I want to approach this with pen and ink and let the creativity go wild, even with the seemingly mundane questions. The refrigerator theme, for instance, would be fun to tackle through contour drawing. In contour drawing, I  never pick up my pen from the page, resulting in a zany, doodle-like parade of images. I'm a bit scared of the "Favorite movie star" prompt, since I stink at drawing people. That means I could 1) draw the Black Stallion, since I rock at drawing horses, or 2) draw things that make me think of Maureen O'Hara, Angela Lansbury, Gregory Peck, or whoever my favorite star is that day.

The idea behind the book - that someone could learn tons about my life simply through drawings - got me thinking, since any art that I create gives insight into my tastes, feelings, and history.

Whether the art you create is an autumn shawl, a tooled-leather wallet, a watercolor miniature, a pair of beaded earrings, or a waterfowl decoy, every choice you make in its design comes from the thoughts and likes that make you unique. Even if you are copying a  pattern, the fact that you chose that pattern and none other speaks volumes.

So, when you go to create art, create what you love, not what others think you should, for art is most fulfilling when it compliments the feelings inside you, rather than trying to meet outside expectations. Few things are more fulfilling than creating, and creating things that express the spilling over of your soul.

Sojourning in the Brandywine Valley

I spent Saturday night in a dramatic three-story 1860 manor house in the Brandywine Valley!

The Faunbrook Bed and Breakfast is just stunning. It is located on a little winding country road in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and comes out of nowhere as you round a bend. When we pulled up that night in the half-moon driveway, the sight of the lantern light and the zigzagging white lights glimmering through the porch's ornate wrought ironwork made me feel that I was meeting an old Southern matriarch - ancient and imposing yet dazzlingly classy. My mother, on the other hand, whispered "Twilight Zone!" in my ear. Clearly, the house had different effects on us, though the minute we walked through the huge wooden doors, my mom had joined my admiration.

The perky young assistant and the friendly innkeepers who greeted us instantly made us feel welcome, and my mom finally stopped humming "dee-duh-dee-dee, dee-duh-dee-dee..."


The interior centers mainly on deep, rich colors distinctive of Civil-War era decor without being overly dark or Gothic. Massively thick mahogany trimmed each of of the tall windows, as well as the ornate fireplace. Books filled the main room, evidencing Lori's (as of Steve and Lori, the innkeepers) foundations as an English major.

To reach our lodging, the Elizabeth Room, I climbed one steep flight of carpeted stairs with a crystal chandelier hanging overhead. The bedroom and adjacent bathroom in the Elizabeth Room were clean, comfortable, inviting, and consistent with the home's decor, and I loved having a footed bathtub - it added to the antebellum vibe.

As I fell asleep, I kept thinking of all the ghost stories I had heard about old houses in Maryland (though I hadn't thought the beautiful house was spooky at all, my mom's Twilight Zone comment had apparently stuck with me). With my overactive imagination I knew I was bound to "see" a ghost or two in the darkness, but fortunately I feel asleep pretty fast without any ectoplasmic incidents.

I enjoyed having breakfast with the rest of the guests in the morning in the dining room, which was decorated with fresh bouquets. Lori was sensitive to the dietary requirements of her guests (since I have celiac sprue, she warmed up a gluten-free bagel that I had brought and made sure that no wheat products were on my breakfast plate). I had also enjoyed the delicious coffee and tea earlier in the morning! I also spied an American Boxer - that's a dog, not a prizefighter -  watching us from the kitchen door whenever it swung open, obediently staying away from the dining room but still curiously watching us. He was so cute!

There were many comfortable sitting areas indoors and outside on the patio, and if we had had time for a longer stay, I would have enjoyed relaxing longer at the B & B, because its atmosphere was very refreshing and relaxing. The grounds around the inn sported a very Southern looking fountain, lush greenery, a garden statue with a crack on the neck masquerading as a necklace, and stately trees - all making me practically forget that we were in a Yankee state. :)

I'd like to return someday to Faunbrook, and for a longer stay. The atmosphere felt nurturing to the creative yearnings inside me. No wonder Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth did such fine work in the Brandywine Valley, for the atmosphere is filled with beauty, peace, and mystery.

Featured Quote: My Favorite Quote from Shakespeare!

"But, look, the morn, in russet mantle clad,

Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastward hill."

 Hamlet (circa 1600ish), 1.1.166-167
William Shakespeare 

Brian Boru and "Dark Shadows"

My mom and I went to Brian Boru's for dinner today, an Irish restaurant sporting a welcoming wood-paneled interior and traditional Irish fare that gave me the hankering to watch John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man again. The restaurant is owned by the same company that runs Galway Bay in downtown Annapolis (check out my post), and both places offer gluten free menus.

The cottage pie was hearty and filling, and the casserole dish was much bigger than it looks in the picture! I could only eat about half of it, since I was already getting full from soup and from my Molly Malone's Mussels!


Their Irish Whiskey and Tomato Soup is not your grandma's tomato soup...
unless your grandma is a feisty Irish lady who loves dumping beer in her fresh tomato and onion soup.

Speaking of beer, I tried Bard's Tale Beer and loved it. It's a mellow-tasting, gluten-free beer, and with a name like that (Shakespeare and all that), who wouldn't love it? The only other gluten-free beer I've ever had is Red Bridge, which is good, but the flavor is not as good and refreshing as Bard's (that's right - now I have had two different brands of beer in my entire life. Living with celiac spru and staying faithful to a gluten free diet is a challenge, but totally worth staying healthy and feeling strong.)

Anyhoo, I snuck the bottle out afterwards, since I want to start saving bottles and burning tapers in them for an Italian motif. My aunt warned me that this would create a bit of a "Dark Shadows" aura (she was the "Dark Shadows" guru back in the 70s), especially if I used tapers of various colors to create multi-colored layers of melted wax. Actually, I do like Dark Shadows, as a delightfully silly Gothic melodrama, with great lighting and moodiness. And with an Irish beer bottle in the mix, my bottle-and-candle motif will be all the more eclectic!

Wow, that was a digression.

Featured Quote: Your Corner of the Forest

"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you; you have to go to them sometimes."

The House at Pooh Corner (1928)
A.A. Milne

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida

Featured Quote: Edgar Allan Poe

"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat."

Edgar Allan Poe

- In memory of my little friend. -

Featured Quote: Stone Ruins

"Thou are the ruins of the noblest man / That ever lived in the tide of time."

Julius Caeser (circa 1599) 3.1.254
William Shakespeare

Ruins of a stone house in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

The Story of Busch Gardens, Part III

In my last post, I thought about how Busch Gardens Williamsburg's mini-version of Italy seems to have sprung to life after passing through the lens of romance and nostalgia, like a transplanted immigrant fondly remembering the Old Country. But isn't that true of all of the countries?

Take Ireland, for instance. Rather than a replica of the village in County Kerry, Killarney breathes life into the memories and tall tales of great-grandmother Siobhan or great-great-uncle Seamus. The best of every old memory of Ireland, from crumbling castles to bustling pubs. 

Replacing the boring Hastings section of the park in 2001, Killarney brings energy and beauty in a sweet homage to old Eire.

You cannot walk a step in Killarney without finding yourself surrounded by brilliant greenery and the sound of Irish reels and jigs. Celtic Fyre's hard shoe rhythms, coming from the Abbey Stone Theater, come without a sign of the potato famine or British interlopers. Except perhaps for the cute one buying the claddagh ring and Phil Coulter CD for his girlfriend at the Emerald Isle gift shop. Which, by the way, is the best gift shop in the entire park! You can find real Irish imports there like Waterford crystal, tweed hats, wool sweaters, and even Irish-made packaged snacks.

Or take Germany, where phantasmal castles, colorful may poles, and vivid garden patches create the land, where the modernity of high-tech coasters and motion-simulated rides give way the aura of ancient legends. Even the brand-new coaster Verbolten (which opened on May 18), whose cars resemble classic European touring automotives, features a story line of modern transportation in a losing battle with the Black Forest.

The huge Festhause in Oktoberfest has always been dramatic, but when I first visited in the 90s, it housed a nice cuckoo clock shop and a gigantic ballroom where live performers would serenade luncheoners with traditional German songs and dances. Cute, but it got old pretty fast. Now, the ballroom's walls sport quaint little cottage fronts that create the feeling of being in the town square of a little German village. 

A new show, Entwined, has even opened on the central stage. It's a children's musical play based on several of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales rolled into one playful jumble.

Germany is coming back to life!

Though Ireland and Italy remain my favorite countries at the Gardens, during my time in Germany I had to constantly resist the urge to go dancing around the May Pole.

First Trip to the Magic Kingdom

I visited Walt Disney World for the first time ever in 2009. After dreaming and saving for years, I couldn't believe that I was finally going! I enjoyed the anticipation itself, filling the months leading up to the trip absorbing The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, the Imagineers' guides to Disney World, the website TouringPlans.com, and the Disney Vacation Planning DVD (which I ordered for free online, woo hoo!), all the while making lists of my top rides and shows to visit, places to eat, ops to photograph, pretty spots to take a break, trivia to know. 

A Glimpse of Downtown Annapolis

Want to explore downtown Annapolis? I hope so, since it is one of the best and most unique downtown areas in Maryland. Park by St. John's College on King George Street -- free nine-hour parking! - and enjoy the walk to downtown past tiny private gardens and old historic homes.

During the summer, don't forget to attend St. John's College croquet match, between the Johnnies (St. John's students) and Mids (Naval Academy midshipmen).

Once you reach downtown, grab some coffe from City Cock Coffee, a local institution, and stop by the Kunte Kinte Alex Haley memorial by the water. Then, run across the street to the Museum Store, and check out the many nautical and historically- themed books, jewelry, and souvenirs, of which quite a few are locally crafted. Then, head up Main Street and pop into Hats in the Belfry,which is full of both traditional and quirky hats for men and women.

Don't miss Irish Traditions, which sells both Irish wares like Irish perfume, pottery, and clothing, as well as Irish-American, green doo-dads. If you are fortunate enough to come on a day when the manager is working, you will get a chance to hear a genuine Irish accent (County Wicklow, that is).

After leaving Avoca, walk right across the street to Francis Street, which will take you to State Circle. Enjoy the stroll around the circle until you get to Maryland Avenue, one of my favorite streets in Annapolis. 

Explore Evergreen Antiques is a tiny shop that sells carefully selected antiques, not junk, at reasonable prices. My favorite finds are an old secretary (the desk kind, not the human kind) and an old-fashioned silver tea set.

Farther down the street is the Annapolis Bookstore, which is a book worms dream, and the quintessential small-town book shop. (More details on it in my Alice in Wonderland post.)

Christmas garland on Main Street, Annapolis

By the way, Maryland Avenue, State Circle, and Main Street - and just about everywhere downtown - are decked out with live evergreen garlands and colorful wreaths, often of colonial inspiration, during the Christmas season. Each shop does it a little differently, some choosing thin, naturalistic pine garlands, while others hang thick branches heavy with ornaments and lights. Either way, a beautiful display that puts you in a Dickensian spirit right away.

For lunch, stop by Galway Bay Irish Pub on Maryland Avenue. The restaurant serves authentic Irish food in a setting that will transport you back to the little pubs from The Quiet Man. The pub even has gluten-free options: Molly Malone's mussels are delicious, if you can order them without getting tongue-tied. Each year, Maryland Avenue blocks off the road to host a charming Irish Festival, which includes street vendors and performers. It drives Maryland Avenue residents nuts, but what a show!

Later, head back to Main Street to spend a few hours at Clay Bakers to paint your own pottery. The pieces are already made, so you just have to slap on the paint. They take care of the kiln firing, and the pieces are ready in about a week. I am on a mission to paint a whole collection of eclectic dinnerware, which Clay Baker's large selection makes easily doable. My friends and I have a tradition of strolling over to 49 West for some great tea and coffee afterwards, serenaded by local jazz bands. The bar's street address is, incredibly, 49 West Street.

Later, enjoy a dinner cooked with locally-produced ingredients at Level on West Street, a tapas/small plates lounge with a delicious, ever-changing menu (including gluten-free!). Level inhabits a former townhouse, with brick walls, hip artwork and various cozy rooms. For your appetizer, you'll find artisan cheeses to savor, accompanied by sweet and savory garnishes. My favorite entrees are the cauliflower soup (seasonal) and the radish risotta. 

For a beverage, I love the blueberry gimlet (foreground). The drink tastes like a quenching ade, perfect for summer, and doesn't taste a bit like alcohol. Which can be a problem. 

After dinner, grab some more coffee and enjoy a beautiful nighttime stroll along the docks. Sit on the benches, or dangle your feet over the water and watch the boats drifting past. Or head back to Galway Bay for dessert and wine (I like the Montgras Sauvignon Cabernet and the Shiraz), a great way to end the evening.

*******

Still haven't kicked the shopping bug after wandering the downtown? Tomorrow, check out the Annapolis Town Center (pardon me, "Towne Centre"), a modern, preppy shopping center a short ways away. The stores include Anthropologie (gorgeous European-ish clothes, and worth the occasional splurge), Paper Source for scrapbooking and card-making fiends like me, a huge Whole Foods, and Menchies, a self-serve frozen yogurt stop with many refreshing flavors that you can heap altogether  in one bowl. I feel the sugar high coming on right now!