Victoria November - December 2011

With the coming of the holidays, the exterior of my home is adorned with fresh evergreen wreaths tied with generous plaid bows. Indoors, a single glowing electric candle is centered in every window. The clean, sharp fragrances of cedar and pine fill the air. I have piled boughs on the mantels and gathered some in a stone container on the kitchen island. A towering blue spruce, harvested and shipped from the North Carolina mountains, adds majesty to our great room. Family tradition calls for decorating both the house and the tree on the Friday and the Saturday following Thanksgiving. We collect the tubs of ornaments and reminisce as we unwrap decorations that have been carefully selected over the years, giving special attention to the ones family members have handcrafted. Now that…

FUN FINDS * PLACES TO GO * ENTREPRENEURS TO MEET WRAPPED WITH STYLE During the peak of the Christmas season, designer Nicholas Kniel offers gift-wrapping enthusiasts the crème de la crème at his Atlanta boutique. From trims, tags, and millinery finery to glittery birds, brooches, and butterflies, his shop brims with every kind of ribbon and package embellishment one could desire. Devising any theme imaginable— a seaside-inspired motif accented with shells, an Old-World Santa mixed with traditional red and green, elegantly graphic black and white, and dazzling platinum Hollywood glamour—Nicholas elevates holiday packaging to an art form, and his creations are almost too stunning to unwrap. AND DON’T MISS … ALPINE HOLIDAY CHARM Enjoy exclusive fairy-tale scenes of Switzerland at Christmastime through our series of photos on victoriamag.com. Gain a breathtaking glimpse of the magical…

On Christmas Eve night, we would pile into my dad’s boat of a car and travel to the city. We wore our corduroy coats, mittens and knitted caps, and a Santa pin whose red nose lit up when we pulled the jingle bell attached to it with a short string. Our destination was the downtown department stores, and we sang “Silver Bells” as Daddy drove. “Even stop lights / Blink a bright red and green.” The lyrics were accurate. The traffic signals were also in the holiday spirit! Bows and swags of greenery decorated the streets, and wreaths studded with pinecones and candy canes adorned the lampposts. “City sidewalks, busy sidewalks / Dressed in holiday style / In the air / There’s a feeling / of Christmas.” My father slowed the…

For an intimate seasonal gathering, a beloved Christmas carol marks each place setting at the table. Below, a miniature banner featuring the song title “White Christmas” is printed on craft paper and tucked into a pair of glittery pinecones. An accordion-folded paper collar made from holiday sheet music frames a gleaming hammered-copper charger. Especially in December, the nostalgia of Christmas carols resonates within each of us—our personal favorites rich with meaningful memories we long to savor over and over again each year. To create an occasion filled with the magic of music, treat your family or friends to a special dinner party based on the holiday songs they love. “We wanted to set the scene of a traditional Christmas but with an updated color palette,” says designer Jennifer Carroll, who combined shades…

CAROL RIZZOLI Along with the snow flurries, so many memories swirl around the winter holidays that past and present meld, at times, as beautifully as the flavor of brandy with plums. That is the magic we hope to capture with our seasonal rituals. Unpacking treasured ornaments given by family, friends, and guests at our Royal Oak House Bed & Breakfast; trimming the tree; cooking favorite dishes— for me, it wouldn’t be Christmas without the scent of just-baked gingerbread mixed with the fragrance of freshly cut evergreen. And what a delicious surprise to see my son, who seemingly had forgotten our family traditions when he moved halfway across the globe to work in the tropics, suddenly baking ginger men one recent year. For guests at our inn, we offer the suggestion of holiday décor…

HOLIDAY PAPER, PRINTS & PANACHE Let the Christmas season begin with stylish greeting cards, gift tags, boxes, and bows. You’ll love what you gift with this classic assortment of Yuletide trims. Clockwise, from bottom left: Decorative papers from Paper Mojo in Crepaldi Bookbinder’s Marbles Red Peacock and Midas Touch Gold Marble on Natural Lokta paper; velvet-on-chipboard Echo Cards in Sea Green, Avocado, Gold Leaf, and Tourmaline (pictured in white envelope) from Velvet Raptor; silver-plated Sleigh Bell ornaments (three pictured) from Wallace and sterling-silver Old Master Medallion ornaments (two pictured) from Towle; packages wrapped with decorative papers from Paper Mojo in Crepaldi Bookbinder’s Marbles Wine and Rose Swirl (bottom) and Green and Brown Peacock (top); Vintage Drum ornaments from Bethany Lowe Designs; lithograph silhouette ornaments (four pictured) from Silhouettes and More…